Endings and Beginnings

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ FOUR-STAR ✩ REVIEW ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

⭐ ⭐ Provided by Authors in Exchange for an Honest Review ⭐ ⭐

Judging a Book by it's Cover:
Grayscale, single model. Upper body in rope restraints. Cover is very unique in to the series. Visually dramatic. Final book of this series.
Looking Deeper:
Third-person POV.
Both JJ and Darren have been in the shadows as lesser secondary characters. JJ is the newest barman at C&C and Darren owns the salon that Thomas took Peter for his "rebirthing". The men first meet at the club when Darren comes to check it out for himself, after years of waiting and debating. I liked Darren's character, even if he was a bit presumptuous, but I was not a fan of JJ as much. The twenty-four year old man acted more like a fourteen year old with his sullen attitude, sulking, pouting, sassy mouth, and habit of running away. It - he - was tiresome for the first half (plus) of the book.
This is, mostly, their story - but, whereas the previous books focused mainly on the primary characters, this book seems to be equally divided - giving half of the plot to JJ and Darren, while the other half has been used to showcase events surrounding Leo and Alex, Thomas and Peter, Miles and Pietro, Eli and Jarrod, Ben and Scott. There was even some smaller parts given to Joe and Christian, Alan and Dorian, Andrew and Gareth, Damian and Jeff. Because of this, I found it more difficult to connect to these two men, although they were well-developed and there were many laugh out loud moments between them.
The overall format was much different than previous books, but not bad... just busy. The flow was good, but I did notice some American slipping in once or twice (living room was used when it's always been lounge). There was some minor predictability and no real surprises. The conclusion was okay. The final scene had my eyes burning while trying to hold back tears. The HEA for Darren and JJ was implied, but the story did not close on them - instead it focused completely on another couple as to lead into the new book series that will be a spin-off of COLLARS AND CUFFS.
Overall, it's a phenomenal series. The final book acts as a conclusion for most all of the characters involved in the series. I'd strongly recommend that the reader read this series in order to gain the most of the experience.
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Rating: [R] ~ Score: 4.1 ~ Stars: 4

It was with a great deal of sadness that I began this final book in the 'Collars and Cuffs' series. It is one of my favorite series of all time and the thought of not having any more new couples and stories makes tears well up. These books are, undoubtedly, rereads and I'm grateful for that because I never want to lose the connection I've always felt for each of the couples. Since I trust these two authors with everything I am, I knew this finale was going to be fantastic.

In that moment it seemed to Thomas that the last few years had simply been a time of respite after a squall, a momentary lull before the storm clouds gathered and obliterated the sunlight. He closed his eyes, his heart aching for what Peter was going through.

The authors certainly started off with a bang, bringing horrible news that affected more than one of the subs in their group. The repercussions will be felt, strongly, for a very long time. Not just repercussions, either, but new revelations might shatter any hope for healing these young men in need, Peter especially. Peter broke my heart just as much as he did in 'Trusting Thomas'. To say I was reading with one hand resting on my heart is not an exaggeration.

JJ is a relatively new bartender at Collars and Cuffs having only worked there for four months. He started with preconceived notions about the BDSM lifestyle and the people he would meet. The problem is that everything he has seen is most definitely not what he expected and he's very confused about what is right. Darren has known for years that there's something he's missing, something he can feel inside but isn't sure where to go with it. Until members of Collars and Cuffs start becoming regular customers at his salon. When he assists Thomas with Peter's transformation for his rebirth, Darren is awed by the obvious love and respect he witnesses, and he realizes that's what he wants. So he gets up his courage and walks through the doors.

The attraction between Darren and JJ is immediate and they begin to date while Darren is still deciding whether he wants to be a member of the club. Unfortunately, JJ's past rises up and hits not only him, but several of my well loved couples. I loved the way Thomas and Peter handled what JJ had to tell them, and I adored Darren for sticking by JJ and giving him the rock he'd always needed.

The authors truly picked the perfect title for this book. Many of my nagging curiosities were explained, i.e. Leo's first love and sub, Gabe, who was killed in a tragic accident. Alex finally gets Leo to talk about Gabe, to share him with Alex, and it was marvelous. Seeing Pietro and Miles moving on in their relationship, and Eli and Jarod doing the same, was exciting and made me so happy to see more resolution between couples I adore. I got little vignettes about my couples but everything tied in together so well that the storyline was seamless.

I honestly thought that I'd seen every possible scenario between BDSM couples in the last seven books, but these authors showed me one more and I was thrilled. Darren and JJ are the first couple that I've been able to walk along their journey of discovering a D/s lifestyle when they're both newbies and untrained. It was more than extraordinary and showed me how much I still need to learn about this genre. Being able to watch Thomas train Darren and JJ was truly incredible.

