I’m always on the lookout for books that expand my reading horizons. So while an erotic BDSM lesbian menage romance is not my normal type of book, the cover of Double Six was pretty and featured a woman of color, and the story sounded interesting, and I decided to request it from NetGalley. The publisher was kind enough to share a copy with me, and it even met some reading prompts for my 2020 reading challenges. Score!

And then I started reading, and I was so disappointed. I hadn’t realized from the description that this was book 5 in a series, so I had to do a little catching up to understand what was going on. I eventually understood enough to follow the story, but it wasn’t thanks to the awkward writing. From what I can gather, Elaine is part of a very rich found family/ BDSM house? I’m very confused by all this, but it didn’t play into the story too much. Except that a lot of time was wasted talking about the horses that the house owned, which Elaine loved, and which had nothing to do with the plot otherwise. Also, there were submissives to do all the work around the enormous property. And money for travelling whenever/ wherever the characters wanted seemed to be no problem, as was money for hiring mercenaries and fixers to protect characters from violence apparently related to drama that occurred in previous books. But for all the talk about how the house existed to serve clients, which is why they wanted to hire Petra, there was never any mention of that actually happening. Elaine was too busy having angst to do the work that they supposedly did. So how they maintained that wealth remained unclear.

There was just so much telling instead of showing. So. much. awkward. exposition. in. Elaine’s. head. Not only did we have to listen to her think everything through (especially so much emotional angst. so much. over and over and over), but she did so in bizarrely short, staccato phrasing. For example, “Can I do it? Will my pride get in the way? What will Petra do? What does she want? Besides a dead woman. Shouldn’t speak ill of the dead.” etc etc etc. Maybe this is how some of us think. But it is torturous to read, and since 95% of the story was the angsty romance, with Elaine back and forth in her own head, we got to hear that awful inner narrative. A lot.

There were also strange inconsistencies throughout the story. At first I was sure Robin was described as blonde. But then about halfway through the story, Elaine mentioned Robin’s dark hair. so I assumed I had misread, and just adjusted my mental image accordingly. THEN, right before the end of the book, another character describes Robin as highly desirable because she’s blonde. WHICH IS IT? Then there’s the sex scene where one minute Elaine is performing oral sex on Robin, yet somehow managed to “bury her head in the curve of Robin’s neck” at the same time. Maybe I’m reading it wrong, but that doesn’t seem physically possible.

This applies to character development as well. I was VERY confused by the roles that these characters had among themselves. It seemed like the characters just did what the story demanded, whether or not it was consistent with what we’d been told about them thus far. Being angry at each other was apparently code for sexual tension, for example. (It wasn’t sexy. at least not for me. just angry and mean.) Also, the romance is among 3 women, 2 fierce dommes and a submissive, and it was very confusing to me how two women who both said very firmly that they weren’t switches ended up with one of them routinely submitting. It almost felt like a violation of consent, forcing someone to submit against spoken wishes. The submissive could be pretty bossy/ insistent too. It was all just so confusing. This story badly needs an editor.

Also, just be aware. This book is about 95% angsty romance, with some off-handed mentions of outside menace that I assumed were about as relevant as all the time spent talking about horses. And then, about 95% through the book, the story suddenly morphs into romantic suspense/ action, with Elaine killing people with her bare hands (in disturbing detail). After all that time being repetitive sex and romantic will they/ won’t, it suddenly became a different book for about 3% of the book, before subsiding into the ending. It was a surprising shift in tone, and one I feel like readers should know to expect.

What was good about Double Six? Well, the sex scenes, aside from the interminable minutes inside Elaine’s head, were smoking hot, and frankly were also pretty creative. I had not read about that use of clothes pins before, for instance. And also, I’ll give the author credit for including some diversity. Every significant character is female, and all seem to be LGBTQ. Petra is a beautiful Vietnamese domme. Early in the book it’s mentioned that she’s looking for a house where she’ll be accepted as a person, not just an exotic caricature or Asian stereotype. Later in the book, an African American character very pointedly tells Elaine “You know I’m not your magical negro, right?” and I cheered a little. I appreciate the author including these moments of diversity. It wasn’t enough to save the book, but it was still noteworthy.

So, bottom line, I did not enjoy Double Six at all. I found the writing bad enough to be distracting, and had to read the book in tiny snippets, before I’d get frustrated or annoyed again. I only finished it because it was an advanced readers copy and because it fulfilled reading challenges for me (This book was MOST DEFINITELY the binary opposite of an Amish romance I read earlier in the year, for example.). I won’t be picking up anything else by this author, and am a bit nervous to read the other two advanced copies granted to me by this publisher. If you want to expand your reading horizons, or fancy books like this, save yourself some disappointment and go find a different f/f/f BDSM erotic romance instead.

Thank you to #NetGalley and NineStar Press for letting me read this advanced copy of #DoubleSix. I’m sorry I can’t give it a better review. This is my honest opinion.

The previous story in this series was quite gentle and much more of a romance where this is a return to some serious BDSM. Elaine, co-owner of Rowan House, is feared for her coldness but it stems from past hurt. Robin, has been working in the kitchen and although she’s in love with Elaine, Elaine won’t entertain the thought of being with her until Robin’s abductors have been captured. Robin can’t leave for fear of recapture. Elaine’s sister, Martha, is off on her honeymoon and tells Elaine to interview a new mistress for the house. Petra is attractive to both Elaine and Robin.

