The BDSM Book Club Discussion Thread

I've often wanted to participate, but it's pretty impossible for me to find the books suggested, because I wouldn't like to buy them. The selection of books in English here in the library is pretty limited, and, not so surprisingly, doesn't include a lot of bdsm stuff. And a lot of bdsm stuff doesn't really get translated, either.

I always enjoy reading this thread, though. It'd be a shame to see this thread die, you've done a really great job, FF!

Thanks Seela,

Sorry that the books are so difficult to find where you are. I don't like to have to buy a new book either. Not at all!

FF

seela said:

I've often wanted to participate, but it's pretty impossible for me to find the books suggested, because I wouldn't like to buy them. The selection of books in English here in the library is pretty limited, and, not so surprisingly, doesn't include a lot of bdsm stuff. And a lot of bdsm stuff doesn't really get translated, either.

I always enjoy reading this thread, though. It'd be a shame to see this thread die, you've done a really great job, FF!

Click to expand...

September book?

I did some looking, and here are a couple suggestions:

Surrender to Fire, by Lora Leigh

The Dom's Dungeon, by Cherise Sinclair

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Anne Rice (I did not see it in my quick browse through of the books that were read in the past, but it is so well known that most people may have already read it)

Eager to Please, by Kim Corum

I tried to find some by a variety of authors, but since I am away from a library at the moment, it involved random searching on Amazon. It is surprisingly hard to come up with good suggestions!

Good looking!

We have done the Anne Rice book. It was a while ago. We could do it again if enough folks wanted to.

*hugs*

FF

Kristiana said:

I did some looking, and here are a couple suggestions:

Surrender to Fire, by Lora Leigh

The Dom's Dungeon, by Cherise Sinclair

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Anne Rice (I did not see it in my quick browse through of the books that were read in the past, but it is so well known that most people may have already read it)

Eager to Please, by Kim Corum

I tried to find some by a variety of authors, but since I am away from a library at the moment, it involved random searching on Amazon. It is surprisingly hard to come up with good suggestions!

Click to expand...

I just saw this Kristiana!

Thanks for reading the book and putting up a post with your thoughts in it! Sorry you didn't enjoy this selection but also happy to see we felt the same way about it!

*hugs*

FF

Kristiana said:

Did you like the book overall or not?

I liked parts of it, but I felt the plot was weak and there were some other things I did not like.

Do you feel it portrays BDSM in a real way, a positive way and/or your way?

No. This was not really BDSM. There was one scene that would qualify, in my books, and that was it.

Did you like the sex scenes in the book?

They were ok, but could have been better. Like FurryFury I thought they repeated, and there did not seem to be much imagination behind them.

Did you like the rest of the book, the story in it?

No. I did not like the ideas behind the plot. It implied that the 'kinky' side of things was abnormal, and caused by age or problems in the past. I also felt that the plot had not been well thought out and was not all that interesting.

Would you be interested in reading another book by this author?

Yes, but because I have read other books by her, not because of this book specifically.

What did you like best about this selection?

Honestly, it was all fairly blah for me

What did you like the least?

I did not like the way it portrayed all the secret being kept either- betraying trust is not romantic. Ever. Also not so keen on the twin/twin thing.
Overall, the story was very hard to believe. There were no real people- everyone was rich, powerful and beautiful, as FurryFury noted.


How would you have changed the story?

Better character development so that you have proper 3 dimensional characters.

Click to expand...

Swallowing Darkness (Meredith Gentry, Book 7) by Laurell K. Hamilton will be our August 2011 BOTM, read along!

Currently we are discussing Wicked Pleasure by Jaid Black and Lora Leigh, our July 2011 BOTM discuss it with us!

We need a book selected for our September 2011 BOTM, ASAP! Here is the list of nominations.

1.) Queen of the Darkness, by Anne Bishop.

"Queen of the Darkness" is the third and last book in Anne Bishop's extraordinary "Black Jewels Trilogy." This is a strong novel which truly enhances the material in the first two books and provides a most fitting conclusion to this epic series. I would strongly advise reading the books in order, beginning with "Daughter of the Blood" and then "Heir to the Shadows" to best appreciate the intricate story, characters and unique world that Ms. Bishop has created. I only wish the author had written a quartet!

2.) Warrior's Woman by Johanna Lindsey.

Book Description:In the year 2139, fearless Tedra De Arr sets out to rescue her beleaguered planet Kystran from the savage rule of the evil Crad Ce Moerr. Experienced in combat but not in love, the beautiful, untouched Amazon flies with Martha, her wise-cracking, free-thinking computer, to a world where warriors reigns supreme--and into the arms of the one man she can never hope to vanquish: the bronzed barbarian Challen Ly-San-Ter. A magnificent creature of raw yet disciplined desires, the muscle-bound primitive succeeds where no puny Kystran male had before--igniting a raging fire within Tedra that must be extinguished before she can even think of saving her enslaved world. . .

3.)Obsession : an erotic tale by Vanderbilt, Gloria

Publisher Summary 2 New York social maven Priscilla Bingham discovers a hidden cache of letters that reveal her late husband's affair with a sophisticated dominatrix who has recorded the intimate details of their relationship, a finding with which Priscilla becomes increasingly obsessed. Publisher Summary 3
The marriages of desire . . .

From the multitalented and versatile Gloria Vanderbilt comes a passionate, sensual, witty, and puzzling tale of erotic obsession, beauty, and revenge, told in tandem by two women obsessed with the same man—and, ultimately, with each other.

Talbot Bingham is a renowned architectural genius who, with his formidable wife, Priscilla, creates an architectural community. When he dies unexpectedly in the middle of their tenth wedding anniversary celebration, the devastated Priscilla is left keeper of the flame of Talbot's genius. Going through her husband's archives, she comes unexpectedly upon a pile of neatly tied letters, and the shocking secret of her husband's intimate life—a discovery that shatters the foundation of her soul and spirit.

Obsession explores the mysteries of the human heart and the nature of sexuality and obsession, provoking questions about whom we choose to love, and why. The reader is left to decide if the other woman represents another facet of Priscilla, or if Priscilla her-self has invented the other woman who completed the world her husband so recently inhabited?


4.)One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 2) by Jeaniene Frost

You can run from the grave, but you can't hide . . .

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She's still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.

Being around him awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head—wanted: dead or half-alive—means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep things professional between them, she'll find that desire lasts forever . . . and that Bones won't let her get away again.

5.) Menage by Emma Holly

Bookstore owner Kate comes home from work one day to find her two flatmates in bed...together. Joe - a sensitive composer - is mortified. Sean - an irrepressible bad boy - asks her to join in. Kate's been fantasising about her hunky new houseshares since they moved in, but she was convinced they were both gay.

Realising that pleasure is a multi-faceted thing, she sets her cares aside and embarks on a menage a trois with the wild duo. Kate wants nothing more than to keep both her admirers happy, but inevitably things become complicated, especially at work.

Kate has told her colleagues that Joe and Sean are gay but the gossip begins when she's caught in a clinch with one of them in her lunch hour! To add to this, one of Kate's more conservative suitors is showing interest again, but she's hooked on the different kind of loving that she enjoys with her boys - even though she knows it cannot last. Or can it?

6.) Safe Word by Molly Weatherfield. From the author of Carrie's Story comes the continuing tale of a young woman's uncompromising sexual adventure.

Carrie leaves Jonathan, the S/M master who initiated her into a life of slave auctions, training regimes, and human "ponies" preening for dressage competitions. Whisked away to Greece by the demanding gentleman who has chosen her as his own, she learns new, more rigorous methods of sexual pleasure.

7.) Topping From Below by Laura Reese.

The title of this devilishly pornographic?albeit literate?novel is taken from the argot of sadomasochism and refers to a rebellious dynamic in which the dominant partner (the "top") is subtly manipulated by the submissive partner (the "bottom").

After her young sister, Franny, is found murdered?bound, gagged and mutilated?Nora Tibbs, a journalist for the Sacramento Bee, discovers in Franny's computer a diary that details her brief affair with "M.," an arrogant music professor in his late 40s. Cruelly exploiting the overweight, love-starved woman, M. forced Franny to submit to a humiliating gamut of outre sexual practices.

Convinced that M. is Franny's murderer, Nora sets out to prove his guilt by pretending to submit to his depraved aberrations. But, to her astonishment, she discovers a dark, pagan side of herself when M. enthralls her with intense, if perilous, sexual pleasure. Graphic descriptions of exotic sexual practices (bondage and discipline, sadomasochism, bestiality, etc.) accumulate, counterpointed by Nora's sweetly romantic relationship with a fellow reporter.

The suspense, a bit attenuated by thin secondary characters, also is muted by artless foreshadowing, but the conclusion is satisfying in a savage sort of way and Nora's plunge "down, all the way down" under M.'s manipulations will keep most readers gripped even as they're aware that Reese's shameless pandering is manipulating them in turn. Comparison to Story of O is well earned. 100,000 first printing; Literary Guild and Doubleday Recommended for adult fiction collections.

8.) Wild Rain by Christine Feehan

Feehan has a knack for bringing vampiric Carpathians to vivid, virile life in her Dark Carpathian novels, and in this new book, which builds on her short story "The Awakening," she focuses on a different kind of sensual predator—a half-human/half-leopard species of shapeshifters.

