Krissys Books: Protege by Lydia Michaels

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Protege by Lydia Michaels

Review:

For too long, French teacher Collette Banks has locked her deepest desires away in the darkest corners of her mind. But now, she’s taking matters into her own hands by applying to a secret and exclusive society devoted to matching people with their ideal partner—or partners…

Founder Jude Duval has set up strict rules for admitting people into his world. But when he interviews Collette, he finds himself breaking protocol. Her innocence disarms him. Her willingness to explore her own sensuality delights him. And her spirit challenges him—enough to take her on as his own protégé .

What starts out as Collette’s erotic awakening will draw them both in deeper than either of them could have ever imagined…

I really liked Protege more than I have many other dom/sub erotica's lately because at least the author appears to have a better understanding of what d/s relationships really are. She also expands her concept also extends to include instead of fidelity a sense of freedom in exploring not just eachother but the freedom aspect in being able to explore group sex without shame because its considered a form of testing ones limitations.

The sex scenes are really hot and well explored in detail and so are the more emotional more personal interactions away from the sex.

This is where I hit a couple snags. Collette has plenty of reservations about the lifestyle due to her past and Jude had a wishwash way of accepting her ignorance with demanding her submission despite knowing about her past.

Past development in Erotica novels has recently become an issue for me lately because this genre is full of characters that are flawed, broken and come from traumatizing pasts. I would like to read one erotica that doesn't include a hero or heroine who hasn't been abused or harmed in some way or damaged in some way in order for them to want to be a part of the bdsm world.

I thought Collette could have as easily been an innocent minded person without the past she had but often many authors use this as the reason for the f/m to want to be a part of the world to begin with. It triggers their need to explore it and it expresses a connection to that trauma while they're in it. It exorcises something within them to do it. That's understandable but I felt Collette could have just as well done without it and it would have prevented the mixed feelings I had about Jude's constant back and forth from preventing me from investing in him as a character and a partner to Collette.

It would have made their interactions and the development of their relationship much more healthier and organic to me as a reader.

I still felt it was a really great book but to me personally I would really like to see normal characters without all the baggage and trauma explore this world as well.