Black Light: Roulette Redux (Black Light Series Book 7)

Welcome to Valentines Day Black Light Roulette Redux! This collection of sinfully naughty stories will keep you enthralled in all aspects of the Black Light Club! Let the fun begin…..

The introduction and the conclusion are written by Livia Grant and Jennifer Bene

I gave the intro and conclusion 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed the intro, and I was a bit let down that it got left up in the air what was happening with Emily. Chase, and Jaxson.
But I must say, I LOVED how every story tied into and flowed from one to the next. I’ll review in order of the stories told.

First up…..

Unrestrained by Jennifer Bene 5 stars

This was one of my favorite stories in the anthology. It’s the story of Silas and Bianca. I ADORED their sexy hot story!! His protectiveness is smoking hot! They had amazing chemistry, and I loved their scenes!!

Brat by Livia Grant 5 Stars

I loved the story of Connor and Gabriella. And I’m a sucker for a good enemies to lovers. These two didn’t particular like each other, yet they are forced together in a roll of the roulette wheel. I wasn’t sure exactly ABDL was and had to Google it. And I felt the author portrayed this scene brilliantly! I loved watching how Gabriella and Connor realized their true feelings for each other. Sexy hot story that I LOVED!

Forced by Renee Rose 5 Stars

This was my top favs in the anthology. The storyline and chemistry was sooooo HOT!!! This story gave us Victor and Mariana (Brooklyn). That second scene was SO HOT, SEXY, and the author wrote about it PERFECTLY!!! I loved the immediate effects and the shamed emotions that Mariana battled. Her subdrop happened quickly, and watching her battle with what happened was absolutely FANTASTIC to watch.
And Victor as her Dom, does a great job on helping her through the after effects of her drop. I LOVED how he let her know and understand that she is not wrong for liking the kinks she likes.

Doctored by Sue Lindon 5 stars

I must say i went into this story not knowing much about medical play. It definitely wasn’t a kink I was ever interested in exploring, but I must say after the authors description of it, I was a bit intrigued. I felt the author showed us another reason why trust is such a basic foundation in BDSM.

As a woman who is rather uncomfortable in the normal situation of their first scene, I felt Knox and Natalie did a FANTASTIC job!!! These two shared a past, and had such an intimacy between them. I loved their story!

Shameless by Maren Smith 4.7

We got so much in this story!! Hadlee’s backstory broke my heart. Ugh Ethan I wanted to cut his balls off!!! What a douche canoe. I can understand Hadlee’s feelings on being dirty especially with what happened to her. But her scene of being made into a sundae was very interesting.

I will swoon at how protective and nurturing he was to Hadlee. I really enjoyed how the author was able to show us in perfect detail of how Noah and Garreth worked together. I adored this story and am so excited it will be a full story!!!

Edge by Alta Hensley 5 stars

Alta is a FAVORITE author of mine. I know with every single book I read from her, it’ll be sexy hot, have a fantastic storyline, and the characters have such intense chemistry. And she doesn’t disappoint with Dean and Melinda.

Dean and Melinda, knew each other before. They shared a very intense past, and their past issues must be addressed. Watching Dean take control from Melinda was beautiful. These two had to reconnect, to get back trust between them. And the author did that PERFECTLY!!! I LOVED Dean. He was hurt by Melinda once, he’s determined it won’t happen again. Watching Dean build up Melinda’s self esteem was true of any good Dom. I’d love to get more of them in the future!

Confessions by Measha Stone 5 stars

I love a good forbidden romance. And in Confessions shows us that. Grayson and Scott were close friends with Dani’s brother, who was killed in duty. They felt an obligation to protect her. But what happens when true feelings are brought out in the open? I loved the intense moments when Grayson and Dani struggled with their true feelings for one another. Feelings that both have had and felt, yet suppressed. Scared of ruining their friendship.

The first scene between Grayson and Dani was HOT, SEXY, and INTENSE!!! But that ending was PERFECT!!!

Surrender by Maggie Ryan 5 stars

And HOLY HOTNESS!!! THAT Teacher/student role play scene between Owen and Marty was
HOT!!! I could feel Marty holding back, and many times I wondered if Owen would break through Marty’s robot like behavior. But Owen’s patience comes through showing Marty that she is beautiful, sexy, and desired. I’d love to see more story from them in the future.

Taken by Jane Henry 5 Stars

With Taken we meet Brayden and Della. Now these two have quite the past, and intense unresolved feelings. They were married, but Della left him due to her parents. Both handled the dissolution of their marriage in bad ways. So watching these two get picked by the spin of the wheel was FANTASTIC!!!

The author did a fantastic job of slowly building up the trust between these two. Especially with their past. Their story flowed beautifully. And holy hell when these two get together sparks fly!!! When they finally opened themselves up to the fact that love was still there it was beautiful.

I HIGHLY recommend this anthology. It was EVERYTHING I love about a true Dom/sub relationship. Each author represented the lifestyle beautifully. Congratulations to all the authors on this sinfully sexy collection of erotic stories.

Amazing box set! If you love a good BDSM collection, this is it! Hot Doms and sexy submissives with no-holds barred scenes…

Unrestrained by Jennifer Bene – Silas is an arrogant jerk, but Biana is determined to keep pushing him until he gives her what she wants – him! Loved this battle of wills, completely unrestrained!

Brat by Livia Grant – Gabriella and Connor clash when he finds her at a Black Light Roulette event. She’s about to find out that there are consequences to her impetuousness! I really enjoyed their chemistry and banter. Great story with a now grown-up Gabriella and an over-the-top hot Dom!

Forced by Renee Rose – Resistance is futile in this forced fantasy hottie. Victor and Marina took things to the darker edge of their limits, but there is far more to learn about each other in this steamy book!

Doctored by Sue Lyndon – Hunter and Natalie’s past comes rushing back when they encounter each other at during Roulette Redux. The gloves come off, and the boundaries are gone! Loved their play and their scenes, so hot!

Shameless by Maren Smith – Hadlee runs from her abusive past, but when she’s invited to Black Light again, it gives her a chance to find herself again. Garrett wanted her then, and he wants her now – even more! Noah was hot too, but he knew what needed to be done! Loved the twists in this book!

Edge by Alta Hensley – Dean and Melinda’s second chance makes them face their past in order to move beyond it and find love. I loved how this one engaged me and I had to know what it was that kept them apart in the first place. Steamy, gripping and hot!

Confessions by Measha Stone – Grayson and Dani finally have a chance to make their spark explode when she shows up at Black Light. I loved it – being able to come to terms with what they’ve really wanted was amazing, and the truth comes out!

Surrender by Maggie Ryan – Owen is ready to teach Marty a lesson or two. This was fun and Marty was a great sassy little sub. Loved the lessons Owen wanted to teach her! Amazing chemistry and lots of button pushing!

Taken by Jane Henry – Della and Brayden take it to the next level with their scenes! They’re both strong willed and unwilling to give in…but working through their pain was sexy and challenging!

Two words to describe this collection of novellas== HOLY. TITFIRE. I am pretty sure my iPad almost melted. For the review I am going to write it in the order of the anthology rather than the order of my favorites.

Introduction and conclusion written by Livia Grant and Jennifer Bene

4.5 stars
One of my favorite things about this anthology and its predecessor is the details it takes in setting up the stage so to speak. It offers a fluidity in the story. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the characters from before that are all essential players in making this night happen. I especially love that they show what the hard limits were/are and what they get instead I loved that they tie up loose ends that have all been interwoven in the standalone stories. My only complaint in this case was I still need to know more about what is going on with Chase, Jaxson, and Emily. I would love another story of them!

Unrestrained by Jennifer Bene

4.6 stars.
This was one of my favorite stories. I need a Silas in my life. It is the story of Silas and Bianca. I loved that Silas, known for being sadistic, shows a side to him that is caring and protective (the OJ and aftercare scene and the checking to make sure that everything was okay when there was a major disturbance). Their second scene was hotter than Hades. Who am I kidding? They were all hot as hell. These two had amazing chemistry.

Brat by Livia Grant

4.5 stars
I loved the introduction to these characters before they became partners at the club. It helped give dimension to the story and let the reader know what was behind their animosity. I loved when Gabriella was trying to figure out the acronym meaning when she was walking to the costume room. This is something I myself didn’t know so it was a new thing to read about. The author did a great job explaining things. I loved watching both Gabriella and Connor as they came to turns with how they really felt about each other, especially Connor. I would love to know more about the issues behind Gabriella and her father in a future story. There was so much more room for a full-length story.

Forced by Renee Rose

4.9 stars
My favorite of the anthology and considering that every story was amazing that says something. Victor and Mariana (Brooklyn) were so hot together. To the point that if they got anymore hotter they would have combusted. That second scene was EVERYTHING. I loved the after effects and emotions that created a war in Mariana’s mind as she vacillated with how she could like something that goes against every idea of what a woman wants, needs, and deserves. How do you balance between what your body likes and what society says is acceptable? I definitely know that I struggle with this, so it was refreshing to see the author expand on this idea. Victor does a good job on articulating his feelings on this and helps her understand that she is not wrong for liking what she likes.

Doctored by Sue Lindon

4.6 stars
This was a story that intrigued me because it was another area that fascinates me, but I do not know as much about. The author did a great job with showcasing why trust is such an essential part of BDSM especially in that first scene. For so many women that first scene is such an uncomfortable position to be in (even though necessary). Natalie and Knox had a lot of past feelings that needed to be addressed and it was nice to see them discover each other after a long five years. These two had an intimacy to their story and I immediately connected with them.

Shameless by Maren Smith

4.7 stars
This story, while it did not my favorite of all the roulette scenes, was my second favorite of the collection. Although, the shower scene after the time was up WAS one of my favorites (can I just swoon now at how nurturing and protective that Garreth was?). Hadlee. Sweet lord the things that this girl was trying to overcome with her previous master. I loved how the author worked in the dynamic of how Noah and Garreth worked in tandem in their scenes (the first scene was powerful as hell and if I closed my eyes I could see every connected hit and mark. I, also enjoyed the “pep” talk between Noah and Garreth in the end. I am beyond ecstatic that this book will be a full story this year because there was so much to be expanded on with the menagerie.

Edge by Alta Hensley

4.5 stars
The characters, Dean and Melinda, knew each other before. They had a past that needed to be addressed. I loved that author addressed those feelings. I floved that Dean took control rather than, “testing the fates and seeing where [it] land[ed]” by allowing them to do things at their pace and to establish that trust again. This was important considering what their first spin was. Without doing this I am not sure the story would have worked as well as it did. Dean did a great job of building up Melinda’s self esteem after losing her identity in her previous relationship.

Confessions by Measha Stone

4.5 stars
I loved the backstory to this story. It gave it a different dimension to hidden desires and loving someone that you thought was unattainable for a plethora of reasons. I loved the moments when Grayson and Dani struggled with their feelings for each other, feelings that had been there for years but never addressed for fear of the domino effect that it could possibly have in their lives. The first scene had me fanning myself. It was pretty intense. I wish there would have been more of an explanation of Scott and why he had to drop out to care for his sub. I would love to see more of these characters. All of them.

Surrender by Maggie Ryan

4.6 stars
This novella takes the student teacher role play to a whole new level. HOT. AND that combines second/third scene, sweet lawd above. If that scene didn’t make you hot and bothered than I am convinced you must be a robot. I loved that Owen finally got to show his true feelings for Marty. Especially as these feelings had been building for along time. I like that Marty finally got to see herself as beautiful after so long of being an anomaly as a woman who was the height of a man. Society is so cruel when it comes to what it thinks beauty is.

Taken by Jane Henry

4.5 stars
These two. Talk about unresolved feelings. They take Hate F@&%Ng to a whole new level. I loved that the author took the time to build on this and slowly progress to the reasons why it was the way it was before they found their HEA again. This was important and led to a story with fluidity. I really wanted to know more about these two because they intrigued me. I love it when exes get together and especially loved Brayden and Della.

I would HIGHLY recommend this anthology. I would also read this entire series or at the very least the Black Light Valentine Roulette Anthology. Huge congrats to all the authors on this exceptional collection of stories.

“Black Light: Roulette Redux” is book seven in the Black Light series and WOW, these nine authors do NOT disappoint! A year has gone by, it is Valentines Day again and the magic Roulette wheel at Blacklight is pairing Doms and subs once more. It seems a kinky magic godmother is controlling where the ball ends up, because it seems to bring the “right” people together. Each story had its own blend, magic, were magnificently written and there isn’t anyway that I can choose a favorite.

Unrestrained by Jennifer Bene

This is the first story in the book and it is a great start! Bianca is a masochist, who ends up topping her Doms, she need pain. Silas is a sadist who can’t find a sub strong enough to take what he can dish out. Silas and Bianca both hope that this night they might find the right partner to play with. Bianca is looking for a Dom strong enough to take her in hand and Silas wants a sub who won’t break when he unleashes his Sadistic side. Three intense, scorching and beautiful play scenes follow. There is an instant connection and chemistry between them. Teasing, bantering, HOT, sexy sparks fly, as they are surprised to realize each one is getting what they need from the other.

Brat by Livia Grant

A true brat swindles her way into Black Lights Valentine Roulette – Gabriella (Gabby) Castle – She has a past to over come with the reputation of a spoiled, rich girl who acted out in early years and needed to be bailed out of trouble often. She has succeeded in life and takes responsibility for her actions. The wheel pairs her with Connor Lambert – they knew each other as children. They have always had a strong attraction for each other. Well, now they are partnered and he will teach her respect of others, as long as, he can keep his strong feelings for her at bay. Gabby hopes to show him she is a responsible adult with grown up feelings for him……And, the fun begins…….Livia is a wonderful writer and I could not put the story down following these two characters, well written and keeps one guessing.

Forced by Renee Rose

Wow! Renee takes a controversial subject and handles it beautifully. I wasn’t sure I could read this story but it is very well written with care, understanding and the importance of aftercare. Marianna is a forceful woman, always taking care of others, so it is natural that she, who knows almost nothing about BDSM, goes to the club to watch out for her sister. Victor is a dynamic Dom, who has been burnt in BDSM relationships and is just looking for a willing sub. The electricity between them from the first is amazing. Victor begins to learn about Marianna and Renee Rose just takes it from there and shows us how caring, respecting and understanding between people can accomplish wondrous things.

Doctored by Sue Lyndon

The roulette wheel works its magic, once again -Natalie – father a politician and she was expected to lead the perfect life until the day it all came shattering down upon her. Hunter Knox – ex-politician, who always wanted her but she retreated after the incident. And, then fate intervenes – the Wheel pairs them! The medical play scene is written very well. Lovely, light BDSM romantic story – two people loved one another from afar and now they come together in pure happiness! Thank you Sue Lyndon – I am still smiling.

Shameless by Maren Smith

Hadlee had an extremely sad BDSM experience with her first Dom Ethan. Dom Garreth comes to her rescue.
She is finally facing her fears, and attends the Valentine Party, only to be confronted by her abuser. But, Garreth is there for her and supports her. Abuse/degradation does occur in this lifestyle and Maren Smith brings this to our attention and writes a beautiful, heart tearing story. Maren writes about the trials we face in life and how they affect our self-esteem and we feel down trodden. We learn that we have the ability to make decisions to overcome and persevere! We can turn the page and see daylight……..

Edge by Alta Hensley

Melinda has made a number of decisions that have only resulted in one loss after another. She hopes that she can find herself, get her life back and her love, as she takes part in the Valentine Roulette game. Things don’t go exactly according to plan and Dean isn’t letting her go, again. He understands her, will help her regain herself and she knows that she is happier with him……Ummm, think things went better than she planned…….

Confessions by Measha Stone

Dani has lost her parents and her brother but she is not alone, her brother Sam served with Scott and Grayson. The three were best buddies. Scott and Gray vowed to look after her. The sparks between Dani and Gray are more than friendship but Gray can’t acknowledge his feelings. She has become a strong woman who owns a tattoo shop. Gray and Scott frequent Black Light and when Dani shows up at Valentine Roulette night, the Wheel works its magic, again and Gray and Dani are paired! Playing together gives them the chance to overcome their worries and finally acknowledge their feelings for each other. A heart warming and beautiful story!

Surrender – Maggie Ryan

Owen is attracted to Marty (Martha Transom) Problem is Marty feels, she isn’t really a submissive and tops from the bottom. Owen is an Alpha and strong Dom, he believes her problem is that she can’t give up control BUT he knows, she is a submissive and he will prove it to her! From that moment on, the story becomes amazing! He breaks all the rules and shows her what real submission feels like and Marty dives into submission, at Owen’s hands.

Taken – Jane Henry

Della and Brayden had been married at a young age, didn’t work out and divorced. Haven’t seen each other since the divorce, harbored anger feelings towards each other – ummm, was it just resentment that they felt? Neither have found another person that they wanted permanently in their lives. And, then we come to Roulette night, at Black Light and the “magic” wheel, where they are paired. Oh My!! Della is very unhappy. LOL After a night of playing together, they make amends, and realize how much they still love each other. Jane Henry weaves a story of growth, accepting our missteps and learning how to move forward in life. Wonderful read!

The authors have succeeded again!! Each tale has a beautiful story to tell, each one is amazing and enlightening! Can’t wait for the next story……….Thank you to ALL the authors!!

This is a long review, so here’s the TL:DR version: this second collection of story centered on a Valentine’s Day BDSM roulette party is even better than the first. All these novellas are strong, with engaging characters and a great sense of connection between the stories.

Now, on to the details….

Black Light: Roulette Redux (and I’m thrilled this title uses this word, one of my favorites) is the second anthology in the Black Light series, focused on an exclusive BDSM club in Washington, DC. Like the first anthology, this collection of stories revolves around a Valentine’s Day event where doms and subs are paired through the choices of the roulette wheel, not only as partners but also for the activities they’ll undertake during the night. And those activities are revelatory for many of these characters.

First of all, there’s a great connection to the earlier anthology and to other books in the Black Light series; we see couples from previous books, and we also address the business side of running a club like this as the club leadership examines expansion possibilities. One of the highlights of the Black Light series is the strong through-story in all the books, and seeing it continue here was fantastic.

Many of the authors from the first anthology returned to craft another story, and there are several new authors as well. The first story is “Unrestrained” by Jennifer Bene, an author known for her very dark dub- and noncon stories. Here, she builds a (for her) relatively sweet tale of a hardcore sadist who discovers through the turn of the roulette wheel a true and extreme masochist. Seeing these two begin the dance that might lead to a committed relationship was wonderful. Bianca, the masochistic sub, is a strong and vital character, and Silas is more than her match. You simply want these two to work everything out. Bene also punches home the need for consent, constant assurance, and care that is absolutely necessary to this type of relationship, and seeing that was a great counterbalance to some of the more extreme activities this couple explored.

“Brat” by Livia Grant was aptly named, as the heroine Ella is overly entitled. I liked seeing her evolution to someone willing to work with others rather than coercing them into doing what she wanted, as well as her realization that entering Black Light and its contest on a lie was something she was going to have to accept responsibility for. Connor was more than a match for her. I liked the fact that they drew an activity that really wasn’t a favorite for either of them (or for me), but that they made it work and didn’t overly portray the more extreme aspects of it. A couple of quibbles: Ella was noted as a social media star at the beginning of the story. As it really wasn’t used again for the rest of “Brat,” I felt it was a distracting statement (since, as a social media star, I’d wonder why she’d need trust fund money). And a heating cream was used on Ella, but she recovered almost instantaneously. I would have expected that to linger and be referred to later. But overall, this is a well-crafted tale by Grant that expertly explores the interactions of its lead couple.

“Forced,” by Renee Rose, does require a trigger warning. As the title implies, this deals with rape fantasy and the effects of wanting that. It’s well written, but readers should go in with this knowledge. And it’s interesting that Mariana, the heroine, doesn’t realize this herself, but her night of interactions at Black Light make this need apparent to her. Victor was a great match for her—his caring and attentiveness was a necessary offset to the actions that take place in this story. I really loved Mariana’s strength and Victor’s rapid descent into love. The possibilities for the Big Misunderstanding existed here but were deftly avoided by Rose. It’s definitely a standout story in this collection.

“Doctored” by Sue Lyndon was a relatively sweet tale of a May/December couple thwarted by past history and reunited through the roulette event. I really liked both Natalie and Hunter as people, and seeing how Hunter’s moves towards Natalie were part of a larger plan he was already in the process of executing made their actions and responses logical. My only quibble is that their public obstacles (he as a former governor, she as the daughter of the man he succeeded) were lightly glossed over. I’d love to see that addressed in a future story. And again—it’s a bit hard for me to believe that public figures would participate in an open event like this, when Hunter could have a lot to lose in front of an audience. But overall, this was a story that could make you sigh.

One of the interesting things about the Black Light anthologies has been that not all the stories have focused on the doms and subs participating in the event itself. “Shameless,” Maren Smith’s contribution to this anthology, deals with one of the dungeon monitors who harbors a seemingly hopeless love for a deeply damaged sub. She’s using the roulette party as a means of re-establishing her sense of self and her enjoyment of the lifestyle. But her past rises up to challenge Hadlee, and Garreth is concerned with present-day risks to her as well. Smith has crafted a detailed, challenging story that’s one one of the most rewarding of this collection. Side note: while Noah was a bit too perfect here, I’d love to see his story one day! And the end clearly implies more to come in the setup Smith has created. I hope it’s a future Black Light book!

My favorite story in this collection is “Edge,” by Alta Hensley. It uses a novella trope of former lovers reconnecting, but it’s also a story about admitting what you want in life and realizing how important that is to your self-worth and security. And it’s a step both Melinda and Dean need to make. While Dean realizes early on what he needed to do both in the past and now, it’s Melinda’s journey that’s the heart of this story, told only from her POV. I loved the tenderness and care that was at the heart of this tale, with both Melinda and Dean as characters I really enjoyed. One quibble was that no one running the roulette event seemed concerned when they stepped away from it dramatically to start. I would have expected some reaction from those organizers other than acquiescence. But that was the only minor drawback to an otherwise excellent, and marvelously sweet, novella.

“Confessions” by Measha Stone features another couple who’ve known one another for a long time. But they aren’t former lovers; instead, we get the younger sister/older brother’s friend combination. Dani and Gray have danced around one another for years, but finally get together through this roulette event. One of the positive things in this novella was the great connection this couple has, with some wonderful banter. But I would have liked to see safewords discussed and some discomfort shown with moving from the friend zone to something as intense as BDSM, particularly as Gray has viewed himself as Dani’s protector for years. This is one of those cases where the sub takes some rather extreme punishments, and I usually wonder how the dom magically knows what she can take when they’ve never scened together before. But Stone is a strong writer, and the winning characters who clearly have a caring relationship make this story compulsively readable.

“Surrender” by Maggie Ryan highlighted shibari, and the rope scenes in this story were wonderfully portrayed. I also liked that Marty was a sub who tended to top from the bottom. That said, her behavior in that aspect was so blatant that it was hard to believe that she’d been scening at Black Light for quite some time without doms calling her out on that. While it made for a great element of her changing relationship with Owen, I was hard pressed to accept that she was able to get away with that behavior in the club on a regular basis. Luckily the shibari and role play scenes, and the active amount of the story that focused on the actual roulette competition elements, balanced this out well.

The final story in this collection, “Taken” by Jane Henry, pairs a divorced couple in the roulette game. It’s always a challenge to swallow that a couple who had a tough divorce would be willing to play this game. I would have liked more of a justification for why each of them was willing to participate. And since it’s implied that Della is a newbie to BDSM and public scening, I struggled with how willing she was to do everything in the roulette activity. That said, I loved Della’s feistiness and fight against Brayden, especially her justifiable complaints on his treatment of her. Henry built their connection so well in this story that despite small discrepancies towards the end, I was strongly invested in seeing how they would rediscover one another.

I also appreciated that the conclusion noted that several of the dungeon monitors ended up participating in the event. That would indeed not happen in real life, and seeing that acknowledged was crucial. And there are plenty of interesting threads left open for future stories. One point to note was that this collection featured a breach of security and privacy, as the first collection did. That’s something I’d like to see addressed more directly if another Black Light anthology is created—which I hope does happen!

Some small side comments: I loved that each story in this second Black Light anthology, like the last, had a one-word title (yet another subtle form of connectivity in a series that admirably demonstrates that). And while this anthology does not focus on this, it was great to see acknowledgement of alternative lifestyles, such as m/m and f/f pairings, highlighted in the pairings of overall couples taking part in this roulette event. Kudos to the editors for recognizing that love comes in all forms.

One of the best series I have read. I truely enjoy all the stories from all the authors. I could not wait to get this book, and I could not put it down once I started. Each story adds to the fun of the event, and each couple pulls you in. You can’t help but want to be there at Black Light participating in the Roulette yourself. I can’t wait to read the next books that expand on all the great couples that you met during the Redux. You will not be disappointed at all once you dive in. I have loved the entire series, and it is most definately on my reread list at all times.

I received an ARC of this series so this is my honest opinion..

Talk about panty melting novella’s.. this is 50 shades look tame.

Intro and Conclusion by Livia Grant and Jennifer Bene.
4.5 stars

I love how this series is set on the same day, same club but a year later. It made the story flow and I didn’t get lost from not reading the first series. I would have love to see more of Jaxon, Chase and Emma.

Unrestrained by Jennifer Bene
4.7 stars

Holy hell I need a Silas in my life. On one hand he is a big badass sadist and then he shows his caring and over protective side. Silas and Bianca’s scenes where HOT from the start and never slowed down.

Brat by Livia Grant
4.8 stars

Getting to Gabby and Connor’s story before the event at the club gave a totally different meaning to the outcome of their night at the club. It is like a friends to lovers story with the side dish of BDSM in the middle. I didn’t want to their story to end. I would love to see more of Gabby and Connor and find out what Gabby’s daddy issues are.

Forced by Renee Rose
4.8 stars

This story takes a different twist on things but it was still hot and steamy. Victor and Mariana turned up the heat scale while she was waging a battle inside herself wondering why she lied being forced when it went against everything that she stood for. Victor was right there for her every step of the way while she was battling the war going on in her mind telling her that it was perfectly normal for her to like and enjoy the things that happened and it does not change who she is and what she stands for.

Doctored by Sue Lindon
4.5 stars

This story piqued by curiosity… Ohhh Knox and Natalie had a history so there was a lot of past feelings that needed to be addressed. The trust was still there even though it was buried deep and 5 years later it all came to the surface to be dealt with while she was put into an extremely uncomfortable position. I could totally relate to Knox and Natalie’s story.

Shameless by Maren Smith
4 stars

This story had to be the most difficult for me to read in the beginning due to the humiliation that Hadlee went through with her ex Dom. Hadlee was paired up the Noah the Aussie whipping badass wizard but once Noah caught onto the affection that Garrett the club DM had for her Noah asked for his help. It totally melted my heart at the end of the story when Garrett was holding her in the shower once their time was over.

Edge by Alta Hensley
4.8 stars

Dean and Melinda knew each other and had to address their past issues. Even though Melinda lived a bit on the wild side she also wanted to make her family happy and marry the man that they wanted to for her even though that is not what she really wanted. Once she filed for divorce Melinda wanted to test the waters again in the club. Once Dean laid eyes on her he took things into his own hands and where going to do things his way instead of wheel telling him who his play partner was going to be. Dean and Melinda took things at a slower pace in the beginning as their first scene have either been very erotic or turn out very bad. It was sweet to see Dean build Melinda back up after she got knocked down. I am so HAPPY that they got their HEA.

Confessions by Measha Stone.
4.8 stars

Well what can I say about Grayson and Dani. Grayson and Scott have always acted like overprotective big brothers to Dani after the loss of her family. Once they discovered Dani at the club she was warned that it didn’t matter if either of them were paired with her it would be Grayson that was going to deliver her punishment. Scott had to drop out to take care of another sub who fainted so Grayson got his wish and Dani was his. It was great to see them worked through their issues and the feeling that they have always had for each other.

Surrender by Maggie Ryan
4.6 stars

Marty and Owen are friends but their feelings for each other ran deeper. Marty was paired with a different Dom but Owen made him an offer that he couldn’t refuse and Marty was finally his. Owen finally got to show Marty how he really felt since his feelings have been building for a while. Owen made Marty feel like his queen considering she is the height of a man.

Taken by Jane Henry
4.7 stars

Talk about ex’s hating the crap out of each other. Brayden and Della were young and in love and once they found out she was pregnant they decided to get married. Della ended up losing the baby but they got married anyway. She decided that being married to Brayden was not what she really wanted she packed her things and took off. The author took us through their back stories to get us to why they were at the club. I felt that this was an important step into their story. After all the constant bickering they finally came clean to each other and got their HEA. I would like to see more of them after their honeymoon.

I loved this anthology and would recommend it. Congrats to all the authors on the amazing job.

The Black Light is the hottest, most exclusive sex club in Washington D.C. The owners, Jax, Chase, and Emma are very familiar with the need to have a safe and private place to play and indulge their kinks. That’s why they opened the Black Light. It has a strict NDA and what happens in the club stays in the club, or else. Last Valentine’s Day they had a Roulette event that randomly matched Doms and subs to each other and then gave them random kinks. This year, they have the Redux event, and have opened it up to more Doms and subs and put even more kinks on the roulette wheel.

For this year’s event, 9 kinky authors have gotten together to bring us 9 kinky stories full of domination, submission, spanking, bondage, exploration, and enjoyment. We get to see a little bit of everything from our players, and get to enjoy all the dark and delicious things that happen. The book starts and ends with Jax, Chase, and Emma, written by Livia Grant and Jennifer Bene. That ties each of the stories together and makes it a cohesive whole, and turns 9 stories that all take place in one 3 hour time slot into one book. One of the things that I like about these stories is that the introduction gets all the couples set up and certain events happen, and in the stories, you still see those certain events happening, but you get them from the POV of the featured couple. It really emphasizes that all these stories are happening simultaneously.

Jennifer Bene and Livia Grant-Introduction and Conclusion

These are the bookends that get us ready for the stories and then wrap up everything nicely. I like them both, except for one thing that left me hanging, and I’m dying to see if what I think is happening is really happening. Make sure that you read all the stories before you read the conclusion or you are going to get some spoilery spoilers.

Jennifer Bene-Unrestrained 5*

Bianca is excited about this year’s Roulette event. She missed last year’s, but had heard really great things about it. She’s looking for a Dom who can really give her a run for her money, one who can give her what she needed, and one who can control her. Silas is looking to at least get one good night from a sub at this year’s event. He doesn’t currently have a sub, but as a sadist, he’s looking for someone who is a masochist as well as a sub because he needs someone who can handle the pain he wants to hand out. Neither of them knew what they were getting into.

Jennifer Bene writes some filthy stories that draw you in and leave you wanting. This one is no different. You are right there with Bianca and Silas as they spend their 3 hours exploring each other and their limits.

Livia Grant-Brat 4.5*

Gabriella is a socialite who is used to getting her own way. Right now she wants to have some money out of her trust fund, which means that she has to go to see her trustee. He has to approve any money until she gets control of her trust fund. But when she gets to the office, she finds out that her trustee has started to retire and has handed everything over to his son Connor. Connor, who has always been a thorn in her side and has always treated her like a little sister and will never see her as an adult. When she finds an invite to the Roulette Redux event, she steals it so that she can prove she’s an adult. Connor is just tired of dealing with Gabriella’s attitude, so when he sees her at Black Light and rolls her name, he definitely doesn’t feel like she’s a younger sister.

Livia is devious here. I love what she did with Gabriella and Connor. The story is hot and everything that happens is very appropriate for the dynamic these two had before the event.

Renee Rose-Forced 5*

Mariana has come down to DC to visit her little sister for Valentine’s Day, only to discover that she is going to go to a kinky sex club. Mari is worried, so she decides that she’ll sign up for it and go to. Mari’s biggest problem? She’s not a sub. Victor sees a beautiful woman walking up to the entrance to the club and there’s just something about her. She says she’s there to play, but she sure doesn’t seem like a sub. He’s lucky enough to roll her name, and get to find out more about her.

Oh my, this was a very forceful story and one that was just very Renee Rose. Victor gets in under your skin and keeps you wanting more, while Mariana’s journey is very exciting and keeps you guessing as to what she’s going through and how she’s feeling. This is a heckuva dynamic and a heckuva story.

Sue Lyndon-Doctored 4.25*

Natalie tries very hard to stay hidden and out of the public eye. She had more than enough of that when she was younger and caused a huge scandal. These days, she works very hard at her job and hides when she can. When she sees Hunter Knox’s name on a list of guests for a ball that her company is putting on, she gets excited because she has had a huge crush on him for years. Hunter has noticed that all the subs he takes look similar to the beautiful young Natalie, who has lived in his fantasy world for years.

There is some great medical play in this one and if you had never thought that it was hot and sexy, this story and Sue Lyndon will definitely change your mind and make you want to give it the old college try.

Maren Smith-Shameless 5*

Hadlee used to love being a sub and took great joy from it. Then she got caught in a bad D/s relationship and her joy and self-esteem left her. Now she’s trying to get that part of herself back, and Roulette should help her do that. Gareth has been watching her for months and they have developed a friendship. Now he has to watch her play with someone else. As a DM, he can’t participate in the event. But when Noah rolls her name and asks for help, all the rules get thrown out of the window.

This story is really interesting. I really liked it a lot. There are also all kinds of subplots going on, which is pretty cool because it’s a short story. Maren is a tease when it comes to this one though. I can’t wait for what comes next, because it’s going to be dark and interesting, I’m sure.

Alta Hensley-Edge 4*

Dean and Melinda have a long history together. He was her Dom before she abruptly left him and ran away to get married. Now that her divorce is final, she’s ready to get back to that submissive side of her. Black Light’s Roulette event is perfect. When she gets partnered with Dean and they draw a form of play that takes an extreme amount of trust, what’s going to happen with the two of them?

OMG, while the sex is hot here, the real part of the story is the exploration of submission and trust. That part is breathtaking and makes the entire story. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the sex, but I loved the rest of it.

Measha Stone-Confessions 4*

When Dani’s brother was killed in action, she inherited his buddies. They promised to take care of her. So when Grayson finds out that Dani visits sex clubs, he gets after her because he doesn’t approve of those clubs. It’s almost hypocritical because he visits clubs too, but only Black Light. When Dani shows up at Black Light on Valentine’s Day, Gray is shocked and tries to make her leave. When he rolls her name, he wants to make sure that she learns her lesson.

This one has a quite a zap in it, and it is an impressive story. It is a very Measha story because it’s very hot and makes you really want to be in the middle of the story because you end up jealous of the characters.

Maggie Ryan-Surrender 4.5*

Marty participated in the first event, and while she had fun, she didn’t find something that she needed. Maybe this year will be different, so she merrily goes to Black Light with her best friend and her husband. Her BFF’s brother-in-law is there too. Owen is a Dom and master shibarist, but Marty gets on his nerves. There is one big reason for that. She has a habit of topping from the bottom. She runs right over other Doms. Owen is tired of it. Tonight he’s going do something about it, even if he’s not officially playing Roulette.

I love the scenes they do, and I love that we get to see a master shibarist at work. Too bad we don’t have pictures of his work, because that would be totally awesome. Marty takes some hard lessons, but she and Owen make it through the event.

Jane Henry-Taken 4.5*

Della is controlled. Very, very, very controlled. That’s the only way she survives her life. She’s also a sex columnist. When she hears about the Roulette Redux event, she decides to sign up for it, and signs up as a sub. She’s really worried it and almost backs out. Being a sub means she’s going to have to give up control. She gets there and realizes that Brayden is one of the Doms, and she really hopes that he doesn’t roll her name. When Brayden sees that Della, his ex-wife, is there, he’s not sure whether to hope he gets her or hope he doesn’t. When he does roll his name, he knows that they are going to have a lot of things they need to work through.

This is a great second chance story. I have a deep and personal love for second chance stories, and this one really made me happy and was a great way to end all our events. The epilogue gave me a huge smile.

These are great stories, and a good way to get ready for Valentine’s Day, no matter how you are spending it or whom you are spending it with. You’re going to be able to read it anytime though, and I’m planning on reading it back to back with the first anthology, and really hope that there is another one next year.

I thought this was an AMAZING read, each of these nine stories were not only HOT they were enthralling. You can read a few stories each day or binged read over the weekend, no matter how you decide to read it you’ll be hooked. Each story has it’s own theme but they do entwine so be sure to read them in order so you do not miss anything that is going on in the background.

Here is a bit of what each story involves:

“Brat” by Livia Grant Connor & Gabriella ABDL, Impact Play

“Unrestrained” by Jennifer Bene Bianca & Silas Flogging, Anal, Bondage

“Forced” by Renee Rose Mariana & Victor Pet Play, Wild Card – Rape Fantasy

“Doctored” by Sue Lyndon Hunter & Natalie Medical Play, oral & vaginal

“Edge” by Alta Hensley Melinda & Dean (second chance @ luv) knife play

“Shameless” by Maren Smith Hadlee & Noah (Garreth) whipping, food play

“Confessions” by Measha Stone Dani & Grayson pain play

“Surrender” by Maggie Ryan Marty & Edward Owen role play, anal

“Taken” by Jane Henry Della & Braydon role, whipping, bondage ex-spouses

**I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book**