Book Review: Separation Games

Separation Games (The Games Duet #2)
C.D. Reiss

Release Date: January 3, 2017

Book Description:
The stunning conclusion to the New York Times Bestseller.

These are the unbreakable rules in the game.
Stay collected. Compartmentalize. Think your next move through. Never let your heart dictate your tactics.

The heart is impulsive.
The heart makes bad decisions.
The heart doesn’t see the long game.

Because the heart may have decided to get Adam back, but when the endgame comes, the heart’s going to be the first thing to break.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
If I had to pick one adjective to describe the feeling this novel invoked it would be "exasperating".

I know I will probably get some backlash from all the Reiss' fans (and I do count myself among them) but I couldn't bring myself to find anything redeeming in either Diana nor Adam throughout this novel. And as they went on and on, in the angst-drenched mess of a relationship my irritation and dislike of these characters grew exponentially stronger.



Don't get me wrong, Reiss is one of the best erotica writers I've read, her BDSM series including The Submission Series, Songs of Perdition, and even Corruption are beautifully written and often poignant. Her prose is poetic in its form, unique and arresting. It is able to tell stories of human feelings and relationships, discovery and understanding, describe the sadness of emotion and so much more. But this...

It saddens me to write this but I was not OK with events taking place in this novel. This is not a relationship I can stand by and cheer. I also had a hard time accepting Diana's drastic transformation and acceptance of a lifestyle she has come to experience for mere days, juxtaposed with her flakiness and indecision. The back and forth was too much. Her sudden "necessity" to give up all control, be broken by Adam, in what seemed to be a reenactment of his rape-scene with his ex-sub, in order to get past the loss of her father was just unacceptable to me. This whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth, no pun intended.

I cannot quite recall at this point what made me like and care for these characters in Marriage Games, and having eagerly anticipated this follow-up I feel thoroughly disappointed with the evolution.

I didn't let myself DNF Separation Games out of sheer respect for Ms. Reiss and hope that I will discover something that every raving reviewer saw in these words, these characters... Alas, it was not meant to be.

The Games Duet Series:
Marriage Games
Separation Games