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Agony / Ecstasy: 21 Stories of Agonizing Pleasure
All new stories of punishing extremes and unbearable pleasure...
With historical, contemporary, and futuristic backdrops, this outrageously diverse collection of original stories explores every conceivable variation of BDSM erotica--from knitting circles to the Titanic to a retelling of The Little Mermaid. Featuring all-new stories by Meljean Brook, Jean Johnson, Bettie Sharpe, Jill Myles, Margaret Rowe, Sara Thorn, and more, this book has everything a reader could hope for in an erotic romance.
448 pages, Paperback
First published December 6, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 7, 2011
Of all the reviews I write, anthologies are the hardest nut to crack. When the anthology is one of numerous short stories, rather than a handful of novellas, the task grows even more difficult. When you're working with stories that are a mere 20 pages in length, how do you review them without giving away all the details?
Since this is a genre collection, rather than a literary one, there's not a ton to talk about thematically. The authors' goals were to entertain, not enlighten. So I'd suppose my job as a reviewer is to try explain if they succeeded or not.
So, to begin with, it's like most anthologies: some great stories, some terrible ones, and a bunch of ok ones. Definitely erotica, not romance, but not all BDSM themed. Most have at least a thread of romance to them, but only a few had an HEA. Some don't even have an HFN. Rest assured that none of the stories are downers, but if you're a romance reader you might not know what to make of the stories with fully ambiguous endings.
If I added up my grades for the stories to find the mathematical average, the book comes in at a three. Somehow that just didn't match my perception of the anthology as a whole. The raw desire and emotion of "Shameless," the pulse-quickening suspense of "Rescue Me" and the convention-bucking "Safeword" seemed better than a mere three star read. "Caged" breathed new life into the tired werewolf theme and left me begging for more. "Into the Red" was an imaginative futuristic gladiator tale with some of the hottest emotion in the anthology. "Bruised Ego" and "Overtaken" took two different takes on boxer/fighter heroes, managing to show both sides of the same coin.
Yes, "Wetwire" was derivative Neuromancer fanfic, the dialog-free "Taken" a boring Indian captive story and "The Wooden Pony" a phoned-in maledom BDSM cliche, but they didn't manage to spoil the bunch. For every bad story there were two okay ones and one great one. Isn't that really the best you can hope for in an anthology?
If you're in the market for quick and dirty erotic short stories, Agony/Ecstasy is a quality offering. It's diverse in theme, sexual orientation and culture and packs enough emotion to keep it from being a volume of forgettable stroke fiction. The strongest entries far outweigh the weakest ones, leaving the lasting impression of a satisfying read. If you're brave enough to step outside the romance genre Jane is associated with, this is a great collection of erotica.
Since this is a genre collection, rather than a literary one, there's not a ton to talk about thematically. The authors' goals were to entertain, not enlighten. So I'd suppose my job as a reviewer is to try explain if they succeeded or not.
So, to begin with, it's like most anthologies: some great stories, some terrible ones, and a bunch of ok ones. Definitely erotica, not romance, but not all BDSM themed. Most have at least a thread of romance to them, but only a few had an HEA. Some don't even have an HFN. Rest assured that none of the stories are downers, but if you're a romance reader you might not know what to make of the stories with fully ambiguous endings.
If I added up my grades for the stories to find the mathematical average, the book comes in at a three. Somehow that just didn't match my perception of the anthology as a whole. The raw desire and emotion of "Shameless," the pulse-quickening suspense of "Rescue Me" and the convention-bucking "Safeword" seemed better than a mere three star read. "Caged" breathed new life into the tired werewolf theme and left me begging for more. "Into the Red" was an imaginative futuristic gladiator tale with some of the hottest emotion in the anthology. "Bruised Ego" and "Overtaken" took two different takes on boxer/fighter heroes, managing to show both sides of the same coin.
Yes, "Wetwire" was derivative Neuromancer fanfic, the dialog-free "Taken" a boring Indian captive story and "The Wooden Pony" a phoned-in maledom BDSM cliche, but they didn't manage to spoil the bunch. For every bad story there were two okay ones and one great one. Isn't that really the best you can hope for in an anthology?
If you're in the market for quick and dirty erotic short stories, Agony/Ecstasy is a quality offering. It's diverse in theme, sexual orientation and culture and packs enough emotion to keep it from being a volume of forgettable stroke fiction. The strongest entries far outweigh the weakest ones, leaving the lasting impression of a satisfying read. If you're brave enough to step outside the romance genre Jane is associated with, this is a great collection of erotica.
December 6, 2011
The Agony/Ecstasy anthology is made up of “11 stories of agonizing pleasure and 10 stories of exquisite pain.” I was hesitant to read this, because I’m not huge on anthologies to begin with and I thought 21 very short stories would not be for me. But I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed them. Many are edgy and all are erotic. I decided to give my brief thoughts on each one.
On the Agony side:
Transfixed/Transformed by Anne Calhoun – One of the main reasons I picked up this anthology is because I wanted to read a story by Anne Calhoun (Liberating Lacey is a favorite of mine!). And she is the one author that has a story on both the Agony side and Ecstasy side. Her story features a dominatrix and a former marine who submits himself. In this story she dresses in a 1950’s housewife fashion, and whips him. It’s really, really well done. I could have read 350 pages about these two.
The Sybil by Jean Johnson – A warrior, emperor type story. Didn’t like this one, skipped most of it.
Caged by J.K Coi – A woman meets a man who has been transformed into a werewolf to fight him to learn to be a better agent. Their fighting leads to a very intense sexual encounter. The ending is very abrupt…but I liked it. Very dark.
Each Step Sublime by Bettie Sharpe – DNF this one.
Safeword by Delphine Dryden – Best friends to lovers story, or should I say, a best friends to “paddle my ass as my lover” story. It’s cute, a little more on the lighter side.
Stitch and Bitch by A.L. Simonds – A F/F romance that involves naughty nipple play with knitting needles. This one was just okay for me.
Bachelorette Party by Jessica Clare – A woman wants to be whipped before settling down, and is running out of time with her approaching wedding. Her BFF sets it up for her. This one is a little more on the lighter side as well. I liked how it played out.
Wicked Wedding Night by Margaret Rowe – Set in 1815, Viscount Lucien Ransford had a woman sleepwalk (or so she says) into his bed one night and two nights later finds himself married to her. Having spent time in a French prison, his needs have become quite….special. He needs to be the master, or else stimulation eludes him. His wedding night starts by tying up his bride – much to her horror. The heroine is “short, plump, her dull brown hair frizzed in damp weather, and she read books.” And it is a very good story – intense and dark. Loved it and my favorite of the book.
Shameless by Edie Harris – A woman attends a play with her once fiancé, who now just uses her as a mistress. Miserable in her position, she catches the eye of the man who choreographs the fight scenes in the play. She meets him backstage and she finds out he gets off on being hit by women. And she is a very angry woman. There is hitting and then smexy times. It is dark, but I didn’t connect as well with this one as some of the others.
Taken by Rebecca Lange – Hiro’s clan has brought him a woman to replace his wife that he lost in a raid the previous winter. He has bound her, more to protect her until she can trust him. Myriam wants to escape, not realizing she would be running into danger. Not speaking the same language, these two learn each other through touch and he tries to show her through physical pleasure that she can trust him. This one a little slow for me.
Wetwire by Sunny Moraine – Finding sexual play while jacked into a console. Skipped most of this one.
On the Ecstasy side:
Transformed by Anne Calhoun – See above.
Rescue Me by Meljean Brook – Jenny ends up kidnapped by a high school science teacher, who also has been murdering brunettes. He ties her up and leaves her to go someplace. Jenny knows she must escape. She had been on the phone with her friend, and detective Ian, when she was abducted…so he knows she is in trouble, but doesn’t know any details. Bound to a chair, she pretends he is there with her, doing sexy things to her, as she desperately tries to escape the cabin she is in before her abductor comes back. This one is really good. Very creepy and I love how Jenny imagines Ian there and their sexual play, but what she is really doing is trying to escape. Very unique.
The Wooden Pony by Shoshanna Evers – A former cutter, Natalie reaches out online to find someone who can inflict pain on her…in a more pleasurable way. She meets Eric and after an long online chat, they meet in person the next night. He takes her back her his place for a whipping and other fun games. There wasn’t a lot of meat to this one. It didn’t feel as emotional as some of the other stories.
Kiss of Life by Lily Daniels – This one has a lot going on for such a short story. A survivor of the Titanic disaster, Theodora is just married, yet there is another man who Theodora and Hugh must deal with before they can be happy. I liked the setting in this one, but I never felt much love for Hugh. They all come across kind of cold.
Silverhouse by Sarabeth Scott – This story is just a glimpse at a night with Christoph and Clara…where Christoph is punishing Clara for acting out against him. And although it is just a sex scene – it is so good. So dirty, and the punishment and submission works really well in this one.
Bruised Ego by Christine d’Abo – On the advice of a friend, Lee goes to see a “therapist,” but this therapist isn’t they type he was thinking of. She is a professional dom. He realizes she satisfies this deep seeded need in him. Pretty straight story of a man being taken apart, to be put back together again. I liked it.
On My Skin by DL Galace – Marnie has turned to drinking and not taking care of herself after her divorce. What she really wants is a tattoo, and often finds herself loitering around the shop, but never having the nerve to do it. Until one night the tattoo artist, Michael, won’t take no for an answer. Marnie needs that pain from the needle, as it brings her back to life. This one doesn’t have explicit sex in it, but it still is sexy and plays off the pain aspect.
Just Say Yes by HelenKay Dimon – This one is a naughty story about a boss and her assistant. They’ve started a dirty affair, but Allie knows she can’t continue to sleep with her employee. But he won’t take no for an answer. Super sexy and fun story.
Into the Red by Cameron Belle – I didn’t like this one. Skipped most of it.
Overtaken by Sara Thorn – Liz and John have been broken up for three months and Liz doesn’t understand why. Meeting with him after one of his fights, she presses him to tell her why they broke up. John wants things from her – pain when it comes to sex and can’t communicate to her what it is he wants. But Liz refuses to go away until he tells her what it really is he wants out of their sex. This one was just okay for me.
As I said in the beginning, although there were a few that didn’t work for me, I still enjoyed the time I spent reading this. It also introduced me to some new authors that I now want to try longer books from. Because they are short stories (about 20 pages each) there is not necessarily HEA happiness. Sometimes there is, sometimes it is just a brief glimpse into a sexual encounter. Overall, a nice collection of erotic stories.
Rating: B
On the Agony side:
Transfixed/Transformed by Anne Calhoun – One of the main reasons I picked up this anthology is because I wanted to read a story by Anne Calhoun (Liberating Lacey is a favorite of mine!). And she is the one author that has a story on both the Agony side and Ecstasy side. Her story features a dominatrix and a former marine who submits himself. In this story she dresses in a 1950’s housewife fashion, and whips him. It’s really, really well done. I could have read 350 pages about these two.
The Sybil by Jean Johnson – A warrior, emperor type story. Didn’t like this one, skipped most of it.
Caged by J.K Coi – A woman meets a man who has been transformed into a werewolf to fight him to learn to be a better agent. Their fighting leads to a very intense sexual encounter. The ending is very abrupt…but I liked it. Very dark.
Each Step Sublime by Bettie Sharpe – DNF this one.
Safeword by Delphine Dryden – Best friends to lovers story, or should I say, a best friends to “paddle my ass as my lover” story. It’s cute, a little more on the lighter side.
Stitch and Bitch by A.L. Simonds – A F/F romance that involves naughty nipple play with knitting needles. This one was just okay for me.
Bachelorette Party by Jessica Clare – A woman wants to be whipped before settling down, and is running out of time with her approaching wedding. Her BFF sets it up for her. This one is a little more on the lighter side as well. I liked how it played out.
Wicked Wedding Night by Margaret Rowe – Set in 1815, Viscount Lucien Ransford had a woman sleepwalk (or so she says) into his bed one night and two nights later finds himself married to her. Having spent time in a French prison, his needs have become quite….special. He needs to be the master, or else stimulation eludes him. His wedding night starts by tying up his bride – much to her horror. The heroine is “short, plump, her dull brown hair frizzed in damp weather, and she read books.” And it is a very good story – intense and dark. Loved it and my favorite of the book.
Shameless by Edie Harris – A woman attends a play with her once fiancé, who now just uses her as a mistress. Miserable in her position, she catches the eye of the man who choreographs the fight scenes in the play. She meets him backstage and she finds out he gets off on being hit by women. And she is a very angry woman. There is hitting and then smexy times. It is dark, but I didn’t connect as well with this one as some of the others.
