Review: Risk Aware by Amelia C. Gormley (Saugatuck #2)
Note: This ARC was provided by Riptide Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
I bought my first Amelia C. Gormley book, Saugatuck Summer, and downloaded its prequel novella, The Field of Someone Else's Dreams, back in December 2014 on Kobo, but I read my first Amelia C. Gormley just today--Risk Aware. I've never made a secret of my being somewhat of a book whore...okay, not "somewhat"; I'm an absolute book whore, so yes, I buy books and often get around to reading them much, much later. Now, my admission is somewhat embarrassing, but in hindsight, I'm glad I haven't read either of those two books I mentioned and that's a biggie considering I have thing for reading books in a series in order. Why? Because Risk Aware is the story of two secondary characters mentioned in Saugatuck Summer and in that book, they're already a couple within an established relationship. I also get to meet one of the main characters from Saugatuck Summer here and I feel like this'll help me in terms of back story for when I read his book this weekend (finally!). So, with all that said, on to my Risk Aware review!
Geoff Gilchrest is a gifted artist who has chosen the human body as his canvas, the skin to be specific. He inks his clients with designs that are both eye-catching and meaningful. Geoff isn't an ordinary tattooist either and it isn't merely because of his immense talent. All he dons on his own skin is one minuscule image of a blood drop. Why? Because he's a hemophiliac and getting tattooed isn't as simple for someone like him. He knows he has his limitations, and it isn't just when it comes to the art form he loves. Geoff wants to be dominated sexually but that kind of kink presents dangers, so while he wishes he could be like the men he sees in his favorite porn videos, he's relegated himself to sticking to fantasies instead. Then he meets Robin Brady while on vacation in Saugatuck and the pull he feels is both mutual and mesmerizing. Robin knows that he can offer Geoff exactly what he's looking for, but Robin's last relationship left him wary. Will they realize that they're exactly what the other needs if only they would learn to communicate?
The one and only book I've ever read about hemophilia was Ryan White: My Own Story back in the early 90s, but it was enough to provide me with some stock knowledge when I started reading Risk Aware. I'm also aware of the various forms of play that the BDSM lifestyle covers, and drawing blood isn't all that uncommon. The combination of a hemophiliac who is into BDSM fascinated me and that fascination held all throughout this thoughtful and clearly well-written and well-researched novel. The story itself isn't a simple one, and the two main characters are nowhere near that realm either, both complicated, but Geoff more so than Robin. Geoff is not a submissive nor does he desire to be one. What he wants is to feel all the sensations that the lifestyle brings, but pain above all else. He struggles with giving away control--which is why he is so not meant to be a sub--and it's something he goes through for a good portion of the story. Robin, with his patience and understanding, was who he was waiting for, giving him what he was missing.
From start to finish, Geoff and Robin's story had my full attention and it gets bonus kudos from me because I like have my curiosity piqued, enough that I'll jot down new terms and topics I'm unfamiliar with so that I can go and Google them afterwards. I admit that there were moments that I became frustrated with Geoff because it felt as if he built this idea of what he wanted in his head and then when Robin was offering it to him, he would balk or hesitate and becoming resistant to what was being asked of him. But he would continually win me over because I could see that he was evolving as a character and not just stuck as hemophiliac fantasizing about BDSM. That isn't to say that Robin was Mr. Perfect, because there was a point in the story where I wanted to smack some sense into him as well. The unintentional scene-stealer was Jace Sieger, and I am so looking forward to his turn in the spotlight with Saugatuck Summer. Original and extraordinary, Risk Aware is a read that may seem risky but one so worth taking, earning it five stars. ♥
Date Read: 10 May 2016
Learn more about Amelia C. Gormley.
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