Command Performance

Comfort #4

by Annabel Joseph

Mason Cooke has it all: fame, wealth, and a wildly successful film career--until tales of his kinky exploits break wide. An anonymous source describes swinging parties, a secret BDSM club, and lurid kink activities, outing his friends and naming Mason as the ringleader of the raunchy cabal. Overnight, he’s embroiled in a public relations nightmare, his ex-wife Jessamine’s silence feeding the flames. To save his stock as a top Hollywood actor, he needs emergency image repair.

Enter Miri Durand, a former child actress once known for her shiny blonde curls and sitcom antics. She’s all grown up now, acting a small but edgy role in his latest film. Mason squires her around town in an attempt to sanitize his image, only to discover there’s more to Miri than her girl-next-door smile. Their relationship of convenience soon transforms into something deeper and more authentic. They hide away in his Malibu mansion, burning up the sheets and acting out their deepest fantasies. It’s no longer about the PR--Mason and Miri realize they’re falling in love.

But the Hollywood odds are stacked against them. Between career conflicts, family problems, a meddling ex-wife, and a media onslaught that just won’t quit, the couple become confused about what’s true in their fledgling relationship and what’s just for show. For Mason and Miri, what began as a command performance becomes a poignant struggle to understand the real-life complexity of their love.

Genres: BDSM, Romance, Erotica, Erotic Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Fiction

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 27, 2012

About the author

Annabel Joseph is a NYT and USA Today bestselling BDSM erotic romance author. She writes mainly contemporary romance, although she has been known to dabble in the medieval and Regency eras. She is recognized for writing emotionally intense BDSM storylines, and strives to create characters that seem real--even flawed--so readers are better able to relate to them.

Annabel also writes non-BDSM erotic romance under the name Molly Joseph. You can sign up to receive Annabel's newsletter here: http://wordpress.us7.list-manage.com/...

Some of Annabel's favorite authors are Laura Kinsale, Judith McNaught, Jo Beverley, Flannery O'Connor, Molly Weatherfield, and Anneke Jacob.

Annabel Joseph loves to hear from her readers at annabeljosephnovels(@)gmail.com.

Reviews

[Michael Dunellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth and final book in the Comfort Object series. It is a series mainly because all of the characters are inter-connected. Other than that, they are four very different books.

Mason first appeared in the very first book but was not a particularly interesting character - his wife stole the spotlight. Then he was very important to the third book because we watched his marriage fall apart.

This was actually kind of a conventional romance - or at least as conventional as Annabel is going to write. Boy meets girl, or Hollywood Leading Man means young Former Child Star. Watching Miri go from the sweet never-been-kissed innocent to Mason's lover and submissive was an interesting experience. And I just loved her safeword "Lollipops." If you are wondering if she ever actually used it, you will have to see for yourself.

My only complaint - It has been a while but in the first book didn't everything start to come apart after the foursome in Spain? And things definitely went sideways in the third book after the New Years' party. Mason would have been smart to take Miri and leave the Birthday Party early, but then some people never learn.

This combines BDSM and Romance and has lots and lots of both.

Oh, and... I may never watch another rerun of Full House again.

[Meggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up!!

They were working together to fool people, but Mason had the uneasy feeling they were going to end up fools themselves.

So, first and foremost, I want to explain that I enjoyed reading this book. That being said, I have grown to love this author, which means my expectations are HIGH when it comes to her books. Is that fair? Probably not, but such is life; enjoyment level is often inversely correlated with expectation. I absolutely LOVED the Rough Love series (Torment Me, Taunt Me, and Trust Me), so I think I subconsciously compare all of AJ's books to that story. Also, I was really excited for Mason's story, because I always thought there was more to him than being some lovable yet famous movie star. We saw glimpses of some depth from him in Odalisque, so I couldn't wait to see what he was like beyond the heartthrob façade.

"Sometimes I think I destroy everything I touch," he said quietly. "But not you. I swear to God, I won't let it happen with you."

