| Title | : | Mercy |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 226 |
| Publication | : | First published February 1, 2009 |
Suddenly, in the darkness of the theater wings, a strangely affecting man enters her life. Matthew Norris, rich, handsome patron of the dance company, has decided that he wants Lucy for his own. He makes her an offer that both frightens and compels her, and they soon begin an affair characterized by only two requirements, beauty and truth.
But how truthful are Matthew and Lucy? How much of Matthew's strenuous brand of love can Lucy endure? And how long can their rigid Dom/sub relationship stay frozen in time, never growing, never moving forward?
Publishers Note: This romance novel contains explicit scenes of dominance and submission, discipline & training, bondage, group sex, oral sex, anal sex & double penetration, menage a trois, and both harsh and loving BDSM scenes.
Mercy Reviews
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This book is f*cking idiotic!
No actually, the characters are some of the most idiotic I've ever read!!!
Jesus!!!!!!
I grabbed this cause I wanted some kinky erotica, this has dancing in it, why the hell not.
The main guy is a sadist. Ok.
The main woman is a pain slut (I think that's the term). Ok.
Put both of them together and you have the stupidest couple ever to be written!
They actually deserve each other cause OMGGGGGGG they are such idiots i can't explain it in words.
Well actually, I can!
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But like I said, if she can forgive something like that, they deserve each other for being such f*cking idiots beyond describing.
JESUS!!!!!!!!!!
OMG this book pissed me off.
Sorry for the rant but OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Main guy:
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★★★★! Mercy (stand-alone) Ballerina is swept off her feet by mercurial patron who wants to dominate her & show her no mercy!
“I want to use your body because I find it beautiful and perfect. I just want to play with you, but I think you’ll enjoy it all the same.”
Mercy (stand-alone) is the story of ballerina Lucy Merritt, Lu nearing the end of her career when she is swept off her feet by wealthy ballet patron and business man Matthew Norris, Master in need of his next submissive.
Unaware and ignorant of that side of herself Lu feels both drawn and turned on by his offer. They agree on a Dom-Sub relationship, rules dictated by Matthew and their safe word is… Mercy.
Story goes on to follow them as Matthew sets out to seduce, manipulate, corrupt, taunt, control and ultimately break Lu. It’s an unpredictable and merciless erotic journey, with elements of hardcore BDSM ménage, violence and betrayal…
Seven words to describe Matthew Norris, Master: Blunt, commanding, closed off, private, ruthless, relentless and possessive.
Seven words to describe Lucy Merritt, Lu: Meek, despondent, hopeless, emotional, impressionable, meek and ambitious.
Mercy, told from dual POVs is a dark erotic tale. This is my second time reading, the first time I was a bit shocked, but this time around I was more jaded and could appreciate, hehe. Annabel Joseph is well versed in erotic BDSM and does not skirt around violence, abuse nor group sex in semi non-consensual settings. Story came together and ended on a high.
Control! Obsession! Deceit! Betrayal! Truth! Healing!
“His disappointment and true displeasure was the most painful punishment he ever doled out.”
***
Hero rating: 4 stars
Heroine rating: 4 stars
Sexual tension rating: 4 stars
Sex scenes rating: 4.5 stars
Sex scenes frequency: 4.5 stars
Plot rating: 4 stars
Dialogue rating: 4 stars
Storytelling rating: 4.5 stars
Story ending rating: 4.5 stars
**********************************************
Overall rating: 4 stars
Would I recommend this book: Yes.
Would I re-read this book: Maybe later.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.
Thanks to everyone who participated in DARK book ShhLYT(F)BR on Shh….
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Genre: Dark Erotic Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person – Female
Rating:
Lucy Merritt's one and only passion was dancing. As the principal dancer of a small dance company, she was fairly content with her life except when it came to her relationship. She felt something was missing without understanding exactly what.
Matthew Norris was a distinguished older gentleman. As a patron of the dance company, he watched Lucy from afar admiring her beauty and grace. He saw something in her that she herself had not learned to recognize and he was determined to mould her into his perfect vision.
I always appreciate it when authors are not afraid to write stories that not everyone could accept. I crave stories that pushed the level of depravities and made you question your morality. This book did all that.“I’m a collector of beautiful things, and I find you so beautiful that I have to have you. I need you to be mine.”
I like Matthew as a Dom. Even though at times he would push Lucy to the brink, he strived not to go overboard. Some of his actions might be questionable, but it didn’t bother me because (no matter how skewed it was) I understood where he came from.I desperately wanted to be his little girl, his lover, his toy, whatever he wanted me to be.
Lucy never realized the submissive in her until Matthew opened up her eyes to the possibilities. I enjoyed seeing her testing her own limit and rationalizing her deep rooted desires.
The story was actually quite simple and straight forward. I didn’t mind it that much, but I wanted to see more of her psychological struggle. The story started a bit slow for me, so I was glad with the intensity towards the middle-end of the book.
The sex scenes were scorching. There was a good balance of soft sensual kind with the rough and hard kind. My favorite was the session with Slave. My only complaint is for it to be longer haha!
Mercy is a story of two people learning to open up to new unfamiliar feelings. It contains harder elements of BDSM and triggers that might be uncomfortable to some.
☠ ╫ ☠. . . (F)BR With Twinsie CC . . . ☠ ╫ ☠
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This book is crap. I tried really hard to get through it, but I couldn't. He rapes her, he beats her, he has his friends fuck her whether she wants it or not, he verbally and mentally abuses her, and she takes it. She loves it, actually. This book is sickening, and I'm seriously questioning Ms Joseph's sanity if she thinks any of the shit in this book could be called romantic. It's not romantic when a guy debases you and calls you a whore, or a slut, or a bitch. It's not romantic when he beats you until you can barely walk. Or when he slaps you when he doesn't like what you said. Or when he allows his friends to violate you because it turns him on. THIS BOOK IS SHIT. I will never EVER touch another book by Ms Joseph, because if this book is any indication of what her other books are like, I'd rather shoot myself. I can't tell you all enough how shitty this book is. It's seriously the first book that's ever made me feel like this. The only good thing I've gotten out of this book is that it's made me incredibly grateful that my boyfriend is a wonderful human being who would never abuse me sexually, physically, emotionally, or mentally. Why? BECAUSE HE ISN'T A FUCKING LOONY WHO GETS OFF ON MAKING WOMEN FEEL LIKE SHIT. This book is shit, and it should NEVER have been published.
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Warning. Spoilers below.
25 pages left and there's no chance I'm finishing this book. When the other characters started encouraging Matthew's abusive behavior, I was fucking done with Mercy. Where in America would a doctor encourage a patient to return to her boyfriend after he nearly her with rough sex? Where in America would a so-called friend encourage your boyfriend to and then tell YOU to forgive HIM. I'll give you a hint- it wouldn't happen in America.
After knowing how deeply disturbing their relationship has become, nobody would stand for it. If this had occurred in real life, somebody would have told Lucy to stop using rough sex to deal with trauma and go see a therapist. Matthew...what he feels for Lucy...that's not love. If he loved her, he wouldn't have destroyed her body and prevented her from working. He knew how much she loved dancing and he took the away from her. His pleasure was more important than her feelings. Matthew didn't love Lucy. He just loved having sex with her and torturing her.
Stories need to be rooted with some realism. This book didn't have any in the last third and I can't overlook it. I CANNOT forgive Matthew for destroying Lucy's dream, her body or for . I CANNOT forgive the writer for using the side characters to guilt trip Lucy into returning to Matthew. I CANNOT forgive the author for making Lucy feel guilty about leaving Matthew after he . I CANNOT forgive the writer for having Lucy return to Matthew after he . Most of all, I cannot forgive the writer for giving Matthew his happy ending with Lucy.
Lucy and Matthew- they shouldn't have been a long-term thing. Lucy deserved better than Matthew. It's a shame the writer never let her realize it. -
I have no idea how I feel about this book. Like none at all, I'm just too confused about my own feelings right now. And after thinking about it for the whole night I've finally come to the conclusion that I will never figure it out.
Yes, I liked the story and I found it interesting. So it's not that that's confusing me. It's the fact that I couldn't connect with the story or characters at all. The writing style wasn't for me and I felt like I was being told the story from the heroine instead of actually experiencing it with her. The book takes place over a long-ish period of time, yet it skips around some as Lucy explains about her and Matthew's relationship, which made it even harder for me to connect with them.
There was a scene, and I'm sure if you've read this book then you know which one I'm talking about, that I just couldn't get on board with. It didn't make me hate the book, but I didn't understand how I was supposed to believe that it was an okay thing for Matthew to do, especially after learning Lucy's history. It's yet another reason I am so confused about this book. Honestly I think by the time I got to this scene I was just so over reading Lucy's story that I didn't really care and started to skim, but also I really wish that scene hadn't happened.
Overall, not a bad book but not the book for me. The story was interesting and I think a lot of people will like Lucy's tale of how she fell for Matthew. I wish I could have liked the book more, but the writing didn't work for me and not being able to connect with the character made it a little boring, to where I started to skim some of it. -
Lucy Merritt is a classically trained modern dancer who is completely devoted in mind and body to her occupation; however, at 28 years old, she knows her career is short lived due to her age. With dancing being her entire life, Lucy immerses herself in her craft until one day she meets the new patron of her dance company that makes her want more instead of simply waiting to become the person she wants to be.
“I had never been in love and probably never would be, because there was something wrong with me. I couldn’t feel things right, or maybe I just didn’t want to."
Matthew Norris is a successful & self-made real estate developer who admires Lucy’s body and fluid movement from afar. As a patron of the arts, Matthew is in awe of Lucy’s talent but he wants to be more than just a seated audience member watching her performance. Being an assertive man, Matthew makes Lucy an offer that propels them into a physically and emotionally intense dynamic that neither can resist.
“What are you interested in? I asked.”
“Owning your body and doing whatever I want to it.”
As Matthew and Lucy enter their consensual Dominant/submissive relationship, there are a few non-negotiable requirements but the most important is truthfulness, and it will test their boundaries. Immediately, Matthew proves to be a strict Dom and satisfies all of Lucy’s sexual needs and it becomes difficult to stay detached while forming a perfect bond but neither is willing to break the one barrier they both seek without inflicting pain.
“You’re such a dirty little slut, aren’t you? I bet you’d like me to plug your ass and then fuck you until you scream.”
The intensity of Matthew and Lucy’s relationship was the driving force for me because upon meeting each other, they recognized the roles they would play in each other’s lives. With Matthew being the ever-commanding Dom, he gave her the safe environment she needed to explore her sexual needs. When they were playing, the scenes were intensely hot and Matthew certainly has the ability to pleasure with his body and toys and Lucy took almost everything Matthew was offering. However, their intensity overflowed from the dungeon into every aspect of their relationship and this caused Lucy and Matthew to make certain decisions.
“We were frozen in a scene where we reached for one another, but would never actually touch.”
This is my first book by Annabel Joseph and I enjoyed her writing, character development and concentrated storyline. From the beginning, I felt like I was suddenly thrust into this capsule of a moment in the characters’ lives. The characters and plot evolved by action. Without great detail about the characters’ past, the author was able to convey their struggles and how those emotions impacted their present relationship in both a negative and positive way. What occurs between Lucy and Matthew is uniquely and unapologetically theirs and that is what I liked the most about this storyline. Oh, and I liked Matthew’s filthy mouth too! lol!
Overall, I enjoyed reading Mercy and I recommend to those who seek an erotic story between two flawed people but manage to find solace and truth in each other.
*This was a (F)BR with my dark Twinsie during ShhLYT(F)BR week: DARK BOOKS!
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** 3,5 little fuck STARS! **
My first read from Annabel Joseph! #NoRegret
What can I say? Surprising + jaw dropping story.
Lucy Merritt with two t's is a 28 y.o. woman and live as a dancer. She broke up with her cheating fiancee and swear no man in her career. Enter Matthew Norris, a handsome and mysterious rich man; ten years older than her and already divorced. He try to approach her many times but she was scared. She didn't know anything about him. Until one day, something really bad almost happened to Lucy and Matthew save the day. Not a coincidence, huh? Matthew offer her BDSM relationship bluntly. Even Lucy is afraid but she intrigued about his offer.Dangerous and unpredictable. And here we were, alone together back in the wings where no one could see us. Mr. Norris, the wild animal, and me, his prey.
I have read 'BDSM' many times. Safe, sane, and consensual. I don't think their relationship has that. Well, it has 50:50 in my opinion. Matthew promise nothing extreme like blood play or body modification as such. Still, Matthew has needs to feed his sadism. He's very lucky bastard because Lucy is really perfect for him. She is just an ordinary girl who love dance so much but has kinky side. She's perfect submissive with masochist tendency. Even when in pains and tears, she gets horny easily.Now. Now, Lucy, you little whore. You delicious little slut. Come one, come for me...
Matthew is very demanding. Sometimes, he's an asshole without explanation. It was confusing. He could be a gentle lover too when needed. Sometimes his kinkiness can be too much. Lucy has fragile personality but she insist to be strong. Or she wants to. Well, she's physically resist for pain but damn, this woman always crying. Sensitive? Hmm.. this one failed me. She's careless and... never think about what lies in the future. She's hardly likable for me *shrugs*
The problem is lack of communication between Matthew and Lucy. It's all about Matthew's demand and she must accept it. This couldn't be traditional D/s. It more like a M/s with 24/7 Total power exchange because it seems Lucy got devoured by Matthew. She forget about everything even her gay BFF. After a lot of sex almost 60%, finally we have roller coaster ride. Wohooo... In the end, it's hard for me to enjoy it because there is an unusual thing happened. . Also our sweet kinky Lucy has secret too. Oops!
Mercy is a gray book. It was wicked, intense and poetic, though. I enjoyed their vanilla moment. It happened couple times. Mercy has different vibe about BDSM relationship and I think this is very fucked up one. No love no hate. I liked it, yes but not much. They have HEA that surprised me especially when Matthew's still a mystery for me. His character is really hard to understand.And yes, Lucy, I'm your fucking boyfriend. Your fucking dominant slave of love. If you ever try to top me, I'll hurt you.
#SHHEVIEW for FADE TO BLACK: “I know you, I watch you, I crave you!” -
Simply amazing!!!
