Face of Submission

Kate is a submissive who finds pleasure in serving her dominant lover’s needs. Although Kate is a stay at home girlfriend, cooking and cleaning for Kevin, she realizes that this lifestyle suits her personality and her preferences just fine. They’ve done some great things together, yet when Kate learns that Kevin’s past lover, Mark, will be coming to visit, she is alternately jealous and intrigued. Kate knows that Kevin is bisexual, leaning more towards women then men, and that he’s experimented lots while in college. But Kate is surprised to learn that her dominant lover is also able to switch, and prefers to be submissive when it comes to men. Kate isn’t sure how to deal with this new side of her lover and hopes that their love will be enough to soothe her uneasiness.

When Mark comes to visit, Kate finds it arousing to experiment with a different kind of Dom. However, Mark’s intensity borders on frightening and Kate can’t deny the connection that Mark and Kevin have. As the three begin a long weekend of erotic love play on uncharted territory, the lines between desire, wanting and control will be blurred.

Known for her erotic BDSM stories that cross the boundaries, this novel by Ms. Thompson shows the various sides to the BDSM lifestyle. The publisher warns that there are non-consensual scenes and I would heed that disclaimer seriously. However, the beauty of this novel is the raw emotion and reality of human feelings, experiences, growth and jealousy. The characters are tested in ways that all three are not expecting, and they deal with these new dynamics in interesting and sometimes cruel ways. I found the story both fascinating and extremely well written as Ms. Thompson was able to anticipate readers’ feelings and respond, crafting a novel of adventure, wonder, hope and healing. I recommend Face of Submission for those who want a different type of story that exposes the beauty of a truly healthy BDSM relationship without the rose tinted lenses.

Reviewed by: Jacque