Review: Diary of a Submissive

Rating: 4 Stars
Genre: BDSM Memoir
Author: Sophie Morgan Twitter
Release Date: September 4, 2012
Blurb: In Diary of a Submissive, Sophie Morgan candidly explains what exactly an independent, 21st century woman gets out of relinquishing her power and personal freedom in a submissive relationship with a dominant man for their mutual sexual pleasure.

In the wake of Fifty Shades of Grey, here is a memoir that offers the real story of what is means to be a submissive and follows Sophie’s story as she progresses from her early erotic experiences through to experimenting with her newfound awakened sexuality. From the endorphin rush of her first spanking right through to being collared, she explains in frank and explicit fashion her sexual explorations. But it isn’t until she meets James, a real life ‘Christian Grey,’ that her boundaries and sexual fetishism are really pushed. As her relationship with James travels into darker and darker places, the question becomes: Where will it end? Can Sophie reconcile her sexuality with the rest of her life, and is it possible for the perfect man to be perfectly cruel?

Daring, controversial, and sensual, Diary of a Submissive is filled with a captivating warmth and astounding honesty such that no one— man or woman—will be able to put Sophie's story down.

This book is not for the faint of heart, the romantic, or the lover of perfectly bow-wrapped endings. It is an honest and gripping tale from someone who is still living her life and doesn't quite know how it will end. When I picked up Diary of a Submissive, I was interested in learning more about the relationship between a real Dominant and submissive in the BDSM culture. As someone who isn't a part of the lifestyle, the only way I felt that I could be educated was to read more and Sophie certainly enlightened me.

Sophie opens up her earliest memories to readers and ends her story in present time. She's had no trauma-inducing fetish or terrible family upbringing causing her attractions to be misplaced and quickly dismisses that stereotype. We then begin learning about Sophie's first experience of arousal when watching Maid Marion chained up and awaiting rescue from Robin Hood (while secretly hoping that Guy Gisbourne came in to teach her a thing or two) and continue through her sexual awakening in college that included a hair brush not used for detangling - if you catch my drift. 

But Sophie also teaches us about her life. She is honestly independent, hard-headed, professional, silly, fun...she just gets her kicks differently than the rest of us. This enabled me to connect with her. I believe every person is multi-faceted and that no one is able to see all facets of another individual, there is always something hidden privately in each of us (not that Sophie HIDES...this is just her private life).

I think that the most difficult experiences to read about were those that occurred in Sophie's D/s relationship with Thomas. This is when her true sexual potential is realized and on display for all. Although Thomas and Sophie are not interested in a "real relationship" with each other, they do enjoy playing together. The humiliation, degradation, and pain that Sophie experiences I cannot begin to think of as enjoyable, however, I do understand that this is what presses her buttons...and she is obviously enjoying the outcome of these scenarios. That being said, these scenes are not comfortable to read.

Soon Thomas meets a sub that he may be able to have a real relationship with and Sophie bows out graciously while looking for her own marriage-material Dom. This is when Sophie meets James. And James is everything she's ever wanted...but how kinky does he like to get? As Sophie and James experiment with each other, the reader begins to understand the loving and devoted side both Dominant and submissive must have for one another. The relationship they begin to build is as dedicated and honest as any and I found myself really enjoying both the dominating, sadistic and the romantic, blazer-wearing, wine-drinking side to James.

Without giving away the ending to Diary of a Submissive, I simply wish there was more. I found myself so intrigued by this person's life that when it ended I re-read the final chapter HOPING I missed something...but no such luck. I appreciated the honesty and straight-forward way Sophie told her story and how difficult it must've been to display her life to the world. I do feel more "educated" in the psyche of a submissive, and although not entirely understanding, at least appreciative of this lifestyle and less judgmental - which was my ultimate goal. 

This is definitely a book that I would recommend to those interested in learning about the D/s culture that hasn't been fictionized. I am proud to have Diary of a Submissive on my bookshelf and am looking forward to reading more from Sophie Morgan.

xo,

Jenna Lynne