Safe Words: A Deviations Novel

De: Chris OWen, Jodi Payne

Narrado por: Maxx Power

In Safe Words, which picks up where the Deviations series left off, Tobias, Noah and Phan are all working on finding their place, both at Bradford's club and in their personal lives. They're all living together, and Tobias has taken on the roll of full-time Dom, which he loves, but finds incredibly challenging.

While Noah finds comfort in the new state of things and is looking forward to deeper submission, Phan is finding it harder to strike a balance. Too many changes happening too fast are making Phan act out, and Tobias nor Noah are sure how to deal with it. Life is not perfect for Bradford, either, as he discovers new feelings for his sub Nikki. Can Tobias help his friend manage his job teaching the other Doms, and his relationships with Noah and Phan, or will the house that he's built for himself fall down around their ears?

The Deviations series includes: Deviations Submission, Deviations Domination, Deviations Discipline, and Deviations Bondage.

©2008-Present Jodi Payne & Chris Owen (P)2019 Jodi Payne & Chris Owen

Safe Words

Wow, I must say I was afraid Phantom might have pulled the plug. I love the growth and understanding that Noah and Tobias has under taken throughout this series. It only made them stronger in their relationship and able to be their to meet Phantom’s needs. I also, love that Tobias has Bradford as a confidant that’s he can rely on at anytime and vise versa. Most of all I love this series because it open your eyes on the types of male/ male relationships in the BDSM lifestyle.

GREAT SERIES!

Great series! I am so glad they kept the same narrator (Maxx Power) throughout the entire series. The narration was excellent. The authors does a great job with the characters. I always look forward to reading more in this series! I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Tobias, Noah & Phan happy at last

What happens when there is a violation of a safe word?

Safe words are used in various contexts in life, but with BDSM they are the way to stop a scene. Full stop. Sometimes it means the person can’t take anymore. Sometimes it means the intensity is unbearable. Sometimes it means this just isn’t working. Regardless of the reason, the scene is supposed to stop and there should be no repercussions. No hard feelings. Perhaps later there will need to be an examination of what happened. To be clear, safe words are rarely thrown around for the heck of it. There are always ramifications when they are used.

Also, to be clear, safe word violations can have long-reaching effects well beyond the participants of the scene. The repercussions can be felt within the scene as people re-evaluate their safety. Bottoms might feel uncertain if all the precautions are in place and Tops might feel that their protocols are being brought into question. They didn’t violate someone’s consent, but they might be cast in that same light.

But I digress. This book is the fifth in the Deviations Series and I enjoyed it as much as the others. Tobias and Noah are back, as strong as ever as a Dominant and submissive pairing. Phan, the third member of their threesome is also back, still dealing with some of his issues. The strength of the triad is admirable. Now that Tobias is training other Dominants, there is a new dynamic. Noah and Phan are sharing their own experience as submissives, Phan’s role being the most challenging. He also has the most stuff to work through but with Noah and Tobias to guide him, he is managing.

Again, I liked the dynamic between Tobias and Noah. I liked that they can release some of their hard-won control and embrace other roles in times of stress. A reminder that prescriptive roles can be changed up for short periods of time in a healthy way and an acknowledgement that we all need someone who understands us.

Bradford and Nikki are great secondary characters and as Tobias, Noah, and Phan integrate more into the club, these secondary characters come to the fore. I liked the men and almost wanted to know more about them.

This book has a good balance of sex, emotion, protocol, and BDSM. These are all elements that need to be balanced for a good relationship to work and to make a strong story. This was a good story and one I enjoyed. I’m sorry to see the series end but it is the perfect note to go off on.

Maxx Power is a great narrator. He has distinct voices for all the men and I’m never left in doubt of who is speaking. He has been consistent through the entire series and I’m grateful for that. This book is a stand-alone but much better enjoyed with the all the books which are now, fortunately, all available on audio. Another great listen.

Narration really detracted from the overall experience

The stories in this series have always been pretty good; from above average to excellent. But, the art of narration has taken on another level of expectation these days, what with good narrators being remarkable voice actors; thus, the category of Performance gains importance compared to the earlier days of audiobooks. In this regard, this series has suffered as it goes along. Some degree of condescension is acceptable for Doms, but by this book, Tobias’ voice makes my teeth clench, because his tone consistently sounds like he’s speaking to little children, even when he’s talking to other Doms. And, Bradford’s voice is so grating and annoying, I could barely finish the book, as he became more prominent in the story. I had to force myself to finish this one and I definitely won’t be listening to the next. It’s too bad, because this series could have gone from pretty good to fantastic with an outstanding voice actor.

Heart aches for Noah!

This book completely wrecked me! I feel like Noah was completely railroaded at every turn. Phan barged in at the generosity and kindness of Noah and was a whiney shit who pushed his way completely between Tobias and Noah. This is what Noah was so afraid of and was assured it would not happen. In my opinion Noah's contract with Tobias was not honored at all. Yes, Noah could have spoken up but it was Tobias' responsibility to insure Noah was taken care of. I feel that Noah was pushed to the back when he should have been in the front most of the time. I really enjoyed this series until book 3.