Today, I’m hosting and reviewing Ace Fawn’s brand new release Sold, book one in the Rich Men series, a m/m contemporary romance.
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Title: Sold
Series: Rich Men, book one
Author and Publisher: Ace Fawn
Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance
Tropes: Forced proximity, opposites attract
Themes: Captive romance, billionaire romance, sexual awakening, one-sided hate
Release Date: October 25, 2023
Heat Rating: 5 flames
Length: 63 000 words
Sold. Collared. Owned.
Michael
Michael Kreed is a wealthy man with the world in the palm of his hand, and he’s looking for a new pet. What he craves comes in the form of Hunter, a young man with a gorgeous, lean body, an attitude, and a determination not to yield. Michael wants to keep Hunter unbroken, but is it worth pursuing a relationship with his new obsession?
Hunter
Hunter’s life changes forever when he is sold at an auction to a sophisticated, handsome billionaire named Michael. Collared and made into his pet, Hunter resists his owner and craves to have his freedom and old life back. But is the new life that Michael is offering him better than the only one he’s ever known?
Content Warnings: This book contains explicit M/M sexual content and includes kidnapping, a human auction, involuntary collaring, spanking, chipping, restraints, and the use of a Taser. Reader discretion is advised.
Note: It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.
Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited
Amazon US Author Page | Amazon UK Author Page
Michael moved in closer, and Hunter shut his eyes. The only two things he could focus on were Michael’s fresh cologne and the feel of the collar as Michael put it on around his neck.
Hunter opened his eyes when he sensed that Michael had moved away.
A small smile spread across Michael’s clean-shaven face as he observed Hunter with his piercing blue eyes. “That’s better. I knew a collar would look stunning on you.”
Hunter stared, horrified. Letting Michael put the collar around his neck was an act of submission. And Hunter hated it. He hated Michael for buying him and forcing him into something he didn’t want to be a part of. It was clear to Hunter by the way Michael had spoken to him that he was the type of man you didn’t say no to. The type of man that got whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.
That only fueled Hunter’s anger toward him.
But he was also confused. What did a man like Michael want from him?
Questions ran rampant in Hunter’s mind. His mouth was painfully dry, and he felt a headache coming on. The silence and those eyes on him, watching him … it was all too much.
“Where are you taking me?” Hunter finally managed to ask.
“To my home. I’m sure you will come to like it.”
Why did it matter whether Hunter liked it or not? He was being taken against his will.
“I want to know where exactly. I’m still in the States, right?” Hunter asked.
Michael’s gaze wandered over Hunter’s body before settling on his face, making Hunter’s skin grow hot.
“We are still on home soil, my dear pet,” Michael said, purring the last word and making Hunter’s stomach flutter with a mix of emotions. Disgust. Fear. Anger. It all balled into one and consumed his entire being, making his body tremble.
“You have a lot to learn, but that will all have to wait until we get home,” Michael said.
Just the state he was in—sold against his will, wearing a straitjacket, and forced into a collar—made Hunter realize that he was at the mercy of a complete stranger. Michael clearly was a wealthy man, and if he had money, then he surely had power.
It all proved that Hunter had no control over what happened to him next. What would Michael do to him? What would Michael make him do? The sheer realization of his predicament sent a spike of panic through his entire being. Feeling sick to his stomach, Hunter breathed harder. He felt like he was suffocating, and no matter how much air he tried to gulp in, it still wasn’t enough.
Hunter looked away and closed his eyes. Swallowed once, twice, but saliva refused to fill his parched mouth and throat. Fuck. Was he going to throw up?
“Calm down, Hunter. Breathe,” Michael said.
All Hunter could think about was what type of freaky shit awaited him. Was Michael going to make him his personal sex slave? Was he going to force him to star in porno films?
When a hand settled on his shoulder, Hunter startled and gasped for breath. He opened his eyes and stared at the man who had stolen his life from him.
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First off, if you read the blurb, you will see this is a very dark romance that deals with human sex trafficking. So you’ve been warned. I was warned, and I went on to read anyway.
The book opens with Michael purchasing Hunter at an auction. Hunter is drugged and has no idea what’s going on, and wakes to find himself in a private jet. From there, he fights for his freedom.
I must say I felt for Hunter. Backstory isn’t fed to the reader until much, much later in the novel. I think the author should have fed this in early in the novel to give the reader a better understanding of the duo, because all I got was Michael wanted to make Hunter his, and Hunter wanted to get away (naturally). I kept waiting for what was driving these two, and that didn’t come until much later. Even some hints would have been helpful.
Because once I did have a better understanding of their backstories, I became “sold” on the novel. I came to understand why Michael was a control freak, and why he wanted a “guarantee” of someone that would be his forever. As for Hunter, I felt for him during the novel. The poor guy had his life interrupted, was forced to obey a complete stranger, and was called the demeaning word “pet” and made to sit at Michael’s feet while he worked at one point.
Now there was harsh treatment on Michael’s part with the taser, and even a built-in jail, and having his backstory running through his mind would have been helpful in understanding why he did what he did. Was he brutal? No. But he did say if Hunter wanted to leave, he would have to give him to someone else from the auction. I’m not sure if this is part of a contract that Michael had signed or not. It’s never revealed.
I did enjoy how the duo faced off against each other, as they slowly got to know one another. The author did a great job with the shifting dynamics between the two. Michael became less of a control freak, and Hunter began to let down his guard. Of course, this doesn’t end with a HEA, more of an HFN, which is expected.
The writing I enjoyed. The interactions between the characters I enjoyed. The setting is a bit sparse. I would have liked to see more of Washington and NYC. Will I continue with the series? Yes. I want to see where Michael and Hunter’s relationship goes from here. Michael still has some redeeming to do.
If you like dark romance, I recommend you give the book a read, but keep in mind, this involves human sex trafficking.
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Ace Fawn writes sometimes dark and always steamy contemporary M/M romance featuring mafia and billionaires.
An avid reader of M/M romance, she loves books about D/s relationships, the enemies-to-lovers trope, and the forced proximity trope, and tends to involve these themes in her own writing.
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Maggie Blackbird 