Review: Incredible story based on sadism. Deep, but consensual.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 5, 2012
Samantha is champion fighter who keeps her body at the top of the game. A successful divorce attorney, she can't let the local community find out she is a sexual submissive without losing her credibility. After dating fighters, she realizes she won't find what she needs in the way of kink, bit still needs a partner who can fight her and win her submission.Ethan is a cage fighter and most people equate that to him being not so smart. He doesn't make a big deal that he owns his own business. Expanding into the Chattanooga area, he enters a fight and meets Sam. Instantly attracted, he flirts with Sam, but respects her wishes to stop.When Sam shows up at a local BDSM play party, Ethan instantly latches onto her. He can give her the fight she needs and she will gift him with her submission and satisfy the sadist lurking in his soul.This was a refreshing look into BDSM. While it was more painful than I like to see, it was honest and the characters true to their needs and respecting the trust inherent in this type of relationship.Ethan is a sadist. He explains to Sam that he doesn't need to use all his power to satisfy that desire. He likes to inflict pain in a consensual way, but the power comes from the sub begging and crying, not from how much pain he can inflict. I loved how he takes Sam somewhere to talk before they ever scene together. Then he explains the scene very clearly to her so she knows what he is expecting. It was a scene clearly geared to learn about her and her pain tolerance, not for sex. In general through the entire book, Ethan does a wonderful job being a Dom. He watches Sam's reactions, specifically when he denies her the right to speak. Hand motions are given for him to slow down or even stop for a moment and then the safeword to stop the entire scene. What I really loved is how he put a paper in front of Sam with the yellow right side and red on the left side so she would know without having to think which fist to clutch. He seemed aware that when a sub is in a scene, thinking sometimes goes out the window and he didn't want to leave it to chance.Sam is a very complex character in how she has a very dominant lifestyle but really craves the need for submission. Her submission is never given freely because if she can feel she can kick the guys rear end in a fight, then they can't take her for what she wants. She is a tough as nails divorce attorney, but comes home needing to be a sexual submissive. Fighting is not just a hobby, it is a part of her life and she embraces that as part of her.There is a scene where Ethan and Sam fight so Sam can have her feeling of submission. My only point of ... well ... ouch ... was that they fought naked. Sorry, I can't imagine fighting with my ladies flopping and I can't imagine a guy doing the same. Other than that, I absolutely loved the entire scene as it was a genuine moment of BDSM between two consensual adults getting what they both need and want.I don't want to give away too much of the book, because reading it was such a joy...bad word for a BDSM book, but hey, it was refreshing to see an honest portrayal of BDSM even from a sadist and masochist. Most are portrayed badly, but this book allowed us to see the normal life side and the side that gets what it wants.An incredibly honest, refreshing and delightfully painful book.Warning: This title contains graphic language, consensual BDSM, bondage, and use of toys including crops, clamps, canes, and floggers.