Review: Smoke

Smoke by C.P. Mandara
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My mind is blown with this series. Full disclosure, I did not read the first book because I got the order mixed up. I ended up reading all the following books in a row and need to go back to the first book. This is an addictive series and I snorted it up like crack. I couldn't get enough of this ill at ease feeling generated by this book. For those who are Safe, Sane and Consensual or dipping your toes into RACK, this is not the book for you. For those who are dark, depraved kinksters wanting torture, rape and other dub-con, dive right in. I'm in the deep end with you.

Let's start with the BDSM. Is this realistic? God I hope not. Some of it is and can be done, but for the most part it is not recommended because you probably end up in the hospital or dead. Can you still enjoy this? Do you watch action flicks where people are shot, beat up, tortured and blown up? Do you believe that is real? If you said yes the action flick and answered yes to the real question, I worry about you. For those of you who enjoy being taken on a ride to the dark side, this is where it gets fun.

This world is easy to pick up even without reading the first book. We have a wetworks group who needs to take out a criminal. There is also an assassin with a grudge, Lois. The complication comes with human trafficking, specifically sex slaves and what could happen. In reality human trafficking is probably worse that what happens in this book. Since C.P. Mandara is clear this is not a contemporary romance, the blurring of lines works really well. The sadistic needles and knife play work well for those who enjoy this kind of kink. It is taken to a degree enjoyable for deviants. This includes the characters in the book.

Lois is a tough female operative with a single minded goal. She's spunky and I like her. Her switchy persona works for me. Her time trying to get into the human trafficking ring is well done because she comes across more human with her bouts of anxiety. She isn't perfect and completely cold hearted. This gives a more balance view. The sex and torture scenes are the icing on the cake as we experience it with Lois. This could make or break her. It is questionable. Her attraction to Alain is understandable, especially those of us who enjoy sadistic males. (And those who are sensation sluts.) When it comes to sensory detail, C. P. Mandara almost overloads a reader if they are not heavy into kink. Adding the 3rd person point of view takes it to that next level which I revel in. I can't decide if I want to be Lois or Alain. I do know that as soon as this book ended, I immediately wanted to dive into the next book.

This dark kink erotica is recommended to deviant readers who enjoy torture, mayhem and sadism.

* I was offered this book for by the author. No review was requested. I gave one anyway.