Sweet Persuasion

I just read Sweet Persuasion fir the fourth time. It's as fresh and beautiful as the first time.Serena and Damon are meant to be forever.She wanted a fantasy. He wanted it to be real. She feared her fantasy couldn't be real.

The Plot: This second book in Maya Banks's Sweet series is about Serena, a friend of Faith's who fulfills fantasies for a living. Serena is the owner/founder of a company in Houston that provides clients an opportunity to live out their non-sexual fantasies for a day -- a day as a high roller, a princess cruise, etc. When one day Serena decides that she'd like to live out her own fantasy (albeit a sexual one), she turns to her friends for advice on where to start. At Faith's commendation, she calls Damon, who owns a local fetish sex club to provide her a way to temporarily live out her own fantasy of being someone's sexual slave. Upon meeting, Damon is instantly attracted to Serena and commits to personally helping her with her fantasy. What ensues is a whirlwind exploration of the intimate relationship of dominance, submission, bondage and sadomasochism that moves both Damon and Serena beyond even their own wildest dreams.Zelda's Take: Oh. my. god. After reading the first title in this series, I almost discounted it entirely. Boy, am I glad I didn't. Unlike Sweet Surrender, which attempted to inject mystery and suspense into the plotline to make the book's erotic nature easier to swallow, Sweet Persuasion makes no bones about it -- it is an erotic romance. And pretty hard-core erotica at that.First, for the faint of heart, readers beware; Sweet Persuasion reveals some of the very core underpinnings of BDSM culture -- from vanilla bondage and slave-subservience to emotion-rending lashings and public humiliation.Second, this book is HOT, HOT, HOT!!! Damon is at once domineering, stern, loving, tender, good-looking and rolling in money (um, perfection?). Serena is confident, outgoing and independent. She's a business-woman who doesn't need to rely on anyone. Until she meets Damon, that is. What begins as a game and an experiment in sexuality turns quickly into a major lesson in self-actualization for them both.The book proceeds as one long, rolling, heated sex scene as Damon and Serena learn about each other, play (oh, and do they PLAY!), uncover their desires and explore their limits. I love that Serena is confident enough to step outside of her comfort zone and try on a different persona. She embraces her fantasy and commits to it, but still doubts her decisions and motives just like any normal human being. I adore Damon's tenderness with Serena as she attempts to discover her own desires. While he commits himself to Serena's fantasies right away, he understands that it is only a temporary fling and never expects her to embrace his world in the end. He doesn't venture to hope that the scenario could produce a lasting relationship for them, but as he finds himself smitten with her, he figures it is, in the words of Tennyson, better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all...As a relative newcomer to BDSM culture myself, I really enjoyed the bird's eye view into the various methods and exchanges Damon employs in his scenes with Serena. The insight into dom/slave eroticism and the kinky parties that go with it was fascinating. There is one punishment scene in particular that was so dramatic and climactic, the tension tore at my heart and had me nearly in tears!In the end, I think that my enjoyment of Maya Banks's Sweet series is likely driven by my own personal connection to the characters in play. In the case of Sweet Persuasion, Banks was spot on. I look forward to reading more!

I'm giving this story 3 stars because it was well written, the characters were engaging and the sex scenes hot. The dialog was 'ok'. Though the dialog between the friends were smart and witty, some of it left me uncomfortable. The easy way that Julie blurted out Serena's sexual fantasy to others was in poor taste in my opinion. These things should be only spoken in confidence with friends and not because it's a D/s fantasy, but ANY sexual confidences between friends should stay private. But Where I had real problems with the story was with the Hero. Damon is this sweet, caring Dom. He's tough, bit rough, but very romantic - and - inexperienced. Though the author tried to portray him as being experienced, there were scenes in the book that sent up red flags. One scene in particular, when (SPOILER) he inserts a butt plug into Serena. She asks him if he's ever had one in him, and he said no. Uh? Maybe this is just the author's lack of knowledge in the D/s, BDSM community, (I'm talking those who take it serious, not those who play) but if Damon was a true Master (remember he wanted a slave), he would have had training. It's like that saying, the best Generals were once the best foot soldiers. The best Dom/Masters were once trained and served under the best Doms/Masters.Damon had a sex club, he knew the lifestyle, yet he had no training or experience at serving a Mistress/Master and he's going to take on a slave? Just didn't ring true to me. The best Masters/Dom's are trained at being a sub first, then at being Master. You cannot inflict pain or pleasure on your slave/sub unless you 'know' how it feels. You must taste the bite of the whip if you are to whip, Feel the sting of a butt plug, or dildo, if you want anal play. You must have served under a Mistress, or a Master (and a straight man can serve under a Master - training is not 'all' about sex) in order to better serve your sub. So it bothered me that he's playing these games with crops, belts, restraints, plugs, and he has no idea of the pleasure, or pain he's inflicted. Did he read a book? Or is he going by what others have told him? In either case, no self respecting Dom/Master would assume to administer pleasure or pain he/she has not experienced themselves.Other than that.....the book was sweet. Like I said, sex scenes hot. But I didn't get pulled in for reason I stated. In addition, outside their M/s relation, the characters did not develop a 'personal' relationship. It ended sharply for me. These two needed to get to know each other, and we only got a small glimpse of that at Damon's mothers house.

Maya banks is an amazing author and this book proves it. What a hottie. I absolutely loved the character of Damon. What a caveman! The sex scenes are hot and completely thrilling. I was so engrossed. I read the whole book 2 days. Definitely recommend this book to anyone!! TOTALLY AMAZING

Serena James is a fantasy fulfiller who wants to fulfil her own fantasy. How she goes about it gives us an exciting story. Her meeting with Damon Roche is thrilling.

This was a good read. I am fan of series ands was happy when this new one came out. If you like Lora Leigh you will appreciate this series. At times the characters lack body but if your looking for a hot read go for it.Be warned the is a strong dom/sub theme!

great story

Great collection of hot sexy reads