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Pleasure Playground #2
Power Play
From New York Times Bestselling author Eliza Gayle, writing as E.M.
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 of her past at bay.
After tragedy sends Daegan McKenna to the South for a much needed change of pace, the last thing he expects to find is a closet submissive hiding in plain sight. She’s hot-tempered and in denial — a heady combination that brings out the dominant looking for a challenge. He’s already loved and lost more than one man should, but the haunted look in her eyes prompts him to make her an offer. He’ll indulge her darkest fantasies, if she’ll agree to give up control. Then he’ll let her go.
Unfortunately, the past never stays in the past and old insecurities cause complications neither of them wanted. Now temporary is not enough.
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 of her past at bay.
After tragedy sends Daegan McKenna to the South for a much needed change of pace, the last thing he expects to find is a closet submissive hiding in plain sight. She’s hot-tempered and in denial — a heady combination that brings out the dominant looking for a challenge. He’s already loved and lost more than one man should, but the haunted look in her eyes prompts him to make her an offer. He’ll indulge her darkest fantasies, if she’ll agree to give up control. Then he’ll let her go.
Unfortunately, the past never stays in the past and old insecurities cause complications neither of them wanted. Now temporary is not enough.
262 pages, ebook
First published November 22, 2011
79 people are currently reading
724 people want to read
About the author
Eliza Gayle
133 books1,337 followersGRAB the first book in my USA Today bestselling Southern Shifters series in Kindle Unlimited. Click
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Eliza Gayle writes dragon romance and fantasy romance with unforgettable characters, fiery passion, and magical twists. A New York Times bestselling author, she’s created series like Dragon Lords and Southern Shifters that keep readers hooked from page one. (She also writes dark contemporary romance under E.M. Gayle) She currently lives on a small island in the Pacific Northwest (but was born and raised in Florida and then spent 10+ years in NC) and spends her days writing romance, wandering the beach, kayaking or defending her keyboard from her cat Salem.
Before her writing career began, she served in the Marine Corps and lived a crazy life of adventure. Then she read her first spicy romance novel and everything changed. So after years of thinking about writing she finally grabbed her laptop and wrote.
Latest Release: THE HEART OF THE DRAGON
Coming next: THE FATE OF THE DRAGON
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
November 23, 2011
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 pages I was asking myself if I had made the right choice in picking this up because she was talking about one of her fetish pictures which involves a knife. However, this is not the tone of the story, so I'm very happy I kept reading.
She is a tortured soul, coming from a very difficult childhood and lacking love her whole life. She's never let go, she can't follow anyone's rules. So when she finds herself agreeing to be Daegan's temporary submissive, you know there are bound to be control issues.
Daegan has a few skeletons in his closet as well. A gorgeous Irishman, he now returns to the States to leave the past behind and even though he's not searching for another relationship, or another submissive to claim as his own, Jennifer captures his heart from the very beginning.
Ropes, cuffs, crops and floggers mixed in with a good dose of caring and wanting to heal the wounds of their past, these two give in to their feelings and desires. Hot and seductive. I will definitely keep an eye out for this authors next release!
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 pages I was asking myself if I had made the right choice in picking this up because she was talking about one of her fetish pictures which involves a knife. However, this is not the tone of the story, so I'm very happy I kept reading.
She is a tortured soul, coming from a very difficult childhood and lacking love her whole life. She's never let go, she can't follow anyone's rules. So when she finds herself agreeing to be Daegan's temporary submissive, you know there are bound to be control issues.
Daegan has a few skeletons in his closet as well. A gorgeous Irishman, he now returns to the States to leave the past behind and even though he's not searching for another relationship, or another submissive to claim as his own, Jennifer captures his heart from the very beginning.
Ropes, cuffs, crops and floggers mixed in with a good dose of caring and wanting to heal the wounds of their past, these two give in to their feelings and desires. Hot and seductive. I will definitely keep an eye out for this authors next release!
June 8, 2020
This is a hard book for me to review. I think if I had read this book 10 years ago when I was getting more into BDSM books, I would have enjoyed it more and rated it higher. After reading some 1000+ BDSM books, some of them really accurate with the BDSM portrayal, this one leaves me a little ill at ease.
From a romance perspective with a sexy male dominant, Daegan McKenna checks many of the boxes. My issue with him is his high handed determination of what Jennifer Croft should do with her career. Perhaps it is a hot point for me, but no man tell me my job is over and he's found a better job suitable for me. This really bothered me, regardless of the intent. There was no discussion, just Daegan changing Jennifer's life to suit him better. And also what he though would be better for her. If Jennifer was into this and ceded her decision to him, I would have been okay. But she didn't and this was a point of contention for them.
Whilst this story did resolve it, I don't really like how it was resolved and quite frankly, I find Dagean's actions alarming. Alarming because it so closely dances along the line of a domestic abuser. I don't like my BDSM mixed with possible domestic violence.
From a BDSM scene perspective, Ms. Gayle has done her homework and perhaps experimented a little. After being in the lifestyle for a while, I can usually tell the authors who live it versus those who do good research and try to portray kink as accurate as possible. This one is a sweet romanticized version of kinky play. I enjoyed it.
Overall, this is a well written kinky romance. Recommended for erotic romance readers who love a happily ever after with a few spankings.
