Sally Bend's Blog, page 42
March 23, 2023
Book Review: The Doors We Open by Donna Jay (romance, lesbian)
Title: The Doors We OpenAuthor: Donna Jay
Publication Date: February 23, 2023Genres: Romance
Protagonist Gender: Female
Sexuality: Lesbian
Donna Jay is, hands down, one of my favorite authors of lesbian romance. She always tells a wonderful story, populated by realistic characters, and she does so with both emotional and physical intimacy. In reading her books, you feel what these characters are feeling, but you also feel for them.
While The Doors We Open isn't a direct sequel to The Secrets we Keep or The People we Trust, it is connected to them by Libellule's, the exclusive club for women looking to indulge their fantasies with other women. It's here that Eloise meets Savannah, but what was only meant to be a one-time celebration of her newfound freedom threatens to grow into something more - an awkward prospect for two women who aren't looking for relationships.
Donna sets the mood beautifully in that first erotic encounter, balancing sexuality against sensuality, and confidence against awkwardness. There's a lot of erotic power to the scene, but there's a lot of personality too. We get to know a little something about these women, and we see a dynamic there that we can't help but want to see develop. For all their professionalism and confidentiality, Eloise and Savannah have serious chemistry. We know it won't be their only meeting, and we're eager to discover how and when they'll meet again.
In many ways, this is a book about contrasts - characters, themes, relationships, and more. There's an erotic flair beneath the sweet romance, which is surrounded by heartfelt family drama, and that in turn carries its shadows of grief and loss. I don't want to oversell that, because this is a happy, hopeful story, but the reality of our pasts and how the choices we made shape who we've become is important to the story.
I felt such a kinship for Eloise, such sympathy for her whole life experience. She's a strong, selfless woman, and how she comes out as a lesbian after a broken marriage is admirable. I'm not sure I could find such courage or self-confidence in myself. Savannah is admirable as well, for different reasons, but where I felt kinship for Eloise, Savannah elicited heart-racing desire. Whether it's as a Mistress, friend, or lover, she has a way of taking charge and . . . well, not necessarily controlling, but perhaps leading the moment. I could my heart and soul to her.
The Doors We Open doesn't overstay its welcome trying to tie up every single loose end, but rather leaves the story at a natural conclusion for Eloise and Savannah. I'm sure some readers may be left with questions about Eloise's ex-husband, but this isn't his story, and his fate has no bearing on that of the women with whom we've fallen in love. It's a beautiful book, and one I highly recommend.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
© 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved
March 17, 2023
Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!
Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon's free reading applications.
While you're on Amazon, if you'd like to support my weekly efforts, could I kindly ask that you give latest erotic creations a read/review?
Enjoy! © 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved
March 10, 2023
Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!
Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon's free reading applications.
While you're on Amazon, if you'd like to support my weekly efforts, could I kindly ask that you give latest erotic creations a read/review?
Enjoy! © 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved
March 6, 2023
Book Review: I Want You to Own Me by Eve Healy (erotic romance)
Title: I Want You to Own MeAuthor: Eve Healy
Publication Date: November 4, 2022
Genres: Erotic Romance
Protagonist Gender: Male
I Want You to Own Me is an interesting novel, a sweet boys' love romance that's book-ended with some rather dark family drama, featuring both a heart-melting power-exchange dynamic and a heart-rending one. Personally, I think it works better because of the contrast, with the darker pitfalls of submission making us better appreciate the brighter heights of fated domination, but there's no question some scenes may be too much for some readers.
Since this is my first experience with Eve Healy, I just have to say something about her Dom/Sub universe. I absolutely adored the idea of a universe where people have primary and secondary genders, the first being masculine or feminine (which we're assigned at birth), and the second being dominant or submissive (which manifests on your 19th birthday). As someone who identifies as submissive first, and any gender/orientation second, this is absolutely wonderful! What makes it even more fun is how deeply biological those traits are, with Doms having almost magical powers of compulsion over Subs, and with subspace being something almost sacred.
Anyway, the story here is of Anthony, a young man whose family always assumed would be a Dom, but whose blood tests reveal is really a Sub. In the blink of an eye, his entire future is gone, his place in the family business erased, and his familial/social ties cut. He's thrown into a life of submission with only the bare minimum of training, and finds himself hating the life - at least until he's stolen away by a new Dom, one with whom he connects.
The darker power exchange still had appeal for me because, as much as it's cold and selfish, the way Anthony's body and mind react was exciting. The helpless intensity of those scenes spoke to me, and I wished he could find a way to enjoy it. The happier power exchange was softer, more subtle, lacking the overpowering domination that I found so exciting, but the romantic intimacy of it was lovely.
I thoroughly enjoyed I Want You to Own Me and am eagerly looking forward to more romances in the Dom/Sub universe.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
© 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights ReservedMarch 3, 2023
Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!
Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon's free reading applications.
While you're on Amazon, if you'd like to support my weekly efforts, could I kindly ask that you give latest erotic creations a read/review?
Enjoy! © 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved
March 1, 2023
Book Review: T-Girl Tales #8 - Family Matters by Crystal Veeyant (erotica, transgender, BDSM)
Title: T-Girl Tales #8 - Family Matters by Crystal VeeyantAuthor: Crystal Veeyant
Publication Date: Feb 10, 2023
Genres: Erotica
Protagonist Gender: Transgender
Fetishes: Crossdressing, BDSM
Could this really be the 8th edition of T-Girl Tales from Crystal Veeyant? Coming from a favorite author and a dear friend who 'retired' from erotica back in 2018, last year's T-Girl Tales #7 was a very pleasant surprise, but to get another edition 6 months later is absolutely delightful.
