Title: A Good Student
Author: Elliott Mabeuse
Published in 2008 by eXcessica Publishing
Genre: Erotic Romance/BDSM
ISBN: N/A
Other Books by Elliott: A Game of Dress-up, Helene Blackmailed, Overcoming Abigail, The Experiment, The Croft, Bound Angel
Professor Connor Devlin is a man who likes what he does, likes who he is, and in a way, is hiding from himself. Naturally dominant, he is convinced he does not want a serious relationship, he is too old for that kind of thinking. His life is full, and he is honest with others in the face of his dishonesty with himself. Connor is a complex character, a man who has decided he cannot possibly find his mate, for she most likely doesn't exist. The fact he is wrong never occurs to him because he has convinced himself he doesn't want the responsibility of another person's life of feelings on his mind or in his hands. He does have a full life, a job at the museum as an archivist, his job as an adjunct professor, and his career as a writer. These re his life, his friends are found in those circles and so far, he has not discovered his heart's desire. Oh yes, he is a poet at heart, and no matter how badly he thinks he writes, there is an electricity to his words that attract some but leave others cold. For Connor is lonely, and hidden in his depths is a desire to change all that and do it soon.
Connor’s life is suddenly taking a strange turn, a turn he is not ready for that is for sure. There is something about this summer class he is teaching, and though he can’t put his finger on it, there is some unknown waiting there. This is, for him, a certainty, he feels it soul deep. What surprises him is the draw itself, or should he say, herself. Emma Fiore is definitely not what Conner expects, and as the weeks progress, he feels the attraction more strongly, until the moves are made, and the affair starts, and life suddenly becomes more complicated. He is determined to see the fling through, all the way till the end. But Connor suddenly he finds out there may not be an end. Life has a way of catching up to even the most resolute of people, and it could just be it has caught up with him because Emma is everything his heart, body, mind, and soul has desired. Now Connor has decisions to make, and they are not easy for him. He must decide whether or not to risk loving Emma for only a while, then letting her go, or not loving her at all. He chooses love, and goes into things with his eyes open, but what happens next Connor could never have prepared himself for…not ever.
A class on literature is not on the “Business Electives Schedule,” but that is not why Emma Fiore is there. Taking courses to get a business degree was, in a sense, an excuse, a ruse to get out from under the constant oversight of an overzealous boyfriend and his overwhelming family. Emma is an independent person, but she has been lonely. Her fast and easy acceptance of the large, domineering family she likes is not truly what she wants. They are fun to be around, the company she longs for, but there are control issues there, and a jealousy she cannot readily deal with if she were to tell the whole truth. Oh yes, her parents are thrilled with the prospects, but having her boyfriend’s distant family always hanging over her shoulder as if she is not trusted is not what Emma wants, not what she needs. She is nagged constantly, criticized sometimes, and in general treated like a child by those who are supposed to love and care for her, her feelings, her wants and needs. She is trapped in a real sense, and when she sees her professor, she finds her mind exploring the possibilities of an affaire.
Emma Fiore is about to embark on a journey of awakening, one of finding herself in ways she previously thought as dirty, nasty, lewd, and totally shameful. She has a secret, and although she would never admit it to her boyfriend, it has to do with some of her most basic needs and desires. When it all comes down to it, Emma is a natural submissive, and when she meets Connor Devlin, a natural Dominant, her fate is decided. When her life got so out of control, she doesn’t know, but the feelings she has for the enigmatic Professor Devlin are anything but pure, anything but what she should feel for her professor. The discussions in class are brisk, deep. When he mentions to Emma about his writing, and where to find some of his things, they become personal, and they lead to places Emma has only dreamed about, longed for, but never truly thought existed. Now, deeply embedded in a dreamscape of bondage and submission with a man who was a stranger until this summer semester, Emma is forced to explore, examine, and accept this part of herself in a way she never could, or did before. The only thing in the way of permanence is the pledge to keep things just about sex, but then that is now in question as well…
When Elliott Mabeuse decides to tell a story like A Good Student, one has to watch out. Sensual, sexy, totally erotic, and sometimes a bit over the top, his characters are always punchy, up front, and delightfully real. This time he has stepped into the first person, and gives us a Dom's eye view of life, but our storyteller is in a heap of trouble. Meet Connor Devlin, Professor of English Literature, Museum Archivist, Poet, Writer, and a Dom who knows what he wants. When Connor meets Emma Fiore in a summer school class, however, all bets are off. There is something there that clicks, something that will drive both parties farther than they have ever been before. Connor and Emma agree to have a fling, a relationship just based on sex, and fulfilling their basic sexual needs. They both agree on no ties, keeping the time they spend together all about sex and nothing more. This works for both at least for a while. As with many relationships which can start as flings, there is more involved, more that neither Connor nor Emma was willing to acknowledge.
A Good Student is not a book for the faint of heart, and not for the reader who only wants a light sexy read. Connor and Emma find themselves in over their heads, and sex and lust morph into something greater, as they realize this "fling" has some serious repercussions for each of them. Emma was pledged to another, a vanilla existence in which she could hide. Connor was hiding behind the excuse he didn't want responsibility, but each comes to realize that when the right person comes along, things can and will change. A Good Student is written in the first person, and those of you who know me understand my total dislike for books written this way. I make an exception here, because as usual, it took me a while to get into the story, but unlike others, this one actually took off for me, and I got wrapped up in the affaire d'coeur Elliott tells between the covers. Here we learn from a man whose life has been lacking something he was not aware of, true love and caring. A Good Student is one book I will recommend and hope you will all at least take a look at seriously. If you are into the BDSM novels, it is one romance on the edgy side you won't want to miss. Head over to eXcessica and pick up a copy of Elliott’s book, A Good Student, today.
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
Elliott's Website Email The Doctor The Doctor's Journal Review Buy Elliott's Books from Amazon
Buy A Good Student
Buy eXcessica Books
Buy Elliott's Ellora's Cave Books