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imme_van_gorp 's review for:
Power Play
by Cara Dee
I'm conflicted about this one.
Abel was a great character, and I thought his many mental health issues were portrayed in a good and interesting way. He was a very sweet, confused, and helpless guy. His anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder were a heavy burden on his shoulders with which he obviously struggled a great deal. It should have been easy to care about him, yet something about this story held me back from getting fully invested in his character. I liked him, but still.
When it comes to Abel and Mad's relationship I couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable. Don't get me wrong; they had their cute moments, and their dynamic could be good at times. I liked the intensity of their love and how much they both cared about the other: they were each other's whole damn world. The longing/pining was good too. Nonetheless, I often couldn't help but find them slightly off-putting.
Honestly, Mad gave me quite a lot of 'bad vibes'. Not only do I think he took advantage of Abel depending on him, I also feel like it's hard to overlook the fact that he's known Abel since Abel was 6 years old while Mad was a full-grown adult at the time. Even worse, he's been a steady fixture in Abel's life since he was 12, and he's basically helped raise him. So.. When he suddenly starts wanting to have sex with Abel at 19 years old, and eventually even ends up in a Daddy/boy relationship with him when he's 21, I can't help but get the creeps.
It also didn't help that we only read from Mad's perspective in the prologue while the rest of the book is entirely from Abel's POV. We basically have no idea how Mad thinks about Abel when it comes to his private thoughts. How does he view Abel? Is it as creepy as it looks? We don't know. Thus, I was uncomfortable.
I honestly believe Abel deserved better, especially considering Mad ghosted him for like a year when he confessed his feelings for the first time. His best friend, Gray, however, was there for him through thick and thin, always supporting him and helping him with everyday life issues as well as his mental health, which made me ask the question: why couldn't Abel end up with Gray instead? I know they weren't perfectly compatible sexually with the whole sub/dom thing, but still...
Anyway, there were things I enjoyed from this book, but there were obvious reasons as to why I didn't love it or feel a very strong connection to it.
Abel was a great character, and I thought his many mental health issues were portrayed in a good and interesting way. He was a very sweet, confused, and helpless guy. His anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder were a heavy burden on his shoulders with which he obviously struggled a great deal. It should have been easy to care about him, yet something about this story held me back from getting fully invested in his character. I liked him, but still.
When it comes to Abel and Mad's relationship I couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable. Don't get me wrong; they had their cute moments, and their dynamic could be good at times. I liked the intensity of their love and how much they both cared about the other: they were each other's whole damn world. The longing/pining was good too. Nonetheless, I often couldn't help but find them slightly off-putting.
Honestly, Mad gave me quite a lot of 'bad vibes'. Not only do I think he took advantage of Abel depending on him, I also feel like it's hard to overlook the fact that he's known Abel since Abel was 6 years old while Mad was a full-grown adult at the time. Even worse, he's been a steady fixture in Abel's life since he was 12, and he's basically helped raise him. So.. When he suddenly starts wanting to have sex with Abel at 19 years old, and eventually even ends up in a Daddy/boy relationship with him when he's 21, I can't help but get the creeps.
It also didn't help that we only read from Mad's perspective in the prologue while the rest of the book is entirely from Abel's POV. We basically have no idea how Mad thinks about Abel when it comes to his private thoughts. How does he view Abel? Is it as creepy as it looks? We don't know. Thus, I was uncomfortable.
I honestly believe Abel deserved better, especially considering Mad ghosted him for like a year when he confessed his feelings for the first time. His best friend, Gray, however, was there for him through thick and thin, always supporting him and helping him with everyday life issues as well as his mental health, which made me ask the question: why couldn't Abel end up with Gray instead? I know they weren't perfectly compatible sexually with the whole sub/dom thing, but still...
Anyway, there were things I enjoyed from this book, but there were obvious reasons as to why I didn't love it or feel a very strong connection to it.