Master of Pleasure (School Of Gallantry)

When I was reading Delilah Marvelle's Master of Pleasure the phrase kept popping into my head:"Life is like a coin. Pleasure and pain are the two sides. Only one side is visible at a time. But the other side is waiting for it's turn."So, pleasure and pain a lot in the story. However, Malcolm finds a it challenging to find a balance. He loves pain. He loves inflicting it, but enjoys receiving it. Yet, he was fearful to show his true nature and figure no woman completely understand what he wants. In the long run he thought it was best to avoid women. Plus he thought:"Sex only turns people into mouth-foaming lunatics. Which he wasn't."Yes, sometimes it does have that effect, but when the right person it can be a beautiful thing. Of course, Malcolm never completely understands that until he finds love.Now Leona was interesting character. She's a single mother raising her son who is smart as a whip for his age. She's willing to do anything for her son, and she sacrifices her needs for him. I kind of felt bad for her, because she just didn't see her worth. I mean her fiancee didn't want her cause she was good enough to be in society. So, he dumps he and marries another. It kind of makes me think of Mr. Elton in Emma. Anyway, she feels pretty low about herself, and when Malcolm and her start to work things out they have a few complications. One of the major one is his perchance for pain, and his reluctance to share that with her.All right. I likedMaster of Pleasure, but it just didn't wow me. I don't know what I was looking for. When I started the story I was a little worry, because the prologue is a bit rough. I wasn't sure I was going to get through with it. However, I manage. Once I hit the main meat of the story it did get better. The interaction between Malcolm and Leona was interesting. However, I didn't feel like they really connected, because he was just so hanged up with keeping his dark secret inside and Leona was trying to understand. I did like how he rescued Leona, but other than that I felt it was missing something. Don't get me wrong, I do Delilah's work, but this story just was all right. I will still go back and read her work, because not ever story is going to work for everyone.Copy provided by author via Romance Wrangler.

I was SO looking forward to Malcolm’s story. There was so much potential in his background and why we was the way he was.After finishing this book, however, I was quite disappointed.I like character-driven stories. I like complicated brooding heroes who have pasts that need to be reconciled in order for happiness to be achieved.I was also expecting some real character/ relationship development between Malcolm and Leona. An unraveling of Malcolm where he learns to function in the “real world” and not be so hard on himself and his views so he can find love. Although I liked their first meeting, it just never seemed like the two did much together. Leona was hired to work at the home Malcolm and Andrew were staying at for several weeks, yet anything that happened during that time wasn’t even touched on. So to say that there was any love developing was a bit ridiculous.Jacob, Leona’s son, was adorable and I loved the scenes he was in. Again, I was hoping to see more of a relationship between Malcolm and him, but this didn’t happen. Jacob seemed just as happy with Andrew!The main element of the book isn't love, but BDSM and that isn’t something I read. A little bondage is one thing, but Malcolm’s ENTIRE life centers around it. He’s spent over 20 years feeling one way about himself, yet after talking to Madame de Maitenon once, he’s suddenly completely OK with himself and everything turns into Leona’s issue. What?Malcolm is a very hard person; one who has been away from London and society in general for a number of years. He doesn’t talk much. He’s gruff. He’s essentially a warrior, but the problem is he’s also very one-dimensional. He is who he is, and unless he’s allowed EVERYTHING he wants (i.e. to channel his strong BDSM tendencies, live where he wants, do what he wants, etc.), he doesn’t really care about changing or compromise. He proclaims to love Leona, but it always comes with strings attached. And let’s face it. The strings were pretty life-changing to her and her son. Even though we see Leona struggle, Malcolm is just all, “Well, if you don’t agree, then see ya, I’ll be on a ship sailing for Persia.” Malcolm is the same person at the beginning of the story as the end. The only difference is now he's not a virgin anymore.The story also had a Middle Eastern element because of Malcolm’s relationship with Nasser. From what Malcolm said Leona’s life would be there, I don’t see how any person in their right mind would choose to live there for even a day. It also wouldn’t be easy for a 6 year old boy to bounce between London and Persia because the entire life he would lead in either country would be so vastly difference.The whole sort-of storyline about Nasser is also laughable. Come on now! His father wouldn’t just be OK with his choices. In fact, he would have been killed or at least exhiled. I mean, we’re talking about a country where women who walk outside by themselves are considered prostitutes and basically asking to be raped (Malcolm’s words, not mine). Men’s sexual habits would also be highly scrutinized.The only positive is that I only paid .99 for the book due to being on Ms. Marvelle’s mailing list. The book didn’t leave me feeling glad I read it, I never ended up liking Malcolm and I don’t see myself re-reading it in the future. Bummer.

I bump this up from three stars simply because it was so unique even for this genre. However, a topic this intense deserved...more. I hope someday this gets rewritten and the couple learning each other’s sexual needs/proclivities gets more attention. Everything really important to the pain/pleasure plotline occurred off the page (aside from a few sentences with a wooden spoon.).And Leona going to Persia to basically be a prisoner in a gilded cage wasn’t even addressed after the decision was made. It was as if the biggest problem with going to Persia was a boat. Ughh. Definitely not my cup of tea, but I guess that’s more personal preference.

I thought I may not like this novel but it was really well written and I the love story both sexy and charming . I'm awaiting the final book as I love Madame de Maintenon .

Didn't finish this book.Bought it out of curiosity, but not my thing. When I was a lot younger I adored Jude Devereaux and Kathleen Woodiwiss, but I must have grown out of this genre I think. I now prefer serial killer books like Jack Kerley's.