Safeword Quinacridone

Safeword #4

by Candace Blevins

What happens when an introverted artist who only likes sex when it's a one-night stand meets a computer-geek-extraordinaire with his own sexy secrets? Objectification, romance, pain, adoration, lots of kinky toys, and oodles and oodles of wonderfully imaginative sex.

Join Cara and Travis on their journey to mesh their distinctive sexual tastes into a loving relationship with blow-your-mind kink.

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

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 28, 2012

About the author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Candace Blevins writes urban fantasy, paranormal romance, epic fantasy contemporary BDSM romance, and two kick-ass motorcycle club series. She’s published more than fifty books. Candace lives with her husband of twenty-four years and their two teenaged daughters. The family’s beloved, goofy, retired racing greyhounds are usually at her side as she writes, quietly keeping her company. Or sometimes not so quietly.

Her urban fantasy series, Only Human, gives us a world where weredragons, werewolves, werelions, three different species of vampires, and a variety of other mythological beings exist.

Candace's various paranormal romance series are all sister series to the Only Human series, and give some secondary characters their happily ever after.

Her Dark(ish) Faerie Tale series gives us a close-up and personal look at Queen Mab, and her Dark Underbelly series is, as you’d expect, dark and (if you’re a little twisted) oh-so-yummy.

Her contemporary Safeword series gives us characters who happen to have some extreme kinks. Relationships can be difficult enough without throwing power exchange into the mix, and her books show characters who care enough about each other to fight to make the relationship work. Each couple in the Safeword series gives the reader a different take on the lifestyle.

You can visit Candace on the web at candaceblevins.com. Feel free to friend her on Facebook at facebook.com/candacesblevins and Goodreads at goodreads.com/CandaceBlevins. You can also join facebook.com/groups/CandacesKinksters to get sneak peeks into what she's writing now, images that inspire her, and the occasional juicy teaser.

Stay up to date on Candace’s newest releases, and get exclusive excerpts by joining her mailing list at http://bit.ly/cb-new-release.

Only Human series, urban fantasy
• Only Human
• An Unhuman Journey
• Of Humans and Monsters
• Defining Human
• Edge of Humanity
• Infinitely Human
• Unhuman Acts

Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club
• Duke
• Brain
• Bash Volume I
• Bash Volume II
• Bash Volume III
• Horse
• Gonzo
• Nix
• Ghost
• Bud
• Razor
• Bubbles
• McGyver

The Birmingham RTMC
• Bobcat
• Dementor
• Frost
• Squatch

Cat out of Hell, series, paranormal romance:
• Cat out of Hell Volume I
• Cat out of Hell Volume II
• Cat out of Hell Volume III

The Dark Underbelly of The Chattanooga Supernaturals
• Pride (A short story featuring The Lion King)
• Indentured Freedom: Owned by the Vampire
• Leashed
• An Elegant Weapon

A Dark(ish) Faerie Tale
• Slave
• Lady
• Consort
• Queen

A Paranormal Halloween, paranormal romance
• Hallowed Destiny – Forged by Darkness
• Unhallowed Murder
• Countdown to Murder
• Unholy Murder

Pleasure Times Four Christmas series, ménage/RH paranormal romance
• Unexpected Gifts
• The Gift
• Present Tense
• Imperfect Gifts

Chattanooga Supernaturals series, paranormal romance:
• The Dragon King
• Riding the Storm
• Acceptable Risk
• Careful What You Ask For
• Uncaged
• Cocky Queen

The Safeword series, intense BDSM contemporary romance
• Safeword Rainbow
• Safeword: Davenport
• Safewords: Davenport and Chiffon
• Safeword: Quinacridone
• Safeword: Matte
• Safeword: Matte – In Training
• No Safeword: Matte – The Honeymoon
• No Safeword: Matte – Happily Ever After
• Safeword: Arabesque
• Safeword: Mayday (TBA)

Reviews

[Vivian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly didn't think it was going to end like this. I was quite certain that my review was going to be along the lines of objectification is Not My Kink (NMK), which it isn't, but my distaste for this book has nothing to do with the kink and everything to do with the characters. As an author, you don't get to be both the safe and responsible BDSM book and break the rules at the same time.

Let's start with the easy. Objectification is boring to me, because a non-interactive, non-sentient thing doesn't excite me sexually--gorgeous works of engineering are sexy, but I still won't have sex with them. So, when a good portion of the book revolves around a character wishing to be sexually taken while acting as a lamp or table does nothing for me. I could be reading the Tax Code for as much as it interested me.

To be fair, if this turns your crank then the descriptions of her transformation to thing might interest you. For me, this read more like BDSM 101 meets IKEA assembly directions without the diagrams. The book spent so much time explaining how the dominant sadist wanted to push her in ways she wanted, but not beyond. To give her the thrill without permanently hurting or completely dehumanizing her. This was the BDSM 101 portion with all the negotiations and safeword discussions and constant checking pose for safety and comfort. Fine. Responsible SSC author at work, *snores*.

Also, not thrilled with the multiple uses of the term monster to describe the Dom. He's a sadist, but to label him a monster even if one then shows him in another light is cheap titillation. Additionally, the following speculation is disturbingly like something from Tipper Gore's Parental Advisory campaign logic at work:

He knew why he was warped — watching his first porn at eleven, and violent pornography at twelve or thirteen, had created the possibilities of a monster.

While I agree that desensitization can occur with repeated exposures to things. I don't believe things like videos or games or movies or books turn on a switch that doesn't already exist in a person. Thank goodness the author absolved the hero of responsibility for his fatal flaw.