Mysterious freelance paramilitary operative Rio Santana is a member of this breed, but he's been banished from his clan and lives in a solitary rainforest dwelling. Enter Rachel Lospostos, who has marooned herself in the jungle to escape a group of murderers.

Blood runs hot between the two, both emotionally and literally—their first meeting is a near-terminal cat fight that leaves Rachel bedridden with a mangled leg and a broken wrist. As Rio cares for her, it becomes clear that their relationship is fated, but it may soon be cut short if they don't figure out who wants Rachel dead.

Suspense often takes a backseat to the protagonists' romantic feelings, but Feehan handles both elements skillfully, drawing villains who are sufficiently threatening and creating a romance that feels both destined and believable. Readers whose fantasies center on untamed wilderness and on untamed heroes who are as sensitive as they are strong will be seduced by this erotic adventure. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

9.) The Reluctant Dom by Tymber Dalton

Love hurts...if you're lucky.-

Kaden knows he's dying, but before he goes, he has one problem he needs to solve - he must ask his oldest friend Seth to take over as his beloved wife's Dom and Master after his death. Seth has always seen himself as the perpetual screw-up and Kaden as the strong and steady one, so his friend's request rocks his world.-

Now Seth finds himself immersed in a role he's far from comfortable with: inflicting pain to provide emotional comfort for the woman he's secretly loved for years. Can he deal with his crushing grief and learn the skills he must master in time to become THE RELUCTANT DOM?-

Warning: m/f/m menage, anal sex/play/toys, BDSM, bondage, D/s relationship, and the lesser-known "normality" of the world of BDSM.-

Any book you consider to have been pleasurable, and somewhat BDSM please share!

10.) Symphony of C, Vol I and Symphony of C, Vol II by Cara Mitchell ebook format

From author's web site:

Following the ebbs and flows of longing warring with jubilation, Cara relives the fury of the battle between her intrinsic nature and the teachings of modern society in her quest to fulfill her yearning to yield control to another. Trained by the mysteriously exclusive ranks of high protocol dominants, she endeavours to be moulded into a gracefully captivated being.

Will her journey through intense bliss and wrenching turmoil in order to fulfill her need to obey destroy or lead to unparalleled freedom?

11.) Chaos Magic by Jay Lygon

Sam is a broken young man, whose job as a film critic is just starting to take off, even as his personal life is crashing down around him.

His relationship with Marcus, God of Fear, turned out to be a horrible mistake, sending him spiraling down into a web of self-doubt and depression.

Luckily, Sam has always been a follower of magic, and he knows just enough about how the gods work to keep his head above water until he meets the Dom of his dreams, Hector. Seemingly the perfect match for Sam's impulsive, reckless Sub, Hector soon shows signs of jealousy and need that go beyond what Sam might be able to give.

With Hector's motivations called into doubt, Sam has to learn to trust, and to stop listening to the ideas Marcus has put in his head.

Sam also has problems accepting his own nature, and his abilities, which leads to more chaos than he, or Hector, could have imagined. Can Hector put aside his jealousy and his desperate desire to be all Sam needs?

And can Sam learn that he's strong enough to let go of everything and immerse himself in the lifestyle he and Hector can achieve together?

12.) Surrender to Fire by Lora Leigh

SurrenderBook 1 in the Bound Hearts seriesCole has wanted Tess for years. And he's warned her of this several times. He's also warned her HOW he wants her. Tied down in his bed, under his domination, surrendering to his desires. . . Fyre Brand She holds the elemental power of fire within her grasp, able to sear, to destroy. But her heart holds the fear of repeating her ancestors' mistakes. Now, amid a world fighting to rebuild, Carmella must learn that she cannot control the power surging through her fragile body alone. She'll need help. But can she accept the future her leader Torren has seen, and the touch of a stranger who is more than he seems? Publisher's Note: Previously available in the Elemental Desires anthology.

By G. Crider "loves to read" I purchased because of Surrender,(#1 of Heart Bounds Series). Not much of a story but the sex is super hot. It's Cole & Tess's story. Fyre Brand is a paranormal, full of good raunchy sex. If you are looking for more from this book don't. Just a good naughty read and a few fun ideas.

14.) The Dom's Dungeon by Cherise Sinclair
Foster child. Teenage whore. Now a veterinarian, MacKensie's turned her life around, but the scars remain. She saves her affection for the animals who never judge or scorn her, but it's time to get out, move on from her past in Iowa. So, she arranges a vacation exchange to job hunt in Seattle.

Although the house is lovely, one room is locked. Her years in foster care have given her two 'gifts': a neurosis about locked doors and the ability to open them. After she gets into the room, she's appalled...and intrigued. Chains and manacles, whips and paddles, odd benches with straps...

When Alex returns home days early and finds MacKensie draped over the spanking bench in his locked dungeon, he's furious. But her wariness arouses his protective nature and curiosity, so he strikes a deal to keep her close--she'll act as his submissive in exchange for a place to stay and help finding a job.

He'd planned to use the veterinarian to deter an ex-girlfriend, not replace her, but with MacKensie's compelling mixture of strength and vulnerability, the little sub slides right into his well-defended heart.

By Fan

I have read all of Cherise Sinclair's books and have to say, as much as I love the Shadowlands series, this is probably my favorite of all of hers....It was all about the mental aspects of BDSM and the learning and communicating and I thought it was a perfect introduction too to some of her other books. If you are interested and want to "try" one out, this is a great book for that, but I also just loved it regardless!


15.) The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice (We've already read this once but if 2 or more people would like, we could do it again.)

The Prince awakens Sleeping Beauty and brings her to his castle, where she has a series of erotic adventures.

By Miss Heavenly Angora

As you have no doubt noticed, the reviews of this book vary widely. I just got it and wasn't really sure what to expect, but I can't put it down. Heed the bad reviews; it is certainly not for everyone. However, I am a big snob concerning erotica, and I have never liked Ann Rice before, and I was very pleasantly surprised by this book.

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty is not at all realistic, though why anyone would be looking for realism in a fairy tale/erotica combination that begins with the Prince breaking a spell of a 100-year sleep is beyond me. Everyone is impossibly beautiful, but so are all the princesses in Grimms' fairy tales and the principals in most erotica. I, for one, enjoy reading about a bunch of beautiful, exquisitely dressed people within impossibly opulent settings.

There certainly are a lot of spankings, nearly in every chapter. If you like that kind of thing, you won't be bored. If it's not your cup of tea, it might get old. I don't find it monotonous; maybe repetitive, but that's not necessarily bad. The Marquis de Sade is repetitive too; spanking is repetitive by nature. There's a lot going on in The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty besides spanking as well. Many of the principals are what would be considered underage in the present-day United States, and consent is questionable at best. Again, you're the judge of whether that would turn you on or off.

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty is at heart a Nouveau-Décadent work. I just reread Beardsley's Under the Hill and Rice's book is very reminiscent of that style. (By the way, most Décadent works are unrealistic and light on plot.) If you like Sade or Mirbeau, or certain passages in Petronius or Suetonius, you'll probably like this. If you don't like eroticized violence or overwrought language, or you want erotica with consensual, loving, adult partners of clearly defined sexual orientation, this is not for you.


16.) Eager to Please by Kim Corum

Eager to Please, a new BDSM lite novel from Kim Corum. Here I am, take me, use me. Do whatever you like. When Kara, the wife of a wealthy businessman, is kidnapped, the last thing she expects is to feel sympathy for her captor. As her time in confinement extends, she finds herself involved sexually and playing games of submission and dominance. As each day passes, she slowly begins to fall in love and loses the homesickness she initially felt. Oddly enough, the only person she misses is her butler.

By Sydney

I am probably biased towards this book, given the fact that the whole "falling in love with kidnapper" scenario has long been one of my personal favorite sexual fantasies! I was aware that this was the plot line before I purchased the book, so I was extremely excited to start reading it. And it definitely did not disappoint.

It's basically a love story, with some good old fashioned male dominance and female submission thrown in. Super hot. My favorite aspect of the book was how the two characters really cared for each other. The emotional involvement just made the sex all the more hot and intense.

Romantic bdsm has recently become one of my favorite genres, and I would say this one is at the very top of my list...even better than Breaking the Girl. I only hope Kim Corum writes more of this type. My only complaint is that this one isn't longer.

Kristiana said:

I did some looking, and here are a couple suggestions:

Surrender to Fire, by Lora Leigh

The Dom's Dungeon, by Cherise Sinclair

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Anne Rice (I did not see it in my quick browse through of the books that were read in the past, but it is so well known that most people may have already read it)

Eager to Please, by Kim Corum

I tried to find some by a variety of authors, but since I am away from a library at the moment, it involved random searching on Amazon. It is surprisingly hard to come up with good suggestions!

Click to expand...

I absolutely love Cherise Sinclair's (work - always a toss up in my mind between her and Joey W. Hill (loved her Natural Desires Series).

I look forward to the discussion - starts 9/1 correct?

DG

DehviantGirl said:

I absolutely love Cherise Sinclair's (work - always a toss up in my mind between her and Joey W. Hill (loved her Natural Desires Series).

I look forward to the discussion - starts 9/1 correct?

DG

Click to expand...

