Sandy M’s review of Ties That Bind by Jaid Black and Lora Leigh
Contemporary Erotic Romance anthology released by Ellora’s Cave 29 Aug 03

This book surprised me. I’m a huge Lora Leigh fan. There’s not been a book of hers that I haven’t loved so far. The few books I’ve read by Jaid Black I haven’t cared for. In Ties That Bind it’s the Black story that I liked best. Go figure.

Sins of the Father by Jaid Black

JD is determined to have what Lawrence Morgan, his mentor and pseudo father, promised him — Morgan’s daughter, Candy. But Morgan betrayed JD and then had the gall to die before JD could exact his revenge. Now he’s finally got his goal in sight, his revenge will see fruition. He’s backing Candy into a corner, forcing her into marriage to save her father’s business and her family, but giving herself to JD totally and fully, to be at his command night and day. He plans to own her, to use her, have her bear his heirs, and never let her forget what she did to him.

Candy has impeded JD’s tries to take over Morgan Chemicals twice before, but this time her success and her luck run out. She’s dumbstruck at what JD wants of her, but as much as she tells herself she will find a way out of his web, her body and her heart tell a different story. She’s been in love with the man for so long, knowing he’d never want someone like her, and now that he has her, it’s not at all what she’d dreamed. He only wants revenge while she wants love. But he brings out her sexuality, shows he what it’s like to be dominated and ravaged. Is it enough? Will he ever give her more?

While it’s blackmail that is used to coerce Candy into their marriage and forcing her to give her body to him when he demands — and JD demands all from her frequently — that didn’t matter to me in this story. I ended up liking JD because he’s not what he seems. Even though he was hurt by her father, he’s man enough to let the past go when he finds the truth and sensitive enough to confess his feelings when the time is right. Candy is a strong woman in business and loves her family, and that’s what forces her to agree to JD outrageous but sensuous contract of marriage. When they finally truly talk, things become so much better between them and a good and happy life is possible.

Grade: B+

Surrender by Lora Leigh

Tess has dreamed of and loved Cole for years, ever since her father married Cole’s sister. But even when he finally makes his move to let her know he wants her, she refuses to believe him. The fact that her mother is bitter about the divorce and her father’s marrying a younger, more sexually open woman don’t help matters. Cole has plans of his own, however, and lures Tess into spending a week with him, a week full of erotic pleasure and pain, something she’s fearful of but something that will be heaven to experience with Cole. The fear of finding out he won’t love her also plays havoc with her willingness to give in to his expertise.

Suffice it to say, Tess does give in and spends the week with Cole. He overloads her in every sexual way possible, ending in one explosive menge a tois — explosive in more ways than one. While the story is very erotic and Cole is alpha to the max, there’s just something missing in him from the usual Leigh hero that I love. He is sensitive a few times towards Tess, but maybe not enough for all his demands of surrender. I’m thinking maybe because it’s a short story and there wasn’t enough time to really get to know his character better like we would in a full-length book. He was too hard and demanding.

Grade: C

Summary:

Sins of the Father by Jaid Black

Candy Morgan has always felt badly about the fact that her father duped and then fired his former protégée, James Douglas Mahoney III. Worse yet, she knows that JD has always believed her to be a part of the conspiracy to get rid of him. When JD comes to power during a hostile takeover of Morgan Chemicals, Candy realizes he will want revenge against her family so she prepares herself to be ousted from the company. But much to her surprise, JD doesn’t oust her. Instead, he wants his vendetta against the Morgans settled in an entirely different fashion, in a way Candy never could have imagined in her wildest, most wicked dream…

Surrender by Lora Leigh

Cole has wanted Tess for years. And he’s warned her of this several times. He’s also warned her HOW he wants her. Tied down in his bed, under his domination, surrendering to his desires…

Read an excerpt of Sins of the Father here and Surrender here.