When the story starts, Mason is still recovering from his divorce with Jessamine (who sucks). Professionally, though, he's doing very well. On the other hand, Miri simply... is not. She and her twin sister were child stars, but the sister tragically passed away during her teen years. That left Miri to take care of her family, which includes her alcoholic father and her mentally declining grandmother. Now, Miri is a fair amount younger than Mason, but she's even more immature than her age in a lot of ways. A lot of that is probably the former child star thing; she never got to have a real childhood, and that would fuck with anyone. Mason and Miri meet on the set of a movie. Miri's role in the film is small, but her scene with Mason is intense. It is easy to understand why they connected. Around that same time, Mason's life spirals out of control because the media has caught on to his kinky personal life. Someone suggests he dates Miri to rehab his image, and he goes along with it. Now, don't be too offended- before long, he admits this to her, and she ends up admitting that she was also using him to further her career. This isn't really a big deal, because they do like each other, and have physical chemistry to boot, so it seems like a win/win, right? Well, it probably would be... if things had worked out as they intended.

"I'll keep playing your sweet, innocent girlfriend to fix your reputation."
He nodded. "And?"
"You catch me up on all the things I missed."
Mason blinked and bit his lip. "Catch you up? On what exactly?"
"You know. All those things you're supposedly very good at. Those bad things you do, that have your reputation in tatters. That kinky stuff... Man, I sure am curious what that's all about."

There were a few things I really liked about this story. I went into this excited for updates on the previous couples. I figured Kyle and Caressa wouldn't be in it, and I was right, but I loved the appearances of Jeremy and Nell (book 1) and Kai and Constance (book 3). I had forgotten about Satya, Kai's sister, and how much I liked her, so I liked that she had recurring appearances in this story. I also usually enjoy books where one or both characters are famous; I just find the lifestyle intriguing, plus it's easy to understand the added tension and stress that comes from everyone knowing your every move. As always, this author is big into the kink lifestyle, from BDSM and rough sex to swinging and orgies. One thing I found refreshing was that Miri wasn't into ALL of that. I always kind of side-eye in these books when the virginal woman the Dom falls in love just happens to enjoy all the exact same kinks he does. I mean, come on; there are websites to find someone like that, and still people don't have that kind of luck! So, I did appreciate the fact that Miri didn't like all of it AND that she verbalized as much. It made me respect her more. For the majority of the book, I loved how down-to-earth, selfless, and genuinely kind Miri was. It made me understand how Mason fell for her, because those qualities are extremely rare in Hollywood. Finally, per usual with AJ's stories, the sex scenes were flawless. Mason is my cup of tea- a charismatic, dirty-talking sadist that isn't afraid to be affectionate, either. He also grew to become quite honest and self-aware, which was necessary, considering his prior actions.

She was making him a better person. She was supposed to be fixing his reputation but in some strange way he felt like she was fixing him.

So what did I not like? A few things, actually. I actually spent the majority of the book really liking Miri, but that all fell apart towards the end. She changed, and for awhile I thought the author was leading us to believe that she was actually, clinically depressed. It was a great opportunity to delve into the price of fame, especially involving a former child star. But... that never happened, and Miri just changed back to her old self out of nowhere. It was jarring, and not very believable. In fact, the whole ending kind of felt like that, like the resolution was wrapped up way too quickly. Even the conflict resolution with Jessamine (Mason's ex-wife) was a disappointment (or, actually, non-existent). Honestly, none of their issues were really addressed, at least not head-on. Individually OR as a couple. It was more "let's just let it all work itself out!" I truly believed they loved each other, but considering the world they lived in and their own personal demons, I just wasn't convinced their love would be enough.

He wanted to spend the rest of his shallow, empty life with her because he was afraid otherwise he'd die a broken man. He wanted someone to share his pain and frustrations, someone who could smile and make the bad stuff go away.

Per usual, with every Annabel Joseph, I highly recommend this entire series to anyone that enjoys BDSM. To be clear, this author doesn't do BDSM-lite, so buckle up!
How I would rank the books in this series, in order of my enjoyment:
1. book #3 Odalisque
2. book #2 Caressa's Knees
3. book #1 Comfort Object
4. book #4 Command Performance

[Elle ✟ Søren's ♡ (i'm too old for this shite) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 STARS!

Command Performance isn't memorable for me. I ended up bored and skipped it a lot. This is the final and fourth book from Comfort series with Mason Cooke as the main character. We know about Mason from Comfort Object and Odalisque also his personal problem.

Since the divorce with Jessamine, Mason's life as an actor still shines. But not his personal life. With the emptiness inside him for two years, he always swing by one woman to another. When the scandal surfaced that stated Mason is nasty pervert man, his PR try to recover his image. The solution came with Miri Durand, a child-actress-turns-adult who climbed her career back. For Mason, Miri is an innocent and American sweetheart kind of type. He feels bad for using Miri but the truth is, she is also using Mason too for her career. Miri isn't as innocent as his thought. She wants everything from Mason including his kinky lifestyle.

She had a feeling interacting with Mason could become extremely messy. Scary. Thrilling. Existing.

I'm trying so hard to like the story but it didn't work and hardly enjoyable for me. I guess Mason and Miri's performer life is hard to believe. They don't have any privacy; the perks being celeb. Mason and Miri enjoyed each other companies very much but I didn't feel connected with them. Insta lust turn into insta love. Everything happened 'too forced' because they have problem with Mason's image and Miri's career and life.

"You're playing with me now, but the time will come when I'll be the one playing with you." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I wonder if you'll enjoy the things I do to you."

Their sex was too much and the BDSM relationship felt really off. It looks like only kinky sex for me. Their life is so full of shit and drama from the engagement, love declaration also the ex-wife. The other issues are lack of communication, they poisoned each other without truth and honesty and never listen to each other until... BOOM! The bomb had dropped. Miri's pregnancy. WTH

She couldn't imagine a life without Mason, without his warmth and his smile, and his silly jokes... His perverse kinks and pleasures in bed. He was the perfect man, so why weren't things working out?

For the final book, Command Performance is still good for me but not enough. I nearly hated it and DNF. Oh, there is a little swinger party on Mason's birthday with Jeremy-Nell and Kai-Constance. They seem enjoy with their pervert life *cough* but not with Miri. She bravely enough to voiced her discomfort. The ending is too cliche and rushed. More likely a fairy tale. Overall, I liked Comfort series with the connecting character and some cameos. Annabel Joseph has wonderful talent for raw story with kink. She always make two different person who met and meant for each other in thick and thin. It's really amazing experience to feel a roller coaster of emotions and intense feeling.

[Aly is so frigging bored · Rating 5 out of 5]

1st read: 7-8 May 2014
OMG I can't believe I've read the books in this series so fast! I think it's official: Annabel Joseph is in my top 3 favourite BDSM/erotic romance writers list. I love how she creates her characters, I really do.

2nd read: 31st may 2015
Buddy read with Maru

[Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In general I like Annabel Joseph's books. She does a nice job of combining romance with D/s and BDSM. This book suffered from the anticipation and expectations I allowed to build up. Joseph has a kink range from mild/medium to heavy. I prefer the books on the heavier end of kink, and after seeing Mason in Odalisque, I was expecting a heavier level of kink. This book was more on the Caressa's Knees level. It's a good book, and I enjoyed the story. I only got frustrated with the main female character a couple of times. Here is my main peeve with Joseph as a writer, she consistently uses "me and him" instead of the proper " him/he and me/I." It drives me nuts when authors consistently use bad grammar. When using personal pronouns as a compound subject or object you always put yourself second. Several authors do this and it makes their characters sound stupid or uneducated. It is particularly jarring when characters who are supposed to highly educated and use their words to make a living use bad grammar. I really hope that at some point Ms. Joseph gets a new editor, or invests in Strunk and White. It is easier for me to dismiss bad grammar from a weak author, but Annabel Joseph is a very good writer.

