2.5 stars Huh. What to say about this one. I love non and dub con books when the setting/context is right but I feel like this wasn't it. A safe word being ignored between an established dom/sub pair isn't ok. I hate the "you don't really mean it" mindset and it has no place in BDSM. That incident aside, I found the rest of the story to be meh, not good but I didn't hate it either, uninspiring I guess. Ok, I've never given a one star review before, ever...not ever in my life. But I'm sorry WHAT?!?!?!?! I mean, WHAT?!?!?!?!? And it's not that it's poorly written. Ok, I think I remember having a conversation recently where I said credit should be given for decent writing even if you don't agree with the story yourself. Everyone's tastes are not the same. Crap, I have to give this stupid book 2 stars for that reason alone. Grrrr, damn why do I have to have principles!The first part of this book I was all for. Could have been this awesome book about reclaiming love and a dom finding his place with his sub again. I genuinely enjoy most BDSM books. But this, this was just plain ridiculous. Somewhere along the way the author/authors (as I believe the note at the end said this was written by a 3 people in collaboration) decided, "Hey, we don't care about story, or logic, let's just go for shock value." The sad thing is, it's not really that shocking. It's just stupid.*I'm not putting this behind spoiler tags...if you don't want plot points, don't read further.*When this was just a story about Eli feeling abandoned by his dom, and Rob having lost his way upon losing his job and forgetting what it meant to be Eli's dom, I was intrigued. A sweet sub planning a getaway to try to rekindle things, even trying to switch to bring a spark back into their relationship, so cute. And then things went wonky.Rob's sudden about face comes out of nowhere. He goes from a completely disinterested, though at brief moments caring man, to "Here I am your master, you are my slave, bow to me!" Eli's now bound to the bed, with a catheter in his dick, and not allowed to eat when he wants, let alone piss. And ok, catheter thing, not my personal kink, but whatever. But nothing about any of this was sexy or seemed to believably bring them closer.And then it happens...a bottle with wasps duck taped to Eli's dick! I'm sorry, NO!!!!! Especially as Eli hits terror levels and safewords. First rule of BDSM, you safeword, it's done, over, finished, kaputz! But does Rob listen? Hell no, he knows what's right and best for the sub he's abandoned. Eli doesn't really mean to safeword, even when he essentially blacks out from terror. Afterwards let's top it all off and be the creepy, obsessive, control freak and carve our name into your skin with a spork. That's right, a spork! You know that thing that's not a knife at all, but a spoon/fork. Then we're going to rub it with toothpaste so it'll scar better. What in the hell Eli sees in this guy I'll never know. Far as I'm concerned he should be calling the cops and screaming for really weird torture. There was nothing endearing, or understandable about why Eli finds his peace at the end of this. Sure, Rob's his master again, but how could you trust this master? I've read some beautiful stories of complete master/slave relationships that move me despite not fully being able to understand why someone would want that type of lifestyle. This doesn't even come close. I feel like I've been watching three people sit around a table and throw out the most inane ideas they could possibly come up with and then giddily clap their hands together going "Ooooh yes, this will shock them. That's perfect. More, More, More!" I find I'm not shocked, I'm offended. As an intelligent reader I expect better from my authors. Give me a story I can believe, that edges into the dark, and I can be shocked. Throw a lame attempt like this up, and I wonder how dumb you think I am. I should probably go back and edit some of the spew of words that I've just put forth, but frankly, right now, I don't give a damn!
What do You think about What Comes To Hand (2013)?
When the sub's safe word was ignored, I checked out. Very uncomfortable.
—Rose
...so what else does Tripoli write? I'm intrigued!
—lwt
