Pleasure Bound - book discontinued by Cleis Press Inc. - review by Kynky Kytty

Alison Tyler, a prolific author and experienced editor specialized in erotic romance and sexually kinky stories, brings us a collection of true-based erotic stories on BDSM.

There are twenty-three stories, which were written by Nikki Magennis, A.D.R. Forte, Kristina Wright, Sommer Marsden, Teresa Noelle Roberts, Sophia Valenti, Donna George Storey, Michael Hemmingson, Brooke Stern, Shanna Germain, Rita Winchester, Xan West, Annette Miller, Diana St. John, Dakota Rebel, Kristina Lloyd, Malcolm Harris, Bella Dean, Jax Baynard, Thomas S. Roche, Alison Tyler, Tess Danesi, Stephen Elliott.

The authors and the editor did a masterful work with the book content. The stories are not linear and there are comments and flashbacks, which are intertwined between other non-sexual elements in order to present the erotic encounters. It is extremely hard to have to put the book down in the middle of a story, and the book cannot be let down for more than a few minutes. The title Pleasure Bound does not solely apply to the protagonists, but to the reader as well.

This book contains 23 stories thematically related to BDSM. They differ from most erotic stories found in similar compilations, since they are based on true stories. Edited to make the stories as compelling as possible, one sometimes forget that this has happened and that one very lucky person lived the experience. That knowledge is very sexy and adds to the enjoyment of the anthology. That the experience are based on personal experience adds a little bit of voyeurism to the book even if there are no voyeur stories per se.

The first stories are more focused on more gentle SM or playful BD, and rougher play, controlled scenes and true domination are slowly introduced as the book progresses. At first not many sides of BDSM are found at the same time in a story and allows the inexperienced in BDSM to distinguish what turns them on. For instance, the light spanking gradually makes way to belts, long rough twigs and eventually to whips. The domination is also gradual, and starts with a playful control of one's actions, and goes through relationships of master and slave, and to a hired professional dominatrix. There are some exhibitionist stories presented in original ways, from having stranger look at your naked pictures to people watching you having an orgasm or having sex. Even people more experienced with BDMS should have fun reading about real-life outstanding BDSM experiences, at least to get a few ideas.

Most of the stories are written from an heterosexual woman's point of view, except for two stories, and are all about heterosexual couples. There are no homosexuals or transgender people, and there is only minimal gender role play. With that in mind, this books is more aimed at the straight woman who has no or very limited experience with BDSM, and wants to know more while being able to enjoy the reading.

The paper is of a nice ivory color, is not completely smooth and has a nice fiber quality to it. The text is not of absolutely black, which makes reading soft on the eyes, and does not distract from the text. The text is well spaced and the margins are at least one-inch wide, and one never has to move a finger in order to read a line. As a result, the text does not look cramped and has enough space to actually breathe.

The cover image is not particularly discreet, but since this is erotica, you have to remember that you are limited in the ways that you can release sexual tension in public places, unless that's your thing.

I really like reading erotica once in a while, but I had never read anything on BDSM. I have only started to be curious about it once I started to read other book reviews at Edenfantasys. I knew that I would eventually have to read one in order to get a better idea of what it actually is. I was just not sure where to begin.

This book was perfect for what I needed, which was an introduction to BDSM presented in an erotic and enthralling manner that would show me ways that BDSM is applied in real life as well as know what is physically possible to do as well as understand the psychology that turns people on, and me as well. For instance, I learned that a ball gag is not used to mute someone, but more to muffle screams, and that a collar is not made to humiliate someone, but is a symbol of ownership worn with pride.

I have lost some of my innocence with this book, and I do not regret it. This is an excellent book that satisfied my curiosity and answered a lot of my questions. This compilation was a huge turn on for me and was completely wet, even SOAKED, while I was reading it. I masturbated to three stories, two of which were in the first ones. There was the playful woman in control of her boyfriend, there was the woman being fucked against a large window where people could see, and finally in the one with the woman using a strap-on a client.

I have to admit that while I found all the stories erotically exciting, I do not imagine myself doing most of the things that I read about in the second half of the book. I have never been bound, even less completely bound in ropes, and I have never been with a dominant partner, even less trained as a slave. So I am still sitting in a comfortable fantasy comfort zone, which was not the case of the people in the second half of the book. I do believe that my personality makes me more playful in terms of playing with BDSM and makes me unsuitable in pulling off some scenes.