Got restraints? 

No?  You may be the only one left who doesn't.

For the record, I consider myself to be an enlightened kind of girl.  I grew up in the city and the suburbs and for the most part don't consider myself to have led a sheltered life.  I spend a considerable amount of time on the internet and feel comfortable saying that my breadth of knowledge is fairly vast, if not always comprehensive.  In other words, I know a little bit about a lot of things.

That said, the acronym BDSM was not something that came across my path very often until about a year and a half ago.  Now it seems I'm practically tripping over it ever where I go.  (Where have YOU been hanging out Abstract_Truth?  Yeah I know...I called your question from way over here in cyberville!)  Surprisingly enough, I haven't been going out of my way to find it.

Now for the sake of full disclosure I will admit that the majority of my exposure (heh) stems from reading and reviewing romance and erotica novels, but as ubiquitous as the "tie me up, tie my down" scenes have become in Romancelandia..it certainly isn't limited to it.  From The Dirty Show to local conventions, this once hidden culture is suddenly everywhere. 

As for me, I think anyone who really knows me knows that I'm no prude, and although I don't advertise it I have a pretty high tolerence for viewing things that rank high on the erotic scale. Even so, I have to admit my eyebrows went to my hairline when I was directed to the Canadian Mini-Cooper ad sporting the "Mini Cooper Dominates Winter" tagline.  Check it out:

www.mini.ca/DominateWinter/ 

Uh huh...have fun clicking through that one.  (Side note: Smartbitchestrashybooks.com had a funny thread going where commenters debated whether the chick is a real dominatrix or just plays one on a website.)

Now I'll admit, I got a good chuckle clicking away and spanking the car (::snort::) and it was a good way to kill a few minutes.  I also felt as though it was probably all in good fun and likely to be viewed (mostly) by folks who have reached the age of majority.  However, I was not amused when I went to look up a word on dictionary.com during Nanowrimo and was treated to a prominent ad (and ass) banner outfitted in poured on leather.  (Whip included to complete the look).  How's this for a site that gets your attention:

www.fittingroup.com/

And I know that dictionary.com subscribes to clickad.net (or some such advertising sponsor) and they have no control over what pops up randomly, but damn it's getting damn hard to control the content coming at the kiddies these days when it's not even safe to look up a word anymore.

But honestly, this post wasn't intended to be a rant about racy ads and evil sex demons trying to take over the world.  I just think it's interesting how far left the pendulum has come crashing in the wake of the conservative clusterfuck (haa haa) of the past few years.  One does have to pause and wonder, what next?

Don't be surprised if within a year you turn on the TV and see Tyra or Oprah sitting with wide-eyed fascination while Mistress X gives instructions on how to give a proper spanking to a rapt audience of eager house-wives.

Just saying...
 

• As I stated above, this novel stayed true to its concept from start to finish.  No jarring modern language slipped in.  No slip ups with technology.  Wonderful.
• Rue was pretty saucy and I liked that.  She was a model girl in a time when that sort of notion just did not exist.  Girlfriend frequently went out disguised as a man and was totally comfortable with it.  Awesome.
• I like the idea of an Alpha male AND and Alpha female.  It sounds nice and balanced (even though the male is truly the boss...but whatever.)
• Kit was a hero, but not always a likable one and I like that.  He was almost an anti-hero with his deceptiveness and ulterior motives...sometimes I honestly wondered if I really liked him...but I did.
• The shapeshifting gifts were surprising and different.  There was nothing silly or campy about it which helped me "stay in the story."
• Cat fight!  It was short, but satisfying even as told through hearsay.
• Not once did Kit holler "MINE!" in this entire novel.  (Say WHAT?)  Can it even be classified as a romance novel without that being somewhere in there?  Oh...wait...he does declare "She is mine" to a room full of men secretly lusting after her...I guess that kinda counts...plus "Taken" makes an appearance.

• Rue is described as being a "halfling" but we never find out what the other "half" is.  I hate it when books end without answering all the questions or at least promising answers in a future installment.
• Kit was a self centered snob at the beginning of the book, and I have no indication that he isn't still a snob by the end of the book.
• This book had overtly sexist notions throughout, but hey it was set in the 18th Century... and if you read romance with alpha men, that's pretty much what you sign up for, no?
• That said, Christoff did have this slightly corny speech about "being the man he always wanted to be."  A little too heavy on the sugar if you ask me, but I stomached it because he was an ass quite a few times.
• This book dragged in a couple of places which stretched my reading out a day longer than it should have.  Obviously it wasn't a deal breaker because I did finish it...I just hate it when that happens.
• Even though this book features some new twists on the old dragon-tale, it wasn't completely without a least few romance novel cliches...ya gotta love the whole "some other guy has touched you so now I have to have sex with you RIGHT NOW to remind you, and me,  that you're MINE!!!" moments.  Honestly how can that NOT make a girl go weak in the knees?  /sarcasm

• I now know I can read a historical romance and not get bored.  This is something no one will care about but me.
• I find it interesting that after 4 decades of non-Turning females, Rue was the only one blessed with the gift.  I wonder if this is do to "inbreeding" issues or if the "why" comes out in subsequent books.
  Similarly, it was interesting how the clan was described as being mostly fair skinned with light features (hair particularly).  Rue was a rare "dark beauty" with dark hair and dark eyes even though her skin was "moon pale."  :-/  Yeah...I'm not going to even bother to climb up on my soapbox about that one...I'll just say after praising something for being original, I have to take back cool points for this typical "exotic" nonsense.
• Rape or seduction.  At one point, Kit boldly communicates that he will take it either way which may turn off some readers.  Personally I didn't have problem with it because it was crystal clear that although he may have been taking something that had not been officially offered to him...Rue was right there with him in the moment so I'm good with saying that in this case consent was "implied" and from what I could tell a good time was had all around.
• Pages it took for me to "get into" the book: 60 (out of 324pp. in the MM paperback edition,)
   

Okay...

So you've read the book.  You saw the movie.  The TV show is da' bomb.  Now you want to run out and find someone to discuss it with only to find...there is no one to talk to about it.  

But Oh What Happy Modem!  There are the internetz!

And it is good.

Casting out the net with the help of your favorite search engines and social networks you go seeking more information.  New release dates, additional materials, and other fans...anything you can find.  And then you find them.  Fellow enthusiasts.  Your peeps.  Other members of the brood.

And it is good.

Like a long overdue reunion, you're excited to have found one another.  FINALLY someone to talk to, gush to, squee with, bounce theories off of and the like.  They understand you and you understand them.  They actually "get" the obscure references and life is FUN again.  Fandoms are toys for the mind.

But before you know it, friction flares up.  You're disagreeing over character motivation, story arcs, dialogue interpretations, psychological analyses, and future events.  You find yourself debating the viability of relationships and the subtle nuances of fictitious scenes/conversations with the tenacity of a person defending a PhD dissertation complete with quotes, references, and support documention.  You may even feel the urge to tell the writers themselves that they "got it wrong" because they don't understand their own characters!  

Words and acronyms fly around like nobody's business.  Canon, OTP, OOC, fanon, fanfic, IIRC, etc.  To the occassional observer it can resemble a food fight in a cafeteria full of special ed students.  Clearly these people have lost touch with reality.  They talk about these things as if they were REAL.  And the passion and emotion is so intense.  Folks get mad.  Feelings get hurt.

And then it's not so good.

The thing is, I'm sure some folks do start to take the content a little too seriously, but I think that many times it's more about arguing a point and winning the debate moreso that actually lacking the ability to separate fantasy from reality.  3 years ago, I had no idea what a "fandom" even was.  Now thanks to my friendship with a Big Name Fan, I know all too well just how batshit nuts it can get.  I've observed quite a bit and even fell prey to my own slice of wank once or twice (though nothing major).

I guess what I find interesting weird is how personal it can get.  It's almost as if even though the characters live in a fictional world, they are nonetheless worthy of protection, and fans will gladly rise to the challenge even if it's only fight against those who resemble themselves.  The emotional investment can reach frightening levels.  Even so, at least in my case, I think it becomes less about the characters and stories, but more about our own egos.  It's about how we want things to be.  I am right...you are wrong.  Bend to my POV or prepare to die!!!

I don't really have any keen observations about this to tell the absolute truth.  I guess I just wanted to acknowledge to myself and any of the folks on my flist who may have gotten into an online verbal smackdown contest over something that has left you shaking your head at the intensity of your own nerd fury....

...don't worry, I know you're probably not crazy fer reals.  

Fandom can indeed make you blackout every now and again.

Title:  Slave to Sensation (Psy/Changeling Series, Book 1)
Author:  Nalini Singh
Genre:  Paranormal Romance (Shapeshifter/Psychic)

Synopsis:

Imagine a time in the not too distant future.  In the 22nd century there are now 3 classifications of people: humans, changelings, and the psy. Changelings are both human and animal.  They thrive on the sense of touch and are fiercely loyal to their pack.  The Psy were once human, but now stripped of all emotion, they exist only to operate by cold logic and practicality.

Lucas Hunter is the alpha of the DarkRiver Pack.  As the leader of the DarkRiver leopards he is charged with maintaining the closeness and security of his packmates.  A joint business development leads him into negotiations with the Psy, however he has another incentive for getting close to them.  Female changelings are being murdered and all signs suggest that the killer is a Psy.

Sascha Duncan is a Cardinal Psy who works very hard to maintain her icy exterior, but she knows that something is wrong.  Unable to block the sensations leaking into her mind, she lives in fear of being found out and carted off for rehabilitation.   Meeting Lucas Hunter only serves to magnify her fears.  Not only does he stir up a passion that she should not feel, but she is certain he knows that she is "broken."

Though the world building in this book was a little much to follow at times, I think I got the gist of it.  I liken the Psy mind to individual computers hooked up to a network.  They constantly send information back and forth to each other and can locate anyone attached to the network at any time telepathically.  They can obtain some mental privacy by putting up "shields" (I guess this is like a firewall) however some minds can get hacked into.  Dropping off the "network" means imminent death for a Psy.  

Sascha's shields were cracking and it scared her shitless because that meant that a) someone could find out that she was "feeling" stuff, which she absolutely shouldn't have been doing...this would subject her to b) a mind wipe which would undoubtly leave her a walking zombie.  I'd say her fears were legit.

Lucas for his part knew there was something different about Sascha, but wasn't quite sure it wasn't just her being a deceptive Psy.  He found himself at once trying to stave off an all out interspecies war and maintain the security of his pack, all the while trying to figure out the puzzle that is Sascha.

And to top it all off...his inner beast is on the prowl.

The Good:

( Roar!!! )

( Snore. )

( More... )

Title:  Shadow Game (Ghost Walkers, Book 1)
Author:  Christine Feehan
Genre:  Paranormal Romance (Romantic Suspense/Telepathic)

Synopsis:

A classified military experiment goes terribly wrong when the volunteers start to die under questionable circumstances.  An elite special ops unit (The Ghost Walkers) undergoes a series of treatments designed to enhance psychic abilities making them extremely valuable as military weapons.  Held captive in underground cells, the men soon come to realize that they are prisoners as well as study subjects.  When the program creator is murdered, the men suspect foul play...and Captain Ryland Miller has a feeling he will be next.

Dr. Lily Whitney is the brilliant daughter of the program's creator.  Also gifted with psychic abilities, she knows that Captain Miller's suspicions are more than justified.  After telepathically experiencing her father's murder, Lily feels obligated to honor her father's dying wish for her to "make it right."  Her father's murderer would do anything to get his hands on her father's research.  Lily must find a way to locate it before the murderer does, but Lily also discovers that her father's research may reveal things about her that she'd rather not know.

As a fan of paranormal stories, this series is a nice break from the vampires, shapeshifters, and wizards...(OH MY!)  I like the way it kind of felt like I was reading a thriller like "Patriot Games" with liberal amounts of sexual healing mixed in.  To be sure, much of romance is cheeze whiz, but when the author tries to have an actual *story* in there, the experience is that much more gratifying.  This one fit the bill for me. 

The Good:
 

• The Ghost Walkers are a decent multicultural mix of heros and for me where there is generally little to no POC in this genre, a little bit goes a long way.
• Feehan did a beautiful job of not making the reader wait too long for the hero and heroine to fall into each other, but it was still within the confines of what we call "romance" as opposed to "erotica" where there are no emotional/romantic connections established prior to the "getting busy" part.  I like the slow burn pace of this novel and the effect was rather enjoyable and rewarding.
• The bathroom scene.  Good Lord.  Captain Ryland's got mad game.
• Captain Ryland Miller can cook...and he's a great dancer.  (Clearly this should be classified as a "fantasy" novel!!)
• Lily has the same body issues as most women which helped me warm up to her sometimes stiff personality.
• Captain Ryland Miller is a dreamwalker, meaning just like another beloved romance novel hero, he can get at you in a dream.  ::thud::  The pisces in me is screaming with delight at this ability.  There is NOTHING more erotic than that.

• I have read the complaints that claim this author tends to fall into fits of purple prose from time to time.  Though her writing at times was a little on the "flowery" side, I didn't find it to be distracting or annoying.
• There were a couple of passages where the dialogue and descriptions got a tad repetitious which tends to make me a little panicky especially when I'm enjoying the story.  I start to worry that she's run out of good ideas and there is nowhere to go but down.  I hope that's not the case.  
• Brilliant and grown ass Dr. Lily reading books to learn about sex?   Faaaaailure!!!
• The promotional trailer for this book is nothing short of a large stinking pile of yagottabefukkinkiddinme!  I'm not gonna hold that against the book, but please do yourself a favor.  If you feel you must check it out on Feehan's website, read the book first.  I swear I would have run so far away from this book had I viewed that thing first.  It totally killed the sexy that was going on in my head.

• The Ghost Walkers are a nice twist on the whole "Band of Brothers" sort of story.  A military team trained to blend into shadows while armed with telepathic abilities and the power of persuasion...you can do a lot with that... and you'll never see them coming.  (pun somewhat intented)
• While reading this novel, I noticed shades of some of the other paranormal romances I've read recently.  Noting that this book was originally published back in 2003, I wonder if some authors borrowed from this series or is it just only so many ways you can spin this stuff and duplication is bound to occur?
• I really loved the telepathic communication between the hero and heroine in this novel.  The dreamy soul in me just gobbled up that whole "reaching out through the distance to share the pain" aspect of the story.  This book found my soft spot and exploited it.  I ain't mad about it though.
• Although it worked for this novel, I'm kinda getting over the cold, intelligent, non emotional, virginal, sexually frosty female shero, just laying in wait for superlover to come along and melt the ice away.  
• Feehan writes very nice erotic scenes.  Yep.  That's all I have to say about that.

Given the depths of which I really enjoyed this book, I am actually surprised I don't have more to say about it.  It's one of those paranormal romances that doesn't necessarily come off as all that "paranormally" if that makes any sense.  These men aren't otherworldly...just exceptional...and I kinda like that.  It gives me hope that I might someday find my own Captain Miller.

It could happen, right? 

Overall Rating:  A

Song Dedication:  "At Last" - Etta James

Quote:  "Am I tempting you, Lily?" 

• The author does a pretty good job of conveying the nature of the existing relationship between Clint and Morganna.  A sufficient amount of back story is supplied allowing the reader to confidently move forward in the story without feeling totally lost for having not read the novella that starts this series.
• This book at the very least attempts to have a real suspense-filled plot with some twists and turns thrown in.  Does it succeed?  Well, no not really.  But it does try and that's gotta be worth something.  
• In the case of Clint, we learn a lot about this character and what makes him tick.  This is always a bonus because it allows the reader to really get inside the hero's head and figure out what motivates his actions.  It's just too bad we didn't get as much insight on the heroine.
• Alpha male.  Clint.  He is one.  To each his or her own, but for me that's a good thing.
• Morganna was kinda kick-ass.  Finally, a female who stands up to the male character and refuses to back down.  As a heroine, Morganna has more spunk than most, but still not as much as I'd like to see.

• Clint is a Dom.  I could buy that.  What I couldn't believe is that he could afford a private room at a D/s club that runs him a cool $45K/year!  I mean srsly, how much do Navy SEALs make?  Would you want a guy that blew that much of his salary on a rented room?  Nope.  Don't think so.
• Too much repetition particularly in the dialogue and the sex scenes.  This novel quickly started to read like it was crafted from a "paint by numbers" kit.  So many parts felt recycled to the point where I had trouble remembering my spot in the book.   The same things kept happening where only the locale would change which left Clint looking like a one-note.  He had one move.  (Pin her hands over her head in case you were wondering.)  *Yawn*  Wake me up when he takes her out for ice cream.  Now THAT would have been SHOCKING!!
• While on the lam from the bad guys, Clint and Morganna check into a hotel...and he decides to use "Mr. Sizemore" as an alias!!  Bwaaahaahaahaahahhaaaa!  Really? No. REALLY???!  Modest much?  ::throws shoe at book::
• Morganna cries like a billion times in this book.  Why do the so called tough women have to cry so much in these books?
• I know this is supposed to be borderline erotica, but what really got to me was Clint trying to sex Morganna into a submissive role...over and over and over again.  It never really worked, and it got old really fast.
• The big climax/showdown at the end of the book?  Yeah, uh it was over before I could utter "What'd I miss?"

• What is up with these BDSM books and the main female character named Morgan(na)?
• What is up with these BDSM books and the main male character being in the military?
• The author seems to make some passing commentary correlating BDSM preferences with physical abuse as a child.  I don't claim to be an expert on this topic, but I think it's kind of interesting to write a book where the BDSM lifestyle is highlighted as the thing that makes the central couple hot to death, yet kinda sorta brands it as deviant behavior.   Like I said, interesting...
• There were a lot of characters introduced in this book.  I got confused a couple of times.
• At one point in the book, Clint comes to the conclusion that the only way to keep Morganna safe and happy is to keep her knocked up and barefoot.  Wow, way to set women back a million years Romeo!  Yeesh.
• The leather pants.  Good.  God.  Who do I have to pay to get these authors to stop putting these men in leather pants??

