By His Rules

by J.A. Rock

Aiden Cole can be anything men want—naughty schoolboy, palace slave, virgin twink, or slutty secretary. He's a gifted actor with a gorgeous body who gives legendary head. Aiden could have his pick of any Top in the local leather bar, but is drawn to Scott Runge—a cruel, sexy Dom who pushes Aiden to his limits, allowing Aiden to experience the excitement and danger of the BDSM lifestyle to a degree he never has before. But when Scott goes too far, injuring Aiden, Aiden withdraws from the scene completely. Until he meets Keaton Hughes.

Keaton's looking for something he can't find in any dungeon: A domestic discipline relationship, in which he can provide his partner with guidance, support, and loving discipline. When Keaton takes Aiden in after Aiden's traumatic encounter with Scott, he vows not to pursue any sort of relationship with the troubled sub. But as Aiden struggles to overcome the damage Scott has done and get his life back on track, Keaton's rules might be just what he needs.

Note: This is a revised second edition.

Warning: contains violence and noncon.

Genres: BDSM, M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Abuse, Erotica, Dark

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2012

About the author

J.A. Rock is the author or coauthor of over twenty LGBTQ romance, suspense, and horror novels, as well as an occasional contributor to HuffPo Queer Voices. J.A. has received Lambda Literary and INDIEFAB Award nominations for MINOTAUR, and THE SUBS CLUB received the 2016 National Leather Association-International Pauline Reage Novel Award. J.A. lives in Chicago with an extremely judgmental dog, Professor Anne Studebaker.

Reviews

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Price drop to $0.99 today at Amazon US, 9/20/18!*



Ahhh, reading in the bath. *bliss*

Everyone has their favorite kinks. As some of you may know (those that pay attention to the nonsense I blurt out of my face), I am drawn to some specific kinks in the BDSM realm, namely domestic discipline, daddy kink, chastity, and humiliation kink. I actually cringe reading about flogging or whipping, and tying someone up does nothing for me. I get why some people love certain things, but a lot of those things are not for me and I don't love reading about them.

If you analyze it further, all of my kinks are in the power control category. I just like it when someone has control over else that has nothing to do with pain or restraints. With domestic disciple, the idea that someone else is in charge and is keeping you in line feels just so... freeing, in a way. Now, in real life I don't think I could handle that, but I TOTALLY get the desire and it is very easy for me to get into a DD character's headspace.

I found both main characters to be really, really interesting. The beginning was a little hard to read. Anyone could recognize the signs of an abusive relationship between Scott and Aiden, but I liked how the author made it a slow progression, like a real abusive relationship, so that we saw why Aiden was sucked in. I wanted to save him soooo badly, but it set the stage nicely for Aiden and Keaton's relationship. Keaton was a great guy. He was patient, loving, and gentle, and he took his role as a partner and DD top very seriously. I liked how he let things sort of evolve between him and Aiden and didn't push him too quickly.

I did have some minor complaints. For one, Aiden was almost unbearably bratty at times, and I thought that he acted too immature at certain parts of the story. Also, I didn't get the weird personality shifts in Scott. I didn't find him acceptable in any way, and I wasn't sure if the author was trying to set up a future book with him as the MC so she decided redeem him a bit. It was odd.

Overall, this book is a very quick, lovely read about the journey to a DD relationship. All DD fans should try this one.

[Emma Sea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an unusal BDSM-themed book. Keaton is into domestic discipline, not BDSM. Keaton is looking for a nurturing relationship of equals, supported by corporal and other punishments. This was an interesting twist on a familiar genre, and I enjoyed it. I didn't find it hot in the least, but I did find the emotionally caring aspect of Keaton and Aiden's relationship very sweet and calming.

I was taken a bit aback when I started the book, because I assumed the sample I read (when Aiden is living with Keaton) was the beginning, and that the author was not going to spell out the abusive BDSM relationship that Aiden had with Scott prior to Keaton. I liked this idea as an approach; picking up from the aftermath and letting the reader piece it all together. However the sample is actually from half way through the book, so I did in fact have to sit through the abusive relationship first. This made me sad, because it wasn't BDSM, it was a horrible, abusive and damaging power imbalance. I wanted to give Aiden a hug and take him far far away.

This is also unusual in being the first book I ever read (m/m genre or otherwise) where an enema is administered to actually treat constipation. It's definitely the first m/m romance I ever read that even mentions constipation.

One down point is that it wasn't very long: I read fast, but I was done in just on two hours. For $6.99 that was a little disappointing. I would have liked more about Aiden and Keaton's relationship: it was a bit too much telling and not enough showing.

