BDSM Reviews

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Unbound Commitment By: Sierra Cartwright


Unbound Commitment
By: Sierra Cartwright
Published by: Ellora's Cave 2006
ISBN: 1-4199-0823-5

Rating 5 out of 5

As a woman in charge in her business, Rachel finds her secret longings for submission to be strange. Without her best friend Cindy she never would have gotten herself into this. The experience of being a slave for the next six days to a very tough Master that only goes by the name of Sir James. So with the help of her friend she calls him.

He isn't as game as she is, and so the next three weeks are spent on the phone. He commands actions from her and like a dutiful slave she obeys them. After a time, Rachel begins to push for a meeting. She needs this, she craves this. But she certainly wasn't prepared for this. Giving up everything of who she was before accepting her position as slave. But, how hard can six days be? Bat her eye lashes, get all pouty. The way she's done with every other male in her life to get ouf of doing things she didn't want to do. Oh, the surprise she has when he walks through the door of his Colorado cabin and she is standing insted of kneeling, answering her phone instead of waiting on his command. And for the first time in her life she trembles with regret.

He thought he was getting an experienced slave. He thought the problems he had with Mechelle were going to dissipate with another slave. He thought he hadn't misjudged yet another woman. He thought wrong. Rachel is nothing that she says she was. She is untrained, unprepared and too self centered to be a slave. As much as he hates the idea of taking on someone that obvious lacks skill and training, he seems drawn to her perserverance. So he agrees to the next six days. He isn't going to let her get away with her deceit. She will pay the price for what she has done. He is a demanding slave owner and will take nothing less than complete and total submission. Like everything, his Dominance is going to come at a price. And he isn't very willing to pay that price.

The next six days are the most grueling for Rachel and Sir James. Her limits with herself are tested and his patience is tested from minute one. Rachel fights to give up her own self-reliance. She tries desperatly to understand his commands, the uncomfortable positions and those damned enemas. Before she is fully aware of it, she begins to understand it. Through it all Sir James offers her the keys to her car, offers her to use her safeword. She can back out any time. She can leave him before he leaves her. So when the time comes she has a choice to make. Give it all up for him or go back to her regularly scheduled life. For the life of her, she has no idea which one she wants.

At the time that I opened this story and saw the word slave, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end, I crossed my arms over my chest and scowled at my screen. I did not want to turn down another novel. I continued to read. By the end of page one I was laughing at the easy conversation between Rachel and Cindy. Rachel's perception of slavery. I think I even said aloud once or twice... oh boy this girl has no idea what she's about to get into. Because, if Sir James was anything like that description I would be quaking in my boots.

The best part about it. Sierra Cartwright delivered. She wrote a real life Master and slave story. She left nothing out, all the horrible duties we like to sheild our eyes from were in this book. I can't stress enough how real this was. Her talent with words astounded my senses. She left out a full description of Sir James, to allow the reader to picture who they wanted James to be. She left out a full description of Rachel leaving it open to make Rachel who the reader wanted Rachel to be. So the hottest celebrity in Hollywood and I went on an adventure I won't soon forget. Most of her imagry was in the form of dialogue. This normally would have thrown me off, left me confused, but she stayed in the moment. There was very little time for outside thoughts. The scenes weren't suddenly stopped to reminisce or to feel. By staying in the moment, I had no choice but to stay in the moment and enjoy the roller coaster of emotions that filled her story.

Although, I enjoy all aspects of this story, there are certain parts that stand out as above the rest. The natural flow of events helped to drag me deeper into it. I was able to walk through the rooms with this couple. Go through the steps of their everyday life. Sir James even did dishes. At Rachel's moment of change it fit, it was natural. Her outburst was only expected, considering the amount of emotional stress she had been through with Sir James. As a reader I was never concerned with what might happen next, I was just happy to be have been invited in. If I were to match the flow with what he was trying to teach her, I must say if it wasn't done intentionl then I read too much into things. Throughout the whole story James is constantly telling Rachel, be in the moment. Stop focusing so much on the outside and focus on the inside. In this book you have no choice but to be in the moment. Never once does she send you anywhere else. Best of all, I was looking forward to how she might please him next.

Rachel is your typical, I can do it my way, have it my way kind of girl. While secretly she longs to submit it all to the one man that can accomplish this difficult task, inside she is afraid that this might happen. Past relationships have taught her that the ultimate submission she seeks is strange and weird. She is painted as a freak by her exhusband. At the time that this opporunity arises with Sir James, she is in a dead end boring relationship with a man that treats her like gold. What could be more annoying than dating a man who doesn't want to give you a spanking?

What I liked best about Rachel is that although she wants this and is afraid to get it, she refuses to leave no matter how difficult. She knows she needs this despite her own misgivings. She was a character that it was easy to get into the pace of, understand her mind. She made normal mistakes. Her body ached the way it would carrying out positions she had never done before. I cried when she cried, laughed when she laughed, bit my nails when I saw she was about to get into big trouble, covered my eyes in a few places as truly this woman would not just shut up sometimes. And most of all, I wanted to be Rachel. Ms. Cartwright actually made me want to walk in someone elses shoes. By the end of the story Rachel is anything but typical. She is a determined woman and she won't stop at anything to get what she needs in life.

Sir James is another story all together. He's tough. No is not in his vocabulary for his slave. He expects and will receive nothing less than complete submission. And he does it in a way that the slave does not and can not say no to. And nothing is more hot than a man you can't say not to. James at all times has Rachel's best interest at heart. He never asks for more than she can give. No matter if she believes she can't do it. Because he took the time to understand Rachel, because he understands himself, he is able to build a confidence in his slave.

He has patience and respect for his slave. There were many times that he was not just Rachel's Master but he was also her friend. He inquired about her past, her life, where she saw herself. He delved into her fantasies and found the reasons for those fantasies. Knowing what was in her head helped to define how he would direct their play. This went a long way in my book. A man who can decipher a woman's needs through actual conversation says much about a man.

They sat down to dinner and breakfast. To keep her on her toes he would stop their simple conversation and command an action. He made it clear that at all times he was the Master, even when it seemed as though he was just a friend. Even though he wants all of Rachel, there are parts of him that are not open. Areas of himself he won't let Rachel into. This creates a conflict for the both of them. He knows that without opening up to her about himself and his past, that he doesn't stand a chance of having more from her.

The play scenes between James and Rachel are amazing. At all times James was very aware of what Rachel was going through. It did not deter him from his decisions. I was amazed at how I actually cried at the end of their first scene. Rachel was so vulnerable, so open it left me in tears and utterly exhausted. In turn this only heightened my respsect for James as a Master. Their final scene where he makes her fantasy come true brought a sweet smile to my face. I have never seen anything like that before in any of my readings.

To finally sum up the story, this was probably the most beautiful Master and slave story I have ever had the opportunity to read. Anyone looking for a real life look into this lifestyle would do well to purchase this book. Sierra Cartwright is an author with her own voice and an open imagination. Thank you Ms. Cartwright, I couldn't put your book down it was that entertaining.

Reviewed by: Miranda Heart

Posted by Miranda Heart :: 8:46 AM :: 0 Comments:

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