Angel and the Assassin 2: Be Brave by Fyn Alexander

  

Angel and the Assassin 2: Be Brave follows about six months after the events of Angel and the Assassin. Angel is in school now, and Kael is teaching at the SIS Academy.

I see a lot of people talking about TPE and what that kind of relationship looks like. Everyone has their own ideas and their own fantasies, but when it comes to implementing it in real life over the long term, I think Kael and Angel's relationship is about as close as I've seen to a realistic depiction in fiction. Kael has rules, and Angel makes his own decision within the boundaries of Kael's rules. Angel shows respect, but he also cuts up and kids around. And when he disagrees with Kael about something he doesn't keep it to himself, he communicates his thoughts and feelings whether they be popular or unpopular with Kael. Theoretically he's supposed to respectfully disagree, but that doesn't always happen. Just like in real life.

There was a good bit more going on besides the relationship in the second installment. Kael probably has as many issues to work through as Angel, and I like that it isn't just the submissive having to work through his crap.

Here's the blurb:

MI6 assassin Kael Saunders was supposed to kill Angel Button after he witnessed a kill. Not only did Kael refuse to hurt Angel, but he took him home and fell in love with him. Living together now in a loving D/s relationship, Angel wants to follow in his daddy’s footsteps while Kael is determined to keep his boy out of the dangerous world of international assassins.

During an assignment Kael finds a little girl who is caught up in human trafficking and determines to rescue her. When he is taken prisoner Angel sets out to find his beloved Daddy and bring him home.

I don't know if the author has planned for more books to follow, though with the way this book ended I think the possibility is certainly there. I would pick the third book in this series up in a heartbeat.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: 3 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: 3 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: Most of the BDSM is about painful pleasure that is worked up to, it's not really about pain. 1 of 3 
• Extra Point: Yes

As for the writing elements. The plots were very well done with a few pleasant surprises, the pacing was perfect, prose and dialogue flowed nicely, and character development continues to be exceptional.

• Book Rating: Angel and the Assassin 2: Be Brave: 10 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 8 of 10
• Heat Level: 5 of 5

I would not recommend reading the second book until you've read the first book. You can read my review of the first book here.

1. Angel and the Assassin
2. Angel and the Assassin 2: Be Brave

Purple Passion by Sindra van Yssel

 

Purple Passion is the first book I've read by Sindra van Yssel, but it won't be the last. In fact, if my TBR folder weren't so full right now I might just start buying up her back list and reading them all, after finishing Purple Passion.

Darren was pretty close to my definition of the ideal Dom. First and foremost, he's a good guy, next is that he's honest even when it's not easy to be honest. And finally, he's come to terms with his kinks and doesn't apologize for them. Oh, and he's pretty creative with them, too. A nice addition.

Darren McCorvey can’t believe his good luck when sexy violet-haired Lisa Martinez sits across from him at a table in a restaurant. Never mind she’s only at that table by mistake -- she certainly didn’t intend to join a bunch of BDSM aficionados -- he recognizes a submissive streak inside her that she thought was nothing but a weakness. She can’t believe this hunky guy is interested in her, but the things he’s into attract and scare her all at once. She pretends she’s interested to piss off her controlling ex-husband, and doesn’t intend to let it go any further. And Darren has no intention of falling in love, ever again. But after one fierce kiss it doesn’t seem to matter what they intended, what they’ve feared, or what obstacles their pasts can throw in the way.

I actually wasn't thrilled with the way things started, but it worked okay as a way to introduce Lisa to the lifestyle and to let the two characters meet.

The author handled the newbie explanations well, so I didn't feel as if she were talking down to the audience. And I love the way she had Darren introduce some of the new things to Lisa.I especially liked the way he helped her deal with bondage when he saw how scared she was.

BDSM elements:

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

As for the writing elements:

• The plot was mostly the relationship, with a few smaller side plots here and there that added some depth.
• Not a thing wrong with pacing. This was a very enjoyable book to read.
• Prose and dialogue were very well done.
• Character development was beautiful

I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for more books by this author. Note the Heat Level? 

