A Different Kind of Therapy by Charlotte Howard

December 11, 2017 By Leave a Comment


A Different Kind of Therapy by Charlotte Howard
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (48 pgs)
Other: M/F, BDSM, Spanking, Bondage, Toys
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Psychology student Hayley has always been intrigued by sexual fetishes, so when the chance to be mentored by renowned sexual therapist, Adrian De Silva comes up, she jumps at the chance. It soon becomes apparent that the kind of therapy Adrian offers is far from mainstream, and Hayley is introduced to the world of domination therapy. As her training begins, Hayley finds herself falling for her boss and dreaming of being his submissive. Then she meets her new client, and it is Hayley who must be the dominant one.

Will Hayley take to her new role? And how will her personal feelings affect her work? Can Hayley really provide A Different Kind of Therapy?

Hayley and Adrian are an interesting couple. He’s a therapist and she wants to be one. There’s only one problem—he deals with clients who need to be dominated as part of their therapy. He does the regular therapy role, too, but his emphasis is on the sexual side—without having sex. It’s an interesting theme for a book.

I did have a few quibbles. Her reaction to initially being called a Domme wasn’t what I’d expected and made me wonder if she could do the job she’d been hired for. Another thing that bothered me was how quickly she jumped into the situation with Adrian. I get that she’s wanting to help in his line of work, but they moved into the D/s relationship rather fast. While I get that she liked what they were doing, it just seemed…too fast. Like there should’ve been some more build-up. This was her first time having this kind of relationship and she threw herself into it, but it felt odd.

I liked the power exchange and the story is certainly hot. The ending is a tad blunt, but overall this is a sexy read that will certainly singe the screen.

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Their Cajun Queen by Kasey Belle

June 9, 2016 By 1 Comment

QUEEN
Their Cajun Queen by Kasey Belle
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (392 pgs)
Other Content: M/F, M/M/F, Menage, Anal Sex, Spanking, Bondage
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Sorrel

Fiona is certain Fate is a mean kid with a magnifying glass who, for twenty-six years, has given her the proverbial middle finger and it doesn’t seem like Fate’s going to get bored any time soon. Something bad always follows her something good.

At twenty-three, Fiona Lafont became a widow and single mother when her Navy SEAL husband was killed in Afghanistan and has spent the last three years picking up the pieces and building a life for her daughter. When an unexpected visitor from her past threatens to destroy everything, she runs to Copper Creek, TX and her husband’s best friend, Kell, for help. In Texas, she finds more than protection, she discovers a whole new world.

For years Copper Creek Pack Alpha Declan and Beta Cade Creed have searched for their mate. When they discover their cousin Kell’s friend Fiona is their mate, they realize finding the feisty little Cajun widow was the easiest part of the journey. In order to claim her, they must earn her trust, protect her from those intent on harming her, heal her grieving heart, and convince her she is their destiny.

On the verge of another something good, Fiona must decide if she can let go of her grief and risk it all once more, for a second chance at love.

Will the dangerous men pursuing her, find her, and ruin her chance at happily ever after?

“Me and mommy named her. Her real name is Pincess Finona Fuzzy-buttness”

This book covers a full spectrum of emotions. Meaning that it was both sweet as well as sexy and then there are some violent elements to it.

Because of the title, I initially thought that this was going to be about voodoo and witch magic and all. I couldn’t have been more wrong.This book is not about magic though there was a little bit of a fantasy element to it at the end. This book is about second chances, love, friends and family.

I have always loved reading about books with children in it. Their Cajun Queen introduced a sweet and innocent little girl that I absolutely loved reading about. I think Emma Grace brought a certain element of fun into the mix that only children can bring. She added to the story rather than simply being a convenient secondary character.

Fiona is a very strong woman, made stronger because of her daughter. She would have given up when her husband died if not for her daughter. Fiona’s past shaped her present as it made her aware of the cruel side of humans early on. Declan and Cade have their work cut out for them in winning her trust and her love but they are exactly what she and her daughter need; what they had been missing in their lives. Trust, security and love.

The author did a wonderful job with the characters and the overall story. There was some violence in it that might be difficult to read but I would recommend readers simply keep a handful of tissues nearby, take a deep breath and read on because there is so much more to this story. There was also a lot of fun and sexy and sweet moments in it that I loved. This had a good balance of both heart wrenching and heart warming. This one is for readers who want a lot of layers to their romance. A fantastic read overall.

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The Man He Needs by Sarah Masters

July 29, 2014 By Leave a Comment

MAN
The Man He Needs by Sarah Masters
Publisher: Totally Bound
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (60 pgs)
Other: M/M, Anal sex, Bondage, Abuse
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Cactus

Two mistrusting men who have secrets they’d rather not share…

After a drunken night out, Christian goes back to Alfie’s house for sex. The thought never crossed his mind that Alfie would hold him hostage in his cellar. Christian would never have thought he’d come to care for Alfie either—but as weeks pass, he does. Although he can’t explain how he feels, it doesn’t much matter. There’s no one out there to miss him anyway.

Alfie has his reasons for keeping Christian tied up, and they are heartbreaking. He’s had a terrible past, one no child should ever live, and the morning after the night he took Christian home, he snapped. He couldn’t bear for yet another person to leave him and, knowing what he was about to do was wrong, he did it anyway.
Despite their harrowing pasts, the two men form a bond and together discover that there is a way to trust…finally.

Staying was what Christian had in mind even before he was chained in the basement. After an amazing night together, Christian knew he had a connection with Alfie. He could already see them in a relationship and happy together. Unfortunately Alfie was too terrified of his past demons to see the same future so instead he chained Christian in the basement. Most people would have been understandably upset and freaked out at the turn of events but soon Christian realizes that he wanted to stay with Alfie anyway. Now he just needs to find a way to show Alfie the truth.

The Man He Needs is a very thought provoking novella. It’s too short to really develop the characters fully and the interactions between the two are minimal unfortunately. The main thrust of the story takes place in Christian’s head with a significant portion dedicated to Alfie recounting his sad history of relationships. Christian is the first person narrator and it’s hard to engage with his voice. I didn’t really understand what was going on initially and how long he had been held prisoner but eventually the details sort themselves out. Even still most of the story is told in Christian’s head and I didn’t really understand nor like the character. He recounts, for Alfie, a story about his last boyfriend beating him viciously and how he crawled away wondering why he was always a victim. He has a very “why me” attitude while repeating the same behavior that got him in trouble in the first place.

Granted, he couldn’t know that Alfie would hold him hostage so I can’t hold him responsible for that yet I still didn’t warm to him. Alfie is an easier character to pity with a horrible childhood and a pattern of men leaving him for being too clingy and needing love. And I did pity Alfie, considerably, so I was happy to see the two men work things out and realize their needs were very suited for each other. That said, the whole thing was definitely illegal and kind of freaky, not at all non-con in a sexy way; more of a border line serial killer way. However, it does end with a happy ever after so perhaps it doesn’t matter how it got there.

I found The Man He Needs to be a different story featuring two very emotionally damaged men. I think the success to the story for readers may lie in their ability to suspend disbelief. It’s hard to imagine that even though Christian liked Alfie, he would still have all those positive feelings after being chained in the basement for a month. Though perhaps true love really does win!

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