Power Play

by Charlotte Stein

Note: Alternate/new cover edition for ASIN# B006PW46NY

When Eleanor Harding is abruptly promoted, she loses two very important things: the heated relationship she had with her boss, and control over her own desires. Without a restraining hand on her she finds herself suddenly craving something very different – and the office lackey, Benjamin, seems like just the sort of man to fulfil her needs. He’s eager, lustful and willing to show her all of the things she’s been missing – namely, what it’s like to be the one in charge, for a change. Now all Eleanor has to do is decide… is Ben calling the kinky shots, or is she?

Genres: Romance, Erotica, BDSM, Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance, Smut

211 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 22, 2012

About the author

Charlotte Stein is the RT and DABWAHA nominated author of over fifty short stories, novellas and novels. When not writing deeply emotional and intensely sexy books, she can be found eating jelly turtles, watching terrible sitcoms and occasionally lusting after hunks. For more on Charlotte, visit: www.charlottestein.net

Reviews

[Ruthie Knox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay for more fun, sexy good times from Charlotte Stein! This story made me smile and laugh and squirm (but in the good way). Of Charlotte's titles that I've read, it's most like CONTROL -- both in terms of the characters, because it's a femdom book with a lovely submissive hero, and in terms of the heat level. This is erotica with a romantic streak, rather than romance with an erotic streak -- though honestly, when it comes to Charlotte's books (and in general?) there's not much point in trying to break it all down into categories.

Here's what the hero looks like when we meet him:

"...and then I think of the new guy in the hallway, spilling his armful of papers everywhere. The way his shirt had been untucked at the back. The look on his face, like someone lost inside a maze created by a superior race that hates him."

That's Benjamin, lost in that maze. He's disheveled and bewildered and lovely (though not quite so disheveled and bewildered as he'd have the heroine believe). He's a submissive with a gigantic hard-on for the narrator, Eleanor, and he makes her crazy with lust. As she makes clear:

"I know what's happening to me. He says all the things I most want to hear in a tone like melting butter, and then I turn into a sexual psychopath. Observe:

'So you masturbate often?'

I mean, why am I asking him this? Why? And why is it that the shakier I get, the more confident he becomes? When he answers his voice seems almost...dry. Just hinting at a bank of sardonicism under the clean-cut exterior."

This is a very Eleanor-and-Benjamin moment. Like many of Charlotte's narrators, Eleanor is terribly unsure of the validity of her sexual desires -- constantly feeling ways she wishes she wouldn't.

What I love in POWER PLAY, in addition to the humor and the sexiness, is what I often love about Charlotte's work: her ability as a writer to slow down and take a scene moment by moment inside the narrator's head, to deal with each and every crazed, interesting, revealing thought that drifts through her mental space. It's easy to write a quick, emotionally and intellectually shallow sex scene, but I can think of very few people who can do what Charlotte does, and do it so well.

[Wollstonecrafthomegirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret that I think Charlotte Stein is an erotica wizard (witch, whatever). This was brilliant. The heroine is a sub turned dom. There's not much to say. It Stein and it's completely hot and the heroines inner battle about her desires versus her pride versus her feelings is well developed amidst all the sex. I've re-read it a couple of times and I find more things to like about it each time. Some of her descriptions in this book are very memorable as well (there's one about the hero's eyes being the kind of brown such that if you cupped them in your hand and blew, they'd glow like embers [she puts it much more poetically than that!]). Stein's a great talent.

[X · Rating 4 out of 5]

DNF on 5/2 at 42% because other library patrons apparently also want to be reading this 😰

It’s great but given the workplace setting I have to be in exactly the right mood to be able to read it, so it’s going slowly.

I love that Charlotte Stein always gives you some emotional nuance and intrigue along with the erotica! So deft.


Aaaaaand back today to say my hold came back in and I have officially F’ed this. ;) Great erotica as usual - Stein has really mastered the exact right amount of detail vs vagueness for this kind of story, huh! All those “worldbuilders” out there with their little charts should take notes. (I say that with love, I swear.)

