What do you think?
Rate this book
Under Contract
In a world where sex slavery has been legalized, sometimes being a part of the system makes things very complicated. Gavin's been a trainer at a slave brokerage company called Cascade for a very long time--ever since he earned his way out of his own slave contract. Now he's met someone he'd actually like to a new slave named Alex. Gavin's lover, Sam, is understanding and supportive--and very interested in bringing Alex home--but Gavin isn't sure it's such a good idea. He'd better think fast, though, because he's not the only one interested in Alex.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 7, 2010
11 people are currently reading
777 people want to read
About the author
Helen Saito
2 books23 followersHelen Saito is a fourth-generation Japanese-American writer. She lives with her husband and cat in one of Washington State's many beautiful forests.
When not writing, she enjoys a variety of crafts and geeky hobbies. She also has strong feelings about the value of the Creative Commons (her books are released under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA license), and is a member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Organization For Transformative Works.
When not writing, she enjoys a variety of crafts and geeky hobbies. She also has strong feelings about the value of the Creative Commons (her books are released under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA license), and is a member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Organization For Transformative Works.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
February 4, 2014
Kink lovers, Christmas has come early for you thanks to Helen Saito.
This book wasn't what I expected exactly, though I guess I should have after reading the reviews. It is not really a romance but rather the sexual journey of Alex, who desires to be owned by someone fully and completely. Though the plot also revolves around Gavin (Alex's slave trainer), his lover Sam and their chemistry with Alex, this doesn't become a three-way romance. Though not traditionally romantic, it is tender, sweet, kinky, and incredibly, incredibly hot.
I'll make a little kink checklist for you for your perusal. Click the spoiler tags if you want to know more about the following.
Does this book contain:
Anal sex?
Breath play?
Throat training?
Humiliation play?
Paddling/spanking?
M/m sex?
F/m sex?
Boot play?
Exhibitionism?
Water sports?
Double penetration?
Role playing?
Sex toys (plugs, dildos)?
Orgies?
The main couple with multiple other partners?
If you are still interested after clicking the spoiler tags, then come on in, the water is fine. I loved seeing Alex take to the slave treatment and really own it, own his desires. I also liked the strong connection between Sam and Gavin. However, I never felt like Alex really cared if Sam and Gavin got him or not- he was just happy to be owned by someone. If you don't try to read this as a romance, I think it is a very erotic and satisfying read.
December 4, 2012
Whoa! Hot, very hot--as in don't consume without toys or SO available.
Interesting variation on the theme of a slave world. Fun training episodes, an epiphany or two, and the lesson of premature assumptions is made crystal clear. Alex is a mature male entering the slave market voluntarily, Gavin is the trainer determined to weed out those unprepared, and Sam is waiting to express himself again. The alignment of these three with a couple of twists make need truth and truth reality.
Interesting variation on the theme of a slave world. Fun training episodes, an epiphany or two, and the lesson of premature assumptions is made crystal clear. Alex is a mature male entering the slave market voluntarily, Gavin is the trainer determined to weed out those unprepared, and Sam is waiting to express himself again. The alignment of these three with a couple of twists make need truth and truth reality.
November 17, 2015
I wanted to love this book. It has slavery, oodles of kink, a ménage all of which are all usually slam dunks for me, but my response was more apathetic than anything else. Any time a put a book down multiple times... it's not a good sign.
Gavin is a slave trainer in the AU setting. He’s also a former slave which makes him less than objective in his role and his projecting is my main gripe about Under Contract. He’s in an established relationship with Sam. They have varying kinks but they both enjoy doling out pain. Where they divide is owning another person and what that means.
Alex has realized he wants to be owned later in life (40s) and has come to Cascade to make his dream a reality. All slaves must go through a mandatory one month training and his trainer is Gavin.
Gavin pretty much falls in instalove with Alex and immediately starts coddling him despite what Alex actually wants which everyone from here to kingdom come can see is a disservice to Alex except Gavin.
I think Gavin could do with a career change. I am just saying.
The entirety of the book consists of moving from one kinky scene to another which is great and all except the kink isn’t satisfying, or it wasn’t to me, which leaves me with a book that’s not very substantiative and characters that aren’t fully realized.
Alex does beg very prettily though. The trouble is he begged anyone and everyone, so when the inevitable conclusion occurred it left me uncertain as to whether or not he ended up where he would thrive or if it even really mattered to him. I kept waiting for the emotional gut punch, for that one scene that would cement them in my mind as a match.
It never happened.
Gavin’s not being able to see the forest for the trees and associated stubbornness is well executed and I did enjoy the begging, but not enough for me to rate any higher.
Gavin is a slave trainer in the AU setting. He’s also a former slave which makes him less than objective in his role and his projecting is my main gripe about Under Contract. He’s in an established relationship with Sam. They have varying kinks but they both enjoy doling out pain. Where they divide is owning another person and what that means.
Alex has realized he wants to be owned later in life (40s) and has come to Cascade to make his dream a reality. All slaves must go through a mandatory one month training and his trainer is Gavin.
Gavin pretty much falls in instalove with Alex and immediately starts coddling him despite what Alex actually wants which everyone from here to kingdom come can see is a disservice to Alex except Gavin.
I think Gavin could do with a career change. I am just saying.
The entirety of the book consists of moving from one kinky scene to another which is great and all except the kink isn’t satisfying, or it wasn’t to me, which leaves me with a book that’s not very substantiative and characters that aren’t fully realized.
Alex does beg very prettily though. The trouble is he begged anyone and everyone, so when the inevitable conclusion occurred it left me uncertain as to whether or not he ended up where he would thrive or if it even really mattered to him. I kept waiting for the emotional gut punch, for that one scene that would cement them in my mind as a match.
It never happened.
Gavin’s not being able to see the forest for the trees and associated stubbornness is well executed and I did enjoy the begging, but not enough for me to rate any higher.
May 13, 2012
Another book I liked even more on re-read.
Teensy plot, mostly smexin'. Alex has always yearned to be a sex slave, and now he's committing to train as one: herein lies that training. Oral, boot worship, service, pain, anal . . . is that everything? Wait; menage, gang bangs, humiliation, exhibitionism . . . I think that's the lot.
Alex is a pain slut who just soaks it all up with joy and glee. That's the whole book. You know if this will appeal or not: there are no suprises.
Teensy plot, mostly smexin'. Alex has always yearned to be a sex slave, and now he's committing to train as one: herein lies that training. Oral, boot worship, service, pain, anal . . . is that everything? Wait; menage, gang bangs, humiliation, exhibitionism . . . I think that's the lot.
Alex is a pain slut who just soaks it all up with joy and glee. That's the whole book. You know if this will appeal or not: there are no suprises.
December 9, 2013
I don't read many books twice but this one is definitely worth another go at some stage, I really enjoyed it! Shame there isn't another one to follow.
July 29, 2016
4.5 stars
Under Contract centers around Alex who at 44 years old aches to serve as a pleasure slave. In this world slavery is legalized as a career path for those interested and in need of employment. After a training period they are auctioned to wealthy owners and enter service contracts for a specified time.
Alex is different in that he is older than most of the slaves and he doesn’t enter into the training out of necessity -- he already has a successful career -- he is searching for a means to feed a deep need to serve as a submissive. Alex finds an immediate connection to Gavin, his slave trainer at Cascade, a top-tier slave training company. Gavin is already in a committed relationship with Sam, a previous slave owner, and the two of them are quite taken with Alex. What I especially liked about Under Contract is that most of the main characters are over 40 years old and there is some dealing with that fact in a culture that values youth.
Most of the story takes place at the Cascade compound. Despite this, it doesn’t seem bogged down or static. This is because the characterizations of the main characters Alex, Gavin, Sam, Demetrius are so well drawn and compelling. There were times when the dialogue went on a bit longer than I wanted but the tension and interaction between these guys and how they feed off of Alex’s yearning and commitment to submission is dynamic enough. Such fun, so hot. I couldn’t take my eyes off the page and had to remember to come up for air. Alex’s training covers pretty heavy BDSM, humiliation, and serving anyone interested in having him. It is freeing to experience this world where neither homosexuality nor menage are questioned, they’re just not an issue. Underlying all this is a real sense of tenderness and caring between the various partners that adds to the sensuality. I enjoyed every bit of it. (also refreshing is the cover, not a naked torso to be found!)
