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On the morning of their one-year anniversary, submissive Dara must decide whether or not she will continue her relationship with her Master, Jonathan, or return to her vanilla lifestyle. She wants nothing more than to commit to him beyond their expired contract, but doing so means she will have to reveal once and for all the horrid secret of her past, which she can't yet bear to face herself. Guided by entries in her training journal, Dara embarks on a journey of self-discovery, psychological horrors, and recollections of nights of wanton passion as a sexual submissive.
397 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 5, 2013
40 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 25, 2014
2.5 and I'm rounding up to 3...
Six hours I spent reading this book. Six hours of angst and pain all because of this horrible secret that Dara is keeping from her Master--a secret so heinous that she knows he'll leave her once he knows. The relationship drags out for a year before she tells him and the book is 90% in before we get the details and guess what? The secret is so F'ING stupid I want to throw something. SIX HOURS?!?! For this? The only reason I'm not rating this lower is because most of the sex scenes were hot, even if they were full of ridiculous euphemisms, and I enjoyed the BDSM elements.
Six hours I spent reading this book. Six hours of angst and pain all because of this horrible secret that Dara is keeping from her Master--a secret so heinous that she knows he'll leave her once he knows. The relationship drags out for a year before she tells him and the book is 90% in before we get the details and guess what? The secret is so F'ING stupid I want to throw something. SIX HOURS?!?! For this? The only reason I'm not rating this lower is because most of the sex scenes were hot, even if they were full of ridiculous euphemisms, and I enjoyed the BDSM elements.
April 15, 2013
Just the wrong message ...
I liked the book for a very long time.
At first it seemed to break rules ... most notably "show, don't tell".
Scenes are described and then the narrator or one of the main characters offers a good way to think about what is going on in the scene.
That is important ... it reads a lot like edutainment because of that, which is why the message is so important.
The book doesn't invite the reader to second guess the moral judgement of the main characters. And in a way that works.
For the most part I liked the conclusions. I had a 4 star rating in mind (not five because it often is pretty shallow and not as eye-opening as the author seems to think).
The message I liked most was:
Life and love are difficult. You need to invest in love and try to understand people, not just to be understood.
But then one scene changed everything.
[spoiler]
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
On a double date, the main characters ridicule and push another guy in a way that I thought:
"Do you want that guy to kill his girlfriend in her sleep?"
It might have been a flaw of the main characters that needed to be ironed out.
Eventually the author has that guy hit his woman and the main characters deal with the situation.
The book had its chance right then ... the o-so-great male main character talks to the guy and they seem to come to some kind of understanding.
If he had made him apologize and sent him on a journey of self improvement through BDSM somehow ... I would have been sold.
But the author has the MC punch the guy, very much out of the blue and scare him away for good.
The message changes into:
"Women who are selfish and cold need guidance. Men need to invest in them and find out why they are the way they are.
Men, on the other hand, are born the way they are and need to be able to deal with their problems on their own. If they can't, they are simply evil."
The book is clearly a complaint:
Why are there so little charming princes out there?
Newsflash, it is because of books like this one and the way women refuse to accept any responsibility.
[/spoiler]
I liked the book for a very long time.
At first it seemed to break rules ... most notably "show, don't tell".
Scenes are described and then the narrator or one of the main characters offers a good way to think about what is going on in the scene.
That is important ... it reads a lot like edutainment because of that, which is why the message is so important.
The book doesn't invite the reader to second guess the moral judgement of the main characters. And in a way that works.
For the most part I liked the conclusions. I had a 4 star rating in mind (not five because it often is pretty shallow and not as eye-opening as the author seems to think).
The message I liked most was:
Life and love are difficult. You need to invest in love and try to understand people, not just to be understood.
But then one scene changed everything.
[spoiler]
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
On a double date, the main characters ridicule and push another guy in a way that I thought:
"Do you want that guy to kill his girlfriend in her sleep?"
It might have been a flaw of the main characters that needed to be ironed out.
Eventually the author has that guy hit his woman and the main characters deal with the situation.
The book had its chance right then ... the o-so-great male main character talks to the guy and they seem to come to some kind of understanding.
If he had made him apologize and sent him on a journey of self improvement through BDSM somehow ... I would have been sold.
But the author has the MC punch the guy, very much out of the blue and scare him away for good.
The message changes into:
"Women who are selfish and cold need guidance. Men need to invest in them and find out why they are the way they are.
Men, on the other hand, are born the way they are and need to be able to deal with their problems on their own. If they can't, they are simply evil."
The book is clearly a complaint:
Why are there so little charming princes out there?
Newsflash, it is because of books like this one and the way women refuse to accept any responsibility.