• Book Rating: Purple Passion: 9 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 7 of 10
• Heat Level: 5 of 5

I highly recommend Purple Passion, it's a very sweet story, and the D/s is smokin' hot.

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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Master of the Abyss by Cherise Sinclair

 

Master of the Abyss is a follow up book to Master of the Mountain, where one of the brothers found his perfect submissive. If you haven't read Master of the Mountain then that's okay - you don't need to have read it to understand what's going on.

In Master of the Abyss, it's Jake's turn. But Jake has this "one night only" rule. He's honest about it up front, making it clear before anything happens. It seems to have worked for him so far. That is, until he has a run in with Kallie, the flannel shirt wearing wilderness guide.  Here's the blurb:

On the mountain, the watcher seeks out evil women. And then they die.

Two years ago, when Jake Hunt uncollared his slave, she committed suicide. Guilt-ridden, he will commit to a woman for one night only, devoting his energy to a mountain lodge that caters to a BDSM crowd.

Kallie Masterson is tough. Unwanted as a child, she worked hard to become a wilderness guide. She’s proud of who she is, and hurt that Jake frowns on her for acting like a man.

After rescuing the macho guide from a bar fight, Jake is stunned that the ugly men’s clothing hides a warm, responsive woman. A submissive woman. When guide business brings her to the lodge on BDSM night, and she is obviously aroused by the play, Jake takes the little sub right into his world of pain and pleasure. He warns her: one-night-only. But she responds so beautifully--so joyously--under his command, that one night soon becomes two, then three…

Then a missing hiker reminds Jake of his past lover, and he realizes he’s become too involved. He pulls back.

Meanwhile, the watcher on the mountain has rendered his verdict: Kallie Masterson is evil. The sentence: Death.

The plot that the blurb speaks to is really more of a background plot. The main plot, to my mind, was the progression of the way Kallie and Jake interact with each other.  I really liked Kallie, and I loved that she was this strong woman capable of handling herself in just about any situation, and that she didn't argue too much with herself over her desire to submit to Jake.

And I loved that Jake showed her respect while he Dominated her. He didn't let her get away with anything, he was quick to give punishments when needed... but he didn't expect her to just be okay with something because he said so. And when in group situations he did everything he could to help her be okay with the things he was doing to her, but without backing off of what he was doing.

Jake works hard to be keyed into Kallie's responses, but he's not a mind reader and I appreciate that he didn't get everything exactly right. I could appreciate it because he was quick to take steps to fix things, and because he took responsibility instead of trying to downplay the situation. 

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: Nothing extreme, but there is plenty of both, and both are well executed.  3 of 3.  
• Dominance and Submission: Yes. It's not TPE, he only tops her when sex is involved, but when he goes into Dom mode he doesn't mess around.   3 of 3.
• Sadism and Masochism: Some, but nothing extreme.  1 of 3.
• Extra Point: Yes

As for the writing elements:

• The multiple plots were nicely done and created a lot of interest.
• Pacing had a few minor issues but was mostly well done.
• Prose and dialogue were skillfully woven together.
• Character development was superb. Very well done.

Cherise Sinclair has written a wonderful Dom and a likeable sub, and given them great location and a good plot. The tension is perfect, and the sex is hot. I wouldn't mind seeing more of Kallie and Jake, but I'm guessing that next will be her cousins... especially since she mentioned that one of them likes to bring home two women at a time.

• Book Rating: Master of the Abyss: 9 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 8 of 10
• Heat Level: 5 of 5

I'd like to point to that heat level again. Five of Five. I really liked Jake, and his approach to BDSM. Yum.

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

Firebird by Annabel Joseph

 

I've had major issues with most of the workplace-BDSM-romance/relationship stories I've read this year, so when I realized Firebird is the story of a BDSM relationship between choreographer and ballerina, I was a bit hesitant. It turns out my concerns were unwarranted, as the Dom did not take advantage of the sub at work, and in fact did pretty much everything he could to keep the relationship away from the theater. Also, without giving spoilers, the relationship doesn't actually begin at work, but outside of work, and that helped with the whole professionalism thing as well.

Here's the blurb:

Prosper is thrilled to be plucked from the corps de ballet to dance the lead role in The Firebird. Jackson, the guest choreographer, is as sexy as he is demanding. Prosper soon finds herself flustered by his closeness and his unforgiving gaze. She gets caught up in kinky fantasies that make it difficult for her to concentrate on his steps. She imagines him as her Dominant, turning her over his knee for flubs in rehearsal. Just as sensual tension at work builds to an impossible level, a surprise encounter outside the studio results in Prosper's fantasies being realized. Jackson takes his protégée home and ties her to his bed. Soon Prosper is receiving the discipline and domination she craves -- and much, much more.

The pair maintain a secret off-stage relationship -- scorchingly intimate encounters several evenings a week. But Prosper feels the burden of carrying the Firebird ballet on her back, and Jackson knows that his time in New York will draw to an end all too soon. Will Prosper crack under the pressure of pleasing her lover and bringing his vision to life, or will Jackson find a way to help his Firebird take flight?

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: Yes and yes. 3 of 3.
• Dominance and Submission: Oh, my. Yes. 3 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism:  Some, but nothing really out of the ordinary, and no edge play. I've wavered back and forth from a 1 and 2 and I'm going to settle on a 1 of 3.
• Extra Point: Yes.

As for the writing elements:

• The main plot is the journey of the relationship, but there is also some theater drama and politics creating smaller plots. All were good, if predictable.
• Pacing was fine.
• Prose and dialogue were fine.
• Character development was well done for Prosper, but I wanted to know more about Jackson. I liked what we learned of Jackson, but I didn't really feel he was fully developed.

I've debated back and forth on a rating, and I'm going to settle on an 8 of 10. As a one time ballerina myself, and as the mom of two young ballerinas (now in the midst of The Nutcracker performances), I guess I was hoping for more flowery prose about dancing, as well as more realism about how bad your body (and your feet) hurt after days on end of dancing. By definition, all dancers who go that far have to be at least a touch masochistic -- they have a relationship with pain, pain is a cost that must be paid in order to express themselves through dance. They learn which pain can be ignored and which pain they must pay attention to -- in other words, which pain flags injury and damage and which just hurts but doesn't mean serious damage is occurring. They may not enjoy the pain, but they almost certainly have learned how to integrate it into their life.

I was also expecting more dance oriented BDSM - choreographers are artistic and creative and... I feel greedy saying I wanted more, but there it is. Don't get me wrong - it's a good story with a very likable Dom.  I enjoyed Prosper's journey from moderate experience to a lot of experience, and I enjoyed having an eagle eye view to watching Jackson train her.

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

This is not BDSM lite -- we see the use of a belt, a crop, a leather paddle, and plugs. And the D/s is serious, with punishments when a rule or order is not followed.  However, I think that those who prefer the "kinder gentler" variety of BDSM will probably be okay with the events of the book. 

Also, Firebird hit on one of my pet peeves. This falls into spoiler territory so select the text to view it.
Why is it always the submissive who has to move? Why can't the Dom be the one to take a hit to his career and move to another city? Everything had settled down at the theater and Prosper's career would have been much better served to stay put instead of moving to another city. I get why she followed him, it just bugs me that it is the submissive who is expected to pick up and follow the Dom, so that his career can continue on without detour.


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Three Wishes by Sean Michael

 

Three Wishes looks to me to be the beginning of a new series, and if the next book is as good as this one? I'm sold.

The three fantasies here are:

1. A man who wants to be forced to accept body mods - tattoos and piercings. He's stipulated a few guidelines, but for the most part he doesn't want to be able to chicken out, so he wants to be forced into it. I loved this fantasy. Great Master, perfect level of D/s... it just flat out worked for me. And I'm not a huge body mod fan.
2. A couple who are looking for more edge play, so they've come to the island where they've requested experts be brought in for cutting, flogging, breath play, etc. One thing each day, the first day is the sub's fantasy, the next day is the dom's fantasy, then the sub's again, the dom's again, and then something that is for both of them. Everything is done to the sub while the Dom sits in a comfy chair and watches. I liked where the author was taking this, but felt that it was cut short and we missed seeing more than half of the fantasy. I loved the ideas, and was disappointed that we didn't get to see more.
3. And finally, someone with a medical fantasy who wants to be forced to submit to enemas, speculums, etc. This one had a twist that worked out great, and I enjoyed this fantasy as well.

