Originally reviewed at TWLIB Reviews.

Safeword is the powerful sequel to Power Exchange. It begins about 18 months later after the attack on Gavin and Ben by the Breath Play killer. The reader should read Power Exchange first in order to appreciate the narrative of the sequel.

The story of Gavin and Ben continues to intrigue me. I was excited to find out the fallout from Power Exchange. The storyline is just as compelling as the first book and it draws on the sympathy of the readers. The author takes the couple on a realistic exploration of post-traumatic stress, working their way through the pain. Then they make the ultimate decision I consider as the be all and end all of sacrifice. Meantime, the highly charged events, a stark reminder of the attack by the Breath Play killer, pushes Gavin and Ben on a journey neither one really wants. Someone out there is murdering police officers. The murderer brutalizes the victims with rape and violence. Eventually Gavin and his partner, Myah, put together details of the murders traceable to the abducted teenagers the lead investigator had returned to their parents at the beginning of the story.