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Black Sheets #1
Damaged Soul
Book 1 in the Damaged Series
Eli Mason is damaged. His life story has been a sequence of tragedies, and his soul has barely survived intact. Yet, despite the trauma of his past, he continues to endure, making it through each day the best way that he can...even if it's not always the healthiest way.
Jack Winthrop is a wealthy man and a respected Dom in his community, but since the death of his lover five years ago, he's felt empty. Despite the line of subs waiting to warm his bed, he's been unable to find anyone to fill that void in his heart that aches deep down into the depths of his soul. Meeting Eli reawakens his spirit, but the young man has no experience in the BDSM lifestyle, and Jack has no desire for a vanilla relationship.
Can these two damaged souls find healing together?
**This novel contains explicit MM sex with significant BDSM elements and is not intended for readers under the age of 18.**
Note: This is the first installment in a series. It is not a standalone novel, and Jack and Eli's story does not conclude at the end of this book.
Eli Mason is damaged. His life story has been a sequence of tragedies, and his soul has barely survived intact. Yet, despite the trauma of his past, he continues to endure, making it through each day the best way that he can...even if it's not always the healthiest way.
Jack Winthrop is a wealthy man and a respected Dom in his community, but since the death of his lover five years ago, he's felt empty. Despite the line of subs waiting to warm his bed, he's been unable to find anyone to fill that void in his heart that aches deep down into the depths of his soul. Meeting Eli reawakens his spirit, but the young man has no experience in the BDSM lifestyle, and Jack has no desire for a vanilla relationship.
Can these two damaged souls find healing together?
**This novel contains explicit MM sex with significant BDSM elements and is not intended for readers under the age of 18.**
Note: This is the first installment in a series. It is not a standalone novel, and Jack and Eli's story does not conclude at the end of this book.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2015
13 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Anne Pine
7 books23 followersI am a true Southerner, born and raised in the southeast where I plan to stay until the end of my days. I live with a crazy coonhound who's actually an evil genius intent on taking over the world, a sweetheart of a pibble who loves to cuddle, and my ginger Mr. P who is always ready with a cheesy joke.
My storylines primarily focus on May-December relationships because I enjoy the dynamic that an age gap adds to a romance. I would consider my writing to be MM erotic romance. I grew up reading Harlequin novels with all of their gloriously gratuitous and overly dramatic sex scenes, so my books do have a lot of sex, but I also think they have a lot of love. I don't believe that romance has to be sweet and sugary and cute. It can be raw and dirty and sweaty as long as there's true passion, an authentic connection, and naked emotion...with an emphasis on the naked.
I want y'all to enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoy creating them, so I always welcome any questions or comments.
My storylines primarily focus on May-December relationships because I enjoy the dynamic that an age gap adds to a romance. I would consider my writing to be MM erotic romance. I grew up reading Harlequin novels with all of their gloriously gratuitous and overly dramatic sex scenes, so my books do have a lot of sex, but I also think they have a lot of love. I don't believe that romance has to be sweet and sugary and cute. It can be raw and dirty and sweaty as long as there's true passion, an authentic connection, and naked emotion...with an emphasis on the naked.
I want y'all to enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoy creating them, so I always welcome any questions or comments.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 24, 2015
Review originally posted at Sinfully... Addicted to All Male Romance
3.5 stars
Eli is damaged, but he is far from broken. At 21 years old, his past is full of loss, abuse, abandonment and self-destructive behavior. He is now living on his own and with the help of his last foster parents, Matt and Caroline, who are still a strong influence in his life, he has been working to overcome his issues. He keeps an exhausting pace, working at a coffee shop, filling in as a waiter to help out Matt and sketching at night. He is a talented artist, dreaming of one day being able to afford better materials to work with, but at the moment that, along with sleeping and eating is on the low end of his priority list.
At 37, Jack is a wealthy, successful businessman who has a reputation for playing the field. In the five years since he lost his longtime lover and sub David, he has been unable to find someone he want to commit to. When he meets Eli, he has not only an instant physical attraction, but appreciates Eli’s attitude and the challenge he presents. The slight, pierced, Eli is nothing like the men Jack usually goes for. Eli has no experience with BDSM and initially relates the lifestyle Jack discusses to his past abusive relationship, but the more Jack talks, the more Eli is intrigued and the more Jack wants to take care of Eli.
Beginning the first day Eli and Jack meet, this first book in the story covers a two month period and focuses on the relationship, which is intense and moves at lightning speed. Told in alternating points of view, both Jack and Eli’s characters are refreshingly open and honest and the fact that they communicate well allowed me to go along for that ride and suspend my disbelief about how quickly Eli fell into his submissive role. I liked Eli right from page one. Jack can definitely be pushy and overbearing, especially at the start, but while Eli is willing to allow him to direct most things, especially when it comes to sex, he is strong and stubborn and isn’t afraid to speak up.
