With a title like that what do you mean this isn't about werewolves or omegas? Lucky me, I hate the latter.

Connor is a woman who has the worst experiences and the worst man pursuing her.

"He has a devastating effect on the ovaries." So cancer then?

Trails of Sin. In Oklahoma. Bruh.

He's nineteen and he's a sex God. How?

So after seeing his love of his life get violated and destroyed he goes on to have sex with everyone in the town while waiting on her to come back. That's actually really weird to write let alone imagine as a plot point. "I won't hurt her out first time but some day-" this is his villain arc.

That's not me being funny, murder happens because we have to push the envelope even more.

So when it happens What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts is playing. Please. So a very graphic rape scene happens that drags out for far too long. It's the only not funny part of this because it's really... fucked up and detailed purely for the fetish and sex fuel.

Now I have a soundtrack to this horrible book. It's a gift that keeps on giving. The horse that's barely in this book is named Ketchup. Aight.

"Medication is addictive and unnecessary."

"She'll risk a panic attack just to feel my palm."

Only reason this isn't a zero star is I laughed way too hard at this book trying too hard. It's not dark as much as it's an edgy mistake and a bad comedy.

1 star. ( )

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨

First Impressions
Knotted is the first book in the "Trails of Sin" series and this is a trilogy about three cowboys who delve into kink for healing, the country is part of their soul and they will fight for the women that they love. Knotted is a book that I put off for a long while, mostly because I knew that the beginning was very rough and it gave me anxiety. But after finally picking up this book I fell so hard for this one here. I can't believe that I took so long to read it and has one of my favorite aspects in romance which is seeing BDSM as healing and not just as kink. This book can be for fans of dark romance, romantic suspense or a bit more gritty contemporary. As long as you aren't expecting a light and fluffy read, you will fall in love with this book. And I do think this book will appeal to most romance readers even if you don't normally read dark romance. Its pretty tame in comparison to some other books by this author.

First Line
The terrain of childhood shapes the soul, and the soul never forgets

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Jake
He is the oldest of the brothers, was shaped as a teenager who had such dreams for the future which was dashed by betrayal and hurt and determination to protect his own shaped him into a force of nature.

The Heroine: Conor
She fell in love with a boy she knew all of her life, and their love was epic until betrayal damaged what they had and tore them apart. But Conor will fight for the man she loves and the only family she has ever known...

Summary
Jake and Conor grew up together and fell in love and were high school sweethearts. They had their whole lives planned and the future seemed so new and fresh and thrilling. But on the night that they were to experience their first night of sexual love but when they were attacked, and Conor was violently assaulted in the worst way and they lost more than just their innocence that night, truths were revealed and Conor was torn away from the man she loved, her brother put in prison and lived with a abused drunk father. But when she comes back to the man who always held her heart, Jake is not the boy she once knew, and when truths are revealed to her, she is determined to fight for their love, but Jake has more planned than just getting his girl back and revenge, he plans on showing Conor the path to healing so they can embrace their love fully with no boundaries...

What I Loved
Knotted is a story that will melt your heart in more ways than one. I didn't know what to expect fully in this one, I didn't really research any reviews on this one. I just knew it would have some difficult scenes in the beginning. But I have to say that Pam Godwin really upped her game with this book and it was SO different than anything I was expecting. Yes the beginning is rough to see, but the way that its all resolved and how this couple comes together was beyond endearing and just might be my favorite Pam Godwin romance.

Which is saying a lot since she has some amazing books, but there was something so much deeper to this one that just delivered on all fronts for me. I really enjoyed the growths of these characters and the way she sneaks the intrigue of the plot up on you, yeah the author works her magic in this book. I definitely didn't expect to learn what we learn in the later half of the story and the way that the hero is able to get Conor through the healing process, you just knew he did his research and was willing to do whatever it took to get her to a good place again. Loved these moments of healing that he puts her through and it ends up making Conor stronger than ever. Their story was so poignant and melted my heart in so many ways. I couldn't seem to get enough of it. And the way in which the BDSM elements were introduced, beautifully done! Bravo to Pam Godwin.

There is also some great family and friendship dynamics. I just know the next books are going to be as amazing. And there is something about a sexy cowboy who works his BDSM magic on his woman. And its done in a way that doesn't overwhelm the story or the relationship. The author really implements these aspects so delicately that it just works like magic. And the plot of the story, kept me on my toes. I loved seeing everything that gets revealed and I just broke for the heroine. She had it the worst because of how much she was kept in the dark and had to deal with so much darkness before any light shone through. But once that light happens for her, is where the story really delivered on all fronts for me.

What I Struggled With
Nothing if I am being honest, it was pure perfection!

Overall View
Knotted is a deliciously executed romance that delivers on suspense, epic love and fighting for those you love no matter what it takes! ALL THE STARS!

Favorite Quote(s)
We’re an existence that can’t be measured. It doesn’t matter where she is or what I’ve done. We’ll always come back to this place. A place that can’t be found on a map or a time line. Nothing in the world can touch us here.

I am not broken. You don't need me to fix you. You need me to sit with you in the sadness."

Legs tangled. Breaths melded. Hearts knotted together. Mine.

She’s the best parts of my past come to life. Like a phantom dream. Except I know this is real. Because I’m more in love with the woman in my arms than my memories of her.

We're a feeling that goes beyond starts and stops. We're stronger than hellos and goodbyes and deeper than beginnings and ends. We're an existence that can't be measures.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Dark Romance
Character Types: Cowboy, Vet Doctor (student), Abused,
Themes: Small Town, Tear Jerker, Danger/Suspense, Heart/Touching, BDSM as Healing, Book Boyfriend, Family Bonds, Favorite Heroines, Western, PTSD
Tropes: Second chance, Friends to Lovers, Childhood Sweethearts

Book Perspective
Duo POV's

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A mix of both but well balanced

Song This Book Inspires
Whiskey and You by Chris Stapelton

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes, its recommended to read these in order

Steam/Spice Explanations

Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship. ( )

[b:Knotted|38134080|Knotted (Trails of Sin, #1)|Pam Godwin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1519186358s/38134080.jpg|59818948] by [a:Pam Godwin|6474204|Pam Godwin|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1388806052p2/6474204.jpg]
Genres; Adult, Crime, Erotica, Mystery, Romance, Suspense
5 Stars

Exceptionally well written. Highly emotional.
Deals with a devastating and horrifying event with care and obvious in depth research.
This was my 1st time reading this author and I will definitely be devouring my go to sites to find more of her work.

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I don't know if I can do justice to this story but I'm going to give it a try. Jake and Conor's story is heartbreaking, it's brutal and a love that will endure anything. This is not only Jake and Conor's story but also the beginning of Jake's brother Jaret and Conor's brother Lorne story.

Jake and Jarret Holsten and Lorne and Conor Cassidy grew up together on the same cattle ranch, their families running the ranch together. Jake and Conor have loved each other forever and were only waiting until she turned sixteen to consummate their love. With their brothers serving as lookouts so their romantic night doesn't get interrupted, until things go horribly wrong.

Two men capture and tie up the boys and brutally rape and sodomize Conor, leaving them to watch her suffering. This is very hard to read but even during this tragedy Godwin show's us the deep connection between Conor and Jake that helps them all endure and gives insights to each of their souls. The events that follow change their lives irrevocably, Conor's brother ends up in jail and Conor is forced to leave the ranch cut off from all she knew and loved and a father who's turned into an abusive drunk.

When Conor was taken from the ranch Jake and his twin uncover some ugly truths and they most keep Conor away form the ranch until they can guarantee her safety, eliminating all threats. They were cruel about it and he can only pray Conor will forgive him for all that he's done.

When Conor returns to the ranch at eighteen expecting to reunite with Jake she's in for yet another shock that almost breaks her. But she's strong and she leaves to prove to them all that she's not worthless.

When they finally reunite again he discovers she was further abused but he's spent six years preparing to help her heal from the rape and is devoted to her recovery from her PTSD and loving her forever.

This book isn't pretty, but it will rock your world, taking you to depths you hope you never have to endure and to highs you can only dream of finding. Even through their shared pain their love helps them heal and find their way back to each other stronger than ever. Before this all happened they had kinky fantasies, I appreciated that they were able to heal so those fantasies could be realized.

This book may not be suitable for sensitive readers, it contains graphic sexual assault, child abuse scenes and some kink that is not considered safe.

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Lots of feels

4.5 stars. Jake and Conor were meant to be together forever. Tragedy strikes and rips their world apart. Can they ever recover? Lots of emotions in this book. ( )