The Goddess

Sooo.. this is my first book that has the topic of BDSM about it in it and I honestly was not sure what to expect. Going into it, I had an opened mind and wasn’t sure where the story was going to go and how much of BDSM would be talked about throughout this book, SPOILER it’s the big topic throughout. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about reading on it but it was definitely interesting. I like how the author explained the tools used and what for. I loved the story of Bennie and seeing him grow in many aspects. I also enjoyed Becca being such a strong female character as well as the vulnerability we get to see from her throughout the book. I also really enjoyed seeing the career development of both Bennie and Becca. The book didn’t drag but kept my attention the whole time. I really enjoyed the story and seeing different relationships unfold in this book. I enjoyed the writing style, the texts ‘chapters’ which really gave a way to be in the characters heads and the story over all was very interesting

Be warned though: this is not a love story and there is no happily ever after, no matter if you root for one anyways!

For disclosure purposes, I was gifted an Advanced Reader Copy in lieu of my honest review. You know how when you find that one author that you know from that point on you will be buying every book that they ever publish? Lindsay Murray is that author for me. I read Goddess after having read and fallen in love with Ashes of Sin and Stardust. She has such a unique take on romantic literature. Please read the author’s note and trigger warnings. This book is not for everyone and it isn’t meant to be. There are dark themes in Goddess that are likely to make people uncomfortable or feel triggered or like they can’t finish the book. If this isn’t something that you’re comfortable with, this book isn’t meant for you.

I absolutely adored the relationship between Becca and Benny. They are two beautifully flawed characters who ultimately needed each other more than they realized. The relationship between Becca and Benny is unique compared to most of the romance books that are popular these days. They aren’t a typical couple and their relationship isn’t “average.” They are not monogamous but do respect each other’s boundaries and limits.

I feel like Benny was an unintentionally relatable character for me, specifically. There are things that Benny finds out about himself in the end that happened to me as well that I had never seen an author describe well from a victim standpoint. That’s something that Lindsay Murray does exceptionally well, especially in the Goddess. She creates characters with depth and history that have been through an enormous amount of trauma, some relatable and others that you hope to never experience. Her characters are real and genuine; they feel like they could exist in our world, and she gets you to genuinely wish that they did.

The twists that occur are unique and aren’t ones that you would expect, but they do fit the book and are real-world problems. The characters in Goddess struggle, but they don’t struggle pointlessly. Some authors will create a problem that isn’t relevant or feels ridiculous for the characters but Becca and Benny’s struggles are life. They are genuine and they make sense for the characters. It is a lengthy book. I think that she could have potentially split the book into two with the sequence of events that happened. I feel like the book had good pacing up until maybe the last 8 or 9 chapters. That’s where I felt myself pulling away and starting to drift a bit. I started to lose focus and have some drag. I think that ultimately they could have been shortened and potentially had 2 epilogues.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Goddess. If you’re thinking of picking it up, I think you should definitely evaluate where you are on the BD$M spectrum/scale. If that isn’t something you are comfortable with, this isn’t the book for you. She doesn’t shy away from the content. The relationship isn’t your usual boy/girl get married, have babies, happily ever after story. They do have a great ending and they are happy in the end, but it isn’t THAT kind of story if that’s what you’re looking for. I highly recommend Goddess to anyone who feels they are comfortable with the type of story she’s written. Please give it a chance if this is something you’d enjoy.