Shades of Winter by E.M. Lindsay

Some holiday reads are sweet, some are steamy, but not many blend a hot, gruff marshmallow of a Dom with a needy, lingerie loving boy who is desperate for some structure and love in his life... and that's what you get from Shades of Winter by E.M. Lindsey!

From the Blurb:

The first time Dante saw Liam, he was in the club.

All leather.

And mesh.

And willing.

The second time Dante saw Liam, he was a client.

All cold.

And quiet.

And in danger.

Dante is nothing if not professional when it comes to his job as a bodyguard, but being hired on to protect the young cellist he’d once met in a dingy bathroom wasn’t high on his list of things to do for the holidays. Especially knowing that Dante can no longer touch him.

And it doesn’t help that Liam starts pushing every single one of his buttons after they find themselves snowbound with Liam’s stalker hot on their tail. Dante needs to find a way to draw a line between them, because he’s not willing to give up his career to have Liam in his bed. But he also knows he can’t ignore the one thing he’s figured out:

Liam needs a firm hand, and Dante knows how to give that to him.

At some point, Dante will have to make a choice between duty and pleasure, but he’s starting to wonder if that risk might not be worth everything.

Shades of Winter is a low angst, stand-alone, MM winter holiday romance featuring an age-gap, a grumpy bodyguard, a cellist who just wants to feel delicate, and a piping hot-toddy of a happily ever after.

Red's Book Reads Review:

When Liam and Dante briefly hook up in a club without exchanging names, they think that is it. Then Dante discovers that Liam is actually his next client who he had been hired to protect from a stalker. This is a hot, low angst read with a dose of kink. I loved how caring and protective Dante was of Liam and how he allowed Liam to be unashamedly himself. The whole story was really enjoyable and I was hooked from the start. Liam and Dante were just perfect together and I really hope we get more of them in future stories 

Rating: 5 Stars

Heather's Review:

I will say that after an abundance of Hallmark style holiday reading, Shades of Winter was a refreshing surprise waiting for me in my ARC TBR!

This book balances everything so well - the kink, the plot, the steam, the characters - it just nails them all!  I absolutely love how both Dante and Liam are portrayed and the suspense and angst of the stalker help to provide just enough outside drama to help the story from becoming too insta-love or too slow burn.

The kink that is explored in Shades of Winter is fairly basic - Daddy kink with a little restraint, orgasm control, blindfolds, spanking and just a touch of humiliation play, but again, it fits seamlessly into the story!

Rating: 5 Stars