Review: The Gift That Keeps Giving (and Taking)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 22, 2011
Owin has spent the last year of his relationship with Maurina fulfilling her fantasies.  On their anniversary, Owin arranges a surprise ménage for Maurina to fulfill a desire she didn't want to admit to.The story is very well written - which was a pleasant surprise given the volume of utter crap that can be found on Amazon today with the whole Kindle self-publishing movement.  This is erotica and, while not long enough to really turn you (me) on, it was very sexy and (sort of) sweet if you understand the dynamics of this alternative lifestyle.  The story sheds light on some of the positive sides of a Dominant/submissive relationship - specifically the way in which two partners, not just two horny people, satisfy a need that their partner has in a nurturing way.  The other thing I appreciated is that the story shows how a D/s lifestyle doesn't always mean that someone controls your entire life, that a submissive isn't just some cowed, willing slave.May contain spoilers!I did have a couple of problems with the story.  Foremost, there's no mention of a safe word.  NO!  They are obviously in a D/s relationship - though their play in this story does not include bondage, toys, or punishment (i.e. spanking) - and that means that she should have a permanent safe word - but she doesn't seem to have one.  A lot of books now touch of various aspects of BDSM, enlightening people and maybe encouraging them to try something different.  BDSM involves a great deal of trust... you're putting yourself in the hands of someone else, letting them decide what to do to your body and your mind.  There's a great deal of psychology that also goes into a good Master/submissive relationship and you can never fully know what will trigger something bad for your partner.  For experimenters, not having a way to call halt to the scene can cause irreparable damage to both parties, especially if they're just a regular couple spicing things up.  I am of the belief that anyone who writes about this type of relationship has a responsibility to ensure readers see it portrayed in a safe way.  Yes, this story was not extreme but there are protocols that I believe should be followed.My second problem is that there is no condom used when she has sex with the mystery man.  The story is meant to be sexy and some people don't see condoms as being sexy, but there are many appealing, arousing ways to put a condom on.  I would encourage authors to explore those techniques (or come up with some more!) and incorporate them in stories.Finally, a couple of notes.  Only 44% of the book is the actual story... the rest of the book is a sneak peek of the author's other book.  Usually there's a disclaimer on the product description but since there isn't one on this book, be warned that the story contains anal sex (in addition to the obvious Domination/submission themes).