Learning the Ropes

Sex Sells #3

by Kim Dare

Working for a company whose slogan is ‘Sex sells and we’re very good at sex’ isn’t easy for a man with an apparently inexhaustible ability to blush. Things only get more embarrassing for Floyd when he’s sent to construct an advertising campaign for a BDSM club.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the owner of the club is Peter Ingram, the silent partner in SKIN designs, which technically makes him Floyd’s boss. If he screws this up, Floyd’s going to be looking for a new job. His only option is to set aside his embarrassment and throw himself into learning everything there is to know about leather.

But, when Peter agrees to teach Floyd what submission really means, suddenly it’s not only his job that’s at risk.

Genres: BDSM, M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Ebooks, Erotica, Gay

97 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 23, 2012

About the author

Kim is a thirty-three year old bisexual submissive from Wales (UK). First published in 2008, she has since released almost 100 BDSM erotic romance titles ranging from short stories to full length novels. Having worked with a host of fantastic e-publishers, she has just moved into self publishing.

While she has occasionally ventured towards other pairings, Kim's first love is still, and probably always will be, Male/Male stories. But, no matter what the pairing, from paranormal to contemporary, and from the sweet to the intense, everything she writes will always feature three things - Kink, Love and a Happy Ending.

Reviews

[Serena Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when you are ashamed of what you need sexually and are suddenly confronted with the option of finding out what it would be like to give in and discover what it’s like to get what you want? Floyd, out as a gay man but closeted as a sub, faces temptation of the highest order when a work project confronts him with Peter, a 24/7 Dom who ‘takes his leather very seriously’. The resulting inner struggle was fascinating to watch – on both sides.

Floyd is a very conflicted character, even though none of that is visible at first glance. He is in deep denial about his interest in being dominated, and when he is asked to develop an advertising campaign for a BDSM club he still believes he can get it done without getting involved. There is one problem though: Peter Ingram, the owner of the club. Floyd is drawn to him and, all in the interest of the project, of course, agrees to submit to him. Floyd is scared to death of what he discovers, and Peter seems like the immovable object, not willing to give an inch. Not that a compromise is what Floyd really needs, but it takes the sub quite a while to understand then admit it. Once he does – it is spectacular!

Peter is a through-and-through BDSM lifestyle man, and cannot abide men like Floyd who deny their deepest desires. He refuses to work with someone who doesn’t even like BDSM, nor understand what it’s all about. As he starts ‘showing Floyd the ropes’, he gets far more involved than he would like to admit, and is faced with a decision that is as difficult as Floyd’s. Of course, being the Dom that he is, he has no issue making it and turns away from the tempting potential of a real relationship. Peter is a great Dom who is good at figuring out exactly what Floyd needs, will support him through his discoveries, but will never admit it out loud. ‘Fluff’ is not the way to think of this man!

These two men don’t have an easy time of it, but that made for a great story. The psychological struggle is as intense as what happens in their scenes, and I even warmed up to Peter in the end – he is a man of few words but has his heart in the right place. If you like stories about men who struggle with who they are and those who help them find out, and if you enjoy hot BDSM scenes that are as much about submission and the emotions it causes as about the physical activities, you will probably like this novella as much as I did.



NOTE: This book was provided by Resplendence Publishing for the purpose of a review on QMO Books.

[blade · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS! Kim Dare creates such wonderful, believable characters. She's done it again with Peter and Floyd in this story. But one of her greatest talents is how she "educates" without ever being preachy or boring. Those familiar with the D/s lifestyle find themselves nodding and smiling because her stories ring so true. And for novices or the merely curious, Dare manages to teach without the reader ever being....er....spanked with the information because the stories are so damned good....always romantic and hot as hell!

[L-D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book in the series because Peter Ingram was unabashedly all Dom and all Alpha male. Floyd was his unlikely pairing, but I do like the way they were thrown together. I appreciate when a character is not described as drop dead gorgeous, but more average and unobtrusive, but the other MC is still drawn to him.

[LauraSt · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

Definitely my favorite of the series so far. This Floyd and Peter's story.
Floyd is quiet and shy and so not confident but he surrenders so beautifully and is determined to do everything he puts his mind to.
Peter is just this grumpy sexy Dom that I wanna eat up!
Loved it loved it!

[Phaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

2015 Re-read:

This is an interesting one. Peter is so very much not the type of character or dominant I like. Nor am I into masochism or public displays. But the way things play out for the two protagonists here? Well, by the end things just fit, adorned with a wonderful dash of mushy love. So this turned out rather astonishingly well.

Something I have been wondering for years now, though. How does a permanent leather collar really work? Even from just wearing a leather necklace for a few years I know that grime and oil residue from the skin contact are an issue. But if you are unable to take off the leather when you take a shower or wash your hair, there’s no way to protect the material from soap and water. Doesn’t the leather get stiff? Blotted? Brittle, eventually? Even if there are ways to care for the leather to help it stay in good condition, to oil it up or something, wouldn’t such maintenance be tricky to apply with anything that lies fairly close to your skin and cannot be removed?

