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carrie12321's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Trafficking, Outing, and Sexual assault
the_novel_approach's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 Stars ~ Sniffs. It’s over. Sniffs. I loved this series. But… Yay! Cannot wait for the men of Secrets who will tell their tales beginning next year (insert fan girl squeal here).
It all began with An Unlocked Heart, and an incredible series full of depth and emotion began. Endings and Beginnings is book eight in this series, and the final book in our journey through the lives of the men who call Collars & Cuffs BDSM Club home. This series has covered so many aspects of the BDSM lifestyle and has never shied away from telling the hard emotional tales these men have. Usually in a series you know which books you liked best over the others (and I definitely have my favorites), but in this case I can say that I have truly enjoyed all the books in this series. KC Wells and Parker Williams have a writing style that is spot-on and character driven, which makes each of these books an individual treat. While there is an overall arc and backstory, each of these books is a standalone in its own right—except for this last one—which ties up several storylines and therefore, may be confusing if you have not read the books these men were featured in. I am so glad that this series didn’t stop after the first three, as the authors originally intended. This book does skip around a bit, trying to tie up loose ends for all the different couples, and to set you up for the new series coming, and I have to say that I understand why they wrote it that way, but I wish there had been more of just Darren and JJ. I feel like their relationship together, after the establishment of trust, wasn’t fully explored.
Darren Fielding owns the salon that many of the local Doms bring their boys to. He has seen first-hand the kind of intimacy and connection these men have together and craves that same connection for himself. He’s not a Dom, even though he has always had domineering tendencies and likes his sex on the rougher side. He’s a newbie, checking out the club and seeing if it fits with the direction he wants his life to go in. Walking into the club feels like coming home for him—but taking on the responsibility of a submissive is huge and Darren, while anticipating it, is still apprehensive. However, he cannot ignore the instant chemistry and connection he feels toward the bartender at the club.
“And the idea that one day Darren could find someone to depend on him, to gaze at him with the overwhelming intensity that Peter had when he and Thomas were together? Yes, he wanted that. More than anything in life, he wanted someone to care for. To share a life with. To know he would be the guiding light for someone would be more than Darren could hope for.”
JJ Taylor is a mess. He’s lived with lies for so long he doesn’t know if he can come out from behind the walls he has built up around himself. Seeing and talking to Darren is scary and wonderful all at the same time, but he doesn’t know if he can open up and have the kind of relationship that Darren wants from him. Learning that he is submissive, and embracing that aspect of his personality, leads him to develop relationships with the other submissives at the club and teaches him that not all people are out to deceive him.
“The level of trust between Doms and subs. God, he wanted that. He longed for it. To have someone who believed in him. Someone he could trust in. Someone who’d keep him grounded in the here and now, rather than letting him dwell on the past fiction that was his life. He’d watched them at the club. Ben had Scott. Leo had Alex. Thomas had Peter. And there were others too. “I want that too.” He whispered his heartfelt desire, let it out into the open in the hope that someone heard it.”
I think it is apropos that this last book is about two men who are so new to the lifestyle. After all, Collars & Cuffs will continue on even if the men inside it change and evolve, and it is also apropos that the book ends with Jarod and Eli beginning their journey to Secrets, their new BDSM club in London. This book puts a period on what is an amazing series. Well done!
Reviewed by Carrie for The Novel Approach Reviews
It all began with An Unlocked Heart, and an incredible series full of depth and emotion began. Endings and Beginnings is book eight in this series, and the final book in our journey through the lives of the men who call Collars & Cuffs BDSM Club home. This series has covered so many aspects of the BDSM lifestyle and has never shied away from telling the hard emotional tales these men have. Usually in a series you know which books you liked best over the others (and I definitely have my favorites), but in this case I can say that I have truly enjoyed all the books in this series. KC Wells and Parker Williams have a writing style that is spot-on and character driven, which makes each of these books an individual treat. While there is an overall arc and backstory, each of these books is a standalone in its own right—except for this last one—which ties up several storylines and therefore, may be confusing if you have not read the books these men were featured in. I am so glad that this series didn’t stop after the first three, as the authors originally intended. This book does skip around a bit, trying to tie up loose ends for all the different couples, and to set you up for the new series coming, and I have to say that I understand why they wrote it that way, but I wish there had been more of just Darren and JJ. I feel like their relationship together, after the establishment of trust, wasn’t fully explored.
Darren Fielding owns the salon that many of the local Doms bring their boys to. He has seen first-hand the kind of intimacy and connection these men have together and craves that same connection for himself. He’s not a Dom, even though he has always had domineering tendencies and likes his sex on the rougher side. He’s a newbie, checking out the club and seeing if it fits with the direction he wants his life to go in. Walking into the club feels like coming home for him—but taking on the responsibility of a submissive is huge and Darren, while anticipating it, is still apprehensive. However, he cannot ignore the instant chemistry and connection he feels toward the bartender at the club.
“And the idea that one day Darren could find someone to depend on him, to gaze at him with the overwhelming intensity that Peter had when he and Thomas were together? Yes, he wanted that. More than anything in life, he wanted someone to care for. To share a life with. To know he would be the guiding light for someone would be more than Darren could hope for.”
JJ Taylor is a mess. He’s lived with lies for so long he doesn’t know if he can come out from behind the walls he has built up around himself. Seeing and talking to Darren is scary and wonderful all at the same time, but he doesn’t know if he can open up and have the kind of relationship that Darren wants from him. Learning that he is submissive, and embracing that aspect of his personality, leads him to develop relationships with the other submissives at the club and teaches him that not all people are out to deceive him.
“The level of trust between Doms and subs. God, he wanted that. He longed for it. To have someone who believed in him. Someone he could trust in. Someone who’d keep him grounded in the here and now, rather than letting him dwell on the past fiction that was his life. He’d watched them at the club. Ben had Scott. Leo had Alex. Thomas had Peter. And there were others too. “I want that too.” He whispered his heartfelt desire, let it out into the open in the hope that someone heard it.”
I think it is apropos that this last book is about two men who are so new to the lifestyle. After all, Collars & Cuffs will continue on even if the men inside it change and evolve, and it is also apropos that the book ends with Jarod and Eli beginning their journey to Secrets, their new BDSM club in London. This book puts a period on what is an amazing series. Well done!
Reviewed by Carrie for The Novel Approach Reviews
karentje's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic read and a heartwarming way to end this amazing series. I thought it was great to have a story about a couple where both partners are newbies to the BDSM scene and learn together. Darren has been interested in the D/s lifestyle for a while, but JJ started out with a decidedly more negative view of BDSM, and his feelings have only recently changed. JJ joined Collars & Cuffs as a barman for reasons of his own and didn’t expect to be so intrigued by what he learns. I loved reading about his changed perspective, and it was very moving to see him grow closer to the submissives of the club, Peter especially. JJ has difficulty trusting people, which causes him to hide or try to handle stuff on his own when he’d be better off reaching out for help. JJ grows a lot throughout the story, both on his own strength and with the help of Darren. Some of JJ’s pain is self-inflicted in a way, as he pushed away his mom, for understandable reasons, but then hung on to his anger a bit too long. JJ’s mom is unexpected but lovely, and I really liked what she brought to the story. What also made me love this story is that we get to reconnect with old favorites and see how the other couples from previous books in this series are doing. It’s bittersweet, but I was glad we got to see all of them living their HEA and still being happy and being there for each other when things get rough. Everyone gets a little time in the spotlight, but my favorite storylines, apart from the main one revolving around Darren & JJ, were those for Pietro and Miles, who take an important step forward in their relationship, and of course, Jarrod and Eli. They account for one of the new beginnings referenced in the title and pave the way for the Secrets series.
Narration: Joel Leslie is a masterful narrator, and he did a superb job with his performance of this story. There are so many characters to keep track of, each with their own distinct voice and accent, and he manages to bring them all to life in the best way and makes it seem effortless. I very much enjoyed listening to his narration and loved the emotion he brought to it.
Narration: Joel Leslie is a masterful narrator, and he did a superb job with his performance of this story. There are so many characters to keep track of, each with their own distinct voice and accent, and he manages to bring them all to life in the best way and makes it seem effortless. I very much enjoyed listening to his narration and loved the emotion he brought to it.
liliths's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
atheresa's review against another edition
3.0
2+ stars. Darren and JJ's story was too short and not fully developed. Their development as Dom and sub skipped so many steps it felt "instant". I was expecting more mentoring from the experienced Doms and subs. Darren and JJ did not interact nor socialize with other club members as a D/s couple. They were not interested in the activities at the club, maybe because they didn't do anything hardcore - I just don't know. But it would have been nice to see them become part of the big Collars and Cuffs family.
JJ's family history was a wicked twist to the series! It was great to see the other couples and have the next series set up, but it could have been interwoven more smoothly. It read as though Darren and JJ's story was broken up by several novellas. This book was a let down after the awesome [b:Dom of Ages|27878173|Dom of Ages (Collars and Cuffs, #7)|K.C. Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1448217098s/27878173.jpg|47871091].
JJ's family history was a wicked twist to the series! It was great to see the other couples and have the next series set up, but it could have been interwoven more smoothly. It read as though Darren and JJ's story was broken up by several novellas. This book was a let down after the awesome [b:Dom of Ages|27878173|Dom of Ages (Collars and Cuffs, #7)|K.C. Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1448217098s/27878173.jpg|47871091].
rowan108's review
5.0
I was confused in the beginning with all the jumping around but in the end I loved the closure to one of my favorite series. I wonder will Eli and Jarrod have a spin off book?
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