Review: Owned

Owned by M. Never

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


In a world where criminals know money is made when it is sanitized to appear as a legitimate business, there are always a few words people should know.  Import/Export business generally denotes a criminal element especially if the people for the company don't share much about how they generate profit.  Whenever I see import/export I think of recreational pharmaceutical, weapons and human trafficking.  My how our society changes to make the impalpable sexy and mysterious.  Drugs, guns and sexual slavery are all common commodities of death dealers.  Unfortunately for naïve Ellie, she makes the mistake of catching the eye of a sexually dominant criminal, Kayne Roberts.

The characters in this story are fine if a bit forgettable.  Ellie does not make a lasting impression nor does Kayne.  Oddly, for me, the secondary character, Kayne's side kick is more memorable even if I can't remember his name.  It is perhaps because he tended to play the good guy to Kayne's bad guy which makes him more attractive for me.  Kayne doesn't do much for me.  It is stated several times that he is asexual dominant.  Whilst I can agree he does some toppy BDSM things, he didn't impress me as a dominant I would submit to.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but for me, he's just an average dominant with the benefit of money to allow a fancy home and nice toys.  Kayne does not make me weak in the knees and wanting to be taken by him.  I loathe to admit this, but I think I would be just as bratty as Ellie to Kayne.  I do not like being a brat but for Kayne, I just might exhibit those traits.

For those looking for a dark bdsm kidnapping fantasy, this is the story for you.  Ellie is roofied, kidnapped and enslaved.  Whilst the treatment is rough at times, it is still gently balanced with aftercare.  Even if the author  M. Never doesn't call it aftercare.  From a BDSM fantasy rating, this is a medium in darkness.  The scenes are more or less possible.  Many do run the risk of permanent damage.  Still, none are as heavy as some of the SM lifestylers I know in real life.  This allows most erotic readers to become guilty aroused with the capture fantasy.

From a plot perspective, there are a few twists.  None of them are surprises.  Because of the way the story is written with alternating point of views, it is easy to guess what will happen as well figure out the subterfuge early on.  The story does keep a steady sexual tension as well as dangerous suspense.  If this story was told only from Ellie's perspective, it would have made the story more surprising and dark.  This dark erotica is recommended for kinky readers looking for a good capture enslavement fantasy.

*provided by NetGalley



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