Wicked Ties

Morgan O'Malley is running - both from her own secret desires and a dangerous stalker. Leaving California for Texas seemed the perfect solution to hiding from the man stalking her. But when he finds her at a lunch meeting with Jack Cole, her dangerous stalker turns absolutely lethal.

Jack Cole has waited years for his revenge, and the perfect opportunity finally arrives in the form of the beautiful Morgan when he meets with her to discuss BDSM for an episode of her sex talk show. Jack, a Dom, instantly recognizes the unrealized submissive lurking within Morgan, and determines to make her realize her every fantasy - with him, destroying her engagement to his long-time enemy in the process. When Morgan is attacked, Jack promptly appoints show more himself her bodyguard, determining to protect her and have his revenge all at once.

As Jack and Morgan open up to each other, they begin to fall in love. But will their needs prove more dangerous to their love than the stalker?

With the first excerpt I read for Shayla Black's novel, Wicked Ties, I was hooked. Although not typically into BDSM plots, the excerpts Shayla Black has posted on her website and blog stirred an interest in me that was undeniable. I was therefore understandably excited at the opportunity to review Wicked Ties. The book did NOT disappoint - in any way.

As I mentioned, this book has a heavy BDSM theme, although it never seems `in your face' hard core BDSM like some other novels. Make no mistake, Jack Cole is as dominant as Morgan O'Malley is submissive, but the author's approach to these scenes makes BDSM palatable to most readers. While the love scenes are explicit and plentiful, the scenes never include acts of degradation. Indeed, although Jack is confused concerning his conflicting feels over Morgan, we never doubt that every thing he asks of her is geared towards making her happy and fulfilled. Even though he had intended to use her for revenge, Jack can not help his desire to help Morgan with her struggle to reconcile the desires she has viewed as depraved.

I said before the love scenes are plentiful, and it is no exaggeration. If you are looking for a steamy read with a great plot, this is a must read! Shayla Black proves herself as one of those authors who adeptly sneaks a very complete plot in the middle of her love scenes. The stalker plot provides plenty of suspense and of course, a nice twist as to the identity of the stalker.

Casting Jack in the role of bodyguard with a madman terrorizing Morgan is the perfect way to showcase his ultimate concern for her well-being and safety while simultaneously leading her into his world of BDSM. show less

I loved the beginning and some parts of the end of this book - but the middle niggled on me.

For once thing, his internal conflict seemed contrived. We are told he wants revenge, we are told he feels guilty but until page 100 we are not shown it. And even from then onwards it remains, emotionally, a vague concept. Then there are some inconsistency issues which really bothered me. He walks out on her without a word after they have had sex for the first time - and she does not show even a smidgen of anger? None. When the day before she exploded into his face every time he spoke? But there are also sexual inconsistencies that bother me. We are constantly told she is afraid - but she shows no signs of it when they are actually having sex. show more And what man ties up a woman when she is asleep and then does not show at least some form of vigilance when she wakes up as to the possibility she might panic? The list goes on...

Even with the inconsistencies and little annoyances, I liked the book. It was a quick easy read - just don't expect to read it without a frown or two. show less

The premise of the story was good. I liked Jack being a bodyguard and Megan being the host of a cable show with questions about her sexuality who comes to interview him as a dom. When she is stalked and attacked I would expect the police to be involved, particularly when shots are fired in public (but then I suppose there wouldn't be a story). What I found frustrating and then irritating was both their almost instantaneous deep love, their constant misinterpretations of what the other is saying or feeling, and the ridiculous choices they make based on those misinterpretations in the midst of a dangerous stalking situation. A simple "what do you mean?" could have cleared up a lot of their problems.

Wicked Ties by Shayla Black is a steamy romantic suspense novel that is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats. The book tells the story of Morgan O'Malley, a talk show host who is doing research for her TV show on different styles of sexuality. In the course of her research, she meets Jack Cole, a bodyguard who also happens to be a Dom. What follows is a sizzling romance filled with passion, intrigue, and danger.

One of the strengths of Wicked Ties is its well-crafted characters. Morgan is a strong-willed and independent woman who knows what she wants and is not afraid to go after it. She is determined to uncover the truth about the BDSM lifestyle, and in the process, she finds herself falling for Jack. Jack, on the other hand, show more is the quintessential alpha male, a dominant and commanding figure who knows how to take charge. Despite his tough exterior, he has a soft spot for Morgan and is willing to do anything to protect her. The chemistry between Morgan and Jack is palpable, and their love scenes are steamy and intense. The author does an excellent job of capturing the tension and desire that exists between the two characters. The BDSM scenes are well-written and add an extra layer of intensity to the story. While the book is certainly erotic, it never feels gratuitous, and the smut scenes always serve to move the story forward.

The suspenseful plot of Wicked Ties is another highlight of the book. When Morgan's life is threatened by a stalker, Jack is determined to protect her at all costs. The identity of the stalker is kept hidden until the end of the book, which adds an extra element of mystery and intrigue to the story. The action scenes were well-written and will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Although the ending felt rushed. While the identity of the stalker is revealed, there are still some loose ends that are left untied, also the predictability... Readers may feel like they want more closure, particularly in regard to the relationship between Morgan and Jack. However, this is a minor quibble, and overall the book is a satisfying read.

The plot was engaging and well-paced, the author's writing style was fluid and easy to read and it never felt like the smut scenes were taking away from the suspenseful elements of the story. The dialogue between characters felt natural and believable, and the descriptions of the setting and action scenes are vivid and engaging. While the book is certainly erotic, it is not overly explicit, and the smut scenes never feel vulgar or cheap.

Overall, an engaging and well-written romantic suspense novel that is sure to satisfy fans of the genre. I would highly recommend this one s to anyone looking for a steamy and suspenseful romance! show less

Warning: This book contains a whole lot of graphic sex, including but not limited to BDSM, menage and anal play. It is absolutely not for the faint of heart.

The most awful saddest part about this book is that every review I've read says the others in the series are nowhere near as good. It's such a shame because it definitely leaves you with the urge to run out and buy more books by [a:Shayla Black|20983|Shayla Black|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1251222240p2/20983.jpg], but I'm not going to force myself through the series and ruin where I've currently left off with the author. And, let's just say, we are on very good terms with each other.

Erotic fiction, for me, can easily get a 3 or 4 star rating as long as it does its job right show more and fulfills its purpose. A 5 star rating, on the other hand, means that the book really impressed me. Which [b:Wicked Ties|37338|Wicked Ties (Wicked Lovers, #1)|Shayla Black|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168913258s/37338.jpg|37227] most definitely did. There was a lot of sex, naturally, but there was also a very touching development of love between two people. I can see why BDSM erotica when the woman is the sub can easily be viewed as degrading to women. Some will ask "how can a love story be found in BDSM?" But Jack doesn't see Morgan as inferior or weak... he acknowledges her as an independent woman who just so happens to have an adventurous sexual appetite.

Some people see BDSM as a lifestyle and that's something I've never understood. I find it hot as long as it remains well within the bedroom and in the realms of sex. I think sex can separate from the rest of a person's life and I also think allowing someone to have control in the bedroom doesn't mean they get to dictate what you do outside of it. I'm sure there are plenty of powerful people, heads of huge corporations, billionaires, heads of state... that like giving up the reins in their sex life.

Oh shit, now I'm imagining the Queen getting handcuffed by Prince Philip...



You don't think he wears that hat to bed, do you?

I seem to have lost myself on one of those tangents again. Back to the book. I really enjoyed reading the development of the relationship between Jack and Morgan. I found it touching that he managed to get her to open up about her past when previous lovers had been disgusted with her for suggesting they trying something a little different.

But the best thing about this novel is that there is actually a proper story going on here behind the sexytime. Morgan is being harrassed by a mysterious stalker who has even gone so far as to break into her home, send her photos of herself in various places, follow her across the country, and eventually try to shoot her. That's where Jack steps in as he can't resist the pull to protect her... and other stuff. It's a good love story and it's also very hot. I honestly mean it when I say proceed with caution if you're not usually into kink. show less

I go into Shayla Black's books fully aware that I am going to get lots of sexytimes at the expense of a severe drought of believable characters and plot. Okay, whatevs. Win some, lose some. The obvious tooliness of the premise (Morgan gets a *gasppp* dangerous stalker and Jack whisks her off to three days of hot hot sexytimes in a swamp in the middle of nowhere, where this stalker, despite his previous lack of hesitance at getting uncomfortably close to Morgan--he SHOOTS BULLETS at her on a busy street in the middle of the day--does not manage to find them) and the more-than-occasional fantastical nature of the characters' thoughts or dialogue (e.g. Jack: "I love her more than I ever realized I could love a person in my life. The sun show more and the moon don't shine half so bright without her lustrous hair beside my face on the pillow") are things that must be born for the sexytimes. Fortunately, the book gets right into the SUPERSEXE, thank God, meaning that you don't have to wait to long to get to what you're obviously reading this book for.

The funny thing is, I blazed through three-quarters of this book in one night, feverishly reading on to get to the good parts (I fully admit to skimming over the non-sexytime scenes because, yawn, who's reading for plot here? and also, where's the plot?). I wanted to finish the book in one sitting, but it was 4am and I had to wake up for work the next morning and I could barely keep my eyes open. And yet I practically had to force myself to finish the book when I had the chance to pick it up again 2 nights later. I don't know what left me in those 48 hours. But suddenly Jack's ultra-cheesy man-in-love-for-the-first-time monologues got lame and he lost his appeal for me, and even though by that point in the book Morgan had gotten over her INCREDIBLY ANNOYING self-punitive internal monologue regarding her inability to come to terms with her sexual desires (I get it, I get it, people are self-loathing, but I just was totally not feeling it in a character I didn't really care for), in the end I was just like... meh. So you guys are together now. Good for you. I think I'm going to go toast some waffles or something.

Still, 3 stars for the fun sexytimes in the first three-quarters of the book. show less

First off let me say that I love the Dominant/submissive genre very much. I have read a number of books in this category and have found very few that I haven’t enjoyed. Second I have read other books by Shayla Black and I have loved each one of them. Third Ms. Black is a delightful storyteller with a wick imagination and an ability to write enduring characters that the reader comes to love. All this being said I had a little trouble with this story. To begin with I have tried to read this book in the past. I didn't get through it the first time. I came close to throwing the book at the wall. Obviously I wasn't in the right frame of mind at the time. I did get through the story this time and for the most part I liked the story and the show more characters. I guess like family there are always characters that make you want to take them out and read them the riot act occasionally.

Jack Cole is a to die for Dominant. He is ex-special forces and 100% alpha male. He is also a wounded soul that is on a course of destruction if he can’t come to grips with the betrayal of his wife and best friend. He is so torn up with the need for revenge it almost loses him the woman that he has come to love. He commits the biggest sin in a D/s relationship he lies to his submissive. He breaks the trust that is so essential in this type of relationship. He comes to his senses but not before making me want to Gibbs slap him.

Morgan O'Malley is a good Catholic girl that host a cable network show titled TURN ME ON. Morgan is like so many of us. She has some racy fantasies that those that she loves have turned into something dirty. She is ashamed of the desires that dominated her dreams and sometimes her daydreams. The one thing that saves her in this story is that she is curious. Those fantasies come to life with Jack Cole. With patience and understanding and just a little bit of ruthlessness he shows Morgan what she has been missing. Slowly she realizes that she isn't depraved or amoral and she embraces her submissive nature. Morgan isn't a push over though. She is a strong, independent woman that isn't afraid to stand up to Jack when she has to.

This story is complicated by a stalker that is determined to have Morgan or to kill her so no one else can claim her. While the stalker wasn't a complete surprise he wasn't the main suspect on the list. There is also Jack’s revenge against his offer best friend, Brandon Ross who is Morgan’s half-brother. Jack thinks that Morgan is engaged to Brandon and therefore the prefect vehicle for his revenge. What is the saying “What a tangle web we weave when we first attempt to deceive”? That is what this story is a tangled web of deceit.

Things work out the end as they always do. The stalker is caught and the truth comes out. There are hurt feelings of the deception and guilt for the lies. This is a good story it just crosses a line that I have a problem with and it isn't a reason to not read the book if you enjoy this genre. Ms. Black writes some intense and steamy sex scenes. They will leave you wanting more and you are probably going to need a bucket of ice water to cool off. So go read the book and enjoy the story. show less