Divine Solace

Nature of Desire #8

by Joey W. Hill

Book 8 in the Nature of Desire series.

After too many failed relationships, Gen has settled into a quiet, acceptable life as a middle-aged single woman. But then she meets Mistress Lyda and her sexy male sub Noah, and the two of them give her a different view of “acceptable”—as well as a renewed longing for the type of love and romance she thought had passed her by.
Gen has been Marguerite Winterman’s employee at Tea Leaves for some time, and has a close relationship with the reserved, intimidating woman. It isn’t until Mistress Lyda steps into her life that Gen understands why she’s always felt safe under Marguerite’s direction. And with the intriguing Noah guiding her in the world of Domination/submission, Gen’s about to discover a new way to love—and live.
Inside Scoop: Gen’s journey includes references to male/male relationships and a beautifully erotic portrayal of two women falling in love within the ménage

Genres: BDSM, Romance, Erotica, Menage, Erotic Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

448 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 21, 2014

About the author

"BDSM Romance for the Heart & Soul"

A submissive herself, Hill brings authenticity to her intensely emotional BDSM love stories. With over fifty titles and seven series, her contemporary and paranormal romances feature everything from billionaires, bikers, SEALs, firefighters, cops and housemaids, to vampires, mermaids, witches and angels.

"Joey translates the world of BDSM with such intense power and exquisite beauty. LOVE is the most powerful element entwined through the Dominance and submission.” –Goodreads, Pink Lady

Joey is the recipient of the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award for Erotic Romance, and she loves to hear from her readers!

If you're on Bookbub, she'd love for you to follow her:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/joey-...

You can also find her here:
Website: storywitch.com
Facebook: @JoeyWHillAuthor
MeWe: mewe.com/i/joeywhill
Twitter: @JoeyWHill

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars. Review posted March 27, 2014







Considering how much I adore Joey's work, writing this review rant wasn't a walk in the park for me. As a matter of fact, I've been wide awake at 3 am and then at 4 am I decided to get up and put my "review" together. This book caused me a stomach ache. I apologize in advance for the overuse of the term „effin”. So let me get down to business.

I popped my F/F/M (or F/M/F) cherry by reading Divine Solace. Having been 50 % or 60 % in I thought I’d made a very big mistake. I felt girl-on-girl smexin’ wasn’t my cup of tea and seeing Lyda and Gen “in action” provided some kind of epiphany in the form of me telling myself a couple times yuck. No, scratch that. Double yuck (pun intended). It was a turn-off. On the other hand, when I put everything into perspective a little bit later, I thought that even though I’m definitely very dick-oriented, I might give that girl-on-girl thing another chance. Erm…probably not right now because I really need to disassociate myself from that wretched experience first. What clearly ruined Divine Solace for me was Lyda. It all began and ended with her. I feel very strongly about Lyda but unfortunately in a very negative way. I don’t apologize for whipping out so many unflattering attributes to describe that woman. Mean, cold, manipulative, callous and insensitive. If anyone could make hell freeze over it would be Lyda. In fact, I'm very surprised she isn't comatose yet due to all the coldness that emanates off her in waves. Her body temperature must be life-threateningly low. At 56 % I was ready to strangle that bitch. I think that was the scene where she hit Gen in the face because Gen didn’t respond “properly” when she wanted to suck Lyda's tits. BTW, Gen was totally unaware that she made a "mistake", hence Lyda's "reminder". Thank you, Lyda, you're such a class act. *gags* When I say I highly disliked her then it’s the effin’ understatement of the year. Without doubt Lyda is one of the most unlikable heroines that I’ve had the misfortune to meet as a romance reader. So I guess if it hadn’t been for Lyda, I could have somehow enjoyed the girl-on-girl action.

Divine Solace started off promising. Granted, Lyda came off as “weird” and aloof from the beginning and I wasn’t quite sure how I’d be feeling about her for the long haul, but when Noah and Gen met for the first time and I could feel their mutual attraction, it reassured me greatly. Seeing Noah and Gen interact and getting it on was utterly hot and erotic! The emotional pull between these two was strong; they formed a beautiful couple and had some great chemistry. I loved it! But the more I read the less I liked the story, and my good feelings started to vanish into thin air. My favorite scene was when Noah and Gen made love at the beach. I could feel all the great vibes, lots of emotion and I was clearly in a fabulous place. Hence I’m sure that I would have enjoyed the story way more if Lyda had been taken out of the equation. I. Wanted. Her. Gone. Lyda, take an effin' hike!

As you can see I didn’t dislike the entire book. I also found some beautiful quotes and most of the time the writing was very good.







It's almost not believable that something lovely like this came out of Lyda's mouth...


Lyda stated numerous times It’s your choice and yet she did insist that she KNEW exactly what Gen needed. I felt she was manipulating her. One of the best examples was a specific club scene where she offered Gen a deal. Gen wanted to see if she's a Domme. She wanted to explore that at the club. At first Lyda wasn't very enthusiastic but of course she knows exactly how to change a situation to her favor. A bitter pill transformed to sweet candy, so to speak. Therefore Lyda let Gen f@ck her pet and as a quid pro quo Lyda fucked Gen up the ass at the same time. Lyda shouldn’t have felt hurt or pissed off when a dizzy and VERY CONFUSED Gen turned to Noah for aftercare instead of her considering how effin’ insensitive and cold Lyda acted all the effin’ time. Naturally it’s Gen who takes the blame for acting “selfish”. I couldn’t effin’ believe this! Gen said that she was in over her head, it was a lot to process, to figure out and she ended up confused. I don’t think that Lyda provided enough support to help her get through all that. Besides, it’s not nearly enough telling her she needs her control yadda, yadda, yadda.

I'm still processing what Gen experienced in Divine Solace. She must have felt like a girl in a candy store or is it more accurate when I say she entered a lion's den? She lived her whole life as a vanilla girl, she'd been divorced twice and was used to making the "wrong" choices. It was utterly mind-boggling what our vanilla girl Gen did within such a brief span of time...of course with useful and gracious assistance of Cold Bitch Lyda. Can you hear my sarcasm? I could compare it to my thinking about doing a bungee jump and then 30 minutes later I take the plunge from a high bridge. Mind you, I never did that and never will because it scares the heck outta me. Call me a wimp but I’ve decided it’s not worth the thrill. Of course that’s not the way it works in romance books. H/h (or in this story h/h/H) have to end up in their expected positions—Domme “takes care”, “cherishes” and “controls” two subs and they live happily ever after.
Also, right from the start Gen could take anything Lyda dished out. She flogged the living daylights out of her, so much so that Noah had to safeword the scene because Gen didn’t have one. But Gen actually asked for more before Noah safeworded. I. Couldn’t. Effin’. Believe. It!

I really liked Noah a lot and the way he instinctively knew how Gen felt was admirable. The way he cared for her was beautiful. Noah is very generous, kind, sexy and handsome. His selfless personality does have some great pros but also some cons. I just couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that Noah wouldn’t want to defend himself. His former Dom Elias abused him, injured him severely so he had to be hospitalized. Immediately upon his release he went back to that asshat. Noah was physically strong enough so he could have stood up for himself and yet he didn’t want to. Yep, Noah preferred Elias treating him like a piece of shit instead of raising his own fists in self-defense. Whatever a Dom or Domme decided to do to him, with him or for him was simply fine by Noah. He was convinced that he deserved it and it wasn't his choice to make. Of course that also included a life outside the realm of a club. Elias treated him like an effin’ doormat and Noah accepted it. Seriously?



Noah’s mind was totally messed up and he needed professional help in the form of a very good shrink way more than healing through kink. I never got the impression that Lyda was capable to really help him. Acting like a hard-ass drill sergeant didn't provide the support to fix his problems. Lyda mentioned that he needs saving from himself, there’s a wire that needs to be repaired and it will happen with the right person he’s meant to be with. Lyda thought she’d be that person but of course after having seen Noah interact and fuck with Gen she thought it needed two people to do that. Uh huh. Gen came in quite handy. Talk about a divine providence...

Then Noah totally freaked out when his former Dom trashed Lyda’s guest house where Noah was living. Lyda came to Noah but didn’t hold him. She did not comfort him and kept her distance. I want to see some effin’ emotion, some effin' affection for f?&%!!£*"??!!!+"*@$ sake!!! She’s a woman but acts like a cold and heartless robot and everything she does or demands is justified because she KNOWS what Noah needs. Really? Well, she soothed Noah by ordering him into the cage which is situated under her huge bed. Instead of memories caging him up, it’s that cage that provides…erm…security and protection. Yeah, whatever. I get the meaning but still. And of course Noah had to be punished for throwing a tantrum. But again, he NEEDS it and at the same time Gen had to be punished for…hmm… probably the kiss that Gen shared with Marguerite to figure out if it’s transference…not sure anymore what the punishment was about. That happened at the same time they had to prepare dinner under the mean eye of their Mistress…gee, Baba, are we in a slight bitch mode today? Yep, I feel somewhat bitchy but I also feel entitled to my effin' bitchiness. Let me get back to the topic at hand, though. Dinner turned out to be another kink fest. While wearing certain "torture" devices, they had to arrange the rice at ten o’clock and it had to be shaped in a specific form (oblong?). WTF? Is she OCD or should that have been another "arousing punishment”? I, for one, didn't feel aroused. And then another f@ck scene followed suit I couldn't have cared less about and I was honestly at a point where I wanted to DNF the book because I was so effin' upset! Then again, I told myself I had to suck it up like a real sub and finish the book. Jesus Christ on a crutch. Just to witness more animalistic, unemotional, unerotic f@@@ing. What a turn-off. One thing’s for sure, while I enjoyed the smexy times in the beginning of Divine Solace, a huge majority of the sex scenes didn’t do anything for me. Gen f@@@ing Noah with a strap-on while at the same time Lyda had been f@@@ing Gen with another strap-on was just one. Big. Yuck. I guess I prefer real dick.



And don't get me started on how the ILY's were voiced. Does it get any more AWKWARD? Is it all right that I love you? (or some such) That's something a kid would ask. And the cherry on top was that cheesy OTT drama that took place around 94% and the mind-boggling resolution at 96%. Seriously? Yeah, no shrink necessary when all it takes is a life and death situation (the car accident in the mountains around 84%) and kink to heal Noah’s messed up mind. I’m very sorry but it didn’t add up at all. Lyda’s weak efforts at being somewhat more affectionate towards the end of the story felt utterly awkward and not credible. And last but not least the epilogue was too corny.

What I loved were the scenes that included Marguerite or Tyler.

"He's an irrevocably straight male," Marguerite said dryly. "Giving him the opportunity to watch two women kiss is nothing that requires an apology." (I loved the kiss between M and Gen. Gen needed to explore her confused feelings and asked M to kiss her in order to exclude transference.)

Tyler and Marguerite:
"You have to let them figure it out, angel."
She arched a brow. "Because you never push your own agenda on someone or interfere with the natural course of things."
"Of course not. But when the natural course of things can be helped along by my will…" He shrugged. "God does it all the time."
"I'm sure Satan does the same thing."
"Imitation is the best form of flattery."
"I'd like to say I'm surprised you'd compare yourself to God or Lucifer, but that would be a waste of breath."
(…)
"I have a far better use for your breath."
She smiled against his mouth, let the kiss take her under, relying on his strength to hold her up as her knees weakened, as they always did when he kissed her. Not that she'd ever tell him that.
He already knew.
When he lifted his head, she gave him an amused look, despite the rapid trip of her pulse.
"Was that a marking thing? Making sure Gen's kiss isn't the one I carry around for the rest of the day?"
"My wife knows me well."

Tyler…there can be only one. He’s the smart, charismatic and sexy Southern gentleman and class act who emanates power to the nth. And his amber tiger eyes are unforgettable. Love him to pieces! Meeting Marguerite and Tyler brought all the wonderful memories back that I’ll always hold very close to my heart. I also realized that Lyda lacked something utterly essential that Marguerite has in spades: CHARISMA.

WARNING
Divine Solace contains plenty of explicit and kinky sex (M/F, F/F, F/F/M, M/F/M), explicit language, voyeurism, public play, and toys (strap-ons, ball gag and other toys), a cage and bondage.


My ranking:
Mirror of My Soul (Tyler and Marguerite) 5 stars
Rough Canvas (Marcus and Thomas) 5 stars
Ice Queen (Tyler and Marguerite) 5 stars
Branded Sanctuary (Brendan and Chloe) 4.5 stars
Natural Law (Mac and Violet) 4 stars
Holding The Cards (Josh and Lauren; Marcus) 4 stars
Divine Solace 1.5 stars

I have not read Mistress of Redemption.


A thankyou goes to Glam for doing the buddy read with me! <333 xxx
Here is the link to her review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


http://baba.booklikes.com

[Glamdring · Rating 1 out of 5]

*Buddy reading with my friend Baba <3 <3 <3*

DNF at 68%

I'm really sorry to say that, but for me this book was all kind of messed up.

Even thought I couldn't finish the book, I would like to thank my friend Baba for asking me to buddy read it with her because without her, after reading the blurb I would just have dismissed the book, and I think that from time to time it's good to explore outside of our comfort zones.

Even if girl on girl action never appealed to me, as Rough Canvas is one of my top 5 all time favorite books as well as my first MM, I though that JWH could overwrite my prejudices. Also, in Afterlife there is a short warm and playful after care scene involving Dana and the other heroines so I really thought that JWH could pull it off. Unfortunately she didn't.

I would like to start with the writing. One of the things I usually love while reading Joey W. Hill books is the beauty of her writing. I'm not going to say that it was bad because it wasn't but although there were some beautiful quotes this book doesn't have the emotional weight of some of her other books and at times the writing was kind of tedious. It's a feeling difficult to explain so I'll just say that maybe sometimes simplicity and less are really the way to go.

Lets move to the characters. This book is a ménage so we have 3 main protagonists, Noah, Gen and Lyda.

Noah.
"I can't," he repeated fiercely. "One person says that makes me a gift, another says I'm damaged and I'm banned from their club." His hands closed into fists. "Someone else tells me I need to be this or that, and none of it is supposed to be about me. I'm everything someone needs me to be, until I'm not, and then I can't stop it or change it. I can't think about it. I just can't."

Even though he is really messed up, as in "he truly is in dire need of a psychiatrist help" messed up kind of way, Noah was my favorite character.

He's a hardcore submissive, which means that he doesn't do a thing without Lyda's consent. "Whatever my Mistress wants is what I wish" is his credo, the kind of sentence that totally freaks me out.

He's teaching sailing at the community college, but also works in Lyda's nursery and has other odd jobs, so he obviously knows how to earn money but whatever he earns he gives it all to Lyda for his keep. He lives with her, in her house, but no evidence of it can be seen and all his belongings fit in a canvas bag. He doesn't do "papers", which means that among other things that even though he knows how to drive he doesn't have a driving licence.

He is immensely charismatic and hot. And last but not least he is appallingly indifferent to what may or may not happens to him.

"I love touching you," she said. "You're so pretty."
When he gave her a pained look, she laughed. "I didn't mean that in an unmanly way. You're beautiful, Noah. It's not just a physical thing. There's something about you; it's really kind of mesmerizing. Like a drug, but not. More like a feeling of happiness. Like being out on the sailboat when everything is working right. You're a living, breathing, perfect moment."

"He's an excessive nurturer, to the point he could be mistaken for a Dom. His form of submission is like an ocean wave, holding you down. Which makes him an excellent partner to work with a Mistress. It also makes him insanely indifferent to himself."

"The care it took to do that, to step outside oneself and make someone else matter more was something neither of her husbands had given her. Noah gave it to her in ways large and small, and the smaller things held more significance."

The problem is, nobody is taking care of Noah. He really does need help beyond what the BDSM practice can provide and it boggles my mind that nobody seems aware of it. I mean Doms and Dommes pride themselves on knowing what is good or not for their subs and still, here we have Noah, totally neglected. It hurts.

Gen.
She was a decent character but to be honest I had a hard time keeping up with her. She works for Marguerite (Ice Queen and Mirror of My Soul) at Tea Leaves. She is a thirty something two times divorced woman, but for me at times she seemed old – not thirty something mature, plain old – and at other times she was acting like a teenager.

She'd picked two wrong men. They'd reduced her to poverty, stripped her self-esteem, and made her doubt her ability to find love.
[...]She'd been a tool, a means to an end. No, worse. Betrayal meant you were nothing to the betrayer...

Because she's close to Marguerite and Chloe, she has small glimpses into the BDSM world but she never put a foot in a fetish club. She is straight, vanilla and doesn't do pain, but in less than two weeks she embraces her bi, submissive and masochist new shinny self. What. The. Hell ?!?!?!

As I said, Gen is a decent character, unfortunately she gave me a lot of WTH ?!?!?! moments. The mildest was when she assumed that Lyda washed her clothes and prepared her breakfast. I mean, hellooooo? We are talking about Lyda, here. Or did she miss how Lyda introduced her Noah? Or maybe she forgot the previous week-end she actually spent with Noah? *rolls eyes*

She divorced her two husbands because they weren't treating her right and one of them was beating on her. And in chapter six she says that she isn't into pain but during her first session Lyda flogs her really hard and at some point asks her if she wants more, and Gen actually answers "yes". Finally Noah had to use his safeword to make Lyda stop. Again: WTH ?!?!?!

If that wasn't enough, the next morning, Gen go to meet Lyda where she's teaching fitness classes, they are in the locker room after the classe and this happened:
In this position, Lyda's naked breasts were close to Gen's eye level. As she watched, Lyda cupped and fondled them. Gen moistened her lips, her breath shortening.
"I can see this getting you hotter, Gen. Do you want to suck on my nipples?"
Gen nodded. Then Jumped as Lyda, quick as a striking snake, slapped her face. A controlled strike, hard enough to snap Gen's head to the right and make her wide-eyed. Yet the woman remained as self-possessed as ever as she returned that offending hand back to the enviable task of stroking her own breast.
"You don't nod or shake your head to me, Gen, like I'm your equal. Not right now. Now let me ask again. Do you want to suck on my nipples?"
She's just told herself she found Lyda's cruelty arousing, but the direct evidence of it still startled her. The heat of her handprint flowed straight down Gen's body like a lava burn. Her Mistress had forgiven her and administered a short, sharp punishment. Balance was a key that unlocked desire.

Wow!!! And this happens within 2 weeks of Gen and Lyda first encounter. And again: WTH ?!?!?!

But whatever, let's move on.

Lyda.
What a despicable sadistic manipulative cold bitch!

I really do love strong, independent and capable heroines but to the exception of 2, I have a hard time standing dominatrix heroines. As far as I'm concerned, they just can't pull it off.

"A good Domme never does what a sub doesn't truly, deeply want." Whenever that kind of sentence goes out of a Domme's mouth, in 99% of the case for me it's just crap because sooner than later their actions will contradict it. And to that regard, Lyda didn't disappoint because first and foremost, if she really did what Noah truly, deeply needed she would have made him consult.

"Taking care of his cock so I have use of it whenever I wish is an important priority for a male sub."

"You said being a Dom is about really knowing what the other person wants and needs, but what does it mean when you hold back on that, not for them, but to protect yourself? How is that different from being a cruel bastard who can't put down the cable remote and make you feel for one goddamn second like you're more special than a fucking golf match?"

"She knows how crazy it gets after she scrambles your brain. It takes time to process it all, especially at first."

Lyda invites Gen to come to The Zone, Tyler's BDSM club, telling her that she'll just watch, get a feel of the BDSM world, ask questions... But when Gen is there she takes her to a semi-private place and tells Noah to go down on her and Gen can't come unless she promises to go home to spend the night with Lyda and Noah. Another WTH ?!?!?! moment...

Four days later, she invites her again to The Zone under the guise of seeing if Gen likes to dominate. Gen is wearing a "Domme" and a "no play" bracelets, she has no more introduction to the how things are done, no safeword, no ideas about what she could expect or not during and after a session, but again, she ends up playing the sub for Lyda, being flogged and fucked while fucking Noah.

"Diamonds," Noah snapped. "Mistress."
"A miracle," Lyda said. Gen was panting. While Lyda might not be drawing blood, Gen thought she might be, her fingers digging into Noah's chest. "The first time he's ever used it," his Mistress said. "But he used it for you. Which is good, because you've never chosen a safeword, Gen. You didn't even think about that, did you? It's why a Domme can't trust a sub to use a safeword, though you should always have one."

Oh yeah? Maybe you should have thought about it first. Such a stellar Domme indeed. And wasn't it Lyda who was talking about being aware of the body language?

"Practice. Intuition. Trial and error. This is a consensual game, Gen. No matter what I do to you, you can end it with a single word. We call it a safeword. However, I always rely on unconscious signals first and foremost, because they're more truthful, and often come into play long before the safeword."

When I was talking about crap talk...

Another thing that bugged me with Lyda is her unwillingness to answer Gen questions. Gen just had to trust a total stranger. Period.

My overall impressions...

I enjoyed the moments where Noah and Gen were together because there is a real chemistry between them and their sex scenes were hot. However I couldn't stand Lyda, and all the scenes where she was involved be it directly or indirectly were just a big no no.

At one point in the story Noah had a big crisis, that's where we learn why he behaves like he does. Lyda's answer or what I should call the diner scene is what made me drop the book definitely. Because really, there's just so much crap one can take in one book.

I also enjoyed Marguerite, Tyler and Chloé participations. Particularly the silent duel between Marguerite and Lyda. However at +/- 68 % of the book I was also pissed at Tyler.


Baba's review of Divine Solace

You can find this review and many other at Closet geeks & slow mo blog

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Femdom lovers, this is divine trinity coming together. The ménage here is truly a triad between Gen, Lyda and Noah. It is said the strongest formation is a triangle. These three characters create a beautiful triangle which makes some of us yearn for such a balanced give and take. It didn't happen overnight, which is what makes this story so good. Every relationship takes work. For three, it's even harder.

