Forged in Trust

I don't want to say anything bad, however I feel like this book had such potential and am disappointed in it. I really liked the characters, and the plotline was good, but the TIMEline wasn't. While I understand wanting to get to the end of a book you're writing, it seemed like the ending was rushed. No matter if there is a connection or not, it's not realistic to go from 'We haven't seen each other in 17 years we need to catch up' to 'You're now my full-time sub, it's going to be happy ever after' in a weekend. I'm sorry, but you lost me there, one date does not equal forever.

Sorry, this was a DNF for me. Would definitely do with some judicious editing. What the heck?! Who wants that much detail on dental procedures in a gay romance novel? Ugh!

Aptly named, “Forged in Trust” easily describes the very foundation of the relationship between Ethan and Rino. They meet under less than ideal circumstances when Rino (as a 12 year old boy) shows up in Ethan’s emergency room, abused and raped by the man who took him in and should have protected him instead of turning unwanted attention his way. In order to try to help the mother who murdered the man who dared to abuse her boy, it was necessary for the hospital to perform a rape kit test on Rino. It took some tall convincing to finally get the traumatized Rino to consent to the test, and then it was only through Ethan’s unwavering support and comforting presence that Rino was able to do what needed to be done. An instant connection was forged between these two based on trust and respect.
For a while after this event, Ethan visited Rino, now living with the family priest due to his mother’s incarceration. However, in too short a time, the two become separated when Rino moves out of the area with the priest. Fast forward seventeen years, and young Rino runs into Ethan in a chance meeting at (of all places) a BDSM club. Rino has enough struggles with the conflict between his sexual orientation and his deeply held religious beliefs that he doesn’t need further pressure/confusion by becoming embroiled in the D/s scene – or at least that’s what he initially believes until he gets a tiny taste for the lifestyle based on Ethan’s framework and discovers that Ethan’s brand of kink may actually be the key to Rino’s ability to find the peace and serenity within himself that he’s been longing for.
One of the best parts of this story is the fact that we get reacquainted with Robin (Red) and his submissive partner Scott. I love these guys and love how prominently they factored into the story. In terms of sexiness, kinkiness and overall heat, Robin and Scott rocked it more so than Ethan and Rino did in this story. It was interesting to see how the two couples became acquainted and moved ahead as friends. Scott was initially so jealous of Rino and acted more like a cat with a serious case of twitchy claws that were ready to scratch his eyes out!
I had just a couple very slight niggles with the story which included the Brad interlude (I liked the conflict, but felt like it wasn’t as fleshed out as it could have been to really create some angst), the fairly vanilla nature of Ethan and Rino’s sex life despite Ethan being an experienced Dom in the lifestyle or even as compared to Robin and Scott, and the ending felt a bit rushed after the author did such a wonderful job building up the back story for these guys.
While this book could technically stand on its own, it truly is enhanced by having read the earlier books in the series and I’ve loved them all. Definitely recommended!!!
Review by Wendy
heartsonfirereviews.com

Mickie B. Ashling returns with another intriguing addition to her Bay Area Professionals series. Dr. Ethan Marshall, a well-respected urologist specializing in gender reassignment surgery, bumps into an old friend at a BDSM club. The last time he saw Rino Duran was seventeen years ago after he was brutally raped by his stepfather. A profound connection was established that night in the emergency room and now, many years later, the friendship is rekindled. This novel celebrates a dynamic that started out under the worst of circumstances, but with mutual respect and tenderness, it emerges into a loving relationship that meets both their needs. Highly recommended.