I was my own worst enemy. For as much as I depended on order and a structured life to easier manage my bipolar disorder, fire was irresistible and indisputably my favorite toy to play with. On the ice, it turned me into a hotheaded hockey player. In the bedroom, my attitude was my last defense, a front I wanted to see tumbling down. But lately, all I got was burned. Love sucked. Correction: it … Correction: it sucked when you were in love with your parents’ closest friend and he didn’t feel the same. I admitted my feelings for Madigan Monroe over a year ago, and I was still waiting for a response. Now my balance was gone. My anxiety was all over the place, my fits of rage had just earned me a suspension from the team, I questioned myself at every turn, and being home for two weeks was gonna make it impossible to avoid Madigan.
I used to be his Abel, his sweetheart, his trouble. It’d been the two of us against the world since I was a kid. I’d even discovered we had kink in common! On paper, I was seemingly perfect for him. Maybe that was why his nonverbal rejection hurt so much. Or maybe it was because, recently, he seemed hell-bent on us “being friends” again.
Whatever. I was a loser, and I couldn’t resist him for crap.
(DD/lb-dynamic.)more
Loved the relationship between Abel and Madigan. Daddy kink done right.
Shes done it again!
Madigan, an older tattoo artist and Abel a young ice hockey player with mental health issues. A Daddy and his little boy.
Again Cara has given us a story that just can’t be put down! Madigan and Abel are just perfect!! And bonus Daddy kink! Madigan was the responsible, hot, tattoo’d older guy in this book (who i wanna steal for myself!) and Abel the son of a friend which had it’s complications of its own. This tackled Abel’s mental health, the age gap and the bdsm/daddy kink and did it in such a way you really felt for the characters. I need more please!!
So, I truly enjoyed this read. Spoiler Maybe…….
The only thing that took away form it was the sharing scene. I honestly do not believe it added anything. I think the same point could have been just snuggling or what not.
End Spoiler
Now, onto everything that was truly special, and enter Mad; gah, this guy was a saint. To me, he was the perfect Daddy, and he was everything that Abel needed and wanted. Abel was great too, and I loved how real he felt. I do wish we got more of Mad’s POV, but it was alright that it was all Abel. I loved the epilogue, and before that how everything was solved with Abel’s parents. I also would love to read Gray’s story, as he seems great, but I think I am going to give these characters a rest for a bit. Definitely recommend this read to anyone looking for a Daddy/Little.
Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well today! After having added this book 30 years ago and having forgot that it even existed until I saw an update on it recently, I knew now was the time to read it! Now or never as the saying goes! Plus with the Daddy/little boy kink (hot cover may I add!!!), who am I to keep putting this book off? Well I will say firstly, as mentioned within the WARNING section above, this book is not dark, but does have themes in it that warrant for listed triggers so it would not be rated low (as is here). As to not spend so much time in the introduction here, I will just say for this review, I will briefly go over the synopsis of the story and will comment on the posted quotes to explain why I had issues with them. So without further or do :
In this story, (the Camassia Cove universe) we have Abel/“Ace” Novak Hayeswho is a hockey player for the Canucks of Vancouver at the age of 21 years. He is also bipolar and deals with anxiety attacks at times, so he of course not only has his support from family, friends, and medical personal, but the true light of his world, Madigan Monroe(tattoo artist). Madigan has been in Abel’s life ever since he was a small boy (6 years old), when his biological father Morgan dies from cancer sadly. Along with his mother Adeline, older brother Jesse, and his new father Lincoln, they all help in raising both boys to being men (in which the story leads up to). Even at the age of 12, Abel has been in love with Madigan and has not relinquished one bit as he aged through the years. With Madigan feeling torn between doing what is right and thinking of exploring with Abel ever since he messaged him about his feelings, how will this dynamic turn-out in the end? Will the guilt of keeping the promise to Morgan and fulfilling this taboo relationship be too much for the older man? Can he truly Daddy the boy he knew since he was 6?
