Freya’s Bower brings readers a collection of riveting BDSM romances with
male Dominants as the theme in A Rose of Any Colour, Book 2: Maledom.
Each of the authors in this anthology are certainly talented, but I have to
admit I was disappointed with the lead story, On Bended Knees.
I explain more about why in the section below for that story, but I bring it
up here only to warn readers that they may have the same reaction I did to
this particular tale and be afraid to read further. Don’t stop. In fact,
you might find it easier to skip the first story and read it only after you
have read the other author’s entries first.
It is unfortunate that this particular story leads the anthology, as readers
often assume the first tale sets the tone for the remaining stories. This
isn’t true with A Rose of Any Colour, Book 2: Maledom. All of
the remaining stories star Dominants who are responsible and deserve their
submissive’s trust.
No matter the order you read these stories in, there are some true gems in
this anthology that should not be missed by lovers of BDSM romance.
~On Bended Knees by
Canice Brown-Porter~
New
submissive Morgan has been trained by the best – Lord Evan. Her training
period over, she offers herself to him for life, wanting no other Dom but
him. Will Lord Evan accept her offer of submission?
On Bended Knees was well-written, with characters that sparked
interest from the beginning. I loved the premise of this story as it began
and I eagerly turned each page as the story built to its conclusion.
But then Lord Evan did something I could never have imagined a responsible
Dominant would do. Without giving it away, I will simply state that I
strongly feel Lord Evan broke Morgan’s trust in the worst way, and trust is
paramount in a BDSM relationship. Without it, you have nothing. I truly
cannot imagine how Morgan can ever believe in her Dom again after the way he
treated her near the end of the story.
If this story had been classified in the horror genre, and had an ending
that followed the horror theme, I would have accepted it. But this was a
BDSM romance, and so Evan’s actions instead came across as simply abusive.
Canice Brown-Porter is obviously a talented writer, with the ability to
captivate with her words, effortlessly creating imagery in the reader’s mind
to match her story. However, that one scene ruined this entire story for
me.
~Little Book of
Fantasies by Miranda Heart~
Bound, gagged, and sequestered away in an abandoned train car by the
boyfriend she trusted, Kaitlyn can hardly believe she is actually turned on
by the whole experience…
I have to say, Miranda Heart makes capture fantasies look very enticing
indeed in her offering to this anthology, Little Book of Fantasies!
Kaitlyn’s boyfriend, Steven, is absolutely relentless in his quest to bring
her every secret pleasure she could ever dream of. Fulfilling her fantasies
plays into his natural Dominant tendencies, which he has kept hidden from
her throughout their relationship – until now.
Then we see the softer, more vulnerable side of the Dominant. His fear of
losing her now that he has exposed his rather extreme sexual proclivities is
palpable, making the moment when Kaitlyn proves she is the right submissive
for him all the more tender.
~A Scandalous
Arrangement by Kayleigh Jamison~
When
the debtors come to collect from him, Lady Anna’s brother sells her into the
service of a brothel. Betrayed by the sibling whose responsibility it was
to protect her, Lady Anna resigns herself helplessly to her undesirable
fate.
Her very first night in the brothel, her virginity is auctioned off to none
other than the infamous Vere Fane, who whisks her off to his home to serve
his decadent needs in private…
Kayleigh Jamison is one of those writers who, if her name is listed as the
author I know I want the book. No question about it. With A
Scandalous Arrangement, she delivers what her fans have come to
expect – a sexy and spirited tale roiling with numerous emotions, not the
least of which is unbridled love and passion.
Anna is an admirable heroine who, while she cannot fight the situation fate
has handed her, resolves to approach it with as much dignity as possible.
Lucky for Anna she finds herself in the very Dominant hands of the
intriguingly dangerous Vere Fane. Under his unflinching guidance, she
quickly learns there is an inner submissive she cannot deny lurking inside
her, making capitulation to Vere’s demands more than easy.
But all is not what it seems, and there are some rather delicious twists to
this story that will leave the reader satisfied on so many levels.
~Unwrapping Amy by
Emily Ryan-Davis~
A
long life together as friends, lovers and then spouses has grown
unsatisfying and distant. The love they share is undoubtedly still there –
both Amy and Mac know this for certain. But they are not fulfilling each
other’s needs on the most fundamental of levels. Amy has realized that
underneath it all, she longs to be sexually submissive to Mac, but her
husband insists, rather fanatically at times, on equality in all aspects of
their relationship, and refuses to subjugate her even playfully.
But things are coming to a head, Amy refuses to be denied, and soon Mac’s
worst fears and most fervent longings will come to pass…
Wow. Unwrapping Amy is the first story I have read by Emily
Ryan-Davis and is a perfect example of why I enjoy reading anthologies. It
is a great way to be introduced to new authors whose work you may have
unintentionally overlooked in the past. This writer effortlessly pulled me
into her story from page one, instantly fostering empathy for both Amy and
Mac within me as I watched their issues snowball until some very explosive
and emotional scenes where they finally work them out. Bravo to Ms.
Ryan-Davis on a story very well done!
~Efflorescence by
Katrina Strauss~
A
woman reminiscing on her life and one great love flashes back to her days as
a model in 1920, posing for a young Russian painter who proves to be the
most unforgettable and lasting love of her life…
I can describe Katrina Strauss the same way I did Kayleigh Jamison – if she
wrote it, I want it. I do not even need to read the synopsis for the story
before buying it. She always delivers very imaginative, extremely sexy
stories, and Efflorescence is no exception.
Hannah has always been a good girl, doing what is expected of her, never
breaking the rules. Watching that fall by the wayside as she finds herself
unable to deny Pavel’s effect on her is riveting. But through it all, you
can feel the emotions that tug at both of their hearts, binding them
together forever, despite the short time they have to enjoy their love.
~Touching Down by
Joe Wilson~
Joe
was a Dominant looking for his perfect submissive. Pita was a budding
submissive searching for that missing part of herself. They found each
other online, and their attachment grew rapidly, soon leading to their first
meeting as they embarked on the rest of their lives – together.
Touching Down was a very different story. Told strictly from
the Dominant’s point of view, it provided much insight on the motivations,
feelings, hopes, and internal reactions of a Dom, who by their nature must
keep themselves under rigid control. Joe is a conscientious Dom, taking
care of every minute detail as he sees to Pita’s fulfillment.
Reviewed by Jennifer
