This is another great book by an author whose work I truly enjoy. I'll admit that when I first start reading them I need to get myself into the UK slang, but that never detracts from my pleasure. This one was no different. I needed to adjust to the slang, but at the same time it puts me right in the scene.

As always, the characters are brilliantly written and fleshed out. The ebb and flow of getting to know one another is there as always as well. My only niggle was that I found the ending rather abrupt, but that is probably just me. I always want more lol. ( )

I loved this! LOVED it! Ms. Myles' characters always have such unique voices; I literally hear the dialogue in my head! ( )

4.5 stars. really just totally enjoyed this. Cosmo the brat had me hooked at the first chapter. ( )

I loved this book so much I feel a serious author glom comming on *g*. I have been reading romances for twelve years now and the number of A rated books in my excel sheet is rather small, but after having read this one I have officially become a Josephine Myles fan girl. There are so many things I loved in this story, first and foremost the writing style, an Myles' incredible talent to create three-dimensional, realstic and human characters.

The BDSM relationship between Alisdair and Cosmo is one of the most realistic I have ever come upon in romance novels, without the addition of a dungeon and sex club (yippieh!). I never was into reading brat stories, but I have to say, Cosmo, the sub, convinced me otherwise, and what I treasured most about him was his ability to completely submit to his desires without second-guessing himself or starting to apologise for his desires. Au contraire, he took to the whole BDSM stuff like a duck takes to water and didn't feel guilty for it but proud and self-confident.

I think us womanfolks could really take a leaf out of his book. After Screwing The System I read a short BDSM novella featuring a heroine who constantly run away from her desires and the hero, felt guilty for her kinky cravings, couldn't stop moaning about her body and behaved like a wuss and doormat where her oh so loving family was concerned. This short story made it all the more clear to me why Screwing the System was such a perfect, wonderful read, because Myles created two incredibly strong, loveable but nevertheless flawed heroes. If I were more at home in the gender debate those two books and their characters would make for a wonderful paper at university *g*. And to finish my fangirl rant, let's not forget about Alisdair, the pushy top from this story.

I am SO glad I couldn't be detered from buying the book after having read in reviews about his control fetish. And let's be clear, he IS a control freak! Usually I make a wide berth about tops who want to organise their subs' lives, but again, it starts and finishes with the author's writing talent, and what ultimately made me fall in love with Alisdair was when he finally showed Cosmo his marshmllow heart and revealed his not so proper past. Oh my, writing this review just makes me want to reread the whole book again. Yep. So off to Samhain to buy the backlist!

Edited to add: I was in the mood of a reread, especially since I adored this book the first time around so much. I am still pissed at the bad reads that hampered my reading mood. ( )

First off, I usually love anything that Myles writes. Part of it is the English tone, I love getting to learn about a culture that is different than my own. I love the humor that she brings to the story, and the diverse characters. I also love her courage in writing about topics that others might shy away.

Basic Plot:

Cosmo Rawlins is a musician, who is trying to get by with temp jobs while he and his band attempts to make it big. So enter his interview with businessman Alasdair Grant. Cosmo is instantly attracted and drawn to Alasdair. One thing leads to another and he finds himself entering a BDSM relationship with him. Can their diverse backgrounds and hidden secrets keep them apart?

What I Thought:

What I liked the most was how Cosmo deals with his BDSM. Their first meeting they found by accident how "Boss-man" play turned them on, and their relationship intensified as the book moved on. I loved how Cosmo learns to depend on the lifestyle to deal with his emotional problems. We get to see how positive and often needed for individuals and couples.

I would not say that this book was "hard core" BDSM, but it was a bit more intense than her [b:The Hot Floor|15708784|The Hot Floor|Josephine Myles|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339878147s/15708784.jpg|21373935]. I labeled this as "daddy-kink", although Alasdair is not explicitly called "daddy" but rather "boss-man" or "boss".

Their dialogue is sexy as hell and I really enjoyed their dynamics. But I really liked was how the relationship matured and both individuals grow and realize that they need each other.

Conclusion:

I have really very little to say bad about this book. If you have read her other books, then you will love this one. If you are interested in BDSM books, then you should like this one, not too light and not too dark.


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