Book Review: The Delicious Torment

The Delicious Torment: A Story of Submission by Alison Tyler

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is a must read book filled with delicious torment, just as the title promises.  Ms. Tyler lays her BDSM lifestyle wide open for anyone sneak a peek.  This book is highly recommended for those who love the anti-hero.  There is a little note from the author that Samantha is loosely based on herself.  For this, I'm completely blown away.

Samantha is an erotic writer who also moonlights a spa.  Her work hours are very flexible.  Her relationship with Jake is just passing the newness.  It's hard to describe the plot in this book.  It's more an erotic journey with relationship conflicts that exemplify what "it's complicated" means.  Told from the viewpoint of Samantha, she talks to the reader and at times references ex-lovers.  The whole point of this story is Samantha's relationship with Jake and his assistant, Alex.

Let's discuss the characters.  I loathe Jake.  From the first few chapters, I want to scream at Samantha aka Sam to leave the controlling bastard.  He's fucking nuts.  The urge to kick him in the balls is strong.  There is such a fine line between domestic abuse and BDSM displayed in this book that it's very very difficult for people outside of the BDSM lifestyle to be able to distinguish.  Even I'm a bit hardpressed to make a decision one way or the other from a few glimpses of Jake's control of Sam.  What the reader must understand, is this is a 24/7 TPE relationship.  This is key.  What really bothers me about this Jake's behaviour is how he uses Alex with Sam.  What.The.Fuck.  Alex is Jake's assistant, but it is very obvious they have history together.  I yearn to beat on Alex.  He's a smug bastard who constantly shoves Sam into a bad light.  What kind of boyfriend is Jake to force Sam to accept discipline from someone like this?  Where's the element of trust?  What the FUCK?  As the story develops, more information is revealed about Alex and Jake; it's so messy emotionally. 

What is wrong with Sam?  She is still independent and she knows she can leave Jake at any time, yet she doesn't.  Each of these characters come across as baggage ridden and just so fucked up with flaws and insecurities.  Yet, they aren't "too stupid to live".  They are all too realistic and it makes a reader wonder who Alex and Jake really are in life.  Do they read this book and think - "this is how she sees us?"  My personal issue with Jake's character is how he seemingly plays stupid games with Sam.  While Ms. Tyler insists through Sam's proclamation that neither Sam nor Jake plays games, I don't believe it.  It is more than mind fuckery in a scene.  Jake excels at mind games and twisting words.  Stereotypically, he's a lawyer.  Somehow, Sam's intention is always turned around and bites her in the ass.

The story flows up and down with the supernova hawt BDSM scenes.  There is enough downtime for a reader to recover before the next erotic scene takes place.  What Jake does to Sam is creative and so bloody arousing.  The BDSM in this story is superb.  The medical scenes are panty moistening goodness.  The punishment scenes are intensely gratifying.  The torment Jake puts Sam through when he forces her to pick her own punishment is sublime.  The tie in to Grimm Fairy Tale style punishment choices is a lovely touch and quite apropos since Sam is a writer.  Each one builds upon the previous, generating a heightened state of arousal for submissive BDSM readers who love D/s.  There isn't a single BDSM scene in this story which didn't turn me into a melted puddle of goo, despite my discomfort. 

Ms. Tyler does an excellent job of showing how a dominant male exudes power through actions.  There is no mistaking who is in control here.  It's not Sam, even when she tries to wrestle control away from Alex or Jake.  Jake always takes the power right back and Sam quickly yields into submission.  Sometimes, she's not even sure why she's responding.  Lest any reader fear that Sam can never say no, that is not the case.  There are instances where she says no and Jake accepts and stops.  The erotic power exchange here is quite fluid.  At times it's a fast rushing river and other times it's a tug of war power struggle.  This makes the tale more realistic and believable.  It gives the story more dimension and depth because it's not so straightforward. 


At the end of this story, Ms. Tyler turns me completely around and I'm accepting of Alex and in frightened awe of Jake.  My sympathies to Sam who will be more or less co-dominated by two strong men who rejoice in delivering corporal punishment as well as mind fucking.  When the story ends, it leaves the reader craving for more.  This book is highly recommended to BDSM lovers who want a meaty story with sadistic dominants and a conflicted submissive.  Buy this book now.

*provided by Manic Readers



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