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Carte Blanche
The Ropes
What happens when everything you ever thought you wanted…isn’t?
Noel Carter had her life all planned. She moved to the right city and got a job in a restaurant above a kink club. She spent her nights down there, watching, learning. Being a Domme is all she’s ever wanted. Until one night, she catches the eye of the owner of the club and most infamous bachelor in town. Suddenly all her dreams get turned upside down.
One look. That’s all it took for Dane Vincent’s life to veer drastically off course. Everything he wants. Everything he desires. Everything he’s told himself he can never have may have just walked into his club. He’s made his fortune. He’s set aside his lifestyle. Is he willing to change all that for a woman? A woman who has no idea who he really is or the secrets he’s worked so hard to keep hidden.
She’s mysterious. She’s deceptive. She’s stunning. If Dane can untangle her desires…she may just set him free.
Noel Carter had her life all planned. She moved to the right city and got a job in a restaurant above a kink club. She spent her nights down there, watching, learning. Being a Domme is all she’s ever wanted. Until one night, she catches the eye of the owner of the club and most infamous bachelor in town. Suddenly all her dreams get turned upside down.
One look. That’s all it took for Dane Vincent’s life to veer drastically off course. Everything he wants. Everything he desires. Everything he’s told himself he can never have may have just walked into his club. He’s made his fortune. He’s set aside his lifestyle. Is he willing to change all that for a woman? A woman who has no idea who he really is or the secrets he’s worked so hard to keep hidden.
She’s mysterious. She’s deceptive. She’s stunning. If Dane can untangle her desires…she may just set him free.
358 pages, Paperback
Published September 20, 2022
105 people are currently reading
258 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 14, 2023
This book was slow going. I wish a couple of the big reveals came sooner in the book, because by the time we did (e.g., a major reason why Dane withdrew from playing publicly), I was too annoyed and frustrated with the characters to be very understanding.
I didn't like Noel, Gabby and Dee that much either (Jade was ok, but probably only we didn't see enough of her for me to dislike her). At one point, Dane calls Noel sassy and intelligent; for me she was verging on TSTL. How could she ever think she was a Domme? Noel was also really self-absorbed-- she never asked Gabby about what was going on her life. Gabby just wasn't believable, especially her level of investment in Noel's love life. Finally, the author's depiction of Dee gave Dommes a bad rep. Her assignment for Noel and Co. was neither safe nor responsible.
Finally, and this will seem weird, but I didn't believe that the story was set in California. And even though the author bio says the author hails from Seattle, the writing felt British (even calling an apartment a flat at one point). But that's probably just me.
I didn't like Noel, Gabby and Dee that much either (Jade was ok, but probably only we didn't see enough of her for me to dislike her). At one point, Dane calls Noel sassy and intelligent; for me she was verging on TSTL. How could she ever think she was a Domme? Noel was also really self-absorbed-- she never asked Gabby about what was going on her life. Gabby just wasn't believable, especially her level of investment in Noel's love life. Finally, the author's depiction of Dee gave Dommes a bad rep. Her assignment for Noel and Co. was neither safe nor responsible.
Finally, and this will seem weird, but I didn't believe that the story was set in California. And even though the author bio says the author hails from Seattle, the writing felt British (even calling an apartment a flat at one point). But that's probably just me.
June 14, 2023
DNF @ 66%
No clue what this was about.
This was fun at the beginning, and then I started to run out of steam. Both main characters were very uncertain of what they wanted/denied themselves.
We remained in this limbo of uncertainty for so long. I started to get tunnel vision.
Plus, neither character was particularly interesting or had an alluring personality. They were both kind of stale. Good people but stale.
The FMC spent years of her life working towards her goal is becoming a professional domme, but hasn’t taken a single step to make it a reality.
This aspect wasn’t interesting enough for the whole plot to be based around it.
I held on because I thought I was getting a Femdom romance like “the ranks” (loved that book) based on the cover description, and the beginning of the story.
But after what seemed like forever, the FMC finally decided she doesn’t want to be a Dom and wants to be submissive. DNF.
March 25, 2024
I don't normally care to read books with femme dom vibes because that's just not my personality. Although this had it, it ultimately wasn't how things went down. :)
First, her best friend is a piece of work. I hated her. Her jealousy of her best friend being with a 'rich man who is spoiling her' was really showing in the times Noel went to her. Especially in the end when she walked away from the MMC and really needed her support but instead her best friend was basically like 'i can't believe you are crying cause he wants to fuck another woman he's rich and spoils you blah blah blah' like having money was all that mattered. Like I really hated that bitch.
So there was a hugeeee plot hole here. When the 'show' came up he said this was his business how he made money. But that was no where near the truth. He hadn't done anything like that in 10 years, his money is the club, the restaurants, and whatever else he owned... not performing. At some points it was like the author was trying to make it seem like he does this all the time 'getting calls to perform' but at the same time saying he hadn't been active or anything in over 10 years, had a few dates with women and one night stand but that's it. So which is it? Because his whole argument on this was that its how he makes his money - so he would continue to do this no matter what she thought, even though he told her specifically - he hadn't done that with anyone in years.
The lack of respect he showed her by just telling her what he was doing instead of talking to her about it got to me too. Like okay - yeah she didn't tell him about the class with Deidra but HE set that up, so he knew anyway. Though, she was a bitch for not bringing that to him not knowing if it would involve sex with others to see where he stood. But she also tried having that talk with him to make sure he wasn't with anyone else and to see where they stand. Knowing the lifestyle and WANTING to have a family and a relationship with her, he should've talked to her about what was asked instead of coming to her telling her what he was doing. Don't even get me started on his response to that waitress that told him she could make his night better... like dude... REALLY?
There was another thing that was wishy washy actually lets do 2 more things that was wishy washy and conflicting. So Deidra was married to her wife yet fucked other guys .... i'm just wondering what the wife's take on this is. But the whole show seemed like a setup done by Deidra, like she was trying to break up Dane and Noel. Like when he walked away from the show she was telling him that he never thinks for himself and that he should just give up on Noel now if she's not happy with him doing the show... but then changes to telling him love was worth it... IDK. Her character just seemed to want to yell at him for walking away but telling him it was also worth walking away?
I was confused on a lot of interactions in this. However, it was still a decent read.
I thought there would be more kinkier scenes. I loved the scene at the other club when he went to pick her up and basically had to fight her for her submission.. freaking LOVED it oh oh oh and the last scene at the end in the woods. <3 mmm yes daddy please! :D
Everything else was pretty vanilla but I really enjoyed the FMC discovering herself. From her life feeling like she was this one thing and realizing that she only felt that was because of how powerless she was made to feel before to having something completely different when finding Dane, someone she could trust and made her feel in control even while he's the who had the control.
Spice 2.5/5
Humor 0/5
Emotional 1/5
World Building 2.5/5
Overall 3/5
First, her best friend is a piece of work. I hated her. Her jealousy of her best friend being with a 'rich man who is spoiling her' was really showing in the times Noel went to her. Especially in the end when she walked away from the MMC and really needed her support but instead her best friend was basically like 'i can't believe you are crying cause he wants to fuck another woman he's rich and spoils you blah blah blah' like having money was all that mattered. Like I really hated that bitch.
So there was a hugeeee plot hole here. When the 'show' came up he said this was his business how he made money. But that was no where near the truth. He hadn't done anything like that in 10 years, his money is the club, the restaurants, and whatever else he owned... not performing. At some points it was like the author was trying to make it seem like he does this all the time 'getting calls to perform' but at the same time saying he hadn't been active or anything in over 10 years, had a few dates with women and one night stand but that's it. So which is it? Because his whole argument on this was that its how he makes his money - so he would continue to do this no matter what she thought, even though he told her specifically - he hadn't done that with anyone in years.
