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Power Play (Pleasure Playground #2)

by Eliza Gayle (Goodreads Author)

4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 · rating details · 202 ratings · 21 reviews

She wants the escape. He wants control. They both need love.

Jennifer Croft is at the peak of her career. As a bondage model at Altered Ego, she’s become the crème de la crème of the fetish world, ensuring herself a top spot in her profession. The world is her oyster. Her personal life on the other hand… It’s not pretty. Only her fascination with pain play keeps the ghosts...more

ebook, 144 pages

Published November 22nd 2011 by Loose Id

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Best BDSM Published in 2011

13th out of 48 books — 79 voters

Master of the Mountain by Cherise Sinclair

BDSM Fiction

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(showing 1-30 of 475)

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Dec 27, 2011 Kelly % Books-n-Kisses rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jennifer appears to be a very strong person on the outside but deep down she is scared and unsure of herself. Jennifer has never learned how to rely on anyone but herself for most of her life. When Daegan shows up at Altered Ego everything that Jennifer knows and feels about trusting someone will be tested. But is she strong enough to handle the changes?

Daegan is trying to run from his past. But when he sets his eyes on the beautiful bondage model at Altered Ego he knows he can no longer run fr...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 22, 2011 Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2011, bdsm-kink

3.5 Stars

This review was posted at Under The Covers

This book had me from the blurb. It sounded hot and wickedly erotic, and frankly, I just can't resist a BDSM story. Being that this is part of a series, I was happy to find that there were only a few minor details of the story that I was left to try to piece together. Like the concept of the business and our heroines job, which is how this story starts off.

Jennifer works as a bondage/fetish model, and to be quite honest, within the first two pag...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 27, 2011 Riane Kinky Book Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

As reviewed on kinkybookreviews.com
Jennifer models for photos at Altered Ego. She is well on her way to becoming the most sought after fetish model in the southeast. If her personal life has to take a back seat to her career, well, so be it. When she needs some pain to help keep her memories locked away where they belong, there's always the various strangers at the local BDSM clubs. Everyone needs a little release sometime.

Following the death of his wife, Daegan left Ireland to help his friends...more

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 20, 2011 Sassafrass rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of BDSM and erotica

Shelves: 2011, bdsm, the-romance-reviews, arc

Eliza Gayle has done it again! She has this way of blending erotic content with fantastic stories, and characters that I really care about. POWER PLAY, her newest release is definitely no exception. With a hot Irish Dom, a sassy but skittish sub, and a night locked in a pitch black dark room, the utter deliciousness she brought to the page had me begging for more!

Jennifer is a fetish model in high demand. Her life is all about her job and nothing else. Her past has shown her that letting people...more Eliza Gayle has done it again! She has this way of blending erotic content with fantastic stories, and characters that I really care about. POWER PLAY, her newest release is definitely no exception. With a hot Irish Dom, a sassy but skittish sub, and a night locked in a pitch black dark room, the utter deliciousness she brought to the page had me begging for more!

Jennifer is a fetish model in high demand. Her life is all about her job and nothing else. Her past has shown her that letting people in her life ends in disaster, so she wants to keep her solitary life. However, the sexy Irish contractor that is making renovations on the building where she works is making that difficult.

Daegan has a scarred past as well, and after losing a submissive, he doesn’t want any long-term entanglements, but something about Jennifer calls to him. It may be the closet submissive part of her that she tries so hard to hide, but whatever it is, he has to have her.

One night locked in a dark room leads them to passions to that are unexpected for both of them, but their pasts catch up to them, bringing them complications they neither expected or wanted. One thing is for certain though, through it all, they end up playing for keeps.

POWER PLAY is the second in the Pleasure Playground series. It’s not necessary to read the first book in the series, Midnight Playground, but it’s great so I suggest you check it out too.

I loved the characters in POWER PLAY. Jennifer is strong but really screwed up. She’s got a past that would make lesser women cower in a corner, but she’s persevered and made a life for herself.

