Reviewed by Amber
TITLE: Forging Bonds
SERIES: Bonds of Truth #1
AUTHOR: Ruby MacIntyre
PUBLISHER: Encompass Ink
LENGTH: 294 pages
BLURB:
Tatum Steele is a proficient lawyer and sexual Dominant desperately in need of a legal assistant. Christopher Waters is a recent graduate who is looking for work, and he has secret fantasies of being bound by his lover.
Both men feel heat from instant attraction when they meet for an interview, but Chris questions his feelings because he has a boyfriend, one he has been with for years. So how is it that Tatum makes him doubt everything he has? After Christopher’s boyfriend viciously betrays him, he flees to the firm and Tatum takes him away to regroup. A relationship quickly forms when Chris expresses interest in BDSM. It’s difficult for Christopher to learn trust, but after Tatum willingly submits himself to Chris for a night, he knows that he will give the man anything he asks for. After their first official scene at Steel Cuffs, Tatum’s favorite BDSM club, Tatum and Chris realize that what they have is more than just sex—it’s love. Only one thing stands in their way, something that could destroy everything they have built together. Tatum’s family has never approved of his sexual orientation, and they are determined to never allow a public relationship to tarnish their family name. Tatum has to risk everything in order to save his boy from death.
REVIEW:
I’m going to start this review by saying this appears to be the first book by this author and holy crap there is so much potential here to be truly amazing as she fine tunes her craft. The writing I found to be solid. For the most part this story flowed well and I was invested in not only the characters but I wanted to know what was going to happen next. So, overall there was solid character building and an in depth plot that I found engaging, for the most part. So all the components are there for a fantastic book and I know I’m setting this up for a but…and there is a but, unfortunately.
Tatum Steele is a successful lawyer who comes from a screwed up, very rich, very successful family. Choosing to sever ties with them he has built his company with his best friend and lives his life how he sees fit. He’s known very early on that his is a Dom and dabbles in the lifestyle on his off time.
In need of an assistant he hires Chris Waters upon completion of the first interview. The attraction between these two is immediate and hot but the boners during the interview process were a bit much. The problem is Chris is “madly” in love with his boyfriend of 5 years. As these things tend to happen, one relationship ends as another begins. I really loved Tatum in this story, he was so caring and the epitome of a knight in shining armor BUT the constant usage of “boy” was grating.
I also kept finding myself rolling my eyes at some of the different scenarios that were happening. At this point I have to say (Spoiler Warning) so stop reading if you don’t want to know. Example 1, I don’t understand why Chris would go see his ex-boyfriend, who tied him up, beat the crap out of him, and violently raped him, by himself??? That made no sense to me and of course it ended badly. Example 2, there was no Ben follow up? Nobody is investigating his disappearance? Example 3, I also found it hard to believe that Tatum’s sociopath brother would just let Chris get out of the car and do nothing to get him back in it. He just follows him? This is the same brother that is allegedly responsible for the other ex-boyfriends disappearance? Example 4, I struggled with the whole threesome scenario as well. Connor was just in a car accident. A car accident where he had to go to the hospital and left against advisement of doctors and the first thing he wants to do is have a threesome with his best friend and his best friends boyfriend who was also in the car accident and was just rescued from being buried alive???? Huh? Tatum and Chris were all over the place with their feelings, personalities, likes/dislikes, D/s, etc. It wasn’t solid and that was frustrating as well.
I know that seems like a lot but these scenarios were dispersed throughout the story so it wasn’t a constant bombardment of unbelievable scenarios but when they did happen I was completely pulled out of the story which drove me nuts.
I hope I conveyed that this story wasn’t awful. It was ok and had the potential to be great if it wasn’t for some of the ridiculous circumstances that I just found completely unbelievable.
RATING: 
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