BDSM Contemporary Diablo Blanco Club; Previous Under Control
What’s a Dom to do when the submissive he wants runs from the feelings between them? From the moment he met Lyssa Lawrence, Mike knew what he felt was love -- not lust. Convincing her has been an uphill battle even after the two steamy hours they’d shared at the Diablo Blanco Club four years earlier.
Lyssa Lawrence wished the man who claimed to love her wasn’t so damned appealing. Twelve years of denying the pull of her submissive nature almost went up in smoke four years ago, but she’d gathered the nerve to tell him 'no' when he asked for more. She’d have stayed away for good if her biological clock hadn’t hiccupped, threatening her dreams of motherhood.
In the same way she’d strategized her success in fashion design, Lyssa worked out a plan to get the baby she wanted. The Diablo Blanco Club’s annual Midnight Masquerade would provide a number of potential donors to choose from. What she hadn’t bargained on was Mike’s interference through an arcane Club rule.
When Mike invoked Rite of First Claim, Lyssa finally became his. Now, he had one month to prove that the role of his submissive was one she was born to play.
Publisher's This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find BDSM theme and elements.
I tried this book because I was looking for an author with first name starting with "Q" for my authors's name challenge. I really tried but I couldn't get into the story.
It seems that the heroes started their story in the first book, so if you are OCD don't start the series with this book. Unfortunately, I didn't car enough for the heroes to start the series from book 1.
This book is amazing from start to finish. The book is a sensual and exciting book from the start. It shows how BDSM can be exciting, scary, and addictive and everything you could want in a partnership with your master. The connection between Lyssa and Mike show that though you are unsure in your relationship regardless of where it is heading that trust must be a crucial part. This book shows how a submissive and a master can generate a loving, dominating and everlasting relationship between two people. This book is one of few BDSM books that I have read that shows the real side of BDSM. I would without a doubt recommend this book to anyone new to the scene or someone who has been in the scene for a while. It excited me beyond my wildest imagination and you can be sure that this author is one that is now on my favourites list. Reviewed by Noushie 5 Divas
Qwilla Rain knows her D/s relationships! I have nothing but praise for this novel. One thing I always look for when the subject of a story line includes elements of dominance and submission or of BDSM activities...does the author bring knowledge to the story. Do they understand what they are writing about? Ms Rain, my compliments, you know your stuff!
Lyssa Lawerence grew up in a hard environment. Mental abuse is a tricky thing to deal with and Lyssa's way of dealing with it is to seal her heart off from everyone but her sister. Fiercely independent and seeking no one's control, Lyssa is a tough lady. She's a determined lady, with a single goal for her life in her sights. Lyssa's also a lady with a need, a dark and demanding need that she barely acknowledges, and definitely does not understand. A need only one man can bring under control.
Mike Halsey is that man. He has wanted to be Lyssa's Dom since the day he met her. Unfortunately, Mike made a mistake years before. He put his secret career before his woman; a decision he has regretted every day for the last four years. Since then Lyssa has kept him at arm's distance, and is on the verge of shoving him completely from her life.
Mike can't afford to let her do that. She is his. He has staked his Master's claim on her, publicly in the club his family runs, and he has 30 days, by Rite of First Claim - an archaic rule established by Mike's pirate ancestor - to convince her she needs a Master's guidance, protection and love.
Lyssa carries a dark secret with her. A secret she has kept from Mike for fours years. A secret that threatens to destroy the very foundation of trust in their Master/submissive relationship. Superb characterizations. Snappy, realistic dialogue in a Lifestyle setting that shows the tender and loving natures of dominant males. Well done, Ms Rain, well done. Reviewed by Dreamy One 5 Divas
Lyssa is a 40 year old curvy successful business owner. Raised as the oldest of two girls in an abusive household, she learned the hard way, she is not worthy of love from anyone except her sister. A one night visit to a local club with her sister resulted in the best two hours of her life. Mike, one of the brothers that owned the club laid claim to her in the broom closet, then stood her up on their first date. Twelve weeks later she had a miscarriage, Reconfirming, she is not worthy of love.
Mike, a 36 year old professional photographer with a secret side, is part of the family that founded the Diablo Blanco Club. He knew when Lyssa walked into the club, she was his. His search was over. The two hours he spent with her, drawing the natural submissive out of her, proved she was the other half of his soul. He was going to be her Master forever. The night of their first date, he got called and had to leave. His photography was a cover for his secret agent life. Mike never knew what happened twelve weeks later.