Taken by Rebecca Lange – Hiro’s clan has brought him a woman to replace his wife that he lost in a raid the previous winter. He has bound her, more to protect her until she can trust him. Myriam wants to escape, not realizing she would be running into danger. Not speaking the same language, these two learn each other through touch and he tries to show her through physical pleasure that she can trust him. This one a little slow for me.
Wetwire by Sunny Moraine – Finding sexual play while jacked into a console. Skipped most of this one.
On the Ecstasy side:
Transformed by Anne Calhoun – See above.
Rescue Me by Meljean Brook – Jenny ends up kidnapped by a high school science teacher, who also has been murdering brunettes. He ties her up and leaves her to go someplace. Jenny knows she must escape. She had been on the phone with her friend, and detective Ian, when she was abducted…so he knows she is in trouble, but doesn’t know any details. Bound to a chair, she pretends he is there with her, doing sexy things to her, as she desperately tries to escape the cabin she is in before her abductor comes back. This one is really good. Very creepy and I love how Jenny imagines Ian there and their sexual play, but what she is really doing is trying to escape. Very unique.
The Wooden Pony by Shoshanna Evers – A former cutter, Natalie reaches out online to find someone who can inflict pain on her…in a more pleasurable way. She meets Eric and after an long online chat, they meet in person the next night. He takes her back her his place for a whipping and other fun games. There wasn’t a lot of meat to this one. It didn’t feel as emotional as some of the other stories.
Kiss of Life by Lily Daniels – This one has a lot going on for such a short story. A survivor of the Titanic disaster, Theodora is just married, yet there is another man who Theodora and Hugh must deal with before they can be happy. I liked the setting in this one, but I never felt much love for Hugh. They all come across kind of cold.
Silverhouse by Sarabeth Scott – This story is just a glimpse at a night with Christoph and Clara…where Christoph is punishing Clara for acting out against him. And although it is just a sex scene – it is so good. So dirty, and the punishment and submission works really well in this one.
Bruised Ego by Christine d’Abo – On the advice of a friend, Lee goes to see a “therapist,” but this therapist isn’t they type he was thinking of. She is a professional dom. He realizes she satisfies this deep seeded need in him. Pretty straight story of a man being taken apart, to be put back together again. I liked it.
On My Skin by DL Galace – Marnie has turned to drinking and not taking care of herself after her divorce. What she really wants is a tattoo, and often finds herself loitering around the shop, but never having the nerve to do it. Until one night the tattoo artist, Michael, won’t take no for an answer. Marnie needs that pain from the needle, as it brings her back to life. This one doesn’t have explicit sex in it, but it still is sexy and plays off the pain aspect.
Just Say Yes by HelenKay Dimon – This one is a naughty story about a boss and her assistant. They’ve started a dirty affair, but Allie knows she can’t continue to sleep with her employee. But he won’t take no for an answer. Super sexy and fun story.
Into the Red by Cameron Belle – I didn’t like this one. Skipped most of it.
Overtaken by Sara Thorn – Liz and John have been broken up for three months and Liz doesn’t understand why. Meeting with him after one of his fights, she presses him to tell her why they broke up. John wants things from her – pain when it comes to sex and can’t communicate to her what it is he wants. But Liz refuses to go away until he tells her what it really is he wants out of their sex. This one was just okay for me.
As I said in the beginning, although there were a few that didn’t work for me, I still enjoyed the time I spent reading this. It also introduced me to some new authors that I now want to try longer books from. Because they are short stories (about 20 pages each) there is not necessarily HEA happiness. Sometimes there is, sometimes it is just a brief glimpse into a sexual encounter. Overall, a nice collection of erotic stories.
Rating: B
December 13, 2011
There were some good stories started, but they needed more development. More frustrating than entertaining.
I rarely buy anthologies because most are not as satisfying as full size novels. I took a chance on this one. Sadly I was disappointed. There are 21 stories by 20 different authors. Each story is about 20 pages long. Because they were so short, something was missing from all of them. The least satisfying were those with unfinished endings, not knowing what would happen with the couples. Some had potential but I wanted more background, character development, or relationship development. The genre is probably erotica, but some stories have the feel of erotic romance. There is at least one intense sex scene per story. A majority of the stories have pain with sex. Most of the sex scenes are one man and one woman, but one story has two women, two stories have two men. Expect rear door activity and sex toys. Most of the stories are contemporary, but others include historical, futuristic, paranormal, fantasy, and sci-fi.
11 Agony Stories:
These had a pain theme. This meant one of the characters was being physically hurt, whipped, pinched, bit, cut. The characters enjoyed feeling pain, but it didn’t do anything for me. I couldn’t identify with them, and there wasn’t enough else to draw me in. I have liked a number of BDSM stories, so it wasn’t that. It was just this didn’t work for me.
The best of the Agony stories was Wicked Wedding Night by Margaret Rowe. It was similar to the Kate Pearce books about a guy who was tortured in prison and now must cause pain to his female partner in order to have sex. It had a happy ending which I liked. But the pain to his partner didn’t do anything for me.
Caged by JK Coi had potential. A werewolf was imprisoned. The hanging, unfinished ending was the problem. I wanted a lot more on this.
10 Ecstasy Stories:
I was surprised that some of these also had pain. A few of these could have been good. But because they were so short, things were missing. My favorites were the following.
Into the Red by Cameron Belle. Very intriguing about two men. Tom is a gladiator type warrior who fights in a televised arena. Brendan is a doctor who examines Tom.
On My Skin by DL Galace. Girl is depressed and down on her luck. She gets a tattoo. Good. Had potential, but I wanted more background about her, and more about him as well. The ending was too abrupt.
Rescue Me by Meljean Brook. Bad guy Shaw kidnapped and tied up girl. I wanted to know what happened to Shaw. This was good, but too many unanswered questions.
Just Say Yes by Helenkay Dimon. Female boss and male assistant have hot sex. It has potential.
OTHER ANTHOLOGIES:
It’s possible to have entertaining short stories with happy endings. There were five short stories in “Sauce for the Goose” which I thought were very good to excellent. So it can be done. But it wasn’t done here. The average number of pages in SFTG was 12 pages per story.
DATA:
Story length: 426 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong/erotic. Number of sex scenes: each story has at least one. Settings: various times and places. Copyright: 2011. Genre: erotica.
I rarely buy anthologies because most are not as satisfying as full size novels. I took a chance on this one. Sadly I was disappointed. There are 21 stories by 20 different authors. Each story is about 20 pages long. Because they were so short, something was missing from all of them. The least satisfying were those with unfinished endings, not knowing what would happen with the couples. Some had potential but I wanted more background, character development, or relationship development. The genre is probably erotica, but some stories have the feel of erotic romance. There is at least one intense sex scene per story. A majority of the stories have pain with sex. Most of the sex scenes are one man and one woman, but one story has two women, two stories have two men. Expect rear door activity and sex toys. Most of the stories are contemporary, but others include historical, futuristic, paranormal, fantasy, and sci-fi.
11 Agony Stories:
These had a pain theme. This meant one of the characters was being physically hurt, whipped, pinched, bit, cut. The characters enjoyed feeling pain, but it didn’t do anything for me. I couldn’t identify with them, and there wasn’t enough else to draw me in. I have liked a number of BDSM stories, so it wasn’t that. It was just this didn’t work for me.
The best of the Agony stories was Wicked Wedding Night by Margaret Rowe. It was similar to the Kate Pearce books about a guy who was tortured in prison and now must cause pain to his female partner in order to have sex. It had a happy ending which I liked. But the pain to his partner didn’t do anything for me.
Caged by JK Coi had potential. A werewolf was imprisoned. The hanging, unfinished ending was the problem. I wanted a lot more on this.
10 Ecstasy Stories:
I was surprised that some of these also had pain. A few of these could have been good. But because they were so short, things were missing. My favorites were the following.
Into the Red by Cameron Belle. Very intriguing about two men. Tom is a gladiator type warrior who fights in a televised arena. Brendan is a doctor who examines Tom.
On My Skin by DL Galace. Girl is depressed and down on her luck. She gets a tattoo. Good. Had potential, but I wanted more background about her, and more about him as well. The ending was too abrupt.
Rescue Me by Meljean Brook. Bad guy Shaw kidnapped and tied up girl. I wanted to know what happened to Shaw. This was good, but too many unanswered questions.
Just Say Yes by Helenkay Dimon. Female boss and male assistant have hot sex. It has potential.
OTHER ANTHOLOGIES:
It’s possible to have entertaining short stories with happy endings. There were five short stories in “Sauce for the Goose” which I thought were very good to excellent. So it can be done. But it wasn’t done here. The average number of pages in SFTG was 12 pages per story.
DATA:
Story length: 426 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong/erotic. Number of sex scenes: each story has at least one. Settings: various times and places. Copyright: 2011. Genre: erotica.
December 7, 2011
Note: I've only read the stories by Anne Calhoun in this anthology, because she's one of my very favorite erotic romance authors.
Transfixed: 3.5 stars
It's a short story, so it's no easy feat for an author to write a cohesive work in such a tight word count. As always Ms. Calhoun's writing style is purely hypnotic. There's a rhythm to her words, an underlying poetry that enchants me every time I read her work. Each word is like sampling a delicious morsel from a five star restaurant.
The only reason this book didn't score higher with me was because of the content, NOT the writing. The heroine's icy exterior and enjoyment of inflicting pain on Cole made me uncomfortable, yet it suited her character. And there was no doubt the hero was in that situation willingly.
But for Transformed, the story that follows the progression of the relationship...WOW. Big 5 stars from me.
Cole is a deliciously complicated hero, and having been unsatisfied at the end of Transfixed, I adored seeing him take control and break through Marin's protective shields to expose the vulnerable woman inside. I loved that he took the time to undo her carefully, winning as much as demanding her ultimate surrender. My toes were curled the whole time. It's an erotic and tender story, Anne Calhoun at her best. Loved it!
Transfixed: 3.5 stars
It's a short story, so it's no easy feat for an author to write a cohesive work in such a tight word count. As always Ms. Calhoun's writing style is purely hypnotic. There's a rhythm to her words, an underlying poetry that enchants me every time I read her work. Each word is like sampling a delicious morsel from a five star restaurant.
The only reason this book didn't score higher with me was because of the content, NOT the writing. The heroine's icy exterior and enjoyment of inflicting pain on Cole made me uncomfortable, yet it suited her character. And there was no doubt the hero was in that situation willingly.
But for Transformed, the story that follows the progression of the relationship...WOW. Big 5 stars from me.
Cole is a deliciously complicated hero, and having been unsatisfied at the end of Transfixed, I adored seeing him take control and break through Marin's protective shields to expose the vulnerable woman inside. I loved that he took the time to undo her carefully, winning as much as demanding her ultimate surrender. My toes were curled the whole time. It's an erotic and tender story, Anne Calhoun at her best. Loved it!
December 20, 2011
Just a little something to read on a cold, rainy night to get you in the mood...an adventerous one, to say the least. Many erotic short stories with an S&M twist. Some stories more explicit than others. Nothing too hard-core, in my opinion. I did learn a couple of new tricks. I would recommend this book!
January 17, 2012
As always with any anthology you're going to have some winners and some duds, this didnt' stray too far from the formula.
December 18, 2011
I wasn't sure whether to give this one 4 or 5 stars, but in the end I decided to go with 5, because the ones I enjoyed I REALLY enjoyed, and for the most part the ones I didn't like weren't so much bad as they were just not to my taste.
As I read I took notes to have a mini book club type phone call with my sister when she's done reading it. I thought I'd post my notes here. I read the book a story or two at a time over the course of week.
My overall favs:
Safeword by Delphine Dryden
Wicked Wedding Night by Margaret Row
Rescue Me by Meljean Brook
Bruised Ego by Christine d'Abo
Into the Red by Cameron Belle
Overtaken by Sara Thorn
I don't think I can pick one favorite, but Rescue Me and Into the Red really stood out for me, so if pressed it would be one of them.
Here are my notes:
Transfixed by Anne Calhoun
- Cole (Marine) and Marin (dressed as 50s housewife). The blood takes it too far for me, but the rest I really liked, so I pretended there was no blood. The open ending made me very curious! So, I liked it, but I generally really like Anne Calhoun's voice.
Transformed by Anne Calhoun (this one is on the Ecstasy side, but I read it out of order so I could keep it together in my head with Transfixed) The epilogue to Transfixed. This one didn't work as well for me. It felt too... Thoughtful. I guess I just didn't get it.
The Sybil by Jean Johnson
Emperor and visionary. She punishes him for his missteps. It was just ok. Added a baby to the end that was a bit much for me
Caged by J.C. Koi
Caged werewolf story. The twist is that he is her husband, changed. He seemed pretty human to me, tho, so I was a bit confused and disappointed by the non-ending.
Each Step Sublime by Bettie Sharpe
Little Mermaid retelling. Dark. She has pain with every step. I'm not sure why everyone thought he was a monster. BDSM? Overall, I liked it, tho.
Safeword by Delphine Dryden
Friends and coworkers move to lovers with spanking. I had problems with the first few pages. Who was who? Was this a m/f or m/m couple? Also, would you really go straight to spanking? No regular sex first? But none of it mattered in the end because I really, really liked this one.
Stitch and Bitch by A.L. Simonds
f/f - Took place around a Stitch and Bitch club at a yarn shop. Both women enjoyed pain. They broke up, but then got back together without a whole lot of explanation. I've read very little f/f, so that pulled me out of the story here and there. Overall, I'd say good to okay.
Bachelorette Party by Jessica Clare
Two things bothered me and ruined my enjoyment of this one. First, I didn't like the idea even of cheating on your fiancé. I get that she figured it out right away, because there was the clue of the scent, but how could she be SURE? That really bothered me and kept pulling me out of the story. Then there was the fact that they were on top of the hotel bedspread. Ew. That yucked me out. A hotel bedspread? I'm not so confident that ever gets washed, so the thought of pressing a face against it? No. So this should have been a fantastic story for me , but I couldn't get past the things that bothered me.
Wicked Wedding Night by Margaret Row
This one should have bothered me but didn't. I think I can accept a lot more in a historical. So the fact that he bound and punished his wife without her permission didn't phase me. I really liked it, maybe one of my favs.
Shameless by Edie Harris
Historical, cast off female lover meets with stagehand(fight choreographer) back stage and he teaches her to hit him. It liked this one, though the ending is very open, and so a bit unsatisfying.
Taken by Rebecca Lange
Again, this should have bothered me, but instead it really worked for me. Man (Indian?) has capture woman who is attracted to him, but tied up and powerless. He forces himself on her (rapes her) but she almost likes it. Then he allows her a bit of control, though still bound, and she chooses to have sex with him. I liked it, but I think I likes the drawn out non-rapey Warprize better.
Wetwire by Sunny Moraine
This was the futuristic one about being jacked in to the net with leads in your temples, and the guy who switched pleasure and pain sensations. For me it was just wierd.
Rescue Me by Meljean Brook
Ok, this one might be my favorite. Jenny is kidnapped and left alone, tied up in a cabin. She visualizes sexual encounters with policeman and long time friend Ian to distract herself from the pain of escaping. Good and hot. And I love the self rescuing princess!
Wooden Pony by Shoshanna Evers
I liked this one. Natalie and Eric meet through online personals and this is her first time with pain play. No actual sex in this one, but it was still hot. I don't know why, but I'm so much more comfortable reading about sex that doesn't leave a mark. This one goes in the good column for me.
Kiss of Life by Lily Daniels
This is the Titanic one. I'm a little confused, because there was a phallus and some double penetration on the wedding night, which I thought was just the way he rolled, but then at the end he was apologizing, like it was just a way he tried to humiliate her. I thought it was hot and the sex scenes week written, but I'll admit to being confused.
Silverhouse by Sarabeth Scott
I don't know the Nutcracker ballet story. I think there were references to that in this story, but I missed them, beyond the names. I really enjoyed it until it sounded like it has started when she was very very young. That squicked me out a bit.
Bruised Ego by Christine d'Abo
Lee boxes and gets off on the pain, but is ashamed of that. His friend sends him to Diana, who turns out to be a professional Dom. She helps him understand and accept his need for pain. I liked it. I even thought the psychobabble was probably pretty accurate.
On My Skin by DL Galace
This is the tattoo parlor one, with Marnie terribly depressed. I liked it and it had great tension. The ending felt abrupt and left me wanting more.
Just Say Yes by HelenKay Dimon
This one just didn't do it for me. I think because I'm such a rule follower, and this one is about a boss having sex with her subordinate. He can't understand why it makes her uncomfortable, but I do. Also, I missed the emotional connection to the point that I was surprised he would get a new job in order to continue seeing her.
Into the Red by Cameron Belle
I really liked this one. A Sci fi m/m with some sort of reality tv gladiator tourney. Dr and patient, but I was good with it. It amazes me how a world can be built in so few words!
Overtaken by Sara Thorn
I really like this one, too. Boxer's ex-gf returns and wants him to do to her what he really wants, because she wants it, too. (pain and sex) It was good and it was hot.
As I read I took notes to have a mini book club type phone call with my sister when she's done reading it. I thought I'd post my notes here. I read the book a story or two at a time over the course of week.
My overall favs:
Safeword by Delphine Dryden
Wicked Wedding Night by Margaret Row
Rescue Me by Meljean Brook
Bruised Ego by Christine d'Abo
Into the Red by Cameron Belle
Overtaken by Sara Thorn
I don't think I can pick one favorite, but Rescue Me and Into the Red really stood out for me, so if pressed it would be one of them.
Here are my notes:
Transfixed by Anne Calhoun
- Cole (Marine) and Marin (dressed as 50s housewife). The blood takes it too far for me, but the rest I really liked, so I pretended there was no blood. The open ending made me very curious! So, I liked it, but I generally really like Anne Calhoun's voice.
Transformed by Anne Calhoun (this one is on the Ecstasy side, but I read it out of order so I could keep it together in my head with Transfixed) The epilogue to Transfixed. This one didn't work as well for me. It felt too... Thoughtful. I guess I just didn't get it.
The Sybil by Jean Johnson
Emperor and visionary. She punishes him for his missteps. It was just ok. Added a baby to the end that was a bit much for me
Caged by J.C. Koi
Caged werewolf story. The twist is that he is her husband, changed. He seemed pretty human to me, tho, so I was a bit confused and disappointed by the non-ending.
Each Step Sublime by Bettie Sharpe
Little Mermaid retelling. Dark. She has pain with every step. I'm not sure why everyone thought he was a monster. BDSM? Overall, I liked it, tho.
Safeword by Delphine Dryden
Friends and coworkers move to lovers with spanking. I had problems with the first few pages. Who was who? Was this a m/f or m/m couple? Also, would you really go straight to spanking? No regular sex first? But none of it mattered in the end because I really, really liked this one.
Stitch and Bitch by A.L. Simonds
f/f - Took place around a Stitch and Bitch club at a yarn shop. Both women enjoyed pain. They broke up, but then got back together without a whole lot of explanation. I've read very little f/f, so that pulled me out of the story here and there. Overall, I'd say good to okay.
Bachelorette Party by Jessica Clare
Two things bothered me and ruined my enjoyment of this one. First, I didn't like the idea even of cheating on your fiancé. I get that she figured it out right away, because there was the clue of the scent, but how could she be SURE? That really bothered me and kept pulling me out of the story. Then there was the fact that they were on top of the hotel bedspread. Ew. That yucked me out. A hotel bedspread? I'm not so confident that ever gets washed, so the thought of pressing a face against it? No. So this should have been a fantastic story for me , but I couldn't get past the things that bothered me.
Wicked Wedding Night by Margaret Row
This one should have bothered me but didn't. I think I can accept a lot more in a historical. So the fact that he bound and punished his wife without her permission didn't phase me. I really liked it, maybe one of my favs.
Shameless by Edie Harris
Historical, cast off female lover meets with stagehand(fight choreographer) back stage and he teaches her to hit him. It liked this one, though the ending is very open, and so a bit unsatisfying.
Taken by Rebecca Lange
Again, this should have bothered me, but instead it really worked for me. Man (Indian?) has capture woman who is attracted to him, but tied up and powerless. He forces himself on her (rapes her) but she almost likes it. Then he allows her a bit of control, though still bound, and she chooses to have sex with him. I liked it, but I think I likes the drawn out non-rapey Warprize better.
Wetwire by Sunny Moraine
This was the futuristic one about being jacked in to the net with leads in your temples, and the guy who switched pleasure and pain sensations. For me it was just wierd.
Rescue Me by Meljean Brook
Ok, this one might be my favorite. Jenny is kidnapped and left alone, tied up in a cabin. She visualizes sexual encounters with policeman and long time friend Ian to distract herself from the pain of escaping. Good and hot. And I love the self rescuing princess!
Wooden Pony by Shoshanna Evers
I liked this one. Natalie and Eric meet through online personals and this is her first time with pain play. No actual sex in this one, but it was still hot. I don't know why, but I'm so much more comfortable reading about sex that doesn't leave a mark. This one goes in the good column for me.
Kiss of Life by Lily Daniels
This is the Titanic one. I'm a little confused, because there was a phallus and some double penetration on the wedding night, which I thought was just the way he rolled, but then at the end he was apologizing, like it was just a way he tried to humiliate her. I thought it was hot and the sex scenes week written, but I'll admit to being confused.
Silverhouse by Sarabeth Scott
I don't know the Nutcracker ballet story. I think there were references to that in this story, but I missed them, beyond the names. I really enjoyed it until it sounded like it has started when she was very very young. That squicked me out a bit.
Bruised Ego by Christine d'Abo
Lee boxes and gets off on the pain, but is ashamed of that. His friend sends him to Diana, who turns out to be a professional Dom. She helps him understand and accept his need for pain. I liked it. I even thought the psychobabble was probably pretty accurate.
On My Skin by DL Galace
This is the tattoo parlor one, with Marnie terribly depressed. I liked it and it had great tension. The ending felt abrupt and left me wanting more.
Just Say Yes by HelenKay Dimon
This one just didn't do it for me. I think because I'm such a rule follower, and this one is about a boss having sex with her subordinate. He can't understand why it makes her uncomfortable, but I do. Also, I missed the emotional connection to the point that I was surprised he would get a new job in order to continue seeing her.
Into the Red by Cameron Belle
I really liked this one. A Sci fi m/m with some sort of reality tv gladiator tourney. Dr and patient, but I was good with it. It amazes me how a world can be built in so few words!
Overtaken by Sara Thorn
I really like this one, too. Boxer's ex-gf returns and wants him to do to her what he really wants, because she wants it, too. (pain and sex) It was good and it was hot.
January 31, 2019
BDSM isn't my thing, or so I've always thought. I've only been able to enjoy a small handful of books with BDSM or elements of it in them. While Agony is 11 short stories, the flipside Ecstasy has 10 short stories. I have to say I really enjoyed them. I loved the variety of not only setting, but different aspects of what "exquisite pain" and "agonizing pleasure" can be.
Most of the stories are around 20 pages. It's not a lot, but in most cases it was more than enough to tantalize, tease and even satiate. I learned about new-to-me ways of how some people can feel pleasure. A handful of stories did leave me wanting more. I loved how while stories were m/f, there were also some m/m and at least one f/f too.
When I started this collection of stories, I was familar with a handful of contributors. I feel like I've stumbled on a new list of authors to explore. It's the best part of reading an anthology. If you're a BDSM skeptic, I'd highly recommend giving yhis anthology a try. There is something in here for everyone!
Most of the stories are around 20 pages. It's not a lot, but in most cases it was more than enough to tantalize, tease and even satiate. I learned about new-to-me ways of how some people can feel pleasure. A handful of stories did leave me wanting more. I loved how while stories were m/f, there were also some m/m and at least one f/f too.
When I started this collection of stories, I was familar with a handful of contributors. I feel like I've stumbled on a new list of authors to explore. It's the best part of reading an anthology. If you're a BDSM skeptic, I'd highly recommend giving yhis anthology a try. There is something in here for everyone!
December 16, 2011
I'm just going to jump right in to my thoughts on this one:
I'm not usually a fan of anthologies, so I was a bit hesitant to read this, but I ended up really enjoying it. I like reading BDSM if it's not too over-the-top, and these stories were just the right speed for me. It's kind of silly, but I thought it was very cool that the book had two sides - you read the Agony side, then flipped it over for the Ecstasy stories.
My favorite story (actually two) was Transfixed (on the Agony side) by Anne Calhoun, and her other story, Transformed (on the Ecstasy side). Very good BDSM stories; she's a dom and he's a big burly guy who likes to be hurt. I'll say again: Very good. I've added Ms. Calhoun to my "authors I must try" list.
Also on the Agony side:
Safeword by Delphine Dryden - short, sweet, friends to lovers. Hero was kind of a nerd. Very cute.
Bachelorette Party by Jessica Clare. At first I wasn't too into this but by the end I enjoyed it.
Wetwire by Snny Moraine was an original concept and I enjoyed it. Set in the near future, an interesting twist on gaming.
On the Ecstasy side:
Rescue Me by Meljean Brook had me confused at first but once I figured out what was going on I really enjoyed it.
Silverhouse by Sarabeth Scott was way too short - I wanted more! I liked the couple and their master/sub relationship in a historical setting was unique but good.
I also liked Bruised Ego by Christine D'Abo; I'll be looking for more by this author. Kind of made me think of Willing Victim by Cara McKenna for some reason - maybe the boxing in order to be hurt? I'm not sure - very good though.
There were only a few stories I didn't care for, none of them DNFs though, which I guess is the benefit of them all being short. I liked the mix of historical, contemporary, and paranormal/sci-fi. I didn't care for either GLBT story (there were only two - one f/f, one m/m), which kind of surprised me.
I would definitely recommend Agony/Ecstasy for readers who aren't sure if they'd enjoy BDSM-type reading, as well as readers who are already fans of the genre. I've discovered some new-to-me authors I'll be pursuing in the future.
I'm not usually a fan of anthologies, so I was a bit hesitant to read this, but I ended up really enjoying it. I like reading BDSM if it's not too over-the-top, and these stories were just the right speed for me. It's kind of silly, but I thought it was very cool that the book had two sides - you read the Agony side, then flipped it over for the Ecstasy stories.
My favorite story (actually two) was Transfixed (on the Agony side) by Anne Calhoun, and her other story, Transformed (on the Ecstasy side). Very good BDSM stories; she's a dom and he's a big burly guy who likes to be hurt. I'll say again: Very good. I've added Ms. Calhoun to my "authors I must try" list.
Also on the Agony side:
Safeword by Delphine Dryden - short, sweet, friends to lovers. Hero was kind of a nerd. Very cute.
Bachelorette Party by Jessica Clare. At first I wasn't too into this but by the end I enjoyed it.
Wetwire by Snny Moraine was an original concept and I enjoyed it. Set in the near future, an interesting twist on gaming.
On the Ecstasy side:
Rescue Me by Meljean Brook had me confused at first but once I figured out what was going on I really enjoyed it.
Silverhouse by Sarabeth Scott was way too short - I wanted more! I liked the couple and their master/sub relationship in a historical setting was unique but good.
I also liked Bruised Ego by Christine D'Abo; I'll be looking for more by this author. Kind of made me think of Willing Victim by Cara McKenna for some reason - maybe the boxing in order to be hurt? I'm not sure - very good though.
There were only a few stories I didn't care for, none of them DNFs though, which I guess is the benefit of them all being short. I liked the mix of historical, contemporary, and paranormal/sci-fi. I didn't care for either GLBT story (there were only two - one f/f, one m/m), which kind of surprised me.
I would definitely recommend Agony/Ecstasy for readers who aren't sure if they'd enjoy BDSM-type reading, as well as readers who are already fans of the genre. I've discovered some new-to-me authors I'll be pursuing in the future.
January 9, 2013
Twenty-one stories, edited by Jane Litte, of intimacy, pleasure, excitement and discovery rolled into two volumes simply titled, "Agony/Ecstasy." I loved some of these stories; they caught me off guard with their simplicity or with the original spin they took on a well known theme. And other stories just didn't do it for me at all, or disappointed me outright, because I expected more from the author. I truly enjoyed ten stories from this double feature. Five weren't bad, and six I could have skipped completely and would have been perfectly fine with that. While I won't say which story is which, I will say a few words about those that stood out, for one reason or another.
Author Anne Calhoun kicks off this twofer of pleasure, pain and sexual exploration. On the Agony side "Transfixed" details the encounter of Mistress (Marin) Banks and her subordinate, Cole. Though a large man, Cole, relinquishes his power to a much smaller woman and loves every minute of it. The story heads in a new direction toward the end and is picked up again in "Transformed," the first story on the Ecstasy side. Calhoun's short pieces are like two sides to one coin offering a look into both characters desires and motivations while getting both volumes off to a steaming hot start.
Read the rest of my review at http://www.lovetoreadforfun.com/2012/...
Author Anne Calhoun kicks off this twofer of pleasure, pain and sexual exploration. On the Agony side "Transfixed" details the encounter of Mistress (Marin) Banks and her subordinate, Cole. Though a large man, Cole, relinquishes his power to a much smaller woman and loves every minute of it. The story heads in a new direction toward the end and is picked up again in "Transformed," the first story on the Ecstasy side. Calhoun's short pieces are like two sides to one coin offering a look into both characters desires and motivations while getting both volumes off to a steaming hot start.
Read the rest of my review at http://www.lovetoreadforfun.com/2012/...
got-distracted-but-wanna-finish
May 14, 2012Can't give a rating for this one yet. I bought it mainly to read the Anne Calhoun stories.
(she is an author goddess and I must read everything she writes)
My comments below are about her contribution to the anthology.
"Transfixed" (Agony) and "Transformed" (Ecstacy), are each wonderful in their own right. The former is haunting and rhythmic while the latter feels like an artistic study in metaphor. Both were captivating. The stories are 9 and 10 pages respectively.
In "Transfixed", the reader discovers from Marin's (h) perspective how incredibly masculine Cole (H) is in his submission to her and how very courageous she finds him when he faces his fears in their anonymous meetings.
It is just... so good.
There is a transition at the end of the story that is written so masterfully that I was literally in awe as I re-read it.
In "Transformed", the author used the metaphorical language of warfare for Cole's tactical strategy to bring down Marin's defenses. It was a cool thread woven through the narrative. The structure and pacing of sentences were also used to dramatize the effect.
The emotional impact and transformation that takes place in 10 pages is truly wondrous.
Bravo!
I highly recommend these two stories!
(she is an author goddess and I must read everything she writes)
My comments below are about her contribution to the anthology.
"Transfixed" (Agony) and "Transformed" (Ecstacy), are each wonderful in their own right. The former is haunting and rhythmic while the latter feels like an artistic study in metaphor. Both were captivating. The stories are 9 and 10 pages respectively.
In "Transfixed", the reader discovers from Marin's (h) perspective how incredibly masculine Cole (H) is in his submission to her and how very courageous she finds him when he faces his fears in their anonymous meetings.
It is just... so good.
There is a transition at the end of the story that is written so masterfully that I was literally in awe as I re-read it.
In "Transformed", the author used the metaphorical language of warfare for Cole's tactical strategy to bring down Marin's defenses. It was a cool thread woven through the narrative. The structure and pacing of sentences were also used to dramatize the effect.
The emotional impact and transformation that takes place in 10 pages is truly wondrous.
Bravo!
I highly recommend these two stories!
July 23, 2013
3.5 stars.
Why I read it: Sometimes, I'm in the mood for a short story, kind of like a sorbet. I'd had this on my TBR for some time, having bought it ages ago, and I decided to intersperse the stories with my other reading.
What worked for me (and what didn't):
Agony
Transfixed and Transformed, the two stories by Anne Calhoun in the anthology (one each in Agony and Ecstasy) were about the same pairing, one from her POV, one from his. I liked these stories very much and could happily have read a whole book about them. That said, the stories did feel complete and I didn't feel at all shortchanged. For me, these stories showed how a skilled writer can immerse me in a character in a very short space of time. After I got finished enjoying them, I did sit back and think about how cleverly it was achieved. Short is not my forte, so I'm particularly impressed when it's done as well as this.
Read the rest of the review here: http://kaetrinsmusings.blogspot.com.a...
Why I read it: Sometimes, I'm in the mood for a short story, kind of like a sorbet. I'd had this on my TBR for some time, having bought it ages ago, and I decided to intersperse the stories with my other reading.
What worked for me (and what didn't):
Agony
Transfixed and Transformed, the two stories by Anne Calhoun in the anthology (one each in Agony and Ecstasy) were about the same pairing, one from her POV, one from his. I liked these stories very much and could happily have read a whole book about them. That said, the stories did feel complete and I didn't feel at all shortchanged. For me, these stories showed how a skilled writer can immerse me in a character in a very short space of time. After I got finished enjoying them, I did sit back and think about how cleverly it was achieved. Short is not my forte, so I'm particularly impressed when it's done as well as this.
Read the rest of the review here: http://kaetrinsmusings.blogspot.com.a...
April 2, 2016
Agony:
Calhoun, Anne - Transfixed *****
Johnson, Jean - the Sybil *****
Coi, JK - Caged ****
Sharpe, Bettie - Each Step Sublime *****
Dryden, Delphine - Safeword ****
Simonds, AL - Stitch and Bitch ***
Clare, Jessica - Bachelorette Party ****
Rowe, Margaret - Wicked Wedding Night *****
Harris, Edie - Shameless ****
Lange, Rebecca - Taken ****
Moraine, Sunny - Wetwire ***
Ecstasy:
Calhoun, Anne - Transformed *****
Brook, Meljean - Rescue Me ****
Evers, Shoshanna - the Wooden Pony ****
Daniels, Lily - Kiss of Life ****
Scott, Sarabeth - Silverhouse ****
d’Abo, Christine - Bruised Ego ****
Galace, DL - On My Skin ****
Dimon, HelenKay - Just Say Yes ***
Belle, Cameron - Into the Red ****
Thorn, Sara - Overtaken ****
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
Calhoun, Anne - Transfixed *****
Johnson, Jean - the Sybil *****
Coi, JK - Caged ****
Sharpe, Bettie - Each Step Sublime *****
Dryden, Delphine - Safeword ****
Simonds, AL - Stitch and Bitch ***
Clare, Jessica - Bachelorette Party ****
Rowe, Margaret - Wicked Wedding Night *****
Harris, Edie - Shameless ****
Lange, Rebecca - Taken ****
Moraine, Sunny - Wetwire ***
Ecstasy:
Calhoun, Anne - Transformed *****
Brook, Meljean - Rescue Me ****
Evers, Shoshanna - the Wooden Pony ****
Daniels, Lily - Kiss of Life ****
Scott, Sarabeth - Silverhouse ****
d’Abo, Christine - Bruised Ego ****
Galace, DL - On My Skin ****
Dimon, HelenKay - Just Say Yes ***
Belle, Cameron - Into the Red ****
Thorn, Sara - Overtaken ****
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
May 12, 2012
First off have to say that I won this book through the GR giveaways last year. And was really surprised when I first won it as I entered last minute. But with that said I have to say I really enjoyed reading both the Agony and the Ecstasy sides of this book. I'll admit that there were some storeis that weren't exactly my cup of tea and dealt with the love interests actually fighting each other and pain in that way. But I still liked that the agony was expressed in different ways than just one. The ecstasy was also touches of both sweet and tender feelings between some of the characters in the various stories. So definitely a good and lightish read that I would recommend to newbies to Kink, bdsm, and a bit of forced seduction.
February 25, 2012
Each one of these authors pulls you into their characters lives, and holds you captive through every kiss and caress. The link between pleasure and pain is a common theme throughout these stories, but each has its own unique voice. With the kiss of a whip and a scream of passion you are submerged into this world of sensation that I promise you will love as much as I do. There is now a whole new list of authors I want to follow, and I cannot wait to begin.
Lototy
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
https://www.coffeetimeromance.com/Boo...
Lototy
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
https://www.coffeetimeromance.com/Boo...
December 10, 2011
This anthology of stories was a great read. The stories were good, short and erotic. I really liked the different styles and ideas in which all the stories were written. Some even added an unexpected tenderness between the characters. I loved the stories from both sides. Some were very edgy but easy to read. I have several new favorites now. After reading the story Each Step Sublime in the Agony section, I don't think i can think of the Little Mermaid again with thinking of this.
December 6, 2011
The stories are very quick reads. All of them are very erotic, although not all of them are BDSM. Some of them are very very good (those would be the ones with the corners folded down. :-)
While, as with any anthology, not all of the stories were excellent, enough of them were good to rate 4 stars. I think this is a very good book for people who like erotica and for people who want to spice up their bedroom a little bit.
While, as with any anthology, not all of the stories were excellent, enough of them were good to rate 4 stars. I think this is a very good book for people who like erotica and for people who want to spice up their bedroom a little bit.
April 18, 2012
Meljean Brooks clever story totally earned the stars. Hands down, it was the best in the collection, her talent can cross into any genre. The others ranged from really bad to ok, but i'd be unlikely to look up the authors, as this genre tends to be too short plot to hold my interest. But bravo to Ms. Litte for nabbing Brooks story.
March 6, 2013
I wanted to see if this "author" was as good as she must be for tearing down so many other authors over the years. After all those reviews, surely Litte's prose would be mind blowing, eh?
Dry. Emotionless. Meh. That'll teach me to hand over money out of curiosity instead of instinct!
Dry. Emotionless. Meh. That'll teach me to hand over money out of curiosity instead of instinct!
January 22, 2013
I liked most of the stories but some of them were terrible, in my opinion. But there was a little something in the book for everyone, I think, so I hope people will pick up the book and give it a try. Happy reading!
January 10, 2016
I really hate eating anthologies. Some of these stories were really great (I would totally read a novel that picks up where Caged left off) and some where just meh. Overall, I think the good outweighed the bad.
November 27, 2011
Good bedtime read. Stories only take a couple minutes to read. Very risque. Good book. Thanks for letting me read it.
April 9, 2012
Some of the stories I liked a lot, others less, but they all got to me on an emotional level.
December 31, 2011
Later, I will go back and list the stories I liked.
May 10, 2012
It is ok, not as good as 50 shades.
January 22, 2014
Really enjoyed this anthology. Short stories w some serious heat and kink. Lots of fav authors featured. Worth buying.
I won a copy of this book from the Dear Author site, run by Jane L.
I won a copy of this book from the Dear Author site, run by Jane L.
December 8, 2011
Joint Review originally posted here and here: http://thebookpushers.com/2011/12/06/... and http://thebookpushers.com/2011/12/06/...
Transfixed – Anne Calhoun
E: Ms Calhoun provided exquisite detail that doesn’t just focus on the physical but draws the reader into the story. I wanted to know the why behind the characters’ motivation. I loved how neither one really fit into the common stereotypes of leather, whips, and chins. I also really enjoyed how it was private not in a “club” with observers. B+
MinnChica: For a FemDom story, I actually really liked this one. I thought it was so much fun and sexy. It was obvious there was a connection between them, and when the story continued on the second half, it was that much more. This story definitely needs to be read before the Ecstasy half. (I made the mistake of reading this 2nd, and I was SUPER lost in the other story….)
Has: I agree that reading the Ecstasy part of the story first wouldn’t have made much sense, or made a better impact with reading that first. The set up incorporated S&M themes but did it in a fantastic and unexpected way and I really liked how Calhoun presented the twist on the dominant heroine as a 50s housewife. I also loved the emotional cracking of the heroine at the end when the hero challenges her. B+
Siren – Jean Johnson
E: Wanted to see more world building. I was more intrigued by the culture then the relationship between the two main characters. I did find it fascinating that the Seer’s connection with her Goddess was via pleasure rather then drugs/pain etc. I also don’t necessarily agree with her reasons for punishing him but that could be because of the limited backstory demanded by the short wordcount. C
MinnChica: I didn’t feel super strongly about this story one way or the other. I’ve never enjoyed FemDom books for some reason, so that aspect of the story turned me off a bit, but the world-building was interesting and I think the author has a great voice and the capability to write a good full-length novel in this world. D-
Has: I wished there was more worldbuilding too with this story. I did like the setting and the relationship between the hero and heroine was complex but for me the dominant and pain theme didn’t really work for me. I just didn’t get her reasons for punishing him and that had to be expanded. But I agree about the voice of the author which was engaging but the sex scene felt too awkward and just didn’t gel well with the tone. C-
Caged – J. K. Coi
E: Very interesting twist on the need for pain that I was not expecting. Unless something changes drastically this relationship is only going to make things worse on both individuals involving physical and mental/emotional pain. I actually didn’t like the heroine. D-
MinnChica: I actually thought this story had some potential, but didn’t think there was enough time to really develop everything. I thought the storyline with the paranormal aspects were interesting, especially with the werewolf change and all the grief that came along with it. I do wish that we would have been given a chance to see where the characters were going in the future though, the novella definitely left me wanting more (well, happy more!) C
Has: I really liked this story and I wished it was much longer, because the angst and the pain and how that played out with the relationship between the hero and heroine was great. But I hoped the ending was more hopeful or there is potential for more because I think this might be a gem of a story if it was expanded upon. B+
Each Step Sublime – Bettie Sharpe
E: A very very wicked twist on The Little Mermaid, not Disney’s sweetness and light version but the much darker Hans Christian Anderson version. I really enjoyed the way she ended the fable. B-
MinnChica: Ugg, I am not a fan of taking my happy and favorite childhood movie and turning it into a little bit of an F-ed up BDSM erotica. I finished the story, but scowled and rolled my eyes the whole way through. F
Has: I thought it was dreamy and romantic but the romance wasn’t as strong as the tone and setting of the story which was due to the story length. But I love the fairytale aspect but heroine falling for the Prince who just seemed too distant didn’t work for me. She was going to have to pay a major sacrifice and there was no real reason on why she was in love with him and the ending felt too rushed but overall I did enjoy the retelling. C+
Safeword – Delphine Dryden
E: WOW this was really good. Talk about taking everyone dream of that one person who you wish was into you and your kinks and making it a reality. I really enjoyed their journey short as it was and the inclusion of bits of humor. Ms Dryden made them seem real. BTW I want a novel *grin*. A
MinnChica: I really liked this story. I’m a huge fan of the friends to lovers stories, and especially when those friends realize that their kinks work together. I will definitely be looking for more books by Dryden, because I thought she had a wonderful voice and a great story to tell. B+
Has: I really liked this one too, although I wasn’t too sure of the beginning but as the story progressed, I really got engaged with it. I really liked how the theme was explored and it was definitely exciting and fun as well as very sexy and I am not a huge fan of S&M stories. So its a solid B+
Stitch and Bitch – A. L. Simonds
E: Rather diverse characters that I think actually need to talk more. I liked how knitting drew them together and became the center-point of their relationship. I think this would have been better as a longer length story. C
MinnChica: I wasn’t a huge fan of this story as well. I didn’t connect with either of the characters, and never really felt drawn into the story. I did like the knitting aspects though, really just added to my desire to go out and learn to knit. D
Has: I have mixed feelings on this one. I really liked the setting and the knitting aspects too, but the romance felt a bit off and disconnected because I found Priya too stand-offish with Luisa and the reasons behind it didn’t gel well with me. Although I liked how different the story was different and Luisa the skate-boarding girlfriend was fun! But it has definitely made me more open to FF romance which I haven’t really had read before. C-
Bachelorette Party – Jessica Clare
E: I was really worried that this one was going to push one of my “chuck the book across the room buttons” but I am glad I kept reading because Ms Clare made it all come out alright in the end. C+
MinnChica: I was a little worried about this one, but holy hell I ended up loving it. In the hands of any other author, I think it could have been awful and really disheartening. However, I thought that the novella was both sexy and romantic and sweet and totally hawt. A-
Has: LOL I had the same fear at the beginning too, but then I sussed halfway through it that it wouldn’t be the case. I really loved this story and it is one of my favourites in the anthology. It was definitely sexy and fun and I will certainly check out more of Jessica Clare’s stuff in the future.
Wicked Wedding Night – Margaret Rowe
E: Ok I want a novel! I love how Ms Rowe was able to take some familiar tropes and spin them on their heads in such a short story. B+
MinnChica: I loved this as well, which surprised me a little because I’m not usually a fan of historical erotica. However, this one just really worked for me. Both the hero and the heroine were such great and well developed characters. I think the short length took a little away from the story though, this could have been so much more with a little extra word count. B+
Has: I wasn’t too keen with the beginning of the story but if it was longer I think that would have helped to expand the story as well as establishing. It reminded me a bit of Anne Stuart’s historicals but as the story went on, I really liked the melancholic tone but the changes and acceptance that the heroine faced was too swift but again that is due to the short length. I liked the voice of the author too and despite the short length – the emotions between hero and heroine packs a punch. B
Shameless – Edie Harris
E: Interesting lesson the hero passed onto the heroine at the end of this story, probably the only thing I liked about this one. The entire story struck me as a moment in time that at least one character would remember but it would remain disconnected with both before and after. C-
MinnChica: This is an example of one historical erotica that just didn’t work for me. I thought the heroine was flighty and a little annoying. I didn’t really find the story all that sexy either. Like E, I felt like a complete outsider to the story, and I can’t really say that I cared one way or the other. D-
Has: I really liked this, I didn’t read as a romance as such but an interlude which was something the heroine needed to get out of her situation. I felt the interaction she had with the hero was very cathartic – and I was taken aback how the story unfolded. I love the emotional intensity that was presented and I think it linked perfected with the overall theme of the anthology. B
Taken – Rebecca Lange
E: Flashback to the old western romances involving a woman and her captor. It was like the author unromantized that entire subgenre. D-
MinnChica: I tried to get into this story, but I only made it through about 5 or 6 pages before I just stopped and moved on. It didn’t hold my interest at all. DNF
Has: Yep, it felt like the old skool, and I couldn’t engage with the story at all or with the characters.
Wetwire – Sunny Moraine
E: Exploring the mysteries of how our brains process nerve stimulation and what happens if the interpretation is switched around. Makes me glad I don’t live in an entirely jacked-in world. C-
MinnChica: I also hate to say that I gave up on this story as well. I was more confused than anything, and there wasn’t anything in the first few pages that really called for me to keep trying to chug through. DNF
Has: I really liked the setting, and premise of the story but the characters and plot, it just didn’t work. I need some element of romance and the main characters were selfish and I couldn’t connect with them. It felt really cold and unemotional and that made the sex unsexy and cold too. If there was stronger element of romance it may have worked for me better as a story. D+
Transformed – Anne Calhoun
E: Well I got some of my questions from TRANSFIXED answered and I still want more! I highly recommend that you start with the Agony half because her two stories flow one into the other. It was great seeing another facet of the two main characters. A
MinnChica: I was a little confused by this story, because I started with this side of the anthology, and this should definitely be read AFTER Transfixed. However, once I read the other Calhoun story and thought back to this one, it made so much more sense and I liked it more. Calhoun has a great voice and does a wonderful job with both the BDSM aspects and the more sweet romance. B-
Has: This was definitely one of the strongest story/stories in the anthology and I am glad there was a followup with the perspective of the hero and different POV. This sequel was much softer and sweeter in tone but no less challenging than the first story in Transfixed and I love the role reversal and ditto on reading both together that starts off with Transfixed. While the hero was challenged and being dominanted in the first story – in Transformed the characters develop emotionally and I love the depth that was explored in this installment and how the hero helps to challenge the heroine who manages to let go emotionally instead of physically. A
Rescue Me – Meljean Brook
E: WOW, Such a strong female character with a great twist that is such a spoiler! A
MinnChica: I loved this novella. The heroine was so strong and driven to save herself from being kidnapped. I loved the way she dealt with getting out and how she used her desire to see and tell her long time best friend she loved him to get out alive. It was sweet and sexy and just such a great story. A
Has: I.LOVE.THIS.STORY. This has to be my favourite out of all the stories in the anthology, dark, tense, sexy and hawt. I loved how resourceful and smart the heroine was to get out of her predicament from being abducted by a serial killer and I especially loved the element of her fantasies about the hero helping her to get past her discomfort, it really ties in with the theme but it was wonderfully romantic and sexy. I just wished this story was longer. A+
The Wooden Pony – Soshanna Evers
E: This one was beyond my reading experience. It was well written but very uncomfortable for me to read. D
MinnChica: I actually liked this one, but it was very heavy on some BDSM aspects that might not be for everyone. I’ve read other stories by Evers, and I think she does a wonderful job of mixing harder BDSM play with the emotional entanglements that goes along with it. But it’s not for the faint of heart. B+
Has: I enjoyed this story even though it harder elements of BDSM, although the sex was hawt and intense, the emotional elements didn’t work as well. C+
Kiss of Life – Lily Daniels
E: I think I missed the intent of this one. I understand wanting revenge and seizing life after you have survived something horrible but those two parts didn’t meld for me. D-
MinnChica: I liked the Titanic aspect of this story, but other than that, the rest was lost on me as well. I find that when revenge and anger and hatred gets mixed in with my BDSM, it tends to train wreck for me. I don’t like when characters come from a dark place like that, and it didn’t work for me. D
Has: I loved this one, because the setting especially the Titanic element and the time period stood out for me. I also thought the romance was good, and the love scenes worked especially the one in the car. There was a lot of depth and plot and I thought the characterisation was well rounded . I thought it was unusual and wished there was more stories like this with this setting. B+
Silverhouse – Sarabeth Scott
E: The secret language of lovers, I really enjoyed what Ms Scott revealed at the end about their relationship. B
MinnChica: For me, I like the punishment aspect of this one. I thought it was sexy and fun and sweet and had a bunch of the great aspects of BDSM that I liked. I thought that it was actually one story that fit really well with the short length. B
Has: I really liked this one too, the sexual battle of wills between the hero and heroine and how that fits in with the BDSM theme really worked. The ending was perfect and I also didn’t feel that there was anything missing with the story. B
Bruised Ego – Christine D’Abo
E: Different take on how important it can be to know that you aren’t the only person who feels a certain way that doesn’t appear to be society’s accepted norm. B-
MinnChica: There were some aspects I did and didn’t like about this. As a psychology major, I’m not a fan of any mental health professional getting involved their patients. However, it was soon evident that our heroine was not a regular therapist, but part of the story had already been a little tainted for me. C-
Has: This was a very unusual story and I am not sure on how to take it with the theme of it. Although the sex scenes was hot and intense, I just felt the set-up missed the mark for me and I totally agree about the therapist thing – Although I am glad how the ending played out but it didn’t fully work for me. C
On My Skin – DL Galace
E: Very vivid description of what I have heard getting a tattoo is like for some people. I didn’t quite buy into the characters’ motivations though. I think this would have benefitted from a longer wordcount. C-
MinnChica: This story didn’t really do anything for me. Other than the heroine wanting a tattoo, I couldn’t understand why these two were together. But, having multiple tattoos, I can also see the pleasure in that pain. =) But as the story itself, it didn’t really do much for me. D
Has: I thought this story worked on a lot of levels, and I love the theme of tattoos and how it linked with the main theme and sexuality. I thought it was sexy and sweet but I also wished the story was longer because it felt that the plot, and characterisation just got going for me. C+
Just Say Yes – HelenKay Dimon
E: Enjoyable short story that included some rather neat twists that I wish more authors would use when it came to common tropes. B
MinnChica: I liked this story. It was a great little look into what happens when a boss steps out of line with her employee. I thought it was great that both the heroine and the hero were ready to accept the consequences of their actions, especially when our hero was willing to make a major change in life for his heroine. B+
Has: This was a great short and I liked how the relationship developed between the hero and heroine and the dynamics of being a boss and employee. It was also interesting to note that the heroine was the one in charge although I wished there was more emphasis on the hero, Colin. But I liked how the story played out and its conclusion. I really liked how realistic things turned out. B
Into The Red – Cameron Belle
E: Fascinating world-building, like a futuristic Rome complete with gladiators. Ms Belle made me wish the two main characters could have a longer HFN (Happy For Now). B-
MinnChica: This was an interesting one, with a really unique world that I would have liked to see more of. I thought the two heroes were an unlikely pair, but worked together. Where one was soft the other was hard and rough. I would like to see more in this world, especially in a longer format. C+
Has: This was one of the highlights for me in the anthology I think the setting and the premise was fantastic and I really liked how both heroes interacted with each other. I wished it was much longer. This was a short but sexually intense story with real depth and I will definitely look out for more of Belle’s books/stories. B+
Overtaken – Sara Thorn
E: I felt like there was a very complex back-story with the two characters that could have sucked me into the story, but without that… C-
MinnChica: This is going to sound horrible, but I don’t remember not liking this, but at the same time it didn’t stand out to me at all either. After a few days now, I hate to say that I don’t even remember much about this short. D
Has: I also didn’t like this story as much for similar reasons. I did like the setting and I get the reluctance by the hero, but I couldn’t connect with the characters and although the sex scenes was hot, it just didn’t have much depth. C-
OVERALL ANTHOLOGY:
MinnChica: I was really looking forward to this anthology because I’ve been a big fan of BDSM romance stories for awhile now. And while there were some stories that I really enjoyed and will probably re-read again and again…. most of them were either so-so or really fell short for me. I don’t know if I had my expectations too high or what, but I have to say that overall, the anthology was a solid C for me.
Transfixed – Anne Calhoun
E: Ms Calhoun provided exquisite detail that doesn’t just focus on the physical but draws the reader into the story. I wanted to know the why behind the characters’ motivation. I loved how neither one really fit into the common stereotypes of leather, whips, and chins. I also really enjoyed how it was private not in a “club” with observers. B+
MinnChica: For a FemDom story, I actually really liked this one. I thought it was so much fun and sexy. It was obvious there was a connection between them, and when the story continued on the second half, it was that much more. This story definitely needs to be read before the Ecstasy half. (I made the mistake of reading this 2nd, and I was SUPER lost in the other story….)
Has: I agree that reading the Ecstasy part of the story first wouldn’t have made much sense, or made a better impact with reading that first. The set up incorporated S&M themes but did it in a fantastic and unexpected way and I really liked how Calhoun presented the twist on the dominant heroine as a 50s housewife. I also loved the emotional cracking of the heroine at the end when the hero challenges her. B+
Siren – Jean Johnson
E: Wanted to see more world building. I was more intrigued by the culture then the relationship between the two main characters. I did find it fascinating that the Seer’s connection with her Goddess was via pleasure rather then drugs/pain etc. I also don’t necessarily agree with her reasons for punishing him but that could be because of the limited backstory demanded by the short wordcount. C
MinnChica: I didn’t feel super strongly about this story one way or the other. I’ve never enjoyed FemDom books for some reason, so that aspect of the story turned me off a bit, but the world-building was interesting and I think the author has a great voice and the capability to write a good full-length novel in this world. D-
Has: I wished there was more worldbuilding too with this story. I did like the setting and the relationship between the hero and heroine was complex but for me the dominant and pain theme didn’t really work for me. I just didn’t get her reasons for punishing him and that had to be expanded. But I agree about the voice of the author which was engaging but the sex scene felt too awkward and just didn’t gel well with the tone. C-
Caged – J. K. Coi
E: Very interesting twist on the need for pain that I was not expecting. Unless something changes drastically this relationship is only going to make things worse on both individuals involving physical and mental/emotional pain. I actually didn’t like the heroine. D-
MinnChica: I actually thought this story had some potential, but didn’t think there was enough time to really develop everything. I thought the storyline with the paranormal aspects were interesting, especially with the werewolf change and all the grief that came along with it. I do wish that we would have been given a chance to see where the characters were going in the future though, the novella definitely left me wanting more (well, happy more!) C
Has: I really liked this story and I wished it was much longer, because the angst and the pain and how that played out with the relationship between the hero and heroine was great. But I hoped the ending was more hopeful or there is potential for more because I think this might be a gem of a story if it was expanded upon. B+
Each Step Sublime – Bettie Sharpe
E: A very very wicked twist on The Little Mermaid, not Disney’s sweetness and light version but the much darker Hans Christian Anderson version. I really enjoyed the way she ended the fable. B-
MinnChica: Ugg, I am not a fan of taking my happy and favorite childhood movie and turning it into a little bit of an F-ed up BDSM erotica. I finished the story, but scowled and rolled my eyes the whole way through. F
Has: I thought it was dreamy and romantic but the romance wasn’t as strong as the tone and setting of the story which was due to the story length. But I love the fairytale aspect but heroine falling for the Prince who just seemed too distant didn’t work for me. She was going to have to pay a major sacrifice and there was no real reason on why she was in love with him and the ending felt too rushed but overall I did enjoy the retelling. C+
Safeword – Delphine Dryden
E: WOW this was really good. Talk about taking everyone dream of that one person who you wish was into you and your kinks and making it a reality. I really enjoyed their journey short as it was and the inclusion of bits of humor. Ms Dryden made them seem real. BTW I want a novel *grin*. A
MinnChica: I really liked this story. I’m a huge fan of the friends to lovers stories, and especially when those friends realize that their kinks work together. I will definitely be looking for more books by Dryden, because I thought she had a wonderful voice and a great story to tell. B+
Has: I really liked this one too, although I wasn’t too sure of the beginning but as the story progressed, I really got engaged with it. I really liked how the theme was explored and it was definitely exciting and fun as well as very sexy and I am not a huge fan of S&M stories. So its a solid B+
Stitch and Bitch – A. L. Simonds
E: Rather diverse characters that I think actually need to talk more. I liked how knitting drew them together and became the center-point of their relationship. I think this would have been better as a longer length story. C
MinnChica: I wasn’t a huge fan of this story as well. I didn’t connect with either of the characters, and never really felt drawn into the story. I did like the knitting aspects though, really just added to my desire to go out and learn to knit. D
Has: I have mixed feelings on this one. I really liked the setting and the knitting aspects too, but the romance felt a bit off and disconnected because I found Priya too stand-offish with Luisa and the reasons behind it didn’t gel well with me. Although I liked how different the story was different and Luisa the skate-boarding girlfriend was fun! But it has definitely made me more open to FF romance which I haven’t really had read before. C-
Bachelorette Party – Jessica Clare
E: I was really worried that this one was going to push one of my “chuck the book across the room buttons” but I am glad I kept reading because Ms Clare made it all come out alright in the end. C+
MinnChica: I was a little worried about this one, but holy hell I ended up loving it. In the hands of any other author, I think it could have been awful and really disheartening. However, I thought that the novella was both sexy and romantic and sweet and totally hawt. A-
Has: LOL I had the same fear at the beginning too, but then I sussed halfway through it that it wouldn’t be the case. I really loved this story and it is one of my favourites in the anthology. It was definitely sexy and fun and I will certainly check out more of Jessica Clare’s stuff in the future.
Wicked Wedding Night – Margaret Rowe
E: Ok I want a novel! I love how Ms Rowe was able to take some familiar tropes and spin them on their heads in such a short story. B+
MinnChica: I loved this as well, which surprised me a little because I’m not usually a fan of historical erotica. However, this one just really worked for me. Both the hero and the heroine were such great and well developed characters. I think the short length took a little away from the story though, this could have been so much more with a little extra word count. B+
Has: I wasn’t too keen with the beginning of the story but if it was longer I think that would have helped to expand the story as well as establishing. It reminded me a bit of Anne Stuart’s historicals but as the story went on, I really liked the melancholic tone but the changes and acceptance that the heroine faced was too swift but again that is due to the short length. I liked the voice of the author too and despite the short length – the emotions between hero and heroine packs a punch. B
Shameless – Edie Harris
E: Interesting lesson the hero passed onto the heroine at the end of this story, probably the only thing I liked about this one. The entire story struck me as a moment in time that at least one character would remember but it would remain disconnected with both before and after. C-
MinnChica: This is an example of one historical erotica that just didn’t work for me. I thought the heroine was flighty and a little annoying. I didn’t really find the story all that sexy either. Like E, I felt like a complete outsider to the story, and I can’t really say that I cared one way or the other. D-
Has: I really liked this, I didn’t read as a romance as such but an interlude which was something the heroine needed to get out of her situation. I felt the interaction she had with the hero was very cathartic – and I was taken aback how the story unfolded. I love the emotional intensity that was presented and I think it linked perfected with the overall theme of the anthology. B
Taken – Rebecca Lange
E: Flashback to the old western romances involving a woman and her captor. It was like the author unromantized that entire subgenre. D-
MinnChica: I tried to get into this story, but I only made it through about 5 or 6 pages before I just stopped and moved on. It didn’t hold my interest at all. DNF
Has: Yep, it felt like the old skool, and I couldn’t engage with the story at all or with the characters.
Wetwire – Sunny Moraine
E: Exploring the mysteries of how our brains process nerve stimulation and what happens if the interpretation is switched around. Makes me glad I don’t live in an entirely jacked-in world. C-
MinnChica: I also hate to say that I gave up on this story as well. I was more confused than anything, and there wasn’t anything in the first few pages that really called for me to keep trying to chug through. DNF
Has: I really liked the setting, and premise of the story but the characters and plot, it just didn’t work. I need some element of romance and the main characters were selfish and I couldn’t connect with them. It felt really cold and unemotional and that made the sex unsexy and cold too. If there was stronger element of romance it may have worked for me better as a story. D+
Transformed – Anne Calhoun
E: Well I got some of my questions from TRANSFIXED answered and I still want more! I highly recommend that you start with the Agony half because her two stories flow one into the other. It was great seeing another facet of the two main characters. A
MinnChica: I was a little confused by this story, because I started with this side of the anthology, and this should definitely be read AFTER Transfixed. However, once I read the other Calhoun story and thought back to this one, it made so much more sense and I liked it more. Calhoun has a great voice and does a wonderful job with both the BDSM aspects and the more sweet romance. B-
Has: This was definitely one of the strongest story/stories in the anthology and I am glad there was a followup with the perspective of the hero and different POV. This sequel was much softer and sweeter in tone but no less challenging than the first story in Transfixed and I love the role reversal and ditto on reading both together that starts off with Transfixed. While the hero was challenged and being dominanted in the first story – in Transformed the characters develop emotionally and I love the depth that was explored in this installment and how the hero helps to challenge the heroine who manages to let go emotionally instead of physically. A
Rescue Me – Meljean Brook
E: WOW, Such a strong female character with a great twist that is such a spoiler! A
MinnChica: I loved this novella. The heroine was so strong and driven to save herself from being kidnapped. I loved the way she dealt with getting out and how she used her desire to see and tell her long time best friend she loved him to get out alive. It was sweet and sexy and just such a great story. A
Has: I.LOVE.THIS.STORY. This has to be my favourite out of all the stories in the anthology, dark, tense, sexy and hawt. I loved how resourceful and smart the heroine was to get out of her predicament from being abducted by a serial killer and I especially loved the element of her fantasies about the hero helping her to get past her discomfort, it really ties in with the theme but it was wonderfully romantic and sexy. I just wished this story was longer. A+
The Wooden Pony – Soshanna Evers
E: This one was beyond my reading experience. It was well written but very uncomfortable for me to read. D
MinnChica: I actually liked this one, but it was very heavy on some BDSM aspects that might not be for everyone. I’ve read other stories by Evers, and I think she does a wonderful job of mixing harder BDSM play with the emotional entanglements that goes along with it. But it’s not for the faint of heart. B+
Has: I enjoyed this story even though it harder elements of BDSM, although the sex was hawt and intense, the emotional elements didn’t work as well. C+
Kiss of Life – Lily Daniels
E: I think I missed the intent of this one. I understand wanting revenge and seizing life after you have survived something horrible but those two parts didn’t meld for me. D-
MinnChica: I liked the Titanic aspect of this story, but other than that, the rest was lost on me as well. I find that when revenge and anger and hatred gets mixed in with my BDSM, it tends to train wreck for me. I don’t like when characters come from a dark place like that, and it didn’t work for me. D
Has: I loved this one, because the setting especially the Titanic element and the time period stood out for me. I also thought the romance was good, and the love scenes worked especially the one in the car. There was a lot of depth and plot and I thought the characterisation was well rounded . I thought it was unusual and wished there was more stories like this with this setting. B+
Silverhouse – Sarabeth Scott
E: The secret language of lovers, I really enjoyed what Ms Scott revealed at the end about their relationship. B
MinnChica: For me, I like the punishment aspect of this one. I thought it was sexy and fun and sweet and had a bunch of the great aspects of BDSM that I liked. I thought that it was actually one story that fit really well with the short length. B
Has: I really liked this one too, the sexual battle of wills between the hero and heroine and how that fits in with the BDSM theme really worked. The ending was perfect and I also didn’t feel that there was anything missing with the story. B
Bruised Ego – Christine D’Abo
E: Different take on how important it can be to know that you aren’t the only person who feels a certain way that doesn’t appear to be society’s accepted norm. B-
MinnChica: There were some aspects I did and didn’t like about this. As a psychology major, I’m not a fan of any mental health professional getting involved their patients. However, it was soon evident that our heroine was not a regular therapist, but part of the story had already been a little tainted for me. C-
Has: This was a very unusual story and I am not sure on how to take it with the theme of it. Although the sex scenes was hot and intense, I just felt the set-up missed the mark for me and I totally agree about the therapist thing – Although I am glad how the ending played out but it didn’t fully work for me. C
On My Skin – DL Galace
E: Very vivid description of what I have heard getting a tattoo is like for some people. I didn’t quite buy into the characters’ motivations though. I think this would have benefitted from a longer wordcount. C-
MinnChica: This story didn’t really do anything for me. Other than the heroine wanting a tattoo, I couldn’t understand why these two were together. But, having multiple tattoos, I can also see the pleasure in that pain. =) But as the story itself, it didn’t really do much for me. D
Has: I thought this story worked on a lot of levels, and I love the theme of tattoos and how it linked with the main theme and sexuality. I thought it was sexy and sweet but I also wished the story was longer because it felt that the plot, and characterisation just got going for me. C+
Just Say Yes – HelenKay Dimon
E: Enjoyable short story that included some rather neat twists that I wish more authors would use when it came to common tropes. B
MinnChica: I liked this story. It was a great little look into what happens when a boss steps out of line with her employee. I thought it was great that both the heroine and the hero were ready to accept the consequences of their actions, especially when our hero was willing to make a major change in life for his heroine. B+
Has: This was a great short and I liked how the relationship developed between the hero and heroine and the dynamics of being a boss and employee. It was also interesting to note that the heroine was the one in charge although I wished there was more emphasis on the hero, Colin. But I liked how the story played out and its conclusion. I really liked how realistic things turned out. B
Into The Red – Cameron Belle
E: Fascinating world-building, like a futuristic Rome complete with gladiators. Ms Belle made me wish the two main characters could have a longer HFN (Happy For Now). B-
MinnChica: This was an interesting one, with a really unique world that I would have liked to see more of. I thought the two heroes were an unlikely pair, but worked together. Where one was soft the other was hard and rough. I would like to see more in this world, especially in a longer format. C+
Has: This was one of the highlights for me in the anthology I think the setting and the premise was fantastic and I really liked how both heroes interacted with each other. I wished it was much longer. This was a short but sexually intense story with real depth and I will definitely look out for more of Belle’s books/stories. B+
Overtaken – Sara Thorn
E: I felt like there was a very complex back-story with the two characters that could have sucked me into the story, but without that… C-
MinnChica: This is going to sound horrible, but I don’t remember not liking this, but at the same time it didn’t stand out to me at all either. After a few days now, I hate to say that I don’t even remember much about this short. D
Has: I also didn’t like this story as much for similar reasons. I did like the setting and I get the reluctance by the hero, but I couldn’t connect with the characters and although the sex scenes was hot, it just didn’t have much depth. C-
OVERALL ANTHOLOGY:
MinnChica: I was really looking forward to this anthology because I’ve been a big fan of BDSM romance stories for awhile now. And while there were some stories that I really enjoyed and will probably re-read again and again…. most of them were either so-so or really fell short for me. I don’t know if I had my expectations too high or what, but I have to say that overall, the anthology was a solid C for me.
February 21, 2013
My February 2013 TBR--it took me over a year to sort out my thoughts and get them down.
Let me start by putting my premises on the table. The Story of O was many a decade in the past. Anne Calhoun’s What She Needs was a gentle segue into erotic, followed by Carrie’s Story by Molly Weatherfield (perhaps better known as Pam Rosenthal), and lastly, Second Chances by Lauren Dane. To provide some points of reference.
On the other hand, I can read and understand just about everything that comes across my plate, so if I “don’t get it”, there’s a problem (for me). I anticipated that the quality of the stories would be uneven – by that I mean, I didn’t expect that I would enjoy each story equally. Isn’t that the nature of anthologies? I tried – or as you shall see – tried to read each story twice, occasionally with unexpected results.
D Wetwire by Sunny Moraine
It opens with “I was free-drifting the night Kim neuroburned me.” That’s our introduction to Tia and her “partner” Kimber. It was soulless, lonely, the emotions felt transitory and basically, this story did nothing for me. Kim was a manipulative hero who knew just how to pull the strings of pain and control on Tia, an isolated heroine. Wetwire starts and ends with a woman alone in a room, “Because when what I have stops getting it done, I’ll still have Kimber, and he won’t let the meat get old on me anytime soon.” I felt as if Tia was a slab of meat, an object to be cut, prodded, tenderized and ultimately discarded.
C- Taken by Rebecca Lange
The writing is admittedly sensual and it weaves a world of private intimacy. That being said, Myriam, a widow, has been taken prisoner by Hiro. She thinks to herself, while contemplating the bonds around her, “she should have known their current isolation was calculated so that this man could have his way with her.” Forcible seduction – with a few brilliant exceptions – is enough to ruin most stories for me and the political correct fillip at the end, when Hiro decides he would tell her “that she was free to go” wasn’t enough. Yeah right – you couldn’t have offered her that choice without having intercourse with her first?
C Shameless by Edie Harris
Pointless—my feeling after reading this story. Caro Davis, mistress to James Pierpoint, is taken to the opera and after James settles her in the box and instructs her to sit up straight, he then cruelly abandons her to pursue the soprano, Miss Lorenzo. The setting: Philadelphia, 1859. But afterwards Caro makes her way to the wings, not to confront James but to pursue the intriguing blond man she has spotted. He’s the company’s choreographer, Thomas Vaughn. He “feels her pain” and encourages her to pummel him with her fists so that she can release her anger. After they have intense sex, Caro experiences “the precious, freeing power she’d tasted while hitting him.” In conclusion, Caro and Thomas are ships that pass in the night, with a brief on-board encounter for fists and fun, and we’re to conclude that Caro will now face her uncertain future with endurance and shame-free. Really?
C+ Wicked Wedding Night by Margaret Rowe
Setting: Kent, 1815. This story is so predictable and tame perhaps it should have been called Wisps of Wickedness. She compromised him, they’re forced to marry, and he’s pissed. On their wedding night after the pro forma “take off all your clothes”, he variously ties her up, blindfolds her and then hits with a lash. But lest your heart go out to our hapless heroine, “he struck her twice more, with less force each time, then tossed the crop to the floor.” And of course, she experienced a frisson of pleasure. Any more clichés? Yes, she’s initially unattractive, he has PSTD but all is nicely solved in one night. Come on.
C- Silverhouse by Sarabeth Scott
This couple trades back and forth, of all things, a Nutcracker (feel free to see the symbolism). It’s insane, inexplicable and there’s way too much “pre”-story. Not that I ever quite understood the plot – I did know she adored anal sex. Like that was believable. Oh, the setting, vaguely historical and she’s a teen-ager so too young to be wed but not too young to be spanked. Yummy, not.
B- Kiss of Life by Lily Daniels
Another historical. She did him wrong, and I agreed with his criticism of her: she wasn’t a virgin when they wed. If she felt it was important enough to bring up on their wedding night then why didn’t she tell him before they wed? An example, Mary Balogh, Slightly Married: the heroine tells the hero before they marry so that he can withdraw his offer if he feels so inclined. So I was predisposed to think less of her. So anal sex on the wedding night with a side dish of vaginal marble phallus. They went to a brothel and had sex after viewing various people doing various things – if I had a nickel! Cliché after cliché, car sex. I didn’t buy it. So why the B-: at least the story took place over time. I was prepared to believe that they grew to love each other after marriage.
A-/B+ The Sybil by Jean Johnson
Still puzzling over the grade. Two phenomenally strong characters. The strand of feminism seen in the mage’s worldview is appropriate and believable. The “punishment” is connected to the warrior-leader’s mistakes in leadership – which have serious consequences. It’s a dangerous world and their private world, swirling with private magic and pain/pleasure, resonates.
D Caged by J.K. Coi
I couldn’t make head nor tail of it. A wolf romance – and the wolf was the cause of the husband’s death – or was the husband now transformed into a caged wolf? Ridiculous.
B Transfixed by Anne Calhoun
Here’s where a re-read was valuable. Altho I’m still not sure I bought into the story’s premise (that a former special forces warrior was seeking to be dominated, but hey, it could happen). Got tired of the endless mentions of the difference in weight between the delicate heroine and the muscular hero. However, the story played out over a number of encounters and the H/h grew to see the humanity in the other. Especially good because of the connection to their follow-up story.
C Each Step Sublime by Bettie Sharpe
Bad enough for Walt Disney to ruin the Little Mermaid myth/fairytale but this confusing tale, alluding to the heroine’s attraction to “binds and bruises” didn’t transport me. But it was well-written even though I didn’t believe in the ending.
A Safeword by Delphine Dryden
Best story in the antho. Friends to lovers – two lawyers who’ve known each other for years and one day it just comes out that the heroine likes a little rough with her sex. Game on. There’s humour, the joy of being your innermost self with your best friend and the reader really gets it – pain and pleasure are a package deal for the heroine and you leave the couple believing that they’ll be enjoying their future.
B+ Stitch and Bitch by A. L. Simonds
A lesbian couple. Very different (the grad student and the professional skate boarder) but attracted to each other – very believably, their relationship goes through twists and turns over time. Interestingly, it’s the submissive partner who finds the courage to give love one more chance, all with a knitting metaphor. Would like to read more by Simonds.