[/spoiler]
January 20, 2014
This is a story of a very graphic and intense BDSM Master/Slave relationship, and parts of it were very interesting and parts of it disturbed me deeply.
The Positive: I found the plotting/construction of this book to be very unusual and intriguing. The main characters are Master Jonathan and slave Dara. This is Dara's first BDSM relationship, and she agreed to submit to Jonathan's training for one year. That year is about to end, and their relationship is at a crossroads: will Dara agree to stay and make their arrangement permanent, or not? It's an open question, because, as much as she gets into the sex, Dara has a traumatic past (don't they all?), and she hasn't been entirely honest with Jonathan while they've been together. The story is told in the present -- as Jonathan and Dara each prepare for their one year anniversary, at which the question of permancy will be settled -- but interspersed with their preparations are flashbacks to earlier points in their relationship and also flashbacks of their lives before they met each other, including Dara's trauma and how Jonathan discovered BDSM. All of this skipping around might have been choppy or distracting, but I thought it was well done.
The Neutral: The sex is very, very graphic, and some of it is titillating, and some of it made me wince. Everyone's tastes are different, but there's enough variety here that if you like BDSM erotica at all, you'll probably find something you're into.
The Negative: Several of the sex scenes use laugh-out-loud atrocious euphemisms: 'meat stick' and 'sticky muffin' being just two of many.
The Worst: Dara is of Asian descent, which is fine if she'd just happened to be Asian, but there were a few points where the fact that she is Asian (and Jonathan is white) was fetishized in a way that made me very, very uncomfortable.
The Positive: I found the plotting/construction of this book to be very unusual and intriguing. The main characters are Master Jonathan and slave Dara. This is Dara's first BDSM relationship, and she agreed to submit to Jonathan's training for one year. That year is about to end, and their relationship is at a crossroads: will Dara agree to stay and make their arrangement permanent, or not? It's an open question, because, as much as she gets into the sex, Dara has a traumatic past (don't they all?), and she hasn't been entirely honest with Jonathan while they've been together. The story is told in the present -- as Jonathan and Dara each prepare for their one year anniversary, at which the question of permancy will be settled -- but interspersed with their preparations are flashbacks to earlier points in their relationship and also flashbacks of their lives before they met each other, including Dara's trauma and how Jonathan discovered BDSM. All of this skipping around might have been choppy or distracting, but I thought it was well done.
The Neutral: The sex is very, very graphic, and some of it is titillating, and some of it made me wince. Everyone's tastes are different, but there's enough variety here that if you like BDSM erotica at all, you'll probably find something you're into.
The Negative: Several of the sex scenes use laugh-out-loud atrocious euphemisms: 'meat stick' and 'sticky muffin' being just two of many.
The Worst: Dara is of Asian descent, which is fine if she'd just happened to be Asian, but there were a few points where the fact that she is Asian (and Jonathan is white) was fetishized in a way that made me very, very uncomfortable.
October 9, 2013
I started out really enjoying this book. I liked the way Jonathan began his relationship with Dara. I felt that they were beginning with a strong foundation and that the parts of D/s that deal with emotional support and what bonds the two together was addressed.
However, I struggled to finish the book and by the end I was really kind of hoping she left him. Being submissive doesn't mean that you are wrong and broken. The overall theme I got was that Dara was the one who needed to be fixed (not only with the resolution of her past relationship) but in everything she did. Jonathan was presented as he did nothing wrong. D/s is not the cure all and not everyone who is a submissive needs a cure all.
I didn't mind the flip flopping too much because I am used to it a little since I am a Role Player, but.... I think some of the time line jumps took a bit too much work to follow. There was one point when we went back yet again to the accident that I was worried my Kindle had skipped a few pages.
Finally, like some have mentioned some of the scenes bothered me a little. The whole panty gag turned my tummy. I am still trying to figure out how the suspension in the bathroom really worked.
It isn't the best BDSM book out there, and I most likely will skip future books by this author.
However, I struggled to finish the book and by the end I was really kind of hoping she left him. Being submissive doesn't mean that you are wrong and broken. The overall theme I got was that Dara was the one who needed to be fixed (not only with the resolution of her past relationship) but in everything she did. Jonathan was presented as he did nothing wrong. D/s is not the cure all and not everyone who is a submissive needs a cure all.
I didn't mind the flip flopping too much because I am used to it a little since I am a Role Player, but.... I think some of the time line jumps took a bit too much work to follow. There was one point when we went back yet again to the accident that I was worried my Kindle had skipped a few pages.
Finally, like some have mentioned some of the scenes bothered me a little. The whole panty gag turned my tummy. I am still trying to figure out how the suspension in the bathroom really worked.
It isn't the best BDSM book out there, and I most likely will skip future books by this author.
June 10, 2013
I just finished this book and it was one of the best, if not the best BDSM erotic romance stories I have ever read. And, I read a lot!
I was totally absorbed in the story, and even though it jumped back and forth in time I had no problems following it.
The characters of Jonathan and Dara were so compelling and appealing, I loved the way they related to each other as Dom and sub. The sex and related acts between them were scorchingly hot, well written, perfect.
I could feel Dara's pain and Jonathan's uncertainty but their love and devotion to each other was palpable.
I hope Ms. Lively will write again, I would definitely read any additional work she has or will publish.
This book was impactful, it will stay with me for a while and no doubt I will be reading it, again, I am sure the second reading will reveal more and I will love it as much as I did the first time.
I was totally absorbed in the story, and even though it jumped back and forth in time I had no problems following it.
The characters of Jonathan and Dara were so compelling and appealing, I loved the way they related to each other as Dom and sub. The sex and related acts between them were scorchingly hot, well written, perfect.
I could feel Dara's pain and Jonathan's uncertainty but their love and devotion to each other was palpable.
I hope Ms. Lively will write again, I would definitely read any additional work she has or will publish.
This book was impactful, it will stay with me for a while and no doubt I will be reading it, again, I am sure the second reading will reveal more and I will love it as much as I did the first time.
April 21, 2013
I have to say that I was confused the whole time I was reading this book. The book jumped from Dana's current time, to a dream, to the past, back to the future... then it would jump from Jonathan's past then to present time. Other than jumping around, this was a pretty good book with a HEA. Jonathan was truly a wonderful Master and Dana was the perfect sub. The time line took place over a year, which was their agreed time together as M/s, however you found Dana jumping back 4 years with her daydreaming. I think this book could have been better if Dana and Jonathan meet and lived their D/s lifestyle AFTER the author explained about Dana's past and they work through it. Lots of sexy scenes throughout the book which made it worth reading.
July 8, 2013
Didn't finish it. Got through chapter 4 and the first Scene and had to stop. Not for me. The thought of my panties used as my gag AFTER they had been inside my Hoo Hoo was disgusting and not at all sexy. Didn't like the way it was written either; like retelling the story and jumping back and forth between past and present without warning. I guess I'm a vanilla BDSM kind of girl. Sorry but I can't recommend as I just got my $1.99 back from Amazon.
August 31, 2014
I loved this book, I stumbled onto it while buying another book and glad I did! I just couldn't put it down, the story line and characters grabbed me from the beginning. I normally get frustrated and sometimes confused with flash backs but not with this book, the author had a way with words when it came to the descriptions and the characters feelings. I truly felt it. The sex scenes were tastefully done, and real. I look forward to reading more from Nola Lively.
April 22, 2013
I actually liked this book. I found it a very interesting POV. Such a different perspective than what you usually find in this type of book. Dara is one tough girl!! Yes, and I do agree it did jump around, but after a bit I figured out where it all was going and finished it in about a day.
April 30, 2013
Confused. I felt like I needed a decoder ring to keep up. I loved the premise, I liked the HEA but I have whiplash from the current to the future changes. I got very confused and lost a few times. It was a good story just was a lot to keep up with.
May 11, 2013
Yes the story does jump between POV but the jumps become seamless as you feel and understand the scenes their relevance to the present. Keep an open mind and breathe in the lessons of the scenes that you are provided and let their relationship open up to you...
June 25, 2013
This is a good BSDM story with some hard core scenes, but the underlying theme is love and acceptance. It could be confusing as it was told in present time and in flashbacks but it's a good story with a bit of mystery and the joy of two people falling in love.
September 1, 2014
This story is all over the place. About halfway through ch 4 I gave up!! just cant take anymore!! And in 4 chapters there are what 5 actual quoted sentences between characters?! Blah blah blah sums up as far as I made it.......
July 10, 2013
Boring! Yawn by 5th chapter had to stop
Read
July 6, 2013Quite liked this bdsm story
August 31, 2013
Review coming soon.
January 17, 2014
Couldn't finish...it was boring & poorly written. Disappointed!
November 17, 2013
The bouncing around in this book was so f'ing confusing. Past? Present? What the hell was even going on? I'd get into it, then bam! it'd switch to some different perspective. Ugh!
didn-t-finish
January 7, 2014Really liked it at first. Smoking hot! But it jumped back and forth too much for me so I skipped to read the end.
July 25, 2016
This story just did not flow for me. DNF at 75%, I just couldn't handle the back and forth of time. Sometimes their relationship was strict other times not, the entire thing was just strange to me.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews