Some books are so anticipated that just one or two opinions aren’t going to cut it.

Love Bytes presents their first Group Review!

 

“Dorian is our resident pain slut,” he confided.

Alan’s brow cleared. “Ah, now I understand. No, I’ve not met him.” He scowled. “And it doesn’t sound like I could teach him anything about taking pain.”

Thomas gazed at him thoughtfully. “No, but if you like a challenge, you could try teaching him that there are other ways to fly.” He smiled. “Do you like a bit of a challenge?”

Alan returned the smile. “Love them.”

From Trusting Thomas – Collars and Cuffs #2

 

TITLE: Make Me Soar

SERIES: Collars & Cuffs #6

AUTHOR: K.C. Wells

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 290 Pages

BLURB:

Anyone who frequents Collars & Cuffs knows Dorian Forrester is built for pain, including Dorian himself. But everyone has it wrong. For six years, Dorian’s chased a feeling that remains tantalizingly out of his reach. Unteachable, Dorian can take anything and everything a Dom can throw at him. Still, it’s not enough. Dorian needs… something more. Something he won’t find at Collars & Cuffs.

Dorian’s search takes him out of the safe environment he’s known for years, out of his depth, and into a realm of deep, dark trouble.

Alan Marchant has been watching Dorian with interest for a while and knows there’s more to Dorian than his label of “pain slut” suggests. When Dorian disappears, Alan and his friend, Leo, set out to find him. But the disoriented young man discovered cowering in a hotel room is not the Dorian they know and love. That Dorian is shattered. It’s up to Alan to pick up the pieces and show Dorian there are better ways to fly.

They may be off on a new journey together, but their destination will rock them both to the core.

 

Cindy’s Review

I was anxiously awaiting this book from K.C. Wells. Her “Collars and Cuffs” series is one of my favorites, giving an interesting portrayal of the BDSM lifestyle by showcasing the different kinds of relationships that can exist beyond what the usual public assumption is of BDSM. It’s not all leather daddies and whips and chains.

Dorian is a man who’s looking for something but the problem is, he’s been looking in all the wrong places. He keeps putting himself into painful situations as he chases a feeling that he sees in other subs because he doesn’t understand that it’s not the pain that will get him there…it’s the person who he gives his control to.

Alan has been admiring Dorian from the sidelines and recognizes that the beautiful sub needs someone to take him in hand and show him everything he’s been looking for.

K.C. Wells does a good job of showing us Dorian’s desperation and the frantic workings of him mind that urge him on to the worst decisions he’s ever made him his life. What happens to him is all the harder to take because in his head, he knows that he put himself into that situation.

When Alan finds out that Dorian is in trouble, it doesn’t take long for him to ride to the rescue, with the help of some old friends from the previous books. When the find Dorian, Alan takes it upon himself to not only nurse him back to health physically, but also to help him get his mind straightened out. I love the caring and tenderness that Alan shows Dorian, especially at the beginning, when he needs it most.

The author has a fantastic writing style that draws the reader in and keeps them hooked throughout the whole story. I did, however, have a few issues with it. Mainly, I was disappointed about how quickly the whole story faded to sex. I get it, it’s about men whose lives revolve around BDSM and the club where they’ve found a family of sorts.

But, Dorian goes through something horrible in this story and I have a hard time believing that he would be so willing to jump right back into the fray without at least more evidence of reluctance and fear. This whole story becomes about how sex will heal Dorian and to be honest, I think that’s a bit of a cop-out. I would have liked to have seen a bit more angst about the whole situation because when something that heartbreaking happens to someone, I think it takes more time to work through it than is given here.

I love so much of this story. The interactions between Alan and Dorian and the other members of the club make me smile and I also like that we get little updates of the other couples I’ve become attached to through the rest of the series. The love, patience, admiration and understanding all these men have for each other fairly shines off the pages of this book and it’s what draws me back to them over and over again.

I waffled a bit on the rating for this. For a while I debated about a 3.5 heart rating because I was really disappointed in the whole sex-too-soon thing, but in the end I decided on 4 because over all, it was well written and mostly a joy to read and I recognize that the things that I have a problem with are a personal preference that might not bother others.

