Review: Love it!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 3, 2014
4.5 StarsOver the last few months I’ve read a lot of books that deal with the practice of Shibari (bondage), some have been very good and some not so much, so with each book I kind of have to clear my mind and cleanse my palette so I can go in without being tainted by what I’ve read before. What I love about Sweet Obsession by Kelly Jamieson is that this couple because of an incident back in their teens has to overcome some pretty big obstacles in order to get to where they are going. Yes, this book deals with the practice of Shibari but it mostly deals with coming to terms with who you are and what you need and for that I’m eternally grateful because I truly believe that many people don’t understand that BDSM practices go beyond want, it’s something many people need to feel whole. Ms. Jamieson did a stellar job of showing how having these needs mess with your head, having other people tell you it’s wrong makes you have doubts, and how refusing to be honest with yourself can hold you back from finding out who you really are. While this is a romance, it’s truly a book about self discovery and owning up to your desires.Twelve years ago Sasha Bendel and her then boyfriend Jack Grenville were caught in a very compromising position by her parents. Sasha was 16, Jack was 18 and the next day Jack had dropped out of school and left town. While somewhat devastated that he didn’t say good-bye, Sasha after many lectures and heart to heart talks with her parents and a therapist came to be believe it was for the best that what they had done together was wrong, immoral, and bordered on abuse. But Jack is back in Chicago and wants to hire Sasha to create an outdoor garden for his condo. He wants more, but Sasha is determined to keep her distance despite the fact that her body craves what she knows only he can give her.First off I totally get wanting to please your parents and worrying about what and how they think about you but at some time in your life, you have to grow up and stop letting them rule your life. Unfortunately although Sasha finally moved out of her parent’s home she was still ruled by what they wanted and often let them set her up with suitable men. Needless to say when Jack walks back into her life she doesn’t think she can have a relationship with him because she knows it will upset her parents and she’s scared of the things he may want from her. I understand her being cautious, I understand her being afraid but what I don’t understand is that she admits the things they did together excited her, she dreams about things he might want to do but she refuses to acknowledge she wants these things. She is one of those characters that I truly wanted to slap and tell her to snap out of it. Twenty eight years old and despite being a successful businesswoman on her own she was letting other people’s opinions cloud her own judgment.From the first moment I was intrigued by Jack and after hearing everything that happened years ago, I admire everything he’s accomplished. I’m happy that he was able to overcome the obstacles in his life, figured out how to channel his energy, and how to accept his needs. While I felt he might have overstepped a little bit with Sasha, I understand why he did it and I think he was right to push her because she wasn’t being honest about her feelings.While there was no doubt Jack has a dominate side I appreciate the fact that he didn’t move too quickly with Sasha and that when she got scared he backed off demonstrating the patience he was taught. I also liked that Sasha’s roommate Kevin tried to help her understand Jack’s kink and that it was okay if it was something she wanted. Kevin was an interesting character and his involvement with Jack’s sister, Emma, added some extra excitement to this story.This was one of those books I appreciate because in addition to be a very sexy story of reunited lovers it also contains a very important message. Sweet Obsession while containing aspects of BDSM is really more about acceptance of who you are, what you need, and not being afraid to fly your kink flag proudly.Review copy provided for an honest review.