Control by Charlotte Stein
Accent Press
Limited, 2010
ISBN 9781907726491
As any
devoted reader or author of erotica knows, complementary fantasies
are a potent aphrodisiac. Dom and sub, voyeur and exhibitionist,
butch and femme - whatever the pairing, it's an incredible rush to
realize that by satisfying your personal kink, you're giving your
partner exactly what he or she desires. Charlotte Stein's original
and arousing novel Control
uses this dynamic to wonderful effect. In Control,
two rather quirky and twisted individuals gradually discover the
erotic power of their mirror-image desires.
Madison is the
introspective, insecure, perpetually horny proprietress of Wicked
Words, a bookstore that specializes in erotica. She's a woman who
lives as much in her mind as in her body, fiercely determined to
chart her own course in life, yet puzzled by her seeming inability to
commit to a relationship. When she hires shy, nerdy Gabriel Kauffman
as a shop assistant, she tries to convince herself that it's an
intellectual decision. After all, she could scarcely hire other
applicant, Andy, who somehow managed to fuck her during his job
interview. Despite Gabe's social awkwardness and bookish appearance,
though, he stimulates Maddie's fertile imagination to the point where
she can't leave him alone.
Gabe Kauffman is
the most anti-alpha hero I've ever encountered. He's big and rather
clumsy, with thick glasses, heavy eyebrows and tons of body hair. A
thirty year old virgin, he was brought up so strictly by his possibly
schizophrenic parents that he's been permanently warped. At the same
time, he's obsessed with sex, a diligent student of dirty books who,
as he puts it, is good at putting theory into practice. I adored him.
As Madison teases
and flirts with poor Gabe, she begins to understand his desires: to
be controlled, "forced" to do things he's afraid to try on
his own, pushed beyond the limits imposed by his strange history.
Meanwhile, she discovers that taking what she wants coincides almost
exactly with giving Gabe what he craves. They're perfectly matched.
Every encounter - even those in which cocky, ambi-sexual Andy plays a
role - brings them closer. Yet Madison almost loses Gabe when she
underestimates his deep-seated lack of confidence in himself.
The
description above might suggest that Control
is BDSM erotica. It's true that the book includes a bit of spanking,
some humiliation, and lots of power games. The interactions, though,
are not really typical of the BDSM genre. Maddie's far too much at
the mercy of her emotions and physical reactions to be a true top.
She really has no idea what she's doing; she's just following her
instincts. Her scenes with Gabe rely on inspiration and intuition,
and she's as much a slave to her arousal as Gabe.
Control is
written in the first person present tense. The intimate perspective
allows Ms. Stein mix sensory detail with minds-eye fantasy. Ms.
Stein has a breathless, dizzy, stream-of-consciousness style that
conveys a sense of urgency. Madison is a sharp observer, marking
every subtle shift in Gabriel's behavior and mood. The sex in
Control is fabulously
complex and nuanced as a result. Madison is unbearably turned on,
most of the time, and you will be too.
He doesn't try to fuck me, however.
No - I guess he can't wait for that. He just ruts against me - first
over my back and the firm swell of my arse, and then... oh then. He
fumbles and finds the cleft between, and suddenly increases the
frantic, jerking pace.
I just lie there, and let him.
Mainly because I can't believe that the slick feel of his prick
between the cheeks of my arse, rubbing and rutting, filthily,
actually manages to thrill arousal through me. After that huge
orgasm. Still.
'Is this OK, is it OK?' he asks, but
it's a minute after he's started and his voice is so up and down that
I can't take it seriously. I'm right not to, too, because almost at
the same time as those words, his body locks against mine. He grunts
so gutturally, it sets my hair on end.
And then I feel the hot spurt of his
come, all over my arse and my lower back. Which feels so delicious
and dirty, I bite my lip and try not to wonder when he'll be up for
another round. I'm guessing it's not going to be soon, because a
second after he's done it all over me, he apologises. He apologises
for making a mess. For fucking...whatever it was that he fucked.
At which I definitely want to do it
all over again. Immediately. Continually. For ever.
Seriously - when can we do it again,
for ever?
The
book has a happy ending. Madison and Gabriel declare their
mutual love and even consider living together. Don't let the romantic
elements fool you. Control is twisted, filthy, and deliciously
perverse - in the tradition of all great erotica. For Maddie and
Gabe, sexual connection leads to love rather than the other way
around.
With Control, Charlotte Stein
has penned an intelligent, funny, perceptive and hugely enjoyable
novel. If you like steamy, messy, creative sex involving characters
that defy the stereotypes, get yourself a copy today!
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