Rough Play

by Christina Crooks

In Christina Crooks's suspenseful new novel, a woman's search for a missing friend leads her to an erotic playground of fetish and fantasy. . .

After escaping her sexually dominant husband, dating coach Charlotte is ready to play it safe. But when her client, Gail, disappears after visiting a fetish-oriented club called Subspace, Charlotte must enter the erotic underworld to find out what happened to her.

Club owner Master Martin is willing to help Charlotte--as long as she agrees to a little role-playing. As Charlotte slowly surrenders to Martin's sensual enticements, she finds that her penchant for submission is more intense than ever. But at the same time, as her search for Gail leads her deep inside Subspace's catacombs, Charlotte fears it may already be too late to save Gail. . .or herself.

Praise for Sweet and Dirty

"The author has clearly done her research. . .which makes the stories that much more real. Fans who like a BDSM twist to their happily ever after should be completely satisfied." – Romantic Times

"Will make your toes curl." – Romance Reviews Today

"Wonderfully stimulating, titillating." – Night Owl Romance

"Classy and spanky, Christina Crooks's characters light up the pages." --Lucinda Betts, author of What She Wants

Genres: BDSM, Erotica, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance, Romance, Contemporary

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Christina Crooks is a romance author with books for sale in print, electronic and audio editions. Her novels have been published by Kensington, Samhain, Five Star/Cengage, and Books in Motion Audiobooks.

Reviews

[Among The Muses · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rated 4.5/5 on the blog.

Christina Crooks delivers a story packed with intense and steamy sexiness, uniqueness in both the heroine and plot, and a captivating mystery in her newest release, Rough Play. Rough Play satiates erotic/BDSM literary fans who enjoy a story with a little suspense, a whole lot of D/s and S&M, and an HEA.

Interweaving the idea of a group of sadist men who believe in, and occultly follow, the views of a Gorian society (series written by John Norman) where men are the ultimate masters and women are the ultimate slaves, Rough Play is uniquely created and uniquely executed.

Meet Charlotte:

"I'm not a submissive."

"There's no shame in being a submissive." [Master Martin]

"There is. Shame and danger. I don't have a slave's heart."

Meet Master Martin:

"Your fear and lust radiate on a certain, special wavelength. People like me pick up on it."
...
"It's easier to simply do as I ask. But I'm glad you don't. You know why I'm glad, don't you? Because I'm a sadist." He paused considering. "A fairer kind of sadist than you've known, I suspect."

Heroine Charlotte has escaped her marriage that nearly destroyed her ability to act her true sexual self: being a submissive. Her overly sexually dominant husband abused her trust and pushed her to a point she felt "wrong". Instead, she's resolved to sticking to her job as match-maker, finding her clients a perfect happy-ever-after, since apparently she has horrible luck creating one for herself. Her unique gift (you'll have to read the book to find out how she's unique) brings her clients love and passion, something Charlotte never thinks she'll be able to find, until unfortunate events lead her to one man that has the power (literally) to change that.

Master Martin is jaded by the submissives he's worked with. Plus, he's got his own personal problems, all of which drill home the fact that all he wants is out from his ownership of Subspace, a popular BDSM club, and a chance to find the right person/submissive to settle down with. Just when he thinks his dreams will never be attainable, in walks Charlotte, on a mission to find her 'missing' friend, and the biggest enigma he's ever met. The challenge has been set -- find out who Charlotte is and why she's in complete denial of her submissive qualities. The only problem is the more he learns of Charlotte's painful past and why she steps foot into Subspace, Martin starts to realize that Charlotte's past echos some of Martin's current problems.

Readers who enjoy a BDSM romantic suspense are sure to enjoy Rough Play. Master Martin is delicious, and the chemistry and sex between Charlotte and him is great -- albeit moves very quickly in the trust aspect. But, they have an immediate connection, one of which that is aided by the something the heroine "sees". One of my favorite aspects of this book was the fact that Christina Crooks did not shy away from role playing. There's a doctor/patient scene that was very hot! And, my favorite was the rape fantasy. Christina doesn't overplay the scene, nor underplay it, but rather runs right down the middle with her approach.

The unique inclusion of the Gorean Saga (series written by John Norman) philosophy was fabulous and unique! It allowed for the foundation of both the heroines internal and external conflicts, as well as drove the plot. Charlotte has a lot of mix messages about herself when it comes to her submissive qualities -- all steaming from her marriage and her husbands Gorean philosophy. Martin is the one that shows her the difference and helps her to realize her true nature and the shamelessness of being a submissive.

And, all the while Master Martin and Charlotte are finding one another, Charlotte is also trying to find her missing friend, in addition to keeping herself out of harms way. Something that is easier said then done.

The bottom line is that this was a fantastic read that kept me highly captivated and always more than a little warm! I applaud Christina Crooks for her unique creation of the captivating, unique, kinky, and oh-so-delicious Rough Play. I can't wait to see what she has in store next for readers!

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the dark side of BDSM!

For awhile now I’ve enjoyed erotic romance novels set in the BDSM lifestyle. Rough Play just blew my comfort zone out of the water, but in a good way! Get ready to learn what the SM in BDSM really stands for!

Charlotte has dark passions, but is too afraid to let them out. Her ex husband destroyed her yearning to be dominated. With her past behind her, she is starting a new life as a dating coach. Problem is she has a challenging client who wants to dip her uneducated toes into the BDSM scene. One missed safety call later, Charlotte is forced back into a world she secretly craves.

Martin is an unconventional man; a loving son, business owner, inventor and sadist. Not to mention he is also being blackmailed. Unable to find a way out of his predicament, he is dismayed that a as a Master Dominate, he is being forced to submit. At least he can still be in control when dealing with Charlotte and her needs, or so he thinks.

First off, there is no mystery here. You know who the villain is right off, but it really is okay. You get to sit back and cringe how he is manipulating the situation, making his eventual downfall all the sweeter. There were so many new terms, toys and experiences in Rough Play that I had to do internet searches to understand what I was reading. If I would have just been patient with Ms. Crooks, she explained it all. She did a fabulous job educating the reader without feeling like you are in a classroom. Bravo My Dear!

Rough Play is not your normal BDSM romance novel. I would label it hardcore for the romance genre. Most BDSM in the erotic romance genre has mild to strong D/s relationships, mild spanking to the point of pink/red bottoms, light bondage and possibly a flogger or two. That is so not the case in this book.

This book should have come with a warning label: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!! Definitely leave these lifestyle practices to the professionals. The BDSM scenes were extreme in context; punishing spankings, nipple clamps with teeth (yes teeth), consensual non-consenting sex (simulated rape), whippings, needle play, strong sadistic / masochistic undertones, and a whole new lifestyle term I have never heard of before - Gorean.

Don’t let the fear of the violent sex play scare you away from this book though. If you are remotely interested in the BDSM scene and enjoy reading about it, take a walk on this side of the street. Ms. Crooks does a spectacular job with the romance and the realism in regards to the passionate pull of the characters. They both fulfilled each other’s needs and desires skillfully. While mainstream romance readers may not be familiar with this take of literary BDSM, it doesn’t make it any less beautiful.

Rough Play is a extremely gratifying. The subject matter is darkly compelling and sensually invigorating. This is a very mature adult read. The plot is dangerous and gripping, while the love story is dominating. This book really had me sitting back and thinking. It is NOT a light read.

So come on over to the dark side, we are waiting for you. You won’t be disappointed!

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot, hot, hot! It took me a bit to try and understand exactly what was going on. But when I did, it all made sense and the story really took off! Romance with plenty of mystery all the way through, this book was hard to put down until everything was solved and figured out!

By now, people know my preferred genre in erotica is BDSM. I can't get enough. There was some serious stuff in here, some that wasn't for me (blood play, maiming, the more extreme stuff, although not used to try and entice the reader) and stuff I was happy to read about (consensual role plays).

Charlotte is hesitant to get back into the scene after some pretty bad experiences. I like the books where the heroine needs a little healing and a little coxing in a safe environment. Martin is a great pick for her and I highly enjoyed their romps, that seemed to happen all but in a bed.

Very sexual, very hot story! Hot enough to make you melt in all the wrong but oh so wrong ways! Definitely not suitable for the under 18 crowd and for those who aren't into more than light bdsm. But if you like a little more to your bdsm, this is definitely a novel worth checking out!

[MissyGirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was not really what I expected. There are a few reviews about how hot this book was, but I didn't feel it much. About 3 actual sex scenes total, and none of them had me glued to the pages. There was also a sci-fi element in one of the side stories, which is not my thing at all. I start reading names like Gorean, Kartane, and Ubar, and my eyes start to glaze over.

I did, however, like the 2 main characters-Charlotte and Master Martin. Charlotte has a special skill that I won't spoil for you, but it's fun to read about. And, Master Martin is a big, strapping Dom, who knows exactly what Charlotte needs. I just wish there were more of the just the 2 of them in the book!

[CraftyBirdies · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just okay for me because I just felt like it was a reporting of events and very little focus on the emotions and relationships. It didn't invest my attention much at all because I didn't have time to root for characters or relationships before it was already over. I did like the characters, so it had potential but fell seriously flat for me!

[♥Book♥YouVeryMuch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was average quality to me. In lot of places throughout the book there lacks logic in the story line.
Also at the end of the book straight after being saved from kidnapping/captivity, the heroine engages in rape play it is just unrealistic.

[Lindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm. This was an interesting side of BDSM. Parts of it were much, much darker than I generally like to read, and at the same time it lacked some of the intensity I expected. Or maybe it just wasn't as hot as I expected because it didn't get my motor running like similar books have. There were times that my interest waned and I considered DNF'ing it, but somehow it managed to keep just hooked enough to finish it. Some of the raw abuse was like a nasty train wreck - I didn't like it, it was repulsive, but I couldn't quite look away.

Martin had the potential to be a delicious Dom, but he sort of fizzled for me. I had trouble relating to Charlotte, maybe because there were times that she bordered on bitchy and TSTL.

The whole Gorean aspect was completely new to me (had to look it up), and while it added a novel element to the book, I'd be fine if I never read anything more about it.

[Natina El · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned so much from this book.. lol.. the characters were good the story line was a little far fetched witht he sci fi engrossed ex husband for my taste (it's just scary to think that there are people out there that actually fancy their lives after sci fi fiction *shivers) otherwise it was a great read. Especially liked how nobody felt too rushed to commit an "absolute morality" by getting help for the bad guy right away.
Yep this was great, wouldn't even mind a sequal or 3.. (in series junkie rehad I swear).

[books-on-a-wire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five stars for the rare but extremely hot scenes between Charlotte and Martin, the book needed a lot more of them and far less of the villain. He is a true villain, completely nuts, and entirely too much of the book was dedicated to him and his attempts to brainwash women into being his slaves. He gets one star, pulling my rating down to a three. I've read this author before and liked her work, but this was so outlandish that by the end I was skimming.

[Lisa ILJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a big old hot mess. Way too many POVs, the story jumped all over the place, and I didn't find anything hot about it. In the whole book, the Main Characters are intimate exactly 3 times. The alien stuff made my brain hurt, completely distracted from the story, and was frankly stupid. I will say I added a star because I actually really liked the MCs. I think if the book had focused on them alone and the building of their relationship it would have been a much better book.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story took me by surprise! I was lost at first, then it all just came together. When a story can make you stop and think, ponder your own desires and make your heart race, it's worth reading again. Loved the ending!! Just desserts I say!!! Bravo!!

[Natasha A.]

Wow this is bad!
I think my eyes are permanently rolling.
I couldn't take any of it seriously.
Got about 50ish pages in.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about hot! This book won't be for everyone.. There were some parts with the Ex-husband that were really hard for me to get through, but overall I thought it was a good book!

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lost of interesting sex!

[FayAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was better than what i expected it to be. I typically tolerate most villains. Not this villain! I actually HATE this villain to death!

[Jessica Mclynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

another author I will have to read more from.