Reviews for The Reluctant Dom (MFM)

Forget keeping a few tissues handy, just grab the whole box and start reading. I fully admit I cried my way through this story but couldn’t put it down either. In fact, I spent the whole day yesterday reading THE RELUCTANT DOM (and the puffy eyes I have this morning prove that I am not a ‘pretty crier’). This is one of those emotionally driven stories that even though you know what’s eventually going to happen you want to take the journey with the characters. There wasn’t any aspect of these relationships that didn’t fascinate me. From Kaden and Seth’s long-standing friendship, to the marriage between Kaden and Leah, right down to the unusual relationship between all three of them – they all feel very real and because of that the emotional impact is more intense. Tymber Dalton does a beautiful job bringing this story to life through highly memorable characters and difficult situations tempered with humor and genuinely loving personalities. (as posted on Romance Junkies)

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Great story, this will make you cry!

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I loved this book. Another great read from Tymber Dalton!

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Undoubtedly my favorite book to date, the love,friendship,doubts etcetera jump off the pages. You almost have to remember you are reading, the characters and storyline quickly pull you in. Thank you for a truly heart touching read.

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Fantastic. Utterly fantastic. Ms. Dalton does a wonderful job of making you love her characters. You cry when they cry. You laugh when they laugh. I spent the majority of the book in tears. But that is the sign of a truly talented author. She made me cry as if Kaden was my husband. Truly a cathartic book. If you need a good cry. Grab this book and a box of tissues. You're going to need them.

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It made me cry like a baby at the end but also smile.

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This book was more than outstanding!! Bravo Ms. Dalton!

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This love story will touch your heart. I cried and I laughed as wel as felt all the warmth and love that a brilliant writer can bring out. Leah's history alone is a sad one but Kadan finding out he's dying and following each step of the way. While this story is sad theres this wonderful love and devotion between these three people that even after death still lives on.

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WOW, I cried. This was a great book. A great journey for 3 people.

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I wish there was a score higher than 5. I cried my eyes out. One of my all time favorites!

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A beautiful and heart rending story of love. There are no happily ever afters for all the characters but, oh, how Ms.Dalton managed the pain of loss and how love can come to comfort.

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This was a great story!! This has to be one of the most realistic stories I have read in a long time. The story grabs your interest and doesn't let it go until the end and leaves you wanting more. Highly recommend this book, once of the best of the series.

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This is an emotional read. This is more romance with love scenes that sting. Kaden drags his best friend almost kicking but definitely screaming into his world of BDSM, with education that helps the reader into that world as well. There was a lot of hype that this book is an emotional, but an outstanding book. it did live upto its hype. Dalton is a goto author for me. one of the best in her genre.

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Get the tissues out, you’re going to need them. Love this book!

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When I was reading the reviews, I didn´t believe the other readers. I was sure that this story may be sad, but crying? About 75% of the book I could hold to that thougt, then I had to get up and get the tissues. I cried so much, I had to stop reading. A wonderful, really good written book, but don´t think you will not cry when Kaden dies. You will... But I can highly recommend reading, it´s a great book, probably one of Tymbers best.

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Tymber Dalton is one of the premiere erotic romance writers out there today, and I'm gleefully collecting her backlist and plowing through it at a rate of knots. What I particularly enjoy about her books is that while they're very sexy, they're not *just* about sex -- they always contain wonderful characters and plots that grab you by the heart as well as the gonads. THE RELUCTANT DOM is the second one of her books to have me sobbing like a baby -- you pretty much know up from what's going to happen, but the journey is too bittersweet to miss. There is loss and grieving here, but there's also learning how to let go of prejudices and follow your heart, and that's what makes this book great.

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WOW! A great story that reaches out and touches all of the reader's emotions. Prepare to cry, laugh, cry some more, feel anger and everything else in between. You won't be disappointed. Thanks Tymber!!

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Originally reviewed at Goodreads.com. I have mixed thoughts about this one, but I'll try to review it anyway. Tymber Dalton has truly 'harshed my mellow'. Kaden and Seth have been friends for forty years. In that time, Kaden has never asked Seth for anything. Now, however, he's dying of pancreatic cancer and he needs Seth now more than ever. His wife, Leah, needs help to cry and let her emotions out after a traumatic and violent past. Kaden has found a way to do this through BDSM, and he needs Seth to continue it for her after he's gone. Seth would do anything for Kaden and, by extension, Leah, but this request tests his limits to breaking point. And will he be able to continue after the inevitable happens, or will he fall apart? Well, firstly, this book made me cry. Not as much as I was expecting, but I was in public when I was reading it so it might have been different if I'd been in private. I felt a little bit emotionally manipulated, but I think that it was unavoidable given the subject matter of the book. The biggest problem for me with this book was purely stylistic. Some of the writing, particularly in the earlier half of the book, felt clumsy and amateurish, particularly with the overuse of adverbs in dialogue tags. I also got annoyed with the occasions where the narrative would briefly switch over to Kaden's head for a sentence or two, then switch back. It felt like such an amateurish thing to do. Also, and this is a small thing, I hated the occasional 'nekkid' instead of 'naked'. It wasn't even in speech sometimes, which was worse - and totally killed the carefully built up mood. The only other thing that bothered me was the final chapter in first person from Tony's point of view. I can understand why Dalton did it, to show how Seth and Leah were coping further on. However, it was jarring and totally kicked me out of the story for a moment. I also felt that it was unnecessary - I would have been happier if that chapter was cut out altogether, and it ended at the end of the previous chapter. However, there were features of the style of The Reluctant Dom that I loved. I loved Seth's inner heartbeat of Kaden'sdying; it felt very realistic, like the niggling little thought that won't leave you alone. It also served to build up the tension of the inevitable, and to remind the reader that there would be no happily ever after. I also liked the repetition of certain phrases that passed between Seth and Kaden, specifically 'harshing the mellow' and 'still not doing you.' At first, it annoyed me a little, but as it continued, I grew to love it. It was something special between the two of them. I really liked the characters in this book, even though characters outside of Seth, Kaden and Leah weren't much more than background noise. Seth was great, and I felt that his emotional conflict between what he wanted with Leah and his anguish about Kaden was handled really well. I also really liked Kaden; he was depicted as a very strong character, but he was allowed his moments of weakness too - and he had glasses! This makes me very happy. XD Leah was an interesting character too - she could have easily been one-dimensional and 'damaged', but she had a playful side, and a pushy side too. In her own way, she was also a very strong character. They all were. I've seen many reviews of this book complaining about the relationship, especially the BDSM aspect of it. I understand what people are saying - BDSM is not a cure-all for emotional trauma. However, in Leah's case in this story, I think it worked. The BDSM aspect of their relationship acts as a release for her emotions; she needs the pain to be able to cry. It was carthatic to her. In that way, I don't think this was a bad portrayal of BDSM at all - there is a lot about their relationship that is vanilla, and Dalton in no way propagates the idea that spanking is the best way to deal with trauma. It is just what works for Leah, and has come about after a long process of trial and error. I also loved that the ménage aspect of the relationship did not seem forced. Seth, though he fought against it at first because of emotional confusion, slotted easily and perfectly into their lives. There were bumps - a lot of bumps - but that's what made reading the journey worthwhile. Guh, I wish there had been a chance for a happy ever after. ;A; Overall, this was a novel that was well worth a read. It's one that I want to visit again in the future, perhaps when I am able to sit down and read it in one sitting with no distractions. Despite the stylistic problems, this is an amazing story, and I definitely don't regret reading it. I'll be looking out for more of Tymber Dalton's work. I'm off to sniffle into a tissue some more now.

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Beautiful love story.

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Poignant, heart-breaking, and immersive... a MUST read! Sometimes when I give a 5-star rating, it means 4.5/5. The Reluctant Dom gets a full, enthusiastic perfect score from me. Anyone who likes menage, even on a basic level (meaning it's m/f/m and not m/m), and BDSM should read this book. Have tissues handy, because you are going to cry. Several times. I'm a huge fan of Tymber Dalton and have read several of her menage romances, but I can honestly say that The Reluctant Dom is not only my favorite TD book, but one of my favorite romances ever. I'm so glad it was re-released in ebook!! I'm not going to rehash the plot for you - you can read the book blurb - but even you know it's coming, Kaden's death is a whammy. I cried like a baby. And no, that's not a spoiler - it's the point of the whole plot. The whole book is meticulously crafted, the emotions genuine and natural. The BDSM aspect does not rule the story, either. It does play a big part, but it's therapy for Leah, not a need for exhibitionism or kink... not there's anything wrong with those! *wink* I also loved getting to see Tony again. He plays a secondary role in The Reluctant Dom, much like he did in Dom by Default. If he has his own book, I definitely need to read that! Anyway, if you're waffling on whether or not to read this, do it. Yes, it's sad. Yes, it has a little kink. Yes, it feels a little weird at first, one man handing his wife off to another as he dies. But it is delightfully addicting, thoroughly fulfilling, and hands-down one of the best stories I have ever read.

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I. Loved. This. Book. I have never written a review before, but this book deserves one. The plot is refreshingly different, the characters are well-developed, and the length was long enough to really lose myself in it. I laughed, and I cried, and when I was done I felt a sense of loss that I had to leave the characters behind. I am so glad I spent my money on this book.

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Very very good book I have never cried so much after reading a book. I would highly recommend this book I read this after reading 50 shades

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If I could give this book a higher rating, I would. Absolutely one of best books I have read so far. Definitely have a box or two of Kleenex around because you will cry. When I recommend books this is number one on my list.

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Never have a read a book that touched me more or made me cry. Tymber Dalton takes you on a journey as you meet Kaden and his wife, Leah. Kaden met, fell in love with and married Leah, a broken, abused foster kid. He saved her and together they found a new way for her to express her hurt and pain. When Kaden finds he is dying if pancreatic cancer he worries about what will become of Leah. Seth has been Kaden's best friend for as long as they can remember. So he is mortified and shocked when Kaden asks him to move in, share Leah with him, learn how to help her through all of this, and finally marry her after his death. The love that is shown between all of the characters draws you in. It is a phenomenal book. For those of us that have lost someone to cancer, I recently list my father, you can relate. The waiting and hoping, worrying yet wanting to be strong, wanting them yo stay here with you, but go so they aren't in pain. Tymber Dalton brings all of that combined with really hot sex scenes!

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