Review: Dominance and Submission dished out with a generous helping of Authentic Caring
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 17, 2013
4.5 out of 5.  This second novel in this series picks up some of the characters from book one and brings in a heroine who is kind, generous, loving, and nearly broken by the sick and ennervating beliefs of her family, a cult-like religious group that has used Angelica Morehouse as "show and tell" as their leader's demonized daughter.  She is a woman who has been taught that anything kind and caring is wrong, that her only purpose is to fulfill the expectations of her father and any many he chooses for her husband.  All Angel wants is to run her own successful bakery business, have a few friends, maybe find a man who will really love her and give her the children she will cherish.  Several of her friends are associated with Independence, a high-end BDSM club where Angel has visited a time or two, where she can just sort of "hide" and not have to be afraid that her father, her truly wicked stepmother, or one of her overbearing and quite cruel half-brothers will find her and again put her on display for her father's congregation--a display that usually ends up with her being beaten with a heavy strap.I have read lots of romance with the BDSM components in varying amounts and found this one to be incredibly sensitive and caring, the Dom in question, prosecuting attorney Colin Whetstone, to be a man who was well in control of his own life, knowing what he was prepared to be and do in a D/s relationship, but drawn to the innocence and deep hurt he sensed in Angel and which he discovered to be the case over time.  His careful patience, his willingness to be himself but in a way that allowed Angel to rediscover her true self was a terrific turn-on and gave this reading experience a sense of emotional satisfaction that is not always present in romance fiction.  There is mystery here -- how will Angel extract herself from a family configuration that has made itself increasingly intrusive, overwhelming her personally as well as totally violating her legal rights.  I think readers will like -- no love the family court judge who hears Angel's petition for retraining orders against her father, her brothers and her stepmother.I have to admit to being terrible upset with Angel at times until I realized that her indoctrination had gone for  most of her 32 years, the kind of brain washing that convinced her that getting involved with friends as well as any kind of romantic relationship would result in their hurt.  That's a big burden to carry.  Colin's way of dealing with these fears, his response to Angel's panic, his strength when she needed it will make this a deeply moving reading experience and gives the world of BDSM a delightful sheen.