Under Contract centers around Alex who at 44 years old aches to serve as a pleasure slave. In this world slavery is legalized as a career path for those interested and in need of employment. After a training period they are auctioned to wealthy owners and enter service contracts for a specified time.
Alex is different in that he is older than most of the slaves and he doesn’t enter into the training out of necessity -- he already has a successful career -- he is searching for a means to feed a deep need to serve as a submissive. Alex finds an immediate connection to Gavin, his slave trainer at Cascade, a top-tier slave training company. Gavin is already in a committed relationship with Sam, a previous slave owner, and the two of them are quite taken with Alex. What I especially liked about Under Contract is that most of the main characters are over 40 years old and there is some dealing with that fact in a culture that values youth.
Most of the story takes place at the Cascade compound. Despite this, it doesn’t seem bogged down or static. This is because the characterizations of the main characters Alex, Gavin, Sam, Demetrius are so well drawn and compelling. There were times when the dialogue went on a bit longer than I wanted but the tension and interaction between these guys and how they feed off of Alex’s yearning and commitment to submission is dynamic enough. Such fun, so hot. I couldn’t take my eyes off the page and had to remember to come up for air. Alex’s training covers pretty heavy BDSM, humiliation, and serving anyone interested in having him. It is freeing to experience this world where neither homosexuality nor menage are questioned, they’re just not an issue. Underlying all this is a real sense of tenderness and caring between the various partners that adds to the sensuality. I enjoyed every bit of it. (also refreshing is the cover, not a naked torso to be found!)
November 24, 2012
To begin with, let's say that this book is cheap: 2.90$ for 290 pages. And the author knows her English spelling and grammar (no mistake found).
I think a lot of people who are not sure they like the idea of slavery, even consensual, will love this book. But I did not like it.
There are several inconsistencies early in the story, so I was not really hooked.
• Gavin, the main character, is against slavery, but he works as a trainer of slaves for Cascade, a company that trains and sells slaves.
• It is said in the story that Alex (the second protagonist) is the first applicant slave that Gavin trains who really wants to become a slave. His previous slaves in training were young paupers who had not found other ways to get out of their misery than offering themselves as slaves to Cascade. However, Gavin, who is by his own admission against slavery, trained them all without moral issues. But when he meets Alex, he decides that he is the one he must rescue from slavery and protect him against the kinky owners who want to buy him.
• Gavin, who is revolted at the idea of slave owners who do not take into consideration the needs or desirse of the slave, takes no account of the firm and deliberate decision of Alex to become a slave. He seeks for 250 pages to discourage Alex from becoming a slave and he refrains from treating Alex as hard as he did previously with the other young slaves that he trained. Which, incidentally, makes the story very dull since the desire of Gavin to go easy with Alex prevents the story from developing interesting BDSM elements.
• Gavin treats Alex as if he were a child unable of making his own decisions, but Alex is 47 years old.
• When Gavin asks Alex at the beginning of the story how he feels about pain, Alex, who nevertheless met many times sadistic potential buyers before going to register with Cascade, said to be terrified of the pain and not know what he feels about it. And as soon as the first time Gavin strikes him, Alex is supremely excited by what Gavin does to him. How could a forty-seven-year-old guy not realize until then that the pain excited him? Mystery!
• Alex--who already knows very well Brian (slave owner) and Rhys (the slave of Brian) to have experienced BDSM scenes with them many times--feels compelled to give his name to Cascade to be able to live that same sort of BDSM things that Brian and Rhys offered him. Why is he not remained free and did he not continued his BDSM relationship with Brian and Rhys if it was sufficiently satisfactory that he wants Brian to buy him? Cascade was absolutely not necessary.
Anyway, the story drags on. There is only one real BDSM scene in the 240 pages of the book (because of Gavin desire to "protect" Alex and to go gently with him). The main part of the book is a little rough sex scenes. There are too many sex scenes for my taste. So if you are looking for BDSM, just read the last 50 pages, where Gavin finally smartened a bit and decided to show his true nature.
Even if the author knows the English grammar pretty well, it does not mean that she is a great author. There is no description of sensations in this novel: no smell, no tactile sensations, no taste. There are very few descriptions of feelings (emotion). We know that Gavin is in love with Alex only because the author shows how possessive he is and that he is nervous at public meetings between Alex and potential buyers.
It made me think to a novel that Sade wrote while he was in jail. Nothing in his novel described the sensations either, as Sade could not live what he imagined since he was in jail at that time. Here, the author--a lot less sadistic than Sade (by the way, Sade was a masochist too, his servant dominated him from time to time)--probably did not live much of what she describes as she is unable to attach all the feelings that go with it.
In summary, I forced myself to finish this book. But I skipped many pages describing sex scenes and I only browsed several other pages in which the author was only describing the guilty conscience of Gavin and his issues with the idea of owning a slave (he thinks to buy Alex ). Up to the 7/8 of the book, Gavin still asks Alex if he really wants to become a slave! He had asked him that same question a million times already and the answer was always an enthusiastic "YES!". So, I had enough of this mental torture and I read several pages diagonally. I was glad when I eventually got to the last page.
I give two stars because of the quality of writing (no mistake found) and because there is a few good pages (the last 50 pages), but this is the maximum that I can give to this novel.
I think a lot of people who are not sure they like the idea of slavery, even consensual, will love this book. But I did not like it.
There are several inconsistencies early in the story, so I was not really hooked.
• Gavin, the main character, is against slavery, but he works as a trainer of slaves for Cascade, a company that trains and sells slaves.
• It is said in the story that Alex (the second protagonist) is the first applicant slave that Gavin trains who really wants to become a slave. His previous slaves in training were young paupers who had not found other ways to get out of their misery than offering themselves as slaves to Cascade. However, Gavin, who is by his own admission against slavery, trained them all without moral issues. But when he meets Alex, he decides that he is the one he must rescue from slavery and protect him against the kinky owners who want to buy him.
• Gavin, who is revolted at the idea of slave owners who do not take into consideration the needs or desirse of the slave, takes no account of the firm and deliberate decision of Alex to become a slave. He seeks for 250 pages to discourage Alex from becoming a slave and he refrains from treating Alex as hard as he did previously with the other young slaves that he trained. Which, incidentally, makes the story very dull since the desire of Gavin to go easy with Alex prevents the story from developing interesting BDSM elements.
• Gavin treats Alex as if he were a child unable of making his own decisions, but Alex is 47 years old.
• When Gavin asks Alex at the beginning of the story how he feels about pain, Alex, who nevertheless met many times sadistic potential buyers before going to register with Cascade, said to be terrified of the pain and not know what he feels about it. And as soon as the first time Gavin strikes him, Alex is supremely excited by what Gavin does to him. How could a forty-seven-year-old guy not realize until then that the pain excited him? Mystery!
• Alex--who already knows very well Brian (slave owner) and Rhys (the slave of Brian) to have experienced BDSM scenes with them many times--feels compelled to give his name to Cascade to be able to live that same sort of BDSM things that Brian and Rhys offered him. Why is he not remained free and did he not continued his BDSM relationship with Brian and Rhys if it was sufficiently satisfactory that he wants Brian to buy him? Cascade was absolutely not necessary.
Anyway, the story drags on. There is only one real BDSM scene in the 240 pages of the book (because of Gavin desire to "protect" Alex and to go gently with him). The main part of the book is a little rough sex scenes. There are too many sex scenes for my taste. So if you are looking for BDSM, just read the last 50 pages, where Gavin finally smartened a bit and decided to show his true nature.
Even if the author knows the English grammar pretty well, it does not mean that she is a great author. There is no description of sensations in this novel: no smell, no tactile sensations, no taste. There are very few descriptions of feelings (emotion). We know that Gavin is in love with Alex only because the author shows how possessive he is and that he is nervous at public meetings between Alex and potential buyers.
