Grade: B+

I recently reviewed a BDSM book where I complained that the supposed Dom wasn’t a true one and the supposed submissive was an arrogant cowboy type that the Dom couldn’t break because she was a spineless jellyfish who was a fake Dominatrix. Anyway, it just didn’t work for me. I wanted to read a story where the female Dom really does conquer the alpha male (I just got tired of reading about a supposedly “strong” female giving in to the alpha male) and Cruel to Be Kind by Stephanie Vaughan definitely does not disappoint. Whoo, son, the female in this book is the true alpha and the male, while not a complete sissy, is thoroughly conquered by her. And boy, are the results ever so hot.

Megan is a professional chef who has moved back into her hometown to help out with her sister’s restaurant when her previous relationship goes horribly wrong. She decides that she will not get involved with anyone for a while, but while sitting at a local watering hole, she encounters a beautiful man named Steve to whom she is instantly attracted. While pretending to be working on her laptop, she furtively watches him across the room, knowing that he is also interested in her. Just as she expected, it does not take long for Steve to cross to her side of the room to hit on her, but as she starts talking to him, she realizes one thing: Steve is very special and only she could make him realize how special he really is. But will Steve accept the kind of love she is willing to offer?

Steve works for his family’s construction/restoration business. He likes beer, sports, women, and lives a pretty good life. Though he’s got everything a man could ever want, he’s always felt that something is missing in his life. And no, it’s not a baby. He’s had very good sex in the past—even bad sex is good sex—but he’s never felt truly satisfied. When he meets Megan, he is instantly attracted to her, as well as intrigued and mystified by how different she is compared to the other women he’s met. For one thing, she wields a very commanding presence that intimidates him, but compels him at the same time. The more he spends time with Megan, the more confused he gets about what she really wants from him. In the back of his head, he knows exactly what she wants from him, but fear prevents him from admitting it to himself in fear that his family and friends will think that he is a “sick fuck”. Because of this, he does whatever red-blooded American male who encounters a very alpha female would do: he pushes her away.

The courtship of Steve and Megan is an odd one. For one thing, Megan calls all the shots. She is not a sissified, spineless, pathetic sort of female. She knows what she wants from Steve and exactly how she can get it from him, but what worries her is how Steve will react to it. You see, Megan is a dominatrix and from the moment she meets Steve, she realizes that he is the perfect submissive. The dom in her recognizes the sub in him. She knows they could have a truly wonderful relationship if Steve would only trust her. This doesn’t mean that Steve is a wuss who lets Megan push him around. He is, after all, a manly-man construction worker who is quite alpha himself. To be with Megan, however, he is willing to do whatever she asks, even if it means walking away from everything he’s ever been brought up to believe about how it’s supposed to be between a man and a woman. One day, however, while he’s working at a construction site, one his employees joke around with Steve, calling him gay, and the red-blooded, beer-guzzling, titty-ogling American male in Steve, panics. After all, he allows Megan to do whatever she wants to do to him in bed and Steve has always thought that it is the man is supposed to be in control. The next time he sees Megan, he is sitting in a bar with his brother, and pretty much tells Megan to fuck off.

Oh, man, this book is really, really hot. The verbal sparring between Megan and Steve comes fast and clever and the dialogue is oh-la-la! At first, there is a struggle for power between these two, but ultimately, they both win when the two of them begin to trust each other. Those who like an alpha male who struts around and acts like an all-around ass to the female, telling her what to do and assuming to know what’s best for her, stay far, far away. Steve is a true submissive and Megan is a REAL dominatrix. She doesn’t relent even when Steve walks away from her and this story is kind of like a fuck-you to the traditional romance where it is the woman who gives up everything for a man. In fact, it is Steve who begs Megan to come back to him. Ms. Vaughan does not pull any punches when it comes to Megan showing Steve who’s boss and shows hers reader that a dom-sub relationship can be really hot, even romantic. Ms. Vaughan’s writing style is snappy, almost reminiscent of MaryJanice Davidson, but unlike Davidson, Ms. Vaughan’s prose is not overly peppered with pop culture references and name brands. And the language she uses when Steve and Megan talk to each other? Hot!

My only complaint about this book is that it’s too short. I would have liked to see more scenes between Steve and Megan outside of the bedroom. Also, beneath Megan’s tough, unyielding veneer is a very insecure person, but she doesn’t show any of it to Steve. She doesn’t talk to Steve about her past and why she is wary about getting involved with anyone again. Megan never reveals to Steve about her worries and insecurities and Steve never talks to Megan how he feels about being a submissive. When Megan welcomes Steve back into her life, they don’t talk about what had caused them to separate to begin with, but they just act like nothing happened. Yes, I really would have liked it if they had talked more. Other than that, this book is a really good read and I recommend it to anyone who’s ever wondered what BDSM is all about, especially if you’ve heard about it and always thought it was kind of gross. This story might not change your stance on it, but it might get you to start thinking about it.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 29th, 2005 at 9:12 am and is filed under Books, Grade: B, Romance: Contempo. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.