Reviewed by Jess
TITLE: The Power to Rise
AUTHOR: Nanisi Barrett D’Arnuk
PUBLISHER: JMS Books
LENGTH: 197 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 29, 2019
BLURB:
Shelby Flynn is the very successful conductor of the Oakwood Philharmonic Orchestra, with degrees from Boston University and UCLA. She recently turned forty, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she feels something is missing in her life. She hasn’t had a serious relationship in several years, and there doesn’t seem to be the right woman for her in Oakwood, California. She knows — she’s been looking for the six long years she’s lived there.
Maybe, when her contract expires this spring, Shelby should move home to Boston and look for a new position … and better relationship opportunities.
Then her best friend Earl suggests she go see a woman he knows, a professional dominatrix who is a world authority on sexual problems. Perhaps Mistress can take away some of Shelby’s angst and problems.
But is Shelby ready for the consequences?
REVIEW:
I love stories that examine power exchanges and dynamics in already-complex relationships. The story flips the script on the traditional tale of an enlightened woman falling in love with a sex worker by having the women fall for each other in equal measure, while also giving both characters power, agency, and command over different aspects of their lives. This is a story about mature, accomplished women finding their footing with each other and making a very unique relationship work.
Shelby is an accomplished classical music conductor, but she finds herself needing something more. Her best friend suggests a session with Mistress Janet St. Claire, a professional domme who excels at getting clients to let go. The session works, and afterwards, Shelby experiences a dramatic upswing in her career, leading her to new opportunities as a conductor. She finds that she needs to be submissive to Janet right before she takes back that energy to conduct a powerhouse show, letting herself sink into both roles as she needs them.
But she also can’t get Janet out of her head. The two women soon let professional boundaries slip as they fall into an easy relationship. Love comes fast for them, but it all feels so warm and organic. They are two grown women who can talk freely about their pasts and feelings, cutting out all potential communication errors that often arise in new couples. As they grow closer, we meet Janet’s kids and Shelby’s co-workers, who give this story a rich background and allow us to know Janet and Shelby even better.
I also like how domme work is portrayed so positively in this story. Janet is a trained psychologist and human behavior expert who takes her craft seriously, and so do her family, friends, and readers of her books. Her status as a “sexpert” is treated with admiration and curiosity rather than giggles from her peers. And in the end, she continues her work, even as she falls in love with Shelby—there is no “saving of sex workers” in this story, thank goodness.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, though it is at times uneven. The story takes a little too long to decide what it truly is—erotic? Contemporary? Love over 40? The first quarter is almost pure BDSM erotica, which segues into a nice romance, then turns into a career drama that has Shelby questioning her life choices and embarking in a big career change. I liked all of these elements, but it was a little scattered, as if D’Arnuk herself didn’t have the best handle on it as she wrote.
If you want a no-nonsense, low-stakes romance about powerful women falling in love, this is your read for summer.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: