Nobody’s Hero by Kallypso Masters is the third book in the Rescue Me series (BDSM romance), and I think the one I most looked forward to. I fell in love with hero Adam and teenaged Karla in the first book, and I was excited to find out how that would work out for them. This series really needs to be read in order to get the full effect. Background story: 9 years earlier (in the first book, Masters at Arms) Adam, returning to the Marines after is wife of 20 years dies, meets (or rescues) 16 year old Karla. She developed a teenage crush on him, and over the years they kept in touch often. Adam thought of her in a guardian/protector sort of way–she was just a kid, and he was 25 years older than her. 9 years later, Karla’s brother dies, and she goes looking for Adam for comfort. Karla was a goth singer, and when she got to Denver she went right to a club audition…..at Adam’s fetish club. When he hears her voice, he comes out of his office and is immediately attracted to the singer–until he realizes it is Karla, all grown up.
Adam is a Dom. No question about it. He had a Master/slave Total Power Exchange (TPE) relationship with his late wife but secretly didn’t like the 24/7 thing. Karla is a young lady (25) who never loved anyone but Adam, and had never been with a man. Though the kinky stuff at the club wasn’t something he ever wanted to corrupt her with, Karla had other ideas.
I loved the beginning and end of this book. But I got lost there in the middle for a while. Adam did everything to push Karla away and deny his feelings for her. I understand that, after all, he feels like a dirty old man. But he went way too far with his lack of communication and denial. Karla, who was feisty at first became a meek little “kitty” or doormat in this case. While I was still able to see she actually was the strong one in the relationship, I couldn’t stand her behavior when she tried to be his slave. The way she was willing to do anything including change herself drastically for him really bothered me. But then I think about it, and realize she loved him all of her adult life, how could she not try?
The miscommunication, and the conclusions she jumped to were over the top–that’s why I had to lower this rating 1 point from a 5. There was way too much of it, and the middle just dragged on with her thinking he didn’t want her, and Adam thinking he couldn’t love her. If they just told each other how they felt so much angst and drama could have been avoided! A good Dom/sub relationship is all about honesty, right? Where was it??? Adam was so angry about Marc’s lies in the first book, but his were worse in this.
The sex scenes were at a 4.25, I would have actually liked more, but the ones that were there were super hot. Adam was a little cruel and sadistic for my tastes though. He enjoyed giving pain for pain, not because it was a turn-on. Though this is probably more realistic, I like the romantic BDSM, where those spanks turn into something yummy :). The shibari scene and the harem scene were super hot though.
There was a lot of emotion in this story as well. Adam had to get over his late wife who he still hung on to for 9 years. He also had to confront the ghosts of his childhood in order to become whole to love Karla (I just wish he told her that!). I definitely cried a few times. Damian and Savannah’s story also began anew in this book, and I loved that!!! I can’t wait to read their story! Next week! I’m so glad I don’t have to wait long. So although I had to give a 3.75 (rounded to 4) I still enjoyed this book, I just had trouble with the lack of communication and self denial.
One last note: I love paranormal, but it had no place in this book. It’s one thing to feel like your dead wife has been guiding you down a path, quite another when they both actually hear her. That was a little weird. Had to move the rating to a 3.75 for that.
Rating: 3.75 overall, 4.25 Hot & Hornies
Likes:
- Visiting with the other characters
- Lots of emotional side stories
- Hot BDSM sex
- Finally getting Adam and Karla’s story
- Lack of Communication (on both Adam and Karla’s part)
- Karla losing herself in an afford to please Adam
- The self denial and pushing Karla away lasted too long
- Joni’s Ghost
Purchase Nobody’s Hero by Kallypso Masters
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Related Posts:
- For the entire series reading order see Rescue Me Reading order
- Review: Masters at Arms (Rescue Me 1)
- Review: Nobody’s Angel (Rescue Me 2)
- Favorite Dom/sub or BDSM Romance books or Series
Kallypso Masters says
Ana, thanks for reading my series. I know I don’t write like New York publishers have spoonfed readers for years. My books are a journey and the heroes and heroines NEVER complete that journey in a single book. So, fear not–Master Adam definitely hasn’t learned to communicate yet with Karla. And he STILL has abandonment issues that will be sorely tested in Nobody’s Home (book 6 in the series). So, keep reading!
My characters are very complex and their problems just don’t end with their happy endings. I tell my fans all the time that Happily Ever After is a beginning, not an end. In Nobody’s Perfect, I am going to SEVERELY challenge you and other readers when Marc and Angelina have to face a major challenge that will not be resolved in this book.
I was emailing a new fan this weekend and telling her how frustrating it is to have my books compared to what is out there in the Romance genre now. Maybe I need to be more mainstream than Romance–but I always love a happy ending. But I also love continuing the journey–and cliffhangers are my absolute favorite thing! LOL. Anyway, she wrote (and gave me permission to quote):
“Yes, yes, yes!!!! You just nailed beyond words what I have always longed for in a story line. Well, serial story line anyway. The happily ever after in subsequent novels for previous hero and heroine frustrates my realistic sensibilities and rubs my logic the wrong way. It’s like you have reached in my head and written the perfect stories of everything I have wished for in a book. And there’s more than one!!
“Your books are a realistic JOURNEY not a race to a finish line with a proverbial checklist for each couple. I was actually excited and surprised when Angie told Cassie and Karla about her anger toward Marc for that reason. It made me laugh at the way you went about it too. I could honestly feel the, ha! Just watch me do it my way. Love it!
“It comes across to me as the reader just as you intended, they are a family and need each other to continue the story. Without the continuation of growth in characters something is always missing. People want a tidy ending and life never has a tidy ending. I was also surprised at the order in which the characters stories came. Now I get why you wrote them in that order.”
So, stay tuned and I hope you’ll look at them as more of an ongoing journey–a serial. I have talked with lots of people in the lifestyle and they aren’t any more perfect than people in vanilla relationships. They, like my characters, make mistakes. They aren’t always honest–especially if they have something they have hidden away for decades and haven’t faced. And they don’t just have a lightbulb moment and suddenly cure themselves of their problems and issues. It takes lots of time for that (i.e., Adam).
But I did have to laugh at the paranormal label. In my family, talking with those who passed over is kind of normal, but I’ve seen a couple reviews that call it paranormal. I don’t know how I’d be able to accept death if I really thought it were “the end.” That’s a journey, too! 🙂
Thanks for reading the series and I am anxious to see what you think of Nobody’s Perfect. It won’t even be in the erotica category, because it’s more a psychological SM story than a hot sex one. (Believe me!) But I know I don’t have to have Savi healed sexually in a single book. There’s time–and you’ll see more of them as the story continues. 🙂
Kally
Lisa w says
Everybody likes something different in their favorite authors/stories. I’ve read the series and loved it, but I also really like your review because it seems so honest and how you interpret the book.
Personally, I like the fact that it’s a series to follow. Not a set of stories with the same cast, but without an order. To me it’s one LONG book, you just get to read it in installments.
Yes, Adam really pissed me off sometimes in this book, but as a reader I also could understand his internal struggle. Karla has always been hopelessly in love with him, but I think she was beginning to stand on her own.
Joni’s ghost? There was little hints along the way and as long as she doesn’t become a focal point I actually liked it. Which surprises me, since I usually avoid the paranormal stories.
Once Again– Thanks for such an open/honest review. I’ve bookmarked you, so I can continue to read your thoughts!
Kallypso Masters says
I agree on the review. All of Ana’s reviews of my books have been interesting to me as the author, too. And what one person likes another doesn’t, but sometimes the negatives are what bring readers to try a book. (Like one I had on Amazon that read something like: “There was too much BDSM in this book for my taste.” LOL I think I sold a lot of books with that type of review. )
Yeah, Adam frustrated a lot of readers. (And wait till you see what Marc does in Nobody’s Perfect.) These two are my lost little boys and I swear getting them to overcome those decades of hurts is just not easy. But it wouldn’t be easy for someone in real life, either.
I love your comment that the books are like one LONG book, because they really are. I know Fifty Shades does three books, but it’s only focused on one couple. I like introducing a new romance with each book–but I can’t just let you sit back and think that all is just going along swimmingly for the earlier characters who have had their happy endings, because life doesn’t stop at “the end” for these people.
Kally
anasdiary says
Keep in mind, I have put this series on two of my favorite lists. Also, I am coming at this from a BDSM Romance reader’s expectations. Especially a lover of Cherise Sinclair who has Doms who can read minds and communicate well-LOL. I am a “happy” reader. In fact, I just updated my review policy so I don’t get as many dark erotica ARCs to review. I like books that make me have hope–I don’t mind dark pasts (I love Savi) but I like to see it fixed by a good dom or sub 🙂
I am totally looking forward to reading the next book, in fact I was following your hop when you tweeted to me!
Kallypso Masters says
I know you are and I’m glad you like my series! Cherise is my idol, but she’ll be the first to tell you that her books have fantasy Doms, because that’s what she likes to read and write. (Although she did call dibs on Master Adam and is waiting to see what I do with Damian’s story–although he isn’t half the sadist her Master Sam is. Damian just isn’t a natural-born sadist.)
I didn’t want to compete with Cherise, although I do tend to get compared to her a lot. But I chose to write about human, realistic Doms. I know I once believed that Cherise’s were the real deal because that’s all I knew. And, let’s face, who doesn’t want a Master Z or a Master Marcus in their life?
But in reality, there isn’t any magic potion that makes Doms in the BDSM community perfect like the ones you find in many romance novels. For instance, there are some really abusive men posing as being Doms and using BDSM as an excuse to beat on a woman (like Sir Asshole in Nobody’s Angel).
My Doms are always honorable, even if they are stubborn and sometimes afraid to deal with things they’ve buried a very long time.
I don’t apologize for how my Doms or other characters behave, but I do hope that readers will be able to watch them grow and overcome a lot of their past issues as the series continues. Someone in the lifestyle wrote to me after beta reading Nobody’s Perfect saying that it’s the best book in the genre she’s ever read because I show the community the way it is–helping each other overcome demons and not just focusing on the kinky.
I know I’ve learned a lot since I started communicating with real-life Doms and subs (and I’d say that I have about five subs and one Dom who beta read for me to help me get it “right”).
I’m just a horse of a different color, I guess. 🙂
Kally
anasdiary says
First of all, I have to say, the fact that you are commenting on my blog makes me feel amazing! You are like a rock star to me, and this is too cool. I have stopped at your blog hop and read the interview with the Dom. I really appreciate the look inside a “real” Dom. I know your books have more realism than most, and I love that you show a journey, not everything wrapped up in a little bow. But I am definitely a fairy tale girl. I love my fairytale heroes and Doms.
I admit, I am a little scared to read Savi and Damian’s story because I know it will be a dark, emotional journey. Yet I also wouldn’t miss it, and I’m glad you are taking the time with it instead of rushing for a deadline. This is a difficult story to tell.
From what I can see, the BDSM community seems to have a lots of people overcoming something from their past. BDSM seems to be a type of therapy. But is there a place for the normal, happy childhood, no trauma in their past type of person? I’m just curious……..