ARC: Breathless – Cara Dee Book Review (The Game #3)

Blurb

“Will you beat me without knowing the reason?”

That’s the question I ask when I go to clubs to seek out Sadists.

Most men say no immediately. They see the flags my question raises and walk away. They’re the good guys. They’re the guys who adhere to safe, sane, and consensual. They wanna be aware of the risks and cause no harm.

But I’m not looking for a good guy.

I’m looking for punishment.

The strobe lights hit me as I reach their table. The heavy, industrial music is deafening, and my head is swimming with images of grief, fire, and accusation. I hear the piercing tone of a machine letting me know that I have to tell my two kid brothers that our sister’s heart will never beat again.

Maybe these two twin Sadists will help me. The only thing bigger than River and Reese Tenley is their reputation. They better not let me down.

I ask my question. I ask if they’ll beat me without knowing why I want it.

They give me a stone-cold onceover, and I don’t know if it’s River or Reese who responds. He has a menacing-looking tattoo on his neck.

“Sure. It’s your funeral.”

Review

This series just keeps getting better and better and I can’t wait for more!

I fell in love with Cara Dee’s writing when I picked up Top Priority and Their Boy and have continued to fall for her brilliantly written kink novels as I’ve made my way through this amazing series. After meeting Reese and River in the previous book, Their Boy, I was very interested in exploring their characters, understanding their dynamic, and seeing them find their perfect match. Breathless truly delivered on all the fronts and gave Kit, Colt, and Luke a run for their money!

Breathless left me absolutely…breathless!

Sorry for that little pun but seriously, I was all over this book, addicted beyond compare and didn’t want it to end. Cara Dee writes the best kink I’ve ever read because it is so real, raw, authentic, and genuine. She showcases the side of kink that is often unexplored, the side that shows depth, and how BDSM culture can be therapeutic and liberating. We saw this with the previous triad and we saw it here as well. This lifestyle truly is a source of freedom and witnessing this is simply beautiful. On top of that, Cara Dee knows how to deliver some extreme steaminess, and whoa boy did I ever swoon-worthy. Her writing is just phenomenal and I’ll blindly read all the kink books she has to offer!

The characters in this book blew me away. Reese was such a good Daddy. His unwavering kindness, his ability to intuit exactly what Shay needed was and his loyalty made him so attractive. River, much like his brother, was caring, compassionate, and knew exactly what was needed of him as a Dom. He was there for Reese and Shay no matter what and knew just how to navigate their unique relationship dynamic. Finally, Shay was a wonderful character. He’d been through so much pain and suffering and couldn’t find a healthy way out of it yet he was so dedicated to his family and had a sweet heart.

The relationship between these three was very moving. I loved how just the act of River and Reese being close to Shay and taking care of him changed him and allowed him to settle into his true self. It was beautiful to witness, especially in such a short time because it showed just how perfect they were for one another and how the brothers knew exactly what Shay needed beyond what he wanted. Their connection was immediate, intense, and explosive. Their chemistry only continued to grow as time went on and the feelings that developed between them were genuine. River, Reese, and Shay just fit together so well and it was a pleasure to see their story unfold.

Now, as much as I adored this book, the characters, and the romance, I have two slight issues that I need to address. First, while I really enjoyed the dual points of view, I sorely missed out on River’s POV. We got Reese and Shay in spades but not a single chapter from River’s viewpoint and that was something I really would’ve liked to have. As a result of this omission, I felt less connected to River, and as if I didn’t know as much about him as I did the others. After all, everything I learned about him came from another person’s POV and no matter how close Reese might’ve been to River, his POV could never make up for the insight even a single River chapter would have provided. I was really disappointed by that, even if River wasn’t a big talker, all the more important to give the reader a glimpse into his mind.

My second issue and perhaps equal in weight to my first was the ending. Man, I was expecting so much more and it just hit a wall. It felt like it was cut off abruptly and I actually tried to scroll through my kindle to see if there was more because I couldn’t believe it ended so suddenly. It felt like I was given a copy with a chapter missing, really I just would’ve liked for it to have been tapered off in a more well-rounded way. I understand the authors’ motivation in letting their story breathe and not tacking on a concrete conclusion just yet but exploring River, Reese, and Shay in an actual relationship as opposed to just a kink dynamic triad would have been nice. Even if not much would’ve changed in their interactions, I would have liked for the emotional, romantic, and passionate side of their relationship, now that everything has been worked out and talked through to have been explored even if only in one chapter. Something was just missing and I’m hoping that their next appearance in the series will make up for this.

Addictive, engaging, and eye-opening, Breathless is kink written at it’s finest!

Overall, I really loved this book and it has only increased my appreciation for this series and this author. Cara Dee portrays kink in a beautiful and meaningful way and this series has been a pleasure to read. Breathless was a book that hooked me right in and didn’t let me go. I binged it and couldn’t get enough and I seriously can’t wait for more. I am giving Breathless 4.5 stars and would recommend it to fans of m/m/m romance with a kink trope.

 

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