A review by haletostilinski1
Bare by Lynn Kelling
4.0
I liked this book. I'm not too crazy about BDSM and the main M/M couple is a Dom/Sub relationship, which I wish had been warned about. Not that it would have made me not read - because if done right, I can enjoy BDSM (and this was done right) so I did enjoy it, but for the most part it's not my thing. But kudos to the author for making the D/s relationship riveting despite the weariness it brought me. Because it was, in a way, sprung on me.
Like it starts out as Ev posing nude for Adam and then as they get to know each other and give in to their desire for each other, it just kind of turned into a D/s relationship without even really being talked about, which is one aspect of it that bothered me. It was all consensual and taken eagerly, and there was a certain balance in the unbalanced relationship, but still. When it first went into D/s territory I was like woahhh wth??? A little warning, maybe? That's all. And then at the end after everything Master/slave was introduced too and I was like WTF?? There were "sir's" before but then all of the sudden Ev was calling Adam "Master" and even other Doms around them, like Adam's BFF, Ev called Master. Felt a little out of nowhere.
Also, it really bothered me that they never used condoms, not once - and didn't even discuss whether or not to use them, and even after it was pointed out in the story that they had never used condoms, Ev never brought it up. As much as Adam and Ev love each other by books end, they didn't when they started their relationship, and Ev maybe come from a conservative background but I'm sure even he knows the importance of protection. I wish they had at least gotten tested before they used no condom. And at one point when Ev brings up exclusivity, Adam goes "i wasn't under the impression that we were monogamous" which makes me believe that before Ev asked Adam for exclusivity between them, that Adam would have, maybe, had sex with others, and while he might have used protection with them, how could Ev had known that? Safe sex is extremely important! And I think Adam and Ev know this. So that REALLY frustrated me, that Adam might have had sex with others while having unprotected sex with Ev (not that he does. Neither sleeps with anyone else after they meet each other and especially not after they fall in love - but still).
But overall this was a compelling story and I couldn't put it down - only put it down when I had to - and Ev and Adam's relationship was compelling as well, and if the above two things don't bother you as much as they do me, definitely go for it. Even if they do, I still say go for it, because this a pretty good book.
Some not to so great things happen around the 60% mark but thankfully it doesn't happen for long.
Overall, great book, just has a few nit picky things to rant about.
Like it starts out as Ev posing nude for Adam and then as they get to know each other and give in to their desire for each other, it just kind of turned into a D/s relationship without even really being talked about, which is one aspect of it that bothered me. It was all consensual and taken eagerly, and there was a certain balance in the unbalanced relationship, but still. When it first went into D/s territory I was like woahhh wth??? A little warning, maybe? That's all. And then at the end after everything Master/slave was introduced too and I was like WTF?? There were "sir's" before but then all of the sudden Ev was calling Adam "Master" and even other Doms around them, like Adam's BFF, Ev called Master. Felt a little out of nowhere.
Also, it really bothered me that they never used condoms, not once - and didn't even discuss whether or not to use them, and even after it was pointed out in the story that they had never used condoms, Ev never brought it up. As much as Adam and Ev love each other by books end, they didn't when they started their relationship, and Ev maybe come from a conservative background but I'm sure even he knows the importance of protection. I wish they had at least gotten tested before they used no condom. And at one point when Ev brings up exclusivity, Adam goes "i wasn't under the impression that we were monogamous" which makes me believe that before Ev asked Adam for exclusivity between them, that Adam would have, maybe, had sex with others, and while he might have used protection with them, how could Ev had known that? Safe sex is extremely important! And I think Adam and Ev know this. So that REALLY frustrated me, that Adam might have had sex with others while having unprotected sex with Ev (not that he does. Neither sleeps with anyone else after they meet each other and especially not after they fall in love - but still).
But overall this was a compelling story and I couldn't put it down - only put it down when I had to - and Ev and Adam's relationship was compelling as well, and if the above two things don't bother you as much as they do me, definitely go for it. Even if they do, I still say go for it, because this a pretty good book.
Some not to so great things happen around the 60% mark
Spoiler
(Ev gets taken by conversion camp religious zealots and they violate him and it's a really uncomfortable and horrible thing to read, so beware of that)Overall, great book, just has a few nit picky things to rant about.