However, for a change from the more usual BDSM-theme I recommend it.

[Otila · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe Domestic Discipline just isn’t my thing because this didn’t work for me. The relationship between Keaton and Aiden was odd. Keaton is more like a parent to Aiden than his lover or Dom. He had Aiden writing lines, gave him time out and he just sucked all the fun and kink out of spanking. I didn’t like either MC. Keaton was boring and Aiden acted like a five year old most of the time. They did have their sweet moments but it wasn’t enough to convince me that this relationship really has a future.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 'discipline' stars

Aiden snuggled close to him. “You spank hard for such a nice guy.”
“That ass of yours begs for it.”

First read: 19 Jan 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Re-read: 28 Sep 2024 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I randomly came across this book on my Kindle - my first book by this author but it certainly won't be my last. I really liked Keaton and Aiden's relationship. Yes, Aiden was an annoying little shit sometimes often but I enjoyed his bratty attitude and it was a delight to see Keaton put him over his knee in his place.

“I love you,” Aiden said. He caught sight of Keaton’s palm. It was as red and swollen as Aiden imagined his ass must be. He took it in his own hands and kissed it.
Keaton stroked Aiden’s face, letting him feel the heat from his palm. “I love you too.”
Aiden curled against Keaton, holding tight. He was never, never going to let this man go.

I don't always enjoy DD relationships, especially if it's all about discipline. Luckily, not the case with these two. Yeah, there were a lot of spankings (you won't hear me complain, heh) but also lots of hot and filthy sex 😏😏

Aiden gasped with laughter and tried to struggle away. “Ow! Keaton, don’t. I’m too sore.”
Keaton leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Too sore for me to fuck you?”
Aiden let out a breath and writhed against Keaton.
Keaton wouldn’t let him up.
“No.” Aiden strained. “Not too— sore at all.”

Simply said, I loved Keaton and Aiden together, sexy and sweet moments both! 💕

“All right. Here are the rules for tonight. You let me undress you and stare at your gorgeous body until I can’t take it anymore.”
“Yes, Keaton.”
“You spread your legs and take me deep inside you.”
“Yes.”
“You let me hear you while I take you. You don’t hold back. You let yourself be young and happy and beautiful in front of me.”
“Yes,” Aiden whispered.
“You don’t worry about a thing.”

The reason why this story lost one star was the first 20% when Aiden is in a very intense SM relationship with Scott (well, more like friends acquaintances with benefits). I've read in some reviews that readers didn't like this part but I wasn't bothered by the hardcore (almost violent) scenes. I actually even liked some of them (don't judge me please!!) But since I knew Scott and Aiden are not the end game, I was pretty much just waiting for them to break up, so Keaton and Aiden will get together. IMO, that part could be shorter. Also, I hoped that Scott basically raping Aiden would get somehow resolved but it was just brushed away.

Overall, I really liked the story and I liked the writing. I read an expert from The Subs Club at the end of this book and I'm definitely reading that one soon!

Keaton swallowed and wiped his mouth, then leaned across the table to kiss Aiden. “Did you learn your lesson?”
Aiden nodded hazily. “I’m yours,” he murmured, eyes drifting closed.

Re-reading this book, I was much more bothered by the first 20% in a way that the violence was never correctly addressed or at least that none action was taken against Scott who was actually a rapist and a psycho imo. Yes, I admit I still liked one (only one!) scene between Scott and Aiden that was really hot. It's their only scene in which Scott actually acts like a proper dom - most importantly including consent and aftercare.

I still enjoyed Aiden and Keaton's relationship very much 😊 I also understood Aiden better and seen him less of a brat and more like a betrayed and wounded young man, who was simply lost in life. That made their scenes together even sweetter becasue Keaton was exactly what Aiden needed 🥰

[Trio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've gotta go up to 4.5 stars on this one - it truly was that good.
What a fantastic story! The characters were amazing and the pacing was perfect. over 300 pages and they just flew by - really highly recommend this book.

[Peppa · Rating 5 out of 5]

God this book was a 10/10 I will never recover from this book.
First of all this book is no light and fluffy read…it really ain’t I had to put it down a few times actually since it got to me really hard but I will recommend it to everyone nevertheless.

It ripped my heart apart to read all those parts where Scott manipulated, abused and broke Alden down from a beautiful little bit bratty sub to a insecure selfhating mess. But my heart got glued back together as Alden slowly recovered with the help of Keaton. Keaton was wonderful he was so patiently and understanding as he tried to guide Alden truth his traumatic experience and find himself in all this again.
Alden’s and Keotans dynamic (from time to time also kind of daddy/boy) was beautiful they worked so well together, I also loved that they both hadn’t that many sex scenes together (at least I found it wasn’t that many but they were hot ngl) and if they had it was more about giving AIden a safe place with some rules and feeling secure without being judged.

It might have a bit more inner monologue but honestly it doesn’t but it doesn’t bothered me as it usually would in other books, here it felt right since it was used in a way to really know what Alden was going through.

[Heller · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a bit Jekyll and Hyde for me.

I found the first half of it almost unbearable to read and came pretty close to DNF'ing it but was too curious to see how Aiden was going to get himself out of the hell he was in to stop reading. I guess this was just too hardcore for me, the barrage of degredation and humilation just felt endless and hopeless.

Aiden's reason for finally leaving Scott just felt inauthentic and forced, just as his reasons for staying. Those few times that Scott was shown to be a sympathetic character just didn't work for me and felt like an artificial attempt to give him layers.

I picked up this book for the domestic discipline storyline. I've read other books with that subject matter and have really enjoyed them. While I did enjoy the second half of the book better with Keaton it still had problems for me.

Aiden just felt too much like a completely different character to me, for him to go from extreme pain slut to brat was just confusing. The whole brat concept does work for me but I had a hard time relating that to what I knew of Aiden from the first half of the book. Keaton didn't come as a strong top either and he almost seemed to be playing the role as much as Aiden did in his earlier club roles. Knowing kind of what he wanted but ultimately not strong enough to make me believe things will work out with the two of them in the end. Sometimes the relationship worked for me and other times Aiden pulled the strings too much.

This just didn't end up being a book that I enjoyed. There were concepts and moments that I liked but ultimately the extreme D/s of the first half and the tentative domestic discipline of the second just felt too at odds with each other to make for a cohesive whole.

Not a book I can recommend.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the very few domestic discipline books that I have read (Gilli was the first one).

J.A. Rock does a great job in showing how a man wants to experience the BDSM world, falls for the wrong man and finally... after going through an abusive relationship... finds the right person to fulfill his needs.

I liked how Aiden, emotionally and physically damaged, fights to find himself again, to regain trust in himself and people around him, to follow his dreams. I also liked the way Keaton supports and loves Aiden.

While I still have my issues with domestic discipline books, this one worked pretty well for me. Good read for BDSM fans.

[Ed Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not what I was expecting. I’ve read lots of books where abused subs are saved by a patient and loving Dom, but none that started with the abuse. It was hard reading about the way Scott broke Alden down from a cocky beautiful sub to a gaunt insecure mess.

It was just as hard to read how patiently Keaton helped him to find himself. He kept falling back into bad patterns of behavior and it just felt so real.

I really enjoyed the book even though it was filled with a lot of inner monologue. It didn’t bother me like it usually does. I felt it was the only way to know what Aiden was going through. This isn’t a light fluffy read, but it’s an excellent book.

[Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Honestly, this was a 4 star book for me up until the last few chapters then it floundered. I didn’t understand the rationale behind the climax, it just didn’t gel for me but I’m not going to tank it for a few chapters. Overall, it’s a good example of domestic discipline (DD). Falls Chance Ranch is still the gold standard as far as DD is concerned in my book, but this is a good offering & certainly not as long & involved as the FCR series.

Aiden’s a twink sub. He’s got some experience in the BDSM community but it seems he’s only scened with Doms & never been in a D/s relationship. Scott Runge walks into Obey one night & pretty much summons Aiden (they’ve scened before & Aiden is smitten with him) to his house to play. Scott's a sadist who favors humiliation. I never could ascertain if Aiden likes humiliation per se or just craved the sense of belonging to another. Scott offers to “train” Aiden to be his sub. Naturally, Aiden takes him up on the offer & things devolve from there. You know what the sad part is? After having read the book, I think Scott really did/does love Aiden he just has no concept of how to show it properly. He’s abusive & controlling & calls it domination. At any rate, things get so bad Aiden flees in the middle of the night to his friend Hera’s house. Hera & her girlfriends can only take Aiden for a short time which leaves him virtually no choice but to move in with Keaton.

Keaton has been searching for a partner willing to commit to a DD relationship & has come up short. He’s also seen & been attracted to Aiden before at Obey. He offers to take Aiden in & help him begin the recovery process. Aiden's relationship with Scott has left him with nightmares, underweight, scattered, sleep deprived, & tanked his self-esteem. Although I’m thinking Aiden’s self esteem issues started prior to Scott. Keaton proposes a DD relationship as a means of getting Aiden back on track & off they go.