[Lisa Aiello · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite her of this series so far. I absolutely adored Mason. He is charming, funny, kind, self-deprecating, and a bit broken and lost. After his very messy and awkward breakup with his second wife, his image has taken a beating (no pun intended), and he finds himself in need of a little PR cleanup. Enter sweet, innocent, former child star Miri. They start out using each other, but before long, she is enmeshed in his crazy "star" and kink-filled lifestyle. They have to learn to navigate the life that they live and all the mess that it entails, and it is not without drama and painful lessons (again, pun intended).

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://jacquelinesreads.blogspot.com/...

3.5 Stars

I was team Mason in Book 3 of Comfort Series, don’t get me wrong, I liked Kai, but I always found Mason’s character fascinating. I was very happy to have book 4, Command Performance to be Mason’s story. The book started out great and it basically picks off where Mason’s story left off in book 3, with a lapse of 1 year. Mason is depressed, single and he wants someone in his life, however towards the middle-end, I start to get frustrated. I love tension in books, but only if the reason is justified and in my opinion, I didn’t think it was.

So, Mason’s career is shaky, his image is tainted as this crazy pervert, so he dates, sweet Miri to sweeten his imagine. Miri is sweet, but she is intrigued with being bad as well. This is the part where I am all for, I also like the fact when Mason and Miri relationship starts off, the two of them are pretty much honest with each other. Mason teaches Miri on what kind of kinks he’s into and Miri is more than willing to try anything at least once.

Towards the middle-end, you need tension right? I get that every relationship needs some ups and downs, but I really didn’t understand the reasoning. I felt like Annabel Joseph could have come up with a better reason. Mason’s and Miri’s relationship is no fairy tale, Command Performance reminds me a lot like book 1, Mason is a true sadistic and at times it was hard for me to push through those parts. I think having 4 books in the series is just enough.

Overall the Comfort Series does not portray the perfect relationships, each character has his/her faults. Each book is different, some are mild and some are a bit hard to read, but everything is pretty much balanced and well-rounded.

I recommend book 4, Command Performance and the other 3 books in the series. Don’t just stop at one, since each book is so different, the second might be more within your taste range.

[Andreia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Of all the Comfort Series books, this is the one that I liked the least, and that is unfortunate because Mason Cooky is my favorite of all the friends in the series. I did not like Miri Durand not even a bit. She is too insecure, self-conscious and self-pitied. And again, she is inexperienced (that is also getting old too). Nobody should be killing lions everyday just to proof their love, and that is the story line: Mason pulling through hoops to proof that he loves her. There is no depth in her like Nell or Constance had in the previous books, even Caressa had more going on with her than Miri did. I thought that Mason should have deserved a break considering that he just was recovering from his divorce from Jassimine. I think that he deserved a better heroine.
Oh well.

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book by Annabel Joseph...yes, I know it's book 4.

I am not a fan of BDSM, but love virgin heroines, so I couldn't resist.

I do not mind the Hero being a sadist because the heroine seems to enjoyed receiving pain as much as the H in inflicting it.
I do however mind the fact that every female character (best friends' wives and sister) has sex with the H. I understand that swapping/swinging is a lifestyle for them. I just do not enjoy the casualness of offering each other sex with their wives like offering cigarettes....hence, 3 stars.

[Georgana ~ Valentine PR & Literary Managment · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 stars

What an incredible end to the Comfort Series! I think Mason and Miri ended up being my fav of the crazy bunch....

As always, Annable Joseph made me laugh, cry and get really hot! She can write a BDSM love story like no one else can!

[Biate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great conclusion to the series. I really liked Mason. What made him endearing in my eyes is the fact that he never pressure Miri to do something she didn't want to. Im so glad he finally found his HEA.

[Cho Mi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated the book 3 stars out of 5. Was actually going to rate it 2 stars out of 5 but I liked the end so it saved it for me. I couldn't wait for Mason's story to come out but I was not expecting this. I thought his story would be the hottest and the most risque because of the previous stories but that was not the case unfortunately. I did think Miri being a virgin and Mason being her "teacher" of sorts was hot. There were a lot a lot a lot of super hot scenes 😍😍😍.... just not what I expected from Mason's story. I did love the way the book started... very creative. #annabeljoseph #actornactresslove #childhoodstar # hollywoodheartthrob #bdsmstory #virgingirl #romancebookreaders #romancebook #romancenovels #romancebooklovers #romancebookclub #romancebookaddict #romancebookreaders #hotbooks #bookonkindleunlimited

[yayoi · Rating 3 out of 5]

porn is hot! especially from mason's pov. their relationship had decent pacing. unfortunately, miri is the most insufferable fmc ever i've ever fucking seen. she makes herself out to be the biggest victim in the book—oh, boohoo, your daddy's an alcoholic and your grammy's got dementia and you have poor self esteem so let's take it out on everybody around me including my fiance because i'm the only victim in this entire situation! yeah, uh, fuck that. why do so many people love to write such exasperating fmcs?

[WBS-S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoy Annabel Joseph's writing. I think she did a wonderful job in the story adding some twists and turns that kept me interested throughout the entire book. I recommend this to reader's of Erotica and BDSM.

[Saturn-emoji · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4-4⭐️I just couldn’t get into this like the previous ones in the series. It just happened so quickly and I didn’t rlly care tbh. Especially how everything was resolved her hesitancy for their relationship not working was valid and wasn’t addressed or resolved in a satisfying way

[Gebby · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 starsss

agak2 lupa ceritanya, tentang artis terkenal (hero nya) lagi ada scandal, dan disuruh team pr nya untuk pacaran sama artis lugu yang kalem (si heroine nya), yang dimana malah jadi saling suka. hero nya emang punya taste agak2, sedangkan heroine nya ini masih lugu banget. tapi hea sih...

[Melanie Marnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hollywood romance with usual scandals, miscommunication and mistrust. Characters from previous books are woven into this book.

[Libre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started strong went downhill toward the end. The conflict wasn't written well and i couldn't understand the mcs' actions.

[mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

not really but preggs out of nowhere???

[Danielle Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great addition to the series. Love Mason. Hot bdsm sex. Very emotional.

[KyBunnies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at Bunny's Review

***Disclosure: This book was borrowed from a friend.***


This is the last book in the Comfort series. For me this was not the last book I will read by the author. I personally felt the author gave this book the perfect title, Command Performance. The first paragraph starts out strong and sets the tone for the whole book. A story that will keep you guessing but allow the readers a glimpse into how famous people attempt to have a life without the paparazzi.

Okay little pet peeve here and then on to the review. Really why is it so important for the general public to know everything about some Hollywood star or that current popular singer? Really? I do not want to know everything they are doing. I have no desire to know where they are eating supper or who they might be dating or even if they have a kinky side. They deserve to have a private life just like anyone else. Why can’t the general public allow these people to have some privacy? Why does it matter if they want to have sex with 3 different people? As long as what they do is with consenting adults and not illegal then leave them alone and allow them to have a life.

Okay stepping down from my high horse and getting on to the review.

I am not a big fan of watching movies so I do not know the current top actors. But I recently watched San Andreas with my father and I pictured The Rock as Mason Cooke. Arms so large my hands would not go around his bicep. The sexy but oh so satisfying look at his chest without a shirt. The color of his skin and eyes. The walk which is more of a strut than anything else. A trust that shows the world he is in charge. Yes I can see The Rock, aka Dwayne Johnson. Then I pictured Miri as one of the Olsen twins.

I really enjoyed this book but felt the author did not provide enough sex scenes. The sex scenes that were written in were not enough in details for me. I am a details kind of person and for me there can never be enough details. I wanted more when Mason and Miri were in a scene. I wanted more of everything.

Then we have the alcoholic in the story. Granted the alcoholic did not play a large role but personally I felt this is important. I felt the character should have had charges against him. Maybe the author does not know about alcoholism or anything about recovery. But with someone who drinks stabbing someone and then having to face what actually happened while sober would let the alcoholic know that no one will cover up for him/her this time. Sorry I guess after living with an alcoholic for so many years I feel different than someone who has not experienced the horrors of alcoholism.

