A great book that portrays the real aspects of BDSM and D/s relationships. A wonderful read and I look forward to going back and reading more from this author.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley & author.

I"m a HUGE fan of anthologies and stories that involve the bdsm lifestyle. This book was fantastic.

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read a short story collection, and even longer since I’ve read The Marketplace. However, lack of familiarity with short story conventions was more of an impediment to my enjoyment of this book than was lack of familiarity with the Marketplace characters. I felt disappointed by how abruptly many of the stories ended, but that’s not a complaint against the authors. In the space of a short story, they were able to build characters and worlds that I just didn’t want to leave. The majority of the short stories felt like they could easily be expanded into novellas, if not full novels. And I would probably read the majority of those expansions if they were to happen.

My lack of familiarity with the Marketplace did nothing to impede my understanding or enjoyment of the stories. I read enough in the genre that I’m familiar with the conventions. Although I did have the lingering suspicion that the stories would be a little richer if I understood the background of the characters who were imported from the Marketplace. Alexandra, Grendel, Imala Anderson, and Chris Parker often appeared in the stories, with very little background. There was enough context to help the story make sense, but very little more than that.

I’ve never read fan fiction before; therefore, I was concerned that the stories might be repetitive or amateurish. They were neither. The collection embraced variety to the extent that the only common thread between the stories were an owner/slave relationship that traced back to the Marketplace. And they were each so well written and creative. Where else would you see Sherlock Holmes, an overweight librarian, and a shy tentacle beast in the same collection?

Overall, the collection was definitely worth the few days that I invested in reading it. And I’ll probably add The Marketplace to my to be read queue, shortly after I finish my NetGalley queue and library reserves.

I received this book as a digital advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The stories just kept getting spicier. I thought that this was a great variety of stories and I enjoyed this book. Thank you NetGalley.

This was an interesting book not something I expected. Had a hard time completing as it did not capture my attention

4/5- I liked this anthology a lot.

Each story had steam or hardcore heat. A lot of anthologies I read there tend to be more misses than hits but this one excels and delivers in each story.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this book for review.

As it is described, well enjoyed. I has trouble downloading it. Well laid out chapters and great variety of characters. Quick and easy reading. Recommended ready for those who are busy and looking for a quick read at lunch break or while cooking dinner. Accurate synopsis. Lots of location something for everyone.

No Safewords 2
Thank you to #NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

1. The Adventure Of The Bowing Doctor - well that was a very unique perspective on the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and how they met.
2. Olivia - a well written, touching story that used characters both new and familiar to the Marketplace setting.
3. Rain Dog - an enjoyable story.
4. Picket Ridge: Mission Market - that was well written with great characters. I always love it when Chris Parker makes an appearance. I even got a bit emotional at the end.
5. Blind Emotions - a little supernatural aspect. It has a really intense moment that I enjoyed. Would have loved this one to continue.
6. The Brill Boy At Kaleigh - this story wasn’t really my cup of tea. Nothing wrong with it, and I didn’t really dislike it, it just was okay.
7. Isis of 10,000 Names - another one that didn’t really capture me or appeal to me. Nothing wrong with the writing, just not an interesting subject for me.
8. Something More - surprisingly hot. Thought it was silly at first with the tentacle man, cyclops and pixie, but I rather liked it.
9. Second Opinion - pretty good story. I would have loved for it to go further with Leah’s training and more about Tania.
10. Prospect - fun, enjoyable read. The ending made me smile.
11. 650.13 - I could relate to Tobias in a lot of ways and his story I found interesting and touching.
12. The Thorny Issue - a little bit of detective mystery to this one. I liked it.
13. Blood, Lust - vampire story, well written and a pleasure to read.
14. The Counselor - really good story
15. State Change - fun little story
16. Transcendence - this one jumped around in time and locations too often for my tastes. I found it jarring and confusing and made it difficult for me to get into the story.
17. Unbridled Domesticity - hot and steamy, well written
18. Foster Care - that was a great story and I think a very fitting finale to this collection of short stories.

