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Impulse #1
Shockwave
There can only be one victor…
He vows to personally deal with her…
When Master Nathaniel Stratton catches Alani Dane, a professional submissive, yawning during a scene with one of his club’s most prestigious members, he vows to personally deal with her.
In order to claim her…
Nathaniel works to shatter the emotional barriers she's erected to keep her heart safe and takes the biggest gamble of his life to claim her for his own.
But she’s no man’s submissive…
He alternately thrills and terrifies Alani. Even though she craves the intense release that subspace brings, at heart, she’s no man’s submissive. In this intense battle of wills, dominance and submission, love and commitment, he’s determined to tear down the walls around her heart.
Reader Advisory: This book contains anal sex, BDSM and scenes of caning.
Publisher's Note: This book has previously been released elsewhere. It has been revised and re-edited for re-release with Totally Bound Publishing.
General Release Date: 15th November 2016
He vows to personally deal with her…
When Master Nathaniel Stratton catches Alani Dane, a professional submissive, yawning during a scene with one of his club’s most prestigious members, he vows to personally deal with her.
In order to claim her…
Nathaniel works to shatter the emotional barriers she's erected to keep her heart safe and takes the biggest gamble of his life to claim her for his own.
But she’s no man’s submissive…
He alternately thrills and terrifies Alani. Even though she craves the intense release that subspace brings, at heart, she’s no man’s submissive. In this intense battle of wills, dominance and submission, love and commitment, he’s determined to tear down the walls around her heart.
Reader Advisory: This book contains anal sex, BDSM and scenes of caning.
Publisher's Note: This book has previously been released elsewhere. It has been revised and re-edited for re-release with Totally Bound Publishing.
General Release Date: 15th November 2016
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 8, 2012
81 people are currently reading
947 people want to read
About the author
Sierra Cartwright
111 books1,587 followersSierra is a USA Today, International Best-Selling author who wrote her first book at age nine and hasn't stopped since.
Sierra invites you to share the complex journey of love and desire, of surrender and commitment.
Her own journey has taught her that trusting takes guts and courage, and her work is a celebration for everyone who is willing to take that risk.
Sierra invites you to share the complex journey of love and desire, of surrender and commitment.
Her own journey has taught her that trusting takes guts and courage, and her work is a celebration for everyone who is willing to take that risk.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
November 29, 2016
4* you're the one STARS!!
Sierra Cartwright always impress me with her BDSM story. It feels real and believable. I've never read Shockwave before, so this was my first time. Shockwave isn't your typical kinky romance story. The love between a couple who finally found each other through BDSM.
Alani Dane works as professional submissive at night, mostly to earn more money despite she didn't meet her needs. There is no Dom who could satisfy her until Master Nathaniel Stratton. She was caught by him, disrespect her client-Dom in a scene. Punishment must be given and Master Nathaniel has other plan for Alani.
I never read a story about professional submissive before. I couldn't like Alani at first because she acts like a brat despite being 'professional'. Eventually, I know Alani is a strong and independent woman. She's basically raised herself. Also, there isn't much info about Nathaniel beside he's one of the owner from BDSM club where Alani works. Nathaniel clearly wants a 'professional' D/s relationship with Alani. He's interested with her.
Nathaniel isn't like her other dominant. He's strict and a bit sadist. Alani attracted to his commanding aura. He doesn't like 'fake' submissive and he knows Alani better than anyone. Their scenes was beyond HOT. They're really experienced and didn't sugar-coat everything. I enjoyed their D/s relationship because Nathaniel really understand her needs.
Towards the end, Nathaniel opened himself. He has dangerous job and rarely in home. Alani isn't clingy person and she's okay with it. He's starting to love her even more. She's perfect for him and vise versa. Alani is in denial with her feelings with Nathaniel because she's afraid to getting attached. I could understand her struggle but Nathaniel isn't a pusher. He isn't crazily pursuing her like a stalker instead he let Alani has her own space.
I enjoyed how both Nathaniel and Alani spend their weekend together to explore their relationship with great amount of sex. This is almost perfect except everything happened so fast and it's not enough to feel their love. Sometimes I feel their D/s became too much, like TPE. They even rarely has vanilla conversation. However, I still enjoyed it and really recommend for anyone who curious about in depth D/s relationship.
Sierra Cartwright always impress me with her BDSM story. It feels real and believable. I've never read Shockwave before, so this was my first time. Shockwave isn't your typical kinky romance story. The love between a couple who finally found each other through BDSM.
Alani Dane works as professional submissive at night, mostly to earn more money despite she didn't meet her needs. There is no Dom who could satisfy her until Master Nathaniel Stratton. She was caught by him, disrespect her client-Dom in a scene. Punishment must be given and Master Nathaniel has other plan for Alani.
I never read a story about professional submissive before. I couldn't like Alani at first because she acts like a brat despite being 'professional'. Eventually, I know Alani is a strong and independent woman. She's basically raised herself. Also, there isn't much info about Nathaniel beside he's one of the owner from BDSM club where Alani works. Nathaniel clearly wants a 'professional' D/s relationship with Alani. He's interested with her.
“But outside of the club, I will bend you to my will, punish your indiscretions, beat you into erotic submission, send you to subspace and fuck you ragged. Blunt enough?”
Nathaniel isn't like her other dominant. He's strict and a bit sadist. Alani attracted to his commanding aura. He doesn't like 'fake' submissive and he knows Alani better than anyone. Their scenes was beyond HOT. They're really experienced and didn't sugar-coat everything. I enjoyed their D/s relationship because Nathaniel really understand her needs.
He’d secured her wrists, held one shoulder, and he’d filled her pussy and ass totally. This man possessed her body.
She was afraid he was working on her soul, too.
Towards the end, Nathaniel opened himself. He has dangerous job and rarely in home. Alani isn't clingy person and she's okay with it. He's starting to love her even more. She's perfect for him and vise versa. Alani is in denial with her feelings with Nathaniel because she's afraid to getting attached. I could understand her struggle but Nathaniel isn't a pusher. He isn't crazily pursuing her like a stalker instead he let Alani has her own space.
I enjoyed how both Nathaniel and Alani spend their weekend together to explore their relationship with great amount of sex. This is almost perfect except everything happened so fast and it's not enough to feel their love. Sometimes I feel their D/s became too much, like TPE. They even rarely has vanilla conversation. However, I still enjoyed it and really recommend for anyone who curious about in depth D/s relationship.
June 3, 2012
Loved this. It’s just a straight forward BDSM novel – there’s no axe wielding homicidal psycho stalker after the heroine and there’s no abduction, rape or non-consensual abuse but it is a romance, and a hot one at that.
The beauty of a D/s relationship is that the Dom can get as deep inside his sub’s mind as he can her body. Alani is a professional sub, submitting physically to any number of Doms in Zones, the club she works at. She’s deeply masochistic using pain to block out emotional harm from her past. Her submission is physical but, emotionally she remains detached, topping from the bottom consistently to get her Doms to take her deep into pain where she thinks she needs to be.
She’s witnessed yawning and rolling her eyes during a scene by Master Nathaniel, part owner of the club and a skilful sadist who decides she needs retraining to understand the beauty of true submission. He takes her on and pushes way past her physical barriers until he’s able to break down the emotional walls she’s so painstakingly built over the years. A deeper emotional connection now exists between the two of them, one that neither of them has ever experienced before.
I loved it. Nathaniel is an awesome dom. The sex is hot. Very, very hot. Hotter than Vesuvius. I especially loved the blindfold scene.
4 stars glitterkink BDSM romance
The beauty of a D/s relationship is that the Dom can get as deep inside his sub’s mind as he can her body. Alani is a professional sub, submitting physically to any number of Doms in Zones, the club she works at. She’s deeply masochistic using pain to block out emotional harm from her past. Her submission is physical but, emotionally she remains detached, topping from the bottom consistently to get her Doms to take her deep into pain where she thinks she needs to be.
She’s witnessed yawning and rolling her eyes during a scene by Master Nathaniel, part owner of the club and a skilful sadist who decides she needs retraining to understand the beauty of true submission. He takes her on and pushes way past her physical barriers until he’s able to break down the emotional walls she’s so painstakingly built over the years. A deeper emotional connection now exists between the two of them, one that neither of them has ever experienced before.