From a romance perspective with a sexy male dominant, Daegan McKenna checks many of the boxes. My issue with him is his high handed determination of what Jennifer Croft should do with her career. Perhaps it is a hot point for me, but no man tell me my job is over and he's found a better job suitable for me. This really bothered me, regardless of the intent. There was no discussion, just Daegan changing Jennifer's life to suit him better. And also what he though would be better for her. If Jennifer was into this and ceded her decision to him, I would have been okay. But she didn't and this was a point of contention for them.
Whilst this story did resolve it, I don't really like how it was resolved and quite frankly, I find Dagean's actions alarming. Alarming because it so closely dances along the line of a domestic abuser. I don't like my BDSM mixed with possible domestic violence.
From a BDSM scene perspective, Ms. Gayle has done her homework and perhaps experimented a little. After being in the lifestyle for a while, I can usually tell the authors who live it versus those who do good research and try to portray kink as accurate as possible. This one is a sweet romanticized version of kinky play. I enjoyed it.
Overall, this is a well written kinky romance. Recommended for erotic romance readers who love a happily ever after with a few spankings.
November 28, 2011
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 Chase and Murphy expand their business. After living a 24/7 Master/slave relationship to fill his wife's needs, he needs some time to decompress before thinking about getting involved with another submissive. While watching his friends work with their top model, he finds himself drawn to her. But when he sees the shadows in her eyes when she thinks no one is watching, or while being flogged in the club, he realizes that she needs more than she's getting... and he wants to be the Dom to give it to her.
In case you couldn't tell based on the rating, I LOVED this book. No hesitation. LOVED it. Honestly, I can't come up with a single down part and that's unusual. ...Well, I didn't like the orgasm denial while he goes to another room to jack off but... that's the character... not the author. *sticking tongue out at Daegan* But by the end of the book? Ahh... Yep, Loved it.
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 Chase and Murphy expand their business. After living a 24/7 Master/slave relationship to fill his wife's needs, he needs some time to decompress before thinking about getting involved with another submissive. While watching his friends work with their top model, he finds himself drawn to her. But when he sees the shadows in her eyes when she thinks no one is watching, or while being flogged in the club, he realizes that she needs more than she's getting... and he wants to be the Dom to give it to her.
In case you couldn't tell based on the rating, I LOVED this book. No hesitation. LOVED it. Honestly, I can't come up with a single down part and that's unusual. ...Well, I didn't like the orgasm denial while he goes to another room to jack off but... that's the character... not the author. *sticking tongue out at Daegan* But by the end of the book? Ahh... Yep, Loved it.
February 14, 2012
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 her feel more lonely than ever before. She denies she is submissive, just embracing pain as her vice.
Daegan McKenna has come to America to escape his past and find some healing. He sees the longing on Jennifer’s face and knows she is denying her submissive side. Continually he is drawn to her each time he sees her. She rebuffs him, but he never gives up. He is determined to make her see herself for who she truly is.
Daegan makes Jennifer a deal. Submit to to him and he will fulfill her darkest passions, but it is all temporary. When he gives Jennifer the rules, she bulks at how accurate they truly are, but must learn to stop running away. Together they need to learn to heal their past before they can move on.
This story was an emotional roller coaster ride for me. Jennifer in a way is broken. While she is successful as an erotic model, she feels alone deep into her soul. Never expecting to find love nor even feel loved, she has learned to compartmentalized her life and deal with the uncontrollable side with pain, but not submission. A common theme I have found in BDSM books when the submissive is lacking the feeling of love, it seems the Dominant spanking them shows them that someone cares. This is a message I got over and over in this book. I kind of feel it is a shame that it takes a spanking to make someone feel like someone cares. So while Jennifer is bratty, she isn’t always bratty to get a spanking. Sometimes it just is a lack of understanding what she wants or needs.
Daegan was more complex than I first thought after we learn what is in his past. I truly felt his pain, but I was often irritated at him. Why do some of the Dominants in these books feel more like therapist than Doms? It felt like he was there to fix her and then let her go. Basically that’s his plan. He makes some rules for her early on that even I bulked at. Nothing horrible, but one in particular ticked me off even after Jennifer realizes it is a good rule.
What I didn’t like: Daegan seems infallible. He can’t do anything wrong and everything he says and does is for the good of the sub. While in way that is true, I see the Doms make mistakes and there is not punishment for them. He feels he can “fix” her and I just don’t think anyone has a right to feel that way unless they have been asked to help. Then at a vital point he lets her go in the story, thinking he can’t “fix” her. So why did he start trying if he only was going to say it was not what he wanted?
Another point I don’t like and this is common among BDSM books. The Dom controls the subs orgasms not a big deal. What I don’t like is the Dom running off to masturbate because he just can’t wait. So a sub is made to wait sometimes for hours, but the moment a Dom feels the need he whips it out and takes care of it. Not cool, not cool. And it happens in this book.
What I did like was the first punishment. It was a spanking, but the second part of it was something I felt was appropriate. While he punished her he let her know he was there quite often. He never left her all alone to deal with it, but he let her know his displeasure. I loved that Jennifer realized her destructive path and made changes to help her.
I liked how Chase was looking out for Jennifer when she had no one else to care for her. He confronts Daegan on his intentions, I just wished he had pushed a little more.
