GRR Reviews January Girl by Mari Carr

When Caitlyn met Lucas, they should hate each other. Lucas is there to buy out the family pub... something the family has kept for several generations, and he's not taking no for an answer. And Caitlyn... and indeed, the entire clan, is fiercely protective of each other. But Caitlyn is a submissive, and Lucas is a dom... and they have tremendous chemistry. And Caitlyn instinctively knew that Lucas knew exactly what to do with her... // Lucas knew he's sleeping with the enemy, but interactions with Caitlyn's extended family made him realize how far off the tracks he had gone to please his father... now, both will have to make a choice when push comes to shove...

The end somehow felt not quite right. It is explained, but it "felt" like a deus ex machina. Still, this author has the dom/sub relationship described quite nicely, without the kinkiness dialed up to be just weird. It's about the emotional intimacy of dom and sub in "subspace" that made it emotional.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Delicate Ink (Montgomery Ink Book 1) by Carrie Ann Ryan

Delicate Ink is about a woman running away from her trauma, meeting a "bad boy" who's actually not that bad. In a way, the plot is trope, and there seem to be a few too many subplots flying about. This also has a bit to do with a bit of D/s relationship and a little kinky sex. It came off as a bit of mix bag.

Sierra Elder moved to Denver and opened her own fashion boutique. which was one of her immediate goals. Her other was to get a tattoo... a large one that can cover her horrific scars from that one thing she... doesn't want to talk about. It happens that her place was across the street from Montgomery Ink, a tattoo parlor operated by Austin Montgomery. But their first meeting was not a happy one... // Austin Montgomery is over thirty, and not married. being a guy who owns a tattoo parlor, inked sleeves, and scruffy beard didn't help him in the dating scene much. And his previous woman is getting too clingy (and the one before that was... ten years ago). When Sierra walked through the door, Austin was not a happy man, but there was something between them. For Austin was a dom in the BDSM scene and he recognized a sub when he saw one... But this sub had been hurt before... by who? But even as Austin drew Sierra out of her shell and learned about her own trauma, the Montgomery family is facing its own crisis, and Austin got his own surprise later. Will the couple share their burdens, or drive each other away, believing it's better to shoulder the burden alone?

Instead of coalescing into one giant problem, the problems faces by FMC and MMC separately were resolved separately. Which made the ending rather a bit of ho-hum. There were also several additional characters that seem to serve little more than distractions. All in all, this is a good... but flawed book.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a prim and proper woman with secrets and starting over fall for a tattoo parlor dom with inked sleeves and gruffy exterior?

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews YIELD - Emily & Damon (Fettered) by Lilia Moon

Yield managed to capture the excitement and sensual feel of kink while understanding the lifestyle, even though the premise, upon reflection, is trope as heck. It is, however, very well polished and enjoyable.

Emily is Seattle's best wedding planner with the superpower to handle all details and not leaving out a single one. When one of her clients wanted a wedding in a BDSM club, she didn't bat an eye, even though she never been in one. Her preparations lead her to Club Fettered, owned by Damon Black, the most "notorious" dom in Seattle. Damon knew Emily was way too innocent to play in his world, he hoped he can scare her away with a demonstration... 24 hours with him, as sorta BDSM for Dummies. But she didn't react the way he thought she would. Now he can't stay away...

This is about the sensual way to do BDSM, just light spanking and some toys. Though it's basically a fantasy... an experienced dom somehow found a noob that turned out to be an ideal sub after ONE encounter and gently groomed her. But it is quite titillating and enjoyable.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a wedding planner who had never done BDSM as a sub fall for the city's most notorious dom after just 24 hours?

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.