But on the island she is anything but alone. Josh serves as caretaker and general handyman on the island along with his good friend Marcus, who often visits from the city and enjoys the island's solitary existence. Assured by Lisette that Josh and his drop-dead companion are both gay, Lauren expects no complications in her quest for rest and relaxation.

It takes only a short time for Lauren to find out Lisette was mistaken on Josh's sexual orientation. While Marcus does practice an alternate lifestyle, Josh is hetero and emanates sexual vitality. Lauren also recognizes personality traits in the two men that she is more than casually familiar with.

Lauren enjoys a walk on the wild side and enjoys submission and dominance in her relationships. She frequents the kink clubs when in the city and recognizes Marcus from a club. Likewise, she and Marcus practice dominance and each is amused to find they share this preference in common.

Josh on the other hand is a submissive and a damaged one at that. Lauren senses his wounded spirit equals hers in the bad relationship department and she vows to help Josh, through trust of her domination and his healing through submission. Through this give and take relationship, each partner finds a new lease on life and with Marcus as a willing participant, they forge lasting emotional bonds, stronger than any restraints.

If you are a newcomer to the dominance and submission aspect of romance, or are curious and not sure if it is something you would enjoy in a plot, then Holding the Cards is the perfect introduction into that realm of sensuality. Certainly not harsh, this book delves lightly into the lifestyle using it as a beneficial tool in healing broken hearts and crushed spirits. It is not an uncomfortable read, which some extreme books on the topic can be, but rather shows a loving, caring triangle of friendship and love, that is both sexually hot and emotionally satisfying. This is not a kinky read by any means, but a deep understanding of what it takes to maintain a relationship of dominance and submission without destroying trust between partners.

I enjoyed this book immensely and came away with a fuller understanding of an alternate lifestyle that has long been practiced but seldom shared in such a raw emotional display of literary talent. Thank you Ms. Hill for the enlightening experience!

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Explicit

Reviewer: Torie West
December 26, 2003