Book Reviews

Book Blurb

A hesitant Dominant. A hopeful submissive. One shared leap of faith toward forever.

Luke Redding runs The Retreat with military precision, but the one thing he can’t command is the connection he craves with a submissive of his own. Surrounded by fulfilled couples and intimate power exchanges, he’s certain fate has overlooked him—until a well-meaning friend thrusts Skye Ingham into his life. Quiet, silver-haired, and overwhelmed by the chaos of the wider BDSM scene, Skye is everything Luke doesn’t expect… and exactly what he needs.

 

Skye longs to understand his submissive desires, and Luke’s steady presence gives him the safety he’s never had. Under Luke’s guidance, Skye begins to bloom, trusting the Dominant who tests his limits with patience and care. But Luke’s deepest struggle isn’t training a new sub—it’s believing he’s worthy of Skye’s faith in him.

 

As The Retreat prepares for a grand house party, desire grows, boundaries shift, and a fragile bond strengthens into something neither man can deny. But claiming a future together means confronting fears, challenging old wounds, and making one courageous promise: trust, once given, must be protected at all costs.

 

 

Includes exclusive KU bonus scenes not in the original release.

First edition published at Pride Publishing, April 2019.

Book Review

An ex-military Dom who yearns for a submissive of his own and a young sub looking for a Dom to belong to is the story behind Luke and Skye in this second book of L.M. Somerton’s ‘The Retreat’ series. These are wonderful cross-over stories from the author’s ‘Tales from the Edge’ books which I absolutely love and still has my all-time favorite sub, Olly. Much like with the first book in this series I was drawn right into the story and the fantasy of working at a place like the Retreat.

Luke served in the Navy for fifteen years but resigned his commission to take care of a dying parent. He is the perfect manager for the Retreat but being stuck down in Hampshire on an estate where the guests mostly have their own partners and the limited staff members are not ones he has shown any interest in has left him feeling far too lonely. Alistair, Carey’s sub, discovered Skye and hired him at the Underground but both men recognized that the club’s more hectic environment isn’t a great match for this young man who grew up on a farm. Of course, a little matchmaking by the two of them isn’t too far from the truth as they need to make sure their manager remains happy, and finding him a sub to train and care for, not to mention one who will be an asset to the Retreat, is all in a day’s work. *grins*

It doesn’t take Luke very long to realize that he wants Skye for his own sub and not to just train him for someone else to have. Skye, of course, wants Luke with everything in him and he’s beyond thrilled when all of his dreams come true. It was such fun watching the goings-on at the Retreat when they had a large group of guests from an unknown BDSM club in Manchester, Collars and Cuffs *snicker*. The author has a way of writing that makes me feel as if I’m right there in the thick of things and loving every moment.

I truly can’t wait for the next installment in this series. These are such wonderful romances with naughty kink, little to no drama, and a beautiful setting with wonderful characters. I’m really looking forward to Tor’s story as the dominant chef for the Retreat is very intriguing and if the author pairs him with Rayne, the chauffeur, then I’ll be equally happy. Until next time, Lu, thank you for another wonderful love story!

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. The first edition of this book was purchased by the reviewer.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 205 pages/63723 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	27-January-2026
Price	$3.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.firstforromance.com/book/trusting-him-special-edition