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Power Play
The ice queen CEO and her fiery hire. a win-win contract, if only they can keep their hearts out of it.
Olivia Gartner, a 41-year-old tech CEO, is the "ice queen" of the industry. Tough, driven, and feared by her competitors, she'll stop at nothing to keep it on top, even at the expense of her personal life.
Enter Emma Harvey, a young, pink-haired genius with a rebellious streak and curves that make Olivia's heart race. Emma’s pitch to Olivia was a disaster. Nervous and inexperienced, she thought she'd blown her chance. But to her surprise, Olivia offers her a she won’t invest in Emma’s startup, however, she will offer Emma a job and shares in the profits.
Olivia sees Emma as the inventor who can take her company to higher levels; Emma sees Olivia as the mentor of her dreams. It could be a win-win. The catch? They have to survive each other.
Emma's vibrant energy and wild ideas crash with Olivia's strict, controlling ways, creating a storm of tension. Soon, Emma's influence begins shaking up the corporate culture, endangering everything Olivia has built. But it’s not just their contract at risk—their passionate clashes spark a sizzling attraction neither can ignore.
Can Olivia keep her empire intact while letting her guard down? Can Emma stay true to herself and her future while falling for the ice queen?
This is a standalone spicy F/F enemies to lovers age-gap romance novel with a HEA.
Olivia Gartner, a 41-year-old tech CEO, is the "ice queen" of the industry. Tough, driven, and feared by her competitors, she'll stop at nothing to keep it on top, even at the expense of her personal life.
Enter Emma Harvey, a young, pink-haired genius with a rebellious streak and curves that make Olivia's heart race. Emma’s pitch to Olivia was a disaster. Nervous and inexperienced, she thought she'd blown her chance. But to her surprise, Olivia offers her a she won’t invest in Emma’s startup, however, she will offer Emma a job and shares in the profits.
Olivia sees Emma as the inventor who can take her company to higher levels; Emma sees Olivia as the mentor of her dreams. It could be a win-win. The catch? They have to survive each other.
Emma's vibrant energy and wild ideas crash with Olivia's strict, controlling ways, creating a storm of tension. Soon, Emma's influence begins shaking up the corporate culture, endangering everything Olivia has built. But it’s not just their contract at risk—their passionate clashes spark a sizzling attraction neither can ignore.
Can Olivia keep her empire intact while letting her guard down? Can Emma stay true to herself and her future while falling for the ice queen?
This is a standalone spicy F/F enemies to lovers age-gap romance novel with a HEA.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 28, 2024
172 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Alexa Woods
59 books23 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
for lesbian romance books see Alexa Woods (two spaces)
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
for lesbian romance books see Alexa Woods (two spaces)
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 1, 2024
imo kinda boring
Didn’t really like this book not sure I like this authors way of writing tbh just not for me tried two of her books found myself not immersed and just skipping paragraphs tbh
Didn’t really like this book not sure I like this authors way of writing tbh just not for me tried two of her books found myself not immersed and just skipping paragraphs tbh
September 6, 2024
Exceedingly hard to read.
This book is extremely difficult to read. I’ll admit I did not finish it. I made it to 30% before I turned it off.
Why? Because the premise is beyond contrived, the plot is illogical, and the author has watched ‘devil wears Prada’ so many times that it’s seeped into her laptop and somehow contaminated the book.
So the plot-
Emma Gartner is a billionaire. Or intimated to be a billionaire. At the very least is a multimillionaire.
She runs a tech company. Formed the tech company when she was 26 or so, and is now the leader across the world in… something?
The author never says anything beyond ‘software’ to my knowledge. I’m guessing it’s an app that tells you the correct time to trim your toenails according to your astrological chart. Maybe with a paid add on for a schedule via tarot card. But no real word is mentioned as to what she actually does. Just tech.
