Review: Body Politics by Cara Bristol

Book: Body Politics

Rod and Cane Society #3

Author: Cara Bristol

Domestic Discipline, Erotic Romance
Review Copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review.

I told you I'd be checking out more of Cara Bristol's books after reading Unexpected Consequences (click here to read my review). Another accolade. This whole series is amazing. 

Here's the blurb:

Feminist Stephanie Gordon knows the instant she meets blind date Mark DeLuca it’s not going to work. Sure the deputy chief of police is criminally sexy, but he’s arrogant, domineering and sexist. Thank goodness after the evening ends, she’ll never have to see him again.

A member of the Rod and Cane Society, an organization of men who spank, Mark DeLuca is attracted to Stephanie like a paddle to a well-rounded ass. He sees beneath the shield of feminist militancy to the soft, sensitive woman she tries to hide. When she storms away in a snit, the chase is on. Can a Dom convince a diehard feminist her true strength lies in submission?

Another beautiful, sexy romance from Cara Bristol.

There are so many things I want to say about this book that I don't know where to begin. The way that Cara Bristol writes is so real, the characters are so real, their emotions, struggles, their connection and sexual encounters... everything just comes to life. I empathized with Stephanie's dilemma in trying to reconcile her attraction to Mark with her preconceived notions of what she should be attracted to... Mark was everything she didn't want to like - masculine, dominant, arrogant, too sexy for his own good (or for her own good, more like). Yet her body couldn't help but respond to him. And when her body responded to him, Cara's gift of prose ensured that mine did too.

The story developed in a very organic way. Mark and Stephanie's relationship progressed quickly, but naturally. It felt right and the way that Cara treated the "feminist dilemma" was also done well. 

Combining feminism and domestic discipline is tricky. Someone is going to get offended. Especially because most people associate feminism with the very extreme bra-burning, all-women-must-work-outside-the-home and be treated with exact equality (no opening doors or paying for dinner or any other chivalrous behavior) movement of the 1970s. It's a common misconception that all feminists think this way. However, the reality is that there are so many different feminist schools of thought that it's almost impossible to keep track of them all (I know, I minored in Women's Studies in college). I've always defined feminism as the right to choose to do what makes you happy without being judged for it. If that means enjoying a domestic discipline relationship with the love of your life then ... why not? 

I think that Cara Bristol did a very good job of showing the "traditional" feminist outlook that Stephanie started out with in the beginning of the book (the PC version of feminism that we're familiar with) and then showing us the progression of thought... to what may be somewhat more "liberated" feminism. Reconciling sexual desires that are not PC within a world where PC is the norm. Showing that instead of having to bury these desires and living a half-life... settling for less than, a woman can enjoy herself... surrender, be spanked... and still retain her identity as a productive member of society, doing something meaningful, making a difference, etc. That one does not impede the other. They're not mutually exclusive. And, most importantly, nowhere does Cara Bristol imply that ALL women need or want to be in a domestic discipline relationship or need a man or that there's only one way to eat a Reese's... 

Some quotes that stood out for me: "After all, that was what feminism was all about: giving women choices." And: "I'm living my truth. For me, domestic discipline creates intimacy. For other women, it doesn't. Isn't feminism about having options?" YES! Yes, that's what it's about. Well said.

Overall, everything about the book was good, the writing, the world that Cara Bristol created within the Rod and Cane Society - it just gives such a community feel to everything else that goes on and is so well incorporated into the story, and characters - Mark and Stephanie and their connection. They were both good people who lived normal lives doing something that they believed in. At first, obviously, Stephanie wasn't sure how she was going to fit Mark into her life, but he didn't let her give up on him. Mark is a force to be reckoned with. He never does anything halfway and once he decided that he was going to be the man for Stephanie, he followed through and led her on a journey of sexual exploration, self discovery, and was there for her when other parts of her life didn't go her way. It was a great depiction of an overall healthy relationship with love and care... and spanking!

So far, every book I've read by Cara Bristol has been well written and sexy and interesting. As I said in my review of Unexpected Consequences, this may not be for everyone, because traditional gender roles may offend some people and domestic discipline is somewhat different from just being kinky and liking a bit of spice in the bedroom. It's actually used to adjust behavior and attitude. But for those who understand the dynamic, this is another beautiful story. Five stars.

Purchase Link:

amazon

Review: Unexpected Consequences by Cara Bristol

Book: Unexpected Consequences

Rod and Cane Society #1

Author: Cara Bristol

Domestic Discipline, Erotic Romance

Wow. Definitely an accolade. Here's the blurb:

Jared belongs to the Rod and Cane Society, a secret organization of men who spank their wives to maintain domestic discipline. When Melania ignores a “request” from her husband and attempts to hide her disobedience, Jared spanks her.

While Jared believes the unpleasantness has been settled, for Melania it only has begun. Although she consented to the spanking, her fairytale notion of marriage has been shattered and she makes plans to leave Jared as soon as her parents return from vacation.

While she waits, Melania begins to see more positive aspects of domestic discipline. But just as she decides her love for Jared is paramount and she might be able to accept a domestic discipline marriage, Jared discovers she’d planned to leave him and once again her marriage is in jeopardy.

This is the first book by Cara Bristol that I have read and wow, I'm glad I did. I didn't know much about domestic discipline as a practice until I read this book. I've read other books that slant towards domestic discipline and spanking, but I always looked at that as another element of kink and as long as the male was Alpha enough, I didn't really care whether he was spanking the heroine or tying her up or just bossing her around... it's not the activity, but the feel of the characters and their interactions that gets and keeps my interest. This book definitely had the right feel. 

Unexpected Consequences is just such a beautiful depiction of what domestic discipline is, how it is practiced, the motivation behind the practice for both parties and how it can solidify and enhance the marriage (or any romantic relationship). Melania and Jared are newlyweds. Jared is the disciplinarian and a spankophile. Melania is an innocent; though she grew up in a domestic discipline household, she chose to be somewhat ignorant about it and when Jared spanks her for the first time, she is shocked. It wrenches her from her "fairyland" into the harsh reality of what being in a spanking relationship really means. It means that when she does something against her husband's wishes, he has the right and responsibility to spank her in order to rein her in. And it hurts. A lot. 

Cara Bristol really delved into the emotional rollercoaster that Melania went through to reconcile her love for Jared and her dislike of pain and discipline, yet a longing for it as well. I followed Melania through her journey of self discovery as she tried to figure out whether she loved spanking or hated it and whether it was going to ruin her marriage or add an amazing new layer that brought her closer to Jared. Jared had his own journey as he settled into his role as head of household and loving disciplinarian. There were some hiccups, some self doubt, and some self discovery on his part as well. Ultimately, their love for each other really shone through everything they did and even when they made mistakes, they never lost sight of that love.

This book may be for a niche audience. The gender roles are very traditional here. The husband is head of household and the wife obeys. That may turn some folks off. It's taking D/s to a different level. Or maybe it's different from D/s. I'm not sure, honestly. What I can say is that I really enjoyed the book. The characters were likeable and seemed very real, the spankings were so well written and we got to peek into both Jared's and Melania's head and lived the experience with them. The whole spanking community (The Rod and Cane Society) came to life, with a support system for both the husband and the wife. Neither Jared, nor Melania had to deal with everything by themselves. They sought support and advice from others who lived this lifestyle as well. 

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys spanking, traditional gender role relationships, and domestic discipline. Two thumbs up. I'll definitely be checking out more of Cara Bristol's books.

Purchase Link:

amazon

Review: Disciplining the Duchess by Annabel Joseph

A resounding ACCOLADE!

Book: Disciplining the Duchess

Author: Annabel Joseph

Historical Romance, Domestic Discipline

Blurb:

Over five seasons, Miss Harmony Barrett has managed to repel every gentleman of consequence and engineer a debacle at Almack’s so horrifying that her waltzing privileges are revoked. If she’s not in the library reading about Mongol hordes, she’s embarrassing her family or getting involved in impulsive scrapes. 

Enter the Duke of Courtland, a man known for his love of duty and decorum. Through a vexing series of events, he finds himself shackled to Miss Barrett in matrimony. But all is not lost. The duke harbors a not-so-secret affinity for spanking and discipline…and his new wife is ever in need of it. Will the mismatched couple find their way to marital happiness? Or will the duke be forever Disciplining the Duchess?

Usually, I'm not into historical romances. They make me think of stiff dresses and stiff ladies and stiff sticks up peoples' a$$e$. I don't go picking up historical romances, it's just not my thing... That's what I kept telling myself. But when Annabel Joseph came out with Disciplining the Duchess, I had to buy it and I had to read it. Because ... Annabel Joseph. Duh. (Okay, so I’ll confess that I had already read Lily Mine and Cait and the Devil by this point and loved those too, so I knew this would be another great story.) She made this book so fun to read. The characters just came to life, they were realistic, stayed true to their time period in a believable way, yet managed to put themselves into some really funny situations. Well, Miss Harmony did. And it was quite fun to watch her squirm.

Miss Harmony is a bit of a screw up. She’s so caught up in her books and her own antics that she forgets about her other responsibilities and just hopes for the best. But as the reader, I still loved her and hoped she wouldn’t ever lose that passion for life and love and her childlike views. And when she screwed up, I thoroughly enjoyed reading all about her getting her bum warmed by the ultimate hotness – Court, the Duke.

Court is the epitome of the Alpha male. He holds a prominent position of power as a peer of the realm, he’s older than Harmony and has been around the block and knows what he’s doing in and out of the bedroom. Yet, even with all that it’s so easy to see him as a real person... he has flaws. Cause being dominant doesn’t mean being perfect. Court deals with the same issues other people deal with – making mistakes, being too harsh, too soft, dealing with guilt.

What I really liked is that the love story was developed in relative real time. Harmony and Court might have been thrown together rather quickly, but their journey took time. They don’t magically fall in love at first sight and everything falls right into place. They have struggles, they both screw up and then grow up a bit and I, as the reader, went through the journey with them and laughed and cried right along with them… maybe even changed my panties a few times when they got hot and steamy.

It also really helped that the spanking and discipline scenes were very hot and fun and the dynamic was right on. Everything just flowed so well.

Another point for this book is that there was a storyline that did not revolve around the sex. Don’t misunderstand – the sex was HOT, but it’s also nice when the story itself is interesting and holds you captive, so you’re not thinking, “when is the next sex scene?” Instead, you can’t wait to find out what happens next, period. It’s just really nice when the erotica part is seamlessly integrated into the story and Annabel Joseph definitely succeeds with that.

I highly recommend this book - it has everything you can ask for - humor, romance, HOT sex, HOT discipline, loveable characters, and, while last, probably also most important is that the book has an interesting story!

Purchase Link:
amazon