3.5 stars – I’ll be honest—the event planner in me found all the info about the leather/BDSM convention super fascinating. (I was all, “Workshops? I wonder how those were set up…”)
This is an overall light, fun read as our two MCs, friends for a long time, both into the BDSM scene, one a dom, one a sub, but are not together. Things are somewhat complicated by the fact that they had “vanilla” sex the night before they leave for a BDSM convention, and now they’re all confused about their feelings for each other and about what they think the other wants.
I loved the parts about the convention—I thought that was so interesting, and it sounded like a super sex-positive, welcoming environment, so you go, BSDM con!
The MCs are appealing and likeable, and you get both their POVs, so always interesting to see the view from the “top” and the sub, and what they want. I also liked that this was not an introduction to the scene—these guys were very in it, so it wasn’t a story about a virgin slowly introduced to the “pleasures of submission”, but were about two men who knew very much what they wanted, even though they were total crap about talking about it with each other.
My only downpoint is that a lot of conflict is based on lack of communication, which can get tiring as the main issue.
That, and even though this is set as a BDSM/leather con, it’s not overflowing with scenes, so don’t go in expecting that. There is one big “scene” with one of the MCs and some nice side characters, but the eventual coming together is late in the book and pretty straightforward, which was a little disappointing since both MCs talk about how great the other is from scenes they’ve seen at their club. (Maybe there will be a follow-up?)
It’s a fun, light read though, and at 45,000+ words, is a pretty fast read. I think it’s neat that Witt set the story at a con. (And I think a very smart BDSM con bookseller would have stacks of this book out front of their stall with a sign, “Finding Love at the Leather Con!”)
Recommended especially if you’re looking for something light, fast, and sexy (but one that is not too heavy on sex or BDSM.)