High-quality erotica for people who actually appreciate the lifestyle.
Readers who prefer actual BDSM erotica to poorly-written fanfic with a few whips and chains in it will be delighted by the latest entry in Me's Submissive series. Normally starting with book 8 in a run would leave you hopelessly lost; however, each volume in this series features a different pairing, and while everyone in the novels interacts, only one couple's story is told at a time. In this volume, it's Sasha and Cole's turn.
Sasha's horribly scarred (literally and figuratively) after a scene gone horribly wrong, executed by a jerk who isn't actually a Dom (just a petty, controlling asshole). Sasha's afraid to go back to her group, but at the same time she knows that submission is a key part of who she is, and she'll never truly be happy without it. The group decides to assign her a new Dom, for retraining purposes, which suits her just fine; she just doesn't expect it to be Cole, the hot British guy who's intrigued her ever since they first met.
It's such a pleasure to read a kink novel where the author actually did her homework on the lifestyle and isn't just using ropes and floggers as window dressing on a regular romance. Cole is most definitely a D., and his approach to retraining Sasha is the essence of what a good D/s relationship should be. Sasha, for her part, learns to trust Cole as he demonstrates worthiness of trust from the get-go: for the first few weeks of her training, he doesn't even touch her: it's all about healing her mindset before moving on to serious play. And all savvy players know, the mind plays the most important role in good sex.
Sasha's character growth is truly amazing, a great example of how the lifestyle empowers, rather than imprisons, the women who crave it. With Cole's help she learns to be more confident and assertive, to be a better judge of where to place her trust, to communicate more clearly, and--most importantly--to confront her abusive former "Dom" when he starts harassing her against the group's strict instructions. Cole, for his part, learns that just because his last play partner couldn't handle him doesn't necessarily mean there was anything wrong with him or his Dominant style; as with any other kind of relationship, it's always a question of proper fit, rather than blame.
The journey here, though, is mainly Sasha's. While a traditional romance novel ends with a wedding, this sort of book ends with a different--though no less pleasing--kind of happiness (for those of you in the know, rhymes with "dollar"). The spice level here is 10+ and should definitely be kept away from Grandma (unless Grandma specifically requests it). Me also introduces the characters who will feature prominently in the series' next book, using an epilogue to set up the storyline and heighten reader anticipation.
Recommended for large public libraries with good erotica collections. In fact, just go back and buy the whole damn series. Make sure you get them as e-books, too, so that shyer patrons can indulge without blushing in front of the circ clerks (a good policy for all flavors of erotica, IMHO). Just don't give this to the person who wants a "50 Shades" read-alike, 'cos trust me: this ain't the book they're looking for. Save it for the patron who keeps asking for something spicier without getting more specific. Odds are, this is exactly what they're thinking of.