Review: The Square Peg

The Square Peg by Jane Davitt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars





Estranged father and son relationship, deceased father leaving behind half ownership of a gay bar and a sexy man owning the other half - where have I read this before? If this sounds similar to My Father's Lover by D.J. Manly, this would be half right. Other than these commonalities, everything else is different.

In THE SQUARE PEG, Ben's father left him at a young age. Upon his father's death, he is surprised to learn he's inherited half of a gay bar owned by his father. The other half is deeded to the current manager of the bar, Shane. Shane is resentful of the pretty boy accountant, Ben. Before Ben can even extend a friendly handshake, Shane rudely dismisses him and points to the door.

The plot is pretty straightforward with two men brought together by a father who wants what is best for both of his sons. One is the son of his heart; the other is the son of his loins. What makes this story different and alluring is the relationship between these two men. Ben and Shane seem to grate on each other. They are the proverbial odd couple. Yet once we get a glimpse of their power dynamics, it becomes clear. They are perfectly complementary with each other. They both exude authority and strength when running the bar and working their day job. When the private time arrives, it becomes a kinky hot erotic power exchange.

Sexy Shane submits to Ben's dominance. Ms. Davitt and Ms. Snow slyly incorporate smexy D/s tones into this m/m romance. The D/s is flaming hawt! Shane is no pushover yet when he yields to mild manner accountant Ben; it is a sight to behold. Ben's flip to aggressive dominance and his dirty talk to Shane during their sexual interludes will wet the panties of any submissive. Although Ben is conflicted with his sudden kinky needs, Shane soothes him and makes what they do together a beautiful and loving experience.

The tale contains more than just two men ripping each other's clothing off. The bar brings the two men together. The renovations and bar crew create a happy family. The realities of running a bar, specifically a gay bar, is clearly shown. The reader is even given an upfront seat in gay bashing. Even though the authors point it out that a conflict wasn't a hate crime, the reader will still feel otherwise. This reality is a sad commentary of our society. Still, the duo authors, Ms. Davitt and Ms. Snow don't drag us down with heavy-handed lectures. Instead, they uplift the reader with a message of new beginnings. Showing how people pull together and start fresh despite adversity is a powerful point delivered in an easy to accept manner. This m/m romance is recommended for kinky readers who enjoy some dirty talking D/s power exchange.



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