Something I like about Stein’s erotica (as I’ve read it so far) is that it’s so obvious it doesn’t even need to be explained, that a relationship with a loving partner does not need to exclude the possibility of sex with other people. Neither Woods nor Aiden (look, it’s erotica, spoilers don’t matter) are characters that this MC is going to be in a longterm romantic relationship with, but that doesn’t mean the relationships she does have with them need to be irrelevant/unsatisfying/un-fun. Would love to see more of this kind of thing, in romance as well.

(I took a detour into reality tv over the last few weeks, and ended up (speed)watching 3 seasons of Couples Therapy + related interviews of the therapist, which is how I got to see her tell an unconvinced Keke Palmer that she thinks polyamory is becoming more popular among ~young people~ because they feel a need to form more extensive & supportive family structures to better prepare for climate change. I’m paraphrasing but like… not by much lol. I don’t think that’s what Charlotte Stein uh had in mind when she wrote this book, but then again who can say!)

[Dee]

Like most things in life, we all have unique tastes. This story didn't appeal to mine.

[MaggieReadsRom · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 stars!!

There are times in a romance reader's reading life when you come across a book that floors you in so many ways, words fail to accurately describe your thoughts. A book in a subgenre that is normally not what you prefer to read. A book in a narrative that you always shout from the rooftops that it's not your thing. A book that is from an author you've never read before. A book of which a casually read excerpt grabs you immediately and intrigues you to the point that you don't care about all of the above trepidations.

POWER PLAY was such a book for me. Far from an easy, quick read it took me quite a while to finish it. This was mostly due to the style of the first person narrative. This is my least favorite narrative in reading. I've explained it before: I don't like reading this narrative for several reasons, most prominent one being that I only get one person's POV and in my romance reading I prefer both main characters' POVs and if there are secondary ones I'm an even happier reader. Recently I've read several books in first person narrative (mostly from fave authors who've gone the 1st person route) and I've discovered one 1st person isn't the other.

It took me a few chapters to get into Charlotte Stein's writing style and I suspect it's because her 1st person style (at least in this book, since I haven't read her prior to this book) is to go deep into the character's head and lay open all the feelings and thoughts. This influences the pace and for me it made the pace much slower than the fast-paced books I love to read. I had to switch gears and get into a slower paced mindset and once I did that the beauty of this book and the talent of the author telling this story smacked me square in the face.

Once the interactions between Eleanor and Benjamin really started (the elevator, the stationery cupboard, the meeting room after the effed up PPT presentation), that's when I started to find it impossible to set this truly fascinating book down. That's when I started to enjoy scenes that normally are pretty far from my comfort zone and I started anticipating the next happenings just as much as Ben and Eleanor were anticipating their next dirty encounters. And yes, I'll admit I would have loved a direct peek into Benjamin's thoughts and POV during some of the scenes but Stein did a brilliant job of giving me sufficient satisfying glimpses through Eleanor's.

And here I was so mesmerized by this book, the writing and the dynamics between Benjamin and Eleanor I almost forgot to tell you how freaking hot this book is! Dirty, filthy hot! Stein didn't pull any punches and penned down a feast for lovers of dirty talk like yours truly. But what made it extra hot for me was the wonder and seemingly innocent way Benjamin reacted to every dirty thing Eleanor said to him and his own seemingly naïve deliveries. I say seemingly because as much as Benjamin appeared to be clumsy, innocent or naïve, I didn't believe it for one minute. Benjamin knew exactly what he was doing, what he wanted and how to get Eleanor to give it to him.

POWER PLAY and Charlotte Stein managed to not only broaden my boundaries and horizon when it comes to erotic romance, she also utterly trampled my dislike for the first person narrative, which goes to show that narrative is neglectable when the author has a great voice in which she delivers the most exquisite dirty erotic romance.

Fave Scene:
- the scene when they are at Eleanor's place > OMG! Red-hot doesn't even come close to describing this! Charlotte Stein fried some of my braincells and owes me a pair of panties...they have melted!

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is just porn without plot. I didn't really see a strong emotional connection between the two characters until the last two chapters. I also don't buy how the heroine just instinctively knows how to be a Dom. It doesn't seem like something you just pick up one day, but I could be wrong.

