Review: Safeword: Davenport

Safeword: Davenport by Candace Blevins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book the first time around. It blew me away back in June of 2012. It is interesting how six and a half years has changed me and how I read this book. This new edition is more polished in subtle ways and reminds me why I loved this book when I first read it. The story flows a bit smoother and surprisingly, the BDSM scenes are no longer as intense for me.

Make no mistakes, the BDSM in this story are intense. Ms. Blevins descriptions of how a scene flows is accurate and what I have seen and now experienced. Many of these scenes are considered edgeplay and do require both knowledge, practice and experience. I caution any new to BDSM reader using this as a how-to-manual. It is not. This is for readers to take a glimpse into the dark side. Ms. Blevins offers something better than cookies - out of your mind orgasmic nookie. For those who need a bit more spice to their kink, Ms. Blevins is one of the top go to authors. Her special blend of plot, character development with the pivotal BDSM scenes are her forte. The past few years have only honed her skills as this reboot of a fantastic story is even better.

This story isn't just about BDSM. It is about what happens when your intimate connection with the love your life is severed in a dramatic and traumatic way. How does one survive after this event? For both Dana and Zach, they are in a similar place of loss and displacement. Will they ever be able to achieve this kind of power exchange they experienced with the one they thought to spend the rest of their life with? And do they really want to recreate that old bond or forge something new?

The BDSM is definitely a highlight of the story for me as it makes me so hawt and now instead of screaming and running away from the scenes (I still run away from the punishment scenes) I'm intrigued and want to try the ones I haven't. What moves me even more now that the initial shock factor from the kinky is acceptable to me, is the love story and the growth. This is a time of growth for Dana to learn how to become an individual again after so many years as part of a whole. And when she discovers herself, other people's perceptions are still thinking of her stuck in a role that is no longer there.

For example, when I read the first time, Dana's sister in a law and an old acquaintance's derogatory comments of her having a life again, I was disappointed in them. This time around, as I focus more on Dana's recovery I'm incensed and want to slap both of them upside the head for their unwanted and unsolicited opinions. Who are they to tell Dana how she should be? Who died and made them God? Sometimes, the connections of the past are best severed because they can only hold a person back. And yet Dana's past connection with Brent has helped her grow and develop in ways she never expected. These differing experiences stemming from similar sources is what makes Ms. Blevins such a strong writer. Because there is no one answer. It is not black and white. What seems bad from one way can be good from another. This thought provoking set up makes me appreciate her stories more. Why? Because it helps me see multiple view points and not rush to judgment without considering all angles.

I loved this book the first time and I'm thrilled to see that I loved it as much if not more the second time around. This romance is highly recommended to kinky readers who enjoy intense scenes with strong characters.

*I received an advanced copy