Bought & Bound: A Dark Contemporary Auction Romance

by Liz Highland

Whisked away into another life. It's just for a month, right?Look, my luck has been lacking, and the aerial arts just aren't paying the bills. So, how could I pass up a chance to make serious bank to just perform at the private club, the Scarlet Oleander? I can't. When I see that I can make even more by entering myself into their exclusive "auction," I can't help but jump at the chance. Sure, I've agreed to some of the club's more... interesting stipulations, but I'm just hoping it'll help me make a killing so I can survive off the money for a while, even though I'm a complete newbie. I'm mostly prepared for what I'm getting myself into thought. I've messed around with the "darker" stuff before, so it'll be a walk in the park, right?Maybe I'll even have a little fun, God forbid. What I'm not prepared for, however, is meeting Westley. The guy who racks up quite the bill to be my fateful purchaser. He's dark, tall, handsome, and a bit older than me. As soon as we lock eyes, he awakens something powerful within me that quickly becomes my new obsession. And I quickly become his, offering to extend my contract--indefinitely. This is way beyond what I signed up for, so why aren't I saying no? It looks like there's a lot more to this little adventure into the world of the Scarlet Oleander than I had planned. Bought & Bound is a dark, adult romance. A content advisory has been provided at the beginning of the book. Please check it and only read this story with your mental health in mind.

362 pages, Paperback

Published May 6, 2024

About the author

In the world of Liz Highland, you are encouraged to embrace the dark side of romance.

Author of dark contemporary romance novels and novellas, Liz Highland tells tales that revolve around intimacy, lust, love, and every way that a heart can both break and grow. Focusing on characters who all flaunt their red flags proudly, you'll find stories fit for fans of the darkest of the dark and the spiciest of the spicy.

During their off time, Liz can be found enjoying a cold cup of coffee that's been microwaved at least six times at this point because their tiny goblins keep interrupting them and reading all the delicious dark romance they can get their hands on.

Check out everything Liz has to offer by following them on social media and be on the look out for more stories coming from the world of the Scarlett Oleander.

Reviews

[ɢʀᴇʏッ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ 4.5 🌶️

"𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘱𝘦𝘵. 𝘪 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦"

𝗪𝗢𝗪!! that was 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚🔥 westley was described so deliciously, & the story was captivating. even had me tearing in a few parts. westley & andi def deserve to be raved about!!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Westley - successful business man, confident, strong, Dom, mature ( 40’s ), experienced

Andi - struggling to make ends meet, aerial artist, dancer, young ( 20’s), fun, v!rg!n

Sparks fly from the moment Westley sees Andi perform. He has to have her and he will stop at nothing g to buy her at the auction. She exactly what he is looking for. and they have more in common than they realized, both have traumatic childhoods and that gives them a deeper understanding and connection with the other.

They immediately click and easily fall into the perfect sub/dom roles. Westley is forceful with what he expects, but is mindful of Andi’s inexperience and guides her. Try as he might Andi is awakening something in him he never thought was designed for him. A future with the perfect partner and sub. But Westley also unlocks something in Andi, she fully starts to embrace her k!nky sub side.

Whew… HHOOTT. Have some cold water ready, you’re going to need it! If you are looking for a quick SUPER spicy BDSM read, this is it.

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars! This scorching book gives us the story of Andi, a young woman in desperate need of money and willing to auction herself for it, and Westley, the gorgeous, domineering billionaire who purchases her for his whims and pleasures. This story is hot hot hot, scorching at every turn, as Andi discovers her true desires and unlocks Westley’s hidden needs.

This book leans heavily into the world of sěx clubs and BĎ$M, as well as dealing with past traumas and current dangers. Andi is very much a novice, while Westley is quite the opposite, and there is also a decent age gap happening here. That said, Andi and Westley compliment each other almost perfectly, each seeming to fill in the dark spaces the other carries with them. Their romance is most definitely more of the instalove variety, and it works well, given the intensity of their interactions from the start. But it’s not superficial, or just physical, they find a much deeper connection, and in the end, they realize that their lives are not complete without each other. It’s sweet, sexy, dark, daring, and oh so delicious.

Be sure to check your trigger and content warnings with this one - not only is it quite the spicy journey, but it also deals with some darker topics. It is also a great story, and wonderful romance.

[Anatasia McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started this.....this morning. I absolutely DEVOURED this.
Christian grey could in fact Never.
Westley may be my favorite Dom I've ever read and I've read a ton of them.
Possessive. Protective. Brooding (in a good way) definitely gives off the grump except for her vibes.
I loved it and the spice....phew.....while yes its a lot *I'd hope you would read the description and understand...that there will be ALOT* was definitely spicing.
Could not love these two more if I tried.

[Kaity Den Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

hot tamale

Holy moly, the spice is spicing in this!! But the plot was also very good as well! I did not see the one part coming. IYKYK! Definitely recommend picking this up if you want a fast paced spicy read!

[Sara Cayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too Hot and I loved everything about this book…

[Echo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast burn, high spice

[Mandy Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was soooooo good! It has all the k!nks a dark romance girlie wants. But there is also alot of plot!! A mystery and spice I mean what else could you want! I was seriously afraid my kindle was going to melt while I was reading! Andi & Westley were a perfect pair and I could not put it down until I knew what was going on. You will not regret reading this book!

[Jess Muller · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished the book book in a couple of days. It was an easy read, but it felt too much like 50 shades to me. I felt the ending was rushed.

[wwgrn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ 4.5 🌶️

"𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘱𝘦𝘵. 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦."

𝗪𝗢𝗪!! that was 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚🔥 in some parts it gave me 50 shades darker vibes, but this was still very different. all in good ways!! if ur in the mood to be hot & bothered... look no further!! westley was described so deliciously that i felt his raw emotions during the shmex¥ scenes!! 𝗕𝗨𝗧 as good as the $müt was...it still had a real story!! even had me tearing in a few parts. it pulled at my ♥️strings how they clung to the bond they formed & trust between their specific dynamic to get thru the dark challenge they had to face. westley & andi def deserve to be raved about!!

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ 𝓐𝓷𝓭𝓲 ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊
- 25yo, 5"2, blond bob, blue eyes
- emancipated as soon as she could, aerial silk dancer

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ 𝓦𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓵𝓮𝔂 ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊
- silver streaks dressing his temples, but he was built & wrinkle-fr33; likely in his 40s; beard expertly sculpted
- CEO & founder of Cloudstone Tech, a fortune 100 company

‼️ this is 𝗡𝗢𝗧 a 𝗵𝗼𝘄-𝘁𝗼 guide on $kınx or the $kınx community. 𝗗𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗧 take the actions depicted in this work as a guide for proper njoyment ‼️