“Screw the Roses, Send Me the Thorns|Screw The Roses, Send Me the Thorns” was one of the first books I found when searching for BDSM related literature for a beginner. I was very happy with what I found between the covers. This book is a great guide for any beginner who is just delving into the wide world of punishment, pain and pleasure.

This book helps to teach the art of bondage with safety held in mind. I appreciate the tips about how to create pain without creating injury. “Screw the Roses, Send Me the Thorns” goes into detail about different tools and exactly how to use them, including the correct way to wield a whip! This will certainly cut down on the number of beginner mishaps.

I thought this book also helped with definitions|BDSM Buyer's Guide: What is BDSM? and the clarification on BDSM terminology. I actually ordered this book hoping for a more Dominant/submissive emotional guide, but this book did steer me in the direction that I should be going. Which helped me to understand that my partner and I were more interested in an emotional D/s relationship more than a physical S&M relationship. The D/s relationship we craved was more about control than physical pain.

I have to admit that the book could use a little retouching to make it a little more stylish, the pictures are a little outdated and can come across as a little humorous to some. But they do illustrate the proper usage of tools very well and are very helpful.

While this was not exactly what I was looking for when exploring my own D/s relationship, I do believe it is a great starting point for anyone who is curious about BDSM|BDSM Buyer's Guide and the tools of that trade. Especially what to look for in a nice whip, and I’m sure we can all appreciate a nice whip!