BDSM Reviews

Friday, June 29, 2007

Into His Keeping By: Gail Faulkner

Author: Gail Faulkner
Title: Into His Keeping
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 9781419910579


Reviewed By: Monique
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Blurb from Elloraʼs Cave:

She became the air he breathed. Her passionate gift of surrender matched his dominant soul. Then she was gone. Heʼd never accepted that sheʼd wanted to leave. Ensuring she could find her way back to him was the drive that shaped him into a modern-day gladiator as ruthless as any whoʼd lived to walk off the blood-soaked field in the original Coliseum. Fifteen years later it was way past time to accept sheʼd chosen not to return.

Second chances were wishful thinking. Jill wasnʼt looking for one. She didnʼt have time for pipe dreams and she had no illusions about the stranger Holdin had become. Famous, rich and now retired from football, he might not remember her. If he did, he might not care to hear what actually happened so long ago. She desperately hoped she had something he would care about though.

A second chance was all Holdin needed. Ensuring possession of Jill was a battle he intended to win. Veteran of a thousand fields of honor, Holdin knew better than to expect a fair fight.

I incorporated the description given by Elloraʼs Cave to give you a sense of what makes this story absolutely fascinating. It begins as an all consuming tidal wave of emotion and it never lets up. Miss Faulkner has managed to create two characters that need each other with so much intensity, itʼs breathtaking.

I particularly liked that she gives us a glimpse of our hero/heroine as young lovers, sweethearts, if you will, where even in their innocence, they had the makings of a Dom/sub relationship. Holdin has always known who he is, but the tenderness with which he teaches Jill about submission really gives the reader a beautiful glimpse into the BDSM lifestyle. During their first love making scene, he eases her into it with such care, such gentleness, you really get a sense of how much he respects and loves her, despite the beast within him that begs to come out. As adults, their love scenes get hotter and hotter, until it finally explodes into a full out heated session with toys, rough commands, and a breakdown in the shower that will leave you flushed and teary eyed all at once.

The vivid account of Jillʼs trip into subspace also displayed Miss Faulknerʼs thorough understanding of whatʼs so appealing in this lifestyle. It was intense, but at the same time, when Jill peaked, we understood her euphoria. That sort of writing is difficult to come by.

Expect to be moved by this story. Miss Faulknerʼs writing borders on poetic. She creates a realistic family dynamic that made me laugh at times. Her understanding of male bonding is sharp and I wonder if she could share that insight with the rest of the world. We could certainly use it. But seriously, what struck me most were the emotions, not just in the romance, but even in the small moments, that will imprint the life story of Holdin and Jill in your memory for a long time after youʼve read it.

Posted by Monique :: 12:31 PM :: 2 Comments:

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