4.25 stars

I love it when new voices are added to the mix in sapphic fiction and Thea Belmont is a welcome one.

This book was smokin' hot. Icy Professor Vivienne Carter has neglected her own needs for years since taking over the care of her niece. While she has no time for relationships, she decides to let off some steam and hire a dominatrix after she unexpectedly happens upon her business card. Vivienne has certain desires and kinks that a dominatrix can fulfill nicely. But she discovers that Selene, the delicious dom she hired and starts to develop feelings for, is also the new principal at her niece's high school. While she wasn't looking for a relationship, this revelation certainly complicates matters.

It was an interesting dynamic that the ice queen in this story was the professor, more than the dom. When they had a scene, Selene took over, but otherwise Vivienne is prickly with pretty much everyone in her life. And she is with Selene at times as well, outside of their play. She is convinced she needs no one - that she's self-sufficient and has her family to care for, but she definitely responds physically when someone else takes the reins. Certainly in the bedroom.

This is one of those insta-lust stories and the mains had little interaction outside the bedroom so the falling in love aspect was… suspect. That said - women tend to develop emotional bonds at a quicker pace and Selene definitely “saw” Vivienne, which is appealing to anyone. And being in that kind of dom/sub relationship does require a whole lot of trust. Still, I would have liked to see their relationship fleshed out more.

There were family dynamics explored as well and social issues taking place at the school that were a good complement to the overall story. I would have liked to have learned more about Vivienne's complex relationship with her niece and sister, though.

For those not really into BDSM, this was relatively tame although the pain aspect always makes me squirm. But some of their encounters were ridiculously hot and I'd definitely be interested in an audiobook version with the right narrator. Bottom line - this is an erotic romance with focus on the erotic. So if you're looking for a sweeping romance, this isn't it. However, it definitely scratches a certain...itch.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot was engaging, the characters were adorable, and the spice was next level. It’s not everyday that you read about a college professor who discovers that the dominatrix that she’s recently hired is also her niece’s high school principal. Vivienne is such a unique character. She’s kind of icy and uptight in most aspects of her life but extremely adventurous and fluid when it comes to sex. She barely hesitates in her decision to engage a dominatrix, but she’s practically scandalized by the idea of her students noticing that’s she’s been super stressed about work. It’s an interesting dynamic that keeps you constantly guessing about how Vivienne will react to things. Selene, the principal, also comes as a bit of a surprise. Usually an ice queen is paired with an outgoing, people loving melter. (The sunshine to her grumpy, if you will.) Selene, however, is not quite as gregarious as you would expect. She seems a bit stern and withdrawn from people who aren’t Vivienne. This added a sweet, I’m-not-comfortable-with-anyone-but-you aspect to the romance. I really feel like they complemented each other very well. It’s also refreshing that they aren’t figuring out their interest in kink together. They are both already experienced and know what they like, so they can just engage in it with each other. Overall, this was a really good book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in reading about older lesbians, BDSM, or sexually adventurous ice queens!

A couple of years ago I read this as a fanfic on Archive of Our Own and loved it. I'm happy to see it was turned into a book.
Vivienne Carter is a stern, brilliant scholar, yet somewhat inept when it comes to people. Selene, on the other hand, is precise and meticulous, yet possesses a hidden softness. The interactions between the two, whether sexual or not, were well written and full of tension. Although I am not a fan of last-minute breakups, I found the underlying rationale behind this one to be reasonable and understandable. Furthermore, the novel has an excellent subplot exploring themes such as tolerance, love, and personal accountability, exemplified through Vivienne's niece and her transgender best friend who is being bullied at school.

I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent debut by Thea Belmont. Thea did a wonderful job crafting a well written plot while incorporating erotica. Vivienne Has made several sacrifices for her family. She meets Selene (a dominatrix) who she later discovers is her nieces principal. This was a quick, well written, spicy story! The characters were well developed.

Thank you YLVA Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

The sex scenes are well written, However the rest of it was subpar. Lots of spelling errors, plot holes — Viv says she’s gonna see Selene on a Sunday at the end of a chapter, but then the next chapter she says she hasn’t seen her in weeks. Viv was not likable in that she victimized herself for sacrificing for her family while simply not liking them.

The third quarter breakup was flimsy. Hattie is the reason Claudia knows but 1. What adult is gonna tell a kid about someone else’s relationship that they know is delicate?. 2. What sisters wouldn’t get into a fight about that?

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗦: 𝚂𝙰𝙿𝙿𝙷𝙸𝙲. 𝙱𝙳𝚂𝙼. 𝙳𝙾𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙰𝚃𝚁𝙸𝚇. 𝙴𝚁𝙾𝚃𝙸𝙲 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴.
📚 ᴀʀᴄ 🏳️‍🌈⁠


𝚂𝚄𝙼𝙼𝙰𝚁𝚈;
This was a really fun read. The cover is intriguing and the synopsis was captivating that's why I ended up here. The start, middle and near-end were very catching, even that 3rd act break-up had real salt to it. But now, the closure to the 3rd act, that was less banging.


𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧;
Erotic plots are usually good esp if they have really good and mature angst. What I really want to express is the cause of the break-up.. I loved it. It had a good reasoning behind it that could be respected and understood but also cause havoc and bring satisfying angst. What I loved the most was Claudia's realisation of her decision. That, right there, was a compelling moment.

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦;
Selene: I actually thought she was the... not Dom. I loved her duo-personality because the principal-persona was my favourite.

Vivienne: I sometimes couldn't understand her emotional outbursts.. Like I thought she was ice queen LITE, but she was complicated. That final scene in Anna's office.. well, I was so mad at Vivienne.

Claudia: Now, this was one weird teenager. Her tantrums reminded me of why I rarely read YA-books.


𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙫𝙞𝙖 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬.

OMG
At first let me say please read the TW's.
This book contains BDSM and this is not everyone's cup of tea.
But this book was far behind my expectations!
And that plot oh my oh my, this book had me screaming!!
But outside of all the spice it's also really well written and there is a great character building.

This was an excellent book to read. I finish it less than a day wanted more from Vivienne and Selene. The author gave us more of Vivienne background but see why she needed to call on a Dominatrix. It was very understandable. The relationship does grow into something more and they finally got together. Of course there are other side factors but story floated very well. A great read.

The aloof, icy professor, the one who is decisive and sure footed, is the one that wants to lose control and let it all just go. And that’s what she finds when engaging the services of a Dom in a BDSM arrangement. But this story was so much more. And we learn about our MC’s desires, fears, and ultimately true selves. A great read.

I understand that Principle Decisions is Thea Belmont’s debut book and what a story she told. A vast majority of the time with erotica, the storyline and character development is secondary to almost nonexistent. However, that was not the case with this book. Belmont struck a wonderful balance between BDSM erotica, a well written story, and developing two interesting yet imperfects characters. I look forward to more of her writing. 4.5 stars

I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author Thea Belmont did a beautiful job with this storyline about a Single parent finding the love she longed for and truly needed in a place she never expected. Vivienne, a teacher at a local college, requests the services of an unforeseen individual that will have a huge impact on her life. Anyone who feels that having a relationship takes up too much time and effort when having a full-time job that requires more than just 80 hours a week of us will relate with our main character Vivienne. She didn’t want to be lost in a relationship; she just needed her desires satisfied with no commitment.
The story was fun and exciting. The characters were truly entertaining and easy to fall in love with. The relationship between Vivienne and Selene was fun to see blossom into a true romance. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a heart-warming story with a happy ending. I finished this book quicker than I had expected because I just didn’t want the story to end. Can’t wait to read another book by Thea Belmont.

Erotica and angst make for a wild combination here
If you've read the synopsis for this book, then you already know more than I did before I started reading. Vivienne and Selene have some sensational chemistry that only grows as the story progresses; it's sensual, kinky, intimate, teasing, gentle, and oh so fun to read (though maybe not in public?). Selene's got a real skill for sussing out Vivienne's unspoken desires from their first meeting so their encounters are varied and creative both in terms of their actions and the locations where they play out fantasies and scenes. The complicated dynamics of Vivienne's relationship with her sister and their moody teenage niece throw some angst into the mix but the three of them have their lighter more loving moments together as well. In a book so sensual and kinky I didn't expect there to be angst but it does drive the story and force its characters to evolve and grow as they confront obstacles with varying degrees of success, taking actions that are true to character even when as a reader you may wish they'd chosen differently or taken the road more travelled so things are harmonious sooner. Note that bullying occurs in the story and it's addressed after the fact, in case that's a triggering issue for anyone considering this book. If you're looking for a hot erotic read with some feels and angst give this one a shot; it's NSFW so choose your reading location carefully and maybe have tissues nearby for some scenes that might cause you to tear up or outright cry.
This is the first story I've read by author Thea Belmont and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Principle Decisions was an amazing book full of twists and turns, heartache, and finally happiness. The scenes were very detailed and I could picture what was going on beautifully. Would read more books from Thea Belmont definitely.

Oh my, but this was a delight! Principle Decisions delivered on everything that I expected, but it also delivered some surprises as well. There were aspects of both Vivienne and the story that I wasn’t expecting, that spoke to me deeply, and I know that connection certainly flavored my reading of this.

