Garrett, a defense attorney, is a man who had lost everything with the death of his husband, who was the love of his life...his everything, his privacy, his law practice…and his Dom. He'd been drifting for 3 years when his future comes knocking at his door. Aayan is conflicted about everything he feels. His reason for tracking down Garrett is not that he can’t get the man out of his mind. It's that he desperately wants/needs to save his brother, Syed, from a charge of murder...a murder that he didn’t commit. Aayan's feelings for the man that is defending his brother are just making everything more complicated. I liked this story much more than I thought I would. I have no patience for people that judge others for their way of life, what church they do or don't go to, what their political views are, the color of their skin or who they choose to love. The man on trial for his life in this story was being tried for all of these things under the guise of murder because his lover died while they were consensually practicing something they both wanted. The side characters in the story are a mixed bag, but in a mostly good way. I really liked Aayan’s ex and Garrett’s secretary. Both were strong female characters who totally support the couple in their journey toward each other. It was interesting to see how Garrett’s mind worked as he defended Syed. The author does a great job of allowing us in on some of Garrett’s thought processes as he uses the personal knowledge, he has of the BDSM community and the law to make sure that Syed doesn’t end up in jail. Aayan is a wonderful character and I loved watching his struggle to reconcile his feelings for Garrett and the faith that he’s trying to make peace with. Mostly I enjoyed this story. The characters are complex and compelling, and the storyline kept me interested without pushing things along too quickly. It would be a good introduction story for someone who’s curious about the BDSM lifestyle. It gives a decent example without pushing anything too far and coming off as scary. This will not be my last read from this author. ( )

Felt like the beginning of something, not super fleshed out and only hitting basic kink negotiation in the last quarter, offering a prelude to something we never really see.

I was kind of hoping for BDSM with the same emotional and character depth as Lisa Henry/JA Rock’s works, or even Alexis Hall’s For Real from the way people were talking about it, but aside from some great research re: a legal case I never cared about, and Aayan’s background and family situation, this fell flat. ( )

There was more talking about BDSM than doing, but I think I prefer that. lol At least when it comes to S&M. I love the power exchange, but the actual hitting and whatnot is not my favorite.
Aayan is an amazing man. I like 'em confident but not cocky. And he's like that.
Islam played a big role here. Aayan is a natural sadist and he likes inflicting pain, but it's against his faith. So he struggles to accept himself.
Garrett is a masochist. He was a hotshot lawyer, until his husband died. After that he withdrew into himself, and it didn't help that his sexual preferences were exposed in the tabloids.
Aayan comes to him with a case, a very personal one. His brother was accused of murdering his boyfriend in an alley. They suspect him because they were in the S&M lifestyle and the proof is on Jamie's body.
Garrett reluctantly accepts to defend Syed in court. So this book, in part, is really heavy on the legal subject, but I found everything accurate, the author was really thorough. (Except I really didn't get why the question "where were you at the time of the murder" was brought up so late in the case. That's usually the first they ask.)
The ending was wrapped up too fast and too easily. But overall it was a win.
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Great contemporary erotic suspense romance. ( )