Bonds of Need (Wicked Play #2) by Lynda Aicher was a serious BDSM book with lots of Erotica. Or is it an Erotica book with lots of BDSM? Either way, this is going to be one of those books for someone who is feeling a little adventurous!
First of all, Bonds of Need is Book 2 of the Wicked Play series by Lynda Aicher. It’s my opinion that you do NOT have to read Book 1 to enjoy this one. There are some references to a relationship between one of Kendra’s girlfriends and a new boyfriend that happened in Book 1 but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. In fact, I felt like maybe I need to go back and read Book 1 so I could get even more of this risqué romance!
Second, the characters are really well written in Bonds of Need. We meet Kendra and you can tell something is a little off with her. Not that she’s crazy or weird but that she’s definitely had an unpleasant past with an abusive ex-boyfriend. The author doesn’t give everything away right away. She kind of gives you bits and pieces as the story unfolds, which I really liked. And I liked Kendra! She has this tight little circle of friends who support her in every way but also push her to open up about herself. She’s a tough, “I-Can-Do-This-On-My-Own” type of woman and trying to move on with her life and move on from her troubled past. She’s doing ok and then a new, great kind of trouble enters her life: Deklan Winters! Oh he is SO yummy! He is one of the owners of this “leather club” that Kendra and her friends are going to. By the way, I learned something new in this book: that “leather club” is synonymous with BDSM club (“leather club” is a gentle way to say BDSM Club, I’m guessing). Anyways, Deklan is one of the owners and he senses something in Kendra as soon as he lays eyes on her. Or maybe it’s one of those “Like Understands Like” because Deklan is former military and has his own kind of unpleasant past that is affecting him. Deklan is SUCH an alpha male! Of course he is, since he’s part owner of a BDSM club. And you KNOW that Deklan is not into Submission! He’s a Dom all the way! He’s really drawn to Kendra and he has no idea why. All he does know is that he is able to help her and he wants to help her and that is that. What Deklan says, Deklan does and Kendra is helpless to resist him. But come on, she doesn’t really want to resist him anymore that I would want to resist him! LOL!
Finally, this book is frickin’ HOT! I’m sure you could have guessed that since it’s Erotica but wow, it knocked my socks off! Seriously…. There over there on the floor… still smokin’! And again, this book has a lot of BDSM elements, so be aware. If you are just 100% turned off by Dom/Sub relationships or are grossed out by someone wanting a little bit of pain with their pleasure, you may want to skip this one. But if you aren’t sure, I implore you to check this one out. If you weren’t sure how you felt about “The Scene” before you read this book, I think you’ll at least be much more intrigued AFTER you read this book!
My only real complaint about this book is the amount of time that is spent on describing Kendra’s body…over and over and over again. I mean, if I hadn’t looked at the author’s website, I would have thought that “Lynda Aicher” was a penname for a dude. I lost count of how many times we heard about Kendra’s ribcage or how her hipbones jutted out or her flat abdominal muscles and her sleek calves. Ugh! Alright already!! Don’t get me wrong: I love a good heroine and I want to know more about her. But it’s not the heroine that I’m imagining in my bed, ya know?? And time after time, I was reading more and more about how skinny Kendra was and about her workout routine. Alright, alright! I get it! She’s skinny and muscular and you want me to think that’s super hot. Check. Got it. Except, I’m a full figured woman with real live breasts and holy shit, I’m proud of it. There is no way in hell that anyone is going to convince me that hipbones, poking through skin are sexy. I ended up thinking that Kendra was anorexic and was surprised that someone as hot as Deklan would be into someone like that, and that, wow, this girl had way more problems than an abusive ex. So it really took me out of the story and actually angered me in some places. This would have received a top rating for me if it hadn’t been for the intense focus on Kendra’s body and the way that I felt that the author was lovingly describing a malnourished Kendra.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It’s VERY hot and sexy and steamy. It just brushes the very edge of hardcore BDSM. I think if you like a little BDSM in your romance, you would still enjoy this because it isn’t ALL about sex and Dom/Sub stuff. The characters are really well written and I was definitely interested in how it all worked out. I loved the ending; it was SO satisfying and happy! I would definitely recommend this one to anybody interested in a hot, steamy romance with a little bit more oomph thrown in!
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Book Info: Publisher: Carina Press (March 4, 2013)
Book two of Wicked Play
When Kendra Morgan attends a party at an exclusive sex club, she’s not driven by mere curiosity. Hoping to prove she’s put the past behind her, Kendra must instead face up to needs she’s denied for too long. Despite her lingering fears, she can’t resist the temptation to play…
Deklan Winters has had his eye on his attractive neighbor for months, but only senses Kendra is no stranger to the BDSM scene when she walks into his club. And he can tell that’s not her only secret. What surprises him is his own overwhelming desire to give her what she craves—and to show her a side to the Dom/sub relationship she’s never known.
With Deklan’s guidance, Kendra begins to accept her forbidden needs and to recognize the fine line between pleasure and pain. But when her former Master returns to reclaim her, it will take all her courage—and all of Deklan’s love—to defy her past.
For more tales from The Den check out Bonds of Trust.
85,000 words