Like I said before, I enjoyed the book up until the climax. There’s only so much ‘poor, unloveable me’ I can take before I start to get fussy. Couple that with some impulsive & reckless behaviors that I can’t make sense out of and you’re probably going to lose me. I certainly understand how difficult it is to overcome a trauma & the book only spans a few months, hardly sufficient I know but still it got tedious. However, Aiden certainly cemented himself as a brat; I’ll give him credit for that. I would’ve also liked more info on both of their backgrounds. I did like both Aiden & Keaton; I liked the DD relationship they built; I liked the dynamics between the two of them. It had me right up until the end & then wah, wah, wah.

[annob [on hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concept of domestic discipline was something I only recently even heard of when I started to read this book. With only a vague idea of what it would entail, I was quite curious to learn more through this romance story.

After the last page, I wasn't sure what to think other than I had liked it, and feeling happy for where the characters ended up. But the book starts out quite differently—dark, abusive and frankly brutal. It's the first time I haven't enjoyed well written bdsm scenes in fiction (not counting the badly written ones).

The downwards spiralling of events which makes up the first third of the book was a tough read for me. I was squirming in discomfort and didn't want to continue the story. Luckily I had Sarah_loves_books tell me in advance things would get better for the characters, and that the book as a whole would be worth the initial agony. She was absolutely right. :)

The harsh start was deliberate and instrumental to the remainder of the story, where the romantic love turns from bad (badbadbad) to good. For the romance part of the story I appreciated not everything was smooth sailing once love entered the scene, as the past events caused a rollercoaster of relapses, unpredictable behaviour, and trust issues. I can't really judge if the DD interactions were realistic or not, but it certainly felt so to me as a reader. I gained a decent understanding of it too, as it was well explained by the characters in the story.

The ending felt satisfactory and story certainly memorable, as well as left me pondering a few new questions about DD relationships. Mostly about how it would work for a long term couple, since this story was mainly about the experienced person acting as a tutor/guide of the other. I'd be interested to read more stories with DD themes, even though I'll stick to D/s type of bdsm for when I want steamy reads.

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review is the second one. Doh! I'm always second. :(



A downward spiraling submissive is never a pretty sight. I had misgivings about this book. Would it live up to the hype I've heard? I'm more critical of BDSM books since it seems more authors are jumping onto this latest hot trend with nary an understanding of this subject.

J.A Rock pulled me in within the first chapter. Aiden Cole is a hot twenty-three year-old being sought after by many a leather Daddy. Aiden's understanding of BDSM is more focused on the SM side. Make no mistake; his pain tolerance is high. His understanding of a submissive or a slave is very low. Unfortunately for him, he hooks up with Scott Runge who is a sadistic bastard. This is the kindest I can term Scott. Scott is a play Dom. He thinks he is a real Dom and he even has himself convinced. The sad part is, there are many Doms like Scott in real life. This situation is not uncommon.

BY HIS RULES demonstrates the real life mistakes that can happen with a BDSM relationship goes wrong. I am very impressed with how accurate it is portrayed. It breaks my heart. Under Scott's cruel tutelage, Aiden is transformed from a confident talented young man into a gaunt no self-esteem brat. The night and day difference makes me want to cry and drag Aiden away and protect him. I also want to take a cane to Scott's stupid arse. I'm incensed. My emotions ran from sadness to fury. Not all books which generate such emotion receive a four star from me. What made this book for me was the introduction of Keaton Hughes.

I fell for Keaton. His style of D/s is very different than Scott. His is focused on domestic discipline, which is near and dear to my heart. What is key, is his focus on the relationship and building trust. If I see J.A Rock, I will fall at the author's feet and kiss them for this difference. We are not battered over the head with this lesson; we are held captive, watching a patient Keaton doing his best to help Aiden heal.

Keaton is no pushover. He spanks with the best of them. He isn't into SM, which Aiden feels he needs yet doesn't understand why he wants to be literally beaten to a pulp. With Keaton's stabilizing influence, we see Aiden mend and come to some harsh epiphanies. Aiden realizes his equating heavy physical abuse to cathartic release is a gross fallacy. We witness his realization; it's painful to watch.

I appreciate that this story isn't an easy white knight saving the damsel in distress trope. Instead, the story is up and down. Just as it seems as though everything is going very well, Aiden falls again. This is all too real and makes this story more meaningful to me. We do conclude in a happy ending and it feels as if we've gone through a wringer.

I recommend this book to BDSM readers who want to see the good and bad aspects to a D/s and SM relationship. This is definitely one to read.

[Jo * Smut-Dickted * · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book about domestic discipline. Those of us who know a bit more about BDSM can see the differences between a DD relationship and a D/s one although they might seem the same on the outside. I enjoyed Keaton quite a lot - Aiden, eh, not all the time. I tend to not like the more immature type character and he was definitely not very mature. To the author's credit she took a theme I do not like (and I mean I DO NOT LIKE it and normally it makes the book a DNF) and at least made me understand the reasons behind the whole bratty "sub"/"partner" in this relationship.

Things I really liked: the mis-communications are worked through. They are not left hanging between the guys. Aiden's snafu in not saying something not withstanding the communication is good. Keaton shows great patience with Aiden. He is also pretty clear in what he wants - though there was the small bit at the end where perhaps it could have been better. I also enjoyed the slight change to Scott's character in the end...I don't like it when some guy that is "bad" all the sudden is goodness and light. Not realistic.

I also really got a great feel for the DD relationship. This book really does a phenomenal job of showing how that type of partnership might work since it is, by necessity, sort of a 24/7. It does not look like TPE or consensual slavery but in some ways it is the same. I enjoyed Aiden's going through the emotions in his head to arrive at why he wants/needs this, what he gets, and the honest rebellion. It seemed an authentic way for him to end up where he ended up.

Very interesting and thought provoking book.

[Nile Princess · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book. Finally, I've found a 'brat' that I didn't want to strangle. Aiden and Keaton were wonderful, complex characters and their Discipline relationship was multi-layered and most importantly, believable and realistic. In no way was it the usual, 'Sir/Daddy' been there done that type of spiel. As a matter of fact, Keaton insisted Cole call him by his name. At times, I wasn't sure how the author would resolve their issues but he/she did a great job.

Based on previous reviews, I was worried about the 'textbook' style presenation of this lifestyle, but I didn't find that to be an issue at all. I cared about the characters from the first word to the last. Definitely one of my favorite Discipline novels and one I plan to read again and again.

Now, author, if you please, I would LOVE to read Scott's story. I need him to find love and a relationship that works for him

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this heavy story. This was a challenge to start - abuse & cruelty are not my thing ... But eventually love prevailed, Keaton slowly brought life back into the emotionally damaged Aiden and peace began to flow ...

[Misty · Rating 3 out of 5]

so many of you loved this, and I wanted to, but I just couldn't.
I just really didn't like the character of Aiden, so I could like the story. sorry.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a M/m domestic discipline story, not my usual fare. It was well written and the characters made sense, but it just didn't talk to ME. A couple of the self-sabotaging incidents after trust was established were hard to deal with--not intellectually, they weren't implausible just aggravated me.

[Sebby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a 4.5 star read but I’m rounding up to 5 because I don’t know how else to explain it but this book just worked? The plot, the characters, the kink, everything just meshed together perfectly to create such a fantastic story which was unexpected to say the least. There was a certain steadiness to Keaton that I adored and I loved the way he handled Aiden and his fluctuating emotions, the whole thing just absolutely clicked with me

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. A LOT. Really emotional. The author has a deft hand, weaving in very serious issues without overwhelming the reader.

Keaton was a faaabulous hero - I am so jealous. And Aiden... well, I see he got some trouble in reviews for being bratty. He was a bit of a diva but I felt it was understandable due to several issues, both his past relationship and the fact that his life is in a place of flux. AND I feel like his continued tempestuousness will make their relationship a lot more fun, that that's what Keaton enjoys. Aiden was perfect for Keaton and Keaton is perfect for Aiden.

I also liked the writing. It wasn't as funny as but it had a beautiful cadence and it delved deeper into the emotions too. I highly recommend both this and P&P.

"But lately his feelings had become even more complex. The idea of not having Keaton in his life was like a raw wound, too painful to touch. He felt a silly, fawning devotion when he looked at Keaton, and wanted to run to him, throw his arms around him, crawl inside him, and live safely under his skin."

[Adrianamae · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

this book reads like a manual on bdsm because it really isn't about the characters, but about the different styles of bdsm. The book, the writing is cold and factual. I felt nothing for these heroes. In fact, I felt nothing at all while reading this book. It was more of a case study about an abused sub who has physical and psychological problems and how they get resolved through another style of bdsm (sort of pain/humiliation BDSM versus discipline bdsm).

[Simsala · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn`t know switching Doms means switching personalities.
Abuse or not, I found Aidens transformation from obidient sub to temper-tantrum throwing dramaqueen unconvincing.
The flaws of the story are already pointed out and some of them bothered me quite a bit but overall I had fun reading it - laughing at the most inappropriate moments and the domestic discipline relationship between Aiden and Keaton gave me some really good ideas for the next time someone dares to talk back....

