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The Ties That Bind
Flashback 1990's - Rollerblades, bungee jumping, the laptop, cellular phones the size of bricks, and AIDS - the gay men's cancer. This is a story about love, friendship, and family. It is a story about growing up, about trying to change the past and the realization that no matter how fast, or how far we run, that The Ties That Bind us as children, many times come back to haunt us as adults. We become part of the life of a young counselor, Morgan, who specializes working with homeless, male hustlers. He seems like an angel from heaven to many. He cares deeply for every one of his boys and would literally die to save them from harm. He deprives himself of life's basic needs in order to reach just one more, but why? Morgan has his own agenda to work out, his own demons to exorcise. While avoiding his own past, he meets a particular young man, Greg, who is able to see through this well-crafted, public image. Greg sees Morgan's pain and denial. It is in this discovery, this role reversal that Greg, a life-long hustler begins to heal himself. He helps Morgan come to terms with his own violent past. Greg becomes his strength, the knife to cut the rope and release the guilt Morgan has denied for years. Just as they both begin to heal, Greg discovers the truth. The Ties That Bind can sometimes be very restricting but many times we find that The Ties That Bind can also provide our strength. The Ties That Bind are necessary for the sustenance of life.
396 pages, Paperback
Published June 15, 2017
5 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
S. Davidson
4 books23 followersShelly has been writing M/M stories for years, beginning in fanfiction (ER, LOTR) and advancing to full length novels. While most of her novels can be considered romantic, they are far from your average M/M romance. They all include characters who are real, in pain, and most stories center around taboo topics - topics that are not usual subjects of a M/M romance novel. While not writing, Shelly spends time with family, runs an online Home Décor business and works a real day job.
Web Site: https://sdavidsonauthor.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sdavidsonaut... Twitter: https://twitter.com/sdavidsonauthor Email: sdavidsonauthor@earthlink.net
Web Site: https://sdavidsonauthor.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sdavidsonaut... Twitter: https://twitter.com/sdavidsonauthor Email: sdavidsonauthor@earthlink.net
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
mm-read
June 13, 2017
Well this is a first...
I really gave this one a lot of consideration once I'd finished reading it and ultimately I came to the decision that for a number of reasons in spite of the fact that I did finish this book, I won't be rating or reviewing it.
'The Ties That Bind' turned out not to be the book for me. While I found that I was able to appreciate the story that the author wanted to tell there was just too much of it that didn't work for me. So at the end of it all I have to admit that for the first time since I started writing book reviews I've decided that I'm going to take a pass on reviewing this one.
I really gave this one a lot of consideration once I'd finished reading it and ultimately I came to the decision that for a number of reasons in spite of the fact that I did finish this book, I won't be rating or reviewing it.
'The Ties That Bind' turned out not to be the book for me. While I found that I was able to appreciate the story that the author wanted to tell there was just too much of it that didn't work for me. So at the end of it all I have to admit that for the first time since I started writing book reviews I've decided that I'm going to take a pass on reviewing this one.
June 5, 2017
(Originally reviewed as a Duo Review for Love Bytes Reviews.)
I told Cinnamon last night, when I finished reading this book, that there probably wasn’t any way that I could review it. For a gay man who lived through that era and lost every single man I slept with in my early twenties to that dread disease, this book brought back horrific memories in spots for me. The book is not for the faint at heart, and I have to give some warnings. It has shocking scenes of extreme child sexual abuse, it has AIDS, it has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, it has horrors… too many to count.
Was the book good? It was very well written. When I step back, and now that I’ve stopped crying, I realize what a powerful story Ms. Davidson wrote. It is by no means for everyone. I’d be willing to go on record and say that the majority of the Love Bytes readers won’t like it. But I’ve always been known for reading and reviewing the harder to read, and darker, stories. The Ties That Bind definitely fits into those categories and more. But… it even pushed me to the edge.
The story is about three distinct extremely broken characters. We have Greg, the son of a drug dealer, who we learn started using drugs at ‘parties’ at his father’s house when he wasn’t even into double digit ages yet. He was introduced to brutal sex somewhere along the way, by (I believe) his dad and his dad’s druggie friends. His dad beat him severely and when he would run away, he would go to his friend Tomi’s house nearby. Tomi is the second character. She is the daughter of a drug addict, and an alcoholic for the majority of the book. Greg is on the street for years, controlled by a brutal pimp, who does all sorts of horrible things to him and Tomi isn’t able to help him. The third major character is Morgan. Morgan runs the local shelters/homes for the unwanted street boys. He has been following Greg’s case for years, but Greg has always slipped through the cracks.
