Review: Bubbles

Bubbles by Candace Blevins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A dominant werewolf catching the scent of a spunky little human equates to fun times. This book caught me off guard as I wasn't expecting a story featuring Bubbles. Who is Bubbles? Do I even care about Bubbles?

Since it is a Candace Blevins book, I looked forward to her driving. I hop on eagerly for the ride. I admit; I went into this story almost completely cold. I avoided all blurbs posted. I shied away from as much discussion ahead of time about this story. As it turns out, I don't care about Bubbles. He does nothing for me. I am surprised because usually, I feel intensely about her characters. I may loath them or I absolutely love them. This apathy is new to me. It isn't that Bubbles is bad. Or that Bubbles was created poorly. He is a well designed character who has an alpha male persona and he's not apologetic about it. I get it. His chemistry with Lexi is a bit off for me. Off in that, I didn't get into it. He's like window dressing that I could do without. Lexi on the other hand, I loved.

For those who have read Careful What You Ask For in Ms. Blevins' Chattanooga Supernaturals will most likely enjoy this book too. There are several similarities between Briana and Lexi. I absolutely adore Briana from the aforementioned book. I love everything about her and my heart bleeds for her past hurts and slights. Lexi conjures similar feelings. Lexi is a young adult 19 years of age with a good head on her shoulders. She grows up fast in the drug/gang world and she seeks a different life. Her brief couple of years enjoying foster life with law abiding white folks makes a huge impact on what she wants. It is admirable. Yet there is no way for her to fully escape because once involved in the thug life, it seems to cling on forever.

This is where the conflict arises and it's a tough one. Lexi straddles two worlds already as a bi-racial child whose been force to feel bad about one or the other identity. She teeters between the world of law abiding citizens and those who believe laws were made for other people or suckers. Now she enters the world of Motorcycle men who are in direct conflict with her past life with drug running gangs. It is a very delicate dance for Lexi to be neutral. Because even Switzerland is a country where their wealth is built off of other people's blood money and possessions. I digress.

Lexi enters a new world where the rules are familiar yet different. Navigating these shark infested waters is difficult because not only does she not know about the hidden world, her old world refuses to let her go. This novel is a character driven and it shows as Lexi takes us with her on this journey of self discovery. She learns to pull all the different pieces of herself and merge it into her own identity. Watching her sister and Bubbles support her in this journey is beautiful. I like the growth in Lexi. She may seem as if she has it all together, but there are some bratty still juvenile behaviours that requires time an experience to polish off. This leads me into my not so enamoured relationship with Bubbles.

The relationship dynamic between Bubbles and Lexi is kinky. I understand some consider this light and others consider it heavy because of the spanking and specifically the punishment belting. Some even consider a scene where a thug was brutally punished as heavy BDSM. Note to readers... that was not a BDSM scene. It was a straight out consequences like cutting off the hand of a thief. Nothing kinky about it. I digress again. The fact that Lexi takes advice from her sister to create a contract of negotiated punishments that are acceptable brings this to power exchange relationship. For me, power exchange is never to be taken lightly. (Yes, pun intended.) The problem I had with this is that the power exchange also came across a little like Daddy kink but Lexi isn't into Daddy kink and Bubbles didn't really want to be a Daddy. So is this more domestic discipline? Maybe. But perhaps the age difference and the bratty behaviour from Lexi unconsciously made this more Daddy kink without saying it is Daddy kink. And since Lexi didn't want or need a Daddy, sometimes, Bubbles just rubbed me the wrong way. His my way or the highway attitude many a times pissed me off. I get that this was designed as a conflict for Lexi and him to work out - which they did. I guess I could have done without the lecturing. It made sexy time... less sexy. And I started to resent Bubble's high handed manner even if theoretically he is not wrong. He's not perfect and this flaw does make him more realistic and adds character.

Speaking of sexy time... hello anal buster! I keep imaging Lexi with a "bubble" butt that Bubbles wants to bust. The anal training in this story is erotic and not for vanillas. For those who shiver in delight when anal training shows up in a story, this book is for you. The constant teasing and sexual tension is nicely done. Lexi's blushes and demure manner makes her that much more adorable. She is just so darn cute. There is a little something mentioned about Lexi that isn't revealed by the end of the story. I am hoping it shows up in one of the other books in this series in the Chattanooga series.

This erotic romance is recommended for kinky readers who love their motorcycle clubs and the ole ladies that tame them.

* I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

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