Danni by Terri Peterson (#gay #crossdressing domination)

My, what a twisted, taboo tale Terri Peterson has woven with Danni. This is one of those stories that refuses to play out according to the genre conventions, and instead challenges us with questionable acts and even more questionable motivations, all in the name of self-discovery.

As the story opens, Danny Beaumont is a skinny kid with a girlfriend, but his performance issues lead Chloe to question whether he might be gay. Not content with his nonchalant denial, she sets him up with her cousin, Tom, and an experimental kiss soon leads both men to a spare bedroom. The first four chapters here are sweet and sort-of innocent, a story of self-discovery, self-acceptance, and a lot of erotic boy-on-boy sex. Peterson captures the spirit of the moment so well, and establishes some important personalities.

It is in the next few chapters where the story takes a dark left turn, first with the discovery that Tom is submissive to a much older Daddy, and then with Danny's invitation to become Dick's newest submissive. It sounds like an erotic fantasy - and it is - but this is not a tale of instant fetish love. There is some significant tension there, vague warnings from Tom, and a lot of pressure from Dick to leap blindly into a heavy-duty lifestyle. Danny has his doubts, but quickly falls under Daddy's power, allowing himself to be feminized and pimped out to Dick's friends. It is there that the story hits its darkest point, but it does not stay there.

Do not think for a moment that Danni is a victim, however, or that this is a depressing cautionary tale. I love how he ultimately takes control of his situation, embraces his femininity, and . . . well, I will stop there. This was a fantastic read, a heart-pounding erotic thriller that does go to some dark places, but which never loses sight of the humanity beneath the fetish, the sex, and the violence.

'Terri' Peterson, was born August 19th, 1969, and spent what she referred to as 'a miserably failed experiment in tyranny' at a typical secondary school, where she was bullied relentlessly and made fun of. She left with no regrets, a handful of qualifications for a career in banking, and bitter memories of time spent being the object of ridicule by her peers. Being myopic, gauche, skinny and flat-chested, sporting a head of rich auburn hair, made her a daily target for abuse, which she escaped by becoming immersed in the fantasy world of writing short stories.

Reviewed by Sally