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MissManaged
A woman fighting for independence. A man who craves control. A love that will force them to meet in the middle, or risk losing it all...
When I left my father's house, I swore I would never be ruled by another man. My choices, my mistakes, would all be my own, for better or worse.
Until I meet Tobin. Cocky, successful, and sexy in that scruffy, rough around the edges kind of way. As reluctant as I am to let another man run my life, I desperately need help getting my spending habits under control. And it doesn't hurt that being taken over his knee for a well-deserved punishment does things to my body I've never felt with any other man.
But a part of me still fears giving him too much control. How could I ever forgive myself if I surrender it all and he turns out to be just like my father? Or, somehow, even worse...
When I left my father's house, I swore I would never be ruled by another man. My choices, my mistakes, would all be my own, for better or worse.
Until I meet Tobin. Cocky, successful, and sexy in that scruffy, rough around the edges kind of way. As reluctant as I am to let another man run my life, I desperately need help getting my spending habits under control. And it doesn't hurt that being taken over his knee for a well-deserved punishment does things to my body I've never felt with any other man.
But a part of me still fears giving him too much control. How could I ever forgive myself if I surrender it all and he turns out to be just like my father? Or, somehow, even worse...
214 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 10, 2022
11 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
Tabitha Marks
14 books182 followersWriter of stories that are often funny, definitely steamy, sometimes emotional, and usually involve spanking! I like rock and heavy metal music, yoga, and taking long walks.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 11, 2022
This is the second in a series about a group of female friends and the men in their lives. The conceit here is that they all live in one of those all-white idealized small towns -- in this genre, it also means that everyone practices domestic discipline.
I'm going to be upfront and admit that I hate DD with the passion of a thousand burning suns. At its core, it's gender-essentialist, misogynist, and ultraconservative. Even when the couple is MM, FF, or Fm, the hierarchy is based on centuries-old patriarchal practices; indeed, power structures are inherently masculine. I decided to read this and the first book, MissBEHAVED, however, since they seemed consensual and I wanted to try a new author (to me).
So, I appreciated that both were consensual (though there were no safewords); that neither MMC interfered with the MFC's professional lives; that the men apologized when they were wrong; and that they didn't try to change the women into something they're not. I also really appreciated the friendship among the women (indeed, at times, those relationships felt stronger than the romantic ones).
I liked this one much better than the first; indeed, if I had read the first, well, first, I wouldn't have continued since that contained all my pet peeves about this genre: a MMC who says "it's my way or the highway;" who holds the woman to a different standard of behavior than he does himself; who exhibits values dissonance when he punishes her for losing her temper with him when he more than earned it; and who never makes up for his mistakes; and a MFC who is far too forgiving and often a doormat. Perhaps realizing this, however, Ms. Marks has crafted a far better MMC here: though Tobin is extraordinary unlikable at the beginning, he grows throughout and I never felt that the lifestyle was more important to him than Charlie was. In addition, Charlie sticks to her guns much more than Mellie did: when Tobin oversteps, he has to work hard to earn her forgiveness. Finally, the relationship developed at a more believable pace than is usual in this genre.
I did, however, have two major problems with these books. First, the men are incredibly immature and not very bright. It's impossible to believe that in the 21st century United States, any man would act so inappropriately as these two (Tobin, for instance, tries to spank a woman he has just met and who hasn't given her consent; while he ultimately realizes he was wrong, it begs disbelief that he thought he could in the first place). Thus far, the female characters have had much more depth and behaved much more reasonably than the men (Mellie, for example, wants to be the "bigger person" in her problems with Dixon's grandmother; too bad Dixon felt she had to be). My second problem is that the prose, while technically correct, is very simplistic; thus, the characters came across as far younger than they are via dialogue.
MissBEHAVED: 2 stars.
MissManaged: 3 stars.
3 stars. We're told who will get the next book at the end. I'm sort of curious to see how that will play out. Note: Several characters from the first book appear here with little information about who they are.
I'm going to be upfront and admit that I hate DD with the passion of a thousand burning suns. At its core, it's gender-essentialist, misogynist, and ultraconservative. Even when the couple is MM, FF, or Fm, the hierarchy is based on centuries-old patriarchal practices; indeed, power structures are inherently masculine. I decided to read this and the first book, MissBEHAVED, however, since they seemed consensual and I wanted to try a new author (to me).
So, I appreciated that both were consensual (though there were no safewords); that neither MMC interfered with the MFC's professional lives; that the men apologized when they were wrong; and that they didn't try to change the women into something they're not. I also really appreciated the friendship among the women (indeed, at times, those relationships felt stronger than the romantic ones).
I liked this one much better than the first; indeed, if I had read the first, well, first, I wouldn't have continued since that contained all my pet peeves about this genre: a MMC who says "it's my way or the highway;" who holds the woman to a different standard of behavior than he does himself; who exhibits values dissonance when he punishes her for losing her temper with him when he more than earned it; and who never makes up for his mistakes; and a MFC who is far too forgiving and often a doormat. Perhaps realizing this, however, Ms. Marks has crafted a far better MMC here: though Tobin is extraordinary unlikable at the beginning, he grows throughout and I never felt that the lifestyle was more important to him than Charlie was. In addition, Charlie sticks to her guns much more than Mellie did: when Tobin oversteps, he has to work hard to earn her forgiveness. Finally, the relationship developed at a more believable pace than is usual in this genre.
I did, however, have two major problems with these books. First, the men are incredibly immature and not very bright. It's impossible to believe that in the 21st century United States, any man would act so inappropriately as these two (Tobin, for instance, tries to spank a woman he has just met and who hasn't given her consent; while he ultimately realizes he was wrong, it begs disbelief that he thought he could in the first place). Thus far, the female characters have had much more depth and behaved much more reasonably than the men (Mellie, for example, wants to be the "bigger person" in her problems with Dixon's grandmother; too bad Dixon felt she had to be). My second problem is that the prose, while technically correct, is very simplistic; thus, the characters came across as far younger than they are via dialogue.
MissBEHAVED: 2 stars.
MissManaged: 3 stars.
3 stars. We're told who will get the next book at the end. I'm sort of curious to see how that will play out. Note: Several characters from the first book appear here with little information about who they are.
June 14, 2022
WHEN YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW
The second book in the series, Walker's Grove, will mainly focus on two people and a new relationship. Tobin Daniels of Daniels' Family Farm, a longtime resident of the area—and Charlotte 'Charlie' Winslow, a transplant to Walker Grove and First Choice Marketing and Design business owner. Several of Charlie's friends are also lifetime residents, and together, they have a book club where they enjoy reading naughty books. The story will involve the meeting, relationship, and interactions between Tobin and Charlie.
The story's plot will have Tobin contacting Charlotte about updating the web page for the farm and helping with advertisements for them to branch out. While Charlie has learned about the way many households believe in domestic discipline, it isn't something she is used to. She moved away from her family to escape her overbearing, controlling father and is unsure how she feels about men spanking women.
Charlie will be meeting with Tobin at the family farm, goes prepared, dressed nicely, and is busy taking pictures that could be used on the website. When she is approached by a man who looks like a workman, she is rude and condescending to him, demanding to be taken to the office. She gets what she asks for but learns quickly that Tobin approached her, not an employee. But for him to threaten her with a spanking in his office and expects her to capitulate doesn't go his way either.
I loved the story, the characters, interactions, and assumptions and realities. Tobin's over-the-top attitude that he plans to spank Charlotte is wrong, and his father sets him straight. Charlotte's rudeness is unacceptable. These two must learn quickly that they both were wrong, how to correct their errors, and find their way back to business before pursuing a personal relationship. They learn to discuss things, and while Tobin is good with business, he needs to learn his cocky attitude isn't appreciated. As these two progress in a relationship, they set out rules, only three, to help Charlie and within reason.
Charlie: I'm really trying to be independent and take care of myself.
Tobin: I think that everyone can use a little help, and that if you have friends who are willing to help you, you should let them.
Charlie: And that's why you're offering to help me? Because we're friends?
Tobin: Yes, we're friends. Let's go through these together and make a plan to get you caught up. Maybe even start to save.
Charlie and Tobin come from two different backgrounds and lifestyles, and it won't be easy to merge and go forward without honest talk. I liked that they listen to each other because they had chemistry.
Tobin: What's holding you back, Charlotte? I can't fix it if I don't know what's wrong.
Charlie: I'm afraid of losing myself to you. That you'll have more rules and more demands until I'm nothing but a puppet for you to control.
Charlie: I think we're all a work in progress, and it's okay to make mistakes as long as we grow and learn from them. And I like that we've gotten to know each other as professionals and then as friends, and now we'll get to know each other in other ways.
Tobin: Don't worry, I'll take care of you, little fairy.
Like in any relationship, there are ups and downs, mistakes and forgiveness, rules and consequences, and making up. It is no different for these two; they have their angst and good times and even face a crisis that could make or break them. How people handle things makes all the difference, especially when past issues play into the scenario.
The characters felt real, their emotions, feelings, and actions. Charlie needs a dominant man who can give her support and firm guidance without controlling her life—as her father expected. Tobin gets cut down a notch or two, but he learns there is a right and wrong way to handle a woman. And the goat yoga scene had this reader laughing so hard that I was crying. Will Tobin and Charlie survive a crisis and move forward as a couple, or will they revert to friend status? The story ends not on a cliffhanger but as a segue into the next story.
The second book in the series, Walker's Grove, will mainly focus on two people and a new relationship. Tobin Daniels of Daniels' Family Farm, a longtime resident of the area—and Charlotte 'Charlie' Winslow, a transplant to Walker Grove and First Choice Marketing and Design business owner. Several of Charlie's friends are also lifetime residents, and together, they have a book club where they enjoy reading naughty books. The story will involve the meeting, relationship, and interactions between Tobin and Charlie.
The story's plot will have Tobin contacting Charlotte about updating the web page for the farm and helping with advertisements for them to branch out. While Charlie has learned about the way many households believe in domestic discipline, it isn't something she is used to. She moved away from her family to escape her overbearing, controlling father and is unsure how she feels about men spanking women.
Charlie will be meeting with Tobin at the family farm, goes prepared, dressed nicely, and is busy taking pictures that could be used on the website. When she is approached by a man who looks like a workman, she is rude and condescending to him, demanding to be taken to the office. She gets what she asks for but learns quickly that Tobin approached her, not an employee. But for him to threaten her with a spanking in his office and expects her to capitulate doesn't go his way either.
I loved the story, the characters, interactions, and assumptions and realities. Tobin's over-the-top attitude that he plans to spank Charlotte is wrong, and his father sets him straight. Charlotte's rudeness is unacceptable. These two must learn quickly that they both were wrong, how to correct their errors, and find their way back to business before pursuing a personal relationship. They learn to discuss things, and while Tobin is good with business, he needs to learn his cocky attitude isn't appreciated. As these two progress in a relationship, they set out rules, only three, to help Charlie and within reason.
Charlie: I'm really trying to be independent and take care of myself.
Tobin: I think that everyone can use a little help, and that if you have friends who are willing to help you, you should let them.
Charlie: And that's why you're offering to help me? Because we're friends?
Tobin: Yes, we're friends. Let's go through these together and make a plan to get you caught up. Maybe even start to save.
Charlie and Tobin come from two different backgrounds and lifestyles, and it won't be easy to merge and go forward without honest talk. I liked that they listen to each other because they had chemistry.
Tobin: What's holding you back, Charlotte? I can't fix it if I don't know what's wrong.
Charlie: I'm afraid of losing myself to you. That you'll have more rules and more demands until I'm nothing but a puppet for you to control.
Charlie: I think we're all a work in progress, and it's okay to make mistakes as long as we grow and learn from them. And I like that we've gotten to know each other as professionals and then as friends, and now we'll get to know each other in other ways.
Tobin: Don't worry, I'll take care of you, little fairy.
Like in any relationship, there are ups and downs, mistakes and forgiveness, rules and consequences, and making up. It is no different for these two; they have their angst and good times and even face a crisis that could make or break them. How people handle things makes all the difference, especially when past issues play into the scenario.
The characters felt real, their emotions, feelings, and actions. Charlie needs a dominant man who can give her support and firm guidance without controlling her life—as her father expected. Tobin gets cut down a notch or two, but he learns there is a right and wrong way to handle a woman. And the goat yoga scene had this reader laughing so hard that I was crying. Will Tobin and Charlie survive a crisis and move forward as a couple, or will they revert to friend status? The story ends not on a cliffhanger but as a segue into the next story.
June 30, 2022
This is book 2 in a series but since I haven't read book 1 my review is only on this as a standalone read. I can confirm that it is easily read and enjoyed as is, although the ending does lead into book 3. There was one outstanding thing that I liked about this book. Tobin acknowledged when he was wrong, apologised and worked on himself to be a better partner. Admittedly, Tobin wasn't very likeable at the start, but as they moved through the start of their DD relationship, with it's ups and downs, he did improve. I liked the way this couple worked together on their relationship, and it wasn't expected to be all of Charlie doing the work. Overall, this is a nice, solid read.
June 13, 2022
The second book in the series, but you can read it as a standalone without problems. I haven’t read the first one myself.
This book is about a DD relationship and a very light one at that. What I enjoyed about the book is that Tobin is not perfect. He is successful in business but a bit juvenile in his personal life, but that is something he is starting to realize and makes the decision to change and grow into a better person. He puts Charlie first.
I liked the fact that Charlie stood her ground and didn’t accept just anything from Tobin. They were equals and worked well together.
It was an enjoyable read.
.
This book is about a DD relationship and a very light one at that. What I enjoyed about the book is that Tobin is not perfect. He is successful in business but a bit juvenile in his personal life, but that is something he is starting to realize and makes the decision to change and grow into a better person. He puts Charlie first.
I liked the fact that Charlie stood her ground and didn’t accept just anything from Tobin. They were equals and worked well together.
It was an enjoyable read.
.
June 25, 2022
This follows Tobin and Charlie's relationship. They have DD dynamics, which to me were on the lighter side. They are very realistic characters that have well conveyed emotions and relatable actions. There are some scenes that left me laughing out loud. This is a wonderful read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews