Something in the Way He Needs

Title: Something in the Way He Needs (Family #1)
Author: Cardeno C. and Ezekiel Robison (Narrator)
Publisher: The Romance Authors, LLC
Release Date: January 14th 2016
Genre(s): M/M Contemporary Romance
Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
Reviewed by: Lily G. Blunt
Heat Level: 4 flames out of 5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Blurb:

Police captain Asher Penaz’s staunch professionalism bleeds into his home life, down to his neatly pressed attire and spartan apartment. He enjoys being the man in charge, and leather bars satisfy his need for dominance—so his sudden and powerful attraction to the lighthearted, free-spirited Daniel Tover throws him for a loop. In his entire life, Daniel has never gotten what he needs, so he moves to the next place, the next job, the next attempt to find something worth staying for, always landing at the top of his game, but never feeling like he belongs.

The chemistry between Asher and Daniel sizzles, so Asher invites Daniel home. As both men struggle to learn themselves while getting to know each other, the lines of desire and control blur. With all that fire comes the risk of getting burned. But if Daniel and Asher can walk through the flames together, they might find what they desperately need.

I really liked Asher. He’s a real man with many flaws. Big and buff and oh so sexy. Yes, he’s arrogant and selfish, possessive and downright thoughtless at times. He’s a police captain who likes being in control and living alone in his bare apartment. He’s been a Dom for twenty years and from what I can gather not a very considerate one. He’s never been in a relationship and struggles to know how to behave when he is confronted with these overwhelming new feelings and bouts of jealousy. Yet, despite all this, his love for Daniel redeems him in the end. When they first meet, Asher is bowled over in such a way he doesn’t know what’s happening to him, but the attraction and desire are obvious. He wants Daniel, but not in a way he usually wants his subs i.e. for a whipping and a quick blowjob. In fact, although he considers that Daniel is a natural sub, he’s so enthralled with him he doesn’t tell him about his leather club in the six months they live together or try to impose a D/s relationship on him, although he does encourage a little light spanking. From the day they meet, he doesn’t want to let Daniel go and invites him to move in straight away, even before they have sex. I especially loved his use of the pet name, Sugar, and how he made sure Daniel was eating properly. Like Daniel, I found his possessiveness arousing and endearing. From some of the reviews I’ve read, some people find this hard to deal with.

Daniel, although only six years younger than Asher, has a very different personality. For all his clumsiness and poor dress sense, he turns out to be a gem too. He just wants to be needed and happy. Much to Asher’s surprise, he found Daniel adorable. His charisma not only draws in Asher, but everyone else he meets. Whatever Daniel turns his hand to he seems to succeed in. He has a wide-range of career experiences for one so young, having been a free-spirited vagabond who never settled down anywhere for long until he met Asher. This guy has the patience of a saint and has hidden depths that are gradually revealed.

It took me a while to see why Oliver and Asher were friends and would want to spend a stag weekend together. They didn’t have a lot in common apart from working alongside each other. He’s straight and considered Asher to be into kinky stuff. I didn’t particularly like Ollie at first as he came across as a selfish oaf. He did look out for his brother, however, and his words to Asher near the end of the story made up for trying to keep them apart at the beginning of the story.

From the start, the chemistry between these two men is smoking hot. There’s a playfulness between them and a refreshing honesty, even though they keep two big secrets from each other. Daniel is shy at times and willing to please Asher to make their relationship work. We’re treated to many intimate and explicit scenes. All of them sizzling, as is Cardeno C’s usual style.

It’s a well-paced story with realistic, natural dialogue. The writing is fabulous, keeping my attention throughout, even in the scenes involving Oliver and Shirley, his fiancée.

After Asher’s major clusterf*ck on the day of the concert, his heartache is palpable in the days that follow. I loved how his emotions ooze from his demeanor and this short time of angst. Their make-up scene was a little surprising and not as passionate as I’d have like, but it worked for them. I would have liked to know why Daniel returned, apart from the obvious—that he still loved Asher.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ezekiel Robison’s narration and thought the voices he used to portray the characters suited each one and brought them to life for me. I especially liked the rough and sexy voice he used for Asher. Both the story and his narration drew me in and I could easily have been in the same room as these guys as I listened to this wonderful tale.

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