I really liked this book and have enjoyed the others of the series. It was a quick read, but it had some substance to it. I liked the way that Wilson dealt with Hildy's fears and lack of trust. I had read Cadenza before this book and I never really understood the dynamics of Hildy being afraid to safeword, but after reading this it all makes sense. I would like to see Sully get his own story.

I received a copy of the book from the author for a review. ( )

One Gold Knot by Sadie Haller
Novella #2: Dominant Cord Series
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 3½/5 stars
My Review:

One Gold Knot, the second installment of the Dominant Cord series quite unfortunately suffers from the dreaded Sophomore Slump.

Hildy Klein is, on the surface a very confident if somewhat standoffish woman. Other than her beloved uncle, Hildy is estranged from her family, doesn’t do relationships at all and, has a few very close friends that she trusts. For years, Hildy has been completely fine with this arrangement as it means that she doesn’t ever have to face her issues and deal with the things that have, for the bulk of her life caused her great distress. With the exception of her few close friends, Hildy maintains her distance from others at all costs and should anyone ever try to get close to her, Hildy simply runs and cuts ties.

Hildy’s mother and father are a nightmare of epic proportions and their treatment of her throughout her life has been nothing short of abuse. The day of her uncle’s wake was meant to be a time to honor the only man who has ever loved her unconditionally but the presence of her parents and their very public attack turned the day from unbearable to disastrous. Adding to her extreme discomfort is the presence of her childhood crush, Wilson Kennedy. Though she has no interest in becoming reacquainted with Wilson she can’t deny the facts, the man is still stunningly handsome, he is kind and caring and, he was more than capable of stepping up and shielding Hildy from her parents.

Wilson Kennedy sees something in Hildy Klein that very few are ever given the opportunity to see. Wilson sees a beautiful, sexy, talented and, intelligent woman who has learned to put up a good front in order to protect herself. Wilson totally appreciates how hard Hildy has worked to insulate and isolate herself and though he doesn’t want to scare her away or cause her any more distress, Wilson does want the chance to get to know Hildy. Wilson is a very strong man who is also quite caring and, very perceptive. In what is perhaps the greatest test of his patience, Wilson takes baby steps with Hildy in an effort to better know her. With each step, Wilson better understands Hildy, her past and, most excitingly, the things that turn her on.

As an experienced Dom and specialist with ropes/bondage Wilson is delighted to discover that Hildy very much enjoys being restrained. Wilson’s greatest concern though is Hildy’s incredible lack of experience in the BDSM world and her reluctance to become involved. Luckily, Wilson is great friends with Finn Taylor and Mac Willis and it doesn’t take long for Hildy to realize that the world of BDSM is about so much more than kinky sex. In short order, Wilson, Finn and, Mac all help Hildy to understand that she is safe with them and no matter what issues she is facing, her friends and lover will be there to help her.

The Bottom Line: I went into this read coming off the high of really enjoying book one in the series, One Gold Heart. By the end of this short read, I found myself far less enamored with the series and frustrated with this particular story. Though this is a novella length read there really should have been more time given over to Hildy’s past and more explanation about the events that have so significantly impacted her life. Clearly whatever happened to Hildy was traumatic and awful and those events/experiences are glossed over in this read. Furthermore, I would have very much liked to have had far, far more information about Wilson. One Gold Knot is the story of two people and Wilson sort of gets lost in the mix with so much of the attention focused on Hildy. In all, I was hoping for a read similar in structure to One Gold Heart and what I got is a read that is still good but not nearly as good as its predecessor. The Sophomore Slump has struck and I am dearly hoping the third installment of the series will overcome the Slump and get, what started off as an excellent series, right back on track. ( )