Rating: 2.25 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella


Cody is left in a dangerous position when his Master is in an accident while running an errand. If not for the timely intervention of fellow master, Ford, Cody could have been in serious trouble. Now Ford must care for a vulnerable Cody while his Master recovers. It sounds easy enough, but Ford finds Cody‘s submission utterly irresistible. And in Ford, Cody finally sees what a proper Master should be. But Cody belongs to another and Ford isn’t one to trespass against another man’s territory. Despite the situation that brought them together, Ford and Cody must decide if they go their separate ways or if the future offers them something more.

In the Heat of the Dungeon was a decidedly quick read. The action takes place over the course of a day and the book definitely doesn’t linger on things like plot or character development. Most of the time, it feels like a literary excuse for two men to have a fair amount of BDSM scenes with sex. But it also doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is — you know exactly what you’re going to get. I’ll also give the credit for the writing, which is done in such a way that the BDSM feels commonplace and ordinary. A lot of times, even when authors are trying to write in a BDSM-positive vein, they create a barrier between the reader and the information on page. This can cause the reader to feel excluded and may unintentionally perpetuate the misconception that the BDSM lifestyle is somehow abnormal. That doesn’t happen here. This author is comfortable with their subject matter and seems to want the reader to feel the same way.

There isn’t much of a plot to the In the Heat of the Dungeon and it would be a stretch to even say there’s any substance to it. So it was hard for me to really get into the book. It read as very choreographed; I could see what was going to happen long before it actually did. As a result, it was a relatively boring read and I wanted more to happen than actually did. Because the action takes place over such a short period of time, the connection between Ford and Cody is not believable. They go from barely knowing one another to being ready for a full-time master/slave relationship within about 24 hours. And readers are just expected to go along with it. Which doesn’t really work and the suggested intimacy between the two felt forced and awkward.

The BDSM scenes are fine, but they lack affection and come off as rather sterile given the lack of character development. I would also say this not for the BDSM uninitiated. The kink scenes can be somewhat involved and prior familiarity with BDSM would probably best here.

In the Heat of the Dungeon wasn’t a favorite of mine. It just lacked any real substance and the characters are never given enough depth to develop beyond caricatures. But if you’re looking for something mindless with plenty of BDSM to read on the beach, then this might be something you’ll enjoy.