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Bound #1

London Bound

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After losing her husband six years ago, Meg Stevens has focused on the day-to-day and being a mother, not sparing a thought for anything beyond—no dates, no excitement, no life other than what she already had. A six-week vacation to London, all but forced on her by her two children, changes all of that. Meg meets the man of her dreams—gorgeous, dominant, and completely on board with a short-term fling—despite the fact he’s far too young for her.

Nathan Harris is more than a bit curious about the beautiful woman renting the upstairs flat, and once he talks to her, curiosity is quickly replaced by arousal and desire. It doesn’t take long before it’s clear she longs to experience sexual submission, and Nathan finds himself desperate to be the one she submits to.

Her days spent exploring the city, her nights exploring Nathan and the pleasure submitting to him brings, Meg discovers the trip she’d taken out of obligation has turned into something she doesn’t want to walk away from. However, the life she left behind beckons, and there’s no room there for dreaming of something she can never have.

225 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 15, 2015

2 people are currently reading
73 people want to read

About the author

Jessica Jarman

46 books37 followers
I have a good life. Really. I'm married to a great man, have 4 beautiful kids AND I get to do what I love - write. :)

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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for Obsidian.
3,238 reviews1,141 followers
March 21, 2015
Not thrilled to do this but going to have to call this a DNF at 53 percent.

There is so much that is just ticking me off and doesn't ring true that I am going to just pass on finishing this book up.

I really wish that we had not gotten whiplash with the character of Meg. She is a 40 year old mother of two teenagers who seems hesitant about exploring London by herself. Meg meets Nathan, a 27 year old rich guy (think Christian Grey from 50 Shades of Grey) who in one night together identifies her as a submissive and proceeds to go around saying how she is his girl and he owns her orgasms.




Yep. Owns her orgasms.

This is after all of his mess when they first formally meet and he proceeds to put his hands all over her.

It drives me crazy because I don't care how submissive you are sexually, you are not going to let some random stranger come up to you and proceed to alpha all over you. And yes I am using alpha as a verb here.

I could have just ignored all of that since there seems to be some sweetness in Nathan which quickly gets doused when he takes over as Christian Grey's blonde doppleganger.

Over dinner together Nathan just flat out asks her was she a submissive with her dead husband and it is the most awkward conversation ever. Then we have Meg going back with Nathan (a guy she doesn't know who she has sex with once) and proceeding to tell him the things that she is in to (though since she has not done this before I am still wondering how she knew about certain things like golden showers) and agreeing to his conditions which is she can't have sex with anyone else while they are knocking boots and oh she can't even have separate thoughts which are not about him at all times.

She nodded. Pain for pain's sake, not my thing...but what you did the other night, the light slap? That was okay.

That tap was to bring you back, he clarified. You were drifting, disengaging, and I needed to bring you back. To me.

That....doing that is okay. I'm okay with that. Meg gave him a shaky smile. That's it...I think. Can I add to the list later, if something comes up? Is that allowed?


That right there should have had Meg popping smoke and getting the hell out of there. And it gets worse.

You are mine, Meg. Completely. Your body...and your orgasms, my sweet girl. They belong to me. You don't come unless I give permission. And sometimes, love, oh, sometimes, I won't give permission. You'll beg and plead and cry.


I seriously said out loud on the train this morning. Why are you still there?! Get out.

I stopped reading at 53 percent because after another night together, Nathan sends his driver to pick Meg up and Meg proceeds to act jealous over Christian, I mean Nathan's PA being snotty to her and he makes her pleasure herself on his desk while he works. They go to lunch and he proceeds to finger her while they are ordering in front of their waiter. And to punish her for being six minutes late to getting picked up he makes her go around and pleasure herself after she leaves each tourist spot she goes to during the day. I just am shaking my head at this.

As much as 50 Shades of Grey drove me crazy I could excuse all of the Anastasia mess with the fact she was so young and didn't know any better. To go into a submissive/dominant relationship with a man when you are a 21 year old virgin who apparently never had an orgasm before you can excuse her for being a freaking nitwit about things. Meg is 40 years old and we hear that she and her husband initially talked about submissive/dominant sex before he died, but really didn't engage in it. Watching Meg in I think it's been three days at this point completely taken over by a 27 year old man just doesn't ring true at all. He's acting older than he is and she's acting way younger than she is.

We also still don't get any description to make me believe that this book takes place in London besides Nathan's accent and the mention of some tourist sites that Meg goes to off screen so to speak. And I still have no idea what Nathan does at all. He's rich so who cares right.