The lack of respect he showed her by just telling her what he was doing instead of talking to her about it got to me too. Like okay - yeah she didn't tell him about the class with Deidra but HE set that up, so he knew anyway. Though, she was a bitch for not bringing that to him not knowing if it would involve sex with others to see where he stood. But she also tried having that talk with him to make sure he wasn't with anyone else and to see where they stand. Knowing the lifestyle and WANTING to have a family and a relationship with her, he should've talked to her about what was asked instead of coming to her telling her what he was doing. Don't even get me started on his response to that waitress that told him she could make his night better... like dude... REALLY?
There was another thing that was wishy washy actually lets do 2 more things that was wishy washy and conflicting. So Deidra was married to her wife yet fucked other guys .... i'm just wondering what the wife's take on this is. But the whole show seemed like a setup done by Deidra, like she was trying to break up Dane and Noel. Like when he walked away from the show she was telling him that he never thinks for himself and that he should just give up on Noel now if she's not happy with him doing the show... but then changes to telling him love was worth it... IDK. Her character just seemed to want to yell at him for walking away but telling him it was also worth walking away?
I was confused on a lot of interactions in this. However, it was still a decent read.
I thought there would be more kinkier scenes. I loved the scene at the other club when he went to pick her up and basically had to fight her for her submission.. freaking LOVED it oh oh oh and the last scene at the end in the woods. <3 mmm yes daddy please! :D
Everything else was pretty vanilla but I really enjoyed the FMC discovering herself. From her life feeling like she was this one thing and realizing that she only felt that was because of how powerless she was made to feel before to having something completely different when finding Dane, someone she could trust and made her feel in control even while he's the who had the control.
Spice 2.5/5
Humor 0/5
Emotional 1/5
World Building 2.5/5
Overall 3/5
January 22, 2025
Book: The Ropes
Series Name: Carte Blanch
Standalone Story –(interconnected) Each book is a new story just with characters that know each other.
360 pages
POV: Dual (Hero/Heroine)
HERO: Dane Vincent – 30’s, Good Guy Businessman who owns/runs a multitude of business mostly in or relating to the sex industry. Everything is legal and he is adamant about safety for his employees. He has let his own kinks/desires fall to the side so that he could keep up with the businesses and not risk being taken advantage of or sued; something that was a concern back when just getting the business off the ground. He is focused solely on work.
HEROINE: Noel Carter – mid 20’s, new(ish) to the city, Noel has been working as a waitress above a kink club and visiting during her time off trying to figure out a way to achieve her lifetime goal of becoming a Femme Domme.
WRITING: The story was well written. Everything was laid out and explained in such a way that I didn’t have to stop all to try and figure out what the author was trying to say.
EDITING: No errors found
PLOT: A few months ago, Noel moved to St. Ab to try and achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a femme domme. She started working at the restaurant above a kink club and visits regularly during her time off to try and figure out a way into the industry. While watching a scene, the owner of the club, Dane, is drawn to her. The start a relationship but each have reservations about sharing their kinks. Noel, because she is embarrassed and feels like nobody will understand and accept her. Dane, because his kink is more…wild, and due to an incident years ago he stopped playing altogether. Now Dane is interested in helping Noel unlock her fantasy, but until she is ready to discuss her desires openly, he decides to sneak around and set things up for her without her knowing he is behind it all. Noel finally has the opening she’s been searching for but after all this time, she begins questioning if her dreams have changed. Does she still want to be a Dominatrix, or was that all just her looking for something else she couldn’t name? After an evening goes awry Dane acts a little impulsively and is thrown back into the spotlight. Now he needs to deal with the fallout, but will he continue to choose the business over his own wants/needs or will he finally go after what he wants.
MY THOUGHTS: I liked this story overall. The plot was ok and I really wasn’t sure how the problems were going to be ‘fixed’. It was easy to follow and fall into. While it wasn’t riveting to the point where I had to keep going to know how it all ends (like a ‘read it all in one day’ or ‘stay up until 4 in the morning to finish it’ type story) it kept me interested enough that I kept going. The spice was low/med. Sweet with a kick. There really wasn’t a huge problem that needed to be overcome like in most stories; this was all about personal growth and 2 people overcoming their own issues to come together.
