Review: Fully Fleshed-Out Characters Amidst Satisfyingly Steamy Encounters
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 22, 2013
Cassandra Carr has written a story that perfectly blends romance and the intense world of BDSM and wraps it up with a sweet yet playfully natured bow.  It's not very often that I feel a story really understands and conveys what draws people to BDSM, but Master Class has done so masterfully.Joining this world of BDSM after getting divorced and losing self confidence is sweet and sexy college professor Ryan.  After being made to feel as if his sexual desires were wrong by his ex-wife he's finally getting to experiment and his nervousness is apparent at first but soon morphs into a true Master.  I found his early nervousness endearing and believable considering his newbie status.  I liked him even more when he admitted such to the woman who chooses him to play with.  That woman is Lisette who left the scene after a bad Master/sub relationship and on her first night back chooses Ryan.  She's clearly more comfortable with the scene than he is as she subtly encourages him throughout the night.  This mentoring felt right and showed she was nothing like his ex as she wanted to build him up not take him down.  Their relationship evolves slowly with play dates at the club followed by a real date which quickly evolves into something more permanent, a HEA with a twist.The sexual encounters in this story are intensely erotic and show BDSM in a positive light.  Types of play are explained fully but not in a clinical way.  These scenes always maintain their eroticism and after the release there's always a sweet moment to remind the reader that this kind of play is merely an expression of love no matter how others see it.Ryan and Lisette are a wonderful couple whose relationship evolves in a believable way.  The few issues they have are quickly resolved so no irritating Big Misunderstandings occur which made me appreciate this story even more.  These two are mature adults who act in mature ways with no juvenile actions getting in the way of their HEA.  Along with a wonderful main couple comes Ryan's friend and mentor Jack, who with his sub Callie, present another positive view of a BDSM couple.  They're extremely likable with their loving yet kinky sides and I would love to read more about them as their enticing backstory is alluded to in passing.From start to finish I became fully immersed in this new world and relationship Ryan has found himself in and was rooting for him and Lisette every step of the way. Their relationship was intensely erotic and loving with super steamy interludes nicely spaced throughout the story to not become overwhelming.  Cassandra Carr has told a masterfully entertaining and satisfying story and I look forward to the next story in her repertoire.