Review: Haven by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Title: Haven
Author: Rebekah Weatherspoon
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Erotica
Release Date: April 2017
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

This book, y'all. This. Book. Okay, to start, for some reason this is my first Rebekah Weatherspoon, and after reading it I realize I need to get caught up and read her backlist. I read it really quickly, I was super invested, and I'm really hoping for another book in this series which, awesomely, is named Beards & Bondage. Let me back up and give a quick summary of what Haven is about before I fangirl too much. At the same time, I don't want to give too much away because the first few chapters really draw the reader in and if you know too much going in, it might spoil that feeling for you. So basically, there is a hot, bearded, introverted nature photographer named Shep who lives in a cabin in the woods in Northern California. Shep is into BDSM, and hasn't been able to find a partner in his tiny town who shares his interests, so he has to travel to a BDSM club for an annual sex vacation. Then, we have Claudia, who is a successful New Yorker by way of the Caribbean working in the fashion industry. They meet during a traumatic event and, both finding it difficult to recover, turn to each other for comfort.

Accurate depiction of how you'll feel reading this book

Now, what I liked about the book: first of all, Shep. He is one of my favorite heroes I've read in a long time. I like that he is introverted and thoughtful, but still really strong. He's just an overall good person, and exactly the kind of partner you would want if you had something major happen in your life that you were trying to navigate. I also really liked Claudia; she's funny and she has a backbone without being the tropey version of an independent woman. Their relationship feels very real, as a lot of their day that isn't filled with steamy sex is just like them watching Netflix and stuff.

Side note: this book is really funny. One of my favorite scenes is when a box of sex toys and floggers and stuff arrives in the mail and Claudia is like, "Should we do a haul video?" and Shep just says, "What?"; I died. Other stuff I liked about the book: um. This book is like off the charts in the steaminess department. Definitely not a book I would recommend reading at work or on a train or something.

But, unlike some erotica books I've read, the writing is really solid and the plot and the characters are so well done that it isn't just like smuttiness surrounded by a few pages of story. It's actually a really lovely story about recovery and finding the right person after you've already done some work on yourself, and the timeline for their relationship is appropriate so you don't have to read about people saying I love you within the first few chapters. Instead, I felt really invested in the characters and really enjoyed watching them grow and evolve throughout the book.

It's just so good, you guys. So if you are looking for a steamy contemporary romance that is funny and well-written and a little kinkier than your average read, definitely read Haven. It will have you daydreaming of meeting a sensitive mountain man of your own, for sure. Now, excuse me while I go find all of Rebekah Weatherspoon's other books and read them all.