Title: Temporary Mark
Series: Collared #3
Author: Kim Dare
Genre: MM / Contemporary / BDSM
Length: Novella (111 pages)
Publisher: Total E-bound (March 25th, 2013)
Reviewer: Thommie
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5 Hearts
Blurb: Can a temporary collar ever lead to a permanent relationship? Mark and Mr. Nolan are about to find out.
Mr. Nolan’s last relationship lasted for over two decades. But, since suddenly finding himself single, two years ago, he has struggled to find a submissive who can fill the void in his life. Maybe a temporary arrangement is exactly what he needs to ease him back into the lifestyle he loves so much.
Mark’s never experienced life under the protection of a good dom. He’s merely had a series of abusive partners. He’s used to being treated as a temporary feature in a man’s life, then thrown away when they tire of him.
When mutual friends push them together, the last thing Mr. Nolan, or Mark, expects is to end up hoping a temporary collar will become permanent.
Reader Advisory: Please note that the stories in the Collared series are connected solely by theme. They can all be read as standalone titles and in any order. Mr. Nolan previously made an appearance as a secondary character in Bi Now, Gay Later, however it is not necessary to have read that book first.
Product Link: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strPageHistory=home&numSearchStartRecord=0&P_ID=2075&CAT_ID=0&numRecordPosition=1
Review: I’ve been a fan of Ms. Dare, since I started reading her books. And although I don’t always go head over heels with all her works, I have to say I did like this one quite a bit. In book three of the Collared series we meet Mr. Nolan and Mark. Each of these characters is interesting in his own way.
Mr. Nolan is a long time Dom who had lost his submissive of twenty plus years for nearly two years now. In all this time his friends have been introducing him with many subs in an attempt to fill the void his Frank left, without results. Mark, on the other hand, is a natural sub who’s had one bad relationship after another with several sadistic and abusive men. His idea of self-worth is utterly disordered and in short terms he’s completely screwed inside out. Damaged is perhaps an understatement.
The pair meets when friends they have in common introduce them and ask Mr. Nolan to take Mark in under his care temporarily. It’s all that’s needed for Mark to try to be worthy of a Dom such as Mr. Nolan. And the sexual part, while not exactly what Mark expected was definitely what he always dreamed. Even if it means that he has to fight a ghost in order to keep it.
I liked this story very much. If it wasn’t for the fact that almost all Ms. Dare’s characters have this common fault of not hearing what’s being said instead making their own conclusions in their head, I would have enjoyed it even more. I suppose the for years abused brain of Mark couldn’t easily accept that a Dom could be kind to him or even considerate, but still it was irritating when he heard one thing and understood another.
Nevertheless this was quite a sweet story as well. This author has a unique ability into making even the shortest of stories and ideas no matter the genre turn into romance. For me that is exactly what this work is about. A romance born out of need and circumstances and perfect timing for both characters. Yet again my dislike for the quickly dropped “I love you” line tampered my enthusiasm, but hey, I’m too cynical to trust that feeling in the spawn of a week.
Bottom end, I loved the story and totally recommend it for fans of the genre.