By His Rules by J. A. Rock

 

I'm a bit conflicted by By His Rules. The beginning of the story is supposed to show us the difference between abuse and BDSM. The ending of the story is supposed to show us what a trusting BDSM relationship is supposed to look like.

My conflict comes from the fact that neither relationship was actually a healthy relationship. Aiden is just too immature and too conflicted. He didn't give his submission, he wanted the Top to fight him for it.

The writing was good, and the sex scenes were hot -- even the semi-abusive scenes. And, to be honest - while the first relationship clearly crosses lines that shouldn't be crossed, Aiden does have to take some of the responsibility. Scott has to take more of it, sure... but Aiden set up a pattern of Scott having to fight him and hurt him to ensure his submission.

Here is the blurb:

Aiden Cole can be anything men want—naughty schoolboy, palace slave, virgin twink, or slutty secretary. He’s a gifted actor with a gorgeous body who gives legendary head. Aiden could have his pick of any Top in the local leather bar, but is drawn to Scott Runge—a cruel, sexy Dom who pushes Aiden to his limits, allowing Aiden to experience the excitement and danger of the BDSM lifestyle to a degree he never has before. But when Scott goes too far, injuring Aiden, Aiden withdraws from the BDSM scene completely. Until he meets Keaton Hughes.

Keaton’s looking for something he can’t find in any dungeon: A domestic discipline relationship, in which he can provide his partner with guidance, support, and loving discipline. When Keaton takes Aiden in after Aiden’s traumatic encounter with Scott, he vows not to pursue any sort of relationship with the troubled sub. But as Aiden struggles to overcome the damage Scott has done and get his life back on track, Keaton’s rules might be just what he needs.

I appreciated Scott's character, and I liked Keaton. I liked Aiden's friends. I just didn't like Aiden very much.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: I loved many of the bondage and edge play scenes in the first relationship. If they'd ended with afterplay they would have been fine. 2 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: It was warped, all the way around. Scott needed more compassion, Keaton did a great job with a very damaged sub but his style didn't do much for me, and Scott needs to just grow the #*%& up.  1 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism:Aiden is a masochist, Scott is a sadist -- if the two of them were more grown up and mature they would have been great for each other. Keaton has a touch of sadist in him, but he's all about the Dominance, trying to control a bratty masochist who wants to be made to submit. 2 of 3 
• Extra Point: No

As for the writing elements, the plot had a lot of promise, pacing was fine, prose and dialogue were very well written, character development was well done (I just didn't like one of the characters I was supposed to like, and maybe didn't dislike another as much as I was supposed to).

• Book Rating:By His Rules: 7 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level:5 of 10
• Heat Level: 3 of 5

I will keep my eyes out for this author in the future. I had some issues with By His Rules, but I was impressed with the author's knowledge of BDSM, and her (?) ability to tell a story.


.

Hey, Jealousy by BA Tortuga

 

Hey, Jealousy starts with a very uncool bondage scene. One that JW must rescue Rory from. We see that the two are good friends, and we learn that JW has somehow screwed up in the past, relegating them to just friends. But now that JW realizes how Rory likes to play... perhaps he can fix that.

Here's the blurb:

JW thinks he’s missed his chance at a romantic relationship with his best friend Rory forever, all because of a stupid moment when he was much younger. Rory wants JW desperately, but he knows his buddy just isn’t into the kind of games Rory likes to play, let alone into long-term relationship with a guy. When JW comes home from a long haul on the road, though, and finds Rory in a compromising position, he knows he’s found the way to correct his youthful mistake. Will Rory believe JW’s jealous response?

It's a short story, and doesn't really give us enough. It does take us to a likely HEA, but I wanted more of them figuring things out in the bedroom. There are no really big scenes, and nothing really creative in the bedroom. But it's a decent enough story of two guys figuring out that they can make it work.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: 0 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: 1 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: 1 of 3  
• Extra Point: No

As for the writing elements: there isn't much of a plot to speak of, it's a short so pacing is fine, prose and dialogue are a bit odd but it works for the characters, and character development is okay for the length of the story.

• Book Rating: Hey, Jealousy: 7 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 2 of 10
• Heat Level: 3 of 5

.

Alphabet Soup by CB Conwy

 

I loved A Russian Bear, so I jumped at Alphabet Soup as soon as it was available. The story takes place in the same world as A Russian Bear, and we even see Tom and Mischa a few times at the club. But the story is completely different.

I think there will be some people who will probably enjoy Alphabet Soup more than A Russian Bear. I'm not one of those people, though. For me, Alphabet Soup had too much angst, and too many therapy scenes. If you like angst, and if you like the idea of being restrained to a bondage table and forced to talk about your past while laying face up with your arms bound above your head and your ankles restrained to the other end of the table, then this one is for you. (Select the spoiler text to view it.)

Here's the blurbL

Andy knows exactly what he needs: scenes hard enough to take him out of himself. Then he meets CK, and everything is turned upside down. CK is relaxed and gentle and nothing like what Andy's looking for. Despite that, or maybe because of it, Andy's still attracted to the stranger.

CK is new to the city and the club, but definitely not to the scene. Andy's ideas of BDSM are very different from CK's, but there’s still something about the man that draws CK. Something fascinating and completely unpredictable. The results can be amazing scenes or complete disasters. Andy is difficult to get to know, and CK has to work hard to find the reason for Andy's erratic behavior. CK is nothing if not stubborn, though. He's very determined to help Andy, and Andy's ready for it, but there's so much Andy's trying to forget.

Like the conscientious Dom he is, CK guides Andy's recovery, one scene at a time. Very much against his principles, CK finds himself falling in love with the man he's trying to help. Now he has to fight not only Andy's past, but his own conscience as well.

I appreciated that these two had chemistry and that was the main draw for them. I also appreciated that both were willing to work to see if the relationship could work out between them. A few of the scenes were ultra simple, and yet still quite hot.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: 2 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: 2 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: This is where we have trouble, because according to the story, impact play for the sake of pain is wrong. There is masochism, but it's treated as being wrong, so I'm going to give it a 0 of 3. 
• Extra Point: Yes

As for the writing elements:

• The plot is the story of the characters coming together and working out their baggage.
• The pacing was mostly good.
• Prose and dialogue were fine.
• Character development was nicely done. 

I've debated back and forth on the rating and finally settled on a 7 of 10. During parts of the story I was thinking closer to five of ten, but now that I've finished it and I take everything into consideration I think it deserves higher than that. Some people will likely rate it higher than a seven, but for me the emotional angsty stuff overtook the physical stuff and it just managed to annoy me in several places. CB Conwy is a gifted author with a knack for describing the physical as well as the emotional when it comes to kink. This particular book just didn't work all that great for me.

• Book Rating: Alphabet Soup: 7 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 5 of 10
• Heat Level: 4 of 5

Beautiful C*cksucker II - Such a Good Boy by Barbara Sheridan

 

I read the first story immediately before reading the second, and I'm glad I did. Beautiful C*cksucker II - Such a Good Boy takes place 22 years after the events of Beautiful C*cksucker, and it answers a lot of questions about what happened to those characters after the end of the book.

Here is the blurb for Beautiful C*cksucker II - Such a Good Boy:

For too many years, career obligations and cultural expectations cost Mikisaburo Nabeshima the possibility of love.

Now older, wiser, and infinitely more alone, personal business takes Miki back to New York where another chance encounter with another handsome policeman rouses suppressed desires.

David Kirkland is a brash young cop who grew up on New York’s meanest streets. When the man he believes killed his foster mother is set free, Dave vows revenge. If he needs to leave the country and go undercover with a sexy but infuriating older man then so be it, though he never expected the business arrangement to turn personal.
As Dave confronts a deep seated need he’s never fully acknowledged, the killer they're after proves more deadly than they anticipate.

I've now read two books by Barbara Sheridan and my impression at this moment in time is that she is a huge tease. We did get more action in this book than the earlier one, but she still gives us the set up and then doesn't give a conclusive ending. And all of the good sex we keep hoping to see, where there is actual submission that sticks... we are led to believe that if it does happen, it does so after the end of the book.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: 0 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: I think it's going to be there at some point, but it really isn't there very much during the events of the book. 1 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: Not really, it's hard to give it more than a zero, but there is a touch and I can't give it a half point. 1 of 3 
• Extra Point: No

This story is about the lifestyle, but it's also about two humans who come from different worlds and different generations, and it's about a police investigation.  I did enjoy the fact that the BDSM doesn't happen overnight, but I don't really appreciate that we never got to see it happen. We got all of that build up and then... it may or may not happen later, you be the judge.

As for the writing elements:

• The plot is well thought out and well executed.
• Pacing had a few minor issues but overall was fine.
• Prose and dialogue we well done.
• Character development had depth and interest and worked for the story.

Once again, I don't know what to rate this one. I liked the characters and the plot and the story, but for the second time in a row I felt like there was all of this build up that wasn't followed through. How to show pleasure and displeasure at the same time?

• Book Rating: Beautiful C*cksucker II - Such a Good Boy: 7 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 2 of 10
• Heat Level: 3 of 5

Out of the Woods by Syd McGinley

 

I read Out of the Woods because most of the time I adore the writing of Syd McGinley. Parts of the story worked for me, but parts did not. At all.

I like the world and would enjoy learning more about it. I liked the characters. I liked most of the setup and plot(s). But the story moved too slow for me, and I didn't quite appreciate where the story ended. Not a huge cliff hanger, but a big enough one that it bugged me.

Here's the blurb:

Wild boy Tarin is determined not to be captured by the men who live in the decaying Before Times buildings on the other side of Tarin’s woodland home, but he’s just as determined to protect the younger boys in the woods.

No one remembers being a child or knows where all the women have gone or how society crumbled, but for as long as they can remember, boys have lived in the woods and are hunted by the men each Fall. Some boys believe in a mysterious Lady who protects them, while others think the men are magic. Tarin knows better – he’s met a man, and escaped by stabbing him.

Hunted through the woods as he tries to protect the weaker Cory, Tarin is trapped and claimed by the very man he knifed. All Tarin wants is to stay in the woods and not have to get ‘civilized,’ but he’s carried off into a different world of rules and discipline. Will he be able to survive now that he is Out of the Woods?

I am intrigued enough that I will probably read the next book. Maybe.

I find myself having a hard time grading this one on BDSM elements because it isn't BDSM. The "boys" are 18 and 19 year old wild boys who have lived in the woods and survived as best they can since about 10 or 11, and who don't remember anything before that age. The "boys" are captured by the men and then civilized and trained and expected to please their men in all ways. There are boys claimed by the officers and then there are boys are who community property who can't refuse anyone.  I'll talk abut each element, but I'm having a hard time putting a number on them.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: Discipline, for the most part, is scary and not tittilating. Bondage is more of being caught and not being able to escape, not so much being bound.
• Dominance and Submission: Some of the boys do seem to be naturally submissive, but Tarin is not.
• Sadism and Masochism: No.

As for the writing elements plot pacing prose dialogue character development world-building

• Book Rating: Out of the Woods : 7 of 10
• Heat Level:  2 of 5

 

Ermine & Bougainvillea by I.D. Locke

 

Ermine & Bougainvillea is a nice little short that is most memorable for the world building.

I've never thought dryads were exceptionally cool before... but now I do. The level of worldbuilding in this relatively short story was top notch.

Here's the blurb:

Wynn is an ermine shifter running for his life from homophobic coyote shifters who took exception to a gay shifter in their territory. He makes it to the safety of a dense tangle of bougainvillea vines where the coyotes can’t follow and falls into exhausted sleep. When he wakes, he discovers that the bougainvillea is actually home to a half-dryad named Etireh who pushes all of Wynn’s arousal buttons without even trying.

Etireh turns out to enjoy some of the same things that Wynn does, namely, Otherworldly gay men with a thing for kink and BDSM who would take pleasure in games of domination and submission. In Wynn, Etireh finds a partner who enjoys being submissive to his dominant and is more than willing to push boundaries and play in ways Etireh barely dared to dream about.

A few things fell flat for me. The introduction of Etireh's mother didn't make much sense. If we'd seen her again later in the story, so she could approve (or not) of Wynn then it would have been different.

And how is Etireh's name pronounced? Authors, if you're going to name your characters something exotic, give us a clue as to pronunciation. Please.

I'm still trying to figure out what didn't work for me with the sex. All of the elements were there... creativity, power exchange, a good balance of pain, some bondage. But it didn't especially work for me. I have no idea why it didn't.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: 2 of 3 for the bondage
• Dominance and Submission: 2 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: 1 of 3 
• Extra Point: Yes

As for the writing elements:

• The plot was just the story of meeting and then a first sex scene
• Pacing had issues, which is a real problem in a short story
• Prose and dialogue were fine
• Character development was okay, not great, but it was a short story
• World-building was really well done 

I'm going to give Ermine & Bougainvillea a 7 of 10. It was a good story with good characters and great worldbuilding, but it didn't really work for me and I'm having a hard time putting my finger on why it didn't.

• Book Rating: Ermine & Bougainvillea: 7 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 6 of 10
• Heat Level: 2 of 5

.

Surrender & Whips by Justus Roux

 
Surrender & Whips is two stories, the first is titled Surrender, the second is titled Whips.

Here is the blurb:

Surrender - Something is missing from Adam and Liz’s relationship. When Adam represents an unusual client and must observe her lifestyle he finds what his and Liz’s relationship needs.

Whips - Skye and Arnet love their Master beyond words, yet they are finding it harder to deny their growing feelings for each other.

Surrender gives us an all-knowing seemingly omnipotent Domme who knows better than Adam what he needs in bed. I have known Doms who could get it right a good bit of the time, and I've got some Domme friends who also seem to be pretty good at some aspects of this... but surrender stretched the believability factor for me. It was a decent story, but the main plotline just didn't work for me.

The main scenes are told with Adam as voyeur, watching the action and not experiencing it. All of the scenes also seemed to be designed to show the "omnipotent Domme", how she knew better than the men under her what they needed.

Whips had a nice fantasy setting. Not fantasy as in vampires or fairies, but fantasy as in the way the two submissives lived -- submissive to a rich man who had a house full of servants, so all they had to do was be available for his sexual whims. No housework required.  The story had promise, but it stretched out longer than it should have, and the ending didn't feel very satisfying to me. Others may feel differently, but it just didn't work for me.


BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: 2 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: 2 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: 1 of 3
• Extra Point: No

As for the writing elements plot pacing prose dialogue character development world-building

• Book Rating: Surrender & Whips: 7 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 5 of 10
• Heat Level: 2 of 5

 

The Emperor’s Wolf by J. C. Owens

 

The Emperor’s Wolf starts out with a man in slavery to a woman he is pretty much disgusted by. But years of painful training have taught him to accept her touch, and to kneel before her, and to avert his eyes so she won't see the hatred in them. We thankfully don't see much interaction between these two, and we just get the barest of details to let us know why he is acquiescing to her, and how he went from being a solder to being favorite harem slave.

And then, well, the blurb does a good job of explaining what comes next:

The echoes of a war four years' past still resounds in the minds of those who endured it. Jaden longs to search for his sister, though he is bound in the fetters of slavery. When he is given to the very man who conquered his country, he is caught up in his own hatred, yet fascinated by the mystery of his new master, the Emperor of Tranaden, who all say is demonic, without mercy. Trapped in the snare of his master’s beauty, Jaden begins to realize that there is much more beneath the surface...

Dersai is Emperor to his fingertips, he is used to command and being obeyed. He will sacrifice anything to see his country safe. Beneath, he is well read, highly intelligent and far sighted in how he views others. Yet, Dersai has an inner demon, a demon that kept his kingdom free and safe from conquerors; only in his dreams can he imagine one strong enough to love him. Now his slave may be the only one who can set him free.

Let me be clear that this is not BDSM. It is a slave who is sold and traded and bartered for. And then later, there are elements of fantasy, and the D/s aspects all fade into the background and go away.

I enjoyed the fantasy elements, and I enjoyed a few of the scenes.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline:3 of 3, though it is only for a short period of time
• Dominance and Submission: 2 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism:0 of 3
• Extra Point: No

As for the writing elements, the plot was nice, pacing had some issues, prose and dialogue were fine, character development was very well done, and world-building was creative and detailed.

• Book Rating:The Emperor’s Wolf : 7 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level:5 of 10
• Heat Level: 2 of 5

 

Velvet Dragon by Sean Michael

 

Velvet Dragon is a new book in the Velvet Glove series by Sean Michael. I've really enjoyed this series, as it has shown different couples with very different ideas of what BDSM means to them. Some stories are more physical, others are more mental. Velvet Dragon falls more on the mental end of the scale.

Here's the blurb:

Serius is an expert in whipping; his beauty is a riding crop, but he's an expert with all manner of whips, floggers and paddles. He's also a man looking for someone special to be his sub; he believes in order, discipline, submission, but he also wants a challenge. When Hercules promises him the perfect sub in exchange for his working at the exclusive Velvet Glove, Serius believes it's possible he just might find the man he's looking for.

Dragonne has the appearance of the perfect sub, but the truth is he's never truly submitted. He's never been pushed past his boundaries, never had to use his safeword, never been broken. He has built a wall of control around his core, and wonders if anyone can breach it. Can these two men find what they're looking for in each other?

I'm not sure the blurb really tells us much about this particular story. Yes, Serius is good with whips and the riding crop, and he does use these items on Dragonne to an extent that most submissives would not be able to handle. But the extreme stuff is mostly glossed over. The true "breaking point" with Dragonne is mental, not physical. He's been trained to control everything - feelings, emotions, level of pain, etc. He thinks he is submitting, but when he's told he's not, he has no clue how to do more than he is. What he doesn't understand is that he is submitting his control to them, and Doms don't want his control, they want to make him lose his control.

Serius figures this out, so we see a lot of non-BDSM activities... like eating and drinking from each others mouths. Yes, it's written very sensually, but it lasted too long for me. But I suppose it had to last that long, because it's the feeding, drinking, kissing, talking, and cuddling that work to break through Dragonne's control, not so much the intense BDSM play. 

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline:  0 of 3.
• Dominance and Submission:  2 of 3.
• Sadism and Masochism: Yes, though it's not the focus of the story. 2 of 3. 
• Extra Point: Yes

As for the writing elements -- the plot was the story of the relationship, and this was a different path to a BDSM relationship than I believe I've seen written before, so points for creativity. Pacing had some issues. Prose and dialogue were fine. Character development was well done. World-building was consistent with previous stories in this series.

• Book Rating:Velvet Dragon: 7 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 5 of 10
• Heat Level: 3 of 5

Velvet Dragon was not one of my favorite stories in this series, but I appreciate that Sean Micheal continues to show us the various ways that people can incorporate BDSM into their lives.

.

Signed, Sealed & Delivered by Sierra Cartwright

 

Signed, Sealed & Delivered is a short(ish) story of a woman who travels from America to London to submit, for two weeks, to a Master. When she learns of him, of how he trains submissives, she uses her hacking skills to track down a way to contact him, and then over months of correspondence convinces him to take her on.

We get a play by play of the first three or four days, and then things skip to her final day.

I was mostly impressed with the first days, the descriptions of the mental and physical things done to her. It was a fairly good description of the mental thought processes, and of the difference between an erotic spanking and a spanking that is meant to hurt... the difference between fantasizing about being on your knees and actually having to spend some time there.

I was not so impressed with the final day, nor was I all that impressed with the ending.

Here's the blurb:

Alana Simmons is obsessed. She had a number of ho-hum frustrating experiences with BDSM. They've whetted her appetite, leaving her hungry, wanting more, needing more. So, with her usual determination, she seeks ultimate experience with reclusive trainer Sir Ethan Kendall.

Alana's persistence intrigues Ethan. She'll get more than she bargains for if she comes to England, Ethan informs her. He's not into dabbling, he's serious about his subs embracing the entire experience, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Certain that's what she wants, she follows his directions, landing on British soil where she's met by his chauffeur, the compelling Thomas.

Although she'd convinced herself she was prepared for every possibility, Alana could never have imagined everything the men would demand from her. Her life will never be the same.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: Bondage is not explored, discipline is. 2 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: Yes. 3 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: Some. 2 of 3
• Extra Point: No

As for the writing elements, the plot had a nice premise, the pacing was okay, prose and dialogue were well done. Character development was enough... we learned what we needed to about them, but we only learned about the BDSM portion of their characters. I don't suppose the story was long enough for us to learn about the other parts of their lives, but they weren't fully three dimensional characters for me.

• Book Rating:: 7 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 7 of 10
• Heat Level: 3 of 5

I got stuck on defining a genre for this one, it can technically be called M/f, M/m, MMf, and Mmf. It is primarily M/f, but since it is also more than that, I don't want to mislead by putting it there.

All in all, I enjoyed the characters and the choices they made. I wish the ending had been more convincing, and a bit more fulfilling. But it certainly starts out with a bang.

.

Vampire Mistress (Vampire Queen Book 5) by Joey W. Hill

 

I chose not to read Vampire Mistress when it first came out because I was aware that Vampire Mistress would give us the first half of a story that would be completed in Vampire Trinity. I waited for Vampire Trinity to come out, so I could read the entire story once I started it.

Unfortunately, I'm not attached enough to these characters that I feel the need to read Vampire Trinity right away. I have an ARC of Venom that arrived this morning, and I'm going to read it, and possibly a few other books, before I begin Vampire Trinity.

Some of Joey W. Hill's books work for me in just about every way possible (Rough Canvas, for instance). Others just don't. And there were some word choices this time that jolted me out of the story, things like "not ungently", where I have to do the math and remember that a double negative cancels itself out so she saying it was done gently. This showed up several times in the form of "not un_____ly", and each time it annoyed me and pulled me out of the story.

Here's the blurb, then I'll talk about what worked for me and what did not.

Sometimes desire can work three ways...

In May 2010, Joey W. Hill returns to the dark and seductive landscape of her Vampire Queen novels as a desperate woman finds herself trapped between the desires of two men, each with his own mission of the night.

Gideon Green is a hardcore vampire hunter. But in the past year, his only family, his little brother, became a vampire queen’s servant – and then a vampire himself, giving Gideon a different view of the vampire world. Since Gideon’s sole purpose for over a decade has been killing vampires, the violence that has scarred his soul now haunts his conscience.

Then he crosses paths with a sexy BDSM night club owner, Mistress Anwyn. Their connection is immediate and intense, but she has a silent partner--the vampire Daegan Rei. When Anwyn is viciously attacked and turned by a rogue vampire, Gideon and Daegan join to protect her through a dangerous transition. As the bonds between the three of them draw tighter, Gideon faces an unbelievable truth...that the path to meaning in his life may be found in surrendering to the desires and needs of two vampires.

I think I'm going to start off here by talking about the writing elements:

The pacing was terrible. Way more telling than showing, and so much contemplation and inward searching I was tempted to start glossing over those paragraphs. I think there was possibly more contemplation and psych type stuff than there was action or dialogue. One of Ms. Hills strengths is her ability to show emotions, and have her characters deal with a whole lot of crap and then come out okay on the other side. But it wasn't there for me with Vampire Mistress. Based on the reviews on Amazon I think I'm in the minority, but... there it is. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it, and there were times I almost set it aside to read something else.

The dialogue was good, no problems with that. Like I said, it was the inner searching stuff that had problems, and there was just so much of it. But prose was... a bit too wordy at times. I know authors are supposed to really describe everything, and give us all five senses as much as they can. But some of the descriptions were overdone for me.

Character development, for Joey W. Hill, wasn't all that good. I usually fall in love with her characters, and I did not. I like them, but not enough to feel the need to pick up the next book right now. For another author I would have said character development was okay but not great.

World-building is pretty consistent with other books in this series, and it's well done.

The plot was, well, it was predictable. It's a good plot, and a nice way to have a BDSM menage with a male Dom, female switch, and male sub/slave. The characters are strong, each with their own issues to deal with (of course), and they mesh nicely with the story.

I feel like I've talked only about what I didn't like, so I'll point out what I did like: the world building, the conflict expressed between vampire and the vampire's humanity, the camaraderie that Gideon and Daegan find when they begin to find the things they have in common instead of focusing on their differences. I loved that the first time this really happens, for something other than Anwyn, was when they were talking about weapons.


BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: Yes, though not all of the bondage is done with a BDSM purpose. We see the promise of some discipline towards the end, but until that scene it's not really a part of the story. I'm wavering between a 1 and 2, but I think it's a  2 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: Yes, but it's complicated. And the submission isn't given (for most of the story) because the person wants to submit, but because... well, I don't want to give spoilers, but he submits (or rather, believes he submits) for reasons other than that of a man who wants to submit, so I can't give it a 3. The Dominance is certainly there, but the submission parts need some work. 2 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: Not really.  0 of 3
• Extra Point: No

I'm going to have to give Vampire Mistress a 7 of 10. I plan to read Vampire Trinity at some point, and I hope that it makes me feel better about Vampire Mistress than I feel at this time.

There are a couple of really nice (i.e. hot) scenes, but overall the Heat Level is only a 2 of 5 for me.  All in all, I was really looking forward to Gideon's story, and I find myself disappointed by what I've read of it so far. I have been such a fan of Joey W. Hill that it pains me to give a bad review, but I've gotta be honest. So...

• Book Rating:Vampire Mistress: 7 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 4 of 10
• Heat Level: 2 of 5

1. The Vampire Queen's Servant
2. The Mark of the Vampire Queen
3. A Vampire's Claim
4. Beloved Vampire
5. Vampire Mistress
6. Vampire Trinity

.

Handcuffs and Glory Holes (Rawlings Men) by Kim Dare

 

Handcuffs and Glory Holes is a nice little short story involving a submissive in an abusive situation at the start of the story. I'm not really a fan of romantic short stories, a romance for me means you have to spend the time to get to know one another - you know, the details, not just the overall impression. Short stories, by definition, don't allow much time for getting to know the details.

But, as short stories go, Handcuffs and Glory Holes manages to give us a nice beginning to a relationship. Will the relationship last? Maybe. Probably. But even if it doesn't, I think both people will be better off for having been together for however short or long they are together.

What I really enjoyed about Handcuffs and Glory Holes that you don't normally get in a short romance is that both people have a chance to prove themselves to the other early on, they aren't operating on blind faith. It bugs me when people who have just met move in with each other or make a huge commitment in some other way - but I wasn't bugged about the way things progressed with our couple.

I would have loved to see this story stretched out into a longer story, I felt like we just saw the first two chapters of what could have easily been a 15 or 20 chapter book. The ending was satisfactory, but not satisfying.

Here's the blurb:

Police Sergeant Conrad Rawlings likes glory holes. As a dominant who’s never learnt how to feel casual about even the most fleeting hook up, he’s learned to cherish the complete anonymity they provide. Still, when he hears a cubicle door open as he leaves the back room of a club, he can’t quite help looking over his shoulder.

Submissive Willis Evans doesn’t know why his master ordered him to make sure the stranger from the glory hole sees his face before he leaves the club, but he knows the price for disobedience. Willis does as he’s told. The moment their eyes meet, he can’t help but hope he’ll be allowed to see the other man again.

They are going to meet again, but it won’t be under conditions either of them could predict. Willis’ master has a plan—one which could easily break them both.

As for the elements of BDSM:

• Bondage and Discipline: None. There is abuse that is supposed to be discipline in the beginning, but I will never consider abuse as discipline. So, there is no bondage and there is no discipline.
• Dominance and Submission: We begin with a submissive who doesn't understand he's in an abusive relationship.  There is some D/s, but not really all that much.
• Sadism and Masochism: None.

As for the story elements: the plot is a good one - too bad it was used on a short story. The pacing actually has a few issues, which is rare for a short story. Prose and dialogue were both good. Character development is very well done, especially considering it's a short.

Heat Level: 2 of 5
Book Rating: Handcuffs and Glory Holes: 7 of 10

There are no BDSM scenes, though there is some sex. Handcuffs and Glory Holes is a touching story with the idea of kink, but without any actual kink.