Oh my this book was something else . Loved it all of it . The story line was amazing . Character where great .

It was spicy but not in what we typically think of it, It's more like when you eat something spicy, and the first four or five bites aren't spicey, but the more you consume, the spicier it seems.

While I can't say this book was my thing, I did enjoy that it was a different take than what we normally find in erotica, where sex is the only thing of meaning, when in reality, pleasure can be derived from so many other things.

I only got halfway through this book before I put it down for good. It had very little erotica and action overall. It seemed to really about the anxiety and fear of a submissive and after awhile it was just to slow to continue with.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review! The pace is a little slower but that give she characters time to develop. Worth a look and a good title to recommend for those interested in the genre. Always looking for additional titles in areas that I don't always read.

Not saying I’m out of my comfort zone and experience but as a block of Neapolitan ice cream I’m all vanilla.

This made the Story of Simon a real eye-opener and an unusual departure from the genres I more readily read.

To be provided with an ARC from NetGalley is a wonderful departure point to explore new authors and unfamiliar subjects. To promise a review is not a problem, just care needed to ensure each title can be read to the end.

This was not a problem here. Rachel Loewen writes in an engaging style, with confidence and from a position of knowledge. This makes her an excellent narrator of a story set within the world of BDSM, you feel invited in, rather than a voyeur looking on.

I read this book not knowing what to expect but as with Simon’s experience with Mistress Alannah I felt safe with this author throughout.

With regards to Dominance and Submission this account explains the journey of discovery for Simon who is persuaded to attend an event by his friend. He has an interest and Kate not only manages to get him along to the fetish ball but also to enrol in the slave auction.

The book then is about Simon’s journey as a naive and green slave who associates a little bit of jeopardy and pain as a turn on and prelude to sex.
He is quickly put in his place and through the mentoring of Alannah learns the distinctions regarding how a slave can satisfy his mistress which is nothing to do with sex in a conventional sense.

I liked that the subject was male. Too often, especially in crime fiction the victims are women and the motives for rape and murder have a different need to dominate and control.

Here any act and pain thresholds are consensual with safe words and feedback sought and given. Simon’s journey is interesting as it demonstrates the true vulnerabilities of a male who feels comfortable with a women he wants to please. Where the thought of being bought by another man fills him with dread and unchecked fear.

There is nothing glorious here like withstanding torture we might glimpse in a spy thriller. Just a snatched picture of how the mind overcomes and manages pain that leads to something desired. I found this balance credible and explains with some thought why some chose this path.
As someone who likes to be in control I did a lot of cringing for Simon’s discomfort but a measure of the writing is that I did not feel any less of him as a character placed in weakness and submitting humbly to another’s control.

There are a number of sub plots and character dynamics and the epilogue leaves you both pleased for Simon and confused regarding how this prolonged session impacts on those other characters we briefly meet.

If you want titillation and kinky sexual acts this perhaps is not a book for you.
If however you want to be presented with a set of different characters, motivations and roles this could be a good read. It throws light and some clarity onto this scene. Presents a different sense of power and interaction between male and female characters, why such liaisons work but above all else it promotes consent and respect for others

The story of simon is the story of a newbie getting started in the bdsm world. I did enjoy what was written, but felt there were a lot of pieces to the story left unsaid. What was the fight about? What happened to Kate after the auction? What happened to Richard at the end? Who did simon meet?

I received this copy for an honest review through NetGalley.

While this book is technically an erotica Rachel Loewen does a good job of separating BDSM from sex. While that isn't to say sex isn't a topic broached in the book it's not central to the telling of the story here. I really enjoyed seeing a Female Dominate as it something that I've rarely seen portrayed in books and other media. As someone who has had passing in the community, it's nice to see a more accurate representation for the community.

Seeing discussions of safewords and aftercare was something I really enjoyed and wished more books trying to cover BDSM would do. The ending however felt a little too quick and the epilogue, while leading into more books in an overall series, felt a little out of place.

New to me author, Ms. Loewen came to my attention as one of the author sponsors to the BDSM group on Goodreads. I saw this book cover and thought, wow, it is sexy and I generally don't notice covers. Then I read the blurb and thought, this I have to read. A new to BDSM submissive and a femdom... how could I resist?


When I first started this book, seeing the inner dialog from Simon concerned me a bit. The little insights from one of the dominants, Richard also gave me pause. Not that their thoughts are inaccurate or exactly wrong, but that this thoughts don't bode well for a healthy BDSM relationship. A dominant that never admits they are wrong and when they do make a mistake, they blame it on the submissive and take it out on them? Yeah... that's a hard pass for me. Is this realistic? More oft than not. Is it recommended? No. But then there are ways to have a very healthy non kink relationship and very few people are able to follow those ways either. I tend to be a little bit more sensitive about how the BDSM lifestyle is represented because it is so misunderstood by those outside of the BDSM world. Regardless, these are subtle elements that made this story feel more realistic.

Simon's interaction with Mistress Alannah is both thrilling and exasperating at times. The mistakes made are so true to life, especially with a newbie like Simon who connects sex with BDSM. I admire Ms. Loewen trying to explain why sex isn't inherently tied to BDSM. Although she did muddy the waters a bit with Mistress Alannah rewarding Simon a couple of times. There are several things in their interactions that caused me to wince, not because of the play, but because of how they thought or what they forgot to do. Yes, Simon is new and ill prepared to go off with a stranger w/o a safety protocol. Mistress Allanah is very experienced and yet she purposely doesn't bring it up. Different styles for different folks. When I play, or even meet up with people for the first time, I'm extra cautious because I definitely don't want cops involved incase of a misunderstanding or issue. I know people in the life style that play as hard or harder than Mistress Alannah and her dominant spouse. So none of that surprised more or made me think either one are especially hardcore sadists. Since I do both fire and electrical play ... blood play doesn't bother me nor does temp/permanent branding or fighting/sparring... the BDSM in this book is within my preferences.

Some of the interactions between Mistress Alannah, her spouse and their household did throw up yellow warning flags that let me know there is some dysfunction. The ending of this book did not surprise me. I liked and hated the epilogue because I wasn't surprised by the turn of events. But I feel like I'm missing a large backstory and now I want it. I immediately went in search for another book in this universe only to find nothing out there. Now I eagerly await a possible explanation of what happened in those 4 years because I can pretty much guess the salient points and none of them look good.

All this aside, the femdom in this story is well done. I liked how Alannah explained her style of what she needed as a dominant. The common misconceptions are revealed and highlighted. Showcasing different styles of dominants as well as different types of submissives/slaves is equally well done. It goes to show that there are many different flavours of kink.

Lastly, I have to admit, this story came across less of a fantasy creation and more of a retelling of real life events. Some things may have been changed, but this almost gives me a feel of something that happened in real life that needed to be processed and reinterpreted. This only increases my curiosity of both the author and what will come in her next book.

This erotic novel is recommended for BDSM readers who enjoy femdom and edgeplay. Warning, this is not for SugarKink fans nor is it recommended as a Gateway into BDSM.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book.

So on a whim, I decided to request a genre I would not normally read. While I was intrigued to keep reading the novel and it was an educational experience giving me insight into the lifestyle of this particular community, I found the storyline ended very abruptly, leaving me with more questions than answers.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I categorised this as romance but it is very dark

I did enjoy this but it does include very graphic descriptions so be prepared

I felt it was a good example of the genre but should come with a bit of a warning for those easily shocked

Not for the faint of heart. I might have bit off more than I can chew with this one, Entirely my fault, no blame to the book. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review

One of the better books in this genre
It should have a warning on it that it has dark adult material in it
It is erotic and has graphic descriptions of BDSM interactions between consenting adults

AAAAAAAA! I loved this one so much! I'm honestly lost for words.

This was not only amazingly atmospheric, it was inclusive, it was honest, it was steamy and it was simply just so well written. I am so happy I had the opportunity to read this and I recommend it to everyone who is of age and interested in BDSM- not only because it was hot, but it was so informative and safe!

This book is about Simon and his Mistress Alannah after she purchases him at a charity slave auction.

I thought this was a good story that had a great view of a consenting BDSM relationship and included great details around safety systems. I liked seeing this positive view., and I especially enjoyed seeing the woman as the dominatrix. I did think that we could have had a bit more information and development around the characters. I don't feel like I had enough time to really get to know them. I think that is partially because it is a really short timeframe in the story, but I still would have liked more.

Content Warning: This book contains explicit sexual scenes of consensual BDSM.

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

I really liked what the book entailed, I just could not get into it because it felt like the plot was not going anywhere. For me there needed to be more excitement and there was none for me. I wasn't expecting sexual things since we are talking about straight up BSDM, but Simon in a way thought it was sexual, which made the story confusing for me as well. Other than that I thought the story had great promise.

