Title: Addicted
Author: Cassie Stevens
Publisher: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure
Genre: Contemporary GLBT (M/M) BDSM
Length: Short Story (14K words)
Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5
THE BLURB
For ten long years, Gunnery Sergeant Vic Williams had been planning for this moment—the day he crossed paths again with the man who broke his heart. He had rehearsed his look of indifference, his cutting remarks, even while he imagined Damien Walker on his knees and begging his forgiveness…among other things. What Vic hadn’t counted on, however, is the love that slams into him the instant he sees Damien standing before him.
Captain Damien Walker is stunned to discover the man who’d broken his heart is now the lesser-ranking Marine under his command. He craves the chance to make Vic suffer for walking out on him all those years ago, but no more so than he craves that special something only Vic can give…and the love they once shared. Forced to reconcile their differences for the sake of their military careers, Vic and Damien are rapidly pulled under by an addiction to each other neither can control…or live without a second longer.
THE REVIEW
10 years after their break-up Gunnery Sergeant Vic Williams has still not recovered from what he perceived as the ultimate betrayal by his then lover, Damien Walker. Damien feels just as betrayed and after a divorce and two kids he joined the Marines and had recently been promoted to Marine Corps Captain. When he assumes his assignment as the XO to the Commanding Officer in a new posting he finds out that his old lover is now under his command.
Both men have a difficult first day and Damien realizes that if they are ever going to work well together he, as the senior officer, would have to be the one to take the first step towards a more harmonious military relationship. He decides to visit Jim at home to talk about how they can put personal feelings aside and move on. However, when they meet, their emotions get the better of them as they discover that what happened in the past was not what it appeared to be on the surface and that they might have been too hasty in giving up on the best thing in their lives. Can Vic and Damien resume their old relationship and wipe out the past 10 years? Will they decide that being together is more important than holding a grudge? Can they trust again?
In Addicted, it was clear that although the men still harboured bad feelings towards each other, the underlying love was still there but they were unsure how to bridge the gap of years as each thought he had been betrayed in the worst way.
Cassie Stevens has written an excellent story of love lost and found again and both characters were well drawn. Vic, the Gunnery Sergeant who loved his boss and hated him at the same time; Damien who was still smarting from the sting of betrayal even after such a long time and wanted to show Vic who was the boss in the office, while what he needed was to be in Vic’s bed again. The sex was incredibly hot when the two men got together, and the BDSM scenes were well done as their situations were reversed and Vic became Damien’s Master.
It would be remiss of me not to make a general comment on this and a few other books on which I will be posting reviews this week. In each case the author uses a timeline of 10 years during which the protagonists were apart before they made contact again. I don’t know if there’s something magical about a 10 year separation but it does become repetitious.
I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a hot romance with some spicy BDSM thrown in!
I read something by Cassie Stevens once…can’t remember the title and I’m too lazy to dig out my USB drive to check, but it wasn’t bad, although I don’t remember it as remarquable either (otherwise I would remember the damn title!) I might give this story a try someday, looks rather nice. Is the BDSM content heavy?
Mary
Cassie Stevens is a very good writer and I have read a number of her books including Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, The Things We Do For Love and Secret Lovers.
The BDSM content is not heavy by any standard. In terms of those I’ve read this is very light.
Hmmm, as a Xena fan I’d say 10 years is significant LOL.
Everything significant that happened to Xena in the first five seasons of the show was always 10 years ago. Of course, after she got shut in an ice cave for 25yrs, it became 35 yrs ago. 🙂
OK so there is some significance of the 10 year span. *g*
I have 3 other stories to read and review which have similar timelines. Sometimes I don’t read the blurbs if it’s an author whose work I’ve read and like, and now I’m faced with 4 stories to review with 10 year timeframes. It’s like a cold – one person sneezes and everyone else catches it 🙂
Sometimes I have a difficult time suspending my disbelief when it comes to military characters—that’s probably what cop wives have trouble with when they read police procedurals.
Just from reading the blurb, though, I wish the story would have been about two officers or two enlisted men—two people who are actually allowed to socialize.
Nadja
Almost all the military books I’ve read to date have officers and enlisted men as the protags. I suppose the authors do this because it’s an added complexity in the story, even though we all realize that it would be very difficult to conduct a romance inside the military between an officer and a subordinate.
I like military stories and, like you, I do have to suspend disbelief.
Hi Wave,
Enjoyed your review as always!
I read this book and while I wasn’t blown away by it, it was good. Ten years, yeah, it is a long time, but I guess its to show true love survives over long periods of time? I’ve read several of Cassie’s stories and overall enjoyed them all.
Lily
Hi Lily
Nice to hear from you again.:)
I like this author’s writing and I have read several of her books and have enjoyed them all. She has an explanation for the timeframe and I hope she comments on the blog.
Have a great Thanksgiving.
Wave