The Verdict:

I liked this book, but didn't love it.  It was good, but not great.  I do have a sneaky suspicious that this series does indeed get better as it progresses.  At five books in, the readers seem to support this assertion.  That said, I will read the remaining books in the series because I'm just that anal about finishing what I start...and like I said, it wasn't a bad read...typos, ARMY/NAVY confusion aside.  

Overall Rating:  B-

Song Dedication:  "More Than A Woman" - Bee Gees  

Clint the Dom would never approve of a disco tune, but the lyrics are spot on:

Oh, girl I've known you very well
I've seen you growing everyday
I never really looked before
but now you take my breath away.
Suddenly you're in my life
part of everything I do
you got me working day and night
just trying to keep a hold on you.

Here in your arms I found my paradise
my only chance for happiness
and if I lose you now I think I would die.

Oh say you'll always be my baby
we can make it shine, we can take forever
just a minute at a time.

Yep.  That pretty much sums up the whole relationship.

Quote:  "It won't fit."

(Srsly.  I'm STILL laughing at that one!)

• He's smart.  Hella smart.  He speaks 16 languages fluently.  He has at least a couple of degrees, is a tech geek, a Boston Red Sox fan, and drives the Black Escalade.
• He is the only one who can heal Butch after Butch does his "Hoover business" on the lessers.
• He and Butch are roommates and live together in "The Pit."
• He likes the Grey Goose.
• He sports a goatee...Rhage does not approve.
• His visions have ceased and he is suffering extreme depression.
• He has suicidal tendencies.
• He's into BDSM and only does it that way.  He keeps a separate penthouse apartment for his "sessions."
• Vishous and Butch are tight.  Really tight.  Like pantyhose two sizes too small tight...and we are left to wonder "what's up with that?"
• He *may or may not* be gay/bisexual.
• He *may or may not* be in love with Butch.

( Yay!! Bacon and Chocolate!! )

( Booo! Baby Powder! )

( Running Commentary )

For once I can touch
What my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew
Someone warm like you
Could make my dreams come true

Image Source

...to live inside this story if I'm lucky.


Image Source

Title:  Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 2)
Author:  J.R. Ward
Genre:  Paranormal Romance (Vampire)

Okay, so here's the deal, back in December I made this post about the first book in this series.  These are the tales of a band of vampire warriors bred to defend their race against the Lessening Society (slayers for the uninitiated).  Never expecting to actually like the series beyond one book, I think it is fair to say my review was appropriately snarky at turns, but overall I think it was obvious that I really did enjoy the book.  I just wasn't prepared to hand over my book snob card just yet.

Needless to say I have officially passed the snob card through the shredder...twice...and pulvarized it for good measure.  At 5 books in, I know I am way late discovering the BDB, but this series has knocked me on my ass and I couldn't be happier.  Alpha male?  Yes, please and thank you!  Let's face it, these books won't win any Pulitzers, nor are they meant to, but they certainly take me to places I want to go again and again.  These vampires are deadly, sexy, and addictive...and Rhage is the most beautiful one of all.
    
Synopsis:  There is nothing understated about Rhage.  He's the best fighter, the most impulsive, the most attractive, an insatiable lover.  When Rhage's lack of self control and disregard of others results in the death of an innocent bird, he is cursed with a raging beast for 200 years...an inner dragon capable of laying waste to anyone in its path making him lethal to friend and foe alike. 

Mary Luce is taking things one day at a time.  As a cancer survivor she has learned to be sensible about life.  She lost her faith long ago and when it appears as though the cancer is back, Mary starts to brace herself for the inevitable.  When circumstances force Mary to rely on Rhage for protection, she refuses to acknowledge the feelings that are stirring in her heart.  How dare she dream when there is so little time left?

Like most other novels of this genre, there is no time wasted in getting to the pursuit of love and lust.  Rhage is attracted to Mary and pulls out all the stops to make sure she knows it.  Mary clearly feels as though she is dating above her station, and therefore spends much of her time practically waiting for someone to jump out and tell her she's been "Punk'd."  An average looking woman has no business believing this unbelievably hot male has a thing for her.  His nickname is "Hollywood" for Chrissakes!  Certainly he's toying with her, but ohhhhhh the things he does...

And then there's the issue of her failing health and his need to keep his curse at bay by consistently engaging in physical exertion....of one kind or another.   Oh, and there's also the part where she's not supposed to know anything about his species or The Brotherhood for that matter.  Tricky, tricky sitch...
 
 

The Good:  

 

( Cheers! )

( Jeers! )

( Highlight Reel )