Sandy M’s review of The Enticement (Submissive Series, Book 4) by Tara Sue Me
Contemporary Erotic Romance published by NAL 7 Apr 15
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series from the very beginning. So you can imagine my surprise, during the reading of this book, when I realized I wasn’t as into Nathaniel’s and Abby’s struggle to maintain their D/s relationship, as the story went on. They have been together seven years now, and though their life has is a happy one – two kids and successful jobs – there’s a bit of restlessness and unrequited need swirling around this couple that have to be addressed.
Nathaniel is stretched thin at West Enterprises and Abby’s blog, where she discusses the D/s lifestyle in the hopes to educate people about it all, is very successful, to the point that she’s been offered the opportunity to expand it, which will take up even more of her time. With children in the house, that makes it even more difficult for them play as they always have. A quickie during nap time just isn’t the same in the BDSM world. So Nathaniel needs to exert his dominance again and Abby needs to be dominated. While the author does a good job of explaining those needs on both sides, there’s moments where there’s disconnects for me, and that leaves me dismayed due to how much I love this couple.
That being said, this story arc is all about living the D/s life, good and bad. Life isn’t hearts and roses all the time; people mess up, feelings get hurt, all that stuff that each of us go through on a daily basis. It’s just seems to be magnified in their world. There are questionable scenes that push not only Abby’s limits but the reader’s too. With Nathaniel’s growing demands, he becomes a harder, harsher person to me. Abby has a few moments herself that seem uncharacteristic, like staying at a club, knowing Nathaniel would be upset with the situation, even when she’d been taken there under false pretenses. There’s hurt and betrayal, leading to more punishment than we’ve seen between these two before. On the flip side, there’s more exhibitionism than before, which Abby has always fantasized about, and it definitely turns her on when Nathaniel sets up such scenes to be played out.
This is definitely an evolution of their relationship. Ups and downs are met head on, compromises are made, life goes on. I’m not sure what’s up next for Nathaniel and Abby, but I would like to see this story from his point of view. Maybe that would temper my resistance to his actions in this book, seeing inside him more as we see inside Abby as she narrates the story here. It will be interesting to see how a new character introduced in this book will affect their life in the future. I also enjoyed meeting up again with other characters we’ve met throughout the series.
It’s not that I don’t like this addition to the series. Letting some of these issues stew before I wrote my review has helped a bit; even writing the review helped. I do understand the nuances of the particular things that bother me. Maybe it’s just that I don’t like seeing some of my favorite characters go a little haywire, but then that’s what makes life interesting, along with the needed resolutions to get past such things. Nathaniel and Abby, and Tara Sue Me, certainly pushed me during this story, just as they’re supposed to. My eyes have been opened even wider than before, and while I may not have reacted as I have before, I appreciate the journey they’ve taken, with me along for the ride.
Grade: B
Summary:
Limits were made to be pushed.
Abby West has everything she wanted: a family, a skyrocketing new career, and a sexy, Dominant husband who fulfills her every need. Only, as her life outside the bedroom becomes hectic, her Master’s sexual requirements inside become more extreme. Abby doesn’t understand Nathaniel’s increased need for control, but she can’t deny the delicious way her body reacts to his tantalizing demands…
Between Abby’s reluctance and Nathaniel’s unyielding commands, the delicate balance of power between the Dominant and his submissive threatens to shift. And as the underlying tension and desire between them heats up, so does the struggle to keep everything they value from falling apart …
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
