Tessa Fauns believes she’s killing two birds with one stone – indulging in her submissive kink side, and acquiring a substantial amount of money to aid in her dream of living and studying in France – when she agrees to take part in an exclusive BDSM retreat for one week. Of course, things are never as easy as they sound.

Mildly overwhelmed from the start, her anxiety only increases as she finds out submissives will be auctioned off to the highest bidders for the week, definitely a new experience for Tessa. She is thrown for a loop at the amount paid for her at the auction, but pleased when she finds out the highest bidder, Sir Felix, is a handsome man she caught a brief glimpse of when taking the auction stage.

Being ignorant of all things BDSM-related, I focused in on the amount of trust needed to enter into a power exchange agreement. I admired Tessa for her honest internal thoughts. She reveled in her submissive nature and readily admitted that it had “freed” her, giving her the confidence to deal with life on her own. This same confidence also keeps her focused. Her master was attractive, but was he a good Dom or a bad Dom? (Sorry! Could not resist that!) Fortunately for Tessa, while Sir Felix wants her to do things with him she’s never experienced before, he isn’t cruel and their level of kink seem to match.
Of course, this is ROMANTIC erotica, so while the experiences Sir Felix share are highly sensual (and pretty hot and well-written), good old emotions start popping into the mix. Tessa has to repeatedly caution herself to not get caught in the trap so many subs do and develop feelings for Sir Felix. Even when she believes she might actually be getting the same vibe from him, she mentally tries to shake it off. Awaking in the middle of the night to hear bits and pieces of a conversation between Sir Felix and kink-week facilitator, Sir Louis, Tessa sinks into inner-emotional turmoil, and she believes the only way to save herself is to end her agreement with Sir Felix.

And then it ended…just like that. And I was like, “What? Wait! Who? What? UGH!” *Deep breaths* Yes, there is a cliffhanger warning, but I thought I’d be looking over the edge, not literally HANGING from it!

The author has done a great job of building intensity and interest. Although a short read, characters are developed and do not feel like strangers. I liked Tessa and Felix both, and am already in their corner for an HEA beyond the end of kink-week.

Can’t believe I’m actually doing this, but yes, I am wholeheartedly recommending a cliffhanger! (Stop laughing!) The sensuality is off the charts, but there is also mystery and underlying secrets that will make you keep reading.

Enjoy!