Lock and Key

This book was the perfect mix of BDSM and angst that I needed in my life. I can see myself re-reading this in the future. What I love about it that it's real, realistic people making realistic choices (and mistakes). I look forward to reading more from Z. Allora.

Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted the AUDIO file of this book.

I usually write about the book, then the narration but I'm finding more and more, doing it the other way round or being unable to split the two.

I cannot split the two here.

I LOVED this!! It is both the first of Z. Allora (author) and Jonathan Waters (narrator) I have listened to and together they make for compelling listening!

Zack wanted to be seen by Andrew. His first thought when they meet was "His. Serve. Kneel" (more on this little bit in a mo) But Andrew thinks Zack is too young, and being not quite 18, he is still. When Andrew denies Zack what he needs, Zack hides his submission, and becomes the perfect Dom. A charity auction gives Andrew the opportunity to show Zack that somewhere along the line, his feelings grew to something he can no longer fight.

Waters narration is, quite possibly, the best I've listened to for quite some time. His portrayal of Zack, as he grows, as he learns his craft, as he constantly fights his feeling for Drew, is stunning. Zack has these one liner thoughts "His. Serve. Kneel" and at first, I found them annoying, BUT!!! once I got over that, I did actually look forward to not knowing when they would pop up.

Andrew, too, has these, but they aren't as common as Zack's and, are very different. Waters voice for Drew is perfect.

I loved all Water's voices for the various characters, and it made for very easy listening in multi person conversations. His reading voice is clear and deep and even, with a hint of an accent I could not put my finger on from where.

I loved the way Allora spins a tale. This is, I think, the first in a series, and there are a couple of characters who piqued my interest. And I'm also intrigued by the guys in the band that Zack and Andrew's brothers play in. I want to read their stories too!

Putting both Allora and Waters firmly on my wish lists....

5 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration
5 stars overall

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**

I’m not wholly sure where to start with this review. I’m not even sure what to rate it star wise. For me Lock and Key balanced on the cusp of 4 stars. There were parts I really liked, so much so that I will likely look into this author’s other books/series. And yet, there were enough niggling aspects that kept me from really enjoying the story in its entirety.

Lock and Key is a spinoff of the author’s Dark Angel series. While it can easily be read as a standalone like I did, I’d surmise fans of that series will love seeing past couples/characters make regular appearances and impact this storyline. I quite enjoyed how this book naturally built from a previous storyline. I never felt left in the dark, but rather intrigued to read more about the Davis brothers and the Dark Angel band because they were all fun and intriguing in their supporting roles. The characters were well flushed out and had this settled vibe, reminiscent of that easy comfort you experience in the later books within a series. They made sense, the development was natural, and their interactions spoke of a familial and friend bond that immediately created a sense of community and intimacy among the primary and secondary characters. I liked both main characters. They were this fun mix of awkward insecurity with a self-assured sense of what they wanted. The banter and dialogue had me regularly laughing and made it easy to empathize with Zack and Andrew, particularly in the inner dialogue moments. Ironically, as much as the inner dialogue was often a source of humor for me, the internal chants (e.g. “Kneel. Serve. His”) were one of my biggest hang-ups. I don’t know if the audiobook highlighted these moments more than reading would, but it was distracting and happened with such frequency that it grated. A lot.

I did like Zack and Andrew together. Though it became a source of long standing angst, I liked Andrew’s approach of taking a while to pursue a relationship and his reasons- specifically Zack’s age and inexperience- made perfect sense. I liked the awkward exchanges between them as they struggled with the buried feelings and attraction. I liked the simmering chemistry and build-up. I even liked Andrew’s plan to woo Zack. But the perpetual failure to communicate slowly wore on my nerves. These men were in close quarters so often that I got frustrated they refused to address the elephant in the room, especially once they plan to pursue a D/s relationship. I think had this back and forth not drug out long past what I felt was necessary, I would have liked the story that much more.

I’m not typically a BDSM reader, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book as far as the sex scenes or romance and I can’t comment specifically on the accuracy of the portrayal. There are a lot of details of the BDSM culture and lifestyle included, and I think plenty of readers will enjoy that attention to detail. Personally, it got to be a little too clinical in the descriptions, specifically explaining the D/s relationships, power exchanges, contracts, rules of the club, expectations of behavior, etc. This could be because I’m not necessarily intrigued by the inner workings of the BDSM lifestyle, but I found it slowed the pace to a crawl when the explanations began to overshadow the romance. I wished the romance had become a little more entwined with the BDSM aspect of the relationship. It felt like there were two specific partnerships- master and pet, then the lovers Zack and Andrew. I kept expecting them to merge and it never fully did, at least not to my satisfaction.

As far as the narration for this audiobook, Jonathan Waters does a good job bringing the story to life. He has a good pace, intonation, and enunciation. It’s definitely worth the audiobook version if the blurb peaks your interest.

*Reviewed audiobook for Alpha Book Club*

Heat Level: 4 flames out of 5
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Always a fan of a good BDSM story and one that centers around gay men, this was an exciting read for me. Plot Zack Davis is the younger brother of a musician. After his mother tossed him out of the house for his sexual perversions, his brother, Dusty takes him in and Zack becomes a roadie with the band. That is how he meets Andrew, the most beautiful man he has ever seen. Andrew is older. He is a up and coming hair stylist. He is also the brother of Dusty’s boyfriend, Justin. Andrew rejects Zacks advances because he feels that Zack is too young and the fact that Zack is the brother of Andrew’s brother’s boyfriend adds a complication that he doesn’t want to deal with. The chemistry between Zack and Andrew is suppressed. Zack realizing that he will never have Andrew the way he wants and needs, joins a BDSM club and becomes a sort after Master. He denies his need to be dominated by a man especially Andrew. I felt that this story dragged in places and Zack’s constant berating himself got a little redundant. Good HEA ending. I would have also liked to see more character development in both Zack and Andrew. Overall I enjoyed reading this book rating it a solid 4 Stars. Although there is no mention that this book is part of a series, I feel that it must be. It looks like it may be part of the Dark Angels Series by Z. Allora. A series that I may have to pick up.

SCORES on a scale of 1-5 Stars rate each of the Following 5
Categories
PLOT: 5 Stars
CHEMISTRY: 5 Stars
PACING: 4 Stars
ENDING: 5 Stars
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 4 Stars



Review Copy of Lock and Key provided by the Dreamspinner Press for an honest review.

**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher to Bayou Book Junkie in exchange for a fair and honest review***

Zack Davis knew from a young age what he wanted, who he'd grow up to be. When he was 18, he met the man he wanted to spend his life with, the man he dreamed of serving, Andrew Nikeman. But Andrew rejected his advances, stating he was too young and they couldn't pursue anything since their brothers were dating. With the pain of rejection, Zack storms off and ends up in a situation he never wants to relive.

Two years later, Zack has locked away his need to submit and has become a highly respected and sought after Dom. While it's not necessarily his nature, he excels at giving submissives exactly what they need. Unfortunately for him, it may mean he'll never get what he truly needs and craves. That is until he learns of Entwined’s charity auction “Are you Dom Enough to be a sub?” Now Zack might have they opportunity to experience the other side of the crop, but will he be able to go through with it?

Andrew didn't want to push Zack away. They had become friends and Andrew wanted him in the worst way, but Andrew can't help but worry about Zack's age, and what if Zack changes his mind? Not to mention the impact their relationship could have on Justin and Dusty's relationship. Now, after all this time, he can't stand to see Zack with one more sub, but his fear that he'd be jeopardizing his brother’s relationship or possibly losing Zack like he lost his ex, makes it hard for him to go for it.

With “Are you Dom Enough to be a sub?” Andrew may have an opportunity to show Zack how he feels, however Zack hasn't forgotten the rejection he experienced from Andrew and he's not to desperate to experience it again.

BDSM books are generally harder for me to review because I tend to either love them or hate them and I'm extremely picky about what I like. So when I pick up a new book I'm always a little apprehensive. I did not have to feel that way about Lock and Key. I truly enjoyed the story as well as the characters.

I loved Zack and Andrew, I wanted so badly for the two of them to get together but they are definitely put through their paces. We see Zack go from an innocent 18 year old to a more mature and experienced 21 year old. And we get an understanding of what both men want. Zack and Andrew are great together and you can really see what draws them to each other inside and outside of the bedroom.

As far as the BDSM elements in the story, I liked that there were many different types of relationships and dynamics shown or discussed. Zack and Andrew were very much equals and there weren't a lot of hardcore, cringe worthy scenes. I also liked seeing characters who were experienced both sides, the Dominant and the submissive.

While this is the first Z. Allora book I've read, it definitely won't be my last. I'm curious about some of the secondary characters that we see in Lock and Key so I'll be checking out her Dark Angels series. If you like BDSM, romance with plenty of angst and humor and colorful characters, I highly recommend Lock and Key.

5 Stars!