SPICE LEVEL: Low/Medium, 3/5
ENDING: HEA, Epilogue – 1 month later, No Cliffhanger
Series Name: Carte Blanch
Standalone Story –(interconnected) Each book is a new story just with characters that know each other.
360 pages
POV: Dual (Hero/Heroine)
HERO: Dane Vincent – 30’s, Good Guy Businessman who owns/runs a multitude of business mostly in or relating to the sex industry. Everything is legal and he is adamant about safety for his employees. He has let his own kinks/desires fall to the side so that he could keep up with the businesses and not risk being taken advantage of or sued; something that was a concern back when just getting the business off the ground. He is focused solely on work.
HEROINE: Noel Carter – mid 20’s, new(ish) to the city, Noel has been working as a waitress above a kink club and visiting during her time off trying to figure out a way to achieve her lifetime goal of becoming a Femme Domme.
WRITING: The story was well written. Everything was laid out and explained in such a way that I didn’t have to stop all to try and figure out what the author was trying to say.
EDITING: No errors found
PLOT: A few months ago, Noel moved to St. Ab to try and achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a femme domme. She started working at the restaurant above a kink club and visits regularly during her time off to try and figure out a way into the industry. While watching a scene, the owner of the club, Dane, is drawn to her. The start a relationship but each have reservations about sharing their kinks. Noel, because she is embarrassed and feels like nobody will understand and accept her. Dane, because his kink is more…wild, and due to an incident years ago he stopped playing altogether. Now Dane is interested in helping Noel unlock her fantasy, but until she is ready to discuss her desires openly, he decides to sneak around and set things up for her without her knowing he is behind it all. Noel finally has the opening she’s been searching for but after all this time, she begins questioning if her dreams have changed. Does she still want to be a Dominatrix, or was that all just her looking for something else she couldn’t name? After an evening goes awry Dane acts a little impulsively and is thrown back into the spotlight. Now he needs to deal with the fallout, but will he continue to choose the business over his own wants/needs or will he finally go after what he wants.
MY THOUGHTS: I liked this story overall. The plot was ok and I really wasn’t sure how the problems were going to be ‘fixed’. It was easy to follow and fall into. While it wasn’t riveting to the point where I had to keep going to know how it all ends (like a ‘read it all in one day’ or ‘stay up until 4 in the morning to finish it’ type story) it kept me interested enough that I kept going. The spice was low/med. Sweet with a kick. There really wasn’t a huge problem that needed to be overcome like in most stories; this was all about personal growth and 2 people overcoming their own issues to come together.
SPICE LEVEL: Low/Medium, 3/5
ENDING: HEA, Epilogue – 1 month later, No Cliffhanger
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2022
The Ropes was my first story by the author and will definitely not be the last. My attention was first caught by the cover and after reading the blurb, I was intrigued.
I was intrigued by Noel and Dane. Their lives brush against each other, but their orbits seem to be on different paths. Can they make a relationship work?
I loved them together. Dane doing what he can to help Noel explore and learn about herself. Noel trying step into her fantasy world while having a new one open its door. Dane is firm but supportive. The steamy times were excellent.
There is a new level of complicated to their relationship as a favor brings Dane out of retirement. The ensuing actions got close to unbelievable, but I could not put it down or look away. I completely understood Noel's issues but could see Dane's side as well. The ending was well deserved. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I was intrigued by Noel and Dane. Their lives brush against each other, but their orbits seem to be on different paths. Can they make a relationship work?
I loved them together. Dane doing what he can to help Noel explore and learn about herself. Noel trying step into her fantasy world while having a new one open its door. Dane is firm but supportive. The steamy times were excellent.
