Resistance (Power Play, #1) in Riptide Publishing

Mar 13, 2012 Darien rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-m-m-lovin, let-the-tears-flow, tie-me-up-and-use-me, 2012-reads, fave-books-of-2012, piss-off-books-of-2012, release-2012, pants-off-reviews, 2018-reads

09/03/18
Still one of the greatest BDSM books out there. 5++++ 🌟 then, 5+++++ 🌟 now, 5++++ 🌟 forever!! Bran and Jonathan 4 Eva

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Let me begin by saying that this book was just surprises, rises, and falls. Cat and Rachel did something wonderful in this book, and left me in love with Power Play and its characters. Dynamics were switched, emotions put to the test, mistakes were made, and its one of the best BDSM novels I have read. What a pants losing this one caused.

Brand ...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Heather C rated it really liked it

Shelves: cloud, ebook, m-m, series, bdsm

I went way past my comfort zone reading this book!! I knew this level of intense BDSM wouldn't be for me at all, but I wanted to prove to myself that I could read it. And surprisingly I actually liked it...to an extent. I think I couldn't put it down mostly because it was so shockingly horrific for my poor, little, innocent self. I also think it was written well and the pace was quick. So much happened in the short span of time the book covered.

First of all, I don't really understand the nee I went way past my comfort zone reading this book!! I knew this level of intense BDSM wouldn't be for me at all, but I wanted to prove to myself that I could read it. And surprisingly I actually liked it...to an extent. I think I couldn't put it down mostly because it was so shockingly horrific for my poor, little, innocent self. I also think it was written well and the pace was quick. So much happened in the short span of time the book covered.

First of all, I don't really understand the need for this lifestyle. I mean, in no way can this be functionally healthy, right? Anyway, with that being said, I did like the 'power play' between Jonathan and Bran; Bran's repeated 'resistance' to submit and Jonathan's struggle to break him. So, yeah, the title fits perfectly.

Second, I only found like 3 of the sex scenes hot (the ones that didn't involve pain). All the others made me a little squeamish...(view spoiler)

Third, I think that Jonathan failed Bran. He basically gave up and did everything he could to get Bran to leave. I hope he's learned from his mistakes and I see growth and change in him throughout the next book.

Fourth, there really isn't anything emotional between Jonathan and Bran, past the sex. And I really don't feel like I know these characters much at all. Especially Jonathan. What makes him have these sexual kinks? What makes Bran need to be dominated by Jonathan? I hope that that will be further explored in the next book.

Finally, even though this is probably the most horrific thing I've ever read, I couldn't stop reading it and I still want to read the sequel Power Play: Awakening. This book only covers 3 weeks of the 6 month contract between Jonathan and Bran, so I'm curious to see where this will go next. ...more

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Apr 19, 2012 BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme rated it really liked it

Shelves: bdsm, edgeplay, bdsm-book-reviews, m-m

What happens when a strong man with hidden submissive tendencies comes across a powerful man who wants to dominate him? What happens when the experienced dominant forces a vanilla man into submission without a shred of teaching? Resistance is the answer. Brandon is a stubborn construction manager who is picked up at a bar by the self made man, Jonathan. Jonathan and Brandon’s chemistry is like lithium in water, explosive. Jonathan chases Brandon and makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Brandon ne What happens when a strong man with hidden submissive tendencies comes across a powerful man who wants to dominate him? What happens when the experienced dominant forces a vanilla man into submission without a shred of teaching? Resistance is the answer. Brandon is a stubborn construction manager who is picked up at a bar by the self made man, Jonathan. Jonathan and Brandon’s chemistry is like lithium in water, explosive. Jonathan chases Brandon and makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Brandon needs the money and is willing to give six months of his life as a sexual slave to earn the money he needs to buy the construction company he wants.

This story is an intense BDSM story which clearly demonstrates how a BDSM relationship can turn so wrong. It is stated over and over again that Jonathan is a much sought after Dom who trains submissives very well. This may be the case. Here’s the interesting thing. He’s only ever trained willing submissives who are in the BDSM lifestyle and want to submit. This key element is what makes this story so painful to read. Brandon is neither versed in the lifestyle nor is Jonathan teaching him anything other than pain, humiliation and abuse.

Jonathan’s domination style is very hot and a Dom I’d be willing to submit to for six months. This is only because there would be negotiation up front and I would know what I’d be signing up to experience. I would be a willing sub with known hard and soft limits. The negotiation scene in this story is maybe two sentences. There were no discussions of hard or soft limits. All Brandon asked for was no blood. This shocked me since Brandon doesn’t even want to be in the BDSM lifestyle. Jonathan did nothing to prepare Brandon whatsoever.

