Black Light Valentine Roulette

Broken by Renee Rose – 4 stars
Slave to pain (aka Jennifer) and Master D scene together at BlackLight each week. But that’s all Jennifer will ever allow them to be, ships that pass in the night, no attachment, no emotion, no connection, despite the fact that his brand of sadism is a perfect fit for her mile wide masochistic streak. Jennifer has barriers so high Master D will need a miracle to break them down but first he needs to win her on a spin of the wheel.
They spin three kinks, age-play, whipping and anal-intercourse. Don’t be put of by the age play, it isn’t really any more than her using the word Daddy, and if you skip this one you will miss a wonderfully intimate portrait of a man using dominance to release a sub from years of unhappiness and pain.
I liked that Jennifer and Master D already had a connection, it made the scenes more intense and I found I easily believed in the depth of their feelings. I remember first time round finding the level of sado-masochism in this hard to handle, but I’ve now read so much more that it no longer makes me cringe. It’s not my kink but I understand the beauty of the dynamic. This is one scorching hot read, and a great opening story.

Revealed by Livia Grant – 4 stars
I love Khloe and Ryder, and have read all their stories though I’d actually forgotten this one where they first met. I really felt a huge emotional connection to Khloe, reading about her pain and loneliness was like hearing it from a friend. The girl who seems to have it all has nothing at all. Her emotions were heartbreaking to read about.
There is some intense medical play, plus two other spins that gave us some scorching hot scenes to observe. My only issue at the end was that Ryder’s play felt far too hard core for a total newbie to the scene to handle. It was addressed at one point, and yes this is fiction, so perhaps others found it easier to let go. Personally it felt that, along with boundaries being severely pushed, believability was also being pushed too.
However this was more than made up for with the intensity of the connection between Khloe and Ryder. He went from zero to hero during the story, with the way he saw the true Khloe and what she needed. Though that ending is quite tough. If I hadn’t been aware of what the future had in store for this pair it would really have been a bitter pill to swallow. Thankfully it’s very much a sugar-coated one.

Wet by Jennifer Bene – 5 stars
Sienna so beautifully portrayed the lack of worth those of us with self esteem issues can suffer from. A sub willing to forego aftercare and any real affection because she wasn’t worthy of it. Alexander, of course, was the uber confident and in charge Dom with a liking to be called Daddy and a craving to push his sub’s buttons. Written so well, he induced shivers down my spine.
Ms Bene pushes our boundaries, and poor Sienna’s, with a terror inducing scene of water-based breath play. As someone who struggles to get their face wet in the shower, this both horrified and thrilled me in equal measure. It was certainly hot. Communication is vital to any BDSM scenes, so Alexander was determined to push until the very tongue tied and shy Sienna let go and talked. I can totally empathise with her when she struggled with answering his questions

There was no script for this interaction, no easy answers, she had to fucking talk to him, and that was the problem.

You either know, or you don’t know, that terrifying hot-cold feeling of opening your mouth and having a totally blank, panic filled mind. Because whatever you could say they will obviously find boring and not be interested in. It was both hard to read Sienna in those moments and uplifting too. I love that the author gives her characters real flaws that resonate with many readers.
Given that the majority of this scene wasn’t overtly sexual in nature I was amazed by how incredibly intimate it felt. A part of me did feel that Alexander overstepped the boundaries in demanding personal information from someone who he had no long term commitment with, but without it we wouldn’t have had such an amazing story.

Unmasked by Lee Savino – 3 stars
Whilst this story didn’t have quite the emotional or ‘kink’ impact of other stories in the book, I appreciated how it examined the feminists dilemma of submitting to a man. Chessie and Kane were both easy to like characters, though neither really captured my heart if I’m being honest.
Kane did seem to take extra care with Chessie since she was yet another “totally new to the scene and never tried it before” submissive. However I would have liked him to remind Chessie of her safeword/signal given that very fact. I also felt the ‘nasty/jealous sub’ moment was not only cliched but fed into that cliche of having to have a rival and bitchy female in the story.