There is a new level of complicated to their relationship as a favor brings Dane out of retirement. The ensuing actions got close to unbelievable, but I could not put it down or look away. I completely understood Noel's issues but could see Dane's side as well. The ending was well deserved. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 14, 2022
I was really excited about the premise of this book, as I really like the BDSM club trope. Technically, the book was very well written and the world that Dane and Noel were living in was incredibly thoroughly developed. In my opinion, though they were very well developed, the characters weren't especially likeable. I found Dane to be too overbearing (not in a cute protective way, but in a borderline red flag-esque "I won't share your presence with anyone" kind of way) and secretive, and Noel to be irritatingly indecisive and almost irrational at times. I also thought the plot was so thoroughly written and contained so many subplots throughout that at times it was redundant and slow moving, making it tough to keep reading the second half. I think the book would have been a much easier and more captivating read if it was condensed a bit and was about 70 pages shorter. Overall, this was a good book that was worth reading, but not one that I am likely to read again.
August 21, 2023
I absolutely loved this book! The first half was sexy and cute and fun and kept me wanting to know more/to see how their relationship developed. Exactly what I want the start of a romance book to be. That second half, though...
(No spoilers, I promise!)
It was a whirlwind of every intense feeling imaginable. I literally couldn't put it down. Like, even to eat.
The two main characters, Dane and Noel, were a spectacular couple. Both felt so incredibly real to me, with problems and hopes and dreams and secrets and pain. They were both so utterly lost, and watching them figure out who they truly are with each other was an absolute delight. There were also quite a lot of side characters who I adore, and I hope to see most (if not all) of them reappear in the rest of the series.
And did I mention how sexy this book is? Because my god. Someone get me a fan or crank up the AC or something, because some of these scenes were HOT HOT HOT!
(No spoilers, I promise!)
It was a whirlwind of every intense feeling imaginable. I literally couldn't put it down. Like, even to eat.
The two main characters, Dane and Noel, were a spectacular couple. Both felt so incredibly real to me, with problems and hopes and dreams and secrets and pain. They were both so utterly lost, and watching them figure out who they truly are with each other was an absolute delight. There were also quite a lot of side characters who I adore, and I hope to see most (if not all) of them reappear in the rest of the series.
And did I mention how sexy this book is? Because my god. Someone get me a fan or crank up the AC or something, because some of these scenes were HOT HOT HOT!
October 31, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
OMG! OMG! Hot 🔥 🥵 make sure you have a cold drink with you because once you start you can't stop. I found this book marvellous, the story was exhilarating while the characters were sublime. This story with Dane and Noel has action, drama, suspense, dominants, submissive, respect, euphoria, confidence, pain, fear, turmoil, struggles, secrets, arguing, intrigue, friendships, healing, courage, trust, shibari, thrilling, lust, passion, euphoria, and lots more emotions throughout. Dane is a wealthy bachelor and a Sadist, very private person doesn't have many friends. Noel has always dreamed of being a femme Domimatrix but scared to follow her dream. He asked her out for coffee and then she just pushed her dream aside, but will he play with her and can she except him for who he is.
OMG! OMG! Hot 🔥 🥵 make sure you have a cold drink with you because once you start you can't stop. I found this book marvellous, the story was exhilarating while the characters were sublime. This story with Dane and Noel has action, drama, suspense, dominants, submissive, respect, euphoria, confidence, pain, fear, turmoil, struggles, secrets, arguing, intrigue, friendships, healing, courage, trust, shibari, thrilling, lust, passion, euphoria, and lots more emotions throughout. Dane is a wealthy bachelor and a Sadist, very private person doesn't have many friends. Noel has always dreamed of being a femme Domimatrix but scared to follow her dream. He asked her out for coffee and then she just pushed her dream aside, but will he play with her and can she except him for who he is.
June 7, 2023
learning the ropes
Noel has a lifelong dream: become a Dominatrix. She's studied human sexuality, moved to a city known for its sex clubs, and lurked in the shadows at Ropes, the city's premier kink club. Nothing works. She's a failure. Meeting Dane, the club owner, gives her a chance to fulfill her dream, but their interaction leads to attraction and kink of a different kind. She loves him, and can't let go of her obsessive need to pursue the Domme dream. And Dane? He's also sacrificed everything to build his dream, but Noel upends everything he thought he wanted, valued, and fought for. He loves her. So what happens when lifelong dreams and the love of your life are mutually exclusive? Whoever thought a kink-based romance could be nail- biting, can't put it down, right up to the cliff-edge intense? This one is. And when my heart rate drops from the stratosphere, I'm gonna read the sequel.
Noel has a lifelong dream: become a Dominatrix. She's studied human sexuality, moved to a city known for its sex clubs, and lurked in the shadows at Ropes, the city's premier kink club. Nothing works. She's a failure. Meeting Dane, the club owner, gives her a chance to fulfill her dream, but their interaction leads to attraction and kink of a different kind. She loves him, and can't let go of her obsessive need to pursue the Domme dream. And Dane? He's also sacrificed everything to build his dream, but Noel upends everything he thought he wanted, valued, and fought for. He loves her. So what happens when lifelong dreams and the love of your life are mutually exclusive? Whoever thought a kink-based romance could be nail- biting, can't put it down, right up to the cliff-edge intense? This one is. And when my heart rate drops from the stratosphere, I'm gonna read the sequel.
June 8, 2023
When we are first introduced to Noel I liked the fact she was brave enough to visit Ropes the link club unaccompanied. Thinking she was a strong woman. Having her mind set upon becoming a Domme. But was still shy enough that she hadn't joined in , or started to join a community. Then she spots Dane the owner who also owns the restaurant above the club,where Noel is a waitress.
Dane spots her but doesn't know where he has seen her from.
The dynamics change when he finally gets her to have a drink with him.
Noel presents as a quiet shy sma!l town girl, with a vampy sex fitness trapped inside her. But it misses the mark.
Now Dane he definitely hits the mark Who's trapped in his castles by his own hands. And he is soo Mr Wicked Wolf ready to eat red riding hood up .😘. A
Great read. Will read next one.
Dane spots her but doesn't know where he has seen her from.
The dynamics change when he finally gets her to have a drink with him.
Noel presents as a quiet shy sma!l town girl, with a vampy sex fitness trapped inside her. But it misses the mark.
Now Dane he definitely hits the mark Who's trapped in his castles by his own hands. And he is soo Mr Wicked Wolf ready to eat red riding hood up .😘. A
Great read. Will read next one.
November 8, 2022
The Ropes by Lore Townsend is a book worth reading more than once.
Noel, new to the kink scene, and Dane, whose lifestyle it has always been both have a lot to learn, about themselves, about their life choices. I love that the story is not rushed, both main characters have plenty of time to develop so you can really grow to love them. None of the characters are one-dimensional, and there are a lot of surprising twists that I wasn't expecting at all. The dynamics between both the main and all the supportive characters clicked so well together I somehow thought this is the last book in the series. Pleasant surprise - this is just the first one, there's more to come :)
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Noel, new to the kink scene, and Dane, whose lifestyle it has always been both have a lot to learn, about themselves, about their life choices. I love that the story is not rushed, both main characters have plenty of time to develop so you can really grow to love them. None of the characters are one-dimensional, and there are a lot of surprising twists that I wasn't expecting at all. The dynamics between both the main and all the supportive characters clicked so well together I somehow thought this is the last book in the series. Pleasant surprise - this is just the first one, there's more to come :)
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 7, 2023
I look forward to more from this author.
Noel moved to St Abigail to find her true self. Now that she’s there, she’s not sure who that person is. She’s gone to The Ropes for months and hasn’t been able to take the first step to find out. Then she catches the eye of the owner. What now? Will she sacrifice her dream to be with him?
Dane started out living in his van and performing on the streets. Now he’s richer than he ever dreamed. But as the owner of The Ropes and many other successful businesses, he’s pulled back, denying his sexual side as well as his personal life to protect them and his employees. But when a woman catches his eye at Ropes, his life may just change for the better. Now all he must do is convince her that she’s worthy of his time and attention.
