I used to have everything. Then my everything was ripped away from me. Now, instead of the warmth of his love, I feel the coldness of his loss. The darkness that remains in me is frightening. I don’t want to feel anything. The cold has a nice numbing effect. I’ve decided to embrace it. I’ve also decided that even though I no longer feel, I do still need. I need to bind, flog, and Dominate younger … Dominate younger men.
Especially one in particular. I know he thinks he can change me. Thaw my frozen heart. He cries so beautifully for me; I could almost believe in love again. But I could never love another man the way I did my husband and Master. Not even my eager young submissive. He will never be my love…only my Plaything.
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This book is a follow on from Oxygen. (Which is a must read and gives you an insight to the character Elise) plaything is another fantastic book by the author Cole Denton. When I started to read this book I must admit I wanted to put it down and leave it alone because I must of gone through every emotion myself possible. I just wanted to tell Andrew to stay away from Elise because she’s got some dark issues going on. That said I didn’t put the book down i was hooked, because yet again the way Cole writes is just fantastic, the story was sexy mysterious and gripping to name just a few. Yet again another fantastic book Cole Denton please keep them coming
It’s imperative that you read the short story Oxygen before reading Plaything, as it sets the tone of the female character. I found it hard to get into the book at the beginning, but then I couldn’t put it down. I’m hoping that Elise is able to redeem herself in the next book, because she was a bit of a loose cannon.
After taking some time out, Elise is ready to try and take her life back, under the tutelage of James she re-enters Club Oxygen. She has a lot to learn, and finding a top and sub who are well suited isn’t an easy task. Suffering from guilt, drowning in anger whilst refusing to face her grief head on, is like waiting for a bomb to go off.
Andrew has missed seeing Elise coming in for coffee, he is thoughtful and tries to do things that might put a smile back on her face. It’s been a tough week for him and he needs to let go of some tension in his favourite club. When he sees her face he does a double take, maybe his daydreams could become reality. He takes a risky step, believing he can help Elise work through her grief.
Wow, I want to slap her around and hug her. This book made me cry. I love all the characters, the writer immediately drew me in to this book. I wanted to throw my book through the room a few times, It is vividly written and addictive.
Once you start, you cannot stop. Go Cole I love this series.
Firstly you must read Oxygen before Plaything in order to understand the genesis of Elise. This book explores a persons grief and how it can, perhaps irrevocably, corrupt them – changing their outlook and behaviour. Within this is an exploration of the boundaries of acceptable BDSM limits and where they lie. Dark is perhaps an understatement – this is not for the faint hearted or for those for who find themes of humiliation and non consensual scenes upsetting. Honestly, I really like this writers work – the writing itself is impeccable but I did find some of this to be difficult and uncomfortable reading; perhaps that is the point. Elise is cruel, cold and so closed down that it was hard to empathise with her at all – again well written but not easy to read. However Andrew and James were great relatable characters, hope to see more of them. Despite the disturbing subject matter, this is a compelling read and there is no doubt Cole Denton is making a mark on the world of dark romance.
First off, you must read Oxygen: Book 1 in the Club Oxygen series. That being said, I want to hug and throttle these characters equally!! Cole Denton has created a world that will test all of your boundaries and make you question everything you think you know. The darkness in this story is compelling, and sometimes a more than a bit uncomfortable. But you can’t stop reading. Because, no matter how disturbed you get, you’re also aroused, moved, and entranced by the story, and the players. It’s been said before, and I’ll second and third the statement, Cole Denton is definitely “carving a name for himself in the world of Dark Romance.”
With Cole Denton’s latest read he sets the tone of what is acceptably right or wrong in the BDSM world. Pain, tragedy, darkness can swallow up a person and change them until there is no longer a glimpse of the person they used to be. Pain and tragedy can change a person, but with the right tools and guide they can enter a whole new world of possibilities. When choosing between these two worlds it could be a total major train wreck or people can learn from each other. This is Elise’s journey. First and foremost read Oxygen; it gives you a look into Elise’s life. Secondly this is not for the faint of heart. With every new book Denton writes he pushes the boundaries more and more. Cole Denton is leaving his mark in the dark fictional world.
I really would recommend reading Oxygen first as Plaything starts right were Oxygen ends and you’ll get a better understanding.
I don’t think I’ve ever read such an intense book. It’s mind blowing, dark and hot. I felt Elise’s heart breaking and her grieving. I had to stop reading at some point because I was so overwhelmed I barely can put into words how reading this book made me feel. Both main characters are so good. Andrew desperately wanting to help Elise work with her loss completely ignoring all the red flags that are throwing towards made me mentally scream at him. Elise ignoring every rule and getting lost in her pain and dark that surrounds her. I don’t know much about the world of BDSM but this book feels well researched. Right on to Mistress.
Plaything was definitely an emotional rollercoaster!
Grief is such a hard emotion because even with the stages, everyone handles it differently. In this case, Elise channels it into the one thing she’s always wanted to experiment with and it’s making her emotionally unattached. She can’t separate her grief and anger and you can feel her emotions leap off the pages.
Andrew is a masochist and lives pain… something Elise is very familiar with. He so badly wants to be given time with her and when he does, he wants more. When the arrangement is made, at first, things seem to go well. Over time, however Andrew starts to notice little things that raise warning signs.
Elise’s treatment of people, especially Andrew, as she’s learning a new experience for herself was really hard for me to get through. I had to put it down a few times and take a minute. I love it when an author and their story can bring out these emotions in me as a reader. Such an amazing read!!!!!!
When you are set in a world you think you know and then something happens you never thought possible when you are given the chance to experience a connection that was already broken. Andrew was caring, sexy and playful. He wanted to experience what it would be like to have Elise and what she could offer him. She had been coming into his coffee house for quite sometime and while both of them fantasized about each other, after a tragic event that happens to Elise; Andrew never saw it coming. I never know how these dark stories will turn out or affect me as I read them. This story was heartbreaking on both sides. The spark between was there, but the connection for fulfillment was already broken. Sometimes grief can be an ugly thing for beautiful people.
Cole Denton continues to amaze me!
Plaything, book 2 of The Club Oxygen series, perfectly intertwines sexy elements of the BDSM lifestyle with an emotional story of grief, in all it’s ugly glory, and a masochistic sub’s blind desire to be everything his sadistic mistress needs. I absolutely loved it!
After the cliffhanger from Oxygen, Elises story continues.
Elise is a broken woman and grieving the death of Jacob. Andrew is broken too but has such a loving side to him you can’t help fall inlove with him.
Plaything blew my mind I had no words to describe how I felt about what Elise had done and the kind of person she had become because of her grief. I wanted to Hate Elise and slapp her for how she treated Andrew, this is a dark and twisted,story, Cole has a way with words that reach your soul and question yourself about life. I can’t wait to read the next book and find out what Cole has in store for the next book.
This is the second instalment of The Club Oxygen Series, and it sent me on an emotional wild ride! I’m not sure if a fictional character has ever evoked this kind of emotion out of me. You will be hooked and put through the emotional ringer with this one! That being said, kudos to you Mr.Denton for writing a story that made me feel so hard.
5 stars
You ever have a book that left you with your heart wrapped around your throat? Where even 3 days after you read it, it still squeezes your heart? I went in completely blind and I was not prepared! Transforming from submissive to Mistress , Elise is taking her next steps after the death of her husband. Her transformation isn’t easy while her grief and anger starts to consume her more.
Andrew knows Elise from a coffee shop he works at, so when he sees her at a club where she is training he wants to help her. Knowing about grief himself, he jumps at the chance during a session with her to give her fantasy of being her plaything. This is the beginning of the rules be broken but could it be the beginning of something more for the both of them?