Fast forward a couple of years, Lyssa is determined to have a baby of her own. She returns to the club to seek out a donor. Little does she know that Mike is back in town. He puts a "First of claim rite" on her for 30 days. He has 30 days to convince her that he is her true Master, and to keep her safe. She knows he will not want her when he finds out the secret she has carried all this time. Danger follows him and puts her in harm's way. Will he be able to keep her safe? Will it make her run again? Many walls are in between them, it is the toughest maze Mike has ever had to work through.
I loved this book, once I started it, I could not put it down. Well written and colorful characters make it a good BDSM romance. I highly recommend this book.Reviewed by Sub-page 5 Divas
If you string the sex scenes of this book together, you get the beginnings of a decent story about a dominant helping a skittish and difficult submissive to break down her barriers. Even though the two characters spend a little too much time worrying about their own neuroses to make the D/s aspects really successful, there's a good arousal factor and a very basic intro to kink. There's even a brief discussion of D/s theory for the truly uninitiated.
Then there's the other 90% of the book, which goes something like this: Lyssa: "I'm so unlovable. You're going to leave me." Mike: "You're mine for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not." repeat ad nausea
Lyssa is a 40-year-old fashion designer to the stars. Her biological clock is sounding a death knell for her fertility, so she's decided to do the logical thing - sabotage a bunch of condoms and head to a BDSM club. The problem is that the club is the family business of her ex, Mike. They had a brief fling 4 years ago, until his job called him away and made him cancel one - count 'em, one - date. She's hated him fiercely ever since.
The author wasn't sure if Mike should be a jet-setting celebrity fashion photographer, a hardened combat photojournalist, or a covert operative, so he's all of the above. His assignments might involve taking pictures of wedding dresses, or it might mean heading off to central Africa to break up a white slavery ring ('cause, you know, human trafficking is only horrific when the victims have low melanin levels, or something...but I digress). He had to go deal with a terrorist/gun runner/drug supplier four years ago, and deeply regrets the mistake he made in choosing his career over Lyssa. What's a little thing like global security compared to appeasing a duplicitous, conniving, immature Bucket o' Crazy at home? He doesn't intend to let her go again, and he's going to prove his love by claiming her against her will, using an obscure rule of his family BDSM club
The Rite of First Claim means that Mike, by virtue of a previous sexual relationship, can make Lyssa his property for 30 days. This rule supersedes all others, including, apparently, laws about consensual sex. He's going to use that time to create such an intense sexual relationship between them that the Bucket o' Crazy realizes that she trusts the jealous, possessive, controlling über-Alpha male. Oh, and if that doesn't work, he'll simply knock her up and force her to marry him against her will. It's a good thing that even though she publicly hates him, deep down she knows that he's the love of her life.
The dynamic between these two gets tired faster than you can say "restraining order" and the best thing one can say about the relationship is that the rest of the human race is safe from their attentions. There are many more things to say about this book, but since they're pretty much just elaborations on the dialog-loop above, I'll end it here. Reviewed by Sonja Vanadis 1 Diva
Oh if only there was a Diablo Blanco Club near me! "Rite of First Claim" by Quillia Rain tells the story of Lyssa Lawrence a 40 year old dress designer who longs to be a mother, but due to years of failed relationships and an abusive childhood feels she is not worthy of the love of a man. Determined to live her life without dependence on a male and still have the child she desires, Lyssa sets out to recruit an unknowing sperm donor help her conceive at the annual Midnight Masquerade. She only has a few years left to conceive, according to her doctor, so she's gonna make this ovulation count. Everything is in place and things are going as planned until her brother-in-law, Mike Halsey shows up and invokes Rite of First Claim.
Mike has been in love with Lyssa since he first met her twelve years ago through his brother's then girlfriend, Lyssa's sister. He has done everything he can think of to get close to her, including asking her to pose nude for his camera. Finally, four years ago at the club, Mike got his chance to show Lyssa exactly how much he desires her. After having Lyssa under his dominance for several hours, they emerge from a storage closet and he is certain he finally has gotten through to her. He may be six yearsyounger than her, he can still command her submission, mind and body. He is supposed to arrive at the restaurant for their first date,Mike is called away on important business, leaving Lyssa alone and feeling rejected all over again. If only he'd made it to dinner, he could have learned the joyous news that he was going to be a father, or would have been, if Lyssa hadn't miscarried.
Flash back to present day, and Lyssa is not about to give in to Mike's dominant nature, no matter how much her body desires to. Mike's invoking Rite of First Claim provides Lyssa the perfect opportunity. By submitting to him for the next 30 days, they can both work their mutual sexual fixations out of their systems and maybe she'll get the baby she wants. Mike will never have to know about her plan and he'll certainly never find out about the daughter she lost before. Surely once he spends more time with her, he'll realize she's not even worth loving, right?
Lyssa isn't the only one hiding something. Mike has been leading a double life for years now and though he longs to tell his family, he must keep the secret to maintain their safety. But how will he tell Lyssa of the other woman in his life? The one he would die to protect and will never let go? And will Lyssa be able to accept another woman's place in Mike's life?
The writing and character development in this book are both very good. I appreciate how Mike and Lyssa each are multi-layered and have their own issues to deal with throughout the book. Lyssa especially deals with issues of self-esteem and self-worth while Mike exhibits very real feelings of being threatened by other males' attention to her (including her best friends, a gay male couple) as well as insecurities about how to make sure this time with Lyssa, his last chance to make her his, will be successful.
The intimate scenes throughout Right of First Claim are all very sexy indeed. Rain does an excellent job of incorporating the physical and mental aspects of sex and BDSM without being over the top. And yah....it was a fun read. ;) Four Divas and a Flame for Quillia Rain's "Right of First Claim"! Reviewed by Kitty 4 Divas
Where have I been that I missed this great BDSM series? Going back now to catch up on all of them! Sinfully hot. Wickedly fun. Perfectly addicting.
Wow! I am new to the Diablo Blanco Club series, but not for long. After devouring the latest installment, RITE OF FIRST CLAIM, I am off to download the two I've missed. For others new to the series, I can assure you starting at book three turned out just fine. I wasn't lost at all. Just totally captivated and now totally hooked into Qwillia Rain's world.
Qwillia Rain has created an entertaining world and filled it with plenty of action, adventure, and creative hot sex, but at the core of the magic in this tale is a hero and heroine, and their struggle to work through all that has kept them apart for the past twelve years. Secrets abound, childhood trauma rears its ugly head, and two equally pig-headed protagonists fight for control. When they say "walls will come tumbling down", think something along the lines of a landslide. A whole mess of muck and mortar accumulated over 12 years.
Lyssa and Mike have made so many mistakes in the past I get why Lyssa thinks it's time to throw in the towel. Lyssa has learned that she has early onset menopause and she sets out to start a family before it is too late. A visit to Diablo Blanco Club on a night reserved for unattached Doms to meet unattached subs should be the perfect opportunity for her to find an unwitting sperm donor. One night is all she needs. No commitment, just his sperm. What's the harm?
When Mike is alerted by members of her presence at the club, he comes to claim her for himself. It's been a long wait and he's ready to finally have what is his. Lyssa is attracted to Mike and therefore he doesn't fit into her plans for the evening. When she tries to push him away, he calls a club rule into effect to keep other members from approaching. Because they have had sex in the club before, he is allowed to enact the Rite of First Claim, giving him one month to establish a relationship before other club Doms can approach her.
Lyssa ultimately relents, believing this will finally prove to Mike that they need to go separate ways and free her to continue with her plans for a family and a future.
Well, those thirty days prove that Mike has truly earned the title of Master Dominant, that's for sure. I had to turn down the AC whenever the two looked at each other. But it was the internal dialogue that played against their romance and lust that kept me truly spellbound.
I constantly maintain it is always about the characters. Qwillia Rain knows how to craft interesting, complex and relatable characters that I can't wait to learn more about. The story flew by, along with the Disney bus I was supposed to get on to meet up with my family. Entranced and swept away, it was a magical kingdom all its own. Enjoy!
I’ll admit at first I didn’t like Lyssa. Anyone going out there to get pregnant, regardless of who the father would be, kind of makes my skin crawl. She was, basically, out to find a sperm donor because she longed for a child. It didn’t matter who it was, and I struggled to come to terms with the fact that there are women out there who have done, and do this. But, I do like books that deal with reality, so I continued reading, hoping that she wouldn’t snare some unsuspecting man who would have no idea he’d sired a child.
While I pushed myself not to dislike her in the beginning, Lyssa grew on me. I was surprised at that. Despite what she’d set out to do, she was a woman with feelings, desires that she wanted met, and rather than see her as a dastardly woman, I put myself in her shoes. What if I wanted a child as badly as she? Who is to know whether I would do the same thing as her? Yes, I was out of my comfort zone, but I experienced something with Rite of First Claim—I was forced to think, to imagine myself as Lyssa. Along with wanting a baby, Lyssa has held a candle for Mike for a long time. Every year he sends her an invitation to the club, and she has refused to attend a few times. Now, she’s there, and although she knows how she feels for him, I don’t think she was quite prepared for how she’d feel when she saw him again. All the old feelings come slamming back.
Mike is a strong man with a soft heart. He’s loved Lyssa since the first time he met her, and only sent out the invites each year in hopes he would see her again.
This is a strange story about a very conflicted woman who wants to be in a Dom/sub relationship, is attracted to the Dom who is in love with her, yet she pulls away in fear and distrust--not a good thing in this kind of situation. Quilla Rain has done well in telling a story about two people who keep on running into all kinds of barriers--many of them erected by Lyssa, the woman Mike wants desperately. He now enforces the Club rule--Rite of First Claim--as the Dom that first had her and who now has one month to convince her that they can be happy together in a permanent relationship. I had very mixed feelings as I was reading this book, mainly because there were times I wanted to smack Lyssa up side her head, and others when I was quite sympathetic to her feelings and situation. But life is messy and feelings are often not easily understood, even by the people who have them. Perhaps that is the message of this book--emotions are often the most puzzling aspects of human experience and often the most mercurial. The author has done a very good job of developing both the story and the characters. This is not a hardcore BDSM book, but it is rooted in the desire of these two people to live in a loving but Dom/sub configuration.
Less BDSM and more hot vanilla play. Less BDSM and more "end scene".
Lyssa & Mike are prefect for eachother. Equal amounts of batshit crazy and Dom hotness. It balances out.
Now I need a 4th book to explain Maggie & her visions and now that Aimee was brought up, I need clarification. Oh, LaTrece she's not really dead right? She was undercover, they have her in hiding?
I could not wait to get my hands on another Qwillia Rain novel, after reading the first in the series by her. This third novel in the series did not disappoint and I am keen to red more by this author. Mike's possessive, protective attitude towards Lyssa was such a turn on! Qwillia does this genre so well, without sacrificing the emotional, loving, caring connection between the protagonists.
I thought this would be based in BDSM, but no. Some steam, great friends, family. Mike and Lyssa are fun together, the way their dragons like to play. Hearing about Mike's tattoo kinda makes me cringe but too each his own. Mike getting upset about Taco Saturday just showed me that they had more that they actually need to not only talk about but work on as well.
This is the third installment of the Diablo Blanco series. It could be read as a stand-a-lone, but reading prior installments is suggested because of recurring characters. The author puts out a very engaging, sensual story with a well developed plot. Steamy hot scenes make for a mental seduction of the senses for the reader. Personally, I have an affection for dragons, so the sentence "oh and to warn you that the Dragon cometh" just added spice to the mix. Who doesn't love dragons when they're claiming!
There is a lot going on in this story. Lyssa has commitment issues, and Mike has his own secrets. The BDSM scenes are light on intensity but give the reader the flavor and taste of BDSM without going to severe in technique issues.
The story does have some surprise twists that give it depth, and the secondary characters stand out as possibles for the future. My only distraction is that I couldn't associate some of them to this storyline. In the end, I was thoroughly entertained by this story and feel that this author is outstanding at what she writes. Looking forward to the next Dom's story. Personally, I hope it will be David's story. wink, wink, hint, hint.
Favorite quote: Mike shook his head and closed his eyes. “No, Lys. Let me give you what you want, and maybe one day, I'll get what I need.” [3163]
This book left me with many moments of wanting to smack Lyssa upside the head. It's one thing to be insecure, it's another to be cruel. Her comments, though she's oblivious, are like acid. I have a hard time believing that two people who were acquainted with each other for as long as they were that she would be so ignorant to his true nature. Sure, we all lie to ourselves and see what we want to see, but her level of denial makes her appear stupid--not naive.
This is one of those situation that I have a difficult time with the heroine. Mike is gentle, considerate, and generous--there's nothing to be afraid of and yet, Lyssa is running from him. Her crippling insecurity is off-putting. Even more confusing is that it doesn't manifest itself in any other way. The story itself is fine though the tacked on suspense plotline, while critical to the characters story is not as seamless as I would have liked.
Every year for the past foru years Lyssa has received an invitation to the Diablo Blanco Club Midnight Masquerade party. This year she finally decides to accept with a plan to get an unknown donor and conceive a baby. She has her eyes set on a perfect candidate, hoping that her ex doesn't find out what she has done. When ex-flame Mike Halsey to walk in the door and claim her as his own, everything goes awry.
Mike has been waiting four years to get a chance to win Lyssa back, when he receives a call that she is at the club and on the prowl he evokes the Rite of First Claim which gives him thirty days as her dom to show her how perfectly they are together. Lyssa does not want Mike though, he broke her once and she has no intention on going down that road again, but Mike is playing for keeps whether Lyssa agrees or not.
Excellent story, full of spice and seduction. I had read this once before, but reread and am still as entertained as if reading for the first time.
This is not the first book. Wish I had read them in order but I was able to keep up with the story. The cover for Kindle is different but this is the title. I really liked this love story. They have known each other for years. The book started out in a club but that was the last time this book went there. Rite of first claim meant that he could override another dom for her if all the conditions were met. She went to the club to get pregnant,she knew Mike wouldn't be there (or he wasn't supposed to be). She had another dom in mind for this, but she certinally didn't love him. she would tollerate him touching her to get pregnant. Mike got back into town that evening and got a phone call from one of his friends at the club and told him to get down there. She agreed to submit to him for 30 days. A lot of walls had to be broken down, and they were.
The sensuality and emotional bond between Lyssa and Mike nearly vibrates with its power. And as much as I love the power play in a BDSM relationship, there are times in this story when I feel that Lyssa’s responses and reactions just do not ring true. Her age, experience, and family connections to the lifestyle seem off kilter with her personality, but no matter how hard she makes it, I love how Mike’s feelings for her never waiver. His master persona is easily shed whenever emotions run too high, and yet he effortlessly dominates Lyssa heart, body, and soul.
From the first few pages I knew I wasn't going to like Lyssa, the heroine. She loves Mike, but believes he will never stay with her because she is older and has curves. Mike has been chasing after Lyssa for years. Now she wants a baby so she goes to a kinky club with doctored condoms in hopes of getting pregnant. She didn't want en vitro because it was too clinical, but getting knocked up by a total stranger is so much better. This reasoning irritated me. Mike is a Dom, Lyssa knows this. Her sister is happily married to a Dom. Yet Lyssa makes derogatory remarks about the lifestyle. I felt sorry for Mike, lusting and loving a woman who had such a low opinion of herself that she wasn't allowing herself or Mike any happiness. But I still like the cover, very sexy!
Did not care for this at all. I suppose I should have read books 1 & 2, but this was so awful, I can't be bothered. I did eventually finish it, but what a disappointment. I didn't like either the Hero OR the heroine. She was a whiner & maybe if I had read the prior books, I would understand her better. He was no great shakes either. The author did not bother with any character development, assumming, I suppose, that we knew about these characters from the earlier books. And the sex scenes weren't anything to write home about either. And, in an incredible case of "DUH", the Hero is surprised to find out that his nickname at the Club was Dragon...I guess no one ever noticed the giant dragon tattooed over his personal bits...
OK, so maybe I SHOULD be giving this book 4 stars, not 5.... But I adored the ending. Lyssa annoyed the CRAP out of me. I could almost HATE this book for that! I wish she would have been a bit more like her sister. I she was really TSTL. Someone slap her already PLEASE!! I did SOOO love Mike, and his focus. And like I said, the ending was almost perfect. The only other issue I have is there are a few unresolved issues left in the book. Is there more books left in this series??
Good continuation of the series but it ran a little long. Too much protesting from the heroine tended to get a little tedious and I wasnt crazy about his control issues with one of his rules. But otherwise a good read.
I had pretty much the same problem with this book as I did with the first one. Too many ideas all clamouring for space, none of them actually working for me. Either these books weren't originally long enough, or the author liked her ideas so much that she couldn't leave any of them out.
I loved this book. Very sweet and hot. The lessons Mike teaches Lyssa one inperticular brought tears to my eyes. In the end of course its all worth it. I would recomend this book, over and over!
I really enjoyed this...First Bryce and Mattie, Then Ben and Vance and now Mike and Lyssa..enjoyed their love story and how they overcame so much. hope there is more to this story!
This is a surprisingly sweet story about how age is just a number. The story also reminds you that no matter where your life begins you can forge your own path.