It made me think to a novel that Sade wrote while he was in jail. Nothing in his novel described the sensations either, as Sade could not live what he imagined since he was in jail at that time. Here, the author--a lot less sadistic than Sade (by the way, Sade was a masochist too, his servant dominated him from time to time)--probably did not live much of what she describes as she is unable to attach all the feelings that go with it.
In summary, I forced myself to finish this book. But I skipped many pages describing sex scenes and I only browsed several other pages in which the author was only describing the guilty conscience of Gavin and his issues with the idea of owning a slave (he thinks to buy Alex ). Up to the 7/8 of the book, Gavin still asks Alex if he really wants to become a slave! He had asked him that same question a million times already and the answer was always an enthusiastic "YES!". So, I had enough of this mental torture and I read several pages diagonally. I was glad when I eventually got to the last page.
I give two stars because of the quality of writing (no mistake found) and because there is a few good pages (the last 50 pages), but this is the maximum that I can give to this novel.
October 12, 2013
Sometimes when you leave a book on your TBR for a long time when it comes up on the rotation (for me that usually means via a challenge of some sort) I often am still reluctant to read it. I worry it won't be as good as I think it will - or time and space has dulled my initial enthusiasm. Whatever the case this one was different than I expected but it met my expectations. Hows that for confusing?
The blurb describes it well so no rehash here. I found this one totally ruled by its characters. If I had to use a word to describe Alex it would be More . More sex, more rough, more pain, more - more-more. He is steel underneath - his is the strength. Gavin, as his trainer, spends much of his time not so sure. Not so sure of what he wants, what Alex needs, and unsure of how this whole thing is going to work out. He actually irritated me quite frequently. Sam, Gavin's partner, I really wanted more exploration of. Demetri says something to him during a lunch (no spoilers) and I was right there with him wondering the same thing. It is an unanswered question and the reason for the loss of a star. I felt it needed to be answered by more than just Sam and Gavin's love - I didn't believe it. How's that for cryptic?
I also (if I'm truthful) wanted more exploration of the other slave training facilities. Here at Cascade it was so insular. I felt like it was a very separate part of the world. It made the society at large feel sheltered and a lot less harsh and realistic than I expect it truly is. Sort of like Hogwart's where it might be magical inside but outside you just know there are creepy things in black ready to suck out your soul.
So glad I finally read it (3+ years on the TBR) and pretty happy with it. Much sweeter than I normally read when reading any sort of slave fiction - so those who get scared off by my normal reading list should give this a try. It is an excellent exploration of BDSM in a controlled environment - with some great scenes.
The blurb describes it well so no rehash here. I found this one totally ruled by its characters. If I had to use a word to describe Alex it would be More . More sex, more rough, more pain, more - more-more. He is steel underneath - his is the strength. Gavin, as his trainer, spends much of his time not so sure. Not so sure of what he wants, what Alex needs, and unsure of how this whole thing is going to work out. He actually irritated me quite frequently. Sam, Gavin's partner, I really wanted more exploration of. Demetri says something to him during a lunch (no spoilers) and I was right there with him wondering the same thing. It is an unanswered question and the reason for the loss of a star. I felt it needed to be answered by more than just Sam and Gavin's love - I didn't believe it. How's that for cryptic?
I also (if I'm truthful) wanted more exploration of the other slave training facilities. Here at Cascade it was so insular. I felt like it was a very separate part of the world. It made the society at large feel sheltered and a lot less harsh and realistic than I expect it truly is. Sort of like Hogwart's where it might be magical inside but outside you just know there are creepy things in black ready to suck out your soul.
So glad I finally read it (3+ years on the TBR) and pretty happy with it. Much sweeter than I normally read when reading any sort of slave fiction - so those who get scared off by my normal reading list should give this a try. It is an excellent exploration of BDSM in a controlled environment - with some great scenes.
September 12, 2012
Wow. I know that's not really a review, but still, Wow. I loved, loved, loved this book. I was totally captivated right from the start. It appeared to be going in a direction I wouldn't have liked at first, but I was worried for nothing. This is an amazing, hot, squirm worthy look at Alex, a man who wants to be a slave, Gavin, his trainer and Sam, Gavin's partner. There were amazing supporting characters and my only hope is that they will get their own books. A definite must read if BDSM/Slavery is at all appealing to you. Yum!
July 13, 2012
Review posted at The Armchair Reader.
I've been hearing about this book for over a year now, and I've had it and planned to read it almost as long as that. I'm glad that I finally got around to it. It's is definitely heavy on the sex and BDSM but as long as you're good with that, this is really a pretty great story.
Under Contract revolves around several characters at Cascade, a slave brokerage in a futuristic society where sexual slavery is legal, though still controlled. If you consent to a contract, then you have no grounds and no rights while that contract is in effect. There is no safeword. It is a serious business, and not one to enter into lightly. That is the overall intent of Cascade, who trains both Doms and subs for contracts with potential buyers. They offer more safety than most, giving those auctioned off distress code words to be immediately pulled out of a situation. Still, the decision to give away your rights for a period of time is a heavy one, one that bothers Gavin quite a bit.
Gavin, a past slave and Dom, is a trainer at Cascade given charge of Alex, a 40 something sub and contractor whose life of needing more than just rough sex has brought him to Cascade. He's what they call a thrill seeker -- someone who is looking to enter into a contract for the experience itself and not because their other choices in life are worse, or they need the money from the service. They usually wash out when they see how serious it is, which saddens Gavin when he gets his first look at Alex. Soon, though, he sees Alex taking more and more and still begging for more and realizes that Alex, despite his older age for a slave, is going to get snatched up -- which is where his surprise protectiveness comes in. Gavin's partner Sam, also a Dom and past slave owner starts to see a change in his partner and tries to help Gavin work out the conflicting morality of his position, and his growing feelings for Alex.
I expected this story to be much darker than it was, perhaps because of the illusion to the dubiousness of the slavery in the blurb and Gavin's conflicting feelings about being a possible slave owner. What I didn't expect is that the hangups are really only Gavin's, and not Alex's at all. In fact, Gavin frequently coddles Alex during his training to soothe his own guilt, something that Alex doesn't want or need. Alex knows what he wants, has known since the beginning even while everyone kept telling him how serious this is and wanting to make sure he understood what he was getting into. To Alex, getting training at Cascade and their help with the contract are a huge plus, because he was already playing around with the rules on his own with slave owners, only without that added security.
The really interesting character here is Sam, Gavin's lover. While only periodically showing up in the first half of the book, he becomes a major player later on. The only real problem I had with the story dealt with this. While I understood and appreciated Sam's character and his devotion to Gavin, it was Gavin himself who I had a hard time figuring out. It's made pretty clear once he starts having feelings for Alex that he wants him permanently, at home with him and Sam. Still, he can't ever conceive of actually owning a person because of his past as a slave himself. It is alluded to that he was in some desperate situations and bad contracts when he had been a slave, but we never see these. His, well frankly emo behavior a lot of the time, sulky and not always doing what is best for Alex, seemed like wallowing when we don't know more about his past. Because the story is so focused around the interactions at the club, there's hardly any history at all, apart from the bare essentials of how the different slaves and owners know each other (and they're all very intertwined relationships). I found this to be a pretty significant oversight in my opinion. While this is a great story, and there is definitely the beginning of a romance being formed between the three (with other possible owners moving in and out of the story), they never really got the point where I could call this a romance. There are feelings, yes. If their characters had been explored just a little bit more on the page, then I think it could have reached that point, and in so doing filled out a bit of that missing element in their relationship.
The sex in this book is hot and relentless. Probably 95% of the book is sex, and we get the whole story through it. It is well written and incredibly steamy. I was a bit surprised to see that while this is classified as a SciFi or Futuristic world, that there's hardly any detail. That's true, the focus of the story is on the characters and only a very tiny bit of detail (mostly the technology) and only in the near future. It seems like I remember this being part of a series about the club, and I hope it is, especially if we get more of these specific characters. Their story doesn't feel finished to me; this is much more like Part 1, for them, of a longer story, and I would definitely like to see how they progress. Perhaps an argument could be made, if that is the case, that there was a reason for leaving out some of that detail that irked me. If so, I'm very much looking forward to reading it!
Perhaps a note, in the end: I like master/slave stories. I think that what puts off a lot of readers from reading them is the dubious area surrounding slavery. Here that isn't a problem, so don't let that stop you from reading this book. However, some readers will definitely not like reading such a book with so much sex, and I can see that. Thankfully I don't mind :) I'd compare the level of BDSM sex and story through sex to the CB Conwy book, A Russian Bear.
I've been hearing about this book for over a year now, and I've had it and planned to read it almost as long as that. I'm glad that I finally got around to it. It's is definitely heavy on the sex and BDSM but as long as you're good with that, this is really a pretty great story.
Under Contract revolves around several characters at Cascade, a slave brokerage in a futuristic society where sexual slavery is legal, though still controlled. If you consent to a contract, then you have no grounds and no rights while that contract is in effect. There is no safeword. It is a serious business, and not one to enter into lightly. That is the overall intent of Cascade, who trains both Doms and subs for contracts with potential buyers. They offer more safety than most, giving those auctioned off distress code words to be immediately pulled out of a situation. Still, the decision to give away your rights for a period of time is a heavy one, one that bothers Gavin quite a bit.
Gavin, a past slave and Dom, is a trainer at Cascade given charge of Alex, a 40 something sub and contractor whose life of needing more than just rough sex has brought him to Cascade. He's what they call a thrill seeker -- someone who is looking to enter into a contract for the experience itself and not because their other choices in life are worse, or they need the money from the service. They usually wash out when they see how serious it is, which saddens Gavin when he gets his first look at Alex. Soon, though, he sees Alex taking more and more and still begging for more and realizes that Alex, despite his older age for a slave, is going to get snatched up -- which is where his surprise protectiveness comes in. Gavin's partner Sam, also a Dom and past slave owner starts to see a change in his partner and tries to help Gavin work out the conflicting morality of his position, and his growing feelings for Alex.
I expected this story to be much darker than it was, perhaps because of the illusion to the dubiousness of the slavery in the blurb and Gavin's conflicting feelings about being a possible slave owner. What I didn't expect is that the hangups are really only Gavin's, and not Alex's at all. In fact, Gavin frequently coddles Alex during his training to soothe his own guilt, something that Alex doesn't want or need. Alex knows what he wants, has known since the beginning even while everyone kept telling him how serious this is and wanting to make sure he understood what he was getting into. To Alex, getting training at Cascade and their help with the contract are a huge plus, because he was already playing around with the rules on his own with slave owners, only without that added security.
The really interesting character here is Sam, Gavin's lover. While only periodically showing up in the first half of the book, he becomes a major player later on. The only real problem I had with the story dealt with this. While I understood and appreciated Sam's character and his devotion to Gavin, it was Gavin himself who I had a hard time figuring out. It's made pretty clear once he starts having feelings for Alex that he wants him permanently, at home with him and Sam. Still, he can't ever conceive of actually owning a person because of his past as a slave himself. It is alluded to that he was in some desperate situations and bad contracts when he had been a slave, but we never see these. His, well frankly emo behavior a lot of the time, sulky and not always doing what is best for Alex, seemed like wallowing when we don't know more about his past. Because the story is so focused around the interactions at the club, there's hardly any history at all, apart from the bare essentials of how the different slaves and owners know each other (and they're all very intertwined relationships). I found this to be a pretty significant oversight in my opinion. While this is a great story, and there is definitely the beginning of a romance being formed between the three (with other possible owners moving in and out of the story), they never really got the point where I could call this a romance. There are feelings, yes. If their characters had been explored just a little bit more on the page, then I think it could have reached that point, and in so doing filled out a bit of that missing element in their relationship.
The sex in this book is hot and relentless. Probably 95% of the book is sex, and we get the whole story through it. It is well written and incredibly steamy. I was a bit surprised to see that while this is classified as a SciFi or Futuristic world, that there's hardly any detail. That's true, the focus of the story is on the characters and only a very tiny bit of detail (mostly the technology) and only in the near future. It seems like I remember this being part of a series about the club, and I hope it is, especially if we get more of these specific characters. Their story doesn't feel finished to me; this is much more like Part 1, for them, of a longer story, and I would definitely like to see how they progress. Perhaps an argument could be made, if that is the case, that there was a reason for leaving out some of that detail that irked me. If so, I'm very much looking forward to reading it!
Perhaps a note, in the end: I like master/slave stories. I think that what puts off a lot of readers from reading them is the dubious area surrounding slavery. Here that isn't a problem, so don't let that stop you from reading this book. However, some readers will definitely not like reading such a book with so much sex, and I can see that. Thankfully I don't mind :) I'd compare the level of BDSM sex and story through sex to the CB Conwy book, A Russian Bear.
January 28, 2014
Slavery is legal, Boot Play, DP and Dildos...Oh My!
Oh and let's not forget the Thursday Lunches, I would love to be able to attend one of those!
This book was picked for me for a challenge in the MM romance group. I will not lie, when I seen this book choice I pretty much cringed at it. That pesky fantasy tag had me avoiding it for a long time. It even took me 25 days to start it because I still wasn't sure I wanted to read it. lol
I am so freaking glad I pushed past that tag and went for it!
Alex is trying to find out where he fits. He's over 40 and spent the past 25 years trying to figure it out. He enters into Cascades slave training program. Once the program gets underway, despite what his trainer is tossing at him and the other 'people' associated with cascade he knows he's finally figured it out.
The sex was off the charts hot and definitely not lacking. Even with as much sexin' as there was it never felt blah or repetitive...it was all very inventive. This book could have been a 5 star read for me but Mistress Isis kinda ruined that for me.
If you are worried about the 'Fantasy' tag don't be....it really only has you in a world were owning slaves in legal and they call tablet/ipads DataPads. :) It wasn't as crazy as I made it out to be in my head!
Oh and let's not forget the Thursday Lunches, I would love to be able to attend one of those!
This book was picked for me for a challenge in the MM romance group. I will not lie, when I seen this book choice I pretty much cringed at it. That pesky fantasy tag had me avoiding it for a long time. It even took me 25 days to start it because I still wasn't sure I wanted to read it. lol
I am so freaking glad I pushed past that tag and went for it!
Alex is trying to find out where he fits. He's over 40 and spent the past 25 years trying to figure it out. He enters into Cascades slave training program. Once the program gets underway, despite what his trainer is tossing at him and the other 'people' associated with cascade he knows he's finally figured it out.
The sex was off the charts hot and definitely not lacking. Even with as much sexin' as there was it never felt blah or repetitive...it was all very inventive. This book could have been a 5 star read for me but Mistress Isis kinda ruined that for me.
If you are worried about the 'Fantasy' tag don't be....it really only has you in a world were owning slaves in legal and they call tablet/ipads DataPads. :) It wasn't as crazy as I made it out to be in my head!
March 31, 2012
Gavin is an ex-slave who works as a trainer for a company that trains and then auctions sexual slaves. most slaves sign up to fulfill contracts of various lenghths out of a financial necessity. This is not the case for Alex, who is looking for slave ownership to provide what he feels is missing in his life. The story takes place over Alex's one month training period where he and Gavin attempt to find his limits and prepare him for potential owners. There are quite a few interesting characters introduced, like Demitre and Noah, but the story mostly focusses on Gavin's struggle with wanting Alex for himself and his lover, Sam, but his reluctance and views on slave ownership put up a good fight. There are also a few side stories touched upon that I enjoyed as much, if not more than the main plot, such as Demitre and Noah. It ends rather abruptly, and I would have enjoyed an epilogue showing how things turned out after the auction, or perhaps even a sequel.
September 21, 2012
4.5 stars A fascinating world where slaves can be bought by kinky owners. The slaves must sign a contract for a given period of time and cannot break it unless their owners are abusive. Alex is a hard core submissive looking for an owner who will meet his needs for pain and being used. He begins training with Gavin for a month before he will be up for auction. The sex scenes are sizzling hot and make up a large part of the book, but relationships are worked out during them, so they move the story forward as well.
The story does evolve into menage with Gavin's partner Sam suggesting they might want to bid on Alex themselves - which Gavin is VERY opposed to because of past experiences as a slave himself. There are many secondary characters that give depth to the story. The ending was a little soft for me, but I was pleased with how it all turned out. Excellent writing and story.