Then we has Jess, the bitter ex-wife. The one who thinks it would be better to screw with the one who got away and make them suffer than admit she played a part in the breakup. Yeah I am glad the author did not write a story for that specific character. I would probably end up throwing the Kindle across the room because I do not like the character.

Overall this was an interesting read and I enjoyed it. The bunnies and I recommend this book to any who enjoy BDSM romance.

The bunnies and I give this book carrots.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Story of Mason and Miri. This was a very engaging story about two people who initially try to help each others careers, but things do not go as initially planned. I was a fan of Mason throughout this series and was glad to read his story. This was my second favorite book in the series, behind Comfort Object. I also liked that it did not take much convincing for Miri to embrace the BDSM lifestyle, which made the story move along nicely. I LOVED that we were able to check in and follow our previous couples as they appeared throughout this book. I really enjoyed the author notes at the end of each of the books too. It gave some additional context on the story development. The epilogue in this book was the best one in the series. I felt that it truly ended in good place where I was a very satisfied reader. Rant about Miri *sigh*, she was ultimately jealous of Mason and she let Jassamine get in her head. I thought that was so weak of her. I'm glad she came to her senses in the end. But it really made me dislike her and think that Mason was too good for her.



Why Not 5 Stars?
The standard angst in this story. Once again, the 'breakup/I'm leaving you' angst. UGH!!! How many times has this been done. In fact, it has happened in all 4 books in this series. Seriously? I wish Annabel Joseph would have come up with something more creative than the same incident that happens to each and every couple before they hit happily ever after. There are many things that can go wrong in a relationship that do not always end with breakup/leaving you angst.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A couple of photos is all it took to bring Mason Cooke’s world to a public relations nightmare. Swinging parties, kinky activities, BDSM clubs, the source describes it all. His ex wife is silent which does not help. Miri Durand is a child star wanting to break into grown up acting. She has a small but potent role in his new film. Mason escorts her around town and to quiet little bars in an attempt to show he is not all that bad. He discovers that Miri is far from the quiet girl next door, she is a little firecracker. They are using each other, but will they find that elusive thing called love.
Mason is the big film star with his been there, done that kind of attitude. I really felt for him in this book. Yes he is kinky, but that is not wrong. He is strong, talented and incredibly sexy. The dom in him is so strong. Incredibly hot man. I hate his ex wife, she really rained on my parade. What a witch, a word from her would end the frenzy, but she stays silent. Again you get to re-meet with the previous characters so you know what is happening with them. Miri is your typical girl next door. The innocence the author portrays is fantastic. She literally goes from the girl next door to sex siren. What a journey you go on in this book. I love love love this author. So much so I have one clicked another two of her books.
These are a must read.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

We met Mason starting in book 1, where he was married to that narcissistic nympho Jess. It's been years since their divorce but Jess can't let go. Mysteriously a scandalous story is leaked that paints her has a victim and Mason as part of a group of perverted orgy-loving sex maniacs. To rehab his image, he turns to a colleague, former child actress Miri who has a small part in a movie with him. She's all young virginal sweetness and light and he's hoping that light will shine on him.

Their relationship becomes complicated when they develop feelings for each other over time... but Miri's so insecure about being with someone as famous as Mason that she doubts their relationship. And it doesn't help that there are forces adding extra pressures, including her alcoholic father, his ex and the paparazzi.

This was engaging but there were a few huh moments for me. While I will never truly understand a BDSM relationship, for a virgin it seemed that she took to it too quickly. I was thrilled when she didn't enjoy the couple swapping thing. Mason, despite the fact that he is too self absorbed, really did care for her but had funny ways of showing it... again I think it's the BDSM thing that shifted my perceptions here.

