"She holds the cards, but can she win the game?"

A well-established pediatrician by day, Friday nights Lauren would relax and become the Dominatrix she discovered herself to be in collage. This hadn't been enough, though, when she discovered that the man she had given her heart to didn't belong to her. Taking some time for herself at a friend's island get-away seemed to be ideal.

Josh now spends all his time on the island as caretaker of the homes of the artists who intermittently stay there. He enjoys the solitude. Watching Lauren as she arrives on the island, he realizes she is here to vanquish some personal demons.

When Lauren first meets Josh, she is half-naked in a tree. After her shock is under control, she believes she has nothing to fear from him. Josh, on the other hand, experiences an amazing amount of desire for her. Josh, with his friend Marcus, end up coming to her rescue. Soon Lauren discovers herself "at the mercy of a miracle, two nurturing men." Then Marcus brings out the cards...to play a game. It is a game that Marcus hopes might somehow heal Josh of the pain he bears in his heart, perhaps even his soul, and Lauren is quite willing to be a 'comrade-in-arms' in this situation and perhaps experience some of her own healing.

Ah, let the games begin...

I admit to admiring a tasteful tattoo, especially on a man. I thought Josh was absolutely great, absolutely beautiful. The problems the heroine and the hero must overcome are very well depicted. The descriptive scenes in this story are certainly a sensual delight. A lot of sexual teasing goes on. The author has a wonderful way with words. Notwithstanding, there were times when I wished for less words and more action. Also, to be completely honest, a lot less Marcus would have made this story more enjoyable for me.

Sensuality--NC 17. Oral sex; masturbation; descriptive sex; voyeurism; blunt and some crude language; sex toys; same gender sex; anal sex; ménage à trois. Sexually explicit scenes: 6.

Reviewed by Flora Bell
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Posted January 17, 2003

Summary

Lauren is a successful doctor with a healthy attitude toward sex, unashamed of her proclivities as a sexual dominant. She wants love and a family, but she's beginning to believe there is no Mr. Right willing to stand by her in sickness and health...and be cuffed, stripped, and smacked with a riding crop.

Then her friend Lisette invites her to spend a long weekend on a private island. It turns out Lisette can't come with her, but Lauren opts to go anyway, with no one for company but Joshua, the island caretaker, and his visiting friend, Marcus. Though both men are beautiful, it is Joshua that catches Lauren's attention, and not just because Marcus prefers men.

Something in Josh's stormy eyes calls to her. When Marcus facilitates a game of submission and control between the three of them that will last throughout the weekend, Lauren embraces the opportunity. Josh overwhelms her with his willingness to submit to her body's desires, but her heart wants to get to the secrets behind those eyes. She is going to have to tear down his defenses and make him give her everything. And this is one Mistress who doesn't take no for an answer...

Sexual Content: NC-17. Genre: BDSM.