Sweet Persuasion

ByMaya Banks

feedback image
Total feedbacks:12
4
3
2
2
1
Looking forSweet Persuasion in PDF? Check out Scribid.com
Audiobook
Check out Audiobooks.com

Readers` Reviews

★ ★ ★ ★ ★
zhiqing
This book was amazing. Everything I could ask for in a good book, it made me laugh and made me cry. I will greatly pass this along to my friends because I know they will enjoy it as well. Thank you Maya Banks! And I look forward to reading more :)
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
ryan neely
I really enjoyed the Sweet series, however, this was definitely my least favorite of all of the books. I did not care for the character of Ren and accordingly, didn't care at all if she found what she was seeking.
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
dorothy loth
This book was a little to heavy on the "discpline" in B&D. I'm not a fan of the female lead character being treated like a recalcitrant child or a "pet" in my erotica, so this probably wasn't the best choice for me, but I can see where it would appeal to readers who do enjoy BDSM. I felt there should have been an epiloque to the story also, to show how the character's relationship roles resolved themselves or what they evolved into.
Colters' Daughter (Colters' Legacy Book 3) :: Brazen (Brazen & Reckless Duo Book 1) :: Giving In (The Surrender Trilogy) :: Hidden Away (A KGI Novel) :: The Darkest Hour (A KGI Novel)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
glen krisch
This book is good.. probably NOT my favorite by this author. The male lead character, Damon, was much more likeable in the other books. I like the chemistry the characters had with the OTHER characters better than each other. The story was a good read but like I said just not my favorite. Cannot wait for the next twosome though...
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
beatrice bruno
I recently bought the entire Fresh Produce Budoir Photos™‎ editions of the Sweet series on the cheap, because a) I am trash when it comes to used bookstores, and b) thanks to devious marketers, my brain has learned to make the association that dark cover + inanimate object = lady porn. Don't get me wrong; this nefarious camouflage not only tricks people into thinking that whatever I'm reading must be classy AF, it also makes it easier to sneak these books into lunch breaks or bus rides, but there's something about a risque cover with two people being caught in flagrante delicto that makes romance novels extra fun.

The first book in this series is called SWEET SURRENDER and you can read my review of it here. Finishing SWEET SURRENDER was a big "oh no!" moment for me because I did not think it was a very good book and took issue with many things about it, including what I perceived to be some very troubling and sexist themes and a rather flippant and disparaging view of the BDSM community - and now I'm stuck with the entire series. What a dilemma!

I considered cutting my losses and getting rid of the books, but you guys encouraged me to continue reading the series. Not because it gets better or anything, no you had no sweet words of hope to impart to me; you wanted to see me suffer. Well, whether I read the books or not, I'm out $10. Might as well get my money's worth, right? Right. (Oh, the things we do for love.)

Luckily for me, SWEET PERSUASION - which, like SWEET SURRENDER, is for a "mature audience" per its back cover - was a much better book than SWEET SURRENDER. Many of the things that annoyed me so much about SWEET SURRENDER were absent. Our main character, Serena, is the head of this company called Fantasy, Inc., which as far as I can tell is like a cross between an event planner and an anthropomorphized Groupon - she hooks people up with their "fantasies": if they want to be a chef for a day, she makes it happen; if they want to be princess of a cruise ship, she makes it happen (actual examples, btw). But the one fantasy she can't hook up is her own. Serena secretly wishes that she could be a man's slave, and give him total and complete control over her.

Enter Damon.

***WARNING: SPOILERS AND MATURE CONTENT***

The relationship between Serena and Damon is actually decent, although the build-up of the relationship is better than the consummation of it. Banks just doesn't write very sexy sex in my opinion. She uses some very strange phrases (which I will list shortly) that pull you out of the moment, and she switches back and forth between her names for sex organs and acts, which is jarring (to me, anyway). It helps that both characters are on board, and unlike Gray from the previous book, Damon doesn't humiliate and browbeat Serena into giving in to what he wants. That doesn't mean that SWEET PERSUASION is totally light, though. It's a very edgy erotica that seemed to put a lot of people off with scenes including a public sex auction, flogging, an*l play/sex, being whipped with a belt, and countless other examples of public humiliation, in which he does all these things and more to her in front of other men. The Scene that got many people upset just made me raise my eyebrows a little, because I've read so much worse at this point, but I was side-eying a lot of those anal scenes. Banks does actually introduce training before the sex itself through the use of plugs, which I have never seen done in an erotica before (so points to her), but then after that, Damon pretty much seems to stop using lube and just "goes for it" if you know what I mean, which sounds...um...no. Nope. So much nope. Nope.

Unlike SWEET SURRENDER, In SWEET PERSUATION the anti-BDSM vibe is less noticeable. I felt like Gray went out of his way to portray an "Us vs. Them" vibe that felt very mean-spirited and off-putting (also, way to alienate a significant chunk of erotica readers). That was far less present in SWEET PERSUASION, although I still felt like there was an effort to distance these characters from the BDSM community. Why else would Damon, like Gray, make a point of not using safe words?

"I won't use a word that encourages a man to disregard the word no coming from a woman's lips. If you say no, if you're even thinking no, then it ends for me. I won't indulge in silly little no-means-yes games. When that word crosses your lips? It's over. If I ever ask of you something that you won't give unreservedly, then all you need to say is no" (78).

I swear to blog, the male characters in these books love calling women's fantasies "silly little (nouns)." I do like how he respects no's (Gray did not always do this), but I didn't like how he took "no" as a complete and total shut down of the scenario - basically, a "no" seemed to mean that he would end their relationship completely. That's not really a fair choice, that's a "my way, or the high way." Also, there's a reason for safe words - sometimes people engage in play where saying "no" might be part of the scenario (i.e. "r*pe play") and you still need a safe, consensual way to stop.

As Faith did with Gray, though, Serena takes Damon's mansplanation of sex as gospel truth.

She wasn't even sure how to respond to that because he was absolutely, one hundred percent right. How moronic to ever discount the notion of a woman saying no (78).

Well, yes - but also not necessarily. Is using a safe word so hard?

Speaking of words, here are some...

Weird sex descriptions:
-: My p***y burns as if someone holds a fire to it (36-7).
-: Her shoulders shook, making her breasts bob, which rubbed her nipple rapidly across the fork (151). What the actual fork. Would you call that "fork-play" then? Or getting "forked"?
-: ...she lay there quietly, her body a receptacle for his (158).
-: Huge and swollen within her, he pulsed as his c*** split her a** wide and he poured hot liquid inside her (218).
-: There was a multitude of sexual scenarios, from a simple one-on-one couple f***ing like bunnies to an outright orgy with no less than eight people joined like LEGOs.
-: ...her orgasm swelled and then burst around her like flowers opening to the sun's rays (247).

'Cream' Counter:
-: Hesitantly, she raised her hands and then looked down at the sticky cream on her breasts and belly (148).
-: She could feel the creamy moisture gather between her legs (233).

Sexist lines:
-: "I'll be amazed if you don't order a girly salad. What is it with women always ordering salads, anyway?" (63)
-: "Nothing happened, Julie. If I had any idea you'd be worried, I would have called you. You were sort of out of it so I put you to bed. Someone spilt beer on your shirt and so I stripped you down. I didn't even look at you, I swear."
"Well why the hell not?" she asked in exasperation. "Am I ugly?" (172)

I also didn't like how heavily Serena's friends featured in here. You guys know I don't like Faith, and she was in here a lot, constantly blushing and gloating about her fantastic relationship. Julie, on the other hand, is a massage therapist who is trying to abuse her position to seduce one of her clients who she thinks is hot. She wears low cut tops, tries to make these professional massages sexy, and uses the information in his client folder to get in contact with him about personal matters. She's also the one who asked if the reason that this man (Nathan) didn't touch her while she was unconscious was because she was "ugly." I think it's safe to say that Julie is probably my least favorite character so far. I'm not looking forward to her book at all, and unfortunately, I think she might be next...

All, reservations aside, SWEET PERSUASION was, objectively, a vast improvement on the first book. The problem here wasn't the relationship itself - which was pretty okay I thought for a master/slave role play fantasy, especially since the author makes a solid attempt to introduce consent - but how it was written. The sex scenes are so cheesy. Some are sexy, which makes it even more disappointing when you happen across a bad one. I thought the drama in the last book was unnecessary (although no kidnapping attempts, thank God). What they were arguing over didn't feel like a Big Deal for me - if they had actually taken a moment to talk like adults, there wouldn't have been a conflict. But the build-up? Solid A+ for sexual tension. Damon's character wasn't ruined as I feared, and he actually had some genuinely decent lines, like this one:

"I won't allow you to degrade yourself for voicing your desires. They're yours. That makes them important. Valid. There is nothing crazy about them" (69).

If you're still interested in reading this series, I think I'd actually suggest starting from book #2.

2 to 2.5 out of 5 stars.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
marie
This is for you if you love explicit, hot, erotic Dom/sub sex-based stories that arouse the senses.

Hero Damon agrees to fulfil heroine Serena’s fantasy of a short term master/slave relationship. A few negative reviews had me very worried about the sex-slave element before I plunged in to listen on Audible.

The story showcases erotic sex including Maya Banks-style BDSM. Voiced through her characters, the author has a lot to say about BDSM characteristics such as titles (Dom/master/sir/sub/slave) and actions (obedience/punishment/exhibitionism/sharing partners). I like her opinions about the popularised versions of this lifestyle. She gives BDSM her own slant through her characters’ actions (particularly the hero's actions) and I love reading her brand of kink.

The sex-slave element is not what you think. The relationship felt completely loving and sweet to me, with the exception of one punishment scene (even though I thought the punishment – if there had to be one - was harsh but fit the behaviour in the context of the story).

I felt comfortable with the dominant (master) and submissive (slave) roles in this novel and enjoyed listening to the book very much. The sex scenes were HOT. It was not what I feared. I’ve read the phrase “panty melting” many times, but never used it myself until now. It applies. Be warned.

This is book 2 in the SWEET SERIES but a stand-alone novel and completely different to book 1. Book 1, SWEET SURRENDER about another couple, was a romantic suspense story that carried with it a wonderful romance with the couple engaging in erotic intimate moments. This book 2 is all about the sex. Also, the heroine Serena’s interactions with her best friends are delightful and sounded very real.

The narrator, Caroline Wintour, performs all the voices and she is fantastic - she had me squirming in my seat. Wowza. I recommend this if you have an open mind about what people do in private.

As I listened on Audible's Romance Package, this won't show up as a Verified Purchase.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
ebrahim
Serena James has run Fantasy Incorporated and has devoted her time to fulfilling her clients fantasies but never her own. Her most secret desire is to give ownership of her body to a man. Someone who will command her, pleasure her, and have complete authority over her. So she seeks out Damon Roche, owner of an exclusive sex club and a man strong enough to make her do anything he wants. This was the second book in the Sweet Series and although this book didn't have a plot with action in it like the first book did this one was more about Serena learning to submit to Damon and having the strength to do it. Damon is instantly attracted to Serena and commits to personally helping her with her fantasy. What ensues is a whirlwind exploration of the intimate relationship of dominance, submission, bondage and sadomasochism that moves both Damon and Serena beyond even their own wildest dreams. This was a good BDSM story and I would recommend it to anyone who likes reading about how alpha males and the women to love them.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
stine
Kicks off Maya's "SWEET" series. Serena spend her time creating fantasies for other people. She owns her own business, and does not have a boyfriend. She tells her girlfriends,that she has a fantasy of being a slave to a sexy man, her friend Faith hooks her up with Damon Roche, who can help her make that fantasy come true. She send him a detailed and very sexy story about her Master buying her at an auction. So Damon sets it up, and buys her himself when he realizes that he wants to be the one to own her. Very sexy guys, and lots of hot sex scenes between these 2. We also meet a lot of the characters from her later books in the same series, those are also great books, so check them out on her author website
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
outlawpoet
I really wanted to love this book. The premise of the book was a bit much to me at times but I am familiar with Maya Bank's style of writing. I would have liked more of a plot or more of a story between the main characters. There were some moments that I loved and ironically they were the non-sex scenes. Sometimes, for me reading too much of the erotica and not seeing enough of the actual story makes the book kind of dull. I really enjoy Maya Bank's characters and story lines but I definitely wouldn't objective to less of the over the top sex and more of the story, make the characters more complex.
Overall, I am a fan of this authoress and did enjoy this book and will be reading more of this author in the future.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
ron cammel
After talking with a friend about her fantasy of being a sex slave Serena is put in touch with Damon, the owner of an exclusive sex club called The House. When Damon finds out what Serena wants he know just the right man for the job, him. Things quickly get intense as they both explore what it really means to own someone and to be owned by someone. Serena is just not sure if she can be everything that Damon wants and needs.

This was a delightful book! Very sweet and yet emotionally charged. It has one of the most powerful scenes that I have ever read in it. Very intense, not because it is overly graphic, but because it almost feels as if you are intruding. I felt myself feeling the same things that Serena felt and reacting to what was going on in the story.

It was also nice to get a little update on Faith and Gray and a little glimpse of what may be coming for Julie. Micah just gets in there everywhere! I think he may be my fav!
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
craig evans
Serena makes a living making fantasies come true for her clients, from princess birthdays on cruise ships to high roller getaways in Vegas, but she has a fantasy of her own. A secret she confides in her best friends who help her find away to live out her dream. Her friend Faith sends her to Damon to see if he can help her.
Serena never imagines that her fantasy will be fulfilled and will eventually become her reality. She is instantly attracted to Damon and the feelings are mutual. Damon fulfills most of Serena's fantasies, but he cannot bear to share her with other men. He is kind, gentle and loving to Serena. She does have a tendency to be very willful, and he punishes her accordingly.
It is a very well written D/s story; it does have me asking one question. Why was Damon so brutal on his taking of her anally? I didn't understand why two men would have to hold her down. Isn't it supposed to be giving herself to him and submitting to him completely? Even though she did enjoy her experience, I feel it was a taken gift not a given gift.
Other than that once scene, I truly enjoyed the book and I adore Ms. Banks twist on collaring. Serena wore an arm band and ankle band instead of the normal collar. Well Done Ms. Maya Banks, I recommend this to everyone.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
mitch
Sweet Persuasion begins with Serena wanting to live a fantasy. Her friend Faith tells her to contact the owner of the club The House, Damon. She says he should be able to help her out. So Serena sets out to do just that. But she never expected to end up using Damon to fulfill her fantasy. Especially when emotions start getting in the way. These two have a quick explosive relationship, that turns to love very quickly.

The book was ok over all. I wouldn't say it was as good as the first one, but it was still enjoyable. I felt like there was a lot less of a story line in this than the first one, and it got slightly boring at times. I liked the characters, but I also felt like they didn't have a whole lot of depth to them. Other wise the over all plot was interesting, and the writing was good.

More reviews at Shooting Stars Reviews, [...]
Please RateSweet Persuasion
More information