Today I'm hosting a huge tour for Tracy Wolff's Play Me series published by Loveswept. This is a five part serial that tells the story of Aria, a Vegas casino cocktail waitress, and Sebastian, the son of the casino's owner. I've got blurbs for each part in the series, an excerpt, a review and a giveaway!
For the rest of the stops on the tour, check out Tasty Book Tours.
The Book
Wolff’s
Play Me series centers on the love story between Aria Winston, a
cocktail waitress at one of Vegas’ hottest five-star casinos and
Sebastian Caine, the casino owner’s son and handpicked successor.
It is an erotic romance series intended for mature audiences.
The
titles include:
Play
Me 1: Wild; Play Me 2: Hot Play Me 3: Hard; Play Me 4: Real; and Play
Me 5: Right.
Fans
of Wolff’s bestselling Ethan Frost series will be excited to learn
that the characters in Play Me are closely connected to Ethan Frost
and Chloe Girard from Addicted and Ruined—and that Ethan and Chloe
make cameo appearances in Play Me. The third installment in the Ethan
Frost series Exposed, coming February 2015, will feature the
characters from both series.
Play
Me #1: Play Me Wild
In the
seductive first installment of an eBook original serial from the New
York Times bestselling
author of Ruined andAddicted,
a woman running from her past has finally found a bit of control . .
. until her powerful new boss makes her go wild.My name is Aria Winston. I’ve fought desperately to escape the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas. Now I’m on my own, in control of my own life and my own destiny . . . just the way I like it. Until Sebastian Caine changes everything.
Working as a cocktail waitress at one of Vegas’s hottest five-star casinos means putting up with a ton of bad behavior from the big spenders. But it pays the bills—and that’s all that matters to Aria, who needs every last dollar to escape from her father’s destructive grasp and the brutal man he expects her to marry. But when she lashes out against a billionaire who won’t take no for an answer, she nearly loses everything—until Sebastian steps in.
The
owner’s son and handpicked successor, Sebastian is dark, sexy, and
kinder than any rich man should be. And when he apologizes and offers
to keep her job safe, Aria can’t help the way her body reacts to
his. Suddenly her job, and the security it brings her, isn’t the
only thing Aria wants.Play
Me is an
erotic serial intended for mature audiences. Aria and Sebastian’s
story continues in Play
Me: Hot.
Play
Me #2: Play Me Hot
Return
to a world of secrets and desires. In the sultry second installment
of an eBook original serial from the New
York Times bestselling
author of Ruined and Addicted,
Aria and Sebastian turn up the heat. But will they get burned?
My name is Aria Winston. I’ve fought desperately to escape the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas. Now I’m on my own, in control of my own life and my own destiny . . . just the way I like it. Until Sebastian Caine changes everything.
If getting tangled up with her new boss is wrong, Aria doesn’t want to be right. Powerful men usually have a way of thinking they can take whatever they want while giving nothing back, but Sebastian is different. He’s gentle with her body. Rough in all the right places. And hot enough to make Aria break every last rule she’s set for herself. But with her history, it’ll take more than mind-blowing sex to heal the pain deep inside . . . no matter how good Sebastian’s intentions are. She’s spent her entire life fighting for control of her own life, and no one’s going to take that from her. But the more time she spends in Sebastian’s world, the deeper she’s drawn into his sensual games.Play Me is an erotic serial intended for mature audiences. Aria and Sebastian’s story continues in Play Me: Hard.
My name is Aria Winston. I’ve fought desperately to escape the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas. Now I’m on my own, in control of my own life and my own destiny . . . just the way I like it. Until Sebastian Caine changes everything.
If getting tangled up with her new boss is wrong, Aria doesn’t want to be right. Powerful men usually have a way of thinking they can take whatever they want while giving nothing back, but Sebastian is different. He’s gentle with her body. Rough in all the right places. And hot enough to make Aria break every last rule she’s set for herself. But with her history, it’ll take more than mind-blowing sex to heal the pain deep inside . . . no matter how good Sebastian’s intentions are. She’s spent her entire life fighting for control of her own life, and no one’s going to take that from her. But the more time she spends in Sebastian’s world, the deeper she’s drawn into his sensual games.Play Me is an erotic serial intended for mature audiences. Aria and Sebastian’s story continues in Play Me: Hard.
Play
Me #3: Play Me Hard
No
one ever said love is easy. In the third installment of an eBook
original serial from the New York Times bestselling author
of Ruined and Addicted,
Aria and Sebastian discover that building trust might be harder than
they ever imagined.
My name is Aria Winston. I’ve fought desperately to escape the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas. Now I’m on my own, in control of my own life and my own destiny . . . just the way I like it. Until Sebastian Caine changes everything.Ever since taking Aria under his wing and into his seductive domain, Sebastian hasn’t been able to think straight. Their chemistry is intoxicating. Their power exchange is exhilarating. And the sex leaves them both absolutely exhausted. But if there’s one thing Sebastian does know, it’s that he needs to protect this strong yet vulnerable woman. Because she has depths that are unknown—even to her. Aria has worked hard to establish herself as anything but submissive. That isn’t who she is, or who she wants to be. So why does it feel so sweet to give up control . . . and so intense when Sebastian takes care of needs she doesn’t even realize she has? But he has needs of his own—and secrets that run just as dark and deep as Aria’s.
Play Me is an erotic serial intended for mature audiences. Aria and Sebastian’s story continues in Play Me: Real.
My name is Aria Winston. I’ve fought desperately to escape the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas. Now I’m on my own, in control of my own life and my own destiny . . . just the way I like it. Until Sebastian Caine changes everything.Ever since taking Aria under his wing and into his seductive domain, Sebastian hasn’t been able to think straight. Their chemistry is intoxicating. Their power exchange is exhilarating. And the sex leaves them both absolutely exhausted. But if there’s one thing Sebastian does know, it’s that he needs to protect this strong yet vulnerable woman. Because she has depths that are unknown—even to her. Aria has worked hard to establish herself as anything but submissive. That isn’t who she is, or who she wants to be. So why does it feel so sweet to give up control . . . and so intense when Sebastian takes care of needs she doesn’t even realize she has? But he has needs of his own—and secrets that run just as dark and deep as Aria’s.
Play Me is an erotic serial intended for mature audiences. Aria and Sebastian’s story continues in Play Me: Real.
Play
Me #4: Play Me Real
How
do you know when something’s real? In the steamy fourth installment
of an eBook original serial from the New
York Times bestselling
author of Ruined and Addicted,
a devastating betrayal unravels a fierce yet tender connection.
My name is Aria Winston. I’ve fought desperately to escape the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas. Now I’m on my own, in control of my own life and my own destiny . . . just the way I like it. Until Sebastian Caine changes everything.
Aria has learned to play Sebastian’s game. She’s given him control, taken it back, and let him push her farther than she ever imagined she could go. But when Sebastian’s past comes to light, Aria receives a glimpse behind the facade—a revelation that disturbs her even as it makes her feel closer to this simmering, complicated man. Finally she comes to understand the real reason why Sebastian feels the need to dominate everything in his path. But Aria has a tortured history, too. And together they’re a dangerous combination. Now she’s the one pushing Sebastian to the breaking point . . . and if one of them burns up, they’ll both go down together.Play Me is an erotic serial intended for mature audiences. Aria and Sebastian’s story concludes in Play Me: Right.
My name is Aria Winston. I’ve fought desperately to escape the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas. Now I’m on my own, in control of my own life and my own destiny . . . just the way I like it. Until Sebastian Caine changes everything.
Aria has learned to play Sebastian’s game. She’s given him control, taken it back, and let him push her farther than she ever imagined she could go. But when Sebastian’s past comes to light, Aria receives a glimpse behind the facade—a revelation that disturbs her even as it makes her feel closer to this simmering, complicated man. Finally she comes to understand the real reason why Sebastian feels the need to dominate everything in his path. But Aria has a tortured history, too. And together they’re a dangerous combination. Now she’s the one pushing Sebastian to the breaking point . . . and if one of them burns up, they’ll both go down together.Play Me is an erotic serial intended for mature audiences. Aria and Sebastian’s story concludes in Play Me: Right.
Play
Me #5: Play Me Right
Good
things never have to end. Tracy Wolff, the New
York Times bestselling author
of Ruined and Addicted,
brings her eBook original serial to an unforgettable climax in Play
Me’s sensational
finale . . . for now.My name is Aria Winston. I’ve fought desperately to escape the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas. Now I’m in control of my own life and my own destiny . . . but my future belongs to Sebastian Caine.
Technically, Aria may still be in one piece, but she’s feeling pretty damn close to broken. While she knows Sebastian would die before hurting her, their intense, steamy encounters have opened up old wounds in them both. Now Aria is considering the unthinkable: walking away again—this time to save Sebastian from the pain she knows her past will cause him. But Sebastian’s the one who set her free in the first place—how can she not show him the same care and compassion? Because, in the end, being together forever is the only thing that feels right.Play Me is an erotic serial intended for mature audiences.
From Play Me Wild
Sebastian
There
are two different video clips, one that’s five minutes long and one
that is twenty-four minutes. I click on the five minute one first,
then watch as Rubinov walks his fingers up the thigh of a pretty
redhead about twenty years his junior. From the way she’s shoving
at his hand and looking around for help, she doesn’t look like
she’s enjoying the attention.
Angrily,
I note the way she makes eye contact with the dealer—and how the
dealer very deliberately looks away. “What the hell was that?” I
demand.
