The Switch

by Diane Whiteside

Beth isn't expecting it-that's what makes it so exciting. But she knows what she wants. And she gets it: complete control over a man.

Packing years of military discipline under his belt, Sean is about to give in to his ultimate fantasy: to be thoroughly dominated by a woman.

They're not looking for love. They're looking for a night to remember. But where the night takes them is beyond desire, beyond fantasy, and beyond control.

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

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2006

About the author

By day, Diane Whiteside builds and designs computer systems for the government. By night, she escapes into a world of alpha males and the unique women who turn their lives upside down. Noticing the lack of a husband to keep Diane in line, her Tibetan Terrier stepped up to the plate and makes sure that Diane does everything The Right Way which means lots of walks and dog treats. For more information about Diane plus her alpha males, unique women, and Tibetan Terriers, her website.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review completed December 16, 2012

This gif reflects my reaction to The Switch. DNF at 50 %. The story/characters bordered on being silly.



I'd be lying if I'd say that I liked the author's voice. The sex scenes are kinda strange and the opposite of well-written. Here are a few writing samples for your perusal in order to get a feel for the story.

His c@ck blazed against her like an iron bar fresh from the furnace, restrained only by his jeans and her suit.

"Show me more, Sean. More of you, the flesh and blood man. Not a frozen image, caught in black and white between a book's covers. Show me what that lucky shirt is touching," she purred.

"Unzip your pants," she demanded, her voice harsh with its burden of lust.

His engorged c@ck gleamed hot and red, the color of life, against the white skin of his groin. It was uncut and thick against the dense fur, entirely natural. She doubted her hand could wrap completely around it at the base, just above his foreskin's beautiful ruffled cowl.

His hand moved faster and faster, until gold seemed to be pouring over his groin. His face contorted in ecstasy at the sensation, still watching her fascination with his movements. A deep bellow tore from his throat as an orgasm seized him and he poured his seed into the gold.

Her mouth prowled down his c@ck and took him entirely into her. It was a more astonishing sight than the first time he'd seen a man point a gun at him, intending to kill him.

They (her legs) lolled open, allowing him clear sight of her folds and the dew covering them.

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He made a sound his primate ancestors would have understood. She was the first woman to take the full length of his c@ck.

He drove their bodies up to the pinnacle as if it was a fortress to be stormed, then hurled himself into his climax like a victory.

Their fantasies are pretty odd too. Some examples:

"Curb yourself, my stallion. Show me what your tongue can do for my nether lips. A woman likes to be well pleasured before she rides a mount like you.

"Gladly!" he vowed. Thought fled when she lowered herself, and his face slid into her folds like a ship entering port.

His blood burned in his veins and his seed clamored in his loins, fighting to escape the leather bonds.

"Sing for me again, my stallion. Let me hear the sweet sounds of your hunger."

He rubbed himself against her, tasting the outer approach to her hot crack, which he'd soon invade.

"Oh, godd@mn f@cking yes!" He grunted as he rode her hard, his mare to be enjoyed as he chose.

"Oh, yeah, honey, you're so fine," he praised her, relishing the pulses gripping his c@ck and destroying any brains he had left. "Hot damn, honey! Gotta…gotta pump you."

Hmmm...I don't know if I have any brains left after reading this book. That remains to be seen...


There was plenty of growling, snarling, hissing, shouting, and purring. Honestly, I felt like I was in the wrong movie. After all, I didn't want to go to the zoo. Oh, and let's not forget the widening eyes either.



They first meet in a bookstore. After having a little make-out session Beth knows instantly that Sean's a sub. The whole situation felt kinda far-fetched, not believable at all. Unfortunately I could never warm up to the characters. Besides, a clumsy hero who is blushing so easily is not to my liking either, and I found the purring and hissing heroine rather annoying. Oh well.

In conclusion, The Switch is highly overpriced and did not deliver at all. Read at your own risk--good luck!

[Buggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opening Line:"Beth stood on the street corner, waiting for the light to change."

Oh I liked this one, a different sort of erotica then I usually read wherein the man gets dominated by a woman here. The thing that made this so hot for me is that the man in this case is 100% alpha, a manly man, a decorated military man, who also just happens to have fantasies about being Dom’d by a woman.

Diane Whiteside’s writing is sensual rather than sexy with long drawn out love scenes and tons of reader foreplay. The characters are well rounded and I liked both of them and because theres an actual story here including their families and backgrounds you really get a feel for why they desire what they do. We also get a touching love story, a bit of heartbreak and an exciting ending involving kidnapping (but not in the way you might think) Of course its all been balanced between a ton of erotic lovemaking, using scarves, crops, binding and a lot of other toys, all of which are portrayed in a safe and realistic manner. This isn’t your usual Dom situation though; the woman here doesn’t humiliate her sub or make him dress in leather with a ball gag. Most of the domination is mental rather then physical, like her ordering in restaurants, choosing his clothes or just making him…wait. I have to say I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed these games.

My only problem with THE SWITCH would be the pages and pages (sometimes whole chapters) dedicated to the characters fantasies. Probably some readers will enjoy these detailed mini stories but I skimmed as I just wasn’t interested in reading about knights, pirates, princesses and cowboys getting it on when it had no baring on the story.

Sean and Beth meet in a Seattle bookstore in the erotica section. Two strangers who create a dance while perusing the shelves with glances and brushing bodies, before finding themselves in a backroom. (This chapter is hott) Beth immediately shows herself to be different then other women by taking the lead in their dance; while she herself is surprised by this obvious alpha male’s willingness to submit. Since Beth is in town on business it’s to be a short term affair from the onset and they quickly iron out what each expects from the other. Sean is at first cool with this set up, he finally gets to explore his deepest, hidden fantasies with no strings attached. Our couple meet several more times, with each encounter more intense then the last before one final weekend together in Vegas.

Now the switch part (someone who will both Dom and sub) comes into play because poor Sean (of course) falls in love with Beth, recognizing that they could have much more then just ‘fun with scarves’ together. However unbeknownst to him Beth needs a man who will occasionally Dom her as well and she just doesn’t think Sean is up to it. Will Sean be able to “switch” and fulfill Beth’s fantasies as well?

Yuppers I can recommend this one, a hot, sensual and satisfying read. Cheers

[Janet Morris · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Switch was a really bad book. I absolutely loathed this book. I knew five pages in that this book was going to be boring and, in that aspect alone, I was not disappointed.

The book was excessively repetitive on topics that weren't really all that important to the story-line. An example is Beth's continuous grief over Dennis. I get it. This was set two months after 9/11 and he had supposedly died when the World Trade Center collapsed. It would be reasonable for a person to grief and to obsess over the loss of their friend in such a traumatic way. But it didn't seem like she was even mentioning it as part of the grief. It seemed like a ploy by the author to make Beth more sympathetic. The same goes for Sean's character with the continuous rehashing of his dead wife's aneurysm and stroke history--and how it was so horrible that she didn't want to have sex with him because of how extreme her pain was. There was never any real depth added to Beth and Sean's feelings toward Dennis and Tiffany.

There also wasn't any depth to the feelings between Beth and Sean. They used one another to act out fantasies, ones that had already been described in depth. One chapter spent more time describing Beth's fantasy (in a sort of "flashback"/italicized way) of having sex with a conquering hero than it did on Beth doing anything in real life. Sometimes it seemed like there was more time spent by the characters masturbating about their fantasies with one another than they ever actually spent with one another.

It's also worth noting that the fantasies themselves were really, really awful. Beth had a fantasy of conspiring with the Germans against the French Resistance during World War II, which would then lead to her kidnapping and rape by the Resistance, which would turn into a D/s sex scene. Yes, a white author wrote a biracial character having a fantasy that involved helping a government that preached vehement hatred of anyone who wasn't 100% white. Though Hitler technically named Japanese persons "Honorary Aryans", there were still laws against inner-marriage and there were still potential acts of discrimination perpetrated against them. That made that particular scenario more than a bit disturbing. Several of Beth's fantasies dealt with potentially racist ideas.

This is one of those books that after you read it, you want to take a shower--and not a cold one. It has a very high ick factor which, when combined with it's very high boring factor, makes it practically unreadable. I would recommend finding something else to read.

[Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won’t be able to come close to Baba’s review of this thing. Her gifs & pics are spectacular, especially the Wall-E. I’m eternally grateful I didn’t spend $16 on this thing; Baba got hosed. I did finish it though. What? There’s no prize?!?!?! >:(

There’s some truly awful cheesiness in this. Case in point: “Naked could be very useful for fucking.” *sad face* Nah unh, you don’t say? Good tip. Good tip indeed.

And so much corn I felt like I took a wrong turn & wound up in Nebraska somehow…. “Her vagina was so full of his big horse cock that she felt barely able to contain their combined life force.” *had to put book down b/c laughing* Really?

I tell you what this lady has got a thing for animals. I was reading somewhere on GR someone recommended ‘monster porn’; I think maybe Ms. Whiteside should try her hand at that. There’s so much yowling, hissing, snarling, purring, fur & pelts…sound like erotica or a day at the zoo? I’m telling ya this lady needs to be on the National Geographic channel. She’d rock that channel. Hard.

The fantasies are really quite…creative? The sex goes a little something like this: foreplay-yup, yup, yup, I’m with ya; penetration-ok & we’re done here. What? Wait, wait, wait, come back here. *pouty face* Ms. Whiteside’s got a raging case of premature conclusion. I highly recommend she see someone about this immediately.

The ending is fairly high on trite with a self-sacrificing break-up speech *rolls eyes* Oy vey… Only to lead to this gem: “I need you more than life, my marvelous switch.” *shakes head*

I can’t say this is the worst thing I’ve read lately; there’s 2 that spring to mind that beat this but I can say with a great big exhale, I’m glad it’s over. :D

[Bookfanatic · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really couldn't get into the story. I tried to like her, but I didn't care for the heroine. I will give the author props for having an Asian American heroine. Well, the heroine is not completely Asian. She's part Japanese and part Scottish, but how often do we find a heroine like that in this genre?

This is also about a man who can be both dominant and submissive. He was intriguing. He's not into intense humiliation. Much of the domination is mental rather than physical. The erotic aspects are rather strange. Strange not because of extremism, but rather the scenes are described in the context of dreams. Given the title of the book, you may expect some hardcore BDSM or kinky aspects, but while there is explicit sex, there's not much in the way of hardcore BDSM. If anything, I think most of what happens in the book is pretty average these days among sexually experienced couples. If you're imagining pegging or something of that sort, that doesn't happen in this book.

[Daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

intresting topics but towards the end it gets kinda weird. . .

[Habiii · Rating 1 out of 5]

⭐ 1.5 / 5

I pushed through to 50% of this book, but I honestly couldn’t finish it. While the writing at the start, especially the library scene, showed promise, everything after that unravelled quickly into a confusing mess of tone, ethics, and purpose.

Let’s start with the obvious: I don’t enjoy reading American military-centered stories, especially those set in the Gulf or Middle East, because I fundamentally reject how these narratives often ignore the destruction caused by U.S. intervention. This book unfortunately falls into that trap. It uses an ex-soldier character without addressing the political or human cost of that role instead of presenting him as a tortured alpha without real context.

Then comes the mention of “sea salt imported from Israel” treated like a luxury spa product. No. There is no Israel, only occupied Palestine. Including that detail casually, without any awareness of what it implies, felt like a slap.

And the sexual dynamics? All over the place. The “fantasy” scenes read like entirely separate novellas, disconnected from the main characters or each other. At times, the book borders on fetishizing trauma especially in a disturbing fantasy involving Japanese women “taken” by Vikings. There's a deeply unsettling undercurrent of racial fetishization and gendered violence being eroticized here. And no, that’s not kink that’s careless storytelling.

There’s no consistent emotional thread. No mutual growth. There is no real communication between the characters. Just domination, submission, and a lot of “honey” thrown around like seasoning on a half-baked plot.

I wanted to give this a fair shot, but in the end, it lacked clarity, care, and self-awareness. This isn’t just about personal preference it’s about asking for stories that take responsibility for the narratives they shape.

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true romance story. Two people who have previously been hurt by love meet by happenstance in a bookstore and find their true soulmate.

Beth Nakamura is a very successful Japanese-American US Treasury worker and Sean Lindstrom is a former Ranger and current business owner. When they meet in a local bookstore they discover they have similar tastes. After a successful encounter they decide to have a weekend of shared pleasures. Beth is delighted with how submissive Sean is and Sean adores the scenes and feelings Beth evokes in him. But Beth really wants a man who can be both the receiver and the giver of pleasure, a switch, and she doesn't see that in Sean. Parting ways at the end of the weekend, Sean is determined to show Beth he can be everything she needs and devises a battle-plan to do so. Risky, yes. But, if successful, the rewards will far outweigh any unpleasantness.

This genre isn't something I am usually drawn to or read often, but this book really pulled it off. A good story backed the erotic scenes and real affection shone through.

[April Mossow · Rating 4 out of 5]

No hunting for sequels... A well rounded story with likable characters. Whiteside took a widely used concept and "switched" it up for the reader. It was an enjoyable read. :)

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just no. Snoozefest.

[Mikayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over all, I thought this was pretty good. I was super excited to finally see a fem dom and a male that's a switch. Like men don't always have to be the dom!!!

The sex scenes were very explicit but it didn't bother me but I feel like they can't not be in a book like this.

One thing that was so minor and probably overlooked by everyone else who read this book was the part when the main character (I can't remember her name right now for the life of me) was talking to her friend and said that things didn't work out with her ex because he was bisexual and wanted to see and experiment with other people while they were together. While I'm not shaming polyamory (it's quite common and people live happy lives being in that kind of relationship), I just was offended that the author made it a point to tell readers that he wanted that kind of relationship simply because he's bisexual. Like, um, no? Just because someone likes both genders (or all genders!) doesn't mean they can't be faithful and in a monogamous relationship! That's just an annoying and untrue stereotype and I was so mad that the author added that in the story.

I also did not like the ending with the whole... let's just say "mission" to get her back. It creeped me out that the son was involved and just the whole ordeal. I don't know. I don't want to ruin it for anyone but it just wasn't for me (again, not saying that what happened was bad or I'm shaming it, I just personally didn't like it).

But, like I said, I thought it was pretty good overall. I could overlook those things because of the fact that there was a fem dom and a switch/submissive man. I neeeeed more of that in my life!

[Darla Stokes · Rating 3 out of 5]

It purports to be "romantic erotica," but while there is a romance of sorts, and a HEA, it's obviously just there to form a backdrop for a multitude of D/s sex scenes. Some of them were pretty good, but mostly they were rather boring, particularly without having a solid emotional attachment to the characters. The BDSM Scene details were obviously well-researched and seemed forced, and the dialogue stilted & scripted. Though that could just be because that level of formality/artificiality isn't my kink. And I admit to being irritated because ****spoilers****I couldn't believe in a romance based solely on whether he conformed to her narrow definition of what she wanted sexually, with love an unconsidered afterthought. Argh. Fercrissakes, he was submissive at first because that's what she said she wanted, and newsflash! he's a guy, and one who's gone without for a while. He's going to do whatever he has to to get some. So then when he shows his dominant side, she refuses to believe he really means it. Stupid cow.**** The military details at the beginning of the book, though, were perfect.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOT!!!!! Very engaging and exciting.

This is the second time reading The Switch, and I'm impressed how Whiteside tied her story to the current political situation. Beth Nakamura lost a close friend in the 9-11 bombings and she is hoping her job with the U. S. Treasury will allow her to take an active part in the investigations surrounding the bombings.

Sean is a widower and entering the dating scene reluctantly now that his son is nearing high school graduation and will be removed from any ramifications of his dad's sexual preferences. The relationship between Lindstrom and his son, Mike, lend the story a poignant but humorous slant; specifically when Mike realizes that his dad is going on a date and tosses a package on the table for him saying, "Just in case you need a few extra." Sean laughs aloud, thinking that he couldn't remember when he'd last bought any. I wonder if Whiteside will write about Mike????

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one. Beth, a high-powered business woman of Japanese/Scottish descent, is in Seattle for work and runs into a very Viking-like ex-Army Ranger, Sean, in a bookstore while looking for erotica. She's mostly a Domme, but likes to switch. This book takes place in Nov. 2001. Beth has just lost her last lover, who was working on top of one of the Twin Towers and never escaped. They were never serious about love, but his last words to her, to find someone to make her happy, weigh heavily on her. Sean is a big alpha man who has fantasies of being dominated. He has a past of his own full of heartbreak.
I liked the author's writing style, simple but full of weight, at times. It's not heavy on the s/m, more psychological than anything. The only thing I didn't really care for were the role-playing fantasies that appeared throughout, whether in dreams, written down, or actually acted. It always seems a little silly to me, but nonetheless, the book was enjoyable.

[Karen Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

People who launch themselves into a book without reading the excerpt and/or the offered tag lines, shouldn't leave reviews because of your errors.

This is a book about human feelings and needs. Good and sad. Talking and communicating. Wow, what a concept! If your relationship had this level of communication, it would be 125% better, believe me.

The characters are interesting and alive with hot, sensual eroticism. And time. It's not just about a quick pounding and it's over. It's a good BDSM read and I'd heartily recommend it.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The love story is cute, the sex scenes are tame compared to other books, it was printed in the early 2000s, and the whole book is about a chick that wants a switch in her life and a guy that just happens to find her. They meet at a bookstore and there is such a warm romance that it was like cuddling a blanket. An easy read. It might not hold up to today's standards, but, it wasn't crude and it was a fast read. I read it for the first time back in 2009 and it was good enough for me to drag it out every couple of years and reread it just because I liked the characters and the plot.

[Erinaceina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this at all, as it's not my usual thing. In particular, I wasn't sure if I'd like the dominant heroine (I wasn't that keen on the heroine in Emma Holly's The Top Of Her Game, which is most definitely erotica, rather than erotic romance, although it does have a happy ending). However, The Switch was both extremely hot and a sweet and tender love story.

[Ruthie Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a very entertaining read. A woman who is a switch, but wishes also to be monogamous, is a woman who needs a very particular man. Has she found him in Seattle, whilst on a high powered conference? As the story develops we get to read some lovely, titillating fantasies as well as some very hot scenes. This well written, fast moving story is well worth a read.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is all BDSM and pretty explicit descriptions. The author does a great job of keeping the story moving but I know there are some who prefer not to read this particular type of book and wanted to give a small warning.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gold standard of erotic romance, involving two people who think they are just having fun, but who are actually making a connection. Does involves some bdsm & d/s, but still surprisingly readable!

[Tasula · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some parts were OK, but others I thought were stupid (a man goes for YEARS without sex because of a vow to his wife who he doesn't have sex with either?). And for so much explicit sex (including S/M), it just didn't seem erotic to me.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one kept my attention the whole way through the story. I enjoyed this one that this was the second time I read this book.

[Aelliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Karen Desmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

4

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#book3 of #2018books