Prepare to submit, body and soul, to the total immersion BDSM training experience that is The Compound. Craving the truly definitive submissive experience she has yearned for all her adult life, Alexis Stewart marshals her courage to commit to a month of training at The Compound. There she is placed in the hands of Master John, a stern Dominant with the reputation as an uncompromising taskmaster. … taskmaster. Despite rigorous 24/7 sexual submission, erotic torture, endurance training and punishment, Alexis smashes again and again against self-imposed walls of resistance that keep her from attaining her goal. Master Paul Evans is well aware of The Compound rule never to get involved with the trainees, and that’s never been a problem—until now. From the moment he sees the lovely Alexis, he feels the powerful allure of her sensual beauty and submissive spirit. Will he risk everything to steal her heart? This smoldering mix of dark, edgy BDSM and hidden desires threatens to combust into a firestorm of forbidden passion, lust, and ultimately, love.
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Whilst this was missing somewhat in the romance department, it is still a great read and one I would recommend to those who enjoy a good BDSM story. I loved following Alexis’ journey into true submission where the emotions, the desires, the need to submit were all wonderfully portrayed. This book is worth reading just for experiencing Alexis’ experience!
Alexis has so much more grit and determination than me, ! I would have said “blow it” on so many occasions where she found an inner strength and determination to endure. I found Master John to be more of a sadist then I was comfortable with, but then Alexis was more of a masochist too! So despite my initial reservations they seemed to be ideally suited in a ‘training’ aspect. Whilst there are plenty of BDSM ‘scenes’, Alexis is at The Compound for just that, training, and unlike a lot of kink books this didn’t automatically mean the trainer had sex with the trainee. So there were some scorching hot scenes, but without penetration. In fact there is very little actual sex in the whole book.
I occasionally got a ‘one true way’ vibe, mainly in what makes someone a ‘proper’ submissive. I really don’t believe it was the author’s intent to do that, nor did I feel she was sending a message or expressing fixed opinions. I think it was just a consequence of the restrictions involved in writing a story, it’s a piece of entertainment and the beginning needs to connect to the middle with needs to flow through to the end. There isn’t always the possibility of including ‘everything’ to make it totally realistic – plus that would make it boring!
There were two things I needed, in order for the book to have gained that extra star. The first was more conversations between Alexis and either the other submissives or Master John on the more mental aspects of submission. Several times Alexis was expected to be able to do or achieve something with no explanation or support from Master John. If she could do it on her own she wouldn’t have been at The Compound in the first place! The other was that whilst there is a love interest in this book, there was a lack of significant relationship building. It was all far to insta-love for me. Throw me a bone in the form of a few ‘real’ conversations, a genuine way to form a connection because all I saw was lust and one scene. It wasn’t enough.
We did get enough from the Hero’s viewpoint for me to believe in his attraction to Alexis AND for me to get a feel for him as a person. The author did a great job of allowing us to know and understand him in a fairly limited number of viewings. Great writing in that aspect alone.
Now before you forget I DO recommend reading this and I will definitely be continuing the series!
Shakespeare said, ‘To thine own self be true’ but what if you don’t know what your true self is? How are you then able to be true to yourself? How do you find your self? That is the crux & conflict of Alexis’ story in ‘The Compound’.
Alexis is 30 years old, is a career business women with an excellent position in a big city, she scenes regularly as a submissive with a Dom friend/partner of long standing at a local BDSM club. She’s successful, trusts her BDSM partner, is healthy but definitely not happy. Why can’t she ever ‘fly’ while in a scene as every other sub is able to do? Every time she teeters on the brink of doing so, of feeling true & complete submission, her walls come slamming up, walling her off from her ultimate goal & hope.
But Arthur her Dom partner clues her into The Compound & offers her a chance to immerse herself 24/7 in Master/slave BDSM training to see if that will allow Alexis to ‘fly’ & find true submission. And in a final effort to discover her true self Alexis applies, interviews & is accepted to The Compound & is given to Master John as a slave trainee. Master John is stern, old school, rigorous & exacting; his methods have successfully trained many superb slaves/submissives for their Masters/Doms & he is highly regarded & respected at The Compound.
So why is Alexis constantly drawn to Master Paul, who is not her Master?
The author does an excellent job helping the reader understand not only Alexis’ frustrations & insecurities but how her mind bounces back & forth, sometimes chaotically, between building herself up & shooting herself down. I felt Alexis’ agitation as she fights a near constant battle to focus, to submit, to accept, to learn, to absorb vs letting her temper & personality overcome her basic need & want to be truly submissive. But even the best trainer can only do so much, the trainee has to assist, to provide willing clay to be shaped & molded & despite Master John’s best efforts Alexis is not giving that ‘extra’ part of herself to succeed.
I truly enjoyed this story, the secret solution to Alexis’ failure & her ability to succeed was ultimately a wonderfully simple & clear one, one I felt the author brought forth in a beautiful manner. I was genuinely happy & pleased with the solution & outcome. Of course, Alexis had a hard & intense journey in her attempt to achieve her desired goal but her friends, & the Masters were there to help & guide her along the way.
An intense BDSM story I genuinely enjoyed.
What do you do when you want to submerse yourself in submission but just can’t quite get there? Alexis is selected by Mistress Miriam to attend The Compound for a month, where she will train under Master John, a tough but effective trainer. The commitment these subs have is fierce. Alexis learns something about the depth of her own submission when Master John takes over. I really liked Alexis’ reflection of herself in her admissions letter, and would have liked some snippets of her diary to watch he character change and grow. A great start to this series.
I am voluntarily leaving my opinion of a copy of this book.
I had been searching for a good slave training book that I hadn’t read yet. Let me rephrase, a “good” slave training book I hadn’t read yet. The training parts were excellent, I just wish it had been Paul training the whole time and we could have seen a relationship grow instead of insta-love. Still a great slave training book.
Alexis was a submissive wannabe. She was truly into the D/s scene but could never let her guard down at the final moment to fly and be totally free. So she entered The Compound, a BDSM D/s training facility to find the missing key to her submissive self. Although she has an excellent trainer in John, her heart pulls her to Paul, another trainer. No matter how hard she tries, her walls will not break down so she can fly. She needs a miracle to break down those walls. In a stormy moment of clarity, the answer becomes clear – you cannot completely trust, you cannot completely submit until you find that someone you completely love. Once that miracle of love is found, true submission results and unlocks the key to the freedom of flying and utter peace. Wonderful, wonderful story!
Makes shades look like pablum! A GREAT romance and BDSM read!
When a book is as well written as “THE COMPOUND”, with characters as real and yet so different from regular life as Alexis, and those living and working at the Compound are; it is easy for a reader to become invested in the exploration of a lifestyle that is both foreign and titillating at the same time. Not knowing much about the D/s culture within the BDSM lifestyle, I found Thompson’s story to be so intriguing, I read it twice. It wasn’t until the end of the first reading that I understood Alexis’s need to train at the Compound, and thereby recognized I had approached the entire story as an anthropologist confused by the new language and actions of an unknown people group. My approach was so wrong! Therefore, in the second reading of “THE COMPOUND,” I found a wonderful acceptance and blooming love affair not just between the characters of this novel, but for a lifestyle so different from anything I had read about before. The language is sensuous, the prose pulls up a reader’s emotions and is so descriptive that this reader easily became lost in the world built within its pages. The action is often intense, and dark as this erotic romance deals with individuals who practice the SM part of BDSM. If you are looking for a passionately romantic yet dark romance, then “THE COMPOUND,” the first book in author Claire Thompson’s The Compound Trilogy should be your next purchase! Happy pages!
I loved Alexis! The fact that she knew what she was missing, and wanted it so badly, is something most people can understand. John was perfect as her trainer, and he gave her everything she needed, but was missing that one little piece. As Alexis struggled to find her place in her world, she brought us right along with her. Her frustration and pain at her failures reverberate through the pages and out at you. When things finally fall into place for her, I wanted to fist pump in happiness for her
I loved this book. The intense exploration of Alexis submissive needs makes for a riveting reading. The whole story build round the compound is wonderful!
Highly recommended
Loved this book. This is the first book I’ve read with this storyline (hard core submissive training), I absolutely loved it. I enjoyed reading their individual stories. I really enjoyed all the descriptive training scenes. They were hot. I also like reading about the couples. There’s is a sense of caring among the characters which helps in this type of book. I can’t wait to read more.
I am volunteering to leave a review of this ARC book. Ms. Thompson has an amazing way with words. Each time a read one of her novels, I feel like I am standing there with her characters. Alexis has felt something missing in her life. Sure, she scenes with a great partner, but she has never been able “to fly.” Here scene partner suggests she sign up for The Compound; that they could help. Master John, quite exacting wasn’t getting her there either. Master Paul, observing, felt she needed a softer hand. Both Alexis and Paul, each time their eyes would meet, felt something. But what? I am IN LOVE with Master Paul. Cannot wait to read the next in the series!
What a great story! This is a fast read and a real feel good book, it will leave you believing in love again and that all things are possible. Alexis certainly gave it her all and thought she had failed, but she had been missing the essential ingredient- love. There are some great characters in this book and I especially liked Marta she is the kind of person you would truly treasure as a friend. There are some really exacting BDSM scenes and the reader really feels for Alexis both physically and emotionally. Claire Thompson has the ability to put the reader in the book to experience the emotions and you find yourself rooting for Alexis and silently urging her not to give up.
The Compound is BDSM erotic romance at its best. Lots of Hot sexy, kinky detailed scenes. A sub struggling with the total trust required. A strong cast of supporting characters with great chemistry. Safe, sane, consensual D/s with HEA. Just perfect. Reread it 5 years later and I loved it more. Grab this one and you’ll get lost in all the sensations along with Alexis.
If only it were real!
Can you imagine, a training center with first class trainers, free of charge if you are deemed the right fit? One month fully immersed in a highly sensual 24/7, complete power exchange.
But for some trainees success is slow in coming. Sometimes it needs not just expertise and dedication but the right connection. And then, you can fly!
This is a sumptuously lush fairy tale for grown ups, with lovingly applied whips and floggers, and blindfolds, ….
This book is one of my favorites from Claire Thompson. It grabbed me from the beginning. Could not put it down. This book is steamy hot. Great read!!!
This is a dark intense submersion into a BDSM training. Alexis is on a journey to to learn to fly. Follow her through her training at The Compound with Master John. Master John is a strict intense BDSM trainer. Even though he is a skilled trainer something is missing in their connection. Could it be love? Does she find that connection with someone else? Guess What? You will have to read the book to find out. I orginally read this book in 2014 and have reread it a couple of times and enjoyed each time. Claire Thompson has the ability to draw you into her stories like you are a bystander experiencing it firsthand. I never hesitate in buying one of her books and am never disappointed.