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To Seek a Master
Work hard, play harder Eclipsed by the high-powered businesspeople that surround her, shy Laura Irving spends her time absorbed in her own workplace-fantasies. So when the masterful and arrogant man known as "The Devil" begins to show interest, she is both terrified and thrilled. And there is nothing she wants more than to call him "Master." A classic Black Lace tale of a love-hate affair and an explosive relationship.
256 pages, Paperback
First published December 4, 2008
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October 15, 2009
Laura's pleasures in life are few: her dog Smudge, proper seamed stockings, and reading trashy 50s romance novels. She travels between her home and her job as Assistant to the Manager by train and has nicknames for all the regulars in her carriage: Mr Brown, Hovis Boy, the Grey Man, the Devil, Miss Scarlet, Darcy and the Tramp. Her active imagination is further captured by a scene in her trashy book, Taken to Turkey, where the otherwise-bland hero takes the helplessly idiotic heroine over his lap for a good spanking.
She can't get it out of her head, but she knows it's wrong to like the idea of a spanking - not just the physical act but the humiliation as well. When she suddenly receives an email from someone calling himself "the Controller", telling her to wear stockings the next day, Laura is torn between two reactions: determination, in finding out who is doing this and why; and an unmistakable urge to comply with the authoritative order.
Telling herself she'll do as she's told only so that she can test her co-workers and find out who it is, Laura goes along with it. As the days and the orders continue, and she rules out the other employers, she narrows it down to the men on the train. By the time the Controller reveals himself, she has let go of many of her inhibitions - but it will take a firm, understanding hand to help her come to terms with what she really needs.
I was completely lost inside this book. Apparently, according to my husband, I read this with a smile on my face. You have to love a book that can make you smile for over two hundred pages! And I did, despite its flaws.
The first hundred pages are incredibly heightened by the play of psychological tension and suspense - erotica is generally concerned with the psychological aspects of exploring and accepting our sexual natures, but they can sometimes get angst-ridden and depressing. Here, Belle makes a strong attempt here to create a plausible, realistic scenario in which a "normal", "nice" girl - Laura - faces a newly awakened need in herself that is not just frowned upon by her society, and many others, but is outright denounced unless it's just a game.
But it's when it's real, not just playing, that it gets really interesting. It was always within her, deep down, and she could have gone her whole life without exploring it - and never been entirely satisfied with herself or her life. It takes courage to do it, and reading Laura's story was fascinating. I'm also reminded of what Nancy Madore said in her introduction to Enchanted, about how important it is for women to remove the shame from our sexuality, to not feel guilt or shame but to own it. That is what Laura does: she learns to own her own sexuality.
I found it hard to put down, at any point, and read it quickly. The prose isn't fancy or cheesy but manages to convey the heightened tension and psychological - shall we say titillation? Here is one of my favourite passages, to demonstrate (she is on the train, and the Controller has just revealed himself):
From there, the novel further explores Laura's desires and her relationship with this man (you will be able to guess his identity but even so, I don't want to reveal it). It's highly charged, but the man's calm authority and confidence, as well as his experience (he's "trained" girls before, as a mentor), means that the situation never declines into something painful, icky, abhorrent, sadistic, misogynistic, or anything else that could put you off. It isn't a book for everyone, by any means, but I can see where Maya Banks may have been inspired for her book Sweet Persuasion - though they handle it in different ways. There's a lot more suspense here, more sexual tension and a more level-headed exploration - not like Anne Rice's Beauty trilogy, which is rather over-the-top bizarre and not at all realistic. Sometimes you want that obvious fantasy-land feel, but personally the real-world feel works better for me.
Laura herself is a tricky character. She's a walking contradiction - which is fine, once you acknowledge that pretty much everyone is. On the one hand, she comes across as sweet and girly, a bit of a twit really who's wholly preoccupied with public punishment and having her bottom smacked. It even, at times, isn't even sexual - and yet it is. The Controller - Charles (that doesn't give it away, not really) - gives a pretty good layman's explanation of women like Laura and their more unusual needs. Yet she also has moments of strength, conviction - and let's be honest, courage too. The relationship she works out with Charles isn't an uneven one, nor a subjugated one, because they both get so much out of it. He even likens it to a marriage, in a traditional sense - the vows, anyway.
The annoying thing is how suddenly the book ends, with some details still up in the air - mostly concerning Laura's job, which is a whole subplot I left out of my summary because I don't want to give too much away (these books are generally light on plot, since they delve into emotions and our mentality). I wanted to know more, since this is the most realistic depiction of a master-slave relationship I've come across. By "realistic" I mean "feasible", "plausible", "believable" - and not scary or creepy or misogynistic.
