Title: King Perry
Author: Edmond Manning
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (343pgs)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (27th February 2012)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: In a trendy San Francisco art gallery, out-of-towner Vin Vanbly witnesses an act of compassion that compels him to make investment banker Perry Mangin a mysterious offer: in exchange for a weekend of complete submission, Vin will restore Perry’s “kingship” and transform him into the man he was always meant to be.
Despite intense reservations, Perry agrees, setting in motion a chain of events that will test the limits of his body, seduce his senses, and fray his every nerve, (perhaps occasionally breaking the law) while Vin guides him toward his destiny as ”the one true king.”
Even as Perry rediscovers old grief and new joys within himself, Vin and his shadowy motivations remain enigmas: who is this offbeat stranger guiding them from danger to hilarity to danger? To emerge triumphant, Perry must overcome the greatest challenge alone: embracing his devastating past. But can he succeed by Sunday’s sunrise deadline? How can he possibly evolve from an ordinary man into King Perry?
A Bittersweet Dreams title: It’s an unfortunate truth: love doesn’t always conquer all. Regardless of its strength, sometimes fate intervenes, tragedy strikes, or forces conspire against it. These stories of romance do not offer a traditional happy ending, but the strong and enduring love will still touch your heart and maybe move you to tears.
Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2801&osCsid=6d4ufhfrlo01ukq480063ehpa2
Review: Perry is at an art gallery where he meets Vin who makes him an offer. Perry is about to go on a journey that will scare, invigorate, strip him bare and frustrate him.
This story is extremely well written and the concept intrigued me, but reading the book I found that it just wasn’t for me. This story is from Vin’s POV. Vin is a strange man who seems to go around finding men and Kinging them, Perry is one such man. After meeting in an art gallery and talking for a while, Vin decides that Perry was meant to be a King and sets about making it so. Perry is wary of Vin, but for some strange reason agrees to go to Alcatraz for the day, which is just the beginning of his journey.
I really am finding it difficult to process this book because the concept of being stripped bare, accepting your emotions and finding peace within ones’ self was a good one, but the execution threw me. Vin, we find out little about, he is shrouded in mystery. He had a traumatic childhood, which we catch glimpses of and to be perfectly honest I found him decidedly odd. He has story sex and a word fetish. he is manipulative and sneaky. Perry, I thought at first that he was a strong character and in a way he was, but he was forever giving into and forgiving Vin which I found unrealistic.
Perry’s journey has him hiding in Alcatraz after dark, eating breakfast with the homeless and babysitting a duckling (which may or may not be stolen) all of which he has been manipulated into. I really want to say that the sex was hot and erotic, because it was, but the fact that Vin would always be telling a story during these times ruined it for me. I also couldn’t relate that much to the characters. All we know of Perry is what he tells Vin and all we learn about Vin is from his own thoughts, which he cuts off all the time.
So while I admit this book wasn’t for me, I do think that many people will enjoy this because it is so different from everything else that is out on the market right now. So, I will recommend this if you want to read something new and unique, with a slightly off the wall character, a character who has to find himself and where love is present.