Noel moved to St Abigail to find her true self. Now that she’s there, she’s not sure who that person is. She’s gone to The Ropes for months and hasn’t been able to take the first step to find out. Then she catches the eye of the owner. What now? Will she sacrifice her dream to be with him?
Dane started out living in his van and performing on the streets. Now he’s richer than he ever dreamed. But as the owner of The Ropes and many other successful businesses, he’s pulled back, denying his sexual side as well as his personal life to protect them and his employees. But when a woman catches his eye at Ropes, his life may just change for the better. Now all he must do is convince her that she’s worthy of his time and attention.
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November 2, 2022I love BDSM club books in general. It is one of my favorite tropes/genres. This book takes the reader to Ropes a BDSM club owned by the MMC. The FMC thinks she wants to be a Domme and goes to the club but is to nervous to play. A majority of the book is the FMC figuring out what she actually wants. There is a lot of internal dialogue that dragged the story down in the middle. Overall, the story was good but I would have liked to see more BDSM scenes in the club. I am excited to read the next book which is the story of two side characters introduced in this one.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 23, 2023
I read this book after reading the Spotlight. This is a BDSM book about Dane and Noel and the kink lifestyle. Dane owns a kink club, the Ropes and Noel is a waitress that works at one of his businesses. He is immediately drawn to her. Noel is a new arrival to his town and she is planning on learning to be a dominatrix. The characters were very well developed and the author gave us quite in depth insight into each character's psyche which made the story interesting and intriguing. I felt the book ended a bit abruptly and I would have liked an epilogue. This book has violence, explicit sex, some strong language and contains questionable morality.
May 29, 2023
Dane knows who he is and what he wants. He's made his fortune and he used to be a Dom, but has withdrawn from the lifestyle even though he runs a popular club (it takes a while, but we'll find out why at some point). Noel is new to kink, but believes that she is a Domme. When she makes the acquaintance of Dane at this club, he's pretty sure she is not. He wants to teach her and she agrees. There are spicy scenes between them, but they don't really get close until they open up to each other. It takes a while to build a relationship between them and honestly, until that happened I wasn't sure about any of them, but when they connect, it's a story of the redemptive power of love.
April 2, 2023
Well written and edited. I only found 1 typo (it's a pet peeve, so I actually look for them).
Amazon has the book listed in the 'Erotic' section, since the backdrop of the story and most of the characters are into the BDSM scene. But it really read more as a general romance, with only mild sex scenes. Yeah, there was rope involved, there was mention of public play, some swats and hair pulling. Even Doms and a professional Domme as characters. But the sex scenes where pretty vanilla and tame to be honest. I sure expected MORE considering the setting the author chose.
Amazon has the book listed in the 'Erotic' section, since the backdrop of the story and most of the characters are into the BDSM scene. But it really read more as a general romance, with only mild sex scenes. Yeah, there was rope involved, there was mention of public play, some swats and hair pulling. Even Doms and a professional Domme as characters. But the sex scenes where pretty vanilla and tame to be honest. I sure expected MORE considering the setting the author chose.
August 14, 2023
I really enjoyed Noel and Dane’s story of learning to trust each other while figuring out what they need for their future. I liked how both characters had their own issues to work through and decisions to make in order to move forward. They both had their own moments of growth/epiphanies to deal with in their self inflicted expectations and roles they created for themselves. The character building and supporting characters were well written and gave the story more depth. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 20, 2023
It was a bit slow for me it's set in a BDSM club FMC is new to the life and MMC owns the club but isn't really in the lifestyle anymore but he is drawn to Noel when he spots her in the club. I like how the author make sure the two had a good relationship before bring in things as the FMC was new to it all. I felt like the characters started to fall flat in the middle. Over all was a good read its pretty mild for where it's set at.
September 25, 2023
Eh. It had some good stuff, but it wasn’t great. I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters. Noel seemed kind of flat. Dane had that whole mysterious, rich guy thing going, but it didn’t hit right and it took too long to get into his “history.” The last 25% of the book was the best. I wasn’t a fan of Dee at all. I get that she’s supposed to be fierce, but she just came off more rude to me. I’m definitely interested in Gabby & Charlie’s story though.
August 26, 2024
Noel wants to be a dominatrix. She goes to the "kink" club frequently, never participating, never speaking to anyone, just watching. She does work in the restaurant upstairs and for the owner of both Dane. Dane takes an interest in Noel and her life changes forever. This isn't what I would call a HOT book, more sweet than spicy. But it is a great book to read, I didn't miss the spicy, I just enjoyed the book!
October 10, 2023
It was a fine book. I didn't personally find it very engaging, but it was good enough. It wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't for me.
3 stars because I got it with Stuff Your Kindle and it wasn't a bad book. Some of the sex scenes were well written.
I just didn't love the main female character.
3 stars because I got it with Stuff Your Kindle and it wasn't a bad book. Some of the sex scenes were well written.
I just didn't love the main female character.
June 15, 2023
A wonderful introduction to the Carte Blanche world! Loved the MC's, their struggles and reallife troubles. Well, as far as having a millionaire boyfriend goes. He is human after all. The FMC is somewhat ignorant at first. A bit naive, maybe. But when she finds her strenght and inner power. Ha!
September 26, 2023
This one surprised me! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I enjoyed it! Spicy, great story about a girl trying to find who she is and what she likes, I just really liked the main characters! And I’m a sucker for a love story! I think that’s why I was surprised, because it was more than just sex.
September 30, 2023
This is the first book in this series Carte Blanche. The story took me a bit to get into it. The characters are good and fit well together. This is a new author for me and I am looking to see what the next installment will be like.
I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 25, 2023
The Ropes: A Billionaire Boss/Employee, Alpha-Switch, Fated Mates Romance
Book 1 of The Carte Blanche Series
Lore Townsend
The story and characters were well written and nicely developed. I really enjoyed the drama, chemistry and journey. Good read.
Book 1 of The Carte Blanche Series
Lore Townsend
The story and characters were well written and nicely developed. I really enjoyed the drama, chemistry and journey. Good read.
August 15, 2024
I really wanted to like this one, and the seeds were there for a good book, but it wanted to do too much.
Gonna read a tamer (but still smutty!) book then try the sequel and see if it suffers the same issue or if the author figures out how to focus.
Gonna read a tamer (but still smutty!) book then try the sequel and see if it suffers the same issue or if the author figures out how to focus.
November 5, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I couldn't put this book down. Such a great story and the description made it very easy to feel like you were there with the characters. One thing I really loved about this book is that it wasn't rushed so you actually got to know the characters. I also liked that the main point of view came from a character new to bdsm. Most other books come from the view of characters who have been part of that community for years , but here we got to see and experience the nerves, anxiety, fear, and excitement. The only thing I would change was Dane. For me I like my characters to have a clear "designation" I guess you can say. With him I had a hard time figuring out is he a dom, sub or switch. I would have just made it a bit clear. Other then that I loved this story and will definitely read again and finish the this series.
November 6, 2022
5 stars for a lot of things. Length of the book, the journey both Dane and Noel make in their personal growth. And of course their journey together. Great read!
November 9, 2022
Lore!!
Oh my gosh thank you for this one!!
I absolutely loved Noel and her growth in this book in finding herself and the things she likes! I also like how she learned and really researched before jumping in! I also loved Dane and how he was willing to help her learn what she needed/wanted!
5/5⭐️
Oh my gosh thank you for this one!!
I absolutely loved Noel and her growth in this book in finding herself and the things she likes! I also like how she learned and really researched before jumping in! I also loved Dane and how he was willing to help her learn what she needed/wanted!
5/5⭐️
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January 4, 2023🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/4/2023)! 🎁
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