Novel Review: The Dom Who Loved Me (Masters and Mercenaries, #1) by Lexi Blake

Rating (Out of 5): ~2-2.5

Genre: Erotica/Adult Contemporary Romance; D/s, BDSM

Publisher: DLZ Entertainment

Release Date: 2011

Spoilers?: Not really.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A routine mission…


Sean Taggart is hunting a deadly terrorist, and his only lead is the lovely Grace Hawthorne. She's the executive assistant for an employment agency Sean suspects is a front for illegal activities. To get the truth, he is going to have to get very close to Grace, a task he is all too eager to undertake when he discovers her deliciously submissive nature.


…turns into a dangerous seduction.


Soon, Grace Hawthorne is living a double life. By day, she is the widowed mother of two college-aged sons. By night, she submits to Sean's every dark desire. She's living out her wildest fantasies of pleasure—intimate acts of trust she's only read about. As passion engulfs her, a murderer strikes, and Grace learns that Sean has a deeply hidden agenda. Will Sean choose his mission and break her heart or be the Master of her dreams?

The Cover:

I don't mind the cover. It's to be expected for this kind of book--showing both the romance feel and the strong, military man. It fits the book, and while I don't love it, it works.

Review:

I enjoyed this book, for the most part. I thought.

I liked the way the two started falling, their attraction growing. The sex was hot, I loved the D/s element. The Serious plot line I didn’t care for much, though I suppose it was a little interesting. I wasn’t reading for that.

But then, halfway or a third of the book left, it kind of ruined it for me.

When the Serious plot line starts becoming a danger to Grace, Sean pretty much kidnaps her. Without her consent, forcing her to hide with him and his team. And then he kinds of uses her, pushes her, goads her into not using her safeword, making it a challenge for her to stick with it. It could be looked at that she was fighting not to give in, or, I don’t even know…

To me, it was a misunderstanding of a safeword, and I cannot stand when this happens. This was the worst I’ve seen so far, though.

Sean tells her that he’ll end everything, their relationship, if she says the safeword. And she fights back, not saying it, taking the challenge like he means it. But a safeword is supposed to be for when something is too much. When a person pushes too far, you use the safeword and play stops. Either completely for the night, or long enough for the two to discuss, see what was wrong, reconvene on limits or mentality, and maybe continue if both want to. Safewording does not equal the end of a relationship, for gods sake.

The entire scene felt too forced and nonconsensual to me, and I’m honestly surprised I didn’t DNF. It’s definitely made me not want to read any more, though, and the rest of the book didn't make up for it.