Berkley, January 2006

Beth Nakamura lost her lover in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, but even before that, she knew he wasn't the great love of her life. Sure he introduced her to the world of domination, taught her the use of those special tools that can make simple sex come alive, but he wasn't the type who could be faithful to her--or could allow her to dominate him. Beth dreams of having it all--a perfect man, a man who wants children, a man who'll think only of her. But most of all, she demands a switch--a man who can be both submissive and dominant. She's happy to savor a weekend or two with a submissive, or with a dominant, but she needs the whole package to commit.

Ex-Ranger Sean Lindstrom got his first taste of sex when his boss's wife dominated him the night before he headed off for boot camp. Trapped into a loveless marriage by a broken condom and a wonderful son, Sean is free now--and dreams of picking up where the older woman left off. When beautiful Eurasian Beth walks into a bookstore on one of his properties, he thinks he's gone to heaven when she demands to be shown the erotica section--and heads straight for the BDSM section. The attraction is clearly mutual and the two set up a date--but does Sean really know what he's getting into.

Following Beth's demands, Sean prepares for their encounter--and what he gets goes far beyond even his most outlandish hopes. Beth takes him through complete fantasies, dominates him, ties him up, punishes him, makes her worship her feet, and generally satisfies every urge Sean can imagine. Sean knows this is the real deal--that Beth is the woman for him. But Beth has made this mistake before. Like her ex-lover, Sean can fulfil only one part of the woman she is. He's a sub, not a dom. She needs both--she needs a switch and Sean can't do the job. Still an ex-Army Ranger is a hard man (in more ways than one) to walk away from.

Author Diane Whiteside dishes up a super-sexy story, with a smooth narrative style that keeps the reader involved. Beth and Sean slip comfortably from fantasy to reality, pursuing their dreams. Beth's dilemma is a serious one--and Whiteside portrays Sean's submissive nature so compellingly that the reader is likely to agree that he simply cannot live up to Beth's requirements. In fact, I wonder if Sean's ultimate attempt to be dominant is not a submissive's play-acting. Of course, that just might be what Beth really wanted.

Three Stars

Reviewed 2/13/06

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