The Submission Gift

Starred review from February 3, 2014
A husband hires a "rent boy" to satisfy his submission-craving wife, with no idea of the consequences for all three of them, in Ames's debut, a tender, erotic ménage romance. Paul is financing his studies with sex work, a sideline that allows him to indulge in his talent for domination. He's hired by Javier, who's recovering from a severe car accident, to provide Jay's wife, Adriana, a tough-as-nails chef, with the rough play that has never come naturally to sweet-natured Jay. What starts out as a sexy threesome evolves into a nuanced look at polyamory and BDSM, as Ames navigates physical disability, race, and sexuality. But Paul is hiding a secret that could destroy everything they've built together, and his past can't stay buried for long. The journey to the eventual revelation is an enjoyable one, studded with sex scenes urgent and lazy, kinky and vanilla; despite the one-note title, there's something for everyone here. The plot is a slow burnâbut as Paul shows Jay and Adriana, slow can be the most satisfying.