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crystalisreading's review
4.0
This was a cute, short little BDSM erotic romance. Third in possibly my favorite BDSM erotic romantic series so far, simply because the geeky characters feel so real to life (All my friends are geeks too. Yes, we do play D&D and board games. Alas, no kinky club.). They are, especially in this book, realistically imperfect. I was pleasantly surprised that scruffy, slightly chubby Ed was the hero of the story; Dryden manages to capture exactly how appealing of a partner he could be. Ed is charming and sweet and patient and eager and happy-go-lucky and logical and curmudgeonly and very likable. Beth is likeable too, in a more elegant and reserved way. I loved the dynamic between them, and how it grew from initial awe and submission to a very playful give and take. Switch relationships don't seem to get addressed in this genre as much as straight sub/ dom relationships, so having two characters who both appeared to lean towards switch was a fun and fascinating new dynamic for me. I liked the idea that they were playmates exploring what they both enjoyed.
Some people complained about Beth's past relationship intruding into her story with Ed, but I felt like that was a realistic dynamic too. Relationships aren't neat and tidy. Sometimes it takes awhile to sort out why one person didn't make you happy and another person does. I loved how Ed was patient and respectful. He's a winner. As was this story. A good book for starting the year off.
I'd love if Dryden would write more stories in this setting/ with this geeky group of characters. I've tried other erotic romances by her, but not loved them like I have these. Geeks for the win!
Some people complained about Beth's past relationship intruding into her story with Ed, but I felt like that was a realistic dynamic too. Relationships aren't neat and tidy. Sometimes it takes awhile to sort out why one person didn't make you happy and another person does. I loved how Ed was patient and respectful. He's a winner. As was this story. A good book for starting the year off.
I'd love if Dryden would write more stories in this setting/ with this geeky group of characters. I've tried other erotic romances by her, but not loved them like I have these. Geeks for the win!
taradwyatt's review
OMG. So. Hot. All three books in this series are so fun, and so sexy, with well-developed, interesting characters. More!
tresgrumpy's review
1.0
Gotta say the thing that stuck with me the most from this was the truly dismal way that the author wrote Houston. The sex club is described as being “near the rough part of town” where “not even a drug dealer or a hooker was out”
Felt truly quite racist. The authorial voice was truly obnoxious in basically every way, but I should have known there would be nothing good here after the characters described themselves and others as “geeky” which imo always indicates a truly unbearable read.
My mistake for finishing it.
Felt truly quite racist. The authorial voice was truly obnoxious in basically every way, but I should have known there would be nothing good here after the characters described themselves and others as “geeky” which imo always indicates a truly unbearable read.
My mistake for finishing it.
anacoqui's review
5.0
In one of the November DBSA podcasts Jane Litte from Dear Author commented that she is probably one of the few people reading Erotica for the story. I chuckled in recognition because I often feel the same way. I sometimes wish there was "sweet erotica" where we know there are plenty of kinky shenanigans happening off-page, without having to wade through the often repetitive technical descriptions in hopes of getting to the soul-affecting sex.
Del Drydren's books however are kinky, sexy and erotic in the best way. I never find myself skimming because the sex actually matters even when she happens to be introducing some BDSM principle or specialty sex-move. And the sex is funny and joyful. Her characters find joy in each other and their experiences together and it is incredibly attractive even if I can't imagine enjoying the some of the specifics.
The Principle of Desire is Dryden's third book in her "Science of Temptation" series that has frequently been described as BSDM meets the Big Bang Theory. In Theory of Attraction, Ivan, a rigid socially awkward scientist ask his neighbor Camilla for schmozzing lessons, so he doesn't lose the funding he needs for his scientific research to a departmental rival. She eventually discovers that in Ivan finds a sexual outlet in BDSM and he see sex as science experiement he is very good at. Sexual experiementaion and a surprisingly sweet love story develop. In The Seduction Hypothesis, Ben is trapped in a RV with his ex, Lydnsey on the way to a comic book convention. Earlier that summer Ben in moment of knee-jerk confusion broke up with her when she expressed interest in BDSM, an interest sparked by a kinky comic book series she and lots of other of his geek friends enjoy reading. Cos-play, role-play and lots of improvsation take place as Ben tries to win Lyndsey back by embracing his inner dominant.
In The Principle of Desire, Ed, a recurring character in the first two books, gamer and aerospace engineer often in the background missing the sexual double entendrees and blundering into sexually charged moment bumbles through his initial introduction to Beth a lecturer in Psycology at a local university, and new friend to Camilla. Flustered Ed spills his drink on her and is gently blown-off. Ed is however undettered and eventually sneaks her number off his friend's phone is hilarious moment of self-justification:
"Karma, he suspected. The instant kind, because he’d been doing something unethical. Under the pretense of searching Ivan’s phone for a better song selection, he’d flipped through his friend’s contacts and noted Beth’s number and email address. Ed spent his days looking at line after line of code, and complex formulae and algorithms, so it was no effort at all to hang on to a ten-digit phone number and standard [email protected] email for long enough to return to the music app, pick a song at random, then switch to his own phone to enter the information. Ivan, focused on the road and his compulsive mirror-checking routine, didn’t even notice.
If he wanted to keep people out of his phone, he should have a better password than his girlfriend’s name with numbers replacing the vowels. A fifth grader could’ve hacked that. Really, Ed had picked up the phone out of idle curiosity, not with anything underhanded in mind. He would have expected Ivan to use a random character sequence as a passcode, and was startled as hell when the altered name he entered got him in. It seemed like providence, though, so he’d taken advantage.
The universe was obviously smacking him down for it. When he’d worked up the nerve to try calling Beth around nine that evening, he’d finally noticed the absence of his phone. And now Ivan wasn’t answering his cell. Neither was Cami.
Despite what Beth had said about not having plans with Cami that evening, it was at least obvious that Ivan, Cami and their neighbor Ben had all gone somewhere together. Making the rounds of the connected duplexes, Ed confirmed that none of them were home, but only Ivan’s car was gone from the carport. It was a short logical hop to deducing that Beth had been covering for the group because Ed hadn’t been invited. That stung a bit, but it was hardly the first time something like that had happened to him. He’d been a self-professed curmudgeon since the eighth grade, and he wasn’t usually who people wanted along when they went clubbing. In this case, the real annoyance was that he wouldn’t be getting his phone back until morning.
And then, like a stray sunbeam streaming from the clouds, a thought shone through Ed’s brain.
I have that GPS tracking app on the phone."
What he sees when he tracks them down is both hilarious and awesome. Ed and Beth relationship begins with a kinky version of the tried and true romance trope "fake engagement", as Ed poses as Beth's Submissive at the club in front of her ex and former Master.
On Twitter Dryden referred to The Principle of Desire as Ed's story, but it is really Beth's book. Beth has recently detached herself from a consuming eight-year relationship. Her ex was more Master than boyfriend throughout their relationship, dominating her life choices beyond the bedroom and Beth is only just starting to realize how little she has paid attention to her own wants and desires since she met him. One of the desires her ex was unwilling to acknowledge, is for her to occasionally hold the sexual reins. Beth is a Switch, someone who enjoys being either a top or bottom in a sexual encounter and is just starting to learn what means to her. The book in the end is essentially true what Dryden described as her core story in a recent Wonk-O-mance post by Megan Multry, in that Beth needs to acknowledge her needs and desires enough to realize she can be in a relationship without simply disappearing again, and that she needs to choose someone for who they are, not who they are not.
Beth and Ed are my favorite of the Dryden's Science of Temptation couples. I really enjoyed the banter and interplay between Beth and Ed as they start getting to know each other, from their awkward negotiations of what actually counts as date to their long intimate conversations on dealing the disaproval of family members. The necessary conflicts that arose between Ed, Beth and her ex were legitimate and convincingly resolved and in end I was left wanting to spend more time with Beth and Ed.
Release Date: Dec 9, 2013
A digital review copy was provided by publisher Carina Press via Netgalley.
- book review first posted on my blog: http://winterfell.blogs.com/immersedreader/2013/12/delphine-drydens-the-principle-of-desire.html
Del Drydren's books however are kinky, sexy and erotic in the best way. I never find myself skimming because the sex actually matters even when she happens to be introducing some BDSM principle or specialty sex-move. And the sex is funny and joyful. Her characters find joy in each other and their experiences together and it is incredibly attractive even if I can't imagine enjoying the some of the specifics.
The Principle of Desire is Dryden's third book in her "Science of Temptation" series that has frequently been described as BSDM meets the Big Bang Theory. In Theory of Attraction, Ivan, a rigid socially awkward scientist ask his neighbor Camilla for schmozzing lessons, so he doesn't lose the funding he needs for his scientific research to a departmental rival. She eventually discovers that in Ivan finds a sexual outlet in BDSM and he see sex as science experiement he is very good at. Sexual experiementaion and a surprisingly sweet love story develop. In The Seduction Hypothesis, Ben is trapped in a RV with his ex, Lydnsey on the way to a comic book convention. Earlier that summer Ben in moment of knee-jerk confusion broke up with her when she expressed interest in BDSM, an interest sparked by a kinky comic book series she and lots of other of his geek friends enjoy reading. Cos-play, role-play and lots of improvsation take place as Ben tries to win Lyndsey back by embracing his inner dominant.
In The Principle of Desire, Ed, a recurring character in the first two books, gamer and aerospace engineer often in the background missing the sexual double entendrees and blundering into sexually charged moment bumbles through his initial introduction to Beth a lecturer in Psycology at a local university, and new friend to Camilla. Flustered Ed spills his drink on her and is gently blown-off. Ed is however undettered and eventually sneaks her number off his friend's phone is hilarious moment of self-justification:
"Karma, he suspected. The instant kind, because he’d been doing something unethical. Under the pretense of searching Ivan’s phone for a better song selection, he’d flipped through his friend’s contacts and noted Beth’s number and email address. Ed spent his days looking at line after line of code, and complex formulae and algorithms, so it was no effort at all to hang on to a ten-digit phone number and standard [email protected] email for long enough to return to the music app, pick a song at random, then switch to his own phone to enter the information. Ivan, focused on the road and his compulsive mirror-checking routine, didn’t even notice.
If he wanted to keep people out of his phone, he should have a better password than his girlfriend’s name with numbers replacing the vowels. A fifth grader could’ve hacked that. Really, Ed had picked up the phone out of idle curiosity, not with anything underhanded in mind. He would have expected Ivan to use a random character sequence as a passcode, and was startled as hell when the altered name he entered got him in. It seemed like providence, though, so he’d taken advantage.
The universe was obviously smacking him down for it. When he’d worked up the nerve to try calling Beth around nine that evening, he’d finally noticed the absence of his phone. And now Ivan wasn’t answering his cell. Neither was Cami.
Despite what Beth had said about not having plans with Cami that evening, it was at least obvious that Ivan, Cami and their neighbor Ben had all gone somewhere together. Making the rounds of the connected duplexes, Ed confirmed that none of them were home, but only Ivan’s car was gone from the carport. It was a short logical hop to deducing that Beth had been covering for the group because Ed hadn’t been invited. That stung a bit, but it was hardly the first time something like that had happened to him. He’d been a self-professed curmudgeon since the eighth grade, and he wasn’t usually who people wanted along when they went clubbing. In this case, the real annoyance was that he wouldn’t be getting his phone back until morning.
And then, like a stray sunbeam streaming from the clouds, a thought shone through Ed’s brain.
I have that GPS tracking app on the phone."
What he sees when he tracks them down is both hilarious and awesome. Ed and Beth relationship begins with a kinky version of the tried and true romance trope "fake engagement", as Ed poses as Beth's Submissive at the club in front of her ex and former Master.
On Twitter Dryden referred to The Principle of Desire as Ed's story, but it is really Beth's book. Beth has recently detached herself from a consuming eight-year relationship. Her ex was more Master than boyfriend throughout their relationship, dominating her life choices beyond the bedroom and Beth is only just starting to realize how little she has paid attention to her own wants and desires since she met him. One of the desires her ex was unwilling to acknowledge, is for her to occasionally hold the sexual reins. Beth is a Switch, someone who enjoys being either a top or bottom in a sexual encounter and is just starting to learn what means to her. The book in the end is essentially true what Dryden described as her core story in a recent Wonk-O-mance post by Megan Multry, in that Beth needs to acknowledge her needs and desires enough to realize she can be in a relationship without simply disappearing again, and that she needs to choose someone for who they are, not who they are not.
Beth and Ed are my favorite of the Dryden's Science of Temptation couples. I really enjoyed the banter and interplay between Beth and Ed as they start getting to know each other, from their awkward negotiations of what actually counts as date to their long intimate conversations on dealing the disaproval of family members. The necessary conflicts that arose between Ed, Beth and her ex were legitimate and convincingly resolved and in end I was left wanting to spend more time with Beth and Ed.
Release Date: Dec 9, 2013
A digital review copy was provided by publisher Carina Press via Netgalley.
- book review first posted on my blog: http://winterfell.blogs.com/immersedreader/2013/12/delphine-drydens-the-principle-of-desire.html
roniloren's review
4.0
I just adore this whole series. They're autobuys for me (and I don't have a lot of autobuys.) My only complaint is I wish they were full-length novels instead of novellas. :)
kiwicoral's review
3.0
2.5, but I'll round up to 3. While I enjoyed this, it missed the mark for me.
I thought it was interesting that the first book in this series was written in first person from the heroine's POV, while this book was close third person. Normally I am all for third person, but for some reason it didn't work here.
I don't think we got enough of the hero's personality; he's described as "gruff", but I didn't get that at all (I haven't read book 2, so maybe it's explored more there).
And while there was an attempt at a love triangle, I didn't feel like it got enough into the heroine's head to make it seem like there was a risk she'd go back to her old boyfriend. It reminded me of Nora in The Siren, but not as well executed.
But when the couple was together, I really enjoyed them. I wish the author would have emphasised the teacher/student aspect a little more; it got muddled through the book.
I thought it was interesting that the first book in this series was written in first person from the heroine's POV, while this book was close third person. Normally I am all for third person, but for some reason it didn't work here.
I don't think we got enough of the hero's personality; he's described as "gruff", but I didn't get that at all (I haven't read book 2, so maybe it's explored more there).
And while there was an attempt at a love triangle, I didn't feel like it got enough into the heroine's head to make it seem like there was a risk she'd go back to her old boyfriend. It reminded me of Nora in The Siren, but not as well executed.
But when the couple was together, I really enjoyed them. I wish the author would have emphasised the teacher/student aspect a little more; it got muddled through the book.
zoepomegranate's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
It's a light easy heterosexual romance with some BDSM. I found it fairly simple, but found other factors that made it unique in my reading experience. It has a switch main female character who has recently ended a long term D/s relationship and has been exploring her dominant side that her ex never let her explore. Enter the love interest who is completely new to the BDSM scene but realizes that this attractive woman and some of his friends are involved in it and his interest is piqued. I love how it depicted BDSM as something that can be realistic, light-hearted, and that can work well within an egalitarian romance.
I loved the emotional intelligence and maturity of the lead characters. Beth as a psychology lecturer has an interesting perspective into her past and current relationships and this leads to a very emotionally healthy romance, which is a thing I love! The love interest Ed was a nice change from typical romance heroes. He's fascinated about Beth and her kinky switch tendencies. He's openminded. He's a smart aerospace engineer. He's socially awkward in a way that I found very relatable. He's sweet. He's nerdy. He's chubby. He's not some unrealistically rich CEO alpha male DOM jerk. He's also not an incredibly bitter and objectifying s-type guy who only likes Beth for her kinks either. They treat each other with respect and as people first which is something I've struggled to find in fictional stories that depict BDSM.
The conflict didn't feel forced or exaggerated and fit smoothly within the story. The pace is entertaining and has good momentum while being slow enough for character and relationship development. It has good momentum, in that the story is always moving forward.
I thought the relationship felt very casual, natural, and realistic. There was attraction and chemistry but no insta-love. I enjoyed the pace of the story-telling and romance. Their feelings for each other always felt very proportionate to the amount of time they'd known each other and spent together. If someone was looking for a simple, healthy, and entertaining romance that had concise plot points I would definitely recommend. If someone was looking for romance with BDSM that is refreshing and grounded in reality I would recommend. Lastly, this is the third in the series but I didn't read the previous books and think that it is still enjoyable if you start here. The rest of the series seems focused on the kinky friend group of Beth and Ed, and you read enough of them to know if you'd be interested in going back and reading their stories. It's my own personal opinion that you can read this as a stand alone and not misunderstand anything or lose enjoyment from the experience because of it.
I loved the emotional intelligence and maturity of the lead characters. Beth as a psychology lecturer has an interesting perspective into her past and current relationships and this leads to a very emotionally healthy romance, which is a thing I love! The love interest Ed was a nice change from typical romance heroes. He's fascinated about Beth and her kinky switch tendencies. He's openminded. He's a smart aerospace engineer. He's socially awkward in a way that I found very relatable. He's sweet. He's nerdy. He's chubby. He's not some unrealistically rich CEO alpha male DOM jerk. He's also not an incredibly bitter and objectifying s-type guy who only likes Beth for her kinks either. They treat each other with respect and as people first which is something I've struggled to find in fictional stories that depict BDSM.
The conflict didn't feel forced or exaggerated and fit smoothly within the story. The pace is entertaining and has good momentum while being slow enough for character and relationship development. It has good momentum, in that the story is always moving forward.
I thought the relationship felt very casual, natural, and realistic. There was attraction and chemistry but no insta-love. I enjoyed the pace of the story-telling and romance. Their feelings for each other always felt very proportionate to the amount of time they'd known each other and spent together. If someone was looking for a simple, healthy, and entertaining romance that had concise plot points I would definitely recommend. If someone was looking for romance with BDSM that is refreshing and grounded in reality I would recommend. Lastly, this is the third in the series but I didn't read the previous books and think that it is still enjoyable if you start here. The rest of the series seems focused on the kinky friend group of Beth and Ed, and you read enough of them to know if you'd be interested in going back and reading their stories. It's my own personal opinion that you can read this as a stand alone and not misunderstand anything or lose enjoyment from the experience because of it.
rhodered's review
2.0
Better than the second one but not nearly as good as the first.
There's BDSM and this time the woman is the domme. However, unlike the other books where the male is 100% toppy, she's essentially a switch and her love interest is as well. (Well, he's basically up for anything kinky in any direction whatsoever.) So, kind of a disappointment for anyone hoping for a pure Domme story.
I don't care much about BDSM, but anything different is a relief after the unending parade of female subs we get in so many books.
The true story is actually about finding yourself falling for a guy who isn't 'perfect', a guy with a little paunch, and maybe some more body hair than perfect guys at the gymn. I liked that idea very much, although the actual 'falling for' was covered too quickly and glibly for my taste.
This was mainly because the author wasted too many pages trying to make it a love triangle with the female lead being way too doormatty toward mr wrong. Meh. Bored and annoyed now!
If you must drag a triangle into your story, at least make it interesting by not overtly telegraphing who's the bad guy. 'Nough said.
There's BDSM and this time the woman is the domme. However, unlike the other books where the male is 100% toppy, she's essentially a switch and her love interest is as well. (Well, he's basically up for anything kinky in any direction whatsoever.) So, kind of a disappointment for anyone hoping for a pure Domme story.
I don't care much about BDSM, but anything different is a relief after the unending parade of female subs we get in so many books.
The true story is actually about finding yourself falling for a guy who isn't 'perfect', a guy with a little paunch, and maybe some more body hair than perfect guys at the gymn. I liked that idea very much, although the actual 'falling for' was covered too quickly and glibly for my taste.
This was mainly because the author wasted too many pages trying to make it a love triangle with the female lead being way too doormatty toward mr wrong. Meh. Bored and annoyed now!
If you must drag a triangle into your story, at least make it interesting by not overtly telegraphing who's the bad guy. 'Nough said.
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