I just can't with this mess anymore.

Profile Image for Jen (That's What I'm Talking About).
1,741 reviews312 followers
March 24, 2015
40-year-old Meg Stevens has been widow for six years. Since her beloved husband passed, she's spent the time raising her children, working, and being alone. Knowing she needs a break, her near-adult children and family send Meg on a six week trip to London, where she meets Nathan Harris, her sexy, younger neighbor. After a night of conversation and a few drinks at the local pub, the pair explore their strong attraction and realize they can give each other exactly what the other needs... and more.

London Bound is a lovely erotic romance that hit all the right buttons for me. The author explores a healthy D/s relationship between two consenting adults without making the sex about a troubled up-bringing or the need to cleanse a damaged soul. Meg is a grieving woman who isn't quite ready to give up on life. Nathan is able to bring her out of her dormant shell and teach her she can love again. Their chemistry is hot and the love feels genuine.

Early in the story, I had a few issues with Meg. While her nervousness and uncertainty are warranted, especially given the time she’s been alone and her age difference with Nathan, I found that at first she comes across almost immature or too young when she is with Nathan. It isn’t her submissiveness, but rather that she is overly needy and unsure. However, soon enough Meg finds her footing and those traits seem to disappear. She stands as an equal to Nathan; a submissive to his Dominant, and I was able to forget my earlier issues. I appreciated her real-life concerns and worries of why things wouldn't work once her vacation is over. Over the course of the book, Meg became very real to me-her struggles authentic-and I wanted to hug and reassure her.

Nathan is perfect. Seriously. Pretty much too perfect. He’s healthy, well-built, handsome, well-off, and he's head-over-heels for Meg. His firm but gentle ways of caring for and loving Meg are ideal, and he holds nothing back. It's easy to see why Meg feels it’s all too good to be true, because I felt the same way. But as Meg gives herself over and immerses herself into the situation, determined to enjoy her short time with Nathan, I too was able to enjoy and indulge in his perfection regardless of how “real” he may or may have been.

The pair share some intense and beautiful moments, carrying me away in their mutual affections. I needed things to work out for the couple because they make such a good match. I like that they didn't have a completely easy road, and it took some time to make it work. I honestly got so caught up in their passionate, ideal affair that I was a bit sad when I got to the end of the book.

Although the majority of the story focuses on Nathan and Meg’s relationship, there are entertaining moments with Nathan’s friend Jack, as well as with Meg’s children. The scenes outside the bedroom give the story a satisfying balance between the sex, relationship, and “real life.”

Overall, I found London Bound an entertaining, steamy erotic romance. While Nathan is a bit perfect, Meg is wonderfully real, creating a beautiful equilibrium. The D/s relationship and love affair are nearly perfect, and sometimes enjoying an ideal romance is just what a tired soul needs to getaway for a while.

My Rating: A- Enjoyed It A Lot
Review copy provided by author
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
Profile Image for Kris Norris.
Author 114 books89 followers
April 20, 2015
Holy cow. What an intense, amazing read. I have to say. I didn't realize how in depth this book would be until I was submersed in it. Nathan is the kind of man every woman dreams of. He's smart, compassionate and sexy as hell. The fact he enjoys being in control only adds to his sex appeal.

I absolutely loved the interaction between him and Meg...it's fun, loving and realistic. Somehow Ms. Jarman manages to weave in family elements without ever losing the connection between the couple. I loved how Meg's kids became integral to the plot.

And then there's Jack... OMG... I pray that since this is part of a series we will soon be seeing Jack's book because he is to die for. And I don't know how the author can make us laugh and cry all in the same scene. Hell in the same sentence.

I highly recommend this book if you want to see a loving, healthy BDSM relationship.
Profile Image for Bronwyn Green.
Author 54 books178 followers
March 22, 2015
I loved this story. I don't often read older women/younger man stories where I actually believe the characters will stay together after I've finished the book. This is definitely not the case with Jessica Jarman's London Bound. Jarman handles the story of a widow coming into her own six years after the death of her husband both beautifully and believably. Meg was an absolute delight - and Nathan? Nathan is to die for. I absolutely love the balance of heat (seriously scorching), humor and heart-rending feelings the author was able to maintain throughout the course of the novel. I should also mention that the secondary characters, Nathan's BFF, Jack and Meg's teenage kids (and their reaction to Nathan) are perfect. If you like your D/s sex hot, your relationships real and your endings happy, do yourself a favor and read. this. book. Immediately, if possible!
Profile Image for Dawn.
573 reviews5 followers
April 16, 2020
Meg's kids force her to take a six week vacation in London to take time for herself. While she is enjoying the time away from everything, she runs into the man of her dreams. But she struggles with having kids at home and focusing on them instead of love. She lost her husband and protects her heart by doing just that. But Nathan is everything she has ever wanted, except in the wrong country. I love Meg's realistic struggle. Any mom would understand her dilemma and feel for her. I was routing for her to find that happiness. This is a story of true love for her kids, and a mom putting herself second, but her kids pushing her to the front. Break out the tissues, because this one will make you tear up!