So to say this shortly, I did like how much care and love Madigan had for Abel. Him and just the whole family seemed very supportive and were always ready to help him through his bipolar and anxiety episodes. I also liked the Daddy/little boy kink of course, LOVE those like a love song as Selena Gomez would say. Lastly, the hockey and tattoo paring?IN MY BOOKS! So since I listed out what I did like from the 0 – 18% I did read within the book; lets move onto what caused the DNF button to flash:
As I mentioned before, the age gap was not the issue for me, it was just HOW it was displayed that really bothered me. Now I am not saying Madigan had any feelings for Abel when he was younger(I WOULD HOPE NOT!), BUT it can be viewed in a very shady way due to the fact Madigan for one, knew Abel since he was 6 years old, and two, how they were pretty much like Father/son or Uncle/nephew in a way. So as to not harp on that point, I will move along to other ones that bothered me as well. Starting with:
“Sorry. Craig sent me this.” He turned around and showed me the too-bright screen. Meet with me. “It’s weird when you call him that.” I yawned and pulled the covers higher. “And he should divorce his wife before he chases your tail.” Gray was in my position; only he was hooked on my old hockey coach from high school. Our coach, I should say. As it turned out, Coach Fuller had a thing for Gray too, but he was supposedly straight and definitely married. To a woman. Gray deserved better. He was one of the best people I knew.” Dee.
So this is Abel’s best friend Gray(who plays hockey but not on a team), who as you can see form above, is in a “pining after an unavailable older man” situation too. Plus said man is supposedly straight and married too? Yeah that one can be emailed to the next most available, certified pshycologist to help with that SO not only are they both longing after men in situations that would almost deem it possible to be together, but the fact that:
“Well, lunch is on me,” I said. “I feel like I need to buy you flowers or something after last night.” He’d been so nice to come to my aid, and then, at four fucking a.m., I was taking all my frustrations out on his ass. Gray sighed contentedly and leaned back. “Dude, last night was so good. I needed that.” Dee.
Both Abel and Gray are finding comfort with each other?doth make me think they should be the MC’s instead of Madigan! Not only do they seem like a good pair together tbh, but the fact Madigan pretty much vanished out of Abel’s life ever since he sent that message at 20 years old,speaks volumes to me already. Plus with the coach Gray likes is married and isstraight as a damn arrow to boot? Yeah Abel and Gray being a couple is sounding more intriguing by the moment. In moving onto issue # 3:
” He was speaking, but I couldn’t hear the words. Just his low voice and lips pressed to my temple. At the same time, he was guiding me somewhere. Up a set of stairs—to his apartment, I guessed. “I can’t—” do anything. The rage won out, and I welcomed it. I could breathe when I was furious. There was control and rhythm in anger. The second we reached the landing, I shoved him away from me as hard as I could, then slammed my fist into the nearest wall. “Useless piece of shit!” I shouted hoarsely. Every ounce of the fury was directed at myself. “Just throw yourself off a fucking cliff, you motherf-fucking retard!” “Quit it, Abel!” I was pushed up against a wall and restrained, only fueling my self-hatred. “No, let go of me!” Dee.
This BROKE MY HEART HEARING ABEL SAY THIS! THIS IS WHY TRIGGERS AS SUCH ARE NECESSARY DUE TO SCENES SUCH AS THE ONE ABOVE! So not only did this pretty much make me tear up, but the fact Madigan had an unintentional role in Abel getting to this point? Madigan has been demoted to the wonderful and loving shit list since he is not only a hot mess, but was too damn weak to even talk to Abel about how he felt and left him like this! Not okay asshole! I just wanted to reach into the book and give Abel all the hugs and loving he SURLEY NEEDED! POOR BABY! Gray of course was the MVP once again and was there for Abel when he was down the most! So on playing the record again, Abel and Gray sounding pretty to me! So onto my last point:
”Lyn snickered and grabbed her glass of milk. “Abel has penises on his computer.” “Oh my God, don’t go through my shit!” I widened my eyes, mortification flooding me. My sister’s comment started mayhem in the kitchen between my parents; there was a lecture from Mom on privacy, bitching from Dad, and I couldn’t face Madigan to see his reaction. Instead, I pushed a laughing Gray out into the hallway and toward the stairs. “Do you wanna watch penises together?” he asked over his shoulder.” Dee.
