Blaming himself for the death of his submissive, dark and brooding Darien Black, owner of the private BDSM club called Sanctuary, swore he would never have D/s relationship again. He didn’t trust himself to be the Dom a sub needed for more than a play session or two at the club, no matter what his best friend Xavier or anyone else said. He had subs at his club to scene with, meddling friends to … to talk to every night, a tattoo and leather shop to run during the day and that was more than enough for him. When he meets Conner, Darien was drawn to him in a way he hasn’t been for a very long time, but he refuses to believe he should ever be trusted to care for a sub for longer than a scene, especially one who’s gone through as much as Conner. When the two of them can’t stay away from each other, Darien agrees to be “friends with benefits,” as long as Conner accepts it can never be more. Unable to stay away, Darien pushes his worries to the back of his mind, telling himself that it’s nothing more than two consenting adults meeting each other’s sexual needs.
Justin’s House, a homeless shelter for LGBTQ street kids and rentboys, saved Conner’s life. If it hadn’t been for Simon, Justin, and Aaron… he most likely would have become just another statistic. He never understood why, after a vicious john had assaulted Conner at club Darkfall, Simon had come after him that night and handed him a business card. With a sharp tongue and a sarcastic attitude, Conner hadn’t exactly been polite to anyone who’d stepped in to save him. Terrified, he did what he always did and hid his fear behind snarky comebacks and anger.
Traumatized by his life as a rentboy and a past that haunts him, Conner knows he’s too jaded to ever be more than a willing sub to play with at the club. He feels the spark between Darien and himself, but the two of them are in complete agreement that their kink buddy relationship has an end date, and that’s exactly what Conner wants.
The former rentboy, now working to try and save other rentboys and homeless kids off the same streets he used to work. And the club owner who’s misplaced guilt caused him to shut his heart away and concentrate on protecting every sub that walks through his club’s doors. Two men with heartbreaking pasts, who refuse to believe they deserve happiness. Can they open their eyes and see how much they need each other, or will their stubbornness prove too much
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This is the first book I have read from this author and I really enjoyed it! I feel like I need to go and read the other series as I think some of the characters maybe mentioned in this book but this can definitely be read as a stand alone. Connor and Darian both feel broken and that a relationship is not for them but life intervenes and they realise they do need and deserve each other and happiness.
Connor’s Fight is the first book in the Sanctuary series by author A M Raulerson. I liked this start to the series. It is written in dual pov. I liked that too allowed me into the minds of both men and really helped me get into this story.
Darien is a club owner. Blames himself for the death of his sub. Runs a tattoo and leather shop as well. I loved him. He is strong yet vulnerable, sweet yet knows when to turn on the Dominate in him. I loved him.
Connor runs a homeless shelter for the LGBTQ kids at risk. Like he once was. He had been a rentboy and now he devotes his life to changing that for other kids.
This is a really well-done story. I liked how each man balances out the other. Both are strong in their own way. I felt they were perfect for each other. I loved this story and cannot wait for more from this series in the future.
Five Shooting Stars
This was the story of two men who believed they could never have love, and their slow move from BDSM partners to something more. I loved Conner and Darien. Despite being surrounded by friends who were making love work, each man had difficult, troubled pasts they didn’t expect to get over. It was nice to see how they became so important together despite their best efforts. There were some tough emotional moments here, as well as some very nice impact play. The men who ran and supported the shelter Justin’s House were all strong, supportive, and loving. I can’t wait to read more about them and the people who frequent Darien’s club Sanctuary. I know I’ll love the series, since it has started off so well.
The premise of the book is always one that calls to me, hurt/comfort is an alluring trope, and is very much present here between Conner and Darien which fight their own demons. While coming together to push them away for a while.
And I do think this is about me rather than the book, as I couldn’t get comfortable with the writing style. It became too much over-explaining, things repeated several times over, conversations interrupted by long paragraphs of internal dialogue and memories.
It took away some of my connection with them, where I just wanted to live in the moment as things happened.
I liked their play scenes, I liked how they don’t just fall at each other even after realising feelings are stirring, I like their care for each other and their worry.
Plenty of things I enjoyed in the book, it just ultimately wasn’t for me.
In an earlier incarnation I was a professional dominatrix and reading AM Raulerson’s new book Connor’s Fight was spot on. Connor was introduced in Raulerson’s previous book Out of the Ashes: Darkfall series book 1. This young submissive is still working through the PTSD he suffered after extreme abuse by a rogue Dom, Lady Payne and her henchman Octavius LaBraun. As Connor pulls his life back together, the close knit BDSM community around him gives him a purpose in life as a counsellor for Justin’s House, a home for LGBTQ youth living on the streets of the city. He thinks he’s found the perfect relationship/non-relationship with Dom Darien Black. Neither man wants anything long term, but slowly the things that brought them together demands more. This is a story about healing. It’s a story about two men and the BDSM community that supports them. It’s a story about love and caring and how these two men find the love they need to become whole again. I highly recommend this book, not only for its accurate portrayal of the BDSM community, but for its excellent writing, character development and a wonderful HEA we all need. Definitely a stellar 5 star read.
This was a good read. The topics in this book are difficult to read but I’m sure some young people live through similar experiences. I enjoy reading about MM BDSM. There were some emotional sections where i shed a few tears. Initially I was undecided when I started reading this book but in the end I really enjoyed it.