Review: Bound to Please by Kimberly Gardner

Benny works as a PA to successful BDSM club owner Jason and has lusted after him every since they met. Jason is also attracted to the quiet, shy Benny but knows that he can't allow himself to have a relationship with a man who isn't a sub. As a Dom, Jason knows that he would eventually find that unfulfilling. When ex-porn star, male model and sub, Rain, enters their lives he sees that both Jason and Benny could find love with each other and hatches a plan to get them together, not realising that he, himself could be the one who would make the relationship work.

There was much to like about this BDSM ménage book, especially in the way that it takes the usual D/s theme and changes it slightly to accommodate the ménage. Many D/s books involve a Dom who meets a man who has sub potential and then initiates him into the lifestyle, falling in love with him at the same time. This story takes an initial similar route: that of a Dom who is attracted to a seemingly submissive man, but then turns the tables on the reader when it turns out that, no matter how hard he may wish it, Benny just hasn't got what it takes to be a sub. Yes, he's a shy man who hates confrontation; yes, he likes obeying orders and being directed and dominated in his sexual play, but ultimately other aspects of submission leave him either scared to death or humiliated. It was an interesting idea and one that is played with for most of the book as the reader gets taken with Benny on his journey towards accepting that, no matter how much he may want or fantasise about submission, it will never be something he is comfortable with. I found myself sympathising with Benny, especially when he looks at Rain and sees everything he could never be, all wrapped up in an enticing bundle for Jason.

Another part which I liked a great deal was in the way that the ménage relationship worked. Jason is an older man and an experienced Dom who is looking for a 24/7 sub. This is something which he sees as possible with Rain, yet Benny's sweet nature calls to him at a deeper level than sex. Benny has been in love with Jason for a long time but falls into an easy friends-with-benefits relationship with Rain. When the pair concoct a scheme to get Jason to notice Benny, the three men realise that actually they work better as a three: Jason and Rain get the fulfilling D/s relationship, and all three benefit from the close emotional bond that they share. Of course there are several spanners in the works before they get to this point, but I really felt that by the end of the book this is relationship which is mutually beneficial to all the men and therefore likely to stand the test of time.

One final part which I felt worked well was in the way the book features several characters who are connected with the BDSM lifestyle, both male and female. This gave the setting of the book a realistic feel as we see the different types of Doms, Dommes and subs and their interplay. The way that the club is described and the interaction between the members added an extra dimension to the story so it wasn't just about three men, but also about their friendships with the other secondary characters and how that impacts on their own developing relationship. It was all rather cleverly done and meant that even the most minor characters were fleshed out with their own problems interwoven with the story of the three main characters.

The only problem I had with the story stemmed from the fact that we don't get Rain's point of view. Whilst I could see that this was necessary to the secondary drama plot involving Rain and the mysterious Don, it also meant that I didn't really feel that I got to know Rain as well as Jason and Benny. I also felt that the way this drama plot was resolved seemed ridiculously easy and convenient, as though it got swept under the carpet at the end. In which case I had to wonder why it was there at all, as any conflict between the men could have come from Benny and Rain's internal insecurity rather than a slightly forced external conflict.

However, that was only a minor niggle in what was a pretty terrific book with well rounded characters, plotting and setting. If you are a little squeamish about the BDSM elements, then don't be put off as it is very mild in the book. There's plenty to satisfy those who do like BDSM, especially those who want the focus to be on the romance between the men. If you're looking for an excellent example of a m/m/m ménage book and like BDSM, then you can't go wrong with this book. I could barely stand to put it down and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Highly recommended with a grade of 'Excellent'.

Buy this book HERE.