Unwound
(Mastered, #2)
By: Lorelei James
Publisher: NAL
Published: March 25, 2014
Genre: Erotica
Rating:
When sensei Ronin Black first encounters Amery Hardwick, the fire in her eyes ignites a sexual spark a thousand times better than the primal rush he used to get from mixed martial arts matches. She accepts his darker edges and admits to him that her desires aren’t as wholesome as he believed. And before long Ronin is grappling with emotions he’s never felt before .
Yet despite demanding Amery bare her body and soul to him, Ronin holds a part of himself back. When she learns Ronin’s secret and walks out, his life begins to unravel. To regain her trust he must let go of his pride and prove to her that it’s more than passion binding them together. But after their private pleasures are made public, Ronin is unsure if he’s the right man for Amery. Can they face the consequences together? Or will their differences rip them apart?
Whereas Bound was in Avery’s POV, Unwound is in Ronin’s. I was really excited to get into Ronin’s head since he’s so mysterious and tight-lipped in the first book. I wasn’t able to connect with him and didn’t really see any redeeming qualities to him. So once I started reading Unwound and realized it was in him POV I thought I’d warm up to him some. Unfortunately that was not the case. I will say his internal dialogue is a lot more entertaining than Avery’s. However, he doesn’t come off as true. I found myself having a hard time believing some of the sugary stuff he was saying. It just came off as something a woman would want to hear versus something a man, especially a dojo master like Ronin, would say. There were a couple of terms that even made me cringe or outright laugh at, like when Ronin tells Avery he wants to watch her “quivering girl parts”.
I really wanted to like this story. I honestly thought that with getting into Ronin’s head I would like him more but instead I found myself turning away from the story as a whole. If he wasn’t whispering sexy nothings in her ear, he was being very possessive. These two characters had two cycles, fight, and make up. Given the fact that the book is almost 400 pages long and it didn’t really consist of anything other than fights and sex, it wasn’t for me. I like to have an actual story to my erotica. Or if there isn’t an actual story behind it, then it better be under 100 pages. Otherwise I get bored.
I will say this though, if you are looking for something along the lines of 50 Shades of Grey, than you will probably love this. The relationship between the two characters and the way the story is written reminded me a lot of 50 Shades.
“When I’m beaten and bleeding is the only time I really feel alive.”
Previous reviews from Mastered
Bound
I didn’t really like 50 shades, so… 😉
Yeah… then this may not be the series for you. 😉
Gah! So angsty, I can’t take it! I don’t blame you for struggling with this, I would’ve too if it were me
I’ve heard such wonderful things about this author and everyone is loving the series but I just could not get into it. >.<
Yeah, 400 pages of sex and fighting would not be for me either.
I’m all for sexy times but I need substance to the story. Unfortunately, that was lacking for me in this one.
Oh my, hope your next read is more your taste. Quivering girl parts? *shakes head* Was there other lol worthy comments?
There were a lot of cheesy parts but that one was by far the best. I remember reading it and just being like, “What the hell?!!!”