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Brie's Submission #1
Teach Me
What would you do if a mysterious man of your dreams hands you an invitation?
For Brie the choice is clear - accept it!
Brie takes a sensual journey of self-discovery under the highly skilled hands of a team of trainers. Her boundaries are tested and her heart is put on the line as she falls for some of the instructors.
But as Graduation Day approaches,
Brie knows she can only be collared by one man.
For Brie the choice is clear - accept it!
Brie takes a sensual journey of self-discovery under the highly skilled hands of a team of trainers. Her boundaries are tested and her heart is put on the line as she falls for some of the instructors.
But as Graduation Day approaches,
Brie knows she can only be collared by one man.
274 pages, ebook
First published May 22, 2016
1246 people are currently reading
2682 people want to read
About the author
Red Phoenix
135 books3,891 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author
Red Phoenix is an award-winning romance author who gained popularity with her BDSM series, Brie's Submission.
To join in the Brie experience begin with the 1st Boxed Set (Books 1-3) and start your journey into a sensual world...
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✤Twitter: https://twitter.com/redphoenix69
Red Phoenix is an award-winning romance author who gained popularity with her BDSM series, Brie's Submission.
To join in the Brie experience begin with the 1st Boxed Set (Books 1-3) and start your journey into a sensual world...
✤Join my Newsletter: http://redphoenixauthor.com/newslette...
✤Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redphoenixa...
✤Brie's Submission: https://redphoenixauthor.com/reds-books/
✤Goodreads Group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
✤Twitter: https://twitter.com/redphoenix69
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
August 2, 2020
1.5 stars
I see why a lot of people love this book - the sex is hot, the writing is solid, and the training school for submissives is executed in an interesting way. If you're into BDSM romance or erotica that's a good start. But once I got into the story all kinds of issues emerged.
- The training is rigid and emphasizes that there is only one way to be a "true sub" - never looking at your Dom unless directed to, always doing these five things when giving fellatio, etc. This is idiotic because there's no such thing as a "true" sub, and there are so many ways to be a sub and all of them are valid. It also hurts at least one of the scenes - Brie has some lovely eye contact with one of her Doms, both are enjoying it, but the trainers watching scold her for it. How dare they look at each other lovingly during sex ~eye roll~
- Related: some women are sent home because they hit a hard limit. They're not cut out for the program, they're told, with the implication that they wouldn't make good subs because there is something they can't bring themselves to do. As a result Brie doesn't use her safeword in a situation where she probably should have, and is scolded for that. But who can blame her? She was afraid she would be kicked out of the program. It's an unhealthy dynamic from top to bottom.
- The trainees have snacks provided for them each night between scenes, and they all drink alcohol, sometimes a couple of drinks within 30 minutes. Booze and BDSM do not mix, especially for newbies who are testing their limits! It's irresponsible.
- Speaking of irresponsible, there is no discussion of STDs, protection, or birth control, even though everyone is fucking like bunnies. It's erotica so I don't expect to see a condom roll on every time, but I need something - STD tests upon admission, detailed medical questionnaires, something.
- Race is used to make people other and exotic and worst, to instill fear. When applying to the school Brie said that she's afraid of African-Americans because she went to a mostly Black school and was bullied. I don't have words for how messed up that is, and will leave it for someone better versed in the issues to explain. But messed up, yes? So they assign her a Black Dom to see if they can scare her out of the program. But what'dya know, he turns out to be a super nice guy! Huh! On top of that Phoenix leans into some racial stereotypes (his lips are unfailingly described as "thick") while pushing for the exotic with others (he has hazel eyes to go with his dark skin).
- The majority of the men Brie has sex with are PoC, including the aforementioned Black man, a Japanese guy, a man of Italian descent, and a guy with limited English ("...spewing nasty-sounding Russian words"). She is scared of some because of their race but admires all as exotic. When asked to write down a fantasy she describes a wild west scene where she's stolen from her family by an "Indian warrior" ("His look is foreign and frightening", "I listen to their inhuman screams and laughter throughout the long night"). I am NOT here for this, ever.
- But the trainers, aka the people in positions of power? All white.
- Every Dom that has sex with Brie falls under her spell. Most give her a nickname and are tripping over themselves to have sex with her again. She's like a BDSM Mary Sue.
- There are only three other women in the book that stick around for more than a few pages: Brie's two classmates and one of the trainers. Two of those women are described as "bitches". Because women can't be friends, apparently.
- The headmaster has sex with a student outside of training when he shouldn't, and while it's called out there are no real consequences.
- Brie starts wearing six inch heels and tight pants as a result of the training. This isn't a problem - women can dress however they want, let's remember that! But it bothers me that the reason she likes it isn't because she finds it personally satisfying, but because men treat her better when she's dressed that way.
While the setup is interesting I won't be reading on in the series because, well, all of that. An extra half star for solid writing, but it still rounds down to one.
I see why a lot of people love this book - the sex is hot, the writing is solid, and the training school for submissives is executed in an interesting way. If you're into BDSM romance or erotica that's a good start. But once I got into the story all kinds of issues emerged.
- The training is rigid and emphasizes that there is only one way to be a "true sub" - never looking at your Dom unless directed to, always doing these five things when giving fellatio, etc. This is idiotic because there's no such thing as a "true" sub, and there are so many ways to be a sub and all of them are valid. It also hurts at least one of the scenes - Brie has some lovely eye contact with one of her Doms, both are enjoying it, but the trainers watching scold her for it. How dare they look at each other lovingly during sex ~eye roll~
- Related: some women are sent home because they hit a hard limit. They're not cut out for the program, they're told, with the implication that they wouldn't make good subs because there is something they can't bring themselves to do. As a result Brie doesn't use her safeword in a situation where she probably should have, and is scolded for that. But who can blame her? She was afraid she would be kicked out of the program. It's an unhealthy dynamic from top to bottom.
- The trainees have snacks provided for them each night between scenes, and they all drink alcohol, sometimes a couple of drinks within 30 minutes. Booze and BDSM do not mix, especially for newbies who are testing their limits! It's irresponsible.
- Speaking of irresponsible, there is no discussion of STDs, protection, or birth control, even though everyone is fucking like bunnies. It's erotica so I don't expect to see a condom roll on every time, but I need something - STD tests upon admission, detailed medical questionnaires, something.
- Race is used to make people other and exotic and worst, to instill fear. When applying to the school Brie said that she's afraid of African-Americans because she went to a mostly Black school and was bullied. I don't have words for how messed up that is, and will leave it for someone better versed in the issues to explain. But messed up, yes? So they assign her a Black Dom to see if they can scare her out of the program. But what'dya know, he turns out to be a super nice guy! Huh! On top of that Phoenix leans into some racial stereotypes (his lips are unfailingly described as "thick") while pushing for the exotic with others (he has hazel eyes to go with his dark skin).
- The majority of the men Brie has sex with are PoC, including the aforementioned Black man, a Japanese guy, a man of Italian descent, and a guy with limited English ("...spewing nasty-sounding Russian words"). She is scared of some because of their race but admires all as exotic. When asked to write down a fantasy she describes a wild west scene where she's stolen from her family by an "Indian warrior" ("His look is foreign and frightening", "I listen to their inhuman screams and laughter throughout the long night"). I am NOT here for this, ever.
- But the trainers, aka the people in positions of power? All white.
- Every Dom that has sex with Brie falls under her spell. Most give her a nickname and are tripping over themselves to have sex with her again. She's like a BDSM Mary Sue.
- There are only three other women in the book that stick around for more than a few pages: Brie's two classmates and one of the trainers. Two of those women are described as "bitches". Because women can't be friends, apparently.
- The headmaster has sex with a student outside of training when he shouldn't, and while it's called out there are no real consequences.
- Brie starts wearing six inch heels and tight pants as a result of the training. This isn't a problem - women can dress however they want, let's remember that! But it bothers me that the reason she likes it isn't because she finds it personally satisfying, but because men treat her better when she's dressed that way.
Mr. Reynolds, who had always been respectful, now treated her with reverence. It was intoxicating. Even Jeff, who was worthless as a coworker, tried to get in her good graces. He stocked the cigarettes on his own these days and pointed it out, hoping to impress her.
While the setup is interesting I won't be reading on in the series because, well, all of that. An extra half star for solid writing, but it still rounds down to one.
May 6, 2018
When I found this series as part of a boxed set, I was immediately intrigued. A school that would teach willing young women how to be successful submissives? That is definitely a new concept for me as most of the BDSM stories I have read have experienced Doms training vanilla girls to be what they want.
So I went into this story with high hopes and expectations. And came away feeling very disappointed. The book started off strong, we meet Brie unhappy with her life as she works in a small-time tobacco shop wasting her degree in film-making. She meets a handsome stranger, she receives an invitation to an elite school for submissive training, and well, curiosity gets the better of her and she applies. The moment she steps foot in the training center is the moment (for me), the story starts falling apart. Now don't get me wrong, I love a well written erotica/BDSM book as much as the next person when there is a plot, character growth and a story-line that is more than just a series of strung together sex scenes (all for the purpose of "teaching" of course).
Now, I don't claim to be an expert of the D/s lifestyle by any stretch of the imagination, but it seems to me there were a couple of things in this story that didn't seem to add up to the limited information I do posses on the topic. To begin with, there is no talk of birth control at all. No talk of STD testing. NOTHING. Brie attends her first "lesson" followed immediately by sexual encounters. Each night, different partners, and no one bats an eye. Another issue I have with this story is that girls are brand spanking new to the lifestyle. Heck, some of them aren't even sure the life-style is for them, and yet the "trainers" not only seem to overlook what the girls have listed as "fears" or "limits" and force them to do it anyway. One girl actually quits the program after they push her to do something she considers off limits.
The characters are all mostly one-dimensional. Brie has a crush on one of her trainers (although she is attracted to multiple other Doms as well), but the chemistry is lacking. It seems as though they only reason she is attracted to them is because "they are sexy" and they are really good in bed.
Because I obtained this book as part of a boxed set, I will continue at least as far as the third book. At this time, I believe the story may show potential, but there is definite room for improvement.
So I went into this story with high hopes and expectations. And came away feeling very disappointed. The book started off strong, we meet Brie unhappy with her life as she works in a small-time tobacco shop wasting her degree in film-making. She meets a handsome stranger, she receives an invitation to an elite school for submissive training, and well, curiosity gets the better of her and she applies. The moment she steps foot in the training center is the moment (for me), the story starts falling apart. Now don't get me wrong, I love a well written erotica/BDSM book as much as the next person when there is a plot, character growth and a story-line that is more than just a series of strung together sex scenes (all for the purpose of "teaching" of course).
Now, I don't claim to be an expert of the D/s lifestyle by any stretch of the imagination, but it seems to me there were a couple of things in this story that didn't seem to add up to the limited information I do posses on the topic. To begin with, there is no talk of birth control at all. No talk of STD testing. NOTHING. Brie attends her first "lesson" followed immediately by sexual encounters. Each night, different partners, and no one bats an eye. Another issue I have with this story is that girls are brand spanking new to the lifestyle. Heck, some of them aren't even sure the life-style is for them, and yet the "trainers" not only seem to overlook what the girls have listed as "fears" or "limits" and force them to do it anyway. One girl actually quits the program after they push her to do something she considers off limits.
The characters are all mostly one-dimensional. Brie has a crush on one of her trainers (although she is attracted to multiple other Doms as well), but the chemistry is lacking. It seems as though they only reason she is attracted to them is because "they are sexy" and they are really good in bed.
Because I obtained this book as part of a boxed set, I will continue at least as far as the third book. At this time, I believe the story may show potential, but there is definite room for improvement.
February 7, 2017
*** ARC kindly provided by the Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review. ***
June 20, 2016
Brie Bennett never once pictured herself as a submissive. Then one day a beautiful stranger enters her shop and hands her a business card that will change her life.
The Submissive Training Center is known the world over for its excellence and its discretion. Many apply and only a select few are chosen.
Within these revered halls, Brie will be pushed to limits that will both shock and excite her. But will the man who led her to her revelation be her salvation or her very downfall?
Gloom descended over Brie when she realized who was left. Marquis Gray, the ghostlike man whose dark eyes could penetrate her soul. He was going to be her partner. The same man who had punished Lea by leaving red welts on her ass.
There was no way she was going to share a scene with that man. She stood up and started towards the door, walking away from it all— from Sir, from Lea, and from her submissive training.
Don’t cry, she told herself.
Teach Me is just the beginning of one of the most real and intense BDSM love stories ever published! Red Phoenix gives her readers an inside glimpse of the Dominant/submissive paradigm with a searing authenticity that will leave them gasping one minute and then squirming in their seat the next.
It’s emotionally raw, astonishing and completely addictive. And it demands that you submit to it - body and soul...
The Submissive Training Center is known the world over for its excellence and its discretion. Many apply and only a select few are chosen.
Within these revered halls, Brie will be pushed to limits that will both shock and excite her. But will the man who led her to her revelation be her salvation or her very downfall?
Gloom descended over Brie when she realized who was left. Marquis Gray, the ghostlike man whose dark eyes could penetrate her soul. He was going to be her partner. The same man who had punished Lea by leaving red welts on her ass.
There was no way she was going to share a scene with that man. She stood up and started towards the door, walking away from it all— from Sir, from Lea, and from her submissive training.
Don’t cry, she told herself.
Teach Me is just the beginning of one of the most real and intense BDSM love stories ever published! Red Phoenix gives her readers an inside glimpse of the Dominant/submissive paradigm with a searing authenticity that will leave them gasping one minute and then squirming in their seat the next.
It’s emotionally raw, astonishing and completely addictive. And it demands that you submit to it - body and soul...
February 25, 2024
Quick and sexy read introducing us to Brie and her entry into the world of BDSM. If you're into steamy reads, it's definitely one for you.
July 21, 2022
I'll start by saying I did not finish the book. I got several chapters in and couldn't bring myself to continue so I will only be reviewing what I did read.. which had issues. I even went and read an alternative version the author had written to see if that was redeeming at all and it was not as well.
This book needs a warning that while a fun fantasy, it does not depict safe and sane practice of BDSM and in no way should be used as any sort of guide to starting out or how a Dom or sub should behave.
Our FMC has never been a submissive and finds the idea shocking, we go from that to her being physically involved with a Dom on the first night of "training" while blindfolded. Establishing trust and safe words, etc. is not done (or shown) at all. On that same first night of "training" submissives' limits are being violated even though they are explicitly written out. (As a submissive myself this is horrifying to me, no safe word and taking a brand new submissive and violating a limit 🤮)
In this same scene following a bit of body shaming a woman runs out cause her limits were violated and the Dom shames that behavior. There is a whole thing early on in this book about how being submissive is about pleasing the Doms only, which is wrong. BDSM is not abuse but with this book it's easy to see how people look at it that way.
No aftercare is given, and instead they are critiqued by a panel of Doms which made me mentally shudder.
There is open, obvious and unaddressed racism.
We go right into another partner for the FMC who also violates a limit for Brie which goes unaddressed.
There is so much wrong with this book and I couldn't finish it and won't be reading anything else by this author.
This book needs a warning that while a fun fantasy, it does not depict safe and sane practice of BDSM and in no way should be used as any sort of guide to starting out or how a Dom or sub should behave.
Our FMC has never been a submissive and finds the idea shocking, we go from that to her being physically involved with a Dom on the first night of "training" while blindfolded. Establishing trust and safe words, etc. is not done (or shown) at all. On that same first night of "training" submissives' limits are being violated even though they are explicitly written out. (As a submissive myself this is horrifying to me, no safe word and taking a brand new submissive and violating a limit 🤮)
In this same scene following a bit of body shaming a woman runs out cause her limits were violated and the Dom shames that behavior. There is a whole thing early on in this book about how being submissive is about pleasing the Doms only, which is wrong. BDSM is not abuse but with this book it's easy to see how people look at it that way.
No aftercare is given, and instead they are critiqued by a panel of Doms which made me mentally shudder.
There is open, obvious and unaddressed racism.
We go right into another partner for the FMC who also violates a limit for Brie which goes unaddressed.
There is so much wrong with this book and I couldn't finish it and won't be reading anything else by this author.
March 24, 2023
'Teach Me' is the first book in Red Phoenix's "Brie's Submission" series. I've read through most, unfortunately not all, years ago. To my chagrin, that was before I even knew or realized I could and should review what I'd read. So here I am again, years later re-reading this epic series and every bit of it is still as engaging, if not more so, than it was the first time. When Brie receives a business card from a customer at the tobacco shop where she works she thought it was a mistake. When she looked up the web address on the computer she was shocked but curiosity got the best of her. She continued to look at the pictures and read until she realized The Training Center was actually for real. They actually had a training center to teach someone how to be a submissive. And from everything she had read so far, she was interested. Five-hour classes five days a week and nine hours on Saturday make for an intense program but WOW what they teach. Yes, there's a physicality to the training, which in itself is a submissive's fantasy, but then there are the mental and emotional factors being taught as well. Brie has become completely devoted to the Dom who visited the tobacco store. So much so that protocol has been breached and a decision needs to be made. It's informative, it's intriguing, and it's sexy as all get out. This first book pulled me in so tightly that even if I hadn't read any of these before, I would have to read the remainder of the series.
July 5, 2017
Brie's Submission was a very different read for me. I don't typically read books with BDSM in them. The Fifty Shades book series is actually the only other time I've read a BDSM book and Brie's Submission is completely different. Even though Brie's Submission was too much for my taste, Red Phoenix creates a unique story with interesting characters that will keep your attention. If you love super sexy BDSM stories, then you should definitely check out Brie's Submission.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 20, 2020
I absolutely loved this book. The characters are intriguing, the story pulls you in and keeps you interested. The way the author introduces the BDSM lifestyle is wonderful! I will definitely re-read again!
Want to read
February 16, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon & on iBooks today (1/20/2020) 🎁
October 19, 2025
Hmmmm. What do I say. Ok, I will play along with Brie, so infatuated with the head dominant that she will do anything and everything is just easier when she thinks about him, but the insta love feels really fake.
I also feel like this hatred towards from two of the trainers is simplistic in nature. Blaming her but not blaming her for things that really aren’t her fault. But she is so amazing they are going to let is slide and let her stay in the program. Really????
I will see where book two goes, but this is not a 4 or 5 star read.
I also feel like this hatred towards from two of the trainers is simplistic in nature. Blaming her but not blaming her for things that really aren’t her fault. But she is so amazing they are going to let is slide and let her stay in the program. Really????
I will see where book two goes, but this is not a 4 or 5 star read.
March 10, 2025
Ummm, it was an alright book for what it was I guess? I liked it and I liked the teaching aspect (took some pointers for myself) but idk, nothing ever really “grabbed” me except for one part.
Still not decided if I’m gonna keep reading the other ones in the series. We’ll see.
Still not decided if I’m gonna keep reading the other ones in the series. We’ll see.
February 10, 2018
Realistic. Safe sane and consensual. Sweet and also steamy.
May 26, 2022
Lost its appeal at 60%, skimmed the rest until the end. Probably won’t read anymore, due to the annoying h, who every Dom in the book seemed to crave!
August 4, 2024
I'm cutting kindle unlimited cold turkey, I need to get back to real books this was a wake up call
February 3, 2025
Well that was a book...
April 29, 2025
Note: I wrote this review for my friends when I was like 30% of the way through the book. See the bottom for an update.
TW for sexual assault, racism
I’ve been reading a lot of romance these days. After reading a book with some power exchange, I decided that I wanted to start looking into some fictional books around kink and the BDSM lifestyle. One of the most consistent recommendations that I kept getting, from well-populated Facebook groups and posts on Reddit from people asking for the same thing, was a series called Brie’s Submission by Red Phoenix. This series has 26 books in total and the first book, Teach Me, was published in 2016.
With the amount of praise that I kept seeing for this book, lauding it for its consent practices and accuracy to the lifestyle, I finally decided to give it a try. I really wanted to like it. I really did. But it was an absolute shitshow, to say the very least. Y’all thought Fifty Shades was bad? Wait till you hear about this one.
The book starts off with our main character, Brie, working her dead-end job at the tobacco shop. During an otherwise uneventful shift, a mysterious couple walks in and at the end of their interaction, the man slips Brie a business card reading “The Submissive Training Center”. Once she gets home, she looks more into the program and decides to apply. I should also include here that Brie is brand spankin’ new to BDSM in general, let alone a lifestyle. But she goes about filling in the application, listing her limits, and so on. Eventually, she gets into the program and the rest of the book is about her throughout these…studies.
Before I continue on, it’s important to preface this review with some facts. In any BDSM activity, whether it’s a one-time scene or an ongoing dynamic, both parties have to negotiate their desires, limits, and how they want the scene to go. This may get more informal as time goes on. But under no circumstance should anyone introduce an element that had not already been talked about mid-scene or be caught by surprise as to what will be done to them. These are commonly known principles and will generally be taught by any kink practitioner that one goes to, especially in the public scene.
I should’ve known what I was in for as soon as I saw the line, “We like to think of ourselves as providers of Geisha training for submissives. Our students learn the art of submission, but they also learn their personal limits.” I’m still trying to process that first line - the second line, however, is a red flag in of itself. Before going into any sort of agreement, the submissive should be expected to know what their limits are. And if they don’t know what something is or don’t have a definitive opinion about a certain act, it gets tabled until both parties have a better understanding and can both give informed consent.
Not that limits really matter in this book. Throughout the story, the subs are chastised for having limits and voicing them. On the flip side, they’re being praised for whenever they’ve disregarded their own limits. One of the first things that they’re taught is, “You’re not a true submissive if you place limits on the Dom and retain control of the scene.” It’s common knowledge that no matter how intense or deep the dynamic is, a sub always has control - so seeing this was wild. “Profound statement” my ass.
What happens in Room 8, you might ask? After being told, “we shall weed out the wannabe submissives,” the subs are lined up, blindfolded, and ordered to bend over for sex. The Doms, who the subs have never met before (or agreed to be with), are literally about to start having sex with these girls, when the instructor drops a bombshell. You know those applications that the girls had to fill out before, where they listed out their limits? The instructor decided it would be a fun idea to pair the girls up with someone who is literally within their hard limits. For example, Brie had listed that she’s turned off by men over 50– and she finds out that the dude who’s pressed up on her at that moment is 68. So these students had not been told prior that they were about to have sex, let alone with someone that they’d made clear was a hard limit. The instructor tells them that they’re allowed to use their safe word - don’t you think it’s a little late for that, bud? And if girls are being “weeded out” for expressing their limits, then of course no one’s going to feel comfortable to use their safe word. At that point, the safe word is literally just there as a placeholder flag to raise and say, “Look, my book is all about consent!”
More situations continue to play out in this manner. The whole thing basically reads as a bunch of predatory wannabe Doms coercing girls into acts that they clearly said they did not want to do, just for them to be like, “See? You liked it.” At one point in the book, a girl is literally kicked out of the program for using her safe word.
Then, we get into the next major issue with this book. You guessed it– racism. Going into this, I would have never guessed that it would go in such a direction, until I was whiplashed with the following passage:
And that wasn’t even the worst part of it. The class continues on, with all of these white people nodding along and agreeing with what’s happening - cause mind you, the leadership of this academy are all white, the subs are all white, and there’s maybe two stunt Doms that are POC. They bring out a Black man to be Brie’s Dom for the night, in which he “gently” coerces her into going past another limit of hers, all for the class to see.
I shouldn’t have to spell out what’s wrong here, but I’m gonna do it anyway. Being bullied by someone and deciding that you hate the entire race because of it is wild, to say the least. It might have been understandable if the author had been like “Brie got scared cause her Dom looked like one of her bullies from the past” (which is basically how the author writes - it’s basically “Brie did this. Then Brie did that” with the most elementary voice), but no. Saying that you’re scared of an entire race is… quite literally racist. And not to mention, Brie literally cringes away from the dude.
On top of that, this book treats all the POC characters (all two of them) as exotic sexual commodities. Later, an Asian character is introduced in the most commodifying way. What’s gorgeous about him, Brie? His eyes, his jawline, figure? Nope - it’s that he’s got an “Asian look” to him. Wild.
Initially when I was reading this, I thought that it had to be a “product of its time” and that it was from the 90’s to early 00’s. Nope. As I found out, this was published in 2016. While that’s still a while ago, it was during a time in which conversations surrounding racism in the media were already taking place. This was also the time during which the practice of capitalizing the “B” in “Black” (in the context of race) was emphasized. The author followed through with that, yet she didn’t bother to deconstruct how these portrayals might be harmful to the people she’s writing about.
Aside from all of the egregious parts of this book, I feel like it’s trying way too hard to fit into the sensationalized image that the media associates with BDSM. These girls are all being taught that there’s only “one twue way” to being a submissive. Throughout the book, as they were being chastised for looking their lover in the eye, getting position training, made to sit on their knees for extended periods of times, being made to wear 6 inch heels, I just kept thinking to myself, “It really doesn’t have to be this serious.”
Listen - I’m not here to yuck anyone’s yum. If people want to partake in high protocol, training, all that stuff, go nuts. People can negotiate accordingly. But with the way that the instructors threw these girls into an intensive like this, while proclaiming that it’s the only true way to be a submissive, I’m bound to talk shit.
At the very best, this book is trying way too hard to be something that it’s not. But with everything taken into consideration, it sends off dangerous and alarming messages regarding the consent culture around BDSM and alienates POC from the community even further. I wouldn’t be so pressed about this (other than the fact that I’m autistic and have some time on my hands), but this book kept being lauded as a great model of consent. I want to go to all of those commenters who recommended this and shake them for getting me sucked into this dumpster fire of a book.
I’m about 30% of the way in. I’ve DNF’ed this multiple times out of sheer frustration, but morbid curiosity keeps dragging me back in. Godspeed, friends. See you on the other side of this absolute mess.
UPDATE:
I ended up finishing the rest of the book, and let me tell you... It doesn't get any better. If anything, it gets so much worse.
The way that some minority groups were characterized legit horrified me. At one point, Brie is instructed to write out a fantasy of hers, and she goes into a whole journal entry on a racialized abduction scene between her and a Native American captor that's characterized as a "warrior". In the book, the mentions of Native Americans have been edited out, but with language mentioning "bison rugs" and whatnot, there's subtle hints left for the reader to infer.
When it comes time for some doms to act these scenes out, the Academy gave Brie to a Russian dom. There's a language barrier between the two of them, and there's definitely the "brutish Russian" stereotype being pushed in the narrative. From being described as "snarling", "growling", and whatnot throughout the entire thing, to "spewing nasty sounding Russian words", it's definitely not giving a multi-faceted characterization. And towards the end of it, it lives up to the Native American warrior stereotype by having the Russian guy get the girl onto a white horse seemingly out of nowhere.
There's more incidents around consent that occurred throughout the rest of the book-- such as how during Brie's time with the Russian dom, he gestures for her to use the bathroom in front of him. She hesitated at first, but eventually complied. Back at the school, the instructors took off points from her grade and berated her for even hesitating. If someone's not allowed to say no to something, how is there any consent in that act?!
Overall, I personally have beef with anyone and everyone who recommended this book to me as a good book about BDSM and consent. I was literally told that this is such a good example of consent within BDSM. At this point, I want to shake them and ask if the consent was even in the building with us. Sure, it's just a book and people can write what they want, but I think that this kind of narrative sets such a dangerous precedent for BDSM and those new to it. People get told that 50 Shades is bad and then think they're enlightened for realizing as such, then see stuff like this and think that it's normal to take away any means of consent for their subs and that the subs must follow the "one twue way".
If this is how the author truly has experienced consent, then I'm truly sorry that happened and there's a lot that needs to be unpacked. The racism, however, is inexcusable - especially cause this book went through a round of edits after some sensitivity readers went through it.
TW for sexual assault, racism
I’ve been reading a lot of romance these days. After reading a book with some power exchange, I decided that I wanted to start looking into some fictional books around kink and the BDSM lifestyle. One of the most consistent recommendations that I kept getting, from well-populated Facebook groups and posts on Reddit from people asking for the same thing, was a series called Brie’s Submission by Red Phoenix. This series has 26 books in total and the first book, Teach Me, was published in 2016.
With the amount of praise that I kept seeing for this book, lauding it for its consent practices and accuracy to the lifestyle, I finally decided to give it a try. I really wanted to like it. I really did. But it was an absolute shitshow, to say the very least. Y’all thought Fifty Shades was bad? Wait till you hear about this one.
The book starts off with our main character, Brie, working her dead-end job at the tobacco shop. During an otherwise uneventful shift, a mysterious couple walks in and at the end of their interaction, the man slips Brie a business card reading “The Submissive Training Center”. Once she gets home, she looks more into the program and decides to apply. I should also include here that Brie is brand spankin’ new to BDSM in general, let alone a lifestyle. But she goes about filling in the application, listing her limits, and so on. Eventually, she gets into the program and the rest of the book is about her throughout these…studies.
Before I continue on, it’s important to preface this review with some facts. In any BDSM activity, whether it’s a one-time scene or an ongoing dynamic, both parties have to negotiate their desires, limits, and how they want the scene to go. This may get more informal as time goes on. But under no circumstance should anyone introduce an element that had not already been talked about mid-scene or be caught by surprise as to what will be done to them. These are commonly known principles and will generally be taught by any kink practitioner that one goes to, especially in the public scene.
I should’ve known what I was in for as soon as I saw the line, “We like to think of ourselves as providers of Geisha training for submissives. Our students learn the art of submission, but they also learn their personal limits.” I’m still trying to process that first line - the second line, however, is a red flag in of itself. Before going into any sort of agreement, the submissive should be expected to know what their limits are. And if they don’t know what something is or don’t have a definitive opinion about a certain act, it gets tabled until both parties have a better understanding and can both give informed consent.
Not that limits really matter in this book. Throughout the story, the subs are chastised for having limits and voicing them. On the flip side, they’re being praised for whenever they’ve disregarded their own limits. One of the first things that they’re taught is, “You’re not a true submissive if you place limits on the Dom and retain control of the scene.” It’s common knowledge that no matter how intense or deep the dynamic is, a sub always has control - so seeing this was wild. “Profound statement” my ass.
What happens in Room 8, you might ask? After being told, “we shall weed out the wannabe submissives,” the subs are lined up, blindfolded, and ordered to bend over for sex. The Doms, who the subs have never met before (or agreed to be with), are literally about to start having sex with these girls, when the instructor drops a bombshell. You know those applications that the girls had to fill out before, where they listed out their limits? The instructor decided it would be a fun idea to pair the girls up with someone who is literally within their hard limits. For example, Brie had listed that she’s turned off by men over 50– and she finds out that the dude who’s pressed up on her at that moment is 68. So these students had not been told prior that they were about to have sex, let alone with someone that they’d made clear was a hard limit. The instructor tells them that they’re allowed to use their safe word - don’t you think it’s a little late for that, bud? And if girls are being “weeded out” for expressing their limits, then of course no one’s going to feel comfortable to use their safe word. At that point, the safe word is literally just there as a placeholder flag to raise and say, “Look, my book is all about consent!”
More situations continue to play out in this manner. The whole thing basically reads as a bunch of predatory wannabe Doms coercing girls into acts that they clearly said they did not want to do, just for them to be like, “See? You liked it.” At one point in the book, a girl is literally kicked out of the program for using her safe word.
Then, we get into the next major issue with this book. You guessed it– racism. Going into this, I would have never guessed that it would go in such a direction, until I was whiplashed with the following passage:
“Class,” Sir said, looking at the other women. “Miss Bennett shared in her application that she was bullied by classmates at the predominantly Black school she attended as a child. Because of that, she has admitted to an unconscious fear of Black people.” Sir looked up at Brie. “Is this true, Miss Bennett?”
And that wasn’t even the worst part of it. The class continues on, with all of these white people nodding along and agreeing with what’s happening - cause mind you, the leadership of this academy are all white, the subs are all white, and there’s maybe two stunt Doms that are POC. They bring out a Black man to be Brie’s Dom for the night, in which he “gently” coerces her into going past another limit of hers, all for the class to see.
I shouldn’t have to spell out what’s wrong here, but I’m gonna do it anyway. Being bullied by someone and deciding that you hate the entire race because of it is wild, to say the least. It might have been understandable if the author had been like “Brie got scared cause her Dom looked like one of her bullies from the past” (which is basically how the author writes - it’s basically “Brie did this. Then Brie did that” with the most elementary voice), but no. Saying that you’re scared of an entire race is… quite literally racist. And not to mention, Brie literally cringes away from the dude.
On top of that, this book treats all the POC characters (all two of them) as exotic sexual commodities. Later, an Asian character is introduced in the most commodifying way. What’s gorgeous about him, Brie? His eyes, his jawline, figure? Nope - it’s that he’s got an “Asian look” to him. Wild.
Initially when I was reading this, I thought that it had to be a “product of its time” and that it was from the 90’s to early 00’s. Nope. As I found out, this was published in 2016. While that’s still a while ago, it was during a time in which conversations surrounding racism in the media were already taking place. This was also the time during which the practice of capitalizing the “B” in “Black” (in the context of race) was emphasized. The author followed through with that, yet she didn’t bother to deconstruct how these portrayals might be harmful to the people she’s writing about.
Aside from all of the egregious parts of this book, I feel like it’s trying way too hard to fit into the sensationalized image that the media associates with BDSM. These girls are all being taught that there’s only “one twue way” to being a submissive. Throughout the book, as they were being chastised for looking their lover in the eye, getting position training, made to sit on their knees for extended periods of times, being made to wear 6 inch heels, I just kept thinking to myself, “It really doesn’t have to be this serious.”
Listen - I’m not here to yuck anyone’s yum. If people want to partake in high protocol, training, all that stuff, go nuts. People can negotiate accordingly. But with the way that the instructors threw these girls into an intensive like this, while proclaiming that it’s the only true way to be a submissive, I’m bound to talk shit.
At the very best, this book is trying way too hard to be something that it’s not. But with everything taken into consideration, it sends off dangerous and alarming messages regarding the consent culture around BDSM and alienates POC from the community even further. I wouldn’t be so pressed about this (other than the fact that I’m autistic and have some time on my hands), but this book kept being lauded as a great model of consent. I want to go to all of those commenters who recommended this and shake them for getting me sucked into this dumpster fire of a book.
I’m about 30% of the way in. I’ve DNF’ed this multiple times out of sheer frustration, but morbid curiosity keeps dragging me back in. Godspeed, friends. See you on the other side of this absolute mess.
UPDATE:
I ended up finishing the rest of the book, and let me tell you... It doesn't get any better. If anything, it gets so much worse.
The way that some minority groups were characterized legit horrified me. At one point, Brie is instructed to write out a fantasy of hers, and she goes into a whole journal entry on a racialized abduction scene between her and a Native American captor that's characterized as a "warrior". In the book, the mentions of Native Americans have been edited out, but with language mentioning "bison rugs" and whatnot, there's subtle hints left for the reader to infer.
When it comes time for some doms to act these scenes out, the Academy gave Brie to a Russian dom. There's a language barrier between the two of them, and there's definitely the "brutish Russian" stereotype being pushed in the narrative. From being described as "snarling", "growling", and whatnot throughout the entire thing, to "spewing nasty sounding Russian words", it's definitely not giving a multi-faceted characterization. And towards the end of it, it lives up to the Native American warrior stereotype by having the Russian guy get the girl onto a white horse seemingly out of nowhere.
There's more incidents around consent that occurred throughout the rest of the book-- such as how during Brie's time with the Russian dom, he gestures for her to use the bathroom in front of him. She hesitated at first, but eventually complied. Back at the school, the instructors took off points from her grade and berated her for even hesitating. If someone's not allowed to say no to something, how is there any consent in that act?!
Overall, I personally have beef with anyone and everyone who recommended this book to me as a good book about BDSM and consent. I was literally told that this is such a good example of consent within BDSM. At this point, I want to shake them and ask if the consent was even in the building with us. Sure, it's just a book and people can write what they want, but I think that this kind of narrative sets such a dangerous precedent for BDSM and those new to it. People get told that 50 Shades is bad and then think they're enlightened for realizing as such, then see stuff like this and think that it's normal to take away any means of consent for their subs and that the subs must follow the "one twue way".
If this is how the author truly has experienced consent, then I'm truly sorry that happened and there's a lot that needs to be unpacked. The racism, however, is inexcusable - especially cause this book went through a round of edits after some sensitivity readers went through it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2026
At some other time, I'll have to tackle the inappropriate way in which people of color are characterized and leveraged within the storyline, of the racial stereotypes and phenotype characterizations that are affirmed and validated, and of the racialized power dynamics that are reinforced. I can only write about one upsetting thing at a time and, if you think this review is long, you probably aren't ready for what I'd write about that. So, I'll safe that for another time...
Instead, this review focuses on the challenges I had with the plot.
I understand that for the characters to have any depth, they must be flawed with their own insecurities, interesting pasts and foibles. But two pet peeves of mine are when the alpha male is this omniscient, omnipresent know-it-all and therefore, without investing much time, work, observation, effort or discussion, they aren't only the most self-aware person in the room, but they know everything about you as well- your fears, your desires, your insecurities, your hopes, etc. This is a pet peeve of mine because I find that it frequently results in the alpha male lead being written as never making a mistake or having to apologize for a mistake that they've made because everything they do is more right than wrong and even when they do wrong the result is something ultimately right that fits everybody's needs and, therefore, this must have just been the pathway they needed to take to get there. The second pet peeve is related to the first, and it is the hypocrisy that's so casually written into the alpha male character's arc (in BDSM books, this may be the alpha female), and into the storyline and plot to allow for and accommodate the alpha male's ego, flawed decisions, and mistakes that they're singularly allowed to make. And, in almost every case I can think of, the female main character is expected to forgive and forget and move on without any true reconciliation, repair, or restoration.
This book is rife with both of those pet peeves (although, in this case, there is an alpha male and an alpha female leading the charge) and it really burst my reading bubble of joy. It's already hard to find good BDSM books that aren't cringey, have a thoughtful plot, and an interesting character arc. Why make this quest any harder?
It's so freaking odd and unsatisfying to me as a reader - especially in the context of a BDSM plot which, if it's any true representation of the culture, from my understanding, is based on transparency, honesty, trust, and respect.
The main character, Brie, is in a sub-in-training program and, as the student, she's expected to openly trust, willingly learn, and follow the guidance of her trainers - all from day one, and do so without question - all of which she's willing to do.
But when Sir, one of her trainers and the program's headmaster, expressed a deeper interest in her and, with her consent (albeit uninformed consent) crossed a boundary by having s sexual encounter with her outside of the training program- a boundary, by the way, which she wasn't even aware of as he didn't inform her and, it hadn't been explained to the students beforehand, the other trainers actually consider dismissing her from the program as if she did something wrong.
While she, ultimately, was not dismissed, the two trainers who very deeply opposed her continued presence and participation continuously sought ways to punish her for the incident despite it not having been her fault. It was the headmaster's bad decision and yet she's being punished, provoked and picked on by the same folks with whom she's expected to simultaneously be open, transparent, obedient and trusting. The act of learning is already a vulnerable experience. I can only imagine how much more vulnerable one may feel when learning in a BDSM environment.
The same two people who want to kick her out of the program go on and on about the positive biases the other trainers have towards her and how their assessment of her can't be trusted because of their bias. Yet, they seem to think that their negative biasis just fine and theyto tap into that bias at-will and use it to use it to pick on her, provoke her, and embarrass her.
About half of the book is spent on simultaneously punishing her for the headmaster's mistakes and then using their negative feelings towards her and their knowledge of her desires and insecurities to humiliate her while she's giving herself to them, trusting them and learning under their care. One of the punishments included using another student, Ms. Wilson, who's been vocal about her unprovoked dislike of Brie from day one, to teach Brie a lesson in a humiliating manner. So, Brie and Ms. Wilson are being pitted against each other while simultaneously being told that this is a sisterhood and they're supposed to trust and learn from each other which, once again, requires vulnerability. It was just disingenuous and it irked the shit out of me.
If the series continues forward in this way, without any acknowledgement of this hypocrisy and its potential harm or without any apology or attempts at reconciliation, I don't think I can finish the series. The premise of introducing this world to people who want to learn and be a part of it, which requires all of this trust, and then using your negative bias towards someone to punish her for mistakes she didn't initiate or even understand while also looking for ways to provoke and psychologically and emotionally hurt her just seems to contradict and conflict with everything this culture purports to be based upon and that makes it difficult for me to suspend belief enough to get lost into the story, the characters and the plot. And, as repetitive as this review may seem with me relentlessly harping on the source of my frustration, is as often as these incidents arise within the story - you can't get away from it!
It's true that Doms are humans too and are, therefore, prone to mistakes and experience jealousy and emotional outbursts but, given the control they have over the situation, I find it incredibly dissatisfying that there doesn't seem to be any check and balance on how the characters assert their authority in the situation while they have the subs' training in their care. Obviously, it's too late for the author to go back and rewrite this, but I sincerely hope that the writing and plot moving forward reflect the culture and truth that it's purporting to reflect, uplift and highlight such that when the flawed characters, as they will be prone to do at some point, act out in anger, jealousy, or with hypocrisy, they get checked within the plot as one would expect them to be checked within the culture.
Ok, moving on...
Without any health checks, everyone is having unprotected sex and there's no mention of any ongoing health checks. Brie applied to the program one week and started class the next week. We're given insight into a lot, but not all, of the application questions so why this missing detail? Knowing that, once again, they're providing physical safety along with emotional safety would create a more consistent and believable storyline. You have a therapist on call, but nobody uses any form of birth control and nobody is getting checked, or has been checked, for STD's/ STI's? huh?
Another inconsistency? The subs are learning cunnilingus and Brie's first attempt was not exceptional. The mistress/ Madam trainer even said something like, if she hadn't had proof, she would have doubted hat Brie even had a vagina herself giving how poor her performance was. Brie is immediately put to the test again, this time in the mistress trainer who wants her gone and, this time, she does so well that everybody, including her biggest critics, are astounded. She said she learned the techniques from Google. If so, why was her performance so bad the first time?
I'm done complaining for now. I'll have to read reviews of the rest of the series to see my concerns are addressed before I continue in this journey, especially because these books aren't available on my libby library, so I have to buy them.
Instead, this review focuses on the challenges I had with the plot.
I understand that for the characters to have any depth, they must be flawed with their own insecurities, interesting pasts and foibles. But two pet peeves of mine are when the alpha male is this omniscient, omnipresent know-it-all and therefore, without investing much time, work, observation, effort or discussion, they aren't only the most self-aware person in the room, but they know everything about you as well- your fears, your desires, your insecurities, your hopes, etc. This is a pet peeve of mine because I find that it frequently results in the alpha male lead being written as never making a mistake or having to apologize for a mistake that they've made because everything they do is more right than wrong and even when they do wrong the result is something ultimately right that fits everybody's needs and, therefore, this must have just been the pathway they needed to take to get there. The second pet peeve is related to the first, and it is the hypocrisy that's so casually written into the alpha male character's arc (in BDSM books, this may be the alpha female), and into the storyline and plot to allow for and accommodate the alpha male's ego, flawed decisions, and mistakes that they're singularly allowed to make. And, in almost every case I can think of, the female main character is expected to forgive and forget and move on without any true reconciliation, repair, or restoration.
This book is rife with both of those pet peeves (although, in this case, there is an alpha male and an alpha female leading the charge) and it really burst my reading bubble of joy. It's already hard to find good BDSM books that aren't cringey, have a thoughtful plot, and an interesting character arc. Why make this quest any harder?
It's so freaking odd and unsatisfying to me as a reader - especially in the context of a BDSM plot which, if it's any true representation of the culture, from my understanding, is based on transparency, honesty, trust, and respect.
The main character, Brie, is in a sub-in-training program and, as the student, she's expected to openly trust, willingly learn, and follow the guidance of her trainers - all from day one, and do so without question - all of which she's willing to do.
But when Sir, one of her trainers and the program's headmaster, expressed a deeper interest in her and, with her consent (albeit uninformed consent) crossed a boundary by having s sexual encounter with her outside of the training program- a boundary, by the way, which she wasn't even aware of as he didn't inform her and, it hadn't been explained to the students beforehand, the other trainers actually consider dismissing her from the program as if she did something wrong.
While she, ultimately, was not dismissed, the two trainers who very deeply opposed her continued presence and participation continuously sought ways to punish her for the incident despite it not having been her fault. It was the headmaster's bad decision and yet she's being punished, provoked and picked on by the same folks with whom she's expected to simultaneously be open, transparent, obedient and trusting. The act of learning is already a vulnerable experience. I can only imagine how much more vulnerable one may feel when learning in a BDSM environment.
The same two people who want to kick her out of the program go on and on about the positive biases the other trainers have towards her and how their assessment of her can't be trusted because of their bias. Yet, they seem to think that their negative biasis just fine and theyto tap into that bias at-will and use it to use it to pick on her, provoke her, and embarrass her.
About half of the book is spent on simultaneously punishing her for the headmaster's mistakes and then using their negative feelings towards her and their knowledge of her desires and insecurities to humiliate her while she's giving herself to them, trusting them and learning under their care. One of the punishments included using another student, Ms. Wilson, who's been vocal about her unprovoked dislike of Brie from day one, to teach Brie a lesson in a humiliating manner. So, Brie and Ms. Wilson are being pitted against each other while simultaneously being told that this is a sisterhood and they're supposed to trust and learn from each other which, once again, requires vulnerability. It was just disingenuous and it irked the shit out of me.
If the series continues forward in this way, without any acknowledgement of this hypocrisy and its potential harm or without any apology or attempts at reconciliation, I don't think I can finish the series. The premise of introducing this world to people who want to learn and be a part of it, which requires all of this trust, and then using your negative bias towards someone to punish her for mistakes she didn't initiate or even understand while also looking for ways to provoke and psychologically and emotionally hurt her just seems to contradict and conflict with everything this culture purports to be based upon and that makes it difficult for me to suspend belief enough to get lost into the story, the characters and the plot. And, as repetitive as this review may seem with me relentlessly harping on the source of my frustration, is as often as these incidents arise within the story - you can't get away from it!
It's true that Doms are humans too and are, therefore, prone to mistakes and experience jealousy and emotional outbursts but, given the control they have over the situation, I find it incredibly dissatisfying that there doesn't seem to be any check and balance on how the characters assert their authority in the situation while they have the subs' training in their care. Obviously, it's too late for the author to go back and rewrite this, but I sincerely hope that the writing and plot moving forward reflect the culture and truth that it's purporting to reflect, uplift and highlight such that when the flawed characters, as they will be prone to do at some point, act out in anger, jealousy, or with hypocrisy, they get checked within the plot as one would expect them to be checked within the culture.
Ok, moving on...
Without any health checks, everyone is having unprotected sex and there's no mention of any ongoing health checks. Brie applied to the program one week and started class the next week. We're given insight into a lot, but not all, of the application questions so why this missing detail? Knowing that, once again, they're providing physical safety along with emotional safety would create a more consistent and believable storyline. You have a therapist on call, but nobody uses any form of birth control and nobody is getting checked, or has been checked, for STD's/ STI's? huh?
Another inconsistency? The subs are learning cunnilingus and Brie's first attempt was not exceptional. The mistress/ Madam trainer even said something like, if she hadn't had proof, she would have doubted hat Brie even had a vagina herself giving how poor her performance was. Brie is immediately put to the test again, this time in the mistress trainer who wants her gone and, this time, she does so well that everybody, including her biggest critics, are astounded. She said she learned the techniques from Google. If so, why was her performance so bad the first time?
I'm done complaining for now. I'll have to read reviews of the rest of the series to see my concerns are addressed before I continue in this journey, especially because these books aren't available on my libby library, so I have to buy them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2024
1.5/5 only for the writing itself.
I'm a little frustrated. Another book where I adore the writing and setting, but still so many things are lacking. One thing I will say, I love Brie and Lea. They are fun characters. Though there isn't much to them, they are still fun to read about.
Now, unfortunately, that's where the good thing ends. Going into this, I was expecting to completely fall in love with the school, training, and learning a bit more of the BDSM lifestyle. I know in fiction books that learning isn't a priority, nor should it be used as a learning tool. However, this book is about "teaching" subs and training school for submissive. There definitely is an expectation of things being accurate and not harmful to the lifestyle, so I was incredibly surprised at how harmful the teachers were and how unethically they treated the subs.
The first issue is that there is no such thing as a "true" sub all across the board. The perfect sub meaning is different for every sub and every Dom. When Brie made eye contact with Tono and he was loving it, Ms. Clark and Master Coen immediately chastised her. While it may not have been OK for their subs to do that, obvious Tono, her current Dom, was ok with it and welcomed it. How is she in the wrong?
The next issue was the way the school took the subs fears and HARD limits and dismissed them completely. When one sub reached a hard limit, she was dismissed because she's not the right fit and wouldn't make a good sub. The amazing thing about BDSM is the amount of care put into a person's hard limits and making sure they are safe and comfortable. That's not at all what these instructors did, and that angered me.
Of course the headmaster sleeping with a student was wrong. But again, Brie was at fault and blamed. Why? She is the sub. While yes, she has the power, Sir, being the headmaster and expert, should have known better. But yet, there were no repercussions.
My last and honestly biggest issue is the absolute disgusting way Clark and Coen treated Brie. Not every sub is for every Dom. But to treat Brie so horribly because she's not doing things the way they feel it should be done is wrong. Then, after her evaluations, because she did well, they still were constantly on her ass about one thing or another. How is that ok?
Im so annoyed and upset about how this book turned out. It could have been so much better, but I wish more research and time had been spent to understand the BDSM community. The writing itself was great! And I did love Brie as the main character. The side characters, well specifically Lea, are amazing. I hope they stay safe and happy in the next books. I'm unsure if I will be continuing.
I'm a little frustrated. Another book where I adore the writing and setting, but still so many things are lacking. One thing I will say, I love Brie and Lea. They are fun characters. Though there isn't much to them, they are still fun to read about.
Now, unfortunately, that's where the good thing ends. Going into this, I was expecting to completely fall in love with the school, training, and learning a bit more of the BDSM lifestyle. I know in fiction books that learning isn't a priority, nor should it be used as a learning tool. However, this book is about "teaching" subs and training school for submissive. There definitely is an expectation of things being accurate and not harmful to the lifestyle, so I was incredibly surprised at how harmful the teachers were and how unethically they treated the subs.
The first issue is that there is no such thing as a "true" sub all across the board. The perfect sub meaning is different for every sub and every Dom. When Brie made eye contact with Tono and he was loving it, Ms. Clark and Master Coen immediately chastised her. While it may not have been OK for their subs to do that, obvious Tono, her current Dom, was ok with it and welcomed it. How is she in the wrong?
The next issue was the way the school took the subs fears and HARD limits and dismissed them completely. When one sub reached a hard limit, she was dismissed because she's not the right fit and wouldn't make a good sub. The amazing thing about BDSM is the amount of care put into a person's hard limits and making sure they are safe and comfortable. That's not at all what these instructors did, and that angered me.
Of course the headmaster sleeping with a student was wrong. But again, Brie was at fault and blamed. Why? She is the sub. While yes, she has the power, Sir, being the headmaster and expert, should have known better. But yet, there were no repercussions.
My last and honestly biggest issue is the absolute disgusting way Clark and Coen treated Brie. Not every sub is for every Dom. But to treat Brie so horribly because she's not doing things the way they feel it should be done is wrong. Then, after her evaluations, because she did well, they still were constantly on her ass about one thing or another. How is that ok?
Im so annoyed and upset about how this book turned out. It could have been so much better, but I wish more research and time had been spent to understand the BDSM community. The writing itself was great! And I did love Brie as the main character. The side characters, well specifically Lea, are amazing. I hope they stay safe and happy in the next books. I'm unsure if I will be continuing.
