Meredith is a hot mess’s Reviews > The Viking's Runaway Concubine > Status Update

“You are not a traitor because you were taken, Eithne,” he told her, his voice a dark pulse, like thunder. “This is your lot. I am your fate.”

A legit criticism is some of the bdsm kinks this couple is doing comes across as rather modern for the period. Like the shibari rope harness.

I think I've realized I don't like bdsm in books that's representative of healthy, responsible relationships. *yawn. What I like is the power exchange dynamics. To explore power exchange in fiction, there simply can't be full consent. When there's full consent the exploration of power dynamics won't be as extreme, compelling, or interesting.

I'm taking this off my erotica-bdsm shelf. I'm glancing at reviews and there are already critical reviews saying this book doesn't have full consent and the couple doesn't follow RACK *rolls eyes*

Then another review complaining about Stockholm syndrome. These are classic negative reviews authors get when the marketing is off. This book should be marketed to the dark romance crowd, not bdsm crowd.

He brushed his thumbs beneath her eyes, looking for wetness, yet found none.

Still, there was a darkness in her gaze he didn’t like. A heaviness about her where before there had been only their particular joy.

He wanted more of it.

And he wanted so much of it that it could never turn heavy again, no matter what ghosts might rise.

This is well-written but I'm almost at 50% and wondering what the plot is going to be. Or if there is even going to be plot, or just sex in a tent for the rest of the book?

I'm trying so hard to like this book

With this couple I like the power exchange dynamic. Power exchange in general is interesting to me, even outside of bdsm. I'm just not into the bdsmey stuff rn like calling the H "master', caning, spanking, etc

The writing is great but this is going into a bdsm punishment scene with spanking and I'm so not into this rn