moderate kink

As Natural As Breathing by Thianna D.

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

As Natural As Breathing
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-Moderate Kink
Series-All They Ever Needed #1
Genre-Contemporary, m/m, BDSM, domestic discipline
Reviewed by Kate
215 pages

Christian returns from the Middle East with more than just scars and a bum leg. He’s dealing with depression and questioning his sexuality. Logan is definitely out of the closet and home from college on Christmas break. Both his parents and his good friend Kelli ask him to look out for Christian and see if Logan can’t help him figure some things out.
 
I really liked both Logan and Christian’s characters. They were deep and complex and together they we so good. Despite being in college, Logan really knows who he is. While a few years older, Christian is struggling with his “damaged” self. When they get together, the relationship is sweet and tender and spicy and hot.
 
As much as I liked Christian and Logan, I was bothered by the secondary characters. Logan’s parents are so easy going and accepting. And open…about everything. No kid needs to know that much about their parents’ sex life if you ask me. I couldn’t help but imagine Logan’s parents as Ward and June Cleaver. Christian was so sure that his parents would hate him if he announced that he was gay that when he finally came out (in a very big way) their reaction was a bit of a disappointment. Sad to say, but I was almost relieved when one of the characters actually had a problem with Christian being gay.
 
A few things I want to mention:
1. This is the first book in a same-couple trilogy. So while it has a happy-for-now ending, we know there are more trials ahead for Christian and Logan,
 2. The blurb mentions domestic discipline. While it is discussed in this book, there is no actual practice shown on the pages (although it does appear that it will be a bigger part of the plot in the 2nd book), and
 3. The BDSM doesn’t go beyond spanking with bare hand and implements.
 
I found this read enthralling and heartfelt. I can’t wait to see what happens to Logan and Christian next.
I’ve never been a huge fan of same-couple series, but it’s reads like this one that just might make me change my mind. Do you have any same-couple series that you would recommend?

Free Agent by Roz Lee

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Free Agent (Mustangs Baseball, #0.5)
Grade-C
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-Moderate Kink
Genre-Contemporary/BDSM
Series-Mustangs Baseball #0.5
Reviewed by Kay
65 pages

Todd is a Major League Baseball player with the Dallas Mustangs. He thinks he needs more money and a better deal for his future. He likes his teammates and the city but feels it’s ran its course. He is also a Dom, something most people don’t know. He’s also become bored with the usual subs he’s been around. He hardly goes out much less to his Dungeon of choice. One of his friends talks him into going to the Dungeon one night and he sees Brooke.

Brooke is a successful bakery business owner in Dallas. She also knows she’s a sub. She wants a relationship with the right Dom. She sees Todd from across the room and brings herself off in front of him. Then she abruptly leaves the club. This starts a cat and mouse game that changes both of them.

This is a short story of two people who find exactly what there looking for in each other. I liked it but didn’t love it. A little too heavy on the BDSM stuff for me but it was a freebie so I took a chance. I would read more by this author and this series.

Awakening by Elene Sallinger

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne


Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: Moderate Kink
Genre: Contemporary, BDSM
Published: 11/5/13Reviewed by Kate

224 pages

Evan, local bookshop owner, lost his wife/submissive to cancer 10 years ago. He was so in love with his wife that he can’t imagine loving anyone else. Claire is slowly entering the land of the living again after 1 year of self-imposed isolation following the breakup of her marriage. Her first adventure is to attend a book club meeting at Evan’s bookshop. Evan’s physical reaction to Claire is strong, but definitely unwanted. Then he overhears a conversation between Claire and a friend. He realizes Claire knows nothing about BDSM, but it may be exactly what she needs. What’s a Dom to do?

Here’s the thing, Evan’s an ass. He really is. The way he deals with his attraction to Claire is avoidance. In fact for the first 1/3 of the book, Evan and Claire barely talk. But he’s written in such a way that I completely got the ass-ishness and was okay with it.

Elene Sallinger has written strong characters with compelling stories. There is a unique tone to this story. A gradual build-up to a relationship here, rather than a ‘first meeting equals first scene’ pace that is usually seen in BDSM novels. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

A special note: References to Yoda and Harry Potter had my inner geek doing a happy dance!