Making it Happen: Review & Giveaway: EXPLORATION by Quinn Ward (Kinky in the City #1)

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Review & Giveaway: EXPLORATION by Quinn Ward (Kinky in the City #1)

Length: 65,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Marisa @ Cover Me Darling

Blurb

The reluctant manager of his family's restaurant, Frankie attempts to live up to the legacy of his father and grandfather. Running a business that isn't his passion and trying to do it without asking for help leaves him turning to less-than-legal means when he wants to surrender control.

Newly divorced, Calvin no longer lives in the closet, leaving him searching for what he most desires- control. So when he finds Frankie on his knees in the back room of a local bar, Calvin sees the sub he's only ever fantasized about having.

Can Calvin find the confidence to explore his dominant side while showing his younger roommate that submission isn't only about whips and pain?

Carra's Review

Given the way the blurb for this story is written, I was expecting that this book would have delved further into the world of BDSM than it did. It was actually very light on this aspect, focusing more on Calvin giving Frankie more structure in his life—which Frankie did truly need or he’d run himself into the ground…if he didn’t wind up arrested first thanks to a particular activity he engaged in at the start of the book.

Frankie has a lot on his shoulders, but much of that weight is there because he doesn’t give up control of things at work. Even Calvin recognizes this, and he’s just Frankie’s roommate—they’re not close at all at the start of the story, the roommate situation coming about after Frankie answered Calvin’s ad.

The two of them entered into a relationship, Frankie agreeing to explore kink with Calvin, and Frankie did research about kink and BDSM to learn more while the two of them together learn more from others in the lifestyle. But after that it seemed like everything concentrated on the emotional side of the relationship that developed between the two of them, with just one light aspect of kink thrown in a couple of times. The story revolved more around Frankie finding the right balance at work and with his family to help ease up the stress in his life.

There’s a bit of drama injected near the end when someone related to Frankie’s old habits enters the picture again, and slight bit of tension surrounding Frankie needing to come out to his family. Aside from that, this story is more heavily centered on Frankie and Calvin’s relationship development as Calvin helps him find a work/life balance.

Exploration was a 3.5-star read for me, and this story is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content. Though it was much lighter on the BDSM/kink aspects that drew me to it in the first place, I was sufficiently intrigued by Frankie’s brothers to want to know more about them and get their stories as well.

Quinn writes LGBTQ romance with a kick. Their stories center around the relationship building between the characters, but also shows how compatible they are in the bedroom (or wherever else the urge strikes).

Goodreads Page - Facebook Reader Group - Website

Email Quinn at: quinn(at)quinnwardwrites(dot)com

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