I felt deep pain for Jennifer, but not so much for Daegan. His pain while hurtful, was no where as devastating as Jennifer’s and I didn’t like how he handled things at times. At no time is he ever wrong except once in not telling her something. It just seemed like he was an always right person
Daegan wasn’t a bad Dom, he just was more arrogant than I liked. Not an arrogance that he broadcasted, but one when he was dealing with Jennifer. Jennifer was a typical new sub who is going to make mistakes, going to push the boundaries and going to learn what she needs. Both were good for each other. A checks and balances of two people needing to heal.
So while I had a harder time with the characters, I thought the story was well written and the characters were deeper than normal. I can’t say the scenes of sex were extremely hot. They didn’t rock my world. They were just sex scenes.
A complex story that moved me but also left me feeling cold.
Daegan McKenna has come to America to escape his past and find some healing. He sees the longing on Jennifer’s face and knows she is denying her submissive side. Continually he is drawn to her each time he sees her. She rebuffs him, but he never gives up. He is determined to make her see herself for who she truly is.
Daegan makes Jennifer a deal. Submit to to him and he will fulfill her darkest passions, but it is all temporary. When he gives Jennifer the rules, she bulks at how accurate they truly are, but must learn to stop running away. Together they need to learn to heal their past before they can move on.
This story was an emotional roller coaster ride for me. Jennifer in a way is broken. While she is successful as an erotic model, she feels alone deep into her soul. Never expecting to find love nor even feel loved, she has learned to compartmentalized her life and deal with the uncontrollable side with pain, but not submission. A common theme I have found in BDSM books when the submissive is lacking the feeling of love, it seems the Dominant spanking them shows them that someone cares. This is a message I got over and over in this book. I kind of feel it is a shame that it takes a spanking to make someone feel like someone cares. So while Jennifer is bratty, she isn’t always bratty to get a spanking. Sometimes it just is a lack of understanding what she wants or needs.
Daegan was more complex than I first thought after we learn what is in his past. I truly felt his pain, but I was often irritated at him. Why do some of the Dominants in these books feel more like therapist than Doms? It felt like he was there to fix her and then let her go. Basically that’s his plan. He makes some rules for her early on that even I bulked at. Nothing horrible, but one in particular ticked me off even after Jennifer realizes it is a good rule.
What I didn’t like: Daegan seems infallible. He can’t do anything wrong and everything he says and does is for the good of the sub. While in way that is true, I see the Doms make mistakes and there is not punishment for them. He feels he can “fix” her and I just don’t think anyone has a right to feel that way unless they have been asked to help. Then at a vital point he lets her go in the story, thinking he can’t “fix” her. So why did he start trying if he only was going to say it was not what he wanted?
Another point I don’t like and this is common among BDSM books. The Dom controls the subs orgasms not a big deal. What I don’t like is the Dom running off to masturbate because he just can’t wait. So a sub is made to wait sometimes for hours, but the moment a Dom feels the need he whips it out and takes care of it. Not cool, not cool. And it happens in this book.
What I did like was the first punishment. It was a spanking, but the second part of it was something I felt was appropriate. While he punished her he let her know he was there quite often. He never left her all alone to deal with it, but he let her know his displeasure. I loved that Jennifer realized her destructive path and made changes to help her.
I liked how Chase was looking out for Jennifer when she had no one else to care for her. He confronts Daegan on his intentions, I just wished he had pushed a little more.
I felt deep pain for Jennifer, but not so much for Daegan. His pain while hurtful, was no where as devastating as Jennifer’s and I didn’t like how he handled things at times. At no time is he ever wrong except once in not telling her something. It just seemed like he was an always right person
Daegan wasn’t a bad Dom, he just was more arrogant than I liked. Not an arrogance that he broadcasted, but one when he was dealing with Jennifer. Jennifer was a typical new sub who is going to make mistakes, going to push the boundaries and going to learn what she needs. Both were good for each other. A checks and balances of two people needing to heal.
So while I had a harder time with the characters, I thought the story was well written and the characters were deeper than normal. I can’t say the scenes of sex were extremely hot. They didn’t rock my world. They were just sex scenes.
A complex story that moved me but also left me feeling cold.
November 20, 2011
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.
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.
April 11, 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 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
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
December 27, 2011
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 from how he feels or the things that he wants out of life. And now he wants Jennifer. But will Daegan be able to tame the wild, hot tempered temptress without losing himself in the process?
This was a great story of finding out who you are and what you need. Even if it is the last thing you ever thought you needed, is what you need the most. This is a great love story between Jennifer & Daegan with a hint on BDSM. There is not a lot BDSM which is great, because it doesn’t take over the story. I really enjoyed the struggle that Jennifer & Daegan go through to understand each other. Both have secrets that they are afraid to share. But in the end if you don’t have trust you don’t have anything.
If you are looking for a great BDSM story, I would recommend you check out Power Play.
I want to say a huge THANK YOU to Christine & Eliza for allowing me to read and review this book. I look forward to reading more of Eliza’s stories.
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 from how he feels or the things that he wants out of life. And now he wants Jennifer. But will Daegan be able to tame the wild, hot tempered temptress without losing himself in the process?
This was a great story of finding out who you are and what you need. Even if it is the last thing you ever thought you needed, is what you need the most. This is a great love story between Jennifer & Daegan with a hint on BDSM. There is not a lot BDSM which is great, because it doesn’t take over the story. I really enjoyed the struggle that Jennifer & Daegan go through to understand each other. Both have secrets that they are afraid to share. But in the end if you don’t have trust you don’t have anything.
