For a BDSM book this one had too much pointless and repetitive "telling" about how good they were to each other and not much action. The few scenes that were actually described in present were too bland and unimaginative as far as BDSM goes, or rather written in a way that you feel detached from what is going on. Not erotic in the slightest.And as other reviews mention, it was surprising to see so many words "rape" while describing a consensual BDSM relationship. First the grammer/misspellings/typos were truly annoying. The first part of the book where they are email or IMing each other could have been edited better. You never knew where the message started/stopped and the rest of the book began/stopped. Those lines should have been set apart from the rest of the text.Second, if you like pain, fine, but I felt this was torture (no matter where you are from and what you are into) and seeing how Simon is an ex-SEAL with a mysterious government job, I can quite see him in a federal prison for torturing. He had no personality, he was cold, removed. There is not an ounce of compassion or feeling in his body. He was obsessed with Maura. He gets off on torturing for torturing sake. Not to teach a lesson or to fix a problem. He'd beat her for no reason what-so-ever. Something serious wrong with people like that.Third, Maura. In the beginning she was a happy, giddy and friendly girl; and while she may not have had "close" friendships, she had friendships nonetheless and had standing lunches with her friends. After she agreed to move in with Simon, we never hear her laughing, smiling, talking with friends or generally enjoying her life. She never even lets her friends meet SImon, she's afraid of what they will find out about him. That shows, to me at least, that there is something to hide and something wrong. Her life is reduced to being tortured by a man who will never love her and only sees her as a punching bag; even if he encourages her writing. It was actually kind of sad to see the transformation.It never really is explained why Maura feels she needs to be literally tortured and raped by a man with no emotional connection to her. All she ever really says is that she likes pain with her pleasure. Some woman are like that, I have no problem with that, but to go to this extreme just doesn't sit well with me.It was a hard read and I really hope that woman who feel the need to be literally tortured, talk to other people/friends/professionals about it, not hide it like Maura does.
What do You think about Submissive Desires (2009)?
Wonderful book that has a good story and well-developed characters.
—GerrettB
