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A review by conniejoy529
Cowboy Casanova by Lorelei James
3.0
Ok, so I really should not read BDSM books, they just are not for me. I didn't expect this to be full on D/s because Lorelei James hasn't had that in any of her previous RR books (or Blacktop Cowboys books that I'm aware of). That being said I tried not to let that influence how I rated the book overall. I have to say that LJ books are pretty much hit or miss for me. They all have various levels of kink (which I can deal with and find entertaining at times and I certainly enjoy the Alpha male thing to a degree) but I will never be able to wrap my brain around the psychological stuff that she attempts to delve into about the BDSM lifestyle in Cowboy Casanova. While the sex scenes are frequent and heavy, the psychological aspect also makes up a big part of the book. In fact it is the basis of the storyline.
Bennett is a Dom and has been for years, in fact he was a founding member of the local private BDSM club, where the population of dominants is 100% male and the subs are 100% female (this just irked me to no end)so of course when he sees Angel (real name later discovered to be Ainsley) in the club proclaiming herself to be a Domme he of course sets out to prove that she is in fact deep down a submissive (this made every part of my femisinst being cringe). Ainsley, who has been through a very rough divorce from a husband who saw her desire to spice up their sex life disgusting, is really only at the club to observe for the weekend and see if this lifestyle could possibly be for her, but because of the clubs "you pay, you play" policy she has to agree to Domme for Bennett (remember none of the other male members of the club would ever consider subbing) with the agreement that she sub for him the following night (Bennett is not a sub or even a switch, he only does this because he is confident that Angel will not be able to go through with it and allow him to dominate her).
Monday rolls around and to their surprise Bennett and Ainsley discover they live in the same town. Since they both enjoyed their experience at the club so much they come to an agreement that they will have a month long D/s relationship to see if this is right for Ainsley. Things get complicated because Ainsley is the president of the new bank in town and Bennett is suddenly offered a business opportunity that requires him to apply for a loan.
Bennett and Ainsley both have to decide what is truly important in their lives and what they are willing to give up to find true love.
Overall I would have to say that I found this book to be meh. I read it in one sitting but by the end I really just wasn't drawn in by the characters. I am a sucker for a happy ending, I'm also a sucker for a grand gesture. At the end of this book there was an attempt at a grand gesture but to me it was rather anti-climatic. I really wasn't sure what was motivating the characters throughout. I hated that Ben/Bennett presented himself as though he was two different people( or one person with multiple personalities) yet wanted Ainsley to accept him as a whole.
For me, I didn't really feel any chemistry between the characters, there was no build up, no getting to know one another before they went at it. I remember a scene from the book where Ainsley referred to herself as a "sure thing" and that is what it felt like, I didn't really see a lot of romance or emotions, mainly a cloud of lust and self doubt, and it seemed as though that was something that the characters worried about as well, and it was something that I felt was never fully addressed. If you have a nonrelationship based solely on sex, that you can't talk to anyone about and have to keep a total secret, and you are not really sure of your feelings and you don't want to talk to your partner to see if they are having those same feelings. . . It just didn't seem probable that there was any real emotional connection.
I give this book three stars because I do enjoy James writing style, like I said I read this in one sitting so it was extremely easy to read. But I've read much better from her.
Bennett is a Dom and has been for years, in fact he was a founding member of the local private BDSM club, where the population of dominants is 100% male and the subs are 100% female (this just irked me to no end)so of course when he sees Angel (real name later discovered to be Ainsley) in the club proclaiming herself to be a Domme he of course sets out to prove that she is in fact deep down a submissive (this made every part of my femisinst being cringe). Ainsley, who has been through a very rough divorce from a husband who saw her desire to spice up their sex life disgusting, is really only at the club to observe for the weekend and see if this lifestyle could possibly be for her, but because of the clubs "you pay, you play" policy she has to agree to Domme for Bennett (remember none of the other male members of the club would ever consider subbing) with the agreement that she sub for him the following night (Bennett is not a sub or even a switch, he only does this because he is confident that Angel will not be able to go through with it and allow him to dominate her).
Monday rolls around and to their surprise Bennett and Ainsley discover they live in the same town. Since they both enjoyed their experience at the club so much they come to an agreement that they will have a month long D/s relationship to see if this is right for Ainsley. Things get complicated because Ainsley is the president of the new bank in town and Bennett is suddenly offered a business opportunity that requires him to apply for a loan.
Bennett and Ainsley both have to decide what is truly important in their lives and what they are willing to give up to find true love.
Overall I would have to say that I found this book to be meh. I read it in one sitting but by the end I really just wasn't drawn in by the characters. I am a sucker for a happy ending, I'm also a sucker for a grand gesture. At the end of this book there was an attempt at a grand gesture but to me it was rather anti-climatic. I really wasn't sure what was motivating the characters throughout. I hated that Ben/Bennett presented himself as though he was two different people( or one person with multiple personalities) yet wanted Ainsley to accept him as a whole.
For me, I didn't really feel any chemistry between the characters, there was no build up, no getting to know one another before they went at it. I remember a scene from the book where Ainsley referred to herself as a "sure thing" and that is what it felt like, I didn't really see a lot of romance or emotions, mainly a cloud of lust and self doubt, and it seemed as though that was something that the characters worried about as well, and it was something that I felt was never fully addressed. If you have a nonrelationship based solely on sex, that you can't talk to anyone about and have to keep a total secret, and you are not really sure of your feelings and you don't want to talk to your partner to see if they are having those same feelings. . . It just didn't seem probable that there was any real emotional connection.
I give this book three stars because I do enjoy James writing style, like I said I read this in one sitting so it was extremely easy to read. But I've read much better from her.