Somebody recommended this to me--I wish I could remember who, so I could thank them.

Mac Nighthorse is a cop, investigating a series of murders connected by a BDSM club. He's also a sexual submissive. When he goes undercover at the club, he meets Violet, who's new to the scene, but a natural dominatrix.

Fem-dom is not my kink. However, Natural Law sucked me in, and I had a terrible time trying to put it down, even for a moment. The characters were just so vivid and the emotions so realistic that it didn't even matter that their kink wasn't mine.

The sex scenes are very graphic, but they're also utterly integral to the plot. Each scene marks a change in the relationship between Violet and Mac and shows emotion as well as mechanics.

I think the main reason why Natural Law resonated so strongly with me was that at its core, it wasn't about fem-dom or BDSM, or even sex. It was about emotional surrender, about a relationship of complete trust. On both sides. At that level, it was easy to relate to the story regardless of the inclinations of the characters.

One thing that I found refreshing and a bit surprising was that both Violet and Mac are portrayed as strong, competent individuals. Mac's struggles with sexual submission--he fought it even as he wanted it--echoed the more usual romantic conflict of emotional submission, and didn't make him seem wimpy or damaged.

The murder investigation did take a back seat to the erotica/romance plot, but it didn't get forgotten, and its resolution was satisfying, surprising, and logical.

I'll definitely be looking for more of Joey W. Hill's books. ( )

5*, engaging

Joey Hill was a discovery for me in 2006. Very explicit sex, be warned, not for the faint hearted. But also, a well written romance with characters you care about - not a combination that is all that easy to find. Add in that she creates a female dom and a male sub and still makes it work as a romance - well that is a rich and rare skill. I'm busy buying up all her books, and though some are better than others, she is consistently good. ( )