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Submissive #1
The Submissive
Book One of the Submissive Trilogy
More than 8 Million Reads Online
The first in Tara Sue Me’s seductive and scandalous series that has enthralled millions…
Abby King has a secret fantasy.
New York knows Nathaniel West as the brilliant and handsome CEO of West Industries, but Abby knows he’s more: a sexy and skilled dominant who is looking for a new submissive. Yearning to experience a world of pleasure beyond her simple life as a librarian, Abby offers herself to Nathaniel, to fulfill her most hidden desires.
After only one weekend with the Master, Abby knows she needs more, and fully submits to Nathaniel’s terms. But despite the pleasure he takes in Abby’s willing spirit, the Nathaniel hidden behind the rules remains cold and distant.
As Abby falls deeper into his tantalizing world of power and passion, she fears that Nathaniel’s heart may be beyond her reach—and that her own might be beyond saving…
More than 8 Million Reads Online
The first in Tara Sue Me’s seductive and scandalous series that has enthralled millions…
Abby King has a secret fantasy.
New York knows Nathaniel West as the brilliant and handsome CEO of West Industries, but Abby knows he’s more: a sexy and skilled dominant who is looking for a new submissive. Yearning to experience a world of pleasure beyond her simple life as a librarian, Abby offers herself to Nathaniel, to fulfill her most hidden desires.
After only one weekend with the Master, Abby knows she needs more, and fully submits to Nathaniel’s terms. But despite the pleasure he takes in Abby’s willing spirit, the Nathaniel hidden behind the rules remains cold and distant.
As Abby falls deeper into his tantalizing world of power and passion, she fears that Nathaniel’s heart may be beyond her reach—and that her own might be beyond saving…
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 16, 2012
About the author
Tara Sue Me
59 books2,805 followersNEW YORK TIMES/USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Even though she graduated with a degree in science, Tara knew she’d never be happy doing anything other than writing. Specifically, writing love stories.
She started with a racy BDSM story and found she was not quite prepared for the unforeseen impact it would have. Nonetheless, she continued and The Submissive Series novels would go on to be both New York Times and USA Today Bestsellers. One of those, THE MASTER, was a 2017 RITA finalist for Best Erotic Romance.
Now she is focusing on new contemporary romances that allow her the freedom to write and publish on her own schedule.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,462 reviews
August 23, 2013
5+++++ Stellar, fantastical, panty-melting stars! Tara Sue Me (love the play on tiramisu) where have you been the past years of my erotica-reading life!
One question people? Why isn't this book all over my Goodreads feeds? I mean, anyone who's read and loved anything remotely similar to FSoG, you shall LOVE this. I bank my GR reputation on it. I HATE bringing up FSoG in a review but this book has a particular link I shall explain in the end. No sidetracking yet.
Meet Nathaniel West, successful CEO of an International securities corporation, bone-marrow donor, uber handsome, and very Dominant.
Introducing Abigail King, New York City librarian and very sexually unsatisfied....an undiagnosed submissive.
Abby has had Nathaniel West on her radar ever since the kind-hearted "banker" saved her mother from losing her home due to credit card debt. When a mutual friend alerts her to fact the Nathaniel is in search of a new submissive, she's quick to apply. His needs are very spelled out on paper, a Friday thru Sunday weekly commitment to all he desires..... Where can she sign up?
Nathaniel, in his quest for a new submissive, comes across Abigail's application. He doesn't train new subs... He prefers them experienced in the lifestyle, however, he sets up a meeting with her in his office. When she arrives, she's a natural.... Head bowed, respectful. Okay, he'll try for ONE weekend. He can't resist.
The book is entirely written in Abby's POV. She is intrigued by his Dominance and is quick to realize this is what has been missing in her love life. She's never been sexually satisfied. She needs this dominance. Master West fits the bill perfectly.
The book delivers sexual hotness in spades! I cannot stress this enough. It's the angsty, fidgety build-up in the scenes that gets your heart racing and pages turning. I seriously read this in less than a day.
Oops, sorry to digress. Nathaniel isn't all perfect Dom. He's got very strict guidelines for his sub which include NO kissing. She doesn't sleep in his bed, but instead either in the spare bedroom or on a pallet beside his bed....so she's readily available for his needs throughout the night. Jerky, right? Nope, you'll still SWOON for this man.
Abigail is unlike any other sub he's ever had. He struggles to keep his feelings at bay. Abby is falling hard...how can she not?
The book has a perfect blend of heat, anticipation, drama, and a tad angst. We are given some answers to who Nathaniel is and why he's so guarded with his feelings for Abby but not entirely. That is saved for book two, The Dominant which is essentially the same timeline but all his POV. I need his POV!
Beyond the bedroom, the two share a love of literature and poems. They play games of "name the poet" which is beautiful and endearing.
I fell in love with that man. The man who selflessly donates his bone marrow to a stranger, a young boy. A man that rescues a Golden Retriever with serious emotional issues. A man that has know loss in his life but continues to give back and not wallow in self pity or hatred. Abby is a strong heroine (hallelujah) that realizes he is what she needs but doesn't hesitate to stand up for herself versus being a love struck puppy. What a breath of fresh air that is! No weakness, some drama and angst but otherwise mature adults consenting to a lifestyle they need. It's a part of who they are.
Bravo! Loved it!
***Now as for the FSoG comment. This book has been readily documented to be fan-fiction to Twilight. When I was reading reviews, I had no clue what fan-fiction really was....
Urban dictionary states- Fanfiction is when someone takes either the story or characters (or both) of a certain piece of work, whether it be a novel, tv show, movie, etc, and create their own story based on it.
The Twilight similarity- I see it a bit, but obviously no PNR and lots of erotica and BDSM. What's more important to state, however, is that this book was originally published in January 2009, way prior to the release of FSoG. Both authors admit to fan fiction to Twilight. I'm pretty sure about the FSoG taking ideas from this. Did I see it a lot in this book, heck yes! Contract, billionaire, inexperienced girl, middle of the night pianist, "I fuck...HARD."
WHO CARES PEOPLE! Who really cares which came first (this did)...oops. However, this book is JUST AS GOOD as FSoG and I'm saddened for the "similarities" in plot/details (raises an eyebrow) and this author hasn't gotten NEAR the attention she deserves.....or revenue. Here's an interesting interview with the author regarding the fan fiction with FSoG.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyev...
Oh, and one last thing....
May 9, 2021
Another fan fiction/Fifty book you ask?
Yes...it is exactly that. Well, not exactly. Apparently, this is the book that E.L. James got some of her ideas from...that and Twilight. And while I didn't really get a lot of Twilight from this book, you can definitely see the things that E.L. James picked out of it. As far as it being a fan fiction, the only clue I had was the lack of the character's physical descriptions.
That being said, I really enjoyed the heck out of it. I'm not sure what's happened but this story line has not gotten old for me. Each story seems to have enough differences to keep me entertained...and entertained I was.
For me, this story seemed to deal more with the BDSM side of things. Right from the start, Abigail (Abby) is going in for an interview with Nathaniel to be his submissive. She has had a "thing" for him since he had a hand in helping save her Mother's house. The problem is that she has no experience being a sub and Nathaniel doesn't train submissives but he decides to make an exception in her case.
There's a contract to sign, medical forms to fill out, exercise programs to follow as well as eating and sleeping requirements and BAM, come Friday at 6 pm it's time for the festivities. Nathaniel has a couple of rules...he doesn't do kissing and his subs do not spend the night in his bed. That really didn't bother me too much except he had Abby sleep on a pallet on his bedroom floor sometimes and I didn't really care for that. I wish I could say she didn't either but while she wasn't happy about it, she was happy to fulfill her submissive role...whatever Mr. West wanted. I don't know a whole lot about BDSM but it seemed like this was very light. There was only one instance where I felt things went a bit far.
Abby was easy to like. Even though she's a librarian, she's not shy or hesitant and she knows what she wants and that's Nathaniel anyway she can get him.
Nathaniel on the other hand is a bit cold. You can tell there is something going on there and slowly, things start to add up from the little pieces of information we get from his friends. It's a great little twist!
The cast of characters are really enjoyable and they are the ones that help shed some light for Abby and maybe give her a bit too much of a push into thinking this arrangement could actually be a relationship. Nathaniel's dog, Apollo, also plays a big part and you can't help but love him.
One of the main differences of this story is Abby and Nathaniel's love of books especially poetry. I love the little game they play with trying to figure out who said what. But my most favorite thing was when Nathaniel visited Abby at her work and left her a rose...a cream colored rose with rose tipped petals. Her coworker explained what the rose meant from a poem:
There's some pretty steamy scenes, some are pretty straight up BDSM but others are a bit more daring and romantic. There's one at the Super Bowl and at the piano that are muy caliente!
There definitely is drama and we get a good amount of it! For every little crack that Abby puts in Nathaniel's tough facade, Nathaniel builds it back up "brick by brick." It's extremely frustrating!
The ending sets things up nicely for the next book called The Dominant which sounds like it will be from Nathaniel's POV or at least part of it. I am sooo looking forward to that!
Favorite quotes:
♥ “Thank you for escorting me on my tour of the Rare Books Collection.”
♥ “You think it’s different for me?”
♥ "You're still mine. Even with this off."
♥ “Now that,” he said against my neck, “was an amazing half-time show.”
♥ “Turpentine.”
♥ "You were the goddess I longed to worship. My unobtainable dream. The relationship I could never hope to have.”
Yes...it is exactly that. Well, not exactly. Apparently, this is the book that E.L. James got some of her ideas from...that and Twilight. And while I didn't really get a lot of Twilight from this book, you can definitely see the things that E.L. James picked out of it. As far as it being a fan fiction, the only clue I had was the lack of the character's physical descriptions.
That being said, I really enjoyed the heck out of it. I'm not sure what's happened but this story line has not gotten old for me. Each story seems to have enough differences to keep me entertained...and entertained I was.
For me, this story seemed to deal more with the BDSM side of things. Right from the start, Abigail (Abby) is going in for an interview with Nathaniel to be his submissive. She has had a "thing" for him since he had a hand in helping save her Mother's house. The problem is that she has no experience being a sub and Nathaniel doesn't train submissives but he decides to make an exception in her case.
There's a contract to sign, medical forms to fill out, exercise programs to follow as well as eating and sleeping requirements and BAM, come Friday at 6 pm it's time for the festivities. Nathaniel has a couple of rules...he doesn't do kissing and his subs do not spend the night in his bed. That really didn't bother me too much except he had Abby sleep on a pallet on his bedroom floor sometimes and I didn't really care for that. I wish I could say she didn't either but while she wasn't happy about it, she was happy to fulfill her submissive role...whatever Mr. West wanted. I don't know a whole lot about BDSM but it seemed like this was very light. There was only one instance where I felt things went a bit far.
Abby was easy to like. Even though she's a librarian, she's not shy or hesitant and she knows what she wants and that's Nathaniel anyway she can get him.
Nathaniel on the other hand is a bit cold. You can tell there is something going on there and slowly, things start to add up from the little pieces of information we get from his friends. It's a great little twist!
The cast of characters are really enjoyable and they are the ones that help shed some light for Abby and maybe give her a bit too much of a push into thinking this arrangement could actually be a relationship. Nathaniel's dog, Apollo, also plays a big part and you can't help but love him.
One of the main differences of this story is Abby and Nathaniel's love of books especially poetry. I love the little game they play with trying to figure out who said what. But my most favorite thing was when Nathaniel visited Abby at her work and left her a rose...a cream colored rose with rose tipped petals. Her coworker explained what the rose meant from a poem:
“The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
O the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.
But I send you a cream-white rosebud
With a flush on its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips.”
There's some pretty steamy scenes, some are pretty straight up BDSM but others are a bit more daring and romantic. There's one at the Super Bowl and at the piano that are muy caliente!
There definitely is drama and we get a good amount of it! For every little crack that Abby puts in Nathaniel's tough facade, Nathaniel builds it back up "brick by brick." It's extremely frustrating!
The ending sets things up nicely for the next book called The Dominant which sounds like it will be from Nathaniel's POV or at least part of it. I am sooo looking forward to that!
Favorite quotes:
♥ “Thank you for escorting me on my tour of the Rare Books Collection.”
♥ “You think it’s different for me?”
♥ "You're still mine. Even with this off."
♥ “Now that,” he said against my neck, “was an amazing half-time show.”
♥ “Turpentine.”
♥ "You were the goddess I longed to worship. My unobtainable dream. The relationship I could never hope to have.”
August 15, 2017
★★★★1/2! The Submissive, book 1 of 3. Debut by Tara Sue Me. Librarian Abigail King’s journey of self-discovery when becoming the Submissive to the enigmatic Nathaniel West!
“If you choose to wear this, you’ll be marked as mine. Mine to do with as I wish. You will obey me and never question what I tell you to do.”
The Submissive Trilogy is the story of Nathaniel West, successful businessman and Dom extraordinaire and the BDSM relationship he embarks on with librarian Abigal King. Books in this trilogy should be read in order:
Book 1: The Submissive - Abby’s POV
Book 2: The Dominant - Nate’s POV
Book 3: The Training
The Submissive (book 1) opens up with Abigail King, Abby arriving at West Industries for a meeting with its CEO, Nathaniel West. Though she has no prior experience she is hoping to be offered the opportunity to be Nate’s Submissive.
And so their story begins, very much a strict Dom-Sub relationship with a schedule, rules, guidelines, BDSM and mind-blowing sex. Though their attraction and connection appears intense, Nate is set on sticking to the rules. What is holding him back? Why is he so closed off?
As their story progresses we discover more about their pasts; events that shaped them and even altered the course of their lives. And most importantly we will better understand how their meeting came about and why. Not everything is as it seems…. I will say not more!
“Even your orgasms are mine.”
This is Abigail King, Abby’s journey of self-discovery. Five words to describe Abby: Sweet, smart, timid, loyal and determined.
Nathaniel West, Nate aka Master remained an enigma throughout this story, but no worries as book 2 will be same events from his POV. And I am looking forward to Nate and his combination of ruthless businessman, non-committal playboy, experienced Dom plus sexy, kinky lover. Six words to describe Nate: Captivating, enigmatic, focused, commanding, troubled and closed-off.
There is no cliff-hanger. Instead next there is book 2, The Dominant , from Nate’s POV. Excellent plot! Captivating, sexy and memorable hero! Sizzling sex scenes! If you enjoy reading about light BDSM this story is for you! Thanks Ms. Tara Sue Me!
“I’ve never been so jealous of water before.” His fingers slid over my skin. “How it can touch you everywhere— all at once.”
***
Hero rating: 5 stars
Heroine rating: 3.5 stars
Sex scenes rating: 5 stars
Sex scenes frequency: 4 stars
Storyline concept rating: 4.5 stars
Storytelling skills rating: 4.5 stars
Story ending rating: N/A
Book editing rating (5 = no edits spotted): 4.5 stars
************************************************
Overall rating: 4.5 stars
Would I recommend this series: Yes.
Would I re-read this series: Maybe later.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.
(GIF approved by GR 10-2013)
March 1, 2016
I think I've read better erotica novels than this I couldn’t bring my self to finish it (DNF 40%) , it’s hot but didn’t work for me , it was one of those ''It's not you, it's me.'‘ cases I’m sorry Tara Sue me but i’m going to use my safe word …….
« LeviOsa »
« LeviOsa »
November 18, 2012
I think everyone paying attention lately has some strong feelings about the spate of fanfiction (largely Twilight-derived) getting massive publishing deals. My initial feeling of distaste has evolved into a kind of reluctant acceptance. Fifty Shades of Grey has changed the nature of publishing--for better or for worse--and if it's going to happen regardless, I'd like to see it happen to good people with actual talent.
Which is why it pains me to write this review.
I read The Submissive when it was still posting as a work in progress on fanfiction.net, and I loved it. It was the first BDSM story I'd ever encountered, and coupled with the dynamics between Edward and Bella, and the wait between chapters, I was entranced.
But, reading fanfiction is a very different experience than reading a novel. The foundation is already set for the reader; we know the essence of the characters already, and have certain expectations where they are concerned.
I don't know how much editing was done for this published version, but I do know it was not enough to bridge the gap between fanfiction and an original work.
There was very little character development. In fact, not once were Abby King's physical characteristics even described. Not even the color of her hair. The relationship between Nathaniel and Abby, without the benefit of already knowing they're meant to be together, as with Edward and Bella, felt too fast, and ultimately, flat. My reaction to the first blow job scene was, "Whoa. Girl, you don't even KNOW HIM." Which, I assure you, was very different from my reaction to its original version.
And in the end, the story of how Nathaniel and Abby came to be together was head scratching at best. And weird. These things work with within the world of Twilight, but don't come off as believable or romantic here.
I was really hoping The Submissive (which was basically the source material for James' fanfiction Master of the Universe) would be a shining example of what good fanfiction really is with a talented writer behind it. Unfortunately, this did not translate well to original fiction.
I hope more editing is done in the sequels to make it a stronger story. In any case, I'm looking forward to Tara's forthcoming original (non-fanfiction based) novels.
Which is why it pains me to write this review.
I read The Submissive when it was still posting as a work in progress on fanfiction.net, and I loved it. It was the first BDSM story I'd ever encountered, and coupled with the dynamics between Edward and Bella, and the wait between chapters, I was entranced.
But, reading fanfiction is a very different experience than reading a novel. The foundation is already set for the reader; we know the essence of the characters already, and have certain expectations where they are concerned.
I don't know how much editing was done for this published version, but I do know it was not enough to bridge the gap between fanfiction and an original work.
There was very little character development. In fact, not once were Abby King's physical characteristics even described. Not even the color of her hair. The relationship between Nathaniel and Abby, without the benefit of already knowing they're meant to be together, as with Edward and Bella, felt too fast, and ultimately, flat. My reaction to the first blow job scene was, "Whoa. Girl, you don't even KNOW HIM." Which, I assure you, was very different from my reaction to its original version.
And in the end, the story of how Nathaniel and Abby came to be together was head scratching at best. And weird. These things work with within the world of Twilight, but don't come off as believable or romantic here.
I was really hoping The Submissive (which was basically the source material for James' fanfiction Master of the Universe) would be a shining example of what good fanfiction really is with a talented writer behind it. Unfortunately, this did not translate well to original fiction.
I hope more editing is done in the sequels to make it a stronger story. In any case, I'm looking forward to Tara's forthcoming original (non-fanfiction based) novels.
January 3, 2014
“A cream-colored rose with a touch of pink is serious business."
“The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
O the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.
But I send you a cream-white rosebud
With a flush on its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips.”
The Submissive, Is a book about a girl Abigail King becoming a submissive to a Dom, Nathaniel West.
It starts off which her meeting him to discuss if she's a suitable sub for him.
I really liked this book, a lot.. It had a nice pace, nothing dragged at all.. everything was nice and fell into place.
FSoG is apparently a fiction of Twilight and The Submissive.. But The Submissive is so different from FSoG.. In this, the guy's past isn't very dark dark, the girl isn't bella types, He isn't super controlling, It isn't like a prono which has sex happening is each chapter 24x7, Its like a Romantic Erotica which the perfect amount of Erotica and the perfect amount of Romance.
I liked all the characters, all nice and perfect.. no forcefully added drama and bullshit.
I have no idea, what is people's problem with fan fictions being published into books; A fanfiction doesn't have to be like the book's copy of the story or plot! It can also be a book written by referring to characters from the original book like their names or background or like something small.
Like this book, 'The Submissive' is a Twifiction.. But only the names were apparently used, not anyone's background, not the story, not the plot, not the vampire bit.. So its okay to publish this!
But FsoG, is a fanfiction of THIS and Twilight, So then that copied names from Twilight and story from The Submissive!
“Love me, Nathaniel,” I said, holding my arms open to him. “I always have, Abby,” he said as he gently gathered me to him. “I always have.”
Their romance was so *swoon* I liked both their characters very much.. Simple, sweet and hot!
“I brought breakfast,” he said.
Okay, scratch that. Waking up to Nathaniel’s kisses and having him bring me breakfast in bed was my new favorite way to start the day. “What did you bring?” I asked, thinking about sitting up.
“Me.” He kissed one cheek. “Me.” He kissed the other. “And a side dish of me.” He placed a soft kiss on my lips.
Mr. West is HOT HOT HOT! Very charming, playful, loving and just simply sexy!!
4.5 Stars! I really liked this book, being a fiction or whatever.. It had its own charm to it.
__
First read - 29th Nov, 2012.
“The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
O the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.
But I send you a cream-white rosebud
With a flush on its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips.”
The Submissive, Is a book about a girl Abigail King becoming a submissive to a Dom, Nathaniel West.
It starts off which her meeting him to discuss if she's a suitable sub for him.
I really liked this book, a lot.. It had a nice pace, nothing dragged at all.. everything was nice and fell into place.
FSoG is apparently a fiction of Twilight and The Submissive.. But The Submissive is so different from FSoG.. In this, the guy's past isn't very dark dark, the girl isn't bella types, He isn't super controlling, It isn't like a prono which has sex happening is each chapter 24x7, Its like a Romantic Erotica which the perfect amount of Erotica and the perfect amount of Romance.
I liked all the characters, all nice and perfect.. no forcefully added drama and bullshit.
I have no idea, what is people's problem with fan fictions being published into books; A fanfiction doesn't have to be like the book's copy of the story or plot! It can also be a book written by referring to characters from the original book like their names or background or like something small.
Like this book, 'The Submissive' is a Twifiction.. But only the names were apparently used, not anyone's background, not the story, not the plot, not the vampire bit.. So its okay to publish this!
But FsoG, is a fanfiction of THIS and Twilight, So then that copied names from Twilight and story from The Submissive!
“Love me, Nathaniel,” I said, holding my arms open to him. “I always have, Abby,” he said as he gently gathered me to him. “I always have.”
Their romance was so *swoon* I liked both their characters very much.. Simple, sweet and hot!
“I brought breakfast,” he said.
Okay, scratch that. Waking up to Nathaniel’s kisses and having him bring me breakfast in bed was my new favorite way to start the day. “What did you bring?” I asked, thinking about sitting up.
“Me.” He kissed one cheek. “Me.” He kissed the other. “And a side dish of me.” He placed a soft kiss on my lips.
Mr. West is HOT HOT HOT! Very charming, playful, loving and just simply sexy!!
4.5 Stars! I really liked this book, being a fiction or whatever.. It had its own charm to it.
__
First read - 29th Nov, 2012.
December 29, 2012
Where to begin?
It's probably pointless to point out that this was written BEFORE 50 Shades and thus people should stop whining about the similarities and think for a moment: This author didn't rip off your precious 50 shades.
Sorry, couldn't help myself, it's getting on my nerves big time and I'm trying hard not to turn this into a rant against 50 shades.
Instead I want to focus on something else first: why does everyone whine about fan fiction authors being published? Is someone forcing you to buy their books? Is someone forcing you to read them?
No. And no. So, what.the.hell? These authors also worked to write their story and while I don't agree with the "Take it offline, switch names and publish it" method, I don't mind people publishing their work. Apparently there's a market for it or else they wouldn't be published.
I won't argue that fan fiction and novels are two entirely different things but why, oh why, blame the author for something other people obviously want to read?
I also dislike bad editing but badmouthing someonelse's work just because you don't like that it was written as fanfcition and only for that reason?
Yeah, I don't get it. Sorry for the rant guys.
On to the book, I like the story. I know that it wasn't edited very much or at least it read that way to me. This was probably a case of the name switching routine.
It doesn't matter though, the book kept me engaged and there weren't too many Twilight traits that kept the "OH BELLA AND EDWARD" signs flashing in my mind.
I've read a few reviews where people described this book as cold and clinical and I agree, BUT it was that way for a reason and so it didn't bother me at all.
The BDSM part of it was "standard" and nothing hardcore and probably won't freak out the majority of erotica readers.
This definitely wasn't one of the best books I read, but it kept my attention and I read it in a span of hours. And I plan on reading book 2 and 3 because I already liked them better as fan fiction than the first installment.
It's probably pointless to point out that this was written BEFORE 50 Shades and thus people should stop whining about the similarities and think for a moment: This author didn't rip off your precious 50 shades.
Sorry, couldn't help myself, it's getting on my nerves big time and I'm trying hard not to turn this into a rant against 50 shades.
Instead I want to focus on something else first: why does everyone whine about fan fiction authors being published? Is someone forcing you to buy their books? Is someone forcing you to read them?
No. And no. So, what.the.hell? These authors also worked to write their story and while I don't agree with the "Take it offline, switch names and publish it" method, I don't mind people publishing their work. Apparently there's a market for it or else they wouldn't be published.
I won't argue that fan fiction and novels are two entirely different things but why, oh why, blame the author for something other people obviously want to read?
I also dislike bad editing but badmouthing someonelse's work just because you don't like that it was written as fanfcition and only for that reason?
Yeah, I don't get it. Sorry for the rant guys.
On to the book, I like the story. I know that it wasn't edited very much or at least it read that way to me. This was probably a case of the name switching routine.
It doesn't matter though, the book kept me engaged and there weren't too many Twilight traits that kept the "OH BELLA AND EDWARD" signs flashing in my mind.
I've read a few reviews where people described this book as cold and clinical and I agree, BUT it was that way for a reason and so it didn't bother me at all.
The BDSM part of it was "standard" and nothing hardcore and probably won't freak out the majority of erotica readers.
This definitely wasn't one of the best books I read, but it kept my attention and I read it in a span of hours. And I plan on reading book 2 and 3 because I already liked them better as fan fiction than the first installment.
August 7, 2021
I’m not sure why I did this to myself. I think almost every chapter had at least one sex scene and it wasn’t even hot 😭
April 23, 2013
"Your safe word is turpentine.
Say it and this ends immediately. You take the collar off, drive away, and never return."
The Submissive by Tara Sue Me, already has a very special place in my heart. I read this trilogy back when it was online and we had to wait chapter by agonizing chapter to find out what happens next.
I can't begin to express how excited and happy I am that Tara decided to publish her original work.
It will be treasure among my favorites for life.
I have a confession. The Submissive is the very first erotica sub/dom story that I've ever read.
I was a bit nervous to read something so naughty and even dirty. Back then I never could wrap my mind around control when it comes to sex, but this story started to get a lot of buzz out in fandom and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Well hell!! Tara shocked and rocked me with the way she handled these characters and the scenes they played. In a nutshell? It was freaken hot. I mean off the charts-melt me into a pile of goo-hawt!! In real life? Not so much. But in my reads? Gimme gimme more!!
I may not be a huge fan of the erotic world, but Tara lite a spark somewhere inside me and I've learned to have an open mind and appreciate it for what it is. Sexy, thrilling and deliciously appealing unadulterated entertainment.
The story line is basically self-explanatory. He's a Dom and she has the desire to Submit. But there is a twist. Turpentine is all I'm going to say. I don't want to say to much since I thought this particular move was desperately sweet on Nathaniel part and I want readers to discover it on their own. This just goes to prove that even the most controlled beings are still human enough to have fears and insecurities, even more so then the Subs they are dominating.
I have way to many favorite moments. Way to many smiles and sighs when ever Nathaniel would give Abby something new and exciting to discover in this lifestyle and I simply died a little the way he took care of her afterwards. With most erotic stories we usually just jump into a played-scene without any explanation, which is fine if you want to read porn without plot. But I thought that Tara handled this with a perfect balance of care and education, which is an aspect that I found refreshing and is much obliged.
~Abigail King has a deep dark fantasy. She want to be controlled by a man, but not any man. She wants to be controlled by Nathaniel West. Once upon a time he showed kindness to Abby's mother and she's never forgotten. When she found out that Nathaniel is in a certain distinguished lifestyle, she wanted nothing more then to turn her fantasy to reality. Abby's the kind of character you can't help but admire. She is so brave and courageous. Even though she's shinny and new to this world, she's not embarrassed or ashamed of what she wants and goes into it with everything she has. That takes a lot of guts. I also loved that playful and feisty side that comes out later in the story. It's adorable and infectious and brings out the best in her and Nathaniel.
