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Tied to You

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Carson “Kaos” Bryant told himself at a young age that certain things were out of the question. He’s stuck to that most of his adult life, all while witnessing those closest to him fall into the two things he told himself he’d stay away from.
Now he’s had a change of heart and one of those things he never wanted he wants more than ever and goes to extreme lengths to obtain.
But what happens when life isn’t so black and white and you end up in the gray area? Find out how Carson makes it out in Tied to You.

632 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 23, 2022

23 people are currently reading
44 people want to read

About the author

J. Chary

16 books103 followers
J. Chary is a Miami native who currently resides in North Florida. Her love for reading comes from her mother and the bookshelf she keeps in her home office. Her passion for writing developed while in high school under the tutelage of her newspaper and yearbook advisor and was further fueled by her Creative Writing teacher thus J. Chary was born. In her free time she enjoys reading, writing and spending time with her family. J. Chary hopes to bring life to her characters by putting them in real and relatable situations while teaching life lessons.

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5 stars
62 (75%)
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13 (15%)
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7 (8%)
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Kameel.
1,066 reviews296 followers
December 16, 2022
The slow development of this relationship was beautiful….Rock (Carson) and Smoke (Nubia) had an immediate attraction and the way the two of the.m got together was unique….I enjoyed the chaos and the mix up….This group of family and friends have so many stories…and I’m definitely looking forward to more….KD & Nini , Iggy & Suki, Mega & Ari…now, the sisters Harper & Neveah have to find love…I’m really looking forward to the development of this family….bring it on JChary💕.
Profile Image for Qiana.
350 reviews63 followers
November 29, 2022
Life has a funny way of putting people together, but in the case of Carson and Nubia, all blame lies on the author. An instant connection, paired with a mishap at a fertility clinic, thrusts these two characters head first in to a love connection so strong and so pure, it'll have you questioning your logic on how this thing called love is really supposed to work. "There's no place I'd rather be, Baby. I'm tied to you."


Carson seemed like a man that had it all figured out. After leaving the streets behind, he started his new life as a business owner. Kaotic Wrld, his tattoo shop, was bringing in plenty of business. That paired with the love from his friends turned family, life was comparable to perfect. But was it really? His childhood trauma had him dodging love like the bubonic plague. Do you really need to be in love to start a family and settle into life? After much consideration and a little research, Carson decides on a surrogate. Things would be much easier for him that way. But life has a way of teaching even the humblest of people that nothing is ever as simple as it should be, and Growing Families helped Carson learn that lesson the hard way, when his gestational surrogate hadn't signed up to be a surrogate. And to make a complicated situation more complicated, she was also the beauty that was his bottle girl from his last time out at the club. The attraction paired with the possibility of her carrying his kid does something to his heart, possibly knocking some of the ice from it and helping it get some of its warmth back. What was supposed to be a "no strings attached" family, quickly blossomed into something more. "She was gorgeous as fuck, and I was hopeful that she saw something in me that would make her want to stick around."


Practically an orphan, Nubia was dealing with a lot. When the loss of her mother, followed by the loss of her father, leaves her as her younger brother's guardian, she's left with trying to be strong for both of them. When she discovers that her dad has taken a loan out on their house and it's getting ready to be foreclosed on, she's left scrambling to figure out how to keep a roof over her and her brother's head. What was supposed to be a joke, quickly turns into her reality, as she makes an appointment to donate her eggs for cash at Growing Families. When the clinic artificially inseminates her instead of retrieving her eggs, she's left with more problems than when she initially started out. With not much time to process, she has to decide if she's going to be a surrogate for the handsome guy she seen at the club, or go back to the drawing board to figure out a plan to help them keep their house. Carson isn't letting her make her decision without his input, which makes her decision even more difficult. "I already knew that he wanted the baby, if there was one, and I also knew what I wanted."


When you hear the phrase "slow burn" you think you're going to read a romance book with little to no drama. This book doesn't fit into that niche. From the first page, "'Yo, make sure that muhfucka don't stick his dick in that damn girl in this fuckin' club, please,' I yelled over the music to my homie Pharaoh.", to the end, "He fuckin' with you, Bia? 'Cause I got some shit in the trunk for that ass.", there was drama. So, the love between the characters slowly burned, but that didn't stop the antics with any of the characters. A full length novel, that isn't a traditional love story, with drama splashed throughout, paired with a few giggles, made this read that much more enjoyable. This book does feature characters from one of Jae's previous bodies of work but isn't required to read prior to enjoying this story. I loved this book, and I loved these characters! Great job Jae!

Profile Image for Girl Truss Me.
468 reviews26 followers
January 6, 2023
A Must Read 🥰🥰🥰

I loved this book but I will say once the chapter is told by one character there is no reason to re-tell it in the other characters chapter to me that wasted space I am glad it didn’t last the whole book. I do enjoy the visuals within the book.

Carson aka Rock and Nubia aka Smoke was a slow burn for sure. This book is something that you need to make sure you have a free day because you will not want to put it down. Carson was that man for sure, and I would have followed him to the moon and back just like Nubia. You really get to see the development of characters and their love, these two where truly meant for each other and they were always going to stand 10 toes down for each other.

Rhys that is my dude and I am looking forward to seeing him grow and get a story (hint hint 🤣) OMG the gift Pooh gave Nubia definitely had me ready to ugly cry 😩😩😩. The relationship between Nubia and Rhys is amazing and the present she got him was everything (generational wealth baby).

KD and Nina is a hot mess and please don’t get them together like I am begging because Mirah already said it 🤣🤣🤣. I can’t wait for KD and Nini’s story because they are going to be so good together after KD gets his stuff together. Mirah was so cute, I love authors who write children as just that children. Not making them act to grown within the pages.

The double date night bowling had me in tears 🤣🤣🤣. Because they didn’t know Nubia had skills like that 🤣🤦🏾‍♀️🤣. I really loved reading about Carson and his mom because I felt his hurt within those pages. Auntie G was so wrong and I am so happy Mama Bev got her, like really lady 🤦🏾‍♀️ you should be focused on being back with Nubia and Rhys.

This was another amazing story from J. Chary and I can’t wait to read the next one. This book I will definitely be recommending to others for sure!!!
Profile Image for Evie.
86 reviews2 followers
December 19, 2022
I could not put this book down! The journey to Carson and Nubia’s HEA was unusual yet beautiful all because the Big Homie had a plan for their destiny. I laughed, I cried, wanted to slap a #%$, prayed, and celebrated the success of this couple.

Carson (Kaos/Rock) is a multi hyphenate entrepreneur. He is very active in the lives of his nieces, nephews, and god children and loves spending time with his family. Nubia (Bia/Smoke) is dealing with an incredible loss at the start of the book and as a result is doing whatever she can to make ends meet for herself and her teenage brother.

Carson and Nubia are forced together in an unconventional way that causes them to get to know each other and begin to heal from their pasts. This a slow burn love story but it does not lack in the drama and spice.

Nubia was the light and encompassed the free spirited nature Carson needed in his day to day life. I feel her aura and how she approached their situation is what encouraged him to make peace with his past. Nubia had been running on autopilot for so long and Carson recognized it would take time for her to let down those walls. Once Nubia was accepting of the safety and security Carson was providing she was able to open herself up to heal. I appreciated the authors mention and encouragement of therapy for these characters individually as well as attending as a family. I feel it showed that healing is not always one-sided and there will be some folks you have to leave behind along the way.

Overall, I love the community of family surrounded by love and support J Chary has built. I can’t wait to learn more about the cast of characters in CG and get updates on my favs. 5 stars!


Side notes: I love when Sarai shows up within the J. Chary universe because I know boss moves are about to be made and/or she’s about to aggressively gather someone. Auntie G was foul. Poca and Pooh already had enough to deal with and she was being selfish.
Profile Image for BookNotes by Niecy.
224 reviews6 followers
November 27, 2023
Loved it! It was definitely a slow burn, but in a great way. I'm typically a quick reader and sometimes want more from the characters, but this was full. I feel like I got a lot from them, but definitely won't mind updates on Carson/Kaos/Rock and Nubia/Poca/Smoke and their family.

