Review: Carnal Beginnings

Carnal Beginnings by Reily Garrett

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Kinky plus sexy boss, add in an exclusive BDSM club makes a recipe for glorious GlitterKink. Ms. Garrett is a new to me author and she doesn't disappoint in delivering a romantic kinky story. Adara is a female in a hopeless situation. Orphaned and living with her sadistic uncle and disgusting cousin, she sublimates her creativity and dreams in order to focus all her energies on survival. She is smart enough to find employment in a private investigation firm to learn how best to find someone. This way, she can learn all the tricks on how to disappear and not be found. Her plans go awry when her boss, Julien Crofton takes an interest in her.

For those who enjoy the romantic rosy coloured glasses of being in the lifestyle, this is the book for you. Since the club is exclusive, this book is categorized as glitterkink. Julien is a sweet dominant who is caring and loving. It's a dream fantasy BDSM scene when Adara and Julien finally gets it going. Is the BDSM realistic? Yes and no. Yes because the scenes are plausible. No because these kind of clubs are few and far between. The BDSM in this story at the surface is decent. It does appear that Ms. Garrett either did some research or dabbled in kink. However, the D/s dynamic is not captured well and presented in a believable manner. This does not detract from the story since the focus of the story is the romance between the two characters. The chemistry between the two is adorable.


Adara is a mild and vulnerable girl. It's easy to see why a man with hero complex is attracted to her innocence. It also explains the delight he experiences when bringing her out of her shell. Mixing it up with the sexual abuse and violation she receives at home is interesting. The violence and severe whippings implies a strength which Adara does not demonstrate. I'm not sure if this makes her less credible as a character or more interesting. What it does do, is surprise me with the minimal triggers Adara experiences when she is around Julien and his brand of kink. I'm not saying it isn't possible, just not likely. If Adara were more jaded and prickly, I can see why she would have less triggers. Then again, one could argue that those who are so abrasive, are just hiding a cringing vulnerable inner core. Either way, Julien rides like a white knight to save Adara. He does it so well and it's a happily kinky ever after for the two. This kinky erotica is recommended as a Gateway to BDSM book.

* provided by Reading Alley



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