This was a very different read from the darker stories I have previously read by [a:Lynn Kelling|5766021|Lynn Kelling|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1331078772p2/5766021.jpg]. In Bound by Lies she still delivers the emotionally damaged MC's and their quest to find peace through their chosen lifestyle.Brayden, who left the small town he grew up in after years of being bullied and talked about as the boy whose mother ran off right before his father died, has now returned home to help his grandmother raise his young cousin. His time away brought him the ability to live the life wanted, including beginning to explore his sexuality without the preconceived judgments of those around him. Jenner Parrish, former high school quarterback, lives a life hiding who he really is from all but two of his closest friends. He creates walls to keep everyone at arm's length and is tormented by his past actions while running with the popular crowd. When he first sees the grown up Brayden, he is instantly attracted, and when Brayden shows up at his bar looking for a job, he can barely control his need.
Jenner is surprised to see Brayden at a masquerade at the local BDSM club, and Jenner claims him for the night, all the while Brayden is unaware of who is under the mask. The two enter into a Master/slave relationship. Brayden is a masochist and Jenner is a sadist, but Brayden fears that what he needs is abnormal, while Jenner's friends question whether Jenner is taking advantage of Brayden. In addition, even though Jenner has a borderline obsessive need for Brayden, it is hard for Brayden to believe Jenner will not just abandon him as both his parents once did.
Lynn Kelling explores not just the relationship between the two main characters, but also the perception of that relationship by those around them. Both men begin the story in the closet, mostly out of the ingrained fear of small town judgments, but the nature of their relationship will soon make it hard to conceal. The chemistry and the sex between Brayden and Jenner is off the charts hot, and the emotional growth between the two was beautifully done. I thought it tied up a little too quickly and neatly at the end, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story.