The story does evolve into menage with Gavin's partner Sam suggesting they might want to bid on Alex themselves - which Gavin is VERY opposed to because of past experiences as a slave himself. There are many secondary characters that give depth to the story. The ending was a little soft for me, but I was pleased with how it all turned out. Excellent writing and story.
September 8, 2012
It just got better and better! Holy shit!
January 8, 2014
The story offers an interesting premise of a world where sex slavery has been legalized.
Alex, a pain slut who gets off on being submissive, wants a job as a sex slave.
Since he earned his way out of his own slave contract Gavin is a trainer at a slave brokerage company called Cascade. His job is to train Alex but not to fall for him. Gavin’s partner Sam seems to understand and encourages Gavin's affections. He's very interested in bringing Alex home to both of them…
The book revolves around heavy bdsm, serving, pain, humiliation, menage, gang bangs, exhibitionism, edge play... but is not as dark as expected. The reader gets inside the characters heads, and is along for the ride with them. The Sex scenes are sizzling hot and make up a large part of the book. I don’t want too give away to much but I was surprised how much I liked the story. The end is a bit abrupt though and a glimpse into Alex, Sam and Gavin’s future would have been nice.
February 1, 2016
★★★★★ ~ 5 Stars
A bit out of my comfort zone but so, so good, I was sad to finish it. Kind of like Alex knew what he wanted all along. Sam and Gavin had a very interesting couple dynamic. 2014 is starting out with some really good reads - first 5-star of the year.
I'll add more when I've mulled this one over more.
A bit out of my comfort zone but so, so good, I was sad to finish it. Kind of like Alex knew what he wanted all along. Sam and Gavin had a very interesting couple dynamic. 2014 is starting out with some really good reads - first 5-star of the year.
I'll add more when I've mulled this one over more.
April 10, 2014
Mumbles..I vote for a contract re-negotiation on this travel-brochure cover.
April 23, 2014
Generally, I liked this well written and edited story by Helen Saito, but...
I liked most of the characters...with some reservations. I also had some reservations about the story's plot, for example...
- Gavin, who has been a slave for many years and had lucrative contracts in that time but it states he did it for financial need, but now dislikes slavery and owning a slave. So it didn't sit too well that he is now an experienced trainer of such slaves, and ends up with Alex to train in a slave capacity, but waters get muddied in the training as he appears to want him for sexual attraction and his emotional response towards Alex. To start with, where he is trying to protect Alex it was obvious this was wrong for Alex.
- Alex, a mature man, in his forties, not going into sexual slavery contracts for financial need but to meet his own sexual needs. Yet surely to go into slavery is to serve your owner and give to the owner what they have bought you for and not for own selfish needs. So this didn't sit well with me, also as Gavin and Sam want Alex for sexual attraction and emotional needs and as such are prepared to pay and out bid all others...Alex, though he was attracted to Gavin and Sam, was more interested in himself and technically I think would have been happy placed with anyone who could meet his extreme needs rather than his meeting his owners.
- Sam, I liked, he loves and cares for Gavin, and prepared to give him his hearts desire, subject to checking out the who, what and wherefore of Alex first with regards to deciding if he can make a place in his relationship and home with Gavin for Alex. He is giving, but at the same time knows his preferences and has the ability and finances to facilitate and meet needs of all three of them.
-The bidding system, I would think would be open to criticism as the amounts bid and bidders are kept secret. This means suspicion of being out manoeuvred could and probably would raise its head.
Two things weren't covered, yet hinted at...Noah's story or especially his past with Sam. Also, Demetrie said something to Sam, again the reader feels as if they have missed out on something. Hints were given about Alex' time sexually in the past with Brian Patrick and also his sidekick Rhys...allusion to their harshness, maybe cruelty is made. This was Alex in a voluntary relationship to meet his extreme sexual needs...and as he didn't need the money that slaves usually went for, why does he need to be a slave and that a contract as such insinuated that with Brian and Rhys would be threat and extreme, when prior sessions weren't a problem.
Okay the descriptive sex scenes were the saving grace of this story especially the dp scene.
The scenes were definitely 4* but inconsistencies of plot and characters to the plot have me give overall 3*
I liked most of the characters...with some reservations. I also had some reservations about the story's plot, for example...
- Gavin, who has been a slave for many years and had lucrative contracts in that time but it states he did it for financial need, but now dislikes slavery and owning a slave. So it didn't sit too well that he is now an experienced trainer of such slaves, and ends up with Alex to train in a slave capacity, but waters get muddied in the training as he appears to want him for sexual attraction and his emotional response towards Alex. To start with, where he is trying to protect Alex it was obvious this was wrong for Alex.
- Alex, a mature man, in his forties, not going into sexual slavery contracts for financial need but to meet his own sexual needs. Yet surely to go into slavery is to serve your owner and give to the owner what they have bought you for and not for own selfish needs. So this didn't sit well with me, also as Gavin and Sam want Alex for sexual attraction and emotional needs and as such are prepared to pay and out bid all others...Alex, though he was attracted to Gavin and Sam, was more interested in himself and technically I think would have been happy placed with anyone who could meet his extreme needs rather than his meeting his owners.
- Sam, I liked, he loves and cares for Gavin, and prepared to give him his hearts desire, subject to checking out the who, what and wherefore of Alex first with regards to deciding if he can make a place in his relationship and home with Gavin for Alex. He is giving, but at the same time knows his preferences and has the ability and finances to facilitate and meet needs of all three of them.
-The bidding system, I would think would be open to criticism as the amounts bid and bidders are kept secret. This means suspicion of being out manoeuvred could and probably would raise its head.
Two things weren't covered, yet hinted at...Noah's story or especially his past with Sam. Also, Demetrie said something to Sam, again the reader feels as if they have missed out on something. Hints were given about Alex' time sexually in the past with Brian Patrick and also his sidekick Rhys...allusion to their harshness, maybe cruelty is made. This was Alex in a voluntary relationship to meet his extreme sexual needs...and as he didn't need the money that slaves usually went for, why does he need to be a slave and that a contract as such insinuated that with Brian and Rhys would be threat and extreme, when prior sessions weren't a problem.
Okay the descriptive sex scenes were the saving grace of this story especially the dp scene.
The scenes were definitely 4* but inconsistencies of plot and characters to the plot have me give overall 3*
December 4, 2016
Wow, just wow!
If you love BDSM and lots of kinky, rough sex with a lot of toys - this book is definitely for you!!! :)
It was like a journey through a gallery of beautifully painted scenes. Alex, who craves to be a contracted sex slave, signs up for a monthly training at Cascade slave agency to be sold out at the end of this period to the highest bidder. In the meantime he gets to work with Gavin - a former slave and now one of the more, let's say, "demanding" trainers in the agency. And that's where the scenes begin! Gavin gets Alex through everything he can face after being sold .
They go through a lot of BDSM training and scenes with potential buyers. They include:
Through the course of the monthly training Gavin comes to be very fond of Alex and it gets in the way with his professionalism and his job. He sometimes takes it out on his lover and partner, Sam, who submits beautifully to Gavin's violent, possessive moods, but who's also a dominant player. He gets interested in Alex on the way as he sees a big change in his partner. You see, after having been a slave for a good few years himself, Gavin is loath to own a human being - even if this particular human being really wants to be owned and used! And Alex somehow manages to get under Gavin's skin and fast!
Gavin has Sam try out if he and Alex fit together. And so we can see some more hot scenes...
Long story short? Alex gets through to the auction at the end of his training and the bids get in! ;)
To sum up, I gave Under Contract 4 stars out of 5 because, as long as the sex and training scenes were hot as hell, it lacked a bit more of feels, of emotional connection between Alex and his potential buyers... . The chemistry between Gavin and Sam and then Gavin and Alex was great but... maybe I'm just not so much into 3somes (which I'm not, normally)? Anyway, it didn't bother me so much and I finished the book without any doubts or qualms about it :)
So, if you're into hot, dirty sex and multiple partners don't bother you (oh, and you just looove cute slaves - like I do!!!) , just go for it! You won't regret it :)
If you love BDSM and lots of kinky, rough sex with a lot of toys - this book is definitely for you!!! :)
It was like a journey through a gallery of beautifully painted scenes. Alex, who craves to be a contracted sex slave, signs up for a monthly training at Cascade slave agency to be sold out at the end of this period to the highest bidder. In the meantime he gets to work with Gavin - a former slave and now one of the more, let's say, "demanding" trainers in the agency. And that's where the scenes begin! Gavin gets Alex through everything he can face after being sold .
They go through a lot of BDSM training and scenes with potential buyers. They include:
Through the course of the monthly training Gavin comes to be very fond of Alex and it gets in the way with his professionalism and his job. He sometimes takes it out on his lover and partner, Sam, who submits beautifully to Gavin's violent, possessive moods, but who's also a dominant player. He gets interested in Alex on the way as he sees a big change in his partner. You see, after having been a slave for a good few years himself, Gavin is loath to own a human being - even if this particular human being really wants to be owned and used! And Alex somehow manages to get under Gavin's skin and fast!
Gavin has Sam try out if he and Alex fit together. And so we can see some more hot scenes...
Long story short? Alex gets through to the auction at the end of his training and the bids get in! ;)
To sum up, I gave Under Contract 4 stars out of 5 because, as long as the sex and training scenes were hot as hell, it lacked a bit more of feels, of emotional connection between Alex and his potential buyers... . The chemistry between Gavin and Sam and then Gavin and Alex was great but... maybe I'm just not so much into 3somes (which I'm not, normally)? Anyway, it didn't bother me so much and I finished the book without any doubts or qualms about it :)
So, if you're into hot, dirty sex and multiple partners don't bother you (oh, and you just looove cute slaves - like I do!!!) , just go for it! You won't regret it :)
March 24, 2012
In this world, sexual slavery is a legal business and appears to be one way poverty is dealt with in their society. Gavin is a trainer that used to be a slave, and finds himself very conflicted in his views when his new trainee for the next month appeals to him at all levels. Alex is mid-forties and came to the business because he feels like he's been missing something that he needs, rather than because he is starving and needs the money. As they work together, Gavin and his partner, Sam, have to decide if Alex will fit into their lives without Gavin's ethics being bent or if Gavin needs to concentrate on training Alex for one of the many other owners interested on bidding on him in the silent auction at the end of the training month.
I really enjoyed all the characters (and the sex scenes were HOT!). For all of Alex's malleableness, he still knew his own mind and when he wasn't getting what he needed. Gavin's conflictedness was interesting to read about and Sam was a great balancing character. I also enjoyed several of the secondary characters and wish there were more written about some of them.
I really enjoyed all the characters (and the sex scenes were HOT!). For all of Alex's malleableness, he still knew his own mind and when he wasn't getting what he needed. Gavin's conflictedness was interesting to read about and Sam was a great balancing character. I also enjoyed several of the secondary characters and wish there were more written about some of them.
March 16, 2013
OMG did I misjudge this one... I've been putting off reading it for a while now, not sure if it was my kinda thing. Well was I wrong or what!
I never expected a story that was about slavery; brutal, hard and full of pain to be so loving, gentle and caring at the same time. It truly is a study of contrasts. There's a contrast between the pain that's being handed out, yet with a loving, caring and considerate heart. The contrast between hating what slavery means, and yet coming to terms with wanting to own your own slave.
Beautifully written characters weave an intriguing tapestry throughout this book. And please, some of these men need their own stories told as well.
Very firmly ensconced on my favourites shelf!
I never expected a story that was about slavery; brutal, hard and full of pain to be so loving, gentle and caring at the same time. It truly is a study of contrasts. There's a contrast between the pain that's being handed out, yet with a loving, caring and considerate heart. The contrast between hating what slavery means, and yet coming to terms with wanting to own your own slave.
Beautifully written characters weave an intriguing tapestry throughout this book. And please, some of these men need their own stories told as well.
Very firmly ensconced on my favourites shelf!
December 6, 2012
The story was pretty good. Nice world building, and good characterization. I did feel that it would have been better if I had seen how this society the author created worked as a whole. We only saw glimpses of it because the story took place only at Cascade and Gavin's home. I also found inconsistencies with some characters, but sometimes I tend to over-analyze the characters' psychology.
Since most of the things I complained about have to do more with personal peeves than the book itself, I'll give it 4 stars.
Since most of the things I complained about have to do more with personal peeves than the book itself, I'll give it 4 stars.
September 8, 2012
Ahhh, just what I was in the mood for. Excellent characterization, subtle but effective world-building, this story is a psychological study of human slavery. Each character represents a different viewpoint faithfully. Their interactions and feelings for each other provide the conflict that moves the story along at a good pace. Never boring, but not because of unnecessary drama or complications. I hate when authors try to lengthen a story by adding superflous stuff.
My only niggle is that, based on Gavin's life experience, how could he be any good at his job? I still can't puzzle that one out. As another reviewer wrote, I'd love to see a prequel that covers the period of time between Gavin's start in slavery and the beginning of this book. A sequel would also be very welcome, to find out how our guys are faring some time into the future.
Ms. Saito, what do you say? Could you make it a trilogy? You have a ready-made audience waiting for it. Pretty please?
This story has "traditional" BDSM (nothing extreme), and some pretty hot, intense, rough sex scenes. If you're okay with that, then enjoy!
My only niggle is that, based on Gavin's life experience, how could he be any good at his job? I still can't puzzle that one out. As another reviewer wrote, I'd love to see a prequel that covers the period of time between Gavin's start in slavery and the beginning of this book. A sequel would also be very welcome, to find out how our guys are faring some time into the future.
Ms. Saito, what do you say? Could you make it a trilogy? You have a ready-made audience waiting for it. Pretty please?
This story has "traditional" BDSM (nothing extreme), and some pretty hot, intense, rough sex scenes. If you're okay with that, then enjoy!
March 22, 2013
OK, where to start...tip number one, don't read this book sitting in the bleachers surrounded by people. I squirmed so much I'm sure everyone thought I had a problem, yet I couldn't stop reading. So I just hugged my kindle tighter, tried to sit still, and devoured every single word. If I could have, I would've read this book straight through.
The book centers around Alex, a man being trained to become a sex slave, and Gavin, his trainer. Because of Gavin's past experience as a slave himself, he has never wanted to own his own slave. Gavin is faced with training Alex for someone else or putting aside his own feelings and bidding on Alex at an auction. Herein lies the dilemma.
Under Cover is front to back hot BDSM man lovin'...no exaggeration, it was cover to cover hot, sweaty, pain and sex. You would think it would get old, right? No way. The thing is that there was a story told with the sex. In some ways, to me, it was a coming of age story even though the MC's were in their forties. I was completely entranced by with Gavin, Alex, and Sam (Gavin's partner) as they all struggled to communicate effectively their own needs while trying to meet other's needs as well.
I'm honestly surprised by the amount of love I have for this book, but love it I do.
The book centers around Alex, a man being trained to become a sex slave, and Gavin, his trainer. Because of Gavin's past experience as a slave himself, he has never wanted to own his own slave. Gavin is faced with training Alex for someone else or putting aside his own feelings and bidding on Alex at an auction. Herein lies the dilemma.
Under Cover is front to back hot BDSM man lovin'...no exaggeration, it was cover to cover hot, sweaty, pain and sex. You would think it would get old, right? No way. The thing is that there was a story told with the sex. In some ways, to me, it was a coming of age story even though the MC's were in their forties. I was completely entranced by with Gavin, Alex, and Sam (Gavin's partner) as they all struggled to communicate effectively their own needs while trying to meet other's needs as well.
I'm honestly surprised by the amount of love I have for this book, but love it I do.
March 11, 2012
How to say a few things without spoiling? Hmmm...I won't do it. I'll let Virginia(Ginny's) do it for me with her excellent review. :D I don't think her review is too spoilery, check it out if out if you really want to know. Personally, I had to slow down drastically about the halfway mark because although the sex is hot, rough (all consensual) and intense, there is tons of it and I needed a break here and there.
September 15, 2012
HOLY CRAP!
