Purgatory Masters: Tucker's Fall (Volume 1)

"Tucker's Fall" is first in a series titled `Purgatory Masters' by Eliza Gayle. Purgatory is a BDSM club (so if that makes you squeamish, this isn't the book/series for you!) that is the setting for several novellas in the Purgatory Club Series (ROPED (Purgatory Club BDSM Erotica), Whipped (Purgatory), Displayed (Purgatory Club: BDSM Erotica) & Burned (Purgatory Club BDSM Erotic) -- I've only read "Roped" so far & it is H.O.T.!!!). The Purgatory Masters series are full-length novels - Tucker's Fall is a fair price of $4.99 for around 250 pages. Tucker & Maggie had a kiss in high school... then she went off to college, got married & became a professor with an emphasis on sexuality studies. Well, Maggie got herself caught up in a FBI sting in a BDSM club and was arrested... so then she got jail time, a divorce, and her pink slip from the college. She goes back to her hometown to lick her wounds and try to compile all her years of research on BDSM into a book - and runs into Tucker. Tucker offers to teach her about submission and their relationship begins. However, Maggie is trying to avoid publicity from her very public arrest / downfall... and Tucker is trying to avoid publicity due to a big secret in his past... and this causes them to be hurtful to each other which may cause the end of their relationship. Overall, a great read. While there are some HEAVY BDSM "scenes" between the two, they typically take place at Tucker's home so don't be put off if you don't want to read about the club stuff. It's not really there. However, there is bondage, anal toys/sex and use of a crop. (That was your warning.) It's a really great set-up for the series, too - you get into the "mystery" and get involved in the relationship between the `Masters' and how it has shaped them as men and as Doms. There are things that could have been developed more, but I think that the hesitance to do so might be more about not wanting to reveal the whole backstory.

I think this quote from the book is about to go into my favorite quote pile. "'I'm beginning to worry you might be more evil than I originally believed.' He grinned down at her. 'It's the pretty face. Fools them every time.'" Those pretty faces are trouble aren't they? But sometimes trouble can be so much fun! I have not yet read all the other Purgatory books. I think there were some other back story elements that I might have had a better grasp of if I had. That being said, I was still able to follow the story well, and not knowing some of the back story put me in a similar spot as the heroine, and made her rediscovery of an old flame just as real for me. I will say this book hit some serious hot points of mine. The restaurant...WHERE CAN I GO TO FIND THIS RESTAURANT! I have a thing about exhibitionism in a restaurant. Such a fun scene to watch unfold. This was not a light read all the time. Eliza Gayle takes us deep into the character's heads, and it's not always a great place to be. Real life sucks and these characters felt real enough to make my heart ache at times. I am always impressed with Eliza's written voice. This was no different. There were quite a few passages I highlighted, just because the prose was so good. What kept this from being a five star read for me was I thought our heroine forgave our hero a bit too easily. She worked out a lot of her emotions in her head before ever going to him, but part of me wanted her to give him a better verbal lashing. Also, it felt like our heroine abandoned her urge to write. I wanted to see where that urge to write was going. Her writing felt like it was an outlet for her, and maybe I missed where that went, but I didn't see the transition move the way I thought it was going to. We are left with a HFN. M/f in a BDSM setting. Nothing like discovering you have submissive tendencies and coming to find the guy you never forgot turned into a DOM! You've sucked me in Eliza! Can't wait to see which Master is next. 4 stars.

This was the first book I read by Ms. Gayle. I typically enjoy a well-written BDSM story, so I was expecting this one to be good, too. It's not that it wasn't good, it's just that it had the potential to be great. So, after finishing it, I feel emotionally bereft. While there was a great deal of technical knowledge, there wasn't enough of a connection between the two main protagonists. There was often a disconnect between the action and the follow-up to it. For example, at one point, Tucker brings Maggie to the club to watch something and she uses her safe word before the action occurs. We readers are given a glimpse into her mind about what freaked her out, but other than apologizing for rushing her, Tucker never "forces" her to share what caused her sudden panic. This is a good example of what runs through the story. There's really no trust developed between Tucker and Maggie. We're TOLD she has to trust him, but it's never worked on. (What Dom worth his salt wouldn't have gone after her when she ran from his house, naked???!!) I'm honestly asking myself if it's worth reading the other books in the series just to discover the "deep" secret. Other than that, there were very few editing mistakes which was a relief. The writing was okay, not spectacular, and the pacing was decent. Like I said, it was simply an okay book.

A most enjoyable days reading , I loved the story, the characters and the interaction between them and of course the sexy Tucker did exactly what was expected of him. Stop reading this review now, go buy and read the book for yourself, you wont regret it. Well written, well recommended and well done.

I'm fine with BDSM but I want a story to go with the scenes. This book started positively, with action and initial character development,but the plot got lost in lots of sex scenes.When I buy an erotica book I know what to expect,but I don't think it is too much to ask to have some plot development.Both Maggie and Tucker have interesting histories that the author could have shared with us lots sooner in the book.

Love love love this book. I couldn't put the book down. I love the storyline and it's complexity as well as the level of hotness. It's a beautiful love story in the BDSM genre. I enjoyed the sex scenes, they were Hot! The ups and downs and the unexpected family secret adds to the suspense. This is my first book from this author but it won't be the last.

I read this story for the first time a couple of years ago and have just read it again. The story remains one of the best BDSM books I have read. The characters are a bit off the beaten path, the plot is full of hot sex but also some intrigue and mystery. A great read

Enjoyable read about the bdsm community and two wounded souls who struggle with demons. Enjoyed the story which was well written and only gripe I had was the referencing of something from tuckers past that impacts on others within his circle. Good read.