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barbistull's review
4.0
The Keyholder by Claire Thompson
This story has two separate storylines going on at the same time, which will eventually intersect at the most opportune moment.
Jack McQuade. He is new to New York City and is planning to stay with his longtime friends, Charles and his wife/submissive Nora. Jack is involved in the BDSM scene and gets a tour of Hawthorne Dungeon, a traditional brownstone that housed multiple rooms and fantasies for those who are key holders like his friends Charles and Nora. Jack watches his friend Charles and his wife/sub Nora with awe—he longs to have the connection that they have with one another both emotionally and involving his BDSM lifestyle.
Eva Sanders. She just moved to New York City on her own with no family nearby. Answering an ad in the newspaper for a “sub for hire†at Hawthorne Dungeon, she had no idea where that road would lead. Kidnapped and help against her will by the sadistic and extreme master key holder of Hawthorne Dungeon, Phillip Duncan. Eva is tortured, beaten and starved during her captivity with little hope of escape.
A daring rescue turns Eva’s life around and give Jack the opportunity to get what he’s always wanted.
The story was good—it was soft in the right places, gave just enough of a peek into the scene to keep the reader’s interest. It would have been a 5-star for me if the characters of Jack and Eva were developed a bit more. Everything seemed a bit rushed in the end as though it was trying to tie up loose ends before the finale.
I give this 4 out of 5 stars.
Reviewed by Barbi S. for The Art of Romance
This story has two separate storylines going on at the same time, which will eventually intersect at the most opportune moment.
Jack McQuade. He is new to New York City and is planning to stay with his longtime friends, Charles and his wife/submissive Nora. Jack is involved in the BDSM scene and gets a tour of Hawthorne Dungeon, a traditional brownstone that housed multiple rooms and fantasies for those who are key holders like his friends Charles and Nora. Jack watches his friend Charles and his wife/sub Nora with awe—he longs to have the connection that they have with one another both emotionally and involving his BDSM lifestyle.
Eva Sanders. She just moved to New York City on her own with no family nearby. Answering an ad in the newspaper for a “sub for hire†at Hawthorne Dungeon, she had no idea where that road would lead. Kidnapped and help against her will by the sadistic and extreme master key holder of Hawthorne Dungeon, Phillip Duncan. Eva is tortured, beaten and starved during her captivity with little hope of escape.
A daring rescue turns Eva’s life around and give Jack the opportunity to get what he’s always wanted.
The story was good—it was soft in the right places, gave just enough of a peek into the scene to keep the reader’s interest. It would have been a 5-star for me if the characters of Jack and Eva were developed a bit more. Everything seemed a bit rushed in the end as though it was trying to tie up loose ends before the finale.
I give this 4 out of 5 stars.
Reviewed by Barbi S. for The Art of Romance
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review
4.0
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books.
Eva Sandler was kidnapped and held captive at the hands of the Master Keyholder. She was forced to submit to him with no means of escape but her strong will makes her keep her eyes open for chances. No matter how vile the Master Keyholder became Eva was determined that he would not break her.
Jack McQuade is a long time Dom how is becoming a member of the same club friends of his belong too. The Master keyholder gives off creepy vibes but everyone shrugs it off until a clue makes them all take notice. Now that Eva has been founded and is not the mends, Jack still wants to pamper her without pushing her.
The connection between Jack and Eva is intense and also unexpected. Each of them feel the connection upon first meeting each other. While at first Jack feels he is just doing his job as a Dom, it turns to more the longer he spends time with her. I loved how many things that Jack and Eva had in common, including art. I also enjoyed how much Eva tried to show Jack how well she want getting and that she wanted more from their relationship.
I found this book well written with a fascinating plot. The main characters and the secondary characters were interesting. The ending of the book was a bit predicable but how the book unfolded was mesmerizing. I had a hard time putting this book down. Overall, this was a very captivating book and I hope to see these characters again in the future.This book was reviewed by a member of the review staff at Cocktails and Books. The name of the reviewer can be found under the post categories.
Eva Sandler was kidnapped and held captive at the hands of the Master Keyholder. She was forced to submit to him with no means of escape but her strong will makes her keep her eyes open for chances. No matter how vile the Master Keyholder became Eva was determined that he would not break her.
Jack McQuade is a long time Dom how is becoming a member of the same club friends of his belong too. The Master keyholder gives off creepy vibes but everyone shrugs it off until a clue makes them all take notice. Now that Eva has been founded and is not the mends, Jack still wants to pamper her without pushing her.
The connection between Jack and Eva is intense and also unexpected. Each of them feel the connection upon first meeting each other. While at first Jack feels he is just doing his job as a Dom, it turns to more the longer he spends time with her. I loved how many things that Jack and Eva had in common, including art. I also enjoyed how much Eva tried to show Jack how well she want getting and that she wanted more from their relationship.
I found this book well written with a fascinating plot. The main characters and the secondary characters were interesting. The ending of the book was a bit predicable but how the book unfolded was mesmerizing. I had a hard time putting this book down. Overall, this was a very captivating book and I hope to see these characters again in the future.This book was reviewed by a member of the review staff at Cocktails and Books. The name of the reviewer can be found under the post categories.
linathebookaddict's review
4.0
I am a lover of the darker side of romance and this had it all. This book was so different from any BDSM book I've ever read.
It had everything; engaging characters, steamy scenes and the tricky subject matter of abuse/captivity.
We have various characters here. Our couple, Nora & Charles, Jack and our extremely dark Philip. They are all into the BDSM lifestyle and Philip is the caretaker of their dungeons...But something dark lurks beneath his handsome facade. He is not who we think he is.
One day everything changes and the three friends finally unveil Philip's terrible secret.
I fell in love with the main characters; especially after the second half of the book. My absolute favorites were Nora and Jack. Jack is a Master but he is an amazing man. He is kind and a great dominant. When he discovers what Philip was hiding in the house's attic, he makes it his mission to fix everything the sinister keyholder ruined. Will he succeed?
I loved how the author incorporated BDSM and actual abuse in her book while making absolutely clear their major differences. I loved it.
I would totally recommend it to lovers of the genre.
4 Stars from me!
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It had everything; engaging characters, steamy scenes and the tricky subject matter of abuse/captivity.
We have various characters here. Our couple, Nora & Charles, Jack and our extremely dark Philip. They are all into the BDSM lifestyle and Philip is the caretaker of their dungeons...But something dark lurks beneath his handsome facade. He is not who we think he is.
One day everything changes and the three friends finally unveil Philip's terrible secret.
I fell in love with the main characters; especially after the second half of the book. My absolute favorites were Nora and Jack. Jack is a Master but he is an amazing man. He is kind and a great dominant. When he discovers what Philip was hiding in the house's attic, he makes it his mission to fix everything the sinister keyholder ruined. Will he succeed?
I loved how the author incorporated BDSM and actual abuse in her book while making absolutely clear their major differences. I loved it.
I would totally recommend it to lovers of the genre.
4 Stars from me!
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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