Unwound

Mastered #2

by Lorelei James

The second in the Mastered series by New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James, a man’s need for control is tested by the one woman he’ll risk everything for….

When sensei Ronin Black first encounters Amery Hardwick, the fire in her eyes ignites a sexual spark a thousand times better than the primal rush he used to get from mixed martial arts matches. She accepts his darker edges and admits to him that her desires aren’t as wholesome as he believed. And before long Ronin is grappling with emotions he’s never felt before….

Yet despite demanding Amery bare her body and soul to him, Ronin holds a part of himself back. When she learns Ronin’s secret and walks out, his life begins to unravel.  To regain her trust he must let go of his pride and prove to her that it’s more than passion binding them together. But after their private pleasures are made public, Ronin is unsure if he’s the right man for Amery. Can they face the consequences together? Or will their differences rip them apart?

Genres: Romance, BDSM, Erotica, Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance, Adult

384 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2014

About the author

Lorelei James is New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary erotic westerns and erotic romances. She lives in western South Dakota.

Reviews

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angeline and KcLu‘s reviews posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

5 STARS

Review copy provided for an honest review

Angeline:

I grew up in a martial arts family and was excited when I heard the concept of Lorelei James’ The Mastered Series. I have read so many others that disappointed me because they focused solely on the fighting aspect and less on the respect and integrity involved in martial arts. James wrote the perfect balance and I am so grateful!

I love the unique approach James took with Book 1 (Bound) being in Amery’s voice and Book 2 being in Ronin’s. I was a little hesitant at the idea at first and it was different than what is normally available, but it totally worked. Proving once again that there is no limit to James’ talent.

I adored both books separately and together. After completing them, the entire love store came full circle. I love that I got two full length Lorelei James novels out of one story. Sometimes it takes that much to tell a story. That’s a win in my book! (laughs)

In Unwound, Ronin and Amery continue to fight through their own demons as they struggle to find their way together. James takes us on an emotional ride full of heartache, redemption and most important love. This light bdsm story explores the sensuous art of Shibari and Kinbaku. I found this absolutely fascinating and beautifully erotic.

The secondary characters are real and deep and I am in love with all of them. I truly hope that this series continues so I can read what happens to these great characters.

Lorelei James is an extremely talented author who writes beautifully in any genre. I am looking forward to reading about all of the places that James plans to take us and meet all of the kickass characters that will be with us along the way!

KcLu:

I give UNWOUND 10 stars…

Bound left us completely wanting the next installment in this series immediately, and if you are like me you were cursing a bit at the fact that you didn’t have it already. The character of Ronin Black had me in his snares from the moment he walked onto the page and into Amery’s line of sight, but he remained a mystery because we didn’t get to see into his thoughts. With Unwound we get to go into the perplexing brain of his, and oh what a treat that is!! You get the inner struggles, and why he holds part of himself back.

We open this book not long after the end of Bound, and these two are sooo broken by their fight. For Ronin the only way he can deal with the emotional pain is to get back into the fighting cage. Oh what bad idea that is. When you want to be beaten, MMA fighting can be beyond dangerous, and he pays for it. He shows up on Amery’s doorstep injured and bleeding. He is babbling nonsense to her, and she is struggling with wanting to hold him close and self-preservation. Can she open her heart and life to him again without break again? Can she trust that he will open up with her 100%?

Ronin is determine to prove to Amery that he loves her and wants a future with her, but she isn’t going to let him in easily. He just might be in for this biggest fight of his life, and one that could break him permanently if he loses.

He wrapped his hand beneath her jaw. “Look at what you do to me. I’m about to crawl out of my damn skin from wanting you” –Ronin Black
There are many books out there that center on the world of BDSM, but not many of them that focus solely on the Bondage portion of it and there is definitely a lack of rope centered books. Ronin Black is a rope master. It is a big part of who he is. As someone who has had a small bit of experience with rope work in this manner, you can definitely tell that Lorelei did her homework. She truly got into the headspace of someone that is in the ropes as well as the one doing the binding. This is one of the things I love about her writing, and why I have her on my auto buy list. You never have to worry that she just threw a book together, and you know she cares about her readers.

Don’t miss this series!! It is a definite must read. The Mastered series will rope you by the heart, and tie you down till you hit the end! Unwound is a heartbreakingly beautiful trip to Ronin and Amery’s HEA. In closing I have to say thank you Lorelei for another amazing man that has taken over my daydreams.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fantastic end to Ronin's and Amery's story. The focus shifted in this book. It wasn't quite as much on the Japanese art of binding, but rather the focus was put mostly on Ronin and his limitations as a fighter. There's still plenty of the art aspect, but I liked that more of a spotlight was placed on the things that are necessary to make a relationship work - trust, communication and loyalty.

Ronin is getting older and is having a very hard time coming to terms with that fact. His fighting days are likely over and he needs to shift his focus to more of the management side of things. But, how is he supposed to relieve his stress now, when throwing punches is the only way he's ever done that in the past?

Ronin was awesome in Unwound. It was easy to see the difficulty he had in coming to terms with his limitations. It's not something he's ever had to worry about before. And he really struggles. It was such a dichotomy from what we already know of this strong man. He has only ever allowed the outside world to see him as extremely capable, strong and intelligent. Even his best of friends and Amery, the woman he loves, only ever saw him completely in control. So, it was incredibly refreshing to see how Ronin had to come to a place where accepting help from others did not equate to weakness. He came a very long way over the course of the book.

Amery, however, made me absolutely stabby. She spent most of the book turning her judging gaze on Ronin and calling him out for his lies and secrets that spilled out at the end of Bound. And, yet, in Unwound, Amery kept just as many secrets as Ronin did. Where Ronin made real efforts to change in order to keep Amery in his life, she seemed more interested in watching him wallow and apologize repeatedly than in truly making forward strides in their relationship.

