Kinky Book Reviews

Grace’s Final Submission (Locks and Chains)
Author: Sara Kingston
Publisher: Siren Publishing
Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Bookstrand

Rating: 4.5 of 5 kinks!

Review by Penelope:
When Grace Sinclair finally divorces her vanilla husband after years of unsatisfying sex she takes the opportunity to start fresh. BDSM has been her secret vice but she has never explored it. Applying for membership to an exclusive members only BDSM club, The Locks and Chains, she gets her invitation to attend “trial night” where she will have her sexual boundaries and existing lifestyle choices tested.

Craig Blackwell, owner of Locks and Chains, can spot whether someone is a Dom or sub at first glance. Grace is a puzzle. Dom by appearance, sub by nature, she needs to explore where she fits. Convincing her to fully embrace the lifestyle for a 6 months trial period, Grace agrees to participate in the club sponsored slave auction night to debut the new her.

Michael Cooper and Jason Smith, Dom friends, are heavily into the lifestyle. Menage relationships with willing subs have satisfied their sexual needs but not for long. Trying a new approach, they look into acquiring a willing BDSM slave. One who will want them for their Dom skills, not their money.

So begins Grace’s education. Where she can surrender control and learn more about herself in the process. But when factors leave her questioning her decision she has to decide who and what will really make her happy.

Up until this point I have rarely read a BDSM lifestyle slave story that has portrayed it in a positive, consensual, mutually satisfying manner. I got to hate the word slave because the person was either forced or unwilling. Ms. Kingston has changed my opinion by depicting why a willing person would choose to become a sub slave 24/7.  I was grabbed into the story reading page by page in fascination as the story developed while enjoying the erotically hot sex scenes. The main characters had chemistry, attitude, and so much more while the secondary characters were engaging and appropriate to the story.

The concerns I did have were with the later parts of the book. I’m not sure if the beginning to mid story overshadowed later parts or the author hiccuped. But at a certain point, of which I won’t explain about as it would be a spoiler, I was disappointed with the author’s story line direction.  Of course you have to read the story yourself to draw your own conclusion, but I didn’t feel the characters would have chosen where the author went. This did affect how I felt the ending worked but was good all the same.

This is the first book I have read from this fairly new published author but it won’t be the last. Sara Kingston really knows how to write erotica. Her writing style and attention to plot development, lifestyle considerations, and character interaction are outstanding. And the hot sex and BDSM play give it an erotic touch that truly is to die for. While BDSM in this story is light to moderate it will appeal to the reader who hasn’t read much about the lifestyle and those who have. I see the potential for further installments spun from this book and hope the author will consider it if she hasn’t already. But, for now, this is one good story that is well written, uses BDSM in a positive light, and has me squirming for more.