This book was different and unique but I didn't see that right away. In fact at first I wasn't even sure I was going to like it. I thought it was going to be another story about a dissolute, no direction, But after awhile it turned into something more. .

This is the first book of this genre I have read so I didn’t know what to expect .... here we have Simon and his friend Kate visiting a fetish club ... Simon gets sold as a ‘slave’ and so begins a very detailed description of his first slave experience by a dom. I have to say the book lacked a storyline but gave a very explicit description of all things fetish and the dominatrix world the ending left things very open to a sequel and there could be a lot more to the characters we are introduced to. I didn’t dislike the book just felt it didn’t have much of a plot

Story of Simon
Rachel Loewen
Genre: Erotica, Dark Romance, BDSM
Pages: 157

Content warning: This book can be classified as either a dark romance or erotica with consensual BDSM. This book is not suitable for readers that are sensitive to themes of dominance, submission, purposeful infliction of pain and other kinky acts.

The Story of Simon focuses on Simon’s first scene with Mistress Alannah, an established professional dominatrix in the London kink scene. It focuses on a whirlwind 24-hour period starting at a fetish ball hosted by Mistress Alannah after Simon is purchased as a gift for her during the slave auction (charity fundraiser).

What I liked:
*This book is incredibly kink positive. The portrayals of the kink culture are accurate and authentic. It also depicts very healthy open relationships between multiple characters.
*I loved the focus on a powerful competent female top. Males are so infrequently shown as bottoms or submissives. This was a refreshing perspective. Typically, the most popular erotica focuses on the alpha male dominant which can be hot but the trope gets really boring and often problematic.
*The discussion of consent using the concepts of safe, sane, and consensual as well as the color system were great in representing the fundamental concepts around consent in the kink community.
*I appreciated the discussion around subspace, endorphins, and aftercare.
*I loved that they did not make this book all about sex. It is an element in the story, but this story really shows how kink itself (use of restraints, impact play) can be very satisfying on their own.
*I LOVED that Mistress Alannah was not a secret billionaire. It was so refreshing not to have this trope present – which seems endemic to erotica right now.

What I didn’t like:
*The ending was odd. It felt like a cliff hanger but I’m not sure.
*I would have liked a bit more character development of both Simon and Mistress Alannah. I feel like I grew to know them in this 24-hour period, but I did not know anything about them outside this. Mistress Alannah is particularly intriguing.

I absolutely loved this book. It was captivating and a page-turner. I would highly recommend this book to folks who enjoy erotica, dark romance, or stories with kink. This author also gives a nice glimpse into the subculture of the kink community which is incredible to learn more about. I really hope this author writes more and I will read future stories!

ARC provided to me by Matador, via Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review.

Warning 18+

TW Mentioned Violence, Spanking, Restraints, Blood, Fire, Mental Illness, Hint at Death

5/5 stars

Spiciness: 5/5 peppers

Genre: Erotica

Description: Oh God, Kate, what the hell have you talked me into? Only the best night of your entire life, Simon, and you can thank me later...

Simon knows nothing about the fetish scene. His only experience with dominant women was his last girlfriend. But that taste has left him longing for more. He dreams of meeting a Mistress to help him explore his interest in femdom. After a drunken confession to his friend, Kate, she persuades him to join her at a BDSM club. Innocent and out of his depth, what would possibly go wrong?

Simon hopes this exotic new world will offer him everything he craves. Too shy to find a partner, he lets Kate push him into another bad decision – signing up for the slave auction. Falling into dangerous hands, he becomes a pawn in a terrifying game.

Will chasing his fantasies bring Simon everything he desires, or will he live to regret it?

Pros:

- Kink-Positive
- This book presents the BDSM scene in the way it should, focusing on consent and communication.
- The author does a good job of balancing the story with informational text about the BDSM culture to the point that I didn't even notice that I was learning until I was decently through the book.

Cons:

- The book could be very triggering for some people so please be mindful of your triggers before reading.
- Pretty major cliff hanger at the end.

Would I recommend it?

Yes.

3.5 Star Review

Warning: This books has an intended audience of mature adults. This book is not recommended for person's under legal age.

This is not often the type of book that I would normally venture towards, however, just like Simon (the MC), curiosity lead me throughout this story. The book was well written, extremely accurate and respectful of the BDSM/ Femdom community, but, for me as a reader, I didn't find myself engaging in the story as much as I would have like. I more saw the book as an educational experience because I did learn a lot about a community that I have no part of/ no experience with, so I found it addictive and entertaining in that regard.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.