Review: The Unicorn

siren who pulls me into her book & grudgingly lets me go when the story comes to an end @riptidebooks #
The Unicorn by Delphine Dryden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Is this a story about Sparkles the Unicorn? For those in the lifestyle, the elusive unicorns are hard to come by and when one spies a unicorn, capture it and keep it under heavy guard! What is this elusive unicorn? Typically a unicorn is a single bisexual female who can be a switch. Mara is jaded. She is not sure what she wants. She's been there and done that and has run out of play partners. On the advice of her ex-girlfriend, she tries out a new club, Escape. Asked to help out a new couple into the lifestyle, Mara suddenly feels alive again.

The BDSM in this story is sweet and from an intriguing perspective. Ms. Dryden does a good job of showing a newbie dominant starting out. The mistakes he makes and his journey in learning how to feel confident is a something I enjoy reading about. Daniel is an easy man to understand. He is also a daring man to try to figure out his wife's fantasies and make them come to life. Taking the next step to play in a club and learn more how to get his wife into the sub zone is many a kinky wife's fantasy.

Delia is a female I am all too accustom to knowing. Since entering this lifestyle a common theme is a woman reading kinky erotica and then wishing her husband would be able to be like the studly dominants in the book. This creates a kind of tension and disappointment when the husband is unable to compete with a fictional character. The frustrations Delia exhibits are sadly too common. What is different is that her husband is able to work with her to get over her fanciful expectations and bring her into a kinky reality. The give and take in the relationship between three people is even harder than with two. With a kinky dynamic added into the mix, this story could have been a hot mess. Ms. Drdyen excels at keeping it real whilst providing a happily ever after. It is good to see how people do not have to be perfect and they can still have a poly triad because they work it. And when it does work, it is so good. The power exchange scenes are one of my favourites in this tasty tale.

The realism in this book is what makes it so appealing. Ms. Dryden's writing voice is silky smooth as she shows the pitfalls and the highs of a new relationship. Her settings are described in a way that I can easily recognize the club if I were to be there in person. Ms. Dryden is definitely an author I am going to keep on my watch list. Her writing style is easy to follow. She is a siren who pulls me into her book and grudgingly lets me go when the story comes to an end. Even then, I still wish her book would continue on. This kinky ménage is recommended for happily ever after romance lovers who enjoy spice to their life.

*provided by NetGalley