Luckily, Ronin is still the strong, amazing man we were introduced to in Bound, and when he calls her out, that is when the book took a really awesome turn. The end was incredible, and I closed the book feeling very satisfied.

Although the binding wasn't as much of a part of Unwound as it was in Bound, it was still there, and I loved those moments as much as I did in the previous book. I also really loved the glimpse into the business end of MMA fighting - it was a unique perspective.

I'm hoping this isn't the end of this series, even if it is the end of Ronin's and Amery's story. There are still plenty of other intriguing characters that I want to know more about (Knox! Shiori! Blue!). Please, Lorelei, write more!!

[Beatrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good ending but the protagonists have a lot of miscommunication and they bickered like children.

[The BookChick · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Sigh*...I'm so disappointed to leave a three star review for this book. I absolutely loved Bound and gave it five stars. The story was both sexy and unique. It was fiction gold. Sadly, Unwound left me feeling quite..."meh". The characters seemed to take on a bit of a cardboard feel to me. Don't get me wrong, Ronin was plenty emotive in this book as was Amery but the emotions felt contrived opposed to natural. The drama created between the couple felt artificial and the Naomi thing just feel flat. There was no resolution about what she did to Ronin. Like none. The story also seemed to contain a whole lot of filler that just didn't benefit the story at all for me. I was expecting Unwound to be a potent follow up to Bound but book it felt a bit anemic in that vein. I still love Lorelei as an author...this just wasn't a favorite book for me.

[Ilene · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has to be my least favorite L.J. novel ever. I really only read it because the first was somewhat of a cliffy. I needed the closure.

Ms. James does Cowboys beautifully!!! Zen rope Masters...not so much.

I liked Ronin Black enough. Amery was okay but mostly all the characters fell flat. This whole book was missing a lot of everything.

I thought it was just a 2 parter but now it's continuing with Knox and Ronin's sister. I can whole heartedly say, I am out, I will be skipping those.

[Ena May - Swoon Worthy Books/Enticing Journey Book Promotions]

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: C

Unwound picks up where Bound leaves off, sort of. There is a time jump of a few weeks, but Ronin and Amery are in the same place, apart and both are miserable. So you really should read Bound first to get a sense of their relationship, the non-truths that they’re both dealing with and what they’ve been through to get to the point of where Unwound begins. They haven’t spoken for 6 weeks and during that time, Amery has been miserable and Ronin has thrown himself back into fighting and pretty much letting whoever his opponent is, beat him to a pulp. This is how Amery finds him one night on her doorstep. Ronin goes to her after a brutal beating and she gets him to the hospital. And just like that, they reconcile. Seriously, I kept thinking where’s the talking? Where’s the discussion of their pasts and where they went wrong in the first place? Nothing, Amery appoints herself Ronin’s nurse and stays with him during his recovery and it just sort of happens, they’re back together. Don’t get me wrong, they do eventually talk a lot and have quite a few outside influences to deal with so they do have progress in working through their issues. I was just a little taken aback with how brutal Bound ended and that within the first chapter of Unwound, they’re already getting back on track.

As far as the romance between Ronin and Amery, I found it to be much of the same cycle we saw in Bound. Lots of sex, a little more talking, rope work by Ronin, more sex, talking but still not enough and so on. The sex between them did get repetitive and I ended up skimming through those scenes to get back to actual dialogue. The sex is hot, Lorelei James can write a steamy sex scene no doubt, I just found that I wanted more between Ronin and Amery on page then just another sex scene.

I did enjoy the dialogue that opened up between Ronin and Amery, not just talking about things with each other, but Ronin’s sister plays a larger role, Shiori, as she tries to rebuilt her relationship with Ronin and makes some big changes in her own life. I found myself really taken with her and I hope that there’s a book for her coming in the future. There are actually plenty of opportunities for James to continue this stories in this world with either Shiori or any of the men from the dojo, all of whom are interesting and make me want to know more about them.

Ronin and Amery also each deal with their parents, Amery’s mom and dad and Ronin’s mother all make appearances and it’s like night and day seeing how the parents treat their kids. Let’s just say Amery’s parents take the cake for being heartless to their only daughter and I wanted to reach into the book and smack them both. On the flip side, Ronin’s mom is loving, accepting and I really enjoyed her scenes with Ronin as well as with Ronin and Shiori.

And it wouldn’t be complete if Ronin’s crazy, psycho ex-wife didn’t show her face on page. She does, she’s a bitch, to put it plainly, and she’s all about stirring up trouble for both Ronin and Amery. She does some horrible, mean things to both of them and I was letdown with how her storyline resolves itself. But her appearance does give Ronin and Amery a chance to again, talk about the things she’s bringing up and I liked how for Ronin, he’s able to see that Amery’s moved beyond running at the first sign of trouble. She’s in it for the long haul and having her love unconditionally is something that Ronin’s never had before and it leads to some nice scenes between them.

I can’t say I was as taken with Unwound as I was with Bound. There are some nice moments between both Ronin and Amery and I was really intrigued with the scenes they both had with their families and other various supporting characters. But the sex scenes got old and didn’t do much for me with the story progression, but skimming them didn’t feel like it too away from anything storywise. Looking at the two books as one long story for Ronin and Amery, they’d both together get my recommendation for a nice read, but just looking at Unwound, it was good but not the emotional, gripping conclusion I had hoped for.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the sequel to Bound by Lorelei James has been a long time coming but the I knew I would read it sooner or later since I loved its predecessor so much (just read my review to see why). Unwound was a great follow-up to put a ribbon on Ronin’s and Amery’s story. While it wasn’t on the same level as Bound (as is often the case with sequels), the story itself was gratifying in a way that fit the shift/change of the couple’s dynamic while still providing the eroticism and sensuality that made the first book so amazing for me.

