title: Bloom
author: Helen Hardt
publisher: Entangled: Amara
publication date: August 22, 2023
pages: 352
peppers: 4 (on this scale)
warnings: consensual sexual violence
summary: Frankie, mad about the announcement of her sister's engagement on the day that was supposed to be her own wedding day, flees to a bar where she meets a man in a Phantom of the Opera costume. They strike up a conversation and eventually go to a leather club. She enjoys learning about the BDSM lifestyle while he breaks all of his regular rules about not getting emotionally attached to his subs.
tropes:
- failed engagement/cheating fiancé
- sister's wedding
- masked man
what I liked: the two main characters are nice to each other and learn that they're worthy of love.
what I didn’t like: the book was very repetitive and felt somewhat like a manual about the BDSM lifestyle more than it felt like a novel about two characters.
overall rating: 3 (of 5 stars)