Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Brandon McKinney is a man reborn. Newly awakened to the notion of consensual power exchange and the submissive urges inside him, he begs for a second chance from the man who opened his eyes to this world: Silicon Valley superstar Jonathan Watkins. But no birth is absent pain, and Brandon’s is no exception. He fears he’s not strong enough to see it through.

 

Jonathan knows better. He’s seen the iron core inside his new submissive, and the wounded heart inside him too. He means to teach Brandon to heal the one with the other. They have five months left on their contract, after all, and Jonathan has done more with less before.

 

It’s tough to stay objective, though, when you’re falling in love. Shame Brandon doesn’t feel the same. He’s only there for the six-million-dollar payout at contract’s end—a fact that Jonathan, nursing his own wounded heart, reminds himself of each day. For even as Brandon’s barriers break and his mind expands, even as he grows to love his place at Jonathan’s feet, he’ll never love life with a sadist—especially one who cannot escape the public eye.

 

 

Reader discretion advised. This title contains the following sensitive themes: Heavy Kink

First edition published at Riptide Publishing, June 2012. Lightly revised 2nd edition.

 

Book Review

Originally I thought I would step away from Brandon and Jonathan after reading their first story since it was hard for me. Then I realized that I had to jump into it, I had to know if they could get to the place, together, that they both so desperately needed to be. I wanted them to have a happy ever after even knowing that it might not happen. Jonathan is a sadist and Brandon isn't too fond of being hurt. A quandary if ever I've seen one.

I was amazed at how well these two men start back off together. Granted, Jonathan admitting his mistakes for the first three weeks they were with each other, went a long way to calming Brandon. It was fascinating to watch Jonathan slowly pull Brandon's self-awareness to the front so he was getting comfortable admitting what he needed from his Dom. It was an interesting process to see Brandon come to accept his submissiveness and realize that he enjoys bondage and that physical punishment is the fastest way for him to reach subspace. Even more exciting in all of this was watching Brandon slowly learn to trust, to let down his guard, to share his fears, his vulnerabilities, his memories, and to give it all up to Jonathan, his Dom.

I was slightly more amenable to Jonathan in this second book. It's not that I understood him or appreciated his sadism, but perhaps I learned a respect for his needs and desires. It didn't hurt that this second time around, Jonathan was more in tune with Brandon's needs and he respected them more. And, I'll admit, when Jonathan realized he was in love with Brandon and there was no possible way that his feelings could be returned, there was a small part of me that thought "HA! There you go, ya sadist, you should've treated him better." But, it was a small part, really.

The ending was well done and almost inevitable considering Jonathan's popularity within the media. Watching these two men get to where they needed to be was an emotionally exhausting journey. It was, however, in the end, infinitely satisfying to have been a part of their struggle. As with the first book, saying I liked this is too tame. I learned something about myself while reading it and I hope that's enough for the authors.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Riptide Publishing for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 292 pages/95K words
Heat Level
Publication Date	14-October-2024
Price	$4.99 ebook, $17.99 paperback
Buy Link	https://riptidepublishing.com/collections/latest-additions/products/power-play-awakening