Power Play: A Novel

By: Danielle Steel

Narrated by: Dan John Miller

Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

In Northern California two successful CEOs are both indispensable to their growing companies' futures. Both are brilliant at the power game. But the difference between them is huge. One is a man, the other a woman. In this riveting novel, Danielle Steel explores what that means as she takes listeners into the rarefied world of those at the pinnacle of international business and reveals the irrevocable choices they make, what drives them, and how others perceive them.

Even though Harvard-educated Fiona Carson has proven herself under fire as CEO of National Technology Advancement, a multibillion-dollar high-tech company based in Palo Alto, California, she still has to meet the challenges of her world every day. Devoted single mother, world-class strategist, and tough negotiator, Fiona weighs every move she makes, and reserves any personal time for her children. Isolation and constant pressure are givens for her as a woman in a man's world.

Miles away in Marin County, Marshall Weston basks in the fruits of his achievements. At his side is his wife, Liz, the perfect corporate spouse, who has gladly sacrificed her own law career to raise their three children and support Marshall at every step. Smooth, shrewd, and irreproachable, Marshall is a model chief executive, and the power he wields only enhances his charisma and is his drug of choice. And to maintain his position, he harbors secrets that could destroy his life at any moment.

Like many women in her position, Fiona has sacrificed her personal life for her career, while Marshall dances dangerously close to the edge and flirts with scandal every day.

Danielle Steel's gripping, emotionally layered novel explores the seductive and damaging nature of power. Success and greed, trust and deception, love and loss - all come to a head in this compelling drama of family, careers, infidelity, and the sacrifices some people make to hold on to power…or to let it go.

©2014 Nora Roberts (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Power Play

Enjoyed this book so much along intriqué with it! Was very pleased on how thé ended! 📖

Power Play Novel

Would you consider the audio edition of Power Play to be better than the print version?

I can't say it if was better than the book, because I usually being buying audio books they don't take as much room and I like to relax and listen to them before I go to bed

A very well written novel!!

The story caught my attention from the first chapter!! I never wanted it to end!! Already have another ready to listen to♥️

Corporate power

The story was a little slow and I didn’t like that someone with power and ignorance like that did not get the punishment he deserved. Why did he get to keep doing what he did… use his power to take advantage of yet another victim.

a must read.

loved it. it was definitely worth buying. i will recommend it to my fellow reads.

Great story

Just wished a female narrator had told the story on behalf of Fiona since she was the main character in this story.

Clichéd plot and lazy, boring, writing.

The female CEO is a perfect person and perfect mother constantly abused by men. The male CEO is a pompous philanderer. The moral of the story seems to be that women handle power better than men because they do not become corrupted by it. This is both sexist and scientifically invalid. Studies have shown that men and women respond to power in the same way. Power actually does increase promiscuity among both men and women. Of course, there still remains the double standard in which female promiscuity is viewed more negatively than male promiscuity--so women mind their P's and Q's better than men because the repercussions are harsher for them. But if we lived in a world where half the CEOs were women, a world where men and women were held to the same standards, men would probably behave better and women would probably behave a little worse then they do now.

Another issue this book is poor storytelling. I was surprise because I know Ms. Steel is a bestselling author. I was not very engaged because the author woulds mention so-and-so thought or said something without actually presenting the dialogue. We are told the story without experiencing it with the characters. Very boring and flat.

Finally, this particular male narrator is really not good at female voices.

Great Book

Pretty predictable but a good listen if you just need a break. from the stress in your life.

Power Play

Any additional comments?

About ten hours of listening, read by Dan John Miller. Miller has read other Steel books. Males reading romance novels is silly, in my opinion, especially one written by a woman. It just doesn’t work. But, that’s just me.

Power Play is the author’s perception of the business CEO. Moral of the story? Men can pretty much do whatever they please, women … not so much. Nothing knew there. Typical of Steel, eyes fill with tears, the comeuppance due is soundly delivered, and no surprise … a happy-happy-happy ending. Two CEOs, one male, one female, are the protagonists. The male is a philanderer, with a sad-sac mistress, a ‘good wife’, and has kids by both women; he’s a scumbag. The female is a goody-two-shoes-mom-of-the-year single mother. The story parallels their two lives and the reader is gifted with the knowledge of sexual disparities as old as time itself.

If you like Danielle Steel, you’ll enjoy another brainless-beach-read, i.e., Steel stories aren’t intended to increase gray-matter. If you don’t like Steel, well … you probably won’t even pick up Power Play :-).

sensational

enticing read. characters realistic and story lines believable. enjoyed the multiple relationships and how their lives intertwined. would be great to see liz story after her move.