Velvet Glove Volume 1

Velvet Glove #1

by Sean Michael

The Velvet Glove. An interplanetary exclusive club with every luxury available to its members, The Glove is also a place to explore the deepest levels of sex and love, a place where every member has a chance to find the one thing they really desire, leaving behind the mundane world and entering a fantastical land where rules are meant to be broken. Featuring four stories from Sean Michael's decadent and lush universe, this volume of Velvet Glove has something for everyone.

In Connor's Journey, Connor attends a friend's pre-commitment send-off at the Velvet Glove, and he knows he's out of place, but is determined to enjoy his one night among the rich. Then he meets Desmond, a regular member, who wants to show him everything about being a sub if he'll take a five year contract. It beats his old job, but can he do the things Desmond wants him to?

Peace Within The Quiet features Gloucester, a sub who's not getting any younger, and he's never found anyone to call his own. Then he meets Katashi, a quiet, serious Top, who's drawn to Gloucester, inviting him to a session. The two of them find they have more in common than they thought, and begin a journey of a thousand miles with a single step.

In Love and the Farmer, Love is the best, and brattiest, sub at the club. Punishments are fun for Love, as long as he's the center of attention. Then Freddie comes along. Freddie agrees to take Love on, and Love's furious at being taken in hand by this country bumpkin, but he learns soon enough that Freddie is far from a bumbling farmer.

Finally, in Soaring with Hawk, factory worker Jester lets supervisor Hawk convince him to visit the Velvet Glove. Hawk treats Jester with kindness, and soon enough, Hawkwants Jester to move in. Jester's family are less than thrilled, but when he thinks he has nowhere else to go, he finds out that he'll always have a place with Hawk. Hot, lush, and full of love and adventure, the Velvet Glove will take you places you've never dreamed of, and you'll want to visit again and again

Genres: BDSM, M M Romance, Romance, Erotica, Science Fiction, Anthologies, Fantasy

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Often referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and persuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to "Chicago."

A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.

Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.

Reviews

[Daisiemae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Sean Michael's books. I really like his voice when he tells a story. It's always simple, well-paced and he really gets to the heart of his characters...whether the story is 300 pages or 10! I get sucked into the world he weaves and I can't escape until I read the last page.

Velvet Glove: Volume 1 is an anthology of four different stories all written by Sean Michael. Since the Velvet Glove is a premier BDSM club set in the future, all the stories have a D/s storyline to them.
The BDSM written in this book is not hardcore. There are spankings, bondage, whippings, toys, voyeurism and blindfolding. There is NO menage scenes in this book. The couples are exclusive to one another, and honestly the stories are very romantic at times. Two different couples get "collared" which is the same as married in this book. All stories had a sweet quality to them, and one story itself didn't hardly have any BDSM moments at all. Just two people meeting and falling in love.

I loved all of the stories! If you enjoy M/M erotic romance, than this book is definately an option because it DOES have so many interesting characters, unique storylines, sweet moments, great heroes and STEAMY-HOT SEX (WHEW)! I can't wait to read the next one:)

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I stayed up most of the night reading this gem! Most anthologies suck in my opinion, but I loved this one. The club Velvet Glove is a cool place to be if you liked that D/s play, that's for sure! I can honestly say I loved every story, and every character. I can't wait to read more about Kes and others mentioned in this book. I've ordered the entire series, and although my pocketbook is now a lot less, it will be so worth it!
Thanks, Shell-Daisiemae for the recommendation! ;D

[♥Laddie♥ (Lee Lee) · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5

This book of short stories felt like it was never going to end. The stories were repetitive from the dialogue on down to the sex scenes. I'll review the book story by story because there were things original to each story that made this book a chore.

Connor's Journey
Connor is a working class man who doesn't have much money. He ends up in the high-end BDSM club the Velvet Glove for a celebration dinner with his friends. His friends leave him in favor of the dance floor and that's when Desmond, Mr. Money Bags, swoops in.

My problem with this story stems from the fact that Connor signs a contract to become Desmond's sub. He's already indulged in sex with Desmond, so is that what Connor is being paid for? Desmond even takes him out and buys him a bunch of expensive clothes. This seemed reminiscent of Pretty Woman but Connor's not a prostitute...at least, he's not a prostitute until he signs the contract where Desmond agrees to pay him for his company and submission and, well, sex. Sex may not be in the contract but it's understood that there will be sex. Did you get the part about paying for sex?