This book was a dark that I haven’t read often , but how the author weaves the story left me shaking with each turn of the page. It was like someone punching in your chest to grab hold of your heart, then leaving it cracked open enough to bleed out and left in a sobbing mess. Your boundaries will be tested, so it will not be for everyone. I even threw my kindle away from me as if it suddenly caught on fire as I gasped for air. I didn’t read the first book which might be why I really couldn’t understand alot about Elise but at the same time I don’t think I could ever connect to a level that she was at. This is a new author to me, as much as my heart won’t like it , I will be looking forward to the next book and will be reading the first
Some spoilers.
The 2nd book is an emotional one for sure. Elise and Andrew have both lost loved ones with Elise’s loss very recent. I’m not going to lie some of this was hard for me to read and not because it’s not good. The opposite actually. It’s very well written and you really feel for the characters. Elise deals with her grief in a very hurtful way and most of her behavior is impossible to condone. Andrew really tries to help her but ends up being her punching bag. He is such a good person that he ignored the warning signs. Luckily he has really good friends he can count on. An emotional roller coaster but so worth it.
Wow, Mr Denton has created a story with so much depth and emotive feeling – Plaything has definitely left its mark on me. Grief affects people in so many ways and the intense moments that characters, Andrew and Elise share and the feelings they crave, proves this.
I loved the originality of this story. Nothing like I have read before. It made me question people’s reactions. It was at times uncomfortable and pushed my boundaries. I cursed, I had to take breathers, and I cried. But I was totally addicted and so absorbed in the tangled web of destruction – to me, all signs of a brilliant story. To provoke a reader into having such extreme reactions to characters and events is the proof of a good storyteller. I applaud Cole for testing me and making me crave the next book.
I need to start by saying I. Am. Loving. This. Series!
I don’t think I’ve ever hated the main character more than I do Elise!
I liked her in Oxygen and I knew that going into Plaything I was going to get hit hard with what was coming.
I started out heartbroken and my sorrow for Elise ran deep… BUT that quickly turned into rage and hatred.
I get Elise’s anger and understand the loss her heart and soul had endured, but she lets it blind her. She’s selfish, careless, and a danger to not only herself but those around her.
With that being said, Plaything is very well written. As usual, Mr. Denton makes you feel his words, and the words in this story STRIKE HARD!
I’m anxious for the release of Mistress and I can only hope that Elise opens her eyes and redeems herself.
I can’t imagine losing someone I love. I can’t imagine losing a spouse. Elise feels angry and hurt and I can’t blame her. She had this special love connection with her husband. She’s filled with so much hurt and anger. She doesn’t give herself time to grieve and decides to fulfill her fantasies of being a Top. She needs to give pain, a lot of pain.
Cole Denton sucked me into Plaything and I found myself saying just one more chapter until I finished. This book is written in true Cole fashion and will touch you as all his books do, so grab the Kleenex and enjoy the ride.
Elise St. James is a broken woman after the death of her husband Jacob (Oxygen).
Andrew is an intelligent young man, who missed seeing Elise in the coffee shop where he worked, and when he found out about her husband’s death wanted to help her with her grief.
Elise and Andrew are on a collision course when the play rules are ignored. Will they overcome or be torn asunder, you will have to read for yourself to see if they make it.
Coke Denton has definitely proven himself as an author of dark erotica with his latest Plaything. This book is dark, sexy, kinky, gripping and will absolutely captivate your mind. The characters are believable and I felt transported into the scenes with them feeling as if I were living it! Elise and Andrew have both suffered the loss of loved ones. Andrew has learned to deal with his grief. However, Elise’s grief is dark, angry and raging beneath the surface. While she puts on a good show of covering her grief, triggers – be it words spoken or thoughts – ultimately lead to Andrew paying the price! 5+
Let me start by saying, “read Oxygen” (#1 in the series)! It will help with understanding a little more about the characters in this book.
This book took my curiosity to another level! It took me out of my comfort zone. When a story can solicit so many emotions you know you are reading something remarkable. Cole’s writing is brilliant and thought-provoking. It stretched my mind!
Elise and Andrews’ story stunned me into silence, inwardly yelling. Once you read it you will never go back to where you were before.
Anxiously awaiting the next instalment!