I also didn't really enjoy the author's writing style. It felt jumpy, and I often had to reread passages in order to reorient myself about what is going on.

[T. Rosado · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had some things I enjoyed and some others I didn’t or was slightly uncomfortable with, but But bottom line, it was Charlotte Stein and I’m alway impressed with her ability to write poignant and romantic erotica. I’m not a regular reader of this genre, but I have a few go-to authors that cross into the genre and I will read nearly everything they write. Within reason. Stein is one of them.

[Mummy's Naughty Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well parts were hot and steamy. This was a good little read. I liked the idea through out the book and some of the sex was hot. I liked the build up in the relationship and how it's the female thats the boss this time rather then the man.

[Jawairia · Rating 4 out of 5]

honestly, the ending kinda made me almost cry which is impressive for me. unexpectedly heartwarming.

[Las · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 2.5 stars. There's a lot I liked about this Birth of a Dom story. A woman goes from falling into a submissive role in a sort of BDSM "relationship" with her superior at work. When that ends abruptly, she falls into the dom role with a subordinate, learning as she goes along and enjoying (and worrying over) every minute of it.

There were few things that bothered me about the story, plot-wise. The only two that really jump to mind: not enough buildup to that scene with Aiden, so it felt a bit random; and the whole Woods stuff near the end. No, what really took away from the story for me was the strange, almost cryptic prose coupled with the first person POV. I like cryptic, but if you're writing in the first person that's just not going to work. I couldn't get a handle on who Eleanor was--I actually understood Ben and even Woods more than I did her. It was a huge distraction, and because I had no idea where she was coming from, everything she thought and did felt almost out of character.

This story would have rated a lot higher if either it had written in the third person or if the prose were more straight forward. As it is it makes for an awkward, frustrating reading experience.

[Michela Walters · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one just wasn't really my cup of tea. I just never found Benjamin swoony or hot at all. He always just sounded like a chubby fumbling buffoon and even when she described him as something different w/o his clothes on, I just couldn't get the original picture out of my mind. Just not my thing.

[Text Mess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finishing a previously DNFd book. I like the concept but very awkward characterization.

[karinova · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if you topped Cousin Greg?

[SaturNalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the top but still sexy. The situations Ben and Ms Harding place themselves in, especially in the workplace ones, are just ridiculous and improbable. Ms Harding is a budding Dom and Ben her eager sub. It reminded me of the movie The Secretary, but in reverse. The first 75% of the book is just them playing kinky games at the office.
Interesting to see an unsure, beginner Domme which made me nervous for Ben's safety. There are not too many books from the emotional aspect of the Domme. Eleanor was so confused about her desires, sometimes ashamed about her feelings. I liked Ben. He's big, clumsy with boyish charm, unapologetic about his need to submit and be humiliated. His seduction techniques were cute. He did things that annoyed her just so she would punish him.
I was losing all hope for an emotional connection and then in the last few pages they were very sweet. This was pure smut with a little emotional connection thrown in at the end, but still fun.

[Max Sebastian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another beautifully written and well-paced story from Charlotte Stein, the second of hers I've read, and one that makes me look forward even more to reading the rest of her back catalogue.

This was sizzling hot, with erotic scenes that somehow managed to explore each moment so sensually, yet without threatening the pace. The story is an interesting progression of a woman controlled sexually by her boss, who then gets his job and turns into the controller herself, this time with her sort-of assistant. It offers a nice look at the uncertainties and vulnerabilities of a first-time dominant female - though without going too far into the angst.

The characters were believable and engaging, though not especially detailed, while there was a kind of twist in the tail that gave a nice third act high before a satisfactory conclusion.

[Kayci Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about a woman who is unexpectedly thrusts into power (in more ways than one). I picked up this book because when I read the sample, it was one of the best erotic openings I'd ever read. And the book as a whole didn't fail to disappoint. The sex scenes were creative and well-written, the characters were interesting and likeable. My only complaint was that the middle fell a bit flat. And the ending went on longer than I thought necessary. But with an amazing intro and a satisfying ending, those issues were small. All in all, this was a great book and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for some good femdom erotica.

