Review: 5 stars! The Art of D/s, book 1-3. Dylan's & Isa's whirlwind saga; BDSM exploration, personal growth, demons & lies plus love.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 20, 2013
This is the recently released Omnibus of:1) The Art of Submission2) The Art of Domination3) The Art of ControlAt first glance The Art of D/s trilogy is the whirlwind romance of Dylan and Isa, two flawed, lonely and broken souls who embark on a co-dependent journey of sexual exploration while fighting demons and villains from their pasts.  As the story unfolds it becomes clear that it's every bit an epic saga of self-discovery, pushing all limits and an all-consuming love.The story opens up with Dylan, a skilled and experienced Dom forced into retirement after his last sub blackmailed him, attending an art exhibition for charity.  Hidden in a backroom he spots a set of erotic paintings and purchases them on the spot.  He is fascinated and intrigued and when he discovers the artist to be Isa Ibanez, the art gallery's employee, he is determined to have her.  At first he wants to see more of her art, but he soon wants to seduce her into his bed, expose her to BDSM and ultimately become her Master.Hero:  Dylan Nathaniel Young/30 years/Founder of Security Co.-former teenage hacker and NSA recruit/dark brown hair/blue eyes/DomHeroine:  Isabel Maya Ibanez, aka Isa/25 years/Art gallery employee-artist/some college/blond hair/amber eyes/Semi-SubBefore I delve into the complexity and wonderfulness that is Dylan Young let me touch on the clever writing of the series, in particular Dylan's POVs.  They give such wonderful glimpses into the sarcastic, witty and to the point Dylan.  It truly feels like his thoughts as opposed an (female) author penning his story.  Dylan will stay with me for a long time to come.Four words to describe Dylan would be: Intense, In-control, Sarcastic and Unforgettable.Orphaned at age fourteen Dylan is tormented by secrets and a painful past.  His story will unfold throughout the series and I am not going to spoil it, but it is clear from page 1 that underneath this in control alpha Dom, there is a flawed and broken boy.As soon as Dylan meets Isa he is smitten and intrigued by her talent, innocence, beauty and submissiveness...  He soon finds himself obsessing about her and even stalks her as he sets out to woo her into becoming his Sub.  Dylan's life is thrown into a tailspin and I can assure he will never, ever be the same:"Isabel is proving to be a very fascinating woman. I've been doing vanilla for so long now, I wonder if I still have it in me to be a Dom. I like to think it's like riding a bike... I guess we'll find out. She has quite a defiant side to her, and for now, I'll let her get away with it since she doesn't know the rules of being a submissive, but that will change. I just need to be patient with her."***"I come stumbling back into the apartment, dropping a few boxes on the way in and looking like a complete p~  sy-whipped bellboy. Seriously, what the f~  k? This is such bullsh~  t. My alter ego is irritated at me for even going this far with this woman. I ignore him and pick up the boxes and lay them out in the bedroom."This series will prove to be Dylan's journey of self-discovery.  For the first time in his life the in control Dylan is losing control:As Dylan sets out to explore the Submissive side of Isa another side of her is revealed.  Isa can also be dominant.  BDSM sex with Isa will start to get blurry:"What the h~ ll? Is she topping from the bottom? I'll let it slide this time because she doesn't know what that means and because she asked so nicely."***"Little Miss Sassy Panties is back and I laugh out loud at her. I know she doesn't like it but damn she's f~ ing comical when she's feisty, but I guarantee, her a~ s will be paddled and for that sarcasm when the time comes."Isa Ibanez is also damaged; Deserted by her mother and raised by an abusive father her defense mechanism has been to escape into her art.  When pressured Isa regresses into a little girl causing people to constantly take advantage of her, but her inner dialogue revealed in her POVs show her to be both observant and smart while frustrated with her own insecurities.  This series will prove to be her journey of self-discovery and fulfillment as well:Four words to describe Isa would be:  Innocent, Smart, Endearing and Survivor.And while Dylan and Isa are getting to know each other dark forces from their pasts set out to threaten, break them apart and even hurt them. It is a rollercoaster of lies, secrets and deceit with everything unraveling and coming to several crashing blows.  Through it all their relationship is tested and they are both forced to confront their pasts and their demons.Not only has Ms. Dominguez written an amazingly erotic tale, a journey of sexual exploration in the world of BDSM.  She has captivated me with Dylan Isa and their love for each other.  The Art of D/s is an epic, spellbinding saga about pushing all limits and surrendering it all for love.  Thank you!"She breathes in as I breathe out and her lungs fill with the air that was inside of me. I love her completely and I love giving her life as she gives me life. I breathe in her quintessence and it's cathartic."***Hero rating: 5+ starsHeroine rating: 5 starsSex scenes rating: 5 starsSex scenes frequency: 5 starsStoryline concept rating: 5 starsStorytelling skills rating: 5 starsStory ending rating: N/ABook editing rating (5 = no edits spotted): 4.5 stars***************************************Overall rating: 5 starsWould I recommend this series: Yes.Would I re-read this series: Yes.Would I read future books by this author: Yes.