[Evie Summers · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOX SET REVIEW

Firstly, I really loved that all four stories interlinked slightly, incorporating the same characters and being able to re-visit relationships from the previous books. I also very much appreciated that, despite the incredible amount of (probably unnecessary) drama in each of the books, they all had happy endings - I'm a total sucker for that sort of thing and I don't like investing my energy into something/a fictional couple and not have it work out! Each story had its own unique plot and developed characters, with highlights for me being the first (Comfort Object) and the third (Odalisque), because of the strength of the relationships forged in them. Although the stories were overly dramatic and massively predictable, that is definitely a part of their charm, and weaved together the absolute kink and perversity pretty seamlessly.

This is a wonderful collection of easy-to-read stories with a hell of a lot of intensely erotic BDSM scenes, which go far enough to push the reader a little, but not too far like some other books (for example, I'm not a massive fan of Annabel Joseph's Rough Love series).

Overall, a very satisfyingly predictable, loosely linked group of highly erotic BDSM love stories.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Command Performance is the fourth book in the Comfort series. In this book we see Miri and Mason. Miri is a former child star whose career has come to a screeching halt. Mason is an up and coming mega star. They find each other while filming a rape scene in a movie.



Miri is star struck by Mason and he feels a connection to her but he is quite sure she is not interested in his lifestyle. Mason is a dominant and is a moderate sadist. Miri is a sheltered young woman who knows nothing of the world Mason lives in.


The couple strike a deal that will benefit them both. Life in the spotlight proves to be a huge struggle and they must either face that challenge or loose themselves in its wake.

I love Annabel Joseph. This was not my favorite of her books but it was really good. Her characters are very real and the sexual tension is perfect. Overall 4 stars.

[Dar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mason has done had some developments since we last saw him in Kai's book! He is a full fledged kinkster now, and the press has been leaked that information causing him to need some immediate damage control
Miri is perfect for him, and his obsession with her makes him seem rather weak at points - what good dominant would allow the girl to get away? But that is the heart of Mason's problems, he is only a bedroom dominant and is completely at the whims of others elsewhere
This is the story of Mason growing up and acting like an adult, and Miri deciding to do what is best for her regardless of what others think
The connection between these two seemed tenuous at all times, so I didn't get the bond that joined them first but as they went through hard times, you could feel their angst at them self more than the other person. It was a story of two people learning to act on their own best interest, which just happens to be a love story between them both!

[Jonna Rubin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bummer. This could have been excellent. Absurdly, and you're going to have to bear with me here, one of Joseph's biggest talents is making romance -- particularly BDSM romance -- THINKY. Her Mephisto series is brilliant and thoughtful and left me pondering the power exchange dynamic for a long time afterward.

Here, she takes a more typical romance (ugh, with a Hollywood couple, BEAR WITH ME) and takes it WAY past the happy ever after into the real stuff, which could have been SO GOOD. Relationships are hard! Sometimes they kind of suck! But you have to hang in there, right? And I would have liked to see her get into HOW they hung in there beyond just, you know, boning.

This is so unfair of me, because it's a ROMANCE. It is what it is. But I just think Annabel Joseph is SO SMART and transcends her genre so brilliantly that I want her to do it more.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

COMMAND PERFORMANCE was my least favorite, but still enjoyable. I feel like it lost the shock value that the first three books had.

Mason and his friend’s secret life has been outed to the press, but because he’s the only single one, he’s the one that has to do serious damage control. He sets his sights on former child star, Miri to help clean up his image. She helps him and he will help her land adult roles and shed her child image.

What starts off as a lie and fake quickly becomes more real, but when doubts and ex-wives step into their fragile bubble, Mason and Miri’s future is put on hold.

That is until he learns about his unborn child.

Mason isn’t letting Miri and his child go and he’ll give up anything to have them realize his love. Luckily, Miri isn’t good at resisting him.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all this is an excellent series! I have enjoyed following Mason Cooke's character as well as the others. The reasoning for my rating is because in the last two books I have not really been able to catch up with Kyle and Caressa, Kyle is a big character in the first two.Also Miri's conflict with Constance was left with no resolve. I would really like to know she moved passed that and they became friends. I love this series I became attached to all the characters and I love how the author gave you little peeks of previous characters. I would recomend this series to any friend or family member, better than 50 shades series!!