Tatiana Sokolov narrates this story wonderfully. She really brings out the struggles that Meg faces. Through her narration, Ms. Sokolov brought me into the story and I felt everything that Meg did. Ms. Sokolov has an easy to get lost in voice and I cried along with Meg when she had to make a very hard decision because I was so engrossed in the story. I look forward to more narration from Ms. Sokolov.
76 reviews1 follower
July 18, 2019
A Great Read

Older woman, younger man.
When they make a pact about Just For Now Benefits, can they keep it from getting complicated?
All she was looking for was some piece in her life. It was just suppose to a vacation but what she got was a whole lot more.
When he noticed a woman in the bar, he was only wanting to save her from a unwanted flirt but maybe he found something different.
Profile Image for Sarah.
438 reviews22 followers
May 10, 2018
Hot vacation sex that turns into a warm romance. I loved it. Numerous typos in the kindle edition however.
Profile Image for Laura.
1,487 reviews16 followers
November 19, 2018
The audio of this book is amazing!! This is my first book by Jessica Jarman and I thought the style was great. I was immediately pulled in and invested in these characters. This book has some of everything: heat, angst, humor. I can’t wait to get to more books in this series!
Profile Image for Gigi staub.
942 reviews18 followers
May 11, 2015
After losing her husband six years ago, Meg Stevens has focused on the day-to-day and being a mother, not sparing a thought for anything beyond—no dates, no excitement, no life other than what she already had. A six-week vacation to London, all but forced on her by her two children, changes all of that. Meg meets the man of her dreams—gorgeous, dominant, and completely on board with a short-term fling—despite the fact he’s far too young for her.

Nathan Harris is more than a bit curious about the beautiful woman renting the upstairs flat, and once he talks to her, curiosity is quickly replaced by arousal and desire. It doesn’t take long before it’s clear she longs to experience sexual submission, and Nathan finds himself desperate to be the one she submits to.

Her days spent exploring the city, her nights exploring Nathan and the pleasure submitting to him brings, Meg discovers the trip she’d taken out of obligation has turned into something she doesn’t want to walk away from. However, the life she left behind beckons, and there’s no room there for dreaming of something she can never have.

Review:

This is one of the best older woman/younger man stories that I have read. You can tell that a lot of thought went into how these two would interact and ultimately fall in love with each other. It was realistic and I really came to care for the characters. There is a lot of heart in this story and at points I wanted to cry along with the characters, especially when Meg goes back home. The relationship that builds between Nathan and Meg is done so well and the integration of the BDSM relationship between the two adds greater depth to them. The BDSM aspect of the story I thought was very well written. Also, I liked that even though they got their groove on early in the story it still did not feel rushed. I had not read this Author before now and I really liked her style, her characters dialog had just the right amount of snark to make them fun. Now, this is the first book in a series, but each book is totally stand alone. Though I have now read book 1 and 2 and totally recommend them.

4.5Stars

*Was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review*
Profile Image for Jen (That's What I'm Talking About).
1,741 reviews312 followers
January 10, 2016
When I discovered that the authors of one of my favorite series, Bound by Jessica Jarman and Bronwyn Green, published the first two books in audiobook format, I think I squealed out loud for a bit. Would I like the opportunity to review them? Hell yes!

Before I get into the audio/narration part of the review, I want to state that I strongly enjoyed both books the first time around. Much of what I wrote in my original reviews of both London Bound and Drawn That Way still holds true, and I’ll summarize my thoughts on both stories as taken from my original reviews.

London Bound: Overall, I found London Bound an entertaining, steamy erotic romance. While Nathan is a bit perfect, Meg is wonderfully real, creating a beautiful equilibrium. They share some intense and beautiful moments, carrying me away in their mutual affections. I needed things to work out for the couple because they make such a good match. I like that they didn't have a completely easy road, and it took some time to make it work. The D/s relationship and love affair are nearly perfect, and sometimes enjoying an ideal romance is just what a tired soul needs to getaway for a while.

As for specifics to the audiobook version:

One thing I noticed about listening to the books - I didn’t realize how much sex was in both books until listening!

The first book in the series, London Bound, is one of my favorites, and I delighted in listening to the story as a re-read. Right from the start, I was impressed with the narrator. She captured Meg’s uncertainty and maelstrom of emotions, as well as her underlying innocence. Tatiana Sokolov also excelled at the youthful voices of Meg’s kids; something that doesn’t always work with adult narrators. Nathan’s voice was good, with a slight accent, although I expected something deeper when I read it the first time. Listening to the story after reading it only made me love the story more, and I found that I wasn’t as hung up on Nathan’s perfection, but rather embraced it and fully enjoyed the story!

Story: A
Narration: B+

Review copy provided by author
Profile Image for Molly Smith.
687 reviews12 followers
May 21, 2016
This was a new to me author and narrator recommended by a friend. I haven't read much of this genre simply due to a first try that was awful. But taking a recommendation by a friend who has never steered me wrong, I gave it a shot. I really enjoyed it. Though Meg seemed a bit overly immature in a few ways, I could understand those quirks given her personality and history. What made it more pronounced was the perfection of Nate. He was just too yummily good to be true. That being said, the emotions conveyed were heartfelt and honest. I truly enjoyed their journey. I found this novel to be a really good intro into erotic romance with more dom/sub elements. Far better than what I had encountered before. Tatiana Sokolov's performance was steller. I loved the range of her voices, not only in pitch and gender but with accents. She truly brought the characters alive. I really recommend this audio book.
Profile Image for Crista.
150 reviews2 followers
January 18, 2017
Pure escapism. It's too bad Goodreads doesn't tag the hour I finished my book, because you'd see this was one that kept me up until past midnight to finish reading. The sex was hot, the bondage semi-believable (I just keep coming back to the 'oh yeah, the hot, young guy in your rental flat complex just HAPPENS to be an experienced Dom who's willing to play with a complete newbie and subsequently, fall madly in love with her... does this really happen?!') That being said, I liked the characters, enjoyed the language, though at one point, I swear I had just read the same three paragraphs in the book prior to this one (different author, same general genre). I get that the stoplight system is a common and well-used safe word system, but maybe the neophyte with leanings can already know that in one of the future books. It is one of the first things you're introduced to when you start down this path. At any rate, I recommend this one if you're looking for a quick and enjoyable book.
Profile Image for *Lee*.
212 reviews5 followers
April 13, 2015
*fans self* This was definitely a hot "fluffy raunch" read. The premise of an older woman who was widowed a few years ago, and is taking a holiday for herself after devoting the subsequent years to the needs of her kids, who hooks up with a sexy younger guy was a nice departure from other F-R books I've read lately. I quite liked the characters, especially Jack. And it was very raunchy.. :) So given that no books in this genre are ever going to be intellectual masterpieces, it got a 4* fluffy raunch rating (which is different ratings system to my rating of more literary works *ha*) - London Bound was a good "braincation" read, I'm looking forward to reading more of Jarman's stuff.
Profile Image for Anne.
274 reviews18 followers
April 13, 2015
Fantastic read! From the first page I was pulled into Meg’s story, her emotions, fears and desires spilled off the page. A widow sent to London on holiday by her two children meets the younger man who lives downstairs and things get hot. Nathan and Meg had a strong connection and the chemistry was on fire as was the romance. I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed this story. I laughed and cried as this couple grew together, surrounded by a very lively group of people. Jessica Jarman delivered a five star story and I can’t wait to see what is next for the Bound series.
Profile Image for Thia Finn.
Author 27 books420 followers
May 25, 2015
Loved the Holiday!

Thoroughly enjoyed this story of a holiday romance that becomes so much more. She weaves a tale of two unlikely characters who find themselves enjoying the moments while Meg takes time for herself after years of raising her children alone.
Jarman's characters are well developed and readers quickly feel as though they could be people you connect with. The plot explodes around these people and the reader is caught up in their lives and the steamy scenes the two share.
If you are looking for a great HEA with lots of hot moments, add this one to your list.
Profile Image for wendy Shelton(obsessedbybooks).
2,554 reviews27 followers
June 5, 2015
* * ARC given on behalf of obsessed by books for an honest review * *

Meg is a single mother who works hard to provide she doesn't have time to worrie about her wants but when her children and family send her on a 6 week trip Meg just might find what she wants and needs. Nathan is sexy, sweet and just what Meg needs but when it all seems to good to be true will Meg see what happens or will she step away. I really enjoyed this book.
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