Beauty & Bonds (Newly Edited): Not every threat comes with a warning

by Dominique Black

She’s the beauty behind a blooming beauty empire.
He’s the bond broker who broke her heart.

Millicent “Nina-Marie” Jackson isn’t looking back— she’s looking forward. As the daughter of South-Hurst’s most polished political and legal dynasty— legacy and power is in her blood… but it’s also the weight on her back. After walking away from the man who broke her heart and the family that nearly broke her spirit, Nina’s betting on herself—and building a beauty empire all her own.

Until Andre “Dre” Coleman slides back in like he never left.

Polished, powerful, and always three moves ahead, Andre Coleman makes million-dollar deals by day and keeps the city’s dirtiest secrets by night. He built his empire with charm, strategy, and silence. The Syndicate’s money man and the city’s clean-cut king of finance. Nina? She was his only soft spot. Now she’s back in his life, and the chemistry between them still burns hot enough to scorch everything in its path.

But someone is watching.
Plotting.
A threat moving in the shadows, ready to burn it all down.

As old wounds reopen and new enemies emerge, Nina and Dre find themselves caught between passion, power, and the past

Secrets. Manipulation. Money. Chaos.

This is Beauty & Bonds—where love tests your limits, and your loyalty.

478 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2025

Reviews

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

This dragged on a bit for me. But I get it, it was a slow build up to the action (fatal attraction style). I actually don’t think Nina & Dre needed to be together honestly. Their relationship felt toxic & while I felt their physical chemistry idk how I felt about them as a couple. I also struggled to like Nina as a FMC. She felt…all over the place emotionally & a bit immature. We saw it in Book 1, and she clearly didn’t grow. And I know it’s because of the weight of her family name but idk…seek therapy child. And Dre…idk fr. Also Nina’s entire family? A mess. With zero situational awareness. Just out here trusting all the people knowing how much power yall have😩

What I did enjoy was getting glimpses of the other couples from the previous books. And the brotherhood between the syndicate is always top tier.

[ReadnliftwithShar · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a ride

This was actually a toxic storyline! I was not expecting the twists to transpire the way they did but I was here for it all! I really liked Dre and Nina! The chemistry was there but Nina wasn’t really there for the long run with Dre - but the pressure he applied. I get it sis, I would have folded too! Now what got me was Nina’s trifling family! They had more secrets than a little bit!! 😱and that calculated Dr - It was giving fatal attraction!! 😩😩I don’t know why the women keep getting kidnapped but I need the Syndicate to stop letting it happen lol 😂 ready for book 4!

[SheaButtahBookhead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Character dev: 👤👤👤👤
Originality: 📝📝📝
Narration:
Plot: 📖📖📖📖
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Action: 👊🏽👊🏽
Troupe: breakup to make up, millionaire romance
Triggers: some violence

The story is good and a bit of a palette cleanser after reading about Mo and Sol.

I didn’t care for Dre at all, he didn’t move me. but I was locked in on the fatal attraction element.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legacy meets crazy

MMC was such a manipulator. His presence was the catalyst for destruction. He did not get enough karma. I understood why the villain did what she did. Dre you count your days! He didn’t do enough compared to the first two books. His love didn’t sleep off the page frfr. Nina deserved more from him.

[Sheena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the series!

I read out of order as someone suggested ROC’s book as Nerd MMC and I had to read them all after him!! Now Dre and Nina. Nina made me mad in Kings book because she was so loose lipped. But she seemed so ditsy and had no common sense. Lol not taking away from how good the book was at all. Putting Ms Black in my favorite author list. Please keep writing ma’am.

[vanessa t brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

Omgoodness! That chick was a whole doctor, a psychiatrist, but crazy as a road lizard! These men will get enough of sticking they we-we in who and whatever. Dre was with a certifiable nutcase but didn't know it. Once he decided to make a go it with Nina that chick decided to ruin that woman's life. Her whole family was impacted, some devastated, by her. Hopefully we'll see some sign of how Mine's family is fairing after all of that. Good getting a glimpse of King, Simone, Mo, Yaya, Lucky, and Lacey. That scene with them in the club was funny, I like it when the girls piss the guys off as a unit.

[Bea_random_romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beauty and Bonds

This one was a bit of push/pull for me. The FMChas family dynamics issues and the MMC kept messing up. Communication would have saved me nerves. Throw in a ex that wouldn’t take no for an answer and we got some real family scandals.

[tatianna booker · Rating 4 out of 5]

crazy

The buildup of the crazy Situationship was really good at this book is crazy that there are really some people out here like that over a man lol.

[Diane Colvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

This book was so good. It was good from the beginning to the end. I can't wait to read the next part!