Restraint by Teresa Noelle Roberts

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Even if the cover suggests something else, Restraint is a man on man story. So this is not the trouble I found reading it, my trouble was more on the nature of the story, a very deep intake in the BDSM world to its extreme. True, the publisher warned the "innocent" reader, since this short story is part of a collection called "Raw" (and so it's also explained the cover, that is common for all the stories in the collection).

My friends know that BDSM is not my cup of tea. A light BDSM I can read, but as a newbie in the world, I have always said, no blood please and no real pain... So yes, it was difficult for me to read this story since the main focus of it is the "blood sports", Luke, one of the main characters, is into pleasure/pain games brought one with the use of knife. He has always had a fascination with vampires, but more to the aesthetic idea of it than the real meaning of being a vampire. Luke likes to see the blood on white sheets, on pale skin. He has also dreams of having sex with a man who is bleeding to death, and this side of the book left me even more perplexed... I really don't know if I liked Luke so much, I think he is a bit to nut and crazy for my like.

I think the author pushed so much the boundaries for a reason, she wanted to prove that, if these "games" are done by people with a lot of "restraints", then it's possible to enjoy them without danger. She had to describe Luke as a crazy man, to prove that, for real, he isn't. More, she paired him with an innocent looking man, to give a bit the idea of the wolf with the innocent prey, but the innocent was more than willing. It's Evan, the white lamb, who neared Luke and proposed the game. Luke has always behaved in the right way, forcing Evan to face his decision, and being sure that he was 100% willing.

I think that, for a story of less than 20 pages, the author did a good job with the characters and their reason, and there is also space for an unexpected turn, something that reinforces even more the concept that Luke, all in all, is not as dangerous as he wants to appear. But, I still feel to have to warn my friends, if you are not into BDSM things, this one could be a little too far into the world for you.

http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Restraint/exact_match=exact

Amazon Kindle: Restraint

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Comments

Thank you for the review

[safirasilv.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the fine review. I know this story is extreme for many people's tastes, exploring some of the darker and scarier aspects of BDSM. I appreciate that you were able to review it on its own merits and like the theme and character development even though it's about a fetish that...well, I imagine if it's not something that sparks your own dark fantasies, it's a little creepy.

Best,
Teresa Noelle Roberts

Re: Thank you for the review

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

As you notice by the comments, there is among my friends people like Alex who are interesting and even surprise to finally find an author who dares to write of something that appeals them more than my usual cup of tea. That is the reason why I felt to read and review your book. And as I said, even if it's not my cup of tea, I think you did a very good job with the characters, especially Luke. And in only 20 pages, that is even more worthy. Elisa

Re: Thank you for the review

[safirasilv.livejournal.com]

Thank you again!

By the way, do you ever review MMF menage books? I have one coming out in September from Samhaim--Lions' Pride. (The cover is my icon.) Paranormal with lots of good boy-sex, not to mention het-sex and threesomes.

Re: Thank you for the review

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

LOL Teresa, you really want to push my boundaries! ;-) If BDSM is not my cup of tea, menages with a woman is even less. I read some of them, very few indeed, but again, I have always the feeling that I can't be right with them, since they are so far from my like. But maybe I can look out for your book and see if I'm in the mood for a threesome ;-) Elisa