Title: Innocence to the Max (Iunctio Copula, Book 1)
Author: S.J.D. Peterson
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: October 14th 2015
Genre(s): Male/Male Paranormal Romance
Page Count: 220
Reviewed by: JLoves2Read for Gay Book Reviews and Alpha Book Club
Heat Level: 2 flames out of 5
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Blurb:
On his sixteenth birthday, Francisco “Cisco” Aguilar first sets eyes on Maximilian De Ferrari, owner of Wicked Grounds, an exclusive BDSM club. Cisco has been lost, unsure of what is missing in his life. Over a century old, Max leads a vampire clan, and Cisco is drawn to him in a way he can’t explain. The moment he sees Max he knows his quest isn’t about what he’s been missing, but who.
Five years’ wait seems more than Cisco can bear, but he perseveres and on his twenty-first birthday he walks into Wicked Ground. He’s unafraid to meet the vampire he’s sure is his destiny. Max has been waiting for him, too.
What Max has known all these years, and what Cisco soon discovers, is that more than fate is drawing them together. Iunctio Copula is a powerful binding link capable of restoring cold, dead hearts. With Max and Cisco bound, Cisco will be Max’s greatest weakness. Unable to let Max go, Cisco is thrust into a dark world, where he’s nearly powerless, left to fight for his life and his future with Max. Worse, he’s at the mercy of those who will use him—and hurt him—just to get to the powerful vampire king.
I have a mixed reaction to this story. On one hand it was not what I expected from SJD Peterson and on the other hand it was something different. So I am torn. The concept of vampire drawn to human has been done, over and over, with human and vampire finding themselves as mates; however, something or someone is set on keeping them apart. Peterson adds a new concept into the mix, Iuncti? C?pula, or the lore that a rare mating between destined vampires and humans can cause the vampire’s heart to beat again. The story is set to follow this lore, which we never do get to see if it’s true..because the book ends. I am assuming this means there will be more of Max and Cisco’s story otherwise there will be some angry readers!
So let’s talk the nitty gritty — this is a story between Maximilian De Ferrari, vampire and Owner of Wicked Ground and Francisco Aguilar, aka Cisco -human. Vampires have publicly coexisted alongside humans for over twenty years. Cisco has just aged enough, 21, to enter Wicked Ground. For his birthday, Cisco wants to be owned and submit to a man, and after only one glimpse of Max, 5 years earlier, he knows he’s meant to be owned by Max. Max, feels drawn to Cisco and has kept him under watch while his boy aged – yes, that is right his boy and everyone would be wise to remember that.
As you may imagine the story is full of ups and downs for this would be mated couple. Some predictable and some not so predictable. The sex between these two, well I have a feeling it would be hot..if it ever happened. Sure there is some PDA/Prelim sex but like the mating ritual, sex is absent to insignificant in this book between the two main characters. Overall, I have to rate this story 3.5 stars simply because it lacked in areas that a romance book, especially a BDSM book, needs to have – heat and chemistry.
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