Review: Amazing re-intro to BDSM
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 30, 2012
(Originally read December 2011. Reviewed on Goodreads December 31, 2011.)This is the first book I've read by Cari Silverwood, and I read it because 1)it came highly recommended, and 2)it was also scheduled as "To Be Read" for a group I'm a part of.I was a little uncertain about reading this book, even though it came highly recommended, because of the BDSM content. To make a long story short, I haven't touched a BDSM book because of a bad reading experience that left a bad taste in my mouth. The hope of recommending the book to me was that I'd overcome my BDSM fear and once again learn to enjoy a genre I'd loved to indulge in before.So I took a chance and read "Iron" in December.I'll admit that some of the play between Theo and Claire was tough to read, and more than once I almost tapped out of my eReader to distract myself from what was being done. But I'd resolved to read this book, and I would. I did have to re-read a lot of it, especially the portions describing their play time, because reading them once didn't give me an accurate enough picture of what was being done.Aside from the content, I loved the characters. Theo was dominant, observant and discerning. It was a terrific combination when introducing and persuading Claire to not only indulge but to also enjoy his darker desires. His dominant nature wasn't just reserved for how he interacted with Claire in and out of the bedroom, but it was how he was with everything in his life - his house, his men, his business. He commanded. People obeyed without question.And while I liked Claire's strong personality, I absolutely loved her willingness to learn about Theo's world. In real life, I believe Claire would've spent more quality time with him before trusting him to tutor her in his lifestyle. But I found that I could excuse this fictional behavior as I got to see Theo work with her.I never thought I'd read a BDSM story again, not after having such a horrible experience with another book. Yet I'm happy that I took a chance on "Iron" and read it from beginning to end despite early-on trepidation and wondering if I really wanted to venture down this road again.Ms. Silverwood's ability to write a steampunk story laced so intricately with BDSM elements not only drew me in as a reader but encouraged me to learn more about the lifestyle and to love reading this genre once again.