RATING: 

 

 Donna’s Review

I have wanted this story ever since bitchy, conniving, seemingly confident Dorian sauntered onto the pages of the first Collars & Cuffs book and attempted to break up our two loved up main characters. He may not have won the man but he certainly won my attention and I knew that I was absolutely going to love this guy – just as soon as some whip wielding, sadistic Dom put him in his place. Because what Dorian needed, what Dorian was endlessly searching for, was to be beaten and tortured into subspace. Right?

Wrong. Dorian was wrong, the Doms were wrong, we were all wrong. Pain wasn’t what Dorian needed at all, but his mad quest to find just what it is he does need, leads him beyond the club and into more degradation and pain than he bargains for.

I love the way the author presented what happened to Dorian in Berlin. I’ll admit, I was hoping any rape, non-consensual torture or assault was going to happen off page. Like, way way off page. As Dorian recklessly follows a stranger towards obvious danger I felt like screaming – and cut! Next scene! Readers, you may trust in K.C. Wells. I should have known that the situation would play out in a less than graphic way. Any and all bad shit that has happened to any character in this series has always been handled in a non-confrontational fashion. This book is no different.

Some fans might not like the fact that for much of this book, Alan won’t allow Dorian back into Collars & Cuffs so we see very little of the club. I wasn’t keen on the idea myself at first. But then I was actually glad that Alan had the sense to separate Dorian from a place that in some ways was quite damaging to him. Dorian may have appeared confident in the first book but it’s pretty much a “fake it till you make it” front. Dorian craves love and affection, though he doesn’t even realize it. Instead he settles for sex, with as many doms that will have him, while he practically has to beg for those same doms to do a scene with him. Scenes that ultimately end with Dorian beaten and fucked – because everybody knows that that’s what pain slut Dorian needs. I’ll admit, I was kinda pissed at the whole goddamn club for part of this book. They saved Peter, they saved Scott, they saved Jeff. Could no one see that Dorian needed saving too?

Despite that fact that most of the book takes place out of the club there are still plenty of cameos from old favourites. Leo and Alex especially but we also get glimpses of Peter. Every time I read a new book in this series I hope we get to see how Peter is doing. I was glad that this book showed just how much he has recovered. And speaking of cameos, Trinity Publishing and Ed Fellows also get a mention.

When Dorian does finally venture back through the doors of Collars & Cuffs, when he finally gets to fly, I was so damn happy for him I wanted to cry. The title for this book couldn’t be more perfect.

 RATING: 

 

 Marieke’s Review

 This book was long expected by me, ever since the first time he appeared in Alex and Leo’s story. I just knew there had to be more to Dorian than meets the eye. And I was right.

Dorian is your typical ‘fucked up by his parents’ person. Not by abuse or anything, but just by ignorance and bad parenting. Not shown enough love, too much material substituting. So you get a spoiled but unhappy child, who doesn’t know how to show and receive love.

I liked this book a lot, but I have to be honest and say I didn’t love it as much as the previous ones. Yes the characters were great, and the writing was good but I just missed a certain something. Intensity maybe? I don’t know, it’s hard to put my finger on it. It was like Miss Wells didn’t go as deep with these characters as she did with the others. Or maybe I just didn’t feel them as good.

There was one thing that bugged me a little. When Dorian was found in Berlin and they saw his wounds, no one thought to get a doctor. There’s so much risks with burns and you need to be so very careful with them. Also, Dorian was ready to have sex only a week after the horrible event, which was a bit soon if you ask me.

But that aside––because this is fiction after all–– I found Alan perfect for Dorian. He’s very out of the box if you think about BDSM. He’s almost more of a lover than a Dom, until he displays his wicked streak.

Conclusion: not your typical BDSM novel, and in my eyes slightly less amazing than the previous books in this series. But still an excellent read and I recommend it to everyone who likes the softer sides of the BDSM world. If you have no affinity with it, this is still a very easily read and enjoyable book.

RATING: 

Danielle’s Review

There are a sometimes stories you cannot wait to come out. One of them for me was this one because as a fan of the Collars and Cuffs series I couldn’t wait to finally read Dorian’s story. Since we readers got introduced to Dorian, you could not help wanting to know what was behind that obnoxious, self centered man. I for one couldnt help thinking that wasn’t who Dorian really was. From the moment I started this book it drew me in and I couldn’t stop reading.

It is different…very different from the rest of the series. But it is a good kind of different or perhaps I should use an unique kind of different. Dorian finds a way to touch you in places you don’t expect him to touch you or at least for me he did and it made me want to take care of him, hold him and nurture him. Like Alan is willing and wanting to do. Ooh don’t be mistaken because Alan is definitely a Dom, but his gentleness and tender care touches deep and not only Dorian.

This story and these characters sound and feel real, perhaps even close to the most real in the total of this series.  What I missed a little bit was the club togetherness, all the men together bonding in friendship and mutual love. There was little of that with reason because of Dorian’s process but still I missed it . One of the best things though was when we got glimpses of the club”family” we also found out that Peter’s progress is going strong.

Author K.C Wells delivered a new very strong part to this series and I for one hope this wont be the last.

RATING:

 

Carissa’s Review

*peaks out from behind kindle*

Ah. Well. Um…Let’s just get this out of the way, shall we? Other people are going to like this book. Other people are going to love this book. Other people are not me.

Sorry.

*goes back to hiding behind kindle*

It was not a bad book, I’ll admit. In fact when I started it I had very high hopes for the story and the characters. The whole pain slut who is not really a pain slut thing really drew me in. And heaven knows it has been ages since I read a good BDSM story, so I felt I was long overdue to enjoy a little kink.

I didn’t get very far into the book before I realized that I was going to have a problem. See, I have only read one other book in this series (An Unlocked Heart) and while I was told that these books can be read as standalone. Yeah. No. The plot is pretty well contained, and in that it works as a stand alone, but there is so much character stuff happening with Dorian before this book even begins that I felt out of my depth from nearly the first chapter. The catalyst for many of Dorian’s actions happen in other books in this series, and I had a hard time understanding why Dorian was doing these rather reckless things because I never got to see the reason for his change of desire/attitude.

So my number one recommendation: if you are going to read this book, read the other ones first. I have no doubt that my enjoyment of this story would have increased quite a bit if I had the chance to get to know Dorian as his story took shape.

But even discounting my lack of connection with Dorian, I have one big, huge, ginormous issue with this story: Dorian should never have gotten into a relationship right after he was basically tortured in Berlin. Not without, at the very least, also going into some type of therapy. And no, I do not count ‘well I took some psychology in uni so I’m totally qualified to handle this situation’ as good enough. Not from Dorian. Not from Alan. There needed to be an uninvolved third party somewhere in helping Dorian’s mental health issues, especially with this kind of relationship.

It was barely over a week–the dude can barely sit down, he was still so injured from his time with those assholes–and Alan really thinks that Dorian is in a sane place to be dictating terms and conditions? After being tied down, branded, and raped–does Alan insist that Dorian see a doctor, or that he get tested? Or that he see a therapist? No, what he does is move Dorian to his home, take his wallet, and then basically restrict his movements.

In a healthy Dom/sub relationship I would have no problem with ‘rules’ portion of the relationship–but here?…yeah, that seemed like the exact opposite of a good idea. Alan keeps saying he wants to be the one in charge of Dorian, and yet his actions tend to show a decided lack of effort on his part.

I just couldn’t enjoy the growing romance, when all I could think is that this is a horrible way to have and maintain a relationship. No matter how vanilla or kinky. So while I found several good points (I liked Dorian’s friend and some of the plain relationship stuff between Alan and Dorian was fun) at the end of the story I was left scratching my head.

RATING:

 Roberta’s Review

 I have to say that I have read each and every one of the Collars & Cuffs books. So, to have The Love Bytes Crew do a group review of this book…that just made me so happy.

