Sorry couldn't get into this book so put it down, didn;t hold my intrest

Not sure what I expected from this author but I found myself yelling at the characters in this book.

I really wanted to enjoy this book and I started to. I would have enjoyed a follow-up, if the author had taken time to truly flesh out the characters and make them likeable.

This is a good book, a little out of my comfort zone but it is well written. I'm not sure what to say except you need to read it. I do recommend it.

Overall I enjoyed this book. For a short read the plot and the characters are well developed. The representation of BDSM is more realistic than some of the mainstream reads out there. The writing flows. Well worth reading.

This is a modern day Story of O with a Lesbian twist and consent from the submissive. This is a well written bdsm novel that brings you into the world of sex clubs and submission. This isn't 50 Shades of Grey, the scenes are not watered down for the masses. But this book isn't just scene after scene there is an actual plot, and quite a few well developed characters. This is a short book, you can fly through it in a few hours. I wasn't sure what to expect but this book surprised me in both the way it told its story and the sensitive way it treated the bdsm community.

This book was interesting and informative. This is what 50 Shades of Grey should have been like! Most of the BDSM terminology was either explained, or could be understood through context, and the reader was shown just why some one might enjoy participating in these activities. Care was shown to get proper consent, map out how scenes should play and provide proper aftercare. I am not into BDSM in my own life, but I could really connect with the needs and feelings of the characters, and found the insight into that world more relatable than I anticipated.
The characters are all unique, and fall all along the LGBTQIA categories. I enjoyed the inclusion and acceptance of the trans characters, and while I personally found the main character a bit bi-phobic about her lover's past, her concerns and hard limits made sense for her own personality. The inclusion of the experience of aging out of a community, and the change experienced by different generations of women added depth to the development of the romance. I'm glad an older woman was still portrayed as a desirable, sexual person, with no mention of how she needed to look younger, or ignore her passions.
Overall, a fun read that gave me insight into a world I had knew little about.

This story has shown all the true meanings of love. Whether it be true love for another or ones self. I was truly moved by the self growth of L throughout the entore story of her going from Liv to L. She has truly grown so much between the beginning to the emd of the story. It was magnigicient. The way their friends and others are portrayed especially pertaining to the void, truly allowed you to see the true meaning of love for all in this story. I would love to read another if it ever becomes available continuing their story and love for one another.

I found this book to be a very cut and dry Erotica book. It gave little that books before it have not already delved into and done a better job of being written. During much of the book I found myself skipping pages and skimming through the bulk of it. Normally I will read a book fully cover to cover however I found myself have a very difficult time staying focused on the read its self.

This is a hardcore erotica book. Although Liv and Cassandra end up falling in love, there doesn't seem to be much interaction between them besides the sex scenes. There's not much of an understanding of their basic lives, and is just centered on their erotic encounters. Liv is supposed to trust Cassandra completely, yet doesn't know her. Just felt like there was a lot missing from their story.

ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review.
So this is the first book of its kind that I have read. Because of that it was a bit harder for me to follow (written very well I am just not very knowledgeable on some of the lingo) That being said it was still a very good read. I enjoy the character development and story line. I really appreciate that the author was very knowledgeable about what she was writing. I will definitely read more books by Debra Hyde in the future.

Very sexy. A little wordy at points and way farther into the kink scene than some of the other books I've read about the BDSM scene. The connection between L and her Domme was believable and excellent, but there were some scenes, subplots and characters that were just over the top. Plus when it gets that deep into the life style it's harder for me to connect with. The electroshock scene was really hot though. Overall, intriguing but ultimately overdone.

Steamy, that is the best way to describe this book. Cassandra will surprise you. Liv is definitely in need of what Cassandra has to offer and Reese, well Reese is just Reese. This was a surprisingly, hot book, that was hard to put down.

I am a very big fan of historical erotica, if that makes any sense. I avidly search out the classics and devour them. This had a similar title to The Story of O. A book I really enjoyed, but had an issue with the male gaze aspect of the novel. This book addressed my issues there. However this book raised some more issues for me. Mainly the issues I have with so many books that have a Female to Male transsexual character. First off the word is "transgender", not "transgendered". You don't say "girled" or "boyed", why would you use the past tense for transgender? That gets me EVERY time. Then there was the issue I had with a character that appeared to be one that was going to be important, but fettered off, Quinn. The way Quinn was described was almost enough to make me put the book down. You don't describe someone as having a "transgendered body". It is just rude and grammatically incorrect. Thankfully the author redeemed herself in my eyes when it came to her portrayal of transmen with her service submissive Reese. Huge fan of Reese!

The actual story wasn't as simple as the Story of O. There were more layers to the characters and to the plot than I am used to with erotica. The scene in L's bedroom alone would have made me love this book, I would say more, but I don't want to spoil it. It fit the world of D/s as I have always experienced it and how I want to experience it. I didn't like the permanent marking came so early in their relationship. That would have been a huge red flag if a Dom/Domme had asked that of me. The actual mark was described in such a gorgeous way that I liked the idea, but the timing was so sketchy. The second permanent mark made more sense, while not being my scene. I loved that marking idea and what it represented. The timing was also much better. 

Overall, the book was hot and intense in a very controlled way. The only major red flag was the permanent mark so early in the relationship. That is a huge plus for this book. The constant checking in and asking for consent (though it is not informed consent) really made this book so much better than the erotica I am used to finding. 



4 out of 5 stars. I would recommend this book.

***ARC provided by author/Netgalley for an honest review***

New to the LGBTQ genre of erotica romance, mainly of the F/F BDSM world, I was a little dishearten but still entertained. Story of L by Debra Hyde takes you in the world of lesbian BDSM with Liv & Cassandra. Having not dived into this genre prior, I was intrigued to pursue it and needless to say it broaden my horizon more in this sub-category.

Liv lives with a Void deep with in, clawing its' way out determined to cause her angst. The only way she has found to control and subdue it is to attend Hippolyte's, the kink club specially for woman to let loose. Liv feels like she is a switch, shifting from mistress-sub, but lately she has felt the calling to submit. She turns to her friends Tara & Quinn to help but on one particular night, the mysterious, all mighty Cassandra shows up and rocks her world!

Impressed with Liv, Cassandra calls upon Liv to be her darling; a sub who is hers and hers alone, to do her bidding. Knowing a little of the mistress, Liv is intrigued and submits for a night with the help of Cassandra's other sub, Reese. After one night, Liv never looks back to her previous life of switch and the Void she has felt in the past.. has vanished. However, there is much to be contemplated on if she can truly be happy on complete submission with Cassandra. Are the rumors she hears about her new mistress true? if so, can she give her her heart?

I have read Blind Seduction of Debra's work before and her writing is the same throughout... passionate, forcing you to feel the characters emotions and struggles through the authors eyes. Yes, I did enjoy the book somewhat, however, I feel like there was too much backstory/fluff. I skimmed a lot to get to the dialogue between Liv & characters. I liked to know about Liv's thoughts and emotions but it didn't need in my opinion to go on for 1.5 pages. In all that though, thanks to Debra I will keep reading this sub-genre, thank you for opening my eyes to whole other world in romance!

3 Stars

I picked this book because I wanted to try and read more diversely. I have read lesbian romance in the past but never with a side of BDSM. I read about 15% of this book and found that I just didn't care about the characters. luv was annoying, I didn't care about Tara or Quinn and Cassandra really didn't do anything for me. I was really hoping to like this book, but unfortunately I didn't. I did not finish this book because I just couldn't care less how this ended and the steps to get there.

The interaction between Liv and Cassandra were enticing. The description of each scene was visual in reading each detail that I could picture everything that was happening. The dominant and submissive aspect had me on the edge wanting to read more.

I started reading this several weeks ago, became bored and put it down around the 25% mark and thought I'd just end up DNF'ing it - hearing about the "Void" for pages on end was a bit too much and melodramatic. I picked it back up this morning to finish the book and it improved somewhat, but not enough for me to really change my opinion. The writing style was too flowery and sounded like I was reading a historical romance rather than contemporary erotica, so I skimmed over a lot of the pages, but not so much that I didn't get the point. I avoid reading historical romances since it's just not my style, but for this book, I think 'less is more' would have been a better fit (the extended descriptions didn't add to the scenes) and perhaps made the read more enjoyable.

There was a lack of romance or plot to the book and that was a letdown. I could see the connection between Cassandra and Liv, saw how they provided each other with what they needed, but I couldn't connect with the characters. I didn't see how they grew to love each other outside of the sex and we didn't get to see how they lived their lives in the year they were together (before the book ends). There was some drama at one point, but even it was short-lived.

This book was more erotica than erotic romance and that perhaps is the biggest disappointment.

I only made it like 20% in, I do not think this is the book for me.

I'm not super into works with BDSM, so I didn't finish this book. It started off okay, but there wasn't enough plot in between all the "action" to hold my interest. That said, I gave it a positive review, because I wasn't misled in the plot, it was just something I tried hoping I'd like it. If you heavy erotica with a tiny side of plot, absolutely go for it. I don't think you'll be sorry.