Five friends. One tragic death. Can the four friends find a way forward and begin to heal?

Dave and his three friends try to work through their grief after losing one of their best friends during a scene at a local BDSM club. It’s been over a year, and the pain is still fresh. Dave still hasn’t come to terms with what has happened and is extremely upset that the Dom responsible was found innocent in court. He tries to work through his issues by spending time with his friends and trying to find other outlets for his grief. He turns to another Dave, the “Disciplinarian”, for guidance. He ends up with more than he bargained for in a good way.

The Disciplinarian is trying his best to give Dave what he needs, including spankings, an enema, a caning, and the hardest thing for Dave, learning to be silent. While Dave and the Disciplinarian develop their relationship, Dave is also busy starting a website called The Subs Club. It’s meant to be an outlet for other subs to share reviews on Doms in the hopes that nobody else has to die at the hands of somebody who doesn’t know what they’re doing.  I liked the concept of this website, the drama that surrounded it, and the related consequences.

This was only told from Dave’s point of view, and I never felt like I really got to know the Disciplinarian very well. The two seemed to play well together, but it was the relationship side that was a bit too light for my tastes. Romance aside, Dave’s voice was strong and interesting. Without a doubt, this author consistently writes very real and unique characters. We spent quite a bit of time during the story with the other three intriguing characters which set us up for the next several books in the series.

Finding discipline, no matter the source, can sometimes make all of the difference in the world.

Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

BLURB

A year ago, my best friend Hal died at the hands of an incompetent “dom.” So I started the Subs Club, a private blog where submissives can review doms and call out the douche bags.

A perfect example of the kind of arrogant asshole I mean? The Disciplinarian. He has a pornstache. He loves meat, stoicism, America, and real discipline. And he thinks subs exist to serve him.

But . . . not everything about him is awful. His Davy Crockett act just seems like a cover for his fear of intimacy, and part of me wants to show him it’s okay to get close to people. And, I mean, sue me, but I have fantasized about real discipline. Not role-play, but like, Dave, you’re gonna be thirty in four years and you still work in a mall; get your ass in gear or I’ll spank it.

Not that I’d ever trust anyone with that kind of control.

I’m gonna redefine “battle of wills” for the Disciplinarian. Or I’m gonna bone him. It’s hard to say.

—Dave