Rating: 4 stars
Buy Links: Amazon | All Romance
Length: Novel
When the Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) tasks Agent Drake Steele with protecting the son of a duke (who is also an agent) on a dangerous undercover mission, he doesn’t want to do it. He’s no one’s babysitter. In fact, he’s a forensic accountant with a background in the Royal Navy. That background and his known lifestyle as a dominant are what make him perfect for the case though. A crime boss is selling stolen pieces of art and the SOCA has a way in to get the proof they need, but it involves joining a weekend of partying BDSM style. When he finds out the other agent is Robbie, Drake is still has his reservations, but his attraction to Robbie and the need to keep the man safe takes over.
Agent Robinson “Robbie” Covington is the son of a duke and a valuable asset to Britain’s SOCA and SIS agencies. He is the key to this operation as a hacker, but he’s not a submissive. He knows nothing of the BDSM lifestyle so he needs Drake as an experienced dom to guide him through the weekend and convince the marks that they are who they say they are.
When their undeniable attraction starts to cloud their mission, Drake tries to do his duty by staying focused on the mission and pushing Robbie away. As their weekend progresses and they are forced to join in the activities, the attraction between them turns into more for both men. Now they must decide whether what they feel is strong enough to last after their mission. But before that, they have to make it out of their undercover investigation alive.
I liked the basis of this story – two men go undercover as a kinky couple to catch an international crime boss. It’s a good story that kept my attention. The focus of the story is more on the relationship between Drake and Robbie which I liked, but I would have liked the investigation to play a bigger part. We get a lot of Drake and his emotions, his life as a dom, his feelings about Robbie, but we don’t see a lot of the actual investigation, the entire reason they are together in the first place.
Drake is a great character. He’s strong, physically and mentally. He’s domineering, protective, and honorable. He’s the perfect match for Robbie. Robbie is innocent to the world of BDSM, but he’s not completely naïve. He’s sweet and bratty. He’s new to kink, experimenting and testing boundaries. He’s Drake’s balance. He’s the heat and spice to Drake’s cool and calm demeanor. He’s the little bit of chaos to shake up Drake’s organized world. And I absolutely loved the development of their relationship. I love the time they take to get to know one another especially away from the job. It makes their relationship all the more special. They are fun characters and I enjoyed their journey together.
I also liked the kink interlaced throughout this story. I always enjoy some kink when done right. That being said, I do have some issue with this book and how the world of BDSM was introduced to Robbie. I’m disappointed with the fact that Robbie knows absolutely nothing about the BDSM lifestyle but is dropped into the world without any explanation or preparation. I’m disturbed that his first experience is in a testing room of a kink shop, strapped to a cross, and being whipped – no preparation, no lead in, no training. I mean, I understand that he was needed for the mission, but could no one take the time to at least sit down and explain to the man what he was getting himself into? That being said, after a bit, it becomes clear that Robbie is not disturbed by it, only curious. But still, it felt irresponsible on Drake’s part and even Bradley’s and Terranova’s part to not prepare him at least a little.
So overall, I really liked Dangerous Submission by Lori Toland. It’s sexy, kinky, and sweet. I love a good undercover, spy story and this is one that I adore. I’m hoping that Stefan will get a story next. I look forward to whatever Toland has next in the Dangerous Affiars series. Recommended.
Cover: This cover by Angel Martinez is beautiful. I like that it combines both the sexy and kinky aspects to the story to create a great cover.
