Margaret Leigh

A Hearts On Fire Review

THREE & A HALF STARS--Kalita Kasar's novel, "The Colt", has all of the elements I enjoy: younger Dom/ older sub, domestic abuse themes, a hustler/rent boy main character and a believable love story. Plus one of the main character is a Navajo Native American. And the story delivery was pretty good. Based on the blurb, Marcus (32) is a L.A. daytime soap star and part time rancher who owns his ranch in Arizona. One night he breaks a bar fight and save Malcolm, a 20 year-old, who has been living on the streets for years. He hustles pool and sometimes more in order to get money to survive. That night and the next morning changes both men's lives.

Marcus hires Malcolm as a ranch hand innocently. The two become closer. But what Marcus does not share is that he is in an abusive relationship with a psycho-abuser (Paul) who has the audacity to call him self a Dom and what he did to Marcus as part of BDSM.

"The Colt" as a title is quite literal and figurative, as a colt is born on the ranch that helps bring the men closer. Marcus and Malcolm are quite coltish themselves with learning to trust, Marcus needing to learn it is not okay to be abused, etc.

What the blurb did not mention was the story is set in 1986. I don't have a problem with the setting, it's just I was a toddler at the time so I had to Google certain historic events mentioned to ensure it was 1) accurate and 2) figure out what the hell happened back in 1986. There was a lot of mention of AIDS scares back then, how recognized gays were treated leper-like once recognized as being gay. The stigma that it carried then was horrible. It made me think the progress that has been made to present day. There is more that needs to be done.

But I digress.

Would I read this author again? Definitely. Did you not see me mention the underrepresented younger Dom/ older sub? Also the story was entertaining and had a believable HEA.

So why not a higher rating? The actual BDSM was pretty light, so light it was almost nonexistent. There was a tutorial of sorts for Malcolm as he has never even heard of BDSM and the different parts that make it up. Was he the most believable Dom? Not really but appreciate his trying.

Also, Marcus from the beginning was not who I saw at the end. I liked him but he was becoming quite needy. But I did like him sticking up for himself in the end.

And Marcus was a part of BDSM club that knew Paul was out of line and abusive but they waited too long in my opinion to black list him and prevent from a situation like Marcus' from happening.

I did like Marcus and Malcolm's practice of safe sex (well their version anyway) It was frustrating but good to see they tried to be safe during the late eighties' AIDS scare/epidemic.

Who would best enjoy this story? Those who like to read about the very lightest touch of BDSM and don't mind reading about domestic abuse. In fact, this story does show a character who abuses and tries to excuse it as BDSM (which what he was doing was domestic abuse, plain and simple)"… (more)

Setting: London, 1772

Eighteen year-old (almost nineteen), apprentice cobbler, Thomas Williams has a somewhat satisfying life. At an early age he was taken in by a Quaker family, and through them he has been learning the cobbler trade. He envisions a pretty good future for himself, one where he is a master cobbler, and he works to achieve it. However, fate has different plans for him as he is one day scooped up and kidnapped by "pressers", who in turn sells him for a large sum to the French nobleman, Chambellan. This marks drastic changes for Thomas, especially when it is revealed that Chambellan runs a high-class, first-rate brothel, which contains only young men...and serves only men.

Thomas, having lived a majority of his life devoted to the Quaker faith, has shunned all things sexual (deeming them as a sin and dirty). This is why, prior to entering Chambellan's house he is both naive and highly unexperienced in that department, as well as both reluctant and curious about what it entails.
It is quite an experience for him as he learns what is expected from the boys under Chambellan's roof, and even more of one when he himself ends up in the frenchman's bed. And as if all of that is not enough, Thomas finds himself the target of intense jealousy, in addition to catching the eye of a rather detestable customer.

**

The storyline focuses on Thomas' immersion in this new life, and his internal struggles with the emotions he holds for Chambellan. As well as the emotions on Chambellan's end.

**

I had mixed feelings about the characters in this story, Thomas especially.
Upon finding about Chambellan's true intentions for him, rather than actively attempting to help himself at an escape, he simply goes with the flow and meekly does exactly as is told. His only resistance to anything simply rests in his thoughts, and his far too weak and unconvincing words of condemnation. I would have expected much more from the person who genuinely thinks he MUST get away, and who also genuinely believes that the acts around him is wrong as he has always been taught exactly that.
Thomas also has a very good heart and kind nature, which he allows to rule over common sense and intelligence. This is highlighted in an event where he is attacked by another boy, and although clearly the victim in the matter, he can not seem to understand why said boy should be punished and him left undisciplined. This also makes him 'always the victim', as while he is a pretty good judge of character, he is far too naive when it comes to dealing with questionable individuals.

Chambellan's character is simply....there. He exists, simply to exist as the individual who brings about a huge change in the protagonist's life. Even though the story does focus on things from his view from time to time, it's not as if anything is really learnt.
He is a charming and deliciously handsome individual, who can be very ruthless when necessary. He is rather attentive to Thomas, but lets not get too excited as he seems to have been this way with all of his boys at one point. However, at one point the dim-witted and innocent Thomas does leave a rather lasting impression on him.

My favorite character by far is Lucien, a young frenchman who has been with Chambellan for a rather long time. Not only is he adorable and dripping with the kind of wisdom that comes in hand with a hard life, but he is genuinely kind-hearted, and totally devoted to the welfare of everyone under his boss' roof.

**

I liked the written accents in the story, which varied from dignified to broken English (England's English) and sexual French (especially when used by Lucien). It was written just right and flowed rather nicely. It made reading the story much more fun than actually focusing on Thomas sometimes.

**

In my opinion, the Keeper would have been more enjoyable and entertaining if Thomas had more of a personality. It takes more than innocence, naivety, and a disgustingly good nature to make someone interesting. This makes Thomas pretty one dimensional.
Also, Chambellan could have been developed some more. He is cool "on paper" but rather dull to follow, and the way his emotions just erupted at the end leaves much to be desired.
I was very unsatisfied with the end, as it hardly dealt with any of the issues that raised in the story. What's the sense of opening doors if they will only be left that way until the very end? Especially when those doors led to far more interesting plots.… (more)

There is a main tag that I use to classify a very special type of romance, the Breeches Ripper romance. Usually an historical (but not always), I consider a breeches ripper a novel in which the main characters are dressed in those frilly garments. This may could explain the 'breeches' part of the tag (a woman in bodice, a man in breeches...) but the ripper ones? A true breeches ripper should have also a minimum (or great) component of 'forceful' love/sex, one of the hero should give up to the sensual mastery of the other ones, but giving up he should enjoy the act.

The Keeper is a truly Breeches ripper! Thomas is a copper apprentice in the late seventeen century London. During one of his few free morning he is kidnapped and sold to a strange man, a frenchman who lives in a secluded manor far from the city. The man is called the Keeper and Thomas soon discovers that he provides London gentlemen with pretty boys to use as they please. But before putting them on display, the Keeper, Leon, trains the boys to the art of pleasure.

Leon is intrigued by this particularly pretty boy. Usually who arrive to him are poor young men from the poorest side of the city, and innocence is something they lose many time before. Instead Thomas is still naive, completely unaware of the worldly pleasures. But even if he is enchanted by the boy, Leon will not save him from his destiny. But maybe, once in a time, the Master will become the slave...

As often in a truly breeches ripper, the most weak hero (in body if not in will) has to suffer a lot, to the hand of the other hero but not only. So poor Thomas will not get over his adventure unarmed... Thomas is not an invincible hero, who always finds a way out of his trouble; Thomas is that type of hero who needs a stronger partner to lead him; he was taught to despise the things he now has to do, but he not dares to risk his life to avoid his fate, in this case the fate is not worst than death. So, even if in his submissive way, he makes a choice, maybe one that he even knows to have done. And then I always find quite unbearable those bodice ripper heroines who never stay put and always arise trouble!

What maybe I found quite strange is that at 19 years old Thomas is still so innocent...

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ROAI8M/?tag=elimyrevandra-20… (more)