A few short reviews

 

I have not been home for a while, and I packed my Kindle and Netbook but didn't want to have to deal with my laptop. This means I've read a lot, but haven't had the patience to type a full review on this cramped keyboard. I love my netbook, it fits in my purse and weighs practically nothing. Unfortunately, the downside of that is the keyboard is just small enough I can't touch type. So here are the books I've read with a brief review for now - with a full review to come at a later date:

Inferno: Training Session by Anna Leigh Keaton

What is a couple do when they discover they are both submissive? Find a Dom couple to work with them, of course. This was an enjoyable short story with a satisfying ending. 

Garnet: A Season in Hell by Syd McGinley

Not what I expect from Syd McGinley, but it was still an engaging story with interesting characters. This is not traditional BDSM, but there is exploration of the mental aspects of a Master/slave relationship where a very rich man has purchased the services of another for six months.There were pacing issues, but nothing terrible.

Threshing the Grain by Teresa Noelle Roberts

This is one of those erotica books you read for the plot and the worldbuilding, with the sex and kink filling in as icing on the cake. Great characters, nice worldbuilding, beautifully crafted plot... I thoroughly enjoyed Threshing the Grain. As a side note, I wouldn't mind reading more stories about the satyrs in this universe. Excellent worldbuilding.

I will give these books a full review at a later date, but I wanted to make a list so I'll remember. My habit is to finish a book and review it as soon as I read the last page. If I need to sleep on it then I write it up, sleep on it, and then make changes the next day. My organizational system doesn't allow for remembering to review a book a week later. Hopefully this will help me with that.

I am currently reading Two Masters for Samantha by Michele Zurlo. This is the third book in a series, and I'm a bit lost with some of the secondary characters that were probably main characters in previous books, but I'm fine with the main characters of this book. The author seems to have a decent grasp of BDSM, though so far the plot has been pretty predictable. I'll wait until I finish the book to say anything else.

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.