Helpful Score: 1
A bit disappointing. After the rave reviews on Amazon, I expected much more from this book. The Submissive is fan fiction, supposedly based on Twilight. i could only pick up on a few things thst reminded me of those books, but there was certainly much in common with Fifty Shades. I think many readers and reviewers are people extremely new to the genre and perhaps have no good erotic fiction with which to compare books such as this one and its fan fiction comrade, Fifty Shades of Grey. While the Submissive is far better writing than Fifty, it still is very weak in the romance department. When characters are giving blowjobs by page five, you can be fairly confident that character and romantic development are not high on the author's list of storytelling priorities. There was certainly some steamy sex in this book. The depiction of the D/s relationship in much sexier and far less abusive than the Fifty version. But it is ridiculous to have characters fall in luuurve when they have literally never had a conversation. Where Fifty (and Twilight for that matter) succeeds that The Submissive fails is in the romantic sexual tension. They're hot hot hot for each other against their better judgement and he has to keep holding himself back in some physical or emotional way. The Submissive misses that crucial element that can take even bad writing like in Fifty to phenomenon level of female excitement. Tara Su Me (great pen name though!) does redeem both characters and their lack of any verbal communication by the end which brings this story up to a three star rating and a chance of reading more from this author.'
Update: I read the third book in the series (I had heard the middle book is a retelling of this book from the Don's point of view). I LOVED it. It made me see this book differently and like the characters much more. It is worth reading - and keeping.
Update: I read the third book in the series (I had heard the middle book is a retelling of this book from the Don's point of view). I LOVED it. It made me see this book differently and like the characters much more. It is worth reading - and keeping.
