★★★ #SweetSurrender
Working on my TBR pile, I found this book I wanted to read for years. Before I tried to buy it for my Kindle, I notice that it is also tagged as purchased. This means it is a physical book literally in a pile on my shelf. Lo and behold, I find the book and immediately start reading. For those that are just starting to look into BDSM erotica, this is a good book to try.
This is a slight suspense leaning heavily toward romance. The subplot of Faith exploring the whole new world of kink almost overshadowed the main plot of this story. Or perhaps, solving the murder of Gray's partner on the Dallas Police force is the subplot. Either way, the two did work well together because Faith is a "person of interest" due to her familial ties. Faith's mother is a deadbeat mother.
This book moves at a rather slow pace which aligns with how I think it goes with detective work. First Gray needs to set everything up to monitor. It is painstaking boredom as he tries to review all the audio recordings he tapped from a phone. Still, this methodical work is balanced with the tentative budding romance between Faith and Gray. I like how Faith is exploring her sexuality. She doesn't know what she wants so she researches, finds a mentor, and experiments. This is bold as most would prefer to just suppress their desires.
The club Faith finds is exclusive and run by a rich man. This is primarily why I categorized it as glitterkink. The club sounds divine and many kinky readers fantasize how a club should be. In real life, it is probably not going to be like this unless one is really wealthy and goes around in those types of circles. Of the four to five clubs I've visited in the States and UK, they have definitely not been like what is described in this book. Still, a girl can dream.
The kink part of this story is good. The journey of a new to kink submissive and some of the false expectations are addressed. Ms. Bank does a nice job of showing the fumbling that can occur as one first starts on their kinky journey. The kinky scenes are sweet and tame for Faith. Some of the things she sees are an accurate voyeuristic delight. I was a little taken aback at how quickly her sexuality accelerates with Gray. It is smoking hot.
The resolution of the suspense comes to a fast and furious conclusion. It feels a bit chaotic and rushed. This erotic suspense is recommended as a Gateway to BDSM book.
