I think of myself as putting my left shoe on my left foot and my right shoe on my right foot, and then I'm okay. That's how I usually view the Masculine/feminine relationship. Switching it around to a Feminine/masculine sequence, well...that's like putting the left shoe on the right foot, if you know what I mean. You might be able to walk around like that for a little while, but for the long haul, those shoes need to be on their proper feet. Now I'm not saying everyone wears the same shoes I do. I'm not even saying that I wear those same shoes in and out every day of my life. What's proper for feet depends on whose feet they are. And when. I sure don't want to cause anyone else any sexual bunions or blisters or anything else of an adversely frictional nature. Unless you're in my bed, I'm not going to be looking or caring what shoes you're wearing. (And if you're in my bed, those shoes better be off.)

But what I do have to say about Jude Mason: she sure did make it clear what switching those shoes is all about. Or to put the shoe analogy back in the box because it's really gone too far... She writes Femdom in a way that even I can understand, appreciate and relate to.

After Cynthia's husband Tom dies, her house is falling apart, and so is her life. She's leery about contractors because back in the days of yore, she had a seriously bad experience with one. When she decides it's time to fix a leak in her roof, she is careful. When she digs up contractor Caleb Jenkins, that blood of hers that was getting kind of sluggish and run down, well, it's not quite so sluggish any more. She's still leery of contractors. He makes a bid for the addition she's planning, and she writes a little something extra into his contract. And, boys and girls, she's got a lot more planned than a roof repair and a sunroom.

Cynthia is the boss lady. She doesn't just play one on tv. You just know what role Caleb is going to play. Caleb doesn't have a clue; at least he doesn't initially. He does catch on fast. The pending question is whether or not Femdom is Caleb's cuppa tea.

If there is a usual Master/slave relationship, it is written with the Master having a bit of mystique, a closet "something" that can't be fathomed. For the lack of a better word, I'll call it darkness. There's a quality of that darkness that lures most subs, like a moth to a flame. Now, it's not necessarily that a sub wants to get burned, at least not seriously. It's just that that edgy darkness enhances that quality of the power exchange.

To me, Cynthia lacks that dark edge. I thought that a book of this quality from the Domme's POV would be more illuminating about her inner psychology. From the inside, Cynthia knows how to play the game; she's even enjoying the game. But because I just don't get the full benefit of exactly how her cogs turn, as a writer, I'm not fully convinced that Cynthia is a Domme or if Jude Mason is guessing at what makes Cynthia tick. Caleb however, is beautifully handled. (And I do mean that in every sense of the word, both by Cynthia and by Jude Mason.) He's definitely been hypnotized by the cobra, and just can't resist her mating dance.

An Acquired Taste is as close to a Mistress/slave seduction as I've ever seen. While I do feel there are a couple layers of that particular Femme psyche that did not get explored, there's certainly a whole lot of chemistry going on. This is a good example of the genre with a light tone rather than a dark one; that in itself is a bit unusual. Nicely done, well named, and a compelling read.

Maîtresse
Copyright 2006