~Nathaniel West is so much more then he lets anyone see. Something you wont truly understand till you get to his story (The Dom) but I'm getting ahead of myself. Nathaniel is the kind of Dom where he takes control and uses it like an art form. He isn't a cruel master but he is firm. His may have intimacy issues, but he's always been clear about his sexual preferences. He's a Dominant and Abby is his Submissive.
This man makes me go all jello in the knees. The way he radiates power and control, charm and charisma, passion and compassion is beyond sexy as hell. He owns every moment. He's precise and sinfully calculating when bringing just the right amount of pressure and pleasure to each scene.
But don't let him fool you. Underneath all that focused discipline stands a man who feels to much and thinks to much and loves to much and is scared and guarded and vulnerable and it's absolutely beautiful to witness.
~Together Abby and Nathaniel challenge the sh!t of each other. There just isn't another way to say it. They push and pull and demand and command and when it's all said and done, they just may come out of this with more then they ever thought possible.
The Submissive is the first book in a planned trilogy. The Dominant is The Sub in Nathaniel's pov and personally I loved it just a little bit more then this book since we learn certain events and understand him more.
The Training is the sequel to both The Sub and The Dom and the final conclusion.
Existing fans of this much devoured read will want to get their hands on this for their must have collection while any fans who like erotica with a lot of scorching heat but has even more heart will want to give this one a try.
Congrats Tara!! This was beautifully done!
:A little warning note: The chastisement scene.
Now I don't normally do this, but I feel like I should give a small warning for this particular scene only because when I first initially read it, I was shocked, disturbed and had to walk away. Mind you I was nothing like the avid reader I am today and obviously I can take more. But still, a first time reader may look at this scene and think it's unfair, barbaric and even abusive, but it really isn't that bad my friends.
Keep in mind that Abby is new to this lifestyle and even though she takes her submissive life seriously, she has to take the good with the bad and that includes certain rules that are applied and what happens when those rules are broken.
Her reaction or overreaction (depending on how you see it) is what set off an intense shock-vibe that some may be bothered with. It is in fact an upsetting scene. But truly, it's not as bad as it looks. I almost wish The Dominant (Nathaniel's pov) was already out so readers can compare notes.
Now just to be clear, this isn't me telling you how to think or feel, this is just me putting in my two cents.
I'd hate to see this book being bashed based on a single moment that in the grand scheme of things means very little to the story line and the relationship and connection between Abby and Nathaniel.
Just saying peeps;-)
Say it and this ends immediately. You take the collar off, drive away, and never return."
The Submissive by Tara Sue Me, already has a very special place in my heart. I read this trilogy back when it was online and we had to wait chapter by agonizing chapter to find out what happens next.
I can't begin to express how excited and happy I am that Tara decided to publish her original work.
It will be treasure among my favorites for life.
I have a confession. The Submissive is the very first erotica sub/dom story that I've ever read.
I was a bit nervous to read something so naughty and even dirty. Back then I never could wrap my mind around control when it comes to sex, but this story started to get a lot of buzz out in fandom and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Well hell!! Tara shocked and rocked me with the way she handled these characters and the scenes they played. In a nutshell? It was freaken hot. I mean off the charts-melt me into a pile of goo-hawt!! In real life? Not so much. But in my reads? Gimme gimme more!!
I may not be a huge fan of the erotic world, but Tara lite a spark somewhere inside me and I've learned to have an open mind and appreciate it for what it is. Sexy, thrilling and deliciously appealing unadulterated entertainment.
The story line is basically self-explanatory. He's a Dom and she has the desire to Submit. But there is a twist. Turpentine is all I'm going to say. I don't want to say to much since I thought this particular move was desperately sweet on Nathaniel part and I want readers to discover it on their own. This just goes to prove that even the most controlled beings are still human enough to have fears and insecurities, even more so then the Subs they are dominating.
I have way to many favorite moments. Way to many smiles and sighs when ever Nathaniel would give Abby something new and exciting to discover in this lifestyle and I simply died a little the way he took care of her afterwards. With most erotic stories we usually just jump into a played-scene without any explanation, which is fine if you want to read porn without plot. But I thought that Tara handled this with a perfect balance of care and education, which is an aspect that I found refreshing and is much obliged.
~Abigail King has a deep dark fantasy. She want to be controlled by a man, but not any man. She wants to be controlled by Nathaniel West. Once upon a time he showed kindness to Abby's mother and she's never forgotten. When she found out that Nathaniel is in a certain distinguished lifestyle, she wanted nothing more then to turn her fantasy to reality. Abby's the kind of character you can't help but admire. She is so brave and courageous. Even though she's shinny and new to this world, she's not embarrassed or ashamed of what she wants and goes into it with everything she has. That takes a lot of guts. I also loved that playful and feisty side that comes out later in the story. It's adorable and infectious and brings out the best in her and Nathaniel.
~Nathaniel West is so much more then he lets anyone see. Something you wont truly understand till you get to his story (The Dom) but I'm getting ahead of myself. Nathaniel is the kind of Dom where he takes control and uses it like an art form. He isn't a cruel master but he is firm. His may have intimacy issues, but he's always been clear about his sexual preferences. He's a Dominant and Abby is his Submissive.
This man makes me go all jello in the knees. The way he radiates power and control, charm and charisma, passion and compassion is beyond sexy as hell. He owns every moment. He's precise and sinfully calculating when bringing just the right amount of pressure and pleasure to each scene.
But don't let him fool you. Underneath all that focused discipline stands a man who feels to much and thinks to much and loves to much and is scared and guarded and vulnerable and it's absolutely beautiful to witness.
~Together Abby and Nathaniel challenge the sh!t of each other. There just isn't another way to say it. They push and pull and demand and command and when it's all said and done, they just may come out of this with more then they ever thought possible.
The Submissive is the first book in a planned trilogy. The Dominant is The Sub in Nathaniel's pov and personally I loved it just a little bit more then this book since we learn certain events and understand him more.
The Training is the sequel to both The Sub and The Dom and the final conclusion.
Existing fans of this much devoured read will want to get their hands on this for their must have collection while any fans who like erotica with a lot of scorching heat but has even more heart will want to give this one a try.
Congrats Tara!! This was beautifully done!
:A little warning note: The chastisement scene.
Now I don't normally do this, but I feel like I should give a small warning for this particular scene only because when I first initially read it, I was shocked, disturbed and had to walk away. Mind you I was nothing like the avid reader I am today and obviously I can take more. But still, a first time reader may look at this scene and think it's unfair, barbaric and even abusive, but it really isn't that bad my friends.
Keep in mind that Abby is new to this lifestyle and even though she takes her submissive life seriously, she has to take the good with the bad and that includes certain rules that are applied and what happens when those rules are broken.
Her reaction or overreaction (depending on how you see it) is what set off an intense shock-vibe that some may be bothered with. It is in fact an upsetting scene. But truly, it's not as bad as it looks. I almost wish The Dominant (Nathaniel's pov) was already out so readers can compare notes.
Now just to be clear, this isn't me telling you how to think or feel, this is just me putting in my two cents.
I'd hate to see this book being bashed based on a single moment that in the grand scheme of things means very little to the story line and the relationship and connection between Abby and Nathaniel.
Just saying peeps;-)
September 3, 2013
This book came to my attention when I noticed one of my Goodreads friend reading it. I decided to check it out, and I have to say that I am sure glad that I did. Yes, it has a lot of similarities to "Fifty Shades," but it had its own uniqueness that makes this story stand out and rise above the other book. I should also mention that this book originally came out before the "Fifty Shades' trilogy even existed.
We have a librarian by the name of Abigail King who has been made aware that a man that she has been extremely attracted to is looking for a new submissive. Nathaniel West is a CEO of a security company, and also a Dom who prefers his Submissives to be experienced as he doesn't care to waste his time training them. When Abigail's "application" shows up on his desk, he decides he wants her and only her, regardless of her lack of experience.
These two come to an agreement of Fridays to Sundays, Nathaniel is in total control of Abigail and if at any time she wants out of the arrangement, all she has to say is her safe word. Of course, as in most romance novels; nothing goes according to plan and on top of having explosive sex they develop feelings for one another. Even though Abby thinks she is chopping down Nathaniel's wall, all it takes is one incident to have him throw it all the way back up. Will she be able to break through, or will she have to walk away?
I found this to be an all around entertaining book. It had not only steamy sex; but sex in some very intriguing places! (Super bowl anyone?) What I thoroughly enjoyed was the game this couple played with reciting poetry and guessing who wrote the verse. It just added that extra "something" to the story in my opinion! There were a few times where I was a little bored in spots; but not often. The ending is a "to be continued" ending (which of course I didn't care for!)and I know that this is a trilogy. Surprisingly enough, the second book isn't the continuation of this book; but the story of "The Submissive" in Nathaniel's POV..The second book is called "The Dominant" and even though I do look forward to reading Nathaniel's POV, I am going to wait until "The Training" becomes available to read. I do recommend this story, and I found it in a lot of ways to be some what more enjoyable than the "Fifty Shades" trilogy.
We have a librarian by the name of Abigail King who has been made aware that a man that she has been extremely attracted to is looking for a new submissive. Nathaniel West is a CEO of a security company, and also a Dom who prefers his Submissives to be experienced as he doesn't care to waste his time training them. When Abigail's "application" shows up on his desk, he decides he wants her and only her, regardless of her lack of experience.
These two come to an agreement of Fridays to Sundays, Nathaniel is in total control of Abigail and if at any time she wants out of the arrangement, all she has to say is her safe word. Of course, as in most romance novels; nothing goes according to plan and on top of having explosive sex they develop feelings for one another. Even though Abby thinks she is chopping down Nathaniel's wall, all it takes is one incident to have him throw it all the way back up. Will she be able to break through, or will she have to walk away?
I found this to be an all around entertaining book. It had not only steamy sex; but sex in some very intriguing places! (Super bowl anyone?) What I thoroughly enjoyed was the game this couple played with reciting poetry and guessing who wrote the verse. It just added that extra "something" to the story in my opinion! There were a few times where I was a little bored in spots; but not often. The ending is a "to be continued" ending (which of course I didn't care for!)and I know that this is a trilogy. Surprisingly enough, the second book isn't the continuation of this book; but the story of "The Submissive" in Nathaniel's POV..The second book is called "The Dominant" and even though I do look forward to reading Nathaniel's POV, I am going to wait until "The Training" becomes available to read. I do recommend this story, and I found it in a lot of ways to be some what more enjoyable than the "Fifty Shades" trilogy.
July 7, 2015
The Submissive: A Not So Walk on the Wild Side
What? You ask if I read this? Well, yeah. I read it. It was a long Independence Day weekend, I took a Sabbatical from my usual walk on the Southern Literary Trail and decided to take a walk on the wild side. Besides, after all, this was written by a lady in a small town somewhere in the Southeastern United States. And she looks like this.
Tara Sue Me
Well, that's not her real name. Yes, it sounds like an Italian dessert. She said that's exactly how she came up with her pen name, too. Thinking of Tiramisu. And, I don't know what small town in which southeastern state. However, I imagine that there are a number of ladies in that small town who know exactly who she is and they have rushed out and bought this book and the numerous volumes that have followed. I believe she's up to six now.
I wonder if she has read Mark Twain. And if she agrees with him. "Write what you know." It conjures up innumerable images having read this book. *ahem*
This particular title is the first of three about Abigail King a 30s something librarian who's crushing on Nathaniel West, well known CEO and man about New York City. Abby is a bit tired of the vanilla sex scene. Been there, done it. Bored with it. She knows that West is a dominant and he's looking for a new submissive. She applies for the position. And she gets it. And she loves it.
There are complications. Of course there are complications. Submissive meets Dominant. Submissive falls in love with Dominant. Conflict! Can this "Scene" be saved? Can love conquer the will to dominate? How about a little "switch"?
Are any of you wondering what the heck I'm talking about? Do I need to explain? Oh, heck. I'm writing a review here. Give me a break. You don't like it? So SUE ME! Oh, that's bad. So bad.
Sigh. Where was I? Well, it's confession time. I find myself doing that a lot lately. Almost twenty years ago I was in a number of writing groups. I would get off-- wait--poor choice of words. When I would finish a long day in the court room I would relax by writing. Short stories. A writing friend told me about a group called the Erotica Readers Association. I laughed it off. Then I got to thinking about it. At the time I was trying a lot of sexual assault cases. What an interesting way to get some inside the mind thinking being in a forum like that. So I joined. Believe me. There is definitely a lot of truth to the saying "Different strokes for different folks."
I began writing stories, romances, historical fiction, all with a bit of heat. Call them romantica. They weren't bad. Actually, a number of my stories were voted most publishable. I never attempted to do that. No time. No editor. No agent. So it goes.
There were two distinct camps in the group. The "vanilla" crew and the anything goes crew, living "the life." If the less adventurous camp was vanilla, the other camp was tutti frutti. Here were the Doms and the Subs. The ones into S/M. The ones into B/D. Although current popular fiction such as Fifty Shades of Grey and The Submissive commonly group all the subgroups together as BDSM, there are distinct fetishist pursuits.
Tara Sue Me has done her research. There's a little bit of everything going on in Abigail's and Nathaniel's "relationship." He is the classic dominant, demanding control and possession of Abigail. It requires Abigail to submit to whatever Nathaniel requires without question. It is a consensual relationship. Nathaniel demands that Abigail pleasure him in whatever fashion he demands. In return he will pleasure her or withhold it as he sees fit. He will also chastise her if she does not obey him. He will whip her. She will accept it. There is a way out if Abigail chooses to leave. All she must do is speak her "safe word."
Until then, Abigail belongs to Nathaniel. To show that she belongs to him, Nathaniel presents her with a collar. Not a leather collar, or a metal collar. Nathaniel West is a very wealthy man. Abigail's collar is made of diamonds bound in pure platinum.
There is bondage. There is discipline. There is domination. Nathaniel carries out carefully crafted scenes of sexual acts requiring more and more levels of submission from Abigail, demanding greater levels of trust.
Nathaniel is a master at using a riding crop administering the perfect degree of pain that is excruciatingly pleasurable. Abigail finds herself experiencing levels of pleasure she has not known were possible.
But he also whips for punishment. Brutally. He has a whipping bench for that purpose. A warm up whipping is necessary because Abigail could not stand the true chastisement whipping without it. Twenty lashes with a leather strap because she got seven hours of sleep one night instead of eight. Ouch.
A Whipping Block; this one was at Dachau.
Yet Nathaniel, the bad boy, has a secret in his past, a vulnerability. Is there some underlying inadequacy in him that demands he completely control others to minimize his own demons?
Sue Me even incorporates elements of "topping from below" where the submissive actually becomes the dominant of the pair in a sexual scenario. This scene in the life is known as a switch. The author handles it quite, quite well. It's convincing. It might make you squirm a little in your chair.
But there are some woeful incongruities in this novel. For all her worldliness in her experiences in the Vanilla sex world, Abigail has never been kissed "down there." Poor Abby. All those experiences, and she's never found a man who appreciated the scent of a woman? That's a damned shame.
Yet, Abby can swallow the equivalent of a length of fire hose under pressure instinctively, relaxing the muscles of her throat. She breathes through her nose without difficulty.
Of course, Tara Sue Me creates Nathaniel as a man hung like a stallion. Rather stereotypical. He is instantly ready to stand and deliver. And when Nathaniel tells Abigail he will have her five times in a night he does and she is happily amazed. Actually, she's gaga for this guy. The perfect gentleman, Nathaniel "releases" just after Abigail shudders through her orgasm. Even better are all the times they arrive at la petite mort together.
The Little Death
Everything is just fine until she falls in love with him. Will things work out, or not? Well, it's no spoiler to repeat, it is the first volume of a trilogy. *ahem*
Is this true BDSM? Let's call it BDSM Lite. It is a romance kicked up a notch. BAM! Ala Emeril Lagasse. Tara Sue Me knows how to sprinkle a little essence into the recipe.
What did I think? It's okay. Tara Sue Me is no Anais Nin. Few are. Will I read the remaining volumes? It's a toss up. Then again. I've got a thing about smart, sharp women; especially librarians and booksellers. Well, yes, I'm rather mature. I'm not dead.
In olden days, a glimpse of stocking
Was looked on as something shocking.
But now, God knows,
Anything goes.
Good authors too who once knew better words
Now only use four-letter words
Writing prose.
Anything goes.
If driving fast cars you like,
If low bars you like,
If old hymns you like,
If bare limbs you like,
If Mae West you like,
Or me undressed you like,
Why, nobody will oppose.
When ev"ry night the set that"s smart is in-
Truding at nudist parties in
Studios.
Anything goes.
Cole Porter, 1934
“I will have you do things you never thought possible, but I can also bring you a pleasure you never imagined.”― Tara Sue Me, The Submissive
What? You ask if I read this? Well, yeah. I read it. It was a long Independence Day weekend, I took a Sabbatical from my usual walk on the Southern Literary Trail and decided to take a walk on the wild side. Besides, after all, this was written by a lady in a small town somewhere in the Southeastern United States. And she looks like this.
Tara Sue Me
Well, that's not her real name. Yes, it sounds like an Italian dessert. She said that's exactly how she came up with her pen name, too. Thinking of Tiramisu. And, I don't know what small town in which southeastern state. However, I imagine that there are a number of ladies in that small town who know exactly who she is and they have rushed out and bought this book and the numerous volumes that have followed. I believe she's up to six now.
I wonder if she has read Mark Twain. And if she agrees with him. "Write what you know." It conjures up innumerable images having read this book. *ahem*
This particular title is the first of three about Abigail King a 30s something librarian who's crushing on Nathaniel West, well known CEO and man about New York City. Abby is a bit tired of the vanilla sex scene. Been there, done it. Bored with it. She knows that West is a dominant and he's looking for a new submissive. She applies for the position. And she gets it. And she loves it.
There are complications. Of course there are complications. Submissive meets Dominant. Submissive falls in love with Dominant. Conflict! Can this "Scene" be saved? Can love conquer the will to dominate? How about a little "switch"?
Are any of you wondering what the heck I'm talking about? Do I need to explain? Oh, heck. I'm writing a review here. Give me a break. You don't like it? So SUE ME! Oh, that's bad. So bad.
Sigh. Where was I? Well, it's confession time. I find myself doing that a lot lately. Almost twenty years ago I was in a number of writing groups. I would get off-- wait--poor choice of words. When I would finish a long day in the court room I would relax by writing. Short stories. A writing friend told me about a group called the Erotica Readers Association. I laughed it off. Then I got to thinking about it. At the time I was trying a lot of sexual assault cases. What an interesting way to get some inside the mind thinking being in a forum like that. So I joined. Believe me. There is definitely a lot of truth to the saying "Different strokes for different folks."
I began writing stories, romances, historical fiction, all with a bit of heat. Call them romantica. They weren't bad. Actually, a number of my stories were voted most publishable. I never attempted to do that. No time. No editor. No agent. So it goes.
There were two distinct camps in the group. The "vanilla" crew and the anything goes crew, living "the life." If the less adventurous camp was vanilla, the other camp was tutti frutti. Here were the Doms and the Subs. The ones into S/M. The ones into B/D. Although current popular fiction such as Fifty Shades of Grey and The Submissive commonly group all the subgroups together as BDSM, there are distinct fetishist pursuits.
Tara Sue Me has done her research. There's a little bit of everything going on in Abigail's and Nathaniel's "relationship." He is the classic dominant, demanding control and possession of Abigail. It requires Abigail to submit to whatever Nathaniel requires without question. It is a consensual relationship. Nathaniel demands that Abigail pleasure him in whatever fashion he demands. In return he will pleasure her or withhold it as he sees fit. He will also chastise her if she does not obey him. He will whip her. She will accept it. There is a way out if Abigail chooses to leave. All she must do is speak her "safe word."
Until then, Abigail belongs to Nathaniel. To show that she belongs to him, Nathaniel presents her with a collar. Not a leather collar, or a metal collar. Nathaniel West is a very wealthy man. Abigail's collar is made of diamonds bound in pure platinum.
“If you choose to wear this, you’ll be marked as mine. Mine to do with as I wish. You will obey me and never question what I tell you to do.”
There is bondage. There is discipline. There is domination. Nathaniel carries out carefully crafted scenes of sexual acts requiring more and more levels of submission from Abigail, demanding greater levels of trust.
Nathaniel is a master at using a riding crop administering the perfect degree of pain that is excruciatingly pleasurable. Abigail finds herself experiencing levels of pleasure she has not known were possible.
But he also whips for punishment. Brutally. He has a whipping bench for that purpose. A warm up whipping is necessary because Abigail could not stand the true chastisement whipping without it. Twenty lashes with a leather strap because she got seven hours of sleep one night instead of eight. Ouch.
A Whipping Block; this one was at Dachau.
Yet Nathaniel, the bad boy, has a secret in his past, a vulnerability. Is there some underlying inadequacy in him that demands he completely control others to minimize his own demons?
Sue Me even incorporates elements of "topping from below" where the submissive actually becomes the dominant of the pair in a sexual scenario. This scene in the life is known as a switch. The author handles it quite, quite well. It's convincing. It might make you squirm a little in your chair.
But there are some woeful incongruities in this novel. For all her worldliness in her experiences in the Vanilla sex world, Abigail has never been kissed "down there." Poor Abby. All those experiences, and she's never found a man who appreciated the scent of a woman? That's a damned shame.
Yet, Abby can swallow the equivalent of a length of fire hose under pressure instinctively, relaxing the muscles of her throat. She breathes through her nose without difficulty.
Of course, Tara Sue Me creates Nathaniel as a man hung like a stallion. Rather stereotypical. He is instantly ready to stand and deliver. And when Nathaniel tells Abigail he will have her five times in a night he does and she is happily amazed. Actually, she's gaga for this guy. The perfect gentleman, Nathaniel "releases" just after Abigail shudders through her orgasm. Even better are all the times they arrive at la petite mort together.
The Little Death
Everything is just fine until she falls in love with him. Will things work out, or not? Well, it's no spoiler to repeat, it is the first volume of a trilogy. *ahem*
Is this true BDSM? Let's call it BDSM Lite. It is a romance kicked up a notch. BAM! Ala Emeril Lagasse. Tara Sue Me knows how to sprinkle a little essence into the recipe.
What did I think? It's okay. Tara Sue Me is no Anais Nin. Few are. Will I read the remaining volumes? It's a toss up. Then again. I've got a thing about smart, sharp women; especially librarians and booksellers. Well, yes, I'm rather mature. I'm not dead.
April 1, 2013
I suppose it's worth starting off this review with the notation that I knew this was formerly a Twilight fanfic published under the same title and same penname. I also knew that this was the story that "inspired" Fifty Shades author E.L. James, so before anyone starts foaming at the mouth about how this is another knock off of "Fifty Shades" - it's not. This came first.
I have not read the original fanfic to compare, though I arrived to read this in a way that was completely blind - didn't really know what to expect from it. I was surprised to find how sparse this narrative was as a whole. It made for a quick read, and somehow it didn't really put my nerves on end with content, but...I left this novel just utterly baffled by its portrayal. That was not something I expected to feel after finishing this novel.
I didn't enjoy it. I thought the characters lacked development and were very unrealistic, the surrounding cast didn't have many dimensions to them nor did they add to the story, and it felt like there should've been more to the story than there was. I understood in certain places that this was to have something of a darkly humored coating with respect to a BDSM relationship. You have the shy librarian (Abby) and the domineering jerk of a businessman (Nathaniel) who engage in a dom/sub sexy time rendezvous. There are shackles, collars, whipping, and quite a few other things that would have some people's jaws dropping to the floor with respect to sexual content, but...for me this was just a weird read and I felt it creeped me out in certain places with the disconnect in its narrative. It wasn't sexy, it wasn't even romantic, it was just...weird the whole way through. Abby's so passive to the point of where she wants to use the "safe word" but knows that'll terminate the relationship and she doesn't speak up when she's obviously hurting. Her internal voice and the fact that she talks to herself in several notations also bothered me. Nathaniel's so blunt, cold, and fierce a good measure into the book, and then suddenly becomes emotional when Abby nearly leaves him after he dismisses their "making love" for the first time. Other events happen to where they eventually have a coming of terms, but I found that after a certain point, I just didn't really care anymore. I wasn't invested in their relationship and by the end of the book, I was glad to be done with it, not necessarily in a way where I was upset with it, but just feeling like the whole book didn't draw me into the story it was trying to tell.
I think I've read better erotica novels than this, and while I can't say that there weren't certain sparks to the narrative that could've lead to something more, it fell flat with respect to the underdeveloped, cookie-cutter characters, sparse narrative, and genuinely unfulfilling romantic/erotic context.
Overall score: 1/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher NAL Trade.
I have not read the original fanfic to compare, though I arrived to read this in a way that was completely blind - didn't really know what to expect from it. I was surprised to find how sparse this narrative was as a whole. It made for a quick read, and somehow it didn't really put my nerves on end with content, but...I left this novel just utterly baffled by its portrayal. That was not something I expected to feel after finishing this novel.
I didn't enjoy it. I thought the characters lacked development and were very unrealistic, the surrounding cast didn't have many dimensions to them nor did they add to the story, and it felt like there should've been more to the story than there was. I understood in certain places that this was to have something of a darkly humored coating with respect to a BDSM relationship. You have the shy librarian (Abby) and the domineering jerk of a businessman (Nathaniel) who engage in a dom/sub sexy time rendezvous. There are shackles, collars, whipping, and quite a few other things that would have some people's jaws dropping to the floor with respect to sexual content, but...for me this was just a weird read and I felt it creeped me out in certain places with the disconnect in its narrative. It wasn't sexy, it wasn't even romantic, it was just...weird the whole way through. Abby's so passive to the point of where she wants to use the "safe word" but knows that'll terminate the relationship and she doesn't speak up when she's obviously hurting. Her internal voice and the fact that she talks to herself in several notations also bothered me. Nathaniel's so blunt, cold, and fierce a good measure into the book, and then suddenly becomes emotional when Abby nearly leaves him after he dismisses their "making love" for the first time. Other events happen to where they eventually have a coming of terms, but I found that after a certain point, I just didn't really care anymore. I wasn't invested in their relationship and by the end of the book, I was glad to be done with it, not necessarily in a way where I was upset with it, but just feeling like the whole book didn't draw me into the story it was trying to tell.
I think I've read better erotica novels than this, and while I can't say that there weren't certain sparks to the narrative that could've lead to something more, it fell flat with respect to the underdeveloped, cookie-cutter characters, sparse narrative, and genuinely unfulfilling romantic/erotic context.
Overall score: 1/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher NAL Trade.
December 4, 2014
I have read this as Twilight Fan Fiction. I will read it as published work. Why? Because to me this is as close as vanilla people will get to the real thing without experiencing it in real life. Yes, it is not a perfect relationship and mistakes happen but that is life. Life does get in the way of things and what we want has to take a back seat for a little while. Trust me been there done that.
In fact people who know I live the lifestyle ask me what fanfic to read that is close to what I do I give them Tara Sue Me's stories. Yes there are others but I recommend these first and tell them if they like them come back to me for more.
A Must READ!!
In fact people who know I live the lifestyle ask me what fanfic to read that is close to what I do I give them Tara Sue Me's stories. Yes there are others but I recommend these first and tell them if they like them come back to me for more.
A Must READ!!
