Reviewed by Ami
Title: Power Bottom?
Author: Rowan McAllister
Heroes: Adrian/Wyatt
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 236 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: September 19, 2016
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Can a pickup line from a stranger completely change the way an ordinary man sees himself?
Adrian wouldn’t have thought so, but after an ugly breakup where his self-esteem took a serious beating, he’s willing to try just about anything to repair the damage… even return to a secluded bar in rural Maryland and the intriguing stranger whose words have been on his mind since they met.
Biker, bouncer, bartender, and tattoo artist, Wyatt is a rolling stone. After fifteen years, he is tired of a life on the run, but he isn’t sure he knows how to do anything else or if he has anything besides a physical relationship to offer.
What’s supposed to be a one-off turns into another and another, and the relationship looks promising until the mob and the FBI come knocking on Adrian’s door.
Review: I quite like Rowan McAllister’s books – but this one was not my favorite of hers. The initial set-up was good. Adrian’s break-up was harsh. The words that Martin said to Adrian made my jaw drop. Boy … that was brutal! In a sense, we share same traits, Adrian and I. I am introvert as well. I prefer the comfort of my room and read rather than going out. I can totally spend 24 hours inside my house on weekends, doing nothing but reading, watching TV, or browsing the Internet. So I feel him!!
I wanted to see Adrian happy – I was intrigued by what this biker/tattooed guy could offer and how he could make Adrian happy. Unfortunately, what happened next was not what I could enjoy. I am never a fan of ‘educate the other person about the joy of sex’ trope. With Adrian and Wyatt making an arrangement of one-offs on weekends, they seemed to be focusing on sex, on making Adrian felt better with sexual intercourse, teaching him what he could get… rather than getting to know one another.
Well, it was BORING for me. Probably it has to do with my asexuality, but I am rarely charmed with sex alone when I don’t feel like I get enough story, romance or characterization. I got to the point where I skimmed those scenes because I truly didn’t care about it.
Also, because there was lack of Wyatt’s POV in this book, I was rather baffled with what Wyatt saw in Adrian. Sure, sure, he explained that Adrian was sexy, so he was drawn to him. But I guess I wanted more than that, especially since Adrien didn’t seem the type of guy that people easily got attached to because of his personality.
In addition to that, the whole running-away situation that Wyatt had been going through for the past 15 years didn’t seem to fully materialize on page. Fifteen years is quite a long time, so I kept thinking whether it was truly that dangerous or was it just exaggeration on Wyatt’s part; a reason for him to never fully commit to anything.
There was another ‘mystery’ that happened with Adrian’s work-place. That seemed to be more solid than Wyatt’s. I kind of liked that part, even if I was also asking myself whether Adrian and his friend, Bev, were that naïve about everything. I would be very SUSPICIOUS if my boss started asking me what their boss was doing to them.
So some parts were enjoyable, some parts were not. I have definitely read better from McAllister, that’s for sure.
Overall Impression: It was good
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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