Tag: BDSM relationships

A Wynter Review: Secret Funding (Secret Agreements, #1) by S.M. May

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Secret Funding coverYoung, handsome, sometimes cruel. Noah Kress is a hardened broker, skilled enough to bring success to his company and determined to face the ever-growing challenges of the venture capital market. In his private life he is Master Noah, a very popular dominator at the Circle, one of the most exclusive private clubs in Boston. For him, at work as well as in the dungeon, people and events are just variables to be interpreted, numbers to be broken down, combinations to consider and evaluate.

But when the latest, most difficult deal threatens to make his company sink without trace, his only chance seems to be the large investment fund managed by the mysterious Martin Scheer. And in order to provide credit, Martin demands a very special guarantee.

For both of them it’s just business. Yet, what was supposed to be a mere contract might just shatter the perfect surface of their lives.

And will talented player Noah be willing to gamble following brand new rules?

I find novels that try to reach for depth inspiring, and this novel certainly gave it to me. While I didn’t feel that it made it completely to where I believe it was trying for, I would say the success rate was 85%. That’s not to say that it failed. On the contrary, I believe it sets up the stage for a second book very well.

This novel is originally written in Italian. The version I read is in English. “Lost in translation” and all that aside, I felt that it took a long time for me to accept Noah Kreuss. A character in his late thirties who describes himself as having started out in life old and stern, his maturity level wasn’t a day past a college Freshman. Arrogant and egotistical, Noah truly believed he had a lot more to offer than he did. Believing that people and life couldn’t possibly teach him anything else, anything that went wrong was the fault of others lying or his personal rules weren’t being obeyed and followed to the letter.

Naturally, a character like that just draws others in who can teach him a thing or two about his flawed philosophy.

I like that May’s characters are real – each have his flaws and a backstory that can be very interesting, like Martin Scheer and Red Ludwig. I love Ludwig and all that he represented – the strong voice for all the right things about BDSM. I appreciated how Martin Scheer’s experiences helped shaped the man that he is – not perfect, but he learned from a lot of his mistakes when he was younger. I also love that May showed her readers just how badly things can go when people step outside the zone of rules.

However, the contract and all that it entails breached my comfort zone on multiple counts and drew a lot of emotions from the depths – some good, some not so good. Numerous “What’re you doing Martin?” questions later, I find myself thinking Martin and Ludwig had all the right reasons in the world but the methods, methodical as they were, ignored some what seemed like “hard limits” for Noah. While we undoubtedly learn something about ourselves, as Noah obviously did about himself, when one steps outside the rules that kept all the players safe, blurring the lines between bdsm and a business’s future did make me feel uncomfortable through some of the portions.

I’m unsure about how I feel towards the business lingo in the novel. On one hand, it felt a bit too much. On the other, I think removing it from the story would detract from the novel a great deal. It provided valuable insight to the world that these men tread, but it also feels like business made these men a lot colder and crueler.

Therefore, as a precaution to potential readers who are uncomfortable with the Master-Slave relationships or the lack of safe words in this novel, it is advisable to tread with caution.

Despite my reservations, I enjoyed the story. I think the greatest potential in any story-telling is giving the readers the space and direction of seeing it grow and something new to look forward to. This is intended to be a series, so I believe it’s a great start for the players. I do look forward to Book 2 and would be happy to read it following this one. While Noah may not be a character I cheered for, Martin and Parker were.

Corenlia Grey, the translator of this novel, did a great job targeting the English speaking audience. So, I encourage you to pick up the novel and give it a chance.

Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful day among the falling leaves!

Cover design done by Liliana Marchesi; Images copyrighted by “captblack76” and “Dreaming Andy.” I think the cover looks pretty. I like that it’s plain and simple enough for me to want to pick up the book to find out what it’s about instead of turning me away due to the cover being too busy.

It may be more captivating towards people like me who enjoy having our own imaginations be the judge. For others who prefer the art on the cover to catch their attention, it may not be inspiring enough.

However, whatever the cover doesn’t make up for, the title certainly does.

Sales Links:  Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

  • Author: S. M. May
  • Length: Kindle Book, 170 pages.
  • Language: English (Translated. Original in Italian)
  • Series: Secret Agreements, #1
  • Published: English edition October 15, 2015
  • A SIN: B016C6D90I

A Jeri Review: Not Safe for Work by L.A. Witt

Rating: 3 stars out of 5  

They’re a match made in the dungeon…until their secret gets out.

Not Safe For Work coverBored senseless in a meeting, architectural modeler Jon McNeill amuses himself with a kinky dating app on his phone. Then the app matches him with another user…who’s six feet away. Suddenly Jon finds himself on the same page as someone way above his pay grade: millionaire property developer Rick Pierce. His firm’s biggest—and hottest—client.

The app isn’t kidding either. They’re a perfect match. Jon’s a Dom, Rick’s a sub, and bondage is their thing. Both guys are well into their forties, know their way around the bedroom, and definitely appreciate a good suit. And the best part? They’re a match outside the bedroom too.

But office relationships aren’t easy to keep a secret. When the truth comes out, Jon is certain he’s about to get fired. Instead, his bosses throw him a curve ball—an ultimatum that puts both his job and his relationship in jeopardy.I love that so many books are bringing modern technology and phone apps into their story lines. This book has a fictional app called “Leathr” which is like Tindr, but for the kinky set. During yet another boring meeting, Jon quickly checks Leathr and finds a match, not in the same zip code, but in the same room. A quick glance around the table and he figures out his match- his firms newest and biggest client.

They meet for a drink to see if they are compatible, there are definite sparks and they begin a relationship that they both think is about the kink only. But it isn’t.

While I really enjoyed the relationship between Rick and Jon, especially the covert nature of keeping it a secret at work, the BDSM part of the book left a bit to be desired, in my opinion. I hate to say it, but I feel like this is another case of jumping on the BDSM bandwagon without knowing enough about it.

If we leave the BDSM in the background (which is a bit difficult since that is what their relationship is built on), it was a really good story. I liked that they were both in their 40’s. That their knees ached and their bodies took a bit more time to recover.

They also really talk to each other. Like, honest conversations about life. I feel that this is lacking in so many books. I liked reading an adult conversation. And while they both had their histories- of course, they are in the 40’s- they both willingly and openly went into a relationship together.

While the cover art is definitely hot, I don’t see either character looking like that. But it would still pull me in enough to at least read the blurb.

Sales Links:  Samhain Publishing  and other links coming soon.

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 341 pages
Expected publication: December 15th 2015 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
ASINB013HUV8RI
edition language English