Tease: A Gripping Contemporary Romance of Power Plays and Passionate Surrender

by Suzanne Forster

Tess Wakefield has cooled on sex. Oh, she did the rebellious wild-child thing in college, making it a point to break all the rules-especially the ones about sex-and all it got her was a string of loser boyfriends and a fear of rashes. Underwhelmed by her experiences, she's happy to focus on her career and leave her vibrator in storage.Now an advertising exec, Tess has been hired by one of Madison Avenue's hottest agencies as co-creative director with wunderkind Danny Gabriel. Secretly, she's been asked to rein in his maverick style, and Tess immediately suspects Danny when someone sabotages her new campaign. But everyone in the place seems to have a secret agenda. It's a cutthroat business, and not everyone is willing to play nice with the new girl.Including Danny. His early, fervent advances are a pleasant shock to Tess, but she never imagines for a second that she'd allow him to draw her into the dark heart of the most breathtaking erotic S&M club in Manhattan-or that she'd be so willing to give up control and like it.

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

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2006

About the author

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Suzanne Forster is living proof of William Shakespeare’s maxim that the uses of adversity are sweet. Suzanne’s writing career began by accident. Literally. A car accident ended her dreams for a career in clinical psychology. During her recovery, she began writing to fill the hours, and before she was well enough to return to graduate school, she’d sold her first book and launched a new career.
Since then Suzanne has written more than thirty novels and been the recipient of countless awards, including The National Readers’ Choice Award for Shameless, her mainstream debut. She’s received recognition for outstanding sales from Waldenbooks and Bookrak, and her recent novel, Unfinished Business, was made into a movie for the Oxygen Network.
Suzanne has a Master’s Degree in Writing Popular Fiction, and she teaches and lectures frequently. Her seminars on Women's Contemporary Fiction at UCLA and UC Riverside were rated outstanding, and her most requested workshop, "The High-Concept Synopsis," is based on personal experience. Her breakout novel, Shameless, sold on a synopsis that triggered a bidding war and garnered her a six-figure contract.
Suzanne has received considerable media attention, including a feature segment on Extra, NBC's news and entertainment magazine, and an Emmy Award–winning "Special Report" on CBS Channel 23 News. Her many print appearances include the L.A. Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Redbook and Orange Coast Magazine

Reviews

[CraftyBirdies]

As a regular reader of romance and erotica, I was disappointed in this book. The book failed to draw me into the characters and none of them were very connected to each other. It focused a lot on the atmosphere, environment, and situational details to try to get at the mentality and details behind S&M, but it failed at that too.

And if you're looking for steamy sex scenes? They are practically non-existent. Not much buildup or sexual tension in this and it seems to be written from such a distance I felt disconnected.

I have read Forster before, but only in the novella category (romance/erotica anthologies). I don't remember disliking her stories there, so maybe that is where she should keep writing and steer away from novels where the lack of relationships and connectivity is glaringly obvious.

[Hannah]

Makes no sense at all. Poor ending.

[Laura Eakin]

BK-X
4🌶️
POV: 1st Person, FMC

This was a re-read for me. I read this book 15 years ago and thought it was so spicy and I had to listen via Audible in small doses. This time around, I have more reading under my belt and can say that Tease was a tease.

While I gave this a 4🌶️ it’s because the scene and content was explicit but we kept getting left in a fade to black situation. We never had an on page orgasm and the descriptions, while there, were lacking. It left me wanting more but not in a good way.

There are a lot of things that wouldn’t necessarily fly in today’s space. And I don’t believe back in 2007 that there were Trigger Warning pages.

If you choose to pick this one up, I wish you all the luck. It’s definitely a trip.

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No list of spicy chapters. Book take place in a BDSM club and it’s hard to dictate spice here.

[Layla McFadden]

This was the book that started my love for reading. I had never read a romance book let alone an BDSM book, but I loved it and this began my infatuation with all romance books. It inspired me to write and I've continued writing and reading since this book.

[Nicole]

Hmm, I finished it but it was okay. I didn't like the main character Tess. Everything she does is because she "was ordered to do so" and she "hates" it and let's everyone know that. Sometimes you get a feeling, that it is not really consensual.

[Patricia]

This book was great but the ending, not so much. I have no idea what happened with them in the end!! As far as I know there is no sequel...

[Cassandra Whiting]

Not a fan. It was weird and not fulfilling? I mean, I guess maybe I was looking for something else in general. The whole idea of the book is that giving in is a release of itself.
Just disappointed.

[AnnieB Books]

2⭐
BK-x

[Manuela]

Un romanzo senza dubbio particolare, sia per l'intreccio, sia per le tematiche, che per il finale, spiazzante e per nulla scontato e banale.
E' la storia però che non mi convince del tutto, con alcune scelte di dubbio gusto, come per esempio la storia della figlia di Danny, che in un contesto del genere ho trovato fuori luogo.
Una storia troppo estrema per i miei gusti, e per molti versi fin troppo inverosimile, quasi fosse solo un lungo flusso onirico della protagonista, dove realtà ed apparenza si confondono continuamente, creando una sorta di straniamento sia in Tess che nei lettori.
Un romanzo atipico e originale, ma che non raggiunge la sufficienza.

[Dana]

I'm only beginning to understand this particular type of kink (by reading, not practicing) but what I've learned so far was echoed in this book. Submission isn't about force it's about trusting someone enough to give them the control. I love the mysterious Gabriel who in the end showed vulnerability for someone who seemed so much in control of himself. Tess was a little annoying for some reason and I can't put my finger on why. But all in all, if you’re just learning this type of kink it's not a bad place to start.

[Mary]

I read this book a few years ago and was recently reminded of it when I read the Fifty Shades of Grey series thinking how much more I had enjoyed this one. From what I remember this is an intense psychological thriller in a BDSM setting and not what I would list as a typical romance.

It was this book that first introduced me to Suzanne Forster as one of my favorite authors.

[Tristen Jones]

I really enjoyed this book! Some of the book takes place in an office environment, which was fun, because I could relate to it and to this character. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone that is conservative, as I am sure it would be highly offensive.

[Chrystal]

The book was a free audible download and I didn't like it. The story and the characters never captivated me. The ending left tons of loose ends. I just don't think I would read anything by this author again. I wish there could have been more.

[Francesca]

Il libro è intenso e misterioso .
Suzanne Foster cattura momenti di passione/tensione e li fa vivere nella mente del lettore .
Devo ammettere che più di una volta lo stomaco mi si è rimpicciolito a chicco d'uva .

[Cindy]

Hot stuff!!

[Booklover, Indianapolis]

2.5

[Bekki McClish]

This is an S & M book and it didn't hold my attention, or turn me on and most of the time I was irritated or confused.

[Melanie]

Not what I expected. Story was kinda slow for the subject. Ending--so so.

[Kristy]

Entertaining enough for me to want to finish it. Overall I didn't care for it. Not great character development.

[Mollie *scoutrmom*]

Halfway decent theme poor plot poor characterization why bother.