Title: Gemstone (Out For You)
Author Name: Anastasia Vitsky
Publication Date & Length: June 1, 2015 – 181 pgs
Can lies build a foundation for love?
Gemma Parquin has a secret. By day, she’s the center of her church’s social life. By night, she’s Mistress Lorelei on Kinklife, online disciplinarian of babygirls and all who need spanking, whipping, and—her personal favorite—figging.
No one suspects, until neighbor Celine Daniels comes across Gemma’s Kinklife profile. Stunned and nursing a secret crush, she creates an account under the name starrygirl793 and “catfishes” the Mistress…and gets more than she bargained for. Before she knows it, Celine is also leading a double life.
Meanwhile, Gemma’s best friend sets her up with an online dating service. Enter Stella, who is everything Celine is not—sophisticated, successful, and straightforward. But she doesn’t understand the kink Gemma holds dear.
How can Gemma trust Celine, who has lied to her? Or give up Mistress Lorelei in order to be with Stella? Should Gemma give up on love altogether, or can she still find happiness?
As usual, this was another story that made me think deeply about forgiveness and redemption. It was much more overtly Christian, which may not be for everyone but was a definite selling point for me. I adored the group personality of the church ladies and found myself relating in the sense of recognizing the dynamics and enjoying their relationships. I’d have loved to know more about them.
The relationships between Gemma and the other women in the story were fascinating. I found it interesting that she was so reserved with those in her offline life but much more willing to let her natural personality out online. I think that’s something many people can relate to in an era when a lot of our interactions are online rather than face-to-face.
Despite her deceptions, Celine was my favorite character. I thought she experienced the most growth during the course of the story–from someone wanting to learn more about the woman she loved to discovering herself as a person with a complex identity, she was a treasure.
For me, this story went beyond simply entertaining me (though it did plenty of that too). It made me think deeply about the themes and the interactions between the characters. All in all, a multi-faceted and enjoyable read.
Amy
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Cookie queen, wooden spoon lady, and champion of carbs, Anastasia Vitsky specializes in F/F fiction. She hates shoes and is allergic to leather. When not writing about women who live spankily ever after, she coordinates reader and author events such as Spank or Treat, Love Spanks, and Sci Spanks. Her favorite event is Ana’s Advent Calendar, a month-long celebration of books, community, and making a difference.
She is too afraid to watch Doctor Who, but she adores The Good Wife and anything with Audrey Hepburn.
