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Book Review: Ties That Bind
Posted on 28/10/2022 16:28:42Ties That Bind by Jayne Lockwood
My rating: 5 dark stars
With this book Jayne Lockwood has become one of my auto-buy authors.
It's dark. It's twisted. It has a cartload of triggers. And I bloody loved it all.
This last instalment of the Switchblade series is the best of all. It can also be read as a standalone, but I recommend starting at the beginning so you get the full impact and backstory this builds on.
There is something about Jayne Lockwood's writing that not only gets readers instantly hooked but also keeps them turning pages late into the wee hours of the night.
Her characters may be one reason. All of them strong and fully fleshed out, practically leaping from the page. main and side cast included.
Take Richard for example. The ruthless mobster with a dark past, tormented by guilt and terrified shit will hit the fan and the happiness he's found will turn out to be nothing but an illusion. After all, thugs like him don't deserve a HEA. Or do they? Richard is the perfect villain you can love. Well... punch too, that is, if I'm to be honest, and more than occasionally to be exact.
Tino, his husband, on the other hand, is the sweetest ever! I swear I fell in love with him. He's such an endearing mix of gentle sweetness and admirable strength! To put it plain, he's downright sigh-worthy. Hot man candy with a heart of gold and irresistible charm.
I might have wanted to cuddle the daylights out of him at times and get him naked under my sheets at others.
Nope. You don't really need to get your mind out of the gutter. That's EXACTLY what I meant. :D
Marcus and Pagan are nothing less. Just as damn irresistible with their own particular strengths and charm. And little Gino is the sweetest!
But, as I already mentioned, the character strength doesn't stop with them. The side cast is just as real feeling, regardless of the page count they get. And that is something not every writer manages to achieve. A big Kudos for that from me.
But I was talking about that little something in Jayne Lockwood's writing that gets readers addicted to her tale.
Alongside the strength of her characters, she gives a solid plot. One with twists you don't see coming and scenes that will have you either biting your nails at the edge of the seat, tearing up or sighing and occasionally spewing coffee from suddenly laughing so hard. Seriously guys. No drinking anything while reading this book or you might give a bath to your kindles.
And that last line....
Well duck me running! There might be something wrong with me but no regrets because... I found it so damn fitting! The perfect end to a twisted tale I have come to love.
The narrative is another little something that makes this book a pleasure to read. Smooth, flowing, and elegantly irreverent.
And don't even get me started on the smut! Because that's the 'I need a cold shower!' kind of freaking hot. MM, MF, MMM, or MMF, you can take your pick. This book has it all. And of the best kind.
Then there's the insight into human nature. This writer knows her way into a character's head, especially when it comes to the spiral down into drug addiction and self harm. She pulls that off like a charm.
But in the end, if you ask me, it's a seamless combination in between all the above that sweep readers off their feet and make this tale stand out.
Aaand shit!
I made almost a novella of my review already and didn't tell you anything about the plot. But that's ok I guess, because you can get a pretty good idea of it from the blurb.
So I'll wrap it all up with a short 'what to expect' instead. A little heads up in case you decide to give this book a try.
A twisted tale jam packed with triggers.
Fabulous characters and a fast paced plot with nicely upped tension and twists you won't see coming, complete with a last line that may probably have you questioning your sanity.
And last, but by far not least, smoking hot smut and a hell lot of feeling.
Ties That Bind is a dark MM polyamorous tale of redemption, in which pain and sorrow are nicely balanced with smiles and laughter. A tale of mistakes made and risks taken, boundaries crossed and loyalties tested, strength proven and forgiveness granted. It is a love story of not one but 4 people that will tug on all your heartstrings and make you want more.
Bold and downright ballsy, gripping and addictive, Ties That Bind is the fix for any reader craving a badass dark and twisted read with a side of fun and sweet, and a large extra of smoking hot smut.
Thank you to the author for the gifted ARC.
This bad boy will hit the kindle shelves on October 1st and you can preorder it here
With this book Jayne Lockwood has become one of my auto-buy authors.
It's dark. It's twisted. It has a cartload of triggers. And I bloody loved it all.
This last instalment of the Switchblade series is the best of all. It can also be read as a standalone, but I recommend starting at the beginning so you get the full impact and backstory this builds on.
There is something about Jayne Lockwood's writing that not only gets readers instantly hooked but also keeps them turning pages late into the wee hours of the night.
Her characters may be one reason. All of them strong and fully fleshed out, practically leaping from the page. main and side cast included.
Take Richard for example. The ruthless mobster with a dark past, tormented by guilt and terrified shit will hit the fan and the happiness he's found will turn out to be nothing but an illusion. After all, thugs like him don't deserve a HEA. Or do they? Richard is the perfect villain you can love. Well... punch too, that is, if I'm to be honest, and more than occasionally to be exact.
Tino, his husband, on the other hand, is the sweetest ever! I swear I fell in love with him. He's such an endearing mix of gentle sweetness and admirable strength! To put it plain, he's downright sigh-worthy. Hot man candy with a heart of gold and irresistible charm.
I might have wanted to cuddle the daylights out of him at times and get him naked under my sheets at others.
Nope. You don't really need to get your mind out of the gutter. That's EXACTLY what I meant. :D
Marcus and Pagan are nothing less. Just as damn irresistible with their own particular strengths and charm. And little Gino is the sweetest!
But, as I already mentioned, the character strength doesn't stop with them. The side cast is just as real feeling, regardless of the page count they get. And that is something not every writer manages to achieve. A big Kudos for that from me.
But I was talking about that little something in Jayne Lockwood's writing that gets readers addicted to her tale.
Alongside the strength of her characters, she gives a solid plot. One with twists you don't see coming and scenes that will have you either biting your nails at the edge of the seat, tearing up or sighing and occasionally spewing coffee from suddenly laughing so hard. Seriously guys. No drinking anything while reading this book or you might give a bath to your kindles.
And that last line....
Well duck me running! There might be something wrong with me but no regrets because... I found it so damn fitting! The perfect end to a twisted tale I have come to love.
The narrative is another little something that makes this book a pleasure to read. Smooth, flowing, and elegantly irreverent.
And don't even get me started on the smut! Because that's the 'I need a cold shower!' kind of freaking hot. MM, MF, MMM, or MMF, you can take your pick. This book has it all. And of the best kind.
Then there's the insight into human nature. This writer knows her way into a character's head, especially when it comes to the spiral down into drug addiction and self harm. She pulls that off like a charm.
But in the end, if you ask me, it's a seamless combination in between all the above that sweep readers off their feet and make this tale stand out.
Aaand shit!
I made almost a novella of my review already and didn't tell you anything about the plot. But that's ok I guess, because you can get a pretty good idea of it from the blurb.
So I'll wrap it all up with a short 'what to expect' instead. A little heads up in case you decide to give this book a try.
A twisted tale jam packed with triggers.
Fabulous characters and a fast paced plot with nicely upped tension and twists you won't see coming, complete with a last line that may probably have you questioning your sanity.
And last, but by far not least, smoking hot smut and a hell lot of feeling.
Ties That Bind is a dark MM polyamorous tale of redemption, in which pain and sorrow are nicely balanced with smiles and laughter. A tale of mistakes made and risks taken, boundaries crossed and loyalties tested, strength proven and forgiveness granted. It is a love story of not one but 4 people that will tug on all your heartstrings and make you want more.
Bold and downright ballsy, gripping and addictive, Ties That Bind is the fix for any reader craving a badass dark and twisted read with a side of fun and sweet, and a large extra of smoking hot smut.
Thank you to the author for the gifted ARC.
This bad boy will hit the kindle shelves on October 1st and you can preorder it here
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