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Location: United Kingdom

Member Since: July 07, 2010

sparkly bearsy

Smashwords book reviews by sparkly bearsy

Comfort Food on July 28, 2010

5 out of 5 Top Rated Twenty four hours after reading this book i'm still thinking about it, and still all i want to write is 'wow' Comfort Food by Kitty Thomas i can honestly say is a book that messed with my mind and dragged me into the story taking me through every emotion and yet i just want to say wow. wow. This in no way an erotic romance story, there is no hearts or flowers, no moonlit walks, no whispered sweet nothings or even dirty talk. it is dark, disturbing, gritty, agony to read at times. But it is compelling and just as Emily was, i was thrust into the world of master and slave, the words coming alive from the page, i wanted to know more about Master and Emily, i was enthralled to read and read. Emily with her major in Psychology knows all about the stockholm syndrome but her fear and need for any kind of human contact drives her on each day, her inner dialogue is fantastic in portraying her emotions, her need her agony her ability to reason for her survival. There is very little dialogue from Emily, mostly it is her inner thoughts, all sex scenes told in the third party, and you get little to no dialogue point of view from Master yet everything he is the author conveys with a look to his eyes, a movement of his body, he doesn't show anger, he doesn't get violent but you feel the threat from him at every moment. he is disciplined in controlling Emily he knows she will do most anything for a moment of companionship, he knows when to punish when to reward, everything is a choice, she chooses wrong and Emily is back in what she calls the bad cell instead of the plush bedroom filled with all her favourite things. It was actually surprising that i could feel anything for Master in the form of compassion, but i did. Two thirds in events take a different slant and you begin to understand him, you see why this man who is beautiful and strong and by societies standards a male women would throw themselves at, did the things he did. There is no sob back-story from him, what he does when he captures Emily is truly calculated, dark and evil. But yet i didn't feel hate for this character, i was engaged with him as much as i was with Emily. This is a beautifully written story, the author paints vivid images that stays with you, from the chicken noodle soup, to Emily getting her period, to the erotic sex scenes, to the despair emptiness inside Emily. The relationship between Master and Emily pushed all boundaries for them both, i cheered Emily, i was anxious for her and felt happy as her strength and courage fought through. I went into this book thinking how could there be a happily ever after, and in the traditional sense no this book doesn't give you that, it showcases a relationship between Master and Slave, about pushing boundaries to the their limits to free inner desires. I can't convey loudly enough just how brilliant this book is, it's not for the faint hearted, it's not for someone who likes a little bondage play in their stories, what you do get is an exceptionally written take of a master conditioning his slave and ultimately giving her what she never knew she wanted. It's a dark erotica and truly Kitty Thomas pushes at your thoughts and emotions with every turn of the page. I rarely give any book full marks, unless they touch me in a way that stays with me long after i've put the book down, if the characters and actions are still with me the following day then top marks has to be given. A compelling read that will stay with me forever.
Tender Mercies on May 14, 2011

For an entire year, Lucas groomed Grace long distance into becoming his slave on an exclusive island where Master is ruler over all and slaves have little to no rights. Smart, funny charming he seems to be everything Grace wants from the kink lifestyle but soon lives to regret her decision. Tender Mercies by Kitty Thomas picks up Eight month after Grace arrived on the Island and she's in a living nightmare. Lucas is the Master from Hell putting Grace through the most unimaginable torture, sick twisted things all trying to break her spirit so he can own her completely. Several times this book was turned on its head with its plot twists, just when you think it's going one way Kitty Thomas takes a 180 and blows your mind. Lucas was a character i hated. I hated him with a fiery vengeance, he's the kind of character you would happily see burn in Hell and not feel regret over it. He was truly evil with the things he did to Grace, and thankfully we didn't get in depth details because just the hint of things was enough. I'd wondered how the story would go if he was the hero, and then Asher appeared. Asher the antithesis to Lucas and suddenly this story had the kind of Master Slave relationship i'd been waiting for. We see Asher at the beginning of the book when an 'Omg' moment happens, something i had not expected (the first of Kitty Thomas' 180 moves!) he's living with what happened, when he sees the rough treatment Grace is having to endure, wants her instantly. Buys her from Lucas. And that's when the story finally has some heat to it. He's not a soft Master, but as he tells Grace he will never harm her. He punishes, he makes the frightened broken Grace whole again and it was beautiful to read. It was almost like reading a romance with extreme BDSM tossed into the mix. Asher was just lovely and when another twist is thrown in he made me swoon with what he did for Grace. I can't ever praise Kitty Thomas enough for the books she writes, she isn't afraid to "go there" i love that she blows my mind with her subject matter, she twists the sexy with erotic and makes you question morals beliefs of what is consensual and non consensual. While this is yet another of her books that wont be for everyone, if you reach for the smelling salts easily then it's probably not something you'll want to read. I for one will read Tender Mercies again, the story is strong, characters you will love or hate equally, enough erotic content to keep even the kinkiest of bitches happy and a.. dare i say it...romance to satisfy you with the swoon. Did i mention i love Asher? i do! Favourite Quotes: “Sweet, little Grace. I like slaves who are careful, who agonize over the decision. You’re the one I had to fight hardest to acquire. I found several potentials to replace my last slave, but they were all too stupid. After a week they were ready to come here. But you . . . you were different. You were a prize worth owning.” - Lucas “I take care of what’s mine.” - Asher A wonderful read. I give Tender Mercies by Kitty Thomas 4 out of 5!