The cover blurb describes Vivienne as icy, aloof, and sexually frustrated, but it’s so much deeper than that. Here we have a woman who has sacrificed for her family, given of her free time and relationship dreams, to care for her orphaned niece. Vivienne comes across as icy and aloof because she holds so much in, because she is so reluctant (and afraid) to allow any sort of human connection. She’s so committed to the roles of professor and caregiver that she hasn’t the time or space for a lover, or even friend. At first, I thought I disliked her because of how frustrated I was with her, but then I realized that what really bothered me was that she forced me to really consider how my family has felt about me – I saw aspects that I disliked about myself in her.

Like Vivienne, I find the role of submission, the act of being controlled, dominated, punished–and then cared for–to be extraordinarily soothing. We both come away from it with the same sense of a relief so deep, so permeating, that it’s hard to explain to others. It’s cathartic, and it’s also sometimes hard to remember professional boundaries.

And that brings us to Selene. She is, in a word, marvelous. All too often it’s the domme who is written as cold or stern, sacrificing a personality for a presence, but she comes across like someone you could happily sit and have coffee with and never suspect her other activities. She’s what I would call playfully stern, someone to be respected and admired, but also someone who doesn’t need to feel feared or to make a submissive feel humiliated in order to work her magic. The sparks are there from the start, and my heart was fully invested in seeing them achieve a happily-ever-after.

There is also a well-written subplot to this about Vivienne’s niece and her best friend, a transgender boy who is being bullied at school. It explores the overall novel’s message of tolerance, love, and taking responsibility in a sort of microcosm. That being said, I do feel like Vivienne’s family was the weakest link in the story, especially her sister, Hattie, who feels so timid and meek that I, once again, had to confront the sort of exhausting level emotional trauma we can sometimes inflict on our families. My spouse has told me that, since I’ve begun getting help for my anxiety, she not only loves me more but likes me again–and it’s hard to realize you were unlikable.

I’ve rambled on enough, and likely injected more personality into this review than most would care for, but Principle Decisions was a fabulous read. The BDSM scenes are delightful, the romance is scrumptious, and the drama that threatens to keep the lovers apart is genuine. Please, do pick that red business card from the book and give Selene a chance.

Woooo this was a hot story. I was extremely impressed with the writing and character development. The strong characters of Vivienne and Selene jumped off the page and pulled you into the story. The supporting characters of Vivienne's family, Hattie and Claudia, bring just enough conflict to keep everything moving smoothly and keep you wanting more. The scenes though, were soooo very well written that you should not read at work and make sure you have someone to help out that itch after reading. The way they handled the bdsm relationship was strong and consensual, very much how it should be in real life. Amazing story from an author I'd nor read before. If this was her first book, I can't wait for more.

I am honestly left speechless by this book! There was so much spice and it was equally balanced by a believable romance. The spicy scenes were well written and kept my attention each time. Lesbian sex scenes can be repetitive, but this book made each encounter new. My only complaint is I have to wait to order a physical copy.

For about 90% of it I really enjoyed Principal Decisions, I'm pretty sure I'll read it again, I'd recommend it to someone else, and I'll definitely read any other books Thea Belmont writes.

Prof. Vivienne Carter is uptight, a genius but fairly useless with people, and a bit of a bitch...so in short I love her. Dominatrix Selene is detailed and precise, but with vulnerabilities just beneath her austere surface. The scenes between them, whether sexual or not, are well written and full of tension "“Ask me nicely to do unspeakable things to you,” she whispered, brushing her hand across Vivienne’s cheek. “Ask me nicely.”"


Spoilers below




There were a few things I didn't love, an altogether too convenient situation after a breakdown. A few very clunky lines, (which surprised me), one in particular about a necklace. Most of all, as a teacher I found it really off putting that after Vivienne found out that Selene was a school principal she started using her title during play, "“Please, Principal Rothschild,” she purred." Thankfully they didn't do full student/teacher role play but for someone who works with kids it's still an odd choice for the author.

“I’m proud of you”, who knew 4 words could be her undoing. This was a story about how far you can push yourself for love. While the spice was off the charts, love still mattered. This was spicy yet sweet. 5 stars all the way!

First book by Thea Belmont and what a first book! So glad Ylva Publishing signed up the author and published.
This is very good erotic romance book and I was into it from the beginning and enjoyed to the very end.
The two main characters, Vivienne and Selene, have chemistry that is immediate and never waivers. BDSM is predominant as it’s Vivienne and Selene’s thing and written very well, with an understanding of where they are coming from. Nothing in this book seems forced, it flows at a good pace and you become very invested in the Vivienne and Selene journey.
I wonder if Selene gets a book, as there is a story to be told, hint, hint.

If you have the trip to Bosnia list add this to it.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Ylva Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and I will be purchasing a copy too!

If you’re in the mood for an erotic (BDSM included) romance, look no further. Not only were there incredibly written sexy scenes, but there was an actual plot that went along with it which made their love story that much better. This book completely exceeded my expectations