DNF Review: The Initiations of Ms. Holly by K D Grace

The Initiations of Ms. Holly
~K D Grace

Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Xcite Books
Publish Date: January 3, 2011
ISBN-10: 9781907016431
ISBN-13: 978-1907016431
ASIN: 1907016430

From Goodreads:

Sex with a mysterious stranger aboard a train leads Rita Holly to an initiation into the exclusive and secretive Mount club. Sophisticated and deviant rituals await Rita, as do the endless intrigues and power struggles deep within the heart of the organization.

Rita Holly is on a train when the power goes out. She's feeling claustrophobic, but lucky for her, Edward, the gentleman who bumps into her in the dark aisle, wants to help her out...a hot kiss to take her mind off things soon leads to mind-blowing sex, on the train, and when they part, she realizes she never even saw his face.

Once she's home, she wants to find him again. Her roommate playfully texts him, pretending to be Rita, and he texts her back that he'd like to see her again. They arrange to meet at The Mount, an exclusive club that is rumored to be a sex club. Rita is excited to be invited, and once there she's overwhelmed by the opulence and sexuality of the place. She soon learns that there are rules, and if she wants to be with Edward, she must follow them. If she is well-behaved, she'll be invited to become a member, at which time she will be able to see Edward's face. In the meantime, she must go through an initiation period with each of the members.

My thoughts:
I'm going to be up front, I did not finish this book. I like reading erotica, but for me there was just too much sex. I like sex in my books - lots of it. But The Initiations of Ms. Holly wore me down. I read 74% of the book before I set it down for good. I think I would have enjoyed this book much more if it had been a collection of short stores instead of one long one.

There was also no real character development - what is the basis of the attraction between the main characters? I know she eventually decides she's doing it as an expose for her magazine, but it doesn't feel true - this reader knows she's doing it for Edward. Why does Vivian, the Mistress of the Mount, hate Rita so much? Why does Edward want Rita so much that he'll endure whatever Vivian dishes out? Halfway through, Rita's mother becomes an issue - she's stalking Rita? It was a bit too much to throw into the plot. I also found the word the author used for her sexy bits - a "pout" - to be distracting. I've never heard that expression; I asked on twitter and checked urban dictionary but couldn't find anything. (I am still curious about where it came from if anyone knows)

The sex in The Initiations of Ms. Holly was very steamy - if you're looking for a very sexy read this might be a good choice; it was just not a good book for me.

My Rating:

Received from the publicist in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Tender Mercies by Kitty Thomas

Tender Mercies
~Kitty Thomas

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 283 KB
Publisher: Burlesque Press
Publish Date: May 6, 2011
Language: English
ASIN: B004ZR9OGU

From Goodreads:
“Grace. That word that finally meant something again. Mercy. Favor. Good will.”

Fed up with play kink, Grace Warner moves to an island that embraces erotic slavery to be with a man she met online. Within hours of her arrival, everything is ripped from her, and she quickly learns play is preferable to the realities of actual enslavement.

Asher Collins has spent the past year mourning and blaming himself for the death of his slave, Darcy. When Grace catches his eye at a showing, obviously abused, he becomes obsessed with buying her and finding a way to atone for his own past sins.

Grace Warner wants to be an erotic slave. So much so that she's been considering moving to a private island where it's legal...and binding. She's been communicating with Lucas Stone, a resident of the island nation Eleu, for almost a year. He wants her to come out and be his slave, but she's just not sure she's willing to give up her citizenship and become his legal property. After they have an argument and quit communicating, she realizes it is what she wants and agrees to go to him.

What happens once she gets to the island is not at all what she'd envisioned - he's a vicious and sadistic master. Eight months into it, she barely recognizes her beaten, bloodied appearance or even her own name. Then, when she thinks things can't get worse, he sells her to Asher Collins, a man reputed to have killed his last slave.

What Grace doesn't know is that Asher didn't kill his slave, but feels responsible for her death anyway. His guilt has prevented him from purchasing another slave,until he sees how Lucas has been treating Grace. He sees in Grace a chance to atone for his mistakes and save a life where previously he did not. But has Grace been tortured beyond repair? Can she unlearn the lessons taught by such a sadistic master as Lucas was? And is Asher a strong enough master to save her?

Kitty Thomas writes darkly erotic novels that are not easily forgotten; Tender Mercies is no exception. Her psychologically disturbing yet erotic stories take the reader on a journey of submission and trust as a way to fulfillment. Comfort Food, Guilty Pleasures, and Tender Mercies all explore the slave/master dynamic, but she manages to make the story different and intriguing each time. Her stories are well-crafted and even though the scenarios are fantastical in a kinky, masochistic sense, I don't have any trouble falling right into her stories and becoming fully vested in the characters and their experiences. I am slightly disturbed by how much I enjoy her books; as if something this dark should not be enjoyed, but I do. Very much.

Note: This book contains non-consentual sex scenes, so if you have difficulty reading those types of scenes, this may not be the book for you.

My Rating:

This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Safeword Rainbow by Candace Blevins

Safeword: Rainbow
~Candace Blevins

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 238 KB
Publisher: Excessica Publishing
Release Date: December 16, 2010
ASIN: B004GKMK26

From the author's website:
Tyler and Vivian have found each other again after a three day fling three years ago. They think they are ideally suited for each other and go forward to try to make a relationship work. And then they realize that Tyler was expecting a 24/7 total power exchange relationship and Vivian will never be a 24/7 submissive. They want to make a relationship work, but how can they get past this? As they try to find a compromise Vivian must deal with what a Total Power Exchange means, even if it is only a part time power exchange. And Tyler must decide if he can be okay with a sometimes Master and sometimes boyfriend relationship. Will they find their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?

Vivian MacNeill is a professor working on her PhD. Her students would never guess that at night she's a regular at the local BDSM club. She's a sub, and she's just found the perfect Dom. Too bad he's gone after three days.

Tyler Hastings is in town for three days, and he found the sub of his dreams. They were fabulous together, but he was only in town for those days and then gone with his job. He's never forgotten her...

Three years later, Tyler is out of the CIA and headed home with his best friend, Mac. Mac's sister Vivian is home, helping care for their sick father. Once Tyler and Vivian realize who they are, they want to try being together. Tyler wants the Dom/sub relationship 24/7, but Vivian only wants it part-time, with "scenes" that have a definite beginning and end. Between trying to navigate a new relationship, working through their Dom/sub issues, and both of them starting new jobs in a new town, they have a lot to work through to try and find their HEA.

My thoughts: Wow. When the author mentioned this book was a fairly intense BDSM, I thought to myself "bring it on". She did. And it was definitely out of my comfort zone. The story was interesting, and I really enjoyed the scenes where they were working out how to balance his desire for 24/7 vs. her desire for part-time Dom/sub. I liked that they both found unexpected pleasure in the compromise.

What didn't work for me were the sex scenes. While I do enjoy light BDSM reads, the sex scenes in Safeword: Rainbow were pretty brutal. At several spots I was actually wincing while I read. I don't know if I can really call them sex scenes, as the sex was secondary to the pain. I also had difficulty with the the fact that he controlled her bathroom habits.

If you enjoy hard-core BDSM reads, I would recommend Safeword: Rainbow. I enjoyed the storyline (minus the intense scenes) enough that I'm currently reading her next book, Safeword: Stormclouds (<--it's got vampires!). I'd also be interested in reading a story about Vivian's brother, Mac, who is into menage, if Ms. Blevins decided to write one (hint, hint)!

My Rating:

This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.