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16Dec

Review: Sentenced: Judging Elise by Felicity Fawkes

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

Sentenced: Judging Elise #4 by Felicity Fawkes

http://www.amazon.com/Sentenced-Judging-Elise-threesome-ebook/dp/B009LD3CBG/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355663599&sr=1-3&keywords=judging+elise

ASIN B009LD3CBG

Story Rating: 3.5 out of 5 paddles

Sting Factor (kink): 3.5 out of 5

Review:

It is hard to imagine what inspired Felicity Fawkes to self-publish her relatively short novella (approximately 85 pages), Sentenced: Judging Elise, in four parts. Perhaps she was so excited about having written her first erotic fiction that she couldn’t wait until it was finished before getting it into the hands of readers. Not having read the first three parts, since I was unaware of their existence until after reading part four for reviewing purposes, I can’t really speak to the book in its entirety, but the final “chapter” is well-written and sexy.

Sentenced: Judging Elise #4 reads like one of those short erotic stories with minimal set up and plot that take you on a nonstop roller coaster ride of hot and kinky monkey love. There were some allusions to previous kinky goings on that may have involved bondage and spanking; this segment involves a ménage comprised of a young woman, an assistant district attorney, and a middle-aged Judge. Some of the highlights of their sexual high jinx include bondage, flogging, and double-penetrative sex. As perverse as Elise appears to be, she is also quite the romantic, as evidenced by her nearly swooning like a schoolgirl when the Judge suggests they move in together at the end.

Reviewed by Jim Lyon

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13Aug

Review: Stranger Than Truth by David Weaver

Posted in *Paddles - Story rating, *Sting Factor - kink level, 1 out of 5 Paddles, 5 out of 5 Sting Factor, Reviews | Leave a comment

Stranger Than Truth by David Weaver

Story Rating: 1 out of 5 paddles

Sting Factor (kink): 5 out of 5

Great scenes. Dullwriting.

STRANGER THAN TRUTH tackles important issues regarding BDSM in a story format. The characters are well developed as one follows Valerie, a submissive, through a pivotal point in her life and outlines how BDSM affects all aspects of her life from work to play. A wide range of experiences are detailed as well as the differences between a variety of kinky relationships leaving the reader with a strong understanding that there is no “one size fits all” approach—each relationship is unique and needs to be respected as such.

Weaver is a knowledgeable and dedicated to the subject matter, but the execution is dry and the story plods. There is too much reality and unnecessary minutiae of everyday life detailed to make for good fiction. The author clearly feels passionate about expressing BDSM in a positive light. The explanations are sound and reviews of SSC practices and contrasting it to RACK are straight forward and thus this would appeal to the curious just learning and exploring various elements.

As brilliant and honest as the scenes depicted herein are it comes off as halfway between a story and a tutorial. There is a constant process of explaining all the characters’ actions and motivations: checking circulation, reassurances, and extensive use of safewords. The pace is unrelentingly slow and would have benefited from more proofreading, there are numerous errors that spell check wouldn’t catch. It may be accurate and informative, but it is not fun reading.

I cannot recommend STRANGER THAN TRUTH to anyone, but those seeking realistic portrayals rather than entertainment. It is unfortunate because some of the scenes are creatively wonderful and address many forms of submission rather than focusing primarily on the physical, but there’s a lot of chaff mixed in with the wheat.

07Mar

Review: Sweetest Mistress by Skye Warren

Posted in 2.5 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | Leave a comment

Sweetest Mistress
Skye Warren
self published [link to buy]
ASIN B0069VVQES

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 paddles

This is a short story, and took me about 20 minutes to read. Unlike a few books I have read recently, this is an actual story. There are actual characters with thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

The story is told from the male’s point of view, but I could understand the emotions of the female character also.

Sweetest Mistress isn’t what I would identify as an intentional BDSM story, rather I’d describe it as a story about people who stumble into BDSM. Their feelings towards the specific BDSM acts and their responses read as real. I would imagine most who are involved in the BDSM lifestyle, experiment, or use it occasionally will easily understand the characters reactions to what they experience.

The writing here is not so much titillating as erotic. I responded emotionally to the story, and could imagine the facial expressions the characters would have as each acted and spoke to the other in the story. I could also relate to their initial hesitations but feeling the need to go on.

All in all this was a very enjoyable read and definitely worth the time to read.

Reviewed by ronni

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29Feb

Review: Nobody’s Hero by Kallypso Masters

Posted in 5 out of 5 Paddles | 1 Comment

Nobody’s Hero
Kallypso Masters
self published [link to buy]
ASIN B006PA7UJS

Rating: 5 out of 5 Paddles

Blurb:

Retired Marine Master Sergeant Adam Montague has battled through four war zones, but now finds himself running from Karla Paxton, who has declared war on his heart.With a twenty-five year age difference, he feels he should be her guardian and protector, not her lover. But Karla’s knack for turning up in his bed at inopportune times is killing his resolve to do the right thing. Karla isn’t a little girl anymore—something his body reminds him of every chance it gets.

Karla Paxton fell in love with Adam when she was a sixteen-year-old runaway and he rescued her. Now, nine years later, she’s determined to make Adam see her as a woman. But their age difference is only part of the problem. Adam has been a guardian and protector for lost and vulnerable souls most of his life, but a secret he has run from for more than three decades has kept him emotionally unable to admit he can love anyone. Will she be able to lower his guard long enough to break down the defenses around his heart and help him put to rest the ghosts from his past? In her all-out war to get Adam to surrender his heart,can the strong-willed Goth singer offer herself as his submissive—and at what cost to herself?

Review:

First, I have to say that this is the third book in Ms. Masters Rescue Me series and they should be read in order. Master at Arms is the first book and Nobody’s Angel is the second. These are not designed to be stand alone books and Nobody’s Hero picks up right were Nobody’s Angel left off.

27Feb

Review: Life on My Knees by Louis Friend

Posted in 3 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | 1 Comment

Life on My Knees
Louis Friend
self published [link to buy]
ISBN-10: 0557207096
ISBN-13: 978-0557207091

Rating: 3 out of 5 paddles

Life on My Knees is a collection of short erotic tales that explore different fantasies and D/s dynamics. The book begins with A Thousand Kisses, an intoxicating tale of a young men stumbling into his first gay and submissive relationship. The awe of this new found world is beautifully described by the author and makes a promising start to the book. Stories with themes of rape play and forced bisexuality reoccur in various tales along with cross dressing and gender blending. There is a selection of different kinks to capture the reader’s imagination and taste.

The writing style is descriptive in nature with a strong sense of the outside perception of the characters erotic adventures. Within the later stories the plot is often very formulaic and becomes less interesting. The descriptions and plots often became repetitive in nature. Within some of the stories I felt as though the sexual and erotic elements were almost forgotten. I couldn’t help but feel detached from the characters. The power play scenes were not described in a sexual or erotic enough manner to keep my interest. The writing style did however lend itself to some of the stories within the book more then others. The detached writing style was highly effective in the story titled Dinner and a Show.

Overall this collection of stories was an enjoyable light read with various kinky themes. I believe this is a good book for someone who is just exploring their interest in gender bending or is after some soft core D/s reading.

Reviewed by Catherine

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24Feb

Review: Valerie by David Weaver

Posted in 4.5 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | Leave a comment

Valerie
David Weaver
self published

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Paddles

Blurb:

Valerie Burbon is a top ad executive who regularly puts in 60 hour weeks and relaxes her tensions by a really good weekend fuck. This weekend, she encounters Charles Vanquil, who introduces her to the sensuous and frightening world of domination and submission. Soon, she is descending deeper and deeper into this lifestyle,finding her submissive nature by submitting to Charles and the rest of his submissives. But will this life destroy her, or is the willing submissive, open to total control by a strong Master or Mistress, the person she was meant to be?

Review:

Valerie jumps into the lifestyle with both feet. A natural born submissive, she pushes her limits constantly in an effort to please. While BDSM is an all new experience for her, she enters it with an open mind that allows her to experience things that would push the limits of a lot of people.

I have to say, I really liked Valerie. She has a high profile management career yet sinks into herself and her submission with ease when introduced to the right people. It is nice to read a story about a woman who is successful and has to be somewhat dominant at work and turns around and embraces her submission with ease and pleasure.I could also relate to a lot of her feelings, desires, and experiences which helped in my enjoyment of her story.

There are a lot of secondary characters that if I tell you too much about, will spoil a few parts of the story. But, they all have an impact on Valerie’s journey and introduction to BDSM. Her journey does take her on a few unfortunate paths, but that doesn’t stop her from continuing to explore.

20Feb

Review: Freedom is Slavery by Louis Friend

Posted in 1 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | 1 Comment

Freedom is Slavery
Louis Friend
[link to buy]
ISBN-10: 0557207096
ISBN-13: 978-0557207091

Rating: 1 out of 5 paddles

The reading and evaluation of this book went through several stages. When reading the introduction anticipating a novel I discovered in fact it was a series of short stories as the author refers to them or fantasies as he discusses. I agreed with him as I read the Introduction that fantasies do not necessarily have to come true but are not bad to indulge.

I read the first story, Sybarta and then the second, Big Fun in a Small Space and they were indeed enjoyable, but left me wanting and wondering. What happened to the rest of the story, or if I kept reading there would be at some point and intersection where they would come together? This seemed a logical assumption as each story were all told from the same first person point of view. Plus as I read the narrator of the story was always male. But slowly the realization set in that there was no more to any of the stories, nor do they come together to form a whole. Each story is separate and distinct, except for the teacher sequence in the middle of the book, but even then only the characters are the same.

What happened though as I read the first few stories was to understand that they don’t really stand as what I normally consider stories.There are always 2 and sometimes 3 characters, but the primary character in each episode is simply referred to as “I”, with no descriptors of the person and minimal reference to who he is, other than male. The secondary character is usually given a short physical description and where the story is taking place is mentioned.

16Jan

Review: The Boss’s Pet Series by Tonya Kinzer

Posted in 3 out of 5 Paddles, 4 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | 1 Comment

The Contract
Book 1
[link to buy]
ASIN B0051VGSWW

Rating: 3 out of 5 Paddles

Blurb

Before the end of ‘The Contract’ ..Sondra will make her decision. Does she trust Nick enough to proceed with such a huge step in their relationship for as new as it is? They are getting closer outside the office and get along well. Both of them are workaholics so the time constraints can be tough to squeeze in a getaway here and there. Nick is enjoying the fact that he can sway her toward his lifestyle but can she handle all that may entail?

Review

The first book in the series is a very short story at only about 35 pages. We learn how Nick and Sondra meet and how he slowly introduces her to his lifestyle – something he has kept secret from a lot of people and the office. As Nick starts to introduce Sondra to several aspects of BDSM they begin to negotiate a contract between the two of them.

I liked the slow beginning of Nick and Sondra’s relationship. But, I didn’t much like how fast everything seemed to fall into place. Being such a short story, there is a lot that feels like its missing in terms of background. Sondra falls into being a submissive a little too easily but, it seems to work for them. The first book does go into the pain/pleasure relationship, a little anal play, some bondage and contract negotiation (very little).

Guest blogger: Kallypso Masters

Posted in blog, Guest Blogging | 2 Comments

Kallypso Masters debuted her BDSM club Rescue Me series in August with Masters at Arms, a unique 58,000-word erotic-romance series introduction that begins with three prequels that seem separate until the three men begin to come together in the months before they deploy to Iraq, where an unbreakable bond will be formed. (See Smashwords coupon code and link below for a free copy through Dec. 31).

The series sets the reader on a journey where they meet the heroes of the next three novels in the series—Marc, Adam, and Damián (in the order their books will be published). Marc’s romance has begun with Nobody’s Angel. Adam’s begins later this month, and Damián’s tentatively in April 2012. All but Marc meet their future heroines within this book, as well (but must be patient for their happy endings).

The man on the cover of Masters at Arms and Nobody’s Hero (Rescue Me #3), to be released Dec. 31) is Adam Montague, a retired Marine master sergeant, widower, and quite the master of the ropes. He loves performing and teaching the art of Shibari and in the still-being-edited scene below from Nobody’s Hero, he engages in some sensual “foreplay” as he prepares his new slave, Karla, for their upcoming rope suspension scene.

Special thanks to rope master TOYMAKER on FetLife for his input on this scene, teaching me to draw out the “foreplay” to help build the anticipation and excitement, and for suggesting he “flog” her with the rope before binding her with he. He also provided much more detail in the completed scene (which was about 20 manuscript double-spaced pages long, excluding aftercare!) as the scene progresses in the book.

Excerpt from NOBODY’S HERO:

“Clasp your hands behind your lower back, just above your ass.”

28Nov

Review: Masters at Arms by Kallypso Masters

Posted in 4 out of 5 Paddles, Reviews | 1 Comment

Masters at Arms
Kallypso Masters
Kallypso Masters [link to buy]
ASIN B005H4V4UO

Rating: 4 out of 5 Paddles

Masters at Arms is a prequel to a series about three men who formed a bond while in the Marines and established a BDSM Club in Denver when they returned to the United States. The Rescue Me series will include Nobody’s Angel, Nobody’s Hero and Nobody’s Perfect. Only Nobody’s Angel has been released so far, although the next book is due in December.

The three Doms come from wildly different backgrounds.

Adam Montague is a career marine. We meet him shortly after he lost his wife and he rescues a 16-year-old runaway from predators in a bus station. He eventually takes her home to her parents, but before he leaves, they agree to continue to write. This is a May-December romance with a vengeance. Adam is over 40 when he meets Karla and he cares for her like a daughter-until she shows up in his club as a singer. Then his desire for her throws him into major conflict.

Damian Orlando grew up in a loving but very poor family in California. While working as a bus boy following his release from juvenile incarceration, he comes across Savannah, whose father raped her when she was eight, and when she was older, pimped her out to sadistic clients. She is on the verge of committing suicide when Damian breaks into the room where she is being tortured, kicks out the men torturing her, then takes her to his special place on the beach where he makes love to her again and again. After she returns home, she discovers she is pregnant and formulates a plan to escape from her father.

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