There are many genres/themes in this excellent collection of shorts:

Fanfic / fantasy / Master's or slave's death / brat & Japanese culture aficionado / PTSD & soldiers / Kaleigh and servants / asexuality / telepathy / octopus, fairy and Cyclops / grudge slaves / blood slave / speciality slaves / average-looking slaves / missing persons and slave-trafficking ring / vampires / slave with a disability / criminal rehabilitation / edge play (knife, breath) / sharing slaves/ kidnapped slave / foster-care / insurance fraud

It's as if Laura Antoniou, the editor, listed many possible themes or premises and asked the authors to choose one of them. All the stories are very different from each other. So you will surely find what you're looking for in one or many of them. That's why I recommend this collection of short stories to all of you who love the Marketplace series and good BDSM stories.

I gave only 4 stars to a few stories (see below). But most of them deserve 5 stars. And because they all deals with many important topics (see above), I decided to rate the whole book 5 stars.

Titles, authors and synopsis:

[The Adventure of the Bowing Doctor by S. Dahiti
A story about a sadistic Dom named Sherlock Holmes and a sub named John Watson :D *****

Olivia by Erzabet Bishop
Gerald Revine, a spotter, whose health is failing fast, wants to entrust Olivia, a good slave he spotted, to Alexandra, a well-known trainer in the Marketplace ****

Rain Dog by L.N. Bey
It's about Sharon, the very full of herself but impertinent, disobedient and proud of her body brat of The Marketplace series book 1. Mr. Davis, who loves all that's Japanese, gives her another chance [Why?! As Sharon would say: "I don't fucking know!"]. ***

Pickett Ridge: Mission Market by Flynn Anthony
Colonel Beauregard Riordan, USMC retired, helps young soldiers to transition from military to civilian life. But everything has been failing with Colin. So Beau has to do something with this young perfectionist greatly in need of servitude. ****

Blind Emotions by Kimiko Alexandre
Jessica, a psychic who can read minds, is a sub. She has an interview with a Marketplace spotter in hope to get trained for the auction. ****

The Brill Boy at Kaleigh by Scott Harris
In 1957, Trey, son of two marketplace slaves, wants to be trained at Kaleigh as his ancestors were. But his first meeting with Major Chatam doesn't go very well. *****

Isis of 10,000 Names by Steve Dee
James is struggling to make sense why "normal desire" felt absent to him, so he had lurked on the online notice boards. But he needs to serve. A girl there explained to him how asexual people can be involved in BDSM without it having to entail sexual desire. *****

Something More by Dani Hermit & Nevi Star
Eugene is a tentacle beast, but he has enough to hear: "You've got tentacles, don't you want to rape me?" He is a sub in need of a Dom. His boss, Mr. Ambrose, is a fairy, that everybody believes to be a sub. But in fact, he is in need of a new sub. Will they be able to make it work? [I love the nonconformist message of this one] *****

Second Opinion by Madeleine Elayne
Cameron, a female Dom, and Leah, her trans sub, go to Siobhan's speciality house in New Brunswick, Canada, for a couple of weeks. There Leah will learn what "grudge slaves" are and why Siobhan chose to train that sort of slaves. *****

Prospect by Moxie Marcus
Margaret is going at an auction because she has to buy a slave who will be able to address her special needs. Connor has everything she needs but he has a few weaknesses. *****

650.13 by Caraway Carter
Tobias Blanchard is a late-thirty, average-looking, chubby and self-effacing librarian. After training to become Jamie's slave, Tobias is trained by Imala Anderson, the Trainer of trainers herself, to be in charge of other slaves. When Tobias need a new owner, Drew and Sonja, who want to open a Marketplace resort and who would need all his specific skills, hesitate to buy him because he isn't very handsome nor so young. It's a first-person account. [I love when slaves are NOT what we usually find in novels, namely young, tall, handsome and only skilled in sexual service] *****

The Thorny Issue by Wade McLeod
Ryan Deckford is a cop and a sub who is working on Unsolved Missing Persons files. He is looking for a slave-trafficking ring. He thinks his ex-lover and Domme could be involved in it. *****

Blood, Lust by Elizabeth Schechter
Daniel is a sub and a "cutter" (he cut himself). He goes in bars where the wannabe vampires hang out and let them cut him and drink his blood. Alexandra and Grendel don't know what to do with him, except send him to a psychiatrist. But Anderson, the Trainer, and Chris Parker have a good idea of who could buy him. *****