There were a couple of parts of the story where the author told instead of showed and I felt like I missed out. This is Jack’s first time training an inexperienced sub and the first man he has connected with since losing David. It is Eli’s first experience with BDSM and they jump right into an almost 24/7 relationship. Being told in a sentence that they had an intense scene where Jack finally pushed some limits is not the same as having it play out and getting the characters’ reactions. There were plenty of times where we saw what was going on, but those few key moments when we weren’t did have me wondering why.
This is just the first installment and I am looking forward to the next. While the declarations of love and commitment come quickly, Jack is still keeping parts of his past from Eli and Eli is just accepting that Jack isn’t going to abandon him. The BDSM isn’t a magic cure. Eli still has urges toward self-harm, but Jack provides him with alternative outlets, both by administering pain and with his insistence on Eli dedicating time to his art. Now that they are on solid footing with each other, they are going to have to put to rest their past and those story lines are left open for the next book, including Eli needing to deal with both the abusive ex who won’t go away and the father who is now trying to fit back into his life.
I really liked the relationship that Jack and Eli are building and I’m looking forward to seeing it grow. The story was easy to read and I enjoyed the cast of secondary characters, and would recommend it if you don’t mind a fast moving relationship, with a heavy dose of BDSM.
3.5 stars
Eli is damaged, but he is far from broken. At 21 years old, his past is full of loss, abuse, abandonment and self-destructive behavior. He is now living on his own and with the help of his last foster parents, Matt and Caroline, who are still a strong influence in his life, he has been working to overcome his issues. He keeps an exhausting pace, working at a coffee shop, filling in as a waiter to help out Matt and sketching at night. He is a talented artist, dreaming of one day being able to afford better materials to work with, but at the moment that, along with sleeping and eating is on the low end of his priority list.
At 37, Jack is a wealthy, successful businessman who has a reputation for playing the field. In the five years since he lost his longtime lover and sub David, he has been unable to find someone he want to commit to. When he meets Eli, he has not only an instant physical attraction, but appreciates Eli’s attitude and the challenge he presents. The slight, pierced, Eli is nothing like the men Jack usually goes for. Eli has no experience with BDSM and initially relates the lifestyle Jack discusses to his past abusive relationship, but the more Jack talks, the more Eli is intrigued and the more Jack wants to take care of Eli.
Beginning the first day Eli and Jack meet, this first book in the story covers a two month period and focuses on the relationship, which is intense and moves at lightning speed. Told in alternating points of view, both Jack and Eli’s characters are refreshingly open and honest and the fact that they communicate well allowed me to go along for that ride and suspend my disbelief about how quickly Eli fell into his submissive role. I liked Eli right from page one. Jack can definitely be pushy and overbearing, especially at the start, but while Eli is willing to allow him to direct most things, especially when it comes to sex, he is strong and stubborn and isn’t afraid to speak up.
There were a couple of parts of the story where the author told instead of showed and I felt like I missed out. This is Jack’s first time training an inexperienced sub and the first man he has connected with since losing David. It is Eli’s first experience with BDSM and they jump right into an almost 24/7 relationship. Being told in a sentence that they had an intense scene where Jack finally pushed some limits is not the same as having it play out and getting the characters’ reactions. There were plenty of times where we saw what was going on, but those few key moments when we weren’t did have me wondering why.
This is just the first installment and I am looking forward to the next. While the declarations of love and commitment come quickly, Jack is still keeping parts of his past from Eli and Eli is just accepting that Jack isn’t going to abandon him. The BDSM isn’t a magic cure. Eli still has urges toward self-harm, but Jack provides him with alternative outlets, both by administering pain and with his insistence on Eli dedicating time to his art. Now that they are on solid footing with each other, they are going to have to put to rest their past and those story lines are left open for the next book, including Eli needing to deal with both the abusive ex who won’t go away and the father who is now trying to fit back into his life.
I really liked the relationship that Jack and Eli are building and I’m looking forward to seeing it grow. The story was easy to read and I enjoyed the cast of secondary characters, and would recommend it if you don’t mind a fast moving relationship, with a heavy dose of BDSM.
September 8, 2015
I'm so angry. I'm at 21% of this book and I don't think I can read any further.
The MCs are not in any relationship whatsoever, yet and already Jack is telling Eli what to eat, where to work, giving him commands and planning out their future -before their first date.
When telling him about his BDSM lifestyle and how he would like Eli (who has a past full of horrible abuse) to be his submissive he completely ignores Eli's 'no' and actually tells him must like pain because he self-injures.
WTF?
Eli has psychological issues and at this point Jack only thinks about what he wants with him; this is as much abuse as Eli's past relationship. It doesn't make it better because he tells him about it first.
The MCs are not in any relationship whatsoever, yet and already Jack is telling Eli what to eat, where to work, giving him commands and planning out their future -before their first date.
