4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
5 blue ribbons from Romance Junkies, November 30, 2009
For the past five years the young woman known only as Butterfly has existed as one of four playthings of her Master Gary. Every move she makes, her thoughts, her body and her desires are dictated by him. Up until now she's viewed him as a sort of savior Gary came into her life at a crucial point where she desperately needed saving. Unbeknownst to him, his little Butterfly has sprouted a backbone to go along with her `wings' and is ready to step foot back into the outside world - and all thanks to the Navajo woodworker he hired to create masterpieces for his home.
Navajo woodworker Bryan Lapahie is thrilled to be working for such an exclusive client. His business is still young and this presents him with a better opportunity to attract wealthier clientele. Bryan loves working with wood and the pieces he's been commissioned to create will truly be awe-inspiring but not nearly as captivating as one of the women he's being paid to recreate in wood. Bryan's a dominant man but he's horrified by the extreme BDSM Gary subjects these young women to on a daily basis. Butterfly, in particular, touches his heart and he knows he can't leave her to her fate inside the deceptively beautiful mansion.
Butterfly was already feeling discontent with Gary even before Bryan entered the mansion the first time. She likes quiet and routine and with the other girls present there's drama all the time. Besides, Master seems to have lost interest in her unless it's ensuring that she's taking care of the running of the house or punishing her for some infraction. She's drawn to Bryan and his gentleness and friendliness prove to be a soothing balm to her tormented soul. She desperately wants to spend more time with him - in any way she can, but is well aware that he'll leave when his job is done. In Bryan, Butterfly finds the gentle loving she craves which has never been present in her life with Master. Butterfly's craving for extreme kink has been exploited by Master but in Bryan's arms she'll find satisfaction in gentler domination. When the time comes for Bryan to leave the mansion for the last time Butterfly gathers her courage and leaves with him but it's at a cost to both of them. There's no looking back, only forward! Will Bryan be able to provide the support that Butterfly needs to survive in the real world? Only time will tell!
Laura Bacchi and Bonnie Dee tell an emotion driven story with BUTTERFLY UNPINNED. Butterfly's situation is heart-wrenching yet oddly understandable. I could fully appreciate how she came to be with Master and was horrified at how he's obviously exploiting her fears. What makes the relationship seem even worse to me though is that he has very little feelings toward her - and her punishments are horrifying. I didn't fully understand the title of this book until I came to one particular scene that completely shocked me. I have to say the title BUTTERFLY UNPINNED is fitting because like the small creature she's named for, Butterfly takes the risk and transforms herself into the woman she was meant to be - all thanks to Bryan's love and belief in her. This book isn't entirely about Butterfly's struggles though, Bryan's got issues he's dealing with as well and they'll have to help each other through the hurdles they face. BUTTERFLY UNPINNED is an intense story that does have many scenes that are graphic in nature and disturbing. However, because of those very scenes Butterfly's strength and Bryan's fortitude shine and prove that love can conquer all - even when the whole situation appears hopeless. I have to confess, I'm morbidly curious about the other women left in the mansion. Their plight is just as worrisome as Butterfly's so I've got my fingers crossed that they'll break free as well.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A very stimulating and thought provoking read, August 11, 2009
A cocoon can be a refuge or a cage; the definition of which relies solely upon the butterfly within. That is the message of Butterfly Unpinned, a rousing and intricately woven story that paints a vivid portrait of the ways insecurities can tether, and in turn liberate, a person from a self-imposed imprisonment.
Authors Bonnie Dee and Laura Bacchi have written a wonderfully poignant story of the loss of one's self and the journey to rediscovery. The material is well written and enhanced by beautiful landscapes, steamy sex, and a captivating romance. The story begins with "Butterfly", a young girl that turned to a master/slave lifestyle in order to escape the world which overwhelmed her. Her life is safe, routine, and hinges on one singular truth - she lives for no other purpose than to serve and please her master. Though content, Butterfly has begun questioning her choice to remain with a Master that views her wholly as a possession without any concern for her feelings or needs.
Navajo woodworker Bryan Whitehorse Lapahie is a man eager to flee the life of poverty he left behind in Arizona, and a job offer from a wealthy client will see him well on his way. Remaining on the reservation of his childhood isn't something he's willing to consider. Scarred by the cruel words of a former lover, Bryan is spurred to become something other than a poor man living in obscurity.
Bryan sees something in Butterfly the first time they meet inside her Master's enormous house, complete with three other willing and contracted slaves. He's enchanted by her above all, captivated by this submissive creature that has given herself over in servitude to another. When his curiosity intrigues and kindles Butterfly's own interest, she has to choose to stay caged in what has become a meaningless existence, or spread her wings and trust that Bryan will become the cocoon that envelops her in love and safety.
Saying more would be to spoil, and I think a reader should take the journey for themselves. A very stimulating and thought provoking read, I enjoyed Butterfly Unpinned immensely. I'm certain others will as well. A must read.
Originally posted at [...]
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A surprisingly powerful and emotional read (4.5 stars), August 13, 2011
This review is from: Butterfly Unpinned (Paperback)
"'Sometimes a transition requires struggle. Remember the butterfly?'
How could he forget? As a child, he'd found a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. He'd tried to help it by prying open the husk to set the insect free. It had lain in the sun, beating its wings as they dried, but had never flown and soon died. His grandmother explained the butterfly needed to go through the difficulty of freeing itself in order to have the strength to fly."
(p124)
Wow. Just ... wow. This was very unusual and very powerful. Butterfly Unpinned is about a submissive (seriously submissive!) young woman named Butterfly, who is "freed" from her submission by a talented Native American sculptor named Bryan. They meet when he's working on pieces commissioned by her "Master." Once they leave together, Butterfly has to acclimate herself to the outside world again, begin to reclaim her former identity of Sylvia, and decide who she is and wants to be now. Butterfly / Sylvia and Bryan are very interesting characters; I loved their relationship and watching it develop. I wish the story was longer, because the ending felt very rushed and I thought we would follow them further in their relationship.
I find this book a hard one to categorize: the heavy focus on the self-healing process makes it more general fiction and I think some mainstream audiences would enjoy it, however there are definite erotica components. While it's described as a BDSM romance, that's more because of the situation Butterfly is in at the beginning of the story than anything else. After she leaves Gary's, Bryan decides they should abstain from sex completely, since he doesn't want her to think she owes him sex or that he's her new Master. Once they do start making love, there aren't really any BDSM components.
Others have said this and I 100% agree: the first half was unbelievably disturbing. Utterly and completely disturbing. It was difficult and uncomfortable to read; I felt so absolutely helpless. "Master," i.e. Gary, is a sadistic, cruel, and manipulative bastard and oh how happy I was when Bryan finally punched him. However, as much as I hated - completely abhorred! - reading that first section, it was also necessary and integral to the story. There is no way one could appreciate Butterfly's transformation and what Bryan freed her from had we not been given such a vivid look at what her life had been like with Gary. The second half of the book is the most enjoyable, because that's when we get to see Sylvia and Bryan's romantic relationship really begin to develop.
OUR HEROINE, BUTTERFLY / SYLVIA:
The authors had a delicate line to walk when it came to Butterfly "becoming" Sylvia, but in my mind they achieve a perfect balance of having her transformation be slow enough to feel authentic, but fast enough to enable us to see development and not grow frustrated or impatient. The pace of it felt right. At the end of Butterfly Unpinned Sylvia is not 100% - which realistically, she shouldn't be yet - however there is no doubt that she is on her way there.
I liked that while she relies heavily on Bryan and he is a key player in her recovery, there is no doubt that she is the major force in her own healing. There are times when she and Bryan are even briefly at odds and yet she perseveres and succeeds:
"It was a good feeling, to beat her wings and find out they were strong enough to lift her and hold her aloft." (p176)
OUR HERO, BRYAN:
From the beginning, Bryan is a fantastic hero and I loved his feelings towards and treatment of Butterfly. While he's a strong, independent, sensual, and possessive hero, he at no times feels offensively alpha; the contrast between him and Gary further reinforces this impression. He is so sweet and tender with her, while also not treating her as if she is an untouchable and fragile piece of glass on display in a museum. He sees her as an individual - as her own person, her own woman - and wants to help her see herself that way too.
Bryan's feelings for and actions towards Sylvia are truly lovely, but I appreciated that we are show he's not perfect and has human failings like anyone else. As Sylvia becomes stronger and more independent, Bryan goes through his own internal conflict: he wanted to help Sylvia for altruistic reasons, but he also has feelings for her and likes the fact that he was able to play hero and save her. He wants to be the one who continues to protect her, the one she turns to when she needs help - and he wants her to still have that need:
"She breathed slowly, searching for words. 'You've set me free, and I can't be caged again.' He reached out and touched her hair lightly. The tension in his face relaxed a little, but his eyes were still intense. 'I know that. I just want to protect you, to keep you from being hurt.'" (p175)
CRITICISM:
My main criticism is the rushed ending, which I mentioned at the beginning. It left me feeling like the brakes were put on all of a sudden and I hadn't been expecting them yet. Also, part of Bryan's development in the first half is his self-reflection on his own desires that arise from observing Master's "setup." He questions what he does or does not - and should or should not - find arousing. I found this interesting both for his character and the story, but the subject was dropped in the second half and there was no further development.
BOTTOM LINE:
It was utterly wonderful and one of those reads I classify as a "hidden gem." It's a surprisingly powerful and emotional story. If it weren't for some of the more explicit scenes that are clearly erotica, I would recommend this book to all my non-romance reading friends as well.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
"'You're a lot stronger than you know.' She offered a weak smile and slipped behind the curtain and into the tiny puffs of steam filling the small space. The old shower was loud, so he felt safe in saying the rest of his thoughts before joining her.
'Once you realize how strong you are, will you still need me?' He stepped into the warm water. She had her back against the tiles, her face in profile, her jaw somehow softer now.
'Maybe not,' she whispered.
His heart plummeted to his knees.
She faced him. Opened her arms to him.
'But I'll want you,' she added. 'I think I'll always want you.'
'Jesus, you scared me.' And she had. The fear that she'd grow strong and leave him to explore her new self, her new world - without him - scared him shitless.
Some days I think I need you more than you need me. He couldn't bring himself to admit that out loud. He wondered if she could sense it, tell by the way he crushed her body against his and breathed in the smell of her hair. [...]
Once he returned with the sheets and a blanket, she rolled off the bed and helped him with the bedding. Then he lay down and opened his arms to her. She climbed into his embrace.
Bryan stayed awake until he heard her breathing steadily.
'When you find your wings, don't fly away,' he whispered." (p.172)
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