The Counselor by Amelia Horo
Morticia Lapenta is an attorney and a sub. Her eyesight is slowly declining. Ali, her present Lady, wants to have her better trained and then to sell her. She asks Deva from the Marketplace, if she can do the training. When Morticia is on sale on the block, she doubts someone will buy a disable slave. But Lucille, who runs a program for people with immigration problems, thinks that Morticia's skills could enhance the program. *****

State Change by Soulhuntre
Natalie is a business development counsellor and contract negotiator. She is also good at Japanese sword handling. And she is a sub. The storyteller (first person account), only known as Sensei or Sir, whose parents are Marketplace members, inherited a fair amount of money and she/he needs exactly what Nathalie has to offer to start her/his business; so she/he bought Natalie as a slave. ****

Transcendence by Jamie Thorsen
This story is a first-person account by Marie aka Dark Eyes who is the whore of Z-Cash of the Versai Gangsta Crip. After being incarcerated for the three years at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, she is spotted by Quentin, who chose to have her trained to assist him as a spotter. ****

Unbridled Domesticity by Elizabeth Schechter
Eugenia wants to go to the US (NY, Chicago, Boston...) with Thomas, her husband and slave. Elle est particulièrement intéressée par la vente aux enchères qui doit se tenir à New York. So she asks Thomas to organize their trip. But before he does it, she wants to play with him, and, in her case, playing means breath play or knife play. *****

Foster Care by Elle Wickenden
Jack McFarlane, a gun-crazy guy, lives in Costa Rica. He bought 16 slaves to Geoff Negel who sold him insurance policies just in case something wrong happened to them. Then fifteen of them disappeared. Bette, the MC and narrator, is hired to find Kelley, the last one, and bring her back o a safe place, a foster home. ***** (hide spoiler)]

Note that "dépanneur" has an accent on the first "e", not on the second (depannéur) as in the last story. And this is "Place d'armes" not "Place des armes" (or maybe you confuse it with "Place des arts"). The author and/or the editor could have easily avoided these mistakes by googling the world and the name of the place on the Web. How would you feel if an author wrote repeatedly "angle" instead of "angel" in her novel about angels? It would take a lot of fun from your reading, wouldn't it?

* Except for those mentioned, all the stories are third-person accounts.

Thanks to Laura Antoniou and Netgalley for an ecopy of this collection of short stories.

This is an awesome collection for shorts. I don't even know how else to describe this as each story is so vastly different...the only thing they have in common is a connection to the Laura Antoniou's amazing marketplace series. Sometimes the connection is by a thread, other times it weaves in well. But there are stories in this collection for every reader to love.

When I picked this up it looked interesting. It's an anthology of fanfiction short stories based on Antoniou's <a 'The Marketplace Series'. It wasn't until I started reading though, that I realised that the reason I haven't marked 'The Marketplace' as read is that I didn't manage to finish it. On the plus side however, is that fanfiction takes on a life of its own and often the fanfiction improves on aspects of the original or has a different take on pivotal events.

The reason I didn't finish 'The Marketplace' is that it's an aspect of BDSM culture that I can't get my head around. I don't get the desire to be a slave with no other desire than to be of service. I can understand the idea of pain and pleasure, I get the concept of power exchange and I can almost understand a 24/7 DS relationship. I really struggle to understand why someone would want to be a slave without the pay-off of love, an emotional connection or even pleasure. I also don’t understand why anyone would want a slave or someone who has sublimated all their own desires to serve.

In this anthology, the stories I enjoyed the most were those where there was an emotional connection, sometimes love or where the slave is promoted through the ranks. There is a mix of m/f, m/m and f/f relations in the stories but for the most part gender and orientation are irrelevant when the slave’s sole desire is to serve.

Book received from Netgalley and Riverdale Avenue Books for an honest review.

A steamy smoking hot romance book. New introduction to this author but I loved it and will continue to read more from this author.

I thought this book was going to be a bit like 50 Shades books, but it is a group of short stories.
Prevailing theme is willingly becoming a "slave" to another person or entity. It involves, to varying degrees, SM,Submissive behavior and sexual situations which are not necessarily consensual but somehow meets the emotional needs of the recipient.
I did read the entire book as it had some very good writing. Also, I think it did help a reader to understand the need? Desire? of people who willingly become "slaves".

Fans of Market Place will want to read this anthology. When I first started to read kink, The Market Place Trilogy was a classic that ever kinkster read and fantasized about. I remember fantasying about Chris. Twenty-two years later, I still remember Chris and I'm transported back to that feeling of newest and romance of kink. For that, I thank Ms. Antoniou for reviving my submissive desires again.

I do not normally comment on a book foreword; I felt the need for this one. For those who normally skip over the foreword, do not. It is worth the read and sets the tone for this romantically kinky collection. The reveal at the end may be common knowledge to others, for me it was a pleasant surprise. I digress.

I enjoyed most of the stories of this anthology. The first one started out with a bang and my arouse immediately shot through the roof. Whilst I am a Sherlock Holmes fan, the latest BBC iteration with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are the characters I visualize in this first story. I have never come across author S. Daithi. Now I must find more and see what other tantalizing erotica can be found.

After a while some of the stories are hard to keep straight who wrote which ones. The ones that stood out for me were ones I either really enjoyed or could have done without. For example, I liked the ending of Rain Dog but the characters themselves did not do it for me. I'm reader who does rate books based on how much I enjoyed it. And this is directly influenced by if I liked the main character or not. I did not like the female in this rain dog because she was so conceited. She even called herself a sex goddess in her inner dialog. Not interested.

Then there were ones like the vampire one mixed with a cutter. Now this one caught my attention because having a cutter mixed with a vampire works so well. I really enjoyed this one. Just as I enjoyed the male slave who was dedicating this life to his boyfriend James, only to have James die before his training completed. I loved this one because the slave (his name escapes me) felt so undeserving because of his own self image problems. He's older, not as physically fit and he has so much talent. He doesn't understand how desirable he comes across. I felt sorrow for him and was so glad that he found his owners.

What it comes down to, is this collection is all about matching to the slave to the right fit of an owner. I liked how each author approached their special fit. I liked how each story is unique with it's own flavour... including vanilla. I liked how one of the stories showed how a man is not exactly comfortable with the BDSM lifestyle yet he appreciates and understands it works for some. He even go so far as to train a former military man who is struggling with his civilian life. Then he passes this submissive on to the Trainers. Loved it.

How can I forget two which stands out because of tentacle sex and an O-Ren vibe? The paranormal one with a pixie and a tentacle shifter... that one pulls me in and I wanted so much more. It isn't the usual take on the tentacle sex and I liked how the author twisted it around. Very hot! The O-Ren vibe is more of a male who takes an Asianish looking woman and turns her into the ultimate boardroom weapon. I must confess, I kind of wish I was the slave to have been molded into this way. I would have loved it.

Lastly, a femdom one with a wife as the owner and the husband as a slave... so delicious. I felt as if my secret (or not so secret) fantasies came to life on the pages of this book. This is a decadent addition to the Marketplace world. This book is highly recommended to erotic readers with an eclectic taste in kink.

The Marketplace is one of those fictional worlds that you can only dream of, an organization that you know is not real, but desperately wish could be. It is a secret society of slaves, submissives, owners, Masters, and Mistresses, one of complete and utter commitment, but also one of rules and codes of conduct.

There are 6 novels in The Marketplace series, the original No Safewords short story anthology, and now the No Safewords 2 follow-up anthology, edited by Laura Antoniou (with a lovely introduction from her wife, Karen Taylor). If you are a fan of Laura's world, then you will love revisiting it through other eyes, and if you are new to The Marketplace, this is a great place to begin.

There are 18 stories here, from a variety of authors, covering a wide range of genders, sexualities, and BDSM roles. A few of the stories that stood out for me were:

The Adventure of the Bowing Doctor by S. Daithi was an absolutely wonderful bondage-themed take on the Holmes/Watson relationship that immediately grabs your attention. It remains true to the characters we know and love, incorporating their original eccentricities, but which delves deeper into their shared pain and dependence.

Olivia by Erzabet Bishop was a touching, powerful story about what happens when a Master is reaching the end of his life, and how he ensures that his slave continues to be taken care of, even if she does not understand why she must be trained and sold. I cried so hard for her.

“You are more than worthy, my dear. I have been a blessed man to have been able to help you achieve your goals of becoming a slave.” He tenderly wiped the tears from her cheek, and as she looked up, she could have sworn she saw moisture glittering in His eyes as well.

