Genre: BDSM Romance Heat Level: 4 Word Count: 33, 430 ISBN: 978-1-77130-875-5 Editor: Karyn White Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

Taking Courage by S.J. Maylee

Heat Level 4
$3.99
SKU 978-1-77130-875-5
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Love Projects, 2

Janna’s ready to make over her life and get out from under the controlling thumb of her father. She doesn’t want another failed arranged marriage. She’s ready to do whatever it takes for the career she wants, enter the lifestyle she craves, and to earn the trust and love of the man that has captured her heart—but heartbreak and career hiccups seem to be her destiny.

Simon’s still recovering after his last submissive lied her way into his life. He’s not ready for Janna and how she pushes against his prejudices. He needs to decide if he’s willing to lose her or if he’ll fight for her love and submission.

Be Warned: BDSM, anal sex, sex toys, public exhibition


Excerpt:

“Head up now.” Something was agitating the tender bundle in his arms. Simon wanted to help her through it. He may have taken a step back on his training responsibilities since his last experience, but Janna felt perfect under his hand. He’d have to find out if she’d be back.

“Yes, Sir.”

“What's troubling you, pet?”

“I forgot to mention something earlier.” She tucked the blanket under her chin.

“Oh?” He rubbed in big circles around her back. “Why don't you tell me now?”

“This was my first time, Sir.”

“Your first?” His confusion was thick. She tried to hide her eyes from him, but he saw shame. Sometimes newer submissives struggled with firsts. “Is this your first time being a guest?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Is your home club much different?” The safe rules of BDSM clubs were pretty universal, a real gift to traveling kinksters, but sometimes a scene in a different setting could be unsettling.

“I don't have a home club, Sir. Well, not one that I physically visit.” She rubbed the edge of her blanket. “I'm an active member of their chat rooms.”

He hadn't heard her right. No. She felt like an experienced submissive. Was she just playing the part? Anger ticked a quick pace up his spine.

“Are you telling me I just gave you your first scene?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Why did you withhold this information?” When she didn't answer he added, “Why weren't you honest with me?” He pushed her slightly, in part to get some distance and to keep her safe from him. “Answer me, now.”

“I forgot. It all happened so fast, and I forgot one of my lines.”

“Lines.” He finished shoving her from his lap and stood. “I hope you had fun tonight.”

“I did, Sir,” she said as she stood to join him. She tugged at the edge of the blanket that had stuck in the couch. “Please, let me thank you for tonight.”

“There is no need. You lied to me, and you had your fun.” He scratched his brow. “Go home now.” He took two storming steps away and stopped. He forced himself to return to her, disgusted by how good it felt to see her face once more. He stopped within an inch, forcing her to look up. “Do yourself a favor. Enter that club at home, get yourself in a training program, and do not ever lie to a Dom again.”

He wanted to hit something. What was it with submissives and their lies? The lie might have been smaller this time, but it was still a lie.

He thundered past the scene areas and kept walking, increasing his speed. Folks saved themselves and moved out of his way. Fury radiated down his arms curling his fingers into fists, almost there.

Some members thought Keller was crazy when he’d installed the small gym next to the club. When the roster quickly filled, it was Keller that was laughing all the way to the bank. Simon had a regular date with the bag hanging in the corner. He may no longer enter the ring, but the regimented workouts kept him strong and centered.

A couple more steps and he'd entered the gym and saw the innocent bag hanging right where he needed it to be. He slammed his fist into the bag. Pressure reverberated from his hand straight to his heart, but it didn't release the revulsion.

“Damn her.”

He needed to get this out and get back on the floor. One of his best friends was about to collar his sub. The bag swung around. He walked around it and rolled his shoulders back. He wanted to witness the happiness a pair could have when things worked out and no one lied.

It was just a scene, something he could shake off, and she was just a guest sub. There was no possible way she could have felt as right as he thought. The anger was tricking him. She was just another lying sub. A sub to forget. A sub he would never see again.

“Damn her.”

An image of her regret filled face tugged at his resolve. His fingers flexed as he remembered her velvet channel. His cock twitched, and he hit the bag again.

 

Product Reviews

Score: 4 out of 5 (based on 7 ratings)
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5/5
Night Owl Reviews
Written by Sandiebuck on 4th May 2017

I'm a HUGE fan of S.J. Maylee's, so it comes as no surprise that I would like this book, but I really loved it! I truly enjoy her style of writing and her stories have all been the type I pick up and don't put down again until "The End". Taking Courage is the second book in her 'Love Projects' series, and I absolutely loved the first one! In this book, we have Janna. She gets her nerve up to visit a BDSM club for the first time and meets Master Simon, who she negotiates a minor scene with. But she neglects to tell Simon it's her first time, and Simon has a very strong reaction and takes off. Before she can leave and get ready to pack up to fly home, she's intercepted by another Dom. He not only makes her feel better about Simon, but gives her a contact number for the job of her dreams. Keller to the rescue. Later, when she starts her new job as project manager, she meets the person she'll be working for. Simon. Who's not very happy to see her. Sparks fly. But the bigger question ends up being, will she stand up to her father who insists on her coming home and will go to any length to bring her there? I honestly loved Janna, a few times I worried about her decision making, but I thought she was good for Simon. And of course it was great to see Simon get his girl...now on to Keller?

4/5
Sizzling Hot Books
Written by Isis on 6th Feb 2015

Taking Courage by S.J. Maylee is the second book in the Love Projects series. Taking Courage is an erotic romance that features BDSM. I enjoyed it a lot. I liked Simon and Jana’s story. The two of them were perfect for each other even though they had some obstacles to get over. I have only read this author in an anthology so I was glad to read a book by her. I was not disappointed either. I look forward to reading more of them in the future. Jana has lived her life according to her father’s wishes for as long as she could remember. She even made all her major life decisions according to what he wanted. She went to school where he wanted her to, she took the classes he told her to, and she even married who he wanted her to marry. When that marriage fails she has had enough. She isn’t going to live her life that way anymore. She is going to make her decisions according to what she wants. She is done being the perfect little daddy’s girl. She doesn’t care if he approves or not. She goes on a business trip and decides to check out the local club and explore things that she has only fanaticized about. That is where she meets Simon and she knows he is the perfect Dom for her. They work well together. There is only one problem he didn’t realize that this was her first scene and when she tells him he is mad and does his best to avoid her. She wants to prove to him that they are perfect for each other and will do just about anything to do so. Will she be able to get him to see that she is his perfect sub? Or will she have to find another Dom? Simon is a Dom and he is good at what he does. He doesn’t form any attachments because he has been hurt. His prior sub lied to him and found her way into his heart and his bedroom. She was married and never told him. He isn’t looking for a personal sub and is content doing scenes with others. Then Jana comes into the club looking to do a scene he agrees to do one with her. She is the perfect sub and he can’t help but be drawn to her. When he finds out that it was her first scene he is angry because she lied to him. He doesn’t want another sub that isn’t truthful. He needs one that he can trust and she has proven that she is not. He doesn’t want anything to do with her. The only problems are he can’t seem to get her off his mind and she isn’t leaving him alone. She wants a second chance but he isn’t planning on giving it to her. Can he get over past and realize that she isn’t his last sub? Can he see that she didn’t set out to deceive him? Or will he end up losing out on the perfect sub because of his stubbornness? I really liked Taking Courage. I liked that the main characters had things they needed to work through before they could find what they were looking for in each other. I really liked Jana. I liked that she finally decided not to let her father run her life. I think moving away was a great move and helped her to achieve her goal. I also liked that she didn’t give up on being with Simon. I liked Simon’s character too. I liked him because he was a good Dom. He knew what he was doing and he knew what he wanted. I thought he was a bit stubborn and should have realized that Jana wasn’t anything like his ex. That aspect of the story drove me a little nuts. I liked the chemistry between Simon and Jana as well. There are great secondary as well. I would definitely recommend Taking Courage to anyone who enjoys a good erotic romance.

4/5
Sizzling Hot Books
Written by Laura on 16th Jan 2015

We open with Janna taking herself into Club Voyage as a guest, determined to experience the lifestyle she has dreamed of for some time. She is also dealing with an incredibly dominant father (who feels he must have her near and must oversee every aspect of her life, including jobs and a husband!! Yuk!!!). Upon her entrance, she is met by Master Simon, whose presence leaves her breathless immediately. He escorts her into the club and conducts an extremely hot scene with her; whereupon, Jana belatedly reveals that this was her first, ever, BDSM scene. Master Simon reacts badly, insisting she has lied to him (by omission). Fortunately for Janna, another of the Club Masters managed to get her to open up regarding her contretemps with Simon, and he (Master Keller) calms her down, and even manages to offer his assistance in finding employment for her in Chicago. Janna does in fact relocate to Chicago, goes to work with Master Keller (where Master Simon also happens to work, as well as a number of other Club members). Her self confidence at work far exceeds her confidence in relationships with men. The pressures of battling her controlling father, trying to overcome Simon’s anger, and pushing through a stressful time in the office would fell a lesser woman, but, Janna manages to muddle through it all, not without help and support from both Simon and Keller. It is an interesting paradox that she is so determined to leave one controlling man (father) only to find comfort and peace with another (Simon). It’s quite a trip, made not only tolerable, but delicious with off-the-charts sex between Janna and Simon. H-O-T is the only word f

4/5
The Romance Reviews
Written by undefined on 27th Sep 2014

When an experienced Dom gets paired with a naïve submissive, there's bound to be a learning curve. In TAKING COURAGE by S.J. Maylee, readers get a solid immersion into the BDSM lifestyle. Master Simon is intrigued enough by newcomer Janna to do a scene with her, but an omission on her part sends him out the door. When they meet again in the business world, Janna has to muster up plenty of courage in order to work with Simon. This was a book that I really wanted to love. It started out with an intriguing concept, but the deeper I got into the storyline, the less I liked Janna's character. Being a submissive in the bedroom is one thing, but I would have liked for her to have had a stronger backbone in other aspects of her life. It would have been interesting had she shown Domme tendencies at the club. I found Simon to be a classic Dom with his character meshing well with the storyline. He brings the BDSM scenes to life, but I didn't really feel that he had good chemistry with Janna. While I understand that Janna's character is trying to exert some independence from her father, that whole relationship seemed a bit underdeveloped. Then again, I tend to like my female characters to be stronger. The steam factor, however, goes a long way in making up for any deficiencies in the storyline. The BDSM scenes are well developed beyond the stereotypical spankings. All in all, it was a quick read. While it didn't make it to my keeper shelf, I would definitely be open to reading more by this author.

5/5
This is a definite MUST read!
Written by Samaris Creech on 4th Jul 2014

Prep list before you start reading this book: 1. A comfortable spot 2. A glass of wine 3. A vibrator and finally total privacy. Not an exaggeration if the chemistry between Janna and Simon upon first meeting isn’t enough to melt your undies off some of their scenes definitely will do the trick! Janna has always done what her father has told her to do even down to what man she should marry. Finally she has had enough she divorces her husband and decides to take her life into her own hands. To start she goes to a BDSM club which is something she has always wanted to try but never had the courage to do. This is where she first runs into Simon. While their first encounter starts off with a bang it ends on a sour note. Janna gets a job offer and moves away from her family hoping distance from her father and her ex will allow her to lead her own life. On this new job she is paired with none other than Simon and all she can think about it getting him to give her a second chance. While their relationship has a rocky start the ending is spectacular. This is a definite MUST read!

5/5
Another great read by SJ Maylee
Written by Cara Bristol on 24th Jun 2014

Janna flees a controlling father to seek a new job and lifestyle as a submissive. But when she commits a lie of omission at a club, she angers the Dom—who she ends up working with at her new job. Can a little BDSM action at work help to repair the broken trust? Author SJ Maylee keeps getting better and better! Taking Courage is an uplifting, sexy BDSM story about a submissive who is not afraid to stand up for herself and go after what she wants out of life. Well, actually, she is afraid, but she does it anyway and demonstrates that courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it. SJ Maylee shows how a person can be submissive and strong.

4/5
Finding the Courage to Stand Up for Yourself
Written by Liz Castillo on 24th Jun 2014

"She had a feeling his attention could be addictive." Janna Hill just wanted a life that was controlled by her father. He had told her where to go to school, what to major in, where to work and even who to marry. But when her marriage failed after one month, due to his cheating, she wanted to start fresh; start over. On a business trip, she takes the opportunity to visit the local club as a guest. While there she meets Simon and he takes her on a journey that she will never forget. But things don't end in the best of ways, now she must decide if she will stand up for herself or continue following her father's demands. So, with an act of courage, she moves to Chicago and starts a new job all the way gain her father's disapproval. However, on her first day at the new job, she is assigned to work on a new project with Simon. Since the night they met, she can not seem to get Simon out of her mind and having to work with him will be difficult. Simon is still hurt and angry from his last "relationship" because she lied to him and several others. He was starting to fall for her and when the truth came out, he was devastated. On the night he met Janna, she to lied although it was a far smaller lie and she came clean as soon as possible. But he is still not sure he wants to trust her let alone forgive her. Luckily for us, Janna is on a mission. She will prove that she is worth a second chance because she wants Simon and will do just about anything to get him. Simon, on the other hand, fights her on it but as time goes on he will let down his walls and open up to her. These two are perfect together. Each has something to learn from the other. Their relationship is rocky in the beginning but as time goes on, they become stronger. Even though Janna's father comes into town and tries to get her to come back home, she has come to far to let him control her any more. She is finally living her life her way and she wants Simon to be a part of it. This second book in the Love Project Series is witty and very steamy. Through the twists and turns, this book keep me enraptured until the end. And having a little of Jake and Lydia thrown is was a plus. What's next Ms. Maylee? Cause I cannot wait!!

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