In The Rough has an intriguing blurb, but the book just didn't work for me. The storyline and characters left me bored.

Marcus Holly is most comfortable working behind the scenes as the kinky club expands to offer a fully immersive VR experience but all of his carefully contained desires start spinning out of control when meets the club Dom, Enver Furst. Enver relies too heavily on tactile stimulation to buy into Marcus VR playground, but when becomes Marcus skilled text subject the results are immediate, addictive and he’s never experienced anything so raw and powerful.

Readers can’t help but become caught up in the emotional turmoil and intense volcanic heat of this gripping romance as comfort zones are deliciously shattered and a dangerous obsession will force Enver and Marcus to fight for the reality they’ve created together. Despite the magnetic attraction, sizzling chemistry and scorching passion that heats up the pages, the romance between Enver and Macus is a slow, sensuous burns as Enver and Marcus discover the intense pleasure in and out the virtual playground and reader can’t resist the pull of these strong, captivating characters as the relationship is threatened by the emotional mayhem created by this growing attraction.

The story is steady paced and full of intense heat and thrilling suspense along with a dangerous stalker that is determined to end Marcus’s happiness…forever. Surprising twists, friendships and great technical aspects including some really hot virtual reality kink further enhance this emotionally gripping and intriguingly spicy romance that readers can’t help but be captivated by.

I can't quite put my finger on the reasons why In the Rough wasn't everything I wanted it to be, and that's frustrating. It just seems like there's some elements just out of my grasp that would've made this a 5-star read, but they were missing.

I liked Marcus and Enver well enough, but I had a hard time connecting to them individually and as a couple. I don't think we got enough of Enver's backstory to flesh him out entirely. He seems like a character with lots of layers, and it feels like we only got the top layer in this book. And while we definitely got more of Marcus' past in this book, it's his present that I still find confusing. I don't entirely understand his business, and I also don't find it entirely believable. It all felt very "Matrix-y" and fantastical. I was also slightly confused by both Marcus' and later Enver's relationship with Zoie. I honestly feel like the story would've been better without her.

I loved the danger element - that bit of fear and excitement is always a pleasure in books, especially when that danger serves as a backdrop to a budding romance. I also really loved reading about Enver when he was in his element at the club. Those were probably my favorite parts of the book - I could've used more of them.

This was my first Sara Brookes book, and after this one, I'm definitely curious about the other books she's written. She's definitely a good writer, and while I may have had issues with the character development, I feel like she's got something special with this series.

This was okay... different. A BDSM club that has moved forward, and more agressively, decided to get into VR. While Marcus works on his pride and joy of a program, he enlists Enver to assist. Both of them together were kind of sweet, of a little awkward at first. There was a lot of back and forth over not wanting to get involved on both sides, but mostly Enver. In the end, of course they get together and they're perfect for each other.

It was a nice and different story because of the technology that is very present in the scenes that Marcus and Enver have together. That alone is what kept me coming back to read more. And I liked it for the most part. I got over the over protective Alpha Male Rawr stuff, and really appreciated the softer side of Enver, the sweetness of Marcus.

In the Rough by Sarah Brookes is the third book in the Noble House Kink series. I really loved this book. I love geeky characters that are a little awkward and Marcus is certainly that. He has a very sweet nature that makes you want him to have a shot with the guy of his dreams.
Enver needs Marcus. He needs the freshness that Marcus can bring to his life he also needs the challenge. Someone to take him out of his own head and allow him to focus on them. I loved that.
As a BDSM story as a whole, this is a fresh take on it. I loved that. This is truly something I have not seen before and that made me want to read more. This is not hardcore BDSM more like soft or light. I like my stories on the more romantic side and this one is that. I have not read any of the previous books in this series. I was not lost in this book. I found myself really drawn to the style of writing in this book, and the well-developed characters. I really highly recommend this one. It is a book that you can read on its own and understand just fine, but if you are me this book makes you want to go back read what I missed, and I cannot wait for more!


Five Shooting Stars

Beautiful geek-er-y within this M/M BDSM tale. Brookes has made a niche within the M/M community that I didn't realize was missing. Well plotted with minor descriptive changes, this novel brings readers into the story.

*Received Advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

Can I just say I totally want to try out the virtual reality system in this book... I mean wow!

Now that I got that out of my system, In the rough was a really good read. The relationship between Enver and Marcus is a little non-traditional with a side of kink that makes it fun. I really enjoyed Enver's protective side and take charge personality when it surfaced, it was pretty HOT!!

I didn't know this was part of a series until I started reading, and I will definitely purchase the first two books. I really enjoyed this story, my heart broke for Marcus and his past, and his belief that he wasn't due any sort of happiness. I think Enver is the perfect choice for Marcus.

I’m finding that the books in this series have all been hitting me the same way: I love the unique twist to this kink club, I love the people involved, and I love the power exchanges. But something always falls a bit short to keep me from truly falling in love.

In the Rough brings kink to the cutting edge of technology. Marcus is a technical wizard, crafting a virtual reality world that immerses the user in a dimension of sound, touch, smell and feeling that successfully imitates real life. Put it to work in a kink club and the possibilities are endless. With the resident Dom, Enver, as his guinea pig, Marcus pulls him into an intriguing world of virtual sex, where the feelings are just as real and the emotions just as strong. But a person from Marcus’ history was out to destroy him, and keeping his present and his past from meeting was something Marcus intended to do at all costs.

I loved the relationship between these two men and the way two people, so clearly opposite from one another, fit together so perfectly. But what caused me angst was the idea that Marcus couldn’t share this burden with his new lover because he wanted to protect him. I find that infinitely frustrating. With the intimacy required in the type of BDSM relationship between these two men, I found it infuriating that the past was something neither of these men truly wanted to discuss.

In addition, I felt that the story went on for longer than it needed to in order to fully get across the tale. Up until about the 70% mark, I was enjoying most everything about this book. But it should have ended there. Instead, it went on after I felt it would have been a perfect place to wrap up, and rather than giving me more insight into this couple that I genuinely liked, it seemed to drag on for me, overstaying its welcome. I actually found it disappointing that it didn’t end when I feel it should have.

The Noble House Kink series is truly unique, combining technology with human emotions that would not ordinarily seem to go together. But it works and is a new take on an enjoyable theme. My idiosyncrasies when reading this story may not be everyone else’s, so I would still recommend taking a peek into this VR world.

In the rough is a thrilling adventure that will have you turning each page wanting more. The start was slow but picked up real quick and got hot and heavy fast. The story follows Marcus, a techie that has designed a device offering a virtual experience unlike any other. The device simulates real world scenarios that imitate all the senses. Marcus is also has past that he is running from that has left scars and made relationships difficult to have. Enver, a Dom at Noble House is asked to help Marcus with recreating experiences their members enjoy and hope to experience. Whilst working together they learn a lot about themselves but also find that their pasts aren't that dissimilar.

this was unique...interesting.. funny and kept me on my toes.. i enjoyed it a lot and i love when i find a book that isn't as "normal" as others.. this one had kinks and fun things going on. i loved it

Enver and Marcus
All the 5 stars !!
This is a story with a lot going on. The way of writing was excellent. It had a great portion of suspense in it and done in a tremendous and original way. The D/s part was wonderful. The unconditional love was heartwarming. Both men beautifully flawed. For me a 5 star read!!

Enver is the Noble House resident Dom, a kinky club. When he meets Marcus who will create a virtual kinky world for the club his feelings are all over the floor. Marcus is impressed by Enver as Dom and person and will use him to experience the virtual world with him... this way he can keep him close.
They grow closer and closer. Both men have secrets... Enver reveals his and Marcus just can’t.
When the danger from Marcus his past is catching up... it was devastating and heartbreaking.

I loved both men, their personalities were strong and convincing. The dynamic between them was one of push and pull and that was great done. The angst real and palpable.
A strong written story I loved immensely!!

Kindly received an arc from the publisher

I was happy to finally get to Enver's story. He's pretty much a closed book when you see him in the previous stories, so I was eager to finally learn more about him.

Marcus had such a dark past. I wasn't surprised that he struggled with having a life and any happiness. But he was perfect for Enver, and seeing them together was magic. I don't know much about rope bondage, but it was definitely hot!

Three stars

An interesting premise for a story and pretty well executed but it wasn't in the category of "I couldn't put it down!'

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

Extremely Hot! What more can I say? If you like gay erotica or gay romance, you'll love this book. I highly recommend this!

I found this book a bit on the confusing side. It was hard to decipher if their sessions were in the real world or the virtual world. It became hard to connect with characters when you weren't able to figure out if they are in the virtual world and it's real or if they are in the current world and if they were real. I just found it hard to keep up, and I had to keep going back to figure out what was happening.

This book was a bit of a struggle to get through. I didn't know that it was the third book in a series (even though it stood on its own pretty well, there were just definitely couples I could tell had had their own story and were in the background through this one), and I never really connected with the characters.

I had requested this because I thought the premise of kink being in a VR setting was different. This book seemed to focus a LOT of the VR part of it, the technical things about it, and how it was being used. I wanted to know more about the characters, what had made Enver the way he was in regards to being a dom and ending things with his past sub, and what had happened to Marcus in his past. I wanted hot kink, some hurt/comfort maybe, some emotion between the two, but I just didn't feel like I got that, to be honest.

I don't know. I think this had a lot of elements that could have made it a 4 star read for me, but when I don't get that connection between the 2 MCs, well, that's a big part of my reading enjoyment.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

•´¸.•*´¨¸.•*¨)
ღ✿•*¨I came for the virtual world and stuck around for the story that came out of it. I cannot say I am a fan of the BDSM word, I enjoy the D/s aspect of it at times in my reads, but this one left me wanting just a little bit more. Maybe it was the world already set up and nope, uh-no, I do not run toward MF, MFM, MMFbooks, but I got the jist of things and was glad to know I could somehow have this be a stand-alone book. I just felt i was missing a chunk of time.

But Marcus and Enver mad up for a lot with their dysfunctional relationship. I won't lie, I got the mystery and all, but I would have liked a bit of backstory earlier for both men in order to form better opinions. Their scenes together, both in and out of the virtual world were hot and just proved despite all the drama, the chemistry was real.

I will keep my eyes open should more MM books become available in this universe.

Marcus is a scarred, wounded, scared man. Hiding from his past, hoping it doesn't catch up to him. Hiding in his VR universe. Setting up a program for an online BDSM club brings him into contact with Enver.

Part owner of the club, hiding secrets of his own. Enver is extremely attracted to Marcus. Fighting the feelings because he no longer allows himself to experience the emotions sex would bring him.

Marcus come to an agreement to set up a VR program involving BDSM for Noble House. Not realizing that the two worlds he lives in are going to crash together in a spectacular way.

Both men fight their demons, but usually the demons win. The demon Marcus tries to to forget comes back into his life with vengeance on his mind. Endangering them both.

I admit I was lost with the VR stuff. I liked the characters, as well as the secondary ones. The BDSM seemed realistic. Nice book, I haven't read the others in the series, don't feel like I needed to for this one.

I want to start by saying Sara Brookes is a new to me author. I enjoyed the book and would be interested in reading more by her, HOWEVER, this book was just so so. It did not really hook me and I really did not feel like there was a connection between the characters. Don't get me wrong, physically there was chemistry and it was HOT, when Marcus could get his mind out of the programming and into where he was. I do know IT people who are like that, so it was realistic. I just felt like it took away from the story. Points of view kept changing and there were parts that changed in the same paragraph. This book is part of a series, did not know that. It did not take away from the book and I did not feel like I was missing anything due to not reading the other books.
There were parts of the book that kept me interested and on the edge of my seat. The suspense portion was very well written. The relationship and interactions between the characters were left lacking. I will go back and read the others in the series, just because I am curious and also I want to see what happens next.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.