[MH · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book includes allusions to F/M/m and M/m interactions. I don’t care for those kinds of stories. I would like those interactions to be disclosed in the sales blurb, so that I may avoid them. The initial part of the book was hard to get settled into, as the main female character kept slipping between reality and her imagination, which broke an even flow in the reading causing some confusion on my part. After this initial part, the rest of the book was better, but it caused a couple of stars downgrade.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms. Stein reminds me of a British Megan Hart - very dirty stories, with broken and damaged characters, who manage to make a beautiful relationship out of the mess. Power Play features one of my favourite tropes: the boss and employee have a (forbidden, secret) relationship. The story is so well done, full of deep emotions - shame, lust, love, joy - I was constantly on edge to see where the story was going. What started as a seemingly shallow kink-in-the-office story evolved into a rich story.

[Mandi]

I made it about 15-20% through. I'm putting it aside for now. I just don't like the set up for this one as I did the other two I have read by this author. Will still continue to read her back list (I'm very excited about it) but I don't think this one is for me.

[Erin Arkin · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was just something about this book that I didn't care for. I am someone who needs to get into the characters to enjoy a book (or at least 1) and I didn't like any of the characters in this book...seriously - any of them.

[Limecello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe more like 2.5? I've read this book before - so maybe this time the novelty was gone, but more it's just ... super stark stories and erotica aren't my thing, especially these days.

Ms. Stein does an excellent job though at writing titillating stories.

[Geheimer Leser · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stopped at around 80%. It's confusing but that's not its issue, after all people's thoughts on bondage and power plays are confusing in real life. I didn't like the Aidan angle at all, it feels forced and it ruins the book's ending chapters.

[Hazel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry but this just didnt work for me at all the characters kept shifting their dynamic and the story just did nothing for me.

[Camy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright.
Over the top with no story to put some fat on this bare-bones, claustrophobically close-lensed erotica.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first read by Charlotte Stein. And, my first femdom book. This is a very detailed read which I so enjoyed. I prefer First Person Dual Perspective because I am greedy and want to know what everyone's thinking. But, I could appreciate just having Eleanor’s POV especially as she was navigating a whole new world. I would have loved the book to go on just a few more chapters to see how El and Ben’s dynamic evolved. But, once again just me being a greedy bitch. Charlotte is definitely on my radar now though. Eleanor’s need for control comes through, but so does her vulnerability. Ben is the breath of fresh kinky air she needs. His willingness to be her guide. Go in with your eyes wide open- this book deals with many sexual exploits so if kinky is not your nature, this book may not be for you.


Kindle Unlimited: No
Stand-alone: Yes
Author: Charlotte Stein
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
Spiciness Rating: 4/5 🌶
POV: First Person Perspective
Main Couple: Eleanor and Ben
Trope(s): Workplace, BDSM, Domme/Sub

‘Lord, I must really seem like a wicked, wicked person.
“Here,” I say, and then I’m given front row seats to the kind of show I’ve only previously seen in my wildest dreams. And if that makes my wildest dreams very odd- far odder than they’d seemed before- there’s nothing I can do about that.
I want to see him do this, and he doesn’t disappoint…’

Eleanor Harding was a subordinate having a very complex “relationship” with her boss one day and the next promoted to being the boss herself.

As she is navigating her new reality she begins to find herself looking at Ben, the office junior, through the eyes of a woman who is craving control. And, he is more than happy to be the one she tests the waters with.

Let the kinky fun begin.

[Nell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure if I’d like this one, because older woman/dom female isn’t something that super interests me in terms of characters, but colour me surprised, I thought this was great. This would, in fact, rank in my top 3 CS books. It was really well done, balanced and had nuanced, interesting characters who I just wanted to read more of.

It was a whole lot of fun to read, very steamy and I liked the way the romance developed from sex to love. I’d read this one again, for sure.

[Coral · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I wanted to like this more because I’d love to see more femdom stories on the marketplace. This is hot, but it really doesn’t have much depth. I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style either - it lacked flow and was choppy.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's be clear on one thing.... This rating is solely for the smut. That was really spicy. Everything else though.... Everything else was terrible. The writing was bad, the plot made no sense and was wholly unrealistic, and the characterization was worse

[Norma · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yawn!