[Awilk -never sleeps- · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very quick read. I tried the sample and had to download the full story instantly. There was a few things I had problems with, mainly in the first part of the book, which kept me from rating it higher.
Still, for people who enjoy BDSM m/m books, I would say you might enjoy this one, but I don't think it's a good book to start with.

[Smith Barney]

Well. For me. I appreciate this writer's humorous voice much more. Not this f'ing party-pooping-preaching voice.

Checked out at 65%.

[Jayhjay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally published on my blog Joyfully Jay

Aiden Cole is an aspiring actor, supporting himself as a waiter and hoping to go to grad school. He is also a submissive and craves finding a partner who can truly make him feel like he can give up control. Aiden's past dom/sub experiences generally left him feeling unsatisfied; most of the men he meets are merely playing at the scene, and none give him the true submission he really desires.

One night Aiden connects with dom Scott Runge. Scott is hard core in a way that both appeals to and scares Aiden. Aiden knows that Scott will truly master him and demand total obedience and submission, even though he can be brutal and mean. However, Aiden soon finds that Scott has no interest in Aiden's needs or pleasure, nor does he make any effort to create a mutually satisfying relationship. Scott only seeks his own pleasure and is violent and verbally and physically abusive. Aiden is willing to stay with him because he wants the submission so badly, and there is a part of him that thinks he deserves this kind of treatment.

After a few months with Scott, Aiden has basically fallen apart. He is starving himself to death so his body will appeal to Scott. He is battered and bruised and in constant pain. He is unable to sleep or function normally. Scott has convinced Aiden that trying for graduate school is a foolish notion and Aiden no longer is making an effort to complete applications. Eventually he loses his job and can no longer afford his apartment, moving in with Scott even though part of him realizes it is a mistake. Aiden blames himself for every problem with Scott, always assuming it is his failures that are keeping things from working. But things get worse and worse, and an incredibly violent night finally sends Aiden running from Scott's home.

This first part of the story is incredibly intense and hard to read. The abuse Aiden suffers is really horrific and in many cases hard to stomach. I will be honest, there were times I had to skim passages just because it was so painful to read. But I was also totally caught up in the story, knowing there was light at the end of the tunnel for Aiden, and this kept me eagerly reading on, looking forward to seeing good things finally happen for him.

The good thing comes in the form of Keaton Hughes. Aiden and Keaton had crossed paths at a club and Keaton was quite interested in the young man, but seeing him with Scott made Keaton think Aiden was not into his brand of BDSM. Now Keaton and Aiden reconnect again through Aiden's friend (and Keaton's student) Hera. Hera comes to Keaton for help with Aiden when she sees how broken and damaged he has become after Scott. Keaton offers Aiden a safe place to stay and someone to talk to, not intending to pursue a relationship, but just to be a form of support. Keaton can see clearly that Aiden is a total mess. He is broken, angry, scared, and full of self-doubt.

As the men begin to develop a mutual attraction to one another, Keaton proposes a domestic discipline relationship with Aiden. Domestic discipline is explained as a relationship where the dominant partner makes the major decisions and enforces rules designed to be in the best interest of the submissive. The dominant partner also hands out corporal punishment to the submissive for failure to follow these rules.

Although the idea is totally foreign to him, Aiden desperately craves the submission and needs someone to guide him through getting his life back together so he agrees to give it a try. Keaton's rules require him to take care of himself, eating three meals a day and sleeping eight hours a night. He must be respectful and tell Keaton when he is afraid or unsure. Under Keaton's care, Aiden once more begins to blossom, starting to return to the vibrant man he used to be. But Keaton still struggles with so much self doubt and anxiety and the process is not easy. Yet over time, it proves to be exactly what they both need.

So this story is totally intense, but felt incredibly emotionally gratifying. After the horrors Aiden suffers with Scott, his time with Keaton is like walking into daylight. Keaton is patient, kind, and so nurturing. He is totally dominant while still caring for Aiden and making sure to provide for his needs. As hard as the first part of the story is to read, it is such an emotional release to finally see Aiden happy and loved.

I'll be honest that the domestic discipline concept freaked me out a bit. The idea of turning your life over to someone else, even someone you love and trust, is hard for me to imagine. Part of it is that my first exposure to this idea came from hearing about very religiously conservative families where the husband is dominant over the wife in a very traditional sense. The idea of spanking your spouse when they misbehave seemed hard to imagine and certainly rankled my feminist mind. However, when I took a step back and looked outside of that lens, it is really not that different from other dominant/submissive relationships, especially those with total power exchange. Domestic discipline seems to take a less sexual approach; the punishments are not designed to be stimulating or for sexual gratification. But the idea of allowing someone else to see to your pleasure and happiness and make decisions on your behalf to achieve that is not so different.

In this case, it is so clear that Aiden is lost. He is completely incapable of taking care of himself, physically or mentally. Keaton provides the care, structure, and support that he needs. In exchange, Keaton gets Aiden's total trust and submission, and the ability to make decisions. The have a mutually satisfying relationship, full of love and sweetness (and hotness). So even though I can't imagine this type of relationship myself, I think Rock convinces me as a reader why it works for them.

I found this book totally fascinating and I couldn't stop thinking about it. The structure of the story, with the intensity of the first part and then the calm of the second, gives you such a cathartic feeling. It is like I could finally breathe and relax, and the reader experience totally echos Aiden's emotional experience. I think that the first part of the book could have been shorter without diminishing the intensity, and I would have liked to see Aiden get some professional help rather than relying solely on Keaton. But overall I found the story interesting, gripping, and emotional and even though parts were tough to handle, I couldn't help but enjoy it.

[Annery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was surprising in a good way. Maybe I was misinformed but I thought this would be a fun, smutty, spankalicious book. Yes there is spanking but not the "just for fun kind".

This book is about Aiden Cole, a young man who is at a crossroads in his life as to what he wants to do. He's graduated from college and is trying to decide whether he should or is good enough to enter an MFA program in acting and in his personal life has been delving into the BDSM lifestyle, particularly at a club called Obey. There he encounters two men who will change the course of his life. One is Scott a self styled Dom who ends up hurting and damaging Aiden both physically and emotionally by embarking on an ill conceived sub training that only serves to break Aiden's confidence. The failure of his so called "training" is due in equal parts to Scott's ignorance as to how to be an actual Dom and I'd venture to say a dash of sadism. He never bothers to find out what Aiden likes, needs or has experience with. Rather he seems intent on breaking him down with zero intent of bringing forth anything new but rather just for the pleasure of bringing Aiden low and destroying his perceived vanity. This is roughly the first half of the book and I found it tough to read. It was hard because of the things that Scott does to Aiden but mostly what Aiden allows to be done to him and the inner monologue of what he feels about himself. It's crushing because it is a very realistic portrait of someone stripped of any self worth and no anchor to hold him.

Luckily Aiden does have some friends. Hera and her fiancés Sloane & Kim, who come to the rescue in the form of a couch and later by Hera putting him in touch with Keaton Hughes.

Keaton Hughes. I love that man.

On the night Aiden met Scott at Obey he was about to approach Keaton who was also at the club but in the end didn't. It's one of those Sliding Doors situations where your life could've gone completely different if you made a different choice.

After his disaster with Scott, Aiden has shut down emotionally and is a total wreck and his friend Hera introduces him to Keaton, an art teacher at the community college, whom she knows to be a Dom, in hope that he can help him. The relationship that develops between these two is utterly different from what Aiden expected or is used to and a very close approximation of what Keaton has been looking for.

Keaton is in his 30's and what he wants is a Domestic Discipline relationship with a true partner who will trust him to make the decisions of what's good and right for his partner and to enforce parameters & rules and following through with repercussions when they're broken. At the same time he's a loving, caring and supportive partner and Aiden is one lucky guy that Keaton is attracted to him, because Keaton doesn't want to do the "scenes" or play at a BDSM lifestyle. In fact he is the furthest thing from a leather Daddy you can imagine. He's an outwardly mild mannered, glasses wearing teacher. What he wants is the real, everyday, no frills deal, including the ups and downs of living with someone. He's smart enough to doubt himself and self asses when he thinks he's doing something wrong or when that something is not what Aiden needs or wants.

Keaton & Aiden embark on a DD relationship but by Keaton's insistence always with respect, care and ultimately love. I liked that once they got their relationship going everything wasn't suddenly perfect. Even at the end, though we definitely get a HEA, the pair are still a work and progress, particularly Aiden.

Kudos to J.A. Rock for exploring this type of relationship in a serious way and not just for titillation.

It's true that sometimes, because we spend much time in Aiden's headspace, you want to smack him upside the head but we have Keaton to do that and on a serious note it is necessary to see his mental progression in order to achieve a hard earned HEA.

[Valentina Heart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Romance Reviews and can also be found there.

BY HIS RULES is certainly a different take on BDSM. While it did contain some of the usual scenes I've read about in other book, the main concept broadened my horizons and at the same time showed two very different sides of sexual kink. The combination of good writing and novelty kept me interested to the very end and made me ask that one question every author should aspire for – Where can I get more?