And when your friend tells you, "I went WAY out there this time!" you just know it's going to be good.
T-Girl Tales #8 includes 4 stories that push the boundaries of shemale/sissy fetish erotica, with themes of hypnosis, chastity, prostitution, and slavery. These stories go to some dark places, with definite moments of dubious consent, but what redeems that darkness is the gleeful acceptance of our nastiest, dirtiest, trashiest kinks - something Crystal does so well.
"Hollywood Sissy Academy" feels like a vintage tale, a throwback to the days of seedy XXX shops, in-person sex shows, and outcall escort work. It's a fun story because we get to see a submissive, effeminate boy not only discover his sissy soul, but enjoy a little romance along with his sexual infatuation.
"Sister's Sissy Cheerleader" is one of those stories that gathers up some familiar erotic tropes and mixes them all up to create something fun. It seems like your standard 'crossdresser caught at the slumber party' tale, but there are levels of depravity here that catapult Jaime into sissy bliss.
As explicitly sexual as the first two stories are, it's "Teacher's Sissy Pet" where we start to get into the darker fetishes of hypnotism and total humiliation. I love stories that invite the reader to experience the mental shift from sissy to slut, and there are some twists here that bring the dungeon to life.
"White Sissy Slaves" is the crown jewel of the collection. This is the one that goes to the darkest places, crossing lines some readers may be uncomfortable with, but it does so with power and purpose. It's the story of a young man and his stepfather who get kidnapped, enslaved, and transformed. It has sissies and shemales, dominant black men, bondage and punishment, taboo trampling titillation, and a real sense of danger that gives it energy.
If you're a fan of Crystal, then you already know what to expect - and you won't be disappointed. If you're new to her world, then open your mind, adjust your panties, and enjoy T-Girl Tales #8. It's fetish fabulous.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
© 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights ReservedFebruary 24, 2023
Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!
Before we get to this week's freebies, I'd like to ask one more favor - Gurls Gone Wild: Naughty in Nature is a FINALIST in the 2022 Golden Pigtail Smut Awards and it could desperately use your vote !
Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon's free reading applications.
While you're on Amazon, if you'd like to support my weekly efforts, could I kindly ask that you give latest erotic creations a read/review?
Enjoy! © 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved
February 20, 2023
Book Review: Blood of the Chosen by Django Wexler (fantasy)
Title: Blood of the ChosenAuthor: Django Wexler
Publication Date: Oct 5, 2021
Genres: Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Male/Female
Blood of the Chosen is the second book of the Burningblade & Silvereye trilogy and the rare middle book that stands up to its predecessor.
I think what I enjoyed most about this second book was the way Django Wexler took us out into the world and allowed us to explore more of life outside the extremes of Order and the (literal) underground rebellion. We get to see how people live amidst plaguespawn without centarchs and legions to protect (and oppress) them. It takes us farther from the Star Wars feel and deeper into the realms of epic fantasy, and it provides us with some fantastic set pieces for conflict.
With the characters already established, we also get to explore more of their relationships, and that means Maya and Beq get to be a genuine couple, and that fills me with joy. We also get to experience a new side of Elariel, with the ghoul transformed into a human as punishment for her involvement with Gyre. The outsider-struggling-to-be-human is a tired trope of the SFF genre, but I liked that Wexler did with it here, getting past the awkwardness early on and allowing her to grow as a character.
With Gyre and Maya already established as reluctant antagonists, this second volume delves deeper into the mythology of their world, introducing new saviors, new conspiracies, new threats, and new alliances. There's a lot going on behind the scenes, with the number of characters we can trust dwindling quickly, and it all leads up to the reveal of the 'big bad' villain whose mad quest for vengeance and domination is set up to drive the final book. The siblings get time for the conversations we've been waiting for and, as I suspected, reader allegiances are invited to shift between them all over again.
There are a few weaknesses in the book that, to be honest, I only notice now because of patterns established in the first book. Some plot development are telegraphed far too soon, some twists are entirely too predictable, and the prevalence of coincidence or deus ex machina is disappointingly strong. In the end, though, I enjoyed the book too much to let any of it bother me, leaving me quite content to read along and discover the 'why' and the 'how' beneath the 'what'.
With Emperor of Ruin coming later this month, I'm glad I had to chance to get caught up with the series. It's a fun read, well-written, and nicely paced, with characters you want to follow and cheer for -perhaps even more now that we've gotten to know them. I have high hopes for the finale, with a few things I'm really hoping we get to see.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
© 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights ReservedFebruary 17, 2023
Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!
Before we get to this week's freebies, I'd like to ask one more favor - Gurls Gone Wild: Naughty in Nature is a FINALIST in the 2022 Golden Pigtail Smut Awards and it could desperately use your vote !
Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon's free reading applications.
While you're on Amazon, if you'd like to support my weekly efforts, could I kindly ask that you give latest erotic creations a read/review?
Enjoy! © 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved
February 10, 2023
Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!
Before we get to this week's freebies, I'd love it if you voted for either of my books (Gurls Gone Wild: Naughty in Nature or Lost Ladies of the Nightmare) in the 2022 Golden Pigtail Smut Awards!
Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Fetish & Fantasy Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon's free reading applications.
While you're on Amazon, if you'd like to support my weekly efforts, could I kindly ask that you give latest erotic creations a read/review?
Enjoy! © 2022 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved
