Review: Bound (Forbidden #1) by Melody Anne

Print Length: 224 pages

Publisher: Create Space (July 2, 2014)

From Goodreads.com: Relinquish Control has just opened its doors in Seattle, and already we are not shy for customers. Relinquish Control is an exclusive escort service catering to the most distinguished customers, from business magnates to foreign royalty. This proven and well-established international business offers an elite selection of women who are ready and willing to attend to your every need with no questions asked. Confidentiality is our special obligation. Jewell Weston is homeless and desperate at age twenty-four. Two years ago, she quit her job to care for her ailing mother and her young brother; the medical bills incurred because of the cancer that killed her mother two months ago took everything the family had, and the state then took away her brother, now age fourteen. The only way for her to get the boy back is by finding a job and securing a home. When she's approached by a woman in cashmere and pearls who tells her she can change her life, and is handed a card with the business name Relinquish Control on it, she thinks she has nothing to lose by calling the phone number. Maybe this will be the answer to her prayers, a way to save her little brother from the nightmarish foster home he's been placed in. Blake Knight, known to the world as cold and without a heart, is given an exclusive membership to Relinquish Control by his devilish younger brother, who thinks it would be amusing to make his staid brother squirm. Little does this brother realize that Blake does indeed have unusual desires that Relinquish Control can cater to perfectly. What started as a joke turns out to be just what Blake needs. Though the world sees this man as deliberate and emotionless, it's nothing but a facade. What lies underneath would shock all those who know him. When he and his two brothers were six, eight and ten, they were tied up and forced to watch while their parents were murdered. The image has been burned into their minds, though they've tried to forget, leaving each of them guarded and unwilling to give their trust to anyone other than each other. No one is allowed to have their hearts. The brothers would never think of letting down their guard with anyone else, certainly not with a woman. Follow Blake and Jewell's journey and see if they can find a happily ever after...

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My Rating: 1 star out of 5

Ehhhh... at first I was invested in Jewell's portion of the story. I was even a bit intrigued by what happened to Blake's parents. And then..... the actual story happened. 

I finished this story because I kept hoping things would be different. Yet somehow it just managed to get worse. Jewell tells Blake the truth - he accuses her of lying and is a jerk to her. Jewell does everything she is told to do - Blake is still a jerk to her. Aside from Jewell wanting to save her brother there was nothing even remotely redeeming about this story. It was abusive, and it was degrading. Yes Blake "paid" for her, but then he started having feelings for her and when that happened I was hoping for a "connection" between them. Nope. 

Overall - This is part one of series and does end of a cliff-hanger. I however, will not be continuing on with this series. 

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Bound (Forbidden #1) is available from Amazon.com