BDSM Book Reviews: October 2019
Disclosure: All books were received in exchange for a review. Affiliate links are included in this post. If you click a link and make a purchase, we make a small commission which supports our work and fuels our coffee addiction.
Let me make a confession. This “October 2019” book review was technically a “September 2019” book review but one of us (ahem, me) took a while editing the video at the end. Also, I questioned my life choices about trying to review four books in one video when we clearly had thoughts. (Scroll to the end if you prefer to watch rather than read.)
Two of the books are BDSM erotica/erotic fiction. Two are BDSM resources for kinksters looking to learn more. We know not every book suits every person, and yes this is something we’d like to do more of to help people find the kinky entertainment or education they want.
So…what BDSM books did we read?
Mastering the Virgin (Box Set One) by Simone Leigh
File Mastering the Virgin under pure smutty erotica. Within the first couple of swipes on my Kindle app, we were into the sexy stuff. I. Was. Here. For. It! Two friends, Michael and James, meet in a sex club where they form a friendship that involves threesomes with women they both find attractive. This is definitely the M/F/M variety with no sexual interaction between our two guys (sadly). One is pure vanilla and the other is a total Dominant. The entire story is told from their alternating perspectives.
The “virgin” in question is Charlotte who auctions off her virginity to help pay for college. Yes, there are problems with that, and yes, the author addresses at least one of those problems — the possibility of abuse. I was impressed.
The story is sex, sex, and more sex, but it doesn’t leave you on a cliffhanger at the end like some erotic series do. In fact, if you enjoy it (like we did) there are several more books in the series to sink your digital teeth into. Including a series told strictly from Charlotte’s perspective. And yes, the BDSM is believable and hot to read.
Get Mastering the Virgin on Amazon — It’s FREE!
One Gold Slave by Christian Kennedy
In One Gold Slave we enter a world where people are separated into two classes: Master/Mistress and slaves. Masters and Mistresses are akin to royalty, while slaves serve multiple functions within the world and have the ability to move up in their slave station but (seem to) remain slaves forever.
Zsash is a slave who has trained his entire life to serve a Master or Mistress but its his 30th birthday and he still hasn’t been purchased yet. If someone doesn’t buy him at auction, he goes off to a Gladiator style fight where he’ll probably die. Ultimately, a Mistress buys him for one gold piece (hence the title).
The story revolves around his growth as a slave (Master/slave is part of this world’s religion) and a love interest. I truly did not like him in the beginning of the book (too much like a dude bro to me). But I enjoyed his character arc and how he changed over time.
John Brownstone and I definitely had thoughts on this one, so you might want to check out the video.
Check out One Gold Slave on Amazon — Available in ebook and paperback
Tongue Tied by Stella Harris
I reviewed Tongue Tied several months ago, and now recommend it to anyone who asks how they can talk to their partner about…literally anything. What I love most about this book is that it’s not just about how you talk to a partner. It also helps you figure out what you want and how best to share that information. It’s a remarkable resource — and a bit validating because some of what she says, we’ve said, too.
And now John Brownstone has read it, and he agrees with me. So yay!
Check out Tongue Tied on Amazon — Available in ebook and paperback
Submissive Reflections by Luna Carruthers
Luna Carruthers, founder of SubmissiveGuide.com — a site we often recommend to new submissives and author of Submissive Reflections. This workbook combines Luna’s (and others’) writing on submission with activities designed to help you think about what submission means to you. Each chapter focuses on a different part of your submission — from how you see yourself to who you want to be to how to take care of yourself.
Who could benefit from this workbook? New submissives who don’t know what you want, experienced submissives who feel like you’re stuck in a rut, single submissives, and those in a D/s relationship. Depending on where you are in your submissive journey, you might not need every activity, but the articles will give you something to think about.
The text is written in a heteronormative kind of way with an assumption that the reader is likely a female submissive. This isn’t evident in all parts of the workbook but it came through at times. I think the information applies to any submissive, though.
Topics that stood out to me: what kind of submissive are you (proactive or reactive), taking care of yourself so you can take care of others, figuring out what you want from a Dominant partner.
Check out Submissive Reflections on Amazon — Available in ebook and paperback
Watch the video:
