Override
Review originally posted at Sinfully.3.5 stars
Donavan may seem dominant at first look, a factory worker and 6 foot plus of pure muscle, but he has the heart of a submissive. Seth, on the other hand, is his opposite in many ways, older, smaller, highly educated and thrilled at the thought of being able to dominate such a big and powerful man. When they meet at Pride, Seth notices Donavan watching the submissive during a demonstration and offers to give Seth the chance to submit. From that moment on, the two are drawn to each other and quickly find themselves in a relationship where Donavan has the freedom to explore everything he’s dreamed of and Seth is willing to give him any experience he wants.
I have to say this novel turned out to be different than I anticipated, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I really liked how flexible Seth and Donavan were with the BDSM aspect of their relationship, how they wove it in naturally to meet both their needs without it taking over all aspects of their time together. Seth is more concerned with Donavan feeling comfortable and being happy and isn’t interested in keeping up his image at the club, not that he’s going to let Donavan go unpunished though. These two men are sexy as anything together and they certainly do like to mix things up and keep it interesting.
The BDSM is on the light side with some bondage and flogging, but there is a more playful side to it that is all down to the personalities of the two men. Seth is not a strict, bad-ass Dom (their hot role-playing scene is a great example) though he has his moments and certainly knows how to get the best out of Donavan. Donavan is just learning what he likes and is a willing student. The two have good communication, a lot of chemistry and the sex gets down and dirty but their relationship is very much on the sweeter side of things.
I had only one real issue with the story. As I was reading I kept waiting for some bit of conflict or a challenge to come up between them, but the relationship went very smoothly and was almost too easy. There were no bumps in the road in Donavan learning to submit or in them falling in love or into each other's lives. Other than a bit of insecurity on Donavan’s part relating to Seth’s education and wealth, there isn't anything the men have to overcome. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I’m just saying it was unexpected on my part given the nature of Donavan’s inexperience and the way they jumped right into things.
Aside from that, SJD Peterson’s writing flows well and the story contained some humor courtesy of Donavan’s best friend Cain who, for a straight man, is a bit too interested in Donavan’s love life. His budding friendship with Seth’s cousin Tristan was entertaining and perhaps fodder for a future story. There is also a brief introduction to the two men who will be the subject of the next story, which seems like it will have a more serious tone.
The strength of Override is definitely the strong and steady connection between Seth and Donavan and their growing romance. Anyone who likes an angst-free love story with a little bit of kink will enjoy this and I’ll be looking forward to the next one.
