tonya.'s Reviews > The Boss
The Boss (The Boss, #1)
by
by
tonya.'s review
bookshelves: 2013, bdsm, favorites-of-2013, contemporary, erotica, swoons
Oct 09, 2013
bookshelves: 2013, bdsm, favorites-of-2013, contemporary, erotica, swoons
I've been looking for this book for a long time--that is, a D/s erotica with characters I actually like, and a relationship dynamic that doesn't make me want to scream at the heroine to run very far away.
(I don't usually put gifs in my reviews, but I've probably yelled this at no less than five BDSM heroines in the last couple years.)
The Boss is like if The Devil Wears Prada and... I was going to say The Secretary, but neither character is as fucked up as those two. But suffice it to say, Sophie is an assistant to the dragon lady who heads Portreras (think Vogue), until the company is taken over. Her new boss is none other than billionaire Neil Elwood, who also happens to be the guy Sophie had a one night stand with six years ago.
They rekindle their relationship, and Sophie's submissive tendencies. And though they plan to keep it a casual, no-strings sexual arrangement, they aren't quite successful.
What I loved about The Boss was the normalcy of the characters, and the way it stood the D/s romance tropes on its head.
Billionaire Hero - okay, yes. Neil is a billionaire. He has a gorgeous penthouse and a driver and a cook, blah blah blah. But he doesn't insist on buying Sophie a car, or a house, or anything really. He doesn't exert control over her by throwing his money around.
Weak, Submissibe Heroine - submissive sexual tendencies do not always translate into a submissive personality outside of the bedroom. Sophie is strong, dynamic, and looks out for herself, even to the possible detriment of her relationship.
Surprise!Sub - in most (actually, all) D/s eroticas I've read, the hero exerts his Super!Dominance on the heroine, awakening her heretofore unexplored submissive tendencies. It's like he can smell the sub on her. But he doesn't even ask if she's okay with it, or something she wants, he just forges ahead with his sexual preference, and then in an ~emotional scene, tells her she's a submissive. OH MY GOLLY. In The Boss, Sophie knows what she wants, what she likes, and isn't afraid to ask it of Neil. Though he's had some previous experience, he goes slow, and asks only what she's willing to give.
Absolute Power - Neil doesn't tell Sophie what to wear, where to go, who to talk to. He doesn't stalk her around the city, watch her when she's unaware, or intimidate her with his unstable possessiveness because he just loves her SO MUCH. Neil is a normal person with wants, needs, goals outside of his love for Sophie, and vice versa. Neither needs to be everything to the other. And that was refreshing.
Though it ended a little... dramatically, I appreciated that the level of angst between Neil and Sophie was minimal, and the tension in the plot came from outside sources.
This was one of the smartest eroticas I've read to date, and I can't wait to read more from Barnette. In fact, I just loaded the sequel onto my Kindle. *swan dives in*
(This review brought to you by cough medicine and chamomile.)
(I don't usually put gifs in my reviews, but I've probably yelled this at no less than five BDSM heroines in the last couple years.)
The Boss is like if The Devil Wears Prada and... I was going to say The Secretary, but neither character is as fucked up as those two. But suffice it to say, Sophie is an assistant to the dragon lady who heads Portreras (think Vogue), until the company is taken over. Her new boss is none other than billionaire Neil Elwood, who also happens to be the guy Sophie had a one night stand with six years ago.
They rekindle their relationship, and Sophie's submissive tendencies. And though they plan to keep it a casual, no-strings sexual arrangement, they aren't quite successful.
What I loved about The Boss was the normalcy of the characters, and the way it stood the D/s romance tropes on its head.
Billionaire Hero - okay, yes. Neil is a billionaire. He has a gorgeous penthouse and a driver and a cook, blah blah blah. But he doesn't insist on buying Sophie a car, or a house, or anything really. He doesn't exert control over her by throwing his money around.
Weak, Submissibe Heroine - submissive sexual tendencies do not always translate into a submissive personality outside of the bedroom. Sophie is strong, dynamic, and looks out for herself, even to the possible detriment of her relationship.
Surprise!Sub - in most (actually, all) D/s eroticas I've read, the hero exerts his Super!Dominance on the heroine, awakening her heretofore unexplored submissive tendencies. It's like he can smell the sub on her. But he doesn't even ask if she's okay with it, or something she wants, he just forges ahead with his sexual preference, and then in an ~emotional scene, tells her she's a submissive. OH MY GOLLY. In The Boss, Sophie knows what she wants, what she likes, and isn't afraid to ask it of Neil. Though he's had some previous experience, he goes slow, and asks only what she's willing to give.
Absolute Power - Neil doesn't tell Sophie what to wear, where to go, who to talk to. He doesn't stalk her around the city, watch her when she's unaware, or intimidate her with his unstable possessiveness because he just loves her SO MUCH. Neil is a normal person with wants, needs, goals outside of his love for Sophie, and vice versa. Neither needs to be everything to the other. And that was refreshing.
Though it ended a little... dramatically, I appreciated that the level of angst between Neil and Sophie was minimal, and the tension in the plot came from outside sources.
This was one of the smartest eroticas I've read to date, and I can't wait to read more from Barnette. In fact, I just loaded the sequel onto my Kindle. *swan dives in*
(This review brought to you by cough medicine and chamomile.)
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
The Boss.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
October 9, 2013
–
Started Reading
October 9, 2013
– Shelved
October 19, 2013
–
Finished Reading