November 11, 2024
Το τι συζητήσεις επί συζητήσεων προκάλεσαν οι "Πενήντα Αποχρώσεις", είναι μάλλον περιττό να το αναφέρουμε αφού κι εμείς εδώ, το υπεραναλύσαμε ξανά και ξανά, μέχρι τελικής πτώσεως. Όμως μετά την τριλογία της James, ακολούθησε ένα κύμα ερωτικής λογοτεχνίας που έπνιξε την αγορά, πράγμα το οποίο ευχαρίστησε πολλές αναγνώστριες, δυσαρέστησε κάποιους άλλους, με ορισμένα από τα συγκεκριμένα βιβλία να είναι πραγματικά καλά, κάποια άλλα συμπαθητικά ενώ υπάρχει πάντα και μια τρίτη κατηγορία, εκείνη που σε απογοητεύει. Έχοντας ακούσει λοιπόν πάρα πολλά από φίλες για την τριλογία της Tara Sue Me, από την εποχή ακόμη που ως η πρώτη fan-fic ιστορία του είδους της είχε προκαλέσει μεγάλη αίσθηση κερδίζοντας φανατικό αναγνωστικό κοινό, περίμενα το πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς με ανυπομονησία αν και με κάποια μικρή επιφύλαξη καθώς η γούνα μου κάηκε πολύ πρόσφατα από παρόμοιο βιβλίο του είδους το οποίο και συζητήσαμε. Και τελικά, όχι μόνο ήταν πολύ καλό αλλά ξεπέρασε τις προσδοκίες μου.
Η Άμπι Κινγκ έχει μία και μοναδική φαντασίωση. Να βρεθεί στην αγκαλιά του Ναθάνιελ Γουέστ, ενός από τους ισχυρότερους άντρες της Νέας Υόρκης ο οποίος έχει πολύ συγκεκριμένες ερωτικές προτιμήσεις. Όταν η Άμπι μάθει πως ο Ναθάνιελ αναζητά καινούργια υποτακτική, θα σπεύσει να απαντήσει στην αγγελία του και αμέσως, θα βρεθεί να υπηρετεί τον άντρα των φαντασιώσεών της με τρόπους που ούτε η ίδια δεν θα μπορούσε ποτέ να σκεφτεί. Ο Ναθάνιελ, έχοντας εμπειρία ως Κυρίαρχος, μια εμπειρία που η Άμπι δεν διαθέτει ως Υποτακτική, έχοντας ωστόσο κάθε καλή πρόθεση να συνεργαστεί και να παραδοθεί στην ηδονή που εκείνος της προσφέρει με το να την ελέγχει, θα την μυήσει σε έναν αλλιώτικο κόσμο στον οποίο η Άμπι παρασύρεται χωρίς αναστολές. Όταν όμως τα συναισθήματά της για τον Ναθάνιελ θα αρχίσουν να μεγαλώνουν όλο και πιο πολύ, διαπιστώνοντας πως εκείνος προσπαθεί να διαφυλάξει το τείχος που έχει χτίσει γύρω του το οποίο μοιάζει να φέρει ρωγμές, θα έρθουν σε σύγκρουση με την επιθυμία της και το πάθος της για εκείνον και τον κόσμο του.
Επειδή είμαι βέβαιη πως όσοι δεν γνωρίζουν λεπτομέρειες σχετικά με το fan-fic πάνω στο οποίο βασίστηκε το βιβλίο, θα σπεύσουν να βγάλουν συμπεράσματα και να πουν πως μοιάζει με τις "Πενήντα Αποχρώσεις" θέλω να τους πληροφορήσω πως κάτι τέτοιο δεν ισχύει για πολλούς λόγους. Πρώτος και κύριος, είναι το ότι "Η Πειθήνια", γράφτηκε π��ιν τις "Πενήντα Αποχρώσεις" και ήταν η πρώτη φανταστική ιστορία που βρήκε τεράστιο κοινό, δίνοντας πνοή στο συγκεκριμένο είδος. Από 'κει κι έπειτα, η σχέση της Άμπι με τον Ναθάνιελ, δεν έχει σχεδόν τίποτα κοινό με την σχέση Άνας και Κρίστιαν. Σε αντίθεση με τους τελευταίους, η Άμπι και ο Ναθάνιελ, ξεκινάνε έχοντας μια καθόλα τυπική σχέση Κυρίαρχου-Υποτακτικού, χωρίς ωραιοποιήσεις, συμβιβασμούς και διαπραγματεύσεις. Τίποτα δεν αλλάζει στην πορεία της ερωτικής τους ζωής, πέραν του ότι σταδιακά κορυφώνεται η ηδονή. Και οι δυο τους, έχουν καθορίσει εξ' αρχής τα πολύ λεπτά τους όρια και έτσι, το τι θέλει και δεν θέλει ο καθένας τους από την κοινή τους αυτή ανταλλαγή, είναι ξεκάθαρο και ο μοναδικός τρόπος να αλλάξει αυτό είναι με τον τερματισμό της σχέσης τους.
Άλλη μία βασική διαφορά και για μένα, το μεγαλύτερο ατού του συγκεκριμένου βιβλίου, έχει να κάνει με τους ίδιους τους χαρακτήρες οι οποίοι είναι πολύ σταράτοι, ειλικρινείς και ξεκάθαροι. Ο Ναθάνιελ είναι Κυρίαρχος και δεν έχει καμία πρόθεση να αλλάξει τις ερωτικές του συνήθειες, ούτε να καταπιέσει την πλευρά του εαυτού του που θέλει τον έλεγχο. Η Άμπι από την άλλη, έστω κι αν δεν το γνωρίζει στην αρχή, κρύβει μέσα της μια Υποτακτική και το γεγονός πως είναι με τον Ναθάνιελ δεν έχει να κάνει μόνο με την εμμονή της για εκείνον και τις φαντασιώσεις που τόσο περίπλοκα δημιούργησε. Πάνω απ' όλα, έχει ανάγκη έναν άντρα που να μπορεί να την υποτάξει και να κυριαρχήσει πάνω της. Και από τον συνδυασμό αυτών των δύο ανθρώπων, έχουμε την παρουσίαση ενός όχι τόσο συνηθισμένου, αλλά υπαρκτού μοντέλου σχέσης το οποίο, λειτουργεί όπως ακριβώς παρουσιάζεται από την συγγραφέα η οποία, με όμορφο και αισθησιακό παράλληλα τρόπο ξεκαθαρίζει πως αυτό που για άλλους είναι διαστροφή, για τους εμπλεκόμενους είναι τρόπος ζωής, αυτό που έχουν ανάγκη και πως ό,τι κι αν σκεφτόμαστε όσοι είμαστε στην απέξω, η πρόθεση του Κυρίαρχου στις σχέσεις αυτές δεν είναι να προσφέρει πόνο αλλά ικανοποίηση και πρώτα απ' όλους, όχι στον ίδιο αλλά στην Υποτακτική του.
Η Tara Sue Me, σαφέστατα, δεν μας συστήνει ένα παραδοσιακό μοντέλο σχέσης αλλά αν το έκανε, ειλικρινά, που θα ήταν το ενδιαφέρον; Το κείμενό της είναι μεστό, καλογραμμένο, με σωστές δόσεις χιούμορ και αισθησιασμού, χωρίς περιττές φλυαρίες κι επαναλήψεις, με τις ερωτικές σκηνές να ��οικίλουν και να διαφέρουν μεταξύ τους, λέγοντας κι αυτές παράλληλα την δικιά τους ιστορία. Όμως και το συναισθηματικό κομμάτι, η συγγραφέας καταφέρνει να το διαχειριστεί άψογα, φέρνοντας στην επιφάνεια βήμα-βήμα, αισθήματα τα οποία δεν χρειάζονται μεγαλοστομίες για να γίνουν αντιληπτά αλλά μπορεί κανείς να τα εντοπίσεις σε ένα φευγαλέο βλέμμα, σε ένα άγγιγμα, σε μια παθιασμένη σκηνή που κατευθύνεται από ένα ένστικτο διαφορετικό. Θεωρώ πως ψυχογραφικά, οι χαρακτήρες της, είναι άρτια δομημένοι, χωρίς καμία πρόθεση από μέρους της συγγραφέως να τους συμπαθήσουμε με το ζόρι ή να ταυτιστούμε με το προσωπικό τους δράμα που ναι μεν υπάρχει ωστόσο, δεν τους έχει καταστρέψει, παραμένοντας σε φυσιολογικά, καθημερινά επίπεδα, χωρίς υπερβολές, ακόμα και στην σκιαγράφηση του κοινωνικού προφίλ τους. Γιατί το θέμα της ιστορίας, δεν είναι πως θα βγουν οι πρωταγωνιστές από τα σκοτάδια τους αλλά πως θα συνυπάρξουν με τις δύο διαφορετικές πλευρές του εαυτούς τους και οι δυο μαζί.
Η Άμπι Κινγκ έχει μία και μοναδική φαντασίωση. Να βρεθεί στην αγκαλιά του Ναθάνιελ Γουέστ, ενός από τους ισχυρότερους άντρες της Νέας Υόρκης ο οποίος έχει πολύ συγκεκριμένες ερωτικές προτιμήσεις. Όταν η Άμπι μάθει πως ο Ναθάνιελ αναζητά καινούργια υποτακτική, θα σπεύσει να απαντήσει στην αγγελία του και αμέσως, θα βρεθεί να υπηρετεί τον άντρα των φαντασιώσεών της με τρόπους που ούτε η ίδια δεν θα μπορούσε ποτέ να σκεφτεί. Ο Ναθάνιελ, έχοντας εμπειρία ως Κυρίαρχος, μια εμπειρία που η Άμπι δεν διαθέτει ως Υποτακτική, έχοντας ωστόσο κάθε καλή πρόθεση να συνεργαστεί και να παραδοθεί στην ηδονή που εκείνος της προσφέρει με το να την ελέγχει, θα την μυήσει σε έναν αλλιώτικο κόσμο στον οποίο η Άμπι παρασύρεται χωρίς αναστολές. Όταν όμως τα συναισθήματά της για τον Ναθάνιελ θα αρχίσουν να μεγαλώνουν όλο και πιο πολύ, διαπιστώνοντας πως εκείνος προσπαθεί να διαφυλάξει το τείχος που έχει χτίσει γύρω του το οποίο μοιάζει να φέρει ρωγμές, θα έρθουν σε σύγκρουση με την επιθυμία της και το πάθος της για εκείνον και τον κόσμο του.
Επειδή είμαι βέβαιη πως όσοι δεν γνωρίζουν λεπτομέρειες σχετικά με το fan-fic πάνω στο οποίο βασίστηκε το βιβλίο, θα σπεύσουν να βγάλουν συμπεράσματα και να πουν πως μοιάζει με τις "Πενήντα Αποχρώσεις" θέλω να τους πληροφορήσω πως κάτι τέτοιο δεν ισχύει για πολλούς λόγους. Πρώτος και κύριος, είναι το ότι "Η Πειθήνια", γράφτηκε π��ιν τις "Πενήντα Αποχρώσεις" και ήταν η πρώτη φανταστική ιστορία που βρήκε τεράστιο κοινό, δίνοντας πνοή στο συγκεκριμένο είδος. Από 'κει κι έπειτα, η σχέση της Άμπι με τον Ναθάνιελ, δεν έχει σχεδόν τίποτα κοινό με την σχέση Άνας και Κρίστιαν. Σε αντίθεση με τους τελευταίους, η Άμπι και ο Ναθάνιελ, ξεκινάνε έχοντας μια καθόλα τυπική σχέση Κυρίαρχου-Υποτακτικού, χωρίς ωραιοποιήσεις, συμβιβασμούς και διαπραγματεύσεις. Τίποτα δεν αλλάζει στην πορεία της ερωτικής τους ζωής, πέραν του ότι σταδιακά κορυφώνεται η ηδονή. Και οι δυο τους, έχουν καθορίσει εξ' αρχής τα πολύ λεπτά τους όρια και έτσι, το τι θέλει και δεν θέλει ο καθένας τους από την κοινή τους αυτή ανταλλαγή, είναι ξεκάθαρο και ο μοναδικός τρόπος να αλλάξει αυτό είναι με τον τερματισμό της σχέσης τους.
Άλλη μία βασική διαφορά και για μένα, το μεγαλύτερο ατού του συγκεκριμένου βιβλίου, έχει να κάνει με τους ίδιους τους χαρακτήρες οι οποίοι είναι πολύ σταράτοι, ειλικρινείς και ξεκάθαροι. Ο Ναθάνιελ είναι Κυρίαρχος και δεν έχει καμία πρόθεση να αλλάξει τις ερωτικές του συνήθειες, ούτε να καταπιέσει την πλευρά του εαυτού του που θέλει τον έλεγχο. Η Άμπι από την άλλη, έστω κι αν δεν το γνωρίζει στην αρχή, κρύβει μέσα της μια Υποτακτική και το γεγονός πως είναι με τον Ναθάνιελ δεν έχει να κάνει μόνο με την εμμονή της για εκείνον και τις φαντασιώσεις που τόσο περίπλοκα δημιούργησε. Πάνω απ' όλα, έχει ανάγκη έναν άντρα που να μπορεί να την υποτάξει και να κυριαρχήσει πάνω της. Και από τον συνδυασμό αυτών των δύο ανθρώπων, έχουμε την παρουσίαση ενός όχι τόσο συνηθισμένου, αλλά υπαρκτού μοντέλου σχέσης το οποίο, λειτουργεί όπως ακριβώς παρουσιάζεται από την συγγραφέα η οποία, με όμορφο και αισθησιακό παράλληλα τρόπο ξεκαθαρίζει πως αυτό που για άλλους είναι διαστροφή, για τους εμπλεκόμενους είναι τρόπος ζωής, αυτό που έχουν ανάγκη και πως ό,τι κι αν σκεφτόμαστε όσοι είμαστε στην απέξω, η πρόθεση του Κυρίαρχου στις σχέσεις αυτές δεν είναι να προσφέρει πόνο αλλά ικανοποίηση και πρώτα απ' όλους, όχι στον ίδιο αλλά στην Υποτακτική του.
