Becoming by Jourdyn Kelly is an erotic age gap romance about accepting yourself, forgiving those who have wronged you and overcoming painful circumstances by embracing the healing power of love.
Rebecca Cuinn does not want to lose control over her life and her heart again. So many years and tears have gone into rebuilding all that she has lost and Rebecca is determined to keep herself busy with running her high-class BDSM club. After all of the terrible events that have plagued her life, Rebecca is not willing to put her heart and soul on the line for anyone again; until a tall, gorgeous butch woman comes into the club for her best friend’s bachelorette party.
Cassidy Giles lives life on her own terms and she lives to challenge authority. To her, the word ‘submit’ and Cassidy did not belong in the same sentence and she could never understand why some people were willing to give up control to another person who would be willing to hurt them. She sulks throughout the night at the bachelorette party until she encounters the alluring, masked Mistress. From that moment onwards, Cassidy learns so much about the BDSM lifestyle and she is drawn to the enigmatic Mistress and she is willing to do anything to please her. Will Rebecca be able to overcome her fears and let love in? Will Cassidy and Rebecca be able to submit to each other and to the passion that is brewing between them?
The Characters
Rebecca also known as ‘Mistress’ is the owner of an elite BDSM club. I was drawn to Rebecca’s confidence and her business savvy ways from the first page! Rebecca goes out of her way to ensure that each of her clients are satisfied and she uses her club as a safe haven for couples who want to explore their limits and spice up their relationship. I just wanted to reach out and hug Rebecca because she endured so many heart-breaking circumstances and losses in her life and I have so much respect for the way she fought tooth and nail to put her life back in order again.
Cassidy is an artist and she paints beautiful murals on buildings and walls around the city. Cassidy is a butch goddess and this is the second time in my life where I wished a fictional character could come to life just so I could meet her (I swooned so many times while I was reading this story! I’ve got it bad for these lovely butch women!) I really love Cassidy’s feisty and plain-talking personality because she wears her heart on her sleeve and what you see is what you get with her! Even though she is a sweetheart, Cassidy can be a bit insecure and impulsive but her flaws made her even more endearing to me.
The Writing Style
The author did a fabulous job of weaving a tale that made me go through so many emotions at once. The characters, their situations and their conflicting emotions were described so vividly that I felt as though I was experiencing everything firsthand. I also appreciated the fact that this story was not biased or one-sided because the author portrayed the positive and negative aspects of BDSM relationships.
The Pros
I really enjoyed reading about how an exclusive BDSM membership club is run. During a slow period at the office, I got the rare opportunity to daydream and I fantasized about becoming a beguiling mistress by night after spending a greater part of my day as a nerdy accountant.
The Cons
There are graphic scenes that portray physical and emotional abuse. I felt as though some of the scenes were a bit rushed and they should have been expanded so that I could have gotten more background on the characters.
The Conclusion
This story definitely surpassed my expectations because it is so much more than an erotica and BDSM story. My heart went out to Rebecca as I watched her struggle to regain all that she had lost. I must say that I won’t forget about Rebecca and Cassidy any time soon because this story deals with issues that touched me deeply and made me do a lot of deep thinking. One thing that really stood out for me is this—let go of toxic people and painful situations because those people and things will ruin your future happiness.
Excerpt from Becoming by Jourdyn Kelly
“Why are you here?” Mistress asked as she resumed her position.
“I’m here in support of my friend.” She rolled her eyes slightly. “Of course, I haven’t seen her since.”
Mistress nodded. “Miranda. She and her friends are being well taken care of. You didn’t join in the fun.” Thank you for not joining in with someone else.
“Not my scene.”
Judging by Cassidy’s distasteful look, Mistress wondered if she would leave this room unsatisfied.
“You don’t approve.”
Cassidy shrugged. “Who am I to judge? I’m sure you get a lot of cheaters in here. Part of the reason I could never get into this lifestyle. What if I did something wrong? Forgot to obey? My ‘Dom’ would just find someone who would right?”
There is definitely something deeper there, Mistress thought. People with that much passion, good or bad, usually had a reason for being that way. Cassidy had a point. There were Doms out there that did exactly what she described. Mistress knew that better than most. But that’s not what it was truly about. Especially here for Mistress.
“You have no idea what this lifestyle is about, do you?”
Cassidy shook her head.
“Would it make you feel better if I told you that Connor is with Miranda?”
Cassidy frowned in confusion and Mistress explained.
“They don’t know it’s each other. They wanted a different experience, so we’re giving them one. They’ll see that all they really need is each other at the end of the night. The purpose of this place is not to tear people apart, Cassidy. It’s to bring fire to the relationship. To give them something more than what they have right now. It’s not for everyone. But for those who enjoy it, it does not make them bad people.”
“How do you know my name?”
Mistress smiled. All of that I said, and she focuses on that. “This is my club. I make it my business to know what goes on in here. Do you feel better about Miranda now?”
Cassidy shrugged again. Mistress could tell she was still uneasy about everything that went on in this establishment. Especially when it came to her friend. She wanted to show Cassidy that what happened here could be incredible.
“Would you like to learn more about what we do here, Cassidy?” Mistress tilted her head again at Cassidy’s hesitation. It almost scared her that Cassidy would say no. It was a very vulnerable way to feel.
“Yes.”
That one small tremble in Cassidy’s voice caused desire to explode inside Mistress. She had never wanted to be with someone as much as she did at this moment. With this woman. It was enough to make her ignore the warning bells.
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Bits and Bobs
- ISBN number: 9780998272535
Jourdyn Kelly Online
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