And I'd have rated this book more favorably if it weren't for the following points that highlight multiple character's amoral behavior and condoning it.

“Personally , I have major issues when someone lacks the capacity to give informed consent. However, in this case I don’t think there’s anything to be done, because I don’t believe the woman in question can be brought back to her humanity.”

And this is the individual's justification for not acting.

“The current laws criminalize anything that deliberately puts so much as a bruise on someone, whether consensual or not.

Dangerous rationalization. To see another, weaker than you, unable to help themselves, and you do nothing because you don't think any can be done even though you believe they want to be free? To see a criminal act, an egregious crime and not do anything makes you complicit in the act. It does not absolve you of the responsibility. And this was the main MC's mentor! Are you fucking kidding me? By the way, this was written as the strawman to reassure the MC that he was not a monster because he no desire to perform extreme body modification, subject her to bestiality, and then ignore her because she was no longer fit for companionship without the ability to interact while pursuing it from others.

The whole mindset behind objectification eludes me. The person wants to simultaneously to be nothing, but not to be invisible or ignored. They seek attention without wanting the appearance of desiring it by making themselves a non entity. This desperate need, but unwillingness to accept it. All I can think is denial.

Second, the one MC is depicted as hacking into financial, private, and public servers and computers to avenge his little woman. The glossed over vigilantism in a non comic book setting is not charming and smacks more of Hegel's Superman theory. He doesn't have to follow the rules because he's above them.

Finally, the female character who was seeking objectification was incredibly selfish. For nearly the entirety of the story all the scenes revolved around her and her needs and desires with little concern for the Dom. He had things he really enjoyed and she took half a year before even considering trying to meet some his key turn ons. The justification and absolution of her responsibility for how she became broken was unconvincing, but did make her deviance acceptable since it wasn't her fault.

Do you see the disturbing similarity in both MCs where they are described as incredibly kinky and it's not there fault, and oh kinky is okay. No, it's not okay if you need to absolve the MCs in order to gain reader sympathy.

Maybe they're wired that way and it's OKAY. They don't NEED excuses.

Add in the billionaire lifestyle and this book read like a kinky episode of Rich & Famous, which is not entertaining to me, but I'm sure tickles many others' fancies. If this book had not tried to present itself as responsible BDSM then I'd probably have forgiven it much of the fantasy like elements, but you don't get to eat your cake and have it too.

Overall, It's niche fantasy erotica masquerading as responsible BDSM which makes it INCREDIBLY IRRESPONSIBLE.

[Georgia ♥ · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

Don't get me wrong.... This just wasn't the book for me.

I'm sure there will be a lot people, that will love it. There is some great character development and depth but I didn't find them appealing.

So, if you are like me and don't enjoy reading about sharing, objectification, humiliation, degradation and other, darker aspects of the BDSM lifestyle, you'll agree with me when I say:







The rating and gifs express my own personal feelings and I don't want by any means to insult anyone. I'm just (again my opinion) not into explicit BDSM books.

[~ Becs ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I’d have to say that this was a case of YKIOK,IJNMK for me. I do really enjoy romantic BDSM novels but I had to stand far outside my comfort zone to read this one and, most of their play is so extreme, I struggled to find it erotic. That’s my perspective though – if you like strong edgeplay and hardcore BDSM then this is a fine example of the genre.

So we have Travis, extremely rich CEO living in his penthouse with a penchant for domination. He’s a sadist of the highest order. He meets artist Cara and knows she’s the one for him. She enjoys S&M but her thing is objectification and I recall her telling a story of a Master who amputated his slave’s limbs and cut out her tongue to make her nothing more than a torso for his use. This actually turned her on!!

Cara isn’t as flexible as Travis’ normal submissives and struggles to get into the positions he craves to cause her pain an frequently uses her safeword. Objectification is not his thing but he does it to accommodate Cara’s libido but I felt, for a long time, that Cara wasn’t making any concessions for Travis – refusing to try to learn to be the submissive that he wanted despite the fact he worked very hard to give her what she wanted.

This is ultimately a romance novel and, after some very extreme play that made for some very uncomfortable reading, I did enjoy seeing how their relationship got stronger despite the tabloid press and we do have a wonderful HEA. Just because it’s too much for me, I’m still going to recommend this to people who enjoy reading extreme BDSM including fisting, pee-play, humiliation, objectification and sadism.

3.5 stars BDSM romance

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[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each time, Ms. Blevins blows my mind with her BDSM Scenes. I love it. In this one, it hits some of my darker fantasies. I love reading about objectification. It's hard to find BDSM Books with objectification and include a plot with romance. Ms. Blevins nails it on the head with this one. I can't wait to read the finished product. The beta version I read was SO FREAKING HOT. I ended up with several "me" sessions which ended up with my spouse jumping me. Official Review to come.

[Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently heard a woman talking about how when she first started playing with the person who is now her life partner she would get really confused because he would start screaming and run away and then come back and want to finish the scene. That's how I feel about this book. Some of the content freaks me out and makes me run around screaming, but I come back to it because it's also really hot. The characters and story are great. I thought I was going to be annoyed by the multi-millionaire boyfriend trope, but that was nicely subverted. I didn't love the paparazzi of Chattanooga storyline and I don't think it was necessary. I love the way the characters and the the growing romance are balanced with the intense BDSM scenes. It's so rare to find both well done in one book. I also love that Travis and Cara come into the relationships at different speeds and are not always in sync with one another.

I think one of my favorite elements of the book was the lack of D/s in the relationship outside of scenes. It is surprisingly rare in BDSM books to find a woman as deep into her kink as Cara, who isn't also strongly submissive. I think it gives a richness and texture to the characters and their relationship that would have otherwise been missing. I get very tired of the woman who didn't know she was a submissive until she met the right man/Dom. As a woman who has no interest in being submissive outside of a negotiated scene myself, I feel slightly less burdened by expectations after spending time with a character that shares those traits. I know the difference between real life and fiction, but when one dynamic dominates the land scape, it starts to take on a reality of its own.

In the past 90 days, I've read all but one of Candace Blevins' books. I can see her growth as a writer. Her characters and dialogue have grown more nuanced. The relationships the main characters had with supporting characters brought a new deapth to the overall story. I feel like there were a couple of mis-steps in the way the outside world was brought into Travis and Cara's relationship. But, the positive outweighed the negative so much that I'm sticking with a solid 4 stars.

[Vikki ~ *squee* lite ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This book was recommended to me a while back, and decided that it was more than I could handle. Then recently I foolishly thought I was beyond being able to to be shocked. Apparently I could not have been more wrong,

I should have read more reviews on GR. This was so far from any of my usual reads, I can't even put it in the same category. The one thing that got me through was Travis, and how much he obviously loved, adored and needed Cara.

However, the reason I'm only giving two stars isn't because of the "holy shit" factor, at least not entirely. Mostly, at about 40% I felt like I lost track of what the book was about. It felt like it started to be less about Travis and Cara building a relationship, and as part of that, incorporating their kinks into it, and became all about the kink. I guess I would have liked to have seen more balance. It was either a description of a scene, or talking about a fantasy, or planing a future scene. I found myself wondering what the story was actually driving at. Where were we trying to get to? What was the ultimate outcome we were supposed to root for?

As an exploration of objectification, and some other edge play, I'm guessing this was a good novel. I can't really say since this was the first time many if these themes had been touched on in any of the books I've read. But as something more - as a book about a relationship, it felt very unbalanced.

I tend to like to push my boundaries with what I read. I'm often fascinated by the psychology behind people's preferences. I like to understand where they are coming from, even if I can't or wouldn't go there myself. Some things are easier to understand than others. I understood Travis, and his motivations, as much as I have understood any statist character that I've read about, but it was Cara that I just couldn't wrap my mind around. I don't if there was just too much of my mind screaming "oh hell no! Danger, danger!" or if the level of objectification that she desired is just so far away from what would work for me, even on a fantasy level that I literally cannot get a grip on it, even at an intellectual level.

All I know is that should the blurb or warning of any future book mention objectification it's going on my "not-for-me" shelf. This was more than enough, forever.

[Michael Dunellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ended up being a kind of stream of consciousness review. Sorry about that.

I decided to lift the first couple of paragraphs from my review of Slave.

There is this guy. Lives in a penthouse overlooking a major metropolitan city. Rich Successful CEO. Respected but most people think he is sort of reclusive.

What the public and most of his employees/family doesn't know is that in his penthouse he has a room where he likes nothing better than to tie up young beautiful women, teach them to submit to his will, and make mad passionate love to them in a safe, sane and very consensual manner.

So let’s see how this applies to Travis. Well, he doesn't actually live in the Penthouse - he just has his Stainless Steel Room of Pain there. He isn't really into Teaching - he likes them pre-trained. I don’t think “mad passionate love” really applies. Consensual - Ummm.... Yes. Safe - Kind of depends on your definition but we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Sane - Not so much.

A long time, as a pre-teen boy with Internet skills that far outstripped his parents, Travis got into porn. And not long after, really bad porn. He feels like it had a negative effect on his life.

Cara has a bad experience in high school that had a negative effect on her. She likes to think of herself as an object and not a person. And have meaningless violent sex with men who treat her badly.

Candace writes about Consensual BDSM Relationships that make those of who actually enjoy that sort of thing want to curl up in a fetal position and hug their favorite stuffed animal. This was definitely one of those.

There, honestly, were a lot of things I didn't like. I thought Travis’s friends in New York were Creeps with a Capital C. It wasn't non-consensual but I didn't approve. And actually all the watersports then and later - I consider that just plain irresponsible.

I kept playing a game with myself the whole time I was reading the book - I would hear the late great Michael Hutchence sing “Objectify - Objectify Me.” It helped.

True Story - I read Owned and Owner in paperback years ago. I still feel somewhat traumatized. And this was better in some ways and worse in others. The whole human furniture thing I actually find a bit hot - actually having sex with the furniture, though, is not part of my fantasy. And mixing in impact play - definitely not.

I really didn't like Travis after the conversation on the plane. I felt he redeemed himself a whole lot with the conversation when he worried where their relationship would be in a couple of decades.

One element I worried about in the second half was that Cara would give up her independence for a total power exchange relationship. As much as I like TPE, I didn't think that would be right for them. The other thing was the way Cara would spend so much time in subspace at certain times.

Finally the writing: Really amazing how far Candace has come so far so fast. Best one yet.

I decided around 10 percent in, I would give this a 5 if I was satisfied with the ending.

[Meggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 “Don’t Judge Me” Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read for the 2019 DE A-Z Challenge

This author has quite a knack for creating characters and telling a story. The truth is, the whole “objectification” kink this book explored was a little... technical for me, at least some of the time. Some of it was hot- ie the BDSM/slave chapters- but during some of the other scenes, I was skipping paragraphs because I don’t really care how things are set up and even if I did, I’m not creative enough to visualize it anyway. I mean, I guess it’s cool to turn someone into a puppet, but I don’t need a guidebook on how to do it.

I’m not going to waste my time reviewing this one because honestly, I don’t think the majority of people will be into it. The kink is extreme and even though I was neither squicked or turned on, I think most people would probably lean towards the former. It was original, though, which I appreciated. It was also very well-written. I’m definitely going to read more from this author, because I can only imagine how much I’ll love it if it gets my motor running 😉

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

didnt finish this book...honestly dont want to read another girl meets guy to rich for his own good and gets bowled over



what the hells wrong with just a nice guy who sweeps her off her feet = real world

another fifty shades imo

[Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I must say I've been somewhat wary of reading this one what with all the talk of hugging stuffed animals, under blankets & whatnot happening on the BDSM discussion boards-that can wreak havoc on a girl's psyche. It was simultaneously as intense & not as I imagined it would be. Yes, it's difficult material to read-weird, odd, disturbing, horrifying & scary sometimes, definitely not for everyone-but at the end of the day it's a story of two kinksters coming together, becoming simpatico. I found I had to repeatedly remind myself that these are two consenting adults accommodating each other's kinks simply because they love each other. Their connection as soul mates shines through above all else in this book.

Travis is nervous, awkward, shy & adorable within the context of everyday interpersonal interactions in stark contrast to his loquacious, demanding & cold Dom persona. It verges on jarring how quickly & effortlessly he shifts between the two. He keeps referring to this concept of having a "monster" within; it just read a little too Dexterish to me, like he's not a fully integrated person or something. In that aspect it seems like he's compartmentalizing his sadistic needs, presumably because he feels they're abhorrent which struck me as unhealthy.

Cara initially seems hellbent on making bad decisions despite Travis' willingness to accommodate her needs within the context of a SS&C relationship. Annoying, yes, but objectively I can see why she would be reticent to jump into the deep end as Travis is definitely the deep end. I see her as a young woman who is in denial looking for any way she can to get out of her head-the more destructive, the better. Her needs for objectification are odd, bizarre even, but it's her kink & Travis seems more than willing to accommodate her.

Was it an easy &/or enjoyable read? No, quite the opposite in fact. It morphed somewhere along the way into a conquest. But, I will say from a psychological or even an anthropological perspective it was interesting. I found myself wanting to talk to someone who was actually into this to discern how they got there, what their history was, etc. Because, quite frankly, I'm not sure I buy the backstory of why Cara or Travis found this so necessary, but then again, etiology can oftentimes be a tricky thing. Boxing Helena kept flashing back to me & had me wondering if that's the extreme end of this sort of play in the real world; I'm pretty sure were Cara submissive that could be the piece of the equation to potentially make that a reality. There's even a reference that eerily resembles the film & another more disturbing that quite literally had me on the cusp of throwing the towel in altogether.

This is not something that I'd be interested in-probably (hopefully) not many would; it seems too depersonalizing of what should be a very personal act. Furthermore, there’s much talk of “animal brains” that I just couldn't reconcile, not in the long term at any rate, which just becomes a morality issue for me but that's purely subjective on my part. What’s the point of evolution if we’re just to discard it? Having said all that, Ms. Blevins does an admirable job of reconnecting & re-humanizing them after a scene, reaffirming the consensual nature of their play.

Which brings me to the writing overall, this is a better offering than Safeword Matte (the only other book I've read by this author) but I still find Ms. Blevins' writing dry, conversations mundane, backstory's are non-existent, plot is thin, secondary characters are introduced & never explained & I can't shake the feeling that she's overly reliant upon the "shock value" of what she's writing rather than engaging the reader, pulling us into the world of her characters or even constructing that world. However, it will stick with me for awhile so that in & of itself speaks to her abilities. I'm just not sure whether it's a good thing or a bad thing.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Over 21 PLEASE
Ok let me start off by saying this is not for the faint of heart.As i got into the book I wanted to STOP, THROW IT AWAY, QUIT but I wanted to see how the relationship would evolve between them. Im a sucka for love story and this was an unorthodox/taboo love story. But a nice Love story.
This book can is
I dont even know what to call it but it is INTENSE

So let me start off by saying this is a love story which is why I decided to read and continued to read in the first place. The love and connection Travis and Cara has is quite Honest I mean they share everything with each. How the performance made them feel, what they liked or didnt like about it, and much more.
BUT let me just say that this book is not for everyone. This is not light BDSM this Shit is HARDCORE. Like:

I had no idea what Objectification was and I wish I didnt know. It made me very uncomfortable reading some-of the stuff they did, but the thing that bothered me was letting other people do things to her! Travis is a Billionare Geek with a Sadist Monster in him who loves Clara and wants to take care of her and Pleasure her, and Cara is a Masochist who wants people to treat her like an OBJECT yes I said it OBJECT. Like turn me into a table and f**k the shit out me, or let me be your fuck-doll and not only for Travis:

I dont understand how that shit turned her on but it moisten her up quickly. If you are into some serious kinky stuff i suggest you go on ahead and read this book. I just dont understand how he let other Sadist/Master have sex with her. Not that she mind because she loved that shit being an Object and all. But that was just downgrading and humiliating for me to read, as a female.
The book was to much for me. there was no connection with the S&M BDSM at all but other might disagree. Overall a 2.5 stars (and thats because there was a LOVE STORY involved

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kitty's review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

5 Stars

Candace Blevins does it again. She brings you deep into another world of BDSM that is erotic, exciting and extremely realistic. Believe me when I tell you that this book, like her others, are NOT for the faint at heart. If the extreme using of women disturbs you, I do not recommend this book at all. But, as in all warnings, it is safe and consensual and you have to remember that through Safeword: Quinacridone!

Due to some of the content discussed in Kitty's review we are not posting the entire review here. To read Kitty's more in depth review please click the above link.

[~Mel :)~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Book!!! While it has parts that brought back horrible memories of things I have strived hard to forget Safeword Quinacridone would make the list for of my top 10 reads of 2013! I did actually have a panic attack. Which SUCKED! I would like to be angry and say I didn't know it was coming, but I did. If you have an adversion to watersports/pissing, please know that it is discussed MANY TIMES throughout the book. NOT just ONE Scene. It was just SO far from what I was expecting, and so real to me. Candace Blevins WOW! Just AWESOME!!! Candace was in my section for New to You Author In the Countdown Challenge. You have made a new fan. BUT, I WILL NOT be reading ANYMORE books with watersports. :)

[Dee Wy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both Cara and Travis formed their need for extreme kink at a very young age; Cara in high school and Travis by age 14. The psychological aspect was fascinating, and once they accepted who they were, they both embraced their need to give or receive pain. They were literally meant for each other. Travis being willing to meet her craving for objectification was the icing on the cake.

I truly loved this book from beginning to end. Reading an exploration of objectification in it's extreme form was quite an eye-opener for me. I've certainly seen this aspect of BDSM in a number of smaller ways in stories before, but never imagined what an advanced course in the subject could conjur. What an amazing read, so creative!

The writing is so well paced that I felt anxious to keep reading as quickly as I could. There is a plot beyond their relationship which added tension as well. A handful of supporting characters rounded the story nicely and I hope we see more of them in upcoming books.

I'm a FAN!! Well done.

[Poison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't even have an appropriate shelf to put this on, let alone multiple shelves.

I loved this book. I loved Travis. I loved Cara. I get the feeling Travis wants a 24/7 slave in his future, one thats still capable of working and living her life, but thats his, like Meg belongs to Paul. I get the feeling from Cara that thats where she's headed.

The BDSM scenes in this book are HOT. HOT. Holy sweet moly get me a fan.

I think this book can appeal to both the hardcore and novices among us, although I am sure it loses some people with the watersports. Not me!

I'd thought after Safeword: Rainbow and Safeword: Davenport that I was out on Ms. Blevins, but this book was a work of art.

I'd love to see a book on either Meg and Paul, or a couple with their same dynamic. Gimme more!

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am giving this book 4 stars because it made me think, took me waaaaay out of my comfort zone and still managed to make me fall in love with the characters. My only disappoint was the ending, I wish there would have been an epilogue to finish the book with a nice like bow. I know that the writer gives us a HEA but I was left wanting a little more about the characters and their future together.

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darkly hard to read but beautifully written. Touched on some dark elements I am not sure I ever want to experience or possibly read about again. It hit "hard limits" with me and I can read a lot, lol. Above all the author has a wonderful writing style even if I am not comfortable with the subject matter. No judgement on the kinks expressed. To each their own. The reason for losing one star was I felt the story jumped from a scene too fast into the future on more than one occasion. I also wanted to see a lot more interaction outside of scenes.

Warning: This is not a light BDSM story. There are many dark elements that will make people uncomfortable.

The author continues to grow in her writing. No two stories are alike. She pushes the envelop on both her writing and the scenes she portrays in her story.

The story is light on actual D/s between the hero and heroine, but there is a big theme of objectification and some watersports. Long term I was a little worried about the heroines mental state. Again, each their own, but I am a huge advocate for safe, sane and consensual. Each of these is used, it was just the long term affects that left me a little concerned. D/s elements do come into play at a club and with other Master/subs they scene with.

Full review to come soon.

Merged review:

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review.This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Candace Blevins has knocked my socks off with all her books. When asked to review Safeword: Quinacridone, I jumped at the chance. I never expect a light BDSM book with Candace. She writes honestly, but beautifully even if I can't always get into some of the tougher scenes in her books. I want to warn you that this isn't for the faint of heart. The women in this book are treated extremely, but everything is safe, sane and consensual.

Warning: This title contains graphic language, consensual BDSM, extreme objectification, bondage, watersports (one scene), chemical play, fisting, temporary body modification with saline injections (one scene), and the use of toys including clamps, canes, plugs, paddles, whips, floggers, and zip-ties.

Cara is a young artist just making her way through life with a career that hasn't taken off. She does electronic art on the side, while painting is her true fashion. While working at a coffee/internet shop, she is approached byTravis to go out on a date.

From the beginning, Travis is uncomfortable and geeky. He has made millions, is oodles smart and just plain socially inept. So the date doesn't go very well, but ends up with Travis going home with Cara for a night of exploratory sex. I say it this way because they don't really know each other.

Cara has been rescued in the past for having rough sex to the point she has really been hurt. She can't orgasm without the pain and brutality from being taken and used. Travis dominates her, but remains a mystery. Being rich, he is extremely secretive of his private life, and well he should be. He is a sexual sadist, but not a bully, only hurts women who ask for it and is very clear there is a safeword. In the past he has hired the women he uses and they are very aware of what they are signing up for because they are professionals. Also, he makes them sign non-disclosure agreements.

So here are these two young people with kinks. We watch them grow in their relationship. With Travis being rich, any kind of toy or prop really isn't an issue. But their kinks are kind of different while also meshing to create a relationship.  Cara craves the objectification that men give her.

Ob*jec*ti*fi*ca*tion:
1. Treating a person as an object for use, with no regard
for a person's personality or sentience.
2. Regarding someone as a commodity; considering them
merely an instrument towards one's sexual pleasure.

 

Examples of OBJECTIFICATION:
1. A woman is on her back at the edge of a tall bed with
hands and feet bound together and restrained above her
head. A curtain drapes from a canopy above and puddles
on the backs of her thighs. The man about to penetrate
her sees only female genitals available for use.
2. A woman is dressed in a full latex blow-up doll costume
with durable latex 'pockets' stuffed into her orifices.
She is bound into a position giving easy access to all
three holes at a party. Her face is completely covered
excepting nose and mouth. The men do not know who
is in the costume.

As I read the scenes of Cara being objectified, I was disturbed as well as interested to understand why. Why was I disturbed and why was she craving to be objectified? The objectification is pretty extreme in the story, not a light look into this kink. Cara is made into furniture, a doll, she is put of for use in a doll costume. Even at one point they go as far as to simulate amputation. I say simulate, nothing is amputated!

Travis is a sadist, but he learns to love providing the kink of objectification to Cara. He gets wildly creative on how to provide her the kink she needs safely. At one point he wonders if they are pushing it so hard, that in 20 years they won't have anything new to explore with each other.

Nothing is done without a lot of thought. It is all safe, sane and consensual. The communication between the characters grows as Cara at first doesn't want aftercare.Travis takes care to find out her feelings on everything. As they grow, you see their love for each other strengthen and the caring outside of the kink grows at normal, needed rates as well.

While I had a hard time reading some of this book, it pushed me to think about what some people need. I don't judge others their kinks. What they do is their own business, I only want it to be safe, sane and consensual. I am not into watersports or even removing the hair off of someone...and I don't mean down there, I mean the top of your head and eyebrows. I just sat there trying to imagine either of these kinks and I just could not see myself ever coming to grips wanting this.

Outside of the kink, I loved how caring Travis is. He may be a monster when in Dom mode, but he really is a wonderful guy who takes care of the ones he loves and befriends. After each session with Cara, he wants to hold her, comfort her, provide the aftercare the Dom in him needs after a scene. Cara pulled away and ran a lot, but slowly starts to understand for their relationship to work, she had to open up and allow him to take care of her.

Cara is an artist and expressing herself in her art is what makes her good. Someone said to her it was the paintings she sold had a piece of her soul in them and people could tell. While her kinks at times were extreme, she had a healthy life outside of it.

Darkly hard to read but beautifully written. Touched on some dark elements I am not sure I ever want to experience or possibly read about again. It hit "hard limits" with me and I can read a lot, lol. Above all the author has a wonderful writing style even if I am not comfortable with the subject matter. No judgement on the kinks expressed. To each their own. The story is light on actual D/s between the hero and heroine.

Would I read another Candace Blevins book? Yes, in a heartbeat. Her voice is rich, intriguing and hypnotic as it draws you into a world you may have never known existed.


Preview

This review was originally posted on Delighted Reader

[Anna's Herding Cats · Rating 4 out of 5]

It takes some serious talent to make fisting romantic. Yeah, I'm just gonna let you absorb that one for a second. Goodness knows I never thought I'd start a review out like that! Safeword: Quinacridone was an experience and oh it made me feel so incredibly...vanilla when it comes to kinks. lol It's not for the faint of heart but for those of you that take the jump and give this one a chance...you'll find a wonderful romance and two very intriguing characters that are well worth the foray into unchartered kinky waters.

There are a lot of kinks explored in this book and while I can say pretty much none of them were my personal kinks I still loved the story. And what I loved so much about it was the romance. And it was a romance for me no question. Travis and Cara have an incredible relationship that you can feel and see changing over the years they spend together. The book covers I think around 2 years. I loved their relationship and that they support each other at work, at home, respect each other inside and outside of the bedroom and that they come together to face anything that stands in their way. They're far from perfect but what they have together is amazing.

"I don't need to prove I own you, and I think that's what I was doing with them. Besides, we own each other. I'm yours as much as you're mine."

Travis and Cara are both pretty interesting characters. They're brilliant and talented. He's got a geeky thing going on and she's an artist. He isn't a huge muscular alpha but a lanky tech geek (he even has other people carry her up the stairs). And his social skills with women are...lacking and awkward when he's first meeting someone which was kinda endearing. He's also a sadist which played nicely with Cara's need for pain. They're both, not damaged exactly, but have really been affected by their pasts and I liked that that was touched on as the book progressed and that they both look back on what made them how they are.

The kinkery? Damn. I had a lot of wtf?!! moments as they explored the different sexual outlets that interested them. Spent a lot of time on Google and YouTube (and a, um, not so PG version of it) looking these things up. Then having to do a double take because, whoa, seriously? There are some crazy things out there. Did I mention I'm so a vanilla girl? lol

Blevins really didn't hold back and lets these two be themselves. And they explore it all. Playing with electricity, multiple partners, extreme objectification (he turns her into a blow up sex doll with a latex suit that even has pockets for all of her cavities to be used just like the doll), anal play, fisting (and yes one of my favorite scenes involved fisting and she did make it incredibly romantic--amazingly), use of all sorts of products like blended hot peppers inserted in parts that you just don't want that inserted. My girlie bits cringed multiple times reading this one. There's whipping and bondage and exploration of amputation fetishes. Yes. Those apparently exist. Nothing was actually amputated but there's some serious mind fucking going on in regards to it. There's watersports (if you don't know this one --peeing on and having other drink your urine) Gah, what else? I mean really. Nothing was off limits with these two but it was all consensual and definitely what they both wanted. It just freaked me out a bit is all.

