Wicked Wicked Passage

ROMANTIC EROTICA

Title: Wicked Wicked Passage
Author: Olivia Norem
Publication date: 02/10/2017
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Kindle Unlimited: Yes    
Cliffhanger: No
Rating: 4 out of 5

Amazon blurb
Clay MacDonough appears to have it all--sinful good looks, success, and a woman whose sexual appetites match his own--but he wants more. Determined to win the complete surrender of the submissive who tests him at every turn, Clay is willing to give up almost anything to have her--including his family legacy.

Dara Sanderson is convinced she'd found the man of her dreams, swearing he must be her soul mate from a past life. Clay is her best friend, and a perfect fit in all the right places, yet how can trust be built between them when he's shrouded himself in ever-increasing secrecy?

With a wee bit of help from a mischievous fae, whose presence in any century can’t be explained, Dara finds herself hurled two hundred years in the past, and cradled in the arms of Angus MacDonnchadha, a magnificent Highland ancestor.

Angus’ mannerisms and dominant nature are confusingly familiar, but this Highland laird swears they are married and is demanding nothing less than her complete obedience. Taming his willful bride is foremost on Angus’ mind. Binding him to her in a permanent claim is his compulsion.

Together they unlock the secrets of the passage of dominance and submission and discover the key to their future truly lies in the past.
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Wicked Wicked Passage is a stand-alone novel which features explicit sex, and bdsm elements such as bondage and spanking. It is intended for mature audiences.

My Review
So, you’ve got a book with a sexy Scot who just happens to be a dom with a wicked sex dungeon, a strong willed heroine who likes to control her life but BE controlled in the bedroom (or sex dungeon, as the case may be), and some time-travel/paranormal elements. Sounds like a wild and crazy mash-up of Fifty Shades of Grey and Outlander, doesn’t it? Well, I’m going to out myself as a founding member of the unpopular opinion crew when I say that I wasn’t a fan of either of those books. I thought Fifty Shades of Grey was poorly written (and, I’m sorry, but Christian Grey is a STALKER, not a romantic lead), and Outlander was way too wordy and brutal for my liking. But I actually rather liked Wicked, Wicked Passage.

I’ll be the first to admit that I know nothing of bdsm and doms and subs. So, if you’re looking for me to tell you whether or not this book is realistic depiction of those lifestyles, you’re out of luck. What I can tell you is that this is a well-written, quick and easy, sexy read in which the characters share a genuine affection for one another. They aren’t just  sex partners; they’re friends. I found that refreshing. It was the characters’ love for one another that made this an erotic romance rather than straight erotica.

I also liked that Dara wasn’t afraid or ashamed to quickly admit to and go after exactly what she wanted. ​

​“I got too bored too quickly and once someone honestly asked me ‘Am I hurting you?’ I’d shoved him off me and exited the bed as quickly as I’d fallen into it. ‘Unfortunately, no,” I told him. When I discovered the source of my boredom was vanilla sex, I dropped the straight lifestyle faster than you can say ‘tie me up.’”

Now, I’ll also admit that I struggle with phonetic dialect. So, fair warning: if you’re like me, you might have to read Angus’s dialogue twice in order to understand everything.

​“Ye crave a masterful hand. Ye’ll do well tae remember it whilst ye’r kneeling at my feet, and I’ll make certain ye count yerself blessed for the privilege.”

Long-story-short: While I personally would knee a man in the groin for saying some of the things Angus says to Dara, the popularity of Fifty Shades of Grey and Outlander seems to suggest that this crazy mash-up will be catnip to tons of romantic erotica readers out there. Enjoy the catnip, y’all!    
     
Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
Crushes it! No rehab needed. This one is clean and sober.

Other reading suggestions
Um...I got nothin’. Sorry. This was so far outside my norm that I have nothing to offer. ​

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