So, this book is Dorian and Alan’s story. This book was filled with horror and pain and yet, it was also filled with love.

We’ve met Dorian in prior books, the one who has the nickname “pain slut”.   The one who tried to get between Leo and Alex. The last time we saw Dorian, he was doing a shibari scene and he found the thing that brought him out of himself and got him closest to subspace. Dorian decides that he needs to do something drastic and goes to a club in Berlin. While there, Dorian experiences things that he didn’t consent to and was badly hurt. Dorian gets rescued by Alan and Leo and thus begins his journey to find healing as well as the love that he didn’t even know he wanted and needed. I loved seeing Dorian grow and realize that he was stronger than he ever imagined. I enjoyed getting to know more about Dorian and seeing that he was much more than what you thought or what he appeared to be.

Alan is a man who loves being a Dom. He has watch Dorian for a while now and he wants to be the Dom that Dorian turns to. When Alan finds out that Dorian is in Berlin, Alan rushes to the rescue. Alan sees how hurt and disillusioned Dorian has become. Alan who was once a counselor and he knows that Dorian has to go through the steps of grieving. Alan wants to help Dorian to become all that he wants to be. I loved seeing how Alan seemed to truly know Dorian. How Alan worked to make sure that they built trust between them. I loved seeing that Alan had his own pain and how he allowed Dorian to help him with that.

Watching these two men learn and grow together was just a blessing to read. These guys each had moments in their lives that hurt them and defined who they were. It was really a joy watching these two men become even more than they ever thought they could or would be.

I have to say that this book had some hard things to read and digest. I had to more than once put this book down and walk away.   The things that Dorian went through in Berlin…. It was heart breaking. My heart hurt hearing what he went through. However, I will say that Alan did so much right in his dealing with Dorian’s feelings and how he had Dorian focusing on not only himself, but on Alan.

This was a great story and a wonderful addition to the series. This book will make your heart hurt and then, it will be full to bursting with love and happiness. By the time I finished this book, I felt so happy and my heart was light and full.

I highly recommend this book. Well Done, K. C. Wells!! Well Done!!

RATING:

Jenna’s Review

Sexy, sweet, and emotional. The story kept me interested throughout and the end was moving. So far I’ve read three books in the Collars and Cuffs series, and this is my favorite by far.

I really loved both of the main characters. Dorian longs to feel something, but has trouble connecting with anyone due to emotional issues from his childhood. He thinks he wants pain, but he really has no idea what he wants and needs. Alan also has emotional scars and is very likeable. In the other two books I read in this series, I found the doms unattractive and unappealing. However, Alan was actually quite sexy and seemed worthy of Dorian’s love and respect.

I also liked the amount of sex in this book. The only thing that didn’t sit well with me was the excessive edging, which made me feel a little unsatisfied. I really wanted more soaring and more sexual satisfaction for Dorian.

Overall, I loved this book and recommend it to those who enjoy a touch of BDSM and kink with their M/M Romance.

RATING: 

Tammy’s Review

Dorian Forrester has been a member of Collars and Cuffs since he was eighteen years old. Dorian is a submissive through and through yet, he hasn’t found the Dom that can help him achieve the ultimate bliss, subspace. Adam Marchant has had his eye on Dorian for a while now, at first he thought he was just another ‘pain slut’ but after watching Dorian doing a Shibari scene all of sudden he begins to realise there is a lot more to Dorian than he shows anyone.

Dorian is in pain, the only thing is he doesn’t know what to do to stop hurting. His failsafe, doing a scene at Collars and Cuffs no longer works and besides that he has a hard time even walking in the doors anymore, everyone there seems to be pairing up, permanently. It doesn’t seem to matter how many contracts he has signed once the three month mark comes around the Dom refuses to extend it. Dorian has decided that what he needs is to go to Berlin to the underground BDSM club The Lab that’s there. Nothing goes as Dorian hopes it will, he is taken to a private party by a man he meets at The Lab and everything goes downhill from there.

