Nikki’s review of Laila’s Bargain by Reese Gabriel (no author site found)
Erotic romance ebook released by Ellora’s Cave on 22 Feb, 08
I’ve been auto-buying Reese Gabriel for quite a while, now. He’s actually hit and miss, for me, but he’s locked in as worth the risk. Laila’s Bargain is very different from the other titles of his that I’ve read before, though.
Reese Gabriel is all over the map within the BDSM genre. He does everything from the romantic couple in love who like a little spanking here and there to the love slave who actually craves abuse. While the latter isn’t romantic to me, it is the fantasy that a lot of people are looking to replicate with their sex play, so I “get it.” This author understands, which is why I’ll keep coming back even when his stories don’t always hit the mark for me.
Laila’s Bargain is something very different. The setting is an island with a small enough population that everyone knows everyone’s business. There are some rough characters and some who just posture. The island is a character itself. The story couldn’t have played out the same way anywhere else.
The hero, Matthew, is a private investigator. The heroine, Laila, has a past with him. She met him and had a hot affair with him and fell in love. He can’t bring himself to admit emotions like love and so she left. Ok, good basic set up for a romance.
Matthew is domineering, which is what we want here, so that’s good. But Laila is not compelling to me at all. I don’t see her as nearly as smart as Matthew keeps saying she is. Unless this is a comedy. But if it is it falls short because I didn’t “get” that. If it is serious, she is just not smart enough for me to like. But Matthew obviously does.
So, this isn’t funny enough to be comedy, for me… I’ll say it’s serious erotic romance with light bondage (what it says in the description). There is very little bondage, even for “light” bondage. He tells her to do some things but it never feels like she’s submitting… more like she just wants to do it.
Basically, read this one if you want to have all of Gabriel’s books or if you want a cute, sweet kind of fun story with some toys for garnish. Don’t go into it looking for erotic w/light bondage. It just isn’t that erotic. Personally, I would buy it because I have to have all his stuff.
Grade: D
Book summary:
Laila Prescott couldn’t get away from Paradise Island fast enough after breaking up with sexy PI Matthew Hardin two years ago. Now her brother is missing and Laila is back on Matthew’s doorstep, desperately seeking his help.
Matthew never did get over the feisty redhead, so he agrees to take the case, but on his own terms. Laila will pay cash, meet all expenses…and give him unfettered access to her voluptuous body.
Is Matthew up to his old tricks or is he a changed man looking to tie himself to Laila for good? Laila’s body tells her to surrender to Matthew’s hard loving but experience tells her that she must resist with all her might.
Read an excerpt.
