Reviews

Spice & Vanilla by Katherine Wyvern

kaje_harper's review

5.0

This story introduces us to 4 points of view. Di is a young woman who survived a severe accident, but lost her mobility, her fiance, her profession and her beloved eventing horse. In the isolation of her small cottage, her cat is her companion as she tries to rebuild. Hugh is a gay Dom who hides his heart away and tries to give his subs precisely what they need, without ever being vulnerable himself. Raphael is elegant, musical, both kind and exacting, bisexual and a sub. And Lucie... well Lucie is feminine for Lucifer and she's a kinky masochistic sub to Hugh, who works to indulge her, but she's far far more to Raphael, and eventually to herself as well.

This story builds slowly— over time we see the dark places inside these characters but also the light ones. We see love, expressed and hidden, and bad and good choices, as Lucie, in particular, struggles with what it means to be a real girl. I was pulled in gradually, fascinated and engaged with how these people would work out a relationship that could satisfy all the different parts of them without breaking anyone. The reactions of the characters felt realistic, although one particular loss

Spoiler

- the blue cello -

didn't get acknowledged as much as I expected. I ached a bit for all of them, and the warm resolution was satisfying. The title is apt for a story with characters and scenes that run the spectrum from sweet vanilla to dark kink, and which encompasses a complexity of human desires and hearts. Recommended.