I loved it. Nathaniel is an awesome dom. The sex is hot. Very, very hot. Hotter than Vesuvius. I especially loved the blindfold scene.
4 stars glitterkink BDSM romance
July 24, 2012
"Look at me," he snapped… "Keep your eyes open. For this moment, I am your entire world. Don't forget it."
Yes, Sir!
My eyes widened at the same time my body melted a bit. These are such simple words yet the tone from Master Nathaniel has me jumping to obey instantly. I'm not surprised Alani feels the same. Some men have a commanding presence; some men are clueless. Master Nathaniel is the former. I'd submit to him anytime. Now that he is back in the dungeon as one of the managing owners, Alani is in for it.
Alani is a professional submissive. I conceptually know these people exist though I haven't met any nor have I seen any advertised. This is kind of odd since I know many more submissives than Dom/mes. Yet, I am fully aware of several professional Dommes. I have my theories on why this is the case, but that is neither here nor there. What I do like is reading a story where one of the characters is a professional submissive. This is a different perspective and Ms. Cartwright does a great job.
Alani is a bored submissive. She's just going through the motions and not submitting for real. This cheats her paying customers of the full experience. Fortunately, they have not caught on. Unfortunately for Alani, Master Nathaniel did catch her yawning during a scene plus rolling her eyes. She's in for it now. She has a choice to be retrained or to leave. The trainer will be Master Nathaniel. Seriously, how is this even a choice? Sub for Master Nathaniel! Who wouldn't want to? This is a no-brainer decision. This is where the story starts smoldering in smexy hotness.
The D/s dynamic between Master Nathaniel and Alani stroked me in all the right places. It definitely places me in the subspace lusting zone. The BDSM in this story is a great read. It is good for those who are interested in the D/s aspects of BDSM. This is also good for those who are graduating from the novice BDSM books and want a bit more of a bite to their BDSM.
The story for this moved very well. There were no side tangents to distract. I have come to expect a tightly written story by Ms. Cartwright. She delivers again in this story. She does leave a little hook which has me yearning for the next book in this series. Or at least I hope she writes a next book with Master Marcus as the focus. I want to know what happened. I'm devastated by the short little snippet we learn about him and his tattooed and collared submissive, Karyn. If Ms. Cartwright doesn't write a follow up book on Master Marcus, I'll be rallying the troupes to send her requests for Master Marcus's story.
I thoroughly enjoyed IN THE ZONE and highly recommend it to BDSM readers who enjoy reading about a submissive learning the art of submission.
September 22, 2012
Alani is a masochist who only "does" submissive to get at the pain. When Master Nathaniel sees her yawning during a scene he decides that she needs to be handled. Since Alani is a professional submissive and he is one of the club owners that proves a bit Complicated.
There were a couple things I really enjoyed about This book. Chief among them is this is one of the few books that gets the feelings of A masochist right. As a masochist I appreciated that. I think most people think masochists somehow don't feel pain the way other people do. Or they think masochists have a high pain tolerance which may be true for some but not all. The way Alani processes pain is very close to the way I feel with it. On one hand it hurts and you feel it as pain and don't want it but on the other hand it releases something in you, let's you process, focus. It is a strange relationship and one that few people get right. The only thing that was a bit off is how fast Alani got to subspace...but that is individual so it theoretically could happen.
Alani took time to win over. She didn't go willingly, he had to work at it. Granted it is fiction so it all gets abbreviated but it felt more like work. More honest.
I also liked that this book did not focus on the club. It was a part of it, a setting, but it did not take on a huge life of its own. It had a more authentic feel that way although there were plenty of cliche's running around as well.
So why no five star? Because I remain unconvinced that Alani really is as submissive as he thinks she is. I think she is a masochist who found a guy for whom she could submit due to the dynamics of that guy. She spent a lot of time in her head convincing herself that she was a sub but her greatest pleasure remains pain. That did not change. The only reason this matters is because he definitely is going for a 24/7 thing...and in the end I just don't buy that working for her long run. It was strange for him as well since he did not appear to have ever had a collared sub.
The beginning of relationships are always sunny when they go right. You do many things you will abandon or hate to do later. I definitely got the feeling Alani was besotted by the first guy who pushed her but for me to believe that it could last the power structure must be clear and Alani had to have been given opportunity to interact with Nathaniel as an equal to express and she really never did when it mattered. He maneuvers her into talking always while she is naked, kneeling, or in an otherwise submissive pose. That affects mindset and I didn't like it. I never felt he saw her as Anything but a submissive masochist. Intellectually I think he sort of did but since there is never anything deeper than their D/s you don't get exploration on it. In the end
So overall I loved much of it. Truly the last quarter was where I had issues because of the way he was interacting. Always an order from him (do this or else!) and I never felt like they had opportunity to talk things out while outside a D/s dynamic. Because of her personality it was hard to believe that this was a functioning dynamic for them and could continue to be so.
There were a couple things I really enjoyed about This book. Chief among them is this is one of the few books that gets the feelings of A masochist right. As a masochist I appreciated that. I think most people think masochists somehow don't feel pain the way other people do. Or they think masochists have a high pain tolerance which may be true for some but not all. The way Alani processes pain is very close to the way I feel with it. On one hand it hurts and you feel it as pain and don't want it but on the other hand it releases something in you, let's you process, focus. It is a strange relationship and one that few people get right. The only thing that was a bit off is how fast Alani got to subspace...but that is individual so it theoretically could happen.
Alani took time to win over. She didn't go willingly, he had to work at it. Granted it is fiction so it all gets abbreviated but it felt more like work. More honest.
I also liked that this book did not focus on the club. It was a part of it, a setting, but it did not take on a huge life of its own. It had a more authentic feel that way although there were plenty of cliche's running around as well.
So why no five star? Because I remain unconvinced that Alani really is as submissive as he thinks she is. I think she is a masochist who found a guy for whom she could submit due to the dynamics of that guy. She spent a lot of time in her head convincing herself that she was a sub but her greatest pleasure remains pain. That did not change. The only reason this matters is because he definitely is going for a 24/7 thing...and in the end I just don't buy that working for her long run. It was strange for him as well since he did not appear to have ever had a collared sub.
The beginning of relationships are always sunny when they go right. You do many things you will abandon or hate to do later. I definitely got the feeling Alani was besotted by the first guy who pushed her but for me to believe that it could last the power structure must be clear and Alani had to have been given opportunity to interact with Nathaniel as an equal to express and she really never did when it mattered. He maneuvers her into talking always while she is naked, kneeling, or in an otherwise submissive pose. That affects mindset and I didn't like it. I never felt he saw her as Anything but a submissive masochist. Intellectually I think he sort of did but since there is never anything deeper than their D/s you don't get exploration on it. In the end
So overall I loved much of it. Truly the last quarter was where I had issues because of the way he was interacting. Always an order from him (do this or else!) and I never felt like they had opportunity to talk things out while outside a D/s dynamic. Because of her personality it was hard to believe that this was a functioning dynamic for them and could continue to be so.
August 10, 2012
I don't know what it was about Alani, but she absolutely positively came across to me as one of the most submissive women I have seen of late. Toss in the fact that she is also a masochist and I honestly felt, please forgive me, that this girl would view a stay at Judgement as a pleasant vacation.
The oddest part to me was the fact that she had been working at Zones (terrible name for a BDSM club, IMHO) for two years and no one had figured her out. She was really just putting on a big charade - the pain didn't bother her so everything else was just an act because she wasn't making an emotional connection with anyone. I understand why she didn't but the other people around her must have really not been paying attention.
I think the relationship between Alani and Nathaniel can work but only if he is really serious about staying home - at least for a good while. I think they are going to need some major bonding time to achieve the relationship they both want and the only way that will work is lots of quality time together.
A couple of minor complaints - I hate when submissives are called "sub." Slave doesn't bother me, but to me a sub is a sandwich. And actually I didn't like the way Nathaniel spoke to her several times - I don't mind domineering but I don't like guys who talk like pimps.
Still, though, a nice story and always good to find a story where they aren't one or both beginners.
