Review: Turning His Life Around

kinky readers who enjoy friends to lovers theme with a strong dose of cathartic release @GraceRDuncan #bookreview

Turning His Life Around by Grace R. Duncan

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars



Friends to lovers is a popular theme for a reason. Romance lovers want their cake and eat it too. Kane is a brilliant guy who is just checking the list of things he's supposed to do as an adult. He isn't living his life. His childhood makes it difficult for him to strive for his dreams. Some of it stems from crushed dreams. Some of it stems from lack of self-confidence. What Kane doesn't lack is a best friend who is also a terrific lover, Ian.

Be forewarned, this is not a sweet, smooth friends to lover story. This is a story with depth of character and angsty situations which pull at the heart strings. Ian desperately wants to be more than just friends with benefits. He also wants more than just being the backup dominant for Kane. When Ian finally gives up hope, Kane starts to get a clue.

This story breaks my heart because of the realistic misunderstandings. The lack of communication because one is so familiar with the other person is an easy trap for friends with benefits. The scene at the high end BDSM club where Ian and Kane's scene goes south even before it starts is painful to witness on several levels. Ms. Duncan does a great job of showing how each person perceives the situation. It also goes to show how a lack of clear boundaries regardless of a D/s relationship will cause disconnects. Personally, I felt bad for Kane. Whilst I understood his misstep, I still think Ian should have known better. Seriously, if you love someone, you don't just go fuck another man's ass for everyone to see. A D/s relationship can be very intimate. The fact that in this story, that Ian did not understand why Kane was so upset pissed me off to no end. I wanted to whack Ian over the head several times. In the end, I do not think it is ever shown how both Ian and Kane made mistakes. The fault and blame lays with Kane and that leaves me feeling uneasy and unhappy. And it is why I ended up not giving this a four star rating.

The story is very well written. It pulls emotions out of a reader. The characters are fabulous. The sexual exploration as well as the personal growth are all captivating. I really enjoyed this book and due to a personal trigger, this book rated a little lower by half a star. This m/m erotic romance is highly recommended to kinky readers who enjoy friends to lovers theme with a strong dose of cathartic release.


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