Home Coming

Ian is the CEO of the family business and a slightly bratty sub. Teran, his husband and Master of five years, is an investigator with the state police. This is a short prequel to a future book that establishes: how they met, their couple dynamic, and what a typical day is like for them. This works well from Ian's POV to show how much he enjoys all of this. He loves and is proud of his husband. This story has elements of BDSM, but describes the tools in terms of sound and touch, more than visual--shapes are described more than color, for instance. This is sexy, but really a primer for the book that will explore their vacation at a BDSM resort. I liked when they took a break from those roles for regular dinner conversation. I would say this is effective at establishing them as a couple and giving the reader a taste of the author's writing style.

Fans of lifestyle Dom/sub relationships are going to find Elizabeth Noble’s Pain and Pleasure series right up their alley. According to the blurb the short story Home Coming precedes the couple’s vacation to a BDSM resort. Within its pages it establishes the dynamic between the main characters, showing the level of play these two practice on a daily basis…. In just twenty-four pages we get everything from spanking to sounding. Married for five years, there is clearly a strong bond between the couple outside of their D/s relationship. Noble gives us a good idea of the commitment between them with scenes of the couple interacting over a meal, sharing household chores, and snuggling before bed. Told entirely from Ian’s point of view we see deep into his reactions as he anticipates and experiences everything Taren dreams up. Ian’s playful nature shows he likes to push Taren’s buttons a bit, and welcomes his Dom’s discipline when he knows he’s earned it. His cheeky recounting of arriving home late tells us he knows just which lines he’s willing to cross. Opposites physically, and with an age difference of fifteen years, both men exude a poise and self-confidence in Home Coming that’s very compelling. No idea if we’ll be getting Taren’s perspective in future episodes, but I sure hope so, I’m definitely staying on board for where this series takes me - I can hardly wait to see what the vacation brings!