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19May

Review: Riding the Waves by Jennifer LaRose

Posted in *Paddles - Story rating, *Sting Factor - kink level, 2 out of 5 Sting Factor, 3.5 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | Leave a comment

Riding the Waves by Jennifer LaRose

Link to buy

ASIN B00B2MP6XQ

Story Rating: 3.5 out of 5 paddles

Sting Factor (kink): 2 out of 5

Review:

The buildup of the friendship between Annalee and her best friend Willow is long and drawn out, and in my opinion, unnecessary. The fact that Willow has been sleeping with Jared (Annalee’s fiancé) could have been worked into the story after chapter two as an aside, especially since we only see them again in passing.

The story truly gets going at chapter two, when Annalee is at the company Christmas party, in a costume she wouldn’t normally wear and starts garnering the attention of the male staff especially a lost opportunity lover named Brent Delaney. In her inebriated state, Annalee takes Brent back to his hotel where he begins to assert his dominance over her, waking her hidden submissiveness.

After a lesson in orgasm control and being bound to a bed for the first time, Annalee isn’t willing to separate from her new lover and invites him and his twin to stay their next few days in her home instead of a hotel. She learns that Brent is on an assignment to catch an escaped con that he helped to put away. Lots of sex and little else happens until Brent heads off in search of the escaped con. Annalee feebly tried to talk him out of going, and is now worried he’s going to be killed.

Annalee becomes the target of the escapee, Brent races to save her, winds up in the hospital, she meets his parents, winds up kidnapped. Brent and his brother save her in the nick of time, right before the big bad is about to rape her after torturing her.

19May

Review: Meeting the Master by Elissa Wald

Posted in *Paddles - Story rating, *Sting Factor - kink level, 5 out of 5 Paddles, 5 out of 5 Sting Factor, Reviews | Leave a comment

Meeting the Master by Elissa Wald

Amazon uk buy link

ASIN B009NY1WWY

Story Rating: 5 out of 5 paddles

Sting Factor (kink): 5 out of 5

Review:

If you are a fan of literate erotica, READ THIS. This is a beautiful collection of stories and poems with sometimes subtle and sometimes overt but always pervasive themes of D/s. In the author’s own words, “It depicts a dark and little-understood area of sexuality, often outside of what we recognize as a sexual context.”

These are all contemporary stories, but the book was first published in 1995, so by now they have an almost retro feel. At the time, books like this were comparatively rare, and I think that’s something to appreciate as one reads through this: that in a time of relative scarcity, something so extraordinary was born.

Poetry is difficult to accomplish without looking foolish. That all of the poems here are outstanding is incredible in itself.

“Prometheus and Hercules” is especially amazing. So short, yet powerful. “The Tarot of Hector” is hair-raising if read aloud.

And then we get to the stories. This is the sort of writing that makes me weep for ever wishing to become a writer, because I’m never going to produce anything this good.

These are some of the most emotionally complex erotic stories I have ever read. They are layered, nuanced, deeply emotional, sexually charged, and yet . . . they are not, for the most part, graphic in the slightest. They are erotic; desire is the uniting theme, and submission, the connections we create, and the holds those connections have over us, even years later.

18May

Review: Take Me, Break Me by Cari Silverwood

Posted in *Paddles - Story rating, *Sting Factor - kink level, 5 out of 5 Paddles, 5 out of 5 Sting Factor, Reviews | Leave a comment

Take Me, Break Me by Cari Silverwood

Link to buy

ASIN B00BOVL2CE

Story Rating: 5 out of 5 paddles

Sting Factor (kink): 5 out of 5

Review:

This book was hot and made me think. I absolutely loved how Cari switched the point of view at every chapter. Getting to see and feel what Klaus was thinking and feeling was fantastic. It’s hard to get into the mind of a Dom. I always wonder what they’re thinking when they work on a sub. This was fantastic and insightful look into the makings of a new Dom. And then there’s Jodie, a strong woman who thinks she knows what she wants, to make a documentary on what it would be like to be kidnapped and be a slave. She got the slave part right even if that wasn’t what she’d initially intended. I loved how she internalized and was able to think about things the more she wasn’t allowed to talk. I agree….sometimes it is really hard to know what to say and when to say it. To have that choice taken away from you and to just BE .is interesting. The story got me hot and I enjoyed reading it so much I hated to put it down. Wonderful ending and a beautiful new couple!

Reviewed by Jennifer

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18May

Review: If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones

Posted in *Paddles - Story rating, *Sting Factor - kink level, 3 out of 5 Sting Factor, 5 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | Leave a comment

If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones

Link to buy

ISBN 978-1476726045

ISBN 1476726043

Story Rating: 5 out of 5 paddles

Sting Factor (kink) 3 out of 5

Review:

If you are looking for a series that has as the suspense of a missing person story and an erotic thriller then If I Were You might just be what you are looking for.

