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2013 Reading Challenge
Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) has
read 0 books toward her goal of 75 books.
New-To-Me Authors
2013 reading goal:
15 new-to-me authors.
1) Stacy Gail
2) Heather Massey
3) Sidney Bristol
4) Ann Mayburn
5) Thea Harrison
6) Virna DePaul
7) Mary Quast
8) Molly Harper
9) Eleri Stone
10) PJ Schnyder
11) Kait Ballenger
12) Denise L. Wyant
13) Lucy Monroe
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Showing posts with label BDSM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BDSM. Show all posts
Friday, June 7, 2013
Review: My Wicked Devil by Ann Mayburn
My Wicked Devil
Author: Ann Mayburn
Release Date: May 21, 2013
Publisher: Loose ID
Club Wicked #3
Genre: BDSM, Contemporary Romance
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Author
About the book:
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After a motorcycle accident left her with a fractured pelvis, former dare devil and actress Kira Harmony cannot have sex without pain. Unwilling to give up on her dreams of someday having a normal love life, she has come to Club Wicked to find a Dom. And not just any Dom. Kira is looking for the best sadist she can find, a Master who can help her learn how to turn her pain into pleasure and help her escape the prison her body has become.
Lord Bryan Sutherland has always had a taste for meeting the needs of masochistic submissives. When Kira contacts him, her plea for his help intrigues him. He's always loved curvy redheads, and they certainly have an explosive chemistry together, but he doesn't know if it is possible to establish the kind of trust needed in order to train her mind to convert agony into ecstasy. That trust is sorely tested when Kira continually pushes herself too far and refuses to safeword out.
Bryan must make a decision; continue to train Kira and run the risk of seriously hurting her, or walk away from the uncontrollable woman who holds the key to his heart.
What I’m talking about:
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Kira, former Hollywood actress and friend of Master Hawk, is a new member at Club Wicked. Injured performing a motorcycle stunt on a movie shoot, she cannot have intercourse without experiencing a lot of pain. Now a size 16 and uncertain of her own appeal and sensuality, Kira hopes that she can find a Master who will help teach her how to derive pleasure from pain.
Lord Bryan is THE Master sadist at Club Wicked. When Kira witnesses him performing a scene, she is immediately taken with his raw sexuality and dominance, and she realizes he is the Master for her training. Masters Hawk and Jesse help put the pair together for a “get to know you meeting,” and their fierce attraction is instantaneous. Yet Brian is cautious, knowing the skeletons from his past may end up harming Kira.
Ms. Mayburn returns to her Club Wicked series with another intense and deeply romantic tale. Although it can be read stand alone, this series is fabulous, and I recommend starting at the beginning. For those that have read the previous books, My Wicked Devil overlaps in time with My Wicked Nanny during the period Anya is in Paris.
Mmmm... I just love how wicked Lord Bryan is. The man enjoys driving a willing submissive to the point of extreme pleasure and exquisite pain. What makes him so sexy is the fact that he is completely shaken by Kira's presence. He wants her with a need even he can't explain, and because of this, he is so very cautious with her. There is a gentle lion underneath the tiger exterior, and that is so sexy.
Kira is the most spirited submissive of the series to date. She's got a mind of her own and doesn't like to be told she's wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed her strong will and watching her learn to love submitting to her Lord. However, she is sometimes stubborn to absurdity and she doesn’t even realize it. She reminded me of a teenager.
One of the things I love most about this story is the open honesty that both partners model. For example, Lord Bryan has a pretty dark secret that drove him from his British estate to the US. When Kira discovers the secret, she is honest about what she found out and how it makes her feel. This is so much better than letting it linger and having a horrible misunderstanding over it later in the book. (However, Kira’s sister also knows the truth, and having that out there added a nice bit of tension to the mix.)
Although Kira is honest, she has a lot of growing up to do before Bryan can completely commit. Bryan’s struggles over his lust and desire for Kira versus his need for her to be safe, are so raw and moving. I love how honest Bryan is with Kira when he tells her he can’t leave her but can't live with the fear of hurting her. He is very mature, but Kira gets so defensive when he tries to discuss the truth of her adrenaline junkie behavior.
