Firecracker by Jaye Valentine

Title: Firecracker
Author: Jaye Valentine
Publisher: Noble Romance
Buy the book: Publisher

Blurb:

Isaac Lang is deeply in love with his live-in life-partner, Baltimore City police officer Jeff Clark, and has a serious kink for risky role-play sex with strangers. Jeff finds Isaac’s wild ways incredibly hot, and he’s more than willing to help facilitate Isaac’s lustful cravings.

Jeff trusts Isaac to be emotionally faithful despite the sexual experimentation, and Isaac trusts Jeff to watch his back and keep him safe from harm. Not a lifestyle everyone might aspire to or could successfully manage, but Isaac and Jeff make their quest for kink work to keep the sparks flying in their relationship.

Review:

This new novella by Jaye Valentine is a look at the relationship between two men, with quite a bit of kinky sex mixed in. Isaac and Jeff are devoted partners, and Isaac gets his thrills from playing around with strangers while Jeff loves to give Isaac anything he wants. Jeff may be a cop by day, but at night he is the bad boy counterpoint to his “insatiable sex fiend” and he accepts and loves Isaac for who he is. It may not be the traditional relationship, but it works for these men who obviously love each other deeply. Their love and trust allow them to get their thrills with others, yet the playing around never threatens their connection to one another.

Deserving of his nickname, Isaac is a force to be reckoned with. His long red hair and explosive approach to life fill the pages and make this story a joy to read. It’s fast paced and erotic, stimulating in all the right ways, yet romantic at the same time. This is erotic writing at its finest, in all its sticky and messy glory. Isaac may get off on playing around with strangers, but he’s just as aroused by Jeff and their interactions together, whether during sex or even a simple brush of skin or puff of breath, are electric. There is a realism to their relationship, an honesty and level of trust that is too often lacking for couples.

This story really is just a quick look at these two men, and it keeps you on your toes from beginning to end. You never really know what is going to happen next, and that’s truly part of its charm. Valentine has managed to incorporate many kinks, but to reveal them would be a disservice to readers. Suffice it to say that Isaac is a beautiful man, in more ways than one. Nestled in between the kinky play and raging orgasms are also gentle moments between Isaac and Jeff that are touching and beautiful, creating a wonderful balance between sweetly romantic and intensely erotic.

Despite the shorter length, the story has good characterizations, especially for Isaac. There is a lot more to both men than appears on the surface, and this story just begins to explore what makes up these men. I enjoyed both Isaac and Jeff so much I would have easily read a lot more, but I also recognize that this novella isn’t meant to be an in depth study. There are a few secondary characters but they are left mostly on the periphery as the focus really is on the playful couple. I wish the story had been longer, but that’s just me being greedy as I’m truly a fan of Valentine’s gritty and hot sex scenes.

This is a quick taste of this author’s style that would be perfect for those not familiar with his work. Fans will most definitely be satisfied, and will easily recognize what are quickly becoming signature elements of Valentine’s work. Hopefully we will get to see more of these two characters in the future.