Caressa’s Knees by Annabel Joseph

 

The first post on this blog is a review of Comfort Object, by Annabel Joseph. I had been thinking of starting a BDSM review blog, and Comfort Object moved me enough to make me finally create it.

Caressa's Knees is the sequel to Comfort Object, and it moved me just as much. The BDSM is no where near as intense, but the emotions and the care and... well, just watching Kyle act and react and decide what to do when he's the one making the decisions. Beautiful.

At first, when I read the blurb, I felt a little sad for Kyle. For him to once again be the support person, the one organizing things and taking care of a famous Diva type personality. I thought I wanted more for him. But you know what? Kyle is a fixer, an organizer. It's what he does. It makes him happy. Caressa is perfect for him.

I was also a little worried that this was going to be one of those cases where the person is "broken" in some way, and the Dom comes along and magically fixes them with BDSM. That's not what happens here. True, Caressa has issues, but she works through them. Kyle doesn't fix her. He spotlights her issues to help her understand what they are... but she fixes them. She stands on her own two feet.

Here's the blurb:

Working for megastar Jeremy Gray has taken an emotional toll on personal assistant Kyle Winchell. In the name of self-preservation, he re-locates to New York City to work at Ironclad Solutions, a service agency catering to the needs of the rich and famous.

He accepts a job as personal assistant to well-respected concert cellist Caressa Gallo, only to find she's not as respectable as she seems. Soon he's involved in a world of lust and dark inspiration, and emotional stakes beyond anything he's encountered before.

So, yeah... Caressa is a Diva, a child prodigy who is now 20 years old. But Kyle doesn't let her steamroll right over him. He learned from his time with Jeremy. He knows what didn't work before, and he's determined to not make the same mistakes twice. I love that he has enough self respect, and self worth, to stand up for himself.

I think that's all I can say about the book without giving spoilers. It's a beautiful story. One that ended with me in tears. Happy tears. Good tears. But I had to blow my nose and clear my eyes up to read the last two or three paragraphs.

Annabel Joseph is a gifted writer, truly skilled in the way she can evoke feelings and emotions with words on a page. Caressa's Knees is one of her better books, and there is nothing wrong with the others.  Also, the BDSM isn't all that intense, so if you are uncomfortable with the more extreme stuff then this would be a good book of hers to read.


BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: Light bondage (using a shirt to restrain hands, or a set of cuffs to restrain hands), and some disciplne - 2 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: Yes and no. When in a scene the D/s is nice, not too serious but still there. But outside of scenes it's not really there for the majority of the book. It's perfect for this couple.  2 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: Just a touch. 1 of 3.
• Extra Point: No, this is a love story with a touch of kink thrown in. Not a BDSM relationship with a love story surrounding it.

As for the writing elements, the plot is beautiful, pacing was perfect, prose and dialogue were skillfully woven together as only a gifted author can manage. Annabel Joseph's character development is always exceptional, but I believe she has outdone herself with Caressa's Knees.

• Book Rating:: 10 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 5 of 10
• Heat Level: 5 of 5

Caressa's Knees is the best book I've read in a very long while, which is exactly the way I felt about Comfort Object when I read it. Both books can be read as stand alone books, but I'm glad I already knew Kyle when Caressa's Knees began.

1. Comfort Object
2. Caressa's Knees


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