Review: Temptation to Submit

Temptation to Submit by Jennifer Leeland

My rating: 3 of 5 stars




TEMPTATION TO SUBMIT is an erotically charged follow up to Declaration to Submit. This book can be read as a standalone, although reading the first book will help with the secondary characters and situation.

Tori Rodgers is determined to resist Atticus Paulus. The new CFO who took over the company she works for is not only smart, he's a dominant. He's the kind of man who makes Tori weak in the knees. Not willing to lose her head over Atticus, she is willfully confrontational. Atticus is just as attracted to Tori. He isn't into bratty subs and yet Tori arouses his dominant side like no other.

One point to note from a character building perspective: Atticus is supposed to be East Indian. For those who search for interracial erotica, this may not be enough. Atticus didn't really embody East Indian for me. He is described to have an accent and a few other stereotypical traits of this ethnicity. His behaviour and actions came across as more rich white male, so I couldn't visualize a sexy East Indian man. Then again, it could just be because I don't know many East Indian males I'd find sexually attractive so it was hard to picture Atticus as other than a sexy white male.

This is a fun BDSM-lite story. The power struggle between Tori and Atticus is at times humourous and sad. Tori's constant denial of being a submissive for Atticus is the funny part. The sad part is the chip on her shoulder regarding the requirements for a "real" submissive. This hurts to read because it is all too familiar to see when a submissive lacks self-esteem. Ms. Leland gently shows how there is no ideal model of submission. Submission is decided between the two involved in a power exchange. This is why the story worked for me. I enjoyed seeing how Tori's desire to submit and her bratty behaviour are not mutually exclusive. With the right match for a dominant, this combination of bratty and dominance can be good.

I must confess I'm also partial to boss themes when it comes to office sexual shenanigans. For a work contract to include an option for sexual submission is all kinds of wrong in real life. In a romantic fantasy, it hits all the right buttons and is all kinds of right. Atticus is a loving dominant from a nicely fanciful perspective. Tori is a strong female at work and sexily submissive in private.

Lastly, this story shows a piece of the world from Tori's perspective. With Nell's story already told, it should be interesting to see how the other two women's story will be presented. When an author shows the same event from different characters' eyes, it makes it better for me because I feel as if I'm seeing a holistic picture. This kinky romance is recommended for those who enjoy dominant boss themes.



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