Bound by Lorelei James + GIVEAWAY

Title:  Bound

Series:  Mastered Series Book #1

Author:  Lorelei James

Genre:  Erotica, Romance

Blurb:   Former small-town girl Amery Hardwick is living her dream as a graphic designer in Denver, Colorado. She’s focused on building her business, which leaves little time for dating—not that she needs a romantic entanglement to fulfill her. When her friend signs up for a self-defense class as part of her recovery after an attack, Amery joins her for support. That’s where she meets him.  Ronin Black, owner of the dojo, is so drawn to Amery that he takes over her training—in public and in private. The enigmatic Ronin pushes Amery’s boundaries from the start, and with each new tryst, Amery becomes addicted to the pleasure and to him. But when Amery senses Ronin is hiding something, she questions her total trust in him, despite the undeniable thrill of his possession….

Thoughts:  WOW…can I really just say that this book leaves 50 Shades of Grey in the dust!  It’s everything that 50 Shades should have been…and wasn’t.  The characters are so much more charismatic and engaging, the storyline is so much more believable and realistic, and it has such an interesting twist on not just erotica but bondage.  I really fell in love with this book, and let me tell you why….

“One week.” he said hoarsely, “You call me or come to me within a week or I’m coming to you.”

Ronin was the perfect male to put in this book – strong, dominant, with a intense need for control.  I loved his need for Amery – and oh, my gosh is he talented with the ropes!  Makes for some hot scenes – I found it perfect to help warm me up on these cold winter days!  If you’ve never even thought about experimenting with this sort of stuff, trust me, Ronin will be enough to change your mind!

“Acting a bit bossy for a woman wearing my ropes.”

“You’re acting a bit threatened by a piece of silicone and plastic.”

Amery is really Ronin’s perfect match….while her character was a bit submissive with Ronin, she also doesn’t let him run all over her – or have everything his own way.  She has just enough spunk in her to make the book entertaining, and to keep Ronin on his toes!  Her background was an interesting contradiction to her character, and really just made me love her for the strong character she is.

The book is more about bondage than BDSM – there is even a part in the book where the author makes distinctions.  Even saying that it is about bondage is putting it too simply – it is simply too intricate, spellbinding, and erotic to put it down to simply that.  It’s also not introduced into the book right away – you have time to get to know these characters before something so profound is introduced.  I really like however, the way the author handles the scene where Amery discovers exactly what sort of fun and games Ronin is into.  To me, she handled in a very realistic and believable way – taking the time to process the information and think over the implications involved.  And then the story really kicks into high gear after that!

Up until the end, I really had no complaints about the book.  The end, however, is one that had me tossing and turning all night!  For those who don’t like cliffhangers, you will absolutely hate this one.  In my case, cliffhangers are tricky to pull off….I like ones that give me some kind of a conclusion or resolution, yet still have me wanting more.  It drives me nuts when the cliffhanger just drops us off in such a critical part of the story – and this one definitely does that!  It’s one that has you frantically flipping the pages, hoping that somehow the rest will miraculously appear!  But I have to say that it does what it’s meant to – I sure will be picking up the next installment, Unwound, which is due out March 25, 2014.  The hard part will be waiting that long!  (sigh)

Rate:  A+

Enter to win your copy here!! – BOUND by Lorelei James