An anthology of four stories with BSDM as the focus.

The first story A IS FOR ASSIGNMENT by Ginny Glass has Lane, a police psychologist, working undercover with Detective Cameron Isley to break a drug ring at the local BDSM club. One night she dominates. The next he does. Things go too far, and they cannot think of the other without remembering the night she dominated him at the club. But will they break the drug ring? I liked this story. I liked Lane and Cameron. He is too used to dominating others that seeing him fall submissive under Lane's hands is good. I liked that both kept thinking of their session. I also liked that both decided to be honest when the time comes to talk.

Second is B IS FOR BONDAGE by Christina Thacher. Rachel goes to Marc to learn how to be a good submissive so she can gift her submissiveness to her boyfriend, Danny. Turns out Rachel and Marc break the rules. Danny is no dominant but an abuser. When Rachel goes to her final lesson, the truth comes out. Will Marc like the truth? I liked Rachel for her shyness. I liked Marc because he tried to follow the rules and not get involved with Rachel. When she comes for her class after Danny finds out, I liked how Marc showed Rachel her bruises did not change his feelings. I also liked that he puts the brakes on but Rachel has a mind of her own.

Next comes C IS FOR CURIOSITY by Emily Cale. Hilary works as the receptionist at a BDSM club where Mistress Rebecca works. Trying to find a private space, Hilary inadvertently walks in on Mistress Rebecca's session. After the session, Mistress Rebecca tells Hilary she must be punished for breaking the rules. Mistress Rebecca gives the punishment to Hilary. Hilary responds beautifully to Mistress Rebecca. What happens when the one time is done? I enjoyed this story. I liked that both were afraid of being fired for their behaviors. Hilary's curiosity was refreshing as was Mistress Rebecca's feeling for Hilary. I liked Hilary's eagerness and her recommendation. It was a twist Mistress Rebecca was not expecting.

Last is D IS FOR DETAINED by Maggie Wells. Sherry has to go back to her hometown to clean out her parents' shop. Not having good memories of the town makes it hard for her. While there, Deputy Tyler comes in thinking she is a criminal. He is also the only boy who said no to her during high school. He now makes up for it. Will Sherry forgive him? I liked this story. Sherry finally finds out why Tyler said no. They explore what they could have had and find out they like it. It was fun watching Sherry goading Tyler. I also liked that Tyler has plans for the future which include her.

Each story had its own special hotness. I will have to see if more volumes were written in this series.

Self-deprecating thirty-six-year-old Keiko Furukura lives in Tokyo. Her family is not happy with the way she is. She is awkward, never has felt as though she fits in anywhere . . .  until she starts working at the local convenience store. Here, she finds that she can understand and work with the people that come in and out, the rules and codes of her little universe where she is safe and in control. It's only when she leaves the store that she has problems and the rules and expectations of her family weigh on her.

This novella is a touching glimpse into Japanese culture. Keiko is a sweet protagonist, who I think, captures the self-deprecating, honorable, respectful ways of the Japanese people BUT, reveals the true self beneath.

A quick and enjoyable read that has gotten me onto a path of novellas by Japanese authors (although my library doesn't carry that many . . .).

Elena Labat is a special forces Police in New York City. She is called in to duty when a large scale terrorist attack rocks the City in multiple locations. Elena knows that there is more to this attack then what she can see. After an explosion, Elena is left confused and eventually unconscious. While Elena is unconscious, she is thrown into the world of her ancestor, the story of Hana that her mother told her as a child. Hana lived 4,000 years ago in Lebanon. Hana is unique due to her blue eye color and is coveted by the King. The King has demanded Hana be sent to him on her 12th birthday. Her parents comply and Hana is sent on the dangerous trek through the desert with a guide from Sidon, Danel. Reaching the palace, she is placed in service to the Queen, soon to be given over to the Prince. Hana wants more to her life, freedom and purpose. She will fight for these things, but finds herself needing help after getting kidnapped. Elena enters Hana's life from her coma and helps Hana escape, however when Elena wakes up from her coma she is left longing for Hana's life and reassurance that she is happy.

Blue Girl on a Night Dream Sea is the story of two strong and courageous women 4,000 years apart. The writing alternates viewpoints between Elena in the present and Hana in ancient Lebanon. At first, the connection between the two women is not apparent and it is like reading two separate, though compelling stories. Usually in dual-time stories, I am drawn towards one story more than the other, however I felt equally drawn towards each woman's story and was constantly wondering what had happened to one character while I was reading about the other. I was amazed at how the writing was able to portray both women as strong and firmly rooted within their time period. When their stories finally do intersect, Elena finds a deeper meaning in life and Hana is able to tap into a deep inner strength. I really enjoyed that this was more than just a time-slip story, but a story of two heroic women connected through time. Overall, Blue Girl on a Night Dream Sea is a thrilling dual-time adventure with well-written, amazing female characters.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

De ja vu takes the sweetest of twists for two hearts in need of love. How does one heal a broken heart? By finding a reason to hope again. An Unforgettable Christmas makes a complicated love story into a simply beautiful fresh start. Baird gives a magical touch to an emotional story and makes a heart feel better for coming out the other side. Angie and Sam give heartbreak, a heartwarming makeover with an unforgettable, forever kind of love.

[My first full review since April! ::tears of joy:: Maybe I'll be able to write more?]

Keiko is a non-neurotypical Japanese woman. As a young child, she learned that she didn't view the world the same way as other people. When she saw a dead bird, for example, other children grieved over it while she thought that it would make a nice dinner for her father. When two boys were fighting and someone yelled that they needed to stop, Keiko hit one of the boys over the head with a shovel. It certainly stopped the fight, but it definitely wasn't considered an appropriate solution. As her parents became more and more concerned about Keiko's inappropriate reactions, Keiko tried to become as normal as possible by being quiet, almost never taking any initiative, and imitating the words, actions, and facial expressions of those around her. For the most part, it worked.

When Keiko was 18, she got a part-time job at a convenience store that just opened up. The store's clearly stated rules and guidelines for employees, which covered everything from what to say to customers to what sorts of facial expressions to wear, instantly appealed to her, and she achieved a relatively peaceful life. Unfortunately, Keiko is now 36, still working at the convenience store (with no desire to leave), single (with no desire to be otherwise), and childless (with zero interest in having children). It's becoming increasingly apparent to her that her way of life doesn't fit in with societal expectations. The question is: what, if anything, does she want to do about it?

Keiko wasn't always a comfortable person to spend time with. She was practical to the point of coldness. The shovel incident is a good example, as is her reaction when her infant nephew starts crying: for just a moment, she thinks that killing him would stop his crying pretty quickly. She didn't act on that thought and didn't generally come across as violent despite the shovel incident, but it was still a chilling moment.

That said, I definitely identified with Keiko's feelings about societal expectations for women when it came to marriage and children. This book was, of course, a statement about Japanese society, but I could see parallels in the US. The path from teen to adult includes sex and dating. You can get away with being single for a while if you have a career, but eventually people want to know when you're planning on getting married and having kids. If you're dating someone, you're expected to one day get married. If you get married, it won't be long before people notice the slightest change in your weight and wonder if you're pregnant. Even if you explicitly say that you have no desire for any or all of these things, people will assume that you secretly do, or that you'll change your mind in the future.

Based on Keiko's own thoughts, I'd say she was a sex-repulsed aromantic asexual. The word "asexual" was used in the text, although I think only as part of Keiko's friends' immediate "let's smooth over this bit of awkwardness" response when she accidentally admitted that she'd never been in love - one of them implied that Keiko might be either a lesbian or asexual, in a way that was maybe meant to be supportive but that instantly got my hackles up. Keiko was annoyed too, at the way they made assumptions about how unhappy she must feel.

As the story progressed, Keiko began to notice how often others would ask when she planned to get married. People were also increasingly starting to notice her habit of taking on others' facial expressions and manner of speaking. The convenience store was her refuge, the one place where she understood exactly what she needed to do and how the world worked, but even that was giving her reason to worry. She knew, better than anyone, that the convenience store didn't tolerate anything or anyone that couldn't fit in. What if, as she got older, she became physically incapable of performing her convenience store duties? What sort of life would be left for her then?

The introduction of a new coworker, a 35-year-old deadbeat named Shiraha, set off some alarm bells in my head, especially after he admitted to Keiko that he began working at the convenience store in the hope of finding a wife. Shiraha was basically an incel, always whining about how society hasn't progressed past the Stone Age, rewarding only the strongest males, the best hunters.

I think the ending was supposed to be positive, but it was hard to see it that way, knowing that Keiko's fears about her future and problems with her family hadn't been dealt with. Things didn't go as badly as I had worried they would, so there was that, but would things really be okay in the long run? I couldn't convince myself that the answer was "yes."

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)