As the book goes on, the three characters come together and their tale, rather than getting more upbeat and cheerful, slips further and further into despair. It pulled me along, kicking and screaming at some points. I went from loving the characters, to hating the characters, to simply putting up with the characters as it went along. And it didn’t end there, I went through all those feelings and emotions over and over and over again. When Morgan’s past was revealed, the book became very emotional for me, particularly a scene about Morgan’s ex, David, because it hit too close to home for me with personal memories. From there to the end of the book I read with increasing trepidation, unable to put the book down.
The end shattered me. It left me devastated. I might have called Ms. Davidson some very bad words and even gone on our closed Love Bytes Reviewers page and told the other reviewers that it left me in tears and I wasn’t going to review it.
I won’t forget this one. Did I love it? Not really. Did I hate it? Not completely. Was it extremely well written? Definitely. No spoilers, but if you read it, be prepared for a rocky road. I’m going to be fair and rate it on the writing and the emotions it caused me. From that perspective it rates the 5.0 that I’m going to give it. I’m super glad I have to work today, so I can get my mind off the huge book hangover this one gave me.
I told Cinnamon last night, when I finished reading this book, that there probably wasn’t any way that I could review it. For a gay man who lived through that era and lost every single man I slept with in my early twenties to that dread disease, this book brought back horrific memories in spots for me. The book is not for the faint at heart, and I have to give some warnings. It has shocking scenes of extreme child sexual abuse, it has AIDS, it has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, it has horrors… too many to count.
Was the book good? It was very well written. When I step back, and now that I’ve stopped crying, I realize what a powerful story Ms. Davidson wrote. It is by no means for everyone. I’d be willing to go on record and say that the majority of the Love Bytes readers won’t like it. But I’ve always been known for reading and reviewing the harder to read, and darker, stories. The Ties That Bind definitely fits into those categories and more. But… it even pushed me to the edge.
The story is about three distinct extremely broken characters. We have Greg, the son of a drug dealer, who we learn started using drugs at ‘parties’ at his father’s house when he wasn’t even into double digit ages yet. He was introduced to brutal sex somewhere along the way, by (I believe) his dad and his dad’s druggie friends. His dad beat him severely and when he would run away, he would go to his friend Tomi’s house nearby. Tomi is the second character. She is the daughter of a drug addict, and an alcoholic for the majority of the book. Greg is on the street for years, controlled by a brutal pimp, who does all sorts of horrible things to him and Tomi isn’t able to help him. The third major character is Morgan. Morgan runs the local shelters/homes for the unwanted street boys. He has been following Greg’s case for years, but Greg has always slipped through the cracks.
As the book goes on, the three characters come together and their tale, rather than getting more upbeat and cheerful, slips further and further into despair. It pulled me along, kicking and screaming at some points. I went from loving the characters, to hating the characters, to simply putting up with the characters as it went along. And it didn’t end there, I went through all those feelings and emotions over and over and over again. When Morgan’s past was revealed, the book became very emotional for me, particularly a scene about Morgan’s ex, David, because it hit too close to home for me with personal memories. From there to the end of the book I read with increasing trepidation, unable to put the book down.
The end shattered me. It left me devastated. I might have called Ms. Davidson some very bad words and even gone on our closed Love Bytes Reviewers page and told the other reviewers that it left me in tears and I wasn’t going to review it.
I won’t forget this one. Did I love it? Not really. Did I hate it? Not completely. Was it extremely well written? Definitely. No spoilers, but if you read it, be prepared for a rocky road. I’m going to be fair and rate it on the writing and the emotions it caused me. From that perspective it rates the 5.0 that I’m going to give it. I’m super glad I have to work today, so I can get my mind off the huge book hangover this one gave me.
June 10, 2017
It was raw, gritty, dark and emotional. It wasn't easy to read at times. Some of the occurrences that take place, both on and off page took my breath away and made me question my faith in humanity. I knew evil lived out there in the world, but knowing it and reading about it in great detail are two completely different things. S. Davidson took me on an emotional rollercoaster of fear, sadness, despair, anger and heartbreak.
This book isn't for everyone and I'm not sure I can recommend followers of my blog or those who read my reviews to pick it up. It's an utterly devastating story that deals with drug abuse and alcoholism, rape, child abuse, fetal alcohol syndrome and AIDS. What I can absolutely say about this book is it was well-written and captivating, it drew me in and held on until the end and left me broken and sobbing.
*copy provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
June 15, 2017
DNF
Updated: Since I posted this, the publisher/author was kind enough add a trigger warning. I wanted to still advice you, that there is more than listed on the trigger warning. If rape is your trigger or abuse, please be aware it is in this story. :)
And I'll explain why.
Wow, okay, I'm not even sure how to review this. I knew going in that it dealt with AIDS and some issues like that. When I got it, there were no reviews that I read. Now, there are several and I would advice you to READ THEM because this author and this publisher offers NO TRIGGER WARNINGS. That right there alone makes me so angry. If I had known that there was a very detailed rape scene, by no way would I have read. I just do not understand why any author or publisher would not put in a simple WARNING. ANYTHING!! Jesus, you don't even have to say what it's for. JUST WARN US! Fuck. Yeah, I'm pissed. From the parts I did read, it was well written. The story was okay, raw and hard. The blurb was kind of misleading in my opinion. This story was more extreme than most I've read and the blurb made it sound like any basic M/M fiction with a checkered past. NO, by no means, NO! We're talking major MAJOR issues in his past. Things that I could NOT read. Things that if I had known I WOULD NOT HAVE. I'm so angry at myself for picking up this book and I probably will never read this author again only because I think it very unprofessional, if not uncaring, for an author not to put a warning. And I find it weird that it was through a publisher that wouldn't advice her to do so. Just disappointed. Very very disappointed. Read at your own risk, but know, this isn't easy and if you have any trigger issues like myself, do yourself a favor and pass on this. I'm so mad. I'm sorry.
Updated: Since I posted this, the publisher/author was kind enough add a trigger warning. I wanted to still advice you, that there is more than listed on the trigger warning. If rape is your trigger or abuse, please be aware it is in this story. :)
And I'll explain why.
Wow, okay, I'm not even sure how to review this. I knew going in that it dealt with AIDS and some issues like that. When I got it, there were no reviews that I read. Now, there are several and I would advice you to READ THEM because this author and this publisher offers NO TRIGGER WARNINGS. That right there alone makes me so angry. If I had known that there was a very detailed rape scene, by no way would I have read. I just do not understand why any author or publisher would not put in a simple WARNING. ANYTHING!! Jesus, you don't even have to say what it's for. JUST WARN US! Fuck. Yeah, I'm pissed. From the parts I did read, it was well written. The story was okay, raw and hard. The blurb was kind of misleading in my opinion. This story was more extreme than most I've read and the blurb made it sound like any basic M/M fiction with a checkered past. NO, by no means, NO! We're talking major MAJOR issues in his past. Things that I could NOT read. Things that if I had known I WOULD NOT HAVE. I'm so angry at myself for picking up this book and I probably will never read this author again only because I think it very unprofessional, if not uncaring, for an author not to put a warning. And I find it weird that it was through a publisher that wouldn't advice her to do so. Just disappointed. Very very disappointed. Read at your own risk, but know, this isn't easy and if you have any trigger issues like myself, do yourself a favor and pass on this. I'm so mad. I'm sorry.
June 6, 2017
The Ties That Bind by S. Davidson is a standalone, full-length novel.
Meet Tomi Jamison and Gregory - Greg - Westcoff. Both are teenager at the age of 14. Greg gets abused by his father and both their parents are addicts.
While Greg turns more and more to drugs and all the ugly side effects, Tomi tends to chose another way. She finishes high school and gets a full sholarship for college.
The way seems laid out for them. But no, not in the slightest. There is more, much much more.
This book has many unexpected twists and turns, twists and turns I never had expected.
The Ties That Bind is a dark, raw and gitty read. Sometimes I had so put the book down and take a breather. But I couldn´t not know what happens to the characters.
Let me only say so much. This book is not for the faint of heart, and it will stay with you.
S. Davidson wrote a heart wrenchingly story, and I loved every word. I loved the writing and I loved the characters, I loved the words - I could feel the characters emotions in the words.
Favorite Quote: " There was one thing in this life I did well.... "
I wish I could give more than 5 Stars. Thank you S. Davidson !!
