Sins of the Father [Angel and the Assassin 3] by Fyn Alexander

 

Sins of the Father picks up after the first two books in this series. I would not recommend starting with this one, you should begin with Angel and the Assassin.

I've really enjoyed these characters even if we do get the stereotypical huge muscled bad-ass and small skinny twink with longer hair. They are unique enough in their own ways, and the author does a good enough job with character depth, to keep it from feeling quite so stereotypical.

As I warned in my review of the first book, if you've got a problem with the Daddy honorific then you may want to skip this one. While I may prefer Sir or Master, in the right context the Daddy option can work, too.

Fyn Alexander does a good job of showing the boring day-to-day aspects of a twenty-four-seven D/s relationship without it being boring. He also brings up the conflict that can happen when the Top lays down the law and the bottom isn't so happy with the edict. I love that Kael and Angel's relationship has reached this level, it's been nice watching them go from just-met to a long-term relationship. I also appreciate watching both men struggle through figuring things out. Kael has his own demons to face in this book, it isn't just about Angel learning and growing and changing.

Fyn Alexander writes hot sex and great D/s. It is both tender and rough, harsh and sweet. 

Here's the blurb

MI6 assassin, Kael Saunders, is a larger than life, dominant master who finds himself becoming a Daddy to nineteen-year-old Angel Button. Over the last year and a half Kael and Angel have settled into a loving Dom/sub relationship. But no matter how comfortable the highly intelligent and ruthless assassin and his sweet, eager, loving boy become with each other, Kael is still the boss and Angel wants him to remain so, whether in the dungeon, the bedroom, or the kitchen. Naturally submissive, Angel has learned how to be a good Daddy’s boy and a good slave, but his childlike willfulness still makes itself known now and again.

When Angel is kidnapped by an enemy of Kael's, he'll stop at nothing to save his boy, but his boy may have to take what he's learned and help him.

Ummm, that second paragraph is a bit misleading. I won't give spoilers, except to say the title tells you more about the main plot than the blurb.

We don't just get a relationship story from Fyn Alexander, we get a bit of a spy/adventure/assassin story, too. Good stuff.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: 1 of 3.
• Dominance and Submission: 3 of 3.
• Sadism and Masochism: 1 of 3 .
• Extra Point: Yes

As you can see, the BDSM isn't quite as intense as it was in the first two books. It's still there, but it's a bit mellower now -- with a few very nice exceptions. The extra point is there because the D/s theme is a constant throughout the book.

As for the writing elements: there are several plots woven together and I liked them all. Pacing is fine, prose and dialogue are well written, and character development continues to be exceptionally well done.

• Book Rating: Sins of the Father: 9 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 6 of 10
• Heat Level: 4 of 5

Books in this series:

1. Angel and the Assassin
2. Angel and the Assassin 2: Be Brave
3  Angel and the Assassin 3: Sins of the Father

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The Auction by Kitty Thomas

 

The Auction is set on another planet, far in the future. Humans have seeded this planet, and the species that lives there allows them one city in which to live. If they leave the city, the monsters kill them.

Human females are auctioned off when they turn 18. We are shown that it's not such a different idea than the dowries of old, the main difference being the money goes into the city's coffers. Most girls have someone buy them and set them free, a family member or boyfriend. Some are bought for the purpose of being owned, but society tries to ignore that when it happens. I liked the build up, the thought processes that went into building this society, this world.

Here is the blurb:

Belle Walker lives in a strict society where women are treated as property, sold to the highest bidder soon after their eighteenth birthday. But the auction isn’t the only danger. Though she’s never seen them, she knows monsters live outside the city. These creatures have allowed the humans a small area to inhabit with the promise to leave them in peace as long as they never cross the boundary. On the day Belle is sold, one of the monsters breaks that promise and enters the city, intent on having her as his own.

Kitty Thomas, as a general rule, focuses more on the psychology behind slavery and submission than she focuses on the physical. Tender Mercies was the exception, where she gave us a lot more description of the physical acts. But with The Auction, she gives just enough for our imaginations to take hold and finish the picture in our own way. I appreciate that, I really do, but sometimes I could do with a little more description.


BDSM elements:

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

As for the writing elements:

• The plot was predictable but that was okay, I enjoyed the process of getting there.
• Pacing was fine
• Prose and dialogue are always very well done when Kitty Thomas is writing.
• Character development was superb
• World-building went above and beyond for such a short story, describing not only the physical aspects but the general rules of society.

I've gone back and forth on a rating and I'm settling on a 9 of 10.

• Book Rating:The Auction: 9 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 6 of 10
• Heat Level: 3 of 5

I recommend The Auction even if you aren't normally a sci-fi fan. Sometimes, taking us to another world allows an author to give us non-consensuality in a way that is hot without pushing our squick buttons. It's far enough from our reality to allow our inner conscience to keep quiet, and close enough to our fantasies to allow our libido to enjoy it. Kitty Thomas has once again done an excellent job of giving us a non-consensual relationship that ends up working for both people, and letting us travel along the thought processes from beginning to end.

Sold, A Hammer Novel by Sean Michael.

 
I've been reading so many short stories lately in the erotica genre, it was really good to sink my teeth into a longer BDSM flavored book.

Sold is more psychology and feelings than it is physical scenes, but that's okay. Even though the main couple don't have many really intense scenes, there are other scenes that are talked about that give the story that kind of intensity.

Here's the blurb:

Matt is new in town, and he’s excited to be vying for a membership at the Hammer, a club he’s heard is the best in the business. He has to admit that his first encounter with a sub at the Hammer makes him believe it. Adam is like no one Matt has ever met, and he wants the professional sub to be his and his alone.

Adam has some issues that might throw a monkey wrench into Matt’s plan. While Adam thinks Matt is the most amazing top he’s ever met, he also has to make a living. He’s never wanted to have a private contract with anyone before, and he’s not sure how to be a sub to Matt without making the man jealous because of his job.

Matt thinks he has the answers to all of Adam’s questions, but they have to work it all out between them gradually. Meanwhile, Adam still has to work, and some of his old clients may not like Adam having a relationship with another Dom. Can Matt and Adam find a balance between work and play?

We see the trust element going both ways here, both the sub trusting the Dom and the Dom trusting the sub. The story also shows us the difference in a service submissive focused on servicing and pleasing and in a submissive who gives up all control. Not that one is right and the other wrong, just that there is a difference and it is pretty apparent here. For this couple it works for the submissive to give up all control. For other couples the service submissive who anticipates the Master's needs and provides for them is the right kink.

BDSM elements:

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

The power exchange is shown very well. The physical aspects aren't used to cement the mental stuff with this couple, and that's okay. It works for them, and it's a very sweet story.

• Book Rating: Sold: 8 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 6 of 10
• Heat Level: 4 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

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Catalyst by S.L. Armstrong and K. Piet

   

I've been in a bit of a reading funk. The last three books I've attempted to read (excluding this one) have been DNF's for me, and that's bugged me. But I just couldn't finish the books. In one of them I actually got angry at a cheap plot device and put the book down. I have not reviewed the books because I don't think I can do so without coming off as a bitch. All three books were new-to-me authors, where either the author or the publisher sent me the book. But, the blurb on all three sounded interesting.

Catalyst was also sent to me by the publisher, and in this case the blurb made me cautious, as I do believe that for ethical reasons, a therapist or psychiatrist should not allow themselves to get involved with a patient. However, I decided to go ahead and give it a try, anyway.

As it turns out, the way the authors treated the therapist-patient relationship, and because it is the patient who is the Dom... the relationship didn't bother me as much as it normally would. Still unethical, but because of the circumstances I could still read and enjoy the book.

Here's the blurb:

Logan Walker has a problem. He has a blood fetish. A compulsion he can't seem to control. After almost killing his newest submissive, Logan decides enough is enough and he seeks help. Help happens to be in the form of an athletic, smart psychologist by the name of Dr. Kasper Bromley.

Kasper, though, soon finds himself swept up in the fantasies Logan came to him to control. Reluctantly throwing his ethics to the wind, Kasper submits himself to Logan, gambling his career, his future, and his heart on a man who craves his blood and submission.

The blurb describes less than half of the book, as the authors took things in a direction that I had not expected them to go.

Catalyst, for a short time, is about the physical aspects of fetish, kink, and BDSM. But then it transforms into being almost solely about the mental aspects. I can't say a lot more than that without giving spoilers.

I am not into blood play, not even a teeny tiny bit. But for the most part the blood play in the book didn't squick me too bad. It is talked about a good deal, but is not experienced in scenes very often.

Rating the BDSM elements is going to be tricky without giving spoilers, but I'll give it a try.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: No major discipline, some bondage. 2 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: Yes. Sort of, but it gets all screwed up. There is Dominance, but I'm not so sure about the submission part. 1 of 3.
• Sadism and Masochism: Yes. 3 of 3, though some of it goes too far, even for me.
• Extra Point: No

As for the writing elements: The plot was interesting with parts of it not being predictable. Pacing had some issues. I don't recall problems with the prose or dialogue. Character development was exceptionally well done.

• Book Rating::8 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 6 of 10, but be aware the S&M is intense
• Heat Level: 4 of 5

Catalyst was a nice change of pace. And it made me think. It is easy for a masochist to get addicted, the body makes some powerful drugs (endorphins), and I'm well aware of the process of trying to keep upping the ante without causing harm.

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Onyx by Mychael Black and Shayne Carmichael

 
Onyx is a story of an experienced Dom and an experienced Sub coming together for their first couple of scenes.

In Onyx, DC's newest fetish club, Ian Vaughan, a Dom returning to the scene, is greatly interested in the crowd favorite: Kale Daniels. After observing a tense, staged whipping, Ian takes Kale for a private session of their own.

Can these two men form a bond that goes beyond the public sphere of Onyx?

It's a short story, and I think that's really too bad, as I'd have loved to see these two further explore their relationship. It was a nice little short, but I enjoyed the characters and wanted to see more.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: Some bondage. And I'm sure discipline will come up, but it did not in these scenes. 1 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: 2 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: 2 of 3 
• Extra Point: Yes

As for the writing elements, there wasn't much of a plot, prose and dialogue were well written, character development was decent for a short story.

• Book Rating: Onyx: 8 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 6 of 10
• Heat Level: 4 of 5

Restraint by Teresa Noelle Roberts

 

Restraint is a very intense short story - seventeen pages that grabbed me, disturbed me, surprised me, sickened me, and made me think.

To say that blood is not my thing would be an understatement. But even at that, the story grabbed me. And then when the twist came, it made what had come before a little easier to deal with. I don't want to spoil, so I'll give the blurb and then talk about it from there:

Luke's a top who loves to dance on the edge of safety with hot men who crave knives and cutting with their kinky sex. Playing such potentially risky games, Luke's control needs to be as steely as his handcuffs, as honed as his blades. Adorable, inexperienced Ethan tests all Luke's self-restraint - but Ethan is more than he appears, and Luke may be the one who's being tested.

If you are into blood play then this is the short story for you. If you are into cutting but not really the blood then it will probably still be okay. If cutting and blood play are a squick for you then unless you get into the psychology of edge play, you'll probably want to skip this one.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: Bondage but no discipline. 1 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: Some. 1 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: Since I can't give a 10 of 3 here, I'll give as high as I can - 3 of 3 
• Extra Point:  Yes

As for the writing elements, the plot sneaks up on you and is a good one, pacing is fine, prose and dialogue are both well done, character development isn't terribly important in this very short story, but we learn more about our character than we realize while reading the story. 

This is a very well written short, and even though I don't enjoy blood play, I appreciated the story and the descriptions of what was going through Luke's head as he worked.

• Book Rating: Restraint: 9 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 6 of 10
• Heat Level: 2 of 5

The intensity level is misleading, because this is extreme edge play, where everything is consensual, but safe and sane  aren't part of the equation. The heat level describes how it affected me personally - if you're into cutting and/or blood play then this is probably going to be a 5 of 5 for you.

Restraint is the first piece I've read by Teresa Noelle Roberts, but I will certainly be sure to check out anything else I see written by her to see if I might be interested.


 

Hidden Heart (Tales of Amaranth book 3) by Thom Lane

 

I find myself conflicted. I enjoyed the telling of the story, I liked the author's voice, which is technically the slave's voice, since it's first person told entirely from the viewpoint of the slave. But I'm not so sure how I feel about the story.

So many of the "true slave" fantasy stories are written to glorify slavery, and the author does not do that here. In this world the animals are treated with more respect than the slaves. In fact, it seems that the animals are worth more than the slaves.

Tiffin works during the day mucking out horse stalls and doing other rather strenuous labor in the barn area. Punishments are swift, and just about every free person carries a whip or crop or switch, and can use it on any slave they see.

I believe that Hidden Heart is the third book in this series, and I have not read the previous books in the series. I'm not sure that I want to, either. It isn't because the book was badly written, because in fact the prose and dialogue were skillfully woven into a nice telling of the story. It's just that the story left me feeling bad about the places humanity has been. And is still in, in some places of the world. The slaves here aren't even treated particularly bad -- they are treated to a hard days' work, but the slave masters, the main people over them, seem to be pretty fair with them. They don't punish just for the sake of showing they can, but only when there is an infraction. There is talk of a whip or strap touching them to remind them, but pain seems to be meted out for a reason in most cases.

Still, being a slave because you choose to be, and being a slave because you have no choice in the matter... those are different fantasies. Also, being an indentured "body slave" who loves his master is still different from being the slave of a castle who must work in the barns every day.

Here's is the blurb:

Tiffin is a slave boy, branded and chained, trained to serve and eager to please. That’s all he knows; his past life is a mystery, wiped from his mind. Sold to a grim fortress and facing a bleak future, he seeks comfort where he can find it, in the arms and at the feet of Sergeant Zander. He’s happy to give over control of his body to that dominant, delightful man -- but someone else keeps stealing into his mind, taking over.

Tiffin doesn’t know how or who. All he knows is how much trouble he’s in, and how much worse it’s going to get...unless Zander can help him discover what's going on, before he literally loses his mind.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Strong BDSM theme and elements, male/male sexual practices, master/slave.

You can see there is another plot working through the story, and it's a pretty good plot. This plot is not the main intention or the main purpose of telling the story, but it does add some interest.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: 3 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: 3 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: Pain is given for punishment, not for enjoyment. 0 of 3 
• Extra Point: No. It's true the D/s is a huge part of the story, but this is actual slavery, not really BDSM.

As for the writing elements: the various plots have interest and are well told, there are a few pacing issues but it's not a major problem, prose and dialogue were both skillfully written and weave together nicely, character development was also well done. I'm not quite as sure about world-building - I would think I had a handle on this world and then something would feel like an anachronism in it. However, since this is the third book in the series and I haven't read the other two it's hard for me to say much about it. Some of those apparent inconsistencies would probably make sense if I'd read the previous books in the series.

• Book Rating: Hidden Heart: 8 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 6 of 10
• Heat Level: 3 of 5

I would be interested in another book written by this author that takes place in a different series or a different world, but I don't believe I'm interested in reading other books in this particular series. This is a skilled author who apparently understands what it means to be a slave, and does a very good job of explaining it. This particular world just didn't work for me.

The ability to evoke strong feelings about characters and worlds and situations... that shows skill. So this isn't a case of bad writing, just a case of this world and this story not resonating well with me.

1. Healing Heart
2. Dark Heart
3. Hidden Heart

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Make Me (Hawkeye 3) by Sierra Cartwright

 

Make Me is the third book in the Hawkeye series. I loved the first book, Danger Zone, I thought the second book was okay, and so I was hoping for a lot from the third book. It was not as good as Danger Zone, but it was still an entertaining read.

Here's the blurb:

Competent and in control, Ms. Inamorata, Hawkeye’s righthand woman, has the perfect relationship with hunky fellow operative Wesley Lowell. Several times a week, she shows up at his house, has fabulous sex, meaningless conversation, and then returns home and to her regular life.

Dynamic and determined, Wes has had enough. He’s tired of playing by her rules. He wants more than passion from Inamorata, he wants commitment. One evening, as she’s yet again climbing from his bed to leave him in the middle of the night, he acts, snagging her wrist and refusing to let her go. He bends her over the bed, and takes her the way he wants to: hard, fast, dominating.

Against her own wishes, she responds to his more heated sexual demands. For the first time since they’ve been together, he makes her beg for an orgasm, and beg she does. This oh-so-sexy man turns her life upside down, until she realizes she needs him not only as a demanding lover, but needs him by her side to solve a case that causes past and present to collide.

We've met Ms. Inamorata before, and she didn't appear to have a submissive bone in her body.  As you can see from the blurb, she apparently does have some submissive tendencies.

I don't remember Wes from previous books, if he was in them he didn't stand out to me. I liked him though, and I loved his gadgets.

A few things didn't work for me -- I've never understood the whole "oh no, we're in the middle of a crisis, we should have sex" thing. But all in all, it was an entertaining read, and the BDSM elements were mostly realistic. I liked the way Ms. Inamorata dealt with her feelings, and I loved it when she made sure they separated play from work. Being a submissive to one man should not mean you compromise your career, and she has no intention of doing so. Thank you, Ms. Cartwright.


BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: No bondage, some light discipline. 1 of 3.
• Dominance and Submission: 2 of 3.
• Sadism and Masochism: Some. Mostly nipple play, a little first time anal play. 2 of 3. 
• Extra Point: I've gone back and forth on this, but in the end I'll give it. 

As for the writing elements, the plot was a good one, pacing was fine, prose and dialogue were good, and character development was well done.

• Book Rating:Make Me: 8 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 6 of 10
• Heat Level: 3 of 5

Here are the books in the series:

1. Hawkeye One: Danger Zone
2. Bend Me Over
3. Make Me

Soft Focus by Reno MacLeod and Jaye Valentine

 

Soft Focus is the first book I've read by these authors, and I wasn't sure what to expect. The blurb looked promising, and a friend recommended it, so I gave it a try. Here's the blurb

Ethan Bouwer has always been the adventurous sort. A freelance nature photographer, he travels the globe and writes erotica on the side whenever things get a bit slow. Hunting for a topic for his next writing project, he stumbles upon a man named David Turner and the taboo world of BDSM. His curiosity piqued, Ethan discovers that David Turner and his beautiful partner Kiyoshi are coming to town for a convention. Ethan makes arrangements for them to meet, but little does Ethan know that he is about to embark on a safari into a world more wild and untamed than anything he has ever encountered before.

I'm a bit conflicted about Soft Focus. I liked the characters and the setting, but there was one element of conflict that seemed to be more of an afterthought, like the authors thought there wasn't enough of a storyline so they needed to complicate things with an outside antagonist. I could have done without the outside antagonist, in my opinion it took more away from the story than it added to it.

The BDSM descriptions are handled well, I appreciated the relationship between David and Kiyoshi. The authors did a good job of showing the give and take that happens in some lifestyle relationships. I also appreciated the way the third person was added in, though there were parts of it that I wasn't comfortable with.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: Some bondage, and some threats of discipline. 2 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: Yes. 3 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: It is talked about more than it is shown. 0 of 3.
• Extra Point: Yes

As for the writing elements, the plot is decent for a menage BDSM story, pacing had some issues, prose and dialogue were fine, and character development was well done. 

• Book Rating:Soft Focus: 8 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 6 of 10
• Heat Level: 3 of 5

Soft Focus is a story of three very different men coming together, while one of the men learns about the world of BDSM. The story shows more of the D/s aspects than the physical aspects, though there are enough physical things shown to keep from being a complete tease. I would have liked to see more action, and I wouldn't mind seeing a follow up book as these characters figure out how to make a relationship work.

 

Willing Victim by Cara McKenna

 

Willing Victim isn't your normal BDSM type book, but that's okay because it didn't really claim to be. Everyone has their own kink, and nothing says it has to conform to what has turned into the "norm".

There is an incredibly sexy boxer who likes rough sex, likes for the woman to fight him and tell him to stop... but he stops the instant the safe word is uttered. He's a really nice guy. And sexy. Did I mention sexy?

The author does give the warning that anyone sensitive to rape, even simulated rape that is totally consensual, may not want to read Willing Victim.

Here's the blurb:

For the past couple years Laurel's been coasting, hiding in the backseat while her life drifts off course. Then one summer afternoon a tall, built bruiser named Flynn strides in and steers her straight into an infatuation she never saw coming.

Flynn introduces Laurel to things she’s never imagined before—to the violent but exciting realm of the underground boxing circuit, to rough sex and even rougher role-playing, and to an attraction she craves even as it intimidates her. As Flynn invites her deeper into his world and his life, Laurel has to make a choice—let fear keep her holed up where it’s safe, or take a chance and fight for the man who makes her feel more alive than she’d dreamed possible.

One pretty major thing didn't work all that great for me. Without giving spoilers I'll just say that Flynn has a friend that kind of gets tossed out on her butt when Laurel steps in, and considering how nice the girl is to Laurel, that bothered me.

I appreciated the humor interspersed throughout, enough humor that I put my netbook down and had a good laugh a few times. Several things come out of left field and catch you off guard, so you snort yourself into laughter and then your husband gets to make fun of you for snorting.

Our couple starts out just a little rough and then work their way up to some pretty rough stuff. Nothing that leaves marks, but still, some of it gets intense. 

The nice thing about this particular story and situation is that she watches him get punched in the face by people who weigh more than twice her weight, so she doesn't have to hold back when she slaps him or hits him -- she can fight back full force without worrying about hurting him, and without worrying about actually getting away from him. And he's strong enough, and in control of himself enough, that it's safe to do that -- he can control her without actually hurting her.


BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: As I said, Willing Victim isn't actually BDSM in the traditional sense of the term. There is bondage, but not really discipline. 1 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: Yes, sort of. But not really. He kind of looks down on the BDSM scene, says it's like the civil war reenactors. But he still uses a lot of their tricks, ways to simulate what he wants and still stay safe and make sure it's consensual. Even though it's not the traditional form of D/s, it's there. He gets off on being in charge and she gets off having someone else in charge. 3 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: Again, it's not the "normal" form of S&M, but he enjoys hurting her and she gets blazing hot when he hurts her. 1 of 3 
• Extra Point: Yes, the role play and power exchange is an integral part of the story, it gets the extra point.

As for the writing elements, the plot just follows the sexual games and the relationship, not much else going on. It's a fairly short story, so there are no pacing issues. Prose and dialogue are very well done, the author is skillful enough to make the dialogue make me snort in laughter, that's pretty skilled. Character development was also nicely executed.

• Book Rating: Willing Victim: 9 of 10
• Heat Rating: 4 of 5
• BDSM Intensity: 6 of 10

If simulated rape is a turn on for you then Willing Victim will be a nice way to treat yourself. It isn't really one of my kinks, but the story still worked for me. It feels wrong to call it a charming little romance, but I'm going to, anyway.