Whereas Bound was an introduction to Ronin, Amery and their relationship, Unwound was about the fallout of the revelations at the end of the first book and how Ronin and Amery find a way to work things out to be together. And in a certain way, the book’s title is very fitting. It is a word that can be used to describe Ronin’s state of mind after Amery’s disappearance, the shift in him when he’s with Amery and vice versa and how the things we, along with Ronin, thought we knew regarding Ronin and his family was not as they seemed. So, in many respects, this book was as much about Ronin as the first book was about Amery. It was interesting to see the story from Ronin’s perspective (in third person narrative) to go along with Amery’s so you get a more in depth picture of what’s going on. I enjoyed getting a look into the mind of a character who so grabbed me with his alluring strong-willed personality and how complex and vulnerable he really is. I liked Amery standing on her own, taking control of what she wants from Ronin and their relationship without sacrificing the innocence and hope that attracted Ronin in the first place.

This book may be more story-driven (not to say the first book wasn’t but relatively speaking), it doesn’t mean James skimps out on the bondage and sex. In its own way, the bondage and sex scenes have a certain level of intimacy in them since it’s an exhibition of the couple’s openness to one another and their feelings. There’s a feeling of uninhibited passion and appreciation that wasn’t present in the first book. Again, it’s another good way to illustration the change in Ronin’s and Amery’s relationship.

Unwound (along with Bound) are great examples of what good story and storytelling mixed with erotica can produce. James beautifully combined emotion and eroticism to tell a wonderful love story that had me hooked from the first book, to its sequel and the subsequent installments in her Mastered series. Not only did this book provide an ending to Ronin and Amery’s story, James also managed to set things up and arouse our interest in the other characters (i.e., Shiori/Knox, Deacon/Molly) and their stories for the subsequent books. While this book wasn’t at the same level of Bound (which in of itself was something new I haven’t come across), Unwound was a perfect partner to end this particular story arc and start another’s.

[Michel Reinhard (Saucy Southern Readers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars for Unwound by Lorelei James.

Unwound is the continuation of Ronin and Amery’s story. We met this couple in the previous book Bound. Bound ended on a slight cliffhanger that left this couple separated.

Unwound picks up where Bound left off. Amery and Ronin are separated because of revelations concerning Ronin’s family. Amery has accepted Ronin in every way, from his mastery of binding to his need for sparring. She has been honest about her past life and is upset when she finds Ronin is not paying her the same respect.

As their story evolves the reader sees how they individually deal with their breakup. Amery withdraws into herself. Ronin fights.

After Ronin is injured in a fight it changes the dynamics of their relationship. Ronin will have to face the limitations as a fighter. He will have to bare his secrets to win Amery’s heart. Just when things start moving forward his past comes pounding on the door and won’t go away. This will put their relationship to the ultimate test.

This book focuses on Ronin’s fighting limitations, his bad family history, and the regaining of Amery’s trust. It also builds up the secondary characters that are an integral part of the Dojo. The reader does not see as much of a focus on the art of binding like we did in the first book. We do get to see the sensual aspect of the binding art and how it relates to their relationship, but it is not the important factor in Unwound. The main focus is dealing with the past, putting it in it’s proper perspective, and moving forward with a new purpose.

I felt this book was a little long winded and did not quite hold my attention like the first book Bound. This book could have been included in Bound and made it a very satisfying read. It was well written but dragged out some of the circumstances. Overall I would recommend both books. It is an unique and sensual romance.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect ending!

Full review to come on Martini Times...

[Kimberlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Isabel Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tengo la impresión de q la autora concibió la historia como un solo libro, pero por su extensión posiblemente decidieron dividirlo en dos. Y digo esto xq en el primer libro, la historia se cuenta desde el principio, desde el punto de vista de Amery, para luego en el último capítulo, cambiar al punto de vista de Ronin. Y en esta entrega, la historia sigue casi toda desde el punto de vista de Ronin. En lo personal, me gusta leer una historia teniendo el punto de vista de ambos protagonistas, así nos evitamos esas modas de sacar libros enteros contando la misma historia desde dos perspectivas diferentes.
Pero más allá de eso, esta segunda parte me gustó mucho más, me ha parecido más completa, aunq todavía mantengo q en la primera parte se hace un poco lenta y tediosa la cuestión del shibari, aunq en número de veces, han sido menos y el argumento se ha centrado más en resolver las custiones conflictivas entre Amery y Ronin; sabemos más de lo q pasó entre él y su familia y hasta hay una aparición estelar de los padres de Amery en plan exorcismo, además de sexo y mermelada de besos y arrumacos. Ronin está definitivamente loco perdido x Amery y no tiene ningún problema es demostrarlo. Ella lo toma más con soda, a un punto de exageración, pero me gusta eso de hacerse la difícil y de paso lo haga sufrir un chiki.
Lo q no me gustó: nos prometieron a una loca psicótica - Naomi - pero la susodicha, si bien apareció, no lo hizo con mucha presencia. No más de tres veces y no pasó de miradas psicodélicas, amenazas y una pelea de gatas, q estuvo bien pero apenas para aperitivo. Supongo q yo esperaba algo más en la línea de Glen Close en Atracción Fatal y resultó q niente.
La dosis de romance estuvo bien, pero el suspense, suspendió.
De todas formas, me gustó mucho. Amery y Ronin hace una pareja increíble, amé las artes marciales y solo siento q el resto de la serie no haya sido traducida, pero no voy a dejar de enterarme q onda Shiori y Knox. Simplemente voy a tardar un poco más...
P.D. No estoy de acuerdo con el nombre del serie "Dominación" xq la historia no va de dominante/sumisa sino de bondage. Por lo demás, vale la pena.

[Soo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes:
I still love the heart & idea of Ronin & Amery's relationship but the drama is over the top crap. Loved the way the use of ropes were described and that there's a HEA. Other than that, I will have to try out a different direction to get my romance fix.

I was super amused to have one of my go to narrators, Luke Daniels, narrating a sexually graphic story. It was funny cause he is pretty great with a variety of voices but Amery's voice was terrible and made me laugh throughout the story.

[Vanessa Booke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Simply breath-taking. Bound (book 1) of the Mastered series left us on somewhat of a cliffhanger, but lucky for us Unwound picks up right where the first book left off.

I don't think I can say very often that I like the second book in a series more than the first, but this was definitely the case with Unwound. Lorelei James opens the book with a prologue starting six weeks after Ronin and Amery's breakup/blowup/fuckup. I loved this opening prologue because it immediately had me on the edge wondering what kind of trouble Ronin had found himself in since losing Amery and it brought me back to the shattered state of mind that Bound left me in. The prologue leaves us with a teaser of a very broken Ronin knocking on Amery's door in the middle of the night. The first few chapters sort of jump back in time, but they do a great job leading us up to the point where Ronin and Amery see one another again.

I really enjoyed this story because it focused on Ronin and Amery building their relationship back up on a foundation of honesty instead of secrets. There are definitely challenges that both Ronin and Amery face and I thought it was great that the author really made their struggles real instead of wiping the slate clean within the first few chapters. We get to see a very different side of Ronin. He's pretty much vulnerable and broken in the beginning and the situation really gives readers the hope that he's going to be a lot more open.

I found it ironic that throughout the story Amery wants Ronin to be completely forthcoming with her, but she isn't entirely honest with him about some things. For example, Ronin's sister offers Amery a contract as the designer for their food company and Amery doesn't immediately talk it over with Ronin, which I found really odd because it's a pretty big deal. I think it definitely plays into Amery's insecurity of her relationship with Ronin. She's hesitant to let him to tell her he loves her and she's even more hesitant about moving in with him.

There are definitely some hot scenes throughout this book and I don't think the word "hot" even does it justice, but Lorelei James does an amazing job showing us the heartbreaking and the intimate moments between Ronin and Amery's relationship. I loved all of it and I was really sad to come to the end of this book. Not because it's sad, but because I didn't want their story to stop.

Although this is the final book in Ronin and Amery's relationship I'm really hoping to see them again, even if it's as background characters. Ms. James has definitely set up some interesting supporting characters and I'm hoping we'll see Ronin's sister, Knox, or Deacon's story next. At least we can hope! I'm crossing my fingers.

[Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lets start off with clarifying that the Mastered series is one story told in two full length books. You absolutely cannot pick up UNWOUND without reading BOUND first. So that being said, BOUND left us hanging a bit on what would happen next and this book picks up shortly thereafter. Ronin and Amery haven’t talked in weeks and Ronin is not in a good place without her. He dives deeper into his darker world until he’s almost too far gone to recover. But then Amery is there to slowly draw him out.

This is a book of reconciliation and balance. Balance because while they are together, they still have plenty of things to work through in order to make their relationship work. There’s trust that has to be earned. There are limits that need to be put in place or tested. And their natural behavior outside of the bedroom that has to be controlled. I enjoyed seeing that balance put to the test. Ronin is an overprotective male and that can, at times, be overbearing for a strong woman like Amery. And at the same time Amery has insecurities that need to be overcome, with trust in a strong bond. That to me was the beauty of this story. It was tested time and time again. And it’s not about one overpowering the other, but how they can complement each others lives going forward while they both thrive. After quite a bit of heartbreak, I can totally see that at the end of UNWOUND.

As always, Ms. James hits it off the hotness charts with this one. I always wonder how she will top her last book and then she does it again. Ronin and Amery get down and dirty, hot and flexible ;) and will leave you steaming and panting …. and googling. But just as hot as the scenes can be, there was always a reason why they were there, a function to the story they were telling. I loved how we see BDSM in this world and in combination with the martial arts discipline. It makes it a beautiful art and a pleasure to “see”. I can definitely tell there was quite a bit of research put into the developing of this story and I think readers can appreciate that.

This was the perfect ending for Ronin and Amery, however I am not ready to see the world end. There are still many stories left untold back at the dojo and I hope there are plans for more!

*ARC provided by publisher

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Thought

Lorelei James is now my radar! I will be trying more of her books.

Why I’m Still Enjoying this Series

The characters grow! They don’t make the same mistakes they did in Bound (book 1). Sure there is drama that could be avoided but really this time around much of it has to do with other people causing drama for them. It’s also easy to see that Amery and Ronin are not just about the hot, hot, hot sex. They really love each other and grow not only as individuals but as a couple.

The story wraps up with a nice HEA for Amery and Ronin and I hope we get looks at them through other character’s books.

I also enjoyed the fact that Uwound ending was not tied up in a perfect pretty bow. Let me example. Amery has a strained relationship with her parents and rightly so. And it 100% on the parents fault for their messed up thoughts about Amery’s life choices and well the world as a whole. They are VERY religious and try to shame and control Amery. There is a major conflict that happens between them and while it’s a shame that things are left they why they were it was realistic to the plot and I’m glad that Lorelei James didn’t try to make a Hallmark moment out of it.

Issue I had

I thought that one part of the story line (I won’t go into too much so not to spoil you) was a little rushed and I would liked to have more details and see the bitch go to jail. If you have read or plan on reading this series you will know who the bitch is. LOL

Final Thought

NEXT PLEASE! I can’t wait to get Shiori and Knox story in book 3, Unraveled. March will be a long wait. Lorelei James told me on Twitter that there will be Novella in December so I’m hoping that will help with the long wait for Unraveled.

