This is my absolutely favorite M/M Romance series. I read the first 5 books, several times, on Hoopla and when they didn't get the rest of the series, I bought them. I will more than likely buy the first 5 so I will have them at my reading beck and call. I love the characters and their attitudes with their partners, their friends and the way they operate their club, Collars and Cuffs. This book...as are the first 5 in one way or another... is about finding self-respect, learning to recognize and deal with your mistakes, self-discovery, and learning that you are worthy to love and be loved. The story is beautiful just for watching the relationship between Alan and Dorian evolve. Even though there are 5 books ahead of this one I have never felt lost or confused about the characters or story lines. Good thing because I ALWAYS read out of order. Book 1 probably should be read first just to get a sense of how different this BDSM club is from all others, and to meet Leo and Thomas the owners and manages of the club. In reading this series out of order I would have to say that all of the books work perfectly well as a stand-a-lone. ( )

Each of the stories in this series has been special in its own way—some because of the characters involved and some because they explore different kinds of BDSM settings. ‘Make Me Soar’ is no exception. Dorian’s story was a while incoming, and much of his sometimes awful behavior was finally explained. But more than that, his desperate search for subspace, for someone to “make him soar” became the central focus for him, and with that, for me. I was pulled right into his world, and K.C. did a great job helping me understand what made Dorian tick, so sot speak, and how the Dom who finally “gets him” figures it all out and manages to give Dorian what he so deeply needs. Absolutely amazing!

Dorian is not as self-confident as he seems. He is also not the pain slut everyone thinks he is. Oh, he looks for pain all right, but not for its own sake, and not because he enjoys it. He believes pain is the only way into subspace, and he is determined to get there no mater the cost. And he pays a very high price, let me tell you. That part of what happens is not for the fainthearted, though I am grateful to K.C. that she didn’t go into excruciating detail. What I did find out when Dorian tells others, much later, was enough to make my stomach turn and my heart bleed for Dorian. As horrible as the situation is, I believe it was, unfortunately, necessary for Dorian to finally get the message that pain is not what will help him get to subspace. He ends up at a total loss as to what will get him there.

That is where Alan comes in. He is one of the Doms at Collars & Cuffs, has been around for a while, and has been watching the enigma that is Dorian. Alan has an instinctive understanding of the sub that is lacking in everyone else. He suspects there is more to Dorian than everyone thinks, but he doesn’t know what that might be any better than the other Doms. Alan is the one who goes with Leo to rescue Dorian, and he is the one to figure out what the problem is.

That doesn’t mean the solution is easily achieved, but with Alan as determined as he is, and Dorian desperate enough to try something new, they set out to redefine BDSM for themselves. The journey is difficult, and there are heartbreaking setbacks, but neither Dorian nor Alan are willing to give up. and what they discover along the road to Dorian achieving his goal ends up being so much more than what they expected. Beautiful!

If you like characters who need more than “straightforward” BDSM (if there even is such a thing), if you want a deeper understanding of all the facets of power exchange, and if you’re looking for a read that is as heart-wrenching and cruel as it is uplifting and beautiful, then you will probably like this novel as much as I did. It’s another example of K.C. Wells’s ability to bring characters to life, and show what makes some relationships work.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.
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