Where do I even begin?
I read all kinds of books, but until my friend and fellow Kentucky author, Kallypso Masters started working on her Rescue Me Series, I hadn't really ventured too far into reading erotic romances. Yes, I've read other books with very sexy relationships and alternative lifestyles (vampires, dragons, weres, menages, poly-amorous relationships) but I just hadn't been brave enough to dip my toe in the more sensuous and most certainly more adventurous waters of erotic novels that include bondage, ropes, whips, chains, handcuffs and so much more.
Not that my freaky flag doesn't flutter (trust me it does!), but because I wasn't sure where I draw the line at what's sexy/romantic and what goes too far, I veered away from books of that vein for a while. There are certain genres I could never read and I know this much about myself, but reading this kind had me a little nervous, but eager. I'd heard awful things about some of the other books in this genre, so, what if I didn't like it?
Or the bigger what if- what if I did like it, A LOT?
I mean, I write contemporary romance, for the most part, with very "open-door" sex scenes and description, but the kinky stuff? I figured there are others who are more well-versed in that sort of thing and I can leave it to them. Hehe. (If I ever DO write erotic romance, I will most likely take on a different pen when I'm wearing my sex kitten writing cap. {paws up, claws out}
Rawr...)
But like most everyone says, you never know what you'll like until you try it.
I had all kinds of ill-conceived notions about what I might discover within the pages. This "lifestyle" is not one I'm accustomed to or acquainted with and I figured for sure it would make me blush and perhaps squirm a little, though I'm far from being prudish. It's Kally's enthusiasm as a writer, interacting with her readers, introducing and discussing these characters from the beginning of her journey to self-publication that brought them to life for me. And for many of her readers, who eagerly anticipate the release of each book. Her hands on approach and friendly personality made me want to read them.
And then I did. I started at the beginning, with Masters At Arms because, as Kally will point out, these stories have continuum- you can't just pick up in the middle and hope you understand what's going on with each couple because they all have intricate connections that bind them together from the beginning, first as comrades in arms, to friends, to heroes, to family. For me, this is no ordinary series of books.
Now this is not so much a review as it is me just singing the praises of a fellow author who inspires me, with her writing, the depth of her characters and the storytelling that is grounded in reality. I'm not going to break down a review of each book or give away spoilers- mostly because if I wrote it, I would want to post it to Amazon and dang their policies, they'd probably take them down, as I am also a writer and they'd smack my knuckles with a ruler for even trying....but I will say right here that I'm eagerly anticipating the release of the next book and I will definitely keep you posted when Kally releases it!
Now, what I will say is life isn't easy, but we all just keep going because we have to, because others expect it, or they "rescue" us from that edge when we're most vulnerable. Most often it's the strongest folks who have the softest hearts, the most haunted pasts and the invisible wounds that need time, tenderness, and sometimes the discipline to learn to cope instead of burying it so deep that it hurts us more in the long run.
Kally is a master at shaping this world into a virtual reality that you can grasp- that you can envision and understand. You will grow to love these characters. Every sympathetic and empathetic fiber of my being traveled this journey with them and I adore each of these books. They must be read in order, but they stand alone when it comes to the power behind each story, the journey toward healing and I have a feeling these will definitely become my re-reads.
I haven't gone through the things these characters have, but my heart aches for the pain they've suffered, the feelings of inadequacy, of not feeling worthy of love, of not feeling capable of loving again, whether because of self-image, mistakes in the past, physical ailments or deep dark secrets too painful and embarrassing to share with another living soul for fear of rejection. The Rescue Me series is truly that, a rescue mission to help each one of these men, and women, find healing and their true power- it might be hidden, and hidden deep, but they are all strong, even when they don't think they are. And luckily, these stories give us romance in the form of reality, of seeing that sometimes old wounds don't heal overnight but with someone who loves you beside you, someone you trust with every particle of your being, you can begin to heal and continuously find strength to replace those feelings of helplessness, weakness and fear in order to find that ongoing Happily Ever After.
Yes, these books center around the "Kink" lifestyle, but I know Kally's research is in-depth and if her representation is anything like most of those in the lifestyle- it doesn't seem like such a bad thing to me. I love sexy and sensual. I love down to earth REAL romance and real passion. You can say what you like about it, but these books went straight to my heart. In fact, reading these books, I've had some very eye-opening revelations about myself. Mind you, you won't find me in a kink club anytime soon (if ever) but there are definitely sexy and sensual things I hadn't considered... {wink}
To that, I say, THANK YOU KALLYPSO! You are awesome!
Okay, people, so here's my final thoughts on the matter- If you enjoy satisfying reads, stories that grip you, have you on the edge of your seat, that are sexy as hell, packed with emotions and utterly good for your soul, you have 4 VERY good reasons here to start reading
The Rescue Me Series now to get caught up before Kally's next release! And best of all-
The first 2 Books are FREE on Amazon!!! So hurry- get over there and get reading! You can click the images of each book to go to their Amazon buy pages.
USA Today bestselling author Kallypso Masters writes emotional,
realistic Romance novels with dominant men and the women who bring them
to their knees. She also has brought many readers to their knees--having
them experience the stories right along with her characters in the
Rescue Me series. Kally knows that Happily Ever After takes maintenance,
so her couples don't solve all their problems and disappear at "the
end" of their Romance, but will continue to work on real problems in
their relationships in later books in the series. Kally also loves
showing how there is never anyone so wounded that he or she can't find
true love. Readers often write to tell her how the books have changed
their lives or their perceptions of what matters in life.
Click Kally's picture to go to her website.
