The Square Peg

Title: The Square Peg

Authors:  Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow

Publisher: Loose Id

Publisher URL: www.loose-id.com

ISBN/BIN: 9781611189582

Genre: {M/M} Contemporary

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx

Benedict’s life is in turmoil. His boyfriend’s just dumped him for being a boring accountant and he’s inherited half-ownership in a gay bar from his father, a man he hasn’t seen in years.  The bar gives him a chance to do something different with his life but his new British partner, Shane, hates change. Then Ben learns the bar is bleeding money and has little chance to survive.

Having a new partner and making changes to the bar doesn’t make Shane happy, but he doesn’t have a choice if he wants to stay open. He and Ben can’t agree on anything and argue constantly.  When one disagreement leads to a night of blistering hot sex, it changes their relationship permanently. It pushes each man into a place they’ve never been before—Shane submitting and Ben dominating. As the renovations move forward and they grow closer as a couple, an act of violence nearly destroys everything they’ve built together.

The Square Peg is the latest release by writing duo Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow. I’ve read these authors before and enjoy how they make their characters come alive. Ben and Shane are interesting guys and I like how opposite they are—accountant verses bar owner. It’s fun to watch them argue (about everything) and work through their many differences. The one thing they can agree on is their attraction and it’s simmering in the background from the beginning.

The authors did a good job with their descriptions of the bar when Ben first went inside (ghastly) and the renovations that needed to be done. That continues as the repairs get underway. The bar staff make wonderful secondary characters. That’s particularly true of Vin. He’s a likable guy and I can’t wait for his book.  The pacing in the first and last 1/3 moves along steadily but I thought the middle dragged a bit.  Shane’s persona isn’t as well developed as Ben’s but that didn’t stop me from liking him. Despite their differences, these two guys make a solid couple, especially after they learn their boundaries —how to make their relationship work.

My niggles:

1. The swiftness of getting Ben and Shane together when they didn’t like each other initially.
2. Ben turning from vanilla to a Dom without warning. He second-guessed himself with Shane frequently but never talked of getting proper Dom training. He could have unintentionally hurt Shane. Yet, I’m also willing to give him the benefit of the doubt since a Dom/sub relationship is new to him.