Jonathan is also a Dom who is tired of playing with one sub after another. He wants a relationship. He wants what his friend has found – a soul mate. He thinks Brandon is the one. He wants Brandon as his 24/7 slave. Never once did Jonathan explain what his expectations are and what he wants Brandon to do. He expected Brandon to figure it out. This is like teaching a blind person to paint a landscape he cannot see. This entire travesty of a story is Jonathan’s fault. At no point is this Brandon’s fault for the terrible abuse at Jonathan’s hands. Yes, it was Brandon’s choice to stay. He is stubborn; perhaps a bit too stubborn for his own good.

The reason why Jonathan couldn’t connect and find a submissive for life, is because he has built no relationship on trust. To have trust, there must be communication. Now, D/s people in the lifestyle have different opinions on what makes a good D/s relationship. My personal perspective is, without open communication and trust, there will be no D/s relationship and there will be no TPE. This story demonstrates my perspective crystal clear. I hurt for Brandon. He is betrayed over and over again by Jonathan. Jonathan is not an evil or bad person. He is an inept Dom for training a vanilla man who isn’t sure about BDSM let alone being kinky.

Jonathan’s response to Brandon’s inability to conform to his submissive expectations is to beat Brandon more. The one time Jonathan offers open communication, he immediately punishes Brandon for his open honesty. How is this not a slap in the face and kicking the guy when he is down? How is this not abuse of power and a complete breach of trust? The line Jonathan crossed beyond any realm of acceptable Dom behaviour, is when he beat Brandon to a point that Brandon relived flashbacks of his abused childhood. That Jonathan was unable to apologize for this and felt he was still in the right; this caused me to lose all respect for him. Jonathan at this point is the monster vanilla people think all BDSM Doms to be. The vanilla folks would be right in this case. Jonathan did turn into a terrible monster whose tactics are no different than prison guards for prisoner of wars.

In Resistance, Jonathan’s worst flaws are exposed in high definition while Brandon is the collateral damage. Not only does Brandon have to break the deal due to his starved body and physical damaged, he is now out of a job. He took a leave of absence which meant he was immediately replaced. Jonathan cheated Brandon out of a livelihood in addition to adding to Brandon’s emotional trauma and physical deterioration. Jonathan left Brandon worse off after meeting him. What Jonathan did was reprehensible and completely vile. Jonathan deliberately set up Brandon to fail. One could argue Jonathan did it unconsciously. It does not matter. Jonathan is the experience Dom who wanted a green behind the years sub. It is Jonathan’s responsible to lead and guide. Brandon has no idea what questions to ask and no one to help him understand. The way Jonathan treated Brandon is similar to watching a two hundred pound man kicking a seven pound abandoned puppy with steel toed boots.

Despite my loathing of Jonathan, the BDSM scenes were pretty hot. They are accurate in many senses. It is sad that they were used in a negative way. The tools and lifestyle are not the issue. Jonathan and how he approached it was the issue. This story clearly shows, that not all Doms are perfect and even the ones who are so experienced can really fuck it up. Even after all this abuse, Brandon is the bigger and better man. Jonathan doesn’t deserve him. The ending of this story is a cliffhanger to the follow up book. I am eager to read the next book to see how this train wreck can be salvaged. This book is recommend for hardcore BDSM lovers who enjoy an emotional rollercoaster punctuated by physical trauma which will make even the hardest of hearts weep.
...more

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May 20, 2012 Feliz rated it it was ok

Shelves: contemporary, m-m, bdsm

Hard to read and hard to rate.

This book was incredibly intense, it kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the time. At times what Jonathan did to Bran definitely exceeded non-con; it rather read as if Jonathan was brainwashing him, and I could feel all the frustration, the exhaustion both characters went through. I wanted to scream at Jonathan, you idiot! Can't you see you got it all wrong! and at Bran, get outta there fast and fuck the money, this isn't worth it, not even three million dol ...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Dee Wy rated it really liked it

Shelves: bdsm, m-m, m-m-contemporary, over-250-pgs

3.5 stars - Let me first say that seeing reviews on this book before reading it was a great help to prepare me for what was to come. NO ROMANCE HERE! Attraction and lust yes. Likewise there was little Total Power Exchange between these two, as Bran found it nearly impossible to submit willingly and did so only to avoid harsh punishments when he could manage to actually submit, forcing Jonathan to use pain and punishment to try to break Bran's stubborn resistance. Both characters seemed to follow ...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Jody rated it really liked it

This was an incredibly intense read both mentally and physically and I'm literally exhausted after reading it. As a reader of a few books based in the world of BDSM I thought I knew what to expect, but this book completely caught me off guard. The scenes were of a level I never read before and won't be something I soon forget. And with this being the first book in the Power Play series this experience isn't over yet.

