Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Clarisse seeks refuge from her abusive ex-boyfriend on the Dilly Dally, her uncle's old fishing trawler in Tarpon Springs, Florida. She doesn't expect to find Mac and Sully, the Dilly's sexy new owners, on board making love.

They're at first startled by her appearance, then outraged by the injuries her ex inflicted. They insist she stay with them, and with nowhere else to go, Clarisse agrees.

Both men find themselves falling for Clarisse, but she can't bring herself to completely trust Sully, a former cop, like her ex. She's shocked to discover the men aren't just lovers either, but full-time Master and slave in a BDSM relationship. As she learns more about their history and lifestyle, she uncovers her own hidden desires. When danger from her past returns, can Sully and Mac provide Clarisse a Safe Harbor?

 

Book Review

Having recently inhaled my first Tymber Dalton book, I knew I'd have to take a look at her backlist, and, knowing me, probably inhale that, also. It didn't take me long after starting 'Safe Harbor' to realize that this was going to be a fantastic book, and the author was going to take it into a direction I wasn't expecting from the blurb I read.

It was no surprise, to me, that Clarisse brought out all of Sully and Mac's protective instincts. She brought out mine, and made my heart hurt for all the people, men and women, in the world who survive an abusive relationship. Clarisse's is even worse, because her ex, Bryan, is a cop, and in his Ohio city, the boys in blue stick together, no matter what. Clarisse files charges against him, puts her things in storage, and heads south to Florida and her uncle's fishing trawler, a boat she practically grew up on, and where she feels safe. Instead of her uncle, though, she finds Sully and Mac, two men who are partners, lovers, and friends, and they live an unusual lifestyle that works for them.

I'm sure, if you're anything like me, and you've read books similar to this one, based on the description, you'd expect the story to go in a certain way. Well, I'm discovering that this author doesn't do anything the "regular" way. Sully and Mac are totally unexpected men, and I'd love nothing more than to find them for myself. Each of them has a background history that's a little too close to Clarisse's situation, which leaves them emotionally invested. They have a Master/slave relationship, and are involved in sadomasochism, with Sully being the sadist, and Mac the masochist. For obvious reasons, their private life is their own, but with Clarisse now living with them, they had to inform her of it.

Here is where many authors might've taken the easy route, and quickly had Clarisse joining in with Sully and Mac, and everything moving along all hunky-dory. However, this author took it down the road less traveled. Nothing between these three happened quickly, and nothing was easy. Clarisse asked a lot of questions, particularly of Mac, trying to understand his submission, and how he could be happy to be Sully's slave. Even a month after living with them and getting to know them, Clarisse was still nervous around Sully simply because he was a cop. And, when Sully and Mac bring up a polyamorous relationship with Clarisse, including the fact they both love her, Sully makes it very plain that there would be no sex between them until Clarisse trusted him, loved him, and married him. Definitely not your run of the mill plot, huh?

Wow! Beyond real, how much I loved this book. This is now my second book by the author, and, again, I'm stunned by her writing and her storytelling. There was some predictability, in terms of Clarisse's ex, but even there, the author did a great job with the excitement. An excellent read that I can so easily recommend. In fact, I vote it as a must-read.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Siren Publishing for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 116445 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	07-December-2009
Price	$7.99 ebook
Buy Link	http://www.bookstrand.com/safe-harbor