Review: Enthralling exploration of dominance and submission
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 12, 2014
Driftwoods Deeds by Laila Blake is a novella which explores dominance and submission between a reclusive screenwriter and a journalist who has come to interview him. This is not an overly long book, but it is a very well written one. I was amazing at how quickly this author drew me in and had me enthralled with her writing. I was swiftly entranced with the narrative and loved the rhythmic flow of this book. Nothing felt rushed. Nothing came out of left field. It was a simple exploration that captured my attention right from the start.Iris Ellis is a journalist who has come to a quaint small seaside town for an interview with the infamous Paul Archer, a withdrawn and isolated Hollywood screenwriter. Iris first comes across as a little timid and reserved, especially when she first meets Paul who has this calm yet assured presence about him. She comes ready to get the interview started immediately but Paul has different ideas when he invites her to take a walk with him along the rocky beach. Iris soon discovers that Paul has many sides to him. He is a writer but also enjoys a more natural and organic way of life, living somewhat off the land and collecting raw materials such as driftwood to fashion unique furniture and pieces in his home. Iris can’t help but be mesmerized by this man who is not at all who she was expecting. Therefore, when Paul propositions her and invites her to act out fantasies exploring dominance and submission, Iris is simply too curious to walk away. She decides that she wants a taste of what Paul is offering. But will one taste be enough or will it leave her craving so much more than what Paul is willing to offer?First and foremost, I absolutely loved the setting where this book took place, a small dilapidated fishing village off the coast of England. Ms. Blake does a stellar job transporting her reader into this picturesque and antiquated village where you settled in Paul’s home to have tea and walked along the rocky shores captivated by the driftwood and other inanimate stray objects along the beach. It definitely made for the perfect setting where Paul and Iris’ story could play out.This book is executed in such a way that each word, scene, nuance has a purpose. For me, nothing was wasted or superfluous. Paul is drawn to Iris recognizing her submissive traits. When she agrees to explore with him, each step is carefully planned out as he slowly pulls her deeper and deeper into the world of submission. Paul is calm, collected and comfortable with his need for dominance at this point in his life and this was simply exhilaratingly sexy. I had no problems imagining how freeing it was for someone like Iris to simply let go and trust herself, her body, to Paul. Everything builds and unfolds into an intense and complex twenty-four hour time span where both Paul and Iris are left more.All in all, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Driftwoods Deeds. I can honestly state that it is one of the better short novellas that I have read. This story does not end in a cliff-hanger but the author does have plans to continue with Paul and Iris’ romance and I for one am very much looking forward to seeing where Laila Blakes takes this.