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kayimreading 's review for:

Salt Kiss by Sierra Simone
2.0

Where to begin with this one?
2 stars.
I started reading this ARC about a month ago and after a few pages put it down because I couldn’t get into it. I missed the pub date for this one but was able to get the audiobook from my local library through the Hoopla app. I’m glad I went this route and listened to it rather than read it because I probably would not have finished if not for the audiobook. I LOVED Sierra Simones other works such as American Queen, American King, and Priest, even loved her collab with Julie Murphy for A Merry Little Meet Cute. I knew my girl was into filthy, dirty things and DO NOT GET ME WRONG, I LOVE that stuff sometimes too, but this book was primarily kink based with no plot in sight.

Mark is Tristans dad’s new wife’s brother….so he is his step uncle? And he owns Lioness, a huge well known but underground kink club? Tristan is a virgin in his late 20’s but also a war veteran 4 times over. After returning from war and killing his best friend who tried to kill one of the assests they were hired to protect, he ends up accepting a job as. Body guard for Mark at his kink club. Next thing we know, Mark and Tristan are fucking like rabbits all over the club and on trips and Tristan is in love with Mark. Mark asks Tristan to go get his FIANCÉ who lives in Ireland and sail her back home to America for their wedding. Isolde is basically marrying Mark as a transaction and ALSO a virgin who then sleeps with Tristan. Tristan feels guilt for wanting Isolde and loving Mark at the same time. Turns out, once they get back to America after their 3 week sailing across the Atlantic fuck fest, Mark SAW them fucking the entire time and then BOOM the book ends.

OKAY???
The plot stopped existing. It was like fever dream inserts of Mark and Tristan fucking and Tristans thoughts and that was really it. Time slips away and instead we get tiny fragments of what’s happening through Tristans POV. I will note that the prologue was Mark speaking with his twin sister ( not Tristan’s dads wife) about a diabolical plan and I feel like in the next book it will be revealed that Mark used Tristan to get to his powerful dad someway and that will crush the poor delusional boy. ALSO- because Mark deals in information exchange and is behind HUGE political power plays which we see come to light in the book, I bet money that Mark is the one who paid Tristans friend to try to assassinate the prime minister of whatever which caused Tristan to kill his best friend. Will ALSO crush that fucking guys heart. But I’m sure he will be forgiven, Tristan will still fuck him and his fiance and all will be right in the world.

Just didn’t do much for me. But if you like sex & are into kinks, this is your book.