The author has laid out her back story as thus-
Olivia Gartner is a misunderstood billionaire, (or multimillionaire) but it’s a hard world for a woman in the upper stratosphere of men. She’s known as an ice queen, frigid, frosty. But under that icy exterior there’s a beating heart, and hot blood that rushes at the thought of love and lust. She’s more than what the world knows, and only her best friend and her mom know it.
But Olivia’s suffering from creative block, so she puts out a shark tank call.
The author tries desperately to make Olivia relatable.
She’s not.
Between whining with her best friend about how isolating it is to have so much money and prestige, as well as the lackadaisical writing describing what Olivia does, she comes off as more of a caricature of ‘intense business woman’. She gives nothing that screams ‘tech genius’.
So CEO Olivia puts out the call. And who answers but her perfect foil!! It’s Emma! Magic pixie dream girl to the rescue! She’s wild! She’s hot! (but doesn’t realize it!) She has funky hair and a nose ring! She breaks barriers!
Emma is apparently a genius, who got a low paying it job to pay the bills, but is secretly working on groundbreaking, cutting edge tech on her kitchen table at night. It’s apparently a suit. That you wear. It interacts with VR somehow? Not really explained other than the wearer can use it to make an avatar dance and twerk.
Emma was recommended to Olivia by an old friend. Emma comes into her interview unprepared because Olivia’s company doesn’t know how to schedule things or write emails apparently. But she claims it’s all her own fault. Not the multibillion dollar corporations.
Emma was lauded by Olivia’s old friend as a genius. Is seen by Olivia as a genius. Olivia claims that the tech that Emma brings to the floor is ground breaking, and that entire teams of people have not created what she has done. So she wants it.
Olivia offers her 10% of the profit, and a role as her executive assistant.
She literally walked in with a ‘guaranteed money maker’ already 90% done. And she was offered 10%. And she takes it. She doesn’t negotiate, doesn’t bargain, doesn’t get a lawyer. Just ‘that’s cool, yes hand me those crumbs please!’
She refuses to offer Emma a role as a project lead, assistant project lead, lead engineer, lead programmer, assistant lead engineer, engineer, junior engineer, designer, programmer, or general gopher on the project that Emma has been working on for the last 9 years of her life. She claims it will cause unrest in the company. That people will be upset.
No, the only position open is that of Executive Assistant.
So as an EA, Emma sucks. She’s not an assistant. She’s not an executive assistant. She’s definitely not an executive. But she sucks in the roll that CEO Olivia has provided her.
So after several screw ups Olivia returns to the office from her business trip to London. She finds Emma there burning the midnight oil. Emma asks when she can work on her project.
Olivia then repeats the mantra that she has repeated since they met. Emma is ‘too emotionally involved’, ‘too passionate’, to work on the project. Emma previously had threatened to walk away, so apparently there was no legal documentation signed. But Emma just accepts it? They argue a bit, repeating the same garbage.
Then they kiss.
This is where I lost it.
This is beyond stupid. Just, if you wanted to write another devil wears Prada book, write that. If not, do some research. Build some depth to your characters. Make them likable.
But billionaires are not likable. Especially not this one. Emma is not likable, the author pushed the manic pixie engineer genius too hard. She’s a door mat who acts that way apparently because Olivia is ‘super hot’.
Olivia isn’t tech savvy from what I read. She’s a ‘CEO’ but doesn’t know how to manage people or her company.
Just… a weak premise executed so poorly that it’s not worth reading unless you leave your brain at the door.
This book is extremely difficult to read. I’ll admit I did not finish it. I made it to 30% before I turned it off.
Why? Because the premise is beyond contrived, the plot is illogical, and the author has watched ‘devil wears Prada’ so many times that it’s seeped into her laptop and somehow contaminated the book.
So the plot-
Emma Gartner is a billionaire. Or intimated to be a billionaire. At the very least is a multimillionaire.
She runs a tech company. Formed the tech company when she was 26 or so, and is now the leader across the world in… something?
The author never says anything beyond ‘software’ to my knowledge. I’m guessing it’s an app that tells you the correct time to trim your toenails according to your astrological chart. Maybe with a paid add on for a schedule via tarot card. But no real word is mentioned as to what she actually does. Just tech.
The author has laid out her back story as thus-
Olivia Gartner is a misunderstood billionaire, (or multimillionaire) but it’s a hard world for a woman in the upper stratosphere of men. She’s known as an ice queen, frigid, frosty. But under that icy exterior there’s a beating heart, and hot blood that rushes at the thought of love and lust. She’s more than what the world knows, and only her best friend and her mom know it.
But Olivia’s suffering from creative block, so she puts out a shark tank call.
The author tries desperately to make Olivia relatable.
She’s not.
Between whining with her best friend about how isolating it is to have so much money and prestige, as well as the lackadaisical writing describing what Olivia does, she comes off as more of a caricature of ‘intense business woman’. She gives nothing that screams ‘tech genius’.
So CEO Olivia puts out the call. And who answers but her perfect foil!! It’s Emma! Magic pixie dream girl to the rescue! She’s wild! She’s hot! (but doesn’t realize it!) She has funky hair and a nose ring! She breaks barriers!
Emma is apparently a genius, who got a low paying it job to pay the bills, but is secretly working on groundbreaking, cutting edge tech on her kitchen table at night. It’s apparently a suit. That you wear. It interacts with VR somehow? Not really explained other than the wearer can use it to make an avatar dance and twerk.
Emma was recommended to Olivia by an old friend. Emma comes into her interview unprepared because Olivia’s company doesn’t know how to schedule things or write emails apparently. But she claims it’s all her own fault. Not the multibillion dollar corporations.
Emma was lauded by Olivia’s old friend as a genius. Is seen by Olivia as a genius. Olivia claims that the tech that Emma brings to the floor is ground breaking, and that entire teams of people have not created what she has done. So she wants it.
Olivia offers her 10% of the profit, and a role as her executive assistant.
She literally walked in with a ‘guaranteed money maker’ already 90% done. And she was offered 10%. And she takes it. She doesn’t negotiate, doesn’t bargain, doesn’t get a lawyer. Just ‘that’s cool, yes hand me those crumbs please!’
She refuses to offer Emma a role as a project lead, assistant project lead, lead engineer, lead programmer, assistant lead engineer, engineer, junior engineer, designer, programmer, or general gopher on the project that Emma has been working on for the last 9 years of her life. She claims it will cause unrest in the company. That people will be upset.
No, the only position open is that of Executive Assistant.
So as an EA, Emma sucks. She’s not an assistant. She’s not an executive assistant. She’s definitely not an executive. But she sucks in the roll that CEO Olivia has provided her.
So after several screw ups Olivia returns to the office from her business trip to London. She finds Emma there burning the midnight oil. Emma asks when she can work on her project.
Olivia then repeats the mantra that she has repeated since they met. Emma is ‘too emotionally involved’, ‘too passionate’, to work on the project. Emma previously had threatened to walk away, so apparently there was no legal documentation signed. But Emma just accepts it? They argue a bit, repeating the same garbage.
Then they kiss.
This is where I lost it.
This is beyond stupid. Just, if you wanted to write another devil wears Prada book, write that. If not, do some research. Build some depth to your characters. Make them likable.
But billionaires are not likable. Especially not this one. Emma is not likable, the author pushed the manic pixie engineer genius too hard. She’s a door mat who acts that way apparently because Olivia is ‘super hot’.
Olivia isn’t tech savvy from what I read. She’s a ‘CEO’ but doesn’t know how to manage people or her company.
Just… a weak premise executed so poorly that it’s not worth reading unless you leave your brain at the door.
August 21, 2024
Huge differences doesn’t mean incompatibility…
Sweet and sexy age gap sapphic romance. I know the title is called Power Play and it can be taken as a power imbalance but I didn’t feel like there was any imbalance and the dual pov also helped show that they were on equal standing. Although neither woman was particularly open, the openness towards each other is refreshing and rewarding.
