WILLING VICTIM and BRUTAL GAME (Flynn and Laurel Duet) by CARA McKENNA :: DUAL REVIEW

‘A man capable of things few women would welcome.
A man capable of exactly what Laurel wanted, tonight.’

It’s been nearly 5 years since we became engrossed in the erotic story between Michael Flynn (Flynn) and Laurel White. Five years since we first sampled this authors work and became immediate fans. Although we remember everything about Willing Victim, we decided to do a re-read before diving into Brutal Games, the highly hoped for, and much anticipated follow up, and we’re so glad we did.

“I’m happy to be your fuckbuddy, Laurel, but I’m not afraid of getting attached to you either. I’m a pretty simple creature.”

Willing Victim has been digitally remastered with an extended ending however we read off our old copies so our review is based on this. We wanted to familiarise ourselves with the story build, allowing the emotion from Willing Victim to spill over into Brutal Games.

“Sex is…I don’t know, it’s like the realest sort of human experience I got, aside from fighting. It’s hard, going without.”

It is imperative that you read these books in order as Brutal Games picks up 8 months after WV. Besides being a must read, it’s an incredibly erotic and scorching hot read. Whilst not a particularly long read, what it lacks in pages it more than makes up for in character development, story and blistering sex!

Flynn oozes potent virility from every pore. A construction worker by day, an underground MMA fighter, which he does as a form of stress release, on the odd weekend. Flynn is commanding and demanding in the bedroom; and his dirty mouth… pass the fan!  However, beneath the tough exterior of this Boston bloke who possesses ‘textbook working class Boston Irishness” lies a soft and yielding side.

She watched him wind tape around his palms and wrists. “You have no clue how manly you are, do you.” He cocked an eyebrow but didn’t reply.

Laurel White suffers with confidence issues and has her own kind of needs in the bedroom. She’s broached the issue with former boyfriends much to their horror. With Flynn she finds the release she so craves. In Laurel, Flynn finds a woman who is in tune emotionally and physically to his needs.

“I’m just a willing body.”

We desperately craved an epilogue in WV, however, once we found out BG’s was a possibility we looked forward to one being in there, sadly we’re sort of bummed there wasn’t one. Brutal Games was a terrific journey into the progression of this couples relationship and how it is tested. Although the ending wasn’t ambiguous, we felt we needed a little more closure as it were.

‘She could turn him inside-out with a few whispered pleas.’

We loved the passion, the eroticism, the emotion and the strength of the characters in these books. Cara McKenna has delivered some truly gripping and sincere characters who wear their heart on their sleeve which was so refreshing. Her character building is exquisite. We lived and breathed Boston as though we were in the moment and again we were in awe of this author’s talent.

There is an author warning regarding rape scenes however as everything that happens in the bedroom between Laurel and Flynn is completely consensual, we didn’t feel uncomfortable or shocked. Quite the contrary. We found their exploration of their own brand of kink to be bloody hot!

‘Tonight was hers. Tomorrow could go fuck itself.’