Reviewed by Elizabetta
TITLE: Ed & Marchant (Frankie’s Series, book 2)
SERIES: A Novella in the Frankie Series
AUTHOR: Sue Brown
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 120 pages
BLURB:
Ed Winters despises his job and hates everyone he works with—especially out and proud, happily in love Frankie Mason. He spends his days wishing he could dance, rather than work.
Late to go shopping one day, Ed ends up soaked in Marchant Belarus’s spilled Coke. Ed’s humiliation increases when Marchant, the owner of a BDSM club, realizes Ed is a sub, albeit a very closeted one. Marchant’s attempts to draw Ed out of his shell release years of pent-up anger and hurt over the abuse Ed’s mother and grandmother heaped on him.
Marchant is patient, but nothing he does seems to help until he discovers Ed’s secret love of dancing—a forbidden passion that might be the key to unlocking the confident, secure man Ed could be.
REVIEW:
(Note: This story is the second in a series but works as a stand-alone)
Ed isn’t terribly likable when we first meet him. He’s described by a co-worker…
“… a 1950s Tory poster boy who disliked women, black people, anyone from the Indian subcontinent, curry, the French, the Irish, dogs… hom-o-sex-uals.”
This turns out to be a pretty harsh indictment. It’s really curry and women that Ed has issues with, and the latter because he bats for the other team. But still. He’s an tightly-wound bitter man in his late thirties, with no friends or family, hates his job, lives a severely regimented life, and has a lot of self-hate because he’s so severely in the closet he can’t even find the door. This romance gets off to a rocky start.
What makes Ed tick? Why all the negative vibes? This is central to the short story. When Ed bumps into Marchant one day, we start getting insights into what feeds Ed’s fear and sadness.
Marchant comes on a little strong and fast, but he does seem able to immediately see to the heart of Ed’s problems. Marchant is a Dom, owns and runs his own BDSM club, and recognizes a very interesting submissiveness in Ed. He and Ed also share a common love for ballroom dancing. Marchant may be just what Ed needs to break free of the cage he lives in.
You know, Marchant seems like a great Dom: he’s insightful; patient; is commanding when needed yet knows to back off when necessary; and he takes the time to get to know Ed. He’s got Ed’s number and leads him carefully– with great care. He’s really quite gentle and sweet.
We find out that Ed was terribly abused as a child, both mentally and physically. His early behavior in the story is attributed to this. He’s never received professional help to deal with the scars from the years of abuse, nor had anyone to discuss the abuse with. Marchant does ask Ed at one point whether he’s had any therapy, but he doesn’t pursue it when Ed answers, ‘no’. So, my main issue with the story– and this is may just be me– is the idea that BDSM can take the place of or be used as therapy. I don’t think the author meant to imply this, but it’s what the story leaves us with.
There’s no doubt that good sex and a strong, caring connection to someone can work wonders for loneliness and low self esteem. But Ed’s issues are so deep as to warrant real professional help. And years of it. My guess is that the combination of professional therapy and Marchant’s love and the D/s dynamic could work together to help Ed, but I’m no expert nor am I in the lifestyle.
I liked that Ed isn’t some young, economically-challenged twink in need of a sugar daddy Dom. He’s actually a few years older than Marchant, and while he has issues, Ed is a strong-minded, self-sufficient adult. I did very much like the dance connection, that rediscovering his love for this artistic expression not only binds Ed closer to Marchant but helps rebuild his self confidence. That was lovely.
RATING: 
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