Aiden is an actor who cruises the BDSM scene. He can play any role and submit to any Dom while being amazing at it. That is his view of his life anyway. He does enjoy play, but for the most part he craves to please without really taking into account that everything pleasing to others might not be pleasing to him.

That is how he ends up under Scott's tender care. Scott is one Dom who lives to abuse. His punishments have no rules and his play knows no limits. By the end of Aiden's stay with Scott, he learns that not even his safe word is safe and the line between rape and consent is as much wide as it is thin.

Without another place to go, he ends up with another Dom. Keaton is as different from Scott as vanilla is from chocolate and for Aiden, who has seen the hard side of the world, Keaton couldn't be more mild and still be called a Dominant.

From that moment on, the heavy abuse turns into domestic discipline relationship, where spankings are used for corrections of bad behavior and getting your mouth washed out with soap knows no age limit.

Since I am twisted that way, I enjoyed the first part of the book. It was very violent and limitless that it kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to see how the situation would play out. At times it was rather hard to believe Scott could act the way he did and actually enjoy it. The humiliations and degradations were what threw me off the most, because Scott seemed like a man who wanted a submissive, so there was no gain by actually killing him with starvation or forcing him to take his own life due to constant self-esteem crush course.

The second part of the book made me stumble a bit. I've never read about domestic discipline before, and as the pages went by, I had a difficult time accepting Aiden, who was into pain, was suddenly alright without it. After the hard beginning, Keaton's way of things seemed almost bland and unsatisfying, even going so far as pushing me to the conclusion how domestic discipline is not something I will prefer to read about in the future.

However, relationships are made by two people and Aiden's insecurities and his tries to be as good a boy as possible evened things out and the initial intrigue I had about this story reappeared.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The wrong and the right way to do things was pushed to the extreme in both instances and made a lovely balance to round up the story. This time it was not about BDSM as a pleasure kink, but rather of the influence it can have in its different forms toward an experienced individual. Even those experienced are not always safe and even they can find something new with a different type of lifestyle.

To get back to that question from the first paragraph, in this story I saw the author's ability to go into extremes and still hold onto the characters and their personalities with a steel grip. Each person, be it good, bad or in between, kept the intensity and in the end made this story be about the people and not their sexual interest. What I would like to see next, is a conventional BDSM story, where all those scenes shown in a bad light involve a good Dom and a sub who is genuinely begging for it. Oh yeah, I'm kinky enough to admit I would like to read a bit, or even better – a lot – more BDSM scenes written by this author.

[JustJen "Miss Conduct" · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. Aiden is so misinformed about the the real meaning behind d/s, thanks mostly to Scott, the jackass bastard of a dom who does nothing but beat and humiliate Aiden into submission. Keaton is on the other end of the spectrum, believing in an entirely different aspect of d/s without using the typical bdsm, d/s techniques. When Scott finally goes way too far over the line (I think he was over the line quite a few times already), Aiden ends up staying with Keaton and relearning how to satisfy the needs in his life in a whole new way. Keaton is such a sweetheart and so good for Aiden, it is hard not to cheer them on. I would love to see a sequel to this one.

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this book a 4 star, but the first half of the book was just so graphically jarring, that I am not sure if it helped or hurt the story. Sometimes it is ok just to say, " and he was abused". Or, carefully craft scenes that demonstrate his abuse and scars, don't just tell me.

Now, what I did like was the domestic discipline, there has been limited romances that focus on that kink. Most authors go into detail about floggings and spankings as punishments. But this book dealt with it as actual punishment and the descriptions seemed accurate.


Overall, I am glad that I read the book, but there were parts I just had to skim as they were too emotionally scarring.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy Shit! I thought I was supposed to be enjoying Aiden's relationship with Scott when in reality I wanted to beat the crap out of that mean asshole. Thankfully we finally got to meet Keaten. Aaah, now there's a man. I don't really love the domestic discipline thing but this book was done so well and I just fell in love with poor little Aiden. I was really worried he was going to starve himself to death when he was in his downward spiral. Keaton to the rescue. Whew. Anyhow, I loved this book. Not 5 star, made me weep, made my chest ache kind of love but a. milder case, maybe puppy love.

[MostlyDelores · Rating 4 out of 5]

I put off reading this one for a while since I'd heard the first part of it was really harsh. And it was... harsh, brutal in fact, especially since Aiden could not figure himself out and part of him was getting satisfaction from abuse and rape.

The slowly developing DD relationship between Aiden and Keaton was almost sweet in contrast, which I guess was the idea. All the characters were distinct individuals, imperfect and human. Even Scott, who was basically a complete sadist and a terrible Dom, was fractionally redeemed by the end of the book.