Chain-Male by Angelia Sparrow and Naomi Brooks is a delightful glimpse at a quirky romantic pairing. Its optimistic, sunny tone may pleasantly surprise the readers who know the authors for the edgy, dark quality of their backlist. These authors often tempt me to read outside of my usual preferences and I’m never disappointed. Here, they kept my interest in a story that contains little or no obvious conflict. Two guys meet, experience mutual attraction, and become a couple. Ordinarily, I’d want some obstacles thrown in their path to power the plot, but Chain-Male easily held my interest through the appealing characters, their fascinating subculture, and especially the fine writing that brought their surroundings alive with cinematic clarity. The title connects to Jace, who makes chainmail jewelry, but it also refers to Chad’s bondage fantasies. The subtle BDSM theme keeps the romance from getting too sweet.

The story unfolds in the viewpoint of Chad, a 26 year-old virgin who works in the university library. Chad’s college years have already passed in a blur of studying, and now he’d like to have fun. He’s innocent and nerdy but has a high sex drive fueled by slightly kinky fantasies of being bound and dominated sexually. He audits a history course where he meets easygoing Jace, who is ruggedly attractive with powerful hands. Jace wears a metal-link bracelet, one of several pieces of chainmail jewelry that he makes in his spare time. The two start dating, and Jace introduces Chad the fascinating subculture of historical re-enactors. At a weekend festival, Chad stretches his boundaries as he meets re-enactors, pagans, eccentrics, free spirits, and one sinister “dom”.

Val for AReCafe ( )