When telling him about his BDSM lifestyle and how he would like Eli (who has a past full of horrible abuse) to be his submissive he completely ignores Eli's 'no' and actually tells him must like pain because he self-injures.
WTF?
Eli has psychological issues and at this point Jack only thinks about what he wants with him; this is as much abuse as Eli's past relationship. It doesn't make it better because he tells him about it first.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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October 9, 2015
Amazing story
This is an amazing story. Well-written and very emotional book about Eli, a young man who has had a hard life. Jack is a very dominant man who finds himself attracted to young Eli. I loved this book and am looking forward to more stories from this wonderful author.
This is an amazing story. Well-written and very emotional book about Eli, a young man who has had a hard life. Jack is a very dominant man who finds himself attracted to young Eli. I loved this book and am looking forward to more stories from this wonderful author.
June 1, 2017
Overall I liked this story. I can appreciate stories that have decent kink scenes. However, on this one, I felt that Jack was far too pushy. I understand Doms all behave in certain ways, but I just felt that the D/s in this was more forced than necessary. Eli felt more like he was dragged along throughout the story. I like when kink stories are built up with the right amount of tension, chemistry and passion. Fell short.
March 16, 2016
Review might follow later.
December 19, 2018
I'm at 14% and all I can think is what a massiv arrogant asshole Jack is. When Matt explains about Eli's past Jack shruggs and say whatever he is going to nail Eli anyway that was my first warning bell and just now picking Eli up for their first date, if that's what ypu want to call it Jack says: "it is fine this time but from now on I expect you to be ready for me and waiting."
I get it that the author is trying to show us Jack is domineering but all she manages to do is show that he is a unsympathetic asshole that has no business being a dom.
I honestly don't understand why so many think that being dominant is equalt to behave like a insensitove shithead or that a dominant man would treat a perfect stranger like Jack treats Eli is normal behavior for a Dom.
Ill give this book to the 30% or so mark but if things diesn't change....
I get it that the author is trying to show us Jack is domineering but all she manages to do is show that he is a unsympathetic asshole that has no business being a dom.
I honestly don't understand why so many think that being dominant is equalt to behave like a insensitove shithead or that a dominant man would treat a perfect stranger like Jack treats Eli is normal behavior for a Dom.
Ill give this book to the 30% or so mark but if things diesn't change....
February 16, 2019
BDSM .
Jack is a wealthy business owner and a widower, content with only having a sub for a short time. Then his eyes land on Eli, filling in a wait job at his club. Instant attraction. Eli is wary, mental and physical abuse a huge part of his past. Such a wonderful story of love and caring. I look forward to next book.
Jack is a wealthy business owner and a widower, content with only having a sub for a short time. Then his eyes land on Eli, filling in a wait job at his club. Instant attraction. Eli is wary, mental and physical abuse a huge part of his past. Such a wonderful story of love and caring. I look forward to next book.
February 17, 2019
Wow... amazing book
Jack and Eli are two amazing characters and I am over joyed that this came from an Amazon recommendation!! I loved how their relationship has developed and also hate that Jack has kept such a big secret from Eli. Eli's childhood is a heartbreaking story and to see him come so far to find himself.. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book.
Jack and Eli are two amazing characters and I am over joyed that this came from an Amazon recommendation!! I loved how their relationship has developed and also hate that Jack has kept such a big secret from Eli. Eli's childhood is a heartbreaking story and to see him come so far to find himself.. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book.
August 6, 2019
This is a very emotional, raw, a bit out of this world story. The writing is exquisite and raw, present tense with dual shifting POV’s, which creates a very enthralling and captivating read.
It ends with a “to be continued”, so be sure to get the next book “Damaged Trust”.
It ends with a “to be continued”, so be sure to get the next book “Damaged Trust”.
January 2, 2019
Sort of immature. I really hate the trope of "people self harm because they are pain sluts" when will it die. Badly needed an editor and proofreader.
January 29, 2019
Good book. I really enjoyed it.
September 21, 2019
Decent
This is a decent story about a Dom introducing a young man to BDSM. There isn’t much angst and not a lot of twist and turns. Just a straight-forward kind of insta-love book.
This is a decent story about a Dom introducing a young man to BDSM. There isn’t much angst and not a lot of twist and turns. Just a straight-forward kind of insta-love book.
November 14, 2019
A nice romance with a bit of BDSM tucked in. A bit bland.
December 5, 2015
Book 1 of 2 in the Damaged Series. Anne Pine plans to publish the 2nd book in the fall of 2015.
This is the story of Jack and Eli. Jack is a successful businessman, 37 years old, a Dom and has not been in a long term relationship since the death of his previous Sub 5 years ago. Eli is a 21 year old waiter, had an abusive father until rescued by the State at age 12, bullied while in State care and recently broke free from an abusive ex. Jack convinces Eli to be his Sub and embarks on teaching him how to be one.
So we have a rich Dom who gets off by administrating pain, a relatively inexperience 21 year old, a seduction of the younger man by the older man into the BDSM lifestyle, and even some lower lip bitting at the begining that almost had me fall into fifty shades of despair. Fortunately, the similarities to FSOG stops there. In this book, the trainee Sub actually craves the pain, and the Dom is controlled and not prone to tantrums. There is quite a bit of BDSM elements in this story but I think Anne Pine skillfully draws her readers' attention from the seemingly cruel acts itself to the caring component of the act and the emotions of her characters instead.
Jack seems sincere and genuine in his attempt to understand as well as accomodate Eli's issues. However, I did question if his reasons to dictate what Eli eats, wears and lives in order to give needed stability, and structure is a valid one. Similarly, how valid is his claims that his administration of the paddle, flogger and what nots is for Eli own good because he needed the pain. It could all be the twisted logic of a psychopath. We had learnt much about Eli's baggages in this first book but Jack's story is still pretty vague. I am hoping the second book will flesh out Jack's character more so that his actions here are better understood. Looking forward to the next book.
(This is no longer a 2 book series, the writer has expanded the series to an undisclosed number of books.)
This is the story of Jack and Eli. Jack is a successful businessman, 37 years old, a Dom and has not been in a long term relationship since the death of his previous Sub 5 years ago. Eli is a 21 year old waiter, had an abusive father until rescued by the State at age 12, bullied while in State care and recently broke free from an abusive ex. Jack convinces Eli to be his Sub and embarks on teaching him how to be one.
So we have a rich Dom who gets off by administrating pain, a relatively inexperience 21 year old, a seduction of the younger man by the older man into the BDSM lifestyle, and even some lower lip bitting at the begining that almost had me fall into fifty shades of despair. Fortunately, the similarities to FSOG stops there. In this book, the trainee Sub actually craves the pain, and the Dom is controlled and not prone to tantrums. There is quite a bit of BDSM elements in this story but I think Anne Pine skillfully draws her readers' attention from the seemingly cruel acts itself to the caring component of the act and the emotions of her characters instead.
Jack seems sincere and genuine in his attempt to understand as well as accomodate Eli's issues. However, I did question if his reasons to dictate what Eli eats, wears and lives in order to give needed stability, and structure is a valid one. Similarly, how valid is his claims that his administration of the paddle, flogger and what nots is for Eli own good because he needed the pain. It could all be the twisted logic of a psychopath. We had learnt much about Eli's baggages in this first book but Jack's story is still pretty vague. I am hoping the second book will flesh out Jack's character more so that his actions here are better understood. Looking forward to the next book.
(This is no longer a 2 book series, the writer has expanded the series to an undisclosed number of books.)
March 18, 2016
I really don't like a lot of BDSM and this was a little more than I would usually enjoy reading. I don't mind bondage and a little spanking but I have a hard time with a lot of pain and submission outside the bedroom. But that's me. So this was actually written quite well and to my knowledge, followed all the safe, sane and consensual rules. My problems with the story are how quickly their relationship happened and the fact that Jack exhibits a lack of trust in Eli by withholding information about his past. Also, there was the theme that BDSM can solve issues that should be addressed with therapy and counseling. I will never agree with this rather commonly used trope. I will probably read the sequel, since it is fiction and I can suspend disbelief. I just feel that literature influences and impacts real life and it bothers me when an author disregards this.
1/31/16 Reread
Haven't really changed my opinion. Moved way too fast and too much telling, not showing. Not really shown how Eli changed into the willing sub at the end. Jack is far too arrogant.
1/31/16 Reread
Haven't really changed my opinion. Moved way too fast and too much telling, not showing. Not really shown how Eli changed into the willing sub at the end. Jack is far too arrogant.
August 2, 2015
3.5 stars.
I wish this book hasn't finished halfway through the story as I was really enjoying it.
I read lots of series but this book feels like it's one book that has been cut in half and the other half has been taken away rather than the start of a series
I wish this book hasn't finished halfway through the story as I was really enjoying it.
I read lots of series but this book feels like it's one book that has been cut in half and the other half has been taken away rather than the start of a series
October 19, 2015
Kept me going
Really loved the story was interested in the story couldn't put my kindle down was invested in Jack and Eli want the best for Eli have re-read the book a few times
Really loved the story was interested in the story couldn't put my kindle down was invested in Jack and Eli want the best for Eli have re-read the book a few times
December 14, 2020
I love this story!!
This is like the third time I have read this book. It is a wonderful story. I feel so sorry for Eli and I have mixed feelings for Jack. Worth the read.
This is like the third time I have read this book. It is a wonderful story. I feel so sorry for Eli and I have mixed feelings for Jack. Worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews