Judith’s review of Bonds of Need (Wicked Play #2) by Lynda Aicher
When Kendra Morgan attends a party at an exclusive sex club, she’s not driven by mere curiosity. Hoping to prove she’s put the past behind her, Kendra must instead face up to needs she’s denied for too long. Despite her lingering fears, she can’t resist the temptation to play…
Deklan Winters has had his eye on his attractive neighbor for months, but only senses Kendra is no stranger to the BDSM scene when she walks into his club. And he can tell that’s not her only secret. What surprises him is his own overwhelming desire to give her what she craves—and to show her a side to the Dom/sub relationship she’s never known.
With Deklan’s guidance, Kendra begins to accept her forbidden needs and to recognize the fine line between pleasure and pain. But when her former Master returns to reclaim her, it will take all her courage—and all of Deklan’s love—to defy her past.
She’s a woman who made her first appearance in Book One of this series, a quiet and reclusive kind of neighbor who seldom showed up at the resident gatherings and cook-outs, who worked the night shift at Target and who didn’t appear to have very many friends. Yet she did open herself to a couple of the women in her condo complex, one of whom is the heroine from Book One. It is her rather quiet revelation that she had some past experience in the BDSM community that finally had her attending the party at The Den that opened this book.
There is lots going on with this lady. She is mysterious and sexy, yet she has about her an aura of sadness and keeping her emotions will hidden. It is that quiet but powerful pull that engages Deklan’s interest, a man who never gets involved with subs and only on a contract basis. Kendra pulls at him in a powerful and troubling way and it is their story that is at the core of this short novel. Most of all, this is a story about the abuses that often surface perpetrated by so-called Doms who have few if any personal boundaries or respect for others, who are all about themselves, who use the gift of submission to overwhelm and abuse those over whom they exercise power. They have little if any understanding of the delicate balance in a true power exchange relationship, and it is this kind of abuse that has caused Kendra to flee. Add in a family who think her ex-fiance is a “gift from the gods” and you have a pressure-cooker kind of context in which this love relationship grows.
This is an intense read, one that will be received well by those who appreciate an author’s attempt to expose those who misuse BDSM and give honorable people a bad name. The honesty that comes through in this story is one of its strongest appeals. I think this will be an entertaining and thought-provoking read and one that deserves to be read.
I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.
The Series:
You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place.
This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.
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