“I
don’t know.” Todd sounds as pissed off as I feel. “David and I
have different styles of running things, but neither of us are okay
with customers being harassed. Even by the high rollers.”
The fact
that he has to qualify it that way only makes me more annoyed. I grew
up in Vegas, in a casino about two blocks up the Strip and then in
this one. I went to Harvard, worked in high-finance fund-raising. I
know how this rarified world works. How money gives men a false sense
of control, makes men think they can have anything they want.
That
doesn’t mean I have to like it.
Twenty
seconds later, a cocktail waitress—the
cocktail waitress, I assume—comes into view. She’s dressed in the
short navy skirt, crisp white blouse and fishnets that all the
cocktail waitresses here wear and I can tell right away that Todd is
right. The woman really is a looker.
She’s
gorgeous actually, and for a minute I’m so busy staring at her that
I lose track of what it is I’m supposed to be doing. Her dark hair
is shoulder length and tied back in a ponytail that only emphasizes
her stunning bone structure and long, delicate neck. She’s got dark
eyes, plump lips, olive skin. She also has an angry flush to her
cheeks that only makes her more attractive.
As does
the control over herself—and her temper—that I can tell she’s
exerting.
Interested
now, as much in her as in the situation, I watch the way she moves,
the way she holds herself. She’s tall even without the high heels
she’s wearing, at least six foot with them, all long legs and curvy
hips and an ass that looks like a million bucks in that skirt. And
she carries herself like she knows she’s too good for this job, too
good for this place.
Shit. Is
it any wonder all the rich letches hassle her? For most of the guys
she comes into contact with on a daily basis, self-denial isn’t
exactly a concept they’re familiar with. Hell, I’m a pretty
straightforward, always-be-respectful-when-it-comes-to-women kind of
guy and all I can think about is testing that control, seeing how far
I can take her before she loses it completely.
But even
as I’m thinking it, she does lose it completely—though not in the
way I’ve spent the last couple minutes imagining. Instead, she
pulls back her tray and racks the guy, her long, curvy body moving
with perfect precision. The unexpectedness—even with Todd’s
warning—snaps me out of my momentary stupor and I start the clip
over. I watch it again, this time paying attention to what’s going
on instead of how much I want to test the waitress’s control.
This erotic romance is very sexy. There's multiple sex scenes, with varying amounts of kink revolving around the idea of control. These were mostly successful, I thought, so that's a point in the series' favour. I liked the way the series was careful to describe Aria dropping into subspace. I found her journey towards understanding her own sexuality in the new context that Sebastian provided very intriguing.
I had a harder time with Sebastian. He's got that wealthy, powerful, protective, sexy thing going on, which is all well and good. Sebastian says a lot of things about dominance and submission and control that I really liked. I appreciated the discussion around submission being about having control - that submission is very powerful and so forth. I've always enjoyed BDSM novels that really emphasize the control that the sub has over the situation. That they can immediately stop a scene, and where doms are in it for the sub's enjoyment and pleasure before their own. That all said, I found that Sebastian's actions didn't always meet the standard set by his words. At a few points, I found his self-involvement (versus awareness of Aria's needs) to be rather frustrating.
Otherwise, the writing is very strong. The chapters flip back and forth between Aria and Sebastian and I had a really strong sense of both characters as individuals. I always had a very clear image of what was happening in my mind's eye, which is the sign of a good book. The plot was pretty entertaining - the chemistry between Aria and Sebastian was enough to hook me. There's also some business around the high roller in the excerpt, Aria's identity, and Sebastian's past. I did think the latter two points were reserved for a little late in the story - mainly coming up in the fifth book. Because of the serialisation breaks, I'm not sure how these plot threads could have been teased out across the series in a way that wouldn't have left the reader really confused or frustrated by the wait for concrete answers.
I loved the Vegas setting and that the series doesn't shy away from the darker side of Vegas. Instead of glitz and glam, Play Me acknowledges the arrogance of high rollers, the mistreatment of women and the role of the mob and criminals in keeping the wheels turning.
As a companion to the Ethan Frost stories, this series was heavier on erotic content, and tipped towards the kinky end of things. I would like to read more about these characters, so ultimately success!
The Bottom Line:
Play Me is an erotic journey worth taking. Aria is sassy and no nonsense, while Sebastian provides a protective and alluring presence to the series. Play Me plays with the idea of control - sometimes more successfully than others - and is ultimately satisfying. I absolutely recommend it for fans of erotica or of Wolff's Ethan Frost books.
4 stars
For fans of erotica, dominance/submission stories, Vegas
About the Author
Tracy
Wolff lives with four men, teaches writing to local college students
and spends as much time as she can manage immersed in worlds of her
own creation. Married to the alpha hero of her dreams for twelve
years, she is the mother of three young sons who spend most of their
time trying to make her as crazy as possible.
Thank you for hosting today!
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