REVIEWED BY CINDY

TITLE: Ben

SERIES: A Survivor Story Book 2

AUTHOR: J.P. Barnaby

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 196 Pages

RELEASE DATE: March 16th, 2016

Blurb:

A Survivor Story

From her perch on a shelf above my bed, the doll accuses me with lifeless eyes of failing Juliette in the most heinous way imaginable, forcing me to crave the bite of his whip and the steel in his voice to drown out the ache in my chest.

For his entire life, Benjamin Martin’s parents drilled into his head that he must watch out for his little sister, but one horrific night, he failed. Now, the bite of a whip, cuffs digging into his wrists, his arms and legs stretched beyond endurance, these things give him what he needs to forget his sister’s violent death, at least for a while.

When Ben’s latest Dom casts him aside like a broken toy, he manipulates his best friend, Jude Archer, into picking up the pieces. Jude has been in love with Ben for years, but his fantasies about his friend never included whipping him. He doesn’t understand why Ben needs BDSM and he worries about Ben’s addiction. Most of all, he fears losing his humanity because he’s already lost himself in Ben. When he’s forced to trade the marks upon his soul for the pain that ravages Ben, Jude learns the real definition of submission.

This novel was previously published under title Painting Fire on the Air, September 2013.

Review:

So, I’m going to admit straight away, that I had looked at this book when it was first published under a different title and decided against reading it, as I was in a bad place and didn’t think I could handle it. Fast forward a few years and when I read the blurb, I didn’t recognize it. I loved the premise of the blurb this time and couldn’t wait to read it.

I’m very glad I did.

I did have a bit of a time getting started, but only because I wasn’t sure I was going to like where it was going, but I kept reading and because totally enraptured.

Ben is a soul that has been beaten and bloodied by life and the death of his sister. From the first page I wanted to comfort and help him. His lack of self-worth and the nightmare he was caught up in, one created in his head, was heartbreaking.

Jude is a good man with a huge heart who loves Ben so very much he’s willing to do just about anything to help him but doesn’t know how to be what Ben needs.

The connection between Ben and Jude is so perfectly written by this author that you can’t help but be swept along by their story.

I found myself so frustrated at the beginning of the story because I just wanted to shake them and tell them to get their heads out of their asses and talk to each other so they could begin healing and learning to be together.

When Kage, Ben’s Dom, decides that Ben isn’t worth waiting for, I wanted to kick him and totally sympathized with Jude’s anger towards the man.

Watching Ben and Jude work their way towards each other is mesmerizing. They both love each other so much, but what Ben needs is not easy for Jude to give and it’s a heartbreaking example of realizing that sometimes love might not be enough to keep two people together.

I don’t want to spoil too much for you because I honestly think this story is something that needs to come at you without too many hints about what’s to come. I will say, that one thing I never thought I would end up feeling at the end of the story was sorry for Kage, but I did. I know some will get satisfaction out of the final scene with him, but I was just left feeling bad for a man who knows he’s missing something but he can’t seem to figure out what.

Ben’s parents also turned out to be different from what I expected and it was one of many happy surprises in the story.

I can’t think of anything about this book I didn’t like but I’m glad I waited until I was in the frame of mind to appreciate this story and all the things it had to tell me.

Rating:

Buy Links:

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