Ashley Zacharias

At first, I found all the characters rather dislikeable (even the heroine Starr, who seemed to lack agency through the entire book, which is remarkable for how Zacharias writes women). I found as the story progressed, though, that Dalton and Starr became a little more sympathetic, which I like to think was Zacharias' design showing how Starr's perception changed. Zacharias' subject matter is often bizarre, but she certainly has a particular voice, and writes skilfully within it.

I should note that this is a little closer to [b:Her Strange Bedfellows|28868692|Her Strange Bedfellows|Ashley Zacharias|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1454417618s/28868692.jpg|49101129]"Her Strange Bedfellows" than other Ashley Zacharias books - her usual inventive cruelty is missing, so if that's you what you're looking for I suggest you go to her earlier work.

In summary, this is perhaps not her best but I do not begrudge the time I spent reading it, and I'll be interested to see what she does next.
… (altro)

I don’t know why I thought there were four stories in there. Completed the third and . . . wait, “The End”? But . . .. Turned page, and there’s this afterward. Hmms. No idea why I thought there were four stories in there. Oh. That’s why I thought there were four stories. From the books description.

“Four stories about a woman who likes to spice up the games she plays by giving herself painful and humiliating penalties if she loses. In the first three stories, she plays backgammon on the Internet. In the fourth story, she plays an erotic game of her own invention with her new husband. All stories feature consensual bondage and masochistic activities.”

Um. “In the fourth story . . .”. Um no. The last story in the book that I read involved Leslie bound in her living room for an entire weekend with three massive windows uncovered and the lights on. It did not involve her “play[ing] an erotic game of her own invention with her new husband.” Did I get a defective copy of the book? The sample from Amazon, and the preview on Goodreads both indicate that there are only three stories in the book.

Oh. “The previous seditions of A Lady Pays Her Penalties and A Lady Plays for High Stakes differed from these editions in two ways. First, “The Wore-For-A-Day-Game” was previously included in A Lady Pays Her Penalties. For better thematic consistence, it has been moved into this volume, A Lady Plays for High Stakes.” – so says a note at the beginning of the second book in the series. So, the book I read had had four stories, but now is supposed to only have three stories. Alright then.

Okay then. This was a book containing three short stories involving the same characters. Well, same two then an additional third in the third story.

There’s a forward in the book about sexual masochistic people. And about how this book contained stories involving one such woman, Leslie. I’ve one small problem with that – for the most part, the first two stories appear less to involve a sexual masochistic person, and more to involve a woman who, at a minimum, is super competitive and felt the need to punish herself when she lost games. Such a person is not exactly the same thing as a sexual masochistic person. The third story also seemed more about self-abuse that was not in any way enjoyed and only suffered through because of how super competitive Leslie is about stuff. At least until she accidentally and unexpectedly found some pleasure spring upon her during the humiliating scenes in the third story. All the way up to that point, she got nothing out of it. At least she was described as having gotten nothing sexual out of the events. I would assume, maybe wrongly, that a sexual masochistic person would ‘get something’ out of being a masochist. To reiterate, Leslie got nothing out of the first two stories but punishment – which, I know, can be what a masochist wants, but I mean sexual pleasure from the events, and from the punishments. Leslie got pain, humiliation, disgust, more pain, and what she wanted – punished for losing. As I said, she seemed like a super competitive woman who didn’t take losing very well.

I just read a story about Aaron Rodgers, a professional quarter back. It mentions how super competitive he is. How he turns everything into a competition and hates to lose. I do not exactly imagine him punishing himself when he loses so much as I could see him as the kind of person who, if he felt the need to punish himself for losing, would do so and feel no pleasure in it. I mean, that kind of defeats the purpose of punishment, yes? To get rewarded for losing?

So, to a large extent, that’s my problem with that forward about sexual masochists and calling Leslie one. Because she was described, shown, and revealed as someone who was super competitive and who needed to punish herself. She was revealed as someone who needed to punish herself, not reward herself. Even if the ‘reward’ would be seen as others as punishment. If she got ‘something’ from punishing herself, orgasmic release, anything like that, I doubt she would be happy with that. To put it another way, if she ‘enjoyed’ finding pleasure from self-fondling/pleasuring/etc. and that was the way she got enjoyment/pleasure/etc. then I doubt she would have, as a punishment – self-fondling. Similarly, if she got enjoyment/pleasure/etc. from having someone whip her, I doubt she would feel she has been punished by having someone whip her. And, to a large extent, Leslie was described as someone who got nothing except punishment from the actions that occurred. That is, as noted, up until a moment in the third story when she found herself – while in great pain/humiliation/degradation, - found her body responding through the pain to find pleasure.

The third story revealed someone who might now follow up on this revelation and find that they are a sexual masochist. The first two stories did not involve a sexual masochist, or at least, they didn’t except in the sense that they built on themselves and lead to the third story which lead to the awakening of a sexual masochist. I’m lifting that word directly from the forward and the description – masochist. I’m getting annoyed that it keeps being underlined red as being incorrectly spelled.

Right, as normal I included little notes to myself as I went along.

"First story completed 4 stars. Well written. Not arousing, & not sure about erotic.

Note: Introduction mentions some people just love pain. First story involves woman who is competitive to point needs to punish self. Seemed to get no enjoyment from pain. POV - helper, though." - The point of view was from the helper, Craig, who spotted for her so that she didn’t accidentally kill herself. She almost lost a hand due to self-bondage gone wrong, and Craig had to break into her house to save her – this was an event prior to the start of this book. The point of view of the first book was from Craig’s perspective, so I do not know if pleasure would have been revealed if the first story would have been from Leslie’s point of view. I kind of doubt that, though, based on how things were described. Not because I can’t imagine someone getting pleasure from the events, but because the reactions did not seem consistent with pleasure.

Oh. Right. Second story got completed and all I wrote was “2nd story completed. ~4.35 rating”. Well, that’s disappointing that I hadn’t included more words. Hmms.

Okay then. The first story involved Craig watching Leslie play backgammon. Several games played. When she won she continued, when she lost she got a sealed punishment envelope. She wrote . . . I can’t recall now how many, but . . um, at least four phases.

The story then turned to the basement wherein she entered wearing business attire and high heels. Got herself positioned, bound, and, through phases, had her clothing cut off, and much strain put on her body from being hung by her arms/shoulders. Wait, it didn’t start in the basement. Bah. See, I read this slower than normal so it’s been a while since I actually read the first story. Various punishments occurred in the house. This included being spanked, hung up, clothes cut away, etc. Actually, maybe it began in the basement then went upstairs, I now recall that as what occurred. Leslie did not seem to get any enjoyment from this activity. – 4 stars.

Second story – mostly from Craig’s point of view, but some from Leslie’s when Craig couldn’t see what was happening. Leslie ‘stuffed’ by butt-plug, dildo. Locked onto her body. ‘Slutty’ dress pulled on. Off to a hotel. Whipped. Nipple piercing. Then walk to nearest car dealership to test drive a car and beg to suck some cock. Then walk home. Many miles. In high heels. Even from her perspective, no pleasure/enjoyment appears to occur. 4.35 stars.

Third story – locked in her own house. As in a chain on her ankle. In living room. With uncovered windows. Bright lights on. Naked. For weekend. Another guy enters the picture on Saturday. I didn’t particularly like having a third person enter the story, but whatever. POV from Craig and Leslie. And partially from the third person, whose name might have been Alex. An unexpected moment of pleasure occurred during the activities. By this point, Leslie might be growing into becoming aware of being a sexual masochist. 4 stars.

Overall, that means I gave the three story book a rating of 4.1166666666667.… (altro)

The beginning, the auction scene, was quite interesting, exciting. The beginning being the first 20%. I know because that’s one of the few times I actually posted an update as I was reading:

"Ah, these types of books. Been a while. That was . . . umms . . well, the first 20% was a certainly 5+ stars."

The rest of the book? Well, there were some exciting times as well, but it was mostly repetitive and, to filled a little too much with ‘my, I sure made a really stupid decision.’

At the 47% mark I’d commented:
"I've read reviews, or was it just the one?, that mentioned how the rest of the book wasn't as interesting as the auction scene at the beginning. So far that's mostly true. Though it was still quite interesting . . . all the way up to the part where stuff was just being told, not shown."

By the 100% mark, as in now that I’ve completed the book, I’ll note that the comment was correct, in its way. The rest of the book was less interesting. I believe I’m being repetitive here. Mostly because I wanted to work in by the comments I made while reading the book.

Well, that’s all fun and stuff, but what exactly was this book about? Or, in other words, the normal thing I do – give a little description.

I had put this on the historical shelf before I started because that was one of the listed genres. This is not historical. This is a mixture of modern times and … hmm, maybe something around the Victorian times, but with slavery. Knights, and lords, and barons, and etc. If you are not part of the aristocracy, if you were a commoner, you could make a great deal of money and live quite comfortably you would not be allowed to own land, or businesses. You’d have to rent them. Even though slaves are ‘just property’, as was brought home several times in this story, commoners can own slaves. This is mixed with access to indoor plumbing, television, automobiles, etc. – the normal ‘modern’ conveniences. Heck, they even have little robotic things that do the things they pretend the slaves are kept to do, to clean the house.

The book centers around one of these aristocrats, specifically Lady Irene. She’s quite high up the social ladder. Married to a handsome rich husband. Who barely ever touches her. Almost never graces their marriage bed. Why? Does he, per chance, prefer men? No, if he has any ‘encounters’ with men, it’s not mentioned. No, he doesn’t do his husbandly duties because his sexual needs are met by those kept in the kennels. The slaves. Female slaves.

James, the husband, abruptly announces that he’s off to an auction. Lady Irene, who has found married life, and, maybe more to the point, the life of ladies, to be very boring. Lacking emotion, feeling, life. So, she says she’s going to go with her husband. Husband is annoyed but . . . can’t keep her from coming.

They go. 19 naked women are auctioned off. Lady Irene is one of the few women in the audience. She’s horrified by everything that’s happening, by what she is watching. I don’t recall if there’s any mention of arousal on her part. More disgust. Though there is one or more internal observations that, even through the fear displayed by the slave women, she sees that they are feeling a lot more than she ever does.

She’s horrified by the bids being thrown around. By the amount. Then even more horrified when her husband begins to bid. Most of the time losing. Then he spends a fortune on the next to last slave and ‘wins’ the most attractive slave there.

The gorgeous naked slave woman stands next to husband and wife. Lady Irene can feel the eyes. Glancing, watching, seeing this gorgeous woman next to her. Comparing. Knowing that the husband has bought this young woman much more attractive than his wife. She, Lady Irene, is very humiliated.

The last slave is brought forward. Instead of leaving, now that he’s won his new addition to his slave kennel, the husband stays. To further humiliate his wife? Just because he wants to see all of the slaves? No matter, he stays and the wife is further humiliated.

Something snaps in her right around the time the last slave is sold. She rushes forward and . . . heh, I just realized I just did all this description stuff and everything I just wrote is there. Even the part where I break off when I do. At least on GoodReads. Where I originally reviewed this book.

Quite an exciting book. And despite some impressions I may or may not have given, even the stuff after the auction has some quite interesting moments. I’m quite happy with the whole idea of reading more by this author. Just . . . not in this series.

This is one of the few series wherein I wish it was a series of common universe, not common characters. If I understand the description of the next book correctly, at least. (And a review I noticed for it). I’ve gotten the self-created fall from high society to slave. All the way from auction to horrified acceptance of what she had done to herself. And what her life will entail from this point forward. I’m not sure of the total amount of time I watched unfold, but it was around, hmm, there was one scene which seemed to suggest that it occurred around 12 weeks after the auction. That was fairly late in the book. Still, I’ve learned enough of this specific woman. I’m not bored with her – I’m just . . . not as interested in continuing with her front and center.

So yes, I’d have continued if this was a series of related events, but with different characters. Rare for me, I know. I was going to write more but I distracted myself somewhere along the way.

Oh - that's one of the things I was going to mention but forgot till just now. There were just a few too many scenes wherein Flame, who was Lady Irene, basically begged to be whipped/spanked/flogged/etc. Not because she enjoys such things. Not because she doesn't find it tremendously painful - she does hate it, and find it really painful. But because she feels it's the 'right thing' to happen to her. That's just . . . annoying.… (altro)