The is a Steamy Romance, and this is the second book in the Playing for Pleasure series. This is a hot steamy romance with a great storyline. I love the characters in this book. I love how both characters gives themselves so complete to each other. This is a short and quick read, but it was a great time reading this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harlequin Dare) or author (Jackie Ashenden) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Wow!!! I loved this book and have found a new favourite author!! I found the characters to be believable within the setting and I loved how they grew together in a respectful way and in themselves. They don't pretend to be perfect but work with themselves and together to make their HEA.
I received a free copy from NetGalley and am giving an honest review.

Quick read, follows format most of these books follow but had a new twist to the storyline. Would have liked it to spread out more over a time period vs just basically one night. Longer format would have allowed for a fuller development of storyline, felt it was a surface book not deeper.

WITH THE LIGHTS ON is the second instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult PLAYING FOR PLEASURE erotic, romance duet. This is billionaire Trajan Howard-Smith, and escort Maggie Burgess’ story line. WITH THE LIGHTS ON can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Some of the events of WITH THE LIGHTS ON run parallel to and cross over with the events in book one IN THE DARK. Maggie ‘Honey’ Burgess is best friends with Vesta (In the Dark).


Told from dual first person perspectives (Trajan and Maggic) WITH THE LIGHTS ON follows twenty four hours in the life of billionaire Trajan Howard-Smith, and escort Maggie Burgess. Maggie ‘Honey’ Burgess works as an escort for Company of Strangers but has found herself falling for her client Trajan Howard-Smith. Known only as ‘Honey’ to Trajan, Honey had crossed a personal line, and felt it was time to stop seeing the man with whom she was falling in love but Trajan wanted something more,something that included an exclusive arrangement with our story line heroine. Unable to say no, Maggie agreed to one final night, a night where Trajan’s secrets will be revealed, exposing himself for the world to see.


The relationship between Maggie aka Honey and Trajan begins as a professional arrangement, an arrangement of friendship only but two weeks before Maggie realized she could no longer remain neutral against her attraction to our story line hero, an attraction of which she struggled to ignore. Trajan wanted something more permanent with his current companion, a permanence that frightened a man whose secrets, once revealed, could never be taken back. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense.


WITH THE LIGHTS ON is a story of secrets and fantasies, hope and happiness, revelations, relationships, family and love. the premise is engaging and captivating; the romance is steamy and seductive; the characters are damaged, determined and animated.




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With the Lights On by Jackie Ashenden is a steamy romance that is sure to pull you in from the beginning and leave you breathless. A well-written romance you will not want to put down.

I found this novel just... unremarkable. Nothing about it stood out as I read it, and, now that I've finished it, I can barely remember what happened or who the characters were. It was fine, but I don't think it's necessarily worth a read.

ARC received for review

Just like the previous book, this one takes place all in one night (the same night as the first one). Trajan wants more than talking with Maggie and changes their contract, but Maggie fights him on it. She has obligations that her job pays, and doesn't think she will be able to keep working if she gives into him. Like his business partner he lets her walk away, but again not for long. True love wins again.

With the Lights On is the second book in Jackie Ashenden's Playing for Pleasure series, and, as the Harlequin Dare imprint is soon to be retired, she certainly didn't pull any punches with this novel, which was an absolutely amazing read, and which gets 5 stars from this reader.

In what is basically a 2-person novel, told in what's become my favorite device, dual narration, we first meet Magdalen, who works for the escort service, Company of Strangers, as Honey, and the more service you require, the higher the price. She's on her way to meet a repeat client, known only to her as Trajen, who'd been a repeat client for the past 2 months. All they've done for the past two months is talk--no touching allowed. His contractual stipulations were very specific--instead of meeting at a hotel, she visited his private residence, an elegant though spare penthouse. The lights were always dimmed, there were no knick-knacks, no art or photos on the walls, but the floor to ceiling windows provided a panoramic view of Central Park. Tonight, though, all the lights were on.

Trajen was the second client to request Honey this night, and she hastily convinced a friend to take her other client so that she could see Trajen, one last time and for a very good reason--she was falling for the gorgeous yet aloof billionaire, which was, considering her profession and her agency, something that should never be allowed to happen. As we're soon to learn, Trajen has already changed the stipulations of the contract, although Honey/Magdalen/Maggie, has to sign the document for it to take effect, and that's not the only surprise she's in for tonight, in this incredible and deeply moving novel.

In what I consider one of Ms. Ashenden's steamiest, and most surprising and emotionally-charged novels to date, she has created two unforgettable characters, both of whom are dealing with issues neither really wants to discuss, in situations which at first appear to be diametrically opposed, yet in many ways are far more similar than either character could possibly imagine. I was swept into their story from the very first page, and felt each character's angst, deeply and profoundly, to the point of tears. It reminded me of a single line from the film, "An Officer and a Gentleman", that short line was, "Impossible relationships!"

To tell you more would be the ultimate spoiler, and for so many reasons, I cannot urge you strongly enough to pre-order this short novel, which will be released on 4/27/21, read it, and experience how vivid and memorable a novel and its characters can be in the hands of this incredibly gifted writer. It's a wow!

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

3.5/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the writing was good, the characters were good. I really enjoyed the chemistry between our two characters. I enjoyed the fact that these characters were more complex and we got to learn more about them in a shorter book. It also had a great steam factor which of course I enjoyed. Overall this was a great read!

With the Lights On is kind of what I expect a DARE to be (which just makes me more confused about some others I've read recently, but ok). I liked that there was a lot of emotional development, especially for a book that is not very long. It's intense. The heroine is a sex worker, but she is never treated badly because of it, which I appreciate. Fans of Caitlin Crew's DARE books will also like it.
3.7 stars