All of us live with a demon inside. Some days, you control the demon. And other days, it controls you. But the one thing that never changes is that it’s always hungry. It feeds on lust and longing. You may slumber, but the demon never sleeps. It tempts you into crossing every line you’ve ever drawn, and all the while, it tests you, haunts you. And once it has turned your loved ones into enemies, the demon has consumed you whole. ~Jordana
Jordana Albanese grew up in a world that spun with lies, secrets, and multiple sins. Her father, Gene—reigning king in the Mafia for the last few decades—never protected her from his underworld dealings (La Coso Nostra). She learned at a young age that in order to survive in her world, one must be dominant. She wore the shield of control on a daily basis, but all she wanted was to slip it off and discard it like yesterday’s laundry. Except, letting it go would mean letting it all go. And she didn’t want that. She learned of a compromise—to let go of control in private, behind a closed door, with the orders of him. Not simply to be controlled, but to be dominated. The only problem was that her ambitions cut bone deep. Deeper than her Dom’s belt on her ass. Deeper than the marks from the restraints he used to subdue and pleasure her. The enduring marks were not visible to the human eye. They were profound wounds—scars—on her soul that only she could feel.
And that’s where she found the perfect balance in the two. Her submissive tendencies served her well in the bedroom. However, in public, she was very much as dominant as her male counterparts.
AMAZON * AMAZON UK
In order for women to wield power, they need to be able to use all of their assets, wearing a mask of control, devoid of emotions, because anything that makes them look inferior will be used against them and define them as weak, forcing them to submit to men in all aspects of their lives.
Jordana Albanese, a Mafia princess, refuses to be perceived as someone who will bend to any man’s whim/order. She learned early on how to survive the dark world she was born into by showing no weakness and shielding herself from being taken advantage of by anyone who sees her as a puppet to be controlled. But what no one knows about Jordana, except HIM, is that in order to deal with the chaos of her world, she needs to be able to let go in a way that allows her to feel the freedom of submission by being dominated by a man she trusts not only with her body but also with her heart, regardless of how their relationship started.
At the heart of The Power of a Woman is the love story that develops between two people who are not supposed to be together due to the bad blood between their families. But Gina Whitney and Leddy Harper craft their story in such a way that it cannot be denied how much Jordana and Stefan help each other to do more than simply exist in the dark and dangerous world of the Mafia. Jordana is Stefan’s treasure and he will do anything to protect her, even from herself. I loved how Whitney and Harper transform Stefan’s character as his feelings for Jordana intensify; the difference between his actions at the beginning of the story and then as the plan started coming together allows readers to see his true feelings and why he always needed to stay in control. Nothing Stefan did was without recognition of what Jordana needed and that is clearly demonstrated in all of his actions, even the ones she doesn’t know or understand.
But The Power of a Woman is so much more than simply a love story; it’s about a woman wielding power in a world that could easily destroy her; it’s about her struggle to not lose her confidence and self-worth when she’s faced with circumstances that are out of her control. It’s about trust – in oneself and the man who gives her what she desperately craves. And all of these ideas are clearly demonstrated in a seamless story that will have readers terrified, excited, and definitely hot and bothered.
Gina Whitney is definitely one of my go to authors, so I knew I would thoroughly enjoy Jordana and Stefan’s story, but adding in Leddy Harper’s lightness to Whitney’s darkness adds another dimension to the story telling, allowing the complexity of the characters and story line to maintain a rich blend of shadows and brightness, making it a fantastic reading experience.
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
5 Poison Apples
Gina Whitney
Gina grew up reading Judy Blume, and Nancy Drew books. She was raised in the town of North Valley Stream, New York(Long Island), and attended community college for fashion design. At 19 years old, she opened a boutique. She’s published four novels so far. Blood Ties(PNR), Beautiful Lies, Saving Abel, Forgiving Gia and soon Luca. When she’s not writing, you can find her with friends and family. She resides in Massapequa, NY with her two beautiful boys. Reading has always been a passion and obsession of hers. You can usually find her typing furiously while shouting obscenities over her latest WIP. Her guilty pleasures are: a good laugh, being snarky, espresso, Pistachio ice-cream, alternative music, sunflower seeds, I.P.A’s, twizzlers, and above all steamy swooning angst filled novels. She’s pathologically obsessed with anything to do with royals, Games of Thrones, White Queen, Vampire Diaries, Resurrection, SOA, The Vikings and The Originals. If you’d like to chat, hit her up on Facebook or Twitter.
Leddy Harper
Leddy Harper had to use her imagination often as a child. She grew up the only girl in a house full of boys. At the age of fourteen, she decided to use that imagination and wrote her first book, and never stopped.
She often calls writing her therapy, using it as a way to deal with issues through the eyes of her characters.
She is now a mother of three girls, leaving her husband as the only man in a house full of females.
The decision to publish her first book was made as a way of showing her children to go after whatever it is they want to. Love what you do and do it well. Most importantly Leddy wanted to teach them what it means to overcome their fears.
Hosted By:
Crista McHugh is an award-winning author of fantasy and romance who writes heroines who are smart, sexy and anything but ordinary. She currently lives in the Audi-filled suburbs of Seattle with her husband and two children, maintaining her alter ego of mild-mannered physician by day while she continues to pursue writing on nights and weekends.
Fairest Of All Book Reviews 