Sweet and sexy age gap sapphic romance. I know the title is called Power Play and it can be taken as a power imbalance but I didn’t feel like there was any imbalance and the dual pov also helped show that they were on equal standing. Although neither woman was particularly open, the openness towards each other is refreshing and rewarding.
September 16, 2024
Doesn't quite deliver on promises, but and easy nice read.
I enjoyed the characters, and the low drama aspect, how they acted with maturity and tropes were avoided. That was refreshing. However, I felt it needed something more to be fully emotionally engaging. Since whenever they encounter an obstacle they basically talk it out and approach it together like well adjusted adults, it decreased the level of emotional up and down that most books rely on when there isn't a mystery to solve or a bad guy to defeat. I think there needed to be another character, a kid, or sibling, or bestie, or parent who played a bigger role in the book and helped with emotional investment. A kid would have been ideal, maybe an adopted one, or a family member in need, or even a friend's kid who relies on one of the MCs as a mentor. But given how the book started, perhaps a pet would have worked too.
Barring an extra impact character, some more in depth flashbacks to their pasts and how those pasts affected them might have done the trick. Both MCs were a little too perfect and fully realized. I mean, it was a little odd that both of them have this super rough history, losing a parent as a tween, and the other growing up in foster care with considerable neglect, and both are just super well adjusted and perfectly capable of navigating adulthood without any lingering trauma or issues. What was the point in giving them tragic back stories if those factors don't come into play in any way during the story? Also, the best friend of one MC lends nothing at all to the plot or character development, then vanishes half way through the story, and the other apparently has no friends worth mentioning, despite being "extroverted" and obviously social at work with colleagues.
Without tropes, without drama/angst, without fun kinky stuff (which, was totally baited in the first few chapters but never delivered), without major character flaws, and without either character having much of a growth arc, not much happens in this story. It was still a nice read, but all of the plot happens in the first half of the book, and the whole second half is basically a lovely feel good epilogue.
On the heat levels, it was a bit steamy, well written sex scenes, but never delivered on the promised spice of the first few chapters.
Actually, it sort of felt like two totally different people wrote each half of the book. The first half hinted at all sorts of stuff that the second half didn't deliver on.
One character is fantasizing about getting kinky and dominant with the other, who in turn fantasizes about getting kinky and subbing, and even offers to do that after a single kiss, then once they're together they're super vanilla and it never even comes up again, except to specify how *not* into power exchange or kink they are. You know how TV shows queer bait? Apparently kink baiting is also a thing. Either put it in or leave it out, but don't promise then not deliver! The book is literally called "Power Play" and there is nothing of the sort on it on any level.
I enjoyed the characters, and the low drama aspect, how they acted with maturity and tropes were avoided. That was refreshing. However, I felt it needed something more to be fully emotionally engaging. Since whenever they encounter an obstacle they basically talk it out and approach it together like well adjusted adults, it decreased the level of emotional up and down that most books rely on when there isn't a mystery to solve or a bad guy to defeat. I think there needed to be another character, a kid, or sibling, or bestie, or parent who played a bigger role in the book and helped with emotional investment. A kid would have been ideal, maybe an adopted one, or a family member in need, or even a friend's kid who relies on one of the MCs as a mentor. But given how the book started, perhaps a pet would have worked too.
Barring an extra impact character, some more in depth flashbacks to their pasts and how those pasts affected them might have done the trick. Both MCs were a little too perfect and fully realized. I mean, it was a little odd that both of them have this super rough history, losing a parent as a tween, and the other growing up in foster care with considerable neglect, and both are just super well adjusted and perfectly capable of navigating adulthood without any lingering trauma or issues. What was the point in giving them tragic back stories if those factors don't come into play in any way during the story? Also, the best friend of one MC lends nothing at all to the plot or character development, then vanishes half way through the story, and the other apparently has no friends worth mentioning, despite being "extroverted" and obviously social at work with colleagues.