Damn, it burned. It shouldn't burn this bad; she was already open--unless the paddling had made her tense. Still, this was a different kind of heat and something wasn't right. She tried to twist away, but couldn't.

He pushed forward with his hips while his strong fingers pulled back on her hipbones, locking her in place. "It's a special condom, lubricated with cinnamon for an extra special burn. It's safe and won't hurt you, though you're a bit raw from my fingers and probably have a nice blaze going."
She whimpered and moaned agreement and he added, "if it's too intense I can switch to a regular condom, but I think you need a little pain. You know how to stop it if you must but I'd rather hear you beg me to stop."

"It burns," she grasped. "It hurts!"

"Yes, I know. I want it to."

And then he was moving again, fucking her, fully aware it was hurting her, and turned on by her pain. His cock thrust into her again and again, and her pulse gained momentum until it carried her back into a frenzy of lust and pain and pleasure and bliss, and the burn grew progressively intense until the orgasm hit her like a hurricane, wiping all rational thought. She wasn't herself, just a bundle of twitching and jerking and convulsing muscles in the throes of euphoria.

And while Travis is most definitely a sadist I liked that he wasn't a complete sadistic bastard. Oh, he likes to hurt women and make them scream. Gets off on it and has no problem doling out painful experiences to Cara since it's what she craves. He doesn't get off just on the pain though but knowing that it's turning her on too. And he worries about it. I loved that he had a moment of, not panic exactly, but a moment where he really had to do some soul searching because he was scared one day he'd take them too far and do actual damage to her. That was what had me falling for Travis and being able to handle all of the extreme things they tried.

One quick thing. I know this has been a long ass review but there was just so much to say. LOL Another thing I liked and that you don't see often was the realism. They actually brush their teeth and deal with the after affects of certain things like anal sex and cum. And while not the most sexy of things to chat about I enjoyed that change of pace. She even safeworded out a couple times which I've never seen in BDSM and thought was an excellent addition.

Alright, how are yall doing? Hanging in there? Really if you like a darker read now and again and are an adventurous reader I say give Safeword: Quinacridone a try. It's bound to make you a bit uncomfortable now and again and make your eyes as big as saucers but it's a fantastic read. Blevins pulled me in completely and had me riveted to the pages. I'm looking forward to checking some of her other books out. And no worries. If you want to try this one it reads very easily as a stand alone.

[Christi Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review:
I'm just doing a quickie review on this one, mainly because there were so many parts of this book that made me just uncomfortable. This is a full-length book, but it is hardcore. I read a lot of erotic romance and erotica and this pushed my limits big time. I would never want to go back and re-read it.

That being said, I did enjoy reading it overall.

I loved the characters especially Travis. His story is a good one. He was making millions by the time he was 15 and was your typical geek....he's not relaxed with women and because of his circumstances, never learned how to be relaxed with women. He has different kinks and has luckily learned how to be safe with them. He talks throughout the book how things could have gone differently and he could have turned out to be a truly scary person if he hadn't been taught certain practices at the beginning. He needs to hurt women to enjoy sex.

On the other side is Cara. She likes to be objectified....meaning she wants to be treated as nothing other than a body during sex...no emotion and certainly no love. She also enjoys a bit of pain. She's an artist and I loved that side of her. That's actually what drew Travis (who never, ever dates) to her...he's a computer genius and saw what she was doing on her graphics program on the computer at a cafe.

The sexual side of this book was too extreme for me. If it had just been the story of these two interesting characters, without all the extreme sexual encounters, I think I would have enjoyed it more. As it is, I feel that it's a bit wrong that I even read it. Not the way I want to feel when I walk away from a book.

Note: no extreme erotic romance books for me.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not for the faint of heart. It is one of the most serious BDSM books and it involves serious sexual content. I would say it should probably only be sold to people 18 and up. That being said, it is really compelling and interesting. I learned a lot - I had never even heard of objectification before. Cara and Travis are such interesting characters with such specific kinks that previously they had only had sexual encounters but not fulfilling emotional relationships. However, together they can have the whole package - a loving boyfriend/girlfriend dynamic as well as their fetish dynamic. I think many, or even most, of the practices in this book are more extreme than most readers are comfortable with, so in that way I viewed the book more as an educational guide to those practices. However, the feelings of love and acceptance and caring are real and universal, and I loved that part of the story. Really well done, but again do not read this if you are disturbed by sexual objectification and BDSM. This is no 50 shades - this has scenes and themes that are dark and disturbing, highly kinky, (but also very creative).

[Salena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay this is a hard one for me to rate. ARGHHHH! I really wanted to like it, but many scenes pushed my "rape" button, which is weird because I like non-con and fantasy rape scenes I've read before. I think it's the fuck-toy/cum receptacle with partner that is closed off/cold that bothers me. It reminds me too much of what happened when I was a child, so I apologize if I'm screwing up the rating, but I can't help feeling what I do. I'm sure many people don't understand my affinity for being whipped as I don't understand a person wanting to be a fuck-toy/doll, so if this type of objectification is your thang...you will really like this book.
Now I need to get my mind off of this book and read something fun/light/loving.
If I rated this book on how it made me feel exclusively, I would have given it 1 star. If I rated it solely without regards to my reaction I would give it a 4, therefore, I settled on 3 stars. Even though i feel a little unbalanced right now, I love Candice's books and will continue reading them.

