Blurb:
“I met a man called Emmett, and now I belong to him.”
Twenty-something Jo meets Emmett on a team-building course, and her initial disdain for him soon turns into attraction.
With Emmett’s strong but loving hand to guide her, Jo unleashes her inner submissive and they embark on an intense voyage of sexual discovery.
Their mutual fascination sees them exploring bondage, spanking, toys and more, and their romance is as perfect as Jo could hope for, until another man appears on the scene.
She knows that Emmett hero-worships his former boss and mentor, Charles, but when she finds out that Charles is the man who introduced Emmett to the art of domination, she has no idea how to feel.
With fierce desire growing between the three of them, can they find a way to explore this new dynamic without destroying what they already have?
Momma Says: 4 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Story of Jo surprised me more than once. From past experience, I tend to go into erotic romances with some hesitancy - let's face it, more often than not, they turn out to be a lot of steam with very little story. That is certainly not the case here. There is a story here, and it's a really good one. While Jo is an adult, her introduction into a D/s relationship has the feel of a coming of age story. She wants these experiences even while she has no idea how to ask for them. I liked both Jo and Emmett from the start. They have wonderful chemistry, and I really enjoyed how the author gives us the emotions as this pair slowly moves from arrangement to something more. Then, Charles enters the picture, and I have to say that I wasn't crazy about him at first. I knew from the blurb that he was coming, but Jo and Emmett were just so great together that I was worried Charles might be throwing a wrench into the works. However, he did grow on me, and I had to see where it would all go. The story is erotic, which was expected, but what I didn't expect was to find a story that is so seductive and sensual. I think what surprised me most was that a story so heady would also be light. We even get a few chuckles along the way with some witty banter. This one is more than just an erotic romance - it's also a well-rounded story of love, trust, and friendship. I would highly recommend The Story of Jo to anyone who enjoys the genre.
Excerpt:
“I want complete control of you in the bedroom,” he said.
The words shocked me to the core, and when I say ‘core’ I mean the area between my legs.
“Complete…control,” I repeated breathily.
“Within limits,” he amended. “Nothing that will damage or traumatise you, obviously. It’s for your pleasure as much as mine.” He laughed softly and ran a fingertip along my lips. “The look on your face…I’d like to photograph it.”
“Are you talking about, y’know, kinky stuff?”
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about. You look shocked. Are you shocked?”
Was I?
“No,” I said. “I mean…no.”
“So you are that way inclined?” He raised an eyebrow.
“In theory,” I said. “I’ve read…things. But never done…things.”
“But you’d like to do…things?”
Could I admit that I’d dreamed of a man like Emmett, who would come and take possession of my body and my sexuality, relieving me of the irksome responsibility? I’d dreamed of a man who would be dominant yet sensitive, cruel but loving, with a resolutely filthy imagination.
Did he actually exist?
And did I have the courage to find out?
He pulled me in close again.
“Do you want me to take you in hand?” he asked, his voice low and sticky in my ear.
“God, yes,” I shivered.
“Mmm,” his appreciative response turned into a kiss, one of those long, slow, trembly types that only end when your legs start to give way. One hand slid slowly down my spine, moulding itself to the curve of my bottom and squeezing.
“You’re still dressed,” he accused, his mouth still close enough for his hot breath to whisper over my skin. Red wine, spearmint, salmon, a bitter coffee note further back.
“Sorry.”
He quieted me with another kiss, then set his fingers to work on my shirt.
Want to read on? The Story of Jo is available in print and ebook formats:
Author bio:
Justine Elyot is the author of best selling erotic novels On Demand and The Business of Pleasure, as well as enough short stories to fill several anthologies.
She can often be found moaning about stuff on Twitter as @JustineElyot
Me and Jo and The Story of O
Hello, I’m Justine Elyot and I’m here to talk about my new BDSM menage romance, The Story of Jo.
Well, the clue’s in the name. I’d be lying if I said my book didn’t owe a huge debt to the French classic of kink, but it’s a long way from a straight rewrite. Indeed, I wouldn’t dare. Pauline Réage’s novel has no need of such a thing, and I wouldn’t feel qualified anyway.
Instead, O is more of a jumping-off point, touching on many of the same themes, but dealt with quite differently.
It was the first erotic novel I ever read – I don’t count Fanny Hill, which I read by mistake at the age of fourteen and found more hilarious than sexy. (And a little bit disturbing – a scene featuring a very well-endowed gentleman, terrifying at the time, has stayed with me.) It was also the first book that really turned me on. We all read Lace, Jilly Cooper etc. under the desk, but they aroused more blushes and giggles than anything else.
More than that, The Story of O was the first book that made me realise other women could be seriously kinky. It seems strange in these post 50 Shades days, but BDSM imagery and style in popular culture at the time was designed to appeal almost solely to the male gaze. Female domination of men was considered mainstream enough to pop up in TV comedy, but anything else was too taboo for words. In fact, society was only just waking up to the idea that women could be interested in sex at all (thank you, Black Lace).
So O, when I met her, captivated me. The book was wonderfully baroque, yet also romantic, and so completely unabashed. The combination of beautiful prose and frank description won my heart. I can’t say my book is stylistically remotely similar – but it does have at its core a triad of very kinky customers.
At first, I was going to mirror the plot of the novel, in having Jo meet one lover who awakens her submissive desires and then makes a gift of her to the man he hero-worships. But as I wrote, it became clear to me that I couldn’t bear to break Jo and Emmett up – so the man Emmett hero-worships becomes a third partner in their relationship instead.
When The Story of O ends (spoilers), O has given herself in submission so completely that she no longer sees herself as a person with desires of her own. She is there to be used, for the pleasure of others – and from this she derives her own perverse pleasure, and a strong sense of pride.
This doesn’t happen to Jo. She develops, but always retains agency and the ability to give or withhold consent. But how does she develop? If you want to find out, you might like to click on one of these links.
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This sounds really good! I love the cover
ReplyDeleteIt is really good! It's a great story!
DeleteThanks for the review, the story really appeals to me!
ReplyDelete--Trix
I really enjoyed this one!
Delete