Review: *4.5 stars* BDSM isn't my thing but Holy CRAP! That was hot!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 20, 2014
A Gift For Jarrod is indeed a Christmas novella and I did read it in May but there wasn't one time I noticed it, you know why? Because Cock rings and butt plugs and blow jobs OH MY! I've read Ashworth's other books and my first experience with her writing brought me to tears of laughter. As I've said in several reviews her particular penchant for sexual verbiage cracked me up but with this one I wasn't laughing. At all. This was a pretty steamy book that had my attention from start to finish. And it just dawned on me that the cover is a slight nod to a phallic device meant to hold off certain excitement. *fans self*Jarrod grew up the wealthy and privileged son of a mother and father who didn't want him. The guilt of which has eaten him up inside and driven him to finally seek who he really is and what he desires in life at the hands of the Academy. Macie is living in tormented regret for not noticing the signs of distress in her beloved Sam that ended his life and ultimately lead her to the BDSM lifestyle where she teaches her students to be submissive. Both characters are ravaged by internal turmoil but share a past connection to each other. Macie was Jarrod's high school teacher whom he always had a crush on so finding her at the Academy as one of his dominants is a surprise and a turn on. Talk about hot for teacher!I loved the fact that these two had a former connection and I think it's why they worked so well for me. They felt familiar and not foreign as is the case with some books where the couples are new to each other. With the roles at the Academy taken seriously Macie forces herself to stay away from Jarrod no matter how much she craves him. Macie was a pretty tormented character over the death of her Sam. I'm not entirely sure what happened with that, it wasn't really explained fully but whatever the deal was it was painful for her. I enjoyed how strong she was and disciplined she kept herself even taking drastic measures to stay away from Jarrod. There was never a boundary crossed when he was younger but the attraction was always simmering beneath the surface. Jarrod's brief history broke my heart, feeling unwanted by his parents always dubbed a mistake. High school football star, extremely attractive and wealthy, Jarrod has never had to work very hard for anything he's gotten and it's left him with shame. Especially when he's forced to submit to others and what they want from him. He was a sensitive guy but at the same time he had a sexy and aggressive side to him that really turned my gears.As for the BDSM aspect, I have to say that It's not my forte. Compared to the stuff I was reading at one point I seem rather vanilla and I'm surprisingly OK with that. The closest I've ever come to BDSM was slapping mosquitoes on a  camping trip with an EX insignificant other so, Being in a room full of naked men and women all fondling and groping me and vice verse doesn't appeal to my sexuality. BUT it was still hot nonetheless. Jarrod went through an extreme period of being broken down and his will bent to accommodate the submissive lifestyle and taught him a valuable lesson about himself. I have never been so out of my comfort level and actually ENJOYED it! Although some of the things people do in the name of sexual pleasure creeps me out I was riveted to the pages of this book. Did you know they make butt plugs with horse hair that tickles your butt when you walk? Yeah, neither did I. Would I try it? Absolutely NOT. Exit only boys and girls. Poor Jarrod discovers he's rather fond of butt play so that was exciting to see in soooo many delicious ways.A Gift For Jarrod felt like a gift for me because I got some graphically written erotica with a pleasant little romance bubbling under the surface. One thing Ashworth does that keeps me coming back for more, despite my qualms with her goofy sexual adjectives, is how well she forms the bonds between her characters. Every story is a delicate balance of character conflict, sex and love that blends so well from page to page. Ashworth draws me into her characters lives and makes me root for them even when they are sharing their bodies with someone else. Which by the way sees to be a common occurrence in her stories. That usually bothers me and HAS in some of her books really badly but within this setting it was understandable so I couldn't protest. I'm just happy that when the cock rings cleared they found their way to each other. I laughed through her first book, cursed through her second and sprung a leak with this one. If you haven't jumped on the Ashworth band wagon yet then you are missing out on some strangely amazing stories.