I really should research this. It never really fails to derail my thoughts whenever anything of the sort comes up in a story.

Anyway, I am wary about the last book in the series. That one will be new to me and the theme seems already an iffy one. We’ll just have to see.


2012 Review:

That went considerably better than I’d feared. Sure, since they only actually met at the beginning of the story and it did not span a lot of time, we did not get mutual confessions by the end, but what happened worked that way regardless. It was obvious how Peter felt about Floyd, and Floyd had already fully faced his feelings anyway. The collar sealed it and the rest will surely work out well.
I like it when a story leaves me with that kind of feeling. I don’t even need the full scope of declarations in that case.

For a while, interestingly, it was Floyd rather than Peter who made me a little uncomfortable with his insistence on denying his submissive nature. But then again, this was the basic point of the plot and the resolution to it was orchestrated perfectly.

So yeah. Good one, even if I am not flying on a high. Still feeling pretty good about it. :D

[Emma Sea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because I read the third book in the series first, I didn't know if Floyd really would lose his job over this ad campaign or not. This made me very, very anxious, because I don't like plots where one person has to engage with sexual activities they don't like in order to safeguard their employment. I want everyone either a) participating of their own free will or b) being clearly forced against their will, so they have no options. It's that third possibility, having a technical option, but one that will leave them destitute and homeless, that makes my skin crawl, unless it is played seriously, looking at the ramifications of economic dependency, and not for cheap smexy thrills.

Wow, this is way too much thinking for a Kim Dare review.

So, because I thought Floyd might be on a work trial etc, I was uncomfortable with the story until he came clean that he wanted to submit (even then, I wasn't sure). Plus, there's the whole red-haired uke with pale, bruisable skin thing going on, which is a trope I am so over.

But overall, it was fine, I liked it. I feel like I'm looking for something. Nothing measures up after Power Play.

[Jo * Smut-Dickted * · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I'd love this one best and, as it turns out, I really love this one and the 4th one best. Peter is just..Peter. I really enjoy characters who have such a full bodied confidence and assurance that their actions can be measured, calm, and calculated. That type of control of oneself turns me on and makes me gravitates towards them. It is what draws me to a Dom. I liked Floyd but didn't love him. He was a little too much - but Peter was a great foil for him. I thought the business angle was a bit strange only because I've never really seen any sort of BDSM club advertised. It always seems like the community wants to keep it on the down low - but then I've never lived in the UK either :)

[Adara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sexy short-ish story about a sexual submissive coming out of his kinky closet, and a dom helping the sub realize what all of these kinky pleasures actually mean, beyond just kink. For the sub, Floyd, at first it's all about researching to do an advertising job well. But he knows from the beginning that he's really lying to himself about not being "into" any of that kinky stuff. But Peter won't accept a closeted submissive ashamed of his desires. So they have to reach a common ground in Floyd's submissiveness.

As usual, a typical Dare sweet, kinky story. With whipping. =)

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a cute book. I love Floyd's character bless his heart, always blushing, unable to mask his feelings in appearance due to said blush. Then there is Peter... Can I just say yummy!! I love overbearing dominate men and he is just the very thing I needed. The author really did a grand job of showing the emotions and the personalities of the characters and for that I rate this a four out of five!!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Good kinky m/m romance about an ad agency employee who's assigned to put together an advertising campaign for a leather club owned by one of the agency's partners. Although the employee isn't into bdsm, he offers to do a scene so he has a better idea what the club is about.

[Ery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kim dare really writes an excellent, light bdsm story. This is no exception :) in fact, I think it's one of her better novellas

[Sue bowdley · Rating 5 out of 5]

didn't think i was going to like peter..but i love him almost immediately with a little bit of omg what a pain in the arse....loved this book....onto the next series x

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A good, short, somewhat fluffy M/M bdsm story with an older, established Dom and a nerdy, young advertising clerk coming to terms with his submissive side. I almost gave it 4 stars.

[Mrseiji Kun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nuevamente una estrella menos por el mismo tema. Tengo que dar una diferencia con el primer libro que realmente me gustó todo.
Historia del más duro de los DOM socios del grupo, Peter. Tiene un club con cuartos y todo!!! Acceso ilimitado a lo que quieras.
La cosa que el no SUM reconocido -que luego termina aceptando-, Floyd, tiene un encargue de publicidad para el club BDSM de Peter. El DOM no está muy convencido de la capacidad creativa de nuestro no experto SUM por lo que Floyd le pide que haga escenas con él. Mmmmm no es ningún tonto.
Así, entre escena y escena, y aceptación y aceptación, HEA para esta pareja.

[Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of the series...

I have finished the series now & am struggling with how to review it. First off, I really enjoyed these books but they are flawed so I had to hold back on the 5th star.

Things I liked...
- I really liked the characters. Their personalities, insecurities, interactions etc, etc, etc.
- Kim has the ability to write BDSM in a gentle, loving way. Sometimes this is what I'm looking for in a story.
- I like that Kim doesn't incorporate humiliation into the BDSM scenes. It is the aspect of BDSM that I least like reading about.
- I like the dynamics of the Dom/sub relationships that Kim writes. The Doms are always bigger physically than their subs & this 'fits' the mental images I conjure as I read.
- Kim's books can tend to be a bit formulaic at times & although that can be a bad thing, I sometimes like to know what I am going to get out of the reading experience. I like reading with the expectation that there will be a HEA to satisfy my inner sap.

Things I didn't like/had problems with...
- The Dom/sub relationships felt rushed. I see collaring as a commitment similar to a marriage & as such I was sceptical that 3 Doms would all rush to collar subs so early in their relationships.
- The time-lines were too tight. Carl helped Floyd with intricate bondage when he had only been a sub himself for less than a month according to the storyline. This set my male-cow-excrement metre off.
- Kim needs to use more personal pronouns. Some of the descriptions were cluttered & spoiled by the constant use of words like "the dominant"; "the submissive"; etc etc. I was itching to re-write some of these passages (arrogant I know) because the 'tone' of the writing became immature & amateurish with the over-use of certain monikers.
- there were a couple of consistency issues between books. For example, in book 2 the glass in the door of Floyd & Clark's office was opaque but was clear in book 3. These things are minor but I find them irritating.

Overall I really enjoy Kim's books. I would have liked to read longer versions of these three stories because I feel that the brevity of the word count short-changed the characters. I will probably re-read them at least once more but after that, I will possibly find the lack of plausibility too difficult to ignore.

[Katrina Passick Lumsden · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the entire Sex Sells series, and wasn't very impressed with any of them, so I'm just going to write one review for all four.

#1 - Sealing the Deal - while I found this one to be probably the most interesting of the four, it still gave me the impression of being misleading. Hudson is supposedly an expert Dom, yet he fails, on several occasions, to accurately read Toby's body language. He also fails to listen to Toby's subtle cues, then becomes angry when he realizes Toby was too overwhelmed by everything that was going on to enter into a binding contract. The very idea that a Dom would even suggest having a potential submissive sign a contract while there was sexual contact occurring merely reinforced the idea that Hudson was not a competent master.

#2 - Waking Up Naked - Again with the "Doms who are bad at their jobs" thing. Carl is new to everything, including sex. He's unsure, off balance, and insecure, yet Miles, again a supposed expert Dom, fails him on so many levels, it's actually quite sad. He makes it a rule that he and Carl won't spend a night together until Carl can trust him, and he can trust that Carl won't run off in the middle of the night. So how does Miles build trust? Well, he gives Carl a scene (only Carl's second BDSM scene), then takes his virginity...then leaves. Yup. No after care whatsoever. Because fuck Carl, I guess.

#3 - Learning the Ropes - Peter is a lot better at this Dom thing than Hudson and Miles, but Floyd is a cowardly asswipe. There's very little communication, and that was just frustrating, and then Floyd's little scheme of taking pictures during a scene without Peter's consent.....ugh. I just can't.

#4 - Turning the Tables - Lee and Jacob. Oh, lord. I liked Lee. He's what I would consider a good Dom. Patient and caring, but stern, and not easily manipulated. Jacob, on the other hand, is a narrow minded, judgmental, self-loathing prick.

There ya go. Have fun.

[DaCon · Rating 3 out of 5]

04.02.2017 Re-read
2013 Read

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

La verdad, y confieso muchas cosas aquí:
1. Este libro esa arte, como oro puro, y es uno de mis favoritos
2. La tercera releída que le hago a este
3. Le rezo a Peter, y de rodillas eh
4. Perfección de hombre es Peter

Es que el desarrollo es buenazo, una introducción muy buena. Una narrativa ligera, sin tallar tan profundo, además de sin llegar a aburrir. Se disfruta todo. Recomendado eh

[Intricacy Alterite · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series. Kim Dare's books are always nice reads, but I get frustrated with very short pieces. This series has a very pleasant length that allows for character developement and I've enjoyed each and every one of the four books.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do You Know Much About BDSM?

If not, this is the book for you!
A great introduction of what a submissive and a dominant is and what each of their roles are.
The storyline is carefully crafted to allow you to experience a new world while enjoying two men falling in love.

[Janna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

just couldn't get into it.

[Lois - Who Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute story of a man who stumbles into the relationship of his life.

[Izzah Zulaikha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really liked this. Floyd was an adorable red-headed in-the-closet submissive and Peter Ingram was the hot-alpha dom. Their relationship was really nice! I really liked this.