Judgment of the Moon and Stars [Suncoast Society‪]‬

Judgment of the Moon and Stars (Suncoast Society, Book 72)

Past trauma's a strange thing. It can make or break you. For Jackson Crowder, it's a double-edged sword. Destroyed by betrayal, he's moved beyond that deceit and made a life for himself. Teacher, head of the social studies department, and leader of Sorrellson Academy's development and expansion committee, he has everything he needs. Or does he? Being a Dom and kinky doesn't exactly fit his job description. Noah Mayes is a man in hiding. A homophobic family has pushed him deep into the closet. And while his job isn't threatened by the fact he's gay, he has no way of knowing how his submissiveness or kink would affect it. He's virtually no way of meeting other gay or kinky men. When both Noah and Jackson show up at the Toucan in St. Pete, it's kismet. The attraction is sizzling. They have a magical, perfect night. But when Noah's literally pulled out of bed by a phone call, the only one who can handle a work-related catastrophe, his focus is only on his job. There's just one problem. The only thing he knows about Jackson is his FetLife name. Last names and contact information fell by the wayside the night before. After all, there was plenty of time for that later, right? In the chaos surrounding the freak accident, Noah's forgotten Jackson's FetLife name. With nothing else to go on, Noah knows that one perfect night, the promise of something he craves, is now gone. Jackson made it very clear he does NOT chase after anyone. But Jackson's living in his own purgatory. Has yet another seemingly perfect man ghosted? He won't chase. His past's proven just how that will end. It's all or nothing. Is this the end for these two? When fate steps in once again, is it another chance? Does either have the ability to see beyond the obvious? Jackson's so sure he's put his past behind him. But will that certainty take away the man he can't forget? Noah's fear of coming out, his family, his terror at committing to the one man he could possibly love for life, have the potential to destroy him. One thing is clear. This relationship has virtually no chance of succeeding. The only thing that could possibly save it is truth, honesty, and most of all, trust. Is either even capable of that? If not, Noah and Jackson have lost the best thing ever to happen to them!

I loved Jackson and Noah. Over and above the BDSM that's integral to the story, these two are fascinating in completely opposite ways. Jackson's mysterious past has affected every portion of his life, his love life most of all. Trust is nonexistent. And that's what makes Jackson so compelling. He longs for love. He needs BDSM. Dominance is at the core of his very being. How do you reject what's soul deep? And while he knows exactly who and what he is, how do you deny a core tenet of BDSM? Noah's the complete opposite. Deeply in the closet, terrified of the losing his family but furious with their homophobia and religious fanaticism, craving love and the submission so crucial to him, he's torn in two. How does he find what he longs for? What options does he have? Just when all seems lost, these two find each other, a perfect fit. That they immediately lose each other with virtually no hope of ever reconnecting simply broke my heart. Once again, tissue alert! I cried throughout this book. It's just that heartrending and packed with emotion. Ms. Dalton has done it again. The story's complex. With never a dull moment, there are twists and turns you never see coming. And at the heart of it all, there's the one thing that pulls me into nearly every book she's written...the beauty, complexity, and infinite variety of the BDSM lifestyle. I absolutely adored this story! Thank you, Ms. Dalton! This book is captivating! I couldn't put it down. It deserves far more than five stars!

A final note. This is an ADULT book. It contains explicit language and BDSM sexual scenes. If you don't enjoy this genre, this may not be the book for you. There are book synopses and reviews available on Goodreads and all booksellers' websites. Use these resources. DON'T LEAVE A NEGATIVE REVIEW WHEN YOU KNOW YOU WON'T ENJOY THE BOOK. It's not fair to the author. She works hard to provide a quality work product. If you know you'll object to a book's subject matter before you buy it, you're doing yourself and the author an extreme disservice.

Thanks for reading my review and happy reading!