Peace Within The Quiet
This is Gloucester and Katashi's story. Gloucester is a lonely sub and Katashi is the stereotype...I mean the dom. Gloucester's character was fine if a bit boring. The character of Katashi was...stereotypical. Katashi is the wise, calm Asian who meditates and offers tea from the mountains while telling magical stories. Katashi is so spiritual that while he and Gloucester meditate they form some kind of energy and Katashi meditates Gloucester right into an orgasm.

Right now I wish that I could somehow illustrate the expression on my face when I read that. He meditated him into an orgasm! Ridiculous!

Love and The Farmer
This story has no point. Love is a beautiful and bratty sub. Freddie is a farmer. Freddie the dominant farmer. Love is being a bitch and then he gets punished by Freddie and then they have sex. The end. Oh wait. Love thinks lots of catty things about Freddie based on the fact that the man is a farmer. Nice way to judge a stranger and be conceited all at the same time, Love.

The sum of all of this story's parts? The bitch gets beat and then the farmer fucks him. Tah-dah!

Soaring With Hawk
This story is basically the same as the first. Make Desmond Native American and change his name to Hawk. Make Connor skinny and change his name to Jester.

[Gabbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait to read the next book in this series. Every story in this book was fresh and had an interesting storyline and the characters chemistry together was HAWT!

[Phaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Connor’s Journey (3 stars)

It’s interesting to revisit this after such a long time – with such different views of the subject matter.
These stories, they have a certain charm. Mostly it’s the writing style that bears resemblance to stream-of-consciousness in some ways, but also the resulting dreamlike quality and relentless emotion. As for what actually happens, well, that may at times go past what I am comfortable with, but I’ve found that I can read all of this as the fantasy it clearly is intended to be. The slightly futuristic setting does help with removing events and behaviours from reality. It’s like a fuzzy daydream. And sometimes that’s just right.

I liked this one. Even though the rush into a commitment ceremony occurs rather abruptly. Up until that point things progressed at a gentle pace. Then again, it's closing in on the end, so there might be a need to get things wrapped up.
I suppose one thing I (surprisingly) did not appreciate was the fast healing of the piercings and tattoo. Abbreviating and reducing the sacrifice kind of takes a lot of the meaning from it for me. Ah well.

It’s also become clear that I won’t be able to read these stories in any good chronological manner. At least I haven’t found any helpful list yet. I might just go via the collections. Doesn’t matter all that much.

Mm, yes. This definitely was a cuddly BDSM fantasy daydream.


Peace Within The Quiet (3 stars)

“They had not even kissed yet.” Except that’s precisely what they did a page or two before that statement. Hm.

This was a sweet fantasy of calmness. Quite appealing, although somewhat quickly over at the end.

Also, since I have two editions side by side and I read the newer one this time… I think the older one had a nicer flow. Apparently it featured more of those fragmented sentences that are no longer an intrinsic part of the author’s style but really help with the sensual/emotional haze.


Love And The Farmer (2-3 stars)

Another nice, tiny story. They can’t all end with happily-every-afters, of course, but the lack of a solid resolution does take away a little for me.

There’s some issue with dubious consent. Not sure how monetary coercion applies to a prostitute. (That’s for Mal threatening Love with loss of his job if he safewords.) Well, luckily this entire series is an all-out fantasy anyway, so I suppose the rules of reality do not apply.


Soaring With Hawk (3-4 stars)

Very sweet indeed. Next to no friction (aside from the obvious kind) between the protagonists. Or indeed anyone. As such this is a complete soothe-fest.

I think reception will depend a lot on the current mood of the recipient. I definitely liked this, but I also think it’ll be good to break this up with something else for a book or two. If I can get myself to do that. I kind of want to wallow in sweetness and lack of sorrow. I just don’t want to get bored, if I can help it.

I do remember, however, that some of the stories from the second anthology are a little more, uh, well… I guess you could call them extreme in nature. Ethics and morals might get twisted some in the fourth story.
Even in these first four stories there was plenty of childlike behaviour in the subs, but discipline and lack of choice were only really hinted at. Love’s story being the exception, but that was a mere quickie anyway.
Well. Maybe that shift in palatability will be enough to keep me from getting bored.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall
Welcome to BDSM 101. Care for a drink? Something to eat? Something to whip?

In all seriousness, this volume does read like BDSM 101, introducing the club, the world and the concepts though the stories of two men who are new to the whole thing and have no idea what they're getting into. Compared to some later stories in the volumes (and some additional stories), these will seem tame, but it doesn't make their coming together any less sweet. I think this would be a great start for someone curious about BDSM romance but who doesn't think they'd be able to handle hardcore activities.

Strengths
Romantic happy endings. Michael always gives us our happy ending and does so here. He creates a world which seems to work off the concept of everyone has their true love (um, loves), and while his stories could be repetitive if read in succession (as in, reading volumes 1, 2, and 4 in one weekend), they give what the reader wants.

Writing. While the writing didn't feel as strong as in Velvet Need, I was never disappointed. In fact, I started rereading the book the next day to try to stave off starting the next volume. It didn't work, but I tried.

Weaknesses
Name abuse. This is really the only thing I can think of calling it. I understand when writing actions sometimes names are necessary to differentiate since the pronouns are the same, but that I can deal with. He tends to write dialogue with a lot of name dropping ("Simon, I trust you." "Thank you, Jack." "You're welcome, Simon." Though maybe nothing quite so bad). I think a fair number could be cut, especially those outside of scenes (they seem fitting in a scene). It is never disruptive enough to rip me from my reading rhythm, but it was noticeable.

[Don Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this four story anthology very much. The Velvet Glove is a top of the line men's club and apartment complex where every need of the interplanetary BDSM crowd frequent. The stories are well written and very descriptive though not hardcore. Michael's writing style pulled me into each story where the characters were brought to life. I felt like I was right there in each love story. The detail and the commitment of the characters to their exclusive relationships moves through all four stories. I'd recommend a visit to the Glove for any reader new to BDSM stories or a veteran.

[Bethanybledsoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Velvet Glove. An interplanetary exclusive club with every luxury available to its members, The Glove is also a place to explore the deepest levels of sex and love, a place where every member has a chance to find the one thing they really desire, leaving behind the mundane world and entering a fantastical land where rules are meant to be broken.

[Aron · Rating 1 out of 5]

I attempted to read all four stories, but have been forced, in all fairness, to DNF all of them.

[Trio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute stories with very interesting characters. Lots of sweet stuff.

[Mystisith · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐ Not technically perfect but perfect for me. It's like an anthology of BDSM daddy/boy fairy tales, with an emphasis on intimacy and trust. It's all very instalove and soulmates material & so friggin sweet, it always leave me with 🦋 in my stomach.

[Isabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Line a never ending storie

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this whole series and have read most of them more than once. The “space cowboy” is my go to for hot guys & D/s.😍

[Charly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories with varying degrees of BDSM

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

"Connor’s Journey” - 7/10
PROS:
- I was reminded of Pretty Woman repeatedly as I read this story, especially when Desmond takes Connor shopping for new clothes. Unlike in Pretty Woman, though, they go immediately to the leather toy shop afterwards. (Snicker…)
- Each of these stories introduces new characters, all of whom are interesting. The best thing about this first story is that many of the secondary characters here appear as main characters in the later stories of the book.
CONS:
- A lot of Sean Michael’s Dom characters use rather formal speech, but Desmond’s speech seemed so over-the-top to me that I found it awkward at times.
- It bugged me that Desmond continued to use Connor’s last name throughout the story: “Come, Connor Dean”; “Thank you, Connor Dean”; etc.

"Peace within the Quiet”- 8/10
PROS:
- For some reason, Sean Michael’s writing style is able to convince me almost always that two characters who have just met could truly be in love with each other. This story is just over 20 pages and covers a period of about 2 days, and at the end, I actually believed that these two guys were soul mates.
- The Velvet Glove is an exclusive club, which means that at least one of the characters in each story has a good deal of money. As a result, each of the stories has a lush, decadent feel to it. In this story, Katashi’s rooms at the club are so elegant that he has a room filled with essentially nothing but dozens of fountains.
CONS:
- Gloucester, the sub, appears briefly in the book’s first story, and we get just enough background on him to suggest that he’s been waiting a very long time to be claimed by a Dom. I was looking forward to just a little more background on him in Gloucester’s own story, but there’s almost none.
- The speech in this story, also, seemed formal and stilted to me. The characters rarely use contractions, for example: “I do not believe I have ever seen you here before.”

"Love and the Farmer” - 6/10
PROS:
- I really liked the character of Love immediately. The story begins with him getting in trouble for not working, and his response to being yelled at is this: “Bah. [Eff] that. Love was comfortable and high.”
- The sci-fi setting is slight in these stories (they focus on the relationships, not the world in which the characters live), but there are some little details here and there that give the stories an otherworldly feel.
CONS:
- I’ve become quite a fan of BDSM fiction over the past couple of years, but one of the things I still don’t love reading about is punishment. (Real punishment, that is.) Half of this story is a scene of punishment in which Love is bound and gagged and very angry about the way he’s being treated.
- This one has a Happy For Now ending. Nothing long-term here.

