20 November 2015

Not Safe For Work by L.A. Witt

Hey everyone,


When I read the blurb Not Safe For Work by L.A. Witt on Netgalley I immediately wanted to read it. It has BDSM of the bondage variety, features two guys who’ve been around the block a few times and revolves around a taboo relationship. Could it be any more my type of book? 

The book:


They’re a match made in the dungeon…until their secret gets out.

Bored senseless in a meeting, architectural modeler Jon McNeill amuses himself with a kinky dating app on his phone. Then the app matches him with another user…who’s six feet away. Suddenly Jon finds himself on the same page as someone way above his pay grade: millionaire property developer Rick Pierce. His firm’s biggest—and hottest—client.


The app isn’t kidding either. They’re a perfect match. Jon’s a Dom, Rick’s a sub, and bondage is their thing. Both guys are well into their forties, know their way around the bedroom, and definitely appreciate a good suit. And the best part? They’re a match outside the bedroom too.


But office relationships aren’t easy to keep a secret. When the truth comes out, Jon is certain he’s about to get fired. Instead, his bosses throw him a curve ball—an ultimatum that puts both his job and his relationship in jeopardy.

My thoughts:


If you didn’t already guess from my mention of Netgalley I was sent Not Safe For Work by the publisher in return for an honest review. Always best to get the legal stuff out of the way first, wouldn’t you agree? Now down to the nitty gritty. I adored the start of Not Safe For Work, particularly the opening few chapters. In these early chapters Jon has just discovered that the super important client is not only a sub but also interested in him. I loved the sexual tension between Jon and Rick, which was heightened by the need for secrecy.

‘I can’t focus. Not at work. Not anywhere.’ I took a breath and reached up to rub a phantom crick out of my neck. ‘I can’t... I can’t think. If he’s there, he’s all I can think about. If he’s not there, I want him to be. I-’  

It was probably about half-way through that Not Safe For Work started to lose its shine for me. This is because all the conflict and drama in the novel revolved around the workplace. Did people at work know about them? What would happen if Jon’s bosses found out? Also the limited conflict within the relationship mainly focused on the BDSM aspect. Although I do think that was one area that L.A. Witt handled superbly. I suppose the lack of emotional angst within the relationship made sense given the age and maturity of the two male leads. But it would have been nice for just a little bit more passion.

He tensed but returned my challenging look, as if he knew he was on thin ice but wanted to see how long it would hold him. ‘You didn’t think I’d be easy, did you?’

Although I thought Jon and Rick made a cute couple I felt that the book has a whole had a very slow pace. Everything became extremely staid and safe in my opinion. I didn’t go in expecting the level of angst found in a New Adult novel, but it would have been nice to see a little more internal conflict. This lack could in part have been down to the single POV style of Not Safe For Work. As a reader we’re never given Rick’s perspective and in all honesty I would have liked to have known his feelings on the relationship.

'My kids may as well be on a different planet than the one I grew up on.'
'Do they know you’re... Are you bi or gay?'
'Bi. And yes, they do.'

Overall Not Safe For Work wasn’t a bad m/m romance but it just wasn’t quite the romance I was expecting. I did still enjoy it although I found the first half more engaging and interesting than the second. Due to this I’ve given it a solid three star rating.

My ratings:
Happy reading everyone and see you next time!

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