Reviewed by JustJen
Title: Breaking Free
Author: Cat Grant
Series: A Guarded Novel
Heroes: Richard/Robert/Jase
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 204 Pages
Publisher: Cat Grant Books
Release Date: July 15, 2014
Available at: Cat Grant Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and Smashwords
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Richard Carr has the kind of life most people would envy. Partner in a major Los Angeles law firm, married to the man of his dreams, Richard seems to have it made – except for the lie he’s been living for the past forty-odd years.
On special nights, in the company of kinky friends, Richard disappears inside Renee, his sexy, dominatrix alter-ego. Strong, sassy and flirtatious in her red and black corset, Renee is who Richard truly is on the inside – and who he longs to be outside of the dungeon.
But starting his – her – transition doesn’t provide the relief Renee had hoped for. Her business partners demand that she go back to dressing as a man at the office, while Robert, her husband and fellow Dominant, can’t conceal his shock as the man he married disappears a little bit more every day.
Their one true point of connection remains in the dungeon – in the person of Jase Hewitt, the submissive they both share. But when a devastating tragedy shatters Jase and sends him running to his Masters for comfort, it quickly becomes apparent that Robert’s love for Jase extends far beyond their Dom/sub roles…
And Renee faces a choice – abandon her journey toward becoming the person she truly is inside, or risk losing the man she loves.
Review:
We first met the lovely Renee and her husband, Robert, in Guarded. This also tells the story of Jase, who is one the MCs in Guarded. Here, we learn the details of Jase’s relationship with Eric. While they play a big part of this story, the focus is really on Renee and Robert.
This is the first time I’ve really read a story that took me through the changes, adjustments and struggles of someone transitioning, as well as their loved ones and/or partners. Renee has struggled for so long living two lives and has finally decided to move forward with her transitioning.
Robert now struggles to adjust to the idea that the man he married is changing in front of his eyes. While he has been supportive of Renee pre-transition, with the changes occurring at a much faster pace, he is thrown for a bit of a loop.
In the middle of Renee and Robert’s troubles, is Jase, a young man who has played with both of them as their sub. Jase is also in somewhat of a transition himself, moving from sub to dom, and they are all having to deal with the feelings involved.
Poor Jase is also dealing with his addict boyfriend who ends up in rehab time after time. Needless to say, that doesn’t end well, and there is a lot of suffering and guilt involved.
It seems as though there are a lot of sad and depressing aspects to this story, and there are, but there are also sweet and wonderful ones as well. It takes them a while, and it isn’t easy, but Robert and Renee realize what’s most important and how much their love means to each other.
I honestly don’t normally read these types of stories, mostly because I have a difficult time relating to the issues involved. However, I fell in love and was extremely intrigued with this couple when I met them previously, and was quickly pulled into their story here. It was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, but it was easy to see how real that could be, and I’m glad I joined these guys on their journey. I’m a big fan of Ms. Grant’s writing, and this is another fine example of her work.
Overall Impression: I loved it!
*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.*
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