My Wicked Devil is filled with tremendously sexy and naughty scenes. Once again, Ms. Mayburn pushes boundaries and explores kink in the arena of pleasure and romance. Sex is not used to shock or punish, but is one aspect of a healthy relationship.
The ending of the book is ushered in with a twist that I, for one, did see coming much earlier in the book. However, it works for the story and this couple, even if it wasn’t the shock perhaps it was intended to be. I enjoyed that Bryan and Kira worked out their issues and are both willing to compromise. They will have a bumpy road, but as long as they talk to each other, they will make it.
Overall, My Wicked Devil is another excellent addition to Ms. Mayburn’s Club Wicked series. I appreciate that each book in the series tells a different story, each with unique characters, styles and issues. Lord Bryan and Kira are a fiery, passionate pair that warmed my heart. I look forward to reading many more wicked tales in this series.
My Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Reviews in the Series:
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Review: Still by Ann Mayburn
Still
Author: Ann Mayburn
Release Date: April 9, 2013
Publisher: Honey Mountain Publishing
Long Slow Tease Book 1
Genre: BDSM Contemporary Romance, FemDom elements
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Author
About the book:
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Dr. Michelle Sapphire and Gunnery Sergeant Wyatt Callahan formed an unbreakable bond and an unacknowledged, forbidden attraction to each other while serving together in Afghanistan. Their lives are forever changed when a mortar attack grievously wounds Wyatt and Michelle brings him back from the brink of death. But when they both return to the civilian world, Michelle discovers that her rock-solid Marine is suffering from severe PTSD and may even be suicidal.
Wyatt Callahan fell hard for the aristocratic blonde doctor the moment he laid eyes on her. After reentering civilian life in his hometown near Austin, Texas, Wyatt is plagued by nightmares of the death and suffering he witnessed during the war. He’d love to reach out to Michelle, but — Michelle is a Dominatrix, and she has made it very clear to Wyatt she isn’t interested in a relationship with anyone who doesn’t accept her lifestyle. An Alpha male to the core, he can't imagine the appeal of being submissive. At the same time, the idea of serving Michelle, of being everything she wants and needs, rings true in his wounded soul.
Michelle has dark secrets of her own, and together with Wyatt she will have to battle her personal demons during their emotional journey of healing, redemption, and love.
What B is talking about:
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Firstly, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this new novel by Ms. Mayburn, as I’ve read quite a few of her stories and have yet to find one I didn’t like. Secondly, this story encompasses two topics I tend to be very greedy about reading, in no small part because both deserve far more attention than they generally get: the effects of PTSD in the brave men and women in uniform who fight for our country, and the BDSM lifestyle, which certainly hasn’t always gotten a fair shake in popular media and literature. I think it’s wonderful that Ms. Mayburn is tackling these subjects, and I was pleased to see both in such good hands.
One of the things that works best about this story is that both of the main characters’ PTSD appears as independent problems which are established on opposite ends of the path they’re both navigating, while the idea of the BDSM lifestyle as a means of healing and relief lies in the middle. Both Michelle and Wyatt have been shouldering their burdens for a long time by themselves, but it’s not until each learns to redefine what it means to let go that they are able to see that a better future lies ahead of them. It’s an intriguing idea, and, in Michelle and Wyatt’s case, it works extremely well.
An important and well-made point that Wyatt learns in Still is that submitting does not equate to weakness or loss of control. Alpha through and through, he’s been trained to keep his troubles to himself and be the rock that others can depend on in their own time of need. But, Wyatt’s PTSD manifests in a variety of symptoms, most notably debilitating flashbacks which leave him feeling alone and scrambling for solid ground where there is none. Michelle’s understanding of what he’s going through, combined with their mutual attraction and shared combat experience, plus her inherent strength as a Dominatrix, makes her the perfect person to lead Wyatt towards the peace he so desperately needs. In turn, Wyatt comes to accept that Michelle’s pleasure makes him happy (and why not—he’s been attracted to her for years), and by pleasing her through his submission, he finds inner strength and true happiness of his own.
It is a parallel lesson that, fittingly, Michelle must learn for herself in her role as Wyatt’s Domina. As a Lieutenant and surgeon in Afghanistan, she was the epitome of control. Unswervingly determined and often overbearing, there was nothing she wouldn’t do to save the lives of those brought to her, broken and dying, from the front lines. In her life as a Dominatrix, she’s become an expert at hiding her own pain in order to be strong for her sub. Her desire for Wyatt, combined with her resolve to help him find some sense of optimism through purpose and reward that only a sub, specifically her sub, can understand, blinds her to the fact that she can’t be the Domme he needs her to be if she’s trapped by her own past. Eventually, she realizes that by allowing him to help carry some of her pain, she’s allowing him to be the sub he truly needs to be.
In the forward to the story, along with other important details and information, Ms. Mayburn tells how the idea for Still came to be, and it’s definitely not something to overlook. In the effort to explore every possible avenue available to assist servicemen and servicewomen suffering from PTSD, and specifically in the case of Michelle and Wyatt, the BDSM lifestyle makes perfect sense. Based on trust and control, the dynamics of these relationships aren’t what they’ve often been made out to be, as Ms. Mayburn takes great care to show. Coming home may be a blessing for those who serve in the Armed Forces, but very often it simply isn’t enough to keep the nightmares from following, and our returning heroes deserve nothing short of the very best help that is available. I am extremely excited that there will be more of Michelle and Wyatt’s story yet to come, and can’t wait to see how the two of them will fair in the future.
B’s Rating:
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Loved it - enthusiastically recommend (A)
Purchase Info:
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Review: My Wicked Nanny by Ann Mayburn
My Wicked Nanny
Author: Ann Mayburn
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: Loose ID
Club Wicked #2
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance, BDSM
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Author
About the book:
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Young nanny Anya Kozlov takes a job at the elite BDSM club, Wicked, in order to pay for her upcoming trip to Paris. Donning a mask to disguise herself she uses the fake name of Dove. On her first night she is shocked when she finds out that the man she is a nanny for and has an enormous crush on, Jesse Shaw, is also a member of Wicked. When Jesse expresses his interest in teaching her about the dark pleasures of Dominance and submission Anya is helpless to resist, even though she is lying to him about who she is.
Jesse can't seem to get Dove, out of his mind. It's been five years since his wife passed and for the first time he feels something beyond physical lust or friendship for a woman. He is angry and hurt when he finds out that Dove is really Anya, his meek and mousy nanny. With only a few weeks left before Anya leaves for Paris, Jesse is determined to get her to not only tell the truth, but also mark her heart and soul so that she doesn't forget him when they are an ocean apart.
What I’m talking about:
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Anya Kozlov has dreams to travel to Paris to become a fashion designer, and her salary as a nanny isn’t going to get her there soon enough. Her design mentor recommended Anya take a job as a server at a private, exclusive BDSM club so she can earn the cash needed to get to Paris. After passing their extensive background checks and training, Anya is ready to start her new job. She takes the name Dove and dons a mask, keeping the “real” Anya private. However, on her first night when she sees her boss (father of the children she cares for), she’s worried her cover will be blown.
Anya has had a crush on Jesse ever since he hired her. So when he doesn’t realize who Dove truly is, Anya takes up his offer of pleasure. Although Anya wants to come clean about who Dove is, she is too afraid he’ll fire her and hate her. She struggles between her growing feelings and her desire to do what’s right.
I absolutely LOVED reading My Wicked Nanny! The combination of the couple’s budding romance, innocent love and deliciously naughty sex made this story one of my favorites. Right from the start, I was enamored with Jesse and Anya and couldn’t help but get wrapped up in their mutual attraction. I highly recommend this story to anyone who loves a sweet romance with a healthy dash of smuttiness.
My Wicked Nanny shifts the point-of-view between both Anya and Jesse, allowing the reader insight to both characters innermost feelings. This enhanced every interaction, allowing me to understand both the characters’ desires and fears, creating a deeper connection.
Anya is written perfectly. I adore her mixed emotions when at first she struggles with the knowledge that Jesse doesn't recognize her and then later when she weighs her options of how to “come clean” with Jesse. I absolutely loved her first “morning after tirade” over getting intimate with Jesse yet not revealing who she was. Her warring emotions are well detailed with a pinch of sarcasm and wit to make it incredibly entertaining.
Again, I also love the mixed feelings of Jesse when he discovered the truth about Dove. He is angry and feels betrayed, but realizes he cares for her and wants more. Then he feels she needs to be free and not tied to him and a little ashamed he didn't see it sooner. The details Ms. Mayburn pours into the characters feelings is sublime.
There is one particularly intense scene when Jesse confronts Anya over her true identity. I admire that rather than drawing out the secrecy, the couple must deal with their situation head-on. The scene had me in tears, and my heart ached for them both. It is a very well-written exchange.
In addition to the beautifully detailed emotional journey, the story is filled with intense and erotic sex scenes. This story is not for those that prefer fade to dark and behind closed doors lovemaking. This is a BDSM story and the pair learn to enjoy each other and the joys of a Master/sub relationship. They engage in rough, kinky sex because it's what they like… it's not a tool used to punish or get over any messed-up past. This quote, stolen from Jesse’s thoughts, sums it up perfectly:
Sometimes his girl was in the mood for it rough and nasty-well, most of the time-but he also liked to make love to her.
Except he liked to make love with ropes and clamps.
In the end, I was just head-over-heels happy for Jesse and Anya. I adored their budding romance and friendship set along side their developing Master/submissive relationship. The romance is simple and sweet, and although there are a few minor complications, they are dealt with quickly, leaving any contrived drama behind. Their sex is mind-blowingly hot and kinky, but it’s the sharing of their inner-most feelings that makes My Wicked Nanny such a great story.
My Rating:
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Personal favorite - a must read (A+)
and has also earned the title of one of...
Reviews in the Series:
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Review: My Wicked Valentine by Ann Mayburn
My Wicked Valentine
Author: Ann Mayburn
Release Date: Feb. 12, 2013
Publisher: Loose ID
Club Wicked #1
ISBN: #978-1623002541
Genre: Contemporary Romance, BDSM, erotica
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Author
About the book:
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Lucia Roa needs a miracle to keep her fledgeling event planning business from going under. When she gets word about the opportunity of a lifetime to do a Valentine's Day party for an elite club in Washington D.C. she jumps at the chance, only finding out that the party isn't for just any club, it is for the premier private BDSM club, Wicked. Desperate for a chance to make the social and professional connections that this job would offer, she agrees to a most unconventional business arrangement with the handsomest man she's ever met.
CEO Isaac O'Keefe swore off relationships years ago after having his heart broken and his bank account emptied by his gold digging first wife. He thought he'd managed to keep his heart under lock and key, but when Lucia walks into his office he is instantly drawn to the fiery beauty in a way he's never felt before. He convinces Lucia to take the position as event planner for Wicked's Valentine's Day Party, but in order to make the event a success, something he needs to happen to secure his place on the board at Wicked, he must give her a crash course at all the dark pleasures BDSM has to offer. What starts out as a business partnership quickly turns into something more as Lucia breaks down every wall around his heart without even trying. Isaac must then make a choice, push Lucia away and continue to live a safe, but lonely life, or open himself up again to the greatest pain and pleasure in the world. Love.
What I’m talking about:
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Lucia Roa is excited, but extremely nervous, for her interview to plan a major party for the rich and powerful Isaac O’Keefe. She is going in blind, at the urging of her mentor, Mrs. Florentine, not knowing who or what the party is for. So when Isaac tells Lucia that the party is at a BDSM club and that she’s too young and inexperienced, Lucia is determined to prove he’s wrong. And within a few pages, Isaac is determined to bring Lucia into the fold - with him showing her the ropes (pun intended).
The pair set up an unconventional business arrangement where they work on the party together, and Isaac teaches Lucia about the BDSM lifestyle. He pretends to be her Master in the club, and she is to do as he asks so that she will better understand the clientele at the club.
My Wicked Valentine is a delightful, sexy romance. Lucia is fresh, young and full of positive energy; I couldn’t help but get wrapped up in her charisma. She brings both an innocence and perceived life experience into the picture, which balances Isaac’s jaded heart perfectly.
The beginning of the story felt a little jumbled to me. The interview at the start was confusing because one minute Isaac was trying to talk Lucia out of the job, and the next moment he was doing everything he could to keep her. In addition, I felt their initial “arrangement” was a little too unconventional to work, plus their first two forays into Club Wicked felt stiff and awkward. And although I loved that Isaac was upfront that Mrs. Florentine (a friend from the club) was trying to set him up with Lucia, I felt there were too many personal issues going on to make the business aspects of the relationship successful. It just felt odd to me.
However, as the story progressed it really began to gel for me. Isaac goes off to run his company, which leaves Lucia to do her job as an event planner. I liked seeing them both do their respect jobs and give one another space. I also enjoyed getting POV from both characters, keeping me in the loop as to their budding feelings for the other. But it was when someone attempts to blackmail Lucia into leaving the job that I really began to connect with the couple. Isaac steps in and works hard to make things right - including meeting up with her parents. One of the best scenes occurs between Isaac and Lucia’s dad, who knows Isaac’s reputation with the ladies. Scenes such as this allow for deeper understanding of the characters, therefore increasing my connection with them.
Of course the couple has issues, mostly because Isaac creates distance. Whether it is because he feels Lucia deserves better or he’s scared of getting hurt, he turns his feelings off and on like a kitchen faucet. I admire that Lucia stands up for herself and doesn’t let Isaac get away with dragging around his emotional baggage.
Overall, My Wicked Valentine is a enjoyable little romantic story. The characters are likable and easy going. I love that there isn't any major drama. Sure, Isaac is jaded from his wife, but he's not messed up. And Lucia is happy. I simply adore her. She learns what it means to be a submissive while discovering why it is appealing for her and how it turns her on, but she never gives up her inner fire or changes herself. I love that Isaac respects and fosters that in her. Plus the mystery of who is blackmailing Lucia adds just enough tension to the story without overshadowing the love story.
Anyone new to the current BDSM “erotica” trend and wanting to try it out, My Wicked Valentine is the perfect choice. The sex is steamy but still fairly tame. The romance is real, light and fun. And as Isaac introduces the young Lucia to the lifestyle, a new-to-the-genre reader will get an education as well.
My Rating:
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Enjoyed - recommend (A-)
Friday, February 1, 2013
Review: Don't by Jack L. Pyke
Don’t
Author: Jack L. Pyke
Release Date: Dec. 13, 2012
Publisher: Fantastic Fiction Publishing
Genre: Gay/ Romance/ Suspense/ BDSM – m/m
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Author
About the book:
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"Don't... open me."
Three simple words that tease Jack, taking him places from his dark past. For Jack, BDSM is a way to resist his worst impulses. Yet, the stranger calling himself The Unknown seeks to use that to seduce him. As Jack slips further down into the abyss, two men hold the power to save him. Will it be Gray, the Master who knows Jack's every secret? Or Jan, the first man to give Jack a reason to hope? With deadly ghosts coming out to play, Jack may lose everything, even his life.
What B is talking about:
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Warnings: “apparent” rape, knife/blood play, psychological manipulation.
I’ll begin by saying that the author is correct when she warns that this story is not for the faint of heart. Although I don’t generally consider myself as such, I do not like nonconsensual sex in the stories I read. Rape is a bad thing as far as I’m concerned, and even “rape fantasy” within the story is usually enough to cause me to abandon the book immediately. Which is what nearly happened with Don’t. There is a rape scene, and a brutal one, about a third of the way through. Jack, the main character, is drugged and bound, restrained, and raped or otherwise assaulted more than once, before the reality of the “scene” is revealed. In a “Gotcha!” moment that never entirely dispels the hurt done by the scene itself, the author reveals that what transpired was actually part of a much more complicated scenario in which the main character has participated with full knowledge and consent. While the rest of the novel lost some of its edgy sexiness (at least for me) because of the brutality involved, what the scene did accomplish was establish with startling efficiency just how far Jack is both expected and willing to go.
Jack’s involvement in the scene was summed up well by this quote:
Jack thrives on sexual stimulation. It’s helped him manage what he constantly fears will rear its head again. He thought he’d been coping well over the years, we all did. That’s why we both sanctioned this psych-play scene. He wanted to test his resolve, face it.
Having said that, with a little extra time to think about the story, I’ve reevaluated a good bit of my original opinion about Don’t. Although I still have mixed feelings, both the premise behind the novel, as well as the bigger story as a whole, deserve a good look if you read within the BDSM genre. Ms. Pyke takes the subject seriously, delving into both the psychology behind various kinks, and the needs that the lifestyle as a whole attempts to address.
We’re given two vastly different main characters from whom we might gain perspective, as well as a third who acts as the cool voice of reason amid the chaos. First, there’s Jack Harrison, an auto-shop owner/mechanic by day and Master’s Sub, a special designation within the elite organization that is the “Master’s Circle.” Though he’s better suited to being a Dom himself, Jack is a hardcore role-player whose life within this BDSM community is his only salvation from his past and escape from his own inner demons. Diagnosed as OCD/ODD, he is an extremely complex character: sometimes defiant, at others generous, oftentimes lonely, and occasionally adrift and lost. There’s a lost innocence to Jack that made my heart ache for him throughout the story.
Then, there’s Jan Richards, the outsider who falls for Jack, and sees his own immersion into Jack’s world as his Dom as the only way to hold on to him. Of course, Jan is neither a Dom, nor is he involved in the scene in any way, and the entire situation spirals into complete chaos before it gets better. Jan’s lack of understanding about what he’ll be required to not only give up for Jack, but also take from him in turn, leads to some damaging moments for them both.
In the middle is Gray Raoul, Master Dom and all-around dangerous guy. He trains other Doms, taking on the responsibility for the well being of his trainees, as well as any sub they might take on. He’s tough and unyielding, and the only reason Jack was able to find his way to a life he stood a chance of surviving. While I understood Gray’s purpose within the context of the story, I was never able to like him. But, with the physical, sexual, and emotional lives of his clients in his hands, “liking” him isn’t really a factor.
Beyond its commentary on BDSM, Don’t is a psychological thriller as well, and it is this aspect of the novel I enjoyed the most. Ms. Pyke has crafted a genuinely disturbing mystery, and I had to toss aside my theories about the outcome over and over as the story progressed. My worry for Jack increased steadily throughout, most especially when Gray himself, the one who’s always in control, begins to panic on Jack’s behalf. Even though the ending attempts to regain a sense of levity, Don’t is a nail-biter to the end.
Don’t is not for everyone. It is dark and occasionally brutal, but Ms. Pyke should be credited with treating the subject with the respect and honesty it deserves, especially in light of the rampant misunderstanding surrounding the BDSM lifestyle. Despite my personal issues with part of the novel, Don’t is extremely well-written, edited, and researched, letting the story unfold without technical clutter that could have easily proved too much a distraction or cheapened the narrative. While it does its part to increase awareness, Don’t is more than that. It is also a tale of suspense and eroticism. But, mostly, I think, Don’t is a story about life and love…and all the kinks that go with it.
B’s Rating:
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Liked it, but I had some issues - recommend (B)
Purchase Info:
Labels:
3 stars,
BDSM,
Bs-review,
Fantastic Fiction Publishing,
GLBT,
Jack L Pyke,
m/m romance
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comments
Friday, December 14, 2012
Review: At the Dungeon Master’s Hand by Jennifer Cole
At the Dungeon Master’s Hand
Author: Jennifer Cole
Release Date: Aug. 4, 2008
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Le Club d'Esclavage #1
Genre: Erotic Romance, BDSM, Novella
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Fantasies begin at the threshold of Le Club d'Esclavage
Natalie Buchanan has been working non-stop for six weeks. Determined to enjoy a rare weekend off, she winds up at the mysterious Le Club d'Esclavage.
Natalie had read about the bondage club, and although she'd been mildly curious about submissive pleasures, she never imagined she'd set foot inside. And now that she has, the erotic atmosphere of domination and submission sends her scrambling for the exit.
Before she can escape, she's approached by a leather-hooded, bare-chested man who whispers a deep, sultry, "You are mine..."
What I’m talking about:
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After working too hard for too long, Natalie’s two best friends promise her a night on the town. Much to Natalie’s surprise, they end up at Le Club d'Esclavage, the local BDSM club everyone is talking about. Shortly after arriving, both of Natalie’s friends abandon her for their own fun, and before she has a chance to escape, Natalie’s coworker, Max, shows up. Natalie has longed for Max for a while, but never made a move because he always seemed uninterested. However, before she has the chance to possibly initiate something, Max excuses himself and instead of his return, a mysterious hooded man approaches Natalie and will not let her leave.
The premise behind At the Dungeon Master’s Hand, although not entirely original, is solid and exciting. We may not know a lot about Natalie, but we learn quickly that she has certain unfulfilled fantasies, especially ones involving hunky coworker, Max. And since the novella shifts between character POVs, we find out that Max feels much the same way.
The story had many sensual and erotic scenes. The sex acts are pretty explicit, including some bondage and toy play. The initial chemistry between Natalie and Max played well in the story. Although the story is written to make Natalie wonder who her masked lover is, based on the shifting POVs, it’s very obvious the author intends the mystery man to be Max.
Although there are some entertaining parts in the story, I found too many little issues that detracted from my overall enjoyment of the novella. For example, when Max first approaches Natalie, her inner dialogue told us that she knew who Max was just from his voice, and she was overwhelmed by his “the scent of his fresh, clean cologne.” However, later when he comes to her has the hooded man, she no longer recognizes his voice and smell. Another example is that the bar is full of near naked, sweating, sexually aroused bodies, with the alcohol is flowing freely, yet Max notes that he can smell the fragrance of Natalie’s "subtle" perfume across the bar. It’s little details like this that when occur too often, can detract from a good story.
Additionally, as I read the novella, I couldn’t help but wonder a few things, which caused distraction from the storyline. First, why doesn't Natalie wonder what happened to Max? She had the hots for him, and then she just abandoned him to go have sex with the mystery man. Another was that the hooded man NEVER asked for consent and never offered Natalie a way to stop if she was uncomfortable. And what about the unprotected sex with a stranger? Unfortunately, there were even more small issues like this throughout the story, which continually distracted me from any emotional connection that the author may have attempted to build between the two main characters.
Overall, At the Dungeon Master’s Hand was a decent story. If you want erotic, hot sex... you've got it! But I felt the emotional reality and depth of the coupling was lacking. There were too many distractions and flaws, keeping me from truly connecting with the story. I wanted more from the couple, and this story just didn’t have it.
My Rating:
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Finished it - take it or leave it (C)
Monday, August 27, 2012
Review: The CEO and the Cowboy by Starla Kaye
The CEO and the Cowboy
Author: Starla Kaye
Release Date: July 9, 2012
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
ISBN: #978-1613333327
Genre: m/m Romance – light BDSM
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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The whole thing about relationships and feelings confuses the heck out of Calhoun. He’s a simple cowboy and he’d been planning to marry a long-time friend for a while. When he finally realizes it doesn’t feel right, he lets her go. He probably shouldn’t have gone to her wedding to another man, but she wanted him there. But that’s when he really gets confused. His eye is drawn to a seriously hot businessman…and that sure does unnerve him…and yet….
Emotionally burned by the last man he thought he’d loved, Daniel isn’t anxious to replace him. But there is something about the proud, bedroom-eyed cowboy who shows up at his friend’s wedding. The CEO isn’t even sure if the cowboy’s gay, although the heat firing between them makes him wonder…
What he does know is that he plans to find out.
What B is talking about:
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Calhoun Cordell is a successful rancher who works hard, lives honestly, and doesn’t back down from a challenge. So when an uneasy introduction at his former girlfriend’s wedding turns everything he thinks he knows about himself upside down, he’s determined to figure out why.
Daniel Patterson doesn’t understand why he can’t take his eyes off the seemingly straight cowboy talking to his best friend’s new bride, especially so soon after being hurt in his previous relationship. Still, he can’t resist trying to get to know the handsome stranger better when the opportunity presents itself.
The CEO and the Cowboy is a quick, steamy look at a new romantic beginning, and hopefully a “happily ever after,” for its main characters. The brief backstory and lack of details in Cal and Daniel’s tale were somewhat limiting, but the direct nature of their first night together was exactly what I’d anticipated.
Although The CEO and the Cowboy doesn’t lack for highly erotic depictions of the sexual relationship between the two main characters, the characters’ personalities were missing a certain vibrancy, making it more difficult for me to get wrapped up in their story. Calhoun, in particular, seems to be inconsistent in both his confidence and voice, and both characters’ speech borders on being too simple in places, which conflicted with the image of the successful, grown men presented at the beginning of the story.
The CEO and the Cowboy is a short and sexy introduction to two characters I’d really like to know more about in the future. Cal and Daniel have the potential to be great characters, if given more room to develop, and I very much wish theirs was part of a longer story. As an erotic short, The CEO and the Cowboy definitely delivers, and is a good choice if you want explicit content that can be read in less than an hour. While I had some difficulties with parts of the story, I think it’s a good addition to Decadent's line of books, and would like to see more of Cal and Daniel in the future.
B’s Rating:
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Liked it, but I had some issues - recommend (B)
Purchase Info:
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Review: Slow Break
Slow Break
Author: Sara Brookes
Release Date: Dec. 15, 2011
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Sypricon Masters Book #4
ISBN: #978-16133317367
Genre: GLBT, m/m romance, BDSM, Erotica, Sci-fi romance, Novella
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Jack Cotton thought he’d made the right choice to walk away from Tawse, the only BDSM club on Sypricon. But a life-altering tragedy has shown him the error of his ways. Now, he’s ready to make amends and is more than prepared to kneel before the Dom he left so abruptly.
Denton is bound by the rules of Tawse, and he knows Jack’s membership has been terminated. But Jack’s return is all too personal and his actions can’t simply be ignored. Forced to make a choice, Denton does the only thing his instincts as a Dom tell him. After all, some men, like rules, are meant to be broken.
What B is talking about:
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Jack and Denton make a good pair, and while most of Slow Break is told from Denton’s point of view, it is Jack that is most in need of redemption. As a Dom, Denton has an obligation to his sub, as well as a need to see his own value reflected in Jack’s willingness to submit. Jack, on the other hand, has a lot to make up for, and is determined to show Denton he’s ready to face the truths he’d denied so stubbornly before.
Slow Break is one of those stories that that attempts to explore more than just the characters’ sexuality, which I’ve found is true of most of the BDSM fiction I’ve read. As opposed to some other types of erotic fiction, the BDSM lifestyle, as depicted, goes beyond the kink to the underlying needs, and the reasons for those needs, of all participants, both Masters and subs alike.
Brookes explores the themes of loss, guilt, acceptance, and hope in Slow Break, and does so fairly well in a comparatively brief narrative. It works, I think, because both of the main characters have done the bulk of their soul searching before the story itself ever begins. This leaves the revelations of what they’ve discovered about themselves to provide the emotional connection to the scene, and the means for a happy ending.
Sexually, this story covers a lot of ground in a short span of time. Ranging from a variety of interactions, both heterosexual and homosexual, to discipline and submission, Slow Break has a little bit of everything. Brookes keeps the language naughty but enjoyable, and the emotional tension between Denton and Jack makes the story more accessible than it might have been without it.
While it would have been nice to see the resolution of the conflict happen over a longer span of time, Slow Break was still a very enjoyable short story. My regard for both Jack and Denton increased as their tale unfolded, and I found it easy to let myself hope for their mutual happiness. I definitely recommend this quick, sexy read, and am pleased to have it as an addition to my collection.
B’s Rating:
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Liked it a lot - recommend (B+)
Purchase Info:
Labels:
3.5 stars,
BDSM,
Bs-review,
Decadent Publishing,
erotic romance,
GLBT,
m/m romance,
Sara Brookes,
Sypricon Masters
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