I'm not sure I can express the sheer perfection the authors showed in this novel and all of my couples. Every moment was filled with love and family, exactly what Collars and Cuffs has brought to my life. I will miss these men but I will have them in my memories, always.

NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews

Reviewed by Erin for Diverse Reader

Endings and Beginnings is the final book in the much loved Collars and Cuffs series written by KC Wells and Parker Williams. As such, the book is pretty much exactly what the title implies, an ending as well as a beginning for all of the men of Collars and Cuffs. We meet new characters, JJ and Darren, and say hello, and then good bye to some of our favorites from the earlier books. I really liked how the authors tied up many loose ends, introduced us to a new couple, and gave us readers a very satisfying HEA all at one time.
This duo of Wells and Williams does a brilliant job of weaving a story. There’s been a story arc that began in the first book that has continued throughout all eight novels, but each can be read as a standalone. (Of course it goes without saying that reading them all in order from beginning to end is definitely the way to go in order to get maximum enjoyment!) In Endings and Beginnings we see the culmination of that arc that began with Thomas and Peter. The man who so cruelly and savagely abused both Peter and Jeff, has died—by his own hand—and now they along with the friends and Doms who love them must navigate the aftermath. Peter is withdrawn, Thomas is worried, Jeff is angry and the others just want to help.
During all this, we meet JJ, the new bartender at BDSM club Collars and Cuffs who’s harboring a heavy secret, and Darren, who we met briefly during book 2 in the gorgeous scene between Thomas and Peter where Peter is shaved. One of the best things about this series, is that each book and each couple explore a different facet of the BDSM lifestyle. Some are more intense than the others, but it’s been fascinating to see all the different D/s relationships. In Endings and Beginnings, Darren and JJ have a typical D/s relationship, but it takes much patience on Darren’s part to get there. In true Wells and Williams fashion, there is plenty of hot sex, but also some very tender, beautiful moments between these two as JJ learns to trust himself and Darren and open himself up to the possibilities Darren offers him.
It’s been amazing to see all of these beloved characters grow. The sense of family between all the couples truly makes this series even better. There’s passion and love and support and acceptance. My favorites are Leo and Alex and Dorian and Alan, but each couple and each book have been wonderful. It’s sad to see this series come to an end, but the sendoff KC Wells and Parker Williams have given us is truly fabulous and fitting for such a great series.

Review: Endings and Beginnings
For those of you who are mourning the end of the Collars and Cuffs series, this is the book for you. Rejoice! KC Wells and Parker Williams take us on a brief review of the couples who have found each other through the club during the series. There’s a death (gasp!), a journey’s change of direction, a fear of discovery, a runaway and a beloved couple who leave town. That’s some of the endings.
The beginnings include a wedding (I’ll let you guess whose), a reunion, an upcoming birth, a new bartender, a new dom-wanna-be, a dom who wants more training, the opening of a house for homeless young people, and a lot of self-discovery. There’s also a mention of a new series (hooray!) that fans of Collars and Cuffs will look forward to with great excitement.
This is a long book, but you won’t want to miss a single word. I don’t want to give away anything so I’m not going to risk spoilers by writing a long review. Suffice to say, you’re going to love this book. Even if it’s your first Collars and Cuffs story it’s just going to whet your appetite for the previous stories, but it can actually stand alone. KC Wells and Parker Williams have written a magnificent series and end it on a high note. I don’t know when I’ve read the finale to a series that is more perfect and satisfying than the weaving together of all the stories at the end of Endings and Beginnings. This book is highly recommended for those who have followed along as the series debuted each book and also for those for whom Endings and Beginnings is the first Collars and Cuffs book they have picked up.

This was such a perfect ending to the Collars & Cuffs series - I already miss it! In typical Collars & Cuffs fashion, there was a beautiful love story involved with its unique brand of a BDSM relationship. One of the best things the authors have done throughout the series, is create very distinct characters and show the spectrum of BDSM - making the MCs relationships more believable and deeper.

In this one, since there were so many main characters from the series, the focus MCs for this story weren’t quite as developed - but definitely grew throughout the story. JJ started off struggling with who he is and Eli was certain in himself, but wasn’t sure after his Dom factor. The story came together very quickly and their heat was immediately noticeable - which I loved. The pacing wasn’t consistent throughout at times - but it didn’t take away from the overall wonderful story and the perfect ending (while setting up the new series) to one of my favorite series, Collars & Cuffs.

My one caveat (bringing my review from a 5 to a 4): As much as I loved the story, the first four chapters were a bit difficult for me to follow - it was basically a recap with a little update, of the previous seven couples we’ve met in the series… but there weren’t any markers or change in setting/dialogue to help the reader figure that out. As this was an ARC, my hope is that they will be able to add some settings to help the reader orient his/himself easier.

Review Copy of Endings and Beginnings provided by the Dreamspinner Press for an honest Review. Reviewed by Mel from Alpha Book Club.