Review: Brat and Master

Brat and Master by Sindra van Yssel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars





Are bratty subs just topping from the bottom? Sometimes they are, sometimes they are just looking for the right Dom.

In BRAT AND MASTER, there is a fear that this book is going to be about a pushy disrespectful sub manipulating the Dom while winking at the reader and giggling. This kind of theme completely turns me off. I am very pleased to read a different portrayal of a bratty sub. Amanda is an experienced submissive who can switch. She's good for introducing new Dom/mes into the lifestyle and great at beginners' classes.

She's the one who knows how to flog and make it attractive. I found a kernel of truth in this point. I never really thought about it, but if a person is good at a specific skill and makes it look good too, there tends to be more demands to be a play partner. Of course, if the Top or Dom/me is a caring one, that makes them all the more alluring. It's the whole package. Amanda is the whole package and then some. She's a bit irreverent at times, which makes her come across as bratty. When the reader learns why she puts up barriers, it breaks my heart a little. To be the one that everyone wants to learn from just so they can move on to find the "true match" has got to hurt.

Ms van Yssel does an excellent job of showing the realistic responses of an experienced yet lonely submissive. Even better, she adds in a great teaching session on negotiation. This is the first BDSM book I've read in a long time which approaches negotiation in such an easy and understandable manner. The roleplay is dead on and perfect. While it's not the responsibility of the author to teach BDSM 101, no one really does it better than Ms van Yssel. One can tell she's in the lifestyle and possesses the passion to teach. I thoroughly enjoyed the realism in this tale. The many teaching moments are dear to my heart and done in easy bite-size pieces. Ms van Yssel doesn't lecture. I've actually witnessed similar teaching scenes in classes I've attended.

Not only is this a great beginner BDSM book, the characters in this story are more relatable, too. There is no rich billionaire sweeping a young innocent virginal female off her feet. Instead, there is a fifty-year-old experienced male Dom who's been absent from the lifestyle for a few years looking to return. Jeremy is the Dom so many submissives look for and can't find. He's the only slightly unrealistic piece to this story. His mature, experienced and down-to-earth attitude are all appealing. It's nice to read about older characters rather than the young barely legal yet mysteriously over mature ones. Amanda is quite a bit younger in her mid-thirties. Still, it's older than most BDSM characters in popular stories.

Another takeaway I'd like to specifically point out is Jeremy's observation about the lifestyle. He did it without a lot of fancy equipment. This is something to note. Sometimes, the gadgets get in the way. Many times, it's the mindset, attitude and a strong spanking arm which will set the scene just right. Ms van Yssel definitely proves that a mind can be a powerful aphrodisiac.

This kinky story is highly recommended as a Gateway to BDSM book.



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