Narration

This time we get Luke Daniels as the sole narrator and it makes sense since we get most of Unwound from Ronin’s POV. Daniels does a fabulous job with Ronin’s voice and all the other characters. The only thing that bugged me a little bit was that the female Japanese characters had an accent where as Ronin did not. Not a big issue but I wonder why he decided to give Ronin’s sister an accent. Yes she has lived longer in Japan but not enough (IMO) for her to sounded different than Ronin. But hey I loved his voice for Ronin so if he did give him an accent I might not have liked it. LOL Overall the narration was great. I wonder who will narrate Unraveled since it’s a new couple.

[Kim O · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING! 5++++ stars

Lorelei James can write a damn good book.

The conclusion to Amery and Ronin's HEA exceeded my expectations. Breakups are never easy, especially when you know the couple should be together, THEY just may not know it yet. All the emotions came out in the writing, and I felt every bit of pain that Ronin felt until he was able to win her back......then, the feeling of elation when it all worked out. I could NOT put this book down until I knew all was going to be all right in their world. The story moved along at a steady pace and being as the first book was about them, you might think there wouldn't be enough of story left to tell. WRONG! There was plenty left and the side stories of the business as well as bringing in Ronin's family were an added bonus, and helped tie it all together for a gratifying ending.

Ronin and Amery have to be one of my all-time favorite couples. If other books in the series are written, and they should be, I hope we can get a glimpse of what is happening with them. I will be sorely disappointed if we are not gifted with other books in the series because the supporting characters need their stories told. I would love to read a story about his sister and Knox. :)

I've seen this series characterized as BDSM. I mean, there is bondage, but it's more of an art form, not just tying someone up. The descriptions are so sensual and beautifully written, it's really unlike anything else out there. Some aspects of BDSM do not appeal to me but I find myself drawn to and curious about this type of bondage.

The stellar writing, interesting story, likable characters, toe curling sex, and made for TV dialog are reasons enough to give this series a try. I highly recommend.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

* The same review is posted for Bound (book 1 = 3 stars) and Unwound (book 2 = 1 star) since it is really just 1 book/story. Average for both books, 2 stars.

I hate strawberries. I've never liked them as a kid to an adult. Yet when I tell someone that they either list all the ways I couldn't possibly have tried strawberries and still not like them or they want to feed me strawberries just to be sure. I'm starting to feel this way about erotic romance as a genre. Hate is too strong a word, but whenever I voice doubts about ever finding any erotic romance I really like I get bombarded with suggestions or gifts of books. Bound (book 1) ad Unwound (book 2) were both suggested and gifted to me. The writing is significantly better than most similar books I've read. The first 50% of book 1 is the best of any book in this genre. James does a fantastic job with pacing, connecting me with the characters, and making me want to read more. I enjoyed the Japanese cultural elements. Unfortunately, this set my expectations way too high for the rest as it devolved into the usual tropes and secondary story lines were dropped without conclusion. I have no way of knowing this for sure, but it seemed like maybe this was originally 1 book. But for publishing or financial reasons, it was split in two causing a need for padding, lots of padding, to fill out the story. Lorelei James gets kudos for good writing, but I'll still be reaching for pineapple instead.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Unwound continues from where Bound left off. Ronin, who is the epitome of cool, calm and collected control, is unravelling at a rapid pace. Everything he tried to keep hidden from Amery has mounted and come to a head where he has to decide if he's better off keeping her at a distance at the cost of losing her or letting her in fully and hanging on to her permanently.

Ronin always seem infallible because of his physical strength and martial arts abilities. But with increasing age, overexertion and being a glutton for punishment, the physical tolls start piling up and Ronin will need Amery at his side whether he wants her help or not. I enjoyed seeing Ronin open up more this time around as vulnerable as it made him, because he needed to and because as much as Amery leaned on him, he could do the same for her.

There's a bit of drama of course as the past demands to be dealt with, but the focus is the on the progression of Amery and Ronin's relationship as it strengthens with open and shared communication. Ronin is still a dominating alpha no matter what. His sister Shiori really grew on me so I look forward to reading more about her in the future. I've been really fascinated by the rope tying aspect because it's super hot and sexy as well as complicated. I also appreciated seeing Amery feel more comfortable in her own skin and make demands on her own terms.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guess who was a First-Reads winner for this wonderful book! This girl!

I think this book was the perfect conclusion to the story of Ronin and Amery. Everything that needed answers, got them.

Such as what happened to Ronin after Amery left him at the end of the first book Bound? What happened to Amery?

Did Ronin and Amery get back together? And if so, does she accept him for who he is?

What about Ronin's ex Naomi? What about Ronin's family? What about Amery's family?

All of these questions are answered. You are never left wanting to know something, which I loved. A lot of the times when I finish a book or book series I have unanswered questions.

You got to see Ronin and Amery's relationship grow and develop. I think it was a beautiful, albeit complicated love story given Ronin's....tastes. I, however, liked his preferences. *wink, wink* I think Ronin made these stories. Amery....well I could leave her more often then I could take her.

These books are a must read!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ronin.... adore him. Amery... ugh; if I could reach through the pages and throat punch her, I would.

I loved the first book in this series, this one though, didn't captivate me as much. I can't say what I didn't or did like, it was just meh.

2.75 stars

[Kathy Davie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second in the Mastered romantic erotica series set in Denver and revolving around Ronin and Amery.

Takes place six weeks after Amery dumped him.

My Take
I do love how James can write erotica and include an interesting story along with it; I do wish she had involved more show however.

Whoa. Ronin is really going for the pain, and I gotta agree with him, his sister has no right to beat on him (metaphorically speaking). She screwed things up big time in Bound , 1.

Oh, gimme a break. He was calling Amery sixteen times a day for a week, and she claims she hasn't heard from him? What? No caller ID on her phone? I can sort of see her being annoyed that Ronin didn't leave a message, but…I ain't buyin' the rest of her story, and it is her fault she didn't pick up any time that first week.

"The only strings that should come with a gift are on the outside of the package when you open it."

That said, it is so sweet how much Ronin is sucking up to Amery. He needs her in so many ways and can't stand to be away from her. He's so lucky to have gotten a second chance with her. Now, on the trust side, Ronin expects her to trust him, aaannnd what's good for the gander should be good for the goose. Ronin will have to suck it up and trust Amery. And Amery does take advantage, lol.

James makes the contract negotiations so real, and there are some tough choices in here for Amery, just as there would be in the real world. Another good bit of job news is that Cherry Starr is thrilled with that cover Amery did in Bound , and so are some other writer friends!

Ooh, we get some background information on Ronin's past, um, business endeavors. The ones that are not on the up-and-up. He also gets a few opportunities to reflect on his behavior, especially after a meeting with TP. Then there are Ronin's thoughts about his childhood. Jesus. All kids need to have a childhood and not live out their parents' dreams! I do have to admire him. In spite of his family's money, Ronin was a self-starter and built his business up on his own. Even if I do want to take aspirins as I read about his injuries.

That name Amery comes up with for Ronin and Blue's new promotional company is just great: Black and Blue. Lord knows they both sport the "company" colors often enough.

Life gets funnier when TP foists his ditzy daughter onto Ronin. This self-absorbed, girl has no clue in so many ways, and yet, she does have some surprises in store. I was torn between dumbfounded and laughter when she shows up way too soon without being asked and expects to be head of the business. It's too much like kids getting out of high school and expecting to be VP of the company, lol. On the other hand, even adults aren't very wise as exhibited by Amery's reaction to Katie and we get slapped upside the head. I really hate it when women leap to conclusions and don't give their guy a chance to explain.

I wanna smack Amery about every 20 pages or so. She is so pissy when negative things happen, and she reacts so badly. I think she's worse than Ronin. At least he doesn't run off pouting. He is judgmental about his sister, but considering what she did to him a few years back, I can't blame him. As for Amery's secret…she is being a hypocrite and a weasel.

Amery's concerns about Ronin's not being completely open and forthright are reasonable, but I don't see why she expects him to blather on about everything. People have their pride, misplaced as it might be. When Ronin confesses to the type of favors he did for TP, I'm shocked that Amery accepts it, as uptight as she's been.

The sexual aspects — in bed and in the bindings — are hot. Even though I don't get the excitement about the rope tricks. Nor can I get excited about Naomi. What. A. Bitch. It's well worth reading on to find out how beautifully Ronin's reaction in the past screwed with the "lovely" Naomi, and we gain some fascinating insight into Naomi's motivations. Oh, brother.

Oh, boy. That scene where Amery is photographing some "toys" for a brochure for a client and her parents show up? Well, I can see why she wants nothing to do with them.

The Story
Ronin has been taking on fights, hoping to dull the pain of losing Amery. This latest one? His health is endangered.

As for Shiori, she's eating crow and offering up jobs.

The Characters
Amery Hardwick is a graphics designer with her own company, Hardwick Designs, one that's struggling in today's economy. The shy Molly Calloway is her part-time receptionist pursuing her master's degree. Aiden is Amery's brother, and her parents, Marion and James, are the worst sort of Christians: judgmental and too worried about appearances.

Master Ronin Black is a mixed martial arts champion with a Hachidan status, an instructor, a rope master of the art of shinbari and kinbaku , and has an unwanted interest in the family food business. Shiori "She-Cat" Hirano is his sister and at the Rokudan level. She's also the bitch who introduced Naomi to Ronin, screwed up his relationship with Amery, and is a vice-president with the Okada Food Conglomerate. Jenko, a former Sumo wrestler, is her bodyguard. Grandfather, Nureki Okada, is the CEO of Okada. His daughter is Ronin and Shiori's mother, their okasan. Maggie Arnold runs the Seattle office.

Black Arts dojo
Shihan Knox Lofgren is the dojo general manager, and he has achieved the level of Godan. Sandan Zach. Yondan Deacon McConnell is Ronin' s third-in-command and is called away by complications resulting from his grandfather's death. Jon will be moved up to instructor level. Ito is another instructor. Clint owes Ronin a favor.

ABC is…
…a Brazilian jujitsu dojo owned by Alvares "Blue" Curacao who is supposed to be fighting Deacon. Blue and Ronin are discussing a merger. Sophia, a.k.a., Stinger, is one of his instructors, Blue's sister, and handles the business end. I'm not sure, but I think Terrel is one of Blue's. I think Gil is a student.

Emmylou Simmons rents part of Amery's building for her massage studio but is currently traveling with the Colorado Rockies. Chaz rents the center section for his artistic enterprises which includes illustrating manga.

Naomi is a scheming psycho who needs to be taken out. Hiko Tamagachi is the sick bugger who plays bodyguard for Naomi. Kiki is Naomi's friend.

Thaddeus Pettigrew is a rich man with very shady connections with whom Ronin has done business in the past. Bambi is his latest personal assistant. Katie Pettigrew Gardiner is his daughter and insists on being Black Arts' new promotional manager.

The bulldozing Max Stanislovsky, one of TP's friendly rivals, has a son, Ivan, and needs a similar favor. Ivan wants to train as an MMA fighter. Max runs high-end escort services and keeps a team of Russian construction workers/enforcers on hand.

Cherry Starr writes erotica and loves that cover Amery did for the first book in her trilogy. Merrick McBride runs Twisted, a sex club where Ronin demonstrates his rope mastery.

