BDSM Reviews

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Topping Tora By: Laura Bacchi




Topping Tora
By: Laura Bacchi
Published By: Liquid Silver Books 2006
ISBN: 1-59578-294-X

Rating: 5 out of 5

If it had not been for her best friend Sasha, Tora never would have found herself auctioned off at Club Xotica. The club that she decided she would be someone's bottom for six days. That someone happened to be Jovan, who did everything in his power to be there that week so that he could purchase her and have the opportunity of a lifetime to Top her. There is no way that Tora is going to let him, her rival, Top her. He steals leads right out from under her, he thinks he's better than she is and for the life of her she could never stop thinking about him.

Now they are stuck with each other for the next six days. On the first night she tries to resist him, does everything in her power to uphold her snarky personality. Yet, nothing phases him and she quickly realizes that topping from the bottom was not what she signed up for. So, she submits. She agrees to this week with him, knowing that after this week is up they would both have had their fill of one another, get it out of their systems and return to work without so much as a smile in passing.

At least that is what they both expect to happen. Their fun week quickly spins out of control when they find a dead body. Then Tora wants to have a Dominant with more skill, more control. They meet someone who she feels could give her all that and more. He does, in more ways than she could have ever imagined. But, when she's kidnapped, Jovan and Tora's worlds are turned upside down and they are met with their biggest challenges yet. If only she survives this ordeal will they ever get to find out.

I finished this book some hours ago and I'm still at a loss for words. To say this book was the best book I've read in five years would be putting it mildly. Laura has a talent that is far above any writer I have probably ever read. The best part about her writing is how it relates to us as individuals.

Jovan, the Dom of the story made mistakes. He gave her a spanking with a paddle and actually missed his target and hit her thigh instead. He was unsure of himself, his skills, his ability to have Tora submit to him. This keeps him from making the stern decisions about her bratty behavoir that he should have been making. Normally, this would have annoyed me, but instead this made me build a relationship with him. He's real. And I don't even have to tell you that he is sexy.

Tora was your typical newbie bottom. She thought the best way to get what she wanted was by behaving bratty. How could she not believe that when Jovan delivered at every turn. This is what brought me closer to Tora. Her secret yearnings to submit to someone much more powerful than herself are finally revealed and she is as scared as a new born kitten. She has no idea how to properly behave and even if she did, her confidence around Jovan plummets. She has set him on such a high pedastal in her mind that she fights him at every turn. Because, no one can top Tora. With the introduction of Pieter, she does find that she can submit as long as she has a firm hand. I couldn't help but identify with her. She's in control, she has an answer for everything and no matter how badly she wants something she can't seem to keep her mouth shut.

The other part that made these two so believable to me was the dialogue. Ms. Bacchi must have truly gone over their dialogue a thousand times out loud to have determined exactly what would have been said. At no time did I feel like any of the characters were pushing to say the right thing. And her visuals. At times they had me running for a cold shower and others they had me clutching my stomach. All I have to say is read the scene with the fly. Amazing. Utterly amazing. Last but never least was the way she drew me in emotionally, in several places through out the book I just wanted to cry. When the antagonist finally showed his true colors I wanted to scream at my book. And when the club owners called everyone slaves I just wanted to laugh. Their lack of knowledge showed the true reasons why they opened this club. And it wasn't because they believed in this lifestyle.

There were two other characters in Topping Tora that deserve attention. Pearl and Elena. Pearl is at the beginning of the book that shows Tora how to actually give an orgasm to a woman. She's your everyday seen it all a thousand times sorta gal. Yet, because of her helpfulness, her eagerness to see to the well being of her guests, she truly stands out above your normal staff member. She is there from beginning to end and she forms a bond with Jovan and Tora that neither of them will ever forget. Then, there is poor Elena. She is a character that is only there towards the end. A woman that truly made me cry. She's that person in all of us that feels trapped by circumstances and never doesn't want to leave her present situation for fear of how the world will view her. I have never said this about a character in my life, but I hope she does well for herself.

As you have probably noticed I have mentioned very little if anything about the sex in this book. There was sex and I remember it was great, but it truly had nothing to do with the book. She had the perfect amount of scenes in there to bring you closer to what was to follow, but, the emotional depth of this story was much more important than what happened in the bedroom. As with everything else in the book, her sexual encounters were vital to the characters, they were real, these two could have truly just been anyone. The way they grow throughout the novel and what they learn is what made them stand out from two ordinary people going about their day.

Laura, I hope to see more from you, you are truly an exceptional author that stole my breath away with Topping Tora. I can only hope this review does justice to what you have written. Thank you.

Reviewed By: Miranda Heart

Posted by Miranda Heart :: 8:30 PM :: 1 Comments:

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