Action (Mine, #2) by Liz Borino

Action (Mine, #2) Reviews

• 
  Beck

  I have only managed to read to the 25% mark of this book but I am unable to continue. This book is almost unreadable in its current form. There is dialogue from different characters in the same paragraph with no indication of who's saying what. There are multiple examples of the wrong word being used in the wrong context. For example 'wrangled' instead of 'wriggled'. There are multiple examples of transition words missing as well, which seriously impedes the flow of the story. This book needs serious revision to improve it's readability. Because of these issues I have no idea if the actual story is any good! I was so frustrated by the writing style that I couldn't connect to the characters or their plight. When I looked closely at the Amazon reviews, only 3 of the 22 were genuine. 19 reviews were provided by professional reviewers which, I believe, gave an undeservedly high overall rating that is patently not deserved by the book.
• 
  Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews

  4 Hearts
  
  First published at MM Good Book Reviews
  
  
  http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...
  
  Zack and Steve are a committed couple who love their D/s lifestyle. they live together and work together on a popular TV show, but problems begin to emerge when an out of control producer throws a spanner in the works and Zack’s parents unexpectedly turn up.
  
  This is a really well written novella that takes us into a long-standing relationship and shows us the dynamics of a loving D/s relationship where discipline is needed to curb wild tendencies. Steve and Zack have been together for three years and everything is going well. They are both extremely happy with each other and love their D/s relationship. But, things start to unravel when Rich (the producer) sets his sights on Zack and causes trouble for the entire studio. Add that to Zack’s Mormon parents turning up and Zack needs a little more discipline and love than he has needed in a long while.
  
  Zack is a slightly complex character, because of his upbringing and the actions he had to take. So when he finally got free, he went off the rails. Then, Steve enters into his life and gives him the stability that he so desperately needs. Now, three years later, Zack is more balanced, but still needs a firm hand and he still has moments of vulnerability. Steve is a dominating character, but is the perfect balance for Zack. He knows when Zack is pushing the boundaries and when Zack needs a comforting hand. Their D/s relationship is really well written and please don’t expect whips and chains…it isn’t that sort of D/s. it is more about control and guidance, and while there are punishments for misbehaving there is a touch of pleasure to the punishments.
  
  The story line is really good and I really liked the secondary characters and the roles that they played, it added more depth to the main characters. The plot was great as well, a jealous out of control Dom who wants the sub and seems to lose his mind slightly, wanting to show Zack a real Dom, using his position to harass and manipulate the situation. Steve having his hands tied on how he can act and Zack having to overcome his fears and confronting his tormenter and wondering if he can trust his mother. Steve and Zack are immersed in their D/s roles and there are strict rules in place for Zack’s benefit. We also have an incredible sex life between them which is really hot and erotic. I love the way the D/s relationship was portrayed, showing us that not all BDSM is about pain.
  
  So, I have to recommend this to those who love a loving D/s relationship, two men standing up for their love, a touch of angst, worry, misplaced guilt, hot sex and a happy ending.
• 
  Awilk -never sleeps-

  Short sweet and hot. Two great characters I fell in love with very quickly. I wish this story was much longer, but still felt satisfied when the book was finished. I don't normally rate shorts very high, but there was something about this one. I have no doubt that I will re-read this story.
• 
  Karen Peacock

  This was another enjoyable book by Liz. I love the way she makes you fall in love with her characters. I look forward to reading more of her books!
• 
  Shirley Frances

  3.75
  
  I have to admit that I started this book after reading through half of
  Cutaway, the second book of the series, which I received in exchange for an honest review before its publication. What lead me to this book was the fact that I felt I needed to know more about these characters before I could give a really honest review about it. So I went and found Action and immediately began reading. Both are a first read for me from author Liz Borino and I have to say that I was thoroughly surprised.
  
  From the blurb, I could not get a true sense of what the story was really about. I really was curious to find out more, so I started right away. Once I did, I totally fell in love with Zack and Steve.
  
  Zach is an actor on the show Ben's Life, which is directed by Steve. Their relationship is threatened along the way and Zach, having had a difficult past, is very vulnerable and Steve tries very hard to make him feel safe. The BDSM scenes the author incorporated into the story were light, but added to my understanding of what Zach needed to feel safe. The sex scenes were filled with emotion and passion and I found them a special part of the story. It showed their love and commitment to one another in a time where they were dealing with issues that could harm their relationship.
  
  I found myself cheering them on throughout the whole ordeal. The author managed to bring their emotions to the page in a way that made it easy for me to connect with them. Both Zach and Steve showed a side of themselves that they rarely shared with anyone else and that is what, to me, made their relationship much more special.
  
  The secondary characters were very supportive and played a direct role in the story. I found Steve mom, Crystal, hilarious and Mary, Zach's mom, very real. They helped me see both Zach and Steve as real men and explained how each came to be who they were - Steve open and comfortable in his own skin and Zack vulnerable and more closed off.
  
  The writing was excellent and the pacing was good. It dragged in a few places, but not much that it became a bother to me. The resolution of the problem was very good and felt real, so that was a plus. With the characters developed fully, the dialog filled with so much emotion and with an interesting plot, Zack and Steve's story made for a wonderful read.
  
  Now, I will be starting my reading of Capture once again with a better understanding of their relationship. I can't wait!
• 
  Ro

  Reviewed for
  Hearts On Fire Reviews
  
  I will admit, I was a little bit nervous about this, as I wasn’t sure how “light” the BDSM would be, considering that Zack wears that collar all the time. I need not have worried, because the D/s relationship here is imperfectly perfect. Sounds odd, I know, but there is so much about their relationship that I loved. Steve is the Dom, in control and doling out punishment when Zack needs it, yet is not perfect. Sometimes he makes mistakes and sometimes he breaks a promise. Realistic? Hell yes! The idea that being Dominant makes one invincible is ridiculous, and I loved that Steve was real. Zack walks the line of being a brat, and it’s something he has to be reminded of, as he has a wild, destructive past behind him.
  
  The characters here are well written, even as the “evil” Rich is a little over the top. Unfortunately, I could completely see a man in his position using that position to subjugate others, but I felt that he would have been more circumspect about it, as he had brains enough to get the producer’s job. The scene in Zack’s trailer? That was totally believable, while Rich’s actions in the boardroom were a little less so.
  
  I loved Timmy, and I liked that once the punishment was decided out and meted out, the episode was over (even if Zack had to be reminded of that). Zack is also dealing with accidentally meeting up with his parents, Mormon missionaries positive he’s going to hell for his choices. His father, Abraham, is a polygamous and a zealot of the worst kind. Mother is just sort of beaten down by her life. So Zack has the added weight of family issues on top of Rich, the very disturbed producer. Zack apologizes at one point for “letting” Rich touch him (was without consent that Rich tried) and so sad for Zack.
  
  Steve’s mom adds such a zing to the story, and when he wishes she was like she was before his dad died, I was sad for her as well. Loss changes you.
  
  Steve makes mistake, but he’s a loving, caring person who wants the best for his partner, lover, sub. Zack asks him for something sexually and when Steve allows it, I loved him even more. Topping from the bottom has never been so sexy. This is a great D/s story, and a great love story. Very recommended.
  
• 
  Under the Covers Book Blog

  
  

  Here's what sold me on this story... Hollywood, m/m, BDSM. How could I pass that up? This story starts with Zack and Steve already in a relationship, actually they've been together for three years. Zack is an actor, the lead on a TV show and still in the closet to the general population, Steve is the director of said TV show and openly gay. They started their relationship when the show started and now live together and have a D/s relationship.
  
  Pause here for just a second because I found it a bit weird that they lived together and no one from the higher ups of the studio that signs their paychecks would've noticed that they had the same address.
  
  OK moving on now. Both men have things they've had to overcome and they've both done it their own way. Maybe some issues they just swept under the rug. And everything comes to the surface together when their relationship is exposed, their jobs are on the line, and they both have to deal with .... their moms!
  
  I did find the two characters to complement each other and be just what the other needed to heal and find acceptance. It was very sweet to see Steve stand up for his lover and protect him, give him the strength to face things he wouldn't have otherwise. And yeah, there was some pretty hot sex as well.
  
