by Heidi Cullinan
Blurb:
In a land unforgiving of indulgent, dangerous sex, merchantman Eryn does his best to keep his desires in the dark…until the plight of a beautiful prince leads him out of the shadows and into adventures both sensual and terrible.
Capture, curse, and torture litter Eryn’s road to true love, along with carnal delights beyond his most wicked imaginings. His strengths and limitations are exposed—and the hard truth, that nothing holds him back more than the monster of self-loathing in his heart. Prince Wyn might be everything he’s dreamed of in a man—and master—but before Eryn can accept the exquisitely wicked affections of his one true love, he must first save himself…from himself.
This novella was originally published under the title Sweet Son and has been significantly revised.
Available for purchase at
Viviana's Review:
This was a quick and interesting read! While I have read a lot of books in the BDSM genre, this was the first time humiliation kink was the main type. One of the reasons I like Heidi as an author is she does her research and dives 110% into the subject matter!
I'm new to this level of humiliation kink and I'm still trying to process how I feel about it as I'm writing this review, but here is where Heidi stands out as an author - for me, this wasn't so much about the humiliation kink as it was about the main character accepting who he was and how he was and that it was okay and that he was deserving of respect and worthy of love! THAT is what I took away from this book! I already KNEW this of course. I know that the activities we like to partake in the privacy (or not so private) of our bedrooms (or living rooms, kitchen, where ever, you get the idea) is our choice and we are all human being deserving of love and respect.
At first, I found it hard to connect with Eryn, it almost felt like you started reading a quarter into the book and you missed something. The connection evolved the further you read into the story. Or maybe it was trying to connect with the fantasy... merchant, sailors, slave, mystical dreams, a prince, a witch, god parents... there's a lot going on in that realm and for a novella, the world building wasn't so much there until the end. Speaking of the end... the ending action scene... there was SO MUCH going on all at once that I had to re-read it and was like "o k a y...". Again, because this is a novella, this sort of thing tends to happen. Trying to pack a lot of info all at once. For some, it may be a no big deal, for other a tad bit much.
I'm new to this level of humiliation kink and I'm still trying to process how I feel about it as I'm writing this review, but here is where Heidi stands out as an author - for me, this wasn't so much about the humiliation kink as it was about the main character accepting who he was and how he was and that it was okay and that he was deserving of respect and worthy of love! THAT is what I took away from this book! I already KNEW this of course. I know that the activities we like to partake in the privacy (or not so private) of our bedrooms (or living rooms, kitchen, where ever, you get the idea) is our choice and we are all human being deserving of love and respect.
At first, I found it hard to connect with Eryn, it almost felt like you started reading a quarter into the book and you missed something. The connection evolved the further you read into the story. Or maybe it was trying to connect with the fantasy... merchant, sailors, slave, mystical dreams, a prince, a witch, god parents... there's a lot going on in that realm and for a novella, the world building wasn't so much there until the end. Speaking of the end... the ending action scene... there was SO MUCH going on all at once that I had to re-read it and was like "o k a y...". Again, because this is a novella, this sort of thing tends to happen. Trying to pack a lot of info all at once. For some, it may be a no big deal, for other a tad bit much.
Then there was all the sex... here is Eryn, supposedly trying to find his true love and he's having sex with just about everyone. So if you're looking for that "romance" part, doesn't happen. This is a DARK erotic fantasy novel with romantic elements. Without giving away much, I will say there is that 'instant love' that occurs in romance between the two heroes. Not a big fan of those but hey, that's a romance trope, right?! Right!
I will say, I did like Eryn's and Wyn interactions with each other. From the beginning, they bantered but yet had a connection. And once they finally were together, how they accepted each other for who they were, completely, made it awesome! They totally complimented each other!
Overall, an interesting read. If you're not into group sex or have issues with humiliation kink, this isn't the book for you. Considered yourself warned. Heidi is a great author who has a way with words and does a great job of tell you a story! I wish there would have been more world building to make the story line of the fantasy smoother, but then again, this could be me, wishing there was more story! LOL!
Rating: 3.5 - I Really Liked It
Disclaimer:
We received a complimentary copy of the book from the author, Heidi Cullinan, in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.
About the Author
Heidi Cullinan has always loved a good love story, provided it has a happy ending. She enjoys writing across many genres but loves above all to write happy, romantic endings for LGBT characters because there just aren't enough of those stories out there. When Heidi isn't writing, she enjoys cooking, reading, knitting, listening to music, and watching television with her husband and ten-year-old daughter. Heidi is a vocal advocate for LGBT rights and is proud to be from the first Midwestern state with full marriage equality.
You can stalk, I mean find Heidi here:
Giveaway
Three books in winner’s choice of ebook or paperback: The Devil Will Do, Miles and the Magic Flute, and Hero
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Thanks so much for the review!
ReplyDeleteTrix, vitajex(at)Aol(Dot)com