Review: Confessions of a Kinky Wife

I've just read Confessions of a Kinky Wife by Justine Elyot, and I couldn't put my ereader down. I read it on a Sunday morning when I had planned to go out for a run. Instead, I just kept on reading until I'd devoured the whole book.

It’s highly readable, with a realistic plot and characters and a constant simmer of eroticism. Dan and Pip are a normal married couple who enjoy a good sex life. But Pip has fantasies of being disciplined by her husband for her ‘misdemeanours’. The story follows them from ‘The Talk’, when she finally plucks up the courage to tell Dan what she wants, as they pick out a path that suits them with the help of a spectacularly politically incorrect guidebook. A leather belt she buys him for their third anniversary plays a significant role in events.

This is an engaging story of two ordinary people in love with plenty of spice in the form of spankings, ‘corner time’, vibrators, butt plugs, anal sex and the odd handcuffs incident. It’s not a book of full-on lifestyle BDSM, exploring instead how two novices can incorporate elements of kink into their busy lives. And it doesn’t rely on exotic locations or fantastical escapism, instead delving deep into the secret emotions and desires of two people with the sort of work and social lives most of us can relate to. The story is highly believable and it’s satisfying as a reader to see an ordinary, loving relationship develop and deepen.

There’s enough discussion of the sexual politics of female submission to avoid glossing over obvious issues, but not so much that it detracts from the pleasure of the story. At first I was uncomfortable with the idea that Pip wants to be disciplined over areas of her character she wants to change – notably her bad temper – but everything is at her instigation, not imposed on her by Dan. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t get to fulfil a fantasy or two of his own. It’s a learning process for both of them as they experiment and it’s that development through the book that keeps you hooked. Although the story touches on some pretty powerful sensations and emotions, it never gets too heavy and there’s often a touch of humour to lighten the tone.

I bought Confessions of a Kinky Wife at Amazon.uk. At the time of writing, it was 49p. Published by Mischief.