The Edge of Submission

by Elyse Fryer

Mary Anne Cambridge is on a transformative journey of self-discovery and desire, as she navigates the charged waters of love, trust, and ambition. After a painful breakup and a move to the vibrant city of Vancouver, Mary stumbles into a world she never knew she needed—a BDSM club where she meets Jake, a charismatic dominant.

Jake is as confident and self-assured as Mary is uncertain. He opens her eyes not just to a hidden dimension of her sexuality, but also to the power of setting goals in life. As Mary submits to her newfound desires in the bedroom, she also learns to command her destiny, one goal at a time.

Dive into Mary's vivid, first-person narrative that offers an intimate look into her emotional landscape, as she makes sense of her past and builds towards a future of her own choosing. Her final a meaningful relationship built on trust and genuine connection. Will Jake be the one to meet her there or will Mary find that some submissions are too hard to make?

This novel beautifully marries the exploration of self, emotion, and the tantalizing realm of BDSM, turning a tried and tested trope into a vibrant, poignant saga. Unveil the nuances of submission and empowerment as Mary Anne Cambridge finds her edge—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—in a story that is as touching as it is arousing.

Don't miss this compelling read about a woman daring to challenge her limits to discover what truly makes her feel alive.

282 pages, Paperback

Published July 24, 2024

Reviews

[Dave Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary is bored with her vanilla boyfriend and is checking out a BDSM club where she meets Jake. She learns to submit to him and experience a sexual excitement she has not felt before. Things are going well but Jake begins to doubt the relationship. He says: "I mean you say you want this, me being dominant, you being submissive to continue. But it doesn’t work like that. There will come a time when you want something more vanilla. And I can’t give up being dominant in the bedroom. That’s just not what I will ever want.”
Mary also has doubts: "Jake said I would tire of being with him. That my desire for him to be dominant with me would subside with time. Maybe Jake was right. Maybe I don’t know my own desires and I’m actually a vanilla person. My time with Jake could have been a wild fling as I tried to escape the mundanity of my life."
They break up. Will they come together gain? Was this just a fling?

After they separate she writes: Being with you has awakened me to a part of myself I didn’t even know was there. I may be young and inexperienced but I can say with utmost certainty that I have never felt more alive than when I was in your arms. Giving up control to you is what my body and my brain crave. I hope with all my heart that we can move forward together. But in the case that you no longer want a relationship with me, I am prepared to move forward without you.

They meet again in the BDSM club and he explains the meaning of the choker he gave her: "generally, wearing a collar is a symbol that you’ll be taken care of, looked after, and respected...And I’ve been a giant ass who doesn’t deserve the privilege of you wearing my collar.”
“When I gave you this, I tried to convince myself that it was just a necklace. But there was always a part of me who hoped you would wear it like a collar. Like you were a part of me.” “If I had known,” I try to explain. “But you didn’t and that’s my fault.”
He apologizes for breaking up:
“Mary, I’m sorry.” Those two words are enough to bring tears to my eyes. I don’t know what I was expecting. Perhaps that Jake would deny what he did, would try to justify his actions, or maybe pretend like what he did wasn’t wrong. But in his eyes there’s a level of honesty I’ve never seen before. He means this apology. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. You were trying so hard to tell me what you wanted and I kept twisting your words around. I was so hung up on what happened with my ex-wife that I failed to realize what I had in front of me.”
Mary tells him what she wants: “I want to submit to you in the bedroom. I want you to take me to those places inside of me that I didn’t know existed. I don’t want you to hold back because I trust you.” “And outside the bedroom?” “I want a boyfriend. A relationship. Someone who cares about me and wants to spend time with me. I want someone who will take me on dates and hang out with friends.”

[Imeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is not your usual bdsm story but it offers explicit scenes in detail as well as how each character feels on each scene. the story mainly focuses on the coming out of the main character, Mary, as to what she needs to do to overcome her trauma. although it may seem odd to pick sexual adventures and preferences as a means to recover from her past and release all her inhibitions, this one is somewhat likely to happen in real life. the characters, Mary and Jake, though not the usual ones that are written in graphic novels, can come as your regular people who each have burdens to carry and personalities to discover. Mary's character took a personal trauma and an unlikely relationship to recover her own confidence and personality along the way to finally emerge as someone who knows what she wants and from whom she wants it. although it is supposed to be based on sexual content, the author was brave to interject personal touch as to describe Mary for what she truly is: a smart, down=to-earth and loving person who found the love of her life in an unconventional way. i love how each scene , no matter how explicit it may be, were written in a way that gentleness and boundaries surrounds it; this is one read that i find myself wishing for someone like Jake to appear and conquer my inhibitions. i gave this 5 stars, short read that i will not hesitate to re-read all over again.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by Elyse Fryer. I'll admit that I was having trouble engaging at first as it seemed unreal and too perfectly put together. Definitely a different bdsm book than I've read before. I can't decide if this is the authors first dive into bdsm or what.... ??? I have gotten spoiled by getting both sides of the story, so only getting one point of view was torture. I wasn't feeling it. I kept wondering what Jake was thinking, how he was feeling?!? And how was he reading Mary so perfectly without knowing her? Ugh. But as the story continued, I became more invested in them. I actually had tears for Mary and my heart squeezed in pain at one point. THAT is why I gave this four stars vs three stars. I loved her new friends and wish they had more page time. Same with her twin brother, Bear. By the time I closed my Kindle, I had a smile on my face and content with the HEA.

#TheFlock
#PinkFlamingoProductions

[Carissa Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a first book for me from Elyse Fryer and I do have to admit that it was rather good. Different style of writing compared to other BDSM books that I've read, but once I was able to fall into the story it was absolutely wonderful. Great spice level, and only told from one POV, so that makes it a little difficult for me because I'm so used to stories with both viewpoints of the characters, however, that does not negate how good of a book this was. Mary was a wonderful character and the author does a great job of getting you to connect with her, even to the point that you feel with her instead of for her. Any author who can make that happen, in my opinion, is a wonderful one. Jake, on the other hand, man I want more of the two of them. I would definitely enjoy reading some more work from her and see what other great stories she has to offer.