Back Where He Belongs by Isobel Starling (#gay #romance #petplay)

Back Where He Belongs is a sweet, happy, funny romance about two adorable men who reunite after years apart . . . and indulge in a little kinky puppy play. Yes, I know what you are thinking, but the combination really works. Isobel Starling does such a marvelous job of establishing Kier and Douglas as characters, establishing their history, and deepening their relationship, that the transition from awkward reunion to hot, kinky sex is not entirely natural, as if the story could not have gone anywhere else without us raising our eyebrows.

This is a story about love, trust, and commitment. Kier and Douglas were madly in love, once upon a time, but Kier was still very much in the closet and not ready to proclaim his love to the world. It is pure chance that reunites them, but there are issues to be worked through before they can think of being back together.

I loved how the story played out, with Kier's desperate longing seemingly denied at every turn. It is not a harsh story or a cruel story, not by any means, but a realistic one where a grand gesture is needed to re-open another's heart. There is even a little bit of comic mistaken identity to cast some doubt as to where Douglas' heart lies. The puppy play is both a callback to their happier times and a gateway to their future, with the submission, the power play, and the role of belonging at the heart of the story. It is only a small part of the story in terms of page count, but such a huge part in terms of significance.

If you are a fan of M/M romance, true love, and second chances, Back Where He Belongs is just an altogether lovely story.

Isobel’s novel "As You Wish" (Shatterproof Bond #1) is an Amazon Best Seller on Amazon.com and Amazon France. Nine novels into her writing career Isobel has just released The Shatterproof Bond box set which contains all three novels in the series, and the first book in the M/M Romantic Comedy mystery series "Dick and the Sidekick" -"Detective Fox and the Christmas Caper"

https://isobelstarling.wixsite.com/
@isobel_starling

Reviewed by Sally