The first book on the chopping block is "Wicked Ties" by Shayla Black.
I don't know why, but I had high hopes for this book. They were dashed.
We'll start with the few positives.
- The man isn't a crazy stalker. In 50 Shades he traces her cell phone (because he's rich and he CAN). There's nothing like that here. Yes, he does have an ulterior motive for meeting up with her but it's not OMGDON'TLEAVEME. That was nice.
- The man isn't a millionaire playboy. He's a well-known dominant but, unlike other books in this genre, he's not crazy rich and he doesn't own every freaking building in the city.
- The woman isn't a simpering weakling! She's also not a virgin. Inexperienced, yes. Weak? Not so much. This was another nice change.
So what was wrong with it? Let's start with my BIGGEST complaint.
Dude freaking rapes her.
I'm serious. Throughout the beginning she mentions to the reader that she secretly wants to be dominated but is afraid she'll like it. (Her douchebag ex told her she was depraved for her fantasies) Well, at one point she wakes up tied to the 4-poster bed with Jack pleasuring her. She struggles and tells him no...and he keeps going and talks about how her body is responding so she obviously wants it.
Now, at first glance "she's been talking about how she wants it." Yeah, to US. She has never once said that to HIM.
So take away the inner dialogue...and she's tied up against her will, saying no, and he refuses to let her go.
Pretty sure that's rape.....
Now for the nit-picking!
- Jack gives in to her ultimate fantasy of two men at once. Why? Because he believes, and she confirms, that they will never be able to be happy unless she gets this. Um, what? If you don't get your ultimate fantasy you can never be happy in a relationship? I totally call bullshit. Millions of marriages are doomed if this is true. Put it in your Spank Bank and move.on.
- The quickest way to kill a sex scene for me is to use the word c*nt when talking about a woman's body. (I can't even TYPE IT it bothers me so much) That word is just not sexy.
- Describing a woman's lips as "bee stung" doesn't make me think of full, sensual lips. It does the opposite and makes me think of this:
- When talking about how turned on she is by his voice the author puts it like this: "one that made her stomach tighten…and her womb clench." I laughed out loud. When your "womb" (uterus) clenches it usually means you have cramps...which aren't sexy.
So, if you can get past the rape (calling it like it is here people) it doesn't suck. It's better than 50 Shades of Grey in my opinion. However, getting punched in the face is "better" than getting smacked with a baseball bat...but neither is pleasant.
