Erryn reviews ‘Deviations: Bondage (Deviations Book 4)’ by Chris Owen and Jodi Payne. This book was released by Torquere Press on November 27, 2007 and is about 562 pgs long. The audiobook version of this story was narrated by Maxx Power, released by Tygerseye Publishing LLC on February 20, 2019 and is 12 hrs and 56 mins long. A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Why I read this book: I loved books 1 through 3 so I couldn’t wait for this one.
Noah and Tobias come back from Paris with a renewed contract and a deeper personal bond. Too bad things don’t go as smoothly at home. When they get back, they face a crisis that might just threaten their contract, and their personal intimacy.
The crisis has a ripple effect, but Tobias and Noah finally learn that they can evolve with it, instead of collapsing. They experiment with scene after scene, making them longer, deeper, which allows them to explore more than they’ve ever dared. They even explore moving in together. When Noah is forced to face the danger of his job, he starts to question why he became a cop.
Tobias is also questioning his job. Soon enough, their external life is changing enough that they’re forced to lean on each other to sustain them. Can they achieve a comfortable balance between their outside life, their scenes, and their love?
Noah and Tobias, along with their friends, appear in Deviations: Submissions, Deviations: Domination, and Deviations: Discipline.
Buy Links: Audible | Amazon | Add to Goodreads
My Review:
This is the fourth instalment of the Deviations series and as I had loved the three previous iterations, I had great hopes for this book. I don’t want to say that I was disappointed, but I did feel this book was not of the caliber and quality of the previous releases. I love this series because the books are classic high-protocol BDSM stories. These days, high-protocol can seem like a quaint notion, but I like that there are rules that men (and women) within the community choose to follow. This book had plenty of discussions about contracts, collars, and hierarchy, but I felt like some of the protocol had fallen to the wayside. There were also fewer true BDSM scenes. One of the starkest ones revealed several important aspects of a character but those issues raised during the scene were never address nor mentioned. They certainly were never explored and I felt that was a missed opportunity.
For readers who love sex scenes, you’ll be thrilled. There are many different repetitions and many different variations. Unfortunately, for me, they became a little tedious. I wanted character growth and maturity and I didn’t feel the sex was moving me forward in my appreciation of the characters. Don’t get me wrong, I love these men. I love Tobias the Dominant who sometimes needs to be taken. I adore Noah the gentle submissive who is also a cop. And Phan? His pain in previous books was palpable and I really hoped he’d get a happy ending. Don’t get me wrong, this is a strong book – it just didn’t sit as well with me as the first three. There is a fifth book to come and I eagerly await its audio release (please please please). I’ll snap it up and hope it will be a fitting closure to this great series.
Maxx Power is a great narrator for this series. He has the perfect voice for each of the main characters and handles all the secondary characters as well. His performance is always top quality and this was another great example of his talent.
My Rating:
8/10 Pots of Gold (100% Recommended) – Compares to 4/5 Stars
Website | Facebook | Twitter: @Chris_owen | Goodreads
I live and write in eastern Canada. I went to a bunch of schools, learned a lot of things, and now make stuff up because not to do so is unthinkable. I’m fond of fountain pens, Levenger’s Circa system, and Steampunk fashions. I’m inspired by the day to day minutia of life, and find beauty in the way words go together. I like texture and richness of experience. I’m not shy. I’m happy, I’m learning, I’m living.
Website | Facebook | Twitter: @JodiPayne | Goodreads
JODI spent too many years in New York and San Francisco stage managing classical plays, edgy fringe work, and the occasional musical. She, therefore, is overdramatic, takes herself way too seriously, and has been known to randomly break out in song. Her men are imperfect but genuine, stubborn but likable, often kinky, and frequently their own worst enemies. They are characters you can’t help but fall in love with while they stumble along the path to their happily ever after.
For those looking to get on her good side, Jodi’s addictions include nonfat lattes, Malbec, and tequila any way you pour it. She’s also obsessed with Shakespeare and Broadway musicals. She can be found wearing sock monkey gloves while typing when it’s cold, and on the beach enjoying the sun and the ocean when it’s hot. When she’s not writing and/or vacuuming sand out of her laptop, Jodi mentors queer youth and will drop everything for live music. Jodi lives near New York City with her beautiful wife, and together they are mothers of dragons (cleverly disguised as children) and slaves to an enormous polydactyl cat.
Rainbow Gold Reviews 
Thanks for the review. I haven’t read any of the books in this series and now I am curious…
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