Format: Kindle ebook. Free at the time on amazon.
Did it feel like a full novel: yes
Cliffhanger: yes, but you know it's coming
Genre: m/m, master/slave, historical/alt universe
Dates Read: Oct 8-11, 2015
Official Blurb: Jason Wadsworth is finally headed to university. Leaving behind his father's cattle ranch in favor of the posh, gaslit streets of Perdana, Jason is determined to climb the social ladder and forget his country roots. If only his father had gifted him with a more upscale slave.
Kale's been a country slave his whole life. All he wants is to keep his head down and live as comfortable an existence as possible. Unfortunately, his dramatic master despises him and makes life difficult at every turn.
Humbled by his first breakup, Jason grows to appreciate his ever-faithful slave and soon discovers that Kale is everything he's ever wanted. Now he needs to prove to Kale that his love is genuine.
Kale, meanwhile, tries to convince himself that he simply feels the devotion of a slave to his master, but his actions prove what his mind is unwilling to accept: he's falling in love. When Jason's future happiness is in jeopardy, Kale sets himself on a course to make Jason's dreams come true, even if it means facing up to the fact that, for the first time in his life, he loves someone else more than he loves himself.
One Sentence: Really solid slave devotion from Kale, but the master feels like cardboard.
Full Review: Kale starts out very humble and worried about his master's dislike of him. Though I am all for him feeling no respect for this boy-master, I think he did get much too mouthy than was believable in the setting. Jason's punishments were petty, but tantalizing from the reader's point of view, so more of that description could have been a bit more erotic (being this is a master/slave fantasy).
The part that gave me a hard time was Jason's about face. Sure I could understand he's on the rebound, and Kale is there to take care of him. But even though this is a switch POV story, we don't get to see how Jason really cares for him, we're just told. He feels bad about the beginning, but then shrugs it off. He knows he's risking bigger trouble (for Kale) being publicly sweet on his slave, but does it anyway. I'm hoping this means for the next book Jason will grow up and be more of an adult.
But this still gets a higher rating from me in spite of Jason. Why? Because Kale is otherwise fantastic! He's strong and tries to do his duties, tries to think the best of his master even when he knows he doesn't have to. He tries to warn him and do right by him, even when that also backfires. He kinda grows, in his own way. Kale knows this sweet thing between himself and Jason can't last forever, and though he takes the opportunity to enjoy it, he doesn't take a passive role.
I really want to read the next in the series when I make some time, because I can't wait to see what's going to happen mainly to Kale, but also Jason, and even Renee. Renee started off pretty cool, then got shitty, but I think it was more the author railroading her so certain events could unfold. So hopefully she'll get her chance for redemption.
Rating: 4 stars
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