Screw The Roses, Send Me the Thorns - erotic book by Mystic Rose Books - review by Jessica Elizabeth

If I had to pick one book that was my favorite, I think it would be this one. The authors are themselves in a Dominance and submission lifestyle, and as such the entire book is written from that perspective. What really impressed me about this book is that the authors ensure to include a lot of the psychological and emotional ramifications of this type of play. They stress the responsibilities of all parties involved to be open and honest about how they're feeling about the activities going on.

The authors include humor with personal stories to help illustrate their points. They include many aspects of BDSM such as sensory deprivation and masochism. There is very little how-to in this book however, so if that's what you're looking for this book is not for you. However they do include much on safety, including a diagram of safe placements on the body for blows from such items as floggers and crops. What is very nice is that they also include how the marks should look from the items.

There are pictures in this book, which to help a person actually "see" what the authors are talking about. They include pictures of various items such as a St. Andrews Cross and a spanking horse. The only thing I dislike about the photos is that they are black and white and grainy, so it gives them a very grungy feel. In my opinion this gives the BDSM "dungeon" quite the dark and dank atmosphere that "dungeons" don't necessarily have.

In the end I must highly recommend this book for someone, or a couple, who is /are interested in a BDSM spiced, Dominance and submission lifestyle. The authors give a very thorough description of this lifestyle that includes BDSM and their funny yet no-nonsense approach help cultivate a feeling of comfort and surety in a lifestyle that is often ostracized.

This book helped me feel comfortable combining my BDSM interests, with my Dominance and submission needs.