Friday, August 27, 2021

Romance Book Review: For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes (transgender)

Title
For the Love of April French
Author
Penny Aimes
Publication Date: Aug. 31 2021
Publisher: Carina Adores
Genres: Romance
Protagonist Gender: Transgender
Sexuality: Straight

For a sweet, happily-ever-after romance, For the Love of April French hit me hard. Beneath the romance, behind the power-exchange erotica, and underneath the questions of privilege and prejudice, there's an exploration of self-esteem and self-acceptance that absolutely gutted me. There's so much of April's internal trauma that resonated with me, going right to my heart, that reading this left me in a dark, contemplative place for a few days.

Having climbed back out of that place, full of as many questions as revelations, I can honestly say that I unequivocally loved this book. Penny Aimes explores the story from both April and Dennis' points of view, with story threads that overlap, showing how each of them saw things and responded to them. The extended timeline is a bit odd for a romance, but perfectly fitting for a power-exchange story built on edging and orgasm denial.

I loved the pairing of a self-made millionaire and a self-made woman, one having lived a lifetime of prejudice because of his race, the other because of her gender. Both have their own character arcs of self-realization and self-improvement within the story, and it's all tied directly into the power-exchange. That element adds a whole new layer to the story, and Aimes captures it beautifully, going beyond bondage and punishment to explore the emotional bond between Dominant and submissive, complete with safewords and aftercare. It really brought the story to life for me, and it's a big part of why I identified so strongly with April.

Getting back to April, Aimes takes an honest, realistic approach to building out her character, and I love her for doing it. She's not some perfect, plastic, pretty girl. She deals with passing, struggles with her voice, and suffers through the pain of all-day electrolysis. Despite all that, she is happy with who she has become. Dennis loves her for who she is, inside and out, and supports her through all of it, which makes him just about the world's most perfect Dominant and lover. Aimes could have played it safe, she could have pandered to a cis vanilla audience who might have had an easier time accepting a perfect heroine, but it wouldn't be the same book, and it wouldn't have half the emotional impact.

Finally, I have to give credit to the wider cast. Whether it's in the office or the kink club, there's also a lovely cast of supporting characters who bring some added resonance to the story, including April's pregnant coworker (who I loved), a lesbian BDSM couple (who I adored), and a cis submissive (who I came to respect). For the Love of April French is an unusual romance, but it works on all levels, and should resonate with a wide range of readers.

Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀ 

My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Freebie Fetish Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Fetish Friday.

Every Friday I search through the weekend's free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon's free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.




While you're on Amazon, my new release, RELAXING BOUNDARIES, is now available, and I have a super sexy story in the newly released Coming Soon: Women's Orgasm Erotica!

Enjoy!  

Friday, August 20, 2021

Freebie Fetish Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Fetish Friday.

Every Friday I search through the weekend's free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon's free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.



While you're on Amazon, my new release, RELAXING BOUNDARIES, is now available, and I have a super sexy story in the newly released Coming Soon: Women's Orgasm Erotica!

Enjoy!  

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Erotica Book Review: Dominated by the Futas by Bryce Calderwood (futa femdom)

Title: Dominated by the Futa Orcs & Dominated by the Futa Centaurs
Author: Bryce Calderwood
Publication Date: June 20, 2019 & March 3, 2021
Protagonist Gender: Male
Sexuality: Bisexual

Dominated by the Futas is a two-book (so far) erotic fantasy saga by Bryce Calderwood that's as big on fun as it is on futa members. There's often an element of size difference in futa erotica, but rarely to the extent we find here, and I absolutely loved it!

Dominated by the Futa Orcs, the first book in the series, introduces us to Kal, a slender Elven prince who gets swept up in an attack by a gang of invading futa orcs. He's at an immediate physical disadvantage, too small and too weak to effectively fight back, but he's also at an emotional one, too intrigued and too aroused to resist the lure of futa pheromones. There's a nice edge to it all that the story explores, never letting us forget that there's genuine danger beneath the excitement.

Of course, if you've ever read a Bryce Calderwood story, then you know that these futa women are as irresistible as they are well-endowed. Before long, Kal finds himself a willing sex slave to the entire tribe, stretched and broken every night, only to magically healed in time for the morning. The sex is big, it's messy, and it's deliciously decadent. You know he should attempt to escape, at least try to free himself of their clutches, but you also can't blame him for enjoying it.

Dominated by the Futa Centaurs picks up where the first book left off, with Kal still a willing captive of the well-hung futa orcs who pass him around like a community sex toy. There's some nice character development there, a little insight into both the dangers of the orcs and the psychology of being a captive, but you have to wonder where it's all headed - and where it's headed is bigger, better, and bolder than even the most decadent reader can imagine.

When the futa orcs make the very poor decision to attack a community of tiny futa faeries, they find themselves in a pitched battle with even bigger futa centaurs. Kal feels guilty about his wandering eye, dreaming of those massive horse-like members in the midst of battle, and when it comes time for a challenge, a duel between tribes with him as the prize, he's not sure who he wants to win.

This second story has a lot of fun playing with size, giving Kal a tiny faerie lover along with a giant centaur one, and it humanizes things a bit, contrasting the brutality of the orcs with the more caring nature of the centaurs. It's no less messy or delicious, but even better than the first because of the character development.

Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀ 

Friday, August 13, 2021

Freebie Fetish Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!


Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Fetish Friday.

Every Friday I search through the weekend's free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon's free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.



While you're on Amazon, my new release, RELAXING BOUNDARIES, is now available, and I have a super sexy story in the newly released Coming Soon: Women's Orgasm Erotica!

Enjoy!