Reviewed by Cheryl
TITLE: His To Save 
SERIES: Candy Cane Club #2
AUTHOR: Ari McKay
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 174 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 15, 2018
BLURB:
He’s the perfect sub — gorgeous, responsive, and yet aloof, and every Dom at the Candy Cane fantasizes about claiming the sub who calls himself Saiph.
Nick Tierney sees through the facade of utter submission Saiph projects, and his instincts tell him Saiph has some complicated issues. He would love to help Saiph, but his desire seems hopeless in the face of Saiph’s adamant refusal to do a scene with any of the gay male Doms. Then Saiph offers himself up at the Candy Cane’s charity auction, and Nick seizes the opportunity to claim Saiph for himself, if only for a single night.
The chemistry between them is electrifying in its intensity, but Nick also comes away convinced Saiph needs help. Can he convince Saiph to take a chance and let down his guard enough for Nick to discover a way to help him heal? Or will Nick’s rapidly deepening feelings drive Saiph away for good?
REVIEW:
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read the blurb. I read and reviewed the previous book, His to Serve, and loved it. This one sounded different, and it was. It was darker, which I like, and took an unexpected turn. I’m not sure I would have picked this book if it had mentioned in the blurb what that turn was, but I’m so glad I did because I absolutely loved it.
I felt so sorry for Saiph. At the beginning, he was presented as the perfect sub – beautiful, responsive, obedient – but he held himself apart, never quite giving his all, never letting go. Master Nick sees this straight away and “buys” Saiph in a charity auction. It’s clear from the start that Nick has his work cut out for him because Saiph has some deep issues and he doesn’t trust Nick; he doesn’t trust anyone.
As Saiph slowly opened up, cracks appeared, and they ran deep. As every layer was peeled away my heart went out to him more and more. It went out to Nick too. He constantly worried if he was doing the right thing, but he worried about Saiph, not himself. His first thought was always about Saiph and that touched me. Nick’s good heart shone through and when he came up with a rather unorthodox way to help Saiph I was rooting for them both, although I never doubted they would get their happy ending. They were made for each other.
I find quite often in BDSM books that the character of the Dom tends to be set from the start. The sub learns and grows and changes, but the Dom stays the same. That is not the case here. Although he is every inch a Dom, Nick has his frailties and isn’t afraid to show them. He’s uncertain. He’s unsure. He’s human, and he grows. Not as much as Saiph but given the circumstances that’s not surprising. He wasn’t afraid to admit when he was feeling unsure, or insecure and he was so endearing when he admitted to Saiph that he had his own issues and what they were.
I can’t honestly say the writing was flawless. There were times when it was a bit immature and one or two where it was a bit stilted, but to be honest I had to look for flaws to give some balance. On the whole the story is paced just right and flows beautifully.
The authors write with great sympathy and have clearly done a lot of research. Whether they’ve got it right or not, I can’t say, but it certainly rings true with me. This is a cracking good story with mild BDSM and major feels.
RATING: 
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