Waiting for Kodero/KD and Avauni/Nini's story next.

(Also, loved the small connection of Rock to author Kema B's Sosa.)
Profile Image for 'The Book Queen'.
6,014 reviews111 followers
January 12, 2023
I usually like this author's writing style, so I was taken aback by this one. The story and the writing voice were very odd to me. The disproportionate number of characters with so many different names spun my head. And the 600 pages were a lot to tell this story. I liked the tale. It just kept going and going and going. Try it and see what you think.
422 reviews2 followers
December 2, 2022
When I say this book had me stuck!!! I could not put it down!!!! Carson and Nubia's story was not at all what I was expecting when I started reading. It was a definite mouth drop moment reading how they they ultimately connected. Surprising and at the same time it felt so kismet, like even if it wasn't that way, they still would have ended up in the same place. I love how they took their time and grew into a friendship and then love. And they way Carson immediately took to Rhys was so heart warming. Nini was another favorite to read. The timing of when Nini was introduced to the story was perfect and she added great dimension to the story. Even if it's just a short story, I hope we see her and KD get their HEA. They both deserve! Also, the screenshots of texts and posts were 🤌🏾 **chef's kiss**! This was such a great book! In some ways, Carson and Nubia's journey felt quick, in other ways it felt slow burn, but baybee, it was worth the drive!!!! I am a J. Chary fan, but I have to say, this is her best work yet! It was complete from start to finish. Brava!!!🙌🏾👏🏾
Profile Image for Camisha Crisp.
745 reviews18 followers
December 2, 2022
Jae knows how to write a great love story that is layered with emotion, passion, and humor. Cason and Nubia are two people whose personal needs lead them into a situation that places them together. The premise of Tied to you is creative and definitely makes you wonder what you would do if placed in the same situation. If you are fan of Jae, you know how her characters like to get it poppin, sometimes on page one! 🤣🤣 Tied to you is a slow burn love story, that allows you to fall in love with Cason and Nubia while they fall for each other. This is easily on of the top love stories of 2022! Get it it!
Profile Image for Keisha Janee.
162 reviews
December 25, 2022
Long for no reason

This book could have been completed in 200 pages or less. I think the high of the story was between 18 -25% and the rest of a bunch of fluff. The mishap that brought the couple together was unique and I just new a great story was going to follow. I was annoyed by the characters having several nicknames, a bunch of unnecessary character introductions because they really didn't have a part in the story.
14 reviews1 follower
December 12, 2022
I guess it's OK

Cute love story but the nicknames were horrendous. What is Pooh, Poca??
There were too many unnecessary people in this book. Did this story really need over 600 pages?? No.
I feel like the book stopped being interesting when the couple got together, and this happened like 25% into the book
Profile Image for Sierra.
144 reviews
December 23, 2022
This book here! Carson and Nubia are complete strangers but now have to navigate life in an unconventional manner. Their chemistry is instant and off the charts. We as readers are going along with them through this journey of high and lows and also parenthood. This is a slow burn book that I would recommend for everyone to read!
28 reviews
February 1, 2023
unexpected wins!

If you’re looking for a book full of drama and angst- this isn’t for you! I absolutely loved how Rock and Smoke jumped in with both feet intent on loving one another and building each other up. Every win they had literally made me clap for them. This was such a beautiful story that I hope it really is someone’s reality.
Profile Image for Teresa.
53 reviews
October 17, 2024
I loved the development of this story. It was if I was watching a really good TV series. The meeting of Nubia and Kaos and the varied situations they experienced kept me engaged. I appreciated the many nuances of Black culture (especially aalllll of the nicknames). 😆 It was also cool to catch up on characters from other books.
👍🏽👍🏽❤️💯
Profile Image for Kim Knight.
483 reviews15 followers
February 29, 2024
He wanted all the Smoke

As long as this book was I still wanted more. Baby the way those “intimate” scenes set up I needed a cigarette. This book was truly what I needed for my reading slump.
12 reviews2 followers
December 17, 2022
Awesome Book

I loved it!! Carson and Nubia were so awesome in their love and relationship! It was so nice to catch up on old characters. Great job J. Chary!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews

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