Review: At Her Pleasure: A Mistresses of the Board Room Series novel
#SexySaturdays
At Her Pleasure: A Mistresses of the Board Room Series novel by Joey W. Hill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When it comes to exploring different types of kinky relationships, Ms. Hill consistently delivers. Cyn is a different type of domme when compared to the rest of the women at TRA where she works. Cyn has been a bit of a mystery in the previous books. She is feral. Eager to read her story, I dived right into this book. At around 15% of the book I started to worry. I hated Cyn. I loathed her attitude and I don't like her style of SM. 25% into the book, I'm distressed as I love Ms. Hill's writing and I'm close to a 1 or 2 star at this point. I don't know if I can continue on because I really dislike Cyn and want to chuck her off the nearest cliff. For those wondering, if Cyn was a man and created this way, I would feel the same. I kept on plowing with the story. I'm not sure what was the turning point, but my feelings of disgust and distrust eased.
The beginning of this book showcases Cyn as an angry and belligerent teenager overcome with grief. The pain radiates off the pages with her hurt and damage. Fast forward to current day, Cyn is still an angry and even more belligerent woman. She is the kind of woman that men like to paint as the bitch. Because quite frankly, she is and she owns it. What gets me is her callousness. Her actions make it seem like she lacks complete empathy. It is even questionable if she cares that much about her circle of friends. Her friends have to really dig deep to stand by her. Why do they want to stand by her? I have seen women with less issues than Cyn who do not have friends as steadfast as the four from TRA. Then again, this is fiction.
Regarding the BDSM in this story. It isn't that it is sadistic in a physical sense that bothers me. It is the lack of intimacy and engagement. Cyn's style is not wrong. It isn't my cup of tea. It is more transactional in my opinion and I don't like it. Does she care for the men she plays with? Not really. And yet she is sometimes a bit hurt when she overhears how they describe her. Her actions are clear and loud. She comes across exactly how they describe her . . . heartless. There is a reason for it and it's a doozy.
When her past crosses her path, her protective wall starts to crumble. What does she do? She becomes even more prickly and her defensiveness increases. This is probably around the 25% mark where I'm not sure I can continue on with her kind of damaged ugliness. For other readers experiencing the same, I urge you to continue on. Because Cyn's relationship with Mick is complicated. Mick is the one person who didn't need to do anything for her, yet he made a decision to help her in the past. This one defining moment in time is pivotal for Cyn. Both of them have changed and yet their chemistry remains.
Mick is that one person for Cyn. He understands her and is the one who can bring out the best in her. Cyn's style changes, not exactly softens, but changes when she is with Mick. That missing piece of empathy and relevance suddenly appears. Even when she is cruelly sadistic to Mick, her feelings and outcomes come across differently to me. She still reigns in her sadistic tendencies both physical and emotional. As Mick learns more about her past and Cyn learns about Mick's current life choices, these two very damaged people start to heal. It is as if both of them constantly picked at an open wound to prevent it from healing. Somehow together, they are able to help mend each other and become stronger. They bring out the best in each other. This is truly a moving love story in healing. It is more than the erotic power exchange. It is the emotional bonding and supporting that blows my mind at the end. Another masterpiece from Ms. Hill - creating a completely likeable character into a lovable antihero. Cyn didn't need to prove her worthiness as a friend to me. But she definitely won me over as a complicated character. This erotic romance is recommended to readers who like angst and sexual healing.
I received this ARC for an honest review
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