Η Tara Sue Me, σαφέστατα, δεν μας συστήνει ένα παραδοσιακό μοντέλο σχέσης αλλά αν το έκανε, ειλικρινά, που θα ήταν το ενδιαφέρον; Το κείμενό της είναι μεστό, καλογραμμένο, με σωστές δόσεις χιούμορ και αισθησιασμού, χωρίς περιττές φλυαρίες κι επαναλήψεις, με τις ερωτικές σκηνές να ��οικίλουν και να διαφέρουν μεταξύ τους, λέγοντας κι αυτές παράλληλα την δικιά τους ιστορία. Όμως και το συναισθηματικό κομμάτι, η συγγραφέας καταφέρνει να το διαχειριστεί άψογα, φέρνοντας στην επιφάνεια βήμα-βήμα, αισθήματα τα οποία δεν χρειάζονται μεγαλοστομίες για να γίνουν αντιληπτά αλλά μπορεί κανείς να τα εντοπίσεις σε ένα φευγαλέο βλέμμα, σε ένα άγγιγμα, σε μια παθιασμένη σκηνή που κατευθύνεται από ένα ένστικτο διαφορετικό. Θεωρώ πως ψυχογραφικά, οι χαρακτήρες της, είναι άρτια δομημένοι, χωρίς καμία πρόθεση από μέρους της συγγραφέως να τους συμπαθήσουμε με το ζόρι ή να ταυτιστούμε με το προσωπικό τους δράμα που ναι μεν υπάρχει ωστόσο, δεν τους έχει καταστρέψει, παραμένοντας σε φυσιολογικά, καθημερινά επίπεδα, χωρίς υπερβολές, ακόμα και στην σκιαγράφηση του κοινωνικού προφίλ τους. Γιατί το θέμα της ιστορίας, δεν είναι πως θα βγουν οι πρωταγωνιστές από τα σκοτάδια τους αλλά πως θα συνυπάρξουν με τις δύο διαφορετικές πλευρές του εαυτούς τους και οι δυο μαζί.
February 19, 2013
Not even going there with the BDSM tag!! 'cos BDSM it wasn't.
OK, got stuck right at the beginning: WHY was Abigail King standing 'submissively' in Nathaniel West's office?? Nope, no reason, just jump headlong into the story leaving me asking why? why? why? on every alternate page. AND, btw (just sayin') Abby has NEVER submitted before, is a complete novice, and totally innocent of the kinky stuff!!!!!!!
Now, Nathaniel almost made me change my mind: brooding Dom, sexy manner/voice, arrogance included, pretty to look at (why do men have to have emerald eyes nowadays?), but.....wait a minute.....oh, have I read this before: innocent/librarian/English major; dark, lonely, self-made billionaire Dom; pushy BFF; semi-'brother' superstar; parent/aunt/uncle with secrets????? Oh yes, that 50SoG thingy!
By a third of the way in (and almost skipping over the poor writing style) I decided it certainly was something I've read lots of before (and those were little better), so I gritted my teeth and persevered. Don't know why I bothered. It was formulaic with uninteresting dialogue; no real character development (been there, done that, got the T-shirt); pretty boring all round.
By three-quarters in, I was astonished at Abby pulling up her girly pants (when she was allowed to wear them!), getting demanding, and deciding Nathaniel was the love of her life. I was even more astonished at the ridiculous turnaround made by Nathaniel - becoming weak and needy and NO WAY Dom-like any more. And the 'telling' explanations that issued forth simply did NOTHING for any enjoyment I may have thought I deserved.
So, no, not a good read.
NB: Later, after finishing the story, I read some GR reviews on this book. So, picking myself up off the floor, I cannot get over that this story was the one to engender 50SoG (even allowing for the similarities), nor that (yet again) it originates in Twilight fan-fiction. I'm becoming disgusted with myself for falling, again, into the trap of reading 'new, talented, indie-writers' romances (or what purports to be romance) in any form. It also makes me wary of touching any fan-fic either (even tho' I've recently read 2 quite clever ones), so I suppose I'll stay with my previously-read authors, only dipping into new ones WHEN and IF I think it worthwhile.
OK, got stuck right at the beginning: WHY was Abigail King standing 'submissively' in Nathaniel West's office?? Nope, no reason, just jump headlong into the story leaving me asking why? why? why? on every alternate page. AND, btw (just sayin') Abby has NEVER submitted before, is a complete novice, and totally innocent of the kinky stuff!!!!!!!
Now, Nathaniel almost made me change my mind: brooding Dom, sexy manner/voice, arrogance included, pretty to look at (why do men have to have emerald eyes nowadays?), but.....wait a minute.....oh, have I read this before: innocent/librarian/English major; dark, lonely, self-made billionaire Dom; pushy BFF; semi-'brother' superstar; parent/aunt/uncle with secrets????? Oh yes, that 50SoG thingy!
By a third of the way in (and almost skipping over the poor writing style) I decided it certainly was something I've read lots of before (and those were little better), so I gritted my teeth and persevered. Don't know why I bothered. It was formulaic with uninteresting dialogue; no real character development (been there, done that, got the T-shirt); pretty boring all round.
By three-quarters in, I was astonished at Abby pulling up her girly pants (when she was allowed to wear them!), getting demanding, and deciding Nathaniel was the love of her life. I was even more astonished at the ridiculous turnaround made by Nathaniel - becoming weak and needy and NO WAY Dom-like any more. And the 'telling' explanations that issued forth simply did NOTHING for any enjoyment I may have thought I deserved.
So, no, not a good read.
NB: Later, after finishing the story, I read some GR reviews on this book. So, picking myself up off the floor, I cannot get over that this story was the one to engender 50SoG (even allowing for the similarities), nor that (yet again) it originates in Twilight fan-fiction. I'm becoming disgusted with myself for falling, again, into the trap of reading 'new, talented, indie-writers' romances (or what purports to be romance) in any form. It also makes me wary of touching any fan-fic either (even tho' I've recently read 2 quite clever ones), so I suppose I'll stay with my previously-read authors, only dipping into new ones WHEN and IF I think it worthwhile.
May 18, 2018
Αν και ερωτική λογοτεχνία, το απόλαυσα αρκετά. Ήταν απλά καταπληκτικό. Για πρώτη φορά μετά από πολύ καιρό ξενυχτησα για να διαβάσω ένα βιβλίο. Ήταν άκρως εθιστικο.
Η πρωταγωνιστρια ήταν δυναμική κρατώντας συνεχώς την κατάσταση στα χέρια της και ο πρωταγωνιστής, αν και κυρίαρχος και αυταρχικος, δεν έχανε ευκαιρία να δείξει την ευαίσθητη και γλυκιά πλευρά του. Διαθέτει χαρακτήρες λογικους, με αντιδράσεις κυρίως καθημερινές και νορμάλ, χωρίς να φτάνει στα όρια του παραλογισμου. Εντάξει μιλάμε για μια ιστορία όπου η φτωχή βιβλιοθηκαριος γίνεται υποτακτικη ενός πλουσιοπαιδου και αυτό είναι αρκετά ουτοπικο από μόνο του. Όμως με βάση αυτήν την ιστορία οι αντιδράσεις των χαρακτήρων ήταν ρεαλιστικές και σωστές. Δεν ξέρω πως να το εξηγήσω αλλά έχει γραφτεί έτσι ώστε άνετα πίστευα ότι όλο αυτό μπορεί να συμβεί.
Το προτείνω σε όποιον θέλει ένα ωραίο love story και δεν τον ενοχλεί οι έντονες σεξουαλικες σκηνές.
Η πρωταγωνιστρια ήταν δυναμική κρατώντας συνεχώς την κατάσταση στα χέρια της και ο πρωταγωνιστής, αν και κυρίαρχος και αυταρχικος, δεν έχανε ευκαιρία να δείξει την ευαίσθητη και γλυκιά πλευρά του. Διαθέτει χαρακτήρες λογικους, με αντιδράσεις κυρίως καθημερινές και νορμάλ, χωρίς να φτάνει στα όρια του παραλογισμου. Εντάξει μιλάμε για μια ιστορία όπου η φτωχή βιβλιοθηκαριος γίνεται υποτακτικη ενός πλουσιοπαιδου και αυτό είναι αρκετά ουτοπικο από μόνο του. Όμως με βάση αυτήν την ιστορία οι αντιδράσεις των χαρακτήρων ήταν ρεαλιστικές και σωστές. Δεν ξέρω πως να το εξηγήσω αλλά έχει γραφτεί έτσι ώστε άνετα πίστευα ότι όλο αυτό μπορεί να συμβεί.
Το προτείνω σε όποιον θέλει ένα ωραίο love story και δεν τον ενοχλεί οι έντονες σεξουαλικες σκηνές.
May 2, 2013
At what point in the future will all the fan fiction haters just relax and let a good book be a good book without downgrading it for how it began? Who freaking cares that it was previously fan fiction? I certainly do not. Nor do I understand what compels the haters to rate a book that they have never read and never plan to read. Authors have taken good ideas and put their own spin on it for ages, so, kudos to all the fan fiction writers for taking a chance and actually getting published. I commend you!
He was needy and I was what he needed.
He was hungry and I was the only thing he could consume.
Librarian by day, Abby King harbors the deep desire to be stripped of her control, to hand that power over to another and she suspects that the handsome and powerful CEO, Nathaniel West, is just the one to turn her fantasies into reality.
Nathanial is a complicated man, but that is what makes him so interesting and appealing! He is looking for a new submissive and Abby has applied for the “position,” but one there’s one teensy-weensy problem: she has never actually submitted to anyone before and Nathanial doesn’t have the time to train her.
Upon their first meeting, Abby casts her little submissive spell on him and he relents and makes an exception for her. As a Dominant, Nathanial has boundaries that are not to be crossed. He makes it clear that there will be no kissing or post coital cuddling throughout the night. Submissives do not ever sleep in his bed, but rather on the floor, beside his bed, like a good little pet. This unnerves Abby, but she forges ahead in her role as a good little sub, eager to please her new Master.
As the story progresses, it is obvious that Abby needs more than Nathaniel is willing to give, but luckily, thanks to his friends, she is able to uncover vital information into the life and mind of the powerful and ever in control, Nathaniel West. The real question is: Will he ever waver in letting her in to the steel cage that encases his heart?
I would label THE SUBMISSIVE as a contemporary romance laced with BDSM elements, but nothing so extreme that a newbie to this genre can’t handle. This is a great way to dive into the BDSM genre.
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews
___________________________________________________
If you like this type of book, you might enjoy one of these groups. Check us out!
Menage Readers
Erotic Enchants
Bookie Nookie's Erotic Lending Group
He was needy and I was what he needed.
He was hungry and I was the only thing he could consume.
Librarian by day, Abby King harbors the deep desire to be stripped of her control, to hand that power over to another and she suspects that the handsome and powerful CEO, Nathaniel West, is just the one to turn her fantasies into reality.
Nathanial is a complicated man, but that is what makes him so interesting and appealing! He is looking for a new submissive and Abby has applied for the “position,” but one there’s one teensy-weensy problem: she has never actually submitted to anyone before and Nathanial doesn’t have the time to train her.
Upon their first meeting, Abby casts her little submissive spell on him and he relents and makes an exception for her. As a Dominant, Nathanial has boundaries that are not to be crossed. He makes it clear that there will be no kissing or post coital cuddling throughout the night. Submissives do not ever sleep in his bed, but rather on the floor, beside his bed, like a good little pet. This unnerves Abby, but she forges ahead in her role as a good little sub, eager to please her new Master.
As the story progresses, it is obvious that Abby needs more than Nathaniel is willing to give, but luckily, thanks to his friends, she is able to uncover vital information into the life and mind of the powerful and ever in control, Nathaniel West. The real question is: Will he ever waver in letting her in to the steel cage that encases his heart?
I would label THE SUBMISSIVE as a contemporary romance laced with BDSM elements, but nothing so extreme that a newbie to this genre can’t handle. This is a great way to dive into the BDSM genre.
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews
___________________________________________________
If you like this type of book, you might enjoy one of these groups. Check us out!
Menage Readers
Erotic Enchants
Bookie Nookie's Erotic Lending Group
December 26, 2016
Bana bir kitap için kötü densin yeter ki. Hemen "ne kadar kötü olabilir ki?" Der okurum. Kitap resmen çok kötüydü ama. Grinin Elli Tonu'ndan önce yazılmış sanırım ama resmen yazar çalmış çırpmış. Anlatım zıplaya zıplaya gidiyor. Bir şey demiş, başka yere geçiyor sonra keyfi yeterse geri dönüyor. Atladım zaten erotik kısımlarını. Adamın katı hakimden aşk mahmuruna dönüşmesi 2 sayfa sürdü.
Bir de bu 2 kitap da Twilight fan fiction'ı. Ya çok merak ediyorum tek meziyeti parıl parıl parlamak olan Edward'dan böyle dominant adamlara nasıl vardınız?!
Bir de bu 2 kitap da Twilight fan fiction'ı. Ya çok merak ediyorum tek meziyeti parıl parıl parlamak olan Edward'dan böyle dominant adamlara nasıl vardınız?!
October 12, 2020
Straight to the point, down to business, no bullshit erotica that doesn't try to be something it isn't. I like that. Lot of heat.
June 13, 2013
The Nitty Gritty: Its a spanking good time as a timid librarian finds her way through the dark and salacious world of BDSM. Just a simple tale of a submissive trying to find her way.
In The Submissive we meet mild mannered librarian Abby King. Seriously this is the worst characterization of a profession that I have ever seen, but that is neither here nor there.
Back to my review.
Something is simmering below the surface however. Abby has a desire to put her sexual pleasure in the expert hands of Nathaniel West, billionaire CEO and sought after Dominate. Ms. King offers herself up as his latest submissive, and she enters the mysterious world of whips, chains and diamond encrusted collars.
She spends one weekend with him before she consents to being his submissive. While this works for her sexual kicks, Abby finds she needs more in the emotional department and Nate isn't ready for that sort of thing ( as if we didn't see that one coming). She falls further down the rabbit hole before she realizes that Nate maybe beyond saving and her own heart might need repair after her trip on the whipping post.
Opening Line: “Ms. King," the receptionist said. "Mr. West will see you now."
What's The 411: The Submissive started off as Twilight fanfiction. I actually read the entire trilogy on fanfiction.net. Don't judge me, I was bored and waiting for NaNoWriMo to start.
