Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy Links:  Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novel

After one too many bad decisions, David Beauchamp is now awaiting trial and confined by an ankle monitor that tracks his whereabouts and his alcohol consumption.  Beach is wealthy, privileged, and used to being able to do whatever he wants. Rules and limits are not his thing and having to live life on a short leash is making him crazy. About the only vice in which he can still indulge is some random sex, so he heads to a club where he finds a hot hookup.  Something about the guy’s dominant nature brings out pleasure in Beach he never expected, but he also knows the bathroom encounter is a one off and he will likely never see the guy again.

Much to Beach’s surprise, when he goes to his probation office for a random drug test, he finds himself face to face with Officer Tai Fonoti, the hot, gravely voiced man from the night before. Tai knows he needs to drop Beach from his case load right away due to a conflict of interest.  But somehow, he can’t quite stay away from the man, especially when Beach comes to him asking for more of what the men had that night.  That feeling of inner peace Beach got from Tai’s dominance in the club is something he craves, and Beach is definitely interested in exploring more.  Tai’s better judgement tells him Beach is a spoiled rich kid who is just playing around, but he can’t help but be drawn to him regardless.

The two men begin to explore a Dom/sub relationship, with Tai teaching Beach how to give up control and Beach reveling in the feeling of submitting.  Neither man expect their feelings to grow and for the relationship to build to something so important for both of them.  But even as good as things are going between them, they face a lot of complications. First off, even though Tai transferred Beach to another probation officer, he is still under legal custody and Tai definitely shouldn’t be involved with him.  Not to mention that Beach is still awaiting trial and may find himself in jail if things don’t go well for him. To top it off, Beach’s long lost father is stirring up trouble for him, trouble that could be even more serious than Beach’s past legal problems.  Tai and Beach are finding love and comfort in their new relationship, a connection that is so strong for both of them.  Beach is changing in ways he never expected and really finding what he needs by being with Tai.  But with all the trouble looming, the men might lose their chance at lasting happiness.

Hurray! Another installment in K.A. Mitchell’s Bad in Baltimore series and I am so excited to get Beach’s story.  We met him in Bad Attitude as Gavin’s best friend, and we pretty much see him there as a spoiled, self indulgent trouble maker who almost gets Gavin killed.  So I was really looking forward to seeing Beach redeemed here as we get to know him and learn all about the person he really is inside.

Mitchell does a wonderful job of really opening up Beach and showing his soft and insecure center.  On the outside, he is bratty and confident and used to getting what he wants. Beach chafes at rules and choices and has the money to pretty much get away with doing whatever he wants.  Beach’s father has been living in South America since he fled criminal charges when Beach was young, and his mother took off soon after.  Neither parent pays much attention to their son, except in his father’s case when he needs something from Beach.  Aside from Gavin, we can see Beach is a lonely guy who doesn’t have much to center him and that is part of what is making him such a wild child.

Enter Tai, a man who demands control and submission.  Somehow that bathroom encounter gives Beach just enough of a taste of that dominance that he goes back for more.  To Beach’s surprise, Tai’s control helps settle his restlessness.  Somehow with fewer choices and someone else’s guidance, Beach finds himself settling into a sense of peace that he has never before experienced. He craves pleasing Tai, loves that feeling of giving over control to the other man and to allow Tai to guide them both to their pleasure. I loved seeing him be vulnerable and trusting Tai with what he really needed.   The changes affect Beach in other aspects of his life as well, as he becomes calmer, more centered, and more responsible.  Instead of flitting from one adventure to another, Beach begins to put some structure in his life and think about what he really wants.  Mitchell really depicts this all so well and we can really see Beach grow and change through his connection with Tai.

I really enjoyed visiting here with other guys from the series.  As Beach’s best friend, Gavin plays a prominent role.  He is both supportive and wary, wanting Beach to find happiness, but also knowing the man well enough to know he doesn’t usually commit to much.  It was interesting to see their relationship from this other side, and see Gavin watch Beach finally grow up.  We also get to see my favorite character from the series, Eli.  Gavin introduces the men since Eli has some experience with kink and helps Beach get his bearings as he settles into this new Dom/sub relationship.  I adore Eli to no end and loved seeing him as the voice of kinky experience.  He has my favorite line of the book when he first meets the gorgeous, hulking Tai and tells him “Hon, you are proof that God loves queers and wants us to have lots and lots of dick.”  Sigh, love him.

You all know I adore K.A. Mitchell’s writing and think she is masterful at everything she does and this book is just another example.  Here she manages to craft a story that is kinky and sexy and definitely full of heat, but give it a strong core that makes it so much more than that.  We can really see how this relationship, this connection, changes and affects both Tai and Beach. It is exactly what they both need, exactly what gives them each confidence and inner strength.  We can really see how submitting to Tai makes Beach a happier and better person and really find his way after so much trouble.  So a book that is both delicious and heartwarming and a great new installment to the series.