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In her seductive new Submissive novel, Tara Sue Me introduces a sizzling hot new couple into Abby and Nathaniel's world and explores the red-hot passion between Jeff and Dena that won't be denied ... Fans of E. L. James, Sylvia Day, Maya Banks and Beth Kery will be seduced by New York Times bestselling author Tara Sue Me's enthralling Submissive series.
Nathaniel and Abby West are struggling to navigate the challenging waters of their own relationship, when they get a surprising phone call from their partners in play, Dena and Jeff, who are in need of a helping hand...
Seven years ago, desperate for something exhilarating to help her escape the pressures of her carefully controlled life, lawyer Dena Jenkins joined a local BDSM club as a submissive. There she met brooding Dominant, Jeff, and, despite Dena's doubts, they couldn't stay away from each other. But as the years have passed, their blazing connection has proven difficult to maintain and resulted in a history they'd rather forget. To save their passion, Dena and Jeff will have to rediscover what it means to trust - and give themselves to each other completely...
Before there was the fan fiction that became Fifty Shades of Grey, there was The Submissive... Indulge in the series that started it all: The Submissive, The Dominant, The Training, The Chalet, The Enticement, The Collar, The Exhibitionist and The Master.
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2015
For a brief moment in time, she'd believed she had all she'd ever wanted. Then the moment had passed, and now she was alone.
"Letting you go ripped a hole in my heart so big it aches every time I breathe."Dena and Jeff's story was an emotional one and there were moments that pulled at my heartstrings. I felt so sorry for the couple and for everything they had been through together. I understood the reasons behind the couples break up and it broke my heart to see how they had been affected by their past. I really hoped that this time around, Dena and Jeff could work out their issues and move forward together. I was rooting for them to take the second chance that they had been given.
No matter what happened between them, whether they were able to start again or not, no one else would ever make him feel the way she did.
The Collar is the fifth book in Tara Sue Me’s Submissive series, which has followed the lives of the D/s couple Nathanial and Abigail. It’s been one of my favorites, and I never seem to tire of the particular dynamic those two have going. To my surprise, this installment doesn’t focus on Nate and Abby, but Dena and Jeff, both members of Nate and Abby’s BDSM play group while they’re in Delaware. I had been under the impression that the author’s Partners in Play series was the spinoff that would focus on other couples, so I had to admit I was a little confused at the direction change, but Tara Sue Me hasn’t written a book I didn’t like, and this was no exception. Dena and Jeff have a complicated history as former Dominant and submissive. As a Harvard Law educated prosecutor and daughter of a Senator, Dena is the last woman you’d expect at first glance to kneel down for anyone. Jeff has the air of a natural Dominant, but as a high school dropout who earned his GED and went from cop to security firm owner, he seems the most unlikely match for Dena. Nevertheless, they had a beautifully matched D/s relationship, living together for a number of years, until tragedy struck and they drifted apart. Three years later, neither has found their way without the other. Some humorous manipulation on the part of their friends brings them in each other’s sights again, and neither can deny the pull that still exists between them. When Dena receives some threatening phone calls, Jeff feels he has no choice but to become her protector. The question is whether they can find their way back to each other again and reclaim what they once lost.
Tara Sue Me writes my type of Dominant. Whether refined and rolling in money like Nathanial, or working class and rough like Jeff, they have qualities that make me want to be in their playrooms. Not to say that they’re cookie cutter at all. Jeff is reserved and unyielding in his demands, but he’s balanced with a loving and caring side that Dena brings out so easily. Dena is Type A and in control everywhere but in the bedroom, making her my favorite type of sub to read about as well. This is one of the hottest BDSM focused books I’ve read in a while. Scene after scene work beautifully because of the amazing chemistry these two have. I would classify the BDSM as moderate on a scale of basic to extreme. Tara Sue Me has never shied away from punishment that brings pain, but there’s nothing edgy that might turn the casual reader away. There’s great bondage, plenty of flogging, and risky public play, but always just Dena and Jeff (NO sharing going on in Jeff’s world). The perspective alternates between Dena and Jeff’s past and through their breakup, to the present, as they try to reconnect. I didn’t find this jarring at all and it enhanced my understanding of the characters so much more. One of my favorite scenes in the whole book was Dena’s confrontation with her father. Submissives are NOT doormats and she illustrates this perfectly. Very satisfying. While I didn’t find this to be a challenging read, I like that I didn’t have to go through hell with these two to get an HEA. The sex is hot, the emotion moving, and the characters engaging. It’s a quick read that just felt really good.
*ARC provided by publisher
Reviewed by Jennifer
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