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The Sale
When curiosity for the forbidden gets the better of him, Steven Walsh, an abolitionist living in a slave state, purchases a slave, John. A highly submissive slave who prizes protocol, obedience and strict adherence to rules, John’s raison d’être is to be the perfect slave. However, Steven wants to elevate John to an equal social standing and be friends.
Steven’s girlfriend is enraged at his impulsive purchase, until she recognizes the advantages of having an incredibly handsome, submissive man whose only desire is to please. While Steven and John engage in a delicate dance of dominance and submission that questions what it means to obey or control, Steven’s girlfriend knows she likes to be the one in charge.
Meanwhile, theater owner, Frederick Hespenheide attends the same state slave auction for the tenth year, searching for uniqueness among the well trained and docile slaves. He finds Aaron, whose individuality and attention seeking behaviors have been rewarded only with punishment.
Aaron is thrilled to discover the pageantry of the theater. He takes instantly to his new home. Unfortunately, the rigid society outside of the theater sets harsh consequences for slaves who overstep their bounds. A harmless night of drinking with the cast lands Aaron in jail, charged with the rape of a free woman.
While his Master must call on his financial and political resources to secure a trial for his wayward slave, Aaron meets a friend and love interest in prison, Sugar. Jaded, sarcastic and determined to live according to her own rules, she finds Aaron’s innocence amusing.
Frederick fights to free his slave, while his feelings for his rambunctious charge grow deeper. Determined to hold to his ethics and honor as a gentleman, Frederick encourages Aaron’s relationship with Sugar. While he may rescue his slave from prison, he cannot protect his slave or himself from falling in love.
Steven’s girlfriend is enraged at his impulsive purchase, until she recognizes the advantages of having an incredibly handsome, submissive man whose only desire is to please. While Steven and John engage in a delicate dance of dominance and submission that questions what it means to obey or control, Steven’s girlfriend knows she likes to be the one in charge.
Meanwhile, theater owner, Frederick Hespenheide attends the same state slave auction for the tenth year, searching for uniqueness among the well trained and docile slaves. He finds Aaron, whose individuality and attention seeking behaviors have been rewarded only with punishment.
Aaron is thrilled to discover the pageantry of the theater. He takes instantly to his new home. Unfortunately, the rigid society outside of the theater sets harsh consequences for slaves who overstep their bounds. A harmless night of drinking with the cast lands Aaron in jail, charged with the rape of a free woman.
While his Master must call on his financial and political resources to secure a trial for his wayward slave, Aaron meets a friend and love interest in prison, Sugar. Jaded, sarcastic and determined to live according to her own rules, she finds Aaron’s innocence amusing.
Frederick fights to free his slave, while his feelings for his rambunctious charge grow deeper. Determined to hold to his ethics and honor as a gentleman, Frederick encourages Aaron’s relationship with Sugar. While he may rescue his slave from prison, he cannot protect his slave or himself from falling in love.
- GenresLGBT
296 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 16, 2020
26 people are currently reading
430 people want to read
About the author
Mira O'Hart
5 books13 followersMira O'Hart grew up in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania in Schuylkill County. She attended college at West Chester University and The Pennsylvania State University and holds degrees in Journalism, Psychology, and Education. In addition to books and coffee, Mira loves animals. She has two cats that love to curl up on her as she writes in her favorite recliner. Mira also enjoys traveling. Her favorite destinations so far have been Greece and Italy. She hopes to travel to Egypt and to Germany, where many of her ancestors hailed from.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 26, 2020
This book is a bundle of contradictions and I loved (almost) every one of them. Let’s face it, the story is niche. It’s idiosyncratic and revels in it. I had absolutely no idea where the story arc was going but I was along for the ride every step of the way.
What I like about this book is that it kept me off balance, there’s uncertainty, unpredictably, and an exploration of how we create our own narrative to justify the imposition of societal violence.. I was reminded of the allegory of Plato’s cave.and how we make sense of the world based on our own reality.
The story focuses on john as he tries to adapt to his master’s lack of protocol and on aaron whose exuberance is both a blessing and a curse. Both in temperament and expectation these guys are very different and it is an interesting contrast to follow their progress as their respective dramas unfold.
I did not feel the book had quite enough depth or consistency to merit five stars, sometimes it slipped towards a three star read - a touch too contrived for my liking, but my goodness it kept my interest from the first to the last page and I look forward to to reading more about this particular universe.
The blurb says it is “a dark BDSM romance where the focus is on the D/S relationship...” Nope.
It definitely has dark elements, and yes it focuses on
D/s relationships. There’s a sprinkling of romance too, but no, I would not class this as a BDSM Romance.
For those seeking romance I don’t think there’s as much as you may hope. For those seeking the coerced objectification that’s not what this is either this is probably not to your taste either.
I personally found the book un-put-down-able and I read it into the wee small hours of the night and at every conceivable opportunity I could find, rooting for the protagonists and wondering what would befall them next. In my opinion it is not always entirely believable (yes aaron I’m looking at you) but minor niggles aside I’m delighted I stumbled across it.
What I like about this book is that it kept me off balance, there’s uncertainty, unpredictably, and an exploration of how we create our own narrative to justify the imposition of societal violence.. I was reminded of the allegory of Plato’s cave.and how we make sense of the world based on our own reality.
The story focuses on john as he tries to adapt to his master’s lack of protocol and on aaron whose exuberance is both a blessing and a curse. Both in temperament and expectation these guys are very different and it is an interesting contrast to follow their progress as their respective dramas unfold.
I did not feel the book had quite enough depth or consistency to merit five stars, sometimes it slipped towards a three star read - a touch too contrived for my liking, but my goodness it kept my interest from the first to the last page and I look forward to to reading more about this particular universe.
The blurb says it is “a dark BDSM romance where the focus is on the D/S relationship...” Nope.
It definitely has dark elements, and yes it focuses on
D/s relationships. There’s a sprinkling of romance too, but no, I would not class this as a BDSM Romance.
For those seeking romance I don’t think there’s as much as you may hope. For those seeking the coerced objectification that’s not what this is either this is probably not to your taste either.
I personally found the book un-put-down-able and I read it into the wee small hours of the night and at every conceivable opportunity I could find, rooting for the protagonists and wondering what would befall them next. In my opinion it is not always entirely believable (yes aaron I’m looking at you) but minor niggles aside I’m delighted I stumbled across it.
April 27, 2022
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. On the cover, it says “a BDSM romance” but I didn’t see any iota of romance throughout the whole book, and I was looking for it! Overall, the story was well written minus a few errors. I did notice that the slaves’ names where not capitalized at the beginning which was hard to get used to at first, but I understand the style choice now. I really liked both john and adam, but I kind-of felt like we could’ve used more. The chapters were also pretty long, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing but I just felt like if they were a little shorter (but maybe more of them to offset that), then it would be s smoother read.
January 21, 2020
Enjoyable Weekend Read that's not for everyone
This book was a enjoyable weekend read. I have to admit that the setup for the world this novel takes place in is a bit confusing but the story of Aaron just made me smile every time I read his chapters. He's such a adorable character that makes this book a fun read. However do to the subject matter of BDSM and D/s it's not for everyone.
This book was a enjoyable weekend read. I have to admit that the setup for the world this novel takes place in is a bit confusing but the story of Aaron just made me smile every time I read his chapters. He's such a adorable character that makes this book a fun read. However do to the subject matter of BDSM and D/s it's not for everyone.
May 6, 2022
I won this novel in a GoodReads giveaway.
It has dark elements and focuses o n D/s relationships. Not a BDSM Romance for me.
this book kept me uncertain about some of the story but it was a good read.
It has dark elements and focuses o n D/s relationships. Not a BDSM Romance for me.
this book kept me uncertain about some of the story but it was a good read.
dnf
February 3, 2022I won this novel in a GoodReads giveaway. Thank you to GoodReads and Mira O'Hart .
To be honest, I have never read a published novel with BDSM themes, and decided to give it a try when I entered the giveaway. After the first chapter, I realized this was not a trope for me, and I stopped reading at 50%.
The story focuses on john and adam, two slaves that are sold on the same day. While john is considered a very desirable submissive slave, adam is head strong and impetuous in nature. john is bought by someone unskilled on impulse, while adam is bought by someone very experienced. What made me really uncomfortable was the amount of alcohol consumed, which led to poor decisions/actions. It didn’t feel very safe for either slave.
The story is well written. There is a lot of excellent world building. The author certainly knows how to write a chapter cliffhanger!
To be honest, I have never read a published novel with BDSM themes, and decided to give it a try when I entered the giveaway. After the first chapter, I realized this was not a trope for me, and I stopped reading at 50%.
The story focuses on john and adam, two slaves that are sold on the same day. While john is considered a very desirable submissive slave, adam is head strong and impetuous in nature. john is bought by someone unskilled on impulse, while adam is bought by someone very experienced. What made me really uncomfortable was the amount of alcohol consumed, which led to poor decisions/actions. It didn’t feel very safe for either slave.
The story is well written. There is a lot of excellent world building. The author certainly knows how to write a chapter cliffhanger!
May 26, 2023
Not something I typically lean towards when selecting literature to read, however, wanted to support a fellow indie author. Been struggling lately to find something that keeps my interest, but this book was able to overcome that hurdle. Took getting used to slaves' john and aaron's name being lower cased, but grasped the concept. Something different that goes against the norm. I like originality. I was not fond of the long chapters. Dislike any concept that uses abuse as submission. It was not overly graphic, just the point made. The author's writing style gives enough description to make the reader emersed in the environment. Take an honest chance in reading, you might be surprised.
August 25, 2021
Horrific What If told well
While not my cup of tea, this is an odd and well spoken description of how depraved and inhumane society could become.
If today we lived as Romans did.
In nothing else this tale make reality seem far less than it could. For that it's an interesting fantasy.
While not my cup of tea, this is an odd and well spoken description of how depraved and inhumane society could become.
If today we lived as Romans did.
In nothing else this tale make reality seem far less than it could. For that it's an interesting fantasy.
November 11, 2024
Just don't...
June 16, 2025
1st Read 12/23- 5/5
2nd Read 6/25- 5/5 This type of story just presses all the right buttons for me! Well written, characters were expressed well, and there was a perfect amount of problems and solutions. Although there is extreme amounts of submission, I wouldn't classify this as "bdsm", although I get why the author did. The mcs are definitely willing, but as they were raised in an institution and not offered another option, it felt more like slave fic than bdsm. I also wouldn't qualify this as a romance, as the mcs don't get together. They definitely build up their relationships, but it hasn't turned romantic yet.
2nd Read 6/25- 5/5 This type of story just presses all the right buttons for me! Well written, characters were expressed well, and there was a perfect amount of problems and solutions. Although there is extreme amounts of submission, I wouldn't classify this as "bdsm", although I get why the author did. The mcs are definitely willing, but as they were raised in an institution and not offered another option, it felt more like slave fic than bdsm. I also wouldn't qualify this as a romance, as the mcs don't get together. They definitely build up their relationships, but it hasn't turned romantic yet.
February 11, 2022
I enjoyed the way the author wrote the contrasting characters. The story was well written and interesting. I'm looking forward to what lies ahead.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews