Ever since reading THAT book(s), I’ve been on a quest to read and review erotica that treats BDSM fairly, as a hot and sexy exchange between normal, well adjusted, non-psychotic, consenting adults.  Even if it’s not your thing, reading kink can be an incredible turn-on.  I may not be in to caning (or maybe I am), but a well written book can make me feel the incredible appeal it can have for those who enjoy that sort of thing.  That’s the joy of fantasy.

This week I’m reviewing Cherise Sinclair’s Masters of the Shadowlands series.   If you don’t have the slightest desire to have your partner chain you spread eagle to a wall, take a flogger to your naughty bits, and have his or her way with you, these books will still turn you on.  And if that is your fantasy, well these books will REALLY turn you on.  Expect bondage, fetish, light to moderate punishment, and toy usage. 

The entire series is set in a private BDSM club outside of Tampa, Florida.  And that makes all the difference.  Goth and BDSM public clubs attract all kinds, and it’s a very long process to find a partner that’s compatible to scene with, someone who you can trust.  Sinclair fast tracks the action as a typical romance does, but the private club with carefully screened members, rules and behavior expectations, and ever present monitors helps make the whole thing believable.  The books are full sized novels, with romance embedded in between a whole lotta sex.  The last couple of books in the series also have a plot surrounding a human trafficking ring targeting submissives.    Yes, the characters often have past history and wounds that challenge the relationship, but it’s refreshing to see normal people falling in love who just happen to like the sex with a bit of an edge.  Forget that best-selling rubbish, this is the naughty stuff you should be reading this summer.

Club Shadowlands – Jessica’s car winds up in a ditch during a tropical storm, and she makes her way down the isolated road to the nearest house for help.  But the house is actually a private club that bears no resemblance to the country clubs in the Tampa area.  While waiting out the storm, Jessica is shocked, curious, and strangely turned on by what she sees in the BDSM club.  She’s also very attracted to the club’s owner, Master Z, who makes no secret of the fact that he would like Jessica in his bed (and on the spanking bench).  Can Jessica throw her accountant caution to the winds and take a chance on love and a lifestyle that both scares her and sets her every sense alight?

Dark Citadel – Kari is a high school teacher, wanting to explore her interest in BDSM with her boyfriend at the Club Shadowlands’ beginner’s lessons.  Unfortunately things go wrong from the moment she walks through the door as her boyfriend begins to take domination to the level of jerk.  Kari reluctantly decides to leave, but is convinced by Master Dan to remain and continue the lessons with him instead of the jerk she came with.  As the attraction between them grows, Kari worries she is destined for heartbreak, because Master Dan is still mourning the death of his wife and makes it clear he can make no commitment beyond the lessons.

Breaking Free – Beth is a submissive member of Club Shadowlands, but she’s struggling to find any kind of satisfaction.  A horribly abusive marriage left her afraid to trust any but the most timid of doms, and those are not strong enough to break through her defenses.  After yet another dismal, frustrating scene, Master Z lays down the law and tells her that her membership will be terminated unless she takes Master Nolan as a top for an undetermined time.  As Nolan begins to break through and gain her trust, she fears her secret will destroy their fledgling love.  Because Beth can never divorce her husband, and if he ever finds her, he’ll kill her.

Lean on Me – Andrea could never afford a membership at Club Shadowlands, but she’s miserable trying to find a dom at the public clubs in the Tampa area.  When her cousin pulls in a favor and gets her admitted into the trainee program, she’s thrilled.  It’s a rocky road though for a stubborn, independent sub that hits first and asks questions later.  When the club’s bartender and trainer, Cullen, takes more than a professional interest in her, Andrea thinks she may have found both the dom and the man of her dreams, but is a future with him an unobtainable fantasy?  Can a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, with a police record and a family filled with criminals possibly think she could find love with a well-off arson investigator?  When Andrea is accused of stealing another trainee’s money, all her fears are realized, and she wonders who she can really trust, who she can depend on.

Make Me, Sir – Gabi is a victim specialist for the FBI who volunteers to be a decoy when her friend is kidnapped by human traffickers targeting submissives in the south east.  Although she hasn’t participated in the BDSM lifestyle since her college days, she’s assigned to Club Shadowlands since she is the only FBI decoy with experience as a submissive.  Intelligence has revealed that for this particular haul, the traffickers are targeting brats – submissives who are rebellious and non-compliant.  Gabi must constantly act up in the club, and enduring increasing discipline in order to maintain her cover, but in doing so she finds she’s pushing away the very dom she’s falling in love with.  Each day is more difficult than the last as Gabi lies to the people she cares about and acts the nasty brat to keep her cover.  Will Master Marcus ever forgive her for the lies, and will he continue to care for her once he finds out who she really is?

To Command and Collar – Kimberly has been rescued from human traffickers who kidnapped and sold her into a life of slavery and unspeakable abuse.  Barely beginning to heal, she finds that in order to shut down the trafficking ring and rescue the other kidnapped women, she must pose as a slave.  Under Master Raoul kind and gentle care, she is able to conquer her fears and convincingly become his collared slave, and to also feel the stirrings of love.  Can Kimberly ever be the slave in real life that Master Raoul desires after her abuse at the hands of the traffickers, and can Raoul look beyond his failed marriage and trust that Kimberly truly wants the lifestyle that he needs?

*A slave in the BDSM world isn’t what most people think of as slavery.  It’s a relationship where the dom/sub dynamics are played out 24/7 instead of just in the bedroom.  Even so, some master/slave relationships exclude careers or other activities, and some are full time with no exceptions.  Remember, it’s all good when it’s consensual!

Although all the books in the series can be read out of order, the early characters do tend to show up in the latter books, and it’s nice to know their background stories.

Let me know your erotica favorites in the comments section, or by using the ‘contact’ form.  I’m always happy to add smut to my TBR list!