The first thing I noticed about this book was the fresh way it was handled. Sara is a teacher that comes across the erotic journals of a woman named Rebecca. As she reads, Sara becomes more engaged in the journals, to the point that it becomes an obsession. When she learns that the woman whose dark erotic thoughts she has been reading has gone missing, it pushes Sara in directions she never thought she would travel.

Sara takes a job at the very museum that Rebecca worked at. Having read the evocative journals, she knows that someone there was involved with Rebecca, and as she slips into her new job, Sara’s own story really begins. The unknown element that haunts this book is in itself alluring. Match that with the relationship that Sara is beginning with Chris, a local artist and the tensions that she experiences at her job at the gallery and you have a recipe for a scintillating tale. Mark, the gallery owner is a character that turns heads. He has a dominant personality that clashes with Chris pretty much from the start.

16May

Review: Blood Bound & Beautiful by Kierstin Cherry

Posted in *Paddles - Story rating, *Sting Factor - kink level, 3 out of 5 Paddles, 4 out of 5 Sting Factor, Reviews | Leave a comment

Blood Bound & Beautiful by Kierstin Cherry

Link to buy

ASIN B00A2UXZSM

Story Rating: 3 out of 5 paddles

Sting Factor (kink): 4 out of 5

Review:

Vladja Grigelf and her brother, Decai,are engaged in a civil war to claim their father’s throne, though it had been left to Vladja. There is a curse attached to the throne that won’t let the Grigelfs take lovers fully. Grace and Kaz are those women.

I got that the siblings were at war, each had someone they fell in love with, and despite the hot scenes, won’t take the final step in consummate the relationship fully. However, the way the book kept going back to the past, then back to the present, became confusing to me. In fact, there were a couple of times I had to go back to read something again to try to make sense of what was going on. Even though the way the chapters are set up, it wasn’t always clear that you were back in the past or current time.

Several interesting facts were given about the Grigelfs, Grace and Kaz. The author did a good job describing the characteristics of each as well as describing the sex scenes between the various characters.

Reviewed by Iron Mistress

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15May

Review: Sweetest Salvation by Kacey Hammell

Posted in *Paddles - Story rating, *Sting Factor - kink level, 3 out of 5 Sting Factor, 4 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | Leave a comment

Sweetest Salvation by Kacey Hammell

Link to buy

ASIN B00BXU9Q0Q

Story Rating: 4 out of 5 paddles

Sting Factor (kink): 3 out of 5

Review:

Andy goes back to Club Splendor, trying to regain some feeling by watching like her late husband and she used to do. Andy has shut herself off after her husband and son died, and Hunter and her in-laws are worried. What Andy doesn’t realize is that Hunter has been in love with her even before she married his best friend.

The author did a good job conveying Andy’s feelings and guilt about the death of her family. Hunter’s feelings came through as well, and I liked the way the author used them to shock Andy into taking a hard look at what she had been doing and how it was affecting those around her. Andy’s in-laws were great and show a relationship that most families don’t have.

While Sweetest Salvation was a very good romantic story that also shows how some people deal with grief, I would not really put this into a kink or BDSM category, though there were two very tame scenes at the club. I was very surprised about Hunter and how he dealt with Andy, especially since he was one of the owners of Club Splendor.

Reviewed by Iron Mistress

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11May

Review: Sub for a Week by Erin Lark

Posted in *Paddles - Story rating, *Sting Factor - kink level, 4 out of 5 Paddles, 4 out of 5 Sting Factor, Reviews | Leave a comment

Sub for a Week by Erin Lark

Link to buy

ASIN B00AEGI69M

Story Rating: 4 out of 5 paddles

Sting Factor (kink): 4 out of 5

Review:

For anyone with a background in psychology, the premise of this novella feels like fingernails scraping on a blackboard- no therapist should become involved with a client. However, once past that feeling, this was a good read, with a caring Dom, a woman discovering her submissive nature, and a hot connection between the two of them.

The story is told in first person, which isn’t usually my favorite voice, but in this case it works well. Julia is a therapist (kind unknown) who has been working with Daniel, a Dom who has had a “small performance issue.” He is ready to be cut free when he asks to meet her in person. He explains he recognizes her submissive nature and wants to train her as her Dom. In spite of her misgivings over crossing the professional/patient line, she agrees. The remainder of the story involves him introducing her to the BDSM lifestyle.

The story contains flogging, anal play, and very mild bondage. The sex is hot, the Dom is yummy and careful and this was an enjoyable read.

Reviewed by Karen H.

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09May

Review: Best Women’s Erotica 2013 edited by Violet Blue

Posted in *Paddles - Story rating, *Sting Factor - kink level, 4 out of 5 Paddles, 4 out of 5 Sting Factor, Reviews | Leave a comment

Best Women’s Erotica 2013 edited by Violet Blue

Link to buy

ASIN B008DYJV4Q

Story Rating: 4 out of 5 paddles

Sting Factor (kink): 4 out of 5

Review:

Ready for some smoking hawt erotica? Best Women’s Erotica 2013 is the book to read. This sampling of eighteen steaming short stories will cause some pussy wetting and cock dripping. My two favorites in this collection are The Spanking Salon by Elizabeth Coldwell and Being his Bitch by Janine Ashbless. In The Spanking Salon, the reader is treated to a deliciously fun story of mistaken identities which leads to spankings. What’s not to love about being spanked for being naughty? In Being his Bitch, it’s a delightful puppy play piece including a hawt public breeding scene.

Ms. Blue is known for her sexual prowess. She’s also a safe bet when it comes to providing erotic literature to read and enjoy a bit of “me time”. This selection of erotica writers provide all sorts of fetishes and kinks for a novice erotic reader to taste and explore. Each of the stories are smoothly written with medium to high heat factor. There is nothing tame in this book. Just as there is nothing too taboo either. It’s a buffet filled with different combination of sexual partners and desires. There is something written for everyone. For those who are hedonist, pretty much every single story will appeal.

What is truly impressive about this collection is the writing for each piece. Each story contains a beginning, middle and conclusion. They are tightly woven with defined characters, a simple plot and great sex. It’s lean yet decadently rich in flavor. This erotic collection is recommended to kinky readers looking for a good hawt time.

Reviewed by Book Addict

06May

Review: Sex in London edited by Elizabeth Coldwell

Posted in *Paddles - Story rating, *Sting Factor - kink level, 4.5 out of 5 Paddles, 5 out of 5 Sting Factor, Reviews | Leave a comment

Sex in London edited by Elizabeth Coldwell

Link to buy

Story Rating: 4.5 out of 5 paddles

Sting Factor (kink): 4 out of 5

Review:

This is a solid eleven-story anthology with good writing, engaging stories, and a nice variety of themes. I recommend it for fans of contemporary erotica and modern Anglophiles.

Each of the stories has something to offer, and they are surprisingly varied. Each makes convincing and imaginative use of London’s unique topography, and shows a slightly different side of the legendary city.

“Double Exposure” by Jay Lawrence opens the anthology with a solid shot, a really enjoyable little voyeuristic tale that sets the stage nicely for things to come. Notable offerings include “Falling Down” by James “Grim” Desborough, where a game of chase that begins on the tube becomes some severely hot rough-and-ready sex in London’s seedy alleys. Also, “The Woman From Aldgate West” by Neil James Hudson was a wonderful, odd sort of supernatural little story in the weird tale vein with an interesting premise and lovely tone. Frances Jones’ “Artefacts” would have been at home in a supernatural-themed anthology, though there’s nothing explicitly supernatural about it, the implications are beautifully done. “Lost Property”, by Elizabeth Coldwell, answers the question of what happens to things left on the subway, and who returns them to their owners; in this case, a suitcase full of some very, very naughty things.

It’s really hard to spotlight the standouts, when they are almost all, to a one, superb. Yes, there are a couple of duds, but there’s no need to pick on them when the anthology is so solid, with eleven stories to choose from. And, well, what didn’t work for me might really work for someone else.

06May

Review: Kinky Bet by Maggie Nash

Posted in *Paddles - Story rating, *Sting Factor - kink level, 4.5 out of 5 Sting Factor, 5 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | Leave a comment

Kinky Bet by Maggie Nash

Link to buy

ASIN B00CKWHM8O

Story Rating: 5 out of 5 paddles

Sting Factor (kink): 4.5 out of 5

Review

Erica get conned by her best friend into making a bet, which results in her going to Dangerous Liaison for a weekend. Conal is only training Erica as a favor for a friend, but ends up wanting to keep her.

I enjoyed reading Kinky Bet. This is a good story about a young woman that wants to explore BDSM, but has been afraid to take that step. The beginning of the story is very humorous in some ways, especially when Erica realizes the whole bet was a setup to get her to explore those feelings.

The story flows quite well, and I did not want to put it down until I finished it. The scenes are imaginative and the chemistry between Erica and Conal is hot. The author did a good job showing how scary it can be when you are just starting and learning depending on the Dominant and what you may be subject to. In this case, because of timeframes, some things were accelerated that Erica learned and was subject to. The checking about her safeword at each step and checking in that she wanted to continue was something I liked as safety was a constant subject that was brought up as well as the trust issue that subs need to have for their Dom.

This is the first book by Ms. Nash that I have read, and I am looking forward to reading more of her stories.

Reviewed by Iron Mistress

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