The oddest part to me was the fact that she had been working at Zones (terrible name for a BDSM club, IMHO) for two years and no one had figured her out. She was really just putting on a big charade - the pain didn't bother her so everything else was just an act because she wasn't making an emotional connection with anyone. I understand why she didn't but the other people around her must have really not been paying attention.
I think the relationship between Alani and Nathaniel can work but only if he is really serious about staying home - at least for a good while. I think they are going to need some major bonding time to achieve the relationship they both want and the only way that will work is lots of quality time together.
A couple of minor complaints - I hate when submissives are called "sub." Slave doesn't bother me, but to me a sub is a sandwich. And actually I didn't like the way Nathaniel spoke to her several times - I don't mind domineering but I don't like guys who talk like pimps.
Still, though, a nice story and always good to find a story where they aren't one or both beginners.
June 28, 2012
In the Zone is my favorite Sierra Cartwright book so far. She's an author that grabs my interest with her plots and blurbs, but often lets me down with her execution. Frankly it is usually too hard for me to buy into the HEA's she gives her protagonists.
With this book, I still had trouble with the quick ending - they weren't ready for commitment IMO - but I loved the very real feeling of Alani's emotions. The push and pull she felt about submitting to Nathaniel. Her mixed up reactions - anger and desire were very well conveyed. I enjoyed reading about a Dom that had to work for his submissive, and sweat a little too - even if all the sweating was internal. Ms. Cartwright did an excellent job with Nathaniel IMO. He was both a strong, compelling Dominant, while still coming off as very human. Far too often in this type of story, the Dom comes off as either one or the other - too flawed and vulnerable to be a believable Dom, or so strict and unyielding that he becomes an "action figure" Dom, a caricature.
I recommend this book for those who enjoy hot scenes that are moderately heavy on the S/M and a couple working toward a total power exchange relationship.
With this book, I still had trouble with the quick ending - they weren't ready for commitment IMO - but I loved the very real feeling of Alani's emotions. The push and pull she felt about submitting to Nathaniel. Her mixed up reactions - anger and desire were very well conveyed. I enjoyed reading about a Dom that had to work for his submissive, and sweat a little too - even if all the sweating was internal. Ms. Cartwright did an excellent job with Nathaniel IMO. He was both a strong, compelling Dominant, while still coming off as very human. Far too often in this type of story, the Dom comes off as either one or the other - too flawed and vulnerable to be a believable Dom, or so strict and unyielding that he becomes an "action figure" Dom, a caricature.
I recommend this book for those who enjoy hot scenes that are moderately heavy on the S/M and a couple working toward a total power exchange relationship.
July 3, 2012
My Rating: ★★★★
Book Description:
The lovely Alani Dane, professional submissive has a thing or two to learn, and Master Nathaniel absolutely will be the one to teach her.
When he catches Alani yawning during a scene with one of Zones’ more prestigious members, club owner Master Nathaniel Stratton takes her bad behavior as a personal affront. Although he’s seldom in the country, the club’s success matters to Nathaniel and his partners. Nathaniel vows to personally deal with Alani, fraternization be damned.
The dangerous enigma that is Master Nathaniel alternately thrills and terrifies Alani. At heart, she’s no man’s submissive; she’s a masochist who craves beatings that will send her into subspace, make her forget. And she swoons under the bite of this dom’s punishing leather belt.
Nathaniel is determined to make her the perfect sub and shatter the emotional barriers she’s erected to keep her safe. But in a battle of wills, dominance, and submission, there can only be one victor, and Nathaniel will win, as soon as he puts Alani in the zone.
My Thoughts:
This was definitely a different type of BDSM story for me. I have read a lot of books in the genre but this is the first one that focused primarily on the S&M aspects. Alani and Nathanial were interesting protagonists. They sexually and emotionally challenged each other but it made the relational dynamic of the story very interesting. Nathaniel was steely, stubborn, and demanding and Alani was equally stubborn who resisted Nathaniel at every turn. Alani was a masochist and her need for pain drove her to become a professional sub at the club where Nathanial was part owner. During a scene with a 'weak wristed' Dom, Alani rolled her eyes...twice and yawned and her disrespectful behavior was spyed by Nathaniel. Being the Don that he was, he personally took on 'retraining' her. The retraining process led them to a journey of commitment and love.
Although this was a hard story to read because of the Nathan's constant use of 'painslut' and Alani's desire for pain but both worked to make the story compelling and complex.
Reading Time: 5.5 hours
Book Description:
The lovely Alani Dane, professional submissive has a thing or two to learn, and Master Nathaniel absolutely will be the one to teach her.
When he catches Alani yawning during a scene with one of Zones’ more prestigious members, club owner Master Nathaniel Stratton takes her bad behavior as a personal affront. Although he’s seldom in the country, the club’s success matters to Nathaniel and his partners. Nathaniel vows to personally deal with Alani, fraternization be damned.
The dangerous enigma that is Master Nathaniel alternately thrills and terrifies Alani. At heart, she’s no man’s submissive; she’s a masochist who craves beatings that will send her into subspace, make her forget. And she swoons under the bite of this dom’s punishing leather belt.
Nathaniel is determined to make her the perfect sub and shatter the emotional barriers she’s erected to keep her safe. But in a battle of wills, dominance, and submission, there can only be one victor, and Nathaniel will win, as soon as he puts Alani in the zone.
My Thoughts:
This was definitely a different type of BDSM story for me. I have read a lot of books in the genre but this is the first one that focused primarily on the S&M aspects. Alani and Nathanial were interesting protagonists. They sexually and emotionally challenged each other but it made the relational dynamic of the story very interesting. Nathaniel was steely, stubborn, and demanding and Alani was equally stubborn who resisted Nathaniel at every turn. Alani was a masochist and her need for pain drove her to become a professional sub at the club where Nathanial was part owner. During a scene with a 'weak wristed' Dom, Alani rolled her eyes...twice and yawned and her disrespectful behavior was spyed by Nathaniel. Being the Don that he was, he personally took on 'retraining' her. The retraining process led them to a journey of commitment and love.
Although this was a hard story to read because of the Nathan's constant use of 'painslut' and Alani's desire for pain but both worked to make the story compelling and complex.
Reading Time: 5.5 hours
October 19, 2013
Anything by Sierra Cartwright is outstanding in my book. And this book was no exception.
Alani is a professional sub, but in my opinion seems to be bored with it, she can't seem to find a Dom she can't top from the bottom, or she feels like she has to "fake it till she makes it". It's during one such scene that Nathaniel, owner of Zones, a BDSM club, catches Alain yawning and rolling her eyes, and he takes over, in more ways than one.
This was a Dom she couldn't top, and knew better than to "fake it" with... not that she had to do that anyway! He "unsettled her" and excited her. Made her feel the things she had been craving but was ready to give up hope of finding.
Nathaniel didn't play games, he wanted her, but she was going to have to come to him freely, and give everything freely. He saw her potential, knew what she could be for him and what they could be for each other. But he wasn't going to chase her or convince her, she had to figure it out on her own, and come to him. This wasn't easy for Nathaniel.
But would she give to him freely? Would she really come to him as a true submissive, no games, no faking it? Could she? Can she really open up about herself, be honest with Nathaniel about her past and what she feels? Or will her "hiding" be the downfall of this relationship before it can even get started?
I really enjoyed this book, these characters, the struggles on both of their parts to find the right aspects of D/s and S&M that work for them as individuals and together.
I like how this author digs in and grabs hold of what it really is to struggle in a relationship, be it vanilla or as lifers. There is always valuable information that lifestylers should follow, or those that may be interested in a BDSM relationship should know, in all of her books, and In The Zone is no exception to that.
This book gets a solid 4 stars from me.
Alani is a professional sub, but in my opinion seems to be bored with it, she can't seem to find a Dom she can't top from the bottom, or she feels like she has to "fake it till she makes it". It's during one such scene that Nathaniel, owner of Zones, a BDSM club, catches Alain yawning and rolling her eyes, and he takes over, in more ways than one.
This was a Dom she couldn't top, and knew better than to "fake it" with... not that she had to do that anyway! He "unsettled her" and excited her. Made her feel the things she had been craving but was ready to give up hope of finding.
Nathaniel didn't play games, he wanted her, but she was going to have to come to him freely, and give everything freely. He saw her potential, knew what she could be for him and what they could be for each other. But he wasn't going to chase her or convince her, she had to figure it out on her own, and come to him. This wasn't easy for Nathaniel.
But would she give to him freely? Would she really come to him as a true submissive, no games, no faking it? Could she? Can she really open up about herself, be honest with Nathaniel about her past and what she feels? Or will her "hiding" be the downfall of this relationship before it can even get started?
I really enjoyed this book, these characters, the struggles on both of their parts to find the right aspects of D/s and S&M that work for them as individuals and together.
I like how this author digs in and grabs hold of what it really is to struggle in a relationship, be it vanilla or as lifers. There is always valuable information that lifestylers should follow, or those that may be interested in a BDSM relationship should know, in all of her books, and In The Zone is no exception to that.
This book gets a solid 4 stars from me.
November 15, 2016
Shockwave is a straight-forward BDSM romance! Sierra Cartwright is a master at creating this type of novel and this is no exception!
Alani is a professional sub at her BDSM club, Limits, where she works. She does the accounting books by day and plays with various Doms by night. She is a masochist and only submits to a Dom in order to get the pleasure she draws from the pain they inflict. When Master Nathaniel, one of the club owners, witnesses her yawning and rolling her eyes during a scene, he decides she is need of re-training. He decides he should be her trainer.
I really enjoyed how Sierra portrayed Alani. She did a great job of making me understand what it did to Alani to receive the pain she do desperately wants and ultimately needs. She explained it as it hurts and you know it hurts, but it releases something in you. So you want it and crave it. The pain allows you to focus and let go of everything that is going on in your life. Master Nathaniel seems to do that for Alani. He says he's not a sadist. He truly just enjoys giving Alani want she needs for herself. And when she flies, he's enamored with her. She's unlike any submissive he's ever had. He's never collared a sub, but he wants it all with Alani.
Alani likes Master Nathaniel and his flogger wielding ways. She's a self-proclaimed pain slut so she tries to push Master Nathaniel's buttons to get him to punish her-thereby getting the pain she really wants. If she has to fake submitting for awhile then that's what she'll do. But Master Nathaniel is having none of it. He sees right through her manipulation and does exactly opposite of what Alani expects. He is a tough master and wants her to submit to him the proper way-not the way she's handled the weaker Doms at the club. As he expects more and more from Alani, he breaks down her emotional barriers one by one. They share a emotional connection so deep it literally scares both of them. Soon they do not want to be without the other. But is Alani ready to be all that Master Nathaniel wants of her??
I loved Master Nathaniel! Hot as hell and sex on a stick! The sex scenes are uber hot and left me needing a cold drink! Whew! Where can I find a Master Nathaniel?? I loved their romantic journey! As this is the first book of the Impulse series, I am hoping the next book involves Master Braxton and Karyn! I want him to be happy and at the end of this book, he's downright miserable!!
4.5 stars/4.5 flames
This book was gifted to me by the Jeep Diva for the express purpose of an honest review. That rating and review are solely my opinion.
Alani is a professional sub at her BDSM club, Limits, where she works. She does the accounting books by day and plays with various Doms by night. She is a masochist and only submits to a Dom in order to get the pleasure she draws from the pain they inflict. When Master Nathaniel, one of the club owners, witnesses her yawning and rolling her eyes during a scene, he decides she is need of re-training. He decides he should be her trainer.
I really enjoyed how Sierra portrayed Alani. She did a great job of making me understand what it did to Alani to receive the pain she do desperately wants and ultimately needs. She explained it as it hurts and you know it hurts, but it releases something in you. So you want it and crave it. The pain allows you to focus and let go of everything that is going on in your life. Master Nathaniel seems to do that for Alani. He says he's not a sadist. He truly just enjoys giving Alani want she needs for herself. And when she flies, he's enamored with her. She's unlike any submissive he's ever had. He's never collared a sub, but he wants it all with Alani.
Alani likes Master Nathaniel and his flogger wielding ways. She's a self-proclaimed pain slut so she tries to push Master Nathaniel's buttons to get him to punish her-thereby getting the pain she really wants. If she has to fake submitting for awhile then that's what she'll do. But Master Nathaniel is having none of it. He sees right through her manipulation and does exactly opposite of what Alani expects. He is a tough master and wants her to submit to him the proper way-not the way she's handled the weaker Doms at the club. As he expects more and more from Alani, he breaks down her emotional barriers one by one. They share a emotional connection so deep it literally scares both of them. Soon they do not want to be without the other. But is Alani ready to be all that Master Nathaniel wants of her??
I loved Master Nathaniel! Hot as hell and sex on a stick! The sex scenes are uber hot and left me needing a cold drink! Whew! Where can I find a Master Nathaniel?? I loved their romantic journey! As this is the first book of the Impulse series, I am hoping the next book involves Master Braxton and Karyn! I want him to be happy and at the end of this book, he's downright miserable!!
4.5 stars/4.5 flames
This book was gifted to me by the Jeep Diva for the express purpose of an honest review. That rating and review are solely my opinion.
November 15, 2016
AMAZING !!!! simplicity yet passionate story about what it takes to open up to someone and make yourself vulnerable to someone - to be able to love someone.
The magic of Sierra's writing brings us the story of Master Nathaniel and Alani - what starts as a reprimand ends as fight to bear the soul and lay claim on those feelings.
Its a perfect book that puts all those soul searching and insecurities out in the open for a reader to experience, from both sides, and what it means to find your match in every way and to put your faith into that person. Alani gets to find more about herself, her limits, wishes and what her preferences are - the wishes versus the reality of them. its a wake-up call to her and to Master Nathaniel as well and it demands the cards to be laid out in front of them. Nathaniel is your typical male, Mr. knows-it-all but Alani sneaks up on him and the feelings take him by the storm. I have to say that I love when the man is the first to figure out the feelings and sets the motions for the girl to catch up - the illusion of letting her chase him.
The sadism in this book is really good and the scene descriptions are perfection. You experience it not just reading, but it evokes real emotions ... now imagine reading this on a public bus :) fun times, but sooooooooooooooo worth it !!! I give recommendations where they are do !!
Its a wonderful story without too much addition but clear and direct and enticing !!! once you start it ... you stay hooked !!
can't wait for the other books in this series !!!!
The magic of Sierra's writing brings us the story of Master Nathaniel and Alani - what starts as a reprimand ends as fight to bear the soul and lay claim on those feelings.
Its a perfect book that puts all those soul searching and insecurities out in the open for a reader to experience, from both sides, and what it means to find your match in every way and to put your faith into that person. Alani gets to find more about herself, her limits, wishes and what her preferences are - the wishes versus the reality of them. its a wake-up call to her and to Master Nathaniel as well and it demands the cards to be laid out in front of them. Nathaniel is your typical male, Mr. knows-it-all but Alani sneaks up on him and the feelings take him by the storm. I have to say that I love when the man is the first to figure out the feelings and sets the motions for the girl to catch up - the illusion of letting her chase him.
The sadism in this book is really good and the scene descriptions are perfection. You experience it not just reading, but it evokes real emotions ... now imagine reading this on a public bus :) fun times, but sooooooooooooooo worth it !!! I give recommendations where they are do !!
Its a wonderful story without too much addition but clear and direct and enticing !!! once you start it ... you stay hooked !!
can't wait for the other books in this series !!!!
November 15, 2016
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~
I really enjoyed this book that launches a new series - there is a little world building, but in context and I am sure that much more will come out as the story develops.
I wasn't sure about Alani initially, but she definitely grows as a character, and we get a good idea of just what she enjoys about the lifestyle, and how Nathaniel can provide it. The plot is fairly straight forward, but that is rather refreshing, and meant that the attention was on the detail, rather than being distracted by a subplot. The blurring of the line between scene and every day worked really well, and gave Alani plenty to reflect upon as she remembers just why she sought out BDSM in the first place. Even the fairly instant chemistry works as it is in context.
Good book of the genre, with some interesting stories to come, I am sure.
I really enjoyed this book that launches a new series - there is a little world building, but in context and I am sure that much more will come out as the story develops.