Meet Tomi Jamison and Gregory - Greg - Westcoff. Both are teenager at the age of 14. Greg gets abused by his father and both their parents are addicts.
While Greg turns more and more to drugs and all the ugly side effects, Tomi tends to chose another way. She finishes high school and gets a full sholarship for college.
The way seems laid out for them. But no, not in the slightest. There is more, much much more.
This book has many unexpected twists and turns, twists and turns I never had expected.
The Ties That Bind is a dark, raw and gitty read. Sometimes I had so put the book down and take a breather. But I couldn´t not know what happens to the characters.
Let me only say so much. This book is not for the faint of heart, and it will stay with you.
S. Davidson wrote a heart wrenchingly story, and I loved every word. I loved the writing and I loved the characters, I loved the words - I could feel the characters emotions in the words.
Favorite Quote: " There was one thing in this life I did well.... "
I wish I could give more than 5 Stars. Thank you S. Davidson !!
June 6, 2017
Wow this book was so powerfully written... It is a story of despair, hope, love and hate! It should come with several warnings as it deals with so many dark issues, from extreme child abuse, prostitution, hustling, drug abuse and rape... But amongst the dark storyline is a beautiful coming of age story where our main character is all but down and out until he finds someone and something that is worth fighting for and he claws himself out of the darkness. A great first read from this author who I will not hesitate to one click in the future, highly recommend.
October 20, 2021
It really pained and disappointed me to bail on this book pretty early on.
It started off as a really promising, hard-hitting serious novel about a former male hustler/prostitute/junkie (now in his early thirties) who runs a programme to rescue and rehabilitate abused and exploited teenage boys in a similar situation.
I found it brave, powerful and original. And - from reading some other reviews - this does continue throughout the novel.
However, about 10% of the way in, something else was creeping in that I found too unconvincing and too unpleasant to encourage me to stick with the book.
I had no issue per se with the development of a sexual storyline between the two main male characters. I just strongly disliked the way it was written - the sort of fantastical MM erotica/porn and gay romance that seems to be produced by female writers. (I know that seems to be a big judgmental generalisation. But as far as I can see, these days the majority of MM romance/erotica seems to be written by straight women for straight women. And the vast majority of what I've read of it is a fanciful imagining and not what it's really like.)
The male characters have, of course, perfect drop-dead bodies and looks. This despite the reader just having been told that (1) the younger guy is in really bad shape because of the years of horrendous sexual and physical abuse and his own self-neglect; and (2) the older guy is also far from on form because he has been neglecting his own wellbeing for many years.
This sort of thing wouldn't bother me in a lightweight romance/erotic novel, in which unrealistic expectations about physical appearance and sexual activity are part of the convention. But in a book that is purportedly taking itself more seriously, I found it out of place and distasteful and not something I wanted to inflict on myself.
It started off as a really promising, hard-hitting serious novel about a former male hustler/prostitute/junkie (now in his early thirties) who runs a programme to rescue and rehabilitate abused and exploited teenage boys in a similar situation.
I found it brave, powerful and original. And - from reading some other reviews - this does continue throughout the novel.
However, about 10% of the way in, something else was creeping in that I found too unconvincing and too unpleasant to encourage me to stick with the book.
I had no issue per se with the development of a sexual storyline between the two main male characters. I just strongly disliked the way it was written - the sort of fantastical MM erotica/porn and gay romance that seems to be produced by female writers. (I know that seems to be a big judgmental generalisation. But as far as I can see, these days the majority of MM romance/erotica seems to be written by straight women for straight women. And the vast majority of what I've read of it is a fanciful imagining and not what it's really like.)
The male characters have, of course, perfect drop-dead bodies and looks. This despite the reader just having been told that (1) the younger guy is in really bad shape because of the years of horrendous sexual and physical abuse and his own self-neglect; and (2) the older guy is also far from on form because he has been neglecting his own wellbeing for many years.
This sort of thing wouldn't bother me in a lightweight romance/erotic novel, in which unrealistic expectations about physical appearance and sexual activity are part of the convention. But in a book that is purportedly taking itself more seriously, I found it out of place and distasteful and not something I wanted to inflict on myself.
June 18, 2017
An exceptionally well written storyline
A complex mix of plots. Having experienced the AIDs crisis period, I found it to be somewhat haunting. I have encountered gay youths who were tossed out by their families. The ending was poignant.
