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The Maids of Graye #1

The Whip Master

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The time of the annual Festival had arrived and Graye Manor bustled with a frenzy of activity. Its rolling, manicured grounds echoed with the sharp sounds of a whip striking human flesh and shrill cries filled with both pain and pleasure followed, bringing excited smiles and eager anticipation to the faces and hearts of the listeners. The time of the Cirque de Sade Festival had finally arrived and, with it, the final magnificent display of skills, beauty, and selfless service that would end at the auction block. Guests would be arriving from all over the globe to be served, and entertained, by the staff of this unique establishment. The outside world knew nothing about its purpose, or the real history behind the cold stone walls, and Dorian Graye intended it to remain that way. Things happened in the Manor - things that the real world would never embrace...
Pride, Integrity, Loyalty and Love, the acronym of PILL, is a hard one for many to swallow in the eyes in today's society. In honor of his mentor's vision for a rich alternative to the old world ideas of domestic service, Graye Manor was founded. Select applicants, known as Graye's Maids, are trained in the classic skills of a domestic - with one major difference. Each is drawn to the darker side of service and flourishes under the command of a hard palm upon a bare backside- or even, in more hardcore cases, the slash of a whip.


Dorian Graye is a master of the Florentine long- tail whip, and has made an art form of throwing the braided snakes to paint a human canvas. Like his namesake, he plays hard, but he loves even harder- especially when it comes to Annie, a young woman who was tossed onto the streets by a selfish and neglectful family. He and his beloved wife, known as One, help Annie discover an unknown part of her heart- a heart to serve- but her dreams do not include the type of life that they can offer her. Their love for her demands sacrifice- but will it be enough to mend her brokenness, chase away her fears, and make her dreams come true?


The Whip Master is a story about total power exchange, surrender, difficult choices and sacrifices of love. Under the slightly sadistic exterior is a man whose greatest desire is for each of his beloved maids to find happiness. He allows nothing to stand in their way, not even themselves, and is willing to sacrifice anything to grant them their heart's desire... even if the journey to that desire means suffering as the door to previously unspoken taboos are opened and explored during the decadent Cirque de Sade Festival where anything is possible, and everything is probable.

169 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 14, 2015

31 people are currently reading
163 people want to read

About the author

Breanna Hayse

102 books464 followers
I’m a native Californian gone 'wild', and had the opportunity to travel the globe and discover the world through the eyes of both a Marine Intelligence specialist and a BDSM lifestyler. I left the service to go into pediatric hospice nursing and grief counseling, eventually working as a marriage and family therapist for those involved in alternative lifestyle development. This experience has allowed me to gain unique inspiration for my books and provide realistic plots and relatable characters.

My first book, The Game Plan, was published in 2012 and opened the door to the now-booming world of Age-Play literature. Since that time, I’ve devoted my ‘spare’ time to writing, researching, community involvement, and private and group pro bono counseling in deviant behavior, alternative lifestyle, and addiction recovery.

I was formally ‘dungeon trained’ as a Domme before discovering my submissive side when I joined the service. My scenarios are pulled primarily from either personal experience or observation, including spending time in clubs as the safety/medical officer. My multi-faceted background allows me to glean from many avenues and provides a unique and intelligent literary experience through elements of fantasy and fiction. I also address the questions and psychology of the lifestyle in a manner that is fun and informative, and based on 'the real deal'.

I live with my husband, musician, and fellow-author, John Hayse, and two border collies in southern California. We practice a 24/7 D&S relationship with speckles of AP (and many trips to Build-A-Bear), and happily spend every moment together that we can. My hobbies include my puppies, hiding my vanilla salt-water taffy where John can't find it, exotic art, collecting inspirational trinkets, and developing my own paddle line. You can also see me as a featured author/instructor in professional conference settings and as a Sexpert for kinkyliterature.com.

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5 stars
53 (49%)
4 stars
32 (29%)
3 stars
16 (14%)
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5 (4%)
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2 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Profile Image for Steelwhisper.
Author 5 books443 followers
July 30, 2015
No SPaG issues, which is the one plus.



This is a subbie-fantasy of some wondersome superduper master who masters them all to the good of.... bleh.

I was bored and nodding off within sight of the first page. This is as much unrealistic BDSM as are those endless billionaire alphahole accounts, sorry. Auctioning off people against money or favours still is prostitution, and this Master was sickeningly avuncular.

It's as if the genre BDSM has entered a rut and will not leave it. I am dead tired of the ever samey D/s and any similar setups. As if that is all that BDSM is consisting of. Especially when so utterly unrealistic.

Oh. And Dorian Graye.



Puhleeeeeeeeeeeeeze!
Profile Image for Dee.
2,012 reviews108 followers
July 30, 2015
An interesting take on the D/S world, with a good dose of domestic discipline. Apparently the author writes what she knows, so I'm not going to comment on the BDSM aspect of the story, other than to say 'to each their own'.

The story is well told with few typos. Told being the operative word. There is some showing, for example detailed description are given of clothes and whips. However when it came to getting to know the characters, all they did was 'talk' so I didn't become emotionally involved with any of them. In light of that I won't be continuing with the series.

I recommend this to readers who don't mind stories with pages upon pages of characters talking, and a plot with heavy focus on D/s and D/D.
Profile Image for SH.
807 reviews13 followers
February 27, 2015
Oh man, how long until book two is released? This is a fantastic story that once I started reading I didn't stop until I reached the end. The characters, plot, and setting are written with such detail it felt as if I was watching and not reading. I have to say my favorite characters were Fifty and Marilyn and I so hope we see more of them in book two. Master Graye is the steel behind his Manor and the performance he gives in the Arena at the Festival was superb! I am not going to say anything else, or give anything away, but you will be sorry if you don't read this book. Seriously.
Profile Image for Joanne Carr.
754 reviews3 followers
May 31, 2019
I wish I would have know this was a preview otherwise I would have not read the preview. Here is the preview review.

I am voluntarily writing this review for this book I received through prolific arc.

Grayes Manor is pretty much where they train the his little maids/submissive before they are place with their masters. They assign girls a number instead of using their name his wife is number one. This was a preview.
Profile Image for Annemarie.
2,186 reviews16 followers
November 15, 2018
At Graye Manor, Dorian is the master and runs the house as a school to train submissives and then runs an auction to place them with a master that suits both parties needs. His wife and sub, Meredith is his One and the other maids are assigned other numbers. Fifty is his PA and is special to them both. Could see this beings a long, colorful, hot and sexy series.
77 reviews
December 8, 2019
love for a women

The Whip Master is not that long it is filled with who Grey is, how his girls. Came into being, with best friends Ellis, Merry his wife Dorian learns how to channeled all his trading now create. A Grey Maddie Also how jealously can turn you , a nice respevil girl and final
Profile Image for Patricia.
676 reviews2 followers
October 4, 2019
Dorian Story

It was good a to read about Dorian and how he found his life calling when he went to college. To read the story of how Elias, Meredith and Dorian met. I can't wait to read more. The idea of being accepted as a Grayes maid is intriguing.
Profile Image for Crystal Marie.
1,483 reviews68 followers
September 9, 2015
I’m a relatively new fan of Hayse’s work, and I have found that I do enjoy them for the most part. This story caught my attention and I did enjoy it, but at the same time I was a bit confused about it as well.

I loved the story behind how Dorian Graye became who he was, and the training that he did with the Maids. I felt like Hayse did a great job at explaining all of that as well as including a bit of erotica to the story overall. I felt like Dorian’s character was very strong, and it was very easy to connect with him – you could tell that he really truly did care about the Maids that he had.

The problem that I had with the story overall though was that so much of the story was focused on Annie I felt. This story to me felt like it was a prequel to her story and that the information given about Graye and the Manor was just that – information given to lead up to Annie’s story. Don’t get me wrong, I did still enjoy it, but I was hoping for more about Dorian personally. Also the ending of the story felt very rushed as well.

I did enjoy how Hayse added different elements to this story that I haven’t seen in others before. Like the different types of displays that were shown, as well as the whipping scene. While I am personally not a fan of whipping scenes, this one was done extremely well to where I actually enjoyed it.

Overall, I did enjoy this story, and I do plan to read the next book which is about Annie.

Reviewed by Crystal Marie for Crystal’s Many Reviewers
*Copy provided for review*
Profile Image for Diane Dannenfeldt.
4,025 reviews78 followers
January 25, 2016
3.5 stars only because I wanted to see the training. The book starts after the 3 years of training and the girls are ready to be auctioned off. The story seemed more centered around Annie, or Fifty as she is known in the story. But we don't really get a lot of background of the characters. We know that Dorian loves his wife, One/Meredith & would do anything for her. She isn't a cowering submissive, she has a backbone and is really the Mistress of the manor. I didn't like how childish Fifty acted. She loves both Dorian & Meredith & doesn't want to leave the manor. She does finally agree to a 1 mth trial period w/Greg & I think he will be great for her. The "maids" do have a say in who they go with and if things don't work out then they can come back to the manor & be put up for auction again after a 6 mth "re-training" period. I will probably read the next book in the series which is Annie's story but hopefully we will see more of Dorian & Meredith & some actual training of the "maids". The arena scene at the festival was way hot.
Profile Image for Becca.
521 reviews62 followers
August 14, 2015
This book was a mixed bag for me and, frankly, I wouldn't have continued to read it if not for having already bought the second in the series, Mastering Annie. This story sets up the rules and reason behind Graye Manor, it's founder, Dorian Graye, and his Graye Maids. The story is a contemporary one, but reads like a fantasy/fairy tale, thanks to the rather unrealistic and glossy feel to the whole thing and the way it is told.

There is nothing wrong with that feeling, but it isn't terribly satisfying either. The characters lack depth and the telling lacks enough emotion to pull me in and make me care what happens. Despite that, it is well written and the BDSM scenes enjoyable to read. At least enough to have me reading Annie's story.
Profile Image for Kathy Heare Watts.
6,976 reviews175 followers
March 12, 2015
Graye Manor and Fifty Little Maids
What a fantastic start to a new series. I loved the characters, the concept, the dialogue and can't wait for more. Dorian Graye and his wife, One or Merry along with her brother Elias at Graye Manor train their maids for domestic service and future homes. The various art forms of BDSM and various kinks are available, each maid has her limits. They go through levels before they go to auction. The story was told and described in such a way, you could envision the sights and sounds being described. I was drawn into this story and loved the background shared of how various people met, the concept was devised and the multiple happy clients and return guest.
Profile Image for Marybeth.
2,289 reviews21 followers
March 16, 2015
I loved this story! I can’t wait for the sequel. Dorian has started a House that trains submissives for personal service. They are chosen and they are trained over many years until it is felt that they are ready to be sold. But, the submissives have the right to help choose who will buy them. They also only sign contracts for a certain period of time and have the option of leaving if they choose. They also have the ability to be removed from an abusive situation. The story is wonderful, both about the general way the House is run, but also about Dorian and One’s relationships and about Fifty and the man who she allows to choose her. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!!! I give this 5 stars.
Profile Image for EvilAntie Jan.
1,591 reviews13 followers
August 23, 2016
Gripping story of human dynamics

This is simply one of the most enthralling books on human dynamics relationships and trust. Set in a world that many don't understand about nor would venture into - the D/s realm has shown me the dynamics of relationships. The pivotal moment when a Greg and a 50 become one. This book was also about a teacher/father figure having to let go- it is a hard lesson for any "guardian" or "parent" to face maybe once maybe 100 times. Finally, a fascinating element is "becoming good enough" and making the journey from 1 to Mistress. As always I am in a subspace of sorts after reading Breyanna's work- inspiring.
73 reviews
July 18, 2015
I decided to read this book after reading an ARC of Mastering Annie.The Whip Master was better than I expected and provides a good foundation for this series. Dorian Graye could have been very sinister, but he is not. He is definitely in charge of Graye Manor, where the submissives, including his wife, are assigned numbers. Graye's skills with the whips are impressive, and he commands respect because he has earned it. The darker side of BDSM is explored within these pages, but it doesn't take over the entire story.
Profile Image for Laurel.
505 reviews8 followers
April 1, 2015
Wow. This was scorching hot and I couldn't put it down. The characters and their development was so amazing and the storyline was like an introduction to BDSM 101 and then 102. The secondary characters were also well developed and I hope there are follow up with them, how Annie or 50 does with her new master and little Marilyn and how she does with a mommy and daddy. I don't wan to go into details and give away any of this marvelous story. Breanna Hayse never disappoints.
Profile Image for Stephanie (Between the Coverz).
578 reviews6 followers
July 31, 2015
I enjoyed the book however a different name (other than Graye) would have made it even better. The book delves into the BDSM world with its own uniqueness. I have not read another BSDM book where the girls have the option of who they want to be with, a short term contract, and have a voice in what they want. It has plenty of hot scenes for anyone that likes the BDSM reads. I enjoyed the book and will definitely read the next book in the series.
45 reviews3 followers
March 9, 2015
This book was off the charts HOT! Breanna Hayse does it again with the Whip Master. I admit, I laughed at first reading the snippet of this book, thinking it was making fun of fifty shades with its fifty maids. Anyone who has read Ms. Hayse's books can tell you that she stomps out fifty shades. This is a book I will be rereading again!
Profile Image for Katy Beth Mckee.
4,722 reviews65 followers
July 19, 2015
Master Dorian Greye is a powerful man and his life and work follow his passions. With his wife Meredith they have built a world where training is provided for special clients and maids. This story is the beginning a new series that for all it's dark corners is still heartwarming. The characters show true character and caring. And wile extreme I can't wait for the next installment.
541 reviews3 followers
July 26, 2015
Great book

This is the story about Graye Manor, where Dorian trains maids ( Submissives). His number one is his wife. This is a great book and if you are into anything BDSM this is a book you will love. There I s also a great storyline in this book. Long novel and I ready enjoyed it.

4 reviews
August 17, 2015
Amazing

If you like the bdsm genre then this is a book for you. There is love loss and more love. There is also spanking. Then there's part 2 for us submissive girls whether you have a Mistress or a Dominant we can't wait to see how Annie fares will there be love? Will there still be respect? Dorian's a hunk no matter how you look at it. Hope Greg will be too!
Profile Image for Kelly.
371 reviews
July 16, 2015
What a wonderful world! Full of sensuality, lust, servitude, and damn hot sex. Holy crap! I want to go spend some time under Dorian.... I mean under his tutelage, of course. Seriously, don't miss this book. The sequel is looking like it will be just as good as this!
Profile Image for The Reluctant Retiree.
960 reviews7 followers
July 27, 2015
Now that DH & I have recovered from me attacking him, ;-), I got to say this book is HOT! The depth of knowledge shown reminds me of John Norman and his Gor series. Fabulous read! If there is a waiting list for this series, let me know!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews

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