[Arlena · Rating 4 out of 5]

By: Candace Blevins
Published By Excessica
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Book Blog For: GMTA
Review:

"Safeword Quinacridone" by Candace Blevins was a "NOVEL THAT SHOULD BE READ BY 18+, DUE TO LANGUAGE AND SEXUAL SCENES THAT ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR A YOUNGER AUDIENCE. THIS IS HARDCORE SEX, BDSM IN IT'S FINEST. PLEASE BE WARNED THAT THIS BOOK WILL HAVE CRUDE LANGUAGE AND SEX SCENES IN IT." Candace Blevins has done it again where she takes one into another world of BDSM that is very erotic. "Reading an exploration of objectification in it's extreme form was quite an eye-opener for me." Be ready for a very intense book that has been well research by this author. The two characters "Cara and Travis have established preferred kinks are well developed and portrayed throughout this love story." Be ready for some crazy and wild things that go on in the read. Now, if this is your kind of genre read then I would recommend this read to you.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won't give a synopsis because others have done a nice job with the review of the events. This book was a total miss for me. Let me say I love kink and especially the kinks in this book. However, the descriptions were so clinical to me. We were told a story, but never felt the story. When I read a book I want to be so swept up in it that I feel the sexual arousal, the humiliation, the love, the fear, etc. None of this happened for me while reading this book. Many will disagree and that is what makes GRs so good.

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't think I liked objectification, and wouldn't have read this book if I didn't like this author so much. I had no idea what objectification really is. Now that I do, I think it might be the basis for most of my kinks.

The darker subject matter was scary. I'm glad they couple only talked about it and didn't do it. I loved Travis. I think another man might have taken advantage of Cara's fantasies.

This will be a re-read for me, but I need to read something else before I go back to it.

[lynn❤️lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't particularly enjoy this story.... I found it lacking in story line. I just felt like I was jumping from one BDSM activity to the next, without finding out if Cara or Travis really enjoyed what they were doing.

I am into heavy BDSM and dark themes, but I even found this heavy going at times. I found it very hard to warm to the characters.

[Becca Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to have to think on this one for awhile. Okay - There are parts of this book that totally grossed me out but other parts I really liked. I struggled with finishing the book and how to rate it.

The book crossed into territory that I knew existed but never expected to find in a book. Seriously crossed some limits for me and I don't expect to re-read this one.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. This is the first book I've read that had objectification in it. The sex scenes were hot and really put my imagination to the test.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

ugh how I can give something so disturbing 5 stars??? WELL the writting was brilliant even being disturbing and distgusting ( no offense to ppl into that =/ eeek) haha... it was still a page turner!

[DemetraP · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning of this book was wonderful. She was funny, he was funny and so awkward asking her out.

They figure out they both like rough sex and things escalate from there. They communicate well and act out many scenes that they both enjoy with bondage or many men sharing her (seriously they go to a hotel kink conference and she gets so many men using her she loses count)

My problem was that the heroine's particular kink "objectification" where she likes being treated as an object with 3 holes available for other people's sexual pleasure, was too weird for me. The things discussed actually really repulsed me. Emotionally scarred, nightmare inducing stuff that the heroine found sexy. Seriously it was scary in a very bad way.

Do not read further, read at your own risk to see what I found so disgusting. It's really bad.

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
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.............Heroine fantasizes about having her arms and legs chopped off and being nothing but a torso to be used sexually and fed with a feeding tube. She actually has multiple orgasms when the hero tosses blankets over her arms and legs and acts out her fantasy. They do this torso fantasy more than once. SO MESSED UP.

Hero speaks to one of his Dom friends about it, because he's worried they have this relationship and it's already so extreme and in a few years, what if it's not enough for her and she wants to actually do this? His Dom friend brings up examples of other "objectification" women he knows, and some of them had all their teeth pulled out to give better blowjobs or had their vocal cords cut so they can't talk. SO MESSED UP.

Hero decides fantasy is one thing and reality is another, so he wouldn't want to allow heroine to do permanent damage to herself.

I stopped reading the book at this point. I am emotionally scarred.

[Emannuel K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esse livro tem vários defeitos. O maior deles talvez seja não problematizar algumas coisas. Mas é questionável se essa é a função de uma obra erótica como essa. A pessoa que lê precisa já ter pensado nessas coisas anteriormente, e colocado tudo na sua perspectiva pessoal. Precisa ter certos fetiches. Caso contrário, pode ser uma leitura muito desagradável. Então, não recomendo para ninguém que queira ter um primeiro contato com as praticas que se desenvolvem ao longo da narrativa. Ao mesmo tempo, não acho que seja o tipo de livro que visa uma forma de gratificação direta para quem está lendo. As cenas são quentes, mas a verdade é que se dedicam com muito afinco à parte técnica das coisas para ser realmente excitante. Acho que o principal objetivo aqui parece ser falar com as pessoas que tem fetiches e mostrar que elas não são menos por isso. Que elas não precisam se contentar com migalhas ou encontros sexuais furtivos. Que o amor existe mesmo para quem foge da noção socialmente dominante do que ele é. E que relacionamentos saudáveis nos quais os fetiches são parte fundamentais são possíveis. O que não quer dizer que não exista uma boa dose de fantasia também. Por que os romances eróticos tem uma fixação tão grande com classe e riqueza, por exemplo? Ou com objetos mirabolantes para tirar o esforço de construir uma narrativa com coisas reais em jogo? (Vele uma OBSERVAÇÃO: algumas passagens podem ser muito perturbadoras, até mesmo para quem lê muitos romances do tipo. Trigger Warnings deviam estar aos montes na folha de rosto)