Title: The Master’s Conflict
Series: N/A
Author: Elaine C. Markowicz and William Alberto
Genre: Paranormal, vampire, witches, maybe BDSM
Length: Novel
Publisher: Paranormal Love Productions/Lulu
Heat Level: Explicit
Blurb: Stone Peterson was as cold and hard as his name implied. Tossed from one foster home to the other is what gave Stone his cruel edge. He trusted no one. Men were for his pleasure only. Owning a leather bar, he had the choice of many. A guy would kill to be one night with Stone. But his method of fucking was rough and crude. He didn’t care who he hurt. That is, until he met Ian. Ian Holtz was a shy, retiring young man who felt shunned by his family. Always trying to please others, he would do anything to win Stone Peterson’s approval. Despite Stone’s cruel treatment, Ian loved him. He’s thrilled when Stone makes him his boy slave and wears the studded leather collar with pride.
Product Link: http://www.lulu.com/shop/elaine-william-markowicz-alberto/the-masters-conflict/paperback/product-21109726.html?showPreview=true
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3Hearts
Reviewer: Cat
Blurb: Stone Peterson was as cold and hard as his name implied. Tossed from one foster home to the other is what gave Stone his cruel edge. He trusted no one. Men were for his pleasure only. Owning a leather bar, he had the choice of many. A guy would kill to be one night with Stone. But his method of fucking was rough and crude. He didn’t care who he hurt. That is, until he met Ian.
Ian Holtz was a shy, retiring young man who felt shunned by his family. Always trying to please others, he would do anything to win Stone Peterson’s approval. Despite Stone’s cruel treatment, Ian loved him. He’s thrilled when Stone makes Ian his boy slave and wears the studded leather collar with pride.
Stone’s bar Big Bear is in serious financial trouble. Someone is dipping into the till and cooking the books. He employs his one and only friend Gauge Matthews to do some digging into the theft. Ian warns Stone that Gauge is not to be trusted and Stone pushes him away in a rage. After all, he’d been friends with Gauge since he was nineteen. It was Gauge who introduced him into the exciting world of sex. Gauge is the only friend; the only person Stone ever trusted.
Using his powers as a witch, Ian summons a spell to bring to light the truth about Gauge, putting Stone into a rage. Through it all, Ian stands by Stone no matter how much he tries to push him out of his life. In the end Stone realizes what he has in Ian and accepts him as his equal.
Review: I love this cover!
Stone is the owner of a gay leather bar and a cold heartless man, but every one of its clientele come in hoping to be chosen by Stone for the night. They are aware he doesn’t do but one nighters but to have the opportunity is worth it. Gauge is Stone’s best friend and ex- lover. They still have sex from time to time and Gauge is honoured to be the only one Stone has sex with most often, even if it still is casual and he has never made love to Gauge.
Ian is a young, shy computer geek that has heard a lot of Stone and wanted to check the place out. Stone was taken by him immediately and chose him for a night, however Ian chickened out, but comes back to be chosen again. He has fallen in love with Stone, but finds out Stone’s deepest darkest secrets. Can Ian still love Stone no matter what? You will have to get the book and see these secrets and how Ian deals with it. It’s surprising to say the least.
I have to say this book is extremely different. There are two separate stories actually sort of three going on simultaneously with both Stone and Ian, not counting a few side stories.
#1 is the budding romance between Ian and Stone.
This was intriguing, at first, but to me got a bit repetitive. Especially, the bar sex scenes and they were a lot of them and it felt like the same scene over and over. The fact Ian let Stone take his virginity so roughly without even knowing him didn’t fit his shy, character.
#2 is the dark secret that leads a paranormal air to the story.
This part really had premise, I was very intrigued at what was aspiring though. I felt the way Ian took it so easily and not even acted a bit put off was a bit wild. However, once his twist got threw in, I actually like Ian’s character much better. and that he would do anything to protect his man, whether said man wanted his protection or help or not. I loved this part of the book and that it was dark and chilling. Very different from normal paranormal and then it just dropped. Bam! After one pivotal thing, then it was never mentioned the rest of the book. I also loved how Ian is shy as he was stood his ground and fought to win Stones love. Did he get it? You will have to read the book.
#3 is the BDSM aspect of the romance. To me this was so light that it could have been left out. The bar that was supposed to be a leather bar I never figure why. I also never got why the men thought it was such an honor to be taken by Stone since the sex was basically rough on your knees and leave. Then out of the blue he collars Ian. Though there was little D’s mentioned from that besides Stone telling him who he could and couldn’t talk to.
And there is the longstanding friendship / sexual relationship between Stone and Gauge. All the side-plots and friendships are sweet and lead connections to the above mentioned or support to Ian. A few of these were very cute. I especially adored Ian’s neighbour.
I really liked where the story seemed to be heading and I have to say I was surprised but loved the end. I would have loved to know more about the paranormal part how each man got that way and how they dealt with it in the future,. Especially why Stone‘s issues just disappeared (sorry I can’t really explain what I mean without a spoiler, but you will see when you read the book.)
I recommend this to anyone that likes, gay bars, rough sex, BDSM, Paranormal, a boy who will do anything to get his man, jealousy, some hot sex and a surprise but pleasant ending.
Heart Rating: ♥♥2Hearts
Reviewer: GiGi
Review: Vampires, Witches and Silver Leather Daddy Bears, Oh My! I must admit I did a lot of head scratching while reading this story. More than once I mumbled a “what the fuck?” aloud. While I love a paranormal romance, and really enjoy a good BDSM story, this one had missing pieces, or maybe too many pieces. Warning that this story contains rape, murder by an unapologetic self-appointed master, and too many other components that I just couldn’t accept. While the title suggests BDSM, this book contains more of an abusive sex partner rather than a power exchange. I just couldn’t pull myself into the odd combination of witches, card readers, half vamps, and society acceptance or not of those beings. Not enough world building for a paranormal and I just could not get past someone accepting their sociopath partner’s blatant abuse of his lover and others, and murder without conscience. I need my MC to have redeeming qualities. Not really BDSM.