reviews_and_ramblings | Bound and Determined by Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow

Bound and Determined pushed my comfort boundaries on the BDSM world, but strange is, not so much for me to not like it. In a way Owen, the dominant in this story, is similar to me, he thinks that a D/s relationship not necessarily means that the submissive has to loose his independency.

Sterling is not a virgin to gay sex, but he is a virgin to the BDSM world. He met Alex, a submissive, and since their relationship remained on a friends with benefits level, everything is all right, but when they tried to deepen it on an upper level, both Alex than Sterling realize that they are not right matched. At first they think it’s only a question of experience, and so Alex brings Sterling to a BDSM private club to give him an introduction on the world, but as soon as Sterling tastes that reality, he also understands that he doesn’t need to learn how to be a good Dom, he wants to be a submissive.

The author well explains Sterling’s reasons, he comes from a very difficult relationship with his father, a relationship that was always a challenge to prove that Sterling was not alike his own father due to the fact that his father wanted for him to be his own replica. Even if Sterling has never really done coming out, his father knows and obviously doesn’t approve; Sterling has opposing feelings on that, he doesn’t want so much his father’s approval to deny his own sexuality, but unconsciously he is trying to prove that he is man enough always playing the top in his relationship. But that is not Sterling’s true nature, he is unwillingly trying to follow his father’s step, and instead Sterling needs a strong hand to lead him.

Sterling is quite the bratty type, both in his public than private life. He is always challenging the people he meets, something that he is probably projecting from his own experience with his father. And more the person on the other side is an authoritative figure, and more Sterling challenges them. So it was with Owen, Sterling’s literature teacher when he was a freshman in college. Now Owen is no more Sterling’s teacher, but when they meet again in the club, Owen would like to not move their acquaintance on a deeper level. Owen well remembers Sterling, his bratty behaviour, his stubbornness… for any other Dom those would be faults, for Owen instead are reasons to be attracted by Sterling. Owen knows that, if he accepts to be Sterling’s Dom, he will not be able to remain detached, since Sterling represents the perfect “submissive” he is searching, ab absurbo a submissive who is not immediately ready to submit.

In a way Owen is a teacher both in College than in the Club: he likes to teach how to behave, in all the fields he plays on. And so Sterling is a temptation, since teaching to him how to behave is a very satisfying challenge. Problem is that Owen also understands that Sterling is searching a D/s relationship to fulfil a void he has on his relationship with his father, and of Sterling doesn’t understand that, he will not be ready to have a real relationship with Owen.

I like this story since it’s not simple a means to show a kinky way to have sex, the dynamics of the BDSM world are well explained, without going into too much to be worrisome for who is not into it, and the reasons behind it are clear and understandable. Both characters are well developed and I really like Sterling, bratty and pretty at the same time, but what I like most is that also Owen likes him like that, and for him involving Sterling in a D/s relationship doesn’t mean to deprive him of that side.

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Reading List:

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Cover Art by April Martinez

Bound and Determined by Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow

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