The discussion for Swallowing Darkness (Meredith Gentry, Book 7) by Laurell K. Hamilton starts 9/1, that's correct!

FF

I am willing to read any of the following which I either own or my library has:

Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop.

Swallowing Darkness (Meredith Gentry, Book 7) by Laurell K. Hamilton

One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 2) by Jeaniene Frost

The Reluctant Dom by Tymber Dalton

Chaos Magic by Jay Lygon

Or even this one which I've already read and will not read again.

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice

And I'd REALLY like to read Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey

Starting in January, I should have some book gift certificates and be able to buy a few new to me books.

Glad to have you all participating on the thread!

If there is a book two or more people really want, we can go with it even if I can't read it that month.

*hugs*

FF

So I need votes for the next book. Let me know what you want to read, ASAP, please!

FurryFury said:

So I need votes for the next book. Let me know what you want to read, ASAP, please!

Click to expand...

The Reluctant Dom

DehviantGirl said:

The Reluctant Dom

Click to expand...

Awesome!

I'll vote for that too!

Anyone else want to vote?

FF

Wicked Pleasure by Jaid Black and Lora Leigh is our July 2011 BOTM discuss it with us!

Swallowing Darkness (Meredith Gentry, Book 7) by Laurell K. Hamilton is our August 2011 BOTM, read along!

The Reluctant Dom by Tymber Dalton is our September 2011 BOTM.

Voting can begin on our October 2011 BOTM now.

FF

We can begin discussing, Swallowing Darkness by Laurell K. Hamilton, our August 2011 BOTM at midnight YOUR time.

Okay. I'll go first!

Swallowing Darkness

Did you like the book overall or not?

Yes. I was happy with more story and the moving along of plot in this book.

Do you feel it portrays BDSM in a real way, a positive way and/or your way?

I didn't see any BDSM in the book.

Did you like the sex scenes in the book?

To tell the truth, I'm so tired of Hamilton's sex scenes that I skipped over the two or three that I saw. I was relieved at how few and far between they were.

Did you like the rest of the book, the story in it?

I was happy with it. Things actually happened. Decisions were made. Power and magic came to hand (so to speak. LOL!) and not just when sex occurred.

Would you be interested in reading another book by this author?

Absolutely. Hamilton seems to be writing stories again and not just sex.

What did you like best about this selection?

I'm happy that faerie powers are being put back together. Those who are horrible are getting their just rewards sometimes. The story is moving along. Merry is leaving the faerie lands, becoming more powerful and hopeful.

What did you like the least?

Constant worry about the "feelings" that everyone was having. The stress level would kill me, I tell you.

How would you have changed the story?

I wouldn't really other than to have Hamilton take on a sex writer to write sex differently in each scene perhaps. LOL.

FF

I need votes please!

On our October 2011 BOTM.

The Reluctant Dom by Tymber Dalton is our September 2011 BOTM.

The Reluctant Dom by Tymber Dalton is our September 2011 BOTM.

We need to choose a October 2011 BOTM ASAP!

We could do any of these:

Surrender to Fire, by Lora Leigh

The Dom's Dungeon, by Cherise Sinclair

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Anne Rice

Eager to Please, by Kim Corum

However, Sleeping Beauty is one I've already read and we've done before but we could do it again. The other books above, I'm not going to be able to read until January when I have some book gift certificates to spend, but the group could still do them now!

I am interested in reading any of the following which I either own or my library has:

Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop.

Swallowing Darkness (Meredith Gentry, Book 7) by Laurell K. Hamilton

One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 2) by Jeaniene Frost

Chaos Magic by Jay Lygon

And I'd REALLY like to read Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey

I'm giving it another 24 hours or so and then I'm making a choice.

FF

I'm going to go with Chaos Magic by Jay Lygon for our October 2011 BOTM.

FF

Please join us! You can comment on any previously selected book at any time. You can read along. You can suggest nominations anytime!

The Reluctant Dom by Tymber Dalton is our September 2011 BOTM.

Chaos Magic by Jay Lygon for our October 2011 BOTM.

Voting can begin on our November 2011 BOTM now.

1.) Queen of the Darkness, by Anne Bishop.

"Queen of the Darkness" is the third and last book in Anne Bishop's extraordinary "Black Jewels Trilogy." This is a strong novel which truly enhances the material in the first two books and provides a most fitting conclusion to this epic series. I would strongly advise reading the books in order, beginning with "Daughter of the Blood" and then "Heir to the Shadows" to best appreciate the intricate story, characters and unique world that Ms. Bishop has created. I only wish the author had written a quartet!

2.) Warrior's Woman by Johanna Lindsey.

Book Description:In the year 2139, fearless Tedra De Arr sets out to rescue her beleaguered planet Kystran from the savage rule of the evil Crad Ce Moerr. Experienced in combat but not in love, the beautiful, untouched Amazon flies with Martha, her wise-cracking, free-thinking computer, to a world where warriors reigns supreme--and into the arms of the one man she can never hope to vanquish: the bronzed barbarian Challen Ly-San-Ter. A magnificent creature of raw yet disciplined desires, the muscle-bound primitive succeeds where no puny Kystran male had before--igniting a raging fire within Tedra that must be extinguished before she can even think of saving her enslaved world. . .

3.)Obsession : an Rrotic Tale by Vanderbilt, Gloria

Publisher Summary 2 New York social maven Priscilla Bingham discovers a hidden cache of letters that reveal her late husband's affair with a sophisticated dominatrix who has recorded the intimate details of their relationship, a finding with which Priscilla becomes increasingly obsessed. Publisher Summary 3
The marriages of desire . . .

From the multitalented and versatile Gloria Vanderbilt comes a passionate, sensual, witty, and puzzling tale of erotic obsession, beauty, and revenge, told in tandem by two women obsessed with the same man—and, ultimately, with each other.

Talbot Bingham is a renowned architectural genius who, with his formidable wife, Priscilla, creates an architectural community. When he dies unexpectedly in the middle of their tenth wedding anniversary celebration, the devastated Priscilla is left keeper of the flame of Talbot's genius. Going through her husband's archives, she comes unexpectedly upon a pile of neatly tied letters, and the shocking secret of her husband's intimate life—a discovery that shatters the foundation of her soul and spirit.

Obsession explores the mysteries of the human heart and the nature of sexuality and obsession, provoking questions about whom we choose to love, and why. The reader is left to decide if the other woman represents another facet of Priscilla, or if Priscilla her-self has invented the other woman who completed the world her husband so recently inhabited?


4.) One Foot In the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 2) by Jeaniene Frost

You can run from the grave, but you can't hide . . .

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She's still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.

Being around him awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head—wanted: dead or half-alive—means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep things professional between them, she'll find that desire lasts forever . . . and that Bones won't let her get away again.

5.) Menage by Emma Holly

Bookstore owner Kate comes home from work one day to find her two flatmates in bed...together. Joe - a sensitive composer - is mortified. Sean - an irrepressible bad boy - asks her to join in. Kate's been fantasising about her hunky new houseshares since they moved in, but she was convinced they were both gay.

Realising that pleasure is a multi-faceted thing, she sets her cares aside and embarks on a menage a trois with the wild duo. Kate wants nothing more than to keep both her admirers happy, but inevitably things become complicated, especially at work.

Kate has told her colleagues that Joe and Sean are gay but the gossip begins when she's caught in a clinch with one of them in her lunch hour! To add to this, one of Kate's more conservative suitors is showing interest again, but she's hooked on the different kind of loving that she enjoys with her boys - even though she knows it cannot last. Or can it?

6.) Safe Word by Molly Weatherfield. From the author of Carrie's Story comes the continuing tale of a young woman's uncompromising sexual adventure.

Carrie leaves Jonathan, the S/M master who initiated her into a life of slave auctions, training regimes, and human "ponies" preening for dressage competitions. Whisked away to Greece by the demanding gentleman who has chosen her as his own, she learns new, more rigorous methods of sexual pleasure.

7.) Wild Rain by Christine Feehan

Feehan has a knack for bringing vampiric Carpathians to vivid, virile life in her Dark Carpathian novels, and in this new book, which builds on her short story "The Awakening," she focuses on a different kind of sensual predator—a half-human/half-leopard species of shapeshifters.

Mysterious freelance paramilitary operative Rio Santana is a member of this breed, but he's been banished from his clan and lives in a solitary rainforest dwelling. Enter Rachel Lospostos, who has marooned herself in the jungle to escape a group of murderers.

Blood runs hot between the two, both emotionally and literally—their first meeting is a near-terminal cat fight that leaves Rachel bedridden with a mangled leg and a broken wrist. As Rio cares for her, it becomes clear that their relationship is fated, but it may soon be cut short if they don't figure out who wants Rachel dead.

Suspense often takes a backseat to the protagonists' romantic feelings, but Feehan handles both elements skillfully, drawing villains who are sufficiently threatening and creating a romance that feels both destined and believable. Readers whose fantasies center on untamed wilderness and on untamed heroes who are as sensitive as they are strong will be seduced by this erotic adventure. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

8.) Symphony of C, Vol I and Symphony of C, Vol II by Cara Mitchell ebook format

From author's web site:

Following the ebbs and flows of longing warring with jubilation, Cara relives the fury of the battle between her intrinsic nature and the teachings of modern society in her quest to fulfill her yearning to yield control to another. Trained by the mysteriously exclusive ranks of high protocol dominants, she endeavours to be moulded into a gracefully captivated being.

Will her journey through intense bliss and wrenching turmoil in order to fulfill her need to obey destroy or lead to unparalleled freedom?


9.) Surrender to Fire by Lora Leigh

SurrenderBook 1 in the Bound Hearts seriesCole has wanted Tess for years. And he's warned her of this several times. He's also warned her HOW he wants her. Tied down in his bed, under his domination, surrendering to his desires. . . Fyre Brand She holds the elemental power of fire within her grasp, able to sear, to destroy. But her heart holds the fear of repeating her ancestors' mistakes. Now, amid a world fighting to rebuild, Carmella must learn that she cannot control the power surging through her fragile body alone. She'll need help. But can she accept the future her leader Torren has seen, and the touch of a stranger who is more than he seems? Publisher's Note: Previously available in the Elemental Desires anthology.

By G. Crider "loves to read" I purchased because of Surrender,(#1 of Heart Bounds Series). Not much of a story but the sex is super hot. It's Cole & Tess's story. Fyre Brand is a paranormal, full of good raunchy sex. If you are looking for more from this book don't. Just a good naughty read and a few fun ideas.

10.) The Dom's Dungeon by Cherise Sinclair
Foster child. Teenage whore. Now a veterinarian, MacKensie's turned her life around, but the scars remain. She saves her affection for the animals who never judge or scorn her, but it's time to get out, move on from her past in Iowa. So, she arranges a vacation exchange to job hunt in Seattle.

Although the house is lovely, one room is locked. Her years in foster care have given her two 'gifts': a neurosis about locked doors and the ability to open them. After she gets into the room, she's appalled...and intrigued. Chains and manacles, whips and paddles, odd benches with straps...

When Alex returns home days early and finds MacKensie draped over the spanking bench in his locked dungeon, he's furious. But her wariness arouses his protective nature and curiosity, so he strikes a deal to keep her close--she'll act as his submissive in exchange for a place to stay and help finding a job.

He'd planned to use the veterinarian to deter an ex-girlfriend, not replace her, but with MacKensie's compelling mixture of strength and vulnerability, the little sub slides right into his well-defended heart.

By Fan

I have read all of Cherise Sinclair's books and have to say, as much as I love the Shadowlands series, this is probably my favorite of all of hers....It was all about the mental aspects of BDSM and the learning and communicating and I thought it was a perfect introduction too to some of her other books. If you are interested and want to "try" one out, this is a great book for that, but I also just loved it regardless!


11.) Eager to Please by Kim Corum

Eager to Please, a new BDSM lite novel from Kim Corum. Here I am, take me, use me. Do whatever you like. When Kara, the wife of a wealthy businessman, is kidnapped, the last thing she expects is to feel sympathy for her captor. As her time in confinement extends, she finds herself involved sexually and playing games of submission and dominance. As each day passes, she slowly begins to fall in love and loses the homesickness she initially felt. Oddly enough, the only person she misses is her butler.

By Sydney

I am probably biased towards this book, given the fact that the whole "falling in love with kidnapper" scenario has long been one of my personal favorite sexual fantasies! I was aware that this was the plot line before I purchased the book, so I was extremely excited to start reading it. And it definitely did not disappoint.

It's basically a love story, with some good old fashioned male dominance and female submission thrown in. Super hot. My favorite aspect of the book was how the two characters really cared for each other. The emotional involvement just made the sex all the more hot and intense.

Romantic bdsm has recently become one of my favorite genres, and I would say this one is at the very top of my list...even better than Breaking the Girl. I only hope Kim Corum writes more of this type. My only complaint is that this one isn't longer.

12.) Surrender to Fire by Lora Leigh

SurrenderBook 1 in the Bound Hearts series. Cole has wanted Tess for years. And he's warned her of this several times. He's also warned her HOW he wants her. Tied down in his bed, under his domination, surrendering to his desires. . .

Fyre Brand She holds the elemental power of fire within her grasp, able to sear, to destroy. But her heart holds the fear of repeating her ancestors' mistakes.

Now, amid a world fighting to rebuild, Carmella must learn that she cannot control the power surging through her fragile body alone. She'll need help.

But can she accept the future her leader Torren has seen, and the touch of a stranger who is more than he seems?

Publisher's Note: Previously available in the Elemental Desires anthology.

13.) The Dom's Dungeon by Cherise Sinclair

Foster child. Teenage whore. Now a veterinarian, MacKensie's turned her life around, but the scars remain. She saves her affection for the animals who never judge or scorn her, but it's time to get out, move on from her past in Iowa. So, she arranges a vacation exchange to job hunt in Seattle.

Although the house is lovely, one room is locked. Her years in foster care have given her two 'gifts': a neurosis about locked doors and the ability to open them. After she gets into the room, she's appalled...and intrigued. Chains and manacles, whips and paddles, odd benches with straps...

When Alex returns home days early and finds MacKensie draped over the spanking bench in his locked dungeon, he's furious. But her wariness arouses his protective nature and curiosity, so he strikes a deal to keep her close--she'll act as his submissive in exchange for a place to stay and help finding a job.

He'd planned to use the veterinarian to deter an ex-girlfriend, not replace her, but with MacKensie's compelling mixture of strength and vulnerability, the little sub slides right into his well-defended heart.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play, BDSM theme and elements (including/not limited to bondage, spanking, tethering), exhibitionism.

14.) Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton

Hamilton's 17th Anita Blake novel draws the vampire hunter into a game of cat-and-mouse with a particularly monstrous vampire named Vittorio. Aided by sadistic serial killer Otto Jefferies, convenient sociopath Edward Kemper and fanged escorts handpicked by her lover Jean-Claude, U.S. marshal Anita offers her services to Las Vegas, now under siege from Vittorio's army of enthralled preternatural beings.

Manipulated by the cunning Vittorio and occasionally misled by coincidental events, Anita employs her insight into Vittorio's condition and weaponized libido as the decisive weapons in this struggle. The book is largely concerned with the melodramatic conflict between hunter and hunter and Blake's soap-operatic love life, but Hamilton does manage some genuinely moving passages, particularly those describing the terror of innocent vampires caught up in the arbitrary and draconian U.S. legal system.


Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Guys! I totally forgot to start the discussion for last months book Zonks!


So let it begin now. The Reluctant Dom by Tymber Dalton, our September 2011 BOTM.

The Reluctant Dom and Domme by Default by Tymber Dalton

Did you like the book overall or not?

I did. I loved the concept of someone being brave and considerate in the face of death. I love the concept of people loving each other enough to do what the other person needs. They first chapter really had me eager to read the story and then . . .

Do you feel it portrays BDSM in a real way, a positive way and/or your way?

No, in a major way it wasn't real or my way but it was positive in a way some of the time.

I am somewhat allergic to the idea that BDSM comes from child abuse.

I KNOW that cutting and burning does not lead to suicide. I don't like the concept that the ONLY way someone can deal with emotional pain is physically feeling pain. I hate the idea that although both the Dom and Domme liked the results and serving the sub, it wasn't what they would have chosen to do just because they were into it.

Also the fragility of, the girl never being able to being left alone because she was soooo vulnerable seemed like B.S. to me. That's so not MY BDSM.

So from chapter 2 on, it was more difficult to read for me. I tried to put that aside and enjoy the rest of the book but I was a reluctant reader from then until closer to the end.

In chapter 12 there is this:

"You can't hold it in. It will eat you alive from the inside." This from the character that doesn't know how to deal with her emotions, and therefore NEEDS to be beaten? Seems like she understands emotions pretty well.

Chapter 14

"Just because she enjoys it, doesn't mean it's not torture."

Really? Because, yes, that's exactly what it means to me.

Chapter 18

"There are times like this when you have to trust her. Remember pain is nothing to her when she is in sub space."

Whaaat? You have to trust her when she is in sub space? No. That is when you can't trust someone and have to look out for them.

And, WTF do you mean pain is nothing to her? It's something. It's pleasure, release and possibly just pain but it's def not nothing.


Did you like the sex scenes in the book?

Near the end the MMF ones did get to me a bit, I'll admit. Other than that, no. For me everyone has to care about each other and not just be in it for a fuck for a MMF to get to me. When it does, it's delicious.

Did you like the rest of the book, the story in it?

I did except for the, "I don't want to do it but she needs it to live part." The death part made me cry. I love the idea of someone loving you enough to make all those plans.

The other one, the novella, I could relate to trying to top and how that felt for both me and my husband.

Would you be interested in reading another book by this author?

Yes. I would. I like the writing.

What did you like best about this selection?

I liked the caring of the Dom and Domme, really all the main characters. I also liked the weighty subject matter of death and going on.

What did you like the least?

As noted above, it's not accurate that self harming behaviors lead to suicide. In my BDSM I want all parties there to want to be there because that's who they are. If not, I'd rather them not try to be a Dom/me but rather a Top.

How would you have changed the story?

I would have changed it to the Domme and Dom really wanting to do it. BDSM been deeply a part of them too.

FF

Would anyone like to talk about the books or which books they'd like to read next?

I'd like to have the next book chosen by the 15th. Does anyone else care what we read?