Review: Realistic
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 2, 2013
A feminist who loves to be spanked and disciplined by a man, how does this work?  It starts out a little shaky and turns into something that works quite well.In BODY POLITICS, Stephanie Gordon is a vocal feminist who runs a non-profit organization supporting women.  Women Act Now (WAN) is her brain child that she grew from infancy to its mature organization.  When she is set up on a blind date with Mark DeLuca, deputy chief of police, she's cursing her dear friend Liz.Mark is a delicious disciplined man.  His desire to run a household where he leads is appealing.  Domestic Discipline (DD) is an oft maligned practice because it's easily misunderstood or perhaps abused at times.  Not everyone agrees DD is part of the BDSM lifestyle.  For me, it matters not how it is categorized or sub categorized.  What is appealing is the give and take in a DD relationship.  Ms. Bristol does a good job of showing how it's not all about spanking the woman when she errs.  She uses Mark to illustrate a caring and protective husband.  Mark isn't looking for a doormat.  He wants a feisty woman who can partner up with him.  One could argue how a partnership can work in a DD relationship.  Isn't the man supposed to be the lead?  I would point out, a partner is someone to share the joys and burdens, not necessarily equally.Ms. Bristol does a great job of creating characters that are realistic and believable.  Neither Stephanie nor Mark is perfect.  The way they chose to behave or respond in some of the situations wasn't always the best choice.  And this is what makes the book good.  It's not perfect people getting it on.  It's regular people I can relate to, who enter into a specific type of lifestyle that I'd love to have.The conflict in this story is all too realistic and the resolution of it isn't exactly a happily ever after which I greatly appreciated.  It's contemporary and authentic to the real world.  This book is still quite romantic and there is a happily ever after for Stephanie and Mark.  Essentially, the stick up Stephanie's ass was pulled out by Mark and he used it on her ass instead.  And for this, I love Mark.  When bad things happened to Stephanie, rather than let her sink into a destructive cycle, he steps up and helps her.  He supports her as those try to rip her down.  This is a lovely partnership which is the core of a DD relationship.  Actually, it's really the core of any relationship.The spanking scenes in this book are light, even the punishment scenes.  The erotic ones are teasingly tantalizing.  And what spanking book doesn't involve a little bit of anal?  Anal is always a plus.  My favourite place in this book is the Bottoms Up bar.  I really wish there was a place like this for me to hang out with kinky friends. The "butt" souvenir glass is hilarious and I'd love to own a set.This kinky romance is recommended to readers who enjoy a good spanking from an alpha male.Reviewed by BookAddictfor TheRomanceReviews.com