Atlas Durand’s whole world is built from the spoils of his past. Joker’s Sin is the most popular gay club in all of Haven Hart. Many clubs have come and gone, none able to compete with Atlas and his enigmatic power over his patrons. He would do anything to keep it thriving and anyone who stands in his way will be met with serious regrets.
Toby St. Claire hates working at Vick’s Tricks and longs for his nights off so he can go to Joker’s Sin. Like everyone who steps foot into Atlas’s club, he’s taken by the owner himself and the magical pulse that owns him when he’s there. Joker’s Sin is Toby’s escape from his life and Atlas is his dream come true.
When Toby’s boss realizes he can use Toby to help take down Joker’s Sin and make Vick’s Tricks the club to beat in Haven Hart, it turns everything upside down. Lies, deceit, and corruption threaten to tear Atlas and Toby apart. Is their love strong enough to survive it all or will they become victims of mayhem?
EEEEP!!!! WOWWWW! and a thousand other expressions all saying: HOLY HANNAH BATMAN!
We all have different pictures of characters in our head and as a member of the author's FB group, I've seen her visions of Atlas and Toby. Now while her ideas are lovely I'll admit they look completely different in my mind's eye. As for Atlas, well partly because I'm not a huge fan of guys with long hair but mostly because I read My Whole World just a day after Star Wars Day where I #Maythe4thd out of marathoning, I picture John Boyega(Finn from the sequel trilogy) and Oscar Isaac(Poe from the same trilogy) as Toby. Now I realize that they are far from the character descriptions but that's who I see and since Finn and Poe's should-have-been relationship was never explored by Disney, in a way Davidson King allowed me to "see it through" and for that I can't say thank you enough.
Now onto My Whole World.
I was completely blown away at the amazing mix of romance, drama, suspense, action, humor, and heat. I wasn't amazed out of surprise because Davidson King's talent for storytelling is always topnotch but because as a spin-off of one of my all-time favorite series I had some doubts about being able to love a story set in the Haven Hart Universe without any of the characters I love so dearly. Well I needn't have had those doubts, sure I missed the Manos family and Black's organization but I am completely hooked on Atlas' bar, Joker's Sin and his employees.
I don't want to give anything away so I won't go into specifics but I will say this, in a place like Haven Hart you have an eclectic mix of good guys, bad guys, crime lords, and wanna-be bad guys and though you certainly aren't going to run into them every day, King manages to make them real. Toby and Atlas complete each other, they have their flaws, their weaknesses and their strengths, the yin to each other's yang. Whether their appearances in your mind's eye is similar to the author's vision or like mine almost completely opposite, there is no doubting that the two belong together.
One last note, if you're wondering as it's a spin-off you have to read the original Haven Hart series to "get" My Whole World, you don't. Personally, I highly recommend reading HH because . . . well it's a brilliant example of pretty darn near perfect storytelling but you don't need to read it prior to Joker's Sin.
RATING:
I couldn’t do this. I mean, I wanted Atlas to finally notice me, but not like this. There was a reason I only sat at the bar when I came here. I. Couldn’t. Dance. Not like the music intended, anyway.
“Shake it, sister,” Sparkles said to me as he took my hand and tried his hardest to get me to move.
“I can’t dance.”
Sparkles’s eyes widened. “But…” He looked around; everyone was watching Sparkles and me not dancing. “That’s what you do here.”
“Move it, boys,” DJ Edge’s voice rang out. I saw Lance and the others dancing like their lives depended on it. One took to the pole and another to the cage.
“Leave me, save yourself,” I urged Sparkles.
“I never leave a man behind.” He winked and I watched as he grabbed the chair Lance was about to sit on and dragged it over to me. “Sit.”
I did as I was told because I was terrified and everyone was watching, even Atlas. He crouched down over by Max, and they were talking.
“Let’s do this, tin man. I’ll get you oiled up.” And Sparkles straddled my lap. “Grab my ass.” I did exactly as I was told; I sat there while Sparkles danced on my lap. He was like liquid as he slid to the floor, climbed up, and wow, he was really rubbing himself on me. “Touch me,” he said. When I glided my hands along his waist, over sequins and rhinestones, I felt so alive. The crowd was cheering, and Atlas only had eyes for us.
“Shake it, sister,” Sparkles said to me as he took my hand and tried his hardest to get me to move.
“I can’t dance.”
“Move it, boys,” DJ Edge’s voice rang out. I saw Lance and the others dancing like their lives depended on it. One took to the pole and another to the cage.
“Leave me, save yourself,” I urged Sparkles.
“I never leave a man behind.” He winked and I watched as he grabbed the chair Lance was about to sit on and dragged it over to me. “Sit.”
I did as I was told because I was terrified and everyone was watching, even Atlas. He crouched down over by Max, and they were talking.
“Let’s do this, tin man. I’ll get you oiled up.” And Sparkles straddled my lap. “Grab my ass.” I did exactly as I was told; I sat there while Sparkles danced on my lap. He was like liquid as he slid to the floor, climbed up, and wow, he was really rubbing himself on me. “Touch me,” he said. When I glided my hands along his waist, over sequins and rhinestones, I felt so alive. The crowd was cheering, and Atlas only had eyes for us.
Saturday's Series Spotlight: Haven Hart
Part 1 / Part 2 / Audio Part 1
Davidson King, always had a hope that someday her daydreams would become real-life stories. As a child, you would often find her in her own world, thinking up the most insane situations. It may have taken her awhile, but she made her dream come true with her first published work, Snow Falling.
When she's not writing you can find her blogging away on Diverse Reader, her review and promotional site. She managed to wrangle herself a husband who matched her crazy and they hatched three wonderful children.
If you were to ask her what gave her the courage to finally publish, she'd tell you it was her amazing family and friends. Support is vital in all things and when you're afraid of your dreams, it will be your cheering section that will lift you up.
EMAIL: davidsonkingauthor@yahoo.com
My Whole World
Haven Hart Universe
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