Masaman was Ronin's sensei in Japan; Shiori is training with him now. Martel is the UPS carrier who delivers to Black Arts. Dr. Dainsworth is Ronin's neurologist. Gigi is Amery's favorite server at the bistro. Inichi Matso works for Satzu, so far.

The Cover and Title
The cover looks like the silk ribbon Amery talks about in one scene, yellows shifting through the color spectrum to deep reds that make her appear to be a living flame. On the cover, that ribbon spans the background diagonally in all its varying shades.

I'm thinking the title is the ease Ronin and Amery finally achieve with each other as they come Unwound.

[Charity(brazenlybookish) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drawn Out But Good

Rated: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 3.5/5
Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥4/5
Angst: 🖤🖤🖤

I was a bit disappointed with the second half of Ronin and Amery's story. It was an extra book that was too extra. It felt like a lot of filler information and scenes that really weren't needed.
This time around Lorelei changed up the pov to duel 3rd, instead of single 3rd from Amery's pov. This was redeeming in my opinion, because it would have given so much more to the first book if we could have seen through Ronin's eyes.
Ultimately, I liked reading it but it took me a long time because I never fully engaged. Sometimes less is more, and for me that was the case here.

[Season · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy WOW!! I absolutely love Amery and Ronin. They are a fantastic couple. They are both strong characters by themselves, but together they are just perfect. They love and fight just like everyone else, with all the added stuff that just mere mortals don't have in our lives. I love the mix of the added religious element and how it plays out with both Amery and Ronin. They handled everything with ease.

I didn't want the book to end. Just loved it!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am new to Lorelei James books and after listening to Bound, I had to jump right into book two. Really enjoyed the two main characters though there were a few times Amery would get on my nerves. I definitely will be moving on to the rest of the series.

The narrators for both book 1 & 2 were great. I enjoyed how Luke Daniels changed his tone for the different characters.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2014/03/review-...

Favorite Quote: “Don’t make me use my Kung Fu on you.”

Amery Harwick has fallen hard for sensei master, Ronin Black. The pleasure he brings her drugs her mind and seduces her body, making her his willing slave. There is nothing Ronin wouldn’t do for Amery, except open up his heart and soul to her. When Amery discovers Ronin’s secret, she walks away from the relationship…and him. But Ronin won’t let her go that easily. He needs her in his life and will do anything to keep her there. To regain her trust, Ronin has to let go of his past and welcome his future with open arms.

Though book one of this series, Bound, didn’t blow me away as I had hoped, I was pleasantly surprised by book two. Unwound gives readers what Bound didn’t deliver in my opinion. Told from Ronin’s point of view, we get all the passion, emotions, witty dialogue, character development, and humor I found missing from Bound. I connected with our protagonists and that made all the difference when reading this installment.

Smooth writing with premium character and plot line development had me glued to my e reader till the end. This is the Lorelei James that keeps me coming back for more. Ronin and Amery grew by leaps and bounds (heh) both mentally and emotionally. Ronin’s point of view opens the floodgate that provides readers with the strong connection that was so desperately missing from book one.

Every issue that I had with Ronin and Amery in book one is addressed and expanded upon in here. Ronin’s anger issues go nuclear after Amery leaves and we find Ronin back to fighting in the ring; punishing himself in order to assuage his guilt over his part in Amery leaving. When one fight leaves him severely damaged, he unconsciously makes his way to Amery for help. This opens the door towards forgiveness on Amery’s part and the reasons he uses pain to stop feeling. Amery does well in not allowing Ronin to hide his emotions or perceived failings from her. She pushes Ronin into acknowledging and accepting that without complete openness from both of them, their relationship will never be anything but casual. Other issues-the rope play, Ronin’s and Amery’s family conflicts, Ronin’s psycho ex girlfriend, and Ronin’s extracurricular activities are brought into the light and resolved in a somewhat realistic and engaging manner. If I were to hazard a guess, Bound was the set up and Unwound is the actual story. I was extremely happy that James resolve their love story in here and doesn’t choose to drag it out in the manner many similar authors choose to.

The love scenes were at a premium and I felt the connection and chemistry between our lovers. It wasn’t just sexual anymore…you can feel the love and emotion that guides them. There were a few things that happened that had me raising my eyebrows but as I thought about them, I could understand why they felt the need to make love at that moment. Sometimes the act itself is a connection that is needed at a particular time; especially after a traumatic or emotional event.

The secondary characters that wandered around in Bound explode in here with a shower of vibrant color as their personalities and respective roles are expertly developed and merged into the story. Each one is characterized to the point where they could and probably will hold their own storyline in the future. Hints at romantic and professional entanglements makes me eager to see where James will take them. Ronin’s relationship with his sister morphs into an actual friendship as they actually talk to one another and clear up old misconceptions. Her reasons for being in America are explained fully and I liked how James uses her to help Amery understand her fears towards Ronin’s dominant needs and voice them to Ronin. My favorite character? The Russian mob boss. I do hope we see much more of him in future installments.

The ending wraps up Ronin and Amery’s numerous conflicts and gives us strong hope that these two will be very happy together. As I stated earlier, I enjoyed this installment much more than the first one and as long as James continues along this vein for this series, this fan will keep reading.

Rating: B

[John Faivus · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not a big fan of this book. I found the themes unrealistic and mostly this was a throwaway romantic underground sort of amalgamation. I thought that it might have been a little better if maybe the characters didn't fall in love and the themes weren't as childish and silly but this book's storyline somehow kept it together somewhat. The only theme that sort of resonated with me was the main theme about kids being taken apart by society literally which is also sort of like real life and how this system does but the least fortunate down at the bottom and the rich families at the top and this book barely even did that.

[CrazyForRomance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si rimetteranno insieme ovviamente, e inizieranno una bella relazione che diventerà sempre più seria, nonostante la riservatezza di lui e la testardaggine di lei. Supereranno incomprensioni e paure, e continueranno a incendiare ogni luogo in cui decideranno di dare sfogo alla potentissima attrazione che li unisce.
Mamma mia mie care Crazy, quanto lo abbiamo aspettato questo libro? È passato così tanto tempo che ormai avevamo perso le speranze, e invece, finalmente, possiamo terminare la lettura della storia di Amery e sensej Black e tornare a sospirare per questo esemplare superbo di maschio alfa. Ronin è un super concentrato di testosterone in salsa orientale, maschio fino al midollo, tanto che molti dei suoi problemi con Amery derivano direttamente dal suo smisurato orgoglio e dal fatto che non vuole cedere alle debolezze di fronte alla sua donna.

Ma è mostruosa- mente sexy, con quella parlata volgare e spudorata, quella determina- zione ad ottenere tutto quello che vuole, il sesso tantrico, le corde, i nodi e la carica sensuale che sprigiona ogni volta che guarda la sua donna, che la tocca, che la lega o che fa l’amore con lei. Quanto mi piacerebbe essere Amery, anche solo per qualche giorno, lasciarmi completamente andare tra le sue braccia, permettergli di adorarmi legando il mio corpo e poi di continuare a farlo lasciando che faccia di me ciò che vuole. Credo che il personaggio complesso e incredibilmente sensuale di Ronin sia il sogno proibito di molte donne e sia anche il segreto del successo di questa serie.
Non che Amery non sia un bel personaggio, tutt’altro, ma rimane un po’ in ombra rispetto alla luce emanata da Ronin, anche se l’autrice le da molto spazio, e la tratteggia perfettamente, è come se fosse sempre un passo dietro al suo uomo.
In questo secondo libro incontriamo un sacco di personaggi secondari più o meno importanti, in particolare le due coppie che si formeranno in futuro nel terzo e quarto libro della serie che non hanno Ronin e Amery come protagonisti. Infatti solo la novella Schooled vede ancora protagonisti i nostri due focosi amanti (e ci racconta il loro viaggio di nozze in Giappone), mentre gli altri due volumi raccontano le storie rispettivamente di Shiori e Knox (la sorellastra di Ronin e il suo braccio destro nel dojo) e quella di Molly e Deacon (la migliore amica di Amery e il terzo in comando alla Black Arts), speriamo di poterli leggere tutti in italiano.
Continua a leggere la recensione su: CrazyForRomance

[Under the Covers Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lets start off with clarifying that the Mastered series is one story told in two full length books.  You absolutely cannot pick up UNWOUND without reading BOUND first.  So that being said, BOUND left us hanging a bit on what would happen next and this book picks up shortly thereafter.  Ronin and Amery haven't talked in weeks and Ronin is not in a good place without her.  He dives deeper into his darker world until he's almost too far gone to recover.  But then Amery is there to slowly draw him out.

This is a book of reconciliation and balance.  Balance because while they are together, they still have plenty of things to work through in order to make their relationship work.  There's trust that has to be earned.  There are limits that need to be put in place or tested.  And their natural behavior outside of the bedroom that has to be controlled.  I enjoyed seeing that balance put to the test.  Ronin is an overprotective male and that can, at times, be overbearing for a strong woman like Amery.  And at the same time Amery has insecurities that need to be overcome, with trust in a strong bond.  That to me was the beauty of this story.  It was tested time and time again.  And it's not about one overpowering the other, but how they can complement each others lives going forward while they both thrive.  After quite a bit of heartbreak, I can totally see that at the end of UNWOUND.

As always, Ms. James hits it off the hotness charts with this one.  I always wonder how she will top her last book and then she does it again.  Ronin and Amery get down and dirty, hot and flexible ;) and will leave you steaming and panting .... and googling.  But just as hot as the scenes can be, there was always a reason why they were there, a function to the story they were telling.  I loved how we see BDSM in this world and in combination with the martial arts discipline.  It makes it a beautiful art and a pleasure to "see".  I can definitely tell there was quite a bit of research put into the developing of this story and I think readers can appreciate that.

This was the perfect ending for Ronin and Amery, however I am not ready to see the world end.  There are still many stories left untold back at the dojo and I hope there are plans for more!

*ARC provided by publisher

❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books about BDSM, especially bondage and submission. This book is the conclusion to Bound. In the previous book Amery has walked out on Ronin because he just wasn’t being open and honest about himself, his family and his past. Ronin is devastated that Amery has left him and sinks himself into MMA bouts. He lets himself get beat up just to numb the pain of losing her. Avery finds him at her doorstep one night bloody, bruised and broken. As Ronin recovers from his injuries so does their relationship. But there are other forces that still test their relationship. We get to see what kind of nasty people Amery’s parents are.

Amery becomes involved in the promotion of Ronin’s new business venture and continues working with the Okada Corporation. I loved that we got to see more from Ronin’s POV. We got to know more about his family dynamic. I kind of wish that Ronin had interests besides martial arts. It what he eats, sleeps and breathes. Even his interest in art is very singular. If I were to meet him in real life I would probably find him very boring after one evening of talking to him. When the sex drive dies down and the body doesn’t operate like it used to, what will be left for Amery and Ronin to talk about? Hopefully they will develop different interests together.

A few new characters are introduced in this book and I can see that this series should go on for a while however, the last book published in this series was in 2015. I do believe that another one is overdue. I wish the book series that Amery is doing the cover art for was real. Just based on the cover art alone I would read Cherry Starr’s novels. Too bad she isn’t real either. This book was not as fast paced as the previous book. It still held my attention and had plenty of sexy times in it.

I recommend Kathy Davie’s review. Hers is the most complete one I’ve seen on Goodreads though I gave a higher rating than she did.