Diane Whiteside The Switch

The Switch

Diane Whiteside

Berkley, Jan 2006, $14.00, 304 pp.

ISBN: 0425208176

In 2001 Seattle, former Army Ranger Sean Lindstrom owns the building containing the bookstore near the BDSM dungeon. There he meets US Treasury Agent Beth Nakamura who is looking for various non-fiction sex books. She orders him into the backroom and he obeys her command. She demands the submissive follow her orders and Sean does everything she commands she do ending with him jacking himself off in front of her. She is stunned with how easily she took control of this big dude while he is shocked that he came easily as he has been a monk for about a dozen years.

They agree to meet for more S&M lighthearted fun and when they do sparks fly. As they share sexual fantasies, Beth and Sean fall in love with one another, but both have monster doubts about a future together. He is a widower with a high school senior son whose memories of marriage are not that good while she was humiliated by her womanizing ex-fianc so has trust issues.

Though the opening encounter at the bookstore (not the ten years earlier military operation in Latin America) seems more a fantasy, erotic romance readers will appreciate this fine look at dominant-submissive behavior. The relationship between the lead couple starts off at a high bang and never slows down as they enjoy their sexual encounters. Not for everyone, THE SWITCH is a heated novel that takes adjusting to the topic, but once done readers will appreciate that the tough ex Ranger who could kill without blinking has a submissive streak in the bedroom; now to find those satin ropes.

Harriet Klausner