Friday, June 8, 2018

Angel and the Assassin



Fyn Alexander
Loose ID
Reviewed by Nancy
4 out of 5 stars





Summary


Kael Saunders loves to dominate handsome, masculine men like himself. Being in charge is his way of life whether it be in his work with the Secret Intelligence service, his personal life, or in the dungeon. The last thing he expects when he is out on a hit is to fall in love with Angel, an eighteen-year-old boy desperate for the love and guidance of a Daddy. Yet Angel also has a passion for being spanked and restrained. Two very different men find love in a world of skilled assassins, Bosnian terrorists, and dungeon play.



My Review


Kael Saunders is a professional hitman. Angel is an 18-year-old who had the misfortune of being the sole witness to the assassination of his bad-tempered stepfather, an arms dealer working with the Bosnians. Kael really shouldn’t let the boy live, but Angel needs a Daddy and Kael is quite taken with Angel despite the fact he is not his type at all. They have hot sex while Angel’s stepdad’s corpse is cooling downstairs and then take a first-class flight to London.

This is just the beginning of a weird, unbalanced relationship where somehow, Angel and Kael learn to work together to meet each other’s needs. Kael is tough and ruthless, having grown up with a single mom. Though well educated, he’s had to defend himself from those who mocked his poverty. He’s in control of his own life, and he’s accustomed to being obeyed. Angel, on the other hand, retains his sweetness and innocence despite being abandoned by his mother. For a long time he’s dreamed about finding the Daddy who will love, cherish, and guide him.

This was a fun, kinky, suspenseful and intense story. Despite its flaws, I greedily gobbled it up.

The good stuff

I found Kael a rather fascinating character. Though he is a remorseless killer, he must confront his inner demons in order to be the Daddy that Angel needs. His neatness and cleanliness, which is an asset on the job, carries over to his home life and borders on pathological. Angel, a typical teenager in certain ways, manages to disrupt Kael’s sense of order and throws him off balance. I loved their conflicts and Kael’s loss of control when it comes to Angel. It made him more human.

Ever since the death of Kael’s friend, Misha, he planned to keep a written journal of his life. I love these brief interludes that provided insight into Kael’s behavior and showed glimpses of his past.

Kael’s complicated, contentious relationship with his boss, Stephen Conran, is one of the best parts of this story. These men share a history, as we learn from Kael’s journal.

The sex – raw, steamy, passionate and intense, especially the scenes in the dungeon.


The annoying stuff

Angel lied about being 20. He’s actually 18. Many times I thought he was 13 or even younger. He throws tantrums, he’s defiant, he lies, he cries, and he has a “blankie” that Kael rightfully threw in the dumpster. Yet he lectures Kael about his own psychological shortcomings. His behavior was annoyingly inconsistent.

As much as I enjoyed Angel’s growth throughout the story, there were some things that were too unbelievable for me. With no firearms experience, Angel managed to shoot and kill two men from 20 feet away.

The overuse of the word “daddy.”

I’m sad that Loose ID has gone out of business and these books are now out of print. I’m hoping they will be released again so I can gobble up the sequels.