[image error] -
Matthew is emotionally crippled, that is my psychoanalysis of the bastard. Lucy is a messed up little girl who is a masochist. This intense BDSM story from Ms. Joseph created fits of fury, frustration and rage for me. Matthew is not what I consider a healthy dom. To put it simply, he's one f-ed up mo-fo who perversions leads Lucy down a subversive and destructive path.
I couldn't relate to Lucy at all. I wanted to shake her several times and then slap some sense into her. Matthew's emotional blackmail and sadistic tendencies appear to be the only way he can communicate and express himself. From the outside, this is not a healthy relationship and if Lucy were my friend, I'd be hard pressed not to call the cops on Matthew and rush her to the nearest battered woman's shelter.
This story makes me look at the BDSM lifestyle from a vanilla perspective and understand why they misunderstand the BDSM subculture. If the relationship between Matthew and Lucy is an example of standard D/s, it's no wonder the vanilla world condemns us.
While reading this story, I could not help but remember the French movie, Camille Claudel. I found it apropos for Pietro to turn Lucy away when he sees the results of Matthew's love on her ass. His comparison of Lucy before and after Matthew is reminiscent of Isabella Adjandi's portrayal of Camille Claudel before and after Rodin. The parallels are distressing - Rodin destroys Camille's artistry; Matthew rips Lucy's dancing from her. This is where the similarity ends. Where Camille ends up in an asylum – unloved and desecrated, Lucy ends up cherished and protected by Matthew.
Ms. Joseph's portrayal of the BDSM lifestyle is disturbing, yet it still pulls me in. Both Matthew and Lucy are characters with problems they self medicate with S/M and D/s. It's rather interesting how they give and take. The power exchange between the two is fascinating to watch, like a train wreck.
The punishment and sex scenes pleased and satisfied my kink. Some were detailed in a gritty manner, others were summaries, glossing over the dark deviance. Both styles turned me on. I've come to a realization that Ms. Joseph's stories will just mess with my emotions. They turn me on but they are so wrong. Maybe I need to use the safeword "Mercy" with Ms. Joseph? -
Could not finish for the life of me. The more i read the more i grew detached from the characters. It gave me the shivers. Lucy and Matthew are FU***D UP! He is an abusive asshole and she started of more then OK but then graduated to the position of a DOORMAT! Even that I could take, it's just a book, right?
BUT!!!!
She overdoses on painkillers, and she is unconscious!
He finds out she was raped!
HE RAPES HER TO GET HER PREGNANT-FOR HER OWN GOOD WHILE SHE'S STILL UNCONSCIOUS??!!!!???
WTF? I almost got sick. No i couldn't- WOULDN'T finish this book. He belongs in a padded cell. She belongs on a nice sofa with a nice doctor. She was five months pregnant when i stopped reading. How the hell does she see her life going? Breastfeed the kid, put him to sleep and then go down to the basement so daddy can beat the shit out of mommy???? Aaaaaw how sweet, can't wait for the kid's show n tell in school..."This is daddy's favorite cane, he uses it on mommy when she's a bad girl."
Disgusting, revolting and seriously perverted. -
4 STARS!
Originally I DNF'd this one back in Oct 2017 because it was just too violent for me. But for some reason I've been on a serious smut bender lately. :D And you all know how hard it is to find well-written smut.
So I gave it another try, and this time I got caught up in it!
If you're in the mood for serious S&M with an angsty plot, you can't go wrong with Annabel Joseph. -
Verra mechanical, un-erotic scenes. So not sexy when told - not shown - thru 1st POV, long ass narrative. The author's voice just didn't work on so many levels. I was looking for a hardcore, spankalicious story but it turned out to be limp Bizkit. Ballerina got raped by stalkerific fan 3 years ago, but craves pain & degradation as therapy. Mutual insta luv between hypocritical H/h. Honorable mention : HEA is achieved after hero intentionally drops his potent li'l swimmers in heroine's canal 4 X - to stop her from continuing w/ her joint-killing ballet career - while she's unconscious & pumped full of painkillers. Accidental baby caps off a sordid, twisted, half-assed BDSM tale. U get the typical gizmos in this epic unromantic cocktail :
~ nipple clams
~ Plenty of unexciting blow jobs
~ severe caning (her ass must be made of rubber cuz she's able to dance her ass off day & nite)
~ anal plugs
~ ménage, M/F/M, girl-on-girl action
~ bondage
~ did I mention spanking till her rubbery ass bleeds @ the hands of hero's driver cum kinky partner ?
~ gay ballet dancer BFF who comes up w/ the brilliant idea of hero impregnating comatose heroine & then advises pissed-off heroine to let bygones be bygones cuz hero's deed was founded by tru luv
~ urination in heroine's mouth but thank gawd for small mercies hero stops his friends in the nick of time
~ weepy heroine whose tear ducts do ballerina splits @ the least provocation in every page, U'd think she'd need some IV for all the fluids she keeps losing upstairs & downstairs
~ endless dry clinical humping despite bangable heroine weeping copiously
~ 4-peat jailbait rapist hero & TSTL heroine pop out bundle of joy after briefly heading to splitsville
~ F bombs in almost every sentence that dribbles outta hero's mouth. Terms of endearment is a foreign concept for him. -
I've liked all of Annabel's books I have read and this one is no exception. I almost started it a couple of months ago but the negativity of some of the reviews scared me away at first. But I am glad I did take the time to read it.
So many of Ms. Joseph's submissives are so driven, their desire is so strong. Lucy certainly is right up there. But this time there are a couple of twists - the end of her dancing career and the "event" - that ratchet up the intensity level way higher than any I have seen before.
I liked Matthew from the start but really had some major problems with him. Like most of Annabel's male characters, he enjoyed hard playing but didn't like all of the now-traditional protocols. I honestly think that might have helped them a bit when they couldn't figure out where to start and stop. Also I was surprised he didn't give her her own room - that is kind of a staple. And the Truth stuff gets a little old when he isn't telling her everything either - like how he figured out she was a submissive had nothing to do with watching her dance.
The scene with the two doms and the girl: I didn't get it at first, but I did by the end. I can't believe Matthew took her there and let them hurt Lucy. Those were 3 very messed up people - extremely evident later when the two guys walked away at the theater. Normal people would be sad or disappointed - you walk away angry, there is something seriously wrong with you. I do give Matthew credit for making her promise - that is the only part of the whole thing with them he did correctly.
I usually love how Annabel usually handles safeword play and I was really disappointed in Matthew. I don't care if she uses her safeword because her nose itches, that is her right and I think it is irresponsible to put limits up. And forcing her to safeword out of a beating - that is more irresponsible. And then to leave her alone afterward - that was doubly irresponsible. If she hadn't packed up and left afterward, I would have been disappointed in her but she did exactly the right thing.
So... another emotional roller-coaster ride. A lot of highs and lows but will not disappoint in the end. -
Erotic, arresting, and as deeply distressing as it is sensual, this story is brazen in its depiction of D/s. It gets to you through its uncomfortable intensity rather than complex plot twists, but Ms. Joseph has a magnetic talent with words.
Despite the heavy doses of rough sex, it is meaty for a peddler of its type. If the taboo explicitness was moved behind the curtain, the psychological elements alone could carry the story.
There aren't any breath-catching moments of sappy relief for the reader, as the characters develop--softening and hardening--they push you well past your comfort zone. And it's all the better because of it. The plot loses none of its tension as the pages turn.
This is a raw and defiant piece of work, one of the best in dark, gritty BDSM romance. Ms. Joseph creates an assault on the libido, one that will leave you feeling both filthy and aroused. The sex scenes and characters practically tug at your girly bits with ironclad clamps, and you'll beg for more despite yourself. -
Wow - I just finished this book. I am normally pretty open to BDSM, D/s, controlling relationships, etc.. I've read a bunch of other books that fall into this category and have enjoyed them. I can honestly say, though, that I did not enjoy this book.
It opens with Lucy basically saying that she is emotionally bankrupt (as in - no capacity to scream out her rage & anger and no ability to cry when she needs to). She meets this guy who makes her uncomfortable on a base level but decides to embark on this "honest" relationship roller-coaster with him. Their "relationship" is pretty much - he gives orders while degrading & disrespecting her on every imaginable level and her eagerly complying with his wishes while pushing everyone & everything else from her life all while CRYING at every turn.
Matthew, as a character, was "insta-squick" for me. I am NOT on board with humiliation & degradation. I kept waiting to get HIS story. What made him tick - it never really got there. It was glossed over at one point that he grew up poor, in squalor, etc... but no real justification was ever given for his utter lack of basic human decency & complete lack of any redeeming qualities.
Lucy has serious issues of her own. Outside of "the incident 3 years ago", I found myself waiting for something from her. Like maybe.....A BACKBONE? AN OUNCE OF SELF RESPECT? ANYTHING other than sniveling & crying ALL.THE.TIME!!!
She allowed herself to be abused repeatedly - allowed him to use her - allowed his friends and one of his employees to use & abuse her. Complete & total lack of self-worth & self-respect. Even after such a vile & disgusting betrayal of her trust & vulnerability - SHE STILL WENT BACK! WHAT?!?!?!
I will say this, at the very least, the author has made me feel something (albeit, anger & frustration) and that is a huge part of the battle for an author, right? I will make an effort to read other work by this author because I feel like she is a talented writer. I just wish that I could have connected, on any level, with this book or any of the characters. I was never able to connect or relate to any part of this story because I wanted to slap Lucy for being so useless & I wanted to kick Matthew (you know where!!!) because he was such a worthless human being! -
Mercy is probably the most realistic BDSM story I have read so far. It was quite refreshing to read romantic book which was not so lovey-dovey. Moreover, the storyline was truly unexpected. Every coin has two sides and it is the same with this story. On the one side, I found their relationship disturbing and I had hard time to connect with characters. But on the other side, whole story was untraditional, interesting and it was hard to put down.
Lucy, main female character, has her dancing but otherwise she is unhappy woman who is confused with her life. She was confident about herself outside but very unsure inside. Mathew, main male character, was very rough and cruel with words at the beginning. As Dom, he was very strict and there were times I didn't know what to think about their relationship.
Mercy is a dark story. I was not OK with some stuff they were doing , but the whole book was definitely very interesting. This story was also excellent example of how being untruthful may mess up with your life in various, usually terrible, ways. If you are not afraid to read some darker stuff, this book is perfect choice for you. But I was glad for ending, it balanced whole story in the best possible way.
My favourite quote: -
Wasn't sure if I should rate this a 3 or 4 because it was a mess at times, but because I enjoyed the ending I went with a 4.
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MERCY is one of those fantastic, but slightly twisted reads that leaves you feeling excited and a little confused about why you enjoyed it so much.
Millionaire Matthew and dancer Lucy begin their relationship as master and slave in a very business like fashion. Matthew explains what her role as his submissive would be like with such clinical detachment that it truly boggled my mind and it was obviously just as confusing to Lucy...but it was also very exciting. Watching their relationship grow was an interesting and erotic journey, but also disturbing at times. I found myself struggling with Matthew's actions and questioning his ability to make rational decisions about all matters relating to Lucy. I had to constantly remind myself that their behavior was just part of and specific to their D/s relationship.
In order to preserve the surprise ending, I won't address specifics, but the path Matthew eventually chose to take their relationship was quite shocking to me and really crossed a line - violating Lucy's trust and rights as a human being. I was disgusted with his choices. Then I had to remind myself that he was like this from the beginning....teetering on the narrow ledge between the obsessive / stalkerish tendencies that he so commonly displayed and the admiration and love he obviously felt for Lucy. As much as Lucy and Matthew's behavior disturbed me, it kind of excited me too and I was ultimately pleased with the story.
If you want an erotically dark read that is sure to leave you struggling with your emotions long after you have finished, then look no further than MERCY.
✳✳ Reviewed on
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Bookie Nookie's Erotic Lending Group -
After reading this I have discovered I do not like a Dominant male referring to his Submissive female as a slut or whore etc.
This is a BDSM story with minimal BDSM. He controls her without all the paraphernalia usually seen in these types of stories. He does control her well- up to a point.
You can feel her pain when her body and legs ache from her dancing and her punishments.
He betrays her terribly and I did have issues with this act.I am not sure if I would forgive him, but I guess it is what she ultimately wanted although she denies it.
I did enjoy this book, and it did have several surprises, but for some reason it did not soar for me- almost- but not quite.
I will read her other books s she is an excellent writer and weaves a good tale. -
1st read 11-12 July 2014
2nd read 12-13 June 2015
Buddy read with
Maru
They are one of the most fucked up couple I've ever read
4.5* -
Again, Good Lord!!! It irritates me to no end when readers know the book is about spanking/discipline, dark erotica, BDSM, twisted, & whatever else, but still buy the book anyway just to give it a low rating. Looking for something like FSOG is no excuse, and for those of you who listened, when the person that recommended it to you told you it was like FSOG, you're both stuck on stupid! Can you read or not? How do you even get to that conclusion?
Hey hater/idiots get a clue. We buy these types of books because we love them. Nothing you say or do no matter how many close minded people like you go into hard working authors sights, and give them one star ratings, (WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE BULLIED) into thinking that you're right, and stop buying what we like.
It's a freaking shame that you would come on these review sites and review a book you knew you wouldn't like in the first place with 1 or 2 stars. People like you make me so sick! I have never left reviews or thought I needed goodreads for reviewing books, but I am so tired of you so self-proclaimed EXPERTS!
If you think its wrong and you hate it so bad, then why are you here? Maybe you hate yourself because deep down inside you truly crave a strong man to give you a good spanking, or tie you up or something. Go write your own book and see how hard it is. Can't please everybody!!!
We don't want you freaks interfering with what we LOVE, so go away & stay away. It's so easy for you to do all of your hating behind the comfort of your computer. You people make me so sick!!!! And people like you are now why I have a goodreads account. Somebody has to stand up for these great hard working authors. I think I'll start doing reviews like this on my Amazon account too, because you leaches will suck an author dry if you could.
Keep writing for the ones like me, the ones who love Domestic discipline, dark erotica, bdsm, taboo, etc. I don't live it, but I love reading it, and I'm smart enough to put certain works in the right perspective!
For you haters, screw you!! This was also a great book!
I'm so sorry Annabel for having to do this on you authors book pages, but this is my only way to say what I have to say about all the mightier than thou narrow-minded folk!
Wish I could meet you in person. Much love and keep up the great work!! -
Lucy Merritt is at the tail end of her ballet dance career. Late twenties is still a baby for mortals, but nearing thirty for a dancer is creeping toward retirement. Matthew Norris is the new dance company investor with an intense interest in everything related to her. Lucy recognizes a powerful connection, open to exploring his world of wealth, and passion.
The Good:
1. I love a dance theme, and Lucy's story felt so real. The beauty and ugliness of that world is really brought to life well.
2. Matthew is the controlling kind of hot that works so well in BDSM romance. He is so rigid, but reverent.
3. This is hardcore BDSM, prepared to be shocked.
4. This is a true standalone.
The Bad:
1. I didn't like how all her outside interests were ruled out by him.
2. The ending is what took this more into the taboo erotica realm. I can't give much detail without spoiling. This also serves as the trigger warning.
Final Thoughts:
Annabel Joseph once again drew me into her dark BDSM fantasy world. It is scary in its intensity. There is also a lot of beauty to balance that out. -
This is one of the first books in years that I nearly didn't finish. As an avid reader of BDSM fiction, I'm not particularly squeamish, open minded about texts containing dubious consent and I really enjoy reading various interpretations of the D/s dynamic. I was therefore shocked to find that this book honestly disgusted me and left me feeling rather empty and genuinely quite miserable.
The protagonists show very little ability to understand that their interactions amount to little more than abuse. To me this book portrayed a man intent on selfishly destroying the spirit of his parter, a partner that spent the majority of the novel despairing about her predicament yet refusing to help herself. This book did not portray mutual satisfaction for it's characters. For me, one of the main attractions of BDSM fiction is that generally speaking, anything goes, as as both partners are satisfied. The second half of the book did improve, as the male lead developed some humanity (after violating Lucy in a horrendous way) but at this point it was already ruined for me. This text provided little satisfaction for the characters or for myself as a reader. -
This book wasn't for me. The heroine, Lucy, was a depressing character. She seemed so lonely and sad. The hero seemed to almost hate Lucy at times. He was almost borderline abusive to her. I know this is a Dom/Sub relationship, but he still seemed excessively cruel and cold to her. This just wasn't my type of romance!
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IF YOU INTEND TO READ THIS BOOK THEN AVOID READING MY REVIEW
4.5 actually. SO HERE IS THE NOTE TO GR: half points please!
who needs a hero when antiheroes are more appealing?
This is my third book by the amazing Annabel Joseph. I read it last night while waiting to chat with her at
http://www.kriscook.net/chat.html.
And again this woman managed to put me on such an emotional ride, a rollercoaster which I didn't want to get off. A slight masochistic trail I'm harbouring? lol I was told by a friend (you know who you're) not to rely on fiction BDSM because the world out there is completely different. there are no Doms like the ones I met in the books, yet a girl can play a "movie cinema" in her head... Books like these are testing my emotioal treshold and maybe before I wouldn't even bother picking them up to read. Some of the authors have changed my preception and sent me on a research crusades. You live - you learn! And I can tell by now that only written by the authors who're living the life those books can have such an impact on me. they can rile me up, calm me down like a good Dom does to his sub: cuddling after a play, only to throw me back in the game and demand more from me: wanting me to find my joy in it too.
Matthew Norris is a rich developer who's "a collector of beautiful things" and finds Lucy " so beautiful that [he has] to have [her]. "I need you to be mine. I thought it might be enough to own paintings of you, but it wasn’t." He's obsessed with Lucy, the ballerina who's the reason that he becomes one of the big donors to the Company she dances for, but he's honest to her, because he wants her to be clinically honest with him. "Sorry, I don’t want another girlfriend. I just want a submissive to put through her paces. I’m giving you truth here, Lucy. I’m not saying that to hurt you.”.... “You know, I want to own you and I want to use you. I want your obedience and beauty. But what I really want is for you to find joy in it too.”
I still tremble from his words. Imaging myself at that isolated table in the back of a café where "low music played as we sit in darkness and clouds of cigarette smoke". Because I anticipate that power exchange. I crave it actually, while I'm nipping on the glass of my red wine totally oblivious to the world around me because at this hour: "the whole world seems to have taken an air of unreality":
“ Exchanging power is erotically charged, yes, and it can be deeply sexual, but it’s about much more than just getting off. It will meet needs you didn’t even realize you had. It will meet needs for you and me both. And it would be safe, of course. Everything we did together would be absolutely safe and consensual.”
But damn him, it is difficult to be with someone who has so many rules, "rules that changed all the time. New rules that were made, old rules he got tired of and discarded, that I was then punished for continuing to follow. But he followed my two rules without complaint and I was thankful for that, because I didn’t get fired, and I didn’t get pregnant."
And this poor soul will get pregnant. Because the bastard made a decision for her that if she continued dancing i.e. destroying her body she'd die. So when his driver brings her home unconscious from all the drugs she's taken to kill the pains in her body he comes in her four times!!! Matthew you're nothing better than a rapist she didn't tell you about the one that will be the reason for you to push her way once she's conscious again. You think she's into pain and humiliation BECAUSE of the rape? You stupid prick! *grrrr* I hardly ever saw you talking to her, wanting to get to know her, you wanted to know her bodily responses to you but not HER!
You were turning her into BDSM version of Eliza Doolittle: "My inflection, my accent, all of it was criticized and improved. If I spoke in a way that annoyed him, he would slap me sharply or give me a shake and I’d have to speak again, better, more politely, more deferentially, just as he liked.. She doesn't even dare to scoot over and press against you. She imagines herself snuggling against you, her arm coming over your waist to rest around your perfect flat belly, her fingertips tracing up and down your trail. But she faces your (fuckingly great) back while she's lying naked in your bed in which she sleeps only because you might get horny in the middle of the night.
Things will get rough, because you fear your emotions but after she realized "All of this strange softening of Matthew around me, the affectionate kisses, the cuddles, things like the birthday cake, I was so happy he felt all right with doing these things, because it meant I had finally convinced him that my emotions were not a threat. That I no longer harbored unrealistic fantasies, that I wouldn’t flip out and ask him for love. That I wouldn’t expect any commitment. Things got so much easier, so much simpler after that. .
She wishes you'd fall for her just like she did for you. And in one of your rages you admitted having fallen for her but on your way, Matthew: “You know why they call it falling, Lucy? Why they call it falling in love? Because it’s completely out of your control. And I hate being out of control.” It was just then that she used her safe word. Just then for the first time in all these weeks, which she didn't not even when she was gagged and chained and blindfolded and fucked at Frank and Barney's or when you used your driver to draw her blood which you promised never to happen and fuck her!
Even the greatest submissive, the one who had to fake her love for you has to scream: MERCY! to wake you up, to shake you up from your nightmare just like you shook her up!
But you're lost Matthew because "If [she] didn't enjoy what [you] did, [you were] lost." and she's not using it against you. She's terrified. The fact that I could hurt him, that I had a way to cause him distress. Oh help me but I would have. I would hurt you!
You have this beautiful thing and you're not appreciating her beauty. Oh don't tell me that paying loads of money for her canvas is "appreciation" You're a collector of beautiful things, remember?
But the way to (love') hell is paved with good intentions. And your good intention was to "help" her out of the viscous circle with which she was destroying herself. Bloody prick *where is a cane when I need one, and a good gag-ball, and ball-crusher!* Having Keats and getting married might have been the best thing ever that happened to both of you, but there are other ways, Matthew Noris! You can order your sub to marry you, but you cannot put her in a position where she cannot chose!
you were DETERMINED no to love her. *smirks* GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!
Annabel here is a question for you:
how come she didn't notice the sperm after she got up for the first time? o.k. she was busy being nauseated and throwing up but for someone who's obsessed with not getting pregnant... -
Wow, I couldn't believe the plot device used in this book. It was actually disturbing and I have read some crazy stuff. Honestly, I don't mind non-consensual scenes in books, but when you through in something like and near the end of the book, out of nowhere, it was rather confusing. Not the itself, but the fact that it was so out of character for the hero and it made him look childish and idiotic.
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This was the first time I've read anything by Annabel Joseph. It was recommended to me by a fellow Rauncher who had just begun to explore BDSM books. I picked up Mercy for a few reason: a) it was recommended b) the heroine was a dancer and I have a personal connection with dance and c) I was looking for something to follow up Fifty Shades of Grey in terms of a contractual BDSM relationship.
I had a hell of a time wrapping my head around this book. I was enjoying the ride for probably about the first half-ish, but then things took a serious turn. Mind you, while BDSM isn't quite my cup o' tea I still enjoy reading about it, if only because I find it fascinating. I've only really skimmed the surface of the genre, and Mercy really delved into areas that pushed me to a place I wasn't comfortable. Like humiliation. And taking control in a manner that leaves the submissive with no choice whatsoever. I really struggled to push through my personal disagreement in the character's choices and behaviors, but unfortunately it just dampened the rest of the book for me.
First of all, our heroine starts out interesting enough but she fell flat for me at the halfway point. No pun intended. She reminded me of that girl in high school who drops all of her friends when her flavor of the week comes along. She cuts her friends out of her life as things begin to revolve around her Dom, and I really disliked her for that. Our hero made less than admirable choices as well toward the climax of the plot that really left me wanting to throw this book at the wall and wonder why the hell I was still reading.
There was potential here and unfortunately it didn't pan out for me. The characters doomed themselves with decisions I ultimately disagreed with and just flat out couldn't process.