B- Bachelorette Party by Jessica Clare
It was derivative but fun (the reader comes late to the underlying secret, much like What She Needs by Anne Calhoun). What didn’t ring true was that both parties would embrace a fairly rigorous intro into the pain/pleasure spectrum so readily. Yeah, not buying that zero to sixty in one evening thing.
B- Rescue Me by Meljean Brooks
The first I’ve ever read of Ms. Brooks and it didn’t work for me. First of all, what the heck was happening – was the heroine really fantasizing about “dirty” (a word I got very tired of) sex with her brother’s partner in order to find the inner courage to escape? Even if I believed that, her obsession with not dying in her granny panties … just weird. The aftermath was ok although it struck me as a bit unrealistic that they would come together so soon after such a traumatic experience.
D- The Wooden Pony by Shoshanna Evers
Hated it, pure and simple. The PC overtones of safeword and leave a text message for a friend before you enter my dungeon. Oh right. How about the safeword is “Call 911, I’m locked up with a lunatic”. I didn’t believe for one second that her cutting past required a new and acceptable form of pain. The hero (?) had a murderer’s row of crazy props and I’m sure I’m not the only reader that thought that a couple of implements should have been turned on him. Reminded me so much of the literature of Christian Domestic Discipline.
My initial thoughts: There are definitely some unusual couples ... I've read a fair number of the stories. So far, my fave is "Safeword" by Delphine Dryden. Humourous, plausible, sweet yet hawt -- I'm a sucker for friends to lovers stories and this is one. Somehow the necessary safety issues are seamlessly folded into the story. More to come ...
Let me start by putting my premises on the table. The Story of O was many a decade in the past. Anne Calhoun’s What She Needs was a gentle segue into erotic, followed by Carrie’s Story by Molly Weatherfield (perhaps better known as Pam Rosenthal), and lastly, Second Chances by Lauren Dane. To provide some points of reference.
On the other hand, I can read and understand just about everything that comes across my plate, so if I “don’t get it”, there’s a problem (for me). I anticipated that the quality of the stories would be uneven – by that I mean, I didn’t expect that I would enjoy each story equally. Isn’t that the nature of anthologies? I tried – or as you shall see – tried to read each story twice, occasionally with unexpected results.
D Wetwire by Sunny Moraine
It opens with “I was free-drifting the night Kim neuroburned me.” That’s our introduction to Tia and her “partner” Kimber. It was soulless, lonely, the emotions felt transitory and basically, this story did nothing for me. Kim was a manipulative hero who knew just how to pull the strings of pain and control on Tia, an isolated heroine. Wetwire starts and ends with a woman alone in a room, “Because when what I have stops getting it done, I’ll still have Kimber, and he won’t let the meat get old on me anytime soon.” I felt as if Tia was a slab of meat, an object to be cut, prodded, tenderized and ultimately discarded.
C- Taken by Rebecca Lange
The writing is admittedly sensual and it weaves a world of private intimacy. That being said, Myriam, a widow, has been taken prisoner by Hiro. She thinks to herself, while contemplating the bonds around her, “she should have known their current isolation was calculated so that this man could have his way with her.” Forcible seduction – with a few brilliant exceptions – is enough to ruin most stories for me and the political correct fillip at the end, when Hiro decides he would tell her “that she was free to go” wasn’t enough. Yeah right – you couldn’t have offered her that choice without having intercourse with her first?
C Shameless by Edie Harris
Pointless—my feeling after reading this story. Caro Davis, mistress to James Pierpoint, is taken to the opera and after James settles her in the box and instructs her to sit up straight, he then cruelly abandons her to pursue the soprano, Miss Lorenzo. The setting: Philadelphia, 1859. But afterwards Caro makes her way to the wings, not to confront James but to pursue the intriguing blond man she has spotted. He’s the company’s choreographer, Thomas Vaughn. He “feels her pain” and encourages her to pummel him with her fists so that she can release her anger. After they have intense sex, Caro experiences “the precious, freeing power she’d tasted while hitting him.” In conclusion, Caro and Thomas are ships that pass in the night, with a brief on-board encounter for fists and fun, and we’re to conclude that Caro will now face her uncertain future with endurance and shame-free. Really?
C+ Wicked Wedding Night by Margaret Rowe
Setting: Kent, 1815. This story is so predictable and tame perhaps it should have been called Wisps of Wickedness. She compromised him, they’re forced to marry, and he’s pissed. On their wedding night after the pro forma “take off all your clothes”, he variously ties her up, blindfolds her and then hits with a lash. But lest your heart go out to our hapless heroine, “he struck her twice more, with less force each time, then tossed the crop to the floor.” And of course, she experienced a frisson of pleasure. Any more clichés? Yes, she’s initially unattractive, he has PSTD but all is nicely solved in one night. Come on.
C- Silverhouse by Sarabeth Scott
This couple trades back and forth, of all things, a Nutcracker (feel free to see the symbolism). It’s insane, inexplicable and there’s way too much “pre”-story. Not that I ever quite understood the plot – I did know she adored anal sex. Like that was believable. Oh, the setting, vaguely historical and she’s a teen-ager so too young to be wed but not too young to be spanked. Yummy, not.
B- Kiss of Life by Lily Daniels
Another historical. She did him wrong, and I agreed with his criticism of her: she wasn’t a virgin when they wed. If she felt it was important enough to bring up on their wedding night then why didn’t she tell him before they wed? An example, Mary Balogh, Slightly Married: the heroine tells the hero before they marry so that he can withdraw his offer if he feels so inclined. So I was predisposed to think less of her. So anal sex on the wedding night with a side dish of vaginal marble phallus. They went to a brothel and had sex after viewing various people doing various things – if I had a nickel! Cliché after cliché, car sex. I didn’t buy it. So why the B-: at least the story took place over time. I was prepared to believe that they grew to love each other after marriage.
A-/B+ The Sybil by Jean Johnson
Still puzzling over the grade. Two phenomenally strong characters. The strand of feminism seen in the mage’s worldview is appropriate and believable. The “punishment” is connected to the warrior-leader’s mistakes in leadership – which have serious consequences. It’s a dangerous world and their private world, swirling with private magic and pain/pleasure, resonates.
D Caged by J.K. Coi
I couldn’t make head nor tail of it. A wolf romance – and the wolf was the cause of the husband’s death – or was the husband now transformed into a caged wolf? Ridiculous.
B Transfixed by Anne Calhoun
Here’s where a re-read was valuable. Altho I’m still not sure I bought into the story’s premise (that a former special forces warrior was seeking to be dominated, but hey, it could happen). Got tired of the endless mentions of the difference in weight between the delicate heroine and the muscular hero. However, the story played out over a number of encounters and the H/h grew to see the humanity in the other. Especially good because of the connection to their follow-up story.
C Each Step Sublime by Bettie Sharpe
Bad enough for Walt Disney to ruin the Little Mermaid myth/fairytale but this confusing tale, alluding to the heroine’s attraction to “binds and bruises” didn’t transport me. But it was well-written even though I didn’t believe in the ending.
A Safeword by Delphine Dryden
Best story in the antho. Friends to lovers – two lawyers who’ve known each other for years and one day it just comes out that the heroine likes a little rough with her sex. Game on. There’s humour, the joy of being your innermost self with your best friend and the reader really gets it – pain and pleasure are a package deal for the heroine and you leave the couple believing that they’ll be enjoying their future.
B+ Stitch and Bitch by A. L. Simonds
A lesbian couple. Very different (the grad student and the professional skate boarder) but attracted to each other – very believably, their relationship goes through twists and turns over time. Interestingly, it’s the submissive partner who finds the courage to give love one more chance, all with a knitting metaphor. Would like to read more by Simonds.
B- Bachelorette Party by Jessica Clare
It was derivative but fun (the reader comes late to the underlying secret, much like What She Needs by Anne Calhoun). What didn’t ring true was that both parties would embrace a fairly rigorous intro into the pain/pleasure spectrum so readily. Yeah, not buying that zero to sixty in one evening thing.
B- Rescue Me by Meljean Brooks
The first I’ve ever read of Ms. Brooks and it didn’t work for me. First of all, what the heck was happening – was the heroine really fantasizing about “dirty” (a word I got very tired of) sex with her brother’s partner in order to find the inner courage to escape? Even if I believed that, her obsession with not dying in her granny panties … just weird. The aftermath was ok although it struck me as a bit unrealistic that they would come together so soon after such a traumatic experience.
D- The Wooden Pony by Shoshanna Evers
Hated it, pure and simple. The PC overtones of safeword and leave a text message for a friend before you enter my dungeon. Oh right. How about the safeword is “Call 911, I’m locked up with a lunatic”. I didn’t believe for one second that her cutting past required a new and acceptable form of pain. The hero (?) had a murderer’s row of crazy props and I’m sure I’m not the only reader that thought that a couple of implements should have been turned on him. Reminded me so much of the literature of Christian Domestic Discipline.
My initial thoughts: There are definitely some unusual couples ... I've read a fair number of the stories. So far, my fave is "Safeword" by Delphine Dryden. Humourous, plausible, sweet yet hawt -- I'm a sucker for friends to lovers stories and this is one. Somehow the necessary safety issues are seamlessly folded into the story. More to come ...
June 17, 2022
If Goodreads did fractions of stars I'd be looking at maybe 3.25 - I found this in my library system, picked it up because I recognized some of the names, and certainly don't regret it.
A wide and somewhat uneven range of stories, mostly M/F but with an F/F and M/M piece or two. Encounters are set everywhere from a Victorian theatre to a cyberpunk near future to a fantasy world being conquered by a submissive emperor to a yarn shop you might find down the street in nearest small town. I found the division between Agony and Ecstasy somewhat arbitrary and wasn't sure which half to read first (complicated by the fact that the Anne Calhoun pieces which begin each half are connected to each other, though I still don't know which, if either, is intended to be the sequel). While my preference is for female dominant/male submissive dynamics, and I was pleasantly surprised to find more than just one or two in this anthology, I also enjoyed a number of the richly written, strongly passionate other stories as well - like Bettie Sharpe's lyrical fairytale retelling "Each Step Sublime," the sadomasochistic cyberpunk "Wetwire" by Sunny Moraine, Meljean's Brook's "Rescue Me" which worked far better than I expected given the wildness of its premise, and J.K. Coi's heartwrenching "Caged," which isn't BDSM so much as what would be tagged on Archive of Our Own as "angst and smut" and maybe "hurt, no comfort" (meanwhile DL Galace's "On My Skin" is also not explicitly BDSM, or even about sex defined conventionally, but deeply emotional and sensual -a stunner). However, some other pieces felt rushed, with far more emotional growth or fostering of intimacy (to say nothing of the trust necessary for consensual BDSM) than makes any sense at all given the purported timeline of the stories in question. "Taken" drew on stereotypes of indigenous people that makes it impossible to recommend. I also can't share Anne Calhoun's certainty that any dominant woman enjoys thinking about how much her partner could physically harm her - a single sentence along those lines made me cringe so hard that I lost a lot of fondness for both her stories.
A wide and somewhat uneven range of stories, mostly M/F but with an F/F and M/M piece or two. Encounters are set everywhere from a Victorian theatre to a cyberpunk near future to a fantasy world being conquered by a submissive emperor to a yarn shop you might find down the street in nearest small town. I found the division between Agony and Ecstasy somewhat arbitrary and wasn't sure which half to read first (complicated by the fact that the Anne Calhoun pieces which begin each half are connected to each other, though I still don't know which, if either, is intended to be the sequel). While my preference is for female dominant/male submissive dynamics, and I was pleasantly surprised to find more than just one or two in this anthology, I also enjoyed a number of the richly written, strongly passionate other stories as well - like Bettie Sharpe's lyrical fairytale retelling "Each Step Sublime," the sadomasochistic cyberpunk "Wetwire" by Sunny Moraine, Meljean's Brook's "Rescue Me" which worked far better than I expected given the wildness of its premise, and J.K. Coi's heartwrenching "Caged," which isn't BDSM so much as what would be tagged on Archive of Our Own as "angst and smut" and maybe "hurt, no comfort" (meanwhile DL Galace's "On My Skin" is also not explicitly BDSM, or even about sex defined conventionally, but deeply emotional and sensual -a stunner). However, some other pieces felt rushed, with far more emotional growth or fostering of intimacy (to say nothing of the trust necessary for consensual BDSM) than makes any sense at all given the purported timeline of the stories in question. "Taken" drew on stereotypes of indigenous people that makes it impossible to recommend. I also can't share Anne Calhoun's certainty that any dominant woman enjoys thinking about how much her partner could physically harm her - a single sentence along those lines made me cringe so hard that I lost a lot of fondness for both her stories.
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