Review: Wicked Ties by Shayla Black
Reviewed by Zelda Gillian
Rating: 
(4 Books)
“Let sexy Jack Cole teach YOU how to be more submissive!”
The Plot: In the first Wicked Lovers book, we meet Morgan O’Malley, the spicy redheaded host of a sex-advice program in Los Angeles. Despite the fact that her audience looks to her for advice, Morgan personally hasn’t had the greatest luck in love — from a few insignificant flings to the sudden and unfortunate disintegration of her recent engagement, Morgan could use a counselor of her own!
Enter Jack Cole and an Internet chat room. Jack is a well-known dominant in Louisiana that Morgan thinks might be a great guest on her program to talk about the BDSM community and D/s relationships. After preliminary online discussions and the requisite background checks, Morgan agrees to meet with Jack to gather material for her show.
It quickly becomes evident that Jack has ulterior motives, but if only Jack were the most dangerous man in Morgan’s life! Morgan also has a mystery stalker chasing her around the country that even gives Jack’s nefarious plans a run for their money. In pursuit of the perfect show, Morgan finds herself down on the bayou in a personal exploration of her own passions and sexual preferences — and into which of the many men in her life can bring her true happiness…
Zelda’s Take: Shayla Black has found herself a hit in her story of feisty Morgan and oh-so-dripping-with-sex-appeal Jack.
Despite growing up the secret bastard child of a Senator, Morgan is independent, accomplished and sure of herself in pretty much every situation outside the bedroom. Inside the bedroom, Morgan has unresolved issues — kind of ironic, given her profession. She just can’t seem to get into plain-Jane, conventional, vanilla sex. To make matters worse, when she finally begins to understand herself and confides in her fiance, he ridicules her for being abnormal and a “whore.” Yeah, no scarring there, eh?
Of course, all of this makes her a perfect target for Jack, an established Dominant who is ready and willing to stretch Morgan’s perceived sexual limitations. Jack is a former military man of Cajun descent who, despite his very public sex-life, leads a very private personal life in a secluded house in the Louisiana bayou. A private life with his own personal playspace…
For the duration of Morgan’s and Jack’s time together, we experience the push and pull of an education in dominance and submission right along with Morgan. We feel her vascillate believably from denial to reluctant acceptance, from shame to feverish exaltation. Throughout it all, Jack is at once relentless and forgiving, as any good Dom should be.
What is beautiful in the end is that neither of them expect to find themselves hopelessly in love — but realize that sometimes love happens just at the point when you aren’t looking for it. Whereas Morgan must constantly travel outside her comfort zone with Jack’s “teachings,” Jack must learn to have faith and give in a little to his own fears.
I will say that there were a few points in this book where I had to roll my eyes in disbelief:
- Morgan’s prudish behavior and mentality. Just couldn’t understand how someone who has such conservative views would ever find herself as the host of a sex advice program!
- When Jack forces Morgan to dress as a strip-club owner to escape her murderous stalker. Just don’t buy that any female would fall for this one. Um, why don’t you just call the cops!?! Really! You are being shot at! Where the hell are the cops anyways?
- Jack’s grandfather’s not-so-subtle endorsement of Jack’s gettin’ it on with Morgan. Whose grandfather does things like this? Who even wants to talk about things like this with their grandfather? Why on earth doesn’t Morgan blow a gasket over this one? And, last I checked, oversized t-shirts and sweatpants were still acceptable forms of coverage!
Despite the obvious need to suspend disbelief in certain areas, all-in-all this book was steamy with a capital J-A-C-K. I do look forward to picking up Black’s next installment in the Wicked Lovers series — the story of Deke! Stay tuned!
Zelda Gillian is a wife, a mother and a lover, likes strong espresso, stiff corsets and never strays far from her Kindle.