I’ve been looking forward to Elaine’s story and it was worth the wait. This novel is filled with emotion, constantly changing power play and hot, well-written BDSM scenes. It’s great erotica and wonderful escapism. I do worry about these women who rattle around in this empty, exclusive club with no clients but I’ve come to like the characters so much that I don’t really care whether there is any reality to it.

<i>Book received from Netgalley and NineStar Press for an honest review.</i>

Wow. Double Six was, in a word, exquisite. As a newcomer to Rowan House, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this is an erotic lesbian romance that is full of emotional depth, not to mention one of the best explorations of the psychology of the power exchange that I have ever read. It’s a story of strong women, a story of dominant women, but what’s really interesting is the way it explores the strength of submission.

Brenda Murphy has a flair for characters, personalities, and relationships that is just brilliant. I have always been someone who struggles with emotional conflict in others, who finds observing that tension to be very uncomfortable. So, with the powerful emotions laid bare here, I had an early fear that this would this wouldn’t be the book for me. Much to my surprise, however, in making the emotional relationships so understandable, so relatable, and so compelling, Murphy empowered me to empathize with those conflicts, and that made this a better, stronger, deeper book.

This is the story of a relationship triangle between three women, two of whom are dominant, and one of whom is submissive. There is so much history between Elaine and Robin, a backstory that has both brought them together and kept them apart. Entangled between them are questions of love versus duty, of professional domination versus personal submission, as well as the seeming dichotomy of needing the freedom to be collared. It is the pain of past betrayals by lost lovers that looms heaviest between them, particularly for Mistress Elaine, and it is her emotional conflict that weighs heaviest on the story.

It is Petra’s introduction as a potential new Mistress of Rowan House that provides the catalyst for the Elaine and Robin to confront their feelings, and it is through her that the most interesting issues of dominance and submission are explored. As an equal to Elaine, she can really challenge the other woman, force her to admit to and confront her feelings, and to demand answers that Robin never could. At the same time, in exploring a bratty sort of submission to her, she begins a conversation of fluid, dynamic relationships, one that ultimately leads Elaine to a self-awareness that is as emotionally powerful as it is powerfully erotic.

As for the power exchange aspect itself, there is so much passion and intensity in the scenes of bondage and domination, of punishment and pleasure, that the read threatens to become blissfully exhausting at times. Murphy has a way with words that matches her talent for staging a scene, allowing her to explore the exchange from all angles. She interweaves emotion, thought, and feeling in a way that is seemingly effortless, making the kiss of a crop as meaningful and appreciated as kisses of a more intimate nature.

The one and only concern I have about Double Six is that I am now compelled to read the first four Rowan House books . . . but that’s hardly a complaint.

Amazing story! This author is new to me but I'm completely impressed with this book and gotta read the whole series asap. This was one hell of a story worthy of every single minute spent reading it. Hot, edgy, intriguing, fascinating, nail biting, and then some.

This is the 4th Rowan House romance, but the 3rd one I have read. For this romance, I would recommend that you at least read book 3 to get an idea of who some of the characters are and their background story.

When I started reading this, I remember seeing a disclaiming saying it had explicit content. I shrugged it off and kept it moving. Ummm, this romance has a TON of explicit content. I must admit that I was almost overwhelmed by the amount of explicit content HAHAHAHA, I said almost. Anyway, if BDSM isn't your thing AND you prefer a few scenes, this might not be the book for you.

Now with all that said, Brenda Murphy did an excellent job at describing the BDSM scenes as they unfolded. Everyone of them was detailed and easy to follow along which I appreciated. On the romance side of things, I often found myself thinking about if I could fall in love with someone in a very short time and the answer was possibly after so much sex. That is the one thing about this romance that bothered me as I read it. I just didn't know if it was believable. Now the love between Elaine and Robin seemed real, but not with Petra. It's just they didn't seem to get to know each other well enough. My only other issues was the ending seemed like an afterthought or maybe even rushed. It just seemed like it did not belong.

So I have to give this one Three ratings. In terms of a BDSM book, I would give it a 4.75. Romance aspect maybe like a 3. Average is 3.85 so I will round it to 4..

I read and enjoyed the second and third books in this series, but somehow missed the fourth (which I will remedy). These books are so different than the traditional romance I normally read - the settings have almost a mythical feel even though they are set in current day, and the cast of characters are certainly not your typical heroines. What astonishes me about Brenda Murphy's writing is how she can write a book so fast but it never feels rushed to press - the details and backstories are fascinating and the editing is tight. As everyone else has mentioned, the sex scenes are quite varied and super hot and totally fit into the story lines. I can't wait to see what's next from Brenda Murphy.

3.25 stars with a major caveat... This is my first in this series, so those who started at the beginning may feel differently than I do. (And after reading this I WILL be going back to read the earlier books). But all that said...

I was totally intrigued by the premise of this book - and had seen earlier ones in this world by Murphy pop up before. So when this book showed up, I jumped on it. I was not disappointed. Ever thought that BDSM-based f/f/f throuples are missing from your life, well problem solved.

Mistress Elaine has a problem. She's totally taken with Robin, a submissive pledged to Rowan House. Robin loves Elaine, but Elaine is smarting from the rejection of a previous lover, isn't sure she can give up working with clients, and doesn't want to take advantage of Robin. Things are complicated by the arrival of Mistress Petra for an "audition" to Domme with Rowan House... Elaine is immediately taken with Petra, Robin is taken with Petra. Petra is taken with each of them in return...

The plot was okay (again, I was missing some backstory), the sex was hot ... and as always in D/s (or D/D/s) relationships, communication is the key!!

This was a delightful book, that had all the ingredients for a great tale; intrigue, plot twists, character building, and a happy ending.