cover image Linger

Linger

Lauren Jameson. Signet Eclipse, $15 trade paper (304p) ISBN 978-0-451-47080-5

Jameson follows Breathe with a tender exploration of the intersection between domination and love. Seeking one more night of fun in Las Vegas before heading out to rural Montana for a year of studying large animal healthcare, veterinarian Scarlett Malone is delighted when a man she picks up in a club is quite willing to submit to her. When Scarlett arrives at Dr. Logan Brody’s farm and realizes that he was her yielding lover, they have to figure out how they’re going to live together for the next year. Logan deliberately suppresses his submissive nature but can’t resist his attraction to his “Mistress,” and Scarlett gradually takes charge of their sex life. Scarlett and Logan work hard on the farm, and they burn even more calories in the bedroom as she literally whips emotional confessions out of Logan to free him from the emotional burden of past traumas. Jameson works hard to underscore that Scarlett dominates Logan with his permission and as an expression of affection, and the result is a surprisingly sweet and undeniably kinky romance. (Sept.)