Power Play (Camassia Cove Universe Book 8)

Cara Dee introduced me to the wonderful world of Daddy/Little kink and since then, I just can’t. Even. Resist. And there’s always such complex characters with phenomenal world-building, and I never want to leave. In Power Play we have Mad and Abel who are all kinds of perfect for each other.I think this might be the most romantic book of Cara’s I’ve read to date, and I absolutely devoured it.Abel has been in love with his parent's best friend since he was twelve. But Abel's declaration of love for Mad goes unanswered, and the loose ends leave Abel floundering for stability. It also exacerbates Abel's bipolar disorder. He has fits of rage and anxiety alongside his battles with self-esteem and self-worth.I haven’t read a book that tackles bipolar disorder, and it was so well-done here. Abel needs structure in his life, and he's aware of the rough patch he’s going through. Abel’s character arc really shines here. There’s so much Abel has come to acknowledge about his disorder, but he’s taking it on with a conviction and courage that really pulled me in.Enter the older, loveable, care-giver Madigan. Abel's declaration sends him for a loop, and Mad has some big reservations even though (or because of) his significant history with Abel and Abel's family. Mad withdraws until he's sent reeling again that his kinks might just match up to Abel's. Talk about a lesson in resistance!I just loved Madigan something fierce. He’s so patient and caring, and oh, my god. The happy sighs and heart clutches were strong in this one! Watching Mad and Abel go toe-to-toe was addictive. It’s moderately heavy on the DD/lb arena, and I ate it up. The dynamic and how it draws these two together really worked, and the vibe off these two was intense.I also loved seeing Gray and Abel’s relationship, too! As an aside there was one scene of consensual M/M/M.The blend of plot, and sex, and acceptance was just perfection. The journey for all the characters is epic and takes us on a ride that I won’t soon forget.5 stars!

Only Cara Dee could make me enjoy a story with Daddy kink. I wasn’t even completely squicked out every time Abel called Mad “Daddy”. Unlike some other books with this theme, Abel doesn’t feel or sound like a little kid and Mad really doesn’t treat him that way, at least not entirely. He does in some aspects but their history, as Abel grew up with a bi-polar condition, accounted for some of it. With the story coming entirely from Abel’s POV, he sounded his age and he sounded like a guy dealing with a bi-polar condition. His requirements for schedules and stable regimens fit into the dynamic. There wasn’t an over abundance of sex scenes but enough to suit the kinky theme. It’s probably going to be kinkier than some readers will like but I will refrain from saying just how silly I think that kind of attitude is about fictional sex. Oops, guess I said it anyway. But I loved it. Hot af.The excerpt for Gray’s story was chilling and I’ll be anxiously waiting for that. In the meantime, I’ll be catching up on the other Camassia Cove MM stories I’ve missed.

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

I am a fan of Cara Dee and have a number of her books, but this one, meh. A three star rating for the first half, then for me it went downhill faster than a slalom racer. Initially the dynamic between Mad and Abel I could understand and I liked their relationship. Mad didn't react as I suppose I thought he would have done at Abel's confession of his feelings, particularly knowing Abel so well and the problems he had. I didn't like the shower scene and when Gray became involved I turned off completely. It felt wrong. I can be a fan of BDSM but have realised the Daddy thing, in a context that doesn't feel right made me feel uncomfortable. Will check out the rest of the series, but I suspect this one has turned me off.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was my first time reading a DD/lb and I loved every second of it.This is a low angst romance book with a sweet HEA. I instantly fell in love and became invested in the side characters too. I really should’ve started with book 1 and after Power Play I definitely will. I cant wait to read Gray’s book next!

Having read a number of Cara Dee's books, they're good - she writes well and her stories normally are a no-brainer of a buy and read. However, this one though just didn't gel. There was nothing wrong with the faultless writing, it was just the storyline the wasn't particularly enjoyable & a bit of a let-down for this Carmassia Cove series - have enjoyed all the others.As another reviewer put it, it made this reader slightly uncomfortable at times - why? The shower scene with the addition of Gray; Mad & Abel's weird relationship - one minute hating each other, the next minute all over each other and then the whole 'daddy' thing. Hmmm. This reader did not find the characters particularly engaging or likeable.Won't stop me reading other's of Dee's books, but this one was a bit of a disappointment.

If you like this genre, then this is a good read. I liked the characters and their interactions between old characters from previous books in the series. The storyline is pretty standard but interesting none the less. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

i liked this book as it i ehjoy reading daddy/little books. the se scenes were good and it was good to see a MC who has a disability. why didnt i give it five stars? well for me i felt there wasnt enough daddy little time and exploration in this. also the main BDSM scene where adel gets punished came out of nowhere and there was no build up to the punishment. having said that overall it was a nice story with a HEA