Title: The Square Peg
Author: Alexa Snow & Jane Davitt
Genre: Contemporary, BDSM, D/s
Length: Novel (229 pages)
Publisher: Loose Id (August 7th, 2012)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3Hearts
Blurb: Benedict, a successful accountant, who’s just been dumped for being boring, is surprised and pleased to learn that he’s inherited half ownership in a gay bar from his estranged father, seeing it as a chance to get out of his rut. That’s until he meets his new partner, a mouthy, disturbingly hot Brit called Shane, and discovers that the bar’s in the red and Shane’s not interested in renovations that could drive away their regulars.
When a late-night confrontation turns into the hottest sex either of them has experienced, they realize there’s one way to fit a square peg into a round hole, but are they solving problems or papering over the cracks? As they explore the new dynamic between them, pushing their limits until Ben’s shocked at where his desire to dominate Shane takes him, the renovations to the bar begin. They’re building something new, something good — but fear and an unexpected act of violence may tear down what they’ve created.
Product Link: http://www.loose-id.com/the-square-peg.html
Reviewer: Any
Review: I had mixed feelings about this book. At some points I flew through the pages, eager to see what would happen next, and at other points, I was tapping my toes.
Let me start with the things that had me flying through pages:
- The clean writing. The authors use clear, precise sentences to convey information, and they employ many of the senses in any given scene. That led to a more tactile experience of the book, where I felt, smelled, and heard as well as saw the story being played out.
- The two perspectives. This choice was great. I loved reading how the other felt/thought. It kept things interesting.
- The Square Peg. I liked the idea of the bar and its transformation (which nicely echoed the relationship status between Shane and Benedict – at least for the beginning).
- The sex scenes. Yeah, they were pretty hot for the most part. Certainly they had me flushed. 😉 (More on this further down . . .)
- Vin. What a wonderful likeable character. His story is going to sweep me away. I can just feel it, and the end of The Square Peg alludes to that story coming pretty soon. This hook was a great way of sucking in readers for wanting more.
The things that made my foot tap:
- The 180 lust to love. This happened too quickly that it didn’t feel real. I would have liked a little more development emotionally between Shane and Benedict.
- Ben as a Dom. I think this was the crux of my issues with the book. When I first started reading, I was introduced to a character who, to me, did not feel the confident Dom type. In fact, I was thinking, if anything, it would have been Shane to be the more aggressive of the two. Now, as the story progressed, I accepted the fact it wouldn’t be as I anticipated, and went with it, but that first transition made the experience a bit rocky.
- Coming hand-in-hand with this ‘something’s not quite right with Ben as a Dom’ was the way Ben seemed to second guess his actions after giving Shane a firm hand. I wavered with this one. Sometimes I was irritated, I guess I just wanted strong and commanding and no quibbles. Then, at other times, I thought maybe these insecurities show a more realistic side to someone trying out being a Dom for the first time.
Overall though, this was a good read, and I would recommend it to those in the mood for a light, erotic read. It’s fun.