Sooooooo the fact this sweet, adorable little girl is talking about penises like she is discussing Barbie at dinner? Hell, even at all? Just what the actual fuck? I mean yes, even at that age you will begin to learn A BIT about genitals (remember that in 5th grade you all? Wonderful memories for sure), but for her to be that nonchalant about talking about that topic around adults too? Just what the hell are you all are even there for? SHE IS STILL A LITTLE GIRL! WATCH WHAT YOU SAY AND DO! Plus the fact everyone is cussing around her too? Do I need to hit up social services? Becuase talking like that around a child IS NOT OKAY! It is not only BAD for her to hear these words/mannerisms, but she WILL REPEAT THEM IN PUBLIC! LIKE SCHOOL FOR INSTANCE! You all know where that can lead to so I won’t waste time on explaining that again. Just……why is this even deemed OKAY within the book? It just makes the whole situation with Abel and Madigan even worse tbh.
So with pining for an older man you knew since you were 6, fucking with your best friend, in love with a married, straight hockey coach, and with a cussing and penis expert for a little sister/daughter? It is safe to say THE AIRPLANE DIVE WAS REAL Y’ALL! So if any of what I mentioned for who knows how long does not bother you? As Lumiere would say:”be my guest”! Otherwise, I would like to try out Dee’s other works that do not involve such OTT elements such as this one! Anyways , I hope you all are having some amazing reads!
Another Amazing Read by Cara Dee!!!
I am so hooked to her words.
This was such a beautiful and inspirational story.
Highly recommended!
Floved!!!!
It was so much fun to see how these two had a history but now there is a paradigm shift between these two men. I also like how Abel isn’t willing to back off or take no for an answer. I also like as Madigan realizes how much they need each other he is willing to take the steps to make it real. I am so glad that they were able to work it all out because I love the HEA feeling the story.
This is my first from this author and I loved every word and every page of the book. I loved the storyline, the characters, the writing and the super hot sex scenes. Daddy/little kink may not be my favorite but it was done with some restraint which I appreciated. It was just enough to still be hot and relatable. Wil, be reading more from this author, that’s for sure.
OMG I freaking loved this book! Power Play is angsty and Hot AF.
Madigan has become one of my favourite Daddies, he is amazing.
Abel just wow, I floved Abel he is definitely a middle/brat.
I loved Madigan and Abel’s relationship dynamic and how they worked to find the right way for them. One thing I loved was how understanding Madigan was with Abel and his best friend Grey’s relationship and didn’t want to see that change, so he spoke with both Abel and Grey to let them know he was ok with how close they were and didn’t think they should change it.
Cara Dee is fast becoming a favourite author for me, I am loving the stories she writes and how they suit each couple and are not all the same dynamic/relationship.
Power Play has become a top 5 book for me within the Daddy Kink genre, and it will definitely be one I will reread in the future.
If you have never read a Cara Dee book, you are in for a treat. Even if you choose to read a different book, there is just something about the way that she writes. Her world and characters are believable – they suck you right in from page one – and her stories are always full of emotion. I always read her books in one sitting because I find myself unable to stop reading.
I have reread this particular book too many times to count, so I definitely recommend it! It’s my go-to when I’m in a slump or don’t want to start a new book yet. I bought this book after seeing multiple positive recommendations and it quickly became one of my favorite books. The blurb piqued my interest and did not disappoint, but if I’m being honest, the comments on how hot the sex scenes is what really motivated my purchase.
Cara has created quite the interesting world with Camassia Cove ( you do not have to read any other books to enjoy this book) and an array of fantastic characters. I especially LOVE Abel’s dad and his friend, Gray. The narration is fun/interesting/unique and gives you a great sense of Abel’s character. From the first page, I felt like Abel was talking to me and in his own unique voice (via his rather jumbled brain). There are parts of the book where I can’t help but laugh out loud because of the things he says and/or does. He’s truly all over the place – a mess, really – and the D/s relationship with Maddox makes perfect sense (and it is, in my opinion, written very well).
I’ve seen some complaints with how Abel’s bipolar disorder is portrayed, but I believe that mental health can be very different from person to person and it’s unfair to try to compare it to your experience or how you think it should be presented. I personally have bipolar and felt it was handled well.
Also – thank you to Cara for writing a daddy kink book with a middle! It’s a different take on the kink, but the book is less a focus on the kink itself and more focused on the relationship dynamics. I love that they find what works for them; this is not your average daddy kink, and it doesn’t fit the usual template for this sub genre.
And yes, this book is seriously hot. You have been warned! (In the best way, of course.)
Power Play is Daddy kink. I can’t imagine being “Little” or calling someone Daddy especially during sex, however, the kink in Power Play worked for Mad and Abel.
The book is told from Abel’s point of view. He is bipolar and is exhausting, complex, and easy to love. His poor brain is like a hamster on crack constantly running on that wheel and getting nowhere fast. All the people in his life cuddle and protect him. His parents are the worst.
Mad is different. Abel was six when his father died, and Mad came into his life. He becomes Abel’s person. He gets Abel and doesn’t see him as broken.
A preteen, Abel told his family he was going to marry his Mad. The family brushed it off as a cute childish crush. As Abel grows up those childish declarations become adult feelings. At nineteen, he told Mad he loved him. A couple of years later, worlds collide. Mad and Abel become Daddy and his Boy.
Family is at the heart and backbone of this one. Read it to meet Abel with all his cuteness and complicated brain. Read it to meet Mad. He is kinky but above all he is a protective man who loves to care for Abel. Read it meet the crazy maze of family that loves Abel unconditionally. Read it for the perfect HEA ending.
This was absolutely fantastic not only due to the story line, the couple and kink but just the attention to detail that Cara Dee put into it. I could not put this one down.
This is Cara Dee at her best. What an amazing book. Beautifully written with deeply developed characters overflowing with emotions. I am a big fan of her writing, so no surprise there. But what did surprise me was how much I loved the subject of this book. I am no stranger to BDSM, and I love most aspects of this genre. But, for some reason, I always shied away from age play and Daddy kink. But Cara Dee turned me around. She made me see it, she made me feel it, she made me believe it, she made me understand it. That is how talented an author she is.
Abel needs a strict regiment, and meds, to keep his anxiety attacks and his bipolar in check. His playing pro hockey is helping tremendously with that, but he needs more. He has been in love with his parents’ friend, Madigan, for all his life, but their age difference is not easy to overcome. But it is just that age difference that makes Mad Abel’s ideal partner. It only takes a while before Mad can confess to himself that he sees Abel in a different light. And it is not an abrupt change. It is a process, beautifully described in gradual stages. It makes it even more believable.
It is not easy to live with bipolar, and everyone is different in that, so we only get a glimpse of what it means living with it on a day-to-day basis. But it is enough to know to have my heart breaking for Abel. He is such a brave soul. Abel is that mature hockey player, but also that young puppy who wants to get out. And Mad gets him. He is so attuned to Abel that he knows exactly what Abel needs. The Daddy/Little relationship makes absolute sense for these two men. It was not weird at all. It was just beautiful to watch.
The relationship with Gray, Abel’s best friend, is a different aspect in this book that is a bit outside of the box. But again, Cara Dee manages to make it “normal,” as she does with Mad’s understanding it.
And the ending is soooo sweet.
Highly recommended.
From the very beginning I felt. Abel yanked those feels right out of me. He has Bipolar Disorder and the one person that gets him, understands and anticipates his needs, is Madigan. A surrogate uncle to Abel and his brother Jesse by nature of his close relationship with their parents, he becomes quite close to the boys. But to Abel he was always more, much more. When a 4am confession changes their relationship he didn’t realize he’d be losing his best friend, protector, ally, and foundation. He’s not alone in that loneliness and struggle, but he doesn’t know that.
