Finding Eden by Kele Moon
BDSM M/M Contemporary
August 19, 2011
E-Book
Ellora’s Cave
Reviewed by Mandi
Finding Eden is a prequel to Beyond Eden, which came out last year. In this book we discover how Paul and Danny’s relationship started, and just to what extent Paul goes to feel pain.
Paul and Danny have been friends for a long time and they both are in love with the same girl Eve. But Eve leaves to go off to college. (Beyond Eden starts with Eve coming home ten years later) Paul and Danny are left floundering in her absence. Paul and Danny both don’t have the greatest home life. Paul’s father is a marine and expects his son to act a certain way. Danny’s father is an alcoholic and even though his mother tries to make up for it, Danny can’t stand to be at home. Danny is bi-sexual, and very, very good at pleasing both men and women in bed. He has always been very attracted to Paul, but has never let on. That is until he discovers what Paul has been up to.
Because of a childhood filled with never being good enough, Paul has an extreme pain fetish – and put in the hands of an inexperienced or irresponsible Dom, things go very south for Paul quick. He refuses to use a safe word, and the Dom goes too far.
Danny puts an end to it, but Paul needs someone to submit too, and wants Danny to be that person. But Danny doesn’t know if he has it in him, but wants to care for his friend more than anything in the world.
Finding Eden really explores how Paul and Danny fall into a physical relationship and how Danny finally decides to become the Dom that Paul needs. This can definitely be read as a stand alone, however it ends with not a lot of resolution. If you read Beyond Eden, most of that resolution is resolved with the HEA. I still think Kele Moon is able to write another book that takes place before Beyond Eden because although this one explores Paul’s submission, we still don’t see how Danny comes to be this extraordinary Dom. And that is something I would love to see.
We get some very hot sex scenes – Kele Moon is one of my favorites for how she writes her sex scenes. Very intense, erotic and just plain out sexy. I’m more of a fan of m/m than m/m/f (which is the case for Beyond Eden) so I was happy to just have m/m scenes in this book.
I don’t think the emotional depth is as great as the first book, although I think Paul’s desperation to find who he is is portrayed well. And Danny rides that line of being a total jerk…but not. I love his alpha behavior. He is kind of nasty, but it works so well for him…and Paul.
Through this book Danny must decide if the next place his life goes is learning how to be Paul’s dominant. I wish we would have seen more of that. It ends rather abruptly, and I would have loved to see that part of Danny explored more.
This is a darker, erotic, bdsm book but I actually think I was taken more out of my comfort zone with Beyond Eden rather than this one. Or maybe I just knew what to expect more. Either way, both books I recommend
Rating: B
Recent Reviews:
Fiction Vixen – A
Leontine’s Book Realm – 4.5/5
Goodreads
Author’s Website l Series Listing
Kindle l Nook l Ellora’s Cave
Love, love Danny and Paul. Kele is the master of dirty, smutty, sex scenes! I can’t wait for Claiming Eden!
I JUST saw Claiming Eden. I had no idea she was writing another. YAY. NOW I get to see how Danny becomes a Dom :)
I’m very intrigued, though my comfort level where sex/pain is involved is pretty low. My reading experience with hard core bdsm is almost nil-what kind of “pain” is involved? If too spoiler-ish email me when you have a chance. thx.
Well…Paul has an extreme pain fetish. He not only likes total domination, but pain. Actual pain. It’s tough – but Kele Moon does it well.
I was about to comment on this post when I got your comment on my blog and had a bit of a blogger fan-girl moment LOL!
I prefer BDSM books when they are m/m instead of m/f. The last BDSM m/m book I read was Out of Focus by L. A. Witt and it was very good (maybe because both leads were dominants). This story sounds interesting and with a lot of character development which is very important in erotica, I’m also extremely curious about the sex scenes because if you say that you love how this author writes them they must be smoking hot! LOL I’m adding this one to my bottomless TBR pile…
Now that we’re on the m/m topic, did you read Muscling Through by J. L. Merrow? It was soooo good! I was actually disappointed that it was a novella because I just wanted more, and the heroes are British so you get the sexy accent as a bonus ;-P.
Oooh..I just read a LA Witt – I think AJ’s Angel – I need to check out her other stuff.
And yes, I read Muscling Through. I love the author’s voice – SO different. And the characters in that one..loved. Have you read Pricks and Pragmatism by her? That one is really good too.
I also like James Buchanan’s books – Cheating Chance is the first book in the series – you should check that one out too!
Enjoying your blog!
Loved Pricks and Pragmatism! I also got Camwolf but haven’t read it yet.
The L. A. Witt book was the one with the hero who was a tattoo artist right? I read that one and liked it even with the cheating ex-boyfriend. Haven’t read anything by James Buchanan though, I’m taking note of the name. Right now I’m reading A Note in the Margin by Isabelle Rowan, it seems to be a must read among m/m fans and I like the premise with the homeless hero, but it looks like a tearjerker.
Glad you like the blog, we’re in the middle of re-vamping it, if you stop by in two days you might not recognize it!
I’ve never heard of Isabelle Rowan…
I need to find out what your other must read m/m books are….
I have this one on my Kindle. Kele writes such intense characters. Really looking forward to reading this one.
Def intense…I’m team Danny!
Thanks again for taking the time to review!! Can’t wait to get Claiming Eden to you ::writes faster::
:D
Kele
I just found out about Claiming Eden..YAY!
Wonderful review Mandi! I really want to read this, but haven’t read Beyond Eden. Do you think it matters which I read first? And…I’m finding that when it comes to BDSM I like books that get into the characters’ heads. I like to know what they are thinking/feeling about their dominant/submissive role. (Hopefully that makes sense :)
They can both as standalones but I really think Beyond Eden first, and then the prequel Finding Eden.
Thank you Mandi!
I have such love for these characters!! I think we are all waiting to see Danny become the Dom we get to know in Beyond Eden ;)
I can’t wait!
Like the reviewer of this article, I thought Finding Eden ended abruptly and said so in a review and in the forums on Goodreads that there seemed to be something else needed as a bridge to Beyond Eden. Kele Moon responded with the the following explanation:
“There IS a second book.
The original version of the prequel was cut into two. . .I had to. . . Once Circe (the Pro-Domme) entered the picture it just felt different because so much of that part of the story is in her POV. Which is great fun, ’cause we finally see Danny and Paul from the outside looking in and I love, love, love that aspect of it. . . But, yeah. . . My CP pointed it out once I got into the Dom training and i had to agree. . . The whole feel of the book changes. . . So I cut it into two. . . and I like it better like this because that way Danny and Paul have one book that is just them. . . It’s about their friendship and their relationship without anyone else sexually in the picture.
Anyway . . .Here’s a short blurb I have up in my WIP page on my website about it :D
Claiming Eden–Fiercely loyal, Danny will do anything for his best friend and lover Paul. Yet when he turns to beautiful Mistress Circe for training to be a Pro-Dom, Danny is forced to learn how deep his love for Paul really goes. In order to train with her, Circe expects Danny to do the one thing he hates above all others–submit.
:D
Kele”
I am so excited to see this next book. Kele gave us a peek at a scene where Circe and Danny meet (which I don’t feel free to share) and Circe is really going to kick some butt in the next book. Now we all have something to look forward to – Danny training under a tough Domme and submitting. Had I known this when I rated Finding Eden, I would have given it 5 stars instead of four. :-D
Yeah – I had no idea that Claiming Eden was coming out. I should have searched her site!
This has me very excited. Danny submitting..zomg. I can’t wait!!!
Thanks for all of the info!
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