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