It's not often I go off on a rant about a book. I try, I seriously try to keep my anger (if present) in check, but I'll admit, I started this book immediately on the defensive.
And here's why... In the preface, he says:
"You are welcome to criticize me for the content of this book, but please take into account that when doing so, you are also criticising the women that desire and seek these kind of encounters and are questioning their right to make their own choices."
So here I am, reading this book, finding a multitude of things wrong with it, and then questioning myself on whether or not my review will be taken that way... If I give it a low rating, will everyone think that it's the content I had a problem with? That I took issue with these people exploring the darker side of their sexuality? That's just not the case, and you know what? Screw The Wolf and his manipulative statement for doing that, for trying to scare people (me) into not leaving true ratings. That's not me.
What I had a problem with was not the stories themselves. I applaud anyone with the bravery to explore their sexuality and darker desires, though I do doubt the veracity of some of these encounters. My low rating is based solely on how much I enjoyed the writing itself. I found it repetitive and full of glaring discrepancies. The sexual encounters were rough, no doubt, but predictable and redundant after a while (get on your knees, up now, throw down, choke, slap, choke some more).
There are parts in which The Wolf gives his version of events, and then, the next chapter, the female partner would give her version of the same encounter. This is when I started doubting the truth of some of the stories. She would be dressed in a plunging neckline dress in his version but naked in her retelling. Even if I said, okay maybe, just maybe, the memory plays tricks on us... Perhaps these little details are, in fact, remembered differently by these two lovers... There was still one that I could just not let go. Please tell me how it's possible that Lola, from Boston, and Sub_Missivekiitn, the hippy from Melbourne, both said "So that's what it feels like to be slapped in the face." Really? The exact same phrase? Curious...
Then at the end... The Wolf turns over a new leaf, deactivates his Fetlife account because he wants more from life; he feels empty. Oh wait! In 'About the Author'--"If you'd like to learn more about The Wolf, you can find him on Fetlife.com." What? But I thought...
If this were classified as fiction, I probably wouldn't be as annoyed as I am. Hell, I'll be honest... If The Wolf hadn't been so sanctimonious in the preface, telling me how to review, I probably wouldn't be as annoyed. But he was, and I am.
Truth is, this book is full of one sexual encounter after another. It's rough, repetitive, and blatantly implausible based on the number of discrepancies. I gave it two stars because some of the scenes were hot, but that's it.