Review: For Real

@quicunquevult #bookreview Must buy - absolutely gripping and moving
For Real by Alexis  Hall

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is a must read book. Why I waited so long to read it, I do not know. Mr. Hall is an automatic read author. His books are rich with emotion and rife with angst. In For Real, I am left speechless and stunned at the end. This book moved me because of how much I connected with Laurence and Toby. In most BDSM books, there is a dominant who knows it all. He is smooth and can make women and men weak in the knees. They are perfect and the romanticized hero readers fantasize about. It is rare the character is a young newbie looking to explore kink. What is even more rare is an experienced older submissive falling for the newbie.

Mr. Hall does an excellent job with the BDSM in this book. It's realistic and shows how we are human. The perspective alternates between Toby and Laurie. Toby is a very young barely two decade old male. He feels like he's missing something in his life. When he discover the kinky lifestyle, he finds his missing piece. Unfortunately, the reception he receives is all too accurate. He is treated with condescension and all types of jaded patronizing attitudes. I want to rush in and protect him from being turned off from kink.

Toby is much stronger than people give him credit for and he also exemplifies dominant potential. Everyone starts at the beginning and it is something experienced jaded people tend to forget. Toby's lack of experience does not translate into insecurity and low self-esteem. In some ways, Toby is ahead of many of the so called dominants in this story because he knows himself and he has control of his own actions. This makes him a very attractive dom. A few years down the road and Toby will be the dominant who brings a submissive down to their knees with just a glance and a tiny upturn of his lips.

Toby and Laurence's interactions are hot. When Toby turns it on, he really turns it on. Mr. Hall writes some amazingly simple yet smoking hot scenes. I do not know how he does it and I don't care to analyze it word by word. I appreciate his smexy dialogue. I also admire how he goes against the alpha male dominant archtype. Instead, this young budding dominant is a dream because he doesn't take himself so seriously. This seriousness is left to Laurie who does finally realize going with the flow and a real connection is all it takes. I thoroughly loved this book and the characters. This book is highly recommended to m/m lovers who enjoy kink from a newbie dominant's perspective.

*provided by NetGalley



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