The Submissive

The Submissive: The Submissive Trilogy
by Tara Sue Me
Published by NAL Trade
304 pages
Genre: erotica; BDSM
Thanks to edelweiss for the preview
3 / 5


I am starting to develop a Pavlovian response to BDSM-tinged trilogies. That response is a throat scarring, "PLEASE STOP." Why are erotica writers like lemmings? Why must they follow a trend? Good grief, people. Just write a damn book. Don't make it about the trilogy. Make it about the characters and the story.

Okay. I'm through. On with the review.

Unlike others of its ilk, the happy couple in this book meets when she approaches him. That right there makes it different, in a good way.

Abby King has long suspected that she has submissive yearnings, even if she wasn't quite sure what it meant. She knows she needs a Dom to guide her through the lifestyle, so she quite literally interviews with the one she hand picks: Nathaniel West. He's hot, he's rich, he's successful. (Apparently those three qualities are necessary in a Dom because every one of the literary variety has them.) He also is very attracted to Abby.

Did I mention that Abby is a librarian? Yep.

She and Nathaniel decide to give this arrangement a weekend-long test drive, and if after that Abby wants to continue, she can sign on the dotted line.

Well, of COURSE she will want to continue, because HELLO, Nathaniel is HOT. And he knows how to please a woman. And he knows how to give the spanky panky in a way that elicits certain responses. Certain delicious responses.

Yum.

Yeah, it's predictable. Yeah, you've read it before. In fact, supposedly this series sprang from the same fan fic site as Christian Grey. So, yippee for that.

Is it good? Ehhhhhh .... well .... the sex scenes sure are. Tara Sue Me (I'm sure it's a pen name) can write about some headboard rockin', faithful readers. She will have you either reaching for a fan or a man, depending on what's available. Will I read the next one? Of course I will! I am weak and powerless against these books.

I'll give it this much: what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in writing. Tara Sue Me is a far stronger writer than E. L. James.