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Not for Sale (Undercover Love #1)

Review 5
, , Brenda Cothern, ,

17906733Title: Not for Sale (Undercover Love #1)
Author: Brenda Cothern
Publisher: Brenda Cothern Books, Inc.
Buy Links:
Length: 233 pages
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

A guest review by Lasha

Summary Review: A very interesting take on the ‘going undercover as lovers’ trope that BDSM fans would enjoy.


THE BLURB

Immigration Control Agent Ryan “Brew” Brewster finally got the break he was looking for in his human trafficking case. But to follow the lead, he would need to go undercover into the world of the gay leather community. A world he was very familiar with; a world that would require a partner for the undercover op.

Vice Cop Rick Kendry did not look twenty eight when he was out on the streets of Tampa luring in the John’s. He barely looked eighteen but that was why he was stuck in vice. That and the fact that he was openly gay made him the best candidate for the job and luckily for him, he loved undercover work.

When Agent Brewster recruited him for the deep undercover Homeland Security op, Rick couldn’t have been more thrilled but little did Rick know that he would soon be immersed into the intricate world of leather & BDSM.

THE REVIEW

Ryan “Brew” Brewster is a Immigration Control Agent who wants to bring down a human trafficking ring that is kidnapping young men and forcing them into prostitution. To accomplish this task, he needs a partner to go undercover and place himself up as bait. Brew finds this in Vice cop Rick Kendry, who looks seventeen on a good day. He’s just the man Brew wants. Problem? Complex interpersonal relationships and the fact that Rick has no concept of the BDSM scene he’ll soon be joining to bring down the human trafficking ring. But with Brew as a teacher, Rick is soon comfortable in his role as Brew’s sub. Will this relationship survive their time undercover?

Not for Sale is a very difficult book for me to review. On one hand, I loved the undercover police action and the extremely interesting relationship between Rick and Brew; but on the other, the BDSM aspects of the story just weren’t my cup of tea. That’s not to say the BDSM elements were poorly executed, they weren’t. The author did a great job of explaining to a newbie like Rick (and myself), it’s just as a reader heavy BDSM-themed books aren’t my favorite.

Having said that, I really did enjoy the relationship between the two MCs. While Rick played the role of Brew’s sub, he wasn’t the stereotypical submissive you see in a lot of m/m books. The dynamic between the two men was one of equals, even when Brew is obviously more knowledgeable about the lifestyle, I never felt Rick was treated as less. As with Ms. Cothern’s other police-themed book, Brothers by Bond, I really liked the law enforcement aspect of the novel and felt the author got a lot of that right.

So, if you are looking for a good BDSM book that features two strong policemen fighting their attraction to one another while trying to bring down a crime ring, Not for Sale is for you.

The sequel, is now up on Amazon too.

Author

Lasha

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http://lashasreviews.blogspot.com

5 comments

  • rdafan7

    This does sound pretty good, although BDSM is usually not the first thing I look for in a story. It’s one of those genres that an author either does well, or not.
    I’m glad you reviewed this because I’m not familiar with this author and you’ve got me intrigued by the story 😀

    • Lasha

      I did enjoy her other book, Brothers by Bond.

      • rdafan7

        Another one to look into then, 😀

  • Daniela

    The book sounds interesting and I like BDSM-novels, unfortunately a look into the reading sample shows that the novel needs a good editing. So sadly it’s a no-buy :-( which is a pity because I really liked the premise.

    • Lasha

      The editing in self-published books is hit or miss. I tend to give them a hand wave unless it is so bad its unreadable. While this book needed another round of edits, it wasn’t enough to distract me from the story. Sorry we disagree. :)

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