Giving In, Surrender Trilogy book 2 by Maya Banks

In some ways I love Maya Banks as an author. She writes characters the reader comes to care about, situations that are believable, and shows an understanding of what the inter-workings of D/s (Dominant/submissive) can be. In other ways I dislike her as an author. Each novel I have read of hers so far shows people getting involved in this lifestyle who were abused or had something clearly wrong with their history. This plays into the idea that people who choose to be involved in this lifestyle have something wrong with them- that gets my hackles up. There are people involved in the lifestyle who have been abused, and yes, the internal fight concerning society’s views of someone choosing to submit does exist in a great many of us. I have heard many times how men are told you never hit a woman – this world flies in the face of that because many of us find a kind of release in that kind of submission/play.

Sharing your history, sharing your pain is a growth all real relationships have to go through – if they’re going to last; especially those that involve D/s. “Emotional surrender was the most powerful of all, but it also made people so much more vulnerable. And it would absolutely frighten her as much as the more physical aspects of dominance and submission.” This is a very true statement – letting someone into your mind, into your emotions makes you so much more vulnerable than letting someone use toys or tell you what to do. Submissive women choose to submit. Choose to offer their surrender into a dominant’s keeping. Learning to relax into your partner, truly trusting the person beside you with your heart, your history, your soul changes you.

I love the relationships we see between the women in the Surrender Trilogy. Each of the women have to find love and through the ups and downs they have to learn to trust themselves and their partners. Trust after all is what makes submission possible and yes, so beautiful.

4 stars