Strapped by Nina G Jones Review

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4.5 Smooches

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Synopsis

By all appