Five years ago, Sal Raniero stood a loyal son and responsible friend. Giving everything he had to his family and friends, Sal continued on his way to becoming the man everyone expected. But he harbored a dark secret.
He needed pain… A lot of pain.
When the offer is put before him to push further, he cannot resist his masochistic cravings. Praying and playing on his knees, he is confronted with the last thing he expects.
His heart.
Torn between being the golden boy of Juliet and just another guy with a fetish streak, he makes a decision that will chart the course for the rest of his life. Will Sal survive his initiation into the deep waters of Juliet?
Hold on tight and get ready to ride.
THE INITIATION (The SOS Series Book 1) is set within the Juliet world and provides further glimpses into Salvatore Raniero’s character and history. JULIET is Kailee Reese Samuels full-length debut novel.
Kailee Reese Samuels writes contemporary, romantic, and suspense, with an erotic flair. Let her words whisk you away, escaping with delicious guys, toe-curling kisses, and addictive stories.
WARNING: This book contains graphic BDSM, strong sexual situations, and explicit language. Contents intended for MATURE readers 18+ ONLY.
Just a girl who loves pushing boundaries in original, addictive noir/dark fiction with genre-busting elements from dark romance, romantic suspense, psychological thriller, mafia, MC, and realism. Intense, thought-provoking, edge-of-your-seat, gripping page-turners that stick with you long after the last sentence. TAT Books are the perfect escape with a delicious beverage, a box of chocolate, and plenty of tissues.
Dear Readers (Raniero Fangirls) have come to expect my emotionally crippling writing style.
Storyteller embracing diversity. Coffee addict. Mango lover. Blueberry fetishist. Sweet peach tea crazy. Red wine devout. Whiskey deviant. Tattooed & pierced. Bare feet. Sand. Sun. Collects rosaries. Fanatical organizer/cleaner/list-maker. Never sleeps. Hermit and recluse. Social media avoider. Sexy trucks, bad mofo alphas, hot ink, loud music, long nails, and good football. Brisket is a birthright, y’all. Being in the water is a good thing—mermaid in a former life.
I worship everyone who reads one of my books, whether they enjoy it or not, and firmly believe they should all wear a crown.
The Initiation, first book of The Story of Salavatore was my first KRS book, and it definitely isn't going to be the last.
This is the beginning of the (back) story of Sal Raniero, how he was introduced as a submissive into the BDSM academy Juliet. Young golden boy, everybody loves him, and with reasons. Sal is beautiful, caring, charismatic; he shines.
If The Initiation was at first a little unsettling because of the numerous side characters, it became fast intriguing and captivating. I could already tell that there was more in store for us than what it appears.
This book certainly is an initiation for us readers to the Juliet world, its sinful and mysterious atmosphere.
This is the introduction into Sal Ranieros life and BDSM. It’s a quick read but a very well told and enjoyable read. Kailee knows how to write a story that will grip you. She has her own way with words. If you enjoy a twisted erotic read with BDSM then I certainly recommend this read.
Blurb: Five years ago, Sal Raniero stood a loyal son and responsible friend. Giving everything he had to his family and friends, Sal continued on his way to becoming the man everyone expected. But he harbored a dark secret.
He needed pain… A lot of pain.
When the offer is put before him to push further, he cannot resist his masochistic cravings. Praying and playing on his knees, he is confronted with the last thing he expects.
His heart.
Torn between being the golden boy of Juliet and just another guy with a fetish streak, he makes a decision that will chart the course for the rest of his life. Will Sal survive his initiation into the deep waters of Juliet?
This is the first book in the SOS series providing the back story to the characters first encountered in the authors debut novel Juliet….and wow does it pack a punch…the series follows the trials and tribulations of Salvatore and his search for love and acceptance….this first book introduces his character as he first enters the world of Juliet as a teenager…
This is a deliciously dark and twisted erotic story which centres around the world of BDSM and examines the choices and preferences that lead Salvatore down a path of pain and submission and beyond…Salvatore is so beautiful and conflicted I could not help but be captivated by him….in addition I loved the complexities of the world of Juliet and the myriad of beguiling Characters with their own personal kinks and desires….
There is no doubt this story will not appeal to everyone so heed the warning given…for once the doors of Juliet are open the stories told within are disturbing but compulsive reading….This book was reviewed for Summer’s Eve Reads.
Oh Sal....I love him. This book takes place before Juliet so we get to see a totally different side of him. He is less confident, young, loving and still beautiful which made me fall even harder for him.
"I just don't understand why I am the way I am."
Sal's initiation is a lot tamer than what Iris went through but I enjoyed watching everyone fawn over him (myself included). I'm glad we got to see more Jack in here as well. He was one of my favorites from Juliet. Sal's fiery pixie is also introduced and their chemistry is strong from the moment they meet. I'm excited to learn more about their connection.
"Sal finally understood what it meant to be in love."
Absolutely adored Sal’s story and induction to Juliet. This guy has brains, and everything needed to succeed in whichever role he chooses. His internal conflict adds so much angst.
“The cocktail of pain and pleasure she was giving was a drunken euphoric high he could exist on.”
Add Kaci as a wildcard and his life is turned around literally overnight.
Loved Mierne. Loved her effect on Sal. His ability to truly see people, highlighted by his connection with her.
The cast of amazing women and men in this world just keeps getting better. Well written, such an easy series to devour.
The Initiation, is Book 1 in the SOS "Story of Salvatore" series. The SOS is a series of books depicting Sal Raniero's trials and life experiences that have led him to be the 'Golden Boy' of Juliet. In The Initiation, taking place when Sal is 19 years Old (six years before Juliet), Sal must go through the same process that Iris did in Juliet. Sal is a natural submissive. He isn't as confident in himself and his abilities as we see in Juliet, but he strives to be the ultimate people pleaser, striving to please and anticipating his partner (or potential partners) every need and wish. This is his strength and he has caught everyone's eye, and as we know he is a very big earner for Juliet. His ultimate goal is to achieve pleasure through pain and find someone he can love. Sal seems very conflicted, at this point in his life, he feels that there is something wrong with him in that he enjoys and craves the pain. His love of women is no secret, but his ability to fall in love some easily is shocking. I believe Sal thinks he is in love with these women, but really he is just trying to fill a hole in his heart, which is only possible with the right person and once he accepts his true nature. Kailee Reese has given us a very rare glimpse into the heart of her character. We garner information and are introduced to the major players of Juliet, to lock away for a later date.
Sal was a loyal son, and responsible friend, to where he gave everything he had to his family & friends, while hiding a dark secret. He needed a lot of pain. He's given the opportunity to explore his secret tendencies, and he takes it. Will he survive his initiation into Juliet? The Initiation is the introduction into Sal Reniero's story. It begins with his life at Juliet, and the beginning of his involvement in the BDSM world, and while it was the most realistic read, in my opinion, into that world, it still started out a bit slowly for me. That doesn't change the fact that Kailee Reese Samuels is a talented author in my eyes, because she makes me really thing with her powerful way of telling a story with depth. I've already read Sal's whole story, so I can say without a shadow of a doubt, that it's a crazy & addictive ride that I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO ALL, but you must start at the beginning with The Initiation!
The Initiation is one of the companion reads to Juliet, the full length novel by Kailee Reese Samuels. It is the back story of Sal and goes into a lot of detail about how he came into his lifestyle, starting in his teenage years. This book is novella length, under 200 pages, so it was a lot easier to read than Juliet. However for me, it left more questions than answers regarding Sal as there is still a time gap before Juliet takes place. I believe there is a second companion book where this space is filled in. I would definitely recommend reading Juliet prior to reading the Initiation.
Rewind..it's backstory time! Sal's story to be exact. This book gives you just a little more about Sal. I love Sal and I was pleased with this short little prequel. It was nowhere near as long as Juliet, so I did enjoy it a little more. This story has just enough to keep you wanting more. I will definitely be telling others about this series.
When Sal is offered the opportunity to become a member of Juliet, he is confident that he knows the direction in which his life is going. However, when he is in front of the Dom’s at Juliet his fate is decided. Sal, who is a natural submissive, and a masochist, is always striving to please, but now he begins to doubt himself, and his conflicted, beliefs, and who to trust is challenged. Kailee has once again written a great storyline, which had me hooked and intrigued throughout. I look forward to reading more in this series.
I finally started the SOS series and getting to know who Sal Raniero is and goes through the Initiation process. You get to know who he was before and at present time and how he got into BDSM. He was different from the others he grew up with, he needed something more, something different. He craves things you wouldnt think others would. He heads into the Initiation and has to choose from 13 people and of course he falls for a few of them too. What will he do? Will he move on in the Initiation process? Good book, looking forward to moving onto book 2.
This was a well-written, engaging story with interesting characters. I pulled me in right off and kept me entertained. The only downside to it, in my opinion, was the transition between different POVs. I'm a fan of multiple characters' point of view, but I didn't like the head-hopping effect that The Initiation had on me. Other than that, it was a good book.
Having already read Juliet I wanted to start Sal's story from the beginning and I loved this short but sexy story.
It follows Sal's initiation into Juliet and how he starts off in this dom/sub world. We meet other characters from Juliet in this book too and get a bit on their backgrounds as well.
I cannot wait to start reading tea for two the next in the series and see where sal is heading and how he changed to the powerful Dom that he is in the book Juliet.