I wasn't sure about Alani initially, but she definitely grows as a character, and we get a good idea of just what she enjoys about the lifestyle, and how Nathaniel can provide it. The plot is fairly straight forward, but that is rather refreshing, and meant that the attention was on the detail, rather than being distracted by a subplot. The blurring of the line between scene and every day worked really well, and gave Alani plenty to reflect upon as she remembers just why she sought out BDSM in the first place. Even the fairly instant chemistry works as it is in context.
Good book of the genre, with some interesting stories to come, I am sure.
July 3, 2012
Let me just say that the second half of the book was better than the first and that is why I am giving this 3 stars. I like BDSM books. I'm am not an expert on the genre by any means but I have come away from reading previous books feeling that even if I personally wouldn't live the lifestyle in RL that I would love to have certain men as my Doms if I ever changed my mind. This was not the case after meeting Nathaniel. I most definitely would not want this man as my Dom. To be fair though I didn't really connect with Alani either so the two of them as a couple just didn't really work for me. From my previous forays into BDSM books I came away feeling that in most cases the Sub had almost as much power and say as the Dom. I didn't get that feeling in this book until the very end, which was a little too late for me. Nathaniel just came off as a selfish, brute for much of the book IMO. Maybe this book better represents the lifestyle but I didn't care for it as a fiction romance as much as others that I have read.
August 5, 2012
I don't think this book was really my style at all.I just could not get into her need for pain for pleasure.
July 28, 2022
Not bad exactly but one of the weakest bdsm stories from this author. Couldn't connect with the Dom: Pretends to not be a sadist but damn was he brutal and into humiliation (if she wasn't a self proclaimed masochist I would have bailed). He is also supposed to be one of the best Tops at the Club but seriously lacks self control. And WTF was that proposal + blackmailing thrown at the sub when she was emotionally vulnerable? Non con at worst, frankly manipulative at best. Red flags if you meet a Dom or Master like that in real life. Just run away.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2017
DNF at 45%. Couldnt take it anymore. not into characters at all.
August 19, 2020
Whole story happens in one night. Whole book text is, almost is one night story. It's hard to connect with reality.
November 19, 2022
Well written as always. Good grammer and minimal spelling mistakes. I was in their world and I didn't want to leave.
November 15, 2016
When done well, BDSM romance has the ability to tantalise all of a readers senses. There is just something about the bond and trust with submission and domination that lays a great foundation for an enthralling romance story. In Shockwave, Sierra Cartwright’s latest BDSM novel and the first in the Impulse series, readers are treated to a no nonsense, dominant alpha and a strong female submissive that finds it hard to be fulfilled through her submissive encounters.
When Alani, a professional submissive, is busted yawning during a scene by Nathaniel, one of the owners of the BDSM club that she works at, she knows that she is in a world of trouble. A professional submissive is meant to give her all to the scene at hand. With her job in jeopardy, Alani is faced with a tough choice to keep her job.
Nathaniel does not expect anything but the best from the submissives employed at his club. But Alani presents him with a challenge. He had no desire to get involved with the wilful and stubborn sub but there is something about her that calls to his inner dominant. One scene between the two of them is all it takes to start a raging fire of tension between the pair. But can Nathaniel stay on course and retrain Alani, or will the submission prove to be a challenge to his heart?
I really enjoyed the story of Alani and Nathaniel. The way that both of these characters let go to find themselves through the act of BDSM was what kept me glued to this book. And as a fan of BDSM, I was drawn into the journey through this avenue. I connected with both characters, their struggles and their exploration of love, pain, pleasure and discovering who they were, what they really wanted and what it meant to them to accept.
The BDSM aspect of this book is not the slap and tickle of BDSM-light. Readers are taken on the very real journey of a sadist and a masochist. The play while not overtly extreme was more than just a spanking. But readers who love an indepth read of the Lifestyle will enjoy the scenes between these two. And man where these two hot when they came together. The tension was just about arcing off the page. The sex between them was electrifying. When combined with the power of BDSM it was memorising and I couldn’t help but get caught up in these two.
While it was evident from their very first encounter with each other that there was an instant attraction, to my delight there was an element of instalove in this book between Nathaniel and Alani.
I have yet to read a book by Sierra Cartwright that I have not enjoyed immensely. Her words capture the building of tension, sexual desire, the underlying character personality, the strength and pleasure in domination and submission and a great storyline, each and every time. The words are so well written and the storyline so on point that you don’t even realise that you are turning the pages so quickly. If you are a fan of BDSM romance that delves right into the Lifestyle, then you want to check out this book, and Sierra Cartwright in general.
For more reviews, preorders and new releasess
Redhot Romance Website
READ the magazine dedicated to ROMANCE
When Alani, a professional submissive, is busted yawning during a scene by Nathaniel, one of the owners of the BDSM club that she works at, she knows that she is in a world of trouble. A professional submissive is meant to give her all to the scene at hand. With her job in jeopardy, Alani is faced with a tough choice to keep her job.
Nathaniel does not expect anything but the best from the submissives employed at his club. But Alani presents him with a challenge. He had no desire to get involved with the wilful and stubborn sub but there is something about her that calls to his inner dominant. One scene between the two of them is all it takes to start a raging fire of tension between the pair. But can Nathaniel stay on course and retrain Alani, or will the submission prove to be a challenge to his heart?
I really enjoyed the story of Alani and Nathaniel. The way that both of these characters let go to find themselves through the act of BDSM was what kept me glued to this book. And as a fan of BDSM, I was drawn into the journey through this avenue. I connected with both characters, their struggles and their exploration of love, pain, pleasure and discovering who they were, what they really wanted and what it meant to them to accept.
The BDSM aspect of this book is not the slap and tickle of BDSM-light. Readers are taken on the very real journey of a sadist and a masochist. The play while not overtly extreme was more than just a spanking. But readers who love an indepth read of the Lifestyle will enjoy the scenes between these two. And man where these two hot when they came together. The tension was just about arcing off the page. The sex between them was electrifying. When combined with the power of BDSM it was memorising and I couldn’t help but get caught up in these two.
While it was evident from their very first encounter with each other that there was an instant attraction, to my delight there was an element of instalove in this book between Nathaniel and Alani.
I have yet to read a book by Sierra Cartwright that I have not enjoyed immensely. Her words capture the building of tension, sexual desire, the underlying character personality, the strength and pleasure in domination and submission and a great storyline, each and every time. The words are so well written and the storyline so on point that you don’t even realise that you are turning the pages so quickly. If you are a fan of BDSM romance that delves right into the Lifestyle, then you want to check out this book, and Sierra Cartwright in general.
For more reviews, preorders and new releasess
Redhot Romance Website
READ the magazine dedicated to ROMANCE
July 9, 2012
Finally a straight forward BDSM book focusing on the M more than the S.
Description:
The lovely Alani Dane, professional submissive has a thing or two to learn, and Master Nathaniel absolutely will be the one to teach her.
When he catches Alani yawning during a scene with one of Zones’ more prestigious members, club owner Master Nathaniel Stratton takes her bad behavior as a personal affront. Although he’s seldom in the country, the club’s success matters to Nathaniel and his partners. Nathaniel vows to personally deal with Alani, fraternization be damned.
The dangerous enigma that is Master Nathaniel alternately thrills and terrifies Alani. At heart, she’s no man’s submissive; she’s a masochist who craves beatings that will send her into subspace, make her forget. And she swoons under the bite of this dom’s punishing leather belt.
Nathaniel is determined to make her the perfect sub and shatter the emotional barriers she’s erected to keep her safe. But in a battle of wills, dominance, and submission, there can only be one victor, and Nathaniel will win, as soon as he puts Alani in the zone.
Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: anal play/intercourse, strong BDSM theme and elements
My Thoughts:
Sierra Cartwright took a different spin in the BDSM/Romance genre. Having her heroine focused more on the pain rather than the sub sides of BDSM. I did enjoy the story from that point of view but I felt the story was shallow and that didn't allow me to connect with the characters. I found several things confusing and the story rather rushed. It just didn't feel real to me and I couldn't "escape" into the story. Perhaps if it was a longer book so she could delve into Marcus/Karyn and AJ but there seemed to be undertones that I just couldn't connect with the story. She also eluded to Alani having a bad experience that left her scarred emotionally but we never really got what happened other than a bruised kidney. What makes her like pain?...Nathaniel was slightly more rounded but he seemed to do an about face so fast..it just didn't make sense. So for me the book was interesting. But a bit meh..
2.5 stars for me....would have liked more depth.
Description:
The lovely Alani Dane, professional submissive has a thing or two to learn, and Master Nathaniel absolutely will be the one to teach her.
When he catches Alani yawning during a scene with one of Zones’ more prestigious members, club owner Master Nathaniel Stratton takes her bad behavior as a personal affront. Although he’s seldom in the country, the club’s success matters to Nathaniel and his partners. Nathaniel vows to personally deal with Alani, fraternization be damned.
The dangerous enigma that is Master Nathaniel alternately thrills and terrifies Alani. At heart, she’s no man’s submissive; she’s a masochist who craves beatings that will send her into subspace, make her forget. And she swoons under the bite of this dom’s punishing leather belt.
Nathaniel is determined to make her the perfect sub and shatter the emotional barriers she’s erected to keep her safe. But in a battle of wills, dominance, and submission, there can only be one victor, and Nathaniel will win, as soon as he puts Alani in the zone.
Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: anal play/intercourse, strong BDSM theme and elements
My Thoughts:
Sierra Cartwright took a different spin in the BDSM/Romance genre. Having her heroine focused more on the pain rather than the sub sides of BDSM. I did enjoy the story from that point of view but I felt the story was shallow and that didn't allow me to connect with the characters. I found several things confusing and the story rather rushed. It just didn't feel real to me and I couldn't "escape" into the story. Perhaps if it was a longer book so she could delve into Marcus/Karyn and AJ but there seemed to be undertones that I just couldn't connect with the story. She also eluded to Alani having a bad experience that left her scarred emotionally but we never really got what happened other than a bruised kidney. What makes her like pain?...Nathaniel was slightly more rounded but he seemed to do an about face so fast..it just didn't make sense. So for me the book was interesting. But a bit meh..
2.5 stars for me....would have liked more depth.
November 15, 2016
This is one hot novel. It definitely is a BDSM novel but it is more than that. It’s the pure beauty of the D/s relationship, how deep a Dom can go with his sub , how he communicates with his sub and how deep he can get into his sub’s mind. Alani is a professional sub, where she works at a club and she submits physically to a number of Doms at the club. She is deeply into pain and she uses pain to block out emotional harm from her past. Her submission is physical but, when it comes to submitting emotionally, she is unable to do it. She ends up topping the Doms from the bottom and that’s a no no when you are a sub, especially when she gets them to hurt her physically with pain.
She’s witnessed yawning and rolling her eyes during a scene by one of the part owners of the club-- Master Nathaniel. He is very skilled as a Dom and also as a skilful sadis. He thinks he knows how to get Alani where she needs to be and all that needs is some retraining. So he decides he will take her own and fix that part of her that needs fixing and move on. No one planned on feelings coming into play and that is what happened. That happened when Nathaniel pushed way past her barriers and went deep into her past and found what those emotional things were that were holding her back. He helped Alani knock down those walls, those fortresses of emotion she has built up and when he helped her do that, a very deep emotional connection built up between them—do they want to break this connection or do they want to only strength this and make it unbreakable?
Man, let me tell you what I loved about this book. The sex is very hot, and the BDSM scenes are unmistakably super thrilling plot bit to read in this book. Nathaniel and Alani are one hot couple and their journey toward each other and her healing and his conflicts with staying together are angst ridden yet so beautiful, I loved every moment of this book and cant wait to see whats next up in the Impulse series.
My rating: 4.9 stars *****
"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
She’s witnessed yawning and rolling her eyes during a scene by one of the part owners of the club-- Master Nathaniel. He is very skilled as a Dom and also as a skilful sadis. He thinks he knows how to get Alani where she needs to be and all that needs is some retraining. So he decides he will take her own and fix that part of her that needs fixing and move on. No one planned on feelings coming into play and that is what happened. That happened when Nathaniel pushed way past her barriers and went deep into her past and found what those emotional things were that were holding her back. He helped Alani knock down those walls, those fortresses of emotion she has built up and when he helped her do that, a very deep emotional connection built up between them—do they want to break this connection or do they want to only strength this and make it unbreakable?
Man, let me tell you what I loved about this book. The sex is very hot, and the BDSM scenes are unmistakably super thrilling plot bit to read in this book. Nathaniel and Alani are one hot couple and their journey toward each other and her healing and his conflicts with staying together are angst ridden yet so beautiful, I loved every moment of this book and cant wait to see whats next up in the Impulse series.
My rating: 4.9 stars *****
"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
July 2, 2012
I enjoyed this book, and it was such a different BDSM story. By different, I mean it focused quite a bit on the S&M aspects of BDSM. I really liked the change. Sometimes I wonder if other authors are afraid to go there, or perhaps they don’t understand the urges enough to write about them. I think Sierra Cartwright did an excellent job of portraying this side of a BDSM relationship.
Alani doesn’t really understand where her need for pain comes from, only that she needs it to clear her head and to be able to think and function in her life. That is the reason she takes a job as a professional sub at a BDSM club. The problem is it’s all just pretend, and none of the Doms are meeting her needs—that is until she meets Nathanial. He seems to understand her better than she understands herself. His orders are outrageous and go against all of her training, and yet it proves to be exactly what she needs.
Nathanial is like the perfect man. Gorgeous—of course. Smart—definitely. Strong—oh yeah. Dominant—Hell yeah! But what makes him really perfect is he talks, and I don’t just mean about sports or idle chit chat. The man likes to talk about his feelings and insists Alani talk about hers (even though she would rather do almost anything else). This is one of the reasons I love fiction, where do we find men like this in real life. Seriously, it really gives the relationship more intimacy. Nathanial and Alani have known each other for a while but have only recently started a relationship. The fact that he forces them to communicate openly makes their week together feel more like years. It also helps him to understand Alani so he can give her what she needs.
There were a few parts of the story I found a bit shocking, and even a few parts where either the hero or heroine pissed me off. But overall I thought it was an excellent portrayal of a BDSM relationship. It may have been more intense than most but I thought the author provided enough insights to make it really engaging.
August 8, 2012
Great book, the only thing I don't like about this books is the time span which is 24 hours when the dom says she's mine.... I mean who makes a choice to make a woman or man there sub or mate in 24 hours or LESS ..... IT WAS... but this book was a struggle of the wills between the two man characters of course the Dom made the sub crawl to him in the end and beg to be collard and submit.
Great set, great communications between this dangerous and hard dom that alani needs.
The story starts when Master Nathaniel sees Alani yawn and roll her eye's when Master Richard or aka limp wrist is flogging her and calling her a saucy whench who has been naughty, Alani is board and a masochist, but she is also a sub and does not identify that about herself she just thinks she is in it for the pain.. NO RELATIONSHIPS is her terms...so when she is caught in this disrspectful action of rolling eyes and yawning wishing it was all over Master Nathaniel steps up during the scene and grabs her jaw and peers into those eyes and she is captivated and scared she will loose a job... after her scene is over Master Marcus calls her to the office and gives her 5 min. to be there but she is late. Master N. comes in and says I want a word alone with her, after the brash words he has for her he spanks her butt really good and gives her something to think on besides a nut... lol... so there it goes on..... she is asked to take a day off and decide what she wants to do with her job at zones stay or go. Master N. has other ideas he calls it retraining 'by him'... starting tonight and what a training.....
READ IT YOURSELF....
Great set, great communications between this dangerous and hard dom that alani needs.
The story starts when Master Nathaniel sees Alani yawn and roll her eye's when Master Richard or aka limp wrist is flogging her and calling her a saucy whench who has been naughty, Alani is board and a masochist, but she is also a sub and does not identify that about herself she just thinks she is in it for the pain.. NO RELATIONSHIPS is her terms...so when she is caught in this disrspectful action of rolling eyes and yawning wishing it was all over Master Nathaniel steps up during the scene and grabs her jaw and peers into those eyes and she is captivated and scared she will loose a job... after her scene is over Master Marcus calls her to the office and gives her 5 min. to be there but she is late. Master N. comes in and says I want a word alone with her, after the brash words he has for her he spanks her butt really good and gives her something to think on besides a nut... lol... so there it goes on..... she is asked to take a day off and decide what she wants to do with her job at zones stay or go. Master N. has other ideas he calls it retraining 'by him'... starting tonight and what a training.....
READ IT YOURSELF....
October 27, 2013
CLICK HERE FOR A FULL RECOMMENDATION COMPLETE WITH FAVORITE QUOTES
This is another favorite of mine. Definitely a classic that I’ve come back to over and over again. Master Nathaniel is one scary Dom because he sees right through Alani. He sees all the things she tries to hide, possibly even from herself. He’s not only dominant, but also sadistic = the hottest combination (according to me). The story is a fun, sexy, and fascinating battle of wills between Master Nathaniel and Alani, although she’s definitely at a disadvantage, being on the bottom and all. The sadomasochism in this book is so well done. It might be a little harsh, but it’s also a HUGE (har har) turn on. And Sierra Cartwright does a beautiful job of showing Alani’s point of view – showing how a masochist experiences pain as pleasure even when it hurts. That’s a convoluted sentence, isn’t it? It is somewhat. Cause obviously pain hurts, right? Well, mostly right…since it’s really not the same for masochists and, even among masochists, the experience of pain is vastly different. And that is what separates okay kink stories from awesome kink stories–getting into the characters’ heads and understanding their desires, feeling with them, being able to relate, and react with them. Understanding when pain is really pleasure…even when it hurts. But, really, what I’m saying is that I masturbated a lot to the anal scene and really wanted to be the one who got bound and flogged by Master Nathaniel. And you can too (masturbate and imagine, that is). Cause it’s that awesome.
This is another favorite of mine. Definitely a classic that I’ve come back to over and over again. Master Nathaniel is one scary Dom because he sees right through Alani. He sees all the things she tries to hide, possibly even from herself. He’s not only dominant, but also sadistic = the hottest combination (according to me). The story is a fun, sexy, and fascinating battle of wills between Master Nathaniel and Alani, although she’s definitely at a disadvantage, being on the bottom and all. The sadomasochism in this book is so well done. It might be a little harsh, but it’s also a HUGE (har har) turn on. And Sierra Cartwright does a beautiful job of showing Alani’s point of view – showing how a masochist experiences pain as pleasure even when it hurts. That’s a convoluted sentence, isn’t it? It is somewhat. Cause obviously pain hurts, right? Well, mostly right…since it’s really not the same for masochists and, even among masochists, the experience of pain is vastly different. And that is what separates okay kink stories from awesome kink stories–getting into the characters’ heads and understanding their desires, feeling with them, being able to relate, and react with them. Understanding when pain is really pleasure…even when it hurts. But, really, what I’m saying is that I masturbated a lot to the anal scene and really wanted to be the one who got bound and flogged by Master Nathaniel. And you can too (masturbate and imagine, that is). Cause it’s that awesome.
November 14, 2016
“I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.”
4 Teacups / 5 Handcuffs
Rene's Thoughts:
☞ I loved the way this novel started! We usually only get to witness scenes that go wrong or ones that the sub does not enjoy, when abuse is present; not out of boredom or a lackluster Dom.
☞ This is really a story about two people discovering just how perfect they are for one another. They fulfill each other's needs perfectly!
☞ Being a professional sub makes Alani a fascinating character to being with, but she also has intelligence and self knowledge; which in my mind is always an attractive quality. However, she may be too stubborn for her own good!
☞ Alani thinks she knows everything about the Dom/sub dynamic, but she learns that Dom's like to care for their subs and what true submission really is.
☞ Nathaniel knows what he's doing - even if he's a bit clueless when it comes to relationships! You can't help but be attracted to the firm, but loving Dom.
☞ They both know they are headed towards feelings for each other, and don't know what to do with about it! It's a nice change to have both of them clueless!
☞ Any mention of Julian Bonds is a plus in my book! I love it when an author's characters cross over into other series - it's like mentioning an old friend you haven't thought about in a long time.
☞ Note: Nathaniel brushing her hair is sexy as f*ck!
Happy Reading!
Blog Post: http://wp.me/p31uud-3DJ
4 Teacups / 5 Handcuffs
Rene's Thoughts:
☞ I loved the way this novel started! We usually only get to witness scenes that go wrong or ones that the sub does not enjoy, when abuse is present; not out of boredom or a lackluster Dom.
☞ This is really a story about two people discovering just how perfect they are for one another. They fulfill each other's needs perfectly!
☞ Being a professional sub makes Alani a fascinating character to being with, but she also has intelligence and self knowledge; which in my mind is always an attractive quality. However, she may be too stubborn for her own good!
☞ Alani thinks she knows everything about the Dom/sub dynamic, but she learns that Dom's like to care for their subs and what true submission really is.
☞ Nathaniel knows what he's doing - even if he's a bit clueless when it comes to relationships! You can't help but be attracted to the firm, but loving Dom.
☞ They both know they are headed towards feelings for each other, and don't know what to do with about it! It's a nice change to have both of them clueless!
☞ Any mention of Julian Bonds is a plus in my book! I love it when an author's characters cross over into other series - it's like mentioning an old friend you haven't thought about in a long time.
☞ Note: Nathaniel brushing her hair is sexy as f*ck!
Happy Reading!
Blog Post: http://wp.me/p31uud-3DJ
January 21, 2019
I've read other Sierra Cartwright books and this is no different. I like to read whatever I can get my hands on and as long as it's a good read and I feel emotionally vested, it's all good.
I keep looking for the second book in this series, but it's not out yet! Darn.
What I like about Sierra as an author is that when she writes, it all feels real. I'm out of the scene and have been for a long time, but I still have friends who tell me all about it. I passed on an anthology that I had with a story written by Sierra (if you're interested it's in Doms of Dark Haven, Western Nights. The story is A Good Sub Would...) to my girlfriend and she had told me that Sierra Cartwright is one of her favorite bdsm authors. Good to know that a lifestyle person loves the author. I've often wondered if Ms Cartwright herself lives the lifestyle.
What I liked about Shockwave is that it features a woman of color. As a woman of color myself, I get tired of reading about subs who are almost always NOT a woman color. The story is well paced, well thought out and overall a good, hot, read. The characters were likeable and approachable.
This is not a short story, not one that can be devoured in under 20 minutes. This is a story that had me coming back days later and re-reading the story, happy with it from start to end.
Overall, I would recommend this to friends, but not family. ;)
I keep looking for the second book in this series, but it's not out yet! Darn.
What I like about Sierra as an author is that when she writes, it all feels real. I'm out of the scene and have been for a long time, but I still have friends who tell me all about it. I passed on an anthology that I had with a story written by Sierra (if you're interested it's in Doms of Dark Haven, Western Nights. The story is A Good Sub Would...) to my girlfriend and she had told me that Sierra Cartwright is one of her favorite bdsm authors. Good to know that a lifestyle person loves the author. I've often wondered if Ms Cartwright herself lives the lifestyle.
What I liked about Shockwave is that it features a woman of color. As a woman of color myself, I get tired of reading about subs who are almost always NOT a woman color. The story is well paced, well thought out and overall a good, hot, read. The characters were likeable and approachable.
This is not a short story, not one that can be devoured in under 20 minutes. This is a story that had me coming back days later and re-reading the story, happy with it from start to end.
Overall, I would recommend this to friends, but not family. ;)
November 15, 2016
Shockwave is a satisfyingly sexy BDSM romance that left me with a big smile on my face. The storyline is fairly straightforward, fast paced and interesting - it kept my attention from start to finish. Both main characters were well drawn, likeable and easy to connect with. The BDSM scenes are intense, varied and hotter than hell. Although this relationship moved quickly, I still found it believable and I was rooting for the couple and wanted them to be happy together.
Master Nathaniel spots professional submissive Alani yawning during a scene with a client and decides to retrain her himself. He works hard to break down her barriers so he can claim her as his own. But although Alani loves the pain he can dish out, she hates having to submit. Can Nathaniel win his stubborn sub's heart and prove that submission can be freeing?
I really liked both of the main characters, especially Master Nathaniel - he is totally swoon worthy! He was very strict and dominant - but also very sweet and caring, he always put Alani's needs first. Their relationship and their journey to happiness was fascinating to read about, I absolutely loved their story. Shockwave receives five big stars.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Master Nathaniel spots professional submissive Alani yawning during a scene with a client and decides to retrain her himself. He works hard to break down her barriers so he can claim her as his own. But although Alani loves the pain he can dish out, she hates having to submit. Can Nathaniel win his stubborn sub's heart and prove that submission can be freeing?
I really liked both of the main characters, especially Master Nathaniel - he is totally swoon worthy! He was very strict and dominant - but also very sweet and caring, he always put Alani's needs first. Their relationship and their journey to happiness was fascinating to read about, I absolutely loved their story. Shockwave receives five big stars.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
November 8, 2016
Shockwave by Sierra Cartwright
Alani Dane is a professional submissive who works at the Limits club. During a scene she rolled her eyes and yawns. Not such a good thing to do when Master Nathaniel is watching. He decides he is going to teach her a lesson and he decides to re-train her. Nathaniel thrills and terrifies Alani all at the same time. Alani is fighting the attraction she has for her master. A Battle of wills ensues and we all know there can only be one victor. This is a BDSM story and both the protagonists are equally strong characters. Nathaniel is a demanding dominant and Alani is a masochist who needs pain. While there were parts of the story I enjoyed I did question that Alani was a professional sub as she seemed to Challenge Nathaniel all the time. The story was easy to read but I really did not feel the connection between the two characters. The plot had potential. There were just too many things that I questioned and I found the BDSM read like one story and the falling in love another story, but the two did not marry together. However there was nothing wrong with the writing and the scenes were definitely titillating.
Reviewed for Hot Books and Sassy Girls Book Blog
Alani Dane is a professional submissive who works at the Limits club. During a scene she rolled her eyes and yawns. Not such a good thing to do when Master Nathaniel is watching. He decides he is going to teach her a lesson and he decides to re-train her. Nathaniel thrills and terrifies Alani all at the same time. Alani is fighting the attraction she has for her master. A Battle of wills ensues and we all know there can only be one victor. This is a BDSM story and both the protagonists are equally strong characters. Nathaniel is a demanding dominant and Alani is a masochist who needs pain. While there were parts of the story I enjoyed I did question that Alani was a professional sub as she seemed to Challenge Nathaniel all the time. The story was easy to read but I really did not feel the connection between the two characters. The plot had potential. There were just too many things that I questioned and I found the BDSM read like one story and the falling in love another story, but the two did not marry together. However there was nothing wrong with the writing and the scenes were definitely titillating.
Reviewed for Hot Books and Sassy Girls Book Blog
November 17, 2016
This book is freaking amazing! Loved it very much.
BDSM. Communication. D/s relationship. Subspace. Love. Determination. Walls.
All these words only describe the basic’s of this book. The depth of how much a Dom can get into his role to care and give pleasure to his sub is explained in this book better than any I’ve ever read.
Alani has been hurt in the past. She likes pain but not the kind she’s had to deal with. She has a habit of topping from the bottom but in a way that gives her more pain than is required.
When Master Nathaniel see’s this along with her yawning during a scene he knows he has to do something. But the walls that Alani has built will be extremely hard for him to tear down. It turns out that she needs deep emotion and in giving her that her walls begin to fall. But how will this end? He breaks her down but can he build her back up? And what about his feelings in all this?
This is an emotional rollercoaster of a book. You seriously get all the feels. Anger, Happy, Passion…..and it’s definitely HOT!!! Burn your kindle up HOT!!!!! But it’s the closeness that a D/s relationship is supposed to be that makes me love this book so much.
Sierra, you have hit this one out of the park!!!!
Highly Recommend!!
BDSM. Communication. D/s relationship. Subspace. Love. Determination. Walls.
All these words only describe the basic’s of this book. The depth of how much a Dom can get into his role to care and give pleasure to his sub is explained in this book better than any I’ve ever read.
Alani has been hurt in the past. She likes pain but not the kind she’s had to deal with. She has a habit of topping from the bottom but in a way that gives her more pain than is required.
When Master Nathaniel see’s this along with her yawning during a scene he knows he has to do something. But the walls that Alani has built will be extremely hard for him to tear down. It turns out that she needs deep emotion and in giving her that her walls begin to fall. But how will this end? He breaks her down but can he build her back up? And what about his feelings in all this?
This is an emotional rollercoaster of a book. You seriously get all the feels. Anger, Happy, Passion…..and it’s definitely HOT!!! Burn your kindle up HOT!!!!! But it’s the closeness that a D/s relationship is supposed to be that makes me love this book so much.
Sierra, you have hit this one out of the park!!!!
Highly Recommend!!
June 29, 2012
Shadow's review posted on Guilty Pleasures
In this scorching hot offering by Sierra Cartwright, Alani is a professional sub in a BDSM Club as well as the club’s accountant. While she loves her job, she has gotten bored with pretending to be a sub in the scenes. When Nathanial, one of the club’s owners catches her yawning and rolling her eyes, he demands that she be retrained –under his direction.
After a bad experience, Alani has no desire to be either in a full time relationship or in a Dom/sub relationship-she serves as a sub for the pain. But the pain inflicted during the scenes no longer brings her the joy and relief it once did.
Nathanial is a contractor whose job takes him out of the country on a regular basis, and he has no desire for a full time relationship.
But as he takes over Alani’s re-training, they both find that what they thought they desired may not be what they really want.
The book contains some heavy duty BDSM scenes and pulls no punches about the pain Alani wants and receives. The characters are well drawn and the emotional connection between them is intense.
In this scorching hot offering by Sierra Cartwright, Alani is a professional sub in a BDSM Club as well as the club’s accountant. While she loves her job, she has gotten bored with pretending to be a sub in the scenes. When Nathanial, one of the club’s owners catches her yawning and rolling her eyes, he demands that she be retrained –under his direction.
After a bad experience, Alani has no desire to be either in a full time relationship or in a Dom/sub relationship-she serves as a sub for the pain. But the pain inflicted during the scenes no longer brings her the joy and relief it once did.
Nathanial is a contractor whose job takes him out of the country on a regular basis, and he has no desire for a full time relationship.
But as he takes over Alani’s re-training, they both find that what they thought they desired may not be what they really want.
The book contains some heavy duty BDSM scenes and pulls no punches about the pain Alani wants and receives. The characters are well drawn and the emotional connection between them is intense.
November 11, 2016
Review by: Jennifer
(3.75 stars)
This is book one in the Impulse series, so this is perfect time to start reading this if you are a fan of Sierra Cartwright.
Master Nathaniel catches Alani, who is a professional sub; meaning she is employed by the club to play a sub... being unprofessional. He then proceeds to call her out on her unprofessionalism, but he can see that she is not being.... well tested with the happenings in the club, she seems unhappy. Nathaniel feels there is much more to her then she is letting on.
Alani doesn't need Master Nathaniel butting in, everything is just fine, so what if she is a little bored with the last Master she worked with. When Nathaniel gives her an ultimatum of sorts will Alani take a chance, even if it means opening herself up?
So this being of the BDSM genre we get some really good sexy time scenes, hot, steamy, and not boring like I have found in some. I personally didn't feel the connect between the characters, the story line just sort of fell flat for me. I found myself not liking Alani all that much. This has a bit of drama, some spankings all the right kind. I give it 3.75 stars.
(3.75 stars)
This is book one in the Impulse series, so this is perfect time to start reading this if you are a fan of Sierra Cartwright.
Master Nathaniel catches Alani, who is a professional sub; meaning she is employed by the club to play a sub... being unprofessional. He then proceeds to call her out on her unprofessionalism, but he can see that she is not being.... well tested with the happenings in the club, she seems unhappy. Nathaniel feels there is much more to her then she is letting on.
Alani doesn't need Master Nathaniel butting in, everything is just fine, so what if she is a little bored with the last Master she worked with. When Nathaniel gives her an ultimatum of sorts will Alani take a chance, even if it means opening herself up?
So this being of the BDSM genre we get some really good sexy time scenes, hot, steamy, and not boring like I have found in some. I personally didn't feel the connect between the characters, the story line just sort of fell flat for me. I found myself not liking Alani all that much. This has a bit of drama, some spankings all the right kind. I give it 3.75 stars.
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