Reviewed by Jen
TITLE: Body and Soul
SERIES: Wayward Sons
AUTHOR: L. Eveland
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 647 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 5, 2024
BLURB:
I’ll do anything to have him.
Even if it means destroying him.
Shepherd
My life is a carefully crafted web of lies. The world knows me as Doctor Shepherd Laskin, respected dom, psychiatrist, and professor. But underneath the façade of the perfect gentleman, I’m a monster, a vigilante with a shattered psyche who hunts men who abuse their positions of power.
But I’m burnt out. Lonely. Desperate for a submissive who can withstand my darker side.
When I met Elias, the sparks were instant. We even share the same taking down a dangerous cult to free my estranged sister.
But I can’t have him. He’s too good, too pure, too psychologically fragile.
I know I’ll ruin him, but what choice do I have? He knows my secret, and with the FBI breathing down my neck I have only two choices…
And Elias might not survive either outcome.
Elias
I’m used to being alone. Ever since I left that cult, I’ve gotten used to it. People just don’t seem to understand me. Hell, I don’t understand me.
But Shepherd does. From the moment we met, he’s understood me and my dark desires better than anyone. Maybe it’s because he knows what it’s like to grow up in a cult, to be alone, to be damaged.
I know the last thing I should want is more pain, but I can’t help it. I crave what he does to me, even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts.
I know he’s complicated. I know he’s dangerous. Falling for him could mean death…or worse.
But I don’t care. I want him, even the complicated, messy, deadly parts of him, and I’m willing to go through hell to prove it.
REVIEW:
I have been anticipating this story from the moment we met Shepherd. He is one of the darker brothers, and that’s saying a lot given the makeup of this family. You absolutely must read these in order to fully understand what is going on here. This installment actually takes place during the same time period as the previous book, which I didn’t realize beforehand, but quickly picked up as the story went on and realized we were simply seeing things replay from Shepherd’s perspective. We sort of know where thing end up based on how the last book ended, but this actually takes things a step beyond that.
The most fascinating part of this story surrounds Shepherd’s DID and alternate personalities. Each one has a distinct purpose and each has its own personality, much like you’d expect. Keres is, by far, the darkest and most vicious and unpredictable one, as well as the one we have met the most. I loved how they all worked together toward the same goal, even if their methods didn’t always jive with each other or their respective wishes. It was also interesting to learn how each one came to be in a sort of timeline scenario that made it all make sense, all of which relate to his earlier childhood and time in the cult.
Elias is also a previous cult member more freshly escaped and on his own trying to recover and steer clear of said cult. Shepherd’s interest in Elias is initially as a tool to be used to help gain information on the whereabouts and inner workings of the current day cult in an effort to find and rescue his sister. But their relationship quickly grows and Shepherd takes on a new role of wanting to keep Elias safe. Elias is somehow able to handle Shepherd and his alters, learning their ways, intentions and quirks as he meets them. Keres quickly stakes a claim, Dex and Bryce become fast friends, and Azrael even comes around after causing a few problems. I do wish that the Az issues were addressed by Shepherd seeing as how damaging they were, but at least they got past them and found a way to get along.
This story is extremely complex in the relationship between Elias, Shepherd and the others, in the connections they both have to the cult, in the way the other family members are involved, including the triplets and that whole offshoot, but it is never very confusing and indeed only adds to the intrigue and enjoyment. I still cannot believe this book is over 600 pages, as it really doesn’t feel that long at any particular point, and I was never really ready for it to end. Needless to say, I am ready to jump into the next one. Definitely recommend.
RATING: 
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