Reviewed by Amber
TITLE: Yogi and the Bear
AUTHOR: Nix Knox
PUBLISHER: Samhain
LENGTH: 308 pages
BLURB:
If the fall is inevitable, might as well enjoy the tumble.
Months after a scaffolding accident leaves him in chronic agony, construction worker Ryan Powell has exhausted all that Western medicine has to offer. He’s willing to try anything, even yoga, to get some relief.
He expected to feel out of place at the New Age Center, but he never expected a power-outage bathroom encounter to magically erase his pain. When he discovers the man with the magic hands is his drop-dead-sexy yoga teacher, Ryan decides that there might just be something to this metaphysical thing, after all.
Yogi Niklas Baumgartner has found it remarkably easy to keep his shiny vow of chastity untarnished—until now. Still, a bathroom hand job doesn’t really count as sex, right? But his footing on the no-nooky wagon slips when he realizes the big, blond bear at the back of the class is his man in the dark.
Their unlikely attraction brings out sides of themselves they never knew lurked beneath the surface, sides it takes courage to accept. But when trust is broken, repairing the damage might just tear them apart.
Warning: Contains a gentle giant, a dominant orgo-bunny, a pair of weighty manacles, too many movie references, accidental porn, overcoming stereotypes, and deliciously kinky sex.
REVIEW:
What an interesting twist to the average BDSM lifestyle. When I read the blurb for this story I wasn’t expecting them to go so hardcore into scenes, but I enjoyed when they did and I really enjoyed how it all played out. There were so many unique facets to the story that really drew me in. I really loved Nik and Ryan together. I fall hard for characters like Ryan. Big, strong, Alpha types that are incredibly sensitive and good.
Niklas Baumgartner is a trained yoga instructor/masseuse. He believes strongly in taking care of his body inside and out. One day at work he goes to use the restroom when the electricity went out. Unbeknownst to him there is another man in the stall next to him who gets startled. Trying to reassure the man that the lights will come back on in a few minutes they end up having a spur of the moment sexual encounter in the dark.
Ryan Powell hurt his back when he fell off a scaffold at work. He’s been having chronic pain ever since. He doesn’t like taking the pain medication so his doctor suggests yoga. And Ryan is very happy he did considering he got a HOT hand job from his new yoga instructor.
I think normally the hand job scene would have seemed weird to me if it had been written any other way. For some reason, even though Nik is a virgin, it just made sense and was super hot. Nik is extremely skittish in the beginning of their blossoming relationship but Ryan is gentle, and extremely patient. They embark on an interest they both share, BDSM. On their journey they both embrace their D/s sides. During their scenes Nik has another side of him come out in the form of a very dominant, Julian. I loved that little twist. I really enjoyed how Ryan was so receptive to Nik/Julian’s needs.
Like all new fledgling relationships these men have many hurdles to jump. Ryan has baggage involving overly religious parents and a hormonal/judgmental sister. While Nik struggles with family issues of his own and his need to know why he is the way he is.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and all the little nuances of these men together. It was very good!
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
TBR list, sounds wonderful.
Do you think this would be good for someone that normally doesn’t read BDSM?
It was really good and different.
Barbra….I think it would depend on why you don’t read BDSM. This was very mild and Ryan and Nik were beginners in the scene so it was like an introduction into the world. If you have an aversion to being tied up then this wouldn’t be a story for you. Ryan and NIk’s kink is control and binding…there’s very little spanking/punishment.
It was great and would be the perfect book to test the waters but it really just depends on your preferences.
I hope that helps!! Let me know what you decide.