reviews_and_ramblings (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
reviews_and_ramblings) wrote2010-02-16 05:01 pm
reviews_and_ramblings) wrote2010-02-16 05:01 pm
Out of Balance by Lyn Gala
Basically Out of Balance tests a theory doing exactly what that theory says not to do. In a D/s relationship it’s important that the Dominant partner knows perfectly his limits and the one of his submissive. It’s really important that the Dominant has a stable and balanced emotional level. For both partners, being in a D/s relationship has to be a choice not a need, or better the need can come after the choice. Ryan had a very bad experience in the past, he was the victim of a paedophile, and if that wasn’t enough, he didn’t see that man pay for his actions. Now Ryan is struggling through therapy to both accept his sexuality and his needs. His therapist likes the theory of “you don’t fear what you know”, and so he entices Ryan to face his fears searching inside the BDSM world.
Ryan is living with Jeremy, the All American jock type that Ryan would never imagine being interested in those things, let alone being a submissive partner. But during his researches, Ryan finds out that Jeremy is doing his own discovery path and that he is probably ready to let a Master try him out. In Ryan’s troubled mind fears for himself, and fears for his roommate mix together, and he plans to teach Jeremy a lesson, to scare him off the BDSM world making him going through the most extreme side of it, a 24/7 Master / slave relationship.
Only that, first Jeremy, instead of being scared, is more than happy of it, and secondly, Ryan starts to enjoy being a Master, and being a Master in his mind is a negative thing. In the end it’s not Jeremy that is not able to going through his “punishment”, it’s Ryan that understands he is not ready for it.
I like this intake of the author in the story, the Master is the one who needs to grew up in his role, and the slave is instead the one who is already good for the role. It’s not the slave who has to learn the boundaries, it’s the Master who needs to measure up to his slave.
But I have to warn readers, there are some pretty extreme games here, and I’m not talking about the whole paddling and whipping scenario, that I read a lot in the past, and even in more extreme ways. It’s more the 24/7 Master/slave thing, some special cages Jeremy has to wear, not only in his intimate parts but also to teaching him non-sexual restraints, like eating. I’m not sure I fully understand the appeal of that, but again, I’m not either a big fan of the BDSM world.
In comparison to other full BDSM novels I read in the past, probably this one has also the added bonus of having really young characters, barely out of college (actually they are still in college when the story starts): their innocence and naïveté give a sweet shade to a story that, otherwise, it would be more angst.
http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/out-of-balance/7327782
Reading List:
http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bott
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I loved this story since I saw a tiny fragment of it a while back and I remember writing her and asking her if she'd ever continue. I loved the young innocent college men aspect and the fact that Ryan really has to grow up to be what Jeremy needs. You liked exactly what I did.
Lyn has sold a book to DSP which is a cop/shaman m/m novel. I can't wait for it to be out.
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http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9564-out-of-balance.aspx
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