Sweet Agony by Jolynn Raymond is a collection of five erotic BDSM short stories. All the stories in this anthology feature heterosexual couples with a male dominant and female submissive dynamic. For the most part they are well-written BDSM masturbation fodder, as the entirety of each tale consists of a fairly elaborate pain and pleasure scenario but nothing else. There is no plot to speak of beyond a smattering of references to the character’s relationship and life.

Basically, what the reader gets is nonstop action that often becomes fairly intense - ranging from role-playing to teasing and denial to severe spanking/whipping. The interaction in the vignettes includes clever and insightful exchanges between the dom and the sub and even a bit of humor. Overall I recommend this to BDSM aficionados who enjoy pure erotica without a storyline.

Ten years into a relationship finding the perfect birthday present for a lover can be challenging. But the sophisticated and very much in love Davis has an inspiration that nearly overwhelms his beloved Sadie: a coupon for a night of fantasy fulfillment in Sin Alley, a clandestine enterprise - located somewhere in California - that is modeled after the red light district of Amsterdam. It is a place where any kink can be indulged in for a price, and the ever-attentive Davis has divined correctly that his lover has long craved a taste of the whip.

Whereas this scenario is not the stuff of high drama, it works pretty well for an erotic diversion. Parker Ford’s Sin Alley: Gamble’s Whip is one of the better works of erotica with a BDSM theme that I have read of late. Although it is a little short on substantive plot there is a cohesive beginning, middle and end to it and the erotic interludes are extremely well written and sexy. While by no means genteel, the more intense passages are not coarse or offensive to readers who do not normally gravitate to BDSM erotica. This book can serve as an introduction to the genre for neophytes but still satisfy jaded aficionados - quite a feat indeed!

Primarily this novella embodies feminine sensibilities. In-between the erotic scenes there is perhaps more angst on Sadie’s part than I personally would have preferred, but realistically it is appropriate for the character and the situation. Readers who like this book will be pleased to know that it is the first of a series of Sin Alley books, two more of which have been released since this one was published, and that Ms. Ford has written a number of other erotic books previously.

Article first published as Book Review: Sin Alley: Gamble’s Whip by Parker Ford on Blogcritics.

Erotica seems to be a growth industry these days, not just in the volume of books available but also in the diversity of sub-genres from which readers can choose. The most recent such niche I have become aware of, with the arrival of Jason Walker’s Bad Girl in my virtual mailbox, is a blend of erotica and noir. While I can see that erotica noir has potential, I doubt that this book represents the best the genre has to offer.

To be fair, overall the prose is pretty decent and the erotica is well done, but some major plot elements do not succeed in allowing the reader to suspend disbelief. The story follows the events over the course of a relatively short period in the life of a bored and unfulfilled socialite during which three of her lovers die in her company accidentally. Apparently, she had been engaging in various and sundry tawdry dalliances for several years then suddenly three sex partners in a row die during a tryst with the noir goddess. Excuse me while I roll my eyes.

Although she may have been reckless, she did not intentionally set out to kill her unfortunate bedmates. However, cool as can be, instead of calling the cops she disposes of their bodies and/or covers up her involvement. All the while she finds it disturbingly thrilling to have inadvertently caused the death of three people with impunity.

Had it not been for her husband - himself a philanderer extraordinaire - tipping off the authorities Rena may very well have escaped detection. In a strange whirlwind of smoke and mirrors hubby dies of a heart attack and his formidable legal team extricates Rena from the mess she’s in. She ends up an extremely wealthy woman and promptly seeks redemption for being a bad girl by hooking up with her dead husband’s fixer, who plans to introduce her to BDSM in the role of a submissive.

A curious thing about this book is that the author elected to eschew the use of quotation marks to denote dialogue. While in general I applaud writers who dare to experiment and defy rigid writing conventions, in this case the result was to add to the confusion caused by the convoluted and sketchy plot developments. Perhaps this wasn’t the best vehicle with which to debut a new style of writing.

Article first published as Book Review: Bad Girl by Jason Walker on Blogcritics.

Domestic femdom is a kink in which sex, humiliation and corporal punishment are incorporated in an otherwise conventional relationship between a man and a woman to the advantage of the woman. It can range from occasional light play scenarios to hardcore lifestyles and sundry variations in-between. Doubtless psychologists have theories about its origin and the motivations of the tops and bottoms that engage in such activities, but one thing is certain, it is here to stay and increasing in popularity.

Gregory Allen’s relatively short novel, Courting Her, chronicles a femdom romance that falls somewhere in the middle-to-high range of intensity. In this story the man does not have a history of gravitating to this type of relationship nor is he seeking one out when he becomes smitten with his mistress. Although Alex is a fairly masculine kind of guy, he is not particularly assertive with the ladies, mainly because he hasn’t had to be. Generally the women he has hooked up with have come on to him.

