A Shot of Indulgence

Mmm… coffee and a hot fireman… who could ask for more? Oh yeah… and I should also mention the steamy bdsm scenes. This just couldn’t get any better except it did. The plot in A Shot in the Dark, the second book in D’Abo’s Long Shots series, is inspired enough to give the book substance.

Paige, the eldest Long sibling, has buried herself in her work ever since her previous Dom became abusive. Set up as strong yet vulnerable, Paige is an amazingly well-developed character for such a short read. And although she had the strength to walk away from her abusive relationship, it left her questioning her own lifestyle choices.

This all changes when Carter walks into the coffee shop late one night. Paige can’t help but notice that he’s a Dom. With all her insecurities jumping to take notice, she pushes him away. But Carter is intrigued by Paige and pursues her. Trusting her instincts and comforted knowing they share common friends, she agrees to a date. After one night of indulgence, Carter can’t stay away from her – cute texts fly back and forth – as they develop a connection. Carter is portrayed as a confident Dom yet, at times, he’s also just your average guy. He’s charming, funny and a big flirt. Adding the light-hearted interplay between Paige and Carter injects sweetness into the story to warm a reader’s heart.

The romance moves quickly but without a sense of urgency. When they overcome the obstacle of Paige’s ex returning to reclaim her, it serves to exemplify Paige’s strength and engage Carter in a protector role. The conflict plays out and adds depth to the developing relationship as they work to trust each other. While neither character professes never-ending love, there’s a sense of an HEA. It was enough for me.

A connoisseur of the bdsm genre, I have to mention that so many authors trying to pull off bdsm in their stories lately have just fallen flat. But D’Abo gives readers an emotionally charged bdsm romance. Carter has the ability to read Paige and know exactly what she needs, just how far to push and when it’s time to pull back. Plus some of the inventive situations D’Abo creates are smoking – good thing there’s a fireman nearby. So glad I took a chance on this book. I plan to read the other two in this series as soon as I get the chance.

RATING: 5 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

This book was provided by NetGalley. Many thanks.