If you are looking for a great BDSM story, I would recommend you check out Power Play.
I want to say a huge THANK YOU to Christine & Eliza for allowing me to read and review this book. I look forward to reading more of Eliza’s stories.
November 22, 2012
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 Jennifer's mood swings. It's a good thing Daegan was a patient man that enjoyed a challenge because he sure gets it :)
In all; Power Play is a great BDSM read. Especially, if you enjoy sub/Dom stories that run deeper than sex.
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 Jennifer's mood swings. It's a good thing Daegan was a patient man that enjoyed a challenge because he sure gets it :)
In all; Power Play is a great BDSM read. Especially, if you enjoy sub/Dom stories that run deeper than sex.
January 4, 2015
I enjoyed the depth of the connection between the characters in Power Play. The main characters, Jennifer Croft and Daegan McKenna, were truly the most unlikely couple. He was resistant to starting anything serious after the bad memories surrounding the life he had with his deceased wife. And Jennifer because of her devastating childhood. But a chance encounter brings them together and breaks down both of their walls, creating something beautiful between them. But, it was definitely hard won.
A successful fetish model at Altered Ego (Play With Me), Jennifer encounters Deagan because he is the contractor who is working on Chase and Murphy's new club. Jennifer is strong willed and a bit closed off from people, although she considers Chase and Murphy her friends. She keeps her feelings and desires guarded very closely, but every so often she ventures to the club to release the frustration that has built within her body. But, it's not the physical release of that kind, she very seldomly has sex with the men she allows to briefly dominate her. What she does is allow them beat her until she reaches a level of subspace where her mind can be at peace.
Daegan sees the vulnerability in Jennifer but he also wants to tame her feisty spirit. He proposes a temporary arrangement between them that will be mutually beneficial and very satisfying but Jennifer first has to agree to a few of his rules. Independent because life has forced her to be, Jennifer balks at the idea of "rules" being imposed upon her. And Daegan's rules are serious too -- one of the major ones is that she is not to model during the time of their arrangement. For someone like Jennifer who defines herself by her job that is an absolute deal breaker. Definitely. Maybe. Ok...maybe she'll try it for a little while. Why the acquiescence? Because Deagan was able to ring pleasure and give her the pain that she sought like no other Dom had been able to do before.
But remember, Daegan is still dealing with the demons of his past, too. He wants to keep Jennifer at a proverbial arms length while still giving and receiving pleasure from her. Fortunately for them, they break down each other's walls -- unintentionally of course. Through Daegan, Jennifer is able to discover things about herself that she has never realized before and she learns to trust through her submission to give. Daegan learns how to let go of his past and give his heart freely to someone who doesn't "need" him the way his deceased wife did.
The story was a bit bittersweet because they both had so many internal blights that it was almost impossible for them to see past them. That was the bitter. But, the sweet was seeing them come together in complete trust, and even love, although no professions were made, to create a strong bond between them. I'm sure we'll see even more from them in future books and be able to see their relationship as it grows.
A successful fetish model at Altered Ego (Play With Me), Jennifer encounters Deagan because he is the contractor who is working on Chase and Murphy's new club. Jennifer is strong willed and a bit closed off from people, although she considers Chase and Murphy her friends. She keeps her feelings and desires guarded very closely, but every so often she ventures to the club to release the frustration that has built within her body. But, it's not the physical release of that kind, she very seldomly has sex with the men she allows to briefly dominate her. What she does is allow them beat her until she reaches a level of subspace where her mind can be at peace.
Daegan sees the vulnerability in Jennifer but he also wants to tame her feisty spirit. He proposes a temporary arrangement between them that will be mutually beneficial and very satisfying but Jennifer first has to agree to a few of his rules. Independent because life has forced her to be, Jennifer balks at the idea of "rules" being imposed upon her. And Daegan's rules are serious too -- one of the major ones is that she is not to model during the time of their arrangement. For someone like Jennifer who defines herself by her job that is an absolute deal breaker. Definitely. Maybe. Ok...maybe she'll try it for a little while. Why the acquiescence? Because Deagan was able to ring pleasure and give her the pain that she sought like no other Dom had been able to do before.
But remember, Daegan is still dealing with the demons of his past, too. He wants to keep Jennifer at a proverbial arms length while still giving and receiving pleasure from her. Fortunately for them, they break down each other's walls -- unintentionally of course. Through Daegan, Jennifer is able to discover things about herself that she has never realized before and she learns to trust through her submission to give. Daegan learns how to let go of his past and give his heart freely to someone who doesn't "need" him the way his deceased wife did.
The story was a bit bittersweet because they both had so many internal blights that it was almost impossible for them to see past them. That was the bitter. But, the sweet was seeing them come together in complete trust, and even love, although no professions were made, to create a strong bond between them. I'm sure we'll see even more from them in future books and be able to see their relationship as it grows.
January 2, 2012
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, "Perfect is boring". So I have to say I fell in love with Daegan McKenna. He's not the perfect guy, but he's perfect for Jennifer. He's a patient, yet stubborn man, one that doesn't quit easily. He knows he wants Jennifer and he keeps trying to seduce her, make her his. He's also a scarred man, running from his past. He's trying to move on, but until he met Jennifer, he wasn't really trying that much. I think he needed Jennifer as much as she needed him.
Jennifer is a successful fetish model with a lot of secrets and fears. She doesn't trust much, she's afraid of what other people might do or think if she lets them get too close, so she keeps everyone at arm's length. She tried to do that with Daegan, but he won't have any of that. I loved how they interacted with each other, how they helped each other get over their pasts.
I also got curious about Murphy and Chase, so I had to find out more about them. I'm going to start reading their book, Midnight Playground, soon.
I definitely recommend this book, if you're a fan of erotic romance and BDSM. It was a very good book and I'm going to try more of Ms Gayle's books. In the meantime, I'm waiting for news on the next book of this series :D
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, "Perfect is boring". So I have to say I fell in love with Daegan McKenna. He's not the perfect guy, but he's perfect for Jennifer. He's a patient, yet stubborn man, one that doesn't quit easily. He knows he wants Jennifer and he keeps trying to seduce her, make her his. He's also a scarred man, running from his past. He's trying to move on, but until he met Jennifer, he wasn't really trying that much. I think he needed Jennifer as much as she needed him.
Jennifer is a successful fetish model with a lot of secrets and fears. She doesn't trust much, she's afraid of what other people might do or think if she lets them get too close, so she keeps everyone at arm's length. She tried to do that with Daegan, but he won't have any of that. I loved how they interacted with each other, how they helped each other get over their pasts.
I also got curious about Murphy and Chase, so I had to find out more about them. I'm going to start reading their book, Midnight Playground, soon.
I definitely recommend this book, if you're a fan of erotic romance and BDSM. It was a very good book and I'm going to try more of Ms Gayle's books. In the meantime, I'm waiting for news on the next book of this series :D
February 4, 2012
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 adamantly denies having a submissive nature.
Daegan McKenna is a take-charge alpha male who is still reeling from a tragedy in his past. He’s not sure he is ready for a long term relationship but he sees something in Jennifer and feels the need to dominate her. Jennifer is extremely attracted to the sexy Irish man but she can’t help running from him every time he tries to pin her down. Finally, one night while locked inside a photography studio Daegan awakens Jennifer’s submissive side but even afterwards she fights him and continues to run from a potential chance at love.
I really liked the interactions between these two strong willed and complicated characters. I liked how both character’s emotional turmoil kept the story moving. They were both haunted by tragic pasts and even though Jennifer kept running, Daegan tenaciously kept chasing her down. Her punishments were interesting as well. This book is part of a series and there are secondary characters from the first book in Power Play but it can definitely be read as a standalone. I thought this was a really great and emotional read. The sex scenes and BDSM elements were hot just as you would expect from Eliza Gayle.
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 adamantly denies having a submissive nature.
Daegan McKenna is a take-charge alpha male who is still reeling from a tragedy in his past. He’s not sure he is ready for a long term relationship but he sees something in Jennifer and feels the need to dominate her. Jennifer is extremely attracted to the sexy Irish man but she can’t help running from him every time he tries to pin her down. Finally, one night while locked inside a photography studio Daegan awakens Jennifer’s submissive side but even afterwards she fights him and continues to run from a potential chance at love.
I really liked the interactions between these two strong willed and complicated characters. I liked how both character’s emotional turmoil kept the story moving. They were both haunted by tragic pasts and even though Jennifer kept running, Daegan tenaciously kept chasing her down. Her punishments were interesting as well. This book is part of a series and there are secondary characters from the first book in Power Play but it can definitely be read as a standalone. I thought this was a really great and emotional read. The sex scenes and BDSM elements were hot just as you would expect from Eliza Gayle.
November 28, 2011
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 he longs to bend her to his will, dominating every inch of her until she breathlessly submits to him. Jennifer has spent years building up the walls around her, and she’s not about to subject herself to the whims of any man, especially one who's as sinfully sexy as Daegan. However, in a moment of weakness, Jennifer accepts Daegan’s offer to indulge her wildest fantasies. The kicker is – she has to submit to him, completely. Is Jennifer ready to let down her guard in order to allow Daegan to give her what she craves most?
Hot, Hot, Hot!!! This book was sexy from beginning to end. The firestorm that brewed between Daegan and Jennifer literally burned up the pages. I totally love a story where both parties really want to fall head first, but they fight it. Daegan and Jennifer are both sexy, intense, headstrong people who just combust when they are together. Eliza Gayle certainly has a fan in me. This woman writes with passion and fire!
Reviewed for The Romance Reviews
Hot, Hot, Hot!!! This book was sexy from beginning to end. The firestorm that brewed between Daegan and Jennifer literally burned up the pages. I totally love a story where both parties really want to fall head first, but they fight it. Daegan and Jennifer are both sexy, intense, headstrong people who just combust when they are together. Eliza Gayle certainly has a fan in me. This woman writes with passion and fire!
Reviewed for The Romance Reviews
January 31, 2012
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 pain is an itch she has to scratch, but it’s never enough. Her pleasure/release is always short lived and her inner demons and turmoil always return to plague her. Daegan is a Dom that enjoys control and domination, but is fearful that he will repeat the mistake from his past: he wasn’t true to himself and he and the one he loved suffered for it. It’s the emotional tango between Jennifer and Daegan coupled with frequent but very appropriate sexual encounters between them that will sear the reader’s brain cells. The sex is hot, but also thought provoking. BDSM isn’t just sexual calisthenics, but also the satisfaction of emotional needs. The author is very good at delving into that dichotomy within the framework of a well written fictional story. This is a novel of the BDSM lifestyle, the lives/roles of two people functioning in it and the sexual path that brings them to each other. Power Play is such a good book; I know I’ll read it again and soon.
June 17, 2015
~~ARC was gifted by the Author~
Its so easy to run when we get scared, we get scared when we are taken out of our comfort zone. You can almost feel the heart ache and pain, Jennifer holds close to her heart.
Jennifer is buries herself in work, which she is a fetish model. Since she been alone she is very good at putting everything in its place. For Jennifer routine is the name of the game. When things start to fall out of her box... she heads to the BDSM club to use pain to get a fresh reality check.
Daegan a Dom himself has been playing a serious game of cat and mouse, with the sexy sub he has taken notice of. He has offered her a contract, but she has refused. He continues to watch her, the darkness that is in her eyes he knows haunts her. He wants to control the need she has.
Another great book from Eliza! from her style of writing you can see, it wasn't rushed, it read smooth and the characters had some meat to them. It was easy to see the play of emotion and for some easy to relate to.
The scenes were on square and you can see the time and effort in bringing a bit of the lifestyle to the reader.
Awesome.. ty Eliza... Enjoy
Its so easy to run when we get scared, we get scared when we are taken out of our comfort zone. You can almost feel the heart ache and pain, Jennifer holds close to her heart.
Jennifer is buries herself in work, which she is a fetish model. Since she been alone she is very good at putting everything in its place. For Jennifer routine is the name of the game. When things start to fall out of her box... she heads to the BDSM club to use pain to get a fresh reality check.
Daegan a Dom himself has been playing a serious game of cat and mouse, with the sexy sub he has taken notice of. He has offered her a contract, but she has refused. He continues to watch her, the darkness that is in her eyes he knows haunts her. He wants to control the need she has.
Another great book from Eliza! from her style of writing you can see, it wasn't rushed, it read smooth and the characters had some meat to them. It was easy to see the play of emotion and for some easy to relate to.
The scenes were on square and you can see the time and effort in bringing a bit of the lifestyle to the reader.
Awesome.. ty Eliza... Enjoy
June 25, 2015
Jennifer is a popular fetish/bondage model who while attracted to Daegan is frightened by giving up control to anyone, let alone him. Daegan on the other hand is not sure he is able to take on a submissive after his wife died. However, both are drawn to each other and unable to resist for too long. This is a continuation of some characters from Play With Me but it can be read as a stand alone.
March 24, 2017
As per usual with M/F books for me, the male hero came off as a sexist pig while the female was entirely too comfortable playing the damsel in distress. It's still hot as hell, don't get me wrong, but one of the main reasons I switched to M/M romance novels. I still enjoy M/F novels, but in very small doses and at very long interludes. If you remove the sex role stereotyping in this book, it deserves 4 stars. It was a hot and enjoyable read.
October 30, 2021
Great story but I wanna know more
I'm giving this 4 stars only because I want to know did they stay together? Does he ever tell Jennifer everything? Was Gayle leaving the story open for a follow up? I seemed unfinished there is so much we don't know.
I'm giving this 4 stars only because I want to know did they stay together? Does he ever tell Jennifer everything? Was Gayle leaving the story open for a follow up? I seemed unfinished there is so much we don't know.
May 6, 2024
dnf at 39%. I was actually liking the book but then - "There will be no modeling during our agreement." - like I'm sorry but you can't just talk to her boss and be like "she is not going to work for the next I don't know how many months", and no even if she as never taken a vacation she can't just take months off at a time.
September 8, 2017
No more running.
I liked this story because it was just so exciting and fun. A submissive who fights every move the Dom makes, and a Dom who knows what she needs. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes this type of story.
I liked this story because it was just so exciting and fun. A submissive who fights every move the Dom makes, and a Dom who knows what she needs. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes this type of story.
April 12, 2019
I loved this book as well. It was good from beginning to end.
I hope she makes some more in this series because this series is a good one .
A book I would recommend to anyone that likes BDSM play
I hope she makes some more in this series because this series is a good one .
A book I would recommend to anyone that likes BDSM play
Read
April 18, 2023BDSM at its best!
If you practice BDSM this might be a funny story. But if you don't practice it will allow you to look in a window at some of the things that they do practice
If you practice BDSM this might be a funny story. But if you don't practice it will allow you to look in a window at some of the things that they do practice
October 4, 2025
Not as good as the first in the series. I found myself skimming a bit.
January 25, 2012
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…
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…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2015
DELICIOUSLY SINFUL AND DELIGHTFULLY ENTERTAINING !!!
Oh My! Oh My! Oh My! Power Play by Eliza Gayle is absolute perfection! After reading Play With me, the first book in Gayle's sensually erotic Pleasure Playground Series, I was definitely hooked. I knew that I would be reading many more books by the incredibly gifted Eliza Gayle and now that I've read Power Play, her second seductive offering in the series, I'm more convinced than ever that the talented Ms Gayle is definitely the real deal, the whole package. She artfully teases, tantalizes and titillates the reader to an incredibly arousing crescendo, then satisfies our lustful hunger with a surprisingly sweet yet remarkably refreshing and very satisfying romance. Some stories are incredibly sweet, some divinely romantic while some are deeply erotic but it's very rare indeed to discover the flawlessly complementing combination of all three that you find in this story. As I said - absolute perfection! The story is exciting, sensual and sinfully arousing. The dialogue is smart, exceptionally well written and edited and wickedly erotic. The characters are fascinating, captivating, intriguing and sexy as sin! Ou..Lah..Lah!!! Gayle skillfully combines these elements in to the perfect combination of BDSM and erotic romance. I loved it! This story centers around the lives of Jennifer Croft, a fiery, beautiful bondage/fetish model for Altered Ego, and Irishman Daegan McKenna, an architect/contractor for the new Pleasure Playground project. Jennifer and Daegan are two troubled and lonely souls with tortured pasts seeking a temporary respite from their painful memories by the only means they know, escape into the world of BDSM. Their journey will be one of mutual discovery, self realization, control, submission and yes, love. Jennifer has never followed rules. No one has ever given her any - until now. But can she gain control by relinquishing the very thing she seeks? She's never even had a relationship so can she finally find happiness by learning to trust Daegan and submitting to his will? Handsome Dom Daegan has been drawn to the lovely Jennifer since he first laid eyes on her in the studio at Altered Ego. She was a sight to behold and he wants her for his submissive but is it only lust he feels for the beautiful model or could it be something more? Can two cursed souls with agonizing pasts find solace and dare I say, redemption in the shelter of each other's heart? No spoilers from me but I will say this....Beautiful belligerent and very independent model still suffering from painful memories of her childhood who may just be a submissive in denial-check! Handsome, determined Dom with an anguishing past who desires a woman intent on denying him-check! Battle of wills, tortured pasts, heartbreaking angst-check! Heated attraction, burning passion and fiery, red hot romance peppered with a generous measure of BDSM-you bet! That and a whole lot more! Deliciously wicked, decadently sinful and delightfully entertaining!
This is a stand alone full length novel with NO cliffhanger.
Complimentary copy received in exchange for an honest review.
My rating: FIVE DELIGHTFULLY ENTERTAINING STARS *****
Oh My! Oh My! Oh My! Power Play by Eliza Gayle is absolute perfection! After reading Play With me, the first book in Gayle's sensually erotic Pleasure Playground Series, I was definitely hooked. I knew that I would be reading many more books by the incredibly gifted Eliza Gayle and now that I've read Power Play, her second seductive offering in the series, I'm more convinced than ever that the talented Ms Gayle is definitely the real deal, the whole package. She artfully teases, tantalizes and titillates the reader to an incredibly arousing crescendo, then satisfies our lustful hunger with a surprisingly sweet yet remarkably refreshing and very satisfying romance. Some stories are incredibly sweet, some divinely romantic while some are deeply erotic but it's very rare indeed to discover the flawlessly complementing combination of all three that you find in this story. As I said - absolute perfection! The story is exciting, sensual and sinfully arousing. The dialogue is smart, exceptionally well written and edited and wickedly erotic. The characters are fascinating, captivating, intriguing and sexy as sin! Ou..Lah..Lah!!! Gayle skillfully combines these elements in to the perfect combination of BDSM and erotic romance. I loved it! This story centers around the lives of Jennifer Croft, a fiery, beautiful bondage/fetish model for Altered Ego, and Irishman Daegan McKenna, an architect/contractor for the new Pleasure Playground project. Jennifer and Daegan are two troubled and lonely souls with tortured pasts seeking a temporary respite from their painful memories by the only means they know, escape into the world of BDSM. Their journey will be one of mutual discovery, self realization, control, submission and yes, love. Jennifer has never followed rules. No one has ever given her any - until now. But can she gain control by relinquishing the very thing she seeks? She's never even had a relationship so can she finally find happiness by learning to trust Daegan and submitting to his will? Handsome Dom Daegan has been drawn to the lovely Jennifer since he first laid eyes on her in the studio at Altered Ego. She was a sight to behold and he wants her for his submissive but is it only lust he feels for the beautiful model or could it be something more? Can two cursed souls with agonizing pasts find solace and dare I say, redemption in the shelter of each other's heart? No spoilers from me but I will say this....Beautiful belligerent and very independent model still suffering from painful memories of her childhood who may just be a submissive in denial-check! Handsome, determined Dom with an anguishing past who desires a woman intent on denying him-check! Battle of wills, tortured pasts, heartbreaking angst-check! Heated attraction, burning passion and fiery, red hot romance peppered with a generous measure of BDSM-you bet! That and a whole lot more! Deliciously wicked, decadently sinful and delightfully entertaining!
This is a stand alone full length novel with NO cliffhanger.
Complimentary copy received in exchange for an honest review.
My rating: FIVE DELIGHTFULLY ENTERTAINING STARS *****
January 11, 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 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.
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.
June 15, 2014
Title: Pleasure Playground 2: Power Play
Author: Eliza Gayle
Publisher: Loose Id LLC
Publication Date: November 2011
ISBN: 978-1-61118-663-5
Genre: BDSM
Length: 144
Heat Level: Erotic
Other: anal/oral play, BDSM
Reviewer: Gabrielle
Date: 12/17/11
4.5 Stars
Eliza Gayle does it again. This second book in the Pleasure playground series is a wonderful read. This time we meet Daegan and Jennifer. Both have pain in their pasts that they must deal with before they can move forward and enjoy each other but when that past comes calling it may just be the end before they even begin.
I don’t know whom I loved more Daegan or Jennifer? Daegan is a strong Dom who is ready and willing to fight for what he wants and what he wants is Jennifer. Jennifer is a strong woman who has always had to stand on her own and must learn to trust and rely on others. Not only does she find herself a great man but she also finds that she has some great friends that care deeply for her. I loved watching Jennifer blossom. With the help of Daegan she finds the place she always longed to be in. The two make a beautiful couple. Each finds what they need in the other and love grows quickly. I also enjoyed the glimpses we get of Eve and her men in this story. This is a great book in a wonderful series and I hope that we get to visit this world again.
Author: Eliza Gayle
Publisher: Loose Id LLC
Publication Date: November 2011
ISBN: 978-1-61118-663-5
Genre: BDSM
Length: 144
Heat Level: Erotic
Other: anal/oral play, BDSM
Reviewer: Gabrielle
Date: 12/17/11
4.5 Stars
Eliza Gayle does it again. This second book in the Pleasure playground series is a wonderful read. This time we meet Daegan and Jennifer. Both have pain in their pasts that they must deal with before they can move forward and enjoy each other but when that past comes calling it may just be the end before they even begin.
I don’t know whom I loved more Daegan or Jennifer? Daegan is a strong Dom who is ready and willing to fight for what he wants and what he wants is Jennifer. Jennifer is a strong woman who has always had to stand on her own and must learn to trust and rely on others. Not only does she find herself a great man but she also finds that she has some great friends that care deeply for her. I loved watching Jennifer blossom. With the help of Daegan she finds the place she always longed to be in. The two make a beautiful couple. Each finds what they need in the other and love grows quickly. I also enjoyed the glimpses we get of Eve and her men in this story. This is a great book in a wonderful series and I hope that we get to visit this world again.
June 30, 2015
Here we have book number 2 in the Pleasure Playground series. We are back with out amazing photographers and models renovating some new space to expand on some wonderful new BDSM ideas!!!
There is a sexy hot irishman who is in charge of this project looking for a little fun while he is in town. One evening he gets his chance, not by chance though, to corner the one sub he has an interest in. They get trapped for the evening and he has to prove in that one night that she is indeed submissive. She does not believe that she is.
This too is an enjoyable story but again transitions from scenes really make you wonder what you missed. One scene at the end of the story really threw me for a loop and I went back and re read it many times. I know the author thinks we can pick up on what she is trying to say but in this case I think she really fell short. I ended up just accepting what happened and moving on. I really dont like that in a book but I did move on.
There is a sexy hot irishman who is in charge of this project looking for a little fun while he is in town. One evening he gets his chance, not by chance though, to corner the one sub he has an interest in. They get trapped for the evening and he has to prove in that one night that she is indeed submissive. She does not believe that she is.
This too is an enjoyable story but again transitions from scenes really make you wonder what you missed. One scene at the end of the story really threw me for a loop and I went back and re read it many times. I know the author thinks we can pick up on what she is trying to say but in this case I think she really fell short. I ended up just accepting what happened and moving on. I really dont like that in a book but I did move on.
February 24, 2013
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 discipline. I have never been to one of these clubs though so cannot comment on the realism of this.
Overall a really good book which deserves its positive reviews!
Oh and I don't think I missed out not reading the first book as this one sort of fills you in with all the details you need to know about the relationships that I presume grew in the first of this series.
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 discipline. I have never been to one of these clubs though so cannot comment on the realism of this.
Overall a really good book which deserves its positive reviews!
Oh and I don't think I missed out not reading the first book as this one sort of fills you in with all the details you need to know about the relationships that I presume grew in the first of this series.
January 12, 2015
3.5 stars
The phrase sticks and stones is such crap. Words hurt and cut so deeply the scars are permanent. Jennifer doesn't know what friendship and relationships are suppose to feel like, she only know she's not loved. When Daegan pursues Jennifer she can't comprehend anything past one night. Jennifer has to fight her inner most demons to get her life together. She is strong and doesn't give Daegan an inch. I liked the book however I was missing the connection with Jennifer and Daegan. I felt like I was reading a story which is not something I'm use to from a Gayle book. The passion and erotic moments are off the chart but it was missing something to bring me in fully.
The phrase sticks and stones is such crap. Words hurt and cut so deeply the scars are permanent. Jennifer doesn't know what friendship and relationships are suppose to feel like, she only know she's not loved. When Daegan pursues Jennifer she can't comprehend anything past one night. Jennifer has to fight her inner most demons to get her life together. She is strong and doesn't give Daegan an inch. I liked the book however I was missing the connection with Jennifer and Daegan. I felt like I was reading a story which is not something I'm use to from a Gayle book. The passion and erotic moments are off the chart but it was missing something to bring me in fully.
June 21, 2015
A wonderfully sexy and erotic journey into BDSM. Jennifer relied on no one but she has times when the "noise" needs to be contained so she finds herself at the local BDSM club to clear her head. Daeman is drawn to Jennifer's strength and inner submissive, something she's never acknowledged, yet Daeman doesn't want a new submissive. This is a journey where both Jennifer and Daeman have to overcome fears and insecurities to open themselves up, allowing them to experience something amazing. Can they do it?
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