Jonathon and Brandon's relationships starts off innocently enough with a drink a ...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Debbie rated it really liked it

Shelves: m-m

Oh my gosh!!!! No he didn't!! Yes he did but how could Brandon handle that? That was my thoughts thru this entire book. I read this in two sittings because the second time I started reading there was no way I was stopping until I finished. I had to just keep reading to see what was going to happen next to Brandon. At times I was so upset with the way Jonathan was treating Brandon I wanted to throttle him myself. I was literally screaming at my Kindle. At other times I was yelling at Brandon to t ...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Alex added it

Shelves: queer, romance, bdsm, riptide

Warning: Hardcore. While consent is clearly established and frequently reaffirmed, some moments push hard against the outer edges of consent.

Overall
So, um, wow. A hard-core BDSM novel that revolves around one man's desire to explore and expose another man's submissive and masochistic side. This isn't just another "OMG, I'm totally a sub!" story, as Bran and Jonathan struggle through a series of issues. Heavy and sometimes dark, this isn't for the light of heart, but for those who want to explore ...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Cecile rated it it was amazing

For those of you that know me... and those that don't this is my little statement about short books.... I do not judge short stories on the rush of their relationships, because they are just that - short stories. So, yes the relationships always could have been drawn out more, yea it seems like they fall in love to fast and of course the story could have been made longer... but it is a short story. So with that said.... here is my review...

Also, I will leave you with the warning that this is a m For those of you that know me... and those that don't this is my little statement about short books.... I do not judge short stories on the rush of their relationships, because they are just that - short stories. So, yes the relationships always could have been drawn out more, yea it seems like they fall in love to fast and of course the story could have been made longer... but it is a short story. So with that said.... here is my review...

Also, I will leave you with the warning that this is a m/m book/review. If m/m is not your cup of tea... or if you are not sure this fits in your comfort zone, you will not offend me if you if you just stop by to say Hi!

I was given this book for my honest thoughts about this book... So here goes!

Okay... Where do I start. First let me say that I am not new to the author's from Riptide Publishing house. They all rock... But these two ladies... Wow. This was great. Normally I would put my own thoughts at the end of the review of the book, but this story is so powerful that I feel like I have to tell you now... The reason is because most of you that I know do read m/m... and most of you read bdsm.... But I wanted to give you a warning and I don't mean this is oh no don't read this book.. I want to warn you for those of you that read fluff bdsm... You know spanking, toys, dom/sub... Those stories are hot and awesome and just a bit of the dark side to make you feel naughty.... But this book.. One word can describe this book - INTENSE!

This book will suck you in *no pun intended*, chew you up... and then spit you out to do it all over again. You will see what you think is a dominant man, Brandon, who meets the man of the hour... Or should I say the man of the alley... Brandon sees something in this man that he wants more of... Or does he. Brandon, Bran as he likes to be called, has a past that will shock you to your core. What you will not feel is pity for the man. He has not played the victim of his life. No sir, he wouldn't say that he has made something of himself, but he would say he got there all by himself. But what he gets from this man will forever change his life... The future that Bran sees just might not be the future he gets... Signing on for a deal like the one Bran signs up for might cost him more than his life.....

Jonathan is very intrigued by the man that has captured his eye... He has studied him, investigated him and in a way - stalked him... Like prey. But what Jonathan did not count on was this man possibly capturing his heart. Jonathan is a sadistic dominant man. Pure dominant. There is no give with Jonathan, you get what he wishes to give to you when he wishes to give it to you and if you argue with him... Well, you just might find yourself strapped to St. Andrew's cross being caned... Or much worst. Pain is a pleasure to Jonathan... Something he thinks Brandon craves - secretly of course. But Jonathan wants to bring all of Brandon's demons to the surface so Brandon can break to become the man Jonathan knows is under that facade Brandon hides behind. But in breaking Brandon... Jonathan just might break himself... At what point is enough truly enough...

This was on of my hardest reads only because I personally have never read anything on the darker side of the bdsm world. I was/am a fluff reader and I can admit that. You know what your comfort zone is, you know if you are willing to let someone push you to a limit you never knew was there... This book (if you are not use of the darker side of bdsm) will push you out of your zone. If you are looking for a sweet, spanking romance... Please do not read this book. I am not trying discourage you from reading this, I just do not want you pointing fingers to the authors that you did not like the book because it was not something you would normally read. I want you to.... savor this book. It is a story to stick with you. Hell, it will stick with you. You will think of this book after you finish it... And I was sooo happy to know their story continues in a few months.

This story is excellently told.... Intense, I already said.... Bold, hard, loving, cold, mean, kind and sadistic. The characters are shown to you in a way that you will feel their past, live their present and crave to see their future. This story was compelling in many ways... Ladies, I have to say you two did a wonderful job at delivering us the story of Jonathan and Brandon and I cannot wait for more!!!!

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