Review: Hot and beautiful
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 12, 2013
I actually rated this book 4.5 stars.When "Brie Learns the Art of Submission" - a book you have to read before starting this one - ends we are left with Brie and her chosen Master leaving the graduation event. The elevator doors close and.. "The end".I don't know about anybody else, but there are times when I find myself frustrated when a book ends and we don't know what happens next. And this was one of those occasions. It is all well and good that Brie ends up with the man she has chosen as her Master, but his initial reluctance, the short time they have known each other and the fact that she has only had a few weeks training as a submissive under her belt left me wondering how this relationship would develop in the real world, away from the training centre.Don't get me wrong; I quite enjoy fantasizing about what happens to favourite characters after a book ends, but in this case the possibilities seemed too limitless. And thankfully, I won't have to rely on my imagination since Red Phoenix is continuing Brie's story.And so we see Brie and her new Master, Thane, travelling from the training centre to his impressive apartment where our favourite sub soon learns that although her official training may be over, and she may have finished top of her class, she still has a lot to learn. She may know the general rules when it comes to being a sub, now she has to learn how to apply what she has learned in her everyday relationship with her Master and, more importantly, his personal desires and requirements.Things get off to a promising start with both Master and sub delighted to be together and enjoy what they bring to their relationship. The depth of Master's feelings for Brie becomes very clear when he decides to call her Téa, which is Italian for angel. And when her Master tells Brie some painful details about his past it becomes very clear that he loves and trusts her. Things get more complicated though when Faelan approaches Brie and she decides to keep the encounter to herself. Brie still has a lot to learn and her first lesson is that no punishment is more painful than the act of disappointing her Master is.I have to say I really love Brie's journey. Apart from the fact that these stories are well written with credible characters and an imaginative story-line I adore the way in which the reader is allowed to be part of Brie's development.I'm impressed with the way Red Phoenix manages to show real character development and growth in a story that is mainly sex-driven. It was impossible for me not to get involved in and touched by Brie's emotions, discoveries and soul searching. Brie's actions are credible and understandable and it is wonderful to watch her work out exactly what her Master wants and expects from her.I'm still not, and probably never will be, a huge fan of books delivered in instalments. Some stories however are too enticing to wait until the full book is available. And Brie's life with her new Master is one of those stories that will have me buying the separate parts, against my better judgement.