Liquid Silver Books, $5.75, ISBN 978-1-59578-614-2
Contemporary Erotica, 2009
When it comes to BDSM romances, I am not the person to ask if you want to know how authentic the author’s portrayal of that such practices is. I don’t find BDSM particularly erotic in the first place, so my familiarity with that subject matter is not exactly something I’d crow about. In this instance, the reason I am reading Unmasking Dorian is because I’ve enjoyed Violet Summers’s works in the past.
I can relate to the heroine Cassidy Anderson-Lassiter when she’s filling an online survey form at a BDSM website early in the story, heh, as she’s both amused and amazed at the how people sometimes wear and act in the name of BDSM. Cassidy is fascinated with that subject after accidentally discovering a book on the subject matter. A widow with a daughter to raise, Cassidy knows that her wild girl days are in her past. Still, she does feel a little bored now and then. Therefore, going online into a chatroom and looking for some experienced practitioner to chat about the subject matter can’t hurt, right? She doesn’t intend to meet that fellow or engage in hands-on study. She doesn’t intend to do anything serious, she is just curious…
But her online Dom, Master Darken, causes her to experience divine sexual pleasures during their online and phone moments, as she listens to and obeys his instructions to touch herself. You know what they say about famous last words then – when Master Darken asks her to meet him at the neighborhood BDSM club, Cassidy realizes that the last thing she wants is to adhere to her initial stance about wanting to merely satisfy her curiosity. Of course, we are talking about a romance here, so she’s naturally gorgeous while he has a flat stomach you can grate cheese on.
Honestly, the reason I read this book is because I know Violet Summers can write really hot sex scenes, and here she doesn’t disappoint at all. Ooh, baby, someone please open the windows because it sure is getting hot in here. I’m amazed that my PC didn’t short circuit from all the naughty things going on in here. The sex scenes work because Ms Summers has this vivid way of describing sensations and feelings during a particular act that has me fanning myself. It’s not just Tab A going into Slot B, it’s Tab A going into Slot B with all the sensations, emotions, and bloody screaming orgasms described to make the act a most erotic scene indeed.
The second half of the story sees the author wisely focusing on the emotions of her characters instead of merely on what they do in the bedroom. As a result, yeah, when the characters decide that they are in love, I can believe that. I also love how the author has her characters behave like likable human beings outside the bedroom. This is a good way in getting me to relate to these characters despite my general lack of appreciation for BDSM.
Again, I will say that I have no idea how authentic the BDSM scenes in this story are. All I know is that they are well-written sex scenes that work very well. On top of that, I find the romance pretty satisfying too. As an erotic romance, therefore, I can only say that Unmasking Dorian has been a pretty successful one where I am concerned.
