Dr. Michelle Sapphire and Gunnery Sergeant Wyatt Callahan formed an unbreakable bond and an unacknowledged, forbidden attraction to each other while serving together in Afghanistan. Their lives are forever changed when a mortar attack grievously wounds Wyatt and Michelle brings him back from the brink of death. But when they both return to the civilian world Michelle discovers that her rock-solid … rock-solid Marine is suffering from severe PTSD and may even be suicidal.
Wyatt Callahan fell hard for the aristocratic blonde doctor the moment he laid eyes on her. After reentering civilian life in his hometown near Austin, Texas, Wyatt is plagued by nightmares of the death and suffering he witnessed during the war. He’d love to reach out to Michelle, but there is one thing stopping him. Michelle is a Dominatrix and she has made it very clear to Wyatt she isn’t interested in a relationship with anyone who doesn’t accept her lifestyle. An Alpha male to the core, he can’t imagine the appeal of being submissive, but at the same time, the idea of serving Michelle, of being everything she wants and needs rings true in his wounded soul.
Michelle has dark secrets of her own and together with Wyatt she will have to battle her personal demons in their emotional journey of healing, redemption, and love.
more
A very insightful, well-layered and emotionally compelling romance. The way Michelle addressed Wyatt’s PTSD issues, both within and without the Dominant/submissive framework, felt real and absorbing. Wyatt’s care for Michelle, the growth of his love even as he struggled with his own demons, made him a hero any woman would want. What I particularly like about Still was the author took time with these two, offering us believable characters finding their way in a relationship with lots of complications – his PTSD, her grief as a widow. Plus the fact she embraces a Domme’s sexual orientation, such that Wyatt has to explore whether he has it within him to embrace submission when she needs that from him.
The story held my attention from beginning to end, with strong writing and a sense of heart that made me continue to think of these two even after I finished it. Which leads to this note: This is a two-part story, but by the end of the substantial-length first book, we’ve been given enough forward progress to feel like we’ve completed a satisfying read – while anticipating the conclusion to their journey together.
Book source ~ NetGalley
An officer and a gentleman. Except the officer is Navy Lieutenant Dr. Michelle Sapphire and the gentleman is Marine Gunnery Sergeant Wyatt Callahan. They served together in Afghanistan and while there was a very definite attraction between them they did nothing to acknowledge it. Officer and enlisted getting it on? Huge no-no. After an explosion nearly takes his life, Sapphire saves him, and they go back to the States. Months after their discharge, Wyatt hits rock bottom after his best friend commits suicide. He’s suffering from PTSD and using alcohol heavily. When Michelle bails him out of jail she gives him a choice – crawl back into a bottle or go home with her where she can help him. The only hitch? She’s a Domme who wants him as her bottom. She won’t settle for anything less, no matter how much she wants him. He agrees to give it a try and the story is off and running.
This is a wonderful BDSM story where the Dominant is a woman. Finally! Why is it so hard to find these kinds of stories?! I loathe a book that starts out with a strong Domme and halfway through the guy has her as his submissive because only he knows what she really wants. Fuck that shit. Michelle is a Domme, through and through. Wyatt is a strong man who never really knew how much he would enjoy being a bottom. It’s a whole new world for him. Their history together sets up the present and their journey as Domme and sub is beautiful to watch. Not just because they are learning this new relationship together, but because they each have baggage to work around and through. The writing is wonderful, the steamy scenes are extra hot, and the characters are well-developed. If you like your Femdom BDSM light (no super harsh scenes) with strong characters and lots of heat then this is the one for you.