Holding the Cards Series: Nature of Desire #1
Author: Joey W. Hill
Pages: 256 (Paperback)
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Release Date: January 1, 2002
Source: Borrowed
Purchase: Amazon
Lauren is a successful doctor with a healthy attitude toward sex, unashamed of her proclivities as a sexual dominant. She wants love and a family, but she's beginning to believe there is no Mr. Right willing to stand by her in sickness and health...and be cuffed, stripped, and smacked with a riding crop.
Then her friend Lisette invites her to spend a long weekend on a private island. It turns out Lisette can't come with her, but Lauren opts to go anyway, with no one for company but Joshua, the island caretaker, and his visiting friend, Marcus. Though both men are beautiful, it is Joshua that catches Lauren's attention, and not just because Marcus prefers men.
Something in Josh's stormy eyes calls to her. When Marcus facilitates a game of submission and control between the three of them that will last throughout the weekend, Lauren embraces the opportunity. Josh overwhelms her with his willingness to submit to her body's desires, but her heart wants to get to the secrets behind those eyes. She is going to have to tear down his defenses and make him give her everything. And this is one Mistress who doesn't take no for an answer...
Holding the Cards was an interesting one. I liked it more for the interesting backstories of the main characters, rather than their blossoming relationship. Lauren is spending a week on a private island to gather her thoughts. But then all of her thoughts are consumed with the mysterious Josh. She’s been hurt and she can tell that he’s been hurt badly too. With the help of his friend Marcus, Lauren intends to break through Josh’s walls. She also hopes to find herself again.
What kept me from fully getting into Holding the Cards was the dialogue. It’s very cheesy and at times, dramatic. This is an older title, so it’s kind of to be expected. But I found myself rolling my eyes a lot when the characters were discussing their feelings. Which they do, a lot. But I did get completely invested in their stories. Lauren is a Domme who was hurt by her sub. Josh is a sub who was hurt by *spoiler*. Lauren’s story was interesting, but Josh’s was truly shocking.
Holding the Cards doesn’t have as much sex as I was expecting for an Erotic title. The D/s scenes are also quite tame until that big confrontation near the end. I get that Lauren is easing her way back into being a Domme and doesn’t want to go too fast with Josh. But I just wanted more. I also wanted more from Marcus. He’s just kind of there as a buffer for the majority of the time. He does get one scene with them, which was pretty good.
In the end, Holding the Cards was good. But more for the exploration of what can happen when Doms and subs aren’t 100% honest with each other. I’ve never read a BDSM title that went into that before, so I was definitely hooked by that angle.
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