Without tropes, without drama/angst, without fun kinky stuff (which, was totally baited in the first few chapters but never delivered), without major character flaws, and without either character having much of a growth arc, not much happens in this story. It was still a nice read, but all of the plot happens in the first half of the book, and the whole second half is basically a lovely feel good epilogue.
On the heat levels, it was a bit steamy, well written sex scenes, but never delivered on the promised spice of the first few chapters.
Actually, it sort of felt like two totally different people wrote each half of the book. The first half hinted at all sorts of stuff that the second half didn't deliver on.
One character is fantasizing about getting kinky and dominant with the other, who in turn fantasizes about getting kinky and subbing, and even offers to do that after a single kiss, then once they're together they're super vanilla and it never even comes up again, except to specify how *not* into power exchange or kink they are. You know how TV shows queer bait? Apparently kink baiting is also a thing. Either put it in or leave it out, but don't promise then not deliver! The book is literally called "Power Play" and there is nothing of the sort on it on any level.
August 29, 2024
A Sweet Surprise!
I love Alexa Woods Romance Series and her stand alone books gives us a nice glimpse into her style of storytelling. This book does that. Olivia is the owner and CEO of a successful tech company. Emma is about to give a pitch with something she has worked on since she was sixteen. But when she is late, then has a rough start and is now facing the owner to try her suit on, things take a turn and Emma is flustered with Olivia Gartner and her beauty. But things don’t work out as Emma wanted and Olivia offers her to work for them with profits going to Emma as Olivia and her team work development on her suit. Both have feelings but Olivia is a professional but Emma, not so much. Soon things take. Couple of bad turns and these two women have to trust each other as they are being torn part. I loved it. ( A little confused with the age of Olivia currently and how long she had Beans if she got him at sixteen.) Still I would recommend it….
I love Alexa Woods Romance Series and her stand alone books gives us a nice glimpse into her style of storytelling. This book does that. Olivia is the owner and CEO of a successful tech company. Emma is about to give a pitch with something she has worked on since she was sixteen. But when she is late, then has a rough start and is now facing the owner to try her suit on, things take a turn and Emma is flustered with Olivia Gartner and her beauty. But things don’t work out as Emma wanted and Olivia offers her to work for them with profits going to Emma as Olivia and her team work development on her suit. Both have feelings but Olivia is a professional but Emma, not so much. Soon things take. Couple of bad turns and these two women have to trust each other as they are being torn part. I loved it. ( A little confused with the age of Olivia currently and how long she had Beans if she got him at sixteen.) Still I would recommend it….
November 18, 2024
I LOVED this book so much! Finally, an author who writes mature people who can sit down and talk out their problems like real adults instead of children. Shame on the people who said that it made the book not as exciting or dramatic. You know what I’m sick of? Miscommunication. Third act breakups. Childish characters. This book has none of that and some people were disappointed? Ugh, I can tell why authors should never read reviews. As a reader, seeing other people actually write that made me want to gag.
This book was super hot and steamy. All the spice scenes were SO WELL DONE!
I loved that it was funny and sweet as well as steamy. I loved that the characters actually spoke to each other and found solutions for their problems in a mature and realistic way.
This was an incredible book, just like all of her others.
This book was super hot and steamy. All the spice scenes were SO WELL DONE!
I loved that it was funny and sweet as well as steamy. I loved that the characters actually spoke to each other and found solutions for their problems in a mature and realistic way.
This was an incredible book, just like all of her others.
January 12, 2025
I liked it and I liked the characters dilemmas and realistic struggles. It is a bit of a standard contemporary "Ice Queen thawed" kind of sapphic romance. However, my one struggle with this one was some moments in it where the dialogue seemed to either not have an ending, or completely put me out of the scene because it rambled a bit too long.
While dialogue in-story is important to keep clear and concise, and it was not always, but the descriptions of the dress/fashion, locations, and interactions were all really well done and had great funny moments spread throughout.
I would recommend it.
While dialogue in-story is important to keep clear and concise, and it was not always, but the descriptions of the dress/fashion, locations, and interactions were all really well done and had great funny moments spread throughout.
I would recommend it.
January 23, 2026
While I did enjoy this book and enjoyed reading it the ending was such a let down.
I love the characters and their relationship, the şe x scenes were good but sweet more than spicy. Romantic. It was a very easy light hearted read. Whilst I enjoyed it here’s what I didn’t love; there wasn’t much of a power play tbh I’d have said both came across equal. The ending however was a huge let down. Both fmc’s having a big heart to heart and suddenly that was it. It felt like it needed a few more chapters to finish the story nicely. The epilogue was nice but honestly the ending felt like it abruptly stopped.
I love the characters and their relationship, the şe x scenes were good but sweet more than spicy. Romantic. It was a very easy light hearted read. Whilst I enjoyed it here’s what I didn’t love; there wasn’t much of a power play tbh I’d have said both came across equal. The ending however was a huge let down. Both fmc’s having a big heart to heart and suddenly that was it. It felt like it needed a few more chapters to finish the story nicely. The epilogue was nice but honestly the ending felt like it abruptly stopped.
September 4, 2024
had a lot of potential
This is one of my favorite tropes and this book had the perfect set up for it but it was incredibly boring. Setting the scene is important but 5 pages of straight description of a room had me skipping a lot of paragraphs. I felt it was slow paced and very dull but it didn’t have to be . It had the bones to be great.
This is one of my favorite tropes and this book had the perfect set up for it but it was incredibly boring. Setting the scene is important but 5 pages of straight description of a room had me skipping a lot of paragraphs. I felt it was slow paced and very dull but it didn’t have to be . It had the bones to be great.
August 29, 2024
FORMULAIC, but good
Perhaps the proofreader took the day off! Lots of typos, but the story was good.
I especially liked the characters, who were well suited for each other. Emma’s scrappiness and Olivia’s level-headedness.
Perhaps the proofreader took the day off! Lots of typos, but the story was good.
I especially liked the characters, who were well suited for each other. Emma’s scrappiness and Olivia’s level-headedness.
August 22, 2024
Sugar but no spice.
Not enough angst for me, a little too saccharine sweet, and Emma was too good to be true at times. But all in all, a well written story.
Not enough angst for me, a little too saccharine sweet, and Emma was too good to be true at times. But all in all, a well written story.
August 26, 2024
Loved
1st book by Alexa and I throughly enjoyed it. I like Olivia's character and Emma was mature and evened out Olivia.
1st book by Alexa and I throughly enjoyed it. I like Olivia's character and Emma was mature and evened out Olivia.
September 15, 2024
Hard to read, feels like ideas of a rich-poor love romance are put closely together, without really binding them to one flowing storyline.
September 19, 2024
Amazing
Love knows no bounds no time, it can heal and make us stronger. It can give us courage to leap to trust towards our HEA.
Love knows no bounds no time, it can heal and make us stronger. It can give us courage to leap to trust towards our HEA.
September 20, 2024
Fantastic
Alexa this book was absolutely amazing. The IVF they had together was a very nice touch. I look forward to your next book when ever a new one comes out.
Alexa this book was absolutely amazing. The IVF they had together was a very nice touch. I look forward to your next book when ever a new one comes out.
October 9, 2024
1/2 a star
November 16, 2024
Very hard book to read, had more bad and cheesy aspects then good
abgebrochen
November 23, 2024DNF 35%
September 18, 2024
3.7 stars. This book was incredibly good in its depiction of grief and the emotions one experiences/might experience. Although the grammar and sentence structure of this book were a little inconsistent I could relatively understand the flow of the book. The ending wasn’t satisfactory in the slightest because of how fast paced it was but it consisted of all the elements of an HEA, it was so quick that I felt the book had just started. Also I must say the characters were the reason I continued reading regardless of grammar and the pace of the book. Anyway, decent book!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews