Wench Review of...

Megan Hart's Vanilla 

Readers, it's my pleasure to bring you a review of yet another Megan Hart book. (Thank you NetGalley!) Our regular readers know we're huge fans of Ms.Hart's work, and for those who aren't that familiar with her, well we've reviewed quite a few of her books for you here at the Wenches'. You can check them all out in the Megan Hart tag here. You're welcome!

I wasn't too sure about Vanilla initially, since when I read about it I instantly zoned out at when people used the word "dominatrix" while talking about the protagonist of the novel. But, it was there on my Kindle, calling to me. So one day, when nothing else was tickling my fancy, I picked up my Kindle and dove right in! 

Click through to see whether or not it was another home run from this author! (No spoilers!)

Megan Hart has become like a superhero to me. Whenever I'm in need, in the midst of a bad book funk, one of her amazing books saves the day! And whisks me right out of that funk.  

Once again, Megan Hart made me think twice about judging someone. For thinking they were weak and pathetic and had no self respect. Sometimes, people just have a different journey to complete to get to the same destination. A different path to walk to recovery. And to mend a broken heart. Just because it isn't the way I would handle heartbreak, it doesn't mean her journey isn't any less important. 

Elise is a domme. More into control and domination than inflicting pain.

"I'd known women who prided themselves on making their pets cry or wail, but even as a little girl I'd never liked breaking my toys. I liked it so much better when the man beneath me writhed and begged for release not because I was hurting him, but because I was making him feel too impossibly good."

Now THIS is a writer who has done her research into the different kinds of things that go into the BDSM community. There are different kinks, different levels, different things that different people are into even within what the world refers to as BDSM. And Elise likes her men to behave, on her terms, mostly in the bedroom. It doesn't really spill into her day-to-day dealings with men, even if she's sleeping with them. 

I'll be honest: even though BDSM erotica is not something I go looking for, there have been a couple of books I've enjoyed, a lot. (Shout out to Shayla Black and Kallypso Masters.) But this was a fascinating insight into a world I've never read before. To be in the head of a dedicated domme in her element was... nothing short of empowering! 

Her scenes with Esteban were, frankly, fascinating. And refreshing. And beautiful. Not something I expected, especially when pegging entered the picture! But there was something so brilliant about the way the scenes were written. Whether or not domination is your thing as a woman, you will still be able to appreciate the skill, thought, effort, and consideration that go into being a good Domme. 

"There's something so lovely in the curve of a man's spine when he is on his knees, head bowed, hands behind his back. The back of his neck, vulnerable and exposed."

I love how there was always this clarity, that this was not all there was to Elise. That there were many things that made her tick. That she was not the stereotype people saw when they found out what she liked. That just because she wore the leather, the heels, and liked to be obeyed, it didn't mean that told you even close to anything about her. 

"Did it ever occur to you that there's more to me than any one thing?"

She meets Niall, her brother's friend, at a gallery where pictures of her are on display. Beautiful pictures she poses for in her spare time that her mother does not approve of. They connect instantly, but Niall seems hesitant after seeing some pictures where she's in her Domme element. 

"I stood in front of him and knew that Niall Black knew me, really fucking knew me, that was it. I was done."

What follows is a journey only Megan Hart can write. The way their relationship ebbs and flows. The way Elise deals with past and current heartbreak. The way you keep picking at a scab, knowing it won't heal if you keep picking at it, but you just can't make yourself stop. 

As always, I refuse to give away too much of this story. It's a wonderful journey to read, a perspective from a new angle that I found absolutely fascinating and enjoyed every second of. And Megan Hart once again showed me I don't have to like every single thing a character does, or even be into the same stuff the character is into, to be one hundred percent invested in said character's journey. From her family drama, to her love life, to her sex life, and everything in between, Elise's story is a page turner.

This Wench rates it :