The House of Pain

by Tara Crescent

Sara White is outwardly a good girl; she follows the rules; works in a professional office; has a boyfriend who treats her with consideration. However, deep inside her, there’s a craving for pain, a desire to be spanked and whipped, to be submissive, to be controlled.

One day, she walks into the House of Pain, a sex store in Toronto that also does shows in the back, where women are whipped and spanked in front of an audience. Transfixed by the idea, she signs up.

Doug Patterson has met Sara at work, but discovers a whole new side of her when he sees her at the House of Pain. He approaches her and suggests Sara become his submissive. Sara is attracted to Doug; but afraid of complication.

Will Sara surrender to Doug, and yield to her desire to be submissive?

Contains BDSM, flogging, anal sex, and much more...

Genres: BDSM, Erotica, Romance, Contemporary, M F Romance, Smut, Contemporary Romance

167 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 10, 2013

About the author

Tara Crescent writes steamy contemporary romances for readers who like hot, dominant heroes and strong, sassy heroines.

When she's not writing, she can be found curled up on a couch with a good book, often with a cat on her lap.

She lives in Toronto.

Reviews

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where is this House of Pain in Toronto? I've been to Toronto several times and passed by two sketchy sex stores and two "exotic" dancer clubs. Note to tourist, Zanzibar is not a Mediterranean restaurant despite the name. If I had known there would have been a House of Pain, I would have booked a session. What sessions? Apparently, in this story, one can sign up for spankings and whippings.

The sheet reminds me of the slips of paper in most sushi places – you fill in what you want; and how many. This sheet lists acts –bare bottom spanking, whipping (bottom), whipping (breasts and nipples), whipping (pussy), caning, electricity (breasts and nipples), electricity (pussy), and much more. (p.6)

There are also rates. Taking 20 bare-bottom swats will pay out $10. 10 strokes with the flogger on my breasts, and I’ll get paid $30. There’s a footnote at the bottom of the sheet. Minimum order $200. I gulp. That’s four hundred bare-bottom swats; a world of pain. (p.6)

First, looking at this menu, I'm thinking for $200 I could really enjoy a bit of fun. Then the reader finds out, we get PAID to be punished. This is a clever idea from Ms. Crescent. From a lover a sushi, this immediately appealed to my kinky desires. Where is this place? I digress.

Sara White strolls into House of Pain and proceeds to take a walk on the wild side. She nervously signs up for a glorious hour of impact play. Marketed as a virgin to spanking, she is a hawt commodity. The paying audience eats up her exquisite responses of pain and lust. This intense release is something Sara can really see herself enjoying with repeat sessions. When Sara is blindsided by co-worker, Doug Patterson, she is now torn in two directions. Doug is one of the privileged audience drinking in Sara's floggings and spankings. He proposes an arrangement mutually beneficial. It's a bit too close to a relationship which scares Sara. Still, she gives it a half-hearted try.

The BDSM in this story is absolutely delicious. The story flows in a smooth and even pace. There are lulls in between the hawt scenes which makes the scenes more pleasurable. The last scene is extremely memorable. Ms. Crescent paints a clear picture of a scene involving spanking, erotic torment and a hint of fisting. What more could a sexual voyeur want? The characters are relatable everyday people. Doug is charming and perfect. Sara is naïve and a bit immature. Near the end of the story, Sara's behaviour is disappointing and makes me want to slap her upside the head. Doug is too good for her. She needs a harsh discipline session for her irrational behaviour. Why Doug still wants her, it's anyone's guess. Luckily, Sara still receives her happily ever after. Recommended for kinky romance readers who enjoy impact play.



*I received this book as a review copy from the BDSM Group's R2R in return for an honest review

[JESSICA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had this on my kindle for a while
(I'm just wondering why I waited so long to read it!)

“This craving for pain, this is a hidden part of me, a part that has never before seen the light of day.” ―Sara

Awesome Bdsm/Romance book! I absolutely loved this book. (I identified very closely with this book) About a young lady who finds she is very much - a submissive and has a love for pain.. I swear the way, Tara Crescent wrote about Doug (it was like she was writing about my husband. My sir.)

“I don’t share,” he says. “I’m monogamous in my relationships. I expect my partner to be the same. If you want to sleep with someone else, you need to tell me and to end this before you do that. And that applies here, Sara, to the House of Pain.”— Doug

I loved Doug & Sara's journey. The BDSM scenes was very well done (not as hard core as other things I have read) Beautifully written and I look forward to reading more of Tara Crescent’s work.

[EroticaAfterDark (Lilith)]

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[Joanne Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a copy from Tara Crescent in exchange for my honest opinion..

This is about a chick named Sara White who is a goody two shoes, who is a good girl but she doesn't want to be a good girl ohh noo inside of her is a dark cruel sexy sinister side who craves to be spanked and have the pain that brings pleasure and bask in the glory.
Sara has this boyfriend who is sweet and lovely and treats her with so much consideration but it isn't enough she wants more, she wants pain, to be spanked and whipped and controlled...

She's out one day in Toronto and see's a sex shop and for our good girl Sara wanting to break free of her mental shackles even if it's for a little while goes into 'The House Of Pain' she is stunned because the first thing she see's is a massive steel fist dildo but she is so transfixed about the shop that the owner of the shop ask's her if she wants to see the back..
When she's in the back she can't believe what she see's, a dark room with a stage and her brain is racing with the possibility's, the owner informs her that they do shows of women being bound and spanked along with whipped and flogged..
The thing with Sara is this voice in her head telling her to jump to the unknown into the dark that's all things of pain and pleasure..so she signs up...

Now we have Doug who is a hard worker and he's met Sara before at a work thingy but he is shocked to see her at the House of Pain where he's in the audience watching her skin tingle and turn a nice shade of red and he wants that. So he comes up with a plan that should help them both for what they have been looking for...

Can Sara protect her heart and will Doug get what he want's...

This is a really good book and this is the second Tara book and it will be one of many, I love how Tara gets me to go into that happy place when reading a really good book and I loved the fact the Sara didn't rely on a man.
The sex was great and detailed nice along with what I thought was going to be a quick and easy read but it wasn't, the book gripped me and I found that for once I wanted her to be girly and get what she deserves but I loved how it ended and I felt that there wasn't anything else that could of made this better because it was perfect...

[Book Ninja · Rating 3 out of 5]

We are thrown directly into the house of pain and her craving for it with first person narrator. For a novice she decided quite fast she wanted to try. There were moments in the beginning when everything seemed a bit detached like all this is happening to someone else, not her. But soon we catch up with more insight. The story is developing very quickly. She did go to intense pain quickly and even reached her subspace. The scene was nice but for me it was a little unrealistic she would go so hard for her first time. I also missed some aftercare especially when it was her first time. With every other scene she wants more and it's cleansing for her.

When she meets Doug she starts exploring even more. Their "sort of" relationship is progressing slowly. For her this is a journey she doesn't know where the path will lead. She is insecure, a little naive and she has a problem with trust, especially with men. He is so patient with her and so sure of himself. Eventually she stops running and puts her faith in him.

This is a quick and fun read with some intense scenes and romance. I loved how the last scene ended when the "curtains fell down" with the promise of fisting.



*Provided by the Author through BDSM group TPE BAR Read2Review*

[~Mel :)~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The House of Pain is a Great S/M read!

Sara has desires that her sweet boyfriend Colin is not comfortable with. While at the "toy" store House of Pain. The owner John, offers Sara a chance she can't refuse. A chance to explore her desire for pain. But will Sara find more then she's bargained for at The House of Pain?

Sara is a very likeable character. Like most woman she has been burned and hurt before by unrequited love. She is understandably hesitant to fall in love.

Doug is the Vice President of Marketing Strategy. He is yummy, yummy with a dash of OMG! He is patient yet firm with Sara, and offers her far more then she is willing to give.

The first person POV is a little distracting. There are a lot of I, I, I, I's but I do not think it is so distracting as to make the story unenjoyable!

I would recommend this to anyone who loves pain in romance!




provided by the Author through BDSM group TPE BAR Read2Review

[Ketysha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book twice before starting to write this review, so I definitely liked the book. ;)

The title itself can be a little intimidating and yeah, there are some BDSM elements in there that can be a little off-putting for some people, but i didn't mind them all that much. I didn't love it - the whole "just pain" concept simply didn't work for me. Not that it wasn't written well, which it was, I just prefer more pleasure, I think. :)

But it was written well and the storytelling was running smoothly, so there are definitely no complaints.

And then I got to The Part That For Me Changed Everything. The Punishment Scene that was written just so beautifully. I've read a lot of BDSM books, but I've never read the speech just like that. It was really amazing and in that moment I really started to believe that Doug knows what he was doing and he was doing it for all the right reasons and I just liked him even more (even though I hated that he was always so bloody polite! But that's beside the point here ;) ).

"The rules are what we make them."
I fell in love with this sentence. Absolutely fell in love. <3 :)

As for the rest of the story ... I almost liked Doug better than Sara, cause she just seemed so juvenile. But now that I look back, i can see that she wasn't; she was just searching herself and trying to come to terms with her past experiences, fear and her growing relationship with Doug.

The last chapter was a bit much for me (well, some parts of the scene). But I could read the love, understanding and most importantly, companionship between the two and the last paragraph, I think, sealed the deal perfectly.


So I definitely recommend this book to all who like steamy romance and are tired of all the illogical writing. You definitely won't find this here. Thankfully! ;)

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting and different sort of story. It moves quickly and flows along nicely. The writer's style is brisk and to the point. No flowery words, no pomp and stance. This was fun. The story was different from any other story I had read (I've read thousands now) in that the setting was different, the conditions were different and so were the characters. This is not a stereotypical BDSM storyline where there is a Master and slave or Dom and sub that are formal. This is between a man and a woman discovering why she needs the pain. She wants to explore her desires and she braves up enough to go to a sex shop. The shop itself is different to her (Although the description of her surprise is pretty much all I've experienced) and the owner is conscious of her "peaked interests". He makes an interesting proposition and the story moves into a few twists and definitely interesting turns. I read it from start to finish without putting it down. Sorry guys, dinner was non-existent. I look forward to reading more of Tara Crescent's writing.

[Kristin Elyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could go on all day about how much I loved this book, but to make it short, this was an amazing read. It wasn't like the hardcore porn writing that most erotica authors write. Each character is developed well. It's mostly about self development and self assurance. Each character grows throughout the story and realize that they are much more capable of things than they thought. Some of them did things that they never thought they would do. I mean if this story was real (which I myself believe it is, even if it's not lol), then I would be very interested in doing it, maybe. The way it ended was a shocker to me but I loved the ending all the same. Tara is an amazing writer and storyteller. This book is a definite must read.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great value at $2.98. It reminded me in some ways of Swallowtail but with less D/s.

See Book Addict's review. I concur with BA's assessment however BA wanted to slap Sara upside the head at the end. I understood Sara's reservations and introspection into jumping into a relationship after being burned. Thankfully Sara has some good friends who tell her to give her head a shake.

[zoegrl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, love the concept of the House of Pain!! A way to get needs met without complications. As Sarah could try it out & see if she was really into the lifestyle or not. She thought she was on top of who would see her, she just missed the first night when Doug did. They start the journey of whether or not they have a relationship. In the Dungeon, out of the Dungeon, both?? The details of the play is what i look for in a story like this. May have to read something else of Ms. Crescent's.

[liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read. I initially read it for a challenge about hot cover art. I was pleasantly surprised by the unique plot. Something about the story was different, and that made it all the more interesting. there were definitely some smoking hot scenes in there as well, and also the characters were likable. a 4.5 rounded to 5 star read for me..

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic erotica book! The story develops and moves at a good pace and there is plenty of panty drenching sex and characters you can't help but love.

I really like Ms Crescents writing style. She gives readers a good story that is not combined with filler for added word count.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick easy Bdsm book with an interesting if not real character relationship.

[Amber J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good BDSM love story with real life characters you can relate to. I couldn't put this down and read it one night!