Gen is a time female working in a tea house. She's just passing through life, protected under Marguerite, her boss. After meeting Lyda who sparks a first female sexual attraction, Gen is confused. Lyda's personality is more than she can initially handle. It's overwhelming and yet makes Gen feel good, if a bit afraid. Meeting Lyda's "boy toy" Noah only causes more confusion for Gen. Noah and Gen are compatible with each other and after a weekend spent together, more questions arise for Gen. Does she want Noah or does she want Lyda? I say, why not have both?

Ms. Hill is a mistress of BDSM erotica. Her characters are three-dimensional and all too real to life. The way she builds each character, it's as if you can see them and they become your friend. Their hurts become your hurts. Their excitement becomes your excitement. What I really like about Ms. Hill is how she portrays femdom. There are many femdom stories where the female dominant is into sadistically cruel and humiliation. There is nothing wrong with sadism or humiliation. Both kinks are something I get off on. What is missing in those femdom stories is a healthy view of BDSM. Many of the stereotypical femdom stories out now are used for spank material. It's a fantasy and few would ever want a woman in those stories. Ms. Hill's female dominants are different. In each new book released, her female dominants are on par to the much lusted after male dominants prevalent in current maledom novels.

Lyda is an alpha. She exudes sexual energy and easily seduces a submissive male or female. She cares for her submissives and she also creates erotically hawt scenes. The edging in this story is amazing. The orders she gives Gen and Noah make me weak in the knees and eyes glazing in lust. I am in love with Lyda. A couple of examples of why Lyda is attractive to me is as follows.

Lyda's lips curved. "Don't taunt me, rabbit. It's not a place you're ready to go."

Her gaze swept Gen again. "As we were driving home, I would have ordered you to spread your legs and put two fingers inside yourself, your thumb on your clit. No movement of those fingers, no playing with yourself. Just your hand on and inside your pussy while I was driving, to remind you I'm in charge, that your body belongs to me. It's my plaything tonight. I'd want you to feel how wet you were getting, not from the stimulation of your hand, but from the thought of how I'm controlling you, commanding your arousal." Her gaze shifted.

"Once we pulled into my driveway, I'd have you pull your fingers out of yourself, show them to me. I would tell you to suck on them, clean them with your mouth. Then I'd kiss you, taste your pussy on your lips, and think about what I'm going to do with that tasty little cunt to keep it wet for me. You're a squirter and--" (pg. 107 - 108)


Foreplay galore! Tell me! Tell me what Lyda is going to do to my tasty little cunt! Oh wait, this is about Gen and Lyda.

Then when Noah is in the mix.

"Don't play with your food, Noah. Eat her pussy, and be ruthless about it. I want her begging for mercy." (pg. 290)


Oh the dilemma--is it "mercy" or "eat me"? Which should Gen scream out? This full length novel is filled with these delectable scenes. Yet Ms. Hill doesn't end it there. She continues one with what happens after the "Happily Ever After". This is what really made the story fabulous. There are ups and downs and it's how the characters handle them together which moves me.

This erotic ménage is highly recommended for femdom lovers who enjoy Ffm and love smoking hawt D/s scenes.

[Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It happened again.

Every. Single. Time.

I've lost count of how many of Joey's books I've read and out of all those there's only one that sticks out as not sucking me into the Joey Vortex-Jortex-where I lose sleep, wake up early, barely keep hydrated, skip meals and become a recluse. Read: whackadoodle.


What makes this even more shocking is this combination ain't even my gig and she still sucked me into the Jortex.

In the 8th installment of the Nature of Desire series, three characters who've made appearances in other books, and in Noah's case another series, come together in a triad. Joey does triads exceptionally well IMO as well as damaged characters. Noah and Lyda have been seeing each other long enough for her to have taken temporary ownership of him. Noah by far has the most baggage of the three of them which eventually makes it necessary for Lyda and Gen to combine forces in an effort to undo a lifetime's worth of damage.

Gen has worked for Marguerite at Tea Leaves for years but until Lyda comes in to see Marguerite one day she'd never really been attracted to another woman, a dominant woman at that. Lyda's taken with Gen immediately which spooks her and in her escape she bumps into Noah. Nothing spooky there. Noah's hard to resist especially when he wends up at Gen's for the weekend helping her tile her kitchen and being all sexy and gentlemanly and whatnot.

Read: Temptation personified.

But Lyda is top dog in this relationship. Nothing happens without her permission. Lyda is plainspoken and let's her actions speak louder than her words. She's not sweet or cuddly. She's fierce and fiercely protective of her two pets, but she isn't overpowering. She lets them know the ultimate decision to belong to her is theirs.

Things move quickly between them and this is Gen's first step away from vanilla-hood which is scary for her in and of itself, but the intensity between all three of them has Gen in a whirlwind of emotions with matching actions-many fits and starts-which makes the other two face some truths about themselves. They all have to make decisions, adapt, adjust, some decisions easier than others and all while getting to know one another intimately.

Joey has a formula, but her formula woks for me.

There will be tears. There will be feelz. There will be angst. The relationship will be tested. There will be a tragedy or two. Someone will have a horrific past. They all have to wade through the shit to get to the other side. Even though I know this I consistently come back for more because she gets characters. I put her up there with Heidi Cullinan and Tiffany Reisz in character development. Plus, she's hella kinky.

The kink is fantastic. A cage, chastity, light bondage, exhibitionism and some impact play. Yummers. There is a lot of girl action which isn't my cuppa but I liked these characters so much I just rolled with it and was happy they found each other. My one quasi objection was the Noah storyline felt like an easy resolution for the depth of his issues. Still probably a 4.5 Star read and one I'll likely read again in the future.

Recommend for kinky ménage lovers and those unafraid of the Jortex.

[Marie Ritzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must admit, that F/M/F is not my favorite genre, but when it comes to Joey W. Hill she can do not wrong. We first met Gen in books 3 and 4 of the NOD series and she is still finding herself working in the Tea Leaves, which is owned by the lovely Margarite Winterman, and her totally hottie hubby, Tyler. Two divorces and a less then good attitude about men has pretty much forced her to give up on ever finding love.

Enter Mistress Lyda, who we met in Branded Sanctuary and her very sexy sub, Noah, the waiter who "helped" out Miss Marcie in Hostile Takeover. Gen is enamored by them both and soon finds herself on a very unusual path. The threesome form a both and are soon wondering if this is the real deal or will one of them be unable to stand up and make that choice?

After such a long absence, it was wonderful getting a chance to re-visit all the NOD couples. Lots of Tyler, Margarite, Chloe to enjoy and cast of new players gives you the idea the more in this incredible series is yet to come. Joey Hill does BDSM like no ones business!! I highly recommend Divine Solace!!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joey W. Hill is an incredible wordsmith. I think she tries out each word for form, function, taste, temperature, flavor, nuance, color, scent and purpose. It is because of this that you are never let down by one of her well-crafted tales. Each book is an erotic and sensual experience. Divine Solace is a F/f/m story that will make you feel. You will laugh, cry and sweat. It came very close to breaking my heart. Although this is Book 8 in the Nature of Desire series it can be read stand-alone but fair warning it will make you want to go back and read the others.

[Reanna Hanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say about Joey that I haven't already said before... nothing, I absolutely love Joey W. Hill and this book is no exception. I didn't know how I would feel about the F/f/m dynamic of this book but no need to worry this book was amazing.

Although this book is the 8th in the Nature of Desire series it can most definitely be read as a stand alone. You get glimpses of Lyda and Noah in other books and Gen is a major factor in a few of Joey's previous books but I don't feel like those are necessary reads to be pulled into this story.

Gen is an amazing woman, she's strong, capable, intelligent but has a certain vulnerability that makes her human. I didn't feel like she was whiny or overly a damsel in distress and I fell in love with her. If I went that way I would totally be looking up Gen. She's got the right mixture of both Domme and submissive to keep me entertained and the way she really seemed to bring Lyda and Noah together was wonderful.

Lyda is an excellent Domme and although I've had my moments where I hated her I couldn't help but like the woman that I came to know in this book. Self composed, strong, and able to admit her faults but definitely in her own way.

Noah, oh Noah he is broken but definitely worth trying to fix, although his troubled past has left his self-worth at zero he's still an extremely loveable character. As the women in this book fall in love with him, he is constantly struggling with the fact that he doesn't believe he's worth being loved, his decisions are possibly the most important of all and trust me you are kept on the edge of your seat while waiting for him to make that choice.

This book had me laughing, crying and kind of left me a wreck but most definitely in a good way. I have come to expect nothing less for the fabulous Joey W. Hill who is in my opinion an amazing author and also person. I can't wait for her next release!

[Poison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Divine Solace is the 8th installment in the Nature of Desire series.

It is a coming of age (to BDSM) story, of a submissive named Gen, coming to terms with herself, her sexuality (submissive and bisexual) and her needs and desires.

This is a character driven story, and its so well written. I loved the characters, and their journey. Gen is an excellent character to view thru the lens of learning about BDSM. She's been around submissives and dominants for years, as she works for a domme, and with a sub, and she's never considered herself part of the lifestyle, while obviously having submissive tendencies.

Lyda is the domme of our little menage, and I thought she was great. She's dominant, human, and not one dimensional, in my opinion. She was a great mix of edgy and caring!

Noah probably has the greatest chance to be divisive, but, his personality reminded me of me a lot, and thats rare for me in a BDSM book. "Doormat" type slaves, or those who think of others first, and tend to do for others before thinking of themself do not seem popular, so I wonder how others will feel about him. He grows in the book.

All in all, I liked the character development, appreciated the BDSM aspects a lot, and the sex and intimacy was great. I don't give a lot of 5 star reviews, but this is definitely one of them, for me.

[Tanja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joey is a ground-breaker for me personally .... all the books in this series was something special and it brought out subjects that even in this topic that I wasn't used to ....
But this one topped it all ... when reading erotic romance I was never that much into menage cause it seems crowded (LOL) to me but, hey, that's just me :)

what I love about her writing is that it's not just about getting it on, and who is going to be the most kinkiest (not that I mind LOL) but the story is so rich and characters are soooooooo full of life that you really feel like you know them and like they are real ... you can find in them flaws and insecurities that we all have and the story is addressing each of every one of them and everyone is coming out of the story as a better human being, a stronger and fulfilled person.

Lydia got on my bad side with the comment to Chloe at the carnival. Noah was a adorable distraction reading Knights of the Boardroom novel and Gen ... she's the quite one, and they are the once that fight the most.

I loved to see their feelings develop, their persons finding themselves as individuals and as a team :) and that they become fearless to ask for what they want and who they want to be.

book left a happy and fulfilled feeling inside and I cried quite a bit but that's ok :) great job Joey, hope you have more inspiration to share with us

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have never read Joey W Hill this would be a great story to start your journey. If you’re already a fan this is one of the stories you have been waiting for. Divine Solace can be read as a standalone or you can read it as part of the Natures of Desire series.

This is Gen’s story.

Gen has everything she needs. She has a great job working for Marguerite Winterman at Tea Leaves. She waits tables along with her friend Chloe and takes care of the books for the business. She has a nice little house that she is buying and continuing her education. She’s doing it a couple classes at a time. She wants that bachelor’s degree. She doesn’t see her mother much anymore but that isn’t a real problem for her. Gen has Marguerite and Chloe, her chosen family.

Gen is in her thirties. She has loved and lost a few times, including two marriages that not only failed but took a toll on her emotionally and spiritually. So she has settled, becoming content with being by herself. She is even planning on adopting a black and white tom cat from the shelter she volunteers at that is starting to like her. She belongs to a craft group that has a craft party/pot luck the first Thursday of every month. What more could she want? Well that is what she thought until the morning Lyda Coltrane walked into Tea Leaves to speak to Marguerite.

Disconcerting, this is the word Gen uses to describe her encounter with Lyda. She couldn’t have picked a better word. Lyda is owner of Growing Things Nursery. Lyda is one of those women who can capture the eye of any male or female with her dark red hair that has golden highlights, fair skin and the way she moves you just know she takes good care of the complete package she is. When Marguerite arrives and is told her friend is waiting for her, Gen is given a reprieve and sent out to the storage shed to get more tea leaves. But the odd encounters don’t stop there.

On Gen’s way back in to the main building she runs literally into a human wall. “Hello Noah.” Tan skin, well-muscled, dark hair and rich brown eyes and strong hands that keep her from tumbling from the collision. As Noah recovers from his shower of tea leaves and Gen refills the bowl they have a few minutes to chat. Noah works for Lyda at the nursery when he isn’t teaching sailing at the college: the same college where Brendan, Chloe’s husband teaches. Noah and Brendan became friends after meeting in a club in New Orleans. Brendan also helped Noah get the teaching job at the college. As Gen and Noah reach the stairs to enter Tea Leaves she does something that surprises her. She reaches out and touches Noah in kind of the same way Lyda touched her. Can this day get any stranger?!

If you know anything about Joey W Hill’s writing/story telling the answer is a resounding YES! Gen’s safe quiet world is about to collide with her friends and loved ones world of BDSM. Mistress Lyda needs a place for her sexy submissive Noah to stay for the weekend. She is having a girl’s weekend with some of her college friends and no boys are allowed. Gen is remodeling her kitchen and she needs help with the labor. So when Noah is offered to her for the weekend, is it a match made in heaven or is it a match made in some place a little less tame?

Although this is Gen’s story, no good love story is one sided. This is also Noah’s story. He is going to fire your fantasies and rip your heart out. These two are going to make you laugh, cry, pull your hair out and need to turn up the A/C. We are also given more of Mistress Lyda’s story as well. Will these two break the cold Mistress we met in Branded Sanctuary or will her strong heart and spirit save them all? Or will Gen be the one to save them? Maybe it is Noah who saves them. But nothing can happen until Gen makes her decision. You are going to love this story. Enjoy!

If you want to catch our sexy trio and the other characters from this story from the beginning check out Joey W Hill’s Nature of Desire series. Noah appears in the Knights of the Boardroom series book 5 Hostile Takeover.

[Debi Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book VIII of the Nature of Desire Series

After too many failed relationships, Gen has settled into a quiet, acceptable life as a middle-aged single woman. But then she meets Mistress Lyda and her sexy male sub Noah, and the two of them give her a different view of "acceptable" -- as well as a renewed longing for the type of love and romance she thought had passed her by.
In this book, Joey W. Hill at long last returns to the world of the Nature of Desire series. Gen has been Marguerite Winterman’s employee at Tea Leaves for some time, and has a close relationship with the reserved, intimidating woman. It isn’t until Mistress Lyda steps into her life that Gen understands why she’s always felt safe under Marguerite’s direction. And with the intriguing Noah guiding her in the world of Domination/submission, Gen’s about to discover a new way to love—and live.
****************************************************************
An erotic female/female/male romance?

I was worried that I wouldn’t find anything to relate to, as that had never been a desire of my own. I shouldn’t have worried…In the capable hands of Joey W Hill, the who wasn’t what drove the story, but that sweet discovery of a soul deep love was.

We first met Gen in “Ice Queen” and “Mirror of My Soul”. A Kind, caring woman, content to live in the background but fiercely devoted to her friends. With 2 failed marriages, it’s not so much that she doesn’t believe in love, she just doesn’t think she is meant to have the type of love those around her have found.

Those beliefs are turned on their head the day Mistress Lyda and her sub Noah show up at Tea Leaves, the shop Gen works at. Her instant attraction to Lyda leaves her feeling unsettled, and when she literally runs into Noah, she feels that same pull. When Lyda offers Noah to her for the weekend (under the premise of helping her tile her kitchen) she finds herself agreeing despite her reservations.

A bone deep submissive, we first met Noah in a steamy encounter with Ben and Marcie in “Hostile Takeover”. His desire to please and be whatever a Mistress needs, hides a deeply wounded heart that never allows him to see his own value or seek out his own wants. He is drawn to Gen, and with Mistress Lyda’s allowance, he helps her to start exploring the world of Domination/submission.

Mistress Lyda has no trouble getting Noah to submit. But she knows that the type of submission she wants has as much to do with her subs desires as her own, something Noah seems incapable of expressing. As she helps Gen discover her own submissive desires, she realizes that Gen might be the key to helping Noah.

I loved taking this journey with these 3 amazing characters. Gen’s awakening was so beautifully written. Her doubts and fears, her little moments of triumph when she trusted Lyda and Noah to help her let go and submerge herself in sensual exploration. I loved that even though we got 100 % of Lyda the Domme, she was a Domme who never lost sight of her responsibility to care for their hearts and souls while she took control of their bodies. And Noah, sweet Noah….I already loved him in “Hostile Takeover”, but Joey gave us so much more of him to adore. I loved his reactions to Gen, and his obvious desire to bring her pleasure. His devotion to both Gen and Lyda rang true to his character, and the insight into what had left him such a wounded soul was heartbreaking in its all too familiar tale. The sexual chemistry between the three was off the charts and the sex itself was scorching HOT!!

And I have to say as an aside- I will never look at a trip along Deals Gap (Hwy 129) in Gatlinburg quite the same. Thanks, Joey…LOL

[Xan]

Content Warnings Near fatal car accident resulting in serious injury. Forced psychiatric incarceration as a youth to "treat" kinkiness. Psychiatric incarceration and forced drugging. Physical fight resulting in injury and broken bones. Abusive BDSM relationship in the past. Abusive ex stalking, harassing, and abusing during the course of the story. References to trauma from violence, stalking, and abuse in the past. References to an alcoholic abusive partner in the past. Trauma survivor MCs who experience PTSD symptoms. Rescue-oriented ableism.

Ableist language and internalized ableism. Fat antagonism. Diabetes jokes. Queer hatred, parental attempts to cure queerness and parental rejection for queerness. Substantial and pervasive cissexism, rigid gender norms, intense gender binarism, and heteronormativity. Novice kinky MC has 101 information about kink (like learning about subdrop, safewords, etc) withheld from her by experienced players as she begins to explore kink. Consensual BDSM including D/s, bondage, pain play, punishment, orgasm control. Sex on the page.

Hill has a talent for describing D/s dynamics in great depth and complexity, and that shines in this story, despite some elements of how she writes kink that detract from this, which this story also includes, like an emphasis on "true submission" and intense gender binarism and cissexism. Those things make me loathe to recommend this to anyone, because they are so deeply baked into the story. The queer antagonism and heteronormativity was especially difficult to read in a story about a triad that includes an f/f relationship, especially as f/f/m stories are rather rare. It also captures really well the way some triads really do feel like perfect closed triangles that only work because of all three of the people. This is one of the triad-centered polyamory stories that really felt like it got how that particular kind of polyamory works, how it's four relationships in one and complete in and of itself.

I enjoyed the narrator for this audiobook quite a lot, and found the story quite riveting, did not want to stop reading it. That said, the exploration of abusive kink dynamics and trauma as well as some of the more soapy and dramatic choices detracted from the story for me. I struggled especially with the depiction of a submissive who has no foundational self due to early trauma and needs both to be rescued (from predatory doms and himself) and to be pushed toward more agency. It was an in depth psychological exploration, but from the outside, and it felt rather othering and pathologizing to me, with some cured by love tossed in. I really want stories about survivors doing kink and about folks with other kinds of psych disabilities doing kink, but this doesn't fill that need for me because of the ableism built into how it engages with this, and because it doesn't include that character's POV.

I did like the characters quite a bit, particularly Jen, the POV MC, but really I liked all three of them. Despite having mixed feelings about the book almost from the start, I also cared about them quite a bit fairly early on, and was wanting them to figure out how to be together. I wouldn't say I liked this exactly, but I sure was riveted (partly due to the brilliant audio performance and partly because Hill writes D/s in a really compelling way), and while I wouldn't recommend this as a realistic depiction of kink, I found it to be a pretty interesting one for me as an experienced kinky reader who is into stories that explore service-based submission, despite some things about that really did not work for me. (This is often how I feel about Hill's contemporary kink romances.)

[Dicina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gen works for Marguerite at Tea Leaves. After two failed marriages, which left her wary of men and relationships, she has really no desire to meet someone. She is surprised and confused to feel immediately attracted to Lyda, a friend of Marguerite’s coming to visit her at Tea Leaves. She has never considered herself bisexual, but she cannot deny the lust she feels towards her. She is taken aback when Lyda leaves her submissive Noah in the care of Gen for a whole weekend, and she has no choice but to accept. After an unexpectedly hot weekend, Noah suggests that she joins them at the BDSM club the next Wednesday.
Gen has no idea why she goes but she does and she finds herself spending the most erotic night of her life with Lyda and Noah. But is she ready to start a relationship with a Mistress and her sub? And more important are they ready to accept a new partner for the long term?

I really enjoyed this book. I liked Gen and I absolutely loved Noah. I had a hard time liking Lyda though. She was cold and distant and I hated the way she treated Noah sometimes. I wish we knew more about her past and her story, but the book focused more on the three characters trying to build a relationship and accept their feelings for one another and not so much about sharing stories about themselves.
I had a really good time reading this book, the chemistry was really good between them three, the sex scenes were HOT (even though I am not used to f/f action it didn’t bother me) and I loved the epilogue.
The way to their HEA was hard and eventful and I enjoyed every minute of it.
A good addition to the series!

[Erin Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Book 8 in the Nature of Desire Series by the extremely talented Joey W Hill.

I loved this book. Although this is a FFM book and predominately about a BDSM and D/s relationships, to me it was more a love story. Not a mainstream love story, but a love story none the less. The main characters are Mistress Lyda and her hard core submissive Noah and Gen an employee at Tea Leaves. After bumping into Noah and serving Lyda at Tea Leaves, Gen struggles to come to terms with her burgeoning interest in both Mistress Lyda and Noah and the BDSM and D/s lifestyle that they live. However a brave Gen has the courage to reach for the stars and grab onto the rollercoaster that is Mistress Lyda and Noah. together. Gen gravitates to the lifestyle and finds a contentment she didn't know she was missing. The scenes are hot, whether at the club or in private. The road they travel to get to their HEA is long, winding and bumpy but they do eventually get there. I loved the interaction of Gen with Mistress Lyda and Noah . This book, as expected with any book that Ms Hill writes is extremely well done. You will not be disappointed with the sex or the love scenes.
A wonderful addition to one of the best series I have read and I look forward to reading more from the supremely talented Joey W Hill.
5 Stars all the way.

Reviewed on behalf of

Jezabell Girl & Friends

http://jezabellgirlandfriends.weebly.com

http://facebook.com/jezabellgirlandfr....

Jezabell Girl & Friends
jezabellgirlandfriends.weebly.com

This site may contain content which is suitable for mature audiences only. If you are under 18 or easily offended, please do not continue

[Lani ⚔⚔ the Destroyer ⚔⚔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I should begin by saying that I have not read a F/F book before, in fact F/F sort of squicks me out. I am an avid reader of M/M romance though and when I saw one of my fave authors, Joey W Hill, was publishing a F/F/M story I was very excited. If there was anyone that could make me get over my squeamish-ness about F/F activities it would be her. So having said all that I really wanted to like this book - and I loved certain parts of it. I loved Gen, and Noah with all his baggage. I loved how he was so much of a submissive but could totally take charge - even though it was under the guidance of his dom/domme - it was still hot. What left me wanting was Lyda. I didn't connect to her. I wanted to like her, but I just found her cold and I couldn't relate. I thought initially it was just that I don't really relate to dommes in general but I don't think this is entirely the case. When I think back to reading this series I didn't really connect to Margeruite until she was in the relationship with Tyler and we got to see the loving side of her. Violet was a little hard to take at times but when she let Mac in she became more relatable to me. Dommes are not my fave characters to read about, but I can still be won over, so it was just Lyda's character that left me unsatisfied. Maybe this is just me though because others have rated this book very highly *sigh*. Regardless I love Joey's work and her writing style so I will be absolutely reading more of this series (and most everything else she writes) :)

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I had high hopes for this story as it contains a number of elements I love in an erotic novel, menage, femdom, BDSM girl and girl action.

However I struggled to finish it. At times the writing was kind of tedious. It's a feeling difficult to explain so I'll just say that maybe sometimes simplicity and less are really the way to go.

I spent half of the book trying to figure out Josh, he was a constant contradiction, IMO. Lyda was a hard ass but I got her. The other girl (forgotten her name already) was the catalyst to bringing about a three-way relationship. Again we follow her journey while she tries to figure out if she is a Domme, Submissive or switch. I got bored with it all :(

The first scene seemed very unlikely. Going from being vanilla to a public sex scene, that also being her first time with another woman.

I was really looking forward to the strap on scene and liked it when it was just Josh and what's her name, but then Lyda taking over the entire thing just threw me out. Actually most scenes were orchestrated by Lyda so they played more like a scene play than hot steamy sex.

I can see why people like this author, the story was well thought out and edited, just not for me.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. I almost never read F-f or even many Dommes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Also, hooray for (at least one) experienced sub! It was a little long, and a little caught up in resolving all the conflicts in this complex, three-way relationship, but well done. Nice to see the familiar characters from other books as well.

By the way, I HATE the cover, they look nothing like I pictured them, and I cringed whenever I went to open the book.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like to consider myself an avid reader, considering the amount and variety of my reading material. That being said, this is one of the most; exciting, surprising, and erotic books I have ever read. Joey W Hill is nothing short of a master storyteller and Divine Solace just proves this point. I have no doubt that DS will become THE STANDARD by which all other M/F/F erotica will be measured. Absolutely a MUST READ in every sense of the word!!!!

MrsR

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Throughout most of the book, I kept waiting for Gen and Noah to come to their senses and run off together. Lyda seemed like such an unbearably cold person. It's amazing that they wanted to hang around her for all that time. Only at the end she starts showing some of her softer sides, and was I better able to get behind this situation. It's a strange experience, reading about a relationship you don't understand

[Moira · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome addition to the Nature of Desire Series. As with all of Ms. Hill's books it is a journey of finding one's self, love, acceptance, happiness and courage. A f/f/m BDSM story with characters that touch your heart, make you cry, and make you wish you were them.
Lyda, Gen and Noah, three people who will touch you life and you will rejoice in their happiness.

[Rene' Hurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing work. Lydia gen and Noah are made for each other. And I've actually have been to those places in this book and joey describe them perfectly. A must read book.

[Cyndy Aleo · Rating 5 out of 5]

*This post contains affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and purchase an item from the vendor, we receive a percentage of the profit (even if you don't buy the item we've linked to). Thank you for supporting RT Book Reviews!

BOOK REVIEWS
All Genres
Top Picks!
Contemporary Romance
Historical Romance
Historical Fiction
Romantic Suspense
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Paranormal
Fantasy
Urban Fantasy
Young Adult
Inspirational
Mainstream
Science Fiction
Series
Erotica
RT Review Source
RT RATINGS GUIDE
5 GOLD: Phenomenal. In a class by itself.
4 1/2: TOP PICK. Fantastic. A keeper.
4: Compelling. A page-turner.
3: Enjoyable. A pleasant read.
2: Problematic. May struggle to finish.
1: Severely Flawed. Pass on this one.
DIVINE SOLACE
Author(s): Joey W. Hill
In her eighth Nature of Desire novel, Hill takes the currently prevalent trope of a Dom with a painful past who's saved by the ingenue submissive and rips it to shreds. In one of the most human BDSM erotic romances this reviewer has read, Hill delicately addresses the potential for mental illness in the BDSM community without sensationalizing it, as well as gives readers a character finding her way amid the black-and-white labeling that doesn't quite fit her. Depicting both the tentative entry of a woman with some baggage into a world she had only a passing familiarity with and how the community takes care of its own, this novel hits all the right notes. Readers will fall in love with Noah and Lyda right along with Gen, and probably find themselves reading long into the night with fingers crossed and nails bitten, hoping for a happy ending to this unconventional relationship.

Gen may work with two women who are part of the local BDSM community, but that doesn't mean she has any interest in it herself. Until, that is, she meets her boss M's Domme friend Lyda. Gen finds herself strangely attracted to Lyda, and her incredibly sexy submissive, Noah, but as she dips her toe into their world, she discovers there may be more to herself than she knew — and she may be in over her head with Lyda and Noah.

Reviewed for RT Book Reviews, Web-Exclusive Review: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/divine-solace, where it was a Top Pick.

[E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars!

“Divine Solace” by Joey Hill is the erotic tale that follows the journey of Gen, a novice to the BDSM world, as she is seduced by a Domme named Lyda and a submissive named Noah. Despite the fact that Gen is well-acquainted with other participants in this lifestyle, she has not ventured to explore it until an inexplicable attraction to both Lyda and Noah, albeit in different ways, tempts her to discard the habits she has adopted for self-protection. The dynamics of the relationship between the three of them gradually shift as Gen is coaxed into facing her desires and discovers that she has plenty to offer to the duo who have their own unresolved issues. Ultimately, each member of the triad must learn his or her true value for the others before the delicate balance between them unravels completely.


The characters that this author creates are so complex and compelling that they are inevitably memorable. I was sharply reminded of this when Gen catches a glimpse of a couple from one of my favorite novels in this series...who were featured in volume 2...that I get lost in every time I pick it up. The sensual scenes that are so vividly described are enriched by the complicated backstory that each character possesses and the imagery that can be evoked by a single sentence is always impressive to me. Lyda’s description of Gen as a ‘fierce rabbit’ and her accusation that Gen has ‘trouble getting out of the way of (her) own head’ describes her conflicted behavior exquisitely and Noah’s allure for Gen is apparent by her description of him as ‘a living, breathing, perfect moment’ and who can resist someone who can ‘recognize a woman’s body is an orchestra and when he touches her, he finds the perfect soundtrack for her’? There are so many phrases that resonate with me in one of Ms. Hill’s stories and this one is no exception as she once again weaves a mesmerizing story that combines sizzling scenes of ‘Risk Awareness Consensual Kink’ with a beautiful journey to love. Yum.

A copy of this delicious title was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

© Night Owl Reviews

[DebbieReadsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

After too many failed relationships, Gen has settled into a quiet, acceptable life as a middle-aged single woman. But then she meets Mistress Lyda and her sexy male sub Noah, and the two of them give her a different view of “acceptable”—as well as a renewed longing for the type of love and romance she thought had passed her by.

Gen has been Marguerite Winterman’s employee at Tea Leaves for some time, and has a close relationship with the reserved, intimidating woman. It isn’t until Mistress Lyda steps into her life that Gen understands why she’s always felt safe under Marguerite’s direction. And with the intriguing Noah guiding her in the world of Domination/submission, Gen’s about to discover a new way to love—and live.

this is the final book, for now, in this series and I wonder will there be more! i do hpe so, i really do!

Gen finds herself, content, for want of a better word, with how her life is. Until, that is, she finds herself in the radar of Lyda, MISTRESS Lyda and her sub, Noah. I think we met Noah before, somewhere along the line, but cant quite place in which book. Noah is truely submissive is all he does, says and thinks and has been abused in the past because of that, Mistress Lydaknows whats best for Noah, and Lyda knows that Gen would be really good for him, and for herself too. As the relationship finds its feet, and the three get closer, Gen becomes more confident in who she is, that is, neither totally submissive nor totally Dominant. She does, however, defer to Lyda, and Noah inturn, defers to Gen.

I particurarly liked the way that Lyda herself finds herself. WHile its written entirely from Gen's point of view, you get a picture of Lyda through Gen, and you see Lyda open herself to Gen and Noah. The bit at the end, at the evening at Marguerite's, thats the best bit. THAT shows how much Lyda truely, TRUELY loves her pets.

i gave it four stars because we only hear from Gen. I would like to have heard from Noah and Lyda too.

so, my question is...anymore planned???

[Vettech · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 8 in the Nature of Desires Series. Of all the Joey Hill books I've read so far, this is my second favorite. We have a triad love story going in this book....Domme Lyda Coltrane, sub Noah and sub/possible Domme Gen. All three have been hurt and broken from some sort of trauma in their past. Question is...can these three souls help each other overcome those horrible events? Learn to trust again.....trust each other and heal those open wounds?

Gen wasn't sure what she was or if she even wanted to be labeled....gay or straight, Dom, sub or switch? Yet from the moment Lyda entered her place of work at Tea Leaves, owned by Domme Marguerite, especially when the Domme touched her....all bets were off. It was a....what the hell just happened...moment for Gen. There was something about this woman that stopped Gen in her tracks. Getting to know Noah, Lyda's sub, during a very interesting weekend. Mistress Lyda then invites Gen to The Zone, a BDSM club. When the three are together it just feels right to them all and they quickly develop a smolderingly hot relationship....as well as other important feelings of love start to encompass the three.

I really loved reading this story. I so fell in love with Lyda and found the budding love triangle containing these three people to be sweet, sexy and amazing. When some tragic events happen, their love for each other is truly tested and found to be an unmoving barrier. I really like how we get to visit with all the same characters throughout this series. Joey Hill has a real flair for giving the reader some of the hottest love scenes in romance as well as giving us a wonderful touching story line. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this awesome series.

[Iman EL · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave 2 stars to this book. A lot of people will probably disagree of course. I mean joey w hill has a great writing style. she has this ability to captivate with words. Not to mention that the sex scenes were..... well STEAMY is the only word for it. BUT....
Threesomes are just a big No for me IN a sexual encounter so never mind relationships. I just can't see how it could work. I find it unrealistic. To me it's supposed to between two people who are supposed to be possessif of each other. How can you love two people when you only have one heart. what happened to old fashioned jealousy. (Not that any of Hill's stories are old fashioned).
AT the end Lyda offered both Gen and Noah rings in alternative form of marriage, and i found myself wondering; Say it last and they re all seventy or eighty,what then? Instead of an old couple they will what? an old triple? what if they had children? how does that work? I just dont find it natural. I really do believe that THREE IS A CROWD. That is MY personal opinion.
If you're fine with "menage à trois" make sure to read this book. it a killer.

[Diane Dannenfeldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again I can't express how much I have loved this series! I truly enjoyed this book as well, and can't wait until the audio book is released so that I can listen to the entire series again. My only complaint is that I would have liked a little more of a back story on Lyda we really didn't learn very much about Lyda the women other than her not getting along with her family. Also, as broken as Noah was, I'm not sure he is really totally healed, maybe we can see them again in a future book? I loved how Noah stepped up when he had to, but what really made me smile is Gen stepping up right before he did what he did (no spoilers you will have to read it to understand what I am talking about). Loved loved loved his grandmother, what an awesome lady!


8/27/14 - so glad this finally came out on audio & just finished listening to it. Again I still can't get over how much I loved this series/book. I think listening to it I got the feeling that Noah was more healed then I the feeling I got reading it.

So can't wait for the next one :D

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not my favorite story from Joey Hill, nor my favorite of the series. Though I do think many of the unfavorable reviews were much less insightful than they should be. Lyda's character is difficult to understand and empathize, and I think had we been given more of her background it would have helped. Noah and Gen are wonderful together, and you do see the relationship grow between the 3 of the characters, as well as you if you read closely you can see Lyda's response warming. The fact that more of Gen's and Noah's past was explained was helpful, but I felt we never got an inside view of Lyda. But I liked how the book came together in the end, with Noah shedding his kick me when I'm down, then kick me again demeanor and opening to his own choices, as well as the possessiveness of Gen towards both Noah and Lyda. The glimpses we get throughout the book of the previous characters in the series is always nice. I'm not clear where this series will go, unless it goes to Thomas' brother or other outlying characters. But I will always be willing to read more Joey Hill.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been following this series since I have become addicted to Joey Hill's well written stories. I loved the characters in this book and how they all finally allowed themselves to find the vulnerability to love. It is the love story of a triad (f/f/m), and I especially loved the women getting past their insecurities to a real and lasting love. I loved that Noah finally was able to put his broken pieces together to give and receive that love as well. This is well worth the read, but I would read the books before it, not because you need them to enjoy this book, but because it brings more of a tapestry to the characters.

[Melanie Marnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The character studies Joey Hill crafts are truly remarkable. Rich, complex, multilayered, compelling, virile, sensuous, erotic, Dominant, submissive, vulnerable, loving, and flawed are all descriptors for both the main and subset of characters in each story. This triad love story was spellbinding. Lyda, the Dominant, strong, erotic and unyielding speaks to Gen's heart and soul like no other except Noah. His gentle, flawed vulnerability draws her in deeper while learning what it truly means to submit to a Mistress. Each one struggles to find their place in this triad. It is not an easy path but the end of the journey makes the trials and danger they face worth it all.