Reviewed by Dee
TITLE: Spring Blossom
SERIES: Camellia, # 2
AUTHOR: Cari Z & Caitlin Ricci
PUBLISHER: Less Than Three Press
LENGTH: 152 pages
Release Date: July 17, 2015
BLURB:
Relationships, BDSM, and family are all complicated enough on their own—and almost impossible when they come crashing together unexpectedly. When Danny’s brother sees a bruise that Danny obtained while in a scene with Lucy, she faces judgement from her family and their reactions send her running to Lucy for a safe place to clear her head.
But staying with her girlfriend isn’t the solution to the problem, and if she’s going to untangle the mess that her life has become, Danny first has to start with taking control of herself.
REVIEW:
This story picks up where Camellia leaves off. I came across this book first but was told I’d need to read the series in order, and true to those words, I couldn’t agree more. If you haven’t read Camellia, you need to do so or this one won’t make a lot of sense.
I don’t think I’ve ever read two books back to back with the same characters and still felt like I barely knew them. For me, I had a difficult time keeping it straight in my head who was who. Yes, I know Danny had a family, an unlikeable one at that. But, I have no idea how old either woman was. And the only thing I recall about them physically is Danny had dark hair and a few tattoos, and Lucy had dark red hair.
Lucy was such a closed off character, I had trouble warming to her. The story alludes to her last relationship, a year prior, ending badly. But didn’t amount to much or explain why she was such a guarded person.
I’m pleased the ladies became a little more intimate than in book one, but the D/s scenes were so clinical I didn’t find them the least bit titillating. And when they weren’t in a scene the constant references to ‘if they were having a session’ this or that would be dealt with differently, became tiresome.
When Danny’s brother noticed a bruise on her shoulder, one she received from taking a fall while with her lover, Danny confesses she likes being spanked, and the – ‘you are sick’, ‘you need help’ dialogue, drama followed.
What really bothered me, was the fact her grown brothers who still lived at home mooching off their father, one of them complaining about the shit hole they lived in, were okay with Danny being gay and more than happy for Neil’s pregnant wife to be barefoot, cleaning up after them in the kitchen. Yet they shouted hell and damnation over their sister being in a loving D/s relationship, something she tried to explain to them at length. One could say at least this part of the story made me feel something, even if that was disgust.
The downside of being a reviewer is being committed to writing a review, whether I like the story or not. I realize every reader gets something different from a book, so the fact this didn’t work for me doesn’t mean others won’t love it. In fact, many already have.
The two books in the series have a number of 4 and 5 star ratings. I urge potential readers to check them out. Better yet, go buy book 1 and decide for yourself if this series is for you.
RATING: 
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