Mistress Stephanie's Strays by Jim Lyon

As much as we may grieve the loss of a loved one, I think we all dream of being left with a life-changing inheritance. For one young woman, that inheritance only begins with a sprawling Hawaiian mansion – it is the stable of servants who come with it, desiring only to please, which is truly life-changing. Despite her prior experience with the scene, Stephanie does adjust a little too quickly to her “readymade polyamorous D/s family,” but that is all part of the fantasy.

As we soon discover, Mistress Stephanie's Strays are there solely for their Mistress’s pleasure, taking their only pleasure in the act of submission. Male, female, or trans, their bodies have been rendered hairless through laser treatment, their chastity is ensured by piercings, and they all sport rather elaborate butt plugs. I took an immediate liking to Molly and her faux foxtail butt plug; was excited by Pete’s fondness for being pegged; and found myself intrigued by gentle Louise’s love of pain; but it was neutered sissy Toni who excited me the most.

To Jim Lyon’s credit, he smartly (and quickly) deals with issues of boredom and contentment. When Mistress Stephanie begins to feel somewhat suffocated by the intimacy of the world he Aunt created, she sets out to open the estate and their lives to the wider BDSM world. First, though, she finds herself a submissive lover in Jewel who can also help domme her inherited subs, whom she makes her own through the offering of some very personal theme gifts.

If I were to have one small complaint about the book it is that it sometimes moves to fast, skimming through scenes that I would have liked to see explored deeper. It is a lovely read as it is, but I would love to see an expanded edition that pads out the erotica to something more novel-length. Like I said, though, small complaint . . . and wanting more from an author is never a bad thing!

Reviewed by Sally