Monday, March 23, 2015

(Adult) Review: CODA by CD Reiss

CODA by CD Reiss
(Songs of Submission #9)
March 18, 2015
220 pages
Genre: Adult Erotica 18+
Contains: explicit sex, BDSM elements, strong language
(Not a standalone.)

Did you want a pat little ending about Jonathan and I riding off into the sunset? Did you want flowers and stars? Man, I wish it was all soft filters and violins. I wish we could fight about who cleaned the bathroom or who was cooking dinner. But I knew I was never destined for simple contentment.

I almost committed murder for him. I almost tore us apart to save him. How do you get back on the horse after that? Because, I promise you, nothing is the same. Nothing.

I’ve earned our happily ever after. Now I have to survive it.

First of all, CODA is not a standalone, so if you have not experienced Jonathan and Monica's story yet, don't start here. Start with BEG (which is free) and decide if this is a couple you want to follow. But I warn you, they are addicting characters with an addicting story, so be prepared to buckle up and enjoy the ride. If you've gotten through the series and are ready for CODA, wanting more of Jonathan and Monica, ready to see where life has led them since SING, then I definitely recommend CODA.

Now I must mention CD Reiss's writing. Jonathan and Monica's story would not be the same without CD's talent as a writer. Because this is more than just an erotica to me. If it were all about sex and only sex, I'd probably pass on this series. But the way the series, and CODA in particular, is written fully engaged me and immersed me in not only this world created around Jonathan and Monica, but in their hearts and minds as well.

Examples:
* "The June sunset left the sky palette-knifed in orange and navy, and the temperature hung between inoffensively cold and completely generic." Being from Los Angeles myself, I loved how she captured something as simple as the weather so perfectly.
* "She was long and beautiful, with hair like a turbulent ocean. She was my songbird, my goddess, my slice of control in a world of chaos." She captures the beauty of what Jonathan sees in Monica.
* "She was painted in angry bruises there too. I'd stopped feeling guilty about inflicting damage; I knew the difference between hurt and harm." And of course, she captures the uniqueness of their relationship, yet even the brutality is poetic.

Jonathan and Monica have captivated me from the start of this series. I wasn't sure what to expect from CODA, but CD did not disappoint. The resentful carefulness in which Jonathan (and Monica) recover from his heart transplant was so well done. My anxiety grew right along with them, not knowing the extent of Jonathan's future. I loved getting such a mix of emotions from each of them. But just when you're feeling lulled into marital boredom, BOOM, the dominant strikes again. Do I want Jonathan and Monica's lifestyle? No. My husband is doing just fine. But J&M are fully consensual and absolutely in love with each other and the roles they play. They don't hold back, and I think CD wrote them brilliantly.

This story meanders through so many different aspects of J&M's lives, and I was so impressed by how much was touched on, delved into, cleared up, refined, created, and also left open for the future. The last few chapters were just what I needed to feel good about the fact that this is their last book. I have loved reading about Jonathan and Monica and will miss them dearly. CODA was a beautiful ending, brutality, blessings and all. But I really hope that they make appearances in any and all of the Drazen sisters' books, because it just wouldn't be the same without them.


♥ Links for CODA 
Amazon ~ iBooks ~ Nook


READ THE COMPLETE SONGS OF SUBMISSION SERIES

Have you started this series yet? Find my review of the previous books and links here. Then grab CODA for the highly-anticipated conclusion. CODA is not a standalone.

Reading Order & Links:
Book 1: Beg (free)
Book 2: Tease
Book 3: Submit
Books 1-3 Sequence: Bundle 1
Book 3.5: Jessica & Sharon
Book 4: Control
Book 5: Burn
Book 5.5: Rachel
Book 6: Resist
Book 4-6 Sequence: Bundle 2
Book 7: Sing
Book 7.5: Monica
Book 8: Dominance (Books 3.5, 5.5, 7.5)
Book 1-8: Complete Submission

CD Reiss is a USA Today and Amazon bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn’t pick up, she’s at the well, hauling buckets.

Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master’s degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere, but it did embed TV story structure in her head well enough for her to take a big risk on a TV series structured erotic series called Songs of Submission. It’s about a kinky billionaire hung up on his ex-wife, an ingenue singer with a wisecracking mouth; art, music and sin in the city of Los Angeles.

Critics have dubbed the books “poetic,” “literary,” and “hauntingly atmospheric,” which is flattering enough for her to put it in a bio, but embarrassing enough for her not to tell her husband, or he might think she’s some sort of braggart who’s too good to give the toilets a once-over every couple of weeks or chop a cord of wood.

If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.

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