Tied to You by Bibi Paterson
Source: Netgalley and Purchase
My Rating: 4/5 stars
My Review:

Alex Davenport is a desperate man. To the outside world, Alex is as calm, cool, and collected as they come but on the inside, he is harboring secrets and concerns that simply can’t be revealed. His family has an international reputation related to their wines and vineyards, their business is tremendously successful, and they are well respected. Alex lives in fear that his, shall we say proclivities, should they be exposed, would not only harm the family’s business but embarrass them as well. As far as Alex can see, the only way to protect himself and his family is to marry.

Alex has seen Olivia on several occasions and marked her as the solution to his little exposure problem. As a Dom, Alex is able to recognize in Olivia’s actions and demeanor her submissive tendencies which appeal to him on so many levels. Unfortunately, Olivia’s actions and demeanor also speak to desperation and that is the key to her becoming a willing participant in Alex’s scheme. The scheme is simple, Olivia will agree to marry Alex for at least one year and he will eliminate all her debt, see to the ongoing care of her mother, and make her a very wealthy woman when they eventually part ways. Furthermore, as long as Olivia is discreet, she is allowed to take lovers over the course of the year and Alex is free to engage in his own sexual activities. Sounds like a match made in a lawyer’s office!

From the moment Alex and Olivia merge their lives, it is nothing like either expected. They have a natural ease with one another and a lot in common which they discover in a relatively short amount of time. When Alex is relaxed and enjoying life he is a joy to be around but there is a darkness in Alex that, once tapped can be quiet scary and completely arousing. Though a sexual relationship wasn’t a part of the original agreement after the first encounter, Olivia is more than interested in making it a regular occurrence and Alex is afraid Olivia will leave him because of his behavior. Turns out, Olivia has no interest in leaving and a whole lot of interest in further exploring Alex’s proclivities. Yet again, Olivia is wonderful surprise to Alex and an eventual source of healing.

The Bottom Line: While Tied to You is predominately an erotic romance, it also has elements of suspense. Alex isn’t the only one who is harboring secrets and given his high profile, it isn’t surprising there are those who are looking to profit off he and Olivia’s personal lives. Both Alex and Olivia are forced to deal with their pasts and their present, they are forced to face the music with Alex’s family, and they are forced to deal with their own issues as a couple. All of this is made all the more difficult and dramatic because of the newness of their relationship. Overall, I was OK with the rapid development of the relationship – it does happen in real life – but would have liked to see the story as a whole further expanded. At just 216 pages, the threats to Alex and Olivia could have easily been broadened which would have naturally increased the mystery and tension. The naughty bits are all kinds of hot and will certainly appeal to readers who like a little BDSM in their reads but be warned, there are some somewhat dark moments that may be quite uncomfortable for some readers. In all, I enjoyed this total standalone read. ( )