Review: Dreams of Marrakesh
Dreams of Marrakesh: "A piquant mix of love and strange desires" by Greg ThompsonMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Kinky love twists into a sadistic slavery in Dreams of Marrakesh. Vicky Morton is a young twenty something English Rose. She's lost both parents and works at a mediocre job in a library. Her life takes on a fantasy dream when she is courted by the wealthy French business woman, Suzanne Beauchesne. This whirlwind love affair goes through a hot honeymoon stage in a woodsy chateau in the French countryside. When winter comes, Vicky's dream turns into a nightmare quickly.
For most of this story, the character development is on Vicky. The reader feels a bit sorry for Vicky who can't seem to fit in anywhere. She's awkward. She is a lesbian who has no other lesbian friends. On top of it, she is a masochist looking for a loving sadist. When Vicky finally meets one person who matches up to her, she jumps into a relationship eyes wide shut. Mr. Thompson does a lovely job of showing how a young innocent female is taken advantage of by an older and richer female lover.
The heart of this story is about a sexual journey and exploration which goes wrong in so many ways. The sad part is, whilst this story is fiction, it is a common and more accurate portrayal of those exploring kink without any guidance or common sense. For me, a lot of the things which went wrong from a BDSM perspective is basic relationship issues and lack of communication. When BD and SM are added to the mix, a relationship gone wrong is exponentially worse. Even the consensual kinky parts in this book didn't really do it for me. The lack of connection between the two characters is what killed it. Whilst Vicky lusts and admires Suzanne, the same feelings never feels reciprocated from Suzanne until the end. And even then, it's questionable because Suzanne comes across as a spoiled rich girl with daddy issues.
This is a hard book to review because it's a romance yet there are so many BDSM hostile themes. This is not a SSC or a RACK BDSM novel. It is an alarming realistic portrayal of kink going wrong. Suzanne and Vicky are characters who think reading a kinky fantasy equates to BDSM 101 and use it as a guide for their scenes. Instead of sexy erotic sex and subspace, what happens is abuse and heartbreak. Mr. Thompson shows how two lovers are not able to communicate effectively and ends up with a complete breach of trust. The breach is so great that Vicky feels forced to flee from the only woman she's ever met who understands her kinky desires.
Even though the BDSM in this story is a complete turn off for me, the story itself is well written. Mr. Thompson shows the crash and burn of a new love. He captures the fiery passion of two lovers which burns both badly. His writing voice in this story is well done. The characters come across as real, even if one of them is rather shallow. The story is captivating as I read this book in one sitting. Although I admit I read because it is a relationship train wreck. It's pretty apparent a third of the way through the story, the relationship would turn sour. The ending is surprisingly uplifting and I liked how it ended. This romance is recommended kinky f/f readers who know the difference between fantasy and fiction.
*provided by BDSM Book Reviews
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