I am in love with Kailee Reese Samuels. Oh my this book will melt your kindle. This is the best book that I have read in a long time. This book is so steamy I blushed while reading the whole book. It is a quick read and easy to consume in one sitting. This book should come with a warning label that says careful you will become addicted to Kailee Reese Samuels and her books. I am now adding her to my one click list. Wow incredible. I cant wait to dive deeper into SOS.
I have read a couple of Kailee’s newer books that included Sal and I loved him so I decided to backtrack to the beginning to get his whole story. This shows us a time when Sal was young and not as confident as he learns more about the lifestyle and some choices he may make for himself.
I have liked all of Kailee’s books that I have read so far, and this one didn’t disappoint. Seeing where Sal began and his entrance on the path he chose made me love Sal so much more!
I cannot finish this book as I found it to all over the place. The style of writing would switch between character speaking within the same chapter, the storyline really didn't make sense. Maybe I don't understand the rules or the backstory and the fact that this is a prequel written after other items in different books, but it was really confusing and not in a "I wonder how this is gonna end up" way but more about "what the F just happened" way.
This is Sal story pre Juliet. It goes into detail of how and why he came into this lifestyle in his teen years. I loved this well written story with its different POV's. It was nice to get some more info on Sal and how he came to be. I love that the author writes from a different place when it comes to BDSM reads and not afraid to go with the taboo.
Wow Sal loves pain and is so young so we get to see the side of him. I loved his personality and how he calls himself a pain whore. Even the scene with Jack was pretty hot. The last part kinda shocked me but it explains more of Sal. A great book I love bdsm ** I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Copy of this book ***
This book takes you on the ride of a guys journey in a world people consider to be dark. Sal is cocky and the guy all the ladies want. The book is funny at time but in all has a serious tone to it. I'm excited to see where the journey takes sal next.
Just wow as always I was sucked right into this story. Sal is an amazing character. I’m loving getting to see how his life was & the choices he makes to change said life. Loving the depth of the characters & learning more on why they do what they do. Another 5 star read for me.
Wow! This book had me feeling all kinds of things. Heavy heavy BDSM in this book so beware of that. Sal likes the pain and man does he get it in this. There also isn’t a clear love interest so don’t go into this expecting one. Sal is a 19 year old boy. He’s going to get around a little. Can’t wait to see what happens in book 2
This story is about Salvatore Raniero and his life at Juliet. It tells how he got involved in the BDSM word. This novella is a companion book to Juliet by Kailee Reese Samuels. It's a well written sexy story with charismatic characters. I can't wait to read more about Sal, he really caught my interest since Juliet and now The Initiation.
I was gifted this book and I am leaving a voluntary review.
This book really needs to be read after Juliet to fully appreciate and understand what is happening here.
This book revolves around Sal and his history, and how he gets involved with BDSM and the Juliet school. There are many of the characters in here that are also in Juliet and you learn a lot more of their history too and how it relates to Juliet, and pieces of information fall into place as this becomes apparent and you can see how it relates back to Juliet.
This is Sal's initiation into Juliet as a submissive, where he has to show them that he is worthy, and has to pick 2 Doms out of the 12 that are there and go do a scene with them.
I really enjoyed this after reading Juliet - you get a bit more history and a bit more understanding of the characters. I love Sal and his bad boy rogue image, but he is such a slut, even though he has his reasons why, I still love him!!
Again this is a recommended read if you have read Juliet, you will get so much more out of this if you have. I look forward to reading more books by Kailee with these characters going forward.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a free copy of this book provided by Xpresso Book Tours and the author. Thank you so much for the reviewing opportunity!
Can I say that the author has a way with words?
Once again, I'm in love with the blurb and the story. Although I did not quite enjoy The Initiation as much as I did with Juliet, I still think that Sal's story is engaging and interesting.
To be honest, I did not manage to finish the book on time for my tour stop, but at 70% I'm confident to say that the author's writing was the reason I am loving the story.
Highly recommended to erotic romance lovers looking for a great read!
These two books left more than a little to be desired for me. Juliet was a decent read, but in my opinion, could have been cut down a lot. It felt like there were a lot of circles that could have been taken out. I would have liked to have seen more depth for the characters. It was well written overall, but couldn’t keep my attention for the full 700 pages of Juliet. That is a LOT of reading for a story that just didn’t catch me and hold me in the beginning. I expected more BDSM and the scenes were very mild. That could have been what tossed it for me. I would still recommend this series though.
This book was more of a novella. Having read Juliet first, I was familiar with Sal. This book takes a look at Sal as a younger (19 years old) man and how he became who he was in Juliet. While it is well written and I enjoyed getting to know Sal better and seeing where he came from it really did not have a plot. And it ends way before where Juliet starts. SO there is still a gap in knowing why he is who he is when we meet him in Juliet. I believe there may be another book that will fill that gap but not yet. If you want to know more about BDSM this will be interesting to you. For that reason I can Recommend this as a supplement to Juliet.