Dara Girard Power Play

Power Play. Dara Girard. Harlequin Kimani, Jul 2008, $5.99 ISBN: 9780373860746

Mary Reyland is the poster woman for someone to pick on; a victim preferring flight over fight, Mart is used and abused at work and treated even worse in her relationships. Tired of it all, she decides no more crap on the job and no more dates with SOBs who treat her like dirt.

When the Black Stockings Society invites her to join, she initially was going to decline feeling unworthy; but thinking of her vow she decides to wear the power stockings at important business meetings and in her personal life. Edmund Davis decides Mary is perfect to oversee his investment into The New Day Senior Living Community project because he assumes he can pound the mouse into strict adherence to his concept. Instead he is stunned that Mary pushes back and that he likes her pushing back.

Mary is a fabulous lead character as she has a zillion mental issues starting with esteem so low, it can't be measured. Edmund is somewhat cold with his 'arctic' eyes, but he is fully developed and arrogant from start to finish. However the first Black Stockings saga belongs to the heroine whose efforts to find a backbone and show some spunk for a change make for an insightful tale as she is the 'Cowardly Lion ' seeking courage with the wizard being her peers at the society she joined.

Harriet Klausner