Title: The Gate
Author: KT Grant
Publisher/Year: CreateSpace Independant Publishing Group 11/5/13
Length: 268 pages
Series: Dark Path Trilogy #1
Overview
A chance encounter between a successful author and a billionaire owner of an underground BDSM club, leads to the most pivotal relationship of their lives…
Erika Walsh has carried a torch for Christopher Milton, heir to her father’s publishing empire for years. After one steamy make out session she begins to wonder if it might develop into something more. But when M.L. Crawford, better known as Max, her father’s publishing rival, seeks her out at a society event, she’s drawn to his magnetic charisma and powerful demeanor. Their verbal bantering and innuendo laced overtones stir feelings she never knew existed, and soon Erika is consumed with knowing the real man under Max’s restrained public façade.
Erika’s sweet nature and naivety excites Max to near madness. He wants to train her in the art of seduction and make her succumb to his every wish and command…as his perfect submissive. Yet, Christopher is determined to keep Erika from becoming the latest victim of Max’s sinister sexual hungers. He knows all too well what Max hides in his black soul and will stop at nothing to reveal all of Max’s secrets in order to protect the one thing he holds dear above all else – Erika.
Max’s dark desires scare yet arouse Erika, as he opens her eyes to a new bold world full of passion and ecstasy she never imagined until him. But the biggest question remains: Is Erika’s craving for Max just an illusion that transpires behind the walls of The Gate?
My Thoughts
I was really impressed with this story. What we get here is not just a story of an overly successful and powerful dominant billionaire, but we get 2 parallel path stories that are really interesting to go through.
We meet Erika first – on the evening of a big event to honor her father who is the CEO of a publishing house. It’s a tough night for her of course because she gets panic attacks when she’s in large crowds, but she pushes through since it’s for her father. The other piece is that her crush – Chris (who is also the next in line to become CEO when her father retires and is the brother of her best friend) is there too and makes her feel a bit more at east.
The same evening we meet Max who is ironically the ‘enemy’ and CEO of Walsh Media which is a company that is on the verge of acquiring Erika’s father’s company (unbeknownst to her).
So this story takes us on a bit of a journey where Max is really drawn in by Erika’s innocence and she’s drawn to him because he empowers her and takes her places emotionally and sexually that she never thought she’d go.
Where this story takes us on a split journey is to The Gate. which is the name of the BDSM club that Max happens to own in joint partnership with Catherine. We learn the background on this duo and it’s heartbreaking – in the sense that Catherine was engaged to Max’s younger brother who killed himself 8 years prior. Their circumstances brought them together in a way that actually works – as a brother and sister type relationship vs one that would potentially make people worry when they are dating the other.
Our introduction to Catherine brings about another story that’s happening all at the same time. We learn of her complicated relationship with her master and see how that manifests in the club. we also see the sort of person that she is to Max and Erika even and hope that she’s able to help when he of course will screw up.
There are a lot of great little sub-stories here, and quite a few triangles to deal with, none of which really detract from the story. Where they take us instead is to the great cliff hanger of an ending where you’re not quite sure what will happen and who will end up together.
The nice thing that i’ve found with this author that i’m not actually familiar with is that there’s immense heat and steam. I like to think that i’m pretty well versed in all things erotica, but i fee like this series really took us on a nice journey that was so hot and steamy and descriptive that I needed to cool off.
i hope you guys feel the same – and enjoy. I can’t wait until 2014 to get the next installment and see where we can go with everyone.