Finding Love Down Under by Donna Jay

A sweet and sexy erotic romance, Finding Love Down Under is a story that soars on the strength of its characters and the sincerity of their relationship. Claire and Zoe are such a wonderful couple - real women with pasts and personalities. They both come into the story with some serious trust issues from their last relationships, and that pain is dealt with honestly and openly. As much as we want them to open their eyes, see what's before them, and dive headlong into love, Donna Jay knows that would be a recipe for disaster.

While the two strangers quickly become fast friends, those trust issues make it difficult for them to admit their feelings for one another, especially when neither is sure the other is even a lesbian. It makes for a slow, sweet tale, but it is one that's a joy to read. Watching these two women get to know one another, come out of their respective shells, and settle into a life together is just wonderful. By the time they are ready to test the waters of love, it is already clear they are meant to be together, and even then they take it slow. Trust issues mean patience and safewords, and both women respect that.

As for those safewords, the story does start out on an exceptionally hot note, with a scene that starts kinky, but which quickly goes dark. In it, we are introduced to Claire and her fiancée, two women who seem to be very much in love, with some kinky ageplay and BDSM tying them together. Claire likes to play mommy to her brat, tying her up, spanking her, and verbally dominating her. Amy has a secret, however, and the only thing more painful than Claire's discovery of that secret is Amy's nonchalant disregard of her concerns, and her refusal to acknowledge the betrayal. While we don't find out her story until later, Zoe's own kinky, BDSM-fueled relationship was torn apart by a similar betrayal of trust, with an arrogant, possessive lover who refused to see acknowledge how deeply she wounded her submissive.

Love of any kind requires trust, but the love between a dominant and her submissive requires absolute trust. It does not come easily, as is tested by interference by past lovers, but that just makes their happily-ever-after that much sweeter. The sex, when it does come, is hot and kinky, but also tasteful and lusciously detailed. By keeping the characters at the forefront, Donna Jay does femdom erotica just as well as she does lesbian romance. Even if you're just bi-curious or an erotic voyeur, you will come out of Finding Love Down Under wanting what Claire and Zoe have.

Reviewed by Sally