March 31, 2023
I met Red Phoenix at Book Bonanza in 2022. She is an amazing human and I loved talking with her. I had never read her books, so she gave me the first two in the series as a gift. I've finally gotten around to reading them, starting obviously with this one.
I enjoyed getting to know the character of Brie, she starts out feeling kind of stuck and hasn't really broken into the film industry like she had hoped. After she finds the training center she begins to figure out who she is. She is starting to gain her confidence, learn new things about herself.
The training center itself intrigues me, there is more I need to know, but there were a few things that concerned me. Why is there no talk of protection, STD's, birth control, etc. I find it odd that the center isn't more focus on health and safety of their students, especially a school that trains the best submissive. I know it could just be an oversight and just something some people think about more than others...it was just questions I had reading this book.
I feel the author is a newer writer when she wrote this book, so I will not judge writing for the first book in a series. This is a long series, one I plan to read more of. I want to read and watch Brie grow, as well as watch the author grow as well. I will be starting the second book tomorrow. I'm excited to see where we go next.
I enjoyed getting to know the character of Brie, she starts out feeling kind of stuck and hasn't really broken into the film industry like she had hoped. After she finds the training center she begins to figure out who she is. She is starting to gain her confidence, learn new things about herself.
The training center itself intrigues me, there is more I need to know, but there were a few things that concerned me. Why is there no talk of protection, STD's, birth control, etc. I find it odd that the center isn't more focus on health and safety of their students, especially a school that trains the best submissive. I know it could just be an oversight and just something some people think about more than others...it was just questions I had reading this book.
I feel the author is a newer writer when she wrote this book, so I will not judge writing for the first book in a series. This is a long series, one I plan to read more of. I want to read and watch Brie grow, as well as watch the author grow as well. I will be starting the second book tomorrow. I'm excited to see where we go next.
August 18, 2016
Imagine a place where you could go and be trained to be the best submissive you can be at the submissive Training Acadamy. 25 years strong and still going.
This is where 22 year old Brie Bennett finds herself after a visit from Master Thane Davis at her job in a tobacco shop, where she wonders where her life if going. The aspiring filmmaker is stuck at a crossroads when he stops in with his sub du jour to buy a ridiculously expensive pack of cigarettes. He leaves her a business card that says "The
Submissive Training Center 25 Years Of Excellence."
Brie begins classes after some indecision on her part, and learns a few things about herself, mainly that she has a thing for Master Thane Davis. One of her fellow subs is difficult to get along with, "Blondie." and she finds a friend in her other fellow sub, "Lea" But it's the other trainers she has to worry about. While Thane and Marquis Grey are on her side, Master Coen and Ms. Clark, especially Ms. Clark, want her gone.
This was a truly satisfying, hot, sexy read. For those of you with the full size edition of Brie, this is a new, added on, bite sized way to enjoy Brie. I'm eagerly excited about reading the rest of this series, I absolutely Love It!!!
This is where 22 year old Brie Bennett finds herself after a visit from Master Thane Davis at her job in a tobacco shop, where she wonders where her life if going. The aspiring filmmaker is stuck at a crossroads when he stops in with his sub du jour to buy a ridiculously expensive pack of cigarettes. He leaves her a business card that says "The
Submissive Training Center 25 Years Of Excellence."
Brie begins classes after some indecision on her part, and learns a few things about herself, mainly that she has a thing for Master Thane Davis. One of her fellow subs is difficult to get along with, "Blondie." and she finds a friend in her other fellow sub, "Lea" But it's the other trainers she has to worry about. While Thane and Marquis Grey are on her side, Master Coen and Ms. Clark, especially Ms. Clark, want her gone.
This was a truly satisfying, hot, sexy read. For those of you with the full size edition of Brie, this is a new, added on, bite sized way to enjoy Brie. I'm eagerly excited about reading the rest of this series, I absolutely Love It!!!
May 25, 2016
Loved this book, it is so much more than just a story, it is interesting and very informative, the authors sense of humour also shows throughout the story. The story begins as a young girl meets a handsome stranger in the tobacco shop where she works. He pays for the cigarettes he has purchased and leaves behind a card along with the money. Once home Brie becomes curious and decides to enter the web address on her tablet. As the images load Brie finds herself a little shocked but also aroused it awakens feelings deep inside her, feelings she never would have guessed could belong to her. The story follows Brie as she attends the Training Center for Submissives for the very first time. There are certainly a few mishaps along the way and a few trials she must overcome, but the girl from the tobacco shop begins to discover the woman who has been living deep inside her, as she sets out on her journey to become the best submissive she can be. Anyone who is living the lifestyle or who is just curious or indeed anyone who just looking for a very sexy but loving story, I would recommend this book and would give it more than the 5* rating if I could.
November 11, 2016
The Beginning
This is the beginning of an epic sexy journey for one Brianna Bennet. Starting at what will become the infamous tobacco shop, Brie has her first meeting with a man that will be her fate. In this first book we are introduced to the Submissive Training School and walk along with Brie as she begins her journey into submission. Sexy, intriguing and HOT HOT HOT!!! Come join Brie in her journey and meet some amazing characters.
This is the beginning of an epic sexy journey for one Brianna Bennet. Starting at what will become the infamous tobacco shop, Brie has her first meeting with a man that will be her fate. In this first book we are introduced to the Submissive Training School and walk along with Brie as she begins her journey into submission. Sexy, intriguing and HOT HOT HOT!!! Come join Brie in her journey and meet some amazing characters.
November 29, 2016
One of my favorite stories that thankfully hasn't ended yet, these characters continue to live on. This book has one of my favorite scenes with a quote that I'll never forget. "I googled it, Sir." Even just thinking about it brings a smile to my face, but you'll have to read it to understand the context.
December 7, 2016
Submission
I love the way that the author brings out Brie ' submissive traits. She doesn't want to fail and seems to be the "perfect" submisive. Although there are a couple of trainers that think she is not right for the title. Her feelings for sir definitely seem to be her driving force.
I love the way that the author brings out Brie ' submissive traits. She doesn't want to fail and seems to be the "perfect" submisive. Although there are a couple of trainers that think she is not right for the title. Her feelings for sir definitely seem to be her driving force.
April 3, 2020
Eye opening
This was my first Red Phoenix book to read.
It was so easy to get caught up in the story. It opened my eyes and mind to a lifestyle I have been curious about for a while.
I love that it take you step by step in Bries quest to learn more about her submissive side.
A very HOT read! I will continue reading everything I can of Red Phoenixs
This was my first Red Phoenix book to read.
It was so easy to get caught up in the story. It opened my eyes and mind to a lifestyle I have been curious about for a while.
I love that it take you step by step in Bries quest to learn more about her submissive side.
A very HOT read! I will continue reading everything I can of Red Phoenixs
February 16, 2017
Wow
Yep, loved this book. Many O's during this read. I recommend the series and the author. Thanks for Everything? Can't wait to read what is next for the Sisterhood of Submission gets up to next!
Yep, loved this book. Many O's during this read. I recommend the series and the author. Thanks for Everything? Can't wait to read what is next for the Sisterhood of Submission gets up to next!
January 16, 2017
OMG
Page Turner!! From start to finish. Couldn't put it down. All I'm thinking, is what going to happen in part 2!!! Great read!!!
Page Turner!! From start to finish. Couldn't put it down. All I'm thinking, is what going to happen in part 2!!! Great read!!!
April 15, 2018
I don’t even know why I tried
October 15, 2018
Very quick read hardly any back story. Characters are very surface level.
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