Review: HIS ELLE

By Jemima Valentino

Blurb:

A creature of beauty and intelligence is a rare breed, especially one who so wantonly offers the submission of her soul to another.

Through a chance meeting at an urgent care clinic, Elle and her Master soon fall unintentionally and desperately in love, embarking on a deeply intense BDSM relationship. Knowing they must soon part, Elle is pushed further than ever before. Through one final limitless display of submission, expertly guided by her Master, can Elle truly release her fears and give him all of her heart?

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His Elle is the impressive debut novella of Jemima Valentino.  It is a glimpse at a few moments in the lives of Elle and her Master, who have a loving and passionate total power exchange relationship.  They meet at an urgent care clinic in Detroit where he is the doctor on call.  (We never learn his real name.)  Elle is an English writer who has come to America for work.  One night, she is the victim of an assault, and though unethical, he is immediately attracted to this fragile and beautiful creature.  He wants to heal this "broken angel" both physically and emotionally.  For Elle, that healing is through becoming his slave, giving over control and regaining her strength through trust.

The story jumps two years ahead to the point where Elle is ready to fully submit to her Master, and if she passes this final test of trust, she will be set free from the pain of her past.  The BDSM in this story is vivid and felt very real.  Elle's ultimate test of submission involved bondage, spanking, teasing, minor humiliation and knife play.  Elle's Master was rather strict, but I never doubted his intense love for her. 

His Elle is one of those stories that will haunt my thoughts for a longtime.  The characters were written with such depth that I was feeling their emotions too - passion, fear, joy, anger, heartbreak.  The ending was a bit of a shock, and it left me with much to think about.  I only wish the author would have given us more details about their life together prior to this night.

I am becoming more and more attracted to books with serious, intense BDSM relationships that are not always the romantic ideal.  I decided to give His Elle an extra half-point rating because it pushed all the right buttons for me - emotionally gripping story, complex characters, solid writing and of course, hot, hot sex!  I would highly recommend this book for those with an appreciation of the BDSM lifestyle, and for those looking for well written, emotionally charged erotica to push the limits of their comfort zone.  I am adding Jemima Valentino to my list of favorite new authors!  

Review copy courtesy of the author.