| Title | : | A is for... (BDSM Checklist, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 120 |
| Publication | : | First published August 15, 2013 |
The overseers of LA’s most exclusive BDSM club have a sexy new game that all members must play, and experienced sub Anna has no choice but to participate, despite the fact that she’s is only months away from being bonded.
Master Jensen knows who, and what, he wants—Anna—but when he’s assigned the first letter of the alphabet he must prove to himself, and the lovely submissive, that he’s willing to push them both to their limits, and maybe beyond.
When Anna and Jensen are forced to face the depth of their desires, and the painful origins of their relationship, they’ll learn that the worst pain comes not from a whip, but from the heart.
A is for... (BDSM Checklist, #1) Reviews
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I don't find lack of consent "sexy". And no matter what contract you sign, consent is never absolute. I made it 10 pages before I realized this book was not for me. Any book that involves kinky people who refers to themselves as "gods" and vanillas as "mortals" is more than a little over the top. Books like this are why subs who are new to kink are afraid to go to actual BDSM clubs.
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After the letter L,i was curious about the other letters of this alphabet.
And what better letter to start with than the letter A,right?
It was a very good start,i have to say,with interesting results.....
Anna is the “lucky” sub to be called to the Orion room for the letter A,and she worries who the Dom is she’s going to be paired with.
Because she and her Master Jensen haven’t bonded yet,not officially.
And she worries he won’t like it if another Dom gets to play with her.
Only to find she’ll have other things to worry about....
Like what evil things her Master is planning to do to her!
Anna and Jensen were happy,but needed to be pushed out of their comfortzone.
And the result was.....very satisfying!
Which leaves me with a need to explore the next letter...... -
Probably the cutest darn story full of alliterative asphyxiation, aroma
therapykink, and anal you'll ever read.
"I'm going to push us, but not past our hard limits. You wouldn't want this if you weren't so fucking worked up. Right now I could do anything to you...But I won't. You need to know that. You need to hear that."
This is one of those books. You know. *suggestive eyebrow waggles*
It's unrepentant smut and I love it for it. It's also refreshingly candid about trust and respect. Anna and Jensen never downplay the importance of limits, trust, and honesty. They get up to all kinds of kinky fuckery - but never at the expense of each others safety or well being. It's SO nice to read any kind of story with a dominant male who doesn't have a case of raging assholeitis.
They also have a wonderful chemistry with each other. Anna is very clear about not being a 24/7 submissive and Jensen wouldn't want that either. Her loves her for more than her ass.
Seriously, they're kind of adorable together.
"Is kinky sex really worth almost dying?"
Jensen snorted. "Uh, yeah."
Anna laughed. She waited at the passenger door for him to open it, then held his arm as she gingerly lowered herself onto the seat.
"I'm sorry, gorgeous." He kissed her temple as she winced.
"No, you're not."
"Yeah, I'm not."
"Jerk."
"Nympho."
It even manages to pull of a twist / surprise at the end that feels very natural and not at all forced. I know there are sequels, and while I haven't read book numero dos yet, I can say that this one ties up very nicely. Cliffhanger free!
Plus! IT'S FREE! Go on and 1-click it.
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BDSM can be so boring. Tie her up, spank her, tease her, have sex with her, make her come until she passes out, and then give her after-care. Same thing every weekend. Boring.
Until the lead DM changes things up and challenges all the Doms and subs to break out of their complacency. What a great concept.
These stories are short-ish (125-150pp), and focused on BDSM sex. There is little emotion or angst other than that which underlies strong D/s relationships.
And the author is up to 'M', so there is a lot to look forward to.
I'll read these once in a while, as intense BDSM is not my favorite genre. But if I'm in the mood for spicy, I know where to look. -
3.5⭐️
this was surprisingly well written for pure, eye-watering smut -
So I was pleasantly surprised with this book and I can honesty say that I really did enjoy it.
This is the first time in my life that I have read a bdsm book with breath play and anal and yet it somehow was super cute. The relationship between these two is actually beautiful and I will without a doubt be rereading this book.
If the other books in this series are anything like this then I am going to have a fantastic time with the series and this new to me author.
This is my honest and unbiased review. -
Sometimes you get lucky with friend’s recommendation and boy did I ever get lucky when a friend recommended that I read A is for . . . by L. Dubois. It was a wonderful book with an interesting storyline and some amazing sex scenes. Now, I’m recommending it to you.
The owners of Las Palmas, a BDSM club, believe that the Doms and subs have become too complacent and aren’t challenging themselves anymore. They invented a game for all their members based upon the alphabet. Each couple is given a checklist of activities to complete based upon the letter they have been assigned. The activities are designed to push boundaries and shake everyone up. So let the games begin.
The letter A has been assigned to Anna and Master Jensen. They have one weekend to check everything off the list. Master Jensen and Anna have not formally bonded yet and this weekend offers them the opportunity to test their relationship and discover if they can trust each other enough to bond.
As the weekend progresses, Master Jensen pushes Anna more and more. Many of the things he asks her to do make her uncomfortable. As the reader, I too was uncomfortable, but only because Ms. Dubois did a masterful job of pulling me into Anna’s emotions. I felt everything she did, except for those amazing orgasms, which brought this book to another level.
The sex scenes were not for the faint of heart, but if you like your sex on the kinky side then you will love this book. I found my heart racing and my brow sweating as the chemistry between the two jumped off the pages. Everything seemed so interesting and fascinating that I kept turning the page to see what they would do next. But even in each difficult task Master Jensen asked of Anna, his love and concern for her was evident. Their relationship showed the best side of Domination and submission.
As if the sex wasn’t intriguing enough, Ms. Dubois provided a compelling story as she slowly peeled back the layers of Anna and Master Jensen’s relationship. Throughout the story we would see glimpses of Anna’s life away from the club scene and each peek made me want to know more. Somehow Ms. Dubois wrote a bit of mystery into the plot and I could not put the book down until I discovered the answers.
A is for . . . is the first in Ms. Dubois’ BDSM Checklist series. I am so glad that there are 25 more letters to write about because I am excited about this series. So thank you to my friend who recommended this book and you’re welcome for recommending it to you. -
Lila Dubois called to my inner sub with her novella A is for... Oh my did this story get my motor running!
The relationship between Anna and Master Jensen comes off the pages. After a while, I was no longer reading the book, I was watching it! It played like a really hot movie in my mind. I love when a book can make me feel like I am one of the characters, or wish I was one of them. Loved this story and deserves all 5 Hearts I have to give. -
Mehh I didn't really care for Anna, the submissive heroine in this book. She had little personality and didn't spark my interest at all. DNF
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This had been on my Kindle for quite some time, so I finally decided to suggest it for a group read in my romance group,
Unapologetic Romance Readers. It's nice to read whatever I want whenever I want, but sometimes having an "assignment" gets books read fast.
Although this was a short book, it seemed pretty densely packed. There was no downtime or dull moments. Unless you count nonstop sex as dull moments, which would be understandable, because it can definitely become boring if that's all you're reading in a single book.
What I think saved this book from that downfall was the fact that this wasn't vanilla sex. It was kinky sex, with a new kink being explored by the characters with each new scene. The book takes place over twenty-four hours, and they barely take breaks because they're determined to complete a kinky list corresponding with the letter A. And they must do it within only 120 pages.
Another good thing about it was that it was actually kind of sweet. While I don't think the characters had much personality (being in Anna's head when she was in perfect sub mode was not that interesting to me), they were likable for the most part. Their affection for each other was apparent.
Overall, this was a quick, smutty read that I felt, in my limited experience, did a pretty decent job of portraying BDSM. -
This is one of those books that really surprised me. There's a lot of mediocre BDSM fiction out there but I can honestly say this book does NOT fall into that category. A is For... is superbly written, full of HOT Doms and even hotter sex. The scenes were sexy and thoroughly original. I''ll definitely read book 2.
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If you are into BDSM, this is the book for you. Better than Christian Gray and I fell in love with him, who wouldn’t... This is a true BDSM book exploring all things associated with the alphabet... the options could be endless ... Good Read
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Not my favorite. Story was boring. No chemistry between characters. A lot was told not shown.
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Loved it!
I fell in love with the plot immediately! The idea of becoming complacent in your lifestyle is so incredibly accurate. The challenge of the letter was a perfect way to force exploration beyond comfort. This plot was genius and the characters were perfect. Highly recommended! -
This is the first in what I assume will be twenty-six entries in a series set in Las Palmas Oscuras, one of those fantasy BDSM clubs popular in this genre. (I say "assume" because I'm not entirely sure what kinks begin with "Z," but we'll see.) The series' central conceit offers us a dom and sub who participate in kink scenes that begin with the letter they've been assigned ("A," for example, includes "Anal Play"). From what I can tell, each is a stand-alone featuring a single couple (some long-standing, others not) that is long on erotica and short on story. In fact, I would call these "novellas," rather than "novels" since much of the total page space is taken up with ads for Ms. DuBois' other books.
I've read this author's other works and enjoyed them, so thought I'd try these. I had mixed feelings about this book and if I hadn't read a couple of the others, I might not have continued. On one hand, this is well-written (evocative prose, grammatically correct, few errors) and features well-described, disparate kinks that provide variety; indeed, a few are rarely done in this genre.
On the other hand, because the H and h are a long-standing committed couple and neither is that interesting, there's absolutely no tension, or plot or character development in this book. I, personally, find it boring to read of the perfect sub who will do anything to please her Master or the perfect Master with such admirable mind-reading skills that he knows his sub better than she knows herself. This was particularly too bad because Anna and Jensen have a complex history that is far more interesting that anything we got here. While I understand that the purpose of this series is the kinks, I like my erotica to be underpinned by a substantial story and everything that is substantial here is very much tell-and-not-show.
So, I would say that if you're looking for consensual, well-described, diverse kink scenes, you'll probably enjoy this as long as you're not looking for much more. I do want to assure potential readers that the couple in the second book is far more interesting than the one here in case, like me, you decide that this first book is not that engaging and don't want to continue the series.
3 stars. I was upset that Jensen fed himself and not Anna, and his "pushing" her often came across as emotional blackmail. Although this club caters to millionaires, I really, really hope that we aren't going to be reading about one class (not to mention ethnicity) of people the entire time, because that will get very old, very quickly. And I really, really, really hope that no other entry in this series features a line remotely like this one: “We are gods, gods who are growing lazy and stupid in our complacency.”
Just a Thought: Did Black Collar Press get their
Valentine Roulette series idea from this? -
I am a big fan of Ms. DuBois' Undone Lovers series, so I enjoyed this offering as well. The story is one of a couple that is exploring their personal BDSM limits within the confines of a private club.
As a matter of combatting complacency, the Masters and Mistress in charge of the exclusive Las Palmas BDSM partner members and assign them letters of the alphabet. Anna and her partner are assigned "A" and must complete the acts listed on the club checklist under that letter (as long as no hard limits are violated).
While most of the pages are devoted to the Master/sub relationship and the activities dictated by the assigned letter, there is an undercurrent of something more. We are given hints that lead to a lovely ending. The dedication and honesty of these two surprised me as I was only expecting light-hearted sexy times. It was a moment and most if the story is pure sex/sexual adventure - nothing vanilla. So, please don't expect some heart-warming, sweet romance. The bedroom doors are closed in this book (as in sweet romance) BUT we have a bullseye view from inside...
Even though I miss the Undone Lovers, I think I may appreciate this series just as much.
I received a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. -
4.5 *'s
A new game is afoot. The owners of an exclusive BDSM club Las Palmas have decided that their Dom's and subs have gotten too complacent in their activities. They devise a game based on the alphabet to turn the heat on. Every Dom is given a letter A thru Z where they have to try to check off their checklist of all that activities that letter represents with their sub(s).
Master Jenson and his lovely sub Anna get the letter A. He is determined to push his sub and himself to their very limits. And then push just a little more. Throughout their play they discover that although they have become complacent and accustomed to the things they do together this experiment can bring their Dom/sub relationship to another level.
Can Anna accept all that it requires? Can Master Jenson handle the changes that this could bring?
I was intrigued from the synopsis on this book. Not only was I curious what was going to be included under the letter A but also seeing Anna accept the things Master Jenson did to and with her. Would her trust be enough? Or would she run from her fear.
There was a bit of a twist towards the end that I found made the rest of the book even more satisfying for me. -
This book introduces us to Las Palmas, and the game the overseers have concocted to pull their members out of a rut. The alphabet game, where each Dom and the submissives of the club are assigned a letter of the alphabet, along with all of the checklist items that begin with that letter. Sounds....intimidating!
Submissive Anna thinks she is a perfect submissive. When they are introduced to the game, she begins to have reservations....and to realize that she may not be as perfect a submissive as she thought she was. Along with her partner, she explores the letter A, along with her limits as a submissive.
Oh wow! My feelings for this book are....simply amazed! This book is unlike anything I've ever read before. The premise is intriguing, and the chemistry between the characters is HOT! There were so many surprises in this book, and they were revealed little by little. I just could not put this book down! I can't wait to see what is in store in the next book! -
Very well written with just a couple of editing issues.
The best BDSM stories often have deep emotional and psychological connections between the characters, and this book is no exception. The level of trust, respect, concern and care demonstrated by the two main characters was touching and inspiring.
The premise of a club forcing its members out of routine complacency by having them thoroughly explore their limits lists, in alphabetical order, is original and very, very hot. As another reviewer mentioned, it's also as educational for the reader as for the characters she's writing about. I'm really looking forward to the next letters of the alphabet.
Strongly recommend for fans of BDSM. -
Really interesting view of BDSM. I don't live the lifestyle so I don't have any experience on whether or not it's based more in reality than not, but it seemed pretty factual. It was definitely an incredibly HOT read. What I liked most is that I was able to easily picture each restraint, how the D/s were positioned, etc. And I read some things in this BDSM world I'd never read before. Sometimes it seems when you've read one, you've read them all. Not so with A is for .... I'd definitely recommend it and will look forward to B is for ... especially since it's a different couple. One last thing I wanted to mention was how the author tied the story together. It was lovely and filled my HEA nicely.
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All I can say is how did I not know about this series or writer before now. Oh man, I saw this in a post on another author's page and loved the title. So I bought it off of Amazon that same very day. Then as soon as I got home I started it then I just kept reading. There was no way I was putting this book down.
This book is very much about what the title suggest so if someone is going into this looking for this cute little vanilla love story, well you are going to be confused.
I can't wait for the rest of the series. This will be one of the that get "OMG is it out yet."
Warning - Cold showers needed and you may pounce on your partner after reading this. -
The A, B C you never learned in school!
This is a smokin hot BDSM read! It's the adult version of the A,B C, with an unexpected twist. Throughout the book, is hot BDSM scenes between, Anna , the sub and Jensen , Master. While playing out different scenes and act from BDSM, Alphabet letter A, Anna reflects on past memories that haunt her. Jensen being a support Master, helps her work through the memories and the letter A, BDSM play. Their unexpected, real world relationship is revealed in the end. I love how the book builds up to an ending I didn't see come. The last chapter between Jensen and Anna, was chapter I loved the most ♡ Now on to letter B -
This book took me by complete surprise! As the characters got more into their scenes, I felt I was personally going through some of the stronger emotions with Anna. I thought I was going to have to put the book down and take a break but I found that I couldn't do that. I needed to keep reading to find out what happens. The ending of the story made the whole thing perfect! The story behind the BDSM was BRILLIANT!!! Lila Dubois has such an amazing writing style. I can't wait to read the next book in this series, B is for...
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. -
The alphabet as never been sexier... So true a statement. I am hooked on the alphabet series.
This was a BDSM book with a unique story line that was very interesting and educational. There was also a twist to the story of Master Jensen and Anna that I did not see coming.
The importance of trust and safety on a BDSM scene is stressed in this book, which was wonderful to see. Master Jensen pushed Anna's limits, but he knew just how far to push them.
I am looking forward to reading the next 24 letters of the alphabet with anticipation!! -
I just finished
A is for... and really enjoyed it. The story was sexy, erotic, and actually very sweet. There is a bit of a twist to it that connects the characters in a way that I was not expecting and that's where the sweet comes in. -
A is for Awwww yeah
Very well written, and one of the best I've read so far in expressing consent & respect between partners. I especially appreciate that collaring isn't the ultimate goal as it is in so many other BDSM romances, and a relationship is shown beyond the dungeon. Steamy erotic scenes that push some boundaries. -
AMAZING!!!! Can't wait for the rest of the alphabet!
Love Lila's work and this is another amazing story. Great characters! Great tension! Loved the "surprise" ending!
What I dislike? - waiting for the next book in the series and the next then next...
