Screwing the System by Josephine Myles
M/M Contemporary Romance
February 12, 2013
Samhain

Reviewed by Helyce

The most important thing to Cosmo Rawlins is his music. It consumes him, so much so that he doesn’t have time for a regular job, choosing instead to live off government benefits. He has to appear as if he’s trying to get a job, but Cosmo has that figured out as well. Little tricks he’s come up with to put off the interviewer to guarantee they won’t find him a suitable hire.

His little trick backfires, however, when he goes to an interview for a janitorial type job and meets Alasdair Grant.

Alasdair is a big, burly man and Cosmo is instantly attracted. As the interview goes on, he’s not sure if he’s reading Alasdair correctly, but he figures flirting might just be another way of failing the interview. When he rolls up his sleeves however, he’s totally unprepared for Alasdair’s reaction to the marks on his wrist. When Cosmo comes clean, and explains how he really got the marks, Alasdair is furious but there is something about Cosmo that speaks to him and his interest is peaked.

I have become a huge fan of Josephine Myles and I’ve enjoyed each of the books I’ve read so far. Her characters are always unique and quirky. When I was offered this one, I was a little worried about the D/s element but because I just love her writing style I just had to read it.

I fell for Cosmo right away in spite of the fact that he comes off as an irresponsible brat. He’s young and seems to be all about himself and his band, but that’s really not the case. Over the course of the story we see him in a totally different light. For one thing, in spite of his childhood, he’s a really good guy at heart. He might not be making the best choices, but he’s doing the best he can to achieve his dreams.

I wasn’t sure what to make of Alastair initially. He seemed a bit gruff, but was clearly a successful man who took a very small business and made it a largely successful one. There seems to be an immediate connection between him and Cosmo and they each latch on to it immediately, allowing Alastair to fall into his Dom role and test the waters with Cosmo. To his delight, Cosmo admits that he wants to “play”.

As they explore a relationship of sorts, we start to see a totally different side of Alastair and learn a little about his past. Cosmo seems to have come into Alastair’s life at a time where he may finally be willing to open his heart again. He’s worked for years to build his business and he’s not taken time for any sort of relationship. With Cosmo, though, he sees a chance for that to change.

I have little experience with reading stories with a BDSM element. There are only a few that I’ve read that have worked for me and I have to say for the most part I’d probably avoid a story that had a strong BDSM element to it. It’s just not my thing. But I enjoy Ms. Myles too much to not give this book a chance and I’m glad I did. I thought that the BDSM scenes were done well; Alastair was responsible, they talked about everything first, set up a safe word, discussed limits, etc. Ultimately, it was enjoyable watching Alastair be the Dom to Cosmo’s sub because you never knew what you were going to get. Cosmo might have been willing to explore his submissive nature, but he never seemed to totally embrace the role outside of a scene and I think that is what made Cosmo such an enjoyable character for me.

All in all, this was a really enjoyable read. Cosmo is a character that grabbed me and I really liked seeing all the different sides to his personality. Alastair grew on me too, as we learn a little about his previous relationship and began to understand him a bit more. Their story is both humorous and emotional as they navigate their relationship.

Rating: B

Recent Reviews:
Rarely Dusty Books – 4/5
Fiction Vixen – C+

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