Daegan wasn’t necessarily my favorite person in the beginning of the book because I felt like he wanted their relationship to be one-sided. She was to bare her soul to him when he never shared with her. I didn’t like that, but grew on me, and I began to understand why he did what he did.
There’s a lot of BDSM in this book. Bondage, dominance, submission, discipline, sadomasochism all make an appearance. The thing that was different about this book was that neither main character was new to the lifestyle, but Jennifer was definitely new to the submissive aspect to it. Watching her struggle with her body’s needs versus what her mind told her she should want was very fascinating.

The chemistry between Jennifer and Daegan was off the charts hot, but it was the emotional connection that I wanted to see more of with them, and I felt like it could have been a bit more developed.

Overall though, I thought that POWER PLAY had it all: a fascinating story, deep and emotional characters, hot sex, and lots of yummy BDSM play. I don’t think I could have asked for much more. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2012 Rubysbooks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bdsm, contemporary, erotic-romance, from-author

It's the very first book I've read by Eliza Gayle and I have this sudden urge to smack myself. I just finished this book and I have that moment (I'm sure many of you have had this moment too!) of complete confusion and I'm asking myself "Why didn't I try this author before??".

I think you all know by now that I love alpha heroes for my romances/erotic romances, heroes that though they are strong, dominant, sexy as hell, they don't need to be 100% perfect. To quote from my favorite TV drama, "Per...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Heather Book Savvy Babe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotic-romance, review-on-blog, reading-romances-challenge-2012

I read this book for review at: Book Savvy Babe

I do not exactly read a ton of erotic romance, but what I have read I have liked. When the opportunity arose for me to read and review Power Play, the book sounded pretty good and I am happy to say that I really enjoyed this BDSM themed book.

Jennifer Croft is a girl with ISSUES. She carries around a lot of hurt from being unloved as a child, and she does not open herself up to anyone. She is a festish/bondage model and her way of getting release is...more I read this book for review at: Book Savvy Babe

I do not exactly read a ton of erotic romance, but what I have read I have liked. When the opportunity arose for me to read and review Power Play, the book sounded pretty good and I am happy to say that I really enjoyed this BDSM themed book.

Jennifer Croft is a girl with ISSUES. She carries around a lot of hurt from being unloved as a child, and she does not open herself up to anyone. She is a festish/bondage model and her way of getting release is by going to the BDSM club. When Daegan first sees Jennifer, he recognizes her as a submissive and he wants her as HIS submissive. The problem, Jennifer doesn’t want to acknowledge her submissive nature. For both Daegan and Jennifer, they need to learn to let the past go, and start moving forward in their lives.

As would be expected in an erotic romance, the sensual nature of this book is HOT! The sex is explicit, and it involves bondage and submission. There is lots of tying up, discipline, and plenty of heat throughout the entire book. I have to admit, I don’t always understand the BDSM lifestyles, but it completely worked for the characters in this book. A theme in Power Play would be for characters to accept who they are, and be happy with who they are. Aside from the sex style, as a romance reader, I tend to focus more on the nature of the characters and their relationship, how it builds.

Daegan and Jennifer’s relationship started out rocky, with Jennifer very hesitant to act as a submissive. She had to learn to let go of her fear, and embrace what she had. She had to learn to trust, which was no easy feat. I felt for Jennifer, the girl holds on to so much hurt, and I felt that Daegan pushed her really hard. On the flip side, Daegan has his own issues, and he was less than honest with Jennifer about it. He would gloss over his issues to focus on Jennifer, and I didn’t think that was very fair. Both characters made mistakes, and they both learn and grow. Seeing Jennifer transform through the books is very rewarding, and I was rooting for her the whole time.

Towards the latter part of the book, I felt that some parts of the story were missing. There is a fight that happens between Daegan and Jennifer, and what exactly happened is not clear. I could have used a bit more depth in the story there. On the whole, I really enjoyed Power Play. The characters are strong, and the pacing was well done, I was constantly intrigued by the storyline. The best part was that I was often surprised by the characters actions, they were not predictable and this also kept me engaged in the book.

With intriguing characters, hot sensuality, and plenty of bondage, Eliza Gayle has written a erotic romance that I would recommend to fans of BDSM romance. I rate this book 3.5 (almost 4) Stars.(less)

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Nov 27, 2011 ~Vixhen~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jennifer Croft and Daegan McKenna have been playing a cat-and-mouse game far too long. Jennifer is a fetish model, who is at the top of her game. Her past has caused her to keep everyone at arm’s length. She finds solace in regular trips to the local BDSM club, where only the touch of a stranger’s flogger can ease the demons in her mind. Daegan McKenna’s interest in Jennifer is a purely selfish one. Her obvious beauty aside, he can sense the submissive hidden beneath her hard shell exterior. How...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 14, 2012 Shari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-book-challenge

Jennifer Croft uses her beauty to make a living. Draping her body with rope, posing for erotic photographs brings in money, but there are times when the rope isn’t enough. When she feels most out of control, she goes to Purgatory for a flogging. Embracing the pain to help balance her life. Structure is very important to controlling her life. A life she is starting to notice is spiraling out of control as she becomes more popular. A haunting past stunts her capabilities to trust anyone, making he...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Tyra Berger rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

This week is all about submission and the Doms that make us wanna. I know everyone has been hyped up about the 50 Shades of Grey book but it's not likes it's the first...or even the best in that genre. This week we are bringing you, Eliza Gayle, an author that has been writing in the BDSM genre for a while and she does it oh so well. For me when I go into a book of this ilk I have to feel the emotional attachment that the main characters have for each other. I don't know that I would enjoy a boo...more This week is all about submission and the Doms that make us wanna. I know everyone has been hyped up about the 50 Shades of Grey book but it's not likes it's the first...or even the best in that genre. This week we are bringing you, Eliza Gayle, an author that has been writing in the BDSM genre for a while and she does it oh so well. For me when I go into a book of this ilk I have to feel the emotional attachment that the main characters have for each other. I don't know that I would enjoy a book as much if it was just about a sub that was with a different Dom each time or vise-versa. For me there has to be that trust and the trust has to come from an emotional/love feeling. It might just be the romantic in me or it could be the skeptic....cause Lord knows if I didn't love a man there is no way in hell I am letting him tie me up!

Ok so at this end of this book I needed my own subbie blanket. The emotions that Jennifer deals with are exhausting and heart-breaking. I wanted to crawl into this book and shake her family and give her a hug. I don't know that I have read a book that better expressed a sub knowing what worked for her but wanting to deny it so strongly. Reading the parts from her point of view drew me deeper into the story line, she comes off as such a strong person but as the story progresses we get to see her insecurities.

Daegan was one of those bigger than life characters that if you ever went into this kind of lifestyle you would want him leading you. That's not to say he didn't have faults of his own...because he did, but for me that just made him more real. You know from the start that they will work great together but you just don't know if they can admit it to each other and themselves that they want and need forever.

There are a lot of very interesting secondary characters that I am hoping get books of their own. Tammy and Gabe are right at the top of my wish list.

This is actually the second in the Pleasure Playground series and after reading this I HAVE to go back and read Eve, Chase and Murphy's story in Midnight Playground! I know many of you are gasping right now because I read a book out of order but in my defense I didn't know this was the second book in the series and it's all Rebecca's fault cause she assigned this book to me this week. LOL(less)

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Jan 31, 2012 Dark Haven rated it 5 of 5 stars

Power Play offers a realness of storyline and characters that was captivating. Jennifer Croft and Daegan McKenna are both strong-willed characters with emotional baggage. It really is a question of them finding balance and happiness in their lives, if only they can forget their past mistakes and heartache. Can’t we all relate to that on some level? Jennifer, though successful, is mired in an emotional abyss that really makes her one of the walking wounded. Sexual pleasure and release through pa...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Ni_kii rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bdsm, previous-abuse, shibari, spanking, steamy, short-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Jennifer is a Shibari model in high demand. A self-confessed pain slut, she uses Club Purgatory as an escape from the ghosts of the past. She refuses to submit, refuses to allow herself to yield to any man, so she lines up at the whipping post to be sent into headspace by a stranger and return home alone. There is only one man that unnerves her, one man that seems to make her want to yield and that’s the mysterious club architect Daegan.

Daegan has moved to the South to escape his own painful pas...more Jennifer is a Shibari model in high demand. A self-confessed pain slut, she uses Club Purgatory as an escape from the ghosts of the past. She refuses to submit, refuses to allow herself to yield to any man, so she lines up at the whipping post to be sent into headspace by a stranger and return home alone. There is only one man that unnerves her, one man that seems to make her want to yield and that’s the mysterious club architect Daegan.

Daegan has moved to the South to escape his own painful past. He doesn’t want to love again after losing his wife, but from the second he saw Jennifer in the parking lot of the club he found himself unable to look away. He suspects that she could be a true submissive, suspects that she needs something more than she allows herself to feel, but the walls around her are damn near impenetrable. When an after hour’s encounter in a darkened room at the club leads to indescribable fireworks, Jennifer finds that her body is ready to admit she wants to submit to Daegan, even if her head doesn’t agree.

When Daegan asks Jennifer to be his submissive for the duration of his project at Purgatory, she balks at the thought of ceding all control. When he starts to implement rules, which include giving up modelling for the length of the contract, she retreats rapidly. After her body physically rebels against the idea of leaving him, she returns and tries to agree to his many demands. But will their tenuous relationship survive the strains put onto it by the resurfacing of some faces from the past? And if it does, will they ever become more than a “contract” whilst the pair of them have so many padlocks on their hearts?

When I read the first chapter of this book, I got really excited. The main character is a Shibari model and I blooming love Shibari. Then Daegan made her give it up and I wanted to slap him in the head. I understood his reasoning; he was alpha dog and he didn’t want any other man getting her off (the “I control your orgasms” chauvinistic comment may have appeared and I *may* have called him an arse…) but I still was disappointed. However, the sex that was in the book more than made up for the lack of rope.

I knew from meeting Jennifer she wasn’t my usual type of heroine. I usually like the broken but tough type, but she was very much damaged and fragile. Reading her fight to supress her true nature was quite painful and I wanted her to find a man to love. Yes, I know that the whole “she shouldn’t need a man to fix her” movement may hate me for that comment, but this girl wasn’t getting fixed until she accepted her needs and it needed one hell of a Dom to do that. Enter Daegan, the mysterious Irish Dom with flowing locks and a bossy side. He wants to take care of her, wants to introduce her to true submission. My problem was that he wanted to do this and then leave her and I didn’t want her hurt. This is a big thing for me; usually I have no issues in wanting a HEA set up but with these two I was completely unsure as to whether or not it was a good match.

My mind was changed when I started to read the explosive chemistry between the two of them. The initial submission scene in the darkened room is now up there with my all-time favourite sex scenes. Yes, it was that good. It’s dark so neither of them can see but she finds it easier to submit to him when she can’t see his face and immediately experiences pleasures like she’s never known. It is at this point that they realise how truly wonderful they could be together and I, as a reader, began to see the merits of their relationship. Yes, they are both broken people; she has some truly horrible memories and he has the death of his wife in his recent past. Both of them have commitment phobias and fear of attachment, but they also both possess the thing the other is missing; both of them can help the other to break down some walls. When obstacles started to appear, I wanted them to magically disappear so a HEA could take place, but I knew that it was going to be that easy.

Overall, this was a very sexy read. With a very bossy, broken Dom and a fragile sub-in-denial, there is enough emotional angst to grip your teeth into whilst enjoying the smattering of incredibly hot smexing times. The dark room scene is un-fricking-believable…
(less)

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Feb 03, 2012 Monique rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-forbidden-bookshelf

Originally reviewed at The Forbidden Bookshelf

4.5 Stars

Power Play is another great read by author Eliza Gayle. Jennifer Croft is a successful bondage model who has worked hard to overcome a difficult childhood. Jennifer has taken care of herself since she was emancipated from her parents at the age of sixteen. She doesn’t trust easily and is dead set against getting involved with anyone. She makes monthly trips to a BDSM club called Purgatory to unwind. Even though she admits she loves pain she...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Joanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I decided against reading the first book in this series as the plot line didn't really appeal to me however I decided to try this one and I am glad I did.
I think the story line was well structured and had an air of fantasy to keep you on the edge though wasn't too unrealistic which some stories are. This meant that you could put yourself in the characters shoes making it a lot more enjoyable.
I do think that some of the book was a bit strange like the scenes at the bdsm club, especially the disci...more

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Nov 22, 2012 CaroleDee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Loved it!
Power Play was a great example of how a BDSM relationship can fulfill a mutual need between two people.

Of course, Jennifer originally thinks she's merely a masochist, bus she learns through Daegan's instruction and care that her needs run deeper than mere physical release. Together they ignite the pages while helping each other overcome their shaky pasts.

I loved the plot. It's refreshing to read a BDSM, from time-to-time, that is about more than sex. My only complaint would be Jennife...more

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May 28, 2012 Toni ~married to a hunk~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, 2012-read, lendable-kindle

These are fast reads for me but I love them dearly. I know that for a long time some people think that they don't deserve love but they do all of them. This story is awesome and is just more than the normal sexy stuff but really about knowing who you are and what you need in life.

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Dec 30, 2011 Alie38 rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Light BDSM romance fans

Shelves: bdsm, erotica, romantic

I bought, started and finished reading Eliza Gayle's , Power Play, in one day. That was yesterday and I had to rack my brain today to remember what the book was about. I remembered I liked it and that it was Kindle-loanable-that is it.

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Apr 04, 2012 Paloma Beck rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

Provided by the author for review... I devoured it... better than ice cream... HAWT!!! Review coming soon to http://guiltyindulgencebookclub.blogs....

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Mar 18, 2012 Gayle rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is an absolutely awesome series and I cannot wait for the next one. If you enjoy an Alpha-male that is strong, dominant but loving you will love Daegan.

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Jan 08, 2012 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bdsm, contemporary-romance, 2012

Provided by the author for review... I devoured it... better than ice cream... HAWT!!! Review coming soon to http://guiltyindulgencebookclub.blogs....

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Jul 15, 2012 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-nook-read

"Before the night is over, every inch of you will be explored,used, and fucked."

"You take me, little sub. Show me how much you want my cock in your tight ass."

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Sep 27, 2012 Tai rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotic, possesive, bdsm

My first full fledged BDSM! I've been hooked since!

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Jun 15, 2013 Lisa Walker marked it as to-read

Jun 14, 2013 Steph marked it as to-read

Jun 12, 2013 Tammy marked it as to-read

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Jun 11, 2013 Kayla marked it as to-read

Shelves: ready-to-read

Jun 11, 2013 Valerie marked it as to-read

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Jun 09, 2013 Heather Skye marked it as to-read

Shelves: waiting-to-be-read, scrabble

Jun 05, 2013 Genny marked it as to-read

Shelves: kindle-wish-list

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About Eliza Gayle

After growing up in the South and dividing my time between Florida and North Carolina, I decided that 2012 would be my year for change. I rented out my house on the East Coast and convinced my family to join me for a wacky trip across the country. Now I write my romance books from a small island in the Pacific Northwest while contemplating our next home renovation project on the fixer upper we bou...more

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Midnight Playground (Pleasure Playground, #1)

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Power Play (Pleasure Playground #2)

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