Review: Intriguing
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 15, 2014
I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.“Relinquish control – on your own terms”This is going to be one of those reviews containing numerous quotes. I did try to restrain myself but found myself highlighting section after section. In the end I had to leave quite few very wonderful quotes out of this review because it was just getting too long. Joey W. Hill has a wonderful way with words and explains the intricacies of BDSM in a way that embellishes the beauty of the life-style without ever making it sound dark, scary or dangerous. I hope that the quotes I share below show both the beauty of her words and the depth of her knowledge.“When a woman gets out of the way of her instincts, and doesn’t let the baggage she brings from her day-to-day life drag her down, she’s the one who leads. As her Master, I put her in touch with those instincts; she’s the one who uses them to take us both to a deeper level of connection.” – LoganIt goes even further than that. Hill is the first author I’ve come across to take the time to explain why the idea behind a Dominant/submissive relationship is so tempting even for those who have no real desire to explore such a dynamic.“Deep inside all of us are vulnerabilities, (...). Things we only reveal to the person capable of stripping us bare and yet cherishing the nakedness they find, not exploiting it. That’s a common threat beneath a lot of the Dominant and submission sexual fantasies people have, whether or not they’re actual Dominants for submissives.”- Logan to MadisonQuotes like the two above took my breath away. I found myself re-reading them just to relish in the beauty of the words and contemplate them before moving on with the story. In fact, truth be told, I enjoyed these insights and the sheer beauty of the words more than I did the story as such. I just didn’t like Madison that much, she infuriated me at times. Her actions, past and present, as well as her defensive stance towards the world rubbed me the wrong way and left me wanting to slap her or give her a good talking to.Logan on the other hand was almost too good to be true. His Dominance rose of the page and flowed through me. I could hear his words, feel his hands and couldn’t get enough of him. I found myself resenting every single page he didn’t feature on and was very impatient to spend more time with him even while I wished that didn’t mean having to put up with Madison as well.“She felt like a book he was reading, every word a page full of information about her.” Madison’s reaction when she first meets LoganAlice leaves her lingerie shop, ‘Naughty Bits’ to her sister Madison who is like a fish out of water with her inheritance. But Alice goes one step further; she also – more or less – gives her sister to Logan, the Dom who owns the hardware shop next door.“I’m giving her to you, Logan, but you might just give yourself to her too. For the first time in your life.” Alice, talking about Madison to Logan before she dies.Madison has been dreaming about submitting to a man for as long as she can remember but all the men in her past have belittled her dreams before leaving her. After all the pain those relationships have caused her, Madison is about ready to admit defeat and concede the man and relationship she’s dreaming about don’t exist, at least not for her. Combine that with the guilt she feels about being estranged from her sister when she died and a desperate need to be in control of everything in her life, Madison is one bundle of insecurity and defensiveness, and it isn’t long before Logan finds himself on the receiving end of those emotions.“I get that you have trust issues with men, Madison. But until I specifically deserve it, I’d prefer you not lash out at me because of what someone else has done.” LoganLogan is the prototype of a perfect Dom; completely in control, reasonable, apparently able to see and understand everything his subject is thinking and feeling and, to top it all off, graced with a wicked sense of humour. In fact, he’s not just the perfect Dom, in my book he comes pretty close to being the perfect man.“I’d give one of Troy’s testicles to know what’s going through your mind right now.” Logan to MadisonWhat impressed me most in this book was how very hot Logan and Madison were together even though they don’t remove a single item of clothing while together and don’t even share a kiss. The heat between them just from Logan’s apparently casual touches and the way he talks to her blew me away and left me wanting more.“In D/s, chains are magic. Binding the body frees the soul, lets it fly. A woman stops thinking. She just feels.” Logan to MadisonI’m looking forward to finding out what will happen next to Madison and Logan. While I’m certain that Madison will continue to irritate me, I know that Logan’s presence and the way he deals with her will make up for any frustration I feel when I read about her. Logan combined with Joey W. Hill’s words and her wonderful descriptions of the world of BDSM have hooked me on this story with no chance of escape.“You can be what you want with me, as long as you’re true to yourself.” Logan to Madison