Safe Words

Didn't actually finish reading this book. I read half of it then skimmed through the rest.

I knew this book is going to be a disappointment, but wow! Way more than I anticipated.

Noah is the only character that kept me reading so far. Then the whole of the fourth book happened and Noah was not Noah anymore. Then the fifth book made me roll my eyes every few pages. With Noah not being Noah anymore, Phantom becoming somehow more of a spoiled brat, and Tobias being full of himself for no reason, there is just no way I can read this.

I said in my review on the first book that this reads easily. Thing is there is no real conflict in the whole series. The authors (who, if I may, are not actually compatible in writing) took the easy route every time. There are a lot of things that could have been worked with and could have made this series so great, but in the end the whole purpose of 'Deviations' was the sex. Don't get me wrong, I love a good BDSM scene or an intense sex scene, but I also like an actual plot next to it. There are countless places online where I can read a far better sex scene too.

Noah and Tobias had a really good thing going on at first. They made it work, I liked them a lot when playing or when just being themselves, when in their roles or stripped by rules. Then Phantom came along and it all went downhill. Phantom doesn't fit with them, he's more like a kid who needs attention and guidance which made the whole thing disturbing. It also didn't help Noah and Phantom being referred to as siblings or brothers. In a joking manner (or at least I hope so), but it still made my skin crawl. I cringe even now.

I would have loved for some of the things on Noah's list in the first book to happen at some point in the series, and only with that in mind I decided to read the last book, I still had hope that they will come up, but I was, once again, disappointed. Why even mention it then? Then there was Noah's job, so many other options for Phantom, and whatever else came up that was brushed over.

I should have listened to all the people saying to only read the first three books. Darn.