There is also some drama going on with the three people who own the island, but I'm not going to say much about that. Well, except that I'm looking forward to the next book.

I think I've told you pretty much what the blurb says, but just to be thorough, here's the blurb:

James, Guard, and Damien run an island where your fantasy, no matter how kinky, how perverse, will come true for you. It's a lot of work, but they're dedicated to making it work for their clients. If only they could make their own three-way relationship run as smoothly.

In Three Wishes, the men bring in three different couples for their special services. Handsome model Benji is tired of being perfect, and he wants to make his body his own. Thor, tattoo artist and piercer, as well as Dom, is just the man to do it. Will Benji find what he's looking for?

Meanwhile, Alan and Roman are a long-time sub/Dom couple looking to have a few outside Masters give Alan all the things that Roman can’t. Will their relationship survive Alan's strong reaction to one of the Masters?

The last couple to visit the island are Quinn and Pierce. Quinn has a medical fetishes he’s embarrassed to tell his lover Pierce about even though Pierce is a doctor. So he’s going to get it out of his system in this safe environment. At least that’s the plan...

Don't miss out on these fantasies come true.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: 2 of 3.  Nothing too drastic here. Light punishment and some decent bondage when necessary, but neither of of these elements is really the focus.
• Dominance and Submission: 3 of 3. Yum.
• Sadism and Masochism:  3 of 3 - though we don't get a blow-by-blow of each thing done, there is a good bit of edge play. And we get Doms who aren't afraid of taking a sub right to the limit of what they are capable of handling.
• Extra Point: Yes.

As for the writing elements: I enjoyed all of the plots, which are really just the three fantasies. The pacing was great. Prose and dialogue were fine. Character development wasn't terribly in-depth but it was okay as we were given enough so we understood what made each person crave their particular fantasy.

• Book Rating: Three Wishes: 9 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 9 of 10
• Heat Level: 5 of 5

I thoroughly enjoyed Three Wishes -- the story idea is a great way to bring in special fantasies and edge play... things that aren't done on a daily basis but that can be done in a safe environment with people who know what they are doing. I'm also intrigued by the drama going on with the island's owners, and while I probably have a good idea of how that's going to end up in the long run, I think I'm going to enjoy seeing it play out.

Cruel to be Kind by Stephanie Vaughan

 

Before beginning the review of Cruel To Be Kind, can we all just pause for a moment to admire the cover? I'm not wired as a Domme, but the idea of topping this particular guy does something for me. To have all of that power at your beck and call? Wow.

Here's the blurb:

Steve Eriksson is a regular guy. He likes basketball and beer. He works hard in his family's construction and restoration business. Steve’s normal life is about to change. Because he's about to meet Megan.

Professional chef Megan Mussina returns to her home town looking for some peace and quiet. A place to put her life back in order after the disaster of a relationship gone publicly wrong. A new man in her life is the last thing she wants. Until she meets Steve.

From the first they share an overpowering physical attraction. Steve is just the sort of powerful, successful submissive man Megan never knew she needed. And Megan knows the one thing Steve never knew he craved. Sometimes, you've got to be Cruel to be Kind.

I love the way Megan seduces Steve into it, the way she takes control, and the care she has for him as she pushes his boundaries. She isn't really cruel, she seduces him with her power, but not with cruelty. It's a catchy title, but not the way she really treats him.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: 1 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: He's new to this, so it's the very beginnings of D/s for him. 2 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: None. 0 of 3 
• Extra Point: Yes. The book is about Steve submitting to a woman for the first time, and realizing that while he's not sure about what Megan is doing, that he needs it.

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

• Book Rating: Cruel to be Kind: 9 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 4 of 10
• Heat Level: 4 of 5

My biggest complaint? Cruel To Be Kind ended too soon. I wanted to see how far she was going to take him. I wanted to experience a much more intense scene. That's not to say it was a bad ending, it was a perfectly good ending. I enjoyed the characters and story though, so I greedily wanted more.