I also wanted to know Charles' feelings better. We can glean a fair bit from the third person narrator, but the perspective is always Laura's. I'm not calling this an erotic romance because the "love" side of things is uncertain, at least from Charles' side. I loved him as a character - he had the right amount of charisma and stern authority, humour and confidence, and never came across as sleazy. If his own emotions had been revealed, in favour of Laura, the book would be a romance - but an extra edge is given through not knowing, and trusting instead.
To Seek a Master kept me totally absorbed. Even though it's written in past tense, it's written in such a way that it feels immediate, like you are right there with Laura every step of the way. This kind of emotional intensity I love, and is partly why this book is such a winner with me. It needs proof-reading; there were way too many obvious typos, even a double negative, and you really don't need those kinds of distractions.
While we're on the subject of the edition itself, it says "15th anniversary edition" on the cover but I couldn't find any earlier editions, and the publication data only refers to the 2008 publication. So I really don't know whether it was first published 15 years or so ago, or what. It's bugging me. An anniversary edition usually celebrates a book that has some kind of acclaim, or popularity. But there's nothing about an earlier book.
She can't get it out of her head, but she knows it's wrong to like the idea of a spanking - not just the physical act but the humiliation as well. When she suddenly receives an email from someone calling himself "the Controller", telling her to wear stockings the next day, Laura is torn between two reactions: determination, in finding out who is doing this and why; and an unmistakable urge to comply with the authoritative order.
Telling herself she'll do as she's told only so that she can test her co-workers and find out who it is, Laura goes along with it. As the days and the orders continue, and she rules out the other employers, she narrows it down to the men on the train. By the time the Controller reveals himself, she has let go of many of her inhibitions - but it will take a firm, understanding hand to help her come to terms with what she really needs.
I was completely lost inside this book. Apparently, according to my husband, I read this with a smile on my face. You have to love a book that can make you smile for over two hundred pages! And I did, despite its flaws.
The first hundred pages are incredibly heightened by the play of psychological tension and suspense - erotica is generally concerned with the psychological aspects of exploring and accepting our sexual natures, but they can sometimes get angst-ridden and depressing. Here, Belle makes a strong attempt here to create a plausible, realistic scenario in which a "normal", "nice" girl - Laura - faces a newly awakened need in herself that is not just frowned upon by her society, and many others, but is outright denounced unless it's just a game.
But it's when it's real, not just playing, that it gets really interesting. It was always within her, deep down, and she could have gone her whole life without exploring it - and never been entirely satisfied with herself or her life. It takes courage to do it, and reading Laura's story was fascinating. I'm also reminded of what Nancy Madore said in her introduction to Enchanted, about how important it is for women to remove the shame from our sexuality, to not feel guilt or shame but to own it. That is what Laura does: she learns to own her own sexuality.
I found it hard to put down, at any point, and read it quickly. The prose isn't fancy or cheesy but manages to convey the heightened tension and psychological - shall we say titillation? Here is one of my favourite passages, to demonstrate (she is on the train, and the Controller has just revealed himself):
She knew he was looking down at her, and turned to him, unable to look away, to find his bright pale-grey eyes looking into hers, then lower, to feast on the crescent of pale flesh showing within her blouse. He smiled, cool and certain and knowing. Laura felt her body tighten, a reaction like a small faint orgasm and a gasp escaped her lips before she could stop herself. One edge of his mouth curled up, giving his smile the wry wicked edge she remembered from before. He spoke.
"Good morning Laura. Stand up."
From there, the novel further explores Laura's desires and her relationship with this man (you will be able to guess his identity but even so, I don't want to reveal it). It's highly charged, but the man's calm authority and confidence, as well as his experience (he's "trained" girls before, as a mentor), means that the situation never declines into something painful, icky, abhorrent, sadistic, misogynistic, or anything else that could put you off. It isn't a book for everyone, by any means, but I can see where Maya Banks may have been inspired for her book Sweet Persuasion - though they handle it in different ways. There's a lot more suspense here, more sexual tension and a more level-headed exploration - not like Anne Rice's Beauty trilogy, which is rather over-the-top bizarre and not at all realistic. Sometimes you want that obvious fantasy-land feel, but personally the real-world feel works better for me.
Laura herself is a tricky character. She's a walking contradiction - which is fine, once you acknowledge that pretty much everyone is. On the one hand, she comes across as sweet and girly, a bit of a twit really who's wholly preoccupied with public punishment and having her bottom smacked. It even, at times, isn't even sexual - and yet it is. The Controller - Charles (that doesn't give it away, not really) - gives a pretty good layman's explanation of women like Laura and their more unusual needs. Yet she also has moments of strength, conviction - and let's be honest, courage too. The relationship she works out with Charles isn't an uneven one, nor a subjugated one, because they both get so much out of it. He even likens it to a marriage, in a traditional sense - the vows, anyway.
The annoying thing is how suddenly the book ends, with some details still up in the air - mostly concerning Laura's job, which is a whole subplot I left out of my summary because I don't want to give too much away (these books are generally light on plot, since they delve into emotions and our mentality). I wanted to know more, since this is the most realistic depiction of a master-slave relationship I've come across. By "realistic" I mean "feasible", "plausible", "believable" - and not scary or creepy or misogynistic.
I also wanted to know Charles' feelings better. We can glean a fair bit from the third person narrator, but the perspective is always Laura's. I'm not calling this an erotic romance because the "love" side of things is uncertain, at least from Charles' side. I loved him as a character - he had the right amount of charisma and stern authority, humour and confidence, and never came across as sleazy. If his own emotions had been revealed, in favour of Laura, the book would be a romance - but an extra edge is given through not knowing, and trusting instead.
To Seek a Master kept me totally absorbed. Even though it's written in past tense, it's written in such a way that it feels immediate, like you are right there with Laura every step of the way. This kind of emotional intensity I love, and is partly why this book is such a winner with me. It needs proof-reading; there were way too many obvious typos, even a double negative, and you really don't need those kinds of distractions.
While we're on the subject of the edition itself, it says "15th anniversary edition" on the cover but I couldn't find any earlier editions, and the publication data only refers to the 2008 publication. So I really don't know whether it was first published 15 years or so ago, or what. It's bugging me. An anniversary edition usually celebrates a book that has some kind of acclaim, or popularity. But there's nothing about an earlier book.
April 20, 2013
**ARC provided by Random House UK, Ebury Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**
Very interesting read. 3,5-4 stars.
The story wasn't as intense as they usually are when it comes to D/s relationship. It starts slow (a bit too low for my taste, but I'll get to that:)).
It starts with a book, that heroine is reading on a way to and from work, which gets her into the whole "mess" :-). She gets intrigued by some of the scenes in it. First it comes shock, then curiosity and the, "Hmm... I would like what she's having." :-).
One day, she comes to work and finds an email from someone called Controller telling her to wear stockings to work next time. She goes all "WTF?". And that is when the whole fun starts. She's not about to obey some random perv. She starts thinking who might he be. Maybe it's her boss? He kind of fits the bill. Maybe it's one of the guys from work. She decides to wear stockings to work, to flush the weirdo out. No luck. It's fun to read about how paranoid she gets, because she doesn't have any idea who mysterious man is. Then she receives more emails with different demands and almost gives her self a stroke trying to figure out who he is :-D. She finds the whole thing both scary and exiting as hell :-).
Then, we finally get to meet the Controller. He is all cool, calm and collective. It's not his first rodeo and he knows what she wants/needs.
I get that it is an erotic novel, but sex scenes weren't the only thing that I found interesting. I found their conversations fascinating. Sometimes I thought that he might be pulling some of his theories out of his a$$, but they sounded very convincing :).
The ending was both a little funny and shocking. It left me thinking "Oh, come on. That's when the good stuff starts.".
My reason for giving it 3,5-4 stars is the first 40% of the book. It felt like it dragged for ever and ever and ever. I get it, the story she was reading sparked her curiosity. What bored me a bit was way too many references to the book she was reading. Not only there were too many direct quotes from the book, they were followed by her fantasies. "This and that have been done to the heroine, but I would have liked if this and that have been done to her/me.". Also, there was very little dialogue in the first half of the story. The story picked up the pace only after she met the Controller.
I think that if you manage to get through the first half of the book, you'll enjoy the rest quite a bit :-).
Very interesting read. 3,5-4 stars.
The story wasn't as intense as they usually are when it comes to D/s relationship. It starts slow (a bit too low for my taste, but I'll get to that:)).
It starts with a book, that heroine is reading on a way to and from work, which gets her into the whole "mess" :-). She gets intrigued by some of the scenes in it. First it comes shock, then curiosity and the, "Hmm... I would like what she's having." :-).
One day, she comes to work and finds an email from someone called Controller telling her to wear stockings to work next time. She goes all "WTF?". And that is when the whole fun starts. She's not about to obey some random perv. She starts thinking who might he be. Maybe it's her boss? He kind of fits the bill. Maybe it's one of the guys from work. She decides to wear stockings to work, to flush the weirdo out. No luck. It's fun to read about how paranoid she gets, because she doesn't have any idea who mysterious man is. Then she receives more emails with different demands and almost gives her self a stroke trying to figure out who he is :-D. She finds the whole thing both scary and exiting as hell :-).
Then, we finally get to meet the Controller. He is all cool, calm and collective. It's not his first rodeo and he knows what she wants/needs.
I get that it is an erotic novel, but sex scenes weren't the only thing that I found interesting. I found their conversations fascinating. Sometimes I thought that he might be pulling some of his theories out of his a$$, but they sounded very convincing :).
The ending was both a little funny and shocking. It left me thinking "Oh, come on. That's when the good stuff starts.".
My reason for giving it 3,5-4 stars is the first 40% of the book. It felt like it dragged for ever and ever and ever. I get it, the story she was reading sparked her curiosity. What bored me a bit was way too many references to the book she was reading. Not only there were too many direct quotes from the book, they were followed by her fantasies. "This and that have been done to the heroine, but I would have liked if this and that have been done to her/me.". Also, there was very little dialogue in the first half of the story. The story picked up the pace only after she met the Controller.
I think that if you manage to get through the first half of the book, you'll enjoy the rest quite a bit :-).
January 2, 2014
*ARC gifted to me by Random House UK, Ebury Publishing via NetGalley*
I have a confession my lovely Followers, Netgalley, & Dear Author…
I hate giving bad reviews, and I really don’t want to do this! I have to. There’s just no way around it. I will breathe through the pain. Good Lord help me! Let’s just strip away the band aid really quick.
I had high hopes for this book because I LOVED the Blurb. The Story outline could have been PHENOMENAL if just given more thought. So here it goes…
The book begins with our sweet and reserved Laura. She is all about the daydreams and fantasies. She fantasizes everywhere. On the train with The Devil, Darcy, Mr Brown, The Grey Man, Miss Scarlett, Hovis Boy, and The Tramp. (Her names people, not mine)
Everyday she takes the same train to work and everyday we are given insight into how she really feels about her daily co-travelers.
She works as a PA for a man that has a desire to see her in tight expensive clothing and with seamed stockings. She is unsettled by the fact that her boss takes such an interest in her but apparently has never touched her or said anything inappropriate. He may have looked a little too long at times but seriously I don’t see what the problem is…
Moving on…
It was a boring day just like any other days she had, and after a long day at work she decided to dive into a wonderful smutty book about personal humiliation and spankings. Hmmm…I thought interesting but sadly it was not. I was bored. She was intrigued and that lead us to our tub scene along with her getting hot and heavy over the idea of being…
She takes her book with her to pass the time on the train but tragically one day she leaves her “Bookmark” on that train.
The next day at work she receives an “unknown” email from a person named the “Controller”. He demands things of her. Dirty things…
More Fantazing…More desires to be…
Now who is this “Controller”?
Is it…
Her “creepy” (he is not creepy ladies) Boss?
Is it Darcy from the train? Or the Devil?
Is it Mr. Brown or Hovis Boy? Maybe The Grey Man?
Is it Brian, the man she works with that keeps trying to peek up her skirt?
Chris who she had a fling with? (A person might I add that after one lunch quickie she thought she was in a longs lasting relationship with)
OR HOW ABOUT IT WAS CORONAL MUSTARD, WITH THE ROPE, IN THE LIBRARY????
WHO THE HELL KNOWS?!?!?!?!?!?
We eventually find out who this Mystery Controller is and well…He makes good on his promise to…well…more of this…
He wants a slave and she wants to be his pet.
In between visits with the man, she still dreams and fantasizes about being…
MORE WITH THE SPANKING! I JUST CAN’T HANDLE IT ANYMORE! *Screams*
We get educated from the Controller about well everything that has to do with why she likes it…Blah!
We get shown her caned…smacked in the tush with a belt…put in a “Time Out” but that ladies, is the extent…No hard core anything just in case you want to read this book and have fear of what is actually done. Nope nothing that will make you want to release your inner Submissive side. Just more of this…
I am sorry but I cringed at most of the wording and things that were said. I felt like the Author just made Laura seem so stupid and a bimbo to the extreme.
I had such high hopes for my Sexy Saturday. *sigh…*
Oh well. I thank NetGalley and The Author for the opportunity to read and review this book. I am sorry it just wasn’t the right one for me. I wish you much success. So Spank you! (Sorry just couldn’t help myself!)
I have a confession my lovely Followers, Netgalley, & Dear Author…
I hate giving bad reviews, and I really don’t want to do this! I have to. There’s just no way around it. I will breathe through the pain. Good Lord help me! Let’s just strip away the band aid really quick.
I had high hopes for this book because I LOVED the Blurb. The Story outline could have been PHENOMENAL if just given more thought. So here it goes…
The book begins with our sweet and reserved Laura. She is all about the daydreams and fantasies. She fantasizes everywhere. On the train with The Devil, Darcy, Mr Brown, The Grey Man, Miss Scarlett, Hovis Boy, and The Tramp. (Her names people, not mine)
Everyday she takes the same train to work and everyday we are given insight into how she really feels about her daily co-travelers.
She works as a PA for a man that has a desire to see her in tight expensive clothing and with seamed stockings. She is unsettled by the fact that her boss takes such an interest in her but apparently has never touched her or said anything inappropriate. He may have looked a little too long at times but seriously I don’t see what the problem is…
Moving on…
It was a boring day just like any other days she had, and after a long day at work she decided to dive into a wonderful smutty book about personal humiliation and spankings. Hmmm…I thought interesting but sadly it was not. I was bored. She was intrigued and that lead us to our tub scene along with her getting hot and heavy over the idea of being…
She takes her book with her to pass the time on the train but tragically one day she leaves her “Bookmark” on that train.
The next day at work she receives an “unknown” email from a person named the “Controller”. He demands things of her. Dirty things…
More Fantazing…More desires to be…
Now who is this “Controller”?
Is it…
Her “creepy” (he is not creepy ladies) Boss?
Is it Darcy from the train? Or the Devil?
Is it Mr. Brown or Hovis Boy? Maybe The Grey Man?
Is it Brian, the man she works with that keeps trying to peek up her skirt?
Chris who she had a fling with? (A person might I add that after one lunch quickie she thought she was in a longs lasting relationship with)
OR HOW ABOUT IT WAS CORONAL MUSTARD, WITH THE ROPE, IN THE LIBRARY????
WHO THE HELL KNOWS?!?!?!?!?!?
We eventually find out who this Mystery Controller is and well…He makes good on his promise to…well…more of this…
He wants a slave and she wants to be his pet.
In between visits with the man, she still dreams and fantasizes about being…
MORE WITH THE SPANKING! I JUST CAN’T HANDLE IT ANYMORE! *Screams*
We get educated from the Controller about well everything that has to do with why she likes it…Blah!
We get shown her caned…smacked in the tush with a belt…put in a “Time Out” but that ladies, is the extent…No hard core anything just in case you want to read this book and have fear of what is actually done. Nope nothing that will make you want to release your inner Submissive side. Just more of this…
I am sorry but I cringed at most of the wording and things that were said. I felt like the Author just made Laura seem so stupid and a bimbo to the extreme.
I had such high hopes for my Sexy Saturday. *sigh…*
Oh well. I thank NetGalley and The Author for the opportunity to read and review this book. I am sorry it just wasn’t the right one for me. I wish you much success. So Spank you! (Sorry just couldn’t help myself!)
April 28, 2013
To seek a master is such a nice title, the cover also promises a lot. Too bad the inside is not as good. It's really awful. It took me a week to read a book that I can finish in less than 12 hours. And it's not because I was busy. It was so bad I could not make myself to read it. 1/3 of it is about the identity of the man who sends her the emails. If you read the synopsis you will know who he is but Belle must not know what to write since she took her time to reveal that is The Devil the one who sends the emails. That 1/3 was also the hottest part of the book. The rest of it to me felt as the beginning of their relationship when they still trying to learn the other and I did not felt a meaningful bond between them. Nothing huge happened and the rest 60% could be simply less or the same length with some twist or something.
The devil is omega male and not alpha as the author wanted him to be and to me seemed that Laura was the boss even if he is the one that gives the orders. As for Laura I think she is the horniest person I have ever seen and I did not liked her personality. The book seemed more like porn book than anything else with all her fantasies.
The devil is omega male and not alpha as the author wanted him to be and to me seemed that Laura was the boss even if he is the one that gives the orders. As for Laura I think she is the horniest person I have ever seen and I did not liked her personality. The book seemed more like porn book than anything else with all her fantasies.
February 15, 2018
Asking for consent is always important especially since Laura and Charles hasn't really discussed in detail what her boundaries are before the contract signing. So in the case, he was a good dom. I give it four stars because it took the story quite awhile to move along but it did have a good plot. Also because I feel like Monica Belle ends her erotica books all alike.
October 17, 2022
So hot. So good.
April 25, 2013
Surrounded by dominating, high powered business people, Laura Irving does her job the best she can and excels in it. Shy Laura lives a life of routine but inside her mind she plays make believe, leading her imagination to create fiction characters from everyday people.
Laura craves dominance from a master, the meaner the better. When one man, the one she craves the most known to her as "The Devil", shows his interest she is terrified but she will not loose this opportunity to learn and belong to someone that can fulfill her most intimate cravings.
At first I didn't identify myself with this character, her life was so boring and the escape she provided for herself was so unsatisfying to me that I kept reading to see if my mind would be changed.
Then as pages flew by, I got the idea of it all. In the midst of a lonely life, organizing your priorities was necessary. When you live an austere, routine and mind set life, I think it wouldn't be any other way.
Sexually viewing this "desert" and bearing in mind the dominance craving that she needs at a full physical level, the discovery of pain/pleasure experiences is what drives Laura to find out more of all the things that are possible under the hands of a master.
"The Devil" is also a character that we come to know as the true dominant master, always correct and again set to give Laura all that she craves, pleasure, pain, the fulfillment of her dark desires such has the punishments and the rapture and freedom that comes after them. He is truly what she needs.
I liked the pace that the author gave to the book. From the beginning I kept turning the pages to read what happened next, never got bored and opened my mind to this type of erotica, classical all the way, different from what I'm used to reading.
I believe that we should read all types of romance and genres in fiction, it leaves us hanging in the dark out of our comfort zones and possibly finding new authors like M. Belle that keep us coming back for more.
Laura craves dominance from a master, the meaner the better. When one man, the one she craves the most known to her as "The Devil", shows his interest she is terrified but she will not loose this opportunity to learn and belong to someone that can fulfill her most intimate cravings.
At first I didn't identify myself with this character, her life was so boring and the escape she provided for herself was so unsatisfying to me that I kept reading to see if my mind would be changed.
Then as pages flew by, I got the idea of it all. In the midst of a lonely life, organizing your priorities was necessary. When you live an austere, routine and mind set life, I think it wouldn't be any other way.
Sexually viewing this "desert" and bearing in mind the dominance craving that she needs at a full physical level, the discovery of pain/pleasure experiences is what drives Laura to find out more of all the things that are possible under the hands of a master.
"The Devil" is also a character that we come to know as the true dominant master, always correct and again set to give Laura all that she craves, pleasure, pain, the fulfillment of her dark desires such has the punishments and the rapture and freedom that comes after them. He is truly what she needs.
I liked the pace that the author gave to the book. From the beginning I kept turning the pages to read what happened next, never got bored and opened my mind to this type of erotica, classical all the way, different from what I'm used to reading.
I believe that we should read all types of romance and genres in fiction, it leaves us hanging in the dark out of our comfort zones and possibly finding new authors like M. Belle that keep us coming back for more.
April 9, 2013
When a stranger helps make Laura’s fantasy become a reality, she is brought into a world where she’s unsure of what will happen next. While reading different books, Laura realizes her desires to be punished for things she has done. She wants someone to have that control over her to issue the punishments when she is required them.
It all started with an email, demanding her to do something. The Controller, as the person called themself, then proceeds to give her orders, and she of course follows them. Without knowledge of who the Controller is, Laura believes that one of her co-workers could be the one sending the emails. Falling into a world where she is unsure of what to except next, she finds out that the person she thought was the Controller wasn’t, and when they finally reveal themselves, she is shocked completely.
I really love books that have the “story within the story” such as this one. Laura was reading another book, but instead of just saying she was reading another book, they included excerpts of the book she was reading. To me that helped get you more into the story because you could find out what had affected her. I also enjoyed how The Controller explained to Laura the different reasons as to why she could be the way that she was, instead of just ignoring her questions. I liked how he went through step by step what he excepted of her, and explained it all to her, instead of just assuming that she would know right away what he wanted.
My only 2 complaints would be how it was easy for me to figure out early on who the Controller was, but I did enjoy how it wasn’t confirmed to quickly in the book itself. The book over all was a slow read for me as well; there wasn’t really any part that made me not want to put the book down.
Over all I would give this book a 3.5 stars because it did have a good plot line, there were some parts that made me laugh. I liked how educational it was as well.
It all started with an email, demanding her to do something. The Controller, as the person called themself, then proceeds to give her orders, and she of course follows them. Without knowledge of who the Controller is, Laura believes that one of her co-workers could be the one sending the emails. Falling into a world where she is unsure of what to except next, she finds out that the person she thought was the Controller wasn’t, and when they finally reveal themselves, she is shocked completely.
I really love books that have the “story within the story” such as this one. Laura was reading another book, but instead of just saying she was reading another book, they included excerpts of the book she was reading. To me that helped get you more into the story because you could find out what had affected her. I also enjoyed how The Controller explained to Laura the different reasons as to why she could be the way that she was, instead of just ignoring her questions. I liked how he went through step by step what he excepted of her, and explained it all to her, instead of just assuming that she would know right away what he wanted.
My only 2 complaints would be how it was easy for me to figure out early on who the Controller was, but I did enjoy how it wasn’t confirmed to quickly in the book itself. The book over all was a slow read for me as well; there wasn’t really any part that made me not want to put the book down.
Over all I would give this book a 3.5 stars because it did have a good plot line, there were some parts that made me laugh. I liked how educational it was as well.
April 9, 2013
When a stranger helps make Laura’s fantasy become a reality, she is brought into a world where she’s unsure of what will happen next. While reading different books, Laura realizes her desires to be punished for things she has done. She wants someone to have that control over her to issue the punishments when she is required them.
It all started with an email, demanding her to do something. The Controller, as the person called themself, then proceeds to give her orders, and she of course follows them. Without knowledge of who the Controller is, Laura believes that one of her co-workers could be the one sending the emails. Falling into a world where she is unsure of what to except next, she finds out that the person she thought was the Controller wasn’t, and when they finally reveal themselves, she is shocked completely.
I really love books that have the “story within the story” such as this one. Laura was reading another book, but instead of just saying she was reading another book, they included excerpts of the book she was reading. To me that helped get you more into the story because you could find out what had affected her. I also enjoyed how The Controller explained to Laura the different reasons as to why she could be the way that she was, instead of just ignoring her questions. I liked how he went through step by step what he excepted of her, and explained it all to her, instead of just assuming that she would know right away what he wanted.
My only 2 complaints would be how it was easy for me to figure out early on who the Controller was, but I did enjoy how it wasn’t confirmed to quickly in the book itself. The book over all was a slow read for me as well; there wasn’t really any part that made me not want to put the book down.
Over all I would give this book a 3.5 stars because it did have a good plot line, there were some parts that made me laugh. I liked how educational it was as well.
It all started with an email, demanding her to do something. The Controller, as the person called themself, then proceeds to give her orders, and she of course follows them. Without knowledge of who the Controller is, Laura believes that one of her co-workers could be the one sending the emails. Falling into a world where she is unsure of what to except next, she finds out that the person she thought was the Controller wasn’t, and when they finally reveal themselves, she is shocked completely.
I really love books that have the “story within the story” such as this one. Laura was reading another book, but instead of just saying she was reading another book, they included excerpts of the book she was reading. To me that helped get you more into the story because you could find out what had affected her. I also enjoyed how The Controller explained to Laura the different reasons as to why she could be the way that she was, instead of just ignoring her questions. I liked how he went through step by step what he excepted of her, and explained it all to her, instead of just assuming that she would know right away what he wanted.
My only 2 complaints would be how it was easy for me to figure out early on who the Controller was, but I did enjoy how it wasn’t confirmed to quickly in the book itself. The book over all was a slow read for me as well; there wasn’t really any part that made me not want to put the book down.
Over all I would give this book a 3.5 stars because it did have a good plot line, there were some parts that made me laugh. I liked how educational it was as well.
April 11, 2013
First of all, it's a relief to know that this is a reprint of 2009 edition, so all the comparisons to Fifty can stop now. Secondly, it's fun and flirty and it's based in Britain - yay for that!
Laura works as a PA for a company supplying energy panels. Every day she travels on a train to Cambridge and she has a nice fantasy in her head about her fellow commuters: handsome married Darcy, stoic dangerous Devil, the Hovis Boy, etc. She is bored, she is lonely and like millions other people she drifts along her life lacking direction.
Then she gets a torrid old historical novel from a charity shop and surprises the hell out of herself by getting off on the heroine spanked and tied up at the mercy of a villain. She attempts to have an affair to satisfy her fantasies but it goes horribly awry.
But then, there are weird emails on her work address from someone she calls The Controller, and Laura decides to follow his instructions to flush the mysterious stalker out. Of course, it has nothing to do with her getting a thrill from doing what the Controller orders her to do...
It's funny, slightly naive, hot and a little bit farcical. The latter made me think that surely to be in D/S relationship you have to be at least in upper middle class category? It's a pretty costly affair to have a dungeon, an array of proper toys and keep buying all these titillating clothes only to be torn and discarded... Maybe, this is a part of the massive allure BDSM books have for an ordinary reader? It gives you a weird sense of financial security and feeling of being protected and taken care of. But I digress.
It's a nice read, although I felt that it ended too abruptly. Recommended with slight reservations.
Laura works as a PA for a company supplying energy panels. Every day she travels on a train to Cambridge and she has a nice fantasy in her head about her fellow commuters: handsome married Darcy, stoic dangerous Devil, the Hovis Boy, etc. She is bored, she is lonely and like millions other people she drifts along her life lacking direction.
Then she gets a torrid old historical novel from a charity shop and surprises the hell out of herself by getting off on the heroine spanked and tied up at the mercy of a villain. She attempts to have an affair to satisfy her fantasies but it goes horribly awry.
But then, there are weird emails on her work address from someone she calls The Controller, and Laura decides to follow his instructions to flush the mysterious stalker out. Of course, it has nothing to do with her getting a thrill from doing what the Controller orders her to do...
It's funny, slightly naive, hot and a little bit farcical. The latter made me think that surely to be in D/S relationship you have to be at least in upper middle class category? It's a pretty costly affair to have a dungeon, an array of proper toys and keep buying all these titillating clothes only to be torn and discarded... Maybe, this is a part of the massive allure BDSM books have for an ordinary reader? It gives you a weird sense of financial security and feeling of being protected and taken care of. But I digress.
It's a nice read, although I felt that it ended too abruptly. Recommended with slight reservations.
May 23, 2013
The story starts off very slow and I actually wanted to give up a few times, but I am glad I didn’t. It turns into a very hot and extremely sexy story.
Laura has many sexual fantasies; she gets ideas from a book she is reading.
One day Laura received an email from someone called the Controller telling her to wear stockings to work the next time. And that’s when the book starts getting GOOD. Laura doesn’t know who sent her the email, and isn’t sure she should even consider what he is asking of her. She is scared but mostly excited about the email, and the possibilities.
My reason for giving it 3 stars is the first part of the book is just too slow. I understand the beginning of the story was to explain to us what caused Laura to be curios in this kind of relationship but I felt it dragged on far too long.
Just hang in there past the first part of the book and it really does turn into a great erotic story!
Laura has many sexual fantasies; she gets ideas from a book she is reading.
One day Laura received an email from someone called the Controller telling her to wear stockings to work the next time. And that’s when the book starts getting GOOD. Laura doesn’t know who sent her the email, and isn’t sure she should even consider what he is asking of her. She is scared but mostly excited about the email, and the possibilities.
My reason for giving it 3 stars is the first part of the book is just too slow. I understand the beginning of the story was to explain to us what caused Laura to be curios in this kind of relationship but I felt it dragged on far too long.
Just hang in there past the first part of the book and it really does turn into a great erotic story!
April 8, 2013
I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review! Thank you.
I could not get into this book at all. Even though it starts off very slow I stuck with it. But really, the spanking over and over and over was enough to drive me crazy. The the ending took the cake. Seriously, nothing was explained.
But the whole Controller e-mail really did give it some spice and suspense.
Its hard to read a character that contradicts her self at every turn. So she's reading and takes a severe intrest and wants to know what its like. But boy does she have her WTF moment when she gets caught up. Torn between obeying and ignoring. I felt like I hardly "know" Charles at all. His interactions with Laura don't scratch his surface.
I could not get into this book at all. Even though it starts off very slow I stuck with it. But really, the spanking over and over and over was enough to drive me crazy. The the ending took the cake. Seriously, nothing was explained.
But the whole Controller e-mail really did give it some spice and suspense.
Its hard to read a character that contradicts her self at every turn. So she's reading and takes a severe intrest and wants to know what its like. But boy does she have her WTF moment when she gets caught up. Torn between obeying and ignoring. I felt like I hardly "know" Charles at all. His interactions with Laura don't scratch his surface.
April 20, 2013
I truly hate giving bad reviews as I know the author spent a great deal of time and dedication to their story. However, I must be honest. I struggled to complete this book. Main character, Laura, lives in a complete fantasy world. The star is granted for lack of typos and correct punctuation most of the time. I grew so frustrated with the main character not able to live and enjoy her real life, but always comparing herself to her fantasy world she has read in books. She was portrayed as an over sexed, little control, fantasy drama queen. The lead male could have been so much stronger, but when combined with her, he lost all his alpha maleness.
May 13, 2013
ok it took me almost to the middle of the book to get into it. Alot of attention to detail. Laura border lines on being spoiled and inexperienced. Charles a decent Dom though not as strict has ive seen Doms. I liked Charles and Laura, I enjoyed the train scenes. The ones with Mr Drake was kinda blah.. at the end of the book we can see why he even needed to be in the story. I liked that laura asked questions and that Charles answered them. All in all a decent read just took me a bit to get past her reading her stories and the amount of detail of other things in the book. But read it and enjoy!!
September 17, 2013
I received this ARC for my honest review.
Honestly....I could not get into this book!!! I tried and tried. You know the plot was good. The not knowing who sent you an email and being told what to do ...interesting. The execution and follow through... not good at all. I really just had to stop reading. Could not get into the book and the scenes left me wondering "what just happened?" I knew nothing of Charles and definitely didn't like the fact that she had sex with someone and didn't really know. Her being nieve just doesn't sound right. As a friend put it... A complete "dud"!!
Honestly....I could not get into this book!!! I tried and tried. You know the plot was good. The not knowing who sent you an email and being told what to do ...interesting. The execution and follow through... not good at all. I really just had to stop reading. Could not get into the book and the scenes left me wondering "what just happened?" I knew nothing of Charles and definitely didn't like the fact that she had sex with someone and didn't really know. Her being nieve just doesn't sound right. As a friend put it... A complete "dud"!!
Want to read
April 6, 2013ARC provided by Random House UK, Ebury Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
September 20, 2013
To Seek a Master> is an 'okay' read for me. I'm not much of a BDSM fan anyway, so the fact that I even got halfway through is a feat in my record.
Read
January 5, 2014Loved it - especially the journeys on the train.
September 1, 2012
Not my thing.
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