[OG · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to start anywhere in the BDSM Genre please start with this book. Unlike Fifty Shades of Grey this is about an actual consenting relationship between two adults rather than an abusive relationship involving a young girl and a bastard.
Starts with Sara curious about the submissive lifestyle, very obvious she’s really into pain, and she stumbles into a shop called the house of pain which has A theatre in the basement which is used for Scenes that people come and watch. Having taken part in one of these shows Sara decides that yes she is into this. She then meets Doug Who has seen her at one of the shows and would like to get to know her better. The fact that he is loaded and see you over the company is just the cherry on the cake. However Sara wants to keep their relationship just about sex, About the scenes, Doug on the other hand is obviously interested in something more. Will Sara be able to let go of her preconceptions about the submissive lifestyle and allow her heart to open one small?
So I really like this book because it holds consent as one of the most important things. It shows how a Dom Should care about what his submissive wants. Indeed at one point Doug doesn’t want to do something that Sara asks for but he does it because he cares for her deeply.
Sara interestingly Has her own misconceptions about how the lifestyle works on the relationship she will have the Doug. She seems to be on the impression that he wants a slave, and some of the ideas that she has got I must say I seem to have been pulled from a certain novel called Fifty Shades of Grey and it is amusing to me to see them knocked down so brilliantly.
I should definitely be reading another one of this authors books, the four-star marking is because for me I’m not so into modern genre BDSM I prefer my Victoriana however that is my own personal choice and is no reflection on this book which is great. Highly recommended.

[Marlene Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about Sara trying to find her way concerning her sexual desires. She agrees to be the submissive for an audience and be spanked, whipped, bound or whatever is on the menu for the night at The House of Pain. She is seen by Doug, one of her bosses at work, who was in the audience and he asks her to be his submissive on a trial basis. Meanwhile she has quit her job and taken another. She never had much luck dating and tries to deny feeling closer and closer to Doug and runs when he gets more serious. She works out what was happening and returns to Doug and they are working out their problems and hopefully will have a happily ever after...

[Shan ~A~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story started out kind of stilted, but I eventually got into. I got into it so much that I couldn't tear myself away, and then fell asleep on the couch while reading it.

I like the fact that we get to a woman exploring her sexuality while at the the same time trying to protect her heart.

I thought the way she went about it was a bit reckless. BDSM is about trust to me, and she started exploring with strangers in an environment that she knew nothing about and hadn't vetted. I'm not a part of the community, but that seems dangerous and irresponsible to me.

Also it could have done with a bit more editing.

[Steve King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable bdsm romance

Really glad I gave this a try. Based on this book I will certainly try others by this author. Nice to see that the female lead displays courage but is not flawless and the male lead is a more rounded character than you often get in this kind of book.

[june · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title had me intrigued. Im not into pain, myself, but the characters, it was hot! I could feel myself being pulled in so much, like I was there. I hope there is a 2nd book of the same main characters, love to know more. Loved the book!!

[Belletab · Rating 3 out of 5]

didn't care much for the ending / if it had been a little bit different would have been 4 stars

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The descriptions were amazing. Every feeling and emotion I felt.

[Verity W · Rating 2 out of 5]

Totally so-so on this. I don't think it did entirely what it was setting out to do, and it didn't work out how I was expecting it to either. Never mind.

[Sherry Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

This is a great BDSM love story with many ups and downs but plenty of steamy sexy parts. A beautiful believable story I enjoyed reading

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughed, cried and will read again x

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

This was my first time reading this author. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a fan of the genre this was a easy, quick and enjoyable read.

[Nilakshi Pathak · Rating 1 out of 5]

The characters lack depth.. and Sara is so irritating!!! And the guy is always amused.. Have lost the count when he ends up looking at Sara with amusement Again and Again!!!!

[SARAH PHELPS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super Sexy

This was a lovely story. The relationship between Sara and Doug is beautiful. I love how her needs are met, even the ones she doesn’t know she has.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Burning Hot

This is a very original storyline. I Loved it. I was on the edge all the way through the book. If you like erotica you will love this book. Sara needs pain in her sexual experiences, she craves it. Doug needs to give pleasure pain. Sara is afraid to fall in love but Doug woos her so carefully and gently. It is very seductive story. Lots of HOT sex but also a very sweet romance.

[Alex Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW

Everything I was expecting and more! The detail and description was so good, you could even imagine actually being there