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O/s
Contains non-con elements and scenes of violence.
Jax has the perfect job on the perfect world, looking after subs while their owners are away. But Brysen’s no ordinary sub and his owner Layne is a threat to the safety of every sub on the planet.
Dealing with the heartbreak of a failed relationship, Jax is slow to realize Brysen’s adoration for his stern owner passes all reason, and breaks every rule. By the time he does, there may be time to save Brysen, but in the process, Jax stands to lose everything from his job to his chance at love. Will the protective instincts that guide his actions hold steady or will the darkness Layne wakes within him prove stronger?
Jax has the perfect job on the perfect world, looking after subs while their owners are away. But Brysen’s no ordinary sub and his owner Layne is a threat to the safety of every sub on the planet.
Dealing with the heartbreak of a failed relationship, Jax is slow to realize Brysen’s adoration for his stern owner passes all reason, and breaks every rule. By the time he does, there may be time to save Brysen, but in the process, Jax stands to lose everything from his job to his chance at love. Will the protective instincts that guide his actions hold steady or will the darkness Layne wakes within him prove stronger?
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2016
2 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Jane Davitt
64 books480 followersRetired from pro writing, pretty much. Any books where the rights are with me I've put up at A03, along with all my fic, which I'm still writing.
[Free reads and my fanfic are here:
Jane Davitt at AO3]
Thank you to all who read my books. It meant a lot.
[Free reads and my fanfic are here:
Jane Davitt at AO3]
Thank you to all who read my books. It meant a lot.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 10, 2016
nothing like as much violence as I was hoping for, but made up for by a surprisingly interesting ship between Brysen and Jax. This was a bit of a flip on the traumatized sub and protective loving Dom trope a la Sean Michael, and it was refreshing for it. I'd describe it as a cross between a Hammer novel and Bliss, set in the FSP world of Anne McCaffrey's Crystal Singer. This made the world easy to understand, not requiring any elaborate backstory, and let me get right into the developing relationships. I enjoyed the last 40% more than the beginning of the book.
I definitely rec this if you liked any of Snow and Cavitt's other books, like the Room at the Top series. If you generally like non con do not be put off by the review/s mentioning torture and violence, as the description is very minimal.
***
A one-star rating for too much violence and torture has me putting this right at the top of my tbr
wheeeee!
I definitely rec this if you liked any of Snow and Cavitt's other books, like the Room at the Top series. If you generally like non con do not be put off by the review/s mentioning torture and violence, as the description is very minimal.
***
A one-star rating for too much violence and torture has me putting this right at the top of my tbr
wheeeee!
September 6, 2016
My feels are mixed on this one. I was expecting an intense slave training story. In spaaaaaaaaceeeeeeeee. Because space makes everything more intense somehow. It's not that sort of story though. In a lot of ways it reminds me of Control by Cordelia Kingsbridge only not as dark and with less mystery/thriller storyline.
Jax is a slavesitter. He is well respected in the community for being able to handle different levels of slaves and whenever their owners have obligations wherein their slaves cannot accompany them he ensures they are cared for in their absence. It becomes clear early on that he's had his heart broken and I also sussed out that he was a pretty hardcore sadist which filled me with glee. I thought for sure I'd be in for some serious PAIN! You know my feels on this. #TeamPain
Alas, there wasn't that much pain either.
Jax gets hired by Layne to slavesit Brysen and it's clear immediately something is amiss. His devotion seems canned, robotic and disproportionate to what's required. All slaves wear a color-coded collar that denotes their level/preferences and also dispenses beneficial nutrients, so it's not difficult to discern that something's wonky with the collar. The reason why the collars dispense this stuff still eludes me. I'm guessing it has something to do with the atmosphere? Aside from that the world building is in the fair to good range. I'm probably biased after reading Lyn Gala's sci-fi stuff. That's hard to match, though, and isn't reflected in my rating.
Make no mistake, Layne is an turdface asshat of an owner and I did wonder if he was always like this or if he just let his insatiable need to inflict pain override all sense and reason. Who knows?
However, Layne's mostly a background figure and only comes into play towards the end. Be forewarned that scene is brutal. But, really, it's only one scene in the grand scheme of things and afterwards there is a lot of push/pull between Jax and Brysen regarding their future. I liked both of these characters especially Brysen's evolution. I also thoroughly enjoyed the visual of Jax...
But neither really got under my skin and made a home. It's well written with good characterizations and a nicely paced plot, but left me wanting. I wanted it to be darker or kinkier or more romantic than it was. There are slivers of all three and maybe that's the problem-it tried to be too many things at once? Maybe my expectations were too high going in? I don't know. I do know that I wound up liking but not loving it.
Jax is a slavesitter. He is well respected in the community for being able to handle different levels of slaves and whenever their owners have obligations wherein their slaves cannot accompany them he ensures they are cared for in their absence. It becomes clear early on that he's had his heart broken and I also sussed out that he was a pretty hardcore sadist which filled me with glee. I thought for sure I'd be in for some serious PAIN! You know my feels on this. #TeamPain
Alas, there wasn't that much pain either.
Jax gets hired by Layne to slavesit Brysen and it's clear immediately something is amiss. His devotion seems canned, robotic and disproportionate to what's required. All slaves wear a color-coded collar that denotes their level/preferences and also dispenses beneficial nutrients, so it's not difficult to discern that something's wonky with the collar. The reason why the collars dispense this stuff still eludes me. I'm guessing it has something to do with the atmosphere? Aside from that the world building is in the fair to good range. I'm probably biased after reading Lyn Gala's sci-fi stuff. That's hard to match, though, and isn't reflected in my rating.
Make no mistake, Layne is an turdface asshat of an owner and I did wonder if he was always like this or if he just let his insatiable need to inflict pain override all sense and reason. Who knows?
However, Layne's mostly a background figure and only comes into play towards the end. Be forewarned that scene is brutal. But, really, it's only one scene in the grand scheme of things and afterwards there is a lot of push/pull between Jax and Brysen regarding their future. I liked both of these characters especially Brysen's evolution. I also thoroughly enjoyed the visual of Jax...
But neither really got under my skin and made a home. It's well written with good characterizations and a nicely paced plot, but left me wanting. I wanted it to be darker or kinkier or more romantic than it was. There are slivers of all three and maybe that's the problem-it tried to be too many things at once? Maybe my expectations were too high going in? I don't know. I do know that I wound up liking but not loving it.
October 31, 2016
BDSM Group's October Book of the Month
This book definitely has me leaning towards freewill over government oversight.
I liked the concept of a professional subsitter. Jax is a professional. He is a service Dom. He attends to submissives during their Owners absence, in the manner that has been contracted. Often, these are not Jax's preferences, but the job isn't about what he wants, but what the clients wants and expects.
Not part of the shadows, this arrangement is heavily regulated by government oversight, everything from house checks to monitoring collars. We meet a few of Jax's clients, but it isn't until Layne and his sub Brysen that we see things that ring those uneasy bells. And it's not just the sadism, though this contract that has that focus; it's the whispers and inconsistencies that Brysen exhibits when Layne leaves.
So, Layne is not just your average a$$hole Dom finding a way to abuse a sub and the system. There are dark moments, but the real story is how both Brysen and Jax rehabilitate after the events. The end was a bit controversial for some readers in our group, but I liked it. This is more clinical than I enjoy in my stories, but I really appreciate thinky power plays, constructing and deconstructing power--so rating this 3.5 star rounded up for GR to 4 stars.
This book definitely has me leaning towards freewill over government oversight.
I liked the concept of a professional subsitter. Jax is a professional. He is a service Dom. He attends to submissives during their Owners absence, in the manner that has been contracted. Often, these are not Jax's preferences, but the job isn't about what he wants, but what the clients wants and expects.
Not part of the shadows, this arrangement is heavily regulated by government oversight, everything from house checks to monitoring collars. We meet a few of Jax's clients, but it isn't until Layne and his sub Brysen that we see things that ring those uneasy bells. And it's not just the sadism, though this contract that has that focus; it's the whispers and inconsistencies that Brysen exhibits when Layne leaves.
So, Layne is not just your average a$$hole Dom finding a way to abuse a sub and the system. There are dark moments, but the real story is how both Brysen and Jax rehabilitate after the events. The end was a bit controversial for some readers in our group, but I liked it. This is more clinical than I enjoy in my stories, but I really appreciate thinky power plays, constructing and deconstructing power--so rating this 3.5 star rounded up for GR to 4 stars.
August 14, 2016
I've really enjoyed this authors in the past, but this one just didn't do it for me. I felt the changes in one of the characters about half way through were too dramatic and didn't fit with what was happening. I think it was a pacing issue. It kind of yanked me out of the story and my suspension of disbelief went out the window. For me, their books Room at the Top or Bound and Determined were better reads that I'd totally recommend trying.
August 18, 2016
Another great BDSM book from these authors. This is set in another world (SciFi) and contains some harsh elements - no getting around it. The way Brysen and Jax get together is filled with trepidation -as you wait for Jax to figure out what is really happening with Brysen and Layne. The scenes are well done and certainly boundary pushing but it's Brysen's need to discover who he is along with Jax's heartbreak and situation that really carries this forward. I don't want to say more for the spoilers. I read this in one sitting - and certainly the first 1/2 filled me with apprehension - pins and needles waiting for the shoe to drop. When it does there's a twist I didn't see coming - and what comes after really demonstrates the trust which needs to exist between Dom and Sub.
August 9, 2016
Not what I was expecting, but totally enjoyed that the book took so many unexpected turns. There is some violence and it's non-con, but the story does have a happy ending.
August 15, 2016
*3,5 stars*
I grabbed O/s (nice touch by the way) right after its release because it sounded veeeery promising to me. I love the Davitt/Snow writer duo and their storytelling-skills combined with some more daring content and a non-con warning… DINGDINGDINGDING … Jackpot!
I also liked the space setting. I felt like there could have been explained a bit more, like: Why was this official O/s system established in the first place? And at first I didn’t really know if you were born a sub, raised a sub or chose to be a sub in this world, but I like the authors' writing style so I flowed nicely through all this without thinking too much. I also found parts a bit repetitive in the beginning, but as soon as the action really started to happen at around 40%, all was forgotten, I was biting my nails so hard. I'm really bad with this "I know something scary is about to happen oh my god I can't watch"-thing, so yeah, that was thrilling. The storyline itself was a bit different than I anticipated, and though I enjoyed the first 2/3 more than the last part, I like surprises, so that’s always welcome.
But, okay, enough of that, on to the stuff everyone’s talking about.
Before starting the book, I read the violence/non-con-warning and saw one 1 star rating, because of too much violence. Colour me even more intrigued by then....
In my opinion O/s really is NOT some graphic torture porn that’s only for the toughest of the hardcore readers. I’ll admit, my opinion may be a bit warped after reading stuff like Flesh Cartel, but up until 50% I was reading and reading and waiting for the violence to happen and kept asking myself: Is this considered very violent yet? Then there's one part in the middle where you think: "Uh oh, this is going to happen, okay now we're getting to the violence". But it’s over pretty quickly and a lot was glossed over and in the end it's more "he was doing unspeakable things to him" than really a lot of details about what exactly he's doing.
The thing is – and now we’re nearing the reason for my subtracting 1 1/5 stars, sorry for my rambling before – I felt like the same goes for the scenes between Jax and Brysen.
I started this book hoping for lots of twisted kinky stuff in between the story parts :-P
Sue me.
I love how clever the kink was in previous Davitt/Snow books, how out of the box in the little things, and how unique for the characters and that did things to me. So, I was looking forward to some disturbing, yet disturbingly hot stuff.
When I read this at 12% my mouth was watering and I was starting to get excited.
Something must be wrong with me, because that was actually a flashback to a bad scene between Brysen and Layne, but that was more in the line of what I was hoping for between Brysen and Jax…
Sadly the authors didn’t to get too "adventurous" and/or graphic in the scenes between Brysen and Jax. I assume they didn’t want to scare their readers and wanted to clearly separate Jax from Layne (which is a good thing – Layne is a total psycho and no, of course I wouldn’t have wanted Jax to do the same stuff to Brysen). But I felt like something was missing nevertheless.
Over and over it was stated how much both Jax and Brysen liked to push boundaries and how much Brysen can handle and how much Jax craved some darker stuff and how experienced he was as a Level 10 instructor. BUT WE DIDN’T REALLY GET TO SEE IT! In the end, there was one scene, where I thought: Now, we’re getting there, seeing Jax in action and all his potential unleashed – and then the scene faded to black… I felt a bit betrayed, I have to say.
I promise, I’m not some creepy gore loving psycho bitch, and I didn’t want more violence. But I’d have loved to see the rougher stuff fleshed out a little bit. Like, for example books like Uneven show some pretty heavy stuff, but in a way that isn’t off putting at all – the opposite in fact. And I would have loved to see a bit more of that spirit in here. Yes, there was sex/play between Jay and Brysen, but I had the feeling it wasn't what it could have been. Especially Jax wasn’t what he could have been. A bit less telling how dark and creative he is, and a bit more showing would have been appreciated :-D
I felt like that was the "something missing" in their connection, because I didn’t feel them as a couple as much as I could have. Their Dom/sub roles are such an important part in their lives, and I would have liked to witness some special connection in their play.
And also, yes, I’m a pervy, bad girl, who wanted some more hot action. Shame on me.
So. That was a lot of rambling on my part that in the end comes down to this:
I really liked this new direction the authors took here, but for me it could have gone a bit further. So. More please. I’ll be sure to pick up the next „experiment“ as well :-)
I grabbed O/s (nice touch by the way) right after its release because it sounded veeeery promising to me. I love the Davitt/Snow writer duo and their storytelling-skills combined with some more daring content and a non-con warning… DINGDINGDINGDING … Jackpot!
I also liked the space setting. I felt like there could have been explained a bit more, like: Why was this official O/s system established in the first place? And at first I didn’t really know if you were born a sub, raised a sub or chose to be a sub in this world, but I like the authors' writing style so I flowed nicely through all this without thinking too much. I also found parts a bit repetitive in the beginning, but as soon as the action really started to happen at around 40%, all was forgotten, I was biting my nails so hard. I'm really bad with this "I know something scary is about to happen oh my god I can't watch"-thing, so yeah, that was thrilling. The storyline itself was a bit different than I anticipated, and though I enjoyed the first 2/3 more than the last part, I like surprises, so that’s always welcome.
But, okay, enough of that, on to the stuff everyone’s talking about.
Before starting the book, I read the violence/non-con-warning and saw one 1 star rating, because of too much violence. Colour me even more intrigued by then....
In my opinion O/s really is NOT some graphic torture porn that’s only for the toughest of the hardcore readers. I’ll admit, my opinion may be a bit warped after reading stuff like Flesh Cartel, but up until 50% I was reading and reading and waiting for the violence to happen and kept asking myself: Is this considered very violent yet? Then there's one part in the middle where you think: "Uh oh, this is going to happen, okay now we're getting to the violence". But it’s over pretty quickly and a lot was glossed over and in the end it's more "he was doing unspeakable things to him" than really a lot of details about what exactly he's doing.
The thing is – and now we’re nearing the reason for my subtracting 1 1/5 stars, sorry for my rambling before – I felt like the same goes for the scenes between Jax and Brysen.
I started this book hoping for lots of twisted kinky stuff in between the story parts :-P
Sue me.
I love how clever the kink was in previous Davitt/Snow books, how out of the box in the little things, and how unique for the characters and that did things to me. So, I was looking forward to some disturbing, yet disturbingly hot stuff.
When I read this at 12% my mouth was watering and I was starting to get excited.
„When Layne’s cock had flagged, he’d made Brysen ride a dildo anchored to the wall at the precise height need to keep him on his toes. Even with slick dripping off it, the huge shaft had rubbed him raw. He’d clung to Layne’s shoulders and worked his hips at a frantic pace, the sharp slaps raining down at his cock spurring him on.“
Something must be wrong with me, because that was actually a flashback to a bad scene between Brysen and Layne, but that was more in the line of what I was hoping for between Brysen and Jax…
Sadly the authors didn’t to get too "adventurous" and/or graphic in the scenes between Brysen and Jax. I assume they didn’t want to scare their readers and wanted to clearly separate Jax from Layne (which is a good thing – Layne is a total psycho and no, of course I wouldn’t have wanted Jax to do the same stuff to Brysen). But I felt like something was missing nevertheless.
Over and over it was stated how much both Jax and Brysen liked to push boundaries and how much Brysen can handle and how much Jax craved some darker stuff and how experienced he was as a Level 10 instructor. BUT WE DIDN’T REALLY GET TO SEE IT! In the end, there was one scene, where I thought: Now, we’re getting there, seeing Jax in action and all his potential unleashed – and then the scene faded to black… I felt a bit betrayed, I have to say.
I promise, I’m not some creepy gore loving psycho bitch, and I didn’t want more violence. But I’d have loved to see the rougher stuff fleshed out a little bit. Like, for example books like Uneven show some pretty heavy stuff, but in a way that isn’t off putting at all – the opposite in fact. And I would have loved to see a bit more of that spirit in here. Yes, there was sex/play between Jay and Brysen, but I had the feeling it wasn't what it could have been. Especially Jax wasn’t what he could have been. A bit less telling how dark and creative he is, and a bit more showing would have been appreciated :-D
I felt like that was the "something missing" in their connection, because I didn’t feel them as a couple as much as I could have. Their Dom/sub roles are such an important part in their lives, and I would have liked to witness some special connection in their play.
And also, yes, I’m a pervy, bad girl, who wanted some more hot action. Shame on me.
So. That was a lot of rambling on my part that in the end comes down to this:
I really liked this new direction the authors took here, but for me it could have gone a bit further. So. More please. I’ll be sure to pick up the next „experiment“ as well :-)
May 10, 2021
Poignant, heartbreaking and intense, this tale takes a reader into the speculative fiction of a future society. In this future, there are registered slaves who can be measured for their ability to handle pain and enjoy submission. Their collars are a monitoring system which can make no mistakes. Slaves are always assess accurately and matched up to Masters who appreciate them.
As soon as I read this premise, my gut clenched because I knew that this could be abused. There are no foolproof systems. There is no way to 100% guarantee a system isn't tricked, hacked or rigged. As expected, this story leads us down a horrifying abuse of consent and cruel manipulations which result in several deaths. Is this story BDSM hostile? Not exactly. Because Jax is a surrogate owner who is ethical and does his best to help owners and slaves. Jax is the embodiment of what a good owner can be like and how to build trust through clear communication. His style is starkly contrasted against Brysen's owner. Layne. An owner who should be "above" reproach because he is a doctor. A doctor is a trusted position and for this to be violated, can cause some serious repercussions.
I thought this would be a lengthy book regarding sexual violations and how to fight Layne or take him down. Then perhaps a bit of helping Brysen recover. To my surprise, all of this happens in the first half of the book. The second half of the book is the aftermath. What happens to Jax and Brysen once Layne is no longer in the picture. I'm amazed at the authors extending the story to after Happily Ever afters. Because what we see is more realistic and gives more depth.
The characters are complex in this story because there are layers built upon layers. With history together, past experiences and current horrors mixing in, both Jax and Brysen feel more real. The situations they encounter are complicated and it adds another level of sensory detail for readers. The sensations they feel and see are so well described, it is as if the reader is there, experiencing it with them.
I loved this lengthy story even if it took me a while to read. I could only read it in sections with breaks because my heart hurt for the characters and my sense of dread overcame me. Authors Jane Davitt and Alexa Snow create another erotic masterpiece. This m/m erotica is recommended to readers who enjoy BDSM elements.
September 13, 2016
Review to follow.
November 30, 2019
I am a HUGE fan of Jane and Alexa's books so anytime a new one comes out, I snap it up right away.
I liked the summary of the book. The concept of a "subsitter" isn't anything I've ever read before!
There's a couple of warnings that probably should have come with the book. First, there's non-consent as well as consent. Second, there's gore and violence (which is why I'm adding a tag for horror).
For the first 25% of the book - this was a solid 4. Getting to know Jax and his job was very interesting. Even after Jax was employed by Layne (for Brysen) those first couple of plot points were good.
Somewhere around the 40% mark, I put the book down for a bit. Why? Lots of plot holes that I couldn't get my head around. For example, Jax is supposed to be a highly sought after subsitter but as soon as Layne/Brysen come into the picture, he's with Brysen 24 x 7. Another example is, for what seems like a big brother type of world, there weren't enough checks and balances in place. I found myself questioning so much that it took away from my enjoyment of the book.
Jax starts out as a fantastic character. He's a respectful owner who embraces the lifestyle. Although his needs are more on the s&m side, he always putting the needs of the subs he watches over first. I expected some unraveling of Jax's character and of course I rooted for him to come out of all of these situations better than ever. In my opinion, that didn't happen.
I was not as fond of Brysen as I should have been. I never warmed up to him and part of that, I think, is because his back story was added very late in the book as if it was an afterthought.
Layne, the villain was - well - a villain. I really wanted to understand his backstory. Was he born evil? Did something happen in his past that made him turn evil?
There is a secondary character (a female constable) whose presence is confusing. Maybe if the authors would have told some of the story from her point of view, I would have warmed up to her.
I liked the summary of the book. The concept of a "subsitter" isn't anything I've ever read before!
There's a couple of warnings that probably should have come with the book. First, there's non-consent as well as consent. Second, there's gore and violence (which is why I'm adding a tag for horror).
For the first 25% of the book - this was a solid 4. Getting to know Jax and his job was very interesting. Even after Jax was employed by Layne (for Brysen) those first couple of plot points were good.
Somewhere around the 40% mark, I put the book down for a bit. Why? Lots of plot holes that I couldn't get my head around. For example, Jax is supposed to be a highly sought after subsitter but as soon as Layne/Brysen come into the picture, he's with Brysen 24 x 7. Another example is, for what seems like a big brother type of world, there weren't enough checks and balances in place. I found myself questioning so much that it took away from my enjoyment of the book.
Jax starts out as a fantastic character. He's a respectful owner who embraces the lifestyle. Although his needs are more on the s&m side, he always putting the needs of the subs he watches over first. I expected some unraveling of Jax's character and of course I rooted for him to come out of all of these situations better than ever. In my opinion, that didn't happen.
I was not as fond of Brysen as I should have been. I never warmed up to him and part of that, I think, is because his back story was added very late in the book as if it was an afterthought.
Layne, the villain was - well - a villain. I really wanted to understand his backstory. Was he born evil? Did something happen in his past that made him turn evil?
There is a secondary character (a female constable) whose presence is confusing. Maybe if the authors would have told some of the story from her point of view, I would have warmed up to her.
October 6, 2016
I am not sure how to rate this book.
I loved the concept. I had never heard of a subsitter before.
I liked the characters of Brysen and Jax. Layne was an evil owner and I am glad he got his just reward in the end.
I didn't really understand why the subsitter board made the decision they did, it was self defence.
I loved the concept. I had never heard of a subsitter before.
I liked the characters of Brysen and Jax. Layne was an evil owner and I am glad he got his just reward in the end.
I didn't really understand why the subsitter board made the decision they did, it was self defence.
September 25, 2016
Wow. There were so many incredible pieces to this story, so many really interesting ideas that I loved.
Great characters and a really interesting story which I really enjoyed.
Great characters and a really interesting story which I really enjoyed.
August 7, 2016
Couldn't finish it
Do Not recommend this book . It was way too violent . If you're into extreme violence this book for you ,but I couldn't Stomach it. I usually enjoy a good Dom sub book but this just was not for me . The torture of a submissive just turn my stomach . I am going to return this for a full refund and probably will not be reading this author again .
Do Not recommend this book . It was way too violent . If you're into extreme violence this book for you ,but I couldn't Stomach it. I usually enjoy a good Dom sub book but this just was not for me . The torture of a submissive just turn my stomach . I am going to return this for a full refund and probably will not be reading this author again .
February 4, 2019
I really enjoyed the world-building and character development in this, I will definitely be checking out more from these authors!
September 2, 2016
Maybe 4.5 but rounding up... review to come.
June 29, 2022
I am a huge fan of Jane Davitt and Alexa Snow's other works. So, when I saw the warning that this one was "darker than normal" I was very excited to dive in. It started off on a promising note and ticked all the right boxes for me: M/m, heavy S&M, non-consent, and more. However, at a certain point, the story really jumped the shark for me and I continued reading with hopes of a gratifying ending. I'll give it that...the ending got me to where I wanted to be, but about a third of the book felt drawn out unnecessarily.
On the positive side: I really enjoyed both main characters and found them 3-dimensional, human, and believable. I enjoyed the setup of the primary conflict. It's really just that I would have liked the book to have spent (way) more time on the two main characters developing a relationship, processing their shared trauma, and exploring the consequences of their history, instead of chapter-upon-chapter of back and forth, will they or won't they, wanting each other but denying their desires.
It took me 3 days to read, so no regrets in doing so. I just wished for a bit more.
On the positive side: I really enjoyed both main characters and found them 3-dimensional, human, and believable. I enjoyed the setup of the primary conflict. It's really just that I would have liked the book to have spent (way) more time on the two main characters developing a relationship, processing their shared trauma, and exploring the consequences of their history, instead of chapter-upon-chapter of back and forth, will they or won't they, wanting each other but denying their desires.
It took me 3 days to read, so no regrets in doing so. I just wished for a bit more.
April 27, 2019
I think this was pretty awsome. Don't know why folks had so much negative to say about it. They wanted more violence? Umm. It was tasteful. Sometimes the scenes can just be so overworked and can strip the humanity but I felt like this about building the love back into s/m. It was about the trust and love. So many ppl play at it and do abuse ppl out of conceit, lack of care, not enough study, being tourists, orr being just jerks like Layne in this book. I thought this illustrated the bad and the good, and just how much each side of a power relationship can affect the other and how something really beautiful can be when done by trully committed lovers. The characters are well fleshed out and I don't need a dissertation on horrid but on beauty when bdsm is right. It helps to have a great back story and not a porn w/o plot too so I really think this was a pretty excellent read for being free and quick. Easily read in an hour or two.
January 4, 2017
This book was amazing. I loved it so much. It had so many elements but they were so well done, I'm kind of amazed. If anything I would have loved more scenes between Jax and Brysen because hawt...
Okay there all these warnings about violence and yeah there are violent elements but most of them are referrals because they occurred in the past of the story-line, so it didn't get to me that much. What really gets to me is if such a scene is depicted in the present where we can get all the thoughts and feelings of the victim or if someone relives the particular scene but as such all instances of past violence in this book are mostly limited to references and there is that added element of drug-related amnesia, so this book can't really be classified as violent by me. There are violent overtones and undertones but nothing explicit.
I loved the amazing world-building by the authors, it was plausible and just so interesting. I would love more stories in this world.
The best part of this story is that it actually has a very nice plot, there are so many things happening and I loved how Jax and Brysen's relationship comes to flourish and be, which is kind of like the over-reaching arc of this book. But having said that I can't disregard the sub-plots because they made the story so much richer. It was so interesting that I finished the book in a single sitting and what would have been a single day if it hadn't been for midnight.
I loved Constable Anna Hiljin, I mean she was amazing and just as kick-ass as I wanted her to be. I mean even her condescension at the beginning of the story made sense to me, like she knew what was going on, like she could see the glitches in the system but nothing was going to make past her scrutiny. I loved all the side characters except the ones that were created to be hated and in that case I hated them with equal passion.