A complex mix of plots. Having experienced the AIDs crisis period, I found it to be somewhat haunting. I have encountered gay youths who were tossed out by their families. The ending was poignant.
June 10, 2017
First of all, I have a few warnings. #1 this book isn't for everyone. there is a lot of violence, drugs and other things.
#2 there are scenes of rape and discussions of other taboo topics so if you are squeamish this probably isn't for you.
#3 this isn't a typical romance. It is bittersweet and if you like a great ugly cry this is for you.
The Ties that Bind is set in the 90's. It is written in alternating viewpoint in third person. The three views jumping around got confusing at times but the story was so intriguing and sucked you in so hard that didn't matter.
Greg had been abused since he was very young and on the streets hustling at the tender age of ten or less. He got tangled with an abusive pimp and so deep in drugs it was lucky he was alive.
Tomi is his best friend and he went to her house many times when he was a child. His father was a druggie as well and Tomi drank a lot. Tomi graduated early at age 16 went off to college and formed a band with three other guys, but when Greg nearly died from an OD, she had to go find him.
Morgan ran a home for abused boys, runaways, dopies and hustlers. His life job was to get as many boys off the street and clean as possible. Morgan though, was a man of mystery and had many secrets some very dark.
The Ties that Bind is a dark story. I have to say once you get into it you are sucked in. I had to keep reading to see if Greg and Morgan got together for real or if he chose Brice. i wanted to know if Greg made it and got clean and what became of him. I wanted to know what Tomi chose out of life. then about three fourths through the book changed up and man was there some surprises. The ending was such a shock it put this book on top of my favorite list.
If you like something different, an ugly cry, 90's eras, stories about Aids and HIV, stories about young boys in bad situations, hope, truths, taboo but all n all a very good read with a surprise ending I never saw coming I Highly recommend this.
#2 there are scenes of rape and discussions of other taboo topics so if you are squeamish this probably isn't for you.
#3 this isn't a typical romance. It is bittersweet and if you like a great ugly cry this is for you.
The Ties that Bind is set in the 90's. It is written in alternating viewpoint in third person. The three views jumping around got confusing at times but the story was so intriguing and sucked you in so hard that didn't matter.
Greg had been abused since he was very young and on the streets hustling at the tender age of ten or less. He got tangled with an abusive pimp and so deep in drugs it was lucky he was alive.
Tomi is his best friend and he went to her house many times when he was a child. His father was a druggie as well and Tomi drank a lot. Tomi graduated early at age 16 went off to college and formed a band with three other guys, but when Greg nearly died from an OD, she had to go find him.
Morgan ran a home for abused boys, runaways, dopies and hustlers. His life job was to get as many boys off the street and clean as possible. Morgan though, was a man of mystery and had many secrets some very dark.
The Ties that Bind is a dark story. I have to say once you get into it you are sucked in. I had to keep reading to see if Greg and Morgan got together for real or if he chose Brice. i wanted to know if Greg made it and got clean and what became of him. I wanted to know what Tomi chose out of life. then about three fourths through the book changed up and man was there some surprises. The ending was such a shock it put this book on top of my favorite list.
If you like something different, an ugly cry, 90's eras, stories about Aids and HIV, stories about young boys in bad situations, hope, truths, taboo but all n all a very good read with a surprise ending I never saw coming I Highly recommend this.
June 13, 2017
Wow this book was so powerfully written... It is a story of despair, hope, love and hate! It should come with several warnings as it deals with so many dark issues, from extreme child abuse, prostitution, homelessness, drug abuse and rape... But amongst the dark and dangerous storyline is a beautiful coming of age story where our main character is all but down and out until he finds someone and something that is worth fighting for and he claws himself out of the darkness. A great first read from this author who I will not hesitate to one click in the future, highly recommend.
Reviewed by Nat
Reviewed by Nat
Read
June 14, 2017The Ties that Bind was one of those books where I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to think of it. It took a little bit for me to be able to get into it, but once I did, I absolutely without a doubt wanted to know what was going to happen. It was NOT an easy read during different parts of the book, but that didn’t make it any less good. This book was raw, gritty, dark and emotional. It was fully of despair, hope, love and hate. This book should come with warnings for things that could trigger you, such as child abuse to the extreme, prostitution, rape, drug abuse and more. It is a great book, but I would recommend the reader be emotionally mature before reading it.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews