{"id":7384,"date":"2020-11-08T16:32:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-08T08:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bishieholic.com\/?p=7384"},"modified":"2023-12-14T15:43:14","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T15:43:14","slug":"novel-terms-of-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aflowerbookmark.com\/?p=7384","title":{"rendered":"Terms of Service"},"content":{"rendered":"

Book Title: Terms of Service by Marie Sexton<\/h1>\n

Published: June 25, 2018<\/h2>\n

Synopsis (from Goodreads<\/a>):<\/h2>\n
\n

Dr. River McKay moved to Denver with his husband, Terrence, hoping to give their failing marriage a new start. A year later, Terrence is gone and River\u2019s left brokenhearted. Now, he\u2019s decided it\u2019s time to get back in the game. A chance encounter at the hospital introduces him to Phil, a strong-willed pharmacist who isn\u2019t impressed by River\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

Phil can\u2019t deny his attraction to River, but dating is out of the question. Phil only does one kind of relationship — domestic servitude, where he gives the orders and his partner obeys. To his surprise, River agrees — not because he likes the idea, but because anything\u2019s better than being alone.<\/p>\n

They know the arrangement won\u2019t last. Phil\u2019s set in his ways and incapable of showing affection outside the bedroom. River\u2019s unused to obedience and still in love with his ex. But their time together will change them, making them question everything they thought they knew about love, control, and relationships. When the unexpected threatens to tear them apart, they\u2019ll have to choose between the comforts of the past and a future they can only find together.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

<\/p>\n

Can I just say that I love the cover? And that dragonfly hits me in the gut. (You\u2019ll know its meaning once you read the book. winkwink)<\/p>\n

\n

Not exactly the book I want to read on my rest day since it reminds me so much of my work and workplace. But it was free on Amazon (I\u2019ve just realized that the rest of the series is available on Kindle Unlimited), and I\u2019ve been curious about Sexton’s work, so even if this is the 2nd book of the series, I just went and gave it a try.<\/p>\n

One of the reasons why I\u2019m not keen on reading the rest of the series is because of the BDSM theme. That theme is either a hit or a miss. Unless that\u2019s a KJ Charles book, I\u2019m going to be more skeptic going in.<\/p>\n

Sure enough, I didn\u2019t really like the first half of the book. I had a hard time imagining the obedient River, more like connecting Dr. River and sub River. Maybe because I usually see the professional side of the doctors, so thinking about River\u2019s personal side is quite unimaginable.<\/p>\n

Like with River, I have a hard time connecting with Phil. He may be into pain like most dominants in fiction, but he\u2019s cold and emotionally distant. But when I finally do and see things like River, Phil is the sweetest person and puts the needs of his lover first. He\u2019s just not the showy and affectionate kind.<\/p>\n

There was also this part of the narrative where I was pulled out of the story when the author began explaining the cases they encountered in the ER. I understand that it was important to be able to explain River\u2019s mood afterward, but it stood out among the rest of the story. Thank goodness, it didn\u2019t happen again, or I might have stopped reading right then and there.<\/p>\n

In the end, I ended up loving this more than I thought I could be. Terms of Service is not about the feels and the fluff, but more of establishing and maintaining a healthy relationship. I also liked how BDSM is used not as a form of aggression or power-play in a relationship like how it is portrayed in one of the books I\u2019ve read previously.<\/p>\n

Because of this book, I\u2019m now interested in reading the rest of the series as I become more attached to the characters and can\u2019t help but wonder what their stories are.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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