Nocturnal Book Reviews

Sarah K's story grabbed my attention after I read a glowing review on Claire's Book Corner. The story was a true account and it was based in England which ensured that I went and bought the damn book straight away.

I would not call The Secret Life of a Submissive an erotic romance - it reads like a true, raw and honest account, sad and awkward at times, an intimate exploration of your own desires without going into surrealistic over-the-top territory which is a bane of most of erotic novels existence.

Sarah herself is an erotic writer, 40+ woman with kids. She just divorced and decided at last to give into her curiosity and desires that have been lurking within her subconsciousness for a long time. She is a real woman, she doesn't have anything extraordinary about her and she is just as vulnerable and insecure about her appearance as most of us. In truth she is endearing and very familiar, which makes you feel for her even more.

Max is older than her, he's got rich history and very specific desires, and after a series of unfortunate interviews with potential Masters through internet BDSM site, Sarah decides to try and let him introduce her to the world she is so curious to know.

Their connection is explosive and it changes both of them throughout the story while Sarah tries to adapt to Max's desires and her own peculiar, heady reaction to them. At the same time Max is telling his own story, how BDSM was introduced into his own life and how it made him the man we see now.

If you expect over dramatic reactions of Fifty Shades and non-stop inner goddess monologue, forget it. This is a great psychological, visceral exploration of dominance and submission with great sexual scenes. There is no happily-ever-after per se, but there is a positive ending that rings true and makes you a little sad but hopeful for the heroine.

I loved it. Recommended to anyone interested in quality, challenging, thought-provoking BDSM erotica.