Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Dan Stoltz has worked for years under his mentor, Murphy, to train sparring werewolves for the WWFL. Finally ready to start his own business, he takes the money he's saved, buys a license to train, and goes to the slave auction house to buy his first fighter.

Ashland's owner has lost him for failure to pay back taxes, and he's up on the auction block. His former master abused him, underfed him, didn't put him in fights or keep up with his training, and he's not in the best shape.

When Dan sets his sights elsewhere, Murphy insists Ash is the better choice, and so, against his better judgment, Dan purchases Ash. Ash might not look like much at first, but as they work together, Ash looks better and better. Now it seems Dan might get a greater return on his investment than he could have expected, because he discovers that he burns with desire for his slave, and Ash might just feel the same.

But with only one rule burning in Dan’s mind – sex with a slave is rape, because they can’t refuse their master’s desire – how can Dan believe Ash truly wants him or is he just bending to the will of his master?

First edition published by Loose Id, November 2013.

Second edition published by Hartwood Publishing, March 2019.

 

Book Review

This emotionally draining story is set in the world of the WereWolf Fight League, or WWFL, where werewolves fight for their masters' glory. Dan is such a master, and he and his new slave, Ashland, face the fact there are feelings between them. Not a problem, you say? Well, it is an issue because Ashland has been horribly abused by his previous master, and Dan swears he will never touch him sexually.

Dan is a principled man who has just started out his own business, providing sparring partners for the fighters so they can train. Ashland is his first slave. Dan is not in favor of the slave system, but there are too many economic interests tied up in it for any one man to stand a chance going up against it. Within that framework, he does what he can to keep Ashland as comfortable as possible. Having sex with a man who has no choice but to obey (since even raping a slave is legal) is not on Dan's to do list. He is, however, extremely attracted to Ashland and ends up fighting his feelings with everything in him.

Ashland broke my heart. He's had nothing but abuse in his life, separated from his mother at three months of age and trained to fight in horrible conditions. The owner who lost him because he wasn't able to pay his taxes was too cruel for words, and Ashland assumes everyone is like that. He has absolutely no hope it will get better. All he dreams about is enough food (the previous guy tried to starve him), and maybe some decent accommodations. Dan's treatment floors him. Every little thing Dan does for him is a surprise, and he is so grateful that he embarrasses Dan. After a while he gives up on his fantasy of Dan loving him back, deciding he's just not worth it. That and many of the tender scenes between the two men made me cry! 

It takes the threat of Ashland having to return to the previous owner for Dan to admit his feelings, but by then it might be too late. The tension ratchets up to almost unbearable levels, and the desperation both men feel had me almost hyperventilating. Absolutely stunning! If you are looking for a sweet romance or an entertaining read, this is not it. But if you're ready to be put through an emotional wringer, making for a very touching, if somewhat gritty, love story, you might like this novel. It is so worth it if you’re looking for emotional depth and an unusual storyline.

 

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 147 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	09-October-2020
Price	$3.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JY4BVWY