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Fortune by Annabel Joseph

 

We first met Ryan in Deep in the Woods, he was a fun guy and a pretty serious dominant. And a great friend.

We get to know him a whole lot better in Fortune.

Here's the blurb:

Kat doesn’t know whether or how to end her six-night-a-week party habit, not to mention her unhealthy addiction to meaningless sex. Then an accident lands her in the hospital. She wakes to find a menagerie of origami figures—and a gorgeous neurosurgeon—beside her bed. The complexity of the paper creations is nothing compared to the complexity of dark-eyed, authoritative Ryan, who seems determined to give her life some direction. Trouble is, Kat’s just as determined to resist his efforts to tame her wild side.

With persistence, Ryan draws Kat into his world of dominance and submission, where quiet commands and lengths of rope awaken needs and desires she never knew she possessed. But Ryan’s intimate, erotic shibari sessions frighten Kat as much as they excite her, for each simple knot requires infinite trust and inspires complicated emotions.

Then a family crisis tests their love and threatens to snap the fragile ties that bind them. Will fortune ever smile on this unlikely couple, or will fate tear them apart?

Normally I have a problem with Doms who spank someone before the whole "consent" talk happens. But in this case it was okay. Kat did consent to it, in her own way... and she never would have had the conversation if she hadn't already experienced some kink first.

The whole set up worked for me. The "vanilla" woman who is really submissive and a touch masochistic but never realized it. Authors have to be careful with that or it doesn't work. Annabel Joseph made it work. Quite well.

The cranes were almost a character within the story. A powerful presence. The character development in general was powerful, and to make origami cranes have enough of a presence to qualify as a character... it takes a skillful author.

I appreciated the levels of consent in place throughout the book. I also appreciated the way the BDSM was integrated into real life. And the way the relationship progressed. This is a love story, a romance. Sure, it's between a Dom and a sub. But it's also between a doctor and a translator. A man and a woman.

And I loved the way Kat's family was integrated into the story. Even the painful parts.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: Yes, but the bondage was artfully done. 3 of 3
• Dominance and Submission: Yes. And it was very realistically done. 3 of 3.
• Sadism and Masochism: Oh yes.  2 of 3
• Extra Point: Yes.

There is one group scene between friends, an extended version of what happened in the first book. An M/M/f/f scene. And it's hot. Capital H. Hot.

As for the writing elements: The plot worked. Nicely. The pacing was well done. Prose and dialogue were skillfully woven together. Character development was most excellent.

• Book Rating: Fortune: 10 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 9 of 10
• Heat Level: 5 of 5

Both of these books can be read as stand alone books, but both books are excellent, so you may as well read the first book first, then read the second.

1. Deep in the Woods
2. Fortune

Breaking Skye by Eden Bradley

 

Breaking Skye is a short story with details of a woman's first two BDSM experiences. For someone's first two experiences, they are good ones, I think. The second scene might be a bit intense for someone that new to the scene, but it worked out okay.

To get away from the story for a moment, I'd just like to say that Eden Bradley writes beautifully. Her descriptions include all five senses in a way that really resonates, and it brings her world to life for me. I think she could write about sitting in a traffic jam and make it interesting. So while the story itself wasn't the greatest, the telling of the story was very well done.

Here's the blurb:

Skye Ballard has always wanted to experience her fantasies of sexual submission. She craves to be commanded, taken over. She is convinced that all it will take to purge this yearning from her system is one night. Skye searches out the perfect Dominant for the job-it must be a man who is powerful, attractive, and naturally dominant. But when she meets Adam Dunne, she finds a man beyond her wildest dreams. Adam convinces her one night will not be enough for what he sees as a process, rather than a single experience. Skye soon discovers that being with him only makes her crave more. And while he begins with the idea of training her to be the perfect submissive-for someone else-soon all he can think of is making her his, making her yield. All he can think of is breaking Skye-and keeping her for himself.

I'm not sure that Breaking Skye was the correct title here. I mean, sure, she had to be shown how to submit, shown how to let go and enjoy. But I believe that Adam needed "breaking" more than Skye.

BDSM elements:

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

As for the writing elements, the plot is predictable, pacing was okay, prose was beautiful, dialogue was good, character development was well done for being a short.

Breaking Skye gives us the beginning of a story and then ends as soon as we get to a HFN place. If you're looking for a short story, a quickie you can read and be done with, then Breaking Skye is for you. 

• Book Rating: Breaking Skye: 8 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 5 of 10
• Heat Level: 2 of 5

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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.

 

Dom/sub by Roxy Harte & B.D. Dark

 

Dom/sub is two stories, one written from the perspective of the Dom, and the other written from the perspective of the sub.

The first story is one that many long term couples who explore a BDSM lifestyle have to come to terms with. In the beginning it's all about pushing limits, finding boundaries and then going beyond those boundaries. It can be quite a rush. But eventually you reach boundaries that you really shouldn't cross, eventually you can't find that rush anymore because you've crossed every sane boundary you can find. The story does not give us the solution to the problem, it just points out that the problem can exist.

The second story is one of loss, one I personally had a hard time reading. Not because there is anything wrong with the story, but because we're currently dealing with some health issues my husband is having. The idea of losing him is one I've had to deal with, one I probably haven't dealt with as well as I should. There is a good ending for the young lady in the story... or rather, the promise of a new beginning. I guess that's the best one can hope for sometimes.

Here is the blurb:

Domination and submission, yin and yang, two halves that make a perfect whole. This duet of stories walks the razor's edge of the real BDSM scene.

Dominance, by B. D. Dark
A man indulges in his long-held secret desire to exercise power and control over a woman. He meets his perfect match in Kim, another newbie to the scene, who wants to give herself to a master. Together they experiment, pushing sexual boundaries to the limit. What is his role as a Dom? Should he end the torture even if his submissive begs for more?

Submission by Roxy Harte
Julia is the grieving submissive of Master Jasper. After two years, three months, and eighteen days of crying she decides enough is enough and decides to get laid, even if it means nobody is going to get hurt. What she doesn't expect is to be set up by her friends on a blind date with a professional Dominant who goes by the name of Lord Draco. The question is, how far is Julia willing to go for pleasure...and pain?

Publisher's Note: This book contains very explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: BDSM, including anal sex, bondage, clamps, domination/submission, exhibitionism, hot wax, ropes, and spanking/flogging.

BDSM elements:

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

I want to state that, even though the book is going to get a 10 of 10 for an intensity level, some of this is based on things that are talked about and not really fully described. 

As for the writing elements, both plots were good. Pacing was good, prose and dialogue were good. Character development in the first is not explored very well, but it's not that kind of story. Character development in the second is much more fully explored. 

• Book Rating:Dom/sub: 9 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 10 of 10
• Heat Level: 4 of 5

There are descriptions of some fairly hard core BDSM practices in Dom/sub, though they are talked about more than described in the first story. The second story has one complete scene that is very hot, if you like that kind of thing. Which I do.

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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.

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Handcuffs and Leather (Rawlings Men book One) by Kim Dare

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Little Fishes By Syd McGinley (A Healing Heart Sip)

 

I've enjoyed the Dr. Fell series, and these two characters are sort of an off shoot of that series. Tommy and Dr. Tanaka aren't quite the typical BDSM couple. In some ways they are, but Dr. Tanaka seems to follow the Zen philosophy in everything he does - and that includes how he Tops.

Little Fishes is about meeting your lover's family, and about the surprises you sometimes encounter, things you learn about your partner that they haven't shared with you.

Little Fishes is not focused on sex, but on the relationship.

Here is the blurb:

Dr. Katashi Tanaka may be in hot water when he takes his boy, Tommy, to meet his family. His little sister, Mariko, is irrepressible and sure to gossip with Tommy, and his mother may be the only person alive who can oblige Dr. Tanaka to do anything. Tommy learns some secrets about his stern owner that may ruin not just their spa getaway but their whole relationship.

