Operation: Spank Me by Christina James

The safety of being anonymous in emails and IMs (instant messages) gives Emma the courage to share her deepest fantasies with her Military Pen Pal after he starts the sexual tone of their conversations. But when she won’t send a picture or give him more info about her, Finn sets out to see her in his personal Operation: Spank Me.

What begins as a sexy cyber affair quickly turns into the real thing when Lt. Finn Coleman shows up on Emma Shield's doorstep to fulfill all her fantasies. When Emma doesn't match the persona she presented online, he decides to seduce and discover the sensual woman who claimed she enjoyed spankings and bondage. But Finn is a career military man with a dangerous mission ahead.

All Emma wanted was to live out her hottest fantasies with her luscious new pen pal. She felt safe pretending to be a wicked seductress with Finn a world away. Then he shows up, bigger than life and making even her wildest dreams seem tame. All too soon, Emma realizes that more is at stake than her heart and losing Finn is not part of the plan.

Emma Shield loves her farm but gets tired of some aspects of small town life in White Cap Creek, Vermont. Loosing her mother when young, her father had a hard time dealing and still associates the farm (and even Emma?) with her mother’s memories. When he remarried, Emma took over the horse farm completely. She loves the farm, and has even developed part of it into her special rose business. But the small town has a hard time letting a single woman alone, especially one who is running a farm by herself. Everyone tries matchmaking, even the florist who buys her roses. White Cap Creek is small enough that the young people tend to leave for the bigger cities for better opportunities and excitement; thus there aren’t really any worthwhile men in town for Emma.

Along these lines (no men available), some of Emma’s friends pushed her to join the ‘Support Our Troops Military Pen Pal Program.’ Unfortunately, they also give her a blond, big boob, bimbo image when they sign her up. She ends up with Finn as her pen pal. They email each other and eventually start IMing as well once then basically start a cyber sex affair. And the exchange is kinky, not just talking about sex (i.e. discussing spanking, being tied up, Finn being commanding, etc.). But Finn keeps pushing for Emma’s picture and since she gave out a fake image, she can’t send one.

Lt. Finn Coleman grew up on a farm in Texas. Raised by his strict, hardworking but loving granddad after his parents died, he isn’t afraid of hard work. But his granddad controlled enough of things on the farm there wasn’t much for him to do as a teen, and he ended up in the military. For twenty years now, he has been a commander in covert operations. He loves his work but it does leave him with few connections outside his unit, and women have always been one-night stand. His men actually set him up with the Pen Pal program, but he connected with Emma from the start. The connection they share is not only sex and fantasies; he feels a friendship for her like he has never shared with a woman before. So for his leave/vacation, he is going to visit and see just where this leads.

Finn tracks Emma down, and is not surprised when the woman answering the door looks nothing like her profile. The discussions they have shared were nothing like the blond bimbo first portrayed and this woman is much sexier to him. But her kiss is also much more innocent that the vixen who wrote him. When she admits that she may have limited experience but the fantasies are hers and she wants to experiences them, Finn is more then up for the challenge.

Finn only has two weeks of leave. They spend it together and explore many ideas discussed in their emails. But as they spend more time together, they both become attached to each other. How will Emma cope once she is left alone again? Can Finn admit that his heart has been awakened and even touched? Will Emma be able to cope knowing Finn is half way around the world facing all kinds of danger?

Operation: Spank Me is not your standard BDSM story by any means. It is a very graphically sexual novel, however. Sexy spanking (light, teasing to arouse, not for pain or real punishment), various ways to be tied down, some restraints. Finn is dominating but does like Emma to challenge him. He is not really a Dom, nor is he looking for a submissive. He likes Emma feisty and that she stands up to him. So while he likes tying her down or controlling her some, he is not wanting to take over her life. This really is just a case of bedroom games and fantasy exploration.

Operation: Spank Me did make me feel sorry for Emma in that her father seems lacking and a little selfish. We never meet him, so this could all be a misinterpretation, but that is my impression. She is a strong woman, but as the guys of the town say, I wonder how much of the farm she loves and how much of it is duty. That she has added the rose business she loves so much makes me feel she has embraced the farm as her own, and she obviously truly loves the horses as well. I do have to say that if Finn has not shown up, I would have recommended she advertise for a farm hand/horse help to snag her own cowboy…

It is a good thing I am married. Otherwise I would be in trouble after reading Operation: Spank Me… I would be looking for my own Finn! This guy is almost perfect. If it weren’t for the fact that his job takes him away so far so often, he would be perfect. He keeps in touch whenever possible (so missions don’t allow for that, but otherwise he is much better about writing then I am). He cares about Emma’s needs and more than just sexual needs. He is great with animals (even the cat he doesn’t like). He is willing to explore Emma’s fantasies as well as his own. He has a long-term steady job. He is great looking and built without being a pretty-boy. Okay, I think you get the picture…

In Operation: Spank Me, the interplay between Emma and Finn is not only scorching hot but touching as well (pun intended). These two filled the lonely need in each other through their emails and IMs for months before Finn showed up and brought all of Emma’s fantasies to life. And she was able to fill the much needed emotional side Finn has kept locked down all these years while on missions. Operation: Spank Me is not just a kinky sexual exploration (so much more than just spanking), but the journey of two lonely people finding that they need someone else in their life, and that special person is a friend they already have. Operation: Spank Me surpassed my expectations with both its emotional story and wicked scenes between Emma and Finn. This one is a keeper!