I really don't know what more to add to that statement. This book is mind-bending smut at its hardcore whip-yielding, boot licking, butt-smacking finest. You can read the other reviews to get an idea of the plot so I am not gonna go there - but I will say this one surprised me in how enthralling it was.
It is very well done.
I really don't know what more to add to that statement. This book is mind-bending smut at its hardcore whip-yielding, boot licking, butt-smacking finest. You can read the other reviews to get an idea of the plot so I am not gonna go there - but I will say this one surprised me in how enthralling it was.
It is very well done.
May 2, 2012
I'd read Under Contract before, in another format, but it's one of those stories that's well worth the (many) reread(s). Mainly because Saito stands in very, very slim company among pro writers writing about kink and kinky relationships and because what she gives is very much what I'd like, no love, to see more of in the genre.
The sad truth is that, in any genre, most of the stories are going to be of a piece. Certain tropes are very popular, what's popular sells and there's a significant audience that delights in reading the same stories over and over. And while I can't say I'm entirely immune to that—I have my own cherished tropes that I'll read ad nauseum—I still want those stories that will take it to the next level.
Most BDSM stories are at a BDSM 101: BDSM for Dummies level. Regardless of the genders of the participants, it's often a wide eyed naïf discovering for the first time that there's more than vanilla sex to be had out there and the story is lensed through their viewpoint, introducing the audience to world of kink at the same time as the protagonist. And, if it's your first BDSM story, that's great. That's exactly what you want. But after having read many, many iterations of that same story, I, at least, want to get to what comes next. The stories where it's not their first time. The stories about the people who've been scening for years, that aren't just kids sight-seeing for the first time, the ones who know what they're doing and what they want.
(And honestly, you can take those criteria and apply them to polyamorous relationships, too, because that's just as lacking)
Under Contract delivers that advanced level of both kink and polyamory and does so with a practiced, nuanced, and knowledgeable hand, without exposition dumps that feel like they came from Wikipedia.
Under Contract takes place in a nebulous future where indentured servitude—slavery—has been reinstituted and Cascade, the setting for the story, is a place where people indenturing themselves go through training before being auctioned off. Gavin, a former slave, is a trainer at Cascade and Alex is his new trainee, a "thrill-seeker"; someone who isn't indenturing themselves out of financial need. Gavin's long-term lover, Sam, is a member at Cascade, but gave up buying slaves when he and Gavin got together, because Gavin has Issues. Though Gavin has a low-opinion of thrill-seekers, there's immediate chemistry with him and Alex, who’s a natural and eager submissive looking for something bigger and deeper than the relationships and hook-ups he's had so far. In the course of the story, we also meet several other characters that Gavin, Sam or Alex have had relations or relationships with.
So, the first thing that sets Saito's book apart from her would-be peers is that, although Alex is new to Cascade and not technically knowledgeable, all the characters involved are fully adult (I don't think anyone's younger than 30) and experienced. They already know they like this, that they want this as part of their lives, and there's no brow clutching or shame about it. That, in and of itself, is SO REFRESHING.
The poly aspects of the story are handled with similar casualness. All the characters have connections to each other, history with each other and some of that history is current, as they scene together or offer to scene together in the future. And, though there are some moments of jealousy or tension, none of it—including the feelings—are presented as out of the ordinary, wrong or worth shame. I love it!
Another problem I have with a lot of books—and this doesn't even start or stop with BDSM-centered stories—is that too many authors a) don't understand consent and b) don't think of consent as sexy. If it's included at all, it's a hurdle, a sign-in-triplicate formality that has to be gotten out of the way before the "real" business of sex can happen, instead of an integrated and integral part of sex itself. There is nothing that delights me more than finding authors who understand consent, firstly and secondly, contextualize it properly and Saito manages these, as well, and beautifully.
In terms of the non kink/poly elements of the story… Saito's prose is straight-forward and functionally descriptive, with a good sense of spatial orientation—which is specially critical in scenes that have multiple participants. The characters are exceptionally well drawn and inhabited, with their own wants, agendas, personalities and Saito draws the relationships between them with the same loving hand, giving them the worn-in feel of people who've known each other for years. The characters are not just chronological adults, either; they act like adults, which…man, there's just not nearly enough of that, a sad statement in and of itself.
The entire story takes place pretty much in the closed environment of Cascade, so it's hard to talk about how the overall world stands up to scrutiny, but within the microcosm of Cascade, the world building feels real and textural. The story conflicts, such as they are, feel real and for emotionally important stakes; this being a reread, I remembered how it would all turn out, but I remember how tense I was the first time I read it and some of that still carried through, even with the confidence of a satisfying ending.
I loved this story and I'm sure I'll come back to it again and again. I'm really hoping that Saito will be moved to write more and that other authors will start to take a page from her playbook, because if more books were like this one, I'd be a much happier reader.
The sad truth is that, in any genre, most of the stories are going to be of a piece. Certain tropes are very popular, what's popular sells and there's a significant audience that delights in reading the same stories over and over. And while I can't say I'm entirely immune to that—I have my own cherished tropes that I'll read ad nauseum—I still want those stories that will take it to the next level.
Most BDSM stories are at a BDSM 101: BDSM for Dummies level. Regardless of the genders of the participants, it's often a wide eyed naïf discovering for the first time that there's more than vanilla sex to be had out there and the story is lensed through their viewpoint, introducing the audience to world of kink at the same time as the protagonist. And, if it's your first BDSM story, that's great. That's exactly what you want. But after having read many, many iterations of that same story, I, at least, want to get to what comes next. The stories where it's not their first time. The stories about the people who've been scening for years, that aren't just kids sight-seeing for the first time, the ones who know what they're doing and what they want.
(And honestly, you can take those criteria and apply them to polyamorous relationships, too, because that's just as lacking)
Under Contract delivers that advanced level of both kink and polyamory and does so with a practiced, nuanced, and knowledgeable hand, without exposition dumps that feel like they came from Wikipedia.
Under Contract takes place in a nebulous future where indentured servitude—slavery—has been reinstituted and Cascade, the setting for the story, is a place where people indenturing themselves go through training before being auctioned off. Gavin, a former slave, is a trainer at Cascade and Alex is his new trainee, a "thrill-seeker"; someone who isn't indenturing themselves out of financial need. Gavin's long-term lover, Sam, is a member at Cascade, but gave up buying slaves when he and Gavin got together, because Gavin has Issues. Though Gavin has a low-opinion of thrill-seekers, there's immediate chemistry with him and Alex, who’s a natural and eager submissive looking for something bigger and deeper than the relationships and hook-ups he's had so far. In the course of the story, we also meet several other characters that Gavin, Sam or Alex have had relations or relationships with.
So, the first thing that sets Saito's book apart from her would-be peers is that, although Alex is new to Cascade and not technically knowledgeable, all the characters involved are fully adult (I don't think anyone's younger than 30) and experienced. They already know they like this, that they want this as part of their lives, and there's no brow clutching or shame about it. That, in and of itself, is SO REFRESHING.
The poly aspects of the story are handled with similar casualness. All the characters have connections to each other, history with each other and some of that history is current, as they scene together or offer to scene together in the future. And, though there are some moments of jealousy or tension, none of it—including the feelings—are presented as out of the ordinary, wrong or worth shame. I love it!
Another problem I have with a lot of books—and this doesn't even start or stop with BDSM-centered stories—is that too many authors a) don't understand consent and b) don't think of consent as sexy. If it's included at all, it's a hurdle, a sign-in-triplicate formality that has to be gotten out of the way before the "real" business of sex can happen, instead of an integrated and integral part of sex itself. There is nothing that delights me more than finding authors who understand consent, firstly and secondly, contextualize it properly and Saito manages these, as well, and beautifully.
In terms of the non kink/poly elements of the story… Saito's prose is straight-forward and functionally descriptive, with a good sense of spatial orientation—which is specially critical in scenes that have multiple participants. The characters are exceptionally well drawn and inhabited, with their own wants, agendas, personalities and Saito draws the relationships between them with the same loving hand, giving them the worn-in feel of people who've known each other for years. The characters are not just chronological adults, either; they act like adults, which…man, there's just not nearly enough of that, a sad statement in and of itself.
The entire story takes place pretty much in the closed environment of Cascade, so it's hard to talk about how the overall world stands up to scrutiny, but within the microcosm of Cascade, the world building feels real and textural. The story conflicts, such as they are, feel real and for emotionally important stakes; this being a reread, I remembered how it would all turn out, but I remember how tense I was the first time I read it and some of that still carried through, even with the confidence of a satisfying ending.
I loved this story and I'm sure I'll come back to it again and again. I'm really hoping that Saito will be moved to write more and that other authors will start to take a page from her playbook, because if more books were like this one, I'd be a much happier reader.
April 23, 2014
The story is set in a world where sexual slavery is legal and protected by binding business contracts. Consenting adults are trained at an academy of sorts then they are auctioned, again with their consent, to a buyer. Slave and owner enter into a contract for a certain number of months. While the owner has a lot of leeway in what can be done sexually, he/she can't break bones, cause extreme pain and so on. There's a way for slaves to get to safety if it gets to that level. That's the background and it sounds intriguing, but the story didn't live up to the possibilities.
This book has m/m, m/m/m, and some m/m/m/m. This book is just one big sex-a-thon between Alex, the handsome, eager new pupil at the academy who is quite a bit older than the other students, and Gavin, his handsome alpha male 1:1 trainer, as well as Gavin's partner, Sam; plus other trainers. The smexy scenes are pretty boring. I don't have a problem with it being rough, but the scenes were written in a very boring way without any description of the setting, feelings of the characters. It was basically what Gavin did then what Alex did then what Gavin did and then what Alex did. Very few adjectives are used. Sentences are pretty "he did this", "he said this" type. Give us some sensory descriptions to really fix an image in our minds. The author should SHOW instead of TELL.
I didn't really get a sense of who Alex was. He's a man in his mid-40s, who is a submissive. He's extremely eager to please. Basically a golden retriever in the form of a man. He enjoys humiliation and a fairly high degree of pain. Gavin is an alpha male, but we don't get much in the way of his backstory other than he hates the idea of sexual slavery even though most of the women and men who agree to become slaves crave it. The one slave (Alex) who actually wants badly to become a slave unlike all the other slaves Gavin has trained is the slave Gavin wants to "save" from slavery. That didn't make any sense at all. The other slaves Gavin trained entered the academy to get out of poverty. They probably would have appreciated it if he bought their contract, but no instead he saves Alex from slavery when Alex actually wanted that lifestyle. There is bdsm, but it's pretty standard. Nothing too extreme for which I was grateful. There's no blood play or anything involving pee or poop. There's no plot either.
This book has m/m, m/m/m, and some m/m/m/m. This book is just one big sex-a-thon between Alex, the handsome, eager new pupil at the academy who is quite a bit older than the other students, and Gavin, his handsome alpha male 1:1 trainer, as well as Gavin's partner, Sam; plus other trainers. The smexy scenes are pretty boring. I don't have a problem with it being rough, but the scenes were written in a very boring way without any description of the setting, feelings of the characters. It was basically what Gavin did then what Alex did then what Gavin did and then what Alex did. Very few adjectives are used. Sentences are pretty "he did this", "he said this" type. Give us some sensory descriptions to really fix an image in our minds. The author should SHOW instead of TELL.
I didn't really get a sense of who Alex was. He's a man in his mid-40s, who is a submissive. He's extremely eager to please. Basically a golden retriever in the form of a man. He enjoys humiliation and a fairly high degree of pain. Gavin is an alpha male, but we don't get much in the way of his backstory other than he hates the idea of sexual slavery even though most of the women and men who agree to become slaves crave it. The one slave (Alex) who actually wants badly to become a slave unlike all the other slaves Gavin has trained is the slave Gavin wants to "save" from slavery. That didn't make any sense at all. The other slaves Gavin trained entered the academy to get out of poverty. They probably would have appreciated it if he bought their contract, but no instead he saves Alex from slavery when Alex actually wanted that lifestyle. There is bdsm, but it's pretty standard. Nothing too extreme for which I was grateful. There's no blood play or anything involving pee or poop. There's no plot either.
October 29, 2014
*4.5* and I don’t give stars out willy nilly
Wow this was a great erotic read
This book was a huge step above so many of its contemporaries.
It’s the story of a guy Alex who puts himself up for training and sale as a slave. His trainer is Gavin and the story revolves around the 4 weeks of training coming up to the auction.
I think the quality of this story is what some authors are aiming for when they choose to write a book of the same subject but they all seem to have fallen so short when compared to this quality of writing, pacing of the story and consistency of characters. It does what so many erotic/romance writers fail to do – just the basics, but then gives so much more on top.
The world of slaves and those who own them, have been them and want to be them is made really interesting.
The book is full of sex, hard sex, and especially pain, but as it is exactly what Alex is chasing it fits as you want him to find what he’s looking for.
When people go easy on him you can understand his disappointment. And it challenges the usual – rescue, wrap them up and keep them safe tone of much of the D/s BDSM books of late. When he is treated that way he is actually being cheated out of what he’s seeking and I found it really interesting to read because it really went against how I personally would feel, but Alex is old enough and wise enough to take this big risk in his life – to chase his dreams and you come to want Gavin to give him everything he’s capable of
I think it was done so well.
It’s a great long, satisfying read, I could barely put it down (a little sleep deprived because of it). Certainly not a gulp down and discard book.
I’m keeping this and re-reading.
Off to track down more of this authors works!
Wow this was a great erotic read
This book was a huge step above so many of its contemporaries.
It’s the story of a guy Alex who puts himself up for training and sale as a slave. His trainer is Gavin and the story revolves around the 4 weeks of training coming up to the auction.
I think the quality of this story is what some authors are aiming for when they choose to write a book of the same subject but they all seem to have fallen so short when compared to this quality of writing, pacing of the story and consistency of characters. It does what so many erotic/romance writers fail to do – just the basics, but then gives so much more on top.
The world of slaves and those who own them, have been them and want to be them is made really interesting.
The book is full of sex, hard sex, and especially pain, but as it is exactly what Alex is chasing it fits as you want him to find what he’s looking for.
When people go easy on him you can understand his disappointment. And it challenges the usual – rescue, wrap them up and keep them safe tone of much of the D/s BDSM books of late. When he is treated that way he is actually being cheated out of what he’s seeking and I found it really interesting to read because it really went against how I personally would feel, but Alex is old enough and wise enough to take this big risk in his life – to chase his dreams and you come to want Gavin to give him everything he’s capable of
I think it was done so well.
It’s a great long, satisfying read, I could barely put it down (a little sleep deprived because of it). Certainly not a gulp down and discard book.
I’m keeping this and re-reading.
Off to track down more of this authors works!
July 13, 2025
Re-read- July 13, 2025
Some of my favorite books that I read over a decade ago are still my favorites today. However, this is not one of them. Today I would give this book 3.5 stars. I still liked it, but I thought it was long and repetitive.
Original Review- October 16, 2011
I loved this book and would like to read more by this author. How about a prequel (or two) and a sequel? This book had so many interesting characters who each have their own story to tell. (Please give me a book about Jackson! And a book about Demetri!)
This is the story of Gavin, a former slave, his partner Sam, a former slave owner, and Alex, a man in his 40's who is not satisfied with any of his previous relationships and wants 'more'. Alex wants to be a slave. He wants to be owned by another. He wants to be hurt. He knows what he wants and is entering into this lifestyle with his eyes wide open. If you like BDSM stories, then I recommend this book.
Some of my favorite books that I read over a decade ago are still my favorites today. However, this is not one of them. Today I would give this book 3.5 stars. I still liked it, but I thought it was long and repetitive.
Original Review- October 16, 2011
I loved this book and would like to read more by this author. How about a prequel (or two) and a sequel? This book had so many interesting characters who each have their own story to tell. (Please give me a book about Jackson! And a book about Demetri!)
This is the story of Gavin, a former slave, his partner Sam, a former slave owner, and Alex, a man in his 40's who is not satisfied with any of his previous relationships and wants 'more'. Alex wants to be a slave. He wants to be owned by another. He wants to be hurt. He knows what he wants and is entering into this lifestyle with his eyes wide open. If you like BDSM stories, then I recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews