Book Review Power Play: Awakenings

Power Play: Awakening by Rachel Haimowitz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book was AMAZING!  I LOVED IT.  I cried.  I laughed.  I melted.  Oh dear lord, Jonathan is bi.  I'll lay down at his feet.  Absolutely FABULOUS!  This is a must read.  I hope my official review will be approved so it can be posted soon.

Okay - to tide people over until my official review comes out...


RACHEL! 
You delicious heart ripper, you.  Just rip out my heart why don't you?  Yes, I'm talking about you. 



I was





(That Japanese character is also a Chinese one which means hit.)

At one point I was



then for the China trip I was



the end of the trip



Because honestly, Bran felt like



while Jonathan said



and I'm going


And the ending I'm going



and when I read the epilogue



So now hopefully my review will be posted and I'll



My Official review is here.


    Mine is the second review.

"You can't swing a cat without hitting a male Dominant in this city." Jonathan tells Bran. Seriously? Where is this city? I can't walk several feet without tripping over a submissive. For a Dom-less submissive, this city Jonathan and Bran live in must be amazing. In POWER PLAY: AWAKENING, Bran is back with Jonathan to finish out his contract. In the first book, Jonathan is supposed to be this amazing Dom who is much sought after by many a submissive. The first book captures Jonathan at his worst because he was not a Dom I would ever respect. He crosses so many lines and breaks a man for no other purpose than his own selfish desires.

I prepared myself for the follow up. There was no way Jonathan could redeem himself in my eyes. Within the first chapter, Jonathan not only turns from hated villain into loved hero Dom, but I'm also falling hard for him. Jonathan completely owns up to his mistakes to Bran, and in this story, we are allowed into Jonathan's mind more than in the previous. Jonathan tries very hard to help Bran and his methods are what he should have done all along. This is not to say the five months are perfect. In fact, there are several instances of one step forward and two steps back. Those are realistic and make the story more poignant.

Ms. Haimowitz and Ms. Grant do an excellent job showcasing the TPE D/s SM relationship. The breakdown of Bran's walls until he understands why he built up these walls was difficult to watch. As Bran transfers more and more of his power to Jonathan, it's a beautiful submission blossoming. Seeing Bran long to eat out of Jonathan's hands is sexy as well as endearing. Learning that Bran is more into BD with his preference for restraints, despite his adamant denials is definitely a hard epiphany. The hardest for Bran is the SM part. He does not handle pain well in the sense that his childhood of parental abuse is too tied with beatings. Unfortunately, Jonathan is a hardcore sadist. There were times I couldn't fathom how the authors would be able to overcome this obstacle. Ms. Haimowitz and Ms. Grant soar over this hurdle in a manner that is believable and moving.

There were a couple of drawbacks to this story, which did not decrease the five star rating. It's due to some of the secondary characters. Sabrina (the housekeeper) and Solange (a former submissive) are both despicable. They do not understand where Bran comes from and they are immediately judgmental. Both of them should know better. Yes, they are friends with Jonathan and are protective of him. However, that does not mean they should treat Bran so callously. Sabrina is the bigger disappointment with her lack of compassion and specifically her hateful words. It appears she can only tear a person down instead of help build a person up. She's spiteful and a poor teacher. Solange is just a jealous bitch. Her cruel words are uncalled for and if Bran were a lesser person, tattling on her, Jonathan will most likely cut Solange out of his life. She's petty.

The BDSM scenes and specifically the punishments are much milder in this story. If the first is about punishment, this second one is about self-discovery. While it is unrealistic to expect BDSM to be therapeutic and cathartic, this story thrives on both for Bran. Jonathan is completely masterful and while he still makes mistakes, he works them out with Bran. Bran's growth in this story moves me to tears. He makes Jonathan proud and the reader sighs with relief and pride. This lovely artwork in writing is highly recommended to BDSM lovers who enjoy a window side seat to a breathtakingly beautiful relationship in the making. Buy this book now!



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