A young woman freefalls into a โfastย .ย .ย . stark swirl of sex, violence and near-madnessโ in this daring novel of dark desire (Publishers Weekly).
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When Josie, an anthropology grad student, is unexpectedly offered a job as the nanny for a six-year-old boy, she innocently accepts. Though Josie doesnโt necessarily need the job, thereโs something about her wardโs single mom, Maryโher beauty, her confidence, her resemblance to Josieโs estranged motherโthatโs soothing to Josie. It also breeds betrayal when Josie moves in on Maryโs crush, Devesh. An Indian surgeon ten years Josieโs senior, Devesh is a strong and enigmatic man who pulls Josie into a dizzying world of sexual domination and submission that speaks to her deeply hidden impulses. In this world of increasingly brutal games, Josie is forced to confront her damaged and disturbing past.
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An unflinching look at the irrevocable consequences of giving in to our most secret passions, Playing โis a breathless read, whose rewards are both unpredictable and unforgettableโ (Howard Norman, Whiting Award-winning author ofย The Bird Artist).