REVIEW: The Training by Tara Sue Me

In The Training (The Submissive Trilogy #3) by Tara Sue Me, Abby King is ready to give the role of submissive another try with Dominant, and now boyfriend, Nathaniel West. They’ve been through a lot struggling to find a balance between their physical relationship and the complex emotions they’ve developed for each other. Abby hopes they are on the right track now. But as she learns more about the lifestyle, she only hopes she can learn her role properly and not disappoint Nathaniel in the process.

‘Only he knew how to do this to me. Only he could play me the way he did. Could create such a dichotomy of feelings in me.’

Abby worries about how her family and friends will react to her relationship with Nathaniel. She finds that the more comfortable she grows with their “playtime”, the less she cares about what everyone else thinks. She is consumed with love for her boyfriend and craves praise from her Master. She knows their bond will only grow stronger when Nathaniel realizes he is capable of balancing his needs for Dominance as well as love.

‘It was him. He made me beautiful. His words. His touch. His love.’

Businessman Nathaniel West appears to have it all, but he lost his beloved Abby once already and he’s not letting her go a second time. He has to find the fine line between his Dominant side and fulfilling Abby’s dreams romantically. His past has shaken his confidence in certain areas and he only hopes with Abby’s help he can finally be both the Dom and boyfriend she needs and deserves.

“You are my one percent…I felt complete and at ease with my life ninety-nine percent of the time. But it was the missing one percent that haunted me. Then I found you–my missing one percent.”

The Training is the third and final installment in The Submissive trilogy written by Tara Sue Me. This is, as you can obviously tell from the series name, an erotic romance. The tone of the book is a bit similar to Fifty Shades of Grey and The Crossfire series, but The Training, to me, delves a bit more in depth into the how’s and why’s of the Dom/sub relationship. I would caution that it would be best to read the series in order, so the subtleties of Abby and Nathaniel’s relationship can be better understood.

The writing style is very passionate and descriptive, both in the character’s emotions and in their actions. It is very graphic, or maybe “detailed” is a better term, but not in a shocking way. There were a lot of tender moments and you can sense how much our protagonists truly love each other. I also really enjoyed how this switches back and forth from Abby’s to Nathaniel’s pov, which is a little different than some other erotic series I’ve read. I liked that it gave me a glimpse into not only what the submissive was thinking/feeling but also why the Dom made certain decisions.

I think if you’ve wanted to try reading an erotic series but don’t want it to be too over-the-top or “scary” because of the pleasure/pain factor, The Submissive trilogy would be a good one to try. The characters are very easy to relate to and there is a depth to their feelings that is intriguing and engaging. The Training wasn’t overly dramatic with huge conflicts, but filled more with subtle shifts in feelings and with the power in their relationship. I also thought the love scenes were intense and very, VERY H-O-T. Definitely worth reading!

Book Info:

 HJ Recommends

Published October 1st 2013 by Penguin | The Submissive Trilogy #3

Now, in the enticing conclusion to Tara Sue Me’s Submissive Trilogy, the submissive and her dominant explore just how long they can make the pleasure last…

It started with a hidden desire.

Millionaire CEO Nathaniel West has always played by his own strict set of rules, ones he expects everyone to follow—especially the women he’s dominated in his bedroom. But his newest lover is breaking down all his boundaries and rewriting his rule book.

Abby King never imagined that she would capture the heart of Nathaniel West, one of New York City’s most eligible bachelors—and its most desirable dominant. What began as a weekend arrangement of pleasure has become a passionate romance with a man who knows every inch of her body and her soul – yet remains an enigmatic lover. Though he is tender and caring, his painful past remains a wall between them.

Abby knows the only way to truly earn his trust is to submit to him fully and let go of all of her lingering inhibitions. Because to lead Nathaniel on a path to greater intimacy, she must first let him deeper into her world than anyone has ever gone before…