One of the best things of this book was that it didn't hesitate to go into the nitty-gritties of the matter. There is a point early on in the book when Jax, subtly with a great deal of subterfuge but surely, admits that the level of sadism he enjoys would probably be inconsistent with any masochist and he was unhappy that he couldn't find his perfect match and then their is his sense of resentment towards Nikhil because he couldn't be what he wanted even though he repeatedly applauds his decisions it somehow rang false in my ears. And I felt like that was it, like this was going to be taboo from now on but I loved how the authors kind of indirectly not only made him see the fallacy of his thinking but also made him deal with the fall-out. It was all so well done when quite a few authors would have shied away from exploring the weaknesses of their characters. I loved how both Jax and Brysen had their weakness but I also loved how they were made to deal with them.
If there was one thing I would have wanted more of in this book then I believe it would be, what I have already stated before, more Jax and Brysen because I hardly got to enjoy any sexy times between these two that weren't disturbed by upheavals. I guess for me it wasn't enough and I would love more on these two.
Highly Recommended, this book has almost everything and it has captured my imagination.
Okay there all these warnings about violence and yeah there are violent elements but most of them are referrals because they occurred in the past of the story-line, so it didn't get to me that much. What really gets to me is if such a scene is depicted in the present where we can get all the thoughts and feelings of the victim or if someone relives the particular scene but as such all instances of past violence in this book are mostly limited to references and there is that added element of drug-related amnesia, so this book can't really be classified as violent by me. There are violent overtones and undertones but nothing explicit.
I loved the amazing world-building by the authors, it was plausible and just so interesting. I would love more stories in this world.
The best part of this story is that it actually has a very nice plot, there are so many things happening and I loved how Jax and Brysen's relationship comes to flourish and be, which is kind of like the over-reaching arc of this book. But having said that I can't disregard the sub-plots because they made the story so much richer. It was so interesting that I finished the book in a single sitting and what would have been a single day if it hadn't been for midnight.
I loved Constable Anna Hiljin, I mean she was amazing and just as kick-ass as I wanted her to be. I mean even her condescension at the beginning of the story made sense to me, like she knew what was going on, like she could see the glitches in the system but nothing was going to make past her scrutiny. I loved all the side characters except the ones that were created to be hated and in that case I hated them with equal passion.
One of the best things of this book was that it didn't hesitate to go into the nitty-gritties of the matter. There is a point early on in the book when Jax, subtly with a great deal of subterfuge but surely, admits that the level of sadism he enjoys would probably be inconsistent with any masochist and he was unhappy that he couldn't find his perfect match and then their is his sense of resentment towards Nikhil because he couldn't be what he wanted even though he repeatedly applauds his decisions it somehow rang false in my ears. And I felt like that was it, like this was going to be taboo from now on but I loved how the authors kind of indirectly not only made him see the fallacy of his thinking but also made him deal with the fall-out. It was all so well done when quite a few authors would have shied away from exploring the weaknesses of their characters. I loved how both Jax and Brysen had their weakness but I also loved how they were made to deal with them.
If there was one thing I would have wanted more of in this book then I believe it would be, what I have already stated before, more Jax and Brysen because I hardly got to enjoy any sexy times between these two that weren't disturbed by upheavals. I guess for me it wasn't enough and I would love more on these two.
Highly Recommended, this book has almost everything and it has captured my imagination.
February 10, 2017
Interesting world where Dom/sub is part of mainstream society, collaring is regulated, to protect the subs. I liked Jax and Brysen. The ending is a HFN, maybe going to become a HEA.
Bought from kobo
Bought from kobo
January 4, 2017
A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review
First of all: Do take those warning seriously. This story does get pretty dark.
I absolutely loved “O/s”. The concept was interesting. BDSM relationships are not only perfectly acceptable in this universe, the government has even installed a system to provide couples with a safety net. Every sub wears a collar that flashes in warning, if their vitals do something unusual. The collar is the substitute for safe words here. The collar is monitored by the police, so if such a warning is ignored, they immediately take action. This system provides subs and Owners alike with a safe environment to play in. You can’t mess with the collar without it giving off an alert.
Jax is a professional subsitter. If an Owner has to leave their sub alone for whatever reason, they hire Jax to look after them during their absence. Jax provides the sub with whatever they need, even if a lot of things aren’t what he would usually prefer. But he’s a pro and he loves his job. I really liked seeing him work with all kinds of subs and Owners. He takes his job seriously and takes very good care of every sub in his charge.
Brysen is in a relationship with Layne. He loves Layne. He loves everything Layne does to him. And he absolutely deserves all the harsh punishments Layne deals out. He tries so hard to be perfect for Layne, but he keeps failing. Brysen’s struggle was breathtaking. Everything was such a giant mind fuck, I was never quite sure about Brysen’s real feelings.
Actually, the whole book was one giant mind fuck. And that’s what made “O/s” so brilliant in my eyes. You’re always wondering, doubting, questioning and yet you’ll never guess the truth. It’s all so very twisted and fucked up and I absolutely loved it for that very reason.
Brysen wasn’t a whiny, needy thing that needed an Owner to survive. Layne fucked him up good, but he’s a strong man. I really admired Brysen. And Jax was wonderful as well. He always takes care of everybody and strictly sticks to what the Owners tell him about their subs. But Brysen is different and I loved Jax for picking up on that and taking care of him, without being patronizing. He doesn’t have a superhero complex, he really struggled with what he was seeing in Brysen, what he knows about the system and what Layne told him about Brysen.
The BDSM is fairly hardcore. So if you have mixed feelings about BDSM, “O/s” probably isn’t the book for you. I loved how obviously different Jax and Layne were. While Layne never shows any tenderness toward Brysen, Jax is strict but loving. The difference was vast.
The authors created a perfect balance between plot and world building. The explanations about the system were perfectly interwoven with the plot and felt absolutely natural.
Long story short: If you like violence, mind fuck and dub-con in your books and you’re not opposed to a BDSM sci-fi setting, then this is the book for you. If, however, you’re a bit dubious about BDSM and prefer your MCs to have a bit of kinky fun, then you probably won’t like “O/s”.
Personally, I absolutely loved it. Definitely won’t be the last book by these two for me!
Cover: The cover by April Martinez is very simplistic. I quite like it, though. Definitely better than your average BDSM cover with a sub in chains or something. An eye-catcher.
First of all: Do take those warning seriously. This story does get pretty dark.
I absolutely loved “O/s”. The concept was interesting. BDSM relationships are not only perfectly acceptable in this universe, the government has even installed a system to provide couples with a safety net. Every sub wears a collar that flashes in warning, if their vitals do something unusual. The collar is the substitute for safe words here. The collar is monitored by the police, so if such a warning is ignored, they immediately take action. This system provides subs and Owners alike with a safe environment to play in. You can’t mess with the collar without it giving off an alert.
Jax is a professional subsitter. If an Owner has to leave their sub alone for whatever reason, they hire Jax to look after them during their absence. Jax provides the sub with whatever they need, even if a lot of things aren’t what he would usually prefer. But he’s a pro and he loves his job. I really liked seeing him work with all kinds of subs and Owners. He takes his job seriously and takes very good care of every sub in his charge.
Brysen is in a relationship with Layne. He loves Layne. He loves everything Layne does to him. And he absolutely deserves all the harsh punishments Layne deals out. He tries so hard to be perfect for Layne, but he keeps failing. Brysen’s struggle was breathtaking. Everything was such a giant mind fuck, I was never quite sure about Brysen’s real feelings.
Actually, the whole book was one giant mind fuck. And that’s what made “O/s” so brilliant in my eyes. You’re always wondering, doubting, questioning and yet you’ll never guess the truth. It’s all so very twisted and fucked up and I absolutely loved it for that very reason.
Brysen wasn’t a whiny, needy thing that needed an Owner to survive. Layne fucked him up good, but he’s a strong man. I really admired Brysen. And Jax was wonderful as well. He always takes care of everybody and strictly sticks to what the Owners tell him about their subs. But Brysen is different and I loved Jax for picking up on that and taking care of him, without being patronizing. He doesn’t have a superhero complex, he really struggled with what he was seeing in Brysen, what he knows about the system and what Layne told him about Brysen.
The BDSM is fairly hardcore. So if you have mixed feelings about BDSM, “O/s” probably isn’t the book for you. I loved how obviously different Jax and Layne were. While Layne never shows any tenderness toward Brysen, Jax is strict but loving. The difference was vast.
The authors created a perfect balance between plot and world building. The explanations about the system were perfectly interwoven with the plot and felt absolutely natural.
Long story short: If you like violence, mind fuck and dub-con in your books and you’re not opposed to a BDSM sci-fi setting, then this is the book for you. If, however, you’re a bit dubious about BDSM and prefer your MCs to have a bit of kinky fun, then you probably won’t like “O/s”.
Personally, I absolutely loved it. Definitely won’t be the last book by these two for me!
Cover: The cover by April Martinez is very simplistic. I quite like it, though. Definitely better than your average BDSM cover with a sub in chains or something. An eye-catcher.
October 21, 2016
I didn't much prefer the direction the story took.
Bottom line? Interesting world set up, distinct line between each point of view, exploration and an attempt to explain the need for pain and naturally, a happily ever after. If these are your thing, you will enjoy this much more than I did.
Bottom line? Interesting world set up, distinct line between each point of view, exploration and an attempt to explain the need for pain and naturally, a happily ever after. If these are your thing, you will enjoy this much more than I did.
January 18, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
I am a fan of Jane Davitt and Alexa Snow and this book definitely got my attention. First off, the set up here is really fascinating. It is set in a futuristic world on another planet with really interesting world building, especially with regard to owners and subs. There is a government-regulated system in place and O/s is a formalized process. Subs wear collars that denote their relationship status, as well as what type/degree of kink they are into. These collars also monitor the health and well being of subs, even being able to detect when their limits are reached and sending off warnings to authorities if those limits are ignored. So we know that sub safety is something that is carefully monitored, but at the same time, it is clear early on that something is going wrong with Brysen. Over the course of the first part of the book, we slowly begin to see the horrors of what is really happening. As a reader, we can tell from the start that something isn’t right, as Brysen relays stories of his relationship with Layne, and Jax sees Layne first hand. But it takes Jax longer to really understand this isn’t just a really hard core owner and intense sub. Jax’s instinct is to just follow Layne’s guidance, until it becomes clear that something is really wrong. So this part is admittedly tough to read at times, as we get some graphic detail on some of the horrors Brysen is subjected to. I don’t think it was gratuitous because we do need to understand what is happening, but I will admit it was often hard to get through and I wanted Jax’s realization to come faster. It was clear almost from the start there was a problem, so as I reader I was ready to move forward before the story quite got there.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
I am a fan of Jane Davitt and Alexa Snow and this book definitely got my attention. First off, the set up here is really fascinating. It is set in a futuristic world on another planet with really interesting world building, especially with regard to owners and subs. There is a government-regulated system in place and O/s is a formalized process. Subs wear collars that denote their relationship status, as well as what type/degree of kink they are into. These collars also monitor the health and well being of subs, even being able to detect when their limits are reached and sending off warnings to authorities if those limits are ignored. So we know that sub safety is something that is carefully monitored, but at the same time, it is clear early on that something is going wrong with Brysen. Over the course of the first part of the book, we slowly begin to see the horrors of what is really happening. As a reader, we can tell from the start that something isn’t right, as Brysen relays stories of his relationship with Layne, and Jax sees Layne first hand. But it takes Jax longer to really understand this isn’t just a really hard core owner and intense sub. Jax’s instinct is to just follow Layne’s guidance, until it becomes clear that something is really wrong. So this part is admittedly tough to read at times, as we get some graphic detail on some of the horrors Brysen is subjected to. I don’t think it was gratuitous because we do need to understand what is happening, but I will admit it was often hard to get through and I wanted Jax’s realization to come faster. It was clear almost from the start there was a problem, so as I reader I was ready to move forward before the story quite got there.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
November 24, 2016
Right: there are some very heavy/intense scenes of BDSM practices, so stay clear of this book if you can't (or won't) deal.
This is set in a future world where there are Owners and subs; and Jax has a job as a subsitter (lol - I laughed when I realised what he did for a living - aka Jax tends to and looks after the sub when the Owner has to go away leaving the sub at home). Jax then 'takes over' and acts as the 'Owner'. (Oh, yes - Jax is a very experienced, top of his class, sadistic Dom!)
Anyway, Jax is called in to look after Brysen while his Owner, Layne, goes off to a conference.
Suffice it to say that Jax develops feelings for Brysen, but Brysen is so OverTheTop devoted to Layne that Jax is worried. As the story unfolds, what we have is a psychopathic, sadist of a medical doctor who invents a drug to keep subs acquiescent and happy.
It is a nasty tale of deviant behaviour by those in power, and the suffering inflicted on the subs is beyond horrific. So yes, a NOT NICE story.
I was surprised that Brysen turned out to have the stronger character after everything that happens; Jax just seems to give up, thinking he's unworthy.
This is set in a future world where there are Owners and subs; and Jax has a job as a subsitter (lol - I laughed when I realised what he did for a living - aka Jax tends to and looks after the sub when the Owner has to go away leaving the sub at home). Jax then 'takes over' and acts as the 'Owner'. (Oh, yes - Jax is a very experienced, top of his class, sadistic Dom!)
Anyway, Jax is called in to look after Brysen while his Owner, Layne, goes off to a conference.
Suffice it to say that Jax develops feelings for Brysen, but Brysen is so OverTheTop devoted to Layne that Jax is worried. As the story unfolds, what we have is a psychopathic, sadist of a medical doctor who invents a drug to keep subs acquiescent and happy.
It is a nasty tale of deviant behaviour by those in power, and the suffering inflicted on the subs is beyond horrific. So yes, a NOT NICE story.
I was surprised that Brysen turned out to have the stronger character after everything that happens; Jax just seems to give up, thinking he's unworthy.
January 29, 2017
The blurb of this book drew me in – but I have to admit that I didn’t enjoy the story as much as I had hoped.
I’m not a fan of non-con, but with this book it worked because it did help to progress the story and helped to understand what Brysen had been though/was going through.
I just didn’t really feel the relationship between Jax and Brysen. It seemed more like the relationship between a rescuer and a rescuee instead of a budding relationship between two people.
With everything that Brysen had been through, and was still going through mentally, I just couldn’t really grasp his logic of everything. It seemed like he just moved on so quick that it didn’t make sense.
Jax was a difficult character as well – he held himself back when it came to dealing with the subs, but it also felt like he was holding back throughout the entire story.
Overall, it was an interesting read, but I just wasn’t able to get into the story as much as I had hoped.
Reviewed by Crystal Marie for Crystal's Many Reviewers
*Copy provided for review*
I’m not a fan of non-con, but with this book it worked because it did help to progress the story and helped to understand what Brysen had been though/was going through.
I just didn’t really feel the relationship between Jax and Brysen. It seemed more like the relationship between a rescuer and a rescuee instead of a budding relationship between two people.
With everything that Brysen had been through, and was still going through mentally, I just couldn’t really grasp his logic of everything. It seemed like he just moved on so quick that it didn’t make sense.
Jax was a difficult character as well – he held himself back when it came to dealing with the subs, but it also felt like he was holding back throughout the entire story.
Overall, it was an interesting read, but I just wasn’t able to get into the story as much as I had hoped.
Reviewed by Crystal Marie for Crystal's Many Reviewers
*Copy provided for review*
June 28, 2017
4/5
Don't walk into this book expecting whip and chains. They are there, but rarely in erotic nature. The book doesn't examine bdsm with the tails of the whip, nor the binding rope. Instead, it dive into the power exchange dynamic of the relationship, and the different between sadism and domination. However, it shine when it explored the definition of consent, and the guilt manifested from it when the line is blurred. It done a good job building the characters.
Unfortunately, the story ended when the relationship between the two just started. The end was unresolved, and I hope there will be a sequel to tied everything together.
Don't walk into this book expecting whip and chains. They are there, but rarely in erotic nature. The book doesn't examine bdsm with the tails of the whip, nor the binding rope. Instead, it dive into the power exchange dynamic of the relationship, and the different between sadism and domination. However, it shine when it explored the definition of consent, and the guilt manifested from it when the line is blurred. It done a good job building the characters.
Unfortunately, the story ended when the relationship between the two just started. The end was unresolved, and I hope there will be a sequel to tied everything together.
January 8, 2017
the universe and the first part of the story was pretty interesting, however the second part was boring and the characters weren't as promising as I hope they would become. it was a disappointing ending
August 15, 2016
kind of a hard slog - repetitious and over explanatory blah di blah blah - if you know what I mean. had to make myself pick it back up - rather than a "can't put it down" read
February 6, 2017
Good intentions, but it was a messy execution.
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