Lustbound

by Natasha Storm

A tale of forbidden romance and dangerous secrets...

Christine has grown up on a desolate compound, where women are the property of men, and marriage is for practicality, not love. But her life changes when she’s given the opportunity to escape to a much different place: Eve’s Grotto. It’s a city where women are in charge and men are kept as Pets—there to pleasure and care for the women in whatever way is required…or desired.

Christine is uncomfortable and timid about her new life until she meets Valentin, a beautiful and mysterious Pet who stirs things in her she’s never felt before, and who seems as enchanted with her as she is with him. He can show her things about pleasure she didn’t know were possible, and she awakens feelings in him he didn’t know he had.

But Eve’s Grotto has strict rules about Pet interaction. A Pet may not make sexual advances on a woman. A woman may not have sex with a Pet that does not belong to her. Above all else, a woman and a Pet must not fall in love.

But rules are made to be broken.

LUSTBOUND is a novella of approximately 30,000 words/100 pages. Book 1 of the Eve's Grotto serial.

Genres: Erotica, Paranormal

104 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2012

About the author

Natasha Storm is a romantic by nature. She loves passionate, cheesy gestures more than almost anything. This has inspired her to write romance, with steamy sex and true love and happily ever afters. After writing in secret for many years, she finally followed her dream of being an author, and she decided to start self-publishing her work so that it may reach other romantics in need of a good swoon.

She is easily won over by chocolate mousse and chicken noodle soup, though preferably not in the same bowl. She enjoys high heels more than a normal person should. Above all, she loves to read romance of any kind, so long as she gets swept up in the story. She lives in a sunny climate somewhere in the United States with one curmudgeonly old cat.

Reviews

[I ♥ Bookie Nookie (bookienookiereviews.blogspot.com) · Rating 4 out of 5]

LUSTBOUND was not entirely what I had expected, but it definitely sucked me in as the story progressed.

Christine was destined for a life as the property of a man, until the day she was whisked away to a city she only thought existed in her dreams...a world where the women rule and the men kept as "Pets" are mostly controlled by the power of magic. Christine has a difficult time adjusting to her new life, but she finds solace in a Pet named Valentin who helps ease the discomfort of the transition.

In reading the description, I saw that the men are kept as "pets" and my mind instantly went to BDSM, so, if that is what you are expecting, then you definitely need to refocus because you won't find any of that in this book. What you can expect is a romantic story that contains fairy-tale-like elements and a little magic.

LUSTBOUND is not a story in a perfect package tied up with a pretty-little bow and that is a big part of the appeal. The supporting characters are equally intriguing to me and I am very interested to see how Christine and Valentin's lives will play out.

✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews


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[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nooooooooooooo! I NEED MORE! :) Loved this story and the whole concept of the society. I am totally rooting for Christine and Valentin, but I'm dreaming about having Valentin for myself. I can totally see this being one of those sexy series that ends up on HBO. I am so looking forward to the next book. Hurry up, Natasha!

[Natasha Storm]

I feel weird giving my own book stars!

[Karma♥Bites ^.~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweetly erotic romance with an engaging storyline

I was surprised to enjoy LUSTBOUND by Natasha Storm as much as I did, especially with a young, naïve female lead (yeah, yeah, sue me). Based on the blurb (specifically that “men are kept as Pets”), I originally expected a fantasy (futuristic?) story with BDSM elements. Instead, I got a rather sweetly erotic tale about two characters who yearn for more than what is permitted in their society.

Well-written with an engaging storyline and an interesting cast of characters (both primary and secondary), LUSTBOUND takes the reader into Eve’s Grotto, a matriarchal city ruled in part by magick. A NTM author, Ms. Storm does a good job of character development and incorporating intriguing aspects of magickal use.

For me, LUSTBOUND was “steamy/smexy”, but most readers would probably (and correctly) deem it to be an “erotic romance”. However, the sex scenes aren’t overly explicit or crude, and are comparable to some mainstream books such as those put out by Berkley HEAT or Harlequin SPICE. So this novella should appeal to a wide audience of romance lovers.

FWIW, I didn’t give LUSTBOUND the full 5 stars for two personal reasons. Firstly, not a huge fan of insta-love/bonding outside of PNR, I struggled a bit with the immediate emotional connection between Christine and Valentin. Secondly, I felt that the world-building was somewhat lacking and muddled. There was no explanation as to why/how the different colonies evolved into gender-ruled societies, as well as why only the women in Eve’s Grotto wielded magick. Why the raid on the Compound? Also, I initially thought “fantasy/alternate reality” but reference to the waltz made me wonder if the correct genre was futuristic/dystopian. I can only hope that more is explained in subsequent installments.

Yet, despite all this, I became invested in the story enough to continue on to the next book. So that certainly says much about Ms. Storm’s storytelling, yes? I highly recommend LUSTBOUND for those who enjoy a tale of seemingly star-crossed lovers in an alternate reality setting, with the added bonus of magick. Just be prepared to have Book #2 handy!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
COMMENTS: LUSTBOUND is the first installment of the “Eve’s Grotto” serial (not series). The reader is introduced to the world of Eve’s Grotto and the various characters but just when the story (and romance) really gets going, the book ends. And the ending is not so much a cliffhanger in the traditional sense as it is simply a well-timed end of “Part 1”.

I point this out because those who know me are fully aware that I generally avoid serials for this very reason. Plus, I don’t have the patience or memory space to wait for the next installment. However, I knew that the next book, SINBOUND, was already out and that the third book would follow shortly (*crosses fingers*).

* My thanks to the author for providing a copy for an objective review.

[Eleighna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating 4.5 stars!!!

This story introduced me to a whole new world where women were in charge and men where their "Pets". The women are able to control their "Pets" through magic which allows allows them to not only control their daily activities, but their sexual performance as well. Can you imagine having the ability to say one spell and have complete control on the physical movements of your sexual partner???? Say bye bye to big blue (B.O.B.) and hello real life hottie!!!

Christine is saved from a life that would virtually make her a breeding machine and "slave" to her husband. Sex was for breeding purposes only and she would be at the mercy of her husband. She was taken away from this life and thrown into a world where the roles of men and women are reversed. As expected, she is unsure of what to make of this new world and how to adjust her beliefs and actions to reflect her now dominant position in it.

Valentin is considered a "Manor Pet" which means that he does not belong to one women specifically which is how he prefers it. Even though Manor Pet's are forbidden to have sex with women until they are chosen to serve one woman. Valentin has broken this rule repeatedly with his past affairs with different women and is currently having an affair with Yvette, a high ranking government official in their world. Even though Yvette has several "Pets", she wants to add Valentin to her harem.

When Christine and Valentin see each other for the first time, Christine is immediately drawn to him. She is used to abrasive, commanding men and Valentin's demeanor is nothing like what she is used to. He appears gentle and considerate, and takes an obvious interest in her. With this attraction combined with Yvette's intention to make Valentin her's, a truly addictive story is created.

I cannot wait to read more of this story!!!


The author provided a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued upon reading the synopsis for this book and was excited to read it.

I'll admit when I heard the men referred to as pets my mind went in a completely different direction than the author was going to take me so I was pleasantly surprised when I found out what was really meant by pets.

The characters are very well done, you feel like you know them, and know them well, very quickly. The setting, while different from anything I've read is easily imagined and doesn't seem far fetched.

The author pulls you in, makes you feel for the characters in a way that's most can't nowadays.

While this one is one of those novels broken up into multiple parts its executed well and I didn't curse or feel like the author did it simply to try and pull in more money. There was a true stopping point, not a forced one and I will definitely be looking for the next one.

***My thanks to the author for allowing me to review this book!

[~ Lei ~ Reading Is An Adventure ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received Lustbound from the author for an honest review.*

Christine escapes her future of being a man's chattel, and instead becomes ensconced in a world where women rule by magic and the men are sex slaves, servants and workers. She's having a hard time accepting her change in circumstances and meets Valentin, a Manor pet, and they feel an instant attraction. Unfortunately, Valentin has captured Yvette's attention, an older, manipulative woman who has much more magic at her control and she'll do whatever she can to keep Valentin to herself.


This is a fantasy story with magic. A sweet story that I enjoyed.
Valentin and Christine's story continues in so there's no HEA in this book.

[Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously, this book is the first (at least I hope) in what will be a steamy series, the sex was loving yet raw with innocence and the story literally had me begging for more, not more sex or anything like that, I just get impatient when I want to know what happens next and this book has me hooked. I need more Christine and Valentin.

Thank you Natasha for bringing this story to us and for giving me the honour of reviewing for you

[MissyGirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tables were turned in this story and I liked it!!! The women are in charge here and the men are at their mercy. The power was exhilarating to read about!! A definite page-turner and soooo yummy in the sex department. A bit of a cliffhanger at the end has me aching to read the next book in the series!!!!


Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Jane Doe · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fabulous book, loved the idea of the very different cultures. Christine was smart, passionate with an insight that the others seem to have missed. The only thing that stopped this book from being a 5 was the abrupt ending. Great start to a new series, with wonderful fresh ideas. I definitely want more!!!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

great story! quick read. HOT - skip 50 shades and read this instead!!

[ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...] · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...

Lustbound is a debut erotic fantasy novella by Natasha Storm. This novella has a premise of fantasy that I found intriguing to say the least. I also liked Natasha’s writing style, which was flowing and smooth.

In the story, we find that Christine was living in a place called the Compound. Her existence, as it was in there, was of a receptor for men’s lust, to marry and bear children. I can’t comment on the Compound in a critical way since that side of Christine’s life wasn’t explored much. All I got is that it was very much male dominated and women had NO say whatsoever in anything. They didn’t have a life outside of the Compound. When the story starts, in the dead of the night, some women come to take some of the younger girls and women away to a place called Eve’s Grotto. They used magic to have their way. But how can it be? Eve’s Grotto is supposed to be a myth! Or, at least that was what was told. But a very confused Christine accompanies them in the hopes of a better life.

In Eve’s Grotto, Christine experiences a totally opposite existence of what she was living in the Compound. She already knew that women are in charge but she’s no less baffled by the goings on here. As the story progresses, the author gives us narratives and views of Eve’s Grotto, sometimes through Christine’s eyes as she was being prepared (and trained) to live in this society...

I found Christine’s reactions/POVs to the place were absolutely connecting with mine. Men service women in every way in this place. There is no concept of marriage in Eve’s Grotto and no forced pregnancy. Not only women reign here, but they use magic to subjugate men with the excuse to ‘subdue their natural tendency for violence’. The way things are, apparently, men are happy to live like that. There is also this illusion that these men get to choose their ways of life, only later we learn that the reality differs vastly from what’s underneath. The whole place would give you a fantasy of perfect autonomy for women; they get to choose their Pets to keep and as many as they want. Sex is for enjoyment only. Using magic to take care of the more dirty and unwanted aspects of life. I mean, a perfect living, right? Even though this society has its hierarchy and power struggle, its women who win the day, literally!

But my own thought was that this place was no less extreme and unbalanced than the Compound itself.

Some relatively plain looking men work as laborers but the ones very attractive are chosen as Pets. There are two types of Pets, manor Pet and kept Pet. But whatever their chores were, there was no denying that these men were glorified servants, their living degrading. Nothing better than an object to be used. Not that they can feel or say anything about their fate since most of their natural feelings are restrained through magical collars and handcuffs.

We meet a manor Pet, Valentine, who’s a ladies’ man, being really beautiful and very good in what he does (and I don’t only mean sex). But being a manor Pet also means that he has to conduct his affairs secretly, since manor Pets are forced to live celibate before some mistress takes them as kept Pet in a ceremony held twice a year. But Valentine can’t ignore when commands come through his collar even though he knows that if caught, it’s him who’d bear the brunt for breaking the rule.

Christine’s fights with her inner-self were completely valid IMO. The expectations, the ways of living and commanding men, her struggle to take everything in and of learning to use magic not only to perform the basic commands but also, to stay safe. Then, she meets Valentine and things become even more complex for her...

I personally don’t like to read about the hero’s sexcapades with OWs but I saw how Valentine’s couldn’t be ignored since it helps you to get an idea of the sort evil that this place holds, namely Valentine’s current lover, a very powerful woman, Lady Yvette. This woman is prone to temper tantrums and yes, plays really dirty to have her way because she’s not used to being denied. I felt very bad for Valentine. He thought sex was fun and all that (sneaking around, taking chances with danger etc.) with a woman like Yvette. But, as he meets Christine and is totally taken with her, somehow, Valentine begins to feel a little anger and desperation for being so thoroughly controlled by magic. He begins to feel the difference, though magic channeled through his collar would subdue him whenever he tried. But he at least understood the difference between the kind of sex he had with Yvette and the kind he later has with Christine because of Christine’s innocent thoughts and ways. Valentine finally understood a little of what freedom means, something he’d never known being with a woman jaded in the ways of Eve’s Grotto.

But these kinds of thoughts can only mean trouble... to know exactly what kind, I have to wait for the next installment. *sigh*

Lustbound is merely the beginning of Christine and Valentine’s journey together. I feel a lot more coming in the future installments because the end implies that troubles are already brewing. Can’t wait to read the next in the series!

4 stars.


This copy of Lustbound was provided to me by the author herself in exchange of an honest review. I’d like to thank her for it.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So to start off, I want to say that I did get a copy of this book at no cost in exchange for an honest review, so I am very happy to say that I liked Lustbound (I'm not a fan of writing negative reviews), I just wish it hadn't ended so soon. I didn't realize going in that it was the first in a series, and it ends with a cliffhanger. Lustbound wasn't what I expected it to be, which is a good thing. I was expecting full on BDSM erotica, which can be good I guess, but not really my style. I was very pleasantly surprised that Lustbound was instead a very well written, sweet, emotional, erotic romance (emphasis on romance) with some paranormal thrown in there as well.

I try not to spoil anything in reviews, but here's some background. Christine, our heroine, was raised in a place called The Compound. At the compound women were second class citizens, there only to be married off to serve their husbands and produce children. Right before Christine is about to be married off to some unknown man, she is "rescued" by a group of women and brought to a place called Eve's Grotto.

In Eve's Grotto the tables are completely turned, here women have all the power, including the power of Magic. Men in Eve's Grotto are kept as Pets. They are literally owned and completely controlled through magic and the women make them do just about anything, and I mean anything, they want. Christine is expected to become a part of this but she, unlike the majority of other characters, has a conscience and finds it difficult to accept the idea of owning someone. But only a week after her arrival to Eve's Grotto, she is expected to attend and participate in a ceremony where all the women select their new Pets.

Enter our hero, Valentin. Valentin is a Manor Pet, meaning he doesn't belong to any individual woman. He, along with all of the other manor Pets, is going to be made available for selection at the upcoming ceremony. Manor Pets are forbidden to have sex with the women until they are selected as a personal pet, but sometimes rules get broken. Valentin has been having what he thought was just a "casual affair" with Yvette, one of the governmental higher ups in Eve's Grotto.

One of the few choices that Pets have is that they can refuse a woman's claim. Pets, in general, have little to no freedom, but at least as a Manor Pet Valentin doesn't have to give one single person complete control and he wants to keep it that way. But Yvette has her sights set on making her Valentin her newest personal Pet.

From the first moment Christine and Valentin meet, they know that there is something special there. Love isn't permitted in Eve's Grotto, and it just never happened at The Compound, so the feelings that they start having are completely foreign to both of them. Soon they come to the realization that if they ever have to be part of a Master/Pet relationship then they might as well do it with each other. Valentin knows Christine sees him as an actual person and not just a Pet, and Christine sees that Valentin has a true affection for her something that she would have never had at the compound. But Yvette will stop at nothing to get what she wants, and she certainly will not let a newcomer like Christine stand in her way.


I really cannot wait for the next installment if this series. I feel like I am really invested in Valentin and Christine's lives. I'm pulling for them to defeat the "evil witch" Yvette. Just for the record, Yvette is a great villain, she is truly the most unlikable character that I have come across in a long time, and by the end of the book I wanted nothing more that to see her brought down. And so I absolutely have to read the next book. I think the author did a great job with the other characters as well. I liked that we got to see so much emotion from Valentin, because by design, Pets are not supposed to have emotions. Getting inside Valentin's head also let us see just home much control the women actually have. The Pets might not have free will, but at least in Valentin's case, they are free to think.

This was a very quick read, and not just because it was short. It really pulled me in and I didn't want to stop reading, not even when I got to the end. I think it was well written, there were no glaring spelling or grammatical errors. It flowed very nicely and I really do look forward to reading more.

[Rosebud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christine is about to reach the age when she will be chosen and claimed by a male as their property to live out her life in servitude as their mate and child bearer when a late night miracle occurs. She and other females at their compound are given a one time chance to escape and change their destinies. Christine accepts and is whisked away to Eve's Grotto where the roles are reversed and females are in charge and men their 'pets'
Valentin has been groomed to become some woman's pet and serve her in all ways for the rest of his life. It's a life he's content with until a high level female sets her sights on him and will do whatever it takes to claim him regardless of his own feelings. All of a sudden the future isn't looking as promising as he thought it would. Especially when he sees Christine and begins to have feelings for her that pets aren't suppose to.

This fantasy paranormal Femdom read had a surprising suspense/intrigue theme that drew me in. This eutopian female dominated society had found a way to control men and their dominant personalities without crossing the line to portray them as worthless beings or mindless property. The unusual fantasy BDSM origin source to control the men would definitely make millions if this was sold on the market today. Heck I'd buy it if it got that kind of results. But I digress.

The overall story is one of two people raised to accept their fate but have the opportunity to not only change it but find love in the process. There are some mixed theme erotica action that isn't too earth shattering in the graphic or intensity factors but do scratch that itch for the reader.

My concerns will be vague but telling. I don't do the spoiler thing so I'm going to try to keep to that here. First, I wasn't ever certain if this was a historical, alternate world, or what at any point in this book. And yes, that did make a difference. Next, there was no clear reason why this fictional world thrived. My basic impression was that women were brought into this world, given all the money and creature comforts they needed, and......

That ending was purposeful as I didn't get the hierarchy or society economics so important parts of this story were lost on me to understand intent, consequences, or results. Lastly, the book ends with a major cliffhanger. While I'm a fan of an author strategically using a cliffhanger ending I can't say that this was done effectively in this case. I want there to be a sort of plateau for me to be on when a cliffhanger is about to happen. In this case there really wasn't any progress of the storyline to support ending the way it did. That's all I'll say about that.

This was a book that I did enjoy. I couldn't stop reading it just to know IF Christine and Valentin would be able to get together or not. I felt myself repeatedly hoping and praying that things would work out and that despite the odds they would have a HEA or HFN ending. To know if this happened or not you'll have to read it yourself and see.

[Daisy Sloan · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Lustbound was not what I was expecting but I was still sucked in as I read it.

I was pulled into a world where men are nothing more than pets to service women. They have no free will and do whatever the women bid them to do. They are bound by magic to do exactly as they are told. While this may sound amazing, it was actually quite depressing as they men have no free will.

Christine was rescued from the compound where she was raised. In that compound things are the exact opposite. Women are the property of men and sex is only to beget children. In that world the women are repressed.

One of the things I really liked about this story was the way we were learning about this new world through Christine's eyes. We learned things as she learned them. I found Christine and Valentin to be wonderful Main Characters and was vested in them getting their HEA. Yvette is perfect protagonist. She's not overt in her nastiness until late in the book. And even at that point she's not overt in her nastiness to anyone else in the compound, just Christine and Valentin.

I usually hate books where they don't get their HEA but this time it's different. Any resolution to their problem in this book would have been premature and happened FAR too easy. There is no way Christine and Valentin could have gotten their HEA with Yvette in the picture. She's just too good at what she does to let it happen. So, in this case I'm good with Christine and Valentin not getting their HEA. Hopefully it will come in a later book! I'm ready for the next one!

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woman are like property, where did I hear that before? I really enjoy this book. It has my blood flowing with the next page. Christina is a very sweet and timid young woman. Who grow up in a community where woman are like property and only used for making babies. One night she gets rescured and taken to Eve's Grotto. Where there men are pets and servants. Christina has to adjust to the "New" Ways. She is drawn to one pet named Valentin. A pet with wonderful green eyes. Can love happen in a community where love is forbitten between a woman and a pet? You must read to find out. I would highly recommend this book. I can't wait to read the next installment.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't very sure how I would like this book when it first started. I liked Christine's character, Yvette was good at being bad, and Valentin grew on me.

It seemed to start off slow, but it quickly progressed to interesting and by the end I was intrigued and ready for book two.

I feel like there should have been more to the story, like there was missing bits to the world of Eve's Grotto; but it is a short story, novella whichever, so hopefully the next book will reveal more details of Eve's Grotto.

[Nikki Groom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprised with this short sweet story.
It revolves around Christine and Valentin and their forbidden love. In a place where the men are pets, and are used as the women see fit. Controlled by magical bonds in the collar and cuffs that they wear, they carry out orders sent to them by spells. Affection is permitted but Love is forbidden...
It has a period feel to it, an old fashioned type of romance with some magic and fantasy thrown in!
It ends on a cliff hanger and I look forward to seeing in Christine and Valentin can overcome the obstacles that are keeping them apart.

[Aղցela W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that it was a great love story between Christine and Valentin. I wish I could find an Eve's Grotto. I can't wait to read the next one.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this as a free read for review. LOVED it. Christine and Valentin... hot and sweet. Yvette as the villain is awesome. Cant wait to see where this is going.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was well written but just not for me. The idea of men being pets sounded like fun but the fact they had NO free will and were manipulated by magic was just a bit 'out there' for me!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was surprisingly good. Erotica romance with a great story and dystopian theme!