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A review by apappashorii
Puppuccino by Allison Temple
3.0
Puppuccino by Allison Temple was a fun, short novel that has both kink and romance all wrapped together. Charlie is still hurting from a past abusive relationship when he hires Mason to help him train his lovable but unruly husky Athena. Sparks immediately fly upon their first meeting and the novel goes from there, showing how Charlie and Mason come together first as friends-with-benefits and then something more.
I appreciated Temple's sensitivity in introducing the topic of abuse into the story. Thankfully, none of the abuse Charlie was subjected to by his ex appears on the page. Instead, the novel primarily focuses on how Mason helps Charlie grapple with the realization that his ex had been abusive. Through his care and attention, Mason demonstrates for Charlie healthy and consensual kink practices, rewriting the narrative Charlie's ex left behind. Watching Mason patiently support Charlie when they played together was both incredibly hot and tender.
That being said, the reason for the 3 star rating is because I wished the book was a bit more developed. The immediate sexual tension between Charlie and Mason could have been supported by more follow-up scenes that stressed their growing attraction for each other. Their first kiss, which was also immediately followed by sex, felt too early in the novel's overall plot. I wanted more pining. Also, thinking back, I'm having trouble remembering Mason's character, which is a shame. I loved Mason, but his side of the story seemed slightly overwhelmed by the novel's emphasis on Charlie and his past. A little more characterization of Mason would have helped the overall balance of the book.
Still, after reading both the first and second book of the Bold Brew series, I have a feeling that I'm going to like each successive novel more and more. I just hope not all of them are restricted by length. I want MORE not less.
I appreciated Temple's sensitivity in introducing the topic of abuse into the story. Thankfully, none of the abuse Charlie was subjected to by his ex appears on the page. Instead, the novel primarily focuses on how Mason helps Charlie grapple with the realization that his ex had been abusive. Through his care and attention, Mason demonstrates for Charlie healthy and consensual kink practices, rewriting the narrative Charlie's ex left behind. Watching Mason patiently support Charlie when they played together was both incredibly hot and tender.
That being said, the reason for the 3 star rating is because I wished the book was a bit more developed. The immediate sexual tension between Charlie and Mason could have been supported by more follow-up scenes that stressed their growing attraction for each other. Their first kiss, which was also immediately followed by sex, felt too early in the novel's overall plot. I wanted more pining. Also, thinking back, I'm having trouble remembering Mason's character, which is a shame. I loved Mason, but his side of the story seemed slightly overwhelmed by the novel's emphasis on Charlie and his past. A little more characterization of Mason would have helped the overall balance of the book.
Still, after reading both the first and second book of the Bold Brew series, I have a feeling that I'm going to like each successive novel more and more. I just hope not all of them are restricted by length. I want MORE not less.