Destined to Play (Avalon Trilogy, #1)

Mar 02, 2013 Lee Anne - Give me a Good Romance rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review-not-lendable, erotic, emotional-omg, bdsm, september-bdsm-challenge

I DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN. I am completely dumfounded by this book. It has to be one of the most bizarre books I have ever read and I really don’t know what to think.

First, if cheating spouses bother you, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!!! If I had known there was adultery in this book, I would NOT have read it. This bothers me on so many levels. What makes it worse is that once, she started down that path, she barely thought of her hubby or children. That bothered me to such a deep level that I had a...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Hayley rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was majorly disappointed in this book and found it quite disturbing. It was a slow burner in the beginning and suddenly switched full throttle into a world we know about from reading other books but not a world we expected. I can't understand why Alex, the main women, would ever agree to being in that situation EVER with Jeremy. Ladies (and gents) if you've all read the same books as me, we all know about safe-words and this was missing! I felt that Alex had no choice or say in what was happen...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Squallogal rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have been asked to read this series. It should be my thing. It's not. I love that it's set in Australia (so few steamy fictions are) but that's all I like.

Cheating isn't erotic. Forcing blindness isn't a turn on and there is nothing about either character that I find appealing. With two more books to go I'm wishing for a reprieve I know will not come.

Reading homework can be pleasurable. This is not. Pity.

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Apr 11, 2013 Evey rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: worst-books-ever

This is me reading this book...

Reads first chapter

Gets bored

Reads some reviews

Steps to the very last pages and reads them

Closes pdf and laugh after staring for a while with a WTF face at the PC screen

The end

I'm not afraid to say this is one of the most horrible, senseless, silly book I had the chance to download. And I only downloaded it because it was a part of a pack of books I was kinda interested in.

Don't waste your time in this. Be smart, don't read it.

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May 02, 2013 Adriana Munno rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*** Attenzione: di seguito anticipazioni sulla trama (SPOILER) ***

Uno dei più brutti libri che mi sia capitato di leggere, e con questo ho detto tutto.
A me il tanto criticato cinquanta sfumature non è dispiaciuto del tutto. Io lo vedo come una classica romanzata americana resa più interessante da un po di "pepe". in conclusione una mezza tra ce l'ha.
"Incontri proibiti" mi da l'impressione di non avere né capo né coda, mi sembra una forzatura dal principio alla fine.
Lei, moglie e madre e dotto...more *** Attenzione: di seguito anticipazioni sulla trama (SPOILER) ***

Uno dei più brutti libri che mi sia capitato di leggere, e con questo ho detto tutto.
A me il tanto criticato cinquanta sfumature non è dispiaciuto del tutto. Io lo vedo come una classica romanzata americana resa più interessante da un po di "pepe". in conclusione una mezza tra ce l'ha.
"Incontri proibiti" mi da l'impressione di non avere né capo né coda, mi sembra una forzatura dal principio alla fine.
Lei, moglie e madre e dottoressa brillante vive una vita perfetta finché non rincontra il suo vecchio amico/ fiamma/ amore eterno e mai dimenticato.
Una volta incontrato lui, smette di essere tutto quello che è per diventare cosa? Una marionetta. si dimentica dei figli e rimorsi nei confronti del marito pari a zero... Capisco che il dt Quinn per lei è l'amore della sua vita mai dichiarato, capisco che lui l'ha sempre spinta dove nessun altro è più riuscito, ma sta donna perde letteralmente il suo amor proprio... cosa lui non le ha fatto fare?
SPOILER
Ve lo dico, di tutto: sesso anale, rapporti a 3, sexy toys, sculacciate... e in tutto questo lei non ha mai proferito parola, si è sempre lasciata trascinare da lui. ma siamo matti?
Io se me la fossi trovata davanti l'avrei presa a schiaffi per farla svegliare.
Lui: bello, ricco, famoso e eccelso nella sua professione medica. per ora nulla di nuovo, i protagonisti maschili sono tutti super fighi ma io l'ho trovato estremamente patetico. E' innamorato di lei dai tempi dell'università ma per la sua carriera rinuncia al suo amore e poi quando si decide a riconquistarla? Giustamente quando è soddisfatto a livello professionale...
SPOILER
ma stiamo scherzando? fosse successo a me avrei risp: "senti bello, io ora ho una vita mia, hai avuto la tua occasione e l'hai sprecata. sì, sei un gran scopatore ma sei anche una grandissima testa di c@#*§, se mai me ci avessi tenuto avremmo trovato il modo per stare insieme, anche a distanza quindi dove sei stato finora? bene, vedi di tornarci altrimenti ti ci spedisco io."
altra cosa assurda, tutto quello che loro fanno tra le lenzuola e non è tutto non loro nel nome del loro ritrovato amore, ma anche e soprattutto in nome della scienza... pagine e pagine di loro discorsi pseudo psicologici sul come, perche, dove e quando la donna raggiunge l'orgasmo. e scoperta delle scoperte i feromoni post, pre e durante orgasmo sono la dura per tutti i tipi di depressione del modo. .... ...... ...........
Ma si può scrivere e pubblicare una roba del genere?
è un offesa alla nostra intelligenza.
SPOILER
per la cronaca alla fine loro si mettono insieme. lei quando torna dal marito ha il buon senso di dirgli la verità e indovinate un po: in realtà il marito ha seri dubbi sulla sua identità sessuale ...e dopo aver letto ciò mi è proprio partito un "MA Vaffanculo" di tutto rispetto(less)

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Apr 12, 2013 Miraphora rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-erotico

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Se c'è una cosa che la Newton & Compton sa fare è non mollare, tentare di tutto, cavalcare l'onda e cercare di ritagliarsi il maggior spazio possibile sul mercato. In questo periodo pare che tutti gli editori siano saliti sul carrozzone erotico pseudo sado/maso, e le librerie sono invase da titoli dalle copertine tutte uguali - tutte che ricordano la grafica delle 50 Sfumature...- con trame più o meno inclini a frustate e sottomissione.
La N&C è già entrata in campo con un altro erotico,...more Se c'è una cosa che la Newton & Compton sa fare è non mollare, tentare di tutto, cavalcare l'onda e cercare di ritagliarsi il maggior spazio possibile sul mercato. In questo periodo pare che tutti gli editori siano saliti sul carrozzone erotico pseudo sado/maso, e le librerie sono invase da titoli dalle copertine tutte uguali - tutte che ricordano la grafica delle 50 Sfumature...- con trame più o meno inclini a frustate e sottomissione.
La N&C è già entrata in campo con un altro erotico, che ho apprezzato, e ha ritentato la fortuna con una trilogia. Il primo romanzo di questa serie ha avuto un discreto battage pubblicitario, tant'è che l'ufficio stampa non aveva più copie cartacee da distribuire. A quel punto ero così curiosa che ho accettato di buon grado l'ebook per poter leggere il romanzo di cui tutti parlavano (anche WUZ ne ha fatto un articolo!).
Il risultato è stato deludente fin dalle prime pagine e arrivare alla fine è stato un percorso piuttosto difficile, ricco di insidie alla 'ora salto le pagine tanto cosa vuoi che mi perda?'. Di solito io non salto MAI le pagine di un libro che sono decisa a finire, mai, nessuna eccezione. Questa volta non ce l'ho fatta. Ho resistito fino alla 187esima pagina digitale e poi ho saltato l'epilogo, leggendo una frase ad ogni sfoglio, giusto per carpire la fine e considerare chiuso questo capitolo.
Non promuovo il romanzo e con molta probabilità non metterò in lista i prossimi due titoli, perché credo che accanirsi per poi sputare peste e corna sia uno spreco di tempo. Il problema principale della storia non è nemmeno l'argomento, quanto solo ed esclusivamente lo stile dell'autrice. Pessimo.
Partiamo dal presupposto che la storia si basa sul singolo personaggio, ovvero la dottoressa Alexandra Blake, moglie e madre di due figli grandicelli, una donna in carriera fatta e finita, con una forte personalità - almeno in apparenza - e con una morale ferrea. L'apparenza inganna, però, e di punto in bianco l'autrice cambia la rotta e trasforma la protagonista in una donna insicura, instabile e morbosamente attaccata ai ricordi del passato che vertono tutti sul suo ex compagno Jeremy.
E qui comincia a stonare la storia. Con una scioltezza che fa scandalizzare persino me, Alexandra cancella stile tabula rasa il marito, il matrimonio, i figli, l'amore della sua famiglia, perdendosi completamente nell'ossessione di incontrare Jeremy. Come se avesse sempre vissuto nell'attesa di rivederlo, a intervalli irregolari, e fosse in grado di continuare a vivere la sua vita grazie a questi brevi - platonici, ve lo ricordo - momenti. Fino a questo episodio, Jeremy e Alexandra non fanno mai sesso. Ricordano il passato, ristabiliscono il contatto emotivo ma non si lasciano mai andare. Impersonali, fisicamente. Sul piano emotivo è tutta un'altra storia: questo Jeremy sembra essere un super dottore, un ricercatore geniale, ricchissimo, intelligentissimo, brillantissimo, un vero visionario della medicina. Di punto in bianco trasforma una bevuta in un week end di sottomissione? non saprei come definirla, in cui Alexa si annulla totalmente e si mette nelle sue mani. La cosa puzza tantissimo: prima di tutto perché di sottomissione erotica non c'è nulla e poi perché il dottore è fissato sulla tabella di marcia, per cui si capisce subito che c'è qualcosa sotto, come se facesse leva sul loro rapporto per ottenere qualcosa.
Tralasciando il vero motivo - che si può accettare o meno - che spinge il dottore a creare questo episodio (creare è il termine giusto), il problema centrale di tutto il romanzo è uno solo: è asettico.
L'autrice descrive una serie di scene senza passione, senza il minimo coinvolgimento emotivo, in cui la protagonista si lascia trasformare in una bambola solo per la scienza. E' un esperimento medico, dalla prima all'ultima parola, asettico, impersonale, privo di emozione, freddo e distaccato. Non c'è passione, non c'è nemmeno il ricordo dell'amore, non c'è emozione, non c'è intimità, coinvolgimento...nulla. Jeremy è una voce fuori campo che parla, ma senza inflessione, e Alexandra è un burattino mosso da stimoli esterni. Dentro di lei sbatacchiano pochi pensieri vagamente emotivi, tutti legati all'insicurezza e al - a quanto pare intensissimo per lei - eccitamento sessuale che l'esperimento le provoca. Un erotico deve emozionare, altrimenti a cosa serve? Deve stuzzicare, evocare, deve eccitare anche se per poco, ma qualche cosa deve comunicare! Questo libro non comunica niente. Nulla, zero, se non che l'autrice si è sparata una pippa mentale super sulla ricerca della cura contro la depressione. Fico, fantastico, peccato che i due personaggi non svelino la minima emozione a riguardo. Alexandra viene resa cieca da un liquido (santo Dio! che impressione) che le impasta gli occhi, le viene spruzzato un anestetico in bocca che le addormenta la lingua (ma non rischia di soffocare?!), le vengono tappate le orecchie, viene legata e girata come una Barbie e il massimo che fa è chiedersi se ha paura o se gode di brutto? Dov'è finito la vera introspezione psicologica? Certi estremi dovrebbero tirare fuori i panni più sporchi e nascosti di un animo umano, e non solo un super orgasmo cosmico. Veramente disarmante il finale, quando Jeremy le spiega il suo ruolo in tutto questo e lei che lo accetta senza battere ciglio, grazie alla sua eccellentissima personalità accademica. Disarmante in senso negativo, of course.
Eppure un pregio, questo romanzo ce l'ha. A parte l'odore di disinfettante sprigionato dalle pagine, il pregio enorme, che lo rende in un certo senso speciale, è la distinzione netta che viene fatta tra l'erotismo fisico e quello mentale. L'autrice, infatti, non si spreca in descrizioni minuziose di amplessi, cazzi e mazzi e tessuti bagnati e mollicci. Il focus dell'attenzione è tutta verso quello che passa nella testa della protagonista, cioè verso quello che è il concetto personale, idealizzato dell'eccitazione, dell'erotismo, di cosa si prova ad essere obbligati a fare delle cose senza avere il minimo potere di scelta. L'erotismo del romanzo è mentale, sottile e pericoloso, come si capisce benissimo dalla scena di paracadutismo, e ha bisogno di stimoli costanti, forse per questo Jeremy ha una tabella di marcia così serrata.
Da un lato, quindi, questo romanzo è veramente pessimo. Personaggi automi e stile emozionante come una granita. Dall'altro è innovativo, veramente ricco di spunti interessanti ma probabilmente troppo profondi per essere oggetto di un romanzo considerato un erotico di massa. L'autrice ha cercato di strizzare un intrico di pensieri complessi in poche pagine, inserendo le doverose scopate e limonate eccitanti come un caco maturo e coinvolgenti come una purea in busta mentre avrebbe dovuto scrivere qualcosa di più mentale e meno mainstream, approfondendo maggiormente il contesto esterno e interno ai personaggi. In questo modo ogni singola scena, ogni singola azione di Jeremy - persino la vera motivazione che lo spinge ad agire - si sviluppano in un evento esterno di grande importanza. Il contesto sarebbe rimasto sconosciuto ad Alexandra, ma avrebbe aiutato il lettore ad accettare con più facilità il senso di impersonalità e di freddezza radicato nella trama e avrebbe trasformato il romanzo in un medical-spy-erotic-action-romance e non in un erotico-romance-sado/maso wannabe. Il risultato è che non è riuscita ad accattivarmi, a prendermi abbastanza nella sua indecisione, nella sua glacialità.
Io passo, perché in un erotico cerco - e pretendo - emozioni. Se non le trovo, cambio strada.(less)

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Mar 29, 2013 Erica added it · review of another edition

Destined to Play was one of the most bizarre books I've ever read. It was definitely a daring debut and while in some ways it paid off, I was left a little unsettled in others.

Destined to Play presents the perfect opportunity - 48 hours to just sit back and experience the things you have repressed in your life which is curious to say the least.

The whole role of medicine and research in Destined to Play was intriguing. I will say there were a few aspects where I definitely had to suspend disbeli...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Joanna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got bought this book for Christmas and finally got round to reading it on the train to university. At first I really didn't like the first person style of writing but managed to get over it as the book got going.

There is adultery in this book which was a big negative and the main character seemed to forget about her husband and kids very quickly when the 'action' started which was a bit worrying.

The overall plot for this book started off really believable and despite the infidelity I was start...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Katya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: erotica

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 4 Stars!!!

Wow....is that enough of a review? I have no idea where to begin on this one.

A woman. Dr. Alex Blake, is asked to surrender her sight and the ability to ask questions for 48 hours and is promised a weekend she will recall for her entire life.

D. Jeremy Quinn....a long time lover from their college days has always led Alex into experiences that were odd, pleasurable and unusual. They were connected somehow, on the same level. She trusts him. But when he asks her to trust him for 48 hour...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Giovanna Lavadera rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Avviso: La recensione potrebbe contenere termini non adatti ad un lettore/lettrice più sensibili.
SPOILER

Mai titolo è stato più indicato! Incontri Proibiti....SI tra me e questo libro, è un incontro proibito, altamente dannoso e che mi ha fatto passare ore di puro nervosismo e un senso di nausea assiduo!

Da dove cominciare?

Tralasciando le prime pagine che avrebbero potute essere l'incipit di un qualsiasi romanzo appartenente al genere, il resto del libro mi ha lasciato una costante e pesante sen...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Irene added it · review of another edition

INCLASSIFICABILE

Spoiler a go-go

Abbiamo capito - con sommo dispiacere - che alle donne mature (ma anche no) del pianeta terra piace leggere di sesso, piuttosto che farlo. Abbiamo capito che piace loro distendersi sovrastate dal marito, aspettare che lui abbia finito, accendere l'abat jour e leggere in qualsiasi formato racconti definiti porno soft, che in realtà sono un concentrato di idiozie fulminanti e tecniche narrative degne di mio fratello (il quale, per chi non lo sapesse, ha dieci anni,...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Marleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: erotica

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” – Anonymous

Dr. Alexandra Blake is 37 years old, married to a man she hasn’t been intimate with in years and mother to two children she adores. With her husband and children away for a week in the Tasmanian wilderness, Alex travels to Sydney to deliver a series of lectures on her latest research into visual stimulation. After the first, very successful, lecture she meets up with Dr. Jeremy Quinn...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Mrs.m rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Purchased from W H Smith after seeing a large poster in their window, along the lines of if you liked FSOG you'll love this, trouble is the poster showed an image of book two of the trilogy and it was only when I went into the store and found "Destined to Feel" I established that "Destined to Play" is the first in the series, so as they had an offer on I purchased this and the second book at half price.

Like other reviewers have already identified the book is slow compared to FSOG trilogy and Bar...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Gloria75 rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook

Premesso che il romanzo erotico non è nato con le ormai famose 50 sfumature....
Fatico non poco ad esprimere un giudizio su questo libro e per certi versi tre stelline mi sembrano troppe poi penso al finale e forse solo per le ultimissime pagine...
Peccato, perchè la presentazione sul sito dell'editore creava grandi aspettative, ho aspettato solo un giorno dall'uscita in ebook poi mossa dalla curiosità l'ho preso e ho iniziato a leggerlo ma non è successo quello che mi aspettavo.
Il libro è in prim...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Karielle Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blog

Destined to Play (Avalon #1) by Indigo Bloome
Release Date: September 11th, 2012
Publisher: Avon Red (HarperCollins)
Page Count: 288
Source: Complimentary copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

"It's simple. No sight. No questions. Forty-eight hours."

When thirty-seven-year-old psychologist Alexandra Blake leaves her comfortable suburban existence to travel for a series of lectures, she meets up with Dr. Jeremy Quinn, the man who opened her eyes and body to the worl...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Amber rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: worst-books-ever, reviewed

Full disclosure: I belong to a romance book club, and I went into Destined to Play fully expecting it to be a hilariously bad read. Had it merely been that, I would not have bothered to write this review. There’s no point in calling out a book clearly designed to cash in on the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon for being a trashy romance novel.

How I wish Destined to Play was just another cliche-ridden, badly-written, trashy rapemance. I mean, it is those things, but it also has its own special bra...more Full disclosure: I belong to a romance book club, and I went into Destined to Play fully expecting it to be a hilariously bad read. Had it merely been that, I would not have bothered to write this review. There’s no point in calling out a book clearly designed to cash in on the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon for being a trashy romance novel.

How I wish Destined to Play was just another cliche-ridden, badly-written, trashy rapemance. I mean, it is those things, but it also has its own special brand of awfulness. Just when you thought bad romance could go no lower, you discover a book like this.

I hate this book with the burning passion of a thousand fiery suns. It holds the dubious honour of being the only book I have ever purposefully defaced. I became so infuriated with it at times that I was compelled to write commentary and criticism onto the pages as I was reading them. It was the only way to cope with the madness. I’m semi-seriously considering setting it on fire as the only way to purge its evil from the world.

So, onto the plot. Alex, a married, middle-aged psychologist with two kids, heads off to a medical research conference whilst her husband and kids go camping in the wilderness for a week. If you didn’t read the first couple of pages before Alex gets to the conference, you’d be forgiven for not realising that she (a) was married or (b) had children. Her husband basically doesn't cross her mind after this opening scene, and her kids barely do. And that’s how Alex thinks of them - ‘the kids’. They are named approximately three times in the entire book.

Once at the conference, Alex meets up with an ex-lover from her university days. She hasn’t seen him for years and he’s now a bigshot research doctor. He seduces her, and when she’s at her most dazed, mid-coitus, gets her to promise to spend the next 48 hours with him with no questions asked, AND to let him take away her sight for this time. When they surface from the bedroom and he wants her to make good on her promise, she barely remembers making it and doesn’t want to follow through. She objects, but he threatens her, reminding her of how he physically bullied her at university when she refused to bend to his will. She’s frightened of what he’ll do and capitulates.

The text doesn’t put it in those terms, of course. It’s all ‘he’s doing it for her own good’ and ‘breaking promises is wrong’ and ‘he’s hot so of course she should do what he wants’ and ‘lol, wasn’t it so adorable when he humiliated her back at university?’. Consent, safe words, what’s that you say?

So after he’s bludgeoned her into agreement and taken her phone away, he puts some eyedrops in her eyes that render her blind. Let me repeat that. COMPLETELY BLIND. Only AFTER he’s put them in does she ask what they are and if they’ll wear off. Heroine, you are an IDIOT.

So, Alex is now completely at the ‘hero’s mercy, and he proceeds to take full advantage of it. He forces her into lots of situations she’s uncomfortable with, and when she tries to escape he has her bound and gagged. Oh, but she gets all aroused by it, so that makes it totally OK in the end, doesn’t it? Excuse me while I go hit my head against the wall for a bit.

So, after a lot of abuse and rapetasticness-that’s-totally-not-rape-coz-she-ended-up-enjoying-it-even-though-the-'hero'-couldn’t-possibly-know-that’s-how-it-would-turn-out, the novel takes a turn for Bizarro World. Mr hero (who’s a hotshot research doctor) wants her to join his research project. Want to know what the project is? Research into how BDSM will cure Depression. I kid you not. Apparently all those depressed people need is a good spanking to set them right. Who knew?

She agrees, and he takes her to a medical facility where they use a combo of sensory deprivation, spanking and electrodes to get her off. It’s touted as being a huge step forward in the quest for a cure for depression. Also, apparently the 'hero' has staged this whole weekend just to get her to agree to be his personal sexperiment.

By this point I was so disgusted with the novel that I couldn’t make myself read further. I wasn’t that far from the end though, so I read the last couple of pages to find out if anything significant changes. I knew this book was the first in a trilogy, so I wasn’t really expecting it to wrap up. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t; jerkface ‘hero’ is still a jerkface, brains-of-an-amoeba heroine is still an idiot and they’re now all in ‘lurrve’. The only tiny bit I was curious about - the reaction of the ‘heroine’’s husband when he found out about her affair - turned out to be a massive anti-climax. Turns out he’s ‘questioning his sexuality and thinks he might be gay’, so it’s all OK and hunky-dory that his wife was cheating on him and everything. Because gay people don’t have normal-people feelings about fidelity, don’t be silly!

So, to conclude, this book is terrible. On top of the appalling plot, the sex scenes are some of the least sexy I’ve read, providing a few desperately needed moments of unintentional comic relief: ‘I felt my vulva moisten’. I would like this book and all its characters to die in a fire, especially the ‘hero’. On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, I would give this book -1000. I would recommend it to no one, not even to people I dislike. No one should read this book. Please do not read it. It will make you question your faith in humanity, if humanity can produce such a book as this. Awful isn't strong enough to describe it. It's terrible AND awful AND infuriating. It's terawfuriating! I can’t say it more simply than that.(less)

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Oct 12, 2012 Kim291192 rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

.............What do I think? 0.5-1 STAR, it sucked.
i felt like chucky this book out the window and wishing i never opened it. i only kept reading it cause i wasn't going to waste my money for purchasing it, which oviously I already did. This book cover a few things i hate most,
1. INFIDELITY
2. INFIDELITY WHILE SHE IS A MOTHER
3. BEING IGNORANT AND PUSHING ASIDE THOUGHT AND LOVE FOR HER CHILDREN TO JUST PUT HER SEXUAL FANTASY AND DESIRES WITH JEREMY HER LOVER FIRST
4. HUMAN TESTING. WHETHER IT IS...more

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Aug 31, 2012 William Bentrim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Destined To Play by Indigo Bloome

It is inevitable that this book will be compared to Fifty Shades of Grey. It abounds with salacious behavior and submission of will. It is a novel designed to titillate and is successful in it’s design. There will be a wealth of “heaving bosoms” that will devour this book.

I have not read Fifty Shades of Grey and I don’t plan on reading it. No particular reason but it falls into a genre I don’t normally read. This book was an interesting read and if this is what...more Destined To Play by Indigo Bloome

It is inevitable that this book will be compared to Fifty Shades of Grey. It abounds with salacious behavior and submission of will. It is a novel designed to titillate and is successful in it’s design. There will be a wealth of “heaving bosoms” that will devour this book.

I have not read Fifty Shades of Grey and I don’t plan on reading it. No particular reason but it falls into a genre I don’t normally read. This book was an interesting read and if this is what women normally read it is a wonder there are not more rampant assaults on the shirtless men who are normally on the covers. Cotton candy came to mind while reading this book. It strives to have substance but fails to deliver. However since I like cotton candy, I did enjoy the book.

As an author my best selling book is Mommy’s Black Eye which deals with domestic violence. I have mixed emotions about that because I am delighted it is selling so well and dismayed that it is addressing an obvious need. My biggest dismay with this book is the theme of dominance. The supposition that women as a gender have a hidden desire to be dominated offends me. My education and experience as a counselor provided me with too many instances where subservient behavior led to abuse. Perhaps I have been fortunate to have my primary female relationships be with strong women but I find it hard to believe that any woman, unless she is categorized as disturbed, would willingly submit to being dominated in the manner described in this book.

I can accept that there are women who would willingly participate in the interesting actions in the book but by choice not by coercion. Suggesting that sexual submission is the key to curing depression literally elicited a major guffaw due to the ludicrous nature of that proposal.

I take issue with many of the premises of the book but I strongly suspect that the appetite for acceptable sexual entertainment will engender profitable sales.

I can’t say I recommend the book but it was interesting. (less)

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Aug 29, 2012 Guilty Pleasures rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: guiltypleasures-kittyangel

Kitty's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

I hope you will all bear with me through this review. I had a hard time with the subject matter and the manner in which some things were portrayed. Adultery, no matter the reason, is not something I condone. Neither is sensory deprivation to the point where a person cannot “safeword”. Both of these were predominant in the book and I really needed to put my personal feelings aside while reading it.

This is the story of Alexandra and Jeremy. Or, Alexa, AB, G...more Kitty's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

I hope you will all bear with me through this review. I had a hard time with the subject matter and the manner in which some things were portrayed. Adultery, no matter the reason, is not something I condone. Neither is sensory deprivation to the point where a person cannot “safeword”. Both of these were predominant in the book and I really needed to put my personal feelings aside while reading it.

This is the story of Alexandra and Jeremy. Or, Alexa, AB, GG, Dr. Blake and Dr. Jeremy Quinn. He had so many names for her that I did have to stop and think every now and then to make sure he was talking to or about her. But, anyway…..they were friends/lovers in “uni” and parted ways because she was looking for her HEA and he was totally focused on his career. She married and had two beautiful children and got her PhD in Psychology. He went on to become a very famous and influential doctor doing major research in depression. Since they were both going to be in Sydney, they decided to meet for a drink to talk about old times. What transpired was not something that Alexandra had every imagined would happen to her.

First, he took away her sight…..made her totally dependent upon him. Had her promise to spend 48 hours with him, blind. Then he demanded that she not ask any questions. If she did, there would be penalties. Next came taking away her speech and hearing; leaving her with only the sense of touch. No regard for her feelings – just pushing her limits until she broke. Is it something that she wanted, yes, eventually, it was something that she wanted deep inside. But, to this extreme? Cheating on her husband? Even if it was a sexless marriage, there was little regard for what she was doing to him or her children.

Jeremy proclaimed his love for her and admitted his mistake in letting her leave his life. She eventually found out that her spouse thought that he may be homosexual and it was a relief to them both to have everything out in the open. They stay together for the “sake of the children” but are free to live their respective lives. There was a lot of deception on Jeremy’s part as to why he wanted to spend time with Alexa and he eventually comes clean and tells her how and why everything happened as she agrees to join his research team.

Putting aside the subject matter of the book, I have to commend Indigo Bloome on the writing of this story. It was exquisitely written and kept you guessing as to what Jeremy was going to do next to bring Alexa to her knees. I enjoyed the flashbacks to when they were in school together and how their love came to be. Each “part” of the story started with a quote from from very notable people/authors which gave you an insight into the book. The underlying story of a “cure” for depression seems to be the real focal point of “Destined to Play” and I give kudos to Ms. Bloome for trying to bring this to the attention of her readers. It seemed to me that there was a lot of research and/or personal experience with depression that helped her complete this book. So, putting aside the adultery and the extreme sensory deprivation, I was enthralled with the book and do look forward to the next installment to see what happens……so, who do you think kidnaps Alexa?

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Aug 29, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Original Post: Unexpected at Fangs, Wands & Fairy Dust

DESTINED TO PLAY
An Avalon Novel
by Indigo Bloom
Red Avon/Harper Collins
E-Book July 31, 2012 414 KB 291 pages
Paperback September 11, 2012 288 pages

Disclosure: E-Galley loaned by Publisher via Edelweiss on request. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions stated herein are my own unless stated otherwise.

Book Description

"It's simple. No sight. No questions. Forty-eight hours." An intensely charged erotic journey, perfect for anyone who w

...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Cheryl rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The kids and Robert were leaving for a camping trip. I had decided to travel to Sydney, Australia to give a lecture to postgraduates. I am nervous. It is not the series of lectures that I am worried about but seeing him again. Doctor Jeremy Quinn is my friend and university buddy. He is also the one that opened my eyes to a whole new world.

So who am I? I am Dr. Alexandra Blake. Back when I was free…free of responsibility with a family, it was just me and Jeremy. He and I could not keep out hand...more The kids and Robert were leaving for a camping trip. I had decided to travel to Sydney, Australia to give a lecture to postgraduates. I am nervous. It is not the series of lectures that I am worried about but seeing him again. Doctor Jeremy Quinn is my friend and university buddy. He is also the one that opened my eyes to a whole new world.

So who am I? I am Dr. Alexandra Blake. Back when I was free…free of responsibility with a family, it was just me and Jeremy. He and I could not keep out hands off each other. Now, I am face to face with him again. Jeremy has just asked me a very important question “Will I stay with him and give him forty-eight hours?” My answer to this question will change my whole life.

I have not read Fifty Shades of Grey so I can not compare that book to this one as the promotion of this book is trying to entice readers towards. However, I am a reader of erotica, so I do know what I like to read.

This book is more on the lighter side of S&M. This is a good thing for those who do not like it too rough in the bedroom. Jeremy calls all the shots. It kept things interesting that Jeremy would not allow Alex to ask questions about what he asked of her or what he had planned next. I would start to grow with anticipation as Alex would too with Jeremy in the beginning but at the story progressed, I found myself having a hard time wanting to stick with this book. I did but not without rushing it along. It dragged and it felt very repetitive. This in turn made me wish that the story would end.

Also the flashing back to the past when Alex and Jeremy did not help add anything to the story other then to show that they really were into each other. As if the reader could not already tell. Alex kept saying she was in love with Jeremy but yet she was stiff and critical in the beginning. The sex only happened in the last part of the book and in the past. For the most part it was just Jeremy leading Alex around blindfolded trying to get her to let loose. Overall, too much repetition.
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Aug 07, 2012 Kirsty Maclennan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Up until the 50 shades trilogy sexual play seemed to be a taboo subject, but now it seems its being discussed on buses, trains, in the supermarket and even at the school gates.

With the hype of 50 shades it would be easy to make comparisons between that and Destined to Play but I won’t because although Indigo Bloome explores sexual play in the story, Destined to Play reaches a whole new psychological level that 50 shades didn’t.

Before I tell you about the story I want to make it clear that Jeremy...more Up until the 50 shades trilogy sexual play seemed to be a taboo subject, but now it seems its being discussed on buses, trains, in the supermarket and even at the school gates.

With the hype of 50 shades it would be easy to make comparisons between that and Destined to Play but I won’t because although Indigo Bloome explores sexual play in the story, Destined to Play reaches a whole new psychological level that 50 shades didn’t.

Before I tell you about the story I want to make it clear that Jeremy the lead male is nothing like Christian Grey so if you plan on reading this in the hope of falling in love with a similar character, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. But pick this book up with an open mind and be prepared to follow two sexually experienced 30 something’s who are ready to explore sexual play and take the whole experience to a new level.

With your greyspectations checked at the door, I shall now begin.

Destined to Play is Indigo Bloome’s debut novel and is the first of the Avalon trilogy.

The story follows married mother of two Dr Alexandra Blake when she is reunited with her old lover Dr Jeremy Quinn, over drinks one evening Jeremy makes an offer to Alex which is both tempting and terrifying. Going on previous promises to Jeremy, Alex knows that this is something she cannot take lightly and if she agrees, she cannot renege on it later.

Jeremy proposes to take away one of Alex’s senses for 48 hours, he wants her at a heightened state and she must surrender. Knowing Jeremy and how her body reacts to his touch, words and taste she agrees to his proposition.

For 48 hours she will give up her sight and ask no questions…..

What i really liked about this book is the fact that the characters have a history, which we learn about from Alex when she reminisces over old memories and fills us in on parts of their university days.

With both characters being doctors and the underlying story being that of a medical issue, the terminology at times means that I wouldn’t classify it as an easy read but it is a really good read with a nail biting ending that will leave you eagerly anticipating the second book in the trilogy.

If you are ready for erotic fiction that will challenge the psyche and leave you viewing 50 shades (in parts) as if it was written by Beatrix Potter then, you are DESTINED TO PLAY(less)

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Jul 28, 2012 Kathryn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Destined to Play is not necessarily a romance novel. It is not necessarily an anti-romance novel. It is a book about a woman who is persuaded by her former lover to let go of her sexual inhibitions over the course of a weekend and start a journey of self-discovery. Dr Alexandra Drake is an intelligent, capable woman of thirty-six, who is married with two children. The sexual side of her relationship with her husband, Robert, has cooled since their children were born. Enter Jeremy, Alexandra's fo...more Destined to Play is not necessarily a romance novel. It is not necessarily an anti-romance novel. It is a book about a woman who is persuaded by her former lover to let go of her sexual inhibitions over the course of a weekend and start a journey of self-discovery. Dr Alexandra Drake is an intelligent, capable woman of thirty-six, who is married with two children. The sexual side of her relationship with her husband, Robert, has cooled since their children were born. Enter Jeremy, Alexandra's former lover from her youth, who proposes that they meet in Sydney one weekend, while Alexandra's husband and children are away on a survival course in the Tasmanian wilderness. After recalling some of the details of some of their wild sexual encounters, Alexandra is easily seduced by Jeremy. Then he makes a shocking proposal. Jeremy wants Alexandra to surrender her eyesight and become totally dependent on him in every sense for the next forty-eight hours ...

When I received the review copy of Destined to Play I had no idea what to expect or what the book would be like. It was for this reason that I was quite eager to read the book. I was not disappointed. As a reader, what kept me hooked was not the graphic depictions of sex, but the suspenseful element of the book. As Alexandra spent most of the novel blindfolded and unaware of her surroundings (without giving too much away, I will reveal that Jeremy tricks her on a couple of occasions,) I was pulled in as I tried to figure out where she might be and what was happening to her. It was this--and some of the very imaginative results--that kept me wanting to turn the next page and learn more. There were a few things about the story that bothered me--in particular I would have liked it if in the early parts of the novel if the author had of shown Alexandra to feel some degree of guilt in the early part of the novel and wonder how her decision to meet Jeremy again might impact on her relationship with her husband and children. Overall though, it is an interesting concept for an erotic novel and the cliffhanger ending left me wanting to know more--which is ideal considering that Destined to Play is the first in a three part series known as the Avalon trilogy. The sequels, Destined to Feel and Destined to Fly will be released later this year. Destined to Play is a sexy, fast paced novel that will no doubt enjoy some mainstream success while women's erotica (sorry, I just can't bring myself to type Mummy Porn,) remains topical.

*** This review previously appeared on Kathryn's Inbox(less)

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Jul 24, 2012 Anna rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is not a book you read, it's a book you skim. Blah blah blah blah blah boring sex blah blah blah blah average sex blah blah blah blah I guess that was sex blah blah blah... and so it goes on. It would be a compliment if I said the characters were one dimensional, so I'm not going to bother. The plot is horrendously boring and pointless - in fact it is downright painful, I would liken the experience to stabbing myself in the eye with a teaspoon.

I am mortified that I paid around $10 for this...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Erin rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was dared to read this book despite my better judgement. With all the hype surrounding the Fifty Shades of Grey series, there were many talks that DESTINED TO PLAY - a book written by a fellow aussie author - was going the next big thing on the bestseller list. So like I told many people before, over and over again, I'll never ever EVER read Fifty Shades of Grey because from what I've read on amazon it was just enough to tell me it was beyond ridiculous and just . . . plain awful. Seriously. I...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Karen Brooks rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have to admit something before I review this book: Indigo is a friend of mine and I have followed her exciting and short road to publication with great interest while shouting support from the sidelines and i am so happy for her. She is so lovely and has worked hard on this (written well before E.L. James became a sensation). OK... My conflict of interest is declared :) Now, I have another confession to make - I've not read Fifty Shades of Grey, the book to which Bloom's is compared. I also do...more I have to admit something before I review this book: Indigo is a friend of mine and I have followed her exciting and short road to publication with great interest while shouting support from the sidelines and i am so happy for her. She is so lovely and has worked hard on this (written well before E.L. James became a sensation). OK... My conflict of interest is declared :) Now, I have another confession to make - I've not read Fifty Shades of Grey, the book to which Bloom's is compared. I also don't think I ever will. But, I have read Destined to Play amd I read it in one session because I simply had to know what happened.

This novel, the first in a trilogy, tells of Dr Alexandra Blake, mother of two who lives in Tasmania in a stable but fundamentally passionless marriage. Flown to Sydney for the beginning of a few days of lectures and presentations (including one to the AMA), Alexandra's family are conveniently dispatched to the Tassie wilderness for the duration. In Sydney at the beginning of her tour, Alexandra arranges to catch up with her best friend from university and former sexual partner, the wealthy, smoking (as in divine) George Clooneyesque, Dr Jeremy Quinn - a world leader in his field. When they meet, the old sparks ignite and Alexandra is quickly consumed but, when her former lover proposes that she surrender herself to him for forty-eight hours, leaving every decision to him, trusting him completely, Alexandra finds herself at the centre of a sexual adventure like no other and the subject of an experiment that challenges her erotically, physically, emotionally and, above all, psychologically.

While the sex is graphic and charged (as expected in this genre) what interested and challenged me as a reader most (and this is a huge credit to Bloom) is how an intelligent woman, consumate professional who has a fabulous reputation, who is also a mother and wife (therefore has responsibilities) could surrender herself so readily to Quinn. I struggled with this... But so does Alexandra, and it's the internal,dialogue she continuously has, as well as her vacillation between the depth of her physical and intellectual responses to Quinn particularly that make the book so fascinating. Just as we wonder why she is allowing things to continue, so does Alexandra. Just as she desires answers, so do we. Taken on this dark adventure with her, we are left anxious, breathless and on edge. Playing Alexandra might be destined to do, but a game has never been so dangerous... Something the final pages of the novel makes all too clear.

Issues such as trust, sensory perception, doubt, anxiety, depression, sex and sensuality are all explored, as are the limits to which a body and mind can be brought. The book certainly pushed me out of my comfort zone, not becuase of the sex - I have read much more graphic material - but because I found it difficult to deal with a woman surrendering so completely to a man under the circumstances that Alexandra does. I also found the manipulations of Quinn to be disturbing even though his notion that motherhood and female sexuality should not be mutually exclusive appealed to me.

This is a book that will, i've no doubt, generate a great deal of discussion and be quite polemical. Just what an author wants. If you like erotica or books that challenge you, read this! (less)

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Nov 23, 2012 MJ Porteous rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't like to be mean about any fellow writer, but I couldn't finish this. I tried my utmost but I just couldn't get my head past the long, senseless prose about...well...essentially nothing. A nearly middle-aged bored married woman enjoying a fantasy weekend with an ex who she never really quite got over-okay I can understand the appeal to a like-minded market(which I'm sure is substantial). And I admit that Dr Jeremy Quinn as a concept is hot (except for his name. Jeremy is too much like an...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Elisa rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, e-book

Una cura contro la depressione? Ve la do io: non leggere libri di questo genere.
Forse sarebbe anche meglio non scriverli, ma non si può voler tutto dalla vita. Quindi mi limito a consigliarne la NON lettura.
Per i reduci di Cinquanta Sfumature & Co., questo libro è per la maggior parte della storia un degno rivale. Tanto più che ho scoperto che anche questa è una trilogia, quindi deduco che non se ne ha mai abbastanza di questo genere, a quanto pare.
Cosa non si fa per un pò di soldi e di suc...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Pam rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-read

I really am having a hard time deciding on the rating. I liked the first 2/3's of the book, but the last 1/3 really kind of ruined it. Hmm?

GoodReads Synopsis: It′s simple. No sight. No questions. 48 hours .

Dr. Alexandra Blake is about to give a series of prestigious lectures, but the butterflies in her stomach are for a far more exciting reason ...

After the lecture she is meeting up with Jeremy Quinn, esteemed doctor and dangerous ex-lover - the only person with whom she has ever let her guard d...more I really am having a hard time deciding on the rating. I liked the first 2/3's of the book, but the last 1/3 really kind of ruined it. Hmm?

GoodReads Synopsis: It′s simple. No sight. No questions. 48 hours .

Dr. Alexandra Blake is about to give a series of prestigious lectures, but the butterflies in her stomach are for a far more exciting reason ...

After the lecture she is meeting up with Jeremy Quinn, esteemed doctor and dangerous ex-lover - the only person with whom she has ever let her guard down completely. After a few glasses of champagne in his luxurious penthouse suite, Jeremy presents her with an intriguing offer: stay with him for the next forty-eight hours and accept two extraordinary conditions, the first of which leaves her utterly at his mercy, and he will give her an experience more sensual and extreme than any game they have ever played before.

This scorching novel is an erotic exploration of trust and betrayal, experimentation and control, lust and love. Forget Fifty Shades of Grey, this daring debut will leave you breathless for more.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed the first 2/3’s of this book. I thought it was about a couple who were best friends, now, though they had been more than friends at various times in their lives, spending a weekend catching up. But it was more than that. However, the ultimate purpose of the weekend was not what I was suspecting and it was a huge let down.

What the synopsis doesn’t tell you is that Alex black is a psychologist and Jeremy Quinn is a medical doctor and psychiatrist. Together Alex and Jeremy do explore their friendship from a more psychological stand point which was interesting. Also Jeremy helps Alex to understand herself better.

I hate all these comparisons to 50 Shades…this was nothing even remotely close to 50 shades, this is like comparing apples to pears because they are the same color. The end of the book and the end of their weekend was cold and sterile. Alex’s return home to talk with her husband lame and went for the lowest common denominator. And the epilogue could not have been more contrived…leaving open the possibility for a sequel…which I won’t be reading. This was one of those books that I wanted to throw at the wall once I’d finished!
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Jul 06, 2012 Wonderkell rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: erotica-romance, mystery

2.5 stars

I am actually a little ambivalent about this one. There are some aspects of the book that are extremely well written & it is definitely erotica for the intelligent reader, but the overwhelming feeling I am left with is one of disconnect. The 'romance' in this book is somehow cold, I think because the sex is just so scientific. I mean, it seems to me that even though Jeremy may love Alexandra, his first intention was always to use her. That just doesn't sit well with me & seems t...more

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Destined to Play (Avalon Trilogy #1)

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