While out trolling for some action on the campus of his alma mater, Alex espies Kimberly in the midst of preparing for exams, and for the first time ever he feels the need to take the initiative and approach a woman. Certainly he was not expecting her to be a controlling feminist, but he is strangely drawn to her nonetheless. Apparently his latent submissive nature responds to her subtle dominant persona.

As the relationship progresses from Kimberly’s insistence on receiving oral sex but denying Alex any reciprocal intimacy, including kissing, to the introduction of a bare butt spanking for a minor faux pas, Alex increasingly succumbs to her dominance. Slowly Kimberly escalates her control over him through humiliation, harsher punishments and long-term orgasm denial. Whereas non-enthusiasts may struggle to understand the appeal of these developments, they are the bread-and-butter of femdom fantasies. And in this case there is also a happily ever after ending capable of touching the heart of reluctant romantics.

The author does a good job of portraying the main characters as fairly normal, rather than twisted kinky freaks. Even the more intense corporal punishment scenes are written so as to not overwhelm readers with gentler sensibilities. This book is accessible to longtime femdom aficionados and newbies alike.

Article first published as Book Review: Courting Her By Gregory Allen on Blogcritics.

According to the introduction of I’m Not Done With You Yet and Other True Erotic Tales, it “Goes right for the good stuff. Nothing but my true-life stories about BDSM, fetishes, and any and every kind of fucking I’ve experienced.” Indeed, that aptly sums up this book by the blogster behind DaisyDanger.com. Essentially it is a journal/diary that recounts in a first-person narrative a variety of kinky sexual scenarios that Daisy Danger indulged in with different partners over an unspecified period of time.

This format potentially could have resulted in a dreadfully boring read, but fortunately that is not how this book turned out. Instead of simply recording the events in a matter-of-fact journalistic manner, Ms. Danger writes them like scenes in a fictional piece, complete with dialogue, and in so doing gives the participants and activities verisimilitude - the only thing missing is a plot.

Basically what emerges is a memoir of sexual adventures selected for their interest factor and diversity. For the most part the stories involve heterosexual participants, with the female submissive to some degree, but a fair sampling includes blurred or switched orientation and/or roles.

Perhaps the most notable thing about this book is that the kink really happened, it was not created from a writer’s imagination and woven into a fictional story. When readers relate to a person, observation, activity or outcome, they are doing so to something real, not artificial. This feature may appeal more to readers with real-world alternative lifestyle experience than ones who are wannabes.

Before reading I’m Not Done With You Yet and Other True Erotic Tales, it is important to keep in mind that this is not an erotic book where you can get lost in the fantasies that the author creates. It is a series of kinky episodes that actually happened, and whether they serve as masturbation fodder, intellectual stimulation or both, and to what degree, will depend upon the sensibilities of the reader. I enjoyed it, but your mileage may vary.

Article first published as Book Review: I’m Not Done With You Yet and Other True Erotic Tales by Daisy Danger on Blogcritics.

Olivia London’s Naughty Girl Notebook doesn’t really fit into the genres that are reviewed on this site. Basically it is a tale about the budding romance between a waitress and a teacher. The kinkiest part of the book is a fantasy the waitress has while masturbating after their first date, in which she imagines a scenario that involves a little spanking and forced oral and anal sex. Even that is mostly alluded to rather than shown in any detail. The next kinkiest scene: while at a restaurant she is instructed to visit the restroom and remove her panties then return to the table - oo-la-la!

The overall tone of the story is romantic and kind of chatty, with British sensibilities. Although the setting is Seattle, judging by the idiomatic expressions and phrasing the writer seems to be from the UK. The significance of the title’s naughty girl notebook is, as a motivational tool the waitress chronicles her bad behavior at work in a spiral notebook with a picture of her lover clipped to the inside flap. She envisions herself as a Pygmalion-like character because of her lack of education and social sophistication, and sets out to better herself and be worthy of the teacher’s love.

Doubtless I am not the target audience for Naughty Girl Notebook. Although this short story - at 17 pages I hesitate to call it a book - is well written, I did not find it particularly engaging. And since the kink is almost nonexistent, I am thankful of its brevity - this is after all a site devoted to reviewing BDSM-related books, which it is not.

Jamie told her to close her eyes, spread her legs apart slightly, and raise her arms away from her body. She complied docilely. Then he produced a curved metal wand and began following the contour of her body with it. Lisa felt a prickly sensation on her skin and heard the crackle of electricity as he proceeded. After he had traced the wand over her entire body, Erin handed him a reflection shield that he held up in front of Lisa. “You may open your eyes now,” he informed her.

She blinked in surprise as she saw the image of her completely hairless body.

“This visually reinforces the totality of your submission. Whenever you look at your reflection you will be reminded of your proper role.”

Lisa was transfixed by her reflection. A warm glow started in her genitals and spread slowly throughout her body as the significance of this transformation registered in her mind. Erin took the reflector from Jamie and handed him four metallic bands. He placed one band around each of Lisa’s wrists and ankles. After the last one was closed tightly her arms were pulled straight out from her sides by an invisible force.

She was unable to move any of her limbs, the same force held her legs firmly in place. With a piercing laser Jamie made small holes in her clitoris and each of her labium and nipples. Then he connected her labium with a slender steel lock, effectively barring entry to her vagina. The ember that had been smoldering between Lisa’s legs flared into a white-hot flame the instant that the lock snapped shut.

The intensity of the fire increased as an identical lock was secured to each of the other newly created openings. Once again Jamie afforded her an opportunity to view herself. Lisa was pleased with what she saw. The four glistening locks were a complement to her absolute nudity.

“These locks are a symbolic as well as practical reminder of your status. You are to concern yourself with providing pleasure for the dominants that you serve. The lower lock will help you remember at all times what is demanded of you. The sight and feel of these adornments will continuously impress upon you the completeness of your release of control.

“There is one other thing you need to know before we proceed to the next step,” he said, and then paused for effect. “The locks are permanent, there are no keys.”

The impact of Jamie’s last words caused a sudden weakness in Lisa’s knees. The finality of the statement took her by surprise. When she regained her composure, she said very quietly, “Thank you.”

“You are going to become intimately acquainted with the whip,” Jamie announced matter-of-factly. “Truly nothing pleases me more than a succulent submissive writhing under the caress of a discipline whip. The constant presence of whip marks on your body will be additional testimony of your servitude. Tonight is the beginning of an extended training period. You will be initiated momentarily with an extremely severe whipping that will leave you marked for many days.

“From tomorrow onward you will be whipped daily, perhaps as many as five times per day. The drink that you had is a strong hypnotic. I am now going to give you a post-hypnotic suggestion that will help you enjoy this. Listen carefully.

“You will derive immense pleasure from the pain caused by the whip. As the session is nearing an end the blows will be counted backward to zero. At the final stroke you will be allowed to have an intense mental orgasm. Each whipping will basically follow that sequence. By the time your training is complete you will have developed a taste for pleasing dominants in this fashion.”

He held a remote controlled whip up to Lisa’s lips and she kissed it. Her skin tingled with anticipation. Jamie placed a blindfold over her eyes and said, “Enjoy your journey.”

He left the whip suspended in front of her and walked off the platform and sat in a hoverchair. Jamie engaged the power unit and the rite de passage began. The whip tore into Lisa’s soft flesh. The pain was searing, it was as if a hot poker was being pressed against her skin each time it made contact.

She reveled in the pain, welcomed it, and invited the whip to even the most intimate places. Methodically it traversed her entire body, sparing only her head and extremities. Sometimes it teased and caressed her flesh, while others it flayed her cruelly leaving delicate lines of blood in its wake. The session progressed like an intricate musical piece, building slowly, wandering off on subtle tangents, and finishing with a tremendous crescendo that enveloped Lisa in ecstasy.

When it was over Lisa was left on display for quite a long time. Although she could not see, she knew that her body was covered with welts and cuts–her flesh burned pleasurably. She was filled with a profound sense of fulfillment that she had never experienced before. There was no turning back and no regrets.

Lisa’s arms were suddenly pulled behind her back and secured, her legs released. Erin led her to where Jamie sat and told her to kneel in front of him. As she complied, Lisa simultaneously felt Jamie’s cock being shoved into her mouth and Erin entering her from behind. They had become extremely aroused watching her introduction to the whip. Both pounded into her feverishly. Lisa found being skewered in this manner to be exquisitely decadent.

Lisa applied subtle pressure with her throat on Jamie’s cock and thrust her ass up to allow Erin to penetrate deeper. She was surprised at their endurance it was a long time before they were done. Her throat and anus ached pleasantly as she was led to her room where she was spread-eagled securely to the bed. Exhausted, Lisa drifted off quickly and enjoyed a night filled with decidedly perverse dreams.

Men and women whose yearnings can only be satisfied by a dominant woman fill the pages of this new collection of femdom fiction. Jim Lyon is on his way to becoming a major writer of erotica, and this compilation of very hot shorts shows why. Among the stories showcased are:

A NIGHT OF FIRSTS
IN THE LIMELIGHT
THE RECREATION EXECUTIVE’S ASSISTANT
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR
BAIT AND SWITCH
A NICHE BUSINESS
A GIFT FOR VERONICA
PHONE SEX GONE WRONG
TENNIS, ANYONE?
A NIGHT AT CLUB NOIR

Lady Lucretia at BDSM Book Reviews says that Lyon’s books “Will appeal to BDSM aficionados who enjoy femdom stories with realistic characters and romantic outcomes.”