  *ARC provided by author
  
  Reviewed by Francesca

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• 
  Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog)

  3.5 Stars
  
  This review was posted at
  Under the Covers
  
  Here's what sold me on this story... Hollywood, m/m, BDSM. How could I pass that up? This story starts with Zack and Steve already in a relationship, actually they've been together for three years. Zack is an actor, the lead on a TV show and still in the closet to the general population, Steve is the director of said TV show and openly gay. They started their relationship when the show started and now live together and have a D/s relationship.
  
  Pause here for just a second because I found it a bit weird that they lived together and no one from the higher ups of the studio that signs their paychecks would've noticed that they had the same address.
  
  OK moving on now. Both men have things they've had to overcome and they've both done it their own way. Maybe some issues they just swept under the rug. And everything comes to the surface together when their relationship is exposed, their jobs are on the line, and they both have to deal with .... their moms!
  
  I did find the two characters to complement each other and be just what the other needed to heal and find acceptance. It was very sweet to see Steve stand up for his lover and protect him, give him the strength to face things he wouldn't have otherwise. And yeah, there was some pretty hot sex as well.
  
  *Review copy provided by author
• 
  Becky Condit

  3 1/2 sweet peas
  
  Combine a story about movie stars, a little bdsm kink, and hunky gay men and you’ve got me hooked even before I turn to page 1. Zach and Steve have been partners for several years, and no one seems to have noticed that relationship status, despite the fact that they do live together, Zach is the lead actor in a popular TV show, and Steve is the show’s director. Not only that, but while Zach is securely in the closet, Steve is openly gay. Well, after all, Zach is an actor, so he must have been putting on a really good show for no one to have realized that he and Steve are an item.
  A character-driven story with two compatible MCs is a delight to read because when there are problems to overcome they can help each other fact whatever comes next. The characters are good for each other, in and out of the bed.
  ACTION is a very pleasant story for a summer afternoon read. Enjoy!
  
  Please see my complete review on July 24, 2012 at
  http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
• 
  Meggie

  Hm, the way this story begins it simply doesn't play right for me. It was like jumping into a middle of a story. I would rather read at least a prequel about how did Steve and Zack meet before jumping into a scene.
  What we do get to know is that Zack and Steve are in a Dom/Sub relationship for good three years and that they seem to be happy together. But I didn't understand why did Zack hide his past for so long. That part didn't make sense to me. It's not like he was being a criminal or worse.
  This story lacks of a good old developed storyline. We have so many holes in our story and so many unrealistic scenes, it's bad. Why would a Producer Rich out of Blue play hard to get Zack as his Sub. There was no inclination about Zack being aware of Rich obsessiveness toward him. And now three years into Zack and Steve relationship, Rich is a Dom and wants to show Zack what a good Dom is? This part doesn't sounds realistic and is undeveloped. I didn't like it.
• 
  Reba Yardley

  Author Liz Borino has done it again, creating engaging and all-too-real characters you're sure to fall in love with! She has done an admirable job of showing how two people living what many consider an ‘alternative’ lifestyle (warnings: light BDSM, m/m romance) can make it work for them. Well-developed main characters, an antagonist that is truly despicable and self-serving, dynamic supporting characters (including Timmy the cat) and an engaging storyline combine to make Action! a fantastic read. I look forward to reading more about Steve and Zack, and the lifestyle they’ve chosen. A love story on par with Anne Rice’s Exit to Eden, and as well-constructed as Desclos’s The Story of “O”--Zack and Steve share triumphs and tragedies of every day life, making them seem very much human, and very much in love. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up.
• 
  Luta Wolf

  Zack Greene grew up in a controlling religious cult of a family so when he broke free he went a little to far with his freedom. He was spiraling right out of his acting career when he was given a lucky break that had him falling into director Steve Michaels arms. Zack needs structure, guidance, and someone to take the lead, which Steve is more than happy to do but three years later everything they’ve worked for could blow up in their faces when others
  threaten to expose them.
  
  The author took a whole lot of risk here with introducing us to not just Dom/sub but the Utah Mormon religion and in my opinion she did an amazing job pulling it all together. The book has a tantalizingly unique plot that kept me captivated the whole way
  through.
  
  For more of the review pls visit:
  http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/1/post/2...
• 
  Kukko

  A cute and straightforward MM romance.
  
  Zack and Steve have been in a committed monogamous Dom/Sub relationship for over 2 years. This story is about a 2-week blip in their otherwise great relationship and centers around the impact of the Rich's (a-hole producer of the series Zack stars in and Steve directs) actions on Zack and Steve's relationship. Even with the non-con this was an easy read.
  
  It's Book 2 of the series. To find out how Zack and Steve met, you have to read
  Casting. I haven't yet....The ending was a bit odd, but I am assuming it was a set up for the next book in the series.
  
  
  Borrowed from
  Amanda for the Bookie Nookie 2013 Scavenger Hunt
• 
  LiveYourLife BuyTheBook

  4 Stars
  
  This is a very gentle D/s story. Possibly the sweetest I have ever read. Steve is openly gay, has been since he was a teenager. With a hippy mum like Crystal – could it be any other way? I loved her! Very Barbra Streisand in “Meet the Fockers” (or that is how I saw her.) He and Zack met when Zack auditioned for the lead role in Steve’s new show, “Ben’s Life”. They have been dating for 3 years and living together for 2 and a half. That they are together is an open secret on set ….. but nobody has an inkling about the full nature of their relationship – namely their D/s lifestyle. Or so they think.
  
  See Barb's full review at
  Live Your Life, Buy The Book
• 
  The TBR Pile *Book review site*

  Full Review:
  http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/1/post/2...
  
  The characters were a breath of fresh air to your normal Dom/sub, though they are actor and director they are really rather normal apart from this aspect of their relationship. I also love how though Zack is the sub that isn’t all that he is not even in their relationship, he is still his own person but a person who likes caring for his Dom and handing over a lot of the reigns. Though Steve is a Dom he knows he is not king of the world and doesn’t expect to be
  treated as such, he recognizes the special gift he is given from Zack and when he does punish it’s only in the best interest of Zack.
• 
  Karen

  I’m still not sure how I feel about this series. The story line is quite decent. The MCs are likable. The steam is, well…steamy, but something is missing.
  
  The editing is below par, and the writing style doesn’t flow. I’m often more conscious of the words/wording than I am of what is being said, and I find that off-putting. To make matters worse, I can’t quite describe the problem. Perhaps I find Borino’s writing a little too dramatic and a bit pretentious, affected.
  
  I’m going to hang around for another read in the series, but I hope things improve.
• 
  A

  This book was really quite terrible. The thing that I had the hardest time with in this book was that it seemed very poorly researched. There had to be the crazy BDSM guy, and the crazy "Mormon" family (for one, they weren't Mormon, but the author kept calling them that) who were so over the top (but seemingly for no reason). This book suffered from no plot, unlikeable characters, and the author's misguided passion.
• 
  Kathy

  Steve and Zach are engaging protagonists that I like a great deal. I am looking forward to seeing what direction Liz Borino is planning on taking their relationship... To read my review in its entirety, please click
  HERE.
• 
  Katy Beth Mckee

  This book is full of tension and well action. These two guys are well established but hidden away. As things change they need to deal with lots of drama and full disclosure. Kept me on the edge of my seat.
• 
  Mandy

  Sadly, I'll be ending this series with this book. I'm just not getting into it. The plot is ok but not great. The writing style I found difficult to follow. The dialogue was confusing and overall the book needed editing.
• 
  Anke

  Partway through I simply lost interest.
• 
  Barb Gilmour

  Sweet, loving, gentle - yes, gentle D/s. read my full review here ...
  
  
  http://liveyourlifebuythebook.wordpre...
• 
  James Cox

  It was okay. Sterotypical issues that bothered me. The story was there underneath the forced drama and the characters were good.
• 
  Mayrose

  Not into the writers version of dom/sub lifestyle. Didn't dig on the dialog. Just not my cup of tea. I don't like men to be portrayed as week and to me they were.
• 
  Aniko

  2.25 stars
• 
  Elaine

  I LOVE STEVE AND ZACH GREAT BOOK