Unraveled by Addison Cain – 3 stars
This was one of those books that I enjoyed well enough as I read it, but mental cogitations after the fact saw it mimic the title and unravel somewhat. The ‘hero’ of the story not only isn’t the Dom that the heroine plays Valentine Roulette with, but their relationship prior to the night had been toxic. So it made believing that they had any sort of feelings for one another very difficult. All three characters also had personality defects, and not in a good way.

Klara was brilliant in that she had taken on huge responsibilities at a very young age. She was so tough and strong, when life kicked her in the lady balls she pulled up her big girl pants and kicked it back twice as hard. So it made my wonder why she would burn her bridges by not giving adequate notice to her employer. Nor did I believe that employer held enough sway to get her blacklisted by his competitors.

For an ex-military man, Spencer was a childish, whiney arse-hole whose behaviour was as far from professional as it was possible to get. Self-centred to the nth degree he didn’t deserve Klara in any way shape or form.

And Will, I kind of liked him until their last scene where he deliberately pushed Klara beyond her breaking point, despite knowing she was totally inexperienced and that she was unlikely to safe word until he took things to the extreme. He even acknowledge that the play wasn’t ‘sane’ because Klara had felt forced into taking part. He knew that and still continued. He also knew, from the previous scene, where her breaking point was and he stomped right over it. At that point I wasn’t sure who was the most despicable male, him or Spencer. The only way either man would ever get any sympathy from me was if I threw a dictionary at their conceited, idiotic heads.

Unbroken by Maren Smith – 3.5 stars
This story is less about the BDSM play and much more about the two protagonists, Abby and Newton, connecting. This really left me in a quandary because I loved the depth it gave the story, and you could really see not only the characters grow but also the fledgling connection start to bloom. However it meant, for me, that it lacked that sizzle that I want from a BlackLight book but overall the pros and cons are balanced.
I did like both characters and enjoyed the story, it was also a nice change of pace to give the book some balance. Extra points were earned for the pair NOT being madly in love with one another at the end of the story!

Bared by Measha Stone – 4.5 stars
I’m a real sucker for second chance, so this was already going well with me. Add into the mix a heroine who hid her vulnerabilities behind a hard as nails exterior and an amazing Dom who was determined not to let her run away a second time, and you’ve got yourself a winner.
They spin humiliation, but don’t worry, it never felt too much or too over the top. In fact it was very gentle in those terms. However Dane does lay bare all of Riley’s insecurities and fears, pushing her to truly accept her submissive nature. Yes he pushes her, and pushes her hard, but he is there every single step of the way, ready to catch her should she fall and always, always giving her the strength and support she needs.
When Dane got Riley to wash the word she wrote about herself off of her arm, I wasn’t sure whether to sob or swoon.

Stripped by Sophie Kisker – 4 stars
I really enjoyed this story, though it did stir a bit of conflict inside me. I admired that Sari made the decision she did (in the bathroom) though I could equally understand why Adam was upset by it. I didn’t agree with his “special” comment, that’s a very male perpetuation of a problem that has been around for a long time.
I felt we spent more time in Sari’s mind during the story, which was great because the author really showed us what some peoples submission looked like. I found her thought process and decisions to be fascinating and enlightening. It wasn’t the steamiest offering in the book but it was a well written and very entertaining story.

What can I say about this book except it is fantastic! Each story sucked you in from the very beginning. This book was written by 8 different authors and I was enthralled with each story. Every story told about different insecurities or issues and how they resolved them in the Black Light Club. Each relationship was different yet all had a similar outcome which I loved! I didn’t want any of these stories to end. I wanted more and more. These writers are truly gifted and I can’t wait to read more by each of them. This book is a definite must read.

There are eight stories in this volume and they are all packed with romance and steaminess. This is a review of Revealed by Livia Grant. There are eight stories in this second version and they are all related and they all happen on the same night, but they are also written by different authors.

We find Ryder and Khloe meeting for the first time for a celebrity roulette game of play. Khloe has no idea what she’s done by agreeing to take part in this event and Ryder is an experienced Dom visiting this club for the first time. The writing and scenes are intense in a good way, you want to turn the page to see what is going to happen next, the interactions between the two are hot and I wished the story was longer, but you will get the conclusion in a full length story Black Light: Rescued. All your favourite characters make an appearance in this series and that is what makes it more enjoyable as well.

I received this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing! I couldn’t put this down. Every time the Black Light authors get together I put everything down to read the stories. This was sexy, exciting, with some drama and sweetness thrown in that I couldn’t put it down.

This Steamy Collection Of Quick Reads Takes Place In D.C.’s Favorite BDSM Club! 15 Couples Battle It Out.

This is book three in the Black Light series. It can be read as a standalone, though the series builds. This book is a collection of eight novellas plus an introduction by eight different authors. It includes:

Valentine Roulette Introduction: by Livia Grant and Jennifer Bene
Broken : by Renee Rose
Revealed: by Livia Grant
Wet: by Jennifer Bene
Unmasked: by Lee Savino
Unraveled: by Addison Cain
Unbroken: by Maren Smith
Bared: by Measha Stone
Stripped: by Sophie Kisker

Black Light is the new and ultra secret D.C. BDSM club. It remains to be seen if the owners can turn it into profit-making venture, so they hope to build up some Valentine’s excitement to drum up new memberships via word of mouth. Their idea is to sell tickets to an evening of Valentine Roulette. Fifteen Doms and fifteen subs sign up for the night of games, and the lucky ticket holders get to watch the evening of entertainment as the drama unfolds. Doms spin the wheel to see which sub they are assigned. Subs spin the wheel to see what scene the couple will enact. Each have only four hard limits in an intimidating list of over twenty possibilities. To win a month of free membership to the club, couples must get through the three hours event without using their safe word.

Each story is written in third person, in alternating POVs. The collection as a whole is nicely written. The concept is rather creative and it works well. Overall I rate this collection of quick reads 4.5 stars.

VALENTINE ROULETTE INTRODUCTION:

This story gives the history of Black Light, a secret BDSM club located under Runway – the hugely successful Georgetown nightclub operated by the same owners. The politics of running a private club are played out as they plan their Valentine event. Owners Jaxson Davidson, Chase Cartwright, and Emma Fischer are partners behind the scenes as well. Though it is mostly in the background, there is a peak into the lovers’ story.

For anyone that has not read the first two books in the series, this does a great job of getting readers up to date enough to follow along. It takes you behind the scenes. It is well-written.

BROKEN:

Major Jennifer Riggs would lose her career if her weekend persona came to light. Black Light takes care to keep things private, and she has been in attendance since the day they opened. She goes by Slave to Pain, and she is not looking for a relationship or anything out side of the club. She loves alphas but knows from past experience that their obsessive tendencies clash with her career aspirations. Still, she needs an outlet for her commanding career, and Master D knows just how to satisfy her. The problem is that he asked for her name and she had to turn him down. And last week she saw him from afar in the Pentagon. She knows he wants more from her, but that it could only end in disaster.

This is very well-written. The characters are wonderfully developed and real.

REVEALED:

Khloe Monroe, turning twenty-five, lives and breathes for her career as a highly successful Hollywood actress. It has meant personal sacrifice, but she had made a decision years ago to do what it takes. To celebrate her birthday, she decides to treat herself by leaving her Hollywood movie set for her one week hiatus a little early. She has a chance to walk the red carpet and be photographed among the who’s who of Broadway on the opening night of a friend’s play – which is always a good thing for her career. That, and she gets to scratch an itch with her boyfriend. But things don’t go as she planned when she arrives in New York, and suddenly the loneliness overwhelms her. She thinks back to the last time she had a real connection, and although she had burned that bridge, she finds herself in D.C. looking up her ex-boyfriend Chase Cartwright.

Ryder Helms, nearly forty, is dying to get back to Moscow. Hanging out in Langley is not his idea of fun. His forced leave is not appreciated and is putting his deep-cover identity as well as years of hard work at risk. The higher ups aren’t happy about his three medical incidents and insist he takes some time off. His cover in the Volkov Bratva, however, is about to finally pay dividends. The timing couldn’t be worse – it’s just bad luck that his line of work has him leaping from moving vehicles and getting shot. If he were in Moscow it would be easy to get a little release. Finding women to satisfy the sadist in him is easy there, though their tolerance for pain might be influenced by money and gifts. The BDSM scene in the states is more like a game in comparison. Ryder lives the life of a sadist – it is no act. He isn’t expecting to be too impressed when his old friend Spencer Cook invites him as a guest to Black Light.

This is well-written. The characters are unique and well-developed.

WET:

The story opens January twenty-second at the Overtime Club where Muscles (a.k.a. Terry) – a dungeon monitor at both Overtime and Black Light – suggests one of the regular subs there give Black Light a try. He had been tasked to recruit some subs for the upcoming Valentine Roulette event. He worries that this sub doesn’t get the care she needs at Overtime and thinks she might find a better match at Black Light.

Sienna, a stenographer, hates socializing. She sits and listens all day long, so she has learned to keep her mouth shut. Her job doesn’t pay all the bills so she waitresses in the evenings, too. She needs an outlet for her long work hours and solitude, which she gets via serious submission and humiliation – not everybody’s cup of tea. It is the only way to clear her head. She heads to Overtime Club once or twice a week for some pick-up play to do just that. She hasn’t been in a relationship in about a year, and the Doms she plays with haven’t been asking her out. To avoid the hassle and rejection, she prefers uncomplicated arrangements – playing for one night and moving on. There aren’t many Doms left that she has not subbed for at the club already, so when Terry expresses his concerns and suggests Black Light, Sienna agrees to give it go. She might not agree with Terry that the Doms are not treating her right, but she knows she is running out of options at Overtime.

Alexander Reed, a partner at Lambert, Urbanski and Reed, the law firm that represents Black Light, enjoys the six months of free membership he got as part of his compensation for his work with Black Light. He always wanted to be an attorney – the adrenaline rush of arguing a case thrills him. It is that same alpha characteristic that makes him love being a dominant. He has a thing for brunettes with wide innocent eyes – the flashy and mouthy type isn’t for him. He loves to push, punish, and break his subs – like crushing a hostile witness on the stand. But he is cognizant of his responsibilities as a Dom, and he also loves building his subs back up. The last sub he had wanted something real with him, but she was too weak of heart to let him really take charge like he wanted to. Excited and nervous about the night’s possibilities, he hopes he is matched with a ‘little’ – because he loves to play Daddy.

This is very well-written. The characters are unique, well-developed, and authentic.

UNMASKED:

Senator Kane finally gets his story!

Senator Preston Kane the Third, thirty-seven, was raised in Georgia where he learned to be a Southern gentleman. He is a lawyer, and his domineering personality has helped to propel his political career; combined with his work ethic, he has become a powerful U.S. Senator. His good looks and bachelor status make him a popular D.C. figure. But his ninety hour work weeks leave him in need of an outlet, so he finds himself at Black Light on the weekends. Whipping and caning women who willingly submit to him gives him the high he craves. He considers a woman’s submission a treasure and respects a woman that hands it over. The gentleman in him naturally understands the responsibility he assumes with their submission. He doesn’t often scene with a sub more than once; hence he often scenes with newbies. New subs are unpredictable and take a delicate approach. It is his responsibility to push subs and learn what they like and don’t like without taking the sub over the edge – because once she safe words, their play is over.

Chelsea Wilhelmina Jones, a D.C. lobbyist in roughly her early to mid-thirties, is a feminist. Known as Chessie by her friends, she uses logic and the power of persuasion to move D.C.’s most powerful figures toward her way of thinking. While she was once impressed with the city full of national leaders, she has since become bored. But what has her so preoccupied lately is her need for release. She has not been on a date in years and cannot seem to take care of the job herself. She works long hours and cannot seem to get out of her own head long enough to relax. Yet when she is seated at Senator Kane’s table at a dinner event on February thirteenth, she is taken aback by his height, his looks, and his blue eyes despite everything he stands for. The feminist in her should be offended, but she finds herself oddly drawn to him.

This story is thoughtful and well-written. The characters are real and unique.

Black Light Valentine Roulette gives us eight kinky, lusty short stories that are swoon worthy, titillating and sometimes surprising. Pure entertainment!

Broken – Renee Rose
A hardcore sadist and masochist step out of their comfort zones to play as a Daddy Dom and his Little.

Revealed – Livia Grant
An A list actress and a Dark Dom deep cover special operator dabble on the darker side of BDSM. She’s a novice, he’s hardcore.

Wet – Jennifer Bene
A service submissive who is into humiluation and objectification is paired with an attorney who is a Daddy Dom. He is determined to find out about her and her life. She is equally determined to not give her answers. A match made in heaven…not!

Unmasked – Lee Savino
He’s a powerful US Senator and she”s a feminist as well as a lobbyist not to mention a newbie in the scene. What better introduction to the kinky lifestyle than multiple orgasms given by sweet talking, crop and cane wheeling Dom.

Unraveled – Addison Cain
It’s a clash of wills between Dungeon Master Spencer Cook and his newly hire bar manager for Black Light, Klara Erikkson. They rub each other the wrong way at every turn. The showdown culminates on Valentine’s Day.

Unbroken – Maren Smith
Two years of trading insults and barbs does not bode well for defiant sub, Abby, getting along with her matched Dom, Newton, long enough to stay in the kinky games in order to finish the contest. Oil and water would mix better.

Bared – Measha Stone
She walked away years ago and now fate reconnects them when the roulette wheel gives her to him…at least for the night. The kink? Humiliation. This could be the opening he needs to prove to her that they belong together. Or, it could blow up in his face.

Stripped – Sophie Kisker
A Dom who’s been out of the lifestyle for a few years is matched with a relatively new sub who keeps getting lost in tge fantasies inside her head. Their Roulette evening ends with them playing out one of her fantasies. However, it also results in a big secret being revealed that could cost tge Dom everything.

I bought this book because I loved the other books in this series. This is the first Valentine Roulette at the BDSM club Blacklight. The stories are written by several different authors following the basic construct of the club. It is a fantastic anthology. You get a taste of different kinks. Since it is based in a bdsm club there is a lot of steam. You also get to know different writers that you may not have read before. It amazes me how the different authors were able to make the stories blend seamlessly with one another.

Fantastic mini stories within the big story! Romance abounds. A lot of humor, tears and wow! in just one Valentine’s night at Black Light. A tutorial for those living behind rose colored glasses. A must read! Now on to #4!

HOT!!!!
Definitely a good read. This was the first time I’ve read anything about the Black Light Series, but it will not be the last. I wish I would’ve come across the original books first, but I don’t think they were absolutely needed to enjoy the Valentine Roulette books (although I will be reading them soon). This set had me from chapter one. CHAPTER ONE! I was amazed by the authors ability to deliver such great stories, in such a short amount of time. The stories not only over lapped – in details, but drew you in with their characters, and most importantly the HOT scenes! Props to all the authors!

This anthology includes:
1 – BROKEN by RENEE ROSE
This is the first Black Light book I’ve read, but let me tell you, the scenes and interactions between Master D. and Slave to Pain were hot as blue blazes and yet when the Daddy Dom/Baby girl scene has unexpected results, it simultaneously breaks my heart and warms it at the same time. If this is the type of results I’m led to believe throughout the remainder of the book, then I’m thrilled to be able to be a part of this.

2 – REVEALED by LIVIA GRANT
Khloe Monroe had just turned 25 and fought every day to stay thin enough, pretty enough, and young enough in an industry that prized physical perfection took its toll. She was an actress and model. Coming home a day early to surprise her boyfriend, a leading man in the industry, she found him in her bed with another actress.
Ryder was an undercover agent assigned to the Russian Bratva for the last two years. In that time, he’d been abducted and tortured for over two weeks , then last year he had to bail from the back of a moving truck doing forty miles per hour, and then four months ago had been shot at close range. The agency wasn’t ready to release him into active duty and return him yet. He was put on light duty for at least one more month.
When these two are talked into joining the Valentines Roulette at Black Light no one, including Khloe or Ryder, could envision what would happen. The chemistry, the vulnerability, the scenes, the personal discoveries all combine to make this an outstanding story that had an ending I didn’t see coming.
3 – WET by JENNIFER BENE
Sienna was at a place in her mind to a place where she could shut everything down and not have to deal with the reality of her life, think, or make any decisions what so ever when she was in a scene. She hadn’t been on a date or even had any type of aftercare in a long time but Sienna was okay with that. She normally liked to be left alone. That worked well for her until the night one of the Dungeon Masters at Overtime, the BDSM club she attended, told her about the Valentines Roulette at Black Light needing more subs and thought she would fit in well. Everything she thought she knew was about to change. Jennifer Bene gave us such an intense, eye-opening story about self-discovery and how these characters dealt with it. What a great read.

4 – UNMASKED by LEE SAVINO
Chelsea was a lobbyist with an almost rigid view about women’s rights and equality. Used to being in charge she had not been on a date in almost three years. Mina pleaded with her roommate to use the invitation to Black Light Valentine’s Roulette night since she needed help keeping her promise to attend as a participant. But since Mina had received her dream internship and it was to start immediately, she knew Chelsea was the perfect choice. And if coercing Chelsea into going by offering to pay their rent for three months, then so be it. This was such an intense, sexy addition to this anthology. So much emotion and chemistry kept me mesmerized to the point I couldn’t put it down.

5 – UNRAVELLED by ADDISON CAIN
This story by Addison Cain is something different from anything I’ve read from her, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Her characters of Spencer and Klara are the epitome of the couple who won’t recognize the sexual chemistry or sparks they ignite in each other while everyone around them can see it for what it is. The story is fun, the scenes from Valentine’s Roulette are all done with safe, sane and consensual in mind, and the characters are flawed enough to be relatable. The perfect addition to this anthology.

6 – UNBROKEN by MAREN SMITH
Abby and Newton had inadvertently met at another BDSM club only because Newton had interrupted a scene she was having with another Dom. Words were exchanged between the two men and Abby took offense. During the course of those two years the snipping and sniping between the two became legendary. Everyone in the lifestyle knew they didn’t like each other. And then Fate stepped in during Black Light’s Valentine Roulette night and they were paired with each other. So many discoveries were made for each of them personally during their three hour playtime. This was such a great story with a happy for now ending.

7 – BARED by MEASHA STONE
Riley, a partner in one of the top law firms of D.C., had a tendency to play with the newbie Doms. More experienced Doms wanted more and she didn’t want the attachment. That’s why she weighed whether or not to participate in Black Light’s Valentine Roulette. She had been so nervous and in her head while waiting for her turn at the wheel she hadn’t realized which Dom rolled her name. And then who would’ve thought it? It turned out to be Dane, her ex. The man she had left because he had always wanted a full-time sub. When they get together, the chemistry between Riley and Dane was intensely animated. Their scenes were hot as a foundry flame and their personalities were full of discovery. I would love to follow what happens after coffee book.

8 – STRIPPED by SOPHIE KISKER
Sophie Kisker is a new author for me but after reading the previous seven stories, I’m really excited to read what she’s brought to the table. Sari had been introduced to the BDSM lifestyle and had a few scenes here and there until a relatively new Dom had gotten distracted and she almost choked and completely passed out before a dungeon monitor came to her rescue. Since then, it had been hard to trust anyone but Aphrodite had convinced her to apply to Black Light’s Valentine Roulette since she couldn’t get off work and Sari needed to play again. After all, it was only for three hours and Sari was assured that even though she didn’t know the Doms, the scenes would be closely monitored. There was a mystery hanging out of sight during this story between Sophie and the Adam, the Dom claimed her in the roulette spin. The interactions and scenes between these two were amazing. Their personalities and conversations so genuine. This was a happy for now story that I’d love to read a what’s next book about.