Book Title: Bent
Author: Sean Michael
Publisher: Torquere Press
Publisher URL: http://www.torquerepress.com/
ISBN: 978-1-60370-434-2
Genre: BDSM Contemporary
Nymph Rating: 5 Nymphs
Literary Nymph Reviewer: Mystical Nymph
Jim Upton is an ex-professor who had his life destroyed when a vindictive female student accused him of rape. The only problem with that accusation is that the man’s gay, and he’s never been interested in women. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop him from losing his job, his home or his lover during the brutal legal proceedings that followed. It’s also left him a lonely, scared and bitter man in need of someone to help him cope. Jim doesn’t have a family, he doesn’t have friends and his self-worth is virtually non-existent. The only things that allow him to get through each day are his free-lance writing assignments and his obsessive routine.
Marcus Goodfellow is a Dom who’s heavily into the BDSM lifestyle. When he comes across Jim, screaming at a worker in a local bookstore, he recognizes an out-of-control bottom that needs a Master to give him the rules and structure he craves. Their initial introduction doesn’t go well and Jim continues on his tirade, adding Marcus to his insults which prompts him to threaten a spanking. It’s only after Jim storms out that Marcus learns the truth of what made Jim into the man he is. There’s something about the intelligent, lonely man that sparks Marcus’s interest, causing him to pursue him relentlessly, and it’s not long before he wears him down enough to introduce him to the beginning aspects of his lifestyle. The question is whether this in control top can find a way to make life with an out-of-control, wounded bottom work.
Bent is Sean Michael’s latest WOW book in the BDSM world. On the surface, it appears to be like any other book where a Dom meets his perfect bottom. That is true of this book as well, but it’s so much more. Marcus is the stable, grounding backbone of this satisfying tale of love and recovery. He’s also dedicated, determined and firm in his beliefs in a BDSM lifestyle, and the force behind Jim’s return to the world of the living. While there were a few instances where I cringed a little at his treatment of Jim, it wasn’t a physical thing but more a mental one when he insisted Jim expose his feelings when distressed and in need. He wasn’t doing it to be cruel but to allow Jim to express his feeling and heal.
Jim starts off as belligerent and almost unlikable, but seeing him through Marcus’ eyes quickly shows what he is; a scared, hurt and sad man looking for love, companionship and direction. Getting past the hurts of his childhood and the way he was raised are only a small part of what he has to overcome, because losing his home, partner and job have pushed him nearly to the edge. He might not understand why he needs Marcus initially, but it’s not long before he at least realizes that he’s happier, calmer and more focused with Marcus in his life.
While domination and submission are important aspects of this well-written tale, it’s certainly not the only ones. The tender, caring emotions between Jim and Marcus are very real, as is the blistering hot passion, love and their need for a little pain. What sets this story apart from others in this genre is the equality of need one man feels for the other. The commitment both men feels, and their love truly makes Bent a joy to read.
Author: Sean Michael
Publisher: Torquere Press
Publisher URL: http://www.torquerepress.com/
ISBN: 978-1-60370-434-2
Genre: BDSM Contemporary
Nymph Rating: 5 Nymphs
Literary Nymph Reviewer: Mystical Nymph
Jim Upton is an ex-professor who had his life destroyed when a vindictive female student accused him of rape. The only problem with that accusation is that the man’s gay, and he’s never been interested in women. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop him from losing his job, his home or his lover during the brutal legal proceedings that followed. It’s also left him a lonely, scared and bitter man in need of someone to help him cope. Jim doesn’t have a family, he doesn’t have friends and his self-worth is virtually non-existent. The only things that allow him to get through each day are his free-lance writing assignments and his obsessive routine.
Marcus Goodfellow is a Dom who’s heavily into the BDSM lifestyle. When he comes across Jim, screaming at a worker in a local bookstore, he recognizes an out-of-control bottom that needs a Master to give him the rules and structure he craves. Their initial introduction doesn’t go well and Jim continues on his tirade, adding Marcus to his insults which prompts him to threaten a spanking. It’s only after Jim storms out that Marcus learns the truth of what made Jim into the man he is. There’s something about the intelligent, lonely man that sparks Marcus’s interest, causing him to pursue him relentlessly, and it’s not long before he wears him down enough to introduce him to the beginning aspects of his lifestyle. The question is whether this in control top can find a way to make life with an out-of-control, wounded bottom work.
Bent is Sean Michael’s latest WOW book in the BDSM world. On the surface, it appears to be like any other book where a Dom meets his perfect bottom. That is true of this book as well, but it’s so much more. Marcus is the stable, grounding backbone of this satisfying tale of love and recovery. He’s also dedicated, determined and firm in his beliefs in a BDSM lifestyle, and the force behind Jim’s return to the world of the living. While there were a few instances where I cringed a little at his treatment of Jim, it wasn’t a physical thing but more a mental one when he insisted Jim expose his feelings when distressed and in need. He wasn’t doing it to be cruel but to allow Jim to express his feeling and heal.
Jim starts off as belligerent and almost unlikable, but seeing him through Marcus’ eyes quickly shows what he is; a scared, hurt and sad man looking for love, companionship and direction. Getting past the hurts of his childhood and the way he was raised are only a small part of what he has to overcome, because losing his home, partner and job have pushed him nearly to the edge. He might not understand why he needs Marcus initially, but it’s not long before he at least realizes that he’s happier, calmer and more focused with Marcus in his life.
While domination and submission are important aspects of this well-written tale, it’s certainly not the only ones. The tender, caring emotions between Jim and Marcus are very real, as is the blistering hot passion, love and their need for a little pain. What sets this story apart from others in this genre is the equality of need one man feels for the other. The commitment both men feels, and their love truly makes Bent a joy to read.
