In Three Way Tie by Sierra Cartwright, Lindsey wins a weekend with a famous Dom with the goal of finally achieving subspace...but when she shows up on his doorstep, she's greeted by two delicious dominant men. Raphael invites Eric to join him for the weekend, since Eric convinced Raphael to auction off his talents. Raphael wanted Eric there to avoid emotional ties from the weekend. But as the fairly new submissive Lindsey gets under Raphael's skin, he wonders if one weekend will be enough.

Sizzling! The dark edginess of Raphael was enough to turn any woman's body to jelly. At times, he was a bit impersonal. It was obvious that he was partly putting up that front because he was attempting to avoid falling for Lindsey and partly being a strict dominant. I was grateful he was able to temper his fierceness with overpowering sensuality. Lindsey's trip into subspace was ethereal and mind-blowing. It's no wonder she didn't want to return from her "trip".

Head Games by Desiree Holt is the second story in this anthology. In it, Kaci has been Diego's submissive for three years, which would be no big deal except he never keeps his subs for longer than two years. He decides to teach her how to enter subspace, and in that offering, she thinks perhaps this will show him her undying devotion. But the ramifications of the intensely intimate experience scare him senseless. If he lets her go, can he live without her?

The relationship between Diego and Kaci was intense. It sure held on to my libido throughout the story. The emotional connection between the two, as strong as it was, made her insecurities about the permanency of the relationship all the more painful to read. If you're looking for a heart-wrenching BDSM story, look no further.

Next up is His Landlady by Jan Irving. Sloan is the owner of the new kickboxing school in the strip mall managed by Diana. Soon, although he's much younger than Diana, she finds herself submitting to the even keeled man, yearning for him like no other. But will their age difference prevent her from making a more stable commitment to the dominant?

For those who crave sensual, sensitive, gentleman dominants, Sloan's for you! His care for her when she first experienced subspace was heartwarming, and a bit heart melting as well. Like gently pulling petals from a delicate rose, Sloan peels away Diana's defenses. Utterly entrancing.

In The Science of Submission by Justine Elyot Ailish meets the mysterious contestant known as The Scientist at a pub quiz night. Impressed by her intelligence, he asks her for a drink. Soon, he's asking her to assist him in the scientific exploration of kink. She agrees, but will it only be a partnership involving impersonal science or will they be able to begin a much more deeply forged D/s relationship?

An interesting take on BDSM and the science thereof. D/s is such an intimate encounter in my mind that seeing it displayed almost clinically was a bit foreign, especially in light of the other stories, which were by and large lush and erotic. But it certainly adds a different dimension to this anthology of subspace.

Away From It All by Elizabeth Coldwell is a story about Alyssa who goes to a spa to get away from it all and pamper herself. There she meets Drew, an actor who is serendipitously seated next to her during her first dinner there. The Dom in Drew sees the submissive streak in Alyssa and while at the spa both indulge in a bit of domination and submission. He takes her to subspace, but what happens when their weekend is over?

While Drew might be a famous actor, Alyssa was thankfully able to see through that persona to the man underneath. Make sure there's plenty of ice water on hand when reading this one, it's a scorcher of a fantasy. I'd never thought of wax play as an introduction to subspace but Ms. Coldwell certainly made it work.

The last story is The Accidental Sub by Mina Dorian. Catherine has been on the run from her previous Dom and abusive husband. But when she hears the voice of another Dom one late night at work, she immediately obeys. Greg has been practicing his Dom voice at work. Alone. Or so he thinks. So when he sees his boss kneeling in her office after he utters a command, he calls mentor Jon asking for help. Jon arrives, aroused by the vision of an experienced submissive and is determined to make Catherine his own.

The premise of an abused woman shucking her clothes at work because she hears a command is a bit unbelievable. Submitting to a man she's never met makes it more inane and makes it difficult to like this heroine. If she was so terrified of her ex and his "dominance", why was she so eager to submit again, and to someone unknown? Jon is in fact a safe, experienced Dom, and was largely the redeeming quality of the story. However, this tale did not showcase the safety and caution one should exercise when beginning a new BDSM relationship and didn't suspend the disbelief necessary for a pleasurable and erotic read.

Reviewed by: Bella