"Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather, and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know." - John Keats

"You're not allowed to say anything about books because they're books and books are, you know, God." - Nick Hornby

Monday, April 22, 2013

Review #26: Enslaved, by Shoshanna Evers

One of the side effects of the success of Fifty Shades is the plethora of BDSM novels that have come out. I guess I shouldn't be surprised; after all, Twilight gave birth to about a half-million different vampire stories. (Seriously. I was in the teen section of Barnes & Noble this weekend (don't judge!), and that was all there was. I feel bad for kids who don't like vampires. What are they supposed to read?

Anyway, on to the story. Elisabeth is a recently uncollared sub (in a weird and halting B side to the novel, her former Master realizes he's gay), who has been sent to be trained by Trevor, one-third of the BAD boys club. The BAD (Billionaire Arrogant Doms) Boys are the hottest thing at Manahattan's hottest BDSM club, The WhipperSnapper. It's a nice set up for a trilogy (what's with the trilogies all of a sudden? Can't someone just write a book?), with secondary characters Marc and Roman rounding out the threesome.

Elisabeth is true masochist, and Trevor, for all his dominance, isn't exactly a sadist. He's falling in love with Elisabeth, and wants hearts and flowers along with his spreader bars and nipple clamps. Realizing that Elisabeth isn't quite the way he needs her to be, he sends her to Roman for further training. Elisabeth is sad and confused and misses Trevor, but knows she must complete this training to go back to him. But it's not as easy as she hopes; Roman is falling in love with her, and Elisabeth is starting to develop reciprocal feelings.

Things come to a head when she runs back to her former Master to figure things out, and, of course, he helps her make her choice. It's utterly predictable, of course, and there's actually very little conflict. A few dramatic speeches, a few tears, and then there's a happily ever after ending.

My biggest problem with this book was, ironically, the sex. I've read my share of books with sex - everything from Judith Krantz (I think that was my first lesbian scene) to Danielle Steele to Fifty Shades to erotica collections. This fell somehwere near Danielle Steele in the spectrum. Actually, it was Danielle Steele with a side of clinical coldness. It was almost bizarre in its non-sexiness.

I hate leaving trilogies unfinished, but I think this is one that's better left forgotten.

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