"Soaring with Hawk" – 8/10
PROS:
- There are 2 elements in this story that I particularly like reading about: one, Jester is not only a virgin, he’s never even been kissed before. And two, Jester is incredibly poor. Hawk isn’t as rich as some of the other characters who frequent the Velvet Glove, but he’s able to expand Jester’s horizons significantly simply by feeding him real meat and buying him soft clothes.
- Each of the stories in this book contains some elements of BDSM, but they’re all pretty different as far as what the characters like and how they behave with their partners. In this story, Jester is such an innocent that the BDSM element is extremely light, and that felt appropriate to me.
CONS:
- Jester’s family doesn’t approve of his relationship with Hawk, and when his mother finally tells Jester what she thinks, he’s distraught about it. After Jester tells Hawk what his mother said, though, the topic never comes up again. It seemed to me like that topic was dropped rather abruptly.
- Throughout the book, there are quite a few paragraphs that have no end punctuation. There’s one page that has 5 paragraphs with no period at the end.

Overall comments: These stories are all sweet, and each one contains BDSM to some degree; the only one that’s very hardcore is “Love and the Farmer,” and that story is the shortest one. The blurb on the back of the book says that the Velvet Glove is an “interplanetary exclusive club,” but as far as I could tell, all the characters are human.

[Noughty]

1 story. 2 stars. Writing ok, characters and plot unbelievable (not in a good way).

Issues: Contract involves getting paid for submitting, so basically it is whoring yourself out. Signing 5 year contract for something you have never experienced with someone you just met and know nothing about... Seriously? Can you actually imagine anyone doing that? Such a spontaneous decisions about the next 5 years of your life, giving all the control away to a stranger.I understand giving away control to your dom, but not to someone you just met. Maybe you will hate it all, get bored in a month or anything else will make you regret it. Doesn't feel realistic.

I guess I should give this another try, but first story really doesn't encourage me in reading more. Hope others are more realistic.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually enjoy books by Sean Michael but this book full of short stories didn't come up to par. The dialogue was repetitive. Lots of "Oh. Oh yes. Please. Oh more. Please." And "Mine. Yours. Yes mine. Yours. Always."
In every story it was like this. It got on my nerves.
The sex scenes were hot, until I got to the third story and every sex scene was the same, dialogue included.

I couldn't really "relate" to the characters. The way they acted was strange and too...immature I guess is what I would call it.

[Tamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big Sean Michael fan, but I have to say this book is the best of his writings. I love meeting everyone from The Glove and getting to know them as friends and co-workers as well as individually as subs or Doms. This book along with Volumes 2 thru 5 are only in paperback, but it was work the purchasing a shipping. I've already started Volume 2 and hope to add it, also as My Favorite, just like I did this one!!!

[Mati · Rating 1 out of 5]

Picking this book was mistake. I was somehow looking foward for nice BDSM novel and what I got was soapy whines of cretins who wanted to be so macho SM cool and failing in every way. Lot of baws, which author explains as deep emotions. Well if it was some romantic thingie it would be bad but not horrid, but giving it label of BDSM novel made the thing ...bad. I did not finish it.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only liked some of these stories. First two didn't do anything for me. Love and the farmer were my favorite not sure why, but they were.

One of the biggest issues I guess I had with the first two story was just that the world building was absolutely non-existent so I spent half the time trying to puzzle out the world and really not getting anywhere.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read the series, this would be my second choice in the the five volumes. Sean Michael builds his main characters so very well, that you come to understand and anticipate thier reactions. I have just completed this volume for the second time.

[Serena Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing collection of stories. Loved the combination of m/m with the sci-fi background.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is one of my favorites :)

[Tammera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very interesting and very sensual I really enjoyed the way Sean Michael put these stories together, I will be reading his work again. I am off to read book 2 now!

[Outi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohmigod, this book is so hot.
Ofcourse, if you don't like BDSM or gay sex, this book is not for you.

[Coffinmo · Rating 1 out of 5]

the writing style just turns me off...

[Coldcase hertz · Rating 4 out of 5]

whn i first started this book i thought it was one story lol (review later)

[howl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sugary sweet, intensely repetitive, and weirdly addicting. More like 1.5 stars rounded up.