And I have to admit that The submissive was a better written book than Twilight ever could have hoped to be. And that's really saying something.
The Submissive is also the book that E.L James liberally ripped off for her garbage 50 Shades series. Though how James managed to corrupt what started out as a good story into what it ended up as is beyond the laws of nature and someone should ban her from publishing ever again. Though she does give me hope for my literary endeavors.
I am all for fanfiction. I really am. I have 13 stories on fanfiction.net myself. But I would never take one of my stories on FF and turn around and sell it as my own original work. I just think that is dirty and underhanded. And its just as bad as if Tara had kept Abby as Bella and Nathaniel as Edward. Which is basically what she did, but she just changed their names. The mannerisms and characterizations as exactly the same as Twilight. Apparently Stephanie Myers doesn't have a problem with this book nor 50 Shades of Grey. Which doesn't mean much to me because I hated Twilight as well.
I just find it abhorrent as a budding author that someone could rip off another's work and get a book deal. While I am spending every waking moment pouring myself into creating my own stories, characters and settings, then writing said novel only to worry myself sick trying to shop it around to agents and publishing houses as I pray for a book deal.
Something is broken in that system and I hope someone is looking to fix it.
The Good: The sex scenes were actually sort of inspiring. After trudging through the yawn worthy sex in 50 Shades. I mean good lord how many times can we read about a gasp or how big he is before we just want to grab a pint of ice cream and curl up with a stack of Jackass DVDs just to watch something intelligent. In The Submissive the sex is actually note worthy. Tara actually takes the time to give us different sensations and experiences with each sexual encounter. Its not just the same thing over and over again in different locations.
There is a bit of a story here. Its pretty hard to find, but if you click your heels three times and wish for a storyline you can find it. So its a little better than actual porn. Not much, but there it is. Though the book doesn't claim to be an actual story. It tells you right on the cover that Abby is seeking out a role as a submissive. So all we expect is some good sex and better spanking. And that's what Tara delivers.
The Bad: Tara didn't bother trying to hide the source of her characters Its painfully easy to see Bella and Edward in the title roles. Abby is a self proclaimed clumsy oaf with a tendency to compare herself to everything and everyone and find herself coming up short. I am so tired of female characters with self esteem issues I'm going to jab a sharpened pencil in my ear if I have to read another book with that sort of female lead. Its just feeding the machine of low self esteem for women.
The first punishment scene is a tad brutal and since we don't to see Nate response and how he feels about it we are left with the dark hole that Abby falls into after her fist punishment. We are meant to see the BDSM world through her eyes as the submissive, but I wish there could have been some sort of discussion between Nate and Abby afterwards so we aren't left with a bad taste in our mouths. REading that scene as squares we only see a severe beating. Not the psychology behind it. Though this trilogy does a good job of introducing us to the actual psychology behind the BDSM lifestyle. Thanks to that hack EL James there are a lot of ignorant people out there and maybe this series might clear up a few things.
Not that Nate is anymore of a man to run after than Christine is. Both men suck, and I would run from them like my name was Flo Jo.
My Final Say: If you are wanting something to read to pass the time between True Blood seasons and you are having steam vamp/werewolf sex withdrawal. Yeah I meant that pun. Then this is a viable option, but only if Game of Thrones is on hiatus as well.
In The Submissive we meet mild mannered librarian Abby King. Seriously this is the worst characterization of a profession that I have ever seen, but that is neither here nor there.
Back to my review.
Something is simmering below the surface however. Abby has a desire to put her sexual pleasure in the expert hands of Nathaniel West, billionaire CEO and sought after Dominate. Ms. King offers herself up as his latest submissive, and she enters the mysterious world of whips, chains and diamond encrusted collars.
She spends one weekend with him before she consents to being his submissive. While this works for her sexual kicks, Abby finds she needs more in the emotional department and Nate isn't ready for that sort of thing ( as if we didn't see that one coming). She falls further down the rabbit hole before she realizes that Nate maybe beyond saving and her own heart might need repair after her trip on the whipping post.
Opening Line: “Ms. King," the receptionist said. "Mr. West will see you now."
What's The 411: The Submissive started off as Twilight fanfiction. I actually read the entire trilogy on fanfiction.net. Don't judge me, I was bored and waiting for NaNoWriMo to start.
And I have to admit that The submissive was a better written book than Twilight ever could have hoped to be. And that's really saying something.
The Submissive is also the book that E.L James liberally ripped off for her garbage 50 Shades series. Though how James managed to corrupt what started out as a good story into what it ended up as is beyond the laws of nature and someone should ban her from publishing ever again. Though she does give me hope for my literary endeavors.
I am all for fanfiction. I really am. I have 13 stories on fanfiction.net myself. But I would never take one of my stories on FF and turn around and sell it as my own original work. I just think that is dirty and underhanded. And its just as bad as if Tara had kept Abby as Bella and Nathaniel as Edward. Which is basically what she did, but she just changed their names. The mannerisms and characterizations as exactly the same as Twilight. Apparently Stephanie Myers doesn't have a problem with this book nor 50 Shades of Grey. Which doesn't mean much to me because I hated Twilight as well.
I just find it abhorrent as a budding author that someone could rip off another's work and get a book deal. While I am spending every waking moment pouring myself into creating my own stories, characters and settings, then writing said novel only to worry myself sick trying to shop it around to agents and publishing houses as I pray for a book deal.
Something is broken in that system and I hope someone is looking to fix it.
The Good: The sex scenes were actually sort of inspiring. After trudging through the yawn worthy sex in 50 Shades. I mean good lord how many times can we read about a gasp or how big he is before we just want to grab a pint of ice cream and curl up with a stack of Jackass DVDs just to watch something intelligent. In The Submissive the sex is actually note worthy. Tara actually takes the time to give us different sensations and experiences with each sexual encounter. Its not just the same thing over and over again in different locations.
There is a bit of a story here. Its pretty hard to find, but if you click your heels three times and wish for a storyline you can find it. So its a little better than actual porn. Not much, but there it is. Though the book doesn't claim to be an actual story. It tells you right on the cover that Abby is seeking out a role as a submissive. So all we expect is some good sex and better spanking. And that's what Tara delivers.
The Bad: Tara didn't bother trying to hide the source of her characters Its painfully easy to see Bella and Edward in the title roles. Abby is a self proclaimed clumsy oaf with a tendency to compare herself to everything and everyone and find herself coming up short. I am so tired of female characters with self esteem issues I'm going to jab a sharpened pencil in my ear if I have to read another book with that sort of female lead. Its just feeding the machine of low self esteem for women.
The first punishment scene is a tad brutal and since we don't to see Nate response and how he feels about it we are left with the dark hole that Abby falls into after her fist punishment. We are meant to see the BDSM world through her eyes as the submissive, but I wish there could have been some sort of discussion between Nate and Abby afterwards so we aren't left with a bad taste in our mouths. REading that scene as squares we only see a severe beating. Not the psychology behind it. Though this trilogy does a good job of introducing us to the actual psychology behind the BDSM lifestyle. Thanks to that hack EL James there are a lot of ignorant people out there and maybe this series might clear up a few things.
Not that Nate is anymore of a man to run after than Christine is. Both men suck, and I would run from them like my name was Flo Jo.
My Final Say: If you are wanting something to read to pass the time between True Blood seasons and you are having steam vamp/werewolf sex withdrawal. Yeah I meant that pun. Then this is a viable option, but only if Game of Thrones is on hiatus as well.
December 29, 2013
First and foremost, yes, you're going to compare this to FSoG....it's only natural (even though this chicken came before the Grey egg). Will you like it less? Will you like it more? That's completely up to you. But I will say one thing when it comes to the comparisons.....Anastasia Steele is no Abigail King! I loved Abby! She wasn't a pushover, she knew what she wanted, she was smart, she was witty, she owned her sexuality and she was confident in her skin. However, the same can't be said for our leading man.....Nathaniel West is no Christian Grey. You win some, you lose some. But Nathaniel certainly will not disappoint. He was an enigmatic man, who was smart, sexy, dominating, and unfortunately clouded with ill conceived notions of how a relationship should be.
I loved the progression of Nathaniel and Abby's relationship and as they grew more comfortable in each other's company outside of the bedroom, the edges of their black and white picture began to blur in the most beautiful way.
Overall, I really liked the book and not too long after cracking it open, all comparisons to FSoG were forgotten and I was able to fully immerse myself in the journey of Nathaniel and Abby.
This book is told solely in Abby's POV, but we get inside Nathaniel's head in The Dominant. There are a few situations where I really want to know what he was thinking and feeling, and why he handled and approached certain matters the way he did.
I loved the progression of Nathaniel and Abby's relationship and as they grew more comfortable in each other's company outside of the bedroom, the edges of their black and white picture began to blur in the most beautiful way.
Overall, I really liked the book and not too long after cracking it open, all comparisons to FSoG were forgotten and I was able to fully immerse myself in the journey of Nathaniel and Abby.
"The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
O the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.
But I send you a cream-white rosebud
With a flush on its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
has a kiss of desire on the lips."
This book is told solely in Abby's POV, but we get inside Nathaniel's head in The Dominant. There are a few situations where I really want to know what he was thinking and feeling, and why he handled and approached certain matters the way he did.
January 10, 2013
Turpentine!
February 23, 2020
I didn't like it.
May 5, 2015
A very hot and sexy read. A great blend of bedroom fun, angst and sweet romance!
Abigail (Abby) King has just applied for the position as Nathaniel West's new submissive. She has desired him from afar and is considered otherwise unobtainable. he is rich, powerful and very in control of his life. She is a librarian with a easy-going disposition that is easy to like.
Abby takes going after what you want to new extremes entering into a BDSM relationship. It starts off very professional-papers to sign, exercise and sleep requirements, etc. As long as she follows her sleep and exercise rules the week is hers to use as she sees fit. But the weekends belong to Nathanial. Pleasure untold is promised but he has a few rules. 1-No Kissing 2-No sleeping in his bed 3-the safe word is not just the end of the session but a relationship breaker. Sounds simple, right? Not when you start to fall in love.
Nathaniel comes across a bit distant from Abby. He only uses her full name and there always seems to be a wall between them. Yet the more she gets closer to him, his family and friends, the more she learns. He has a heart of gold. Honestly some of the things he does makes my heart melt just thinking about it. He will drop everything to help a complete stranger even and more!
This book has some very steamy scenes, naughty bedroom play and more. A great introduction into a BDSM novel. It gets the point across but not too heavy which i liked. Toss int he romantic angst and I loved this! The emotions run off the page and seem very real. one of the best aspects to a good book is to make me feel something. Well things book gives a wide range of feels.
This is very much and adult novel. If you want a new risqué romance with an edge, but still has some sweet, poetic scenes, this book is it!
Abigail (Abby) King has just applied for the position as Nathaniel West's new submissive. She has desired him from afar and is considered otherwise unobtainable. he is rich, powerful and very in control of his life. She is a librarian with a easy-going disposition that is easy to like.
Abby takes going after what you want to new extremes entering into a BDSM relationship. It starts off very professional-papers to sign, exercise and sleep requirements, etc. As long as she follows her sleep and exercise rules the week is hers to use as she sees fit. But the weekends belong to Nathanial. Pleasure untold is promised but he has a few rules. 1-No Kissing 2-No sleeping in his bed 3-the safe word is not just the end of the session but a relationship breaker. Sounds simple, right? Not when you start to fall in love.
Nathaniel comes across a bit distant from Abby. He only uses her full name and there always seems to be a wall between them. Yet the more she gets closer to him, his family and friends, the more she learns. He has a heart of gold. Honestly some of the things he does makes my heart melt just thinking about it. He will drop everything to help a complete stranger even and more!
This book has some very steamy scenes, naughty bedroom play and more. A great introduction into a BDSM novel. It gets the point across but not too heavy which i liked. Toss int he romantic angst and I loved this! The emotions run off the page and seem very real. one of the best aspects to a good book is to make me feel something. Well things book gives a wide range of feels.
This is very much and adult novel. If you want a new risqué romance with an edge, but still has some sweet, poetic scenes, this book is it!
July 12, 2017
I'm in heaven right now.
This is a book I couldn't put down!!!
This story is perfectly told. It is perfectly paced, it is brilliantly written, and it is beautifully crafted.
I liked the characters, especially Nathaniel West.
It go so emotional at the end. I can't think clearly. It's such a mess in my head right now.
I can't wait for the next. I just need more and more.
This is a book I couldn't put down!!!
This story is perfectly told. It is perfectly paced, it is brilliantly written, and it is beautifully crafted.
I liked the characters, especially Nathaniel West.
It go so emotional at the end. I can't think clearly. It's such a mess in my head right now.
I can't wait for the next. I just need more and more.
July 15, 2013
A grudging two stars, based mostly on technical writing and comparison to "that other book."
This book, like many others these days in the post-Fifty Shades of Grey world, started out as Twilight fanfiction. This book actually inspired FSOG, so it came first. The similarities between the two works are obvious, both in the set-up, the various relations of each of the characters, and the progression of the story. It’s almost impossible for me to read this book after reading FSOG and not compare the two.
This book circumvents a lot of the problems many people had with FSOG by being vague. Where the other book failed by attempting to show the negotiation process and bungling it terribly, The Submissive allows that all to happen off-page, before the story even starts, so one can assume that all parties were properly informed and all issues properly discussed. Abby shows up in the book already knowing about the kinky proclivities of her beaux, already curious about them, and already eager for them. In many respects, it’s a well done form of fantasy: a man who knows all your desires instinctively, who can circumvent awkward and difficult conversations by just knowing what you want before you even know it yourself. Bad news if something like that happens in real life, but a nice escapist fantasy now and then. It was set up just vague enough to work.
That’s not to say it was without problems, however, and the problems were doozies. Such as when Nathanial completely ignores Abby’s “soft” limits and treating them as mere suggestions that he can dismiss. The fact that he admittedly uses safeword blackmail, telling her that using her safeword will put a halt to the relationship entirely and not just the scene. The treatment of safewords in this book in general is pretty sketchy, such as when Nathanial claims he’s never had a sub use one before, as if having that happen would count as some sort of personal failing on his part. (Word to the wise: leg cramps exist, safewords aren’t just used for when you decide you don’t like BDSM anymore, and any Dom that views safewords as a personal failing is not a Dom you want to play with.) Also, also, they weren’t roleplaying; there’s never a point in any of their scenes where “no” or “hold up a tick, these shackles are cutting off my circulation” would be taken at anything other than face-value. It’s like the whole safeword issue was stuck in for drama’s sake, not because of any of the reasons people actually use safewords.
The biggest red flag, for me, came when they were renegotiating their relationship and discussing how often Abby would wear her collar.
“if I want to have sex on a [non-collar day] and you’re not in the mood, I want you to feel free to say so.”
Implying that she can’t say so on their weekend, scene-having days? Not what I would call Safe, Sane, and Consensual.
On the whole, the BDSM was presented…better than average, but still a fantasy more than realistic and not without its red flags.
On every other level, however, the book failed pretty hard. The first sex scene came on page 15. 15! It’s like having your partner ask if you want a sexy evening together, and as soon as you say yes, he’s trying to pork through your pants. I did not have enough time in this book to get teased, titillated, seduced, or even interested. Then the sex scenes simply didn’t stop coming. I didn’t have a chance to get to know anyone involved, because they were too busy boinking on every available surface, leaving little page time for any relationships to be set up. Now, I like sex. I like reading about sex. Otherwise I wouldn’t have picked up an erotica. But if I just wanted to experience flat, soulless, nearly nameless characters bumping uglies over and over, I can easily find that visual on the internet. I expect my written porn to get me a bit more emotionally invested.
The ‘romance’ aspect of the book failed pretty hard as well. I didn’t get the feeling that Nathanial was ‘damaged’ or ‘broken’ or anything of the sort, because he was too blunt and robotic to display any personality at all. I didn’t understand how Abby was supposed to be ‘breaking down his walls’ because she didn’t do anything around him except spread her legs, and they barely had any conversations at all until the end. After the complication and subsequent turning point, things did a complete 180. Nathanial didn’t just realize his issues and promise to be better; he turned into a different character. It was like a switch was flipped, and suddenly they were in a (mostly) healthy relationship. A pretty cute one, at that. Still, it was disappointing to not get to see some actual drama in this story.
This book, like many others these days in the post-Fifty Shades of Grey world, started out as Twilight fanfiction. This book actually inspired FSOG, so it came first. The similarities between the two works are obvious, both in the set-up, the various relations of each of the characters, and the progression of the story. It’s almost impossible for me to read this book after reading FSOG and not compare the two.
This book circumvents a lot of the problems many people had with FSOG by being vague. Where the other book failed by attempting to show the negotiation process and bungling it terribly, The Submissive allows that all to happen off-page, before the story even starts, so one can assume that all parties were properly informed and all issues properly discussed. Abby shows up in the book already knowing about the kinky proclivities of her beaux, already curious about them, and already eager for them. In many respects, it’s a well done form of fantasy: a man who knows all your desires instinctively, who can circumvent awkward and difficult conversations by just knowing what you want before you even know it yourself. Bad news if something like that happens in real life, but a nice escapist fantasy now and then. It was set up just vague enough to work.
That’s not to say it was without problems, however, and the problems were doozies. Such as when Nathanial completely ignores Abby’s “soft” limits and treating them as mere suggestions that he can dismiss. The fact that he admittedly uses safeword blackmail, telling her that using her safeword will put a halt to the relationship entirely and not just the scene. The treatment of safewords in this book in general is pretty sketchy, such as when Nathanial claims he’s never had a sub use one before, as if having that happen would count as some sort of personal failing on his part. (Word to the wise: leg cramps exist, safewords aren’t just used for when you decide you don’t like BDSM anymore, and any Dom that views safewords as a personal failing is not a Dom you want to play with.) Also, also, they weren’t roleplaying; there’s never a point in any of their scenes where “no” or “hold up a tick, these shackles are cutting off my circulation” would be taken at anything other than face-value. It’s like the whole safeword issue was stuck in for drama’s sake, not because of any of the reasons people actually use safewords.
The biggest red flag, for me, came when they were renegotiating their relationship and discussing how often Abby would wear her collar.
“if I want to have sex on a [non-collar day] and you’re not in the mood, I want you to feel free to say so.”
Implying that she can’t say so on their weekend, scene-having days? Not what I would call Safe, Sane, and Consensual.
On the whole, the BDSM was presented…better than average, but still a fantasy more than realistic and not without its red flags.
On every other level, however, the book failed pretty hard. The first sex scene came on page 15. 15! It’s like having your partner ask if you want a sexy evening together, and as soon as you say yes, he’s trying to pork through your pants. I did not have enough time in this book to get teased, titillated, seduced, or even interested. Then the sex scenes simply didn’t stop coming. I didn’t have a chance to get to know anyone involved, because they were too busy boinking on every available surface, leaving little page time for any relationships to be set up. Now, I like sex. I like reading about sex. Otherwise I wouldn’t have picked up an erotica. But if I just wanted to experience flat, soulless, nearly nameless characters bumping uglies over and over, I can easily find that visual on the internet. I expect my written porn to get me a bit more emotionally invested.
The ‘romance’ aspect of the book failed pretty hard as well. I didn’t get the feeling that Nathanial was ‘damaged’ or ‘broken’ or anything of the sort, because he was too blunt and robotic to display any personality at all. I didn’t understand how Abby was supposed to be ‘breaking down his walls’ because she didn’t do anything around him except spread her legs, and they barely had any conversations at all until the end. After the complication and subsequent turning point, things did a complete 180. Nathanial didn’t just realize his issues and promise to be better; he turned into a different character. It was like a switch was flipped, and suddenly they were in a (mostly) healthy relationship. A pretty cute one, at that. Still, it was disappointing to not get to see some actual drama in this story.
September 21, 2017
Great read! I honestly couldn't put it down. I thought Abby and Nathan were interesting and intriguing characters and I was immediately pulled into their world.
I loved that Abby sought Nathaniel out, it put a whole different perspective on the Dom/sub relationship for me and I really enjoyed it. I really liked Abby and her I'm going to do this attitude. I thought she had great internal dialogue and I found it entertaining. I like that she thought things through, tried to be logical, and knew her limits.
Nathaniel was awesome! Yes, he was a big, bad, sexy dom but he had a sweet and caring side too that I found extremely endearing and I wanted to know more. I was drawn to him. I loved seeing Nathaniel grow and change, it gave me lots of awww moments.
The love the two of them together and like their chemistry. There are playful scenes where you can really see their personalities. There were also lots of sexy times. Very sensual, erotic, and steamy. I didn't think there was anything over the top or overly descriptive though, which was nice. I thought the scenes were well written.
There is a scene at the end that I absolutely LOVED and then one that broke my heart. Needless to say there was a fair amount of drama that had me on the edge of my seat right at the end. I was worried there would be a cliffhanger but it wrapped up nicely even though I still wanted to know more about Nathaniel.
I don't feel like this was an extremely heavy book but for me it had just the right amount of everything I needed for a great read. Great characters, ultra hot, sensual times, romances, and drama. And just the right amount of lighthearted moments too. I will definitely read the rest in the series.
I loved that Abby sought Nathaniel out, it put a whole different perspective on the Dom/sub relationship for me and I really enjoyed it. I really liked Abby and her I'm going to do this attitude. I thought she had great internal dialogue and I found it entertaining. I like that she thought things through, tried to be logical, and knew her limits.
Nathaniel was awesome! Yes, he was a big, bad, sexy dom but he had a sweet and caring side too that I found extremely endearing and I wanted to know more. I was drawn to him. I loved seeing Nathaniel grow and change, it gave me lots of awww moments.
The love the two of them together and like their chemistry. There are playful scenes where you can really see their personalities. There were also lots of sexy times. Very sensual, erotic, and steamy. I didn't think there was anything over the top or overly descriptive though, which was nice. I thought the scenes were well written.
There is a scene at the end that I absolutely LOVED and then one that broke my heart. Needless to say there was a fair amount of drama that had me on the edge of my seat right at the end. I was worried there would be a cliffhanger but it wrapped up nicely even though I still wanted to know more about Nathaniel.
I don't feel like this was an extremely heavy book but for me it had just the right amount of everything I needed for a great read. Great characters, ultra hot, sensual times, romances, and drama. And just the right amount of lighthearted moments too. I will definitely read the rest in the series.
July 9, 2013
I tried really really hard to enjoy this book, but it was a real struggle. There was just so many issues that concerned me. Erotic romance is my absolute favorite when it is written properly. The relationship between a D/s always sends my senses tingling, leaving me wanting and anticipating the submission. Sadly, I did not experience that with The Submissive. Nate and Abby's relationship/agreement just didn't have enough character development or connection for me to become invested in them or their outcome. Erotic fiction is supposed to be sexy and forbidden unfortunately there were times some of the scenes left me feeling uncomfortable due to the insufficiency of true emotion and chemistry between our Dom and sub. The scenes were clinical in a sense, stimulating neither my mind nor body enough to keep my attention from wandering. Not to mention this book frequently confused me, I often found myself rereading paragraphs to see if I had missed something. I would also suggest if I was beta reading this that the author have written The Submissive in alternating POV's because without Nathanial's thoughts it was hard to understand him or sympathize with his behaviors/reactions.In fact, he almost bordered on unstable. The story held way too many questions that weren't developed or answered to their full potential and this left me unfulfilled on completion.
Thank you Penguin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Submissive in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you Penguin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Submissive in exchange for my honest opinion.
April 18, 2013
This was a very addictive book, I read it in only two days... It has very hot sex scenes, though the BDSM ones are very soft. Nevertheless it's a beautiful love story, full of passion and desire!
There are two wonderful things for which I fell in love with in this book:
"A White Rose
THE red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
O, the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.
But I send you a cream-white rosebud
With a flush on its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips"
John Boyle O'Reilly
"To An Isle In The Water
SHY one, Shy one,
Shy one of my heart,
She moves in the firelight
pensively apart.
She carries in the dishes,
And lays them in a row.
To an isle in the water
With her would I go.
With catries in the candles,
And lights the curtained room,
Shy in the doorway
And shy in the gloom;
And shy as a rabbit,
Helpful and shy.
To an isle in the water
With her would I fly."
William Butler Yeats
There are two wonderful things for which I fell in love with in this book:
"A White Rose
THE red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
O, the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.
But I send you a cream-white rosebud
With a flush on its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips"
John Boyle O'Reilly
"To An Isle In The Water
SHY one, Shy one,
Shy one of my heart,
She moves in the firelight
pensively apart.
She carries in the dishes,
And lays them in a row.
To an isle in the water
With her would I go.
With catries in the candles,
And lights the curtained room,
Shy in the doorway
And shy in the gloom;
And shy as a rabbit,
Helpful and shy.
To an isle in the water
With her would I fly."
William Butler Yeats
October 16, 2019
מאוד מזכיר את 50 גוונים של אפור וממה שבדקתי פורסם בפער של כשנה לאחר יציאת 50 גוונים ולכן אין פלא שחלקים מהעלילה ממש מזכירים אותו רק עם גיבור פחות שרוט ריגשית ונפשית וגיבורה יותר אסרטיבית.
אביגיל גרין, ספרנית, מגישה את מועמדותה להיות סאבית של נתניאל ווסט. הוא צעיר, עשיר וכריזמטי שאוהב את בנות זוגו כנועות וממושמעות. לה זו הפעם הראשונה. לו, זה חיים שלמים.
כמו שכתבתי, ישנם המון קווי דימיון בין 50 גוונים לספר ולמעשה אפילו הדמויות מאוד דומות (אנה שעוסקת בהוצאה לאור ואבי שהיא ספרנית. כריסטיאן ונתניאל שניהם מנגנים על פסנתר ועוד קווי דימיון רבים). ישנן סצנות דומות (לדוגמא סצנת הבישול המשותפת). אבל, ישנו הבדל בולט ומהותי בין שניהם: נתניאל דמות פחות שרוטה, פחות פגועה מהחיים ולכן פחות חובבת סאדו מכריסטיאן גריי.
הוא חובב הנאות, פחות ענישה, פחות כאב.
אהבתי את הדרך שבה אבי מעמידה את נתניאל במקומו ולא מוותרת לו למרות הנטייה לרצות מצד שני לא אהבתי את העובדה שהחיקוי לא התעלה על המקור. אומנם אביגייל הרבה יותר אינטיליגנטית מאנה והאלילה הפנימית שלה, אבל הסופרת מידי פעם מחליקה לגיוון סתימות היתר.
אביגיל גרין, ספרנית, מגישה את מועמדותה להיות סאבית של נתניאל ווסט. הוא צעיר, עשיר וכריזמטי שאוהב את בנות זוגו כנועות וממושמעות. לה זו הפעם הראשונה. לו, זה חיים שלמים.
כמו שכתבתי, ישנם המון קווי דימיון בין 50 גוונים לספר ולמעשה אפילו הדמויות מאוד דומות (אנה שעוסקת בהוצאה לאור ואבי שהיא ספרנית. כריסטיאן ונתניאל שניהם מנגנים על פסנתר ועוד קווי דימיון רבים). ישנן סצנות דומות (לדוגמא סצנת הבישול המשותפת). אבל, ישנו הבדל בולט ומהותי בין שניהם: נתניאל דמות פחות שרוטה, פחות פגועה מהחיים ולכן פחות חובבת סאדו מכריסטיאן גריי.
הוא חובב הנאות, פחות ענישה, פחות כאב.
אהבתי את הדרך שבה אבי מעמידה את נתניאל במקומו ולא מוותרת לו למרות הנטייה לרצות מצד שני לא אהבתי את העובדה שהחיקוי לא התעלה על המקור. אומנם אביגייל הרבה יותר אינטיליגנטית מאנה והאלילה הפנימית שלה, אבל הסופרת מידי פעם מחליקה לגיוון סתימות היתר.
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