I don't believe the "entire relationship" is ever in danger, the blurb is trying to add more drama than there actually is. There is plenty of drama, no need to add more in the blurb.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline:  There is one scene, no bondage, a touch of discipline, and some talk of later discipline.  1 of 3.
• Dominance and Submission: Yes, we see that Tommy is completed devoted to Tanaka. 3 of 3
• Sadism and Masochism: No, not in this particular story. 0 of 3
• Extra Point: No

I want to be clear that this couple has done some extreme things in previous stories, but this particular story happens to be more about the relationship than the sex or the scenes.

As for the writing elements, the plot was wonderful for such a short story, prose and dialogue were fine, and character development was very well done not only for Tommy and Dr. Tanaka, but for the rest of the Tanaka family as well.

• Story Rating:Little Fishes: 9 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 4 of 10
• Heat Level: 1 of 5

You can buy Little Fishes from the Torquere site, and since this is part of their Healing Hearts series, all proceeds go to Doctors without Borders.   

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Training to Pleasure by Julian Masters

 

Training to Pleasure had the potential to be a good story. Unfortunately, Mr. Masters was sorely in need of an editor. There are way too many punctuation marks! And lots of other odd punctuation that made reading and staying with the story a challenge. Also, compound words were seperated - so anyone was any one. That may sound like nitpicking, but it happened many dozens of times, making me stop and look at it, read through it again, and then realize how it should have been written. And there were other editing snafus, where it appears he reworded part of a sentence and didn't go back and fix the other part of the sentence to fit with the reworded portion. I could continue on with my problems with the  writing, but I'll stop there and get to the story.

The story is one of a woman brand new to the ideas of BDSM who finds an experienced Master online, and then follows as they begin a relationship. It's a cyber relationship for a few months, and then they meet and it becomes a real life relationship. The first part of the book had some pretty big pacing issues, as the action was pretty slow to get started.

Some parts of the story didn't work so great for me, but others did. Or, I should say, they really did. There is a scene where he gives her a taste of something she doesn't want to experience anymore of, and then tells her that he wants her to resist him. If she manages to keep him from taking her for thirty minutes then she won't get more of the bad thing. If she can't last the entire thirty minutes then the longer she lasts, the less she will have to endure of the bad thing. That turned into a very nice scene.

I also appreciated that we are shown two strong individuals coming together in a power exchange relationship. No one is broken, no one needs to be "fixed". One has a kink to Dominate, the other has a kink to submit. That's it, nothing is broken.  The training also has some Zen type stuff, some of which was a nice touch.

Here's the blurb:

Kate is hard working, successful, responsible and smart-yet something is missing from her life. The men she dates quickly bore her in and out of bed. A girlfriend loans Kate an erotic novel of dominance and submission that ignites a firestorm of longing and desire she cannot ignore. Perhaps she has been looking for the wrong type of man in all the wrong places her whole life?

Kate goes in search online, learning all she can about her need to surrender her heart and body to a truly masterful man. A chance encounter in a chat room leads to her eventually meeting James at a beautiful English country house and spending an exquisitely erotic week together that will change both their lives forever.Note: This story was previously released in 2003 under author name Sir Julian. It has been revised and extensively expanded.

Training to Pleasure was a nice story of a couple's journey towards a Master/submissive relationship. There is a little bit of well done puppy play, and a nice description of a colonic (kind of one step beyond an enema) that is also well described. Impact play is not a huge part of the training, but that's okay because the things done in place of impact play are quite creative and (other than a few instances) fairly well described. 

The poor grammar and lack of editing was a real problem for me, though.

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: Yes, but nothing too extreme. 2 of 3.
• Dominance and Submission: Yes. 3 of 3.
• Sadism and Masochism: Yes. 2 of 3
• Extra Point: Yes.

As for the writing elements, the plot was the story of how the relationship progressed during their cyber chats, their first date, and then a week in a rented country home in the middle of nowhere. There were no outside influences, which was fine for this story. Pacing had some issues, there was the aforementioned slow start, but there were also too many info dumps and over-describing of mundane things that were not a big part of the story (another place a good editor could have come in handy). Prose had serious issues, dialogue flowed in most places but had issues here and there. Character development was fine.

• Book Rating:Training to Pleasure: 6 of 10
• BDSM Intensity Level: 8 of 10
• Heat Level: 5 of 5

  
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Deviations: Safe Words (Deviations book 5) by Chris Owen and Jodi Payne

If you haven't read the first four books in the Deviations series then you probably shouldn't read this review. There are no spoilers for book five in the review, but there are some discussions that will be a give-away to what happened in earlier books. To read the review for the first book in the series, Deviations: Submission, click here.

Book five of the Deviations series, Safe Words, takes us on the further adventures of Tobias, Noah, and Phantom. The action picks up soon after the end of the fourth book, Deviations: Bondage, and we get to see a much more relaxed household than we've seen in previous books. No one has to be anywhere at seven or eight in the morning anymore, and there are no more phone calls about cows who are close to giving birth at three in the morning, either.

I think it's possible that I allowed myself to over-anticipate Safe Words. Even if you received what you wanted on Christmas morning, there is still a let down Christmas afternoon because all of the anticipation is gone. That's a little how I felt when I reached the end of Safe Words. Also, without knowing whether this is now the planned final book, or whether the authors have a few more Deviations books up their sleeves... well, I hope to see these characters some more. Or at least some of the characters from this world. How hot would a book from Bradford and Nikki's point of view be? But I should stop with that and review Safe Words, yes?

We get to see Tobias finding his way as a bit of a mentor at the club, and he even takes on a little of what Bradford has been doing -- playing matchmaker when he sees two people with complementary kinks. There is also some of the spontaneity I was hoping for, where Tobias is sitting at his desk and decides he's tired of sitting there and tromps off to find his boys for an intense scene.

Also, see that scalpel on the cover? That's a hard limit of mine. Always has been, and until I read this book, I assumed it always would be. When an author (okay, authors) can write a scene with scalpels and make it so intense that it makes me rethink my hard limits, that's some pretty good writing. Not that I'm going to ask my husband to cut me, just that now I'm obligated to read the scene to him and then have a conversation about it.  That only happens two or three times a year, and I read a lot of books.

Here's the blurb:

In Safe Words, which picks up where the Deviations series left off, Tobias, Noah and Phan are all working on finding their place, both at Bradford's club and in their personal lives. They're all living together, and Tobias has taken on the roll of full-time Dom, which he loves, but finds incredibly challenging.

While Noah finds comfort in the new state of things and is looking forward to deeper submission, Phan is finding it harder to strike a balance. Too many changes happening too fast are making Phan act out, and neither Tobias nor Noah are sure how to deal with it. Life is not perfect for Bradford, either, as he discovers new feelings for his sub Nikki. Can Tobias help his friend, manage his job teaching the other Doms, and his relationships with Noah and Phan, or will the house that he's built for himself fall down around their ears?

The drama/conflict isn't quite as big as the blurb makes it out to be, but that's okay. The guys communicate too well to have things about to fall down around their ears, and that's part of why I like the series as much as I do. Yes, there are issues that come up. Being a couple is hard, being a threesome would be exponentially harder... throw in the 24/6  power exchange dynamic and it just further complicates things. Though, in some ways I suppose it simplifies it, too. (And yes, I wrote 24/6 and not 24/7. Not a typo.)  

BDSM elements:

• Bondage and Discipline: Yes and yes.  3 of 3. 
• Dominance and Submission: Absolutely. 3 of 3.
• Sadism and Masochism: Ohhhh yes. 3 of 3.
• Extra Point: Yes

As for the writing elements: The plot is pretty much what you expect it is going to be if you've read the previous books. Pacing is fine, prose and dialogue are good, character development continues to be exceptionally well done.

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

I hope this is not the last we see of these characters. If the authors have no where else to go with Tobias, Noah, and Phan then I wouldn't mind seeing books about some of the people in the club.

1. Deviations: Submission
2. Deviations: Domination
3. Deviations: Discipline
4. Deviations: Bondage
5. Deviations: Safe Words