Marco D’Alessio (what a sexy name!!!!) was not the hero I was dying to read about when I finished Masters at Arms. I admit I was more enthralled with Damian and Adam. But I can’t say I was not intrigued by the sexy italian, military Doc, who has a thing for just running away from commitment because of his past failed relationships and betrayal by women.
We know that his one time girlfriend and the woman he wanted to marry, had cheated on him with his own brother. We know because of her and what she did he left things in bad terms with his brother who then died in the war. He carries a lot of guilt in his soul and a lack of trust in women. So he prefers to play and not get involved.
But when he intervenes in a scene gone bad at the club and rescues Angelina from an abusive Dom she starts tugging at his heart. And that scares the hell out of him. She’s young, she’s innocent, she’s been hurt. And when she crosses his path again months later he can’t help but want to be with her.
This was a bit of a sad story. Both the hero and heroine have been hurt. But Angelina lets go much easier and trusts him completely. She does want to experience BDSM. With him. And at the same time he’s protecting her from her abusive ex, Sir Asshole.
There’s also a third player here. We meet Luke. Luke who lost his wife 7 years ago in an avalanche. The same avalanche that killed Angelina’s father. But he keeps this from her. That’s a big thing not to tell someone that you’re interested in. But Luke is Marc’s best friend, they would as Search and Rescue together. And they both meet Angelina at a bar and realize they both want her.
While she does get to play with both, her heart is all for Marc. Even though Marc wants to push her on Luke because he feels he deserves her more. But here’s where the part that wouldn’t let me give this a five star rating comes. Marc had a mask on when he rescued her at the club from her ex. She didn’t know that was him. And he goes into this whole elaborate lie so that she doesn’t find out he’s the same guy. Both men are hiding things from her!! I think they should’ve both come clean a lot sooner than when they did.
In the end though, I think Marc and Angelina are wonderful together, their coming together is a bit slow but not to say it wasn’t hot. Even though they don’t “officially” have sex until later in the book, they get plenty of play time and he slowly eases her into BDSM. I learned right along with her about quite a few new things I had not clue about (and yes I googled them as I was reading). He likes to call himself a Casual Dom, meaning he doesn’t want to be a Dom 24/7, and he doesn’t like to punish a woman, although he will do it if she deserves it.
With the events in this book with Adam and Karla I am very anxious to get to the next book!!! And I really want to know more about Luke!PS: I love how the author gives you an idea on who her inspiration was when writing the characters and for Angelina and Marc she has Monica Bellucci and Raoul Bova.
* Book provided by author
Did you like this review? If so, please tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
[about-author author=”Kallypso Masters”]
Great big grin here. Wait till you read Nobody’s Hero. Angelina isn’t quite as trusting as you might thing–and she and Marc have some more stuff to go through in Nobody’s Perfect (book 4). Hopefully, they’ll get closer to their Happily Ever After then–but I do leave them at Happy For Now at the end of Nobody’s Angel.
I don’t really address the issue of Luke’s lie, though. He’s not as emotionally involved with Angelina. Just got his signals crossed with that dream.
As you and other readers will see when they read my series–none of the books are stand-alone and none of the relationships “end” at “the end.” They’ll keep coming back, working on their relationships. For instance, Adam and Karla have a double happy ending, but still will have issues–like his inability to communicate!–that will keep creeping up in scenes in later books until he gets past that. but I like to write my BDSM and psychology aspects in a more realistic way and after the bombshell he gets a few weeks from the end of Nobody’s Hero, no way is he suddenly going to change the mechanisms he’s used for 34 of his 50 years to protect himself. So, Adam and Karla will be subplots in Nobody’s Dream and Nobody’s Home–books 5 and 6.
I think I’m writing a soap opera series! 🙂 Thanks for the review! And don’t worry, you aren’t the only reviewer to apply fantasy BDSM rules to my book ratings. But I know enough people in the lifestyle who thank me for telling it like it is–and lying and miscommunication does happen in real-life BDSM, even if that’s not preferred in ANY kind of romantic relationship. But I prefer to write real-life BDSM romances and I figure readers will catch on after a few books that none of my characters will be fantasy or perfect. 🙂
Kally
Wow. I have herd great things!!! I can’t wait to get to this book!
Hey Kallypso! I think that is one of my favorite things about the series, that the characters feel real to me. I just had a conversation with a friend of mine last night about how 98% of the men in books we love ARE SOOO NOT real life. I can’t wait to read the next book! I wish I didn’t have books to read for review with deadlines so I could get to Adam & Karla NOW NOW NOW. Those two have a bumpy ride ahead of them. Can’t wait!
Francesca
Recently read Masters at Arms and truely enjoyed it. The rest of the books went on my to buy list. Looking forward to reading this book. 🙂
Hope you enjoy it Shelly, it was a great read!
Francesca
These sound like really good reads, but also sound like they need to be read one after another. Thank goodness for Amazon’s one click purchasing. (-;
Thanks for sharing the review!
I’ve heard so many great things about this series that I’m definitely looking forward to it!!!!
Enjoy it girls! You have to read this series!!!
Francesca
Thanks Kally for such a great read. I wasn’t overly taken with Marc in Masters at Arms, but in Nobody’s Angel he really grew on me. Like all your characters, they develop and become so real.
And it’s not just girls who like these books!!