Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Princely Submission
AUTHOR: K.C. Wells
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 321 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 21, 2021
BLURB:
Who says love has to be gentle?
A spoiled prince on his first overseas tour is torn between resenting his hot bodyguard—and yearning for him.
Prince Jordan is twenty years old, rich, and finally seeing the world. The last thing he needs is a babysitter. Especially one as rigid as Stuart Whitmore, an older, muscular man who makes it clear from their first meeting that there will be consequences if Jordan misbehaves.
No one has ever laid a hand on Jordan his whole life, but for the first time he’s contemplating the possibility—and trying to figure out which buttons to push to achieve his goal. Because there’s something behind Stuart’s eyes that tells him he feels the same magnetic pull that Jordan does.
Stuart doesn’t give a damn that Jordan is a prince—he’s still the most entitled brat he’s ever laid eyes on. He’s also a temptation, igniting desires Stuart had thought long since extinguished. The prince needs a firm hand and Stuart is just the man to provide it, but there’s a vulnerability to Jordan that calls to him.
A call that proves too difficult to ignore.
What happens when discipline crosses the line into intense heat?
And what are the ramifications when the connection becomes so much more than just physical…
For both of them?
REVIEW:
Princely Submission is a modern-day fairytale set in the fictional Eastern European country of Elloria, New York City, and Los Angeles. Soon to be twenty-one, Prince Jordan of Elloria is doing everything in his power – of which he has little – to change his virgin status. He wants nothing more than to get laid. Or blown. Or something. Anything. He has unsuccessfully tried to seduce nearly every male in sight, so now that his parents are traveling to America for a month, he’s angling to go, too. He’s sure it will be easier to lose his virginity in the land of opportunity.
The prince is a brat. He has lived an extremely coddled and sheltered life as an only child and heir to the throne. With misguided but good intentions, the king and queen have sought to maintain their son’s innocence by keeping him on a short leash, with no freedom, no internet access or social media, and no phone. They make all his decisions for him, even about his clothing choices.
His parents agree he can go on the overseas trip but they hire a one-on-one bodyguard for him who cannot be easily manipulated. Stuart is nearly two decades older than his client, and light years ahead in life experience. But he’s growing tired of the bodyguard grind and needs a change. He doesn’t date, doesn’t even hookup, because it complicates his job too much. He works one job after another, a different part of the city, country, or world each time, no two jobs ever alike.
He’s not sure why he’s attracted to bratty Jordan and he’s conflicted because getting involved crosses the line of his integrity and professionalism, and because, well… there’s the king to contend with. Are the potential consequences worth the risk of being fired? Does he care? He’s already questioning the future of his career. And he does like the idea of keeping Jordan in line with some discipline, starting with some well-deserved spanking. Jordan is single-minded about getting a taste of freedom and having sex with a guy, and he’s doing everything he can to evade Stuart, the thorn in his side. But then Jordan ensnares him in a trap.
The one month spent together marks big changes in the protagonists. Jordan experiences immense growth in attitude and willingness to take responsibility for his future, and Elloria’s future. When before all he thought about was himself, he’s now working to bring equality to the kingdom; he’s learning to be a role model, to lead by example, and his parents are thrilled to see him thrive in this position. Jordan teaches Stuart not to let his past – specifically, a painful, failed relationship – dictate his future. The past broke him, but in retrospect, what happened was meant to be; his relationship never had the basic and necessary building blocks to ensure success.
I was expecting – hoping – this book had a stronger BDSM presence. I’ve become pickier about the kinky books I read. It seems lately, so many authors are jumping on the BDSM bandwagon without having done the proper research. K.C. Wells is one of only a handful of authors I’ve been able to depend on for quality books in this sub-genre. Ms. Wells produces well thought-out stories with solid plots and interesting characters, combined with safe, sane, and consensual elements that are hot and sexy as all get out without being gratuitous or simply titillating without depth. I think she could’ve pushed the envelope further with a stronger discipline storyline and D/s relationship. It’s very mild, yet I went into the book expecting more because of the blurb’s emphasis on discipline. I was also very disappointed that for some reason, the author didn’t have the characters use safe words. With impact play, penetrative toys, and restraints, there’s no excuse for this oversight, particularly when dealing with a wholly inexperienced man who’s smaller and significantly younger than the dominant partner.
Even though I didn’t enjoy Princely Submission as much as I have most of Ms. Wells’ other work, I still recommend the book to readers who like cute love stories and would enjoy very light BDSM.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: