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TinaK

She Reads Too Much

There are a million other things I should be doing with my time...cleaning my house, riding my motorcycle, cooking my family dinner, talking to my Mother on the phone. But I can't. I just....can't. There are too many good books to read.

Currently reading

The Forsaken (The Survivor Chronicles #3)
Erica Stevens
The Skin Map
Stephen R. Lawhead

Strain

Strain - Amelia C. Gormley I started this and finished this in one day, staying up way too damn late when I had to get up at 6 am for work! However I simply could not put it down. It was exactly what I was looking for...

Dark and gritty with desperate dub-con sex, surprising little flashes of tenderness and affection just hit all my buttons. While I prefer my post apoc/dystopian worlds to be because of something like a natural catastrophe or man made interference in the form of something like an EMP I enjoyed the world that [a:Amelia C. Gormley|6445292|Amelia C. Gormley|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1342720173p2/6445292.jpg] created.

Let's talk about the world: It is, to the best of my understanding, about 100 years after a biological development backfired. Gangs of infected people roam the earth, driven to eat human flesh and transmitting a disease that is both air and blood borne. It's some nasty a$$ stuff and I freaking loved it! I was quickly and easily drawn into the world, had no trouble following along with the story.

The idea of a possible cure or immunity for the disease being sexually transmitted was unique to me and really gave me that desperate/dub-con sex I was looking for! And while I am not a fan of multiple partners I could accept it in this case because neither of the heroes are in a committed relationship with each other.

I adored the dynamics between Rhys and Darius - the balance of physical power was way uneven however of the two I think that Rhys was emotionally stronger. I loved that Rhys drew the 'nice' out of Darius when Darius least expected it. I totally ATE UP Darius' possessiveness regarding Rhys too.

Everything about pretty much every aspect of their relationship gave me happy sighs.

But here's the thing. This is not a happy book. There is very little levity which makes the times we see it that much more delightful and gave it more impact. Same with the times that Darius tries to be tender. So rare and so wonderful.

The supporting characters are awesome, the sex is kinky, dirty, desperate and awesome and the book is....pretty damn awesome!

Lost a star for two reasons....there was not quite enough tenderness between Darius and Rhys and because once Rhys decides to say with Darius, and only Darius, Darius brings up letting other people have sex with Rhys when he directs it. That's a dynamic I don't like at all - the sharing of partners. I'm way too possessive and territorial personally to enjoy that in my books. I totally got it when Rhys still needed to be exposed to the strain of the virus all the Jugs carried - and that was actually done very well - but beyond that...no. Just...no.

So, if you are a fan of dub-con, dystopian worlds, post apocalyptic worlds, power imbalance and freeking hot smex I highly recommend this.