Rain Dog by LN Bey was perhaps the most interesting story in the collection, exploring the desperate attempts of an unworthy slave to win her way back into the organization. It is a dark and edgy story, one with a lot of tension, that I found myself drawn into.

Isis of 10,000 Names by Steve Dee was, far and away, my favorite story in the collection - one that I reread a second time when I was done with the book. It fuses ancient mythology with contemporary subcultures, exploring asexuality, tantric sex, fairies, chastity, and transgender issues.

Unlike some pagan groups that got caught up in some sort of dead-end belief about what it meant to be a real woman, the temple recognized the Goddess could be made manifest in anyone, whatever their biological sex at birth.

Something More by Dani Hermit & Nevi Star put a fantastic spin on traditional bondage and monster erotica themes, exploring a bookish tentacle beast by the name of Eugene who would rather submit that master others with his appendages. I loved this one so much!

Second Opinion by Madeline Elayne is a story I nearly skipped over, as soon as I came to understand what a grudge slave is, but it won me over with the tenderness, respect, and care, with emphasis put on recovery and downtime. It is a side of slavery and ownership that some readers might find distressing, but it is done so well, and with such humanity, that I loved it.

Prospect by Moxie Marcus is such a simple tale, one about the preparation of a new slave for sale at The Marketplace, but I loved the crossdressing elements, and the way it brings a former motorcycle rider full circle is a lovely touch.

He took the stockings and waist cincher without a sound. Other slaves may have needed reminded that they wore their clothing at their owner’s pleasure, but he had never required that to be explained.

650.13 by Caraway Carter was another of those stories that impressed me with its approach, exploring an older, heavier gentleman who only asked to be trained in order to be sold to one man, who changed his mind, leaving him questioning his place and his worth. I loved the idea of being bought by a couple, and that scene of dual pleasure at the end . . . oh my!

I could keep going. I could find a few words to say about every story here, but I have to wrap up my review somewhere. Truly, there is not a single bad story in No Safewords 2, a collection that speaks to all readers, whether they wear collars or wield whips.

I am volunteering to leave a review of this ARC book from Net Galley. What a wonderfully interesting compilation of sexy / erotic / eclectic short stories. I downloaded this on New Year's Eve, and have fit these shorts between some longer reads. A read before sleep leads to some interesting dreams, LOL. There were some shorts I enjoyed better than others, but really, there is probably something for everyone who reads this genre! Plenty of new authors. Cannot wait to check out their book lists!

This wasn't really the kind of book I thought it would be, I thought it would be a little steamier in the sex scenes but after reading quite a few stories it seems to be more slave serving master oriented. Not necessarily a bad read especially not if these are the kinds of things that you are into and for some, mostly dominant types, this will still have you in the mood even without the sexual components. I enjoyed the book and all of the stories.

No Safewords 2
Overall rating Stories 4 of 5 stars, Heat 5 of 5 stars
This is a collection of Marketplace fanfiction. There’s a lot of BDSM stories here M/F, M/M, Slaves, paranormal and more. Many of the stories end too soon, leaving you wishing for more, there were a couple misses for me but overall if you like reading BDSM fiction or enjoyed the Marketplace series by Laura Antoniou you will like this collection. I read the Marketplace a while ago, after reading these stories I am definitely making plans to reread the series again.
The Adventure of the Bowing Doctor by S. Daithi
Story 5 of 5 stars, Heat 5 of 5 stars
Main Characters - Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson.
A kinky take on Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. Watson’s owner dies and he is cut loose, but Holmes agrees to consider him for a one week trial. Watson’s loss is heartbreaking, but you can feel the connection these two make in a short period. The ending is abrupt and leaves you searching for the next page in their story.
Olivia by Erzabet Bishop
Story 4 of 5 stars, heat 2 of 5 stars
Main Characters – Alexandra and Olivia
Olivia’s owner is dying and he seeks to put her into Alexandria’s care to finish her training. This is another Marketplace fanfiction that ends too soon.
Rain Dog by L.N. Bey
Story 4 of 5 stars, heat 5 of 5 stars
Main Characters – Mr. Davis and Sharon Brosa
I always wondered if we’d get a follow up story for Sharon. I didn’t think she’d ever actually pu effort into her claims of wanting to be a slave. This was perfect.
Pickett Ridge: Mission Market by Flynn Anthony
Story 5 of 5 stars, heat 5 of 5 stars
Main Characters - Colonel Beauregard Riordan, Colin Fyveson
Beau runs a halfway house for soldiers, helping them transition back to the real world after being in the military. Colin is still having difficulty after 18 months in Beau’s care, until Beau gives in to the obvious signs that Colin needs the discipline of being in service, a slave. Beau resists the idea as it isn’t his thing but he recognizes the signs and tests Colin over a period of time, giving Colin basic Marketplace training. Beau is a leather Daddy and his twin brothers are in the Marketplace and helped him understand their need to be slaves.
I liked his acceptance of others’ needs, even though he was personal opposed to it. This story seemed to be about acceptance and giving those we care about what they need even though it may be distasteful for us personally. Acceptance of his brothers’ choices and his daughter’s even though he tries to steer her away from the Marketplace. Very good read.
Blind Emotions by Kimiko Alexandre
Story 3 of 5 stars, Heat 5 of 5 stars
Main Characters – Jessica
Jessica wants to be accepted as a slave, she wants to be owned, she also has psychic talent to read people and their emotions. Her audition is in a hotel, where the man she meets tests her talent in various ways while playing with her sexually. It was just an okay read for me, this might be better in a paranormal erotic thriller.
The Brill Boy at Kaleigh by Scott Harris
Story 4 of 5 stars, Heat 5 of 5 stars
Main Characters Trey, Major4 Catham, Danny
Trey was raised by parents in service and as he grew up he knew he also wanted to serve in the Marketplace. He is very proud that he was accepted to train and sent to Kaleigh further his training. His nervousness and fear of not representing his spotter really comes across. A nice snippet.
Isis of 10,000 Names by Steve Dee
Story 2 of 5 stars, Heat 5 of 5 stars
Main Characters – Cybele/James
This was a peek into an alternative world of paranormal beings in the Marketplace. Eugene is a tentacle beast, he's submissive but all his owners want him to behave like a beast. His new owner has been ignoring him and he's afraid once he gets his attention that it will be more of the same. I loved that his owner was a pixie and that they weren't what people expected.
Second Opinion by Madeline Elayne
Story 5 of 5 stars, Heat 5 of 5 stars
Maine Characters - Connor Cane/Margaret Moxie
Cameron is asked to evaluate a woman with both her Marketplace spotter cap and her counseling, social worker cap. This short touches on the differences between abusive enslavement and a person's true desire to serve as a slave, within a framework that is as safe as it can be given the activities engaged. I thought it well done, but some of the extremes may be challenging for some to read.
Prospect by Moxie Marcus
Story of 4 of 5 stars, Heat 5 of 5 stars
The day before Connor is to be put up for auction he is evaluated by Margaret, canes are used but he has no idea if he met with her approval. As stands on a platform for buyers to view him he reflects on his training, worried about his short comings and that he may have disappointed or failed Margaret as bidding is about to close and she hadn't arrived yet. It resonated with me, don't we all go through these sorts of reflections and self-doubts during evaluations in real life. I thought it was well done.
650.13 by Caraway Carter
Story 3 of 5 stars, Heat 5 of 5 stars
Main Character – Tobias Blanchard
Tobias, a librarian, entered the Marketplace to train to be a slave for one man, Jamie. Before Tobias finished, Jamie decided he needed someone to manage his household of slaves and switched Tobias program to become a trainer. This part seemed to be a big editing issue or Jamie was a complete liar and no one called him on it, because per the story 'he told me he wasn't ready for a slave of his own.' then goes on to say he wanted Tobias 'to manage other slaves in his household' which doesn't make sense. During this period of time Jamie dies and Tobias knowing he was a slave, returned to the slave training. Then we jump to his being considered by a perspective buyer. The story goes on to describe Anderson's attempt at getting him to lose 30 lbs and apparently failing, as well as his doubts about anyone considering him, a chubby 35 year old librarian, a 'pleasure slave.' This just didn't flow for me, it felt disjointed. It smoothes out after he is sold, from that point on I really enjoyed it.
The Thorny Issue by Wade McLeod
Story 4 of 5 stars, Heat 5 of 5 stars
Main Character – Heathcliffe Ryan Deckford
This short is about a traveling kink caravan, it starts with a premeeting and a slave mini-lease auction and moves on to cop that thinks they may have something to do with missing persons over ten years. Turns out the cop is a submissive masochist, who hasn't had his needs met in years. His investigation leads him to an old play partner and where he's always wanted to be. While expected it was still a nice short.
Blood Lust by Elizabeth Schechter
Story 4 of 5 stars, Heat 5 of 5 stars
Main Characters – Daniel, Grendel Eliot, Alexandra Selador, Hiro Itami
"This short had an interesting twist. Daniel is in training with Grendel, Alexandra and Chris, he was rescued from a blood club, where people cut him and drank his blood. During training they learn he's a cutter and even though they tried many things they can't get him to a place where he won't cut. Worried for his safety if they let him go, but knowing he can't be auctioned they discuss what to do with him, Chris tells them about a place he may go within the Marketplace that may fit Daniel. A very specialized and strictly overseen group, Kyuketsuki. He makes a call to Anderson, who demands to meet Chris and Daniel that night.
At this point there's a blip in the story in that it says Chris is calling Tokyo from the States, but then they describe their drive to Anderson's that is clearly in the U.S.
Anderson meets and accesses Daniel and introduces him to a Kyuketsuki, Hiro Itami. I loved seeing Chris and Anderson together and addressing the special needs of this slave and owner. Interesting twist, kept me engaged."
The Counselor by Amelia Horo
Story 4 of 5 stars, Heat 5 of 5 stars
Main character – Morticia Lapenta
Morticia is blind, lawyer, slave. This story is her reflecting on the last two decades and how she got where she was in service to Lucille. A brief synopsis of her life before she first entered service, she could still see but her vision was declining and her training and past owners. She always wanted a purpose and she found it, even though she had a disability.
State of Change by Soulhuntre
Story 4 of 5 stars, Heat 5 of 5 stars
Main character – Natalie
Natalie's owner has different ideas about what he wants from a slave, starting his own House. Definitely a Millenial take on what's desired in a slave, they can fight, take on business, and fuck, not old school Victorian type slave. It was entertaining read.
Transcendence by Jamie Thorsen
Story 3 of 5 stars, Heat 5 of 5 stars
Main Characters - Dark Eyes (Marie Salazons), Ken Mandarin, Quentin, Eloise Devereaux, Layton Turner
Dark Eyes starts when she was owned by a gangster, that lead her to being sent to jail, until an advocate saves her, teaches and trains her. This story jumps from a very intense scene, involving breathe play, bondage, impact play, simultaneous sexual use. This is pretty graphic and at times comes across as her not wanting what's happening to her. This is her last night as a slave and all of the important people that helped her are there to give her a final send off. This will definitely turn some people on and others it may squick them out. It is also a story of a woman overcoming a rough start and bad history.

Unbridled Domesticity by Elizabeth Schechter
Story 4 of 5 stars, Heat 5 of 5 stars
Main Characters – Thomas and Eugenia
Husband, wife, slave/Owner story. A peek into the life of a slave within marriage. A kinky slice of life, between them and their first slave of their House.
Foster Care by Elle Wickenden
Story 4 of 5 stars, Heat 5 of 5 stars
Main Characters – Bette/Kelly
I thought this was a great story but it had several editing and consistency issues. Kelly's owner went crazy, and beat her severely, she's hospitalized in another country. Bette is a fixer, she goes down and rescues her and brings her to the States at first to treat her medical injuries then to Canada to heal and be safe. The story first says she's a U.S. citizen then later says she's a Canadian citizen, then it says she came from a reputable outfit in Chicago, but her trainer was Geoff Negel who's based in California and is considered by most of the Marketplace as an 'unscrupulous trainer'. If you can get past those types of things in the story, the story itself was good. I loved how Bette took her in and cared for her. Cognizant of the healing both inside and out that Kelly needed and the strong desire of Bette to keep her and protect her.

Loved this great collection of reads. The stories are fast-paced steamy and oh so entertaining. I was hooked. A very entertaining read!

I enjoyed reading this novel, It is quite interesting. Nicely written and a novel worth reading. It ticks all the boxes for me in terms of entertaining and I believe people have every reason to be pleased with the contents of this book. I wont give away any spoilers however i can tell you , if this is the genre that you like to read you will not be disappointed by the work of Laura she has done a great novel..