3.5 stars ( )

The second story in Kim Dare’s 'I Blame Bret' series is as delightful as the first. The tongue-in-cheek humor is back, the submissive is the clueless one this time, and the master is a tough guy who doesn’t give an inch.

Theo thinks he knows what he’s getting himself into. Well, sort of. He wants to submit, but the details totally elude him. When McCormack approaches him, Theo blindly follows and is thrown into shock after shock of discovery. It is a good thing he is so determined, because McCormack sure isn’t the type to mollycoddle a sub, nor give him any sort of emotional support. Lucky for him, Theo seems to be happy with the smallest signs of approval.

To be honest, McCormack was little much for me. Yes, he has very clear ideas about safety and what can or cannot be done during consensual play. Teaching Theo about "what real submission is about" may be what he sets out to do, but I cringed at his methods. His willingness to protect Theo and make him his own comes a little fast and, due to his lack of emotions, is a little unexpected. Nevertheless, he seems to be the perfect fit for Theo, and who am I to argue with that?

I really liked the way this story is written: with tons of humor and two very different characters; it was fun to read. There isn’t a relationship to speak of (yet), but the level of trust and the need to explore further is very clear. If you like D/s stories, Doms who are possessive without showing emotion and subs who have no idea what they’re getting themselves into as they go through their first submission experience, you will probably like this story.




NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Queer Magazine Online. ( )

3 stars. Nice little short about a clueless sub and jaded dom. Is it just me or does anyone else wish Kim Dare's short stories were longer? ;) ( )

Bill feels he's getting set up but is drawn to Theo. McCormick is enjoying the evening but when he realizes how clueless Theo is he decides to address the issue. This of course leads to misunderstandings and almost scares Theo away. ( )