Without an anchor, without balance, Abel is adrift and swinging from one extreme to the other. His Bipolar Disorder is getting out of hand despite him taking his meds regularly. The separation from Madigan causes him to ache fiercely and he’s not sure how much longer he can hold out. His best friend Gray helps to comfort him and act as a buffer when Madigan and Abel are in the same room but it’s becoming increasingly clear that it’s just not enough.
Madigan had his reasons for ghosting Abel. He’s a casualty of an adult’s thinking. Believing they always know what’s best for the youths in their life they declare their feelings fleeting, immature because of their age, and misplaced. When he learns just how serious Abel is he’s powerless to avoid him any longer.
Together they discover the depths of their affection, desires, and kinks. They are far more compatible than they ever thought they were before and it doesn’t take long to get their relationship to the place both of them only dreamed about.
Now, I know very little about kinks, just the basics and that there are many and varied types and levels. Each person, pair/group, desire, and need is different. What I love about the kinky element in this particular story is how she develops the story and characters prior to us learning anything about the kink featured. We get to know them, their motivations, desires, and needs before introducing the kink and how it plays in the relationship dynamic. My favorite part is that Abel researches first. He gets a hint and then sees how things align for himself personally. The fact that he researches and takes notes is great because as much as he trusts Madigan in every way, he’s aware that he needs to know the basics of what he wants before he explores their depths. It’s responsible, mature, intelligent, and educational for the uninformed reader like me.
I love this pair. They work so well together in every way and when it comes time for confessions I’m already team Madigan and Abel. And then there’s the sexy times. Seriously hot. While I’m not really a fan of the Gray moment, I can’t deny that it’s hot. The expression through touch is absolutely understandable because I can relate, but the extent included here in this story doesn’t seem to really fit. Yes, that was their dynamic before, but fitting it into Madigan and Abel’s new dynamic seems a bit forced and out of place. I feel that it should have changed to suit their expressions of comfort without trying to fit both sexual relationships together the way it played out. So like I said, the scene was hot but in the context of the story and relationship, I didn’t really enjoy it.
The story as a whole, though, I’m in. Passion, connection, devotion, anticipation, affection…all of it was so present throughout the book. I loved that once they were together they were in it for real and there was an emphasis on communication, expression, and honesty. The angst came from when those things didn’t happen as well as the reveal to family. That was drama with a side of baggage, but was resolved realistically and with love and patience. Abel’s BPD wasn’t brushed under the rug or dramatized but was addressed with authenticity and understanding. The genuine way each issue was dealt with made the characters feel real and the story believable. Add to that all the feels from mutual adoration society that is Madigan and Abel and you’ve got major win.
This was absolutely fantastic not only due to the storyline, the couple and kink but just the attention to detail that Cara Dee put into it. I could not put this one down.
First, let me say that Cara Dee does a phenomenal job handling bipolar disorder and overall panic attacks. I love how she translated it in a way that wasn’t simply listing information about bipolar but showed it naturally as part of the story. She reinforced the importance of keeping schedules, medication and therapy but in such a way it wasn’t a lecture. It gave the reader ability to connect. Overall, she showed an understanding of the disease. Second, Cara Dee treated the BDSM aspect with significant respect and understanding.
As for character development, the characters in this book really came alive. While this is a standalone, I do think because I read the previous ones I was emotionally invested from the beginning. Yet that does not diminish her ability to really set these characters apart. Considering I originally read about Abel when he was a child, the author’s ability to transition him into adulthood without making it jarring was superb. Madigan’s character was equally as impressive. The author did an amazing job showing the tension between both Abel and Madigan as they took the journey together. I also loved Gray in this book. As always, Cara Dee doesn’t just throw in extra characters unnecessarily, she succeeds at adding them and giving them complexity and fitting the storyline perfectly. The world building was consistent and vivid.
Definitely some very hot kinky scenes but it’s more than just sex with her books. It’s the overall deepness in a relationship. She nailed it perfectly.
5 stars for a kinky, sexy and realistic story