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Bound
Melissa's longtime boyfriend, Martin, is taking her on the trip of a lifetime. It might be just what they need since she has felt a disconnect with him lately. But her overactive mind convinces her that he's planned the trip for the sole purpose of dumping her... until he brings up the subject of marriage again.
Martin doesn't know how else to convince Melissa that they are destined to be together forever. He's left his exclusive BDSM club in the hands of a capable friend and whisked her away to a private island. He can't figure out why she revels in physical bonds, but balks at the bonds of marriage. It's not a challenge the seasoned Dom in him is ready to back down from.
When secrets from Melissa's past threaten to come to light and her well-being and safety are put at risk, can Martin protect the woman his world revolves around? Or will he end up losing everything that matters to him?
Martin doesn't know how else to convince Melissa that they are destined to be together forever. He's left his exclusive BDSM club in the hands of a capable friend and whisked her away to a private island. He can't figure out why she revels in physical bonds, but balks at the bonds of marriage. It's not a challenge the seasoned Dom in him is ready to back down from.
When secrets from Melissa's past threaten to come to light and her well-being and safety are put at risk, can Martin protect the woman his world revolves around? Or will he end up losing everything that matters to him?
151 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 29, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 18, 2015
ARC received for review
There's a whole lotta spankin' goin' on... (Sorry, Jerry Lee Lewis)
It was nice to read a BDSM book where it's not a brand new relationship, but a ten year established one. Martin and Melissa were pretty great together just in a little bit of a rut. It takes a vacation and a crazy person to shake them up and back to where they started. A couple great secondary characters introduced that I would like to know more about. This is apparently the second book with enough mentions of the first that I want to go back and read it.
There's a whole lotta spankin' goin' on... (Sorry, Jerry Lee Lewis)
It was nice to read a BDSM book where it's not a brand new relationship, but a ten year established one. Martin and Melissa were pretty great together just in a little bit of a rut. It takes a vacation and a crazy person to shake them up and back to where they started. A couple great secondary characters introduced that I would like to know more about. This is apparently the second book with enough mentions of the first that I want to go back and read it.
February 26, 2016
3.75 - 4.00 stars!
ARC kindly provided by Romance Beckons via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
This is the story of Melissa and Martin. This is a story of a couple that after 10 years start loosing their connection.
The story was really interesting. However the plot didn't work for me. I was kind of confused with the mystery in the story when the issues in the couple were more than enough for me to keep me interested. I actually think that the whole mystery/past part was the least interesting part of the book. The connection or the absence of the connection of this couple kept me going and I was rewarded in the end. I also miss a bit of background information about how Melissa and Martin met or what Melissa went through. This was a fast read and it felt like a snapshot of the story of Melissa and Martin. I would have liked a bit more of them to be honest.
The book is written in 3rd person and although it's not my favorite way of writing, I have to admit that it was beautifully done! It was always clear who was speaking and the writing was nice and smooth.
Melissa is kind of a confusing character for me. One moment she was concerned about her relationship and the other couldn't believe that Martin actually loved her. Melissa was doubting their connection so much that put them at stake. On the other hand, I can understand her worries but I don't agree with them.
Martin is a nice man. He is a caring and committed partner. I liked him a lot. My favorite part of his personality is that he didn't give up on them and he kept fighting to keep his relationship alive.
The end of the book was beautiful! I really liked it! The last paragraph of the book was the nicest part of this story! The feelings were fantastic and Ms. McKay couldn't say it any better. It was simple but priceless.
ARC kindly provided by Romance Beckons via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
This is the story of Melissa and Martin. This is a story of a couple that after 10 years start loosing their connection.
The story was really interesting. However the plot didn't work for me. I was kind of confused with the mystery in the story when the issues in the couple were more than enough for me to keep me interested. I actually think that the whole mystery/past part was the least interesting part of the book. The connection or the absence of the connection of this couple kept me going and I was rewarded in the end. I also miss a bit of background information about how Melissa and Martin met or what Melissa went through. This was a fast read and it felt like a snapshot of the story of Melissa and Martin. I would have liked a bit more of them to be honest.
The book is written in 3rd person and although it's not my favorite way of writing, I have to admit that it was beautifully done! It was always clear who was speaking and the writing was nice and smooth.
Melissa is kind of a confusing character for me. One moment she was concerned about her relationship and the other couldn't believe that Martin actually loved her. Melissa was doubting their connection so much that put them at stake. On the other hand, I can understand her worries but I don't agree with them.
Martin is a nice man. He is a caring and committed partner. I liked him a lot. My favorite part of his personality is that he didn't give up on them and he kept fighting to keep his relationship alive.
The end of the book was beautiful! I really liked it! The last paragraph of the book was the nicest part of this story! The feelings were fantastic and Ms. McKay couldn't say it any better. It was simple but priceless.
December 27, 2015
Melissa and Martin are in a committed relationship and have been feeling a bit distant from eachother lately. It happens. Martin is determined to have her tied to him forever but Melissa worries her past will hurt him and them. It's a really hot story about a couple reinforcing their relationship and bringing in new elements. It is seriously HAWT.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
December 20, 2015
Thank you Netgalley for the copy of this book, and I will most certainly give my honest review.
This book is the first that I have read by Casey McKay, and it started out with a lot of promise.
"Watching her come apart was one of his favorite things to do. Melissa hid so many pieces of herself, but when he had her like this, he could see straight to her soul."
"...she knew he had a remote control for the tiny vibrating egg he dangled in front of her."
But then ... well, I literally fell asleep before the middle of the book. When I woke up I read some more, but not without stopping and starting a couple more times determined to make it to the end.
The big fail here, for me anyways, was that the heroine was a friggin robot. I get it she had a rough past, but come on, you have to at least make her likable for your reader. She drove me nuts with her eye rolling and never ending complaints that she would mostly think and not say out loud. She would be the girl who is a secret cutter, or better yet, maybe I will become one after following her around in this book for the last three plus hours.
The hero, well, the cover is hot. He was okay in the beginning of the book, but toward the end I was annoyed at his lack of dimension as well.
I totally get that 'erotica' is mostly about sex, but you can't write a book without structure and good characters. I think I was more intrigued with the guy who owned the island than I was any of the others.
There were also quite a few errors that were hard to avoid, like when the scene starts out in the evening, but all the sudden it's daylight, and things like ...
"It was nice to be able to relax in her own home instead of in hiding." Then a few sentences later ...
"The worst part of vacation was coming back home."
Well which is it?
This book is a snoozefest.
This book is the first that I have read by Casey McKay, and it started out with a lot of promise.
"Watching her come apart was one of his favorite things to do. Melissa hid so many pieces of herself, but when he had her like this, he could see straight to her soul."
"...she knew he had a remote control for the tiny vibrating egg he dangled in front of her."
But then ... well, I literally fell asleep before the middle of the book. When I woke up I read some more, but not without stopping and starting a couple more times determined to make it to the end.
The big fail here, for me anyways, was that the heroine was a friggin robot. I get it she had a rough past, but come on, you have to at least make her likable for your reader. She drove me nuts with her eye rolling and never ending complaints that she would mostly think and not say out loud. She would be the girl who is a secret cutter, or better yet, maybe I will become one after following her around in this book for the last three plus hours.
The hero, well, the cover is hot. He was okay in the beginning of the book, but toward the end I was annoyed at his lack of dimension as well.
I totally get that 'erotica' is mostly about sex, but you can't write a book without structure and good characters. I think I was more intrigued with the guy who owned the island than I was any of the others.
There were also quite a few errors that were hard to avoid, like when the scene starts out in the evening, but all the sudden it's daylight, and things like ...
"It was nice to be able to relax in her own home instead of in hiding." Then a few sentences later ...
"The worst part of vacation was coming back home."
Well which is it?
This book is a snoozefest.
January 4, 2016
First - this cover. Wow. Moving on...
One of the things I liked most about this book is the hero and heroine have been together for 10 years. That's a unique take on a romance/bdsm book you don't see very often, and I liked the established relationship.
Melissa is really letting reminders of her past and insecurities of her longterm relationship get the better of her. I really liked the hero, Martin. It's told from dual points of view so we were able to get into both of their motivations for their actions. Which was very helpful as Martin is quick to react and Melissa is a bit outspoken (maybe even hints of brattiness?). Understanding why they did or said what they did helped at times when I wasn't so sure I liked the character (in this case Melissa, who I really liked by the end).
This is a BDSM-genre book. I wouldn't say it's hardcore, but if spanking and standing in corners is your thing you've hit the jackpot with this one. For me... it's not my thing, particularly standing in corners and disciplining someone for something I really didn't think was warranted. Meh, just my preferences (or not in this case).
I will say, the book is very well-written and developed for only being about 150 pages. Although it is the 3rd book in this world, you do not have to read the previous books. In fact, you do see Hailey/Tom/Adam quite a bit, but you only have a mention of Ethan/Serena. I had to look all of this up as I've never read them and didn't feel like I was missing anything.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley from Romance Beckons for an honest review.
One of the things I liked most about this book is the hero and heroine have been together for 10 years. That's a unique take on a romance/bdsm book you don't see very often, and I liked the established relationship.
Melissa is really letting reminders of her past and insecurities of her longterm relationship get the better of her. I really liked the hero, Martin. It's told from dual points of view so we were able to get into both of their motivations for their actions. Which was very helpful as Martin is quick to react and Melissa is a bit outspoken (maybe even hints of brattiness?). Understanding why they did or said what they did helped at times when I wasn't so sure I liked the character (in this case Melissa, who I really liked by the end).
This is a BDSM-genre book. I wouldn't say it's hardcore, but if spanking and standing in corners is your thing you've hit the jackpot with this one. For me... it's not my thing, particularly standing in corners and disciplining someone for something I really didn't think was warranted. Meh, just my preferences (or not in this case).
I will say, the book is very well-written and developed for only being about 150 pages. Although it is the 3rd book in this world, you do not have to read the previous books. In fact, you do see Hailey/Tom/Adam quite a bit, but you only have a mention of Ethan/Serena. I had to look all of this up as I've never read them and didn't feel like I was missing anything.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley from Romance Beckons for an honest review.
December 6, 2015
Erotic romance author Casey McKay has hit her stride with her new BDSM series. Bound, the third in the series, is a wonderful story about a romance in motion. Melissa has been dating Martin, the owner of an exclusive BDSM club for ten years. Despite their incredible chemistry, she's still running scared--certain he's going to break up with her at every turn and resistant to his continued suggestion of marriage.
So many romance stories are about new love. I think it can be harder to write about a couple who already have history, but McKay handles it well. She introduces external conflict, in the form of a stalking photographer who brings up PTSD in Melissa, who had been forced into sexual slavery in her early twenties. The internal conflict revolves around the heroine's own sense of self-worth related to her past, which causes her to continually push Martin away.
I recommend every book in this series--they just keep getting better and better! If you enjoy your BDSM with a thoughtful but demanding dom, hot scenes and a taste of intrigue, Bound is the book for you!
For the full review, see www.spankingromancereviews.com (c) Spanking Romance Reviews
So many romance stories are about new love. I think it can be harder to write about a couple who already have history, but McKay handles it well. She introduces external conflict, in the form of a stalking photographer who brings up PTSD in Melissa, who had been forced into sexual slavery in her early twenties. The internal conflict revolves around the heroine's own sense of self-worth related to her past, which causes her to continually push Martin away.
I recommend every book in this series--they just keep getting better and better! If you enjoy your BDSM with a thoughtful but demanding dom, hot scenes and a taste of intrigue, Bound is the book for you!
For the full review, see www.spankingromancereviews.com (c) Spanking Romance Reviews
December 6, 2015
This was so much fun!
I love this series from Casey McKay.
Melissa and Martin were the perfect dichotomy- wealthy Dom and former stripper / sub.
I loved them together.
The sex and BDSM were scorching hot, and the plot was full of great action and tender growth.
I had a lot of fun trying to figure out who the bad guy was.
I really hope Dani will get her own story soon.
And I LOVED the ending!
Great job to Casey McKay for another great addition to her series.
I love this series from Casey McKay.
Melissa and Martin were the perfect dichotomy- wealthy Dom and former stripper / sub.
I loved them together.
The sex and BDSM were scorching hot, and the plot was full of great action and tender growth.
I had a lot of fun trying to figure out who the bad guy was.
I really hope Dani will get her own story soon.
And I LOVED the ending!
Great job to Casey McKay for another great addition to her series.
0n_the_bench
December 16, 2015The guy on the cover looks like Maks from DWTS...
January 27, 2016
ARC kindly provited by the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for a honest review. Thank you for the honor Casey McKay.
Sorry for my late review, sometimes life creates its own rhythm and I have to flow with it, no matter what, so anything else comes to a second place for a while for me. I can't be the kind of reviewer who reads two or three books at a time! Just can't!! I love to feel and live the story I read at that time, not to mix it with something else, which maybe has a different plot with the first one and confuse me. That's why I haven't, yet, started a new one either. Not only because I liked Bound, but I had it for this long in my mind and I didn't wanted to forget the feelings and thoughts I have for it.
"He was the only one who could make her mind go quiet. She just didn't want to admit she needed him."
Melissa has a ten years long relationship with Martin. He is her Dom, her lover, her brace, her sanity. Now, everything she knew, is coming to an end. She vowed never to be depended on anyone again, never to be bound with someone for so long. But Martin was her rescue, her lifeline. When Melissa was twenty-three and lost, he helped her by giving her a job at his BDSM club, and after that, he owned her as his submissive. Their relationship went to an upper-level when Martin claimed her as his own girlfriend. Not even once he gave her to an other Dom! Everybody at his club knew about them and everybody acted as permitted. So far everything was right and smooth, then what in the heavens went wrong and Melissa felt disposable?
"You are mine Red. No one else gets to touch."
The best thing about "Bound" is that Mckay shares both POVs throw out the story, so I had a full view from each character's soul on the same time. Both were so different yet so connected in any way, that I was confused by Melissas reactions now and then. She wanted him like a loony but at the same time, she tried to stay out of commitment with him. Odd way for me, if you ask me, even if she had a dark past on her shoulders,...which was after her once again. No, I don't have delusions and I almost understand her reactions to keep distances from Martin when things went pressing. But Marnin wasn't a blank face, he was there, close to her, carring for her and he did showed her his deep love. We are talking about a commitment kind of guy here my friends!!!
"Her eyes flooded, an after effect of the feelings she had. It was at moments like that it almost choked her. When they were alone, when there was nothing else to focus on. It was times like this that reminded her to hold on, because nothing lasted forever."
Melissa's past marked her deeply. She always had the looming fear that it will come back and find her. Her nightmares and the unknown people who approached her magnify that fear. Add up the feeling she had about Marnin will leave her soon after their trip,...then you have a broke-down, over-reacted and self-destructed Melissa. Have to say that, her inner thoughts were more tiresome than her real actions. At the outside, she was a witty, funny woman, which I liked, she helped and cared for the others and most of all, for her Martin.
"He'd never afraid of losing Melissa, losing what they had together...Now it seemed too real that she could pull away at any moment..."
Martin...always in charge, an arrogant, overbearing and bad ass Dom, he was versed in any possible(sex)level, always ready to satisfy any desires Melissa had in her mind, yet he was over-protective and deep in love with her. Did I say that he was smoky hot? Always ready to get naked and submerged inside of her, always one step ahead of what he had in mind to do to her and always succeeded to pleasure her. What else a woman could ask!!! I liked Martin more! Like any man, he had more simple ways of thinking and living. His observation helped him to make the right decision for him and Melissa, to plan a trip at an exotic, isolated island and prove her, once again, how deep in love he was with her.
"I'm a dom of many talents. Get your ass up on the counter."
Well, that was one of the many talents Martin shows us throughout the story...Which was welcome, since the storytell was about a dom and a sub. If you are prudish, then you don't want to read this book!!! Casey McKay writing is intelligent, smart and sexy in "Bound", she helped me create real feelings throw the book, naughty-ones mostly, but most of all and more important, she has a well-written, page-turning lovestory you'll spend all night reading it and not feel guilty about it at all. What if Melissa was a warm-header and destructive! So what? She had her reasons...she was right about them...Yet, she is a woman...The end wasn't a shock since it is a HEA story but it was a surprise in a way and a revolution in the other. Who could imagine!!!
But you have to grab the book and find out by yourselves...again!
Hope all of you are well and happy
until the next review
Bests
Vivi
Sorry for my late review, sometimes life creates its own rhythm and I have to flow with it, no matter what, so anything else comes to a second place for a while for me. I can't be the kind of reviewer who reads two or three books at a time! Just can't!! I love to feel and live the story I read at that time, not to mix it with something else, which maybe has a different plot with the first one and confuse me. That's why I haven't, yet, started a new one either. Not only because I liked Bound, but I had it for this long in my mind and I didn't wanted to forget the feelings and thoughts I have for it.
"He was the only one who could make her mind go quiet. She just didn't want to admit she needed him."
Melissa has a ten years long relationship with Martin. He is her Dom, her lover, her brace, her sanity. Now, everything she knew, is coming to an end. She vowed never to be depended on anyone again, never to be bound with someone for so long. But Martin was her rescue, her lifeline. When Melissa was twenty-three and lost, he helped her by giving her a job at his BDSM club, and after that, he owned her as his submissive. Their relationship went to an upper-level when Martin claimed her as his own girlfriend. Not even once he gave her to an other Dom! Everybody at his club knew about them and everybody acted as permitted. So far everything was right and smooth, then what in the heavens went wrong and Melissa felt disposable?
"You are mine Red. No one else gets to touch."
The best thing about "Bound" is that Mckay shares both POVs throw out the story, so I had a full view from each character's soul on the same time. Both were so different yet so connected in any way, that I was confused by Melissas reactions now and then. She wanted him like a loony but at the same time, she tried to stay out of commitment with him. Odd way for me, if you ask me, even if she had a dark past on her shoulders,...which was after her once again. No, I don't have delusions and I almost understand her reactions to keep distances from Martin when things went pressing. But Marnin wasn't a blank face, he was there, close to her, carring for her and he did showed her his deep love. We are talking about a commitment kind of guy here my friends!!!
"Her eyes flooded, an after effect of the feelings she had. It was at moments like that it almost choked her. When they were alone, when there was nothing else to focus on. It was times like this that reminded her to hold on, because nothing lasted forever."
Melissa's past marked her deeply. She always had the looming fear that it will come back and find her. Her nightmares and the unknown people who approached her magnify that fear. Add up the feeling she had about Marnin will leave her soon after their trip,...then you have a broke-down, over-reacted and self-destructed Melissa. Have to say that, her inner thoughts were more tiresome than her real actions. At the outside, she was a witty, funny woman, which I liked, she helped and cared for the others and most of all, for her Martin.
"He'd never afraid of losing Melissa, losing what they had together...Now it seemed too real that she could pull away at any moment..."
Martin...always in charge, an arrogant, overbearing and bad ass Dom, he was versed in any possible(sex)level, always ready to satisfy any desires Melissa had in her mind, yet he was over-protective and deep in love with her. Did I say that he was smoky hot? Always ready to get naked and submerged inside of her, always one step ahead of what he had in mind to do to her and always succeeded to pleasure her. What else a woman could ask!!! I liked Martin more! Like any man, he had more simple ways of thinking and living. His observation helped him to make the right decision for him and Melissa, to plan a trip at an exotic, isolated island and prove her, once again, how deep in love he was with her.
"I'm a dom of many talents. Get your ass up on the counter."
Well, that was one of the many talents Martin shows us throughout the story...Which was welcome, since the storytell was about a dom and a sub. If you are prudish, then you don't want to read this book!!! Casey McKay writing is intelligent, smart and sexy in "Bound", she helped me create real feelings throw the book, naughty-ones mostly, but most of all and more important, she has a well-written, page-turning lovestory you'll spend all night reading it and not feel guilty about it at all. What if Melissa was a warm-header and destructive! So what? She had her reasons...she was right about them...Yet, she is a woman...The end wasn't a shock since it is a HEA story but it was a surprise in a way and a revolution in the other. Who could imagine!!!
But you have to grab the book and find out by yourselves...again!
Hope all of you are well and happy
until the next review
Bests
Vivi
January 6, 2016
***ARC provided through netgalley for an honest review ***
Rating: 3 stars
This is the first book I've read by Casey McKay and on the whole I would say it's just an OK read. Didn't love it but definitely didn't hate it.
The blurb basically spells it all out for you what's going to happen. There weren't really any major twists or surprises in this book. The plot centered around our heroine & her past, which yes, is pretty awful but I'd like to put it out there that she really was a bit robot-like & definitely not too like-able.
It was pretty predictable who the 'stalker' was going to be, and as for the Hero, He was fairly swoon worthy.
The best part was definitely the sex. IMO this was fairly spot on for the type of book it was.
I think the author has a lot of potential but the story probably needed to be fleshed out a bit more. I would read more from this author in the future.
Rating: 3 stars
This is the first book I've read by Casey McKay and on the whole I would say it's just an OK read. Didn't love it but definitely didn't hate it.
The blurb basically spells it all out for you what's going to happen. There weren't really any major twists or surprises in this book. The plot centered around our heroine & her past, which yes, is pretty awful but I'd like to put it out there that she really was a bit robot-like & definitely not too like-able.
It was pretty predictable who the 'stalker' was going to be, and as for the Hero, He was fairly swoon worthy.
The best part was definitely the sex. IMO this was fairly spot on for the type of book it was.
I think the author has a lot of potential but the story probably needed to be fleshed out a bit more. I would read more from this author in the future.
December 21, 2015
This was the first book I read from this author. Martin and Melissa seemed like good characters. This changed for me. This was very anti-climactic. There seemed to be no build up to the parts where you thought there should be one. Melissa kept doubting herself and for being a Dom she sure did top from the bottom. He did not seem much alpha male in some parts of this read. Did not enjoy this much at all.
I received this ARC from the publisher via Net Galley for my honest review.
I received this ARC from the publisher via Net Galley for my honest review.
December 19, 2015
First Casey McKay novel that I've read, and let me say that it definitely has me hooked. This book was exciting, original, and had me guessing until the very end. If you like romance and suspense, then this is hands down a must read for you.
January 1, 2016
ARC received for review
This was a fun book to read. If you are looking for a quick, hot read then this is the book for you. I am a sucker for Alpha males. So of course I loved this book. I liked Melissa, she had spunk.
This was a fun book to read. If you are looking for a quick, hot read then this is the book for you. I am a sucker for Alpha males. So of course I loved this book. I liked Melissa, she had spunk.
February 16, 2016
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews