Fotografía de autor

Sonja Spencer

Autor de Feeling Safe

9+ Obras 60 Miembros 4 Reseñas 1 Preferidas

Sobre El Autor

Incluye el nombre: Sonja Spencer

Obras de Sonja Spencer

Feeling Safe (2009) 17 copias
Dissonance (2009) 11 copias
The Escort (2009) 11 copias
Not Alone 7 copias
Mele Kalikimaka 6 copias
Teach Me 1 copia

Obras relacionadas

Mr. Right Now (Anthology 10-in-1) (2008) — Autor — 23 copias

Etiquetado

Conocimiento común

Género
female

Miembros

Reseñas

Matthias is broken and hurting and Kent is drawn to him. I love how Kurt even though he is a young man himself can recognize the needs in Matthias and show so much patience and gentleness. This story ends leaving you feeling that the is hope and a future for these young men.
 
Denunciada
KatyBethMcKee | otra reseña | Mar 31, 2013 |
The Timeless Dreams series by Dremspinner Press has all the good basis to be one of my favorite series. I often say that the Sheikh is one of my secret dream hero, and so I was pretty curious to read this story by Sonja Spencer about the love between a daring sheikh and the pleasure slave he bought. There were all the preambles for it to be naughty and sexy, but I forgot one important detail: the author. For what I read by Sonja Spencer she is not the usual erotic romance writer, she is more 'dreamy', with a strong propension to be emotional rather than sexy. And so also her story is like that, the love between Shahin and his servant Noori, is sweet and tender, but not at all sexy; there is almost no sex, but there is a lot of intimacy. And there is the rebirthing of a man who was used and misused and that has to learn to trust again, but he is lucky enough to meet a gentle and caring man.

There are some details that almost made me think that this was more a fantasy tale rather than an historical. The setting is obviously historical, but not so far in time to be medieval: Shahin wears glasses and they use ink and paper, and I don't know, the relationships between Shahin and his men and people is more 'modern' than a medieval kingdom. But still Noori was sold as a slave to pay his father's debt, and he was from a 'northern region', he has blonde hair, blue eyes and very pale skin... some of the old Scandinavian kingdom? A place where there was still a some sort of feudalism that allows people to be sold in slavery? I think that the author purposedly chose to not be too detailed, to let the story have this 'out of time' feeling. And then it's exactly the way why the Sheikh romance is so popular, the sheikhs and their way of live, out of time even when they are in the XX century, make a story fascinating and with an aurea of mystery mixed to danger. The Sheikh, in the little world that is their household, a few tends scattered around, is the one and only Master, he is both power and law, he is the only steady point for a lot of people as well for his lover, being this lover willing or not.

But Noori is more than willing. Noori is a particularly clever and cultured slave, he was not raised to be a slave and he was sold when he was old enough to have memories of his previous life. Nevertheless Noori is also a very sweet and gentle man, he is not a domineering character, he is witty and spirited, but he has not an independent streak. He doesn't like his life before Shahin, but he was accustomed to it; he dreams for a man who will save him from his sad fate, and he is willing to urge that man toward the right decision, but it's not freedom he is searching, it's a good natured man who will treat him good. Noori is used to be a slave, and also a pleasure slave, he would only like to be so for a man he likes as well.

On the other hand, Shahin is gentle and caring but he is not used to have a slave. He buys Noori since he dislikes to see a clever man like him being treated no more better than an object, but Shahin is too closed inside his protective shields to allow someone else in. And even if he was married twice, I believe that he has always had trouble to express his feelings. For sure his second marriage was an arranged one, and Shahin had not to court and woo the bride. So from a side there is Noori, who is willing to share Shahin's bed if only asked, but who was taught not to overimpose himself if not wished; from the other side there is Shahin, that has never learned how to court a lover and that is too considerate to impose himself to someone who do not make clear his wishes... not the best of situation and this is the reason why, even if they are very intimate, and shared the close proximity of a tent, Shahin and Noori behave more like two child who don't know sex, rather than a twice widower and a former sex slave.

The only thing that let me perplexed it's the change in pace toward the end. All the story has a slow pace, very coherent with the way of life of the desert people and their philosophy, there is no need to rush thing, all the world has a natural pace and you have to follow it. But at some point danger breaks the peaceful flow and from that moment on, the book takes a full swing, not all the details are full explained (see for example to man who brought the danger inside Shahin's household, what happened to him?), and almost as suddenly as it happened, all is resolved and the book ends... But maybe the author needed something to shake both men from the empasse they were stalled in.

Despite the lack of sex, I like very much this book, it was sweet and tender to see how Noori opens little by little to Shahin and his people, how he first learns how to smile again, and then how to be impulsive and happy; even if at first Noori didn't understand it, and took Shahin's refusal to bed him as consequences of something he did wrong, it comes out exactly how Shahin wished, Noori was able to be again a free man, and when it is time to share Shahin's bed, the sheikh is sure that Noori is doing in completely willingness, and not as a duty or as a way to express his gratitude.

Anyway, The Sheikh and the Servant is not maybe the naughty tale I was expecting, but it's probably even better.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002IPZIIO/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
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Denunciada
elisa.rolle | Jul 19, 2009 |
This is a very sweet novella, a bit heavy in the angst department, but not without hope.

Matthias is a fragile soul. A music student with a full scholarship for an US college, he left his home in Ireland, where maybe he was sheltered and protected, to come to a stranger land. And the first approach was not a good one, since Matthias obviously is not a man that can take care of himself against jocks and similar people. Matthias is as fragile in body and in soul, and after that experience, he ran away back home. But now is another year and lucky for him, another dorm: this time to welcome him there is Kent, a stocky man to the outside, but a gentle soul inside. Probably Kent is used to be judge from his look, and even if he is majoring in sport medicine, he probably passes for a man not so endowed in the brain department as he is in the body. Matthias and Kent are apparently totally mismatched, tall and lanky Matthias, small and tought Kent; skittish and hard to be near to Matthias, friendly and easygoing Kent. But thanks to the fate that put them together in the same door some days before the other students come in, Kent manages to conquer Matthias's trust.

Matthias is not a man who will learn to be independent, he will always remain a fragile being that needs a protector. We haven't to judge him weak, he is only a man who lives on another level, lost in his music and who will never understand that there are nasty things in the outside world. Matthias is a man who would be happy to live in a golden cage, if allowed to play his music. On the other hand Kent, even with his tough exterior, is a gentle man who will never take advantage of Matthias; Kent feels almost privileged that a beautiful human being as Matthias allows him to be near. Matthias is not beautiful in a strictly physical speaking way, his beauty derives by his fragility; and Kent understands that, if he wants to conquer Matthias' trust, he has to give the man the impression that he is not a danger, that he is not forcing the man to take step he is not ready to take. Giving him the feeling that he is taking his own decisions, is the way to hold him forever.

In a little way also Kent is fragile, he fears to be rejected; probably Kent is very self-conscious of his look, and maybe, even if it's not said, he had bad experiences in the past with people presuming he was tough and strong, when maybe Kent is only a very gentle man, and sometime he is the one who needs to be reassured. Yes, Kent assumes the role of protector for Matthias, but at the same time, he finds in Matthias' a soul mate, someone who is gentle and fragile inside as he himself is.

This is only a novella, a maybe it's a bit rushed in the conclusion, but all the first part, when Matthias and Kent get to know each other is very nice and tender. There is sex, but it is always more tender than erotic, more cuddle than anything else.

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/614896.html
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elisa.rolle | otra reseña | Apr 26, 2009 |
Gabriel has recently moved to Hawaii; usually he doesn't regret his decision, but during Christmas season he misses the snow and the real Christmas trees, and also the cold weather! Maybe he would be less of a grudge if he had someone near him to share the Christmas joy, but Gabriel is alone, until Keoni enters his sweet shop: a beautiful Hawaiian man from an influent family, Keoni is a dream comes true, but Gabriel can't imagine that the man is interested in him. Truth be told, Keoni is alone like Gabriel, and he misses to have a partner beside him. He is also tired to travel to world for business and he would like to finally settle in a place. Maybe during this Christmas season both men will see realize their wishes.

The story is nice, Gabriel is somewhat a character full of surprises, since he starts as a shy man, almost dreamy and not very upfront with what he wants, and then suddenly he becomes almost a vixen, teasing and sexy, and seduces poor Keoni with almost the man doesn't realizing it. To be sincere, I didn't understand fully Keoni: he is a very handsome man, but also unselfish and generous, not with his money but with his feelings, that is better; I believe Keoni likes the idea of love, and he is ready to fall in love, and it's not important if his partner his a male or a female. This is why I didn't understand him, I didn't understand if it is his first gay experience with Gabriel or not... but in the end it doesn't matter.

I was also surprised by the end, not since it's not an happily ever after, but since it's almost too normal after the dream comes true scene we read before; Keoni is coming back home from a tiring business travel, he would like to spend some quality time with Gabriel, but he realizes that he is too tired... all right love is the most powerful force in the world, but if you are sleep deprived...

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/478212.html
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Denunciada
elisa.rolle | Dec 31, 2008 |

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Estadísticas

Obras
9
También por
1
Miembros
60
Valoración
3.1
Reseñas
4
ISBNs
5
Favorito
1

Tablas y Gráficos