The “BDSM club genre” of books is a market flooded by authors all wanting to be part of this acceptable, trendy erotica movement. The problem is unless you have an exceptional story to go along with the over used clichés, leather cuffs, implements, pieces of equipment, alpha Doms, and submissive females (almost all new to the lifestyle) the book becomes just another re-hash of the same old stuff.

There are several authors who have been in this genre for quite some time now and have some fantastic books, authors that I would call my go to favorites. The main reason is their books have substance, good story lines, character development, connection & chemistry between the H/h, and well written situations that do not develop instantly.

Because this arena of BDSM books is so vast I have developed some ideas for what I expect out of a book, as well as prejudices for books that seem like quick, thin plot/no plot, nonexistent character development books held together with sex scenes. I really want a good story line to go along with my sex scenes. I think that connection between the characters should feel real and believable (for the most part), I don’t want instant soup – add water, microwave for 30 seconds and a love connection comes out when the door is opened. If I have to have a naive female following the lead of the alpha male into the club scene, then I want her to know why she’s there, what’s in it for her, and how her life will be improved by participation in this lifestyle.

For me reading Primal (Overwatch #1) by Sasha White fell into the category of: short book (novella length), with little or no character development, some chemistry between the H/h which could have been developed further, and a book with little more than a cliché plot.

We had a cameo appearance of Ian and his new submissive Ronnie, who we meet in Unfettered (Overwatch #.5) having their first club scene together. I can see that the author is trying to build the club family and comfortable atmosphere for both books character’s and the reader. As the story progressed, I never felt a real connection between Adam and Olivia. I think that both characters had the potential to be better. I felt like the whole book was rushed. I really didn't get a BDSM feel from the book, it felt like vanilla sex with alpha male who liked to give commands (at times an animal trainer came to mind).

Overall the book didn't hold my attention, I felt like I’d been down this road before, and there just wasn't enough substance in the story line.

If you’re looking for a quick read, with an alpha male, and a “go along with the program female”, that takes place in a BDSM club then this might be the book for you.

For me it fell short and was a 2 star read

This copy of Primal was provided by NetGalley on behalf of Victory Editing; White Hot Books with an expected publication of Oct 24 2014
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3.5 stars

This was an enjoyable read. I liked that Adam is into BDSM but is not a complete jerk! And Olivia being older (mid-forties) was a nice change from most of the stories were the female lead is either barely legal or completely naive.

The multiple POVs was hard to keep up with, I found myself having to re-read the page to figure out if it is the same characters or there was a jump to the side characters - Also, the side characters took a large portion of the book which happens to be only 110 pages. The story was rushed enough as it is, so the side characters really took away from the ability to give us more on the main characters.


*Copy received from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. ( )

Primal by Sasha White
Series: Book #2: Overwatch Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 4½/5 stars
My Review:

Adam Kessler is not what the world thinks he is. As far as anyone knows, Adam is an ex-soldier who owns Overwatch and stays mostly to himself. What the world doesn’t see is Adam’s fiercely loyal streak that began when he was young and has only increased in intensity as he has grown older. To those Adam calls his own, there is never any questioning his loyalty and to what lengths he will go to in order to protect those he cares for. Adam calls very, very few his own and he is always up front and honest with the women he takes to his bed.

Adam is a decided Dominant, he is not relationship material and yet should he so desire, he would never, ever sleep alone. Adam is very conscientious about his rules and his standards not only in his personal life but also in his club. He looks out for the members of Overwatch, ensures their safety and, ensures each member is properly trained. Adam’s protective nature doesn’t end when he leaves the confines of his club and it is those instincts that kick in and have him stepping in the night he sees a woman being attacked by her car.

Olivia Lang is an attractive, intelligent, psychologist who has built a nice practice and quiet life for herself. She cares for her patients, is very good at her job and though she is lonely from time to time, she just hasn’t met the right man. The night Olivia is attacked, she is justifiably afraid but not willing to go down without a fight. In the midst of her struggle, Olivia is relieved to see a tall, dark, extremely well-built and, phenomenally capable man come to her rescue. After the “Are you OKs?” and “Thank yous” are out of the way, Olivia has a moment to really assess her savior and discovers he is a man she absolutely wants to know more about.

The time in between meeting Adam and going to his place just a few days later are filled with moments of trepidation, nervous energy, excitement and, a tiny bit of anxiety. Adam is wholly different from the man she pictured herself ending up with and the difference is absolutely intoxicating. Olivia feels certain she will end up in Adam’s bed but she has no idea how profound the experience will be. Though he intends to keep the experience as all his experiences are, brief, superficial and completely satisfying, Adam finds himself doing something he never thought he would do, offering Olivia a place in his world as his sub.

The Bottom Line: Adam is just delightful in a large caged animal sort of way. Adam is protective, aggressive, self-assured, successful and, totally devoted to his life. When Olivia comes into Adam’s world, she changes things for Adam on so many levels. For the first time in many, many years Adam has found someone he can open up to, divulge his secrets (and he has secrets!) yet still be the Dominant that is so much a part of his life. Olivia is really one of the few personalities that would ever be able to satisfy Adam for the long term. Though Olivia is willing to explore a submissive role with Adam she is also a strong and independent woman who has a life outside of the bedroom. The dynamic between the two is strong, intensely sexual, cerebral and, perfect. In all, Primal is an excellent second step in the Overwatch world and I am thrilled White dealt with the club’s owner in the first full-length read of this series. Adam and Olivia are a solid foundation for what is sure to be a very strong, very sexy series!! ( )

This was a hot story, and I liked it very much.
Olivia Lang is a 40+ yr Psychologist who is attacked on her way home from work, but luckily Adam Kessler out jogging is able to save her. There's an immediate attraction between them. Adam owns an exclusive BDSM club, and want's to introduce Olivia to passion. She decides this is too good of a chance to let pass by,
The story is quite good. The sex scenes between Adam and Olivia were very hot and steamy, but not really kinky for a Dom who owns the BDSM club.
I would have liked to have learned more about Adams character, and about his past and Olivia's life too. ( )