Haven of obedience by Marina Anderson

Natalie Bowen is used to being in control, she is the owner and editor of a successful magazine, and she knows how to get what she wants when she is in bed - or so she thinks.  When she discovers that her best friend Jan has been to an exclusive weekend retreat where people can get in touch with their true sexual self she decides in an impulsive moment that she would like the same, she would like to reach the same sense of confidence and relaxation that Jan has reached.  For years Natalie has felt as though there is something missing in her relationships, something that drives away the men she has affairs with, men who accuse her of being too dominant and aggressive in bed.

The Haven is not what she expected, but her pride wont let her quit, even though every part of her seems to fight against the rules and discipline of the retreat.  It is a whole new world, one where she has to learn about giving other people pleasure, about delaying her own pleasure, and following the instructions of other people - particularly her tutor Simon.  It is a very different world, and despite some interesting experiences in her first weekend, it is the second weekend that will test what she is willing to learn, what she is willing to take on board.  Everything has always been just right, the way she wants them, but now Natalie needs to learn to let go and do what someone else wants - someone who knows how to make her body scream for more.

It seems as though every book today that deals with BDSM of any kind is automatically compared to Fifty shades - the expected result when a series of books that has BDSM as part of the "package" becomes an international phenomenon.  This automatic comparison does little to benefit books about the subject, and actually does little for Fifty shades either.  Haven of obedience is a slickly written, well presented novel about BDSM that avoids a lot of the cliches and coarse/crude language of other sexually explicit books.  The world Natalie enters is one that appears well researched, and there is a "genuine-ness" to the experiences and conflict that she experiences as she learns more about the world inside and outside the Haven, and learns more about herself. 

There are some graphic sex scenes, more so than the ones in Fifty shades, but they are not as graphic as some of the stories that are out there - and the story is a story with sex in it, rather than a series of sexual encounters strung together with some bad dialogue.  If you enjoyed Fifty shades but found it a bit vanilla, or if you are after an interesting read that is not too graphic, then try Haven of obedience and see if it is your cup of BDSM.

If you like this book then try:

• Velvet glove by Emma Holly
• Sweet addiction by Maya Banks
• Belong to me by Shayla Black
• Dark secret by Marina Anderson
• Forbidden desires by Marina Anderson
• Eighty days yellow by Vina Jackson

Reviewed by Brilla