When Adam finds out where Dorian has gone he’s in a panic to get him back, he knows what goes on at The Lab and none of its good. When Adam finds Dorian, he finds a shell of the man he was, he has been used and abused horrifically, as well as branded! It takes Adam a long time to get Dorian to open up about what sent him to Berlin and what finds out horrifies him. How can men trained to be highly observant, as all the Doms at Collars and Cuffs are miss the fact that Dorian has spent years looking for someone to hold him, kiss him and the biggest fail of all, the fact that he has never achieved subspace! Adam realises that because his parents are so incredibly cold and non-demonstrative that the all Dorian really needs is to be touched and held as much as possible.

As Dorian is getting himself back together after his disastrous trip he gets a shocking phone call from is ex Justin. Justin has just found out that his most recent partner is supposedly HIV positive and he was so incredibly stupid that he had had unprotected with him sex numerous times. He thinks that because Dorian is not an overly emotional person he would be the perfect support person to go to the clinic to get tested. Dorian is devastated when he learns what Justin has done. Dorian finds that he is really good at talking with people about their problems so after the worst has passed with Justin he decides that he wants to become a councillor for people with HIV and AIDS.

Throughout all the turmoil going on with Justin, Adam is slowly getting Dorian used to his touch. He is constantly touching, rubbing and kissing Dorian especially the one place Dorian is so incredibly ashamed of, the brand. It’s at the base of his spine and it is degrading! Adam knows Dorian can’t get past the shame and degradation of what the brand says and meansAdam has a plan to make Dorian love his brand!

I think it’s such a shame that while Dorian was struggling to find the love he never had, no-one bothered to look past the façade he put forward. Nobody took the time to talk to him and try to find out exactly what it was that he was trying to achieve at the club. Dorian muddled his way through unfortunately getting it wrong more often than not because no-one took the time to talk to him and get to know him. He’s very lucky Adam saw through his façade and realised that Dorian was going to be his ‘one’. K.C. has outdone herself with Make Me Soar, it’s an emotional rollercoaster from the first page to the last. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I will definitely be recommending it to everyone!

RATING:

 

Tidal’s Review

Dorian has a well earned reputation at Cuffs & Collars. He is a hot sub and he can take whatever is dished out without complaint. But he is frustrated and just going through the motions. People who know and care about him know something is off but he is not talking about it. The more people he sees who end up as couples or in contracts the deeper his misery becomes. He needs something new and out of his comfort zone. He desires Alan, an amazing Dom who seems to choose everyone but him and does not seem to notice he is even alive.

Alan is not only an attractive Dom but also one who has a clear understanding of the balance of power, compassion, and discipline. Everyone else he has been with has just left him wanting more. He has been watching Dorian for some time but has been hesitant to make his move. Alan has been around the block in the BDSM community and seen the wider brush that they paint with in German BDSM in terms of lack of safe words, and agreement. Some of the challenge is gone and something is missing. He decides he is going to give Dorian a chance.

Alan finds out from Dorian’s friend that he went off to Berlin to a well known sex club to look for that piece that seemed to be missing here. Alan immediately realized the danger Dorian was in.  Alan and Leo set off to find Dorian. They arrive and do find him dumped in a hotel after being brutalized and nearly killed. Alan takes him back home and nurses the shattered man back to health and a relationship grows. Dorian confronts his demons and builds trust.

I love the dynamics between Alan, Dorian, and Leo in this book. The men do not abuse their power and authority. They understand compassion, mercy and when a swift kick in the ass is necessary. This is book six in a series but it is a full story on its own so anyone could pick this up and not be missing out if they did not read the others. This is a big book and I really love that about it. The book also illustrates that there is more to BDSM than whips chains and pain. In the process of Dorian’s journey he finds himself again amidst the illusion that he has been fronting for so long. Alan provides and facilitates a safe place for Dorian to do the work to find that. The pacing was great and it did not labor on with unnecessary details just to take up paper. At the end of the book I felt that I knew each of the characters from many different perspectives and I wanted more. This is a great read

RATING:

 

OVERALL RATING:  

 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press