Have you felt ‘left out’ of the traditional relationship self-help books because you derive great pleasure from following your partner’s requests and direction on many things in your life? Or do you respond to the natural inclination to guide, direct and protect your partner? Are your friends and family having difficulty understanding that your relationship works more like a captain and first mate on a boat? If so, this innovative book, Leading and Supportive Love, the Truth about Dominant and Submissive Relationships, can help with new and clearer understanding of yourself, your relationship and acceptance with those that you love and care for.
Review
The truth about Dominant and submissive relationships isn’t that we are an alternative lifestyle within the BDSM arena, it’s that we are a strong and supportive relationship type that goes beyond and sometimes without the kink. Chris Lyon has written a fantastic book that does a great job describing and detailing the two roles of a leading and supportive relationship without all the kink, discipline and fetish mumbo jumbo that tends to muddy our understanding when we get involved in BDSM.
First and foremost this book is about couples that agree and migrate towards a type of relationship where one person leads and the other supports. It is the basis of any strong D/s relationship. Leading and Supportive Love – The Truth About Dominant and Submissive Relationships should be a recommended reading for every person interested in D/s relationships so that we can learn just who we are as people and the roles we play in a relationship without having to talk about kink, punishment, rules, BDSM play or sex. This book does what every BDSM relationship book should have done; lay down the essential parts of each person in the relationship and why leading and supportive relationships work.
I also feel that therapists and counselors would learn a lot about this sort of relationship and use it to their advantage in counseling couples and individuals that fit this relationship type. Lyon expresses that need in this book too. If you have a therapist that doesn’t quite get why you are submitting to your partner or what you get out of it, I recommend getting them this book. You don’t have to out yourself as kinky to do it either. Lyon doesn’t talk about kink or BDSM as the only way this relationship type exists.
Because it isn’t.
Every day couples are leading a Leading/supportive relationship without being kinky, without thinking they are out of the ordinary and without having to label it as D/s or M/s. It’s just how they function and it works for them.
So, come read this book. My favorite sections were the detailed profiles of how the two roles identify each other and the traits that they often exhibit. You will find yourself nodding along with them as I did. You’ll read case illustrations about different struggles, relationship help, and details that may make you think about your relationship differently. If you aren’t sure if you are a leader or a supportive type, check out the profiles yourself. This book also has several chapters talking about common issues that L/s relationships face and ways to work through them. It’s a wonderful self-help book for the experienced long term relationship that may be hitting a wall in their relationship.
Overall I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s become a go-to for me to express thoughts and ideas when it comes to D/s and it is going to go on my recommended reading list for novices. It’s just that good. I’ve read it twice already. Leading and Supportive Love by Chris Lyon is an excellent resource, full of the details that people looking for a D/s relationship really need. The who’s the whys and the possible issues that may occur.