Deviations: Domination

Deviations: Domination
Chris Owen and Jodi Payne
Torquere Press
ISBN: 1-934166-00-6
Fiction, Erotic Romance, BDSM, M/M
Reviewed by Jean Roberta

In this novel, sequel to Deviations: Submission, the two central characters continue developing their relationship. Tobias, a wealthy veterinarian who has turned one of the stables on his farm into a fabulous playroom, secretly fears that his current “boy,” Noah, will leave him if he does not get everything he wants from a Master, regardless of Tobias’ magnetic appeal. After all, Tobias has been left before.
Tobias’s mentor, the Dom who runs an exclusive club for trustworthy gentlemen in the BDSM scene, reminds Tobias that sometimes he must be cruel to be kind. As delightful as it is for Tobias and Noah to play with each other in fantasy scenes and in plain old vanilla male-on-male sex, they both have demons to face. Tobias realizes that if he really wants to become the proud owner of a fulfilled submissive, he must probe into his past even if it is painful for them both.
While Tobias and Noah continue to learn about each other’s desires and fears, Noah meets Tobias’ previous “boy,” Phantom, and learns to grow past his jealousy. Tobias needs to know how Noah was hurt in the past, and whether the perpetrator is still causing harm to others. A network of relationships between leathermen is revealed. The differences between BDSM as a healing journey and criminal abuse are clearly shown.
The happy ending of this novel is a collaring ceremony, parallel to the wedding in more conventional romances. Yet there are two more novels to come in the “Deviations” series, and the third one, Discipline, is planned for release in 2007. What more do the authors have up their sleeves? Stay tuned. The secondary characters seem likely to become increasingly important as Tobias and Noah continue to learn that a commitment is not the end of a courtship; it is the beginning of the next stage.