Thursday, February 14, 2013

Review: Wish List by K.A. Mitchell

K.A. Mitchell
Wish List (Red Hot Holiday)
Carina Press, December 3, 2012 | 79 pages/ 26,000 words

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Blindfolds. Handcuffs. Submission.

There's so much Jonah Kendrick hasn't tried, and so much he wants to explore. But just before Christmas he finds a ring box in his boyfriend's desk. Jonah panics. He loves Evan and their sex is hot, but how can Jonah be ready for forever, when there are so many items on his Naughty Bucket List? Desires that might drive Evan away.
Evan's noticed Jonah has been distant. His usually talkative and cheerful boyfriend is preoccupied. The seemingly straitlaced Evan stumbles across Jonah's wish list of sexual kinks, and Evan realizes he may not have to hide his true nature from Jonah after all. The Dom in him wants to see Jonah on his knees, begging, submitting, but Evan isn't sure Jonah's ready to accept what being Evan's sub would mean.

The two lovers must figure out how to share their hidden desires with each other before their secrets permanently damage their love.

Genre & Keywords: M/M Romance, Contemporary, D/s, BDSM, Holidays, Christmas, Fantasies, Long-term Relationship, Kinky, Lack of Communication

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2 out of 3 flames
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This Red Hot Holiday story (that is part of an anthology but can also be bought separately) is the tale of two long-term boyfriends who aren't aware of each other's submissive and dominant sides until just before Christmas things start to change. When Jonah finds a ring box in Evan's desk he panics because he isn't sure if he is ready to marry Evan although he loves him. His doubts are caused by his submissive fantasies, some things he has never experienced yet and thinks he will never get to explore ever again once he's married. What he doesn't know - of course - is that Evan's true nature is that of a Dom. When Evan finds Jonah's kinky bucket list he starts to show Jonah his dominant side and test his lover's submissiveness. However, their lack of communication leads from one misunderstanding to another and things start to get shaky between them.

I liked the set-up for this conflict and the introduction of the main characters very much. I thought the first part of this story was very well done. But then the 'conflict' started to drag a bit too much for my liking. If only these guys would've started to talk to each other a little sooner it might have led to a perfect read for me, but now their lack of communication became an obstacle that felt somehow artificial. It made that the climax of the story - the part where they finally say out loud what they want and act on it - fell a little bit flat for me.
However, apart from that little regret I enjoyed Jonah and Evan together, their hotness practically melted the pages and their love for each other rang true. Their characterization is also well done. Both are likable and memorable guys and I would actually like to read more about them, especially now they've discovered their mutual kinky interests. I'd love to see more of their explorations as 'new' lovers as well as their interactions with their family and friends. I think these characters are interesting enough to fill a complete novel.

This story is especially a recommendation to readers who like the theme of miscommunication (or lack of communication) in their m/m romances and who enjoy a cautious and erotic exploration of D/s elements in a relationship, while it all stays very romantic.
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4 comments:

  1. I've got this book but haven't read it yet. This review is moving it to the top.
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lovely review Janna - thank you! Will have to keep this in mind when I'm in the mood for a miscommunication novella :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, orannia. It's a fun read when you're in the mood for that. :)

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