'K, so I finished As She's Told. It's well written, and I like it better than Owned & Owner for three reasons--it takes place in Toronto,ON (my hometown) and the hero seemed more emotionally vested (love/respect/like, not just obsession) in the heroine and didn't just want her as an object (unlike 'hero' in O&O. imo) and there was *some* vulnerability to this hero. I also felt the heroine of this one was a bit more sympathetic.But ultimately, the same main/general elements that didn't work for me in O&O are present here in AST.
Puppy/pony-play. Before, wasn't particularly interested in reading about it, but wasn't turned off either. Now I can say without hesitation, not my cuppa at all. These two books are the first I've read where a (the?) key point of the story is the hero not just having the heroine as slave to his 'dom' but reducing the heroine to sub-human/animal status re a 24/7 total power exchange.
I can deal with the "c*me only with my permission" thing, it can be tres hot, but the extreme big O constrictions/denials for the heroines while hero gets his rocket launched and fuel tank emptied almost daily throughout the story(ies), didn't work for me either.
AJ is obviously not the author for me, but I can see why she would be an auto-buy for others. None of the stories read like pure titilation/one-handed reads (though there's plenty of action), the progression of the relationships seem believable/realistic for the H/h and the characters felt fleshed out (jobs, interests, friends/family) and definitely had growth arcs coming into their own where they felt fully satisfied/complete with who they were to themselves, each other, and within their relationship.