Review: Sheer Perfection
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 20, 2014
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Safeword: Matte – In Training by Candace Blevins offers a fascinating look into a BDSM relationship that you don’t often see. I was, at different turns, aroused, uncomfortable, fascinated, appalled and so much more. Ms. Blevins took me on an emotional roller coaster ride that brought me high and low. Yet no matter how I felt, I couldn’t turn away; I couldn’t put the book down. Safeword: Matte – In Training is not for the faint of heart, but if you’ve got the fortitude to go for it, I guarantee you the ride of your life.Sam and Ethan are going to be married in a few months. Ethan has plans for his submissive and their honeymoon. But these plans require some training, and Ethan has come up with a detailed plan involving weekly goals. If Sam meets the weekly goals then there are amazing rewards, but there are also some seriously painful punishments for not meeting them. In addition, Sam is dealing with some difficult clients and learning to merge her life with Ethan’s.While some may focus on the sadism/masochism aspect of the story, it was the relationship between the leads that pulled me in almost immediately. Sam and Ethan have an amazing relationship. Their communication is impressive and I particularly admired the negotiation scenes. Their relationship was so authentic that it reminded me of my own marriage (without the steel cane). I laughed out loud reading their negotiations over loading the dishwasher and admired their compromise on finances. Relationships are hard work and Ms. Blevins showcased that expertly.Sam and Ethan’s chemistry is fierce and I found myself getting aroused just from their connection. In fact, I was surprised at how aroused I became during the sex scenes considering the amount of pain Ethan was giving Sam. But the love between the two was so obvious and everything was done from the love they have for each other; I couldn’t help but be affected by that type of devoted relationship.Ms. Blevins treated the subject of sadism/masochism and Domination/submission with dignity and respect. She showed how much work is involved in this type of relationship and what is needed from both partners in order to keep it from crossing the line into abuse. Submitting to Ethan did not make Sam weak, and I appreciated that Ms. Blevins avoided stereotypes. Ethan is a sadist, but he is also a loving, caring man who keeps his beloved fiancée in mind with every slash of the cane.We first met Sam and Ethan in Ms. Blevin’s Safeword: Matte but I hadn’t read that book and yet had no difficulty following along. Of course, now I’m super curious as to how they began their relationship and will just need to go back and read it. And while you’re waiting for the next installment in Sam and Ethan’s story – No Safeword: Matte – The Honeymoon – there are several other books in Ms. Blevin’s Safeword series to happily while away the time.