Slave, by Sherri Hayes

Format: ebook

Published: July 28, 2011

Publisher: The Writers’ Coffee Shop Publishing House

Back cover blurb:

Stephan has lived the lifestyle of a Dominant for five years. After several rebellious teenage years, it gave him the stability and control he had been seeking after his parent’s death.

As president of a not-for-profit foundation, he knows what his future holds and what he wants out of life. All that changes when a simple lunch with his college friend and Mentor, Darren, leads him to buying a slave.

Thrust into a situation he never thought he’d be in, Stephan can’t walk away. He is compelled to help this girl in the only way he knows how.

Brianna knows only one thing, she is a slave. She has nothing. She is nothing.

Can Stephan help Brianna realize that she is much more than just a Slave?

My review:

What would you do if you found a girl who was being held as a sex slave against her will? Stephan Coleman does the only thing he can think of: he buys her off the sadistic creep who has been abusing her for the past ten months. But Brianna is broken and confused about her new Master’s motives. He bought her – so he must be just like her old Master… right?

Don’t be put off by the title or the cover image – Slave by Sherri Hayes is a book about the BDSM world without too many of the graphic images one might expect with this subject matter. We uncover details of Brianna’s life with the evil Ian as she gradually warms to Stephan and tells him about her past, but the sadism isn’t dwelled upon in detail. The story instead focuses on her recovery and her blossoming relationship with Stephan.

Hayes writes in alternating points of view so the reader can see how each of the two protagonists feel about the other, feelings neither of them believe they can communicate openly. Brianna’s mistrust and fear slowly diminish, and Stephan realizes his friends may be right about him after all.

Slave leaves the reader with many questions about what will happen next in their relationship. What about Brianna’s father? And who is Anna?

I read an advanced copy of this and really enjoyed it. I liked Stephan, but was a bit disappointed he didn’t explain things to Brianna sooner and kind of wished he’d stopped her from all the bowing and scraping on her knees. Still, we have yet to see what he’s like as a dominant – maybe he likes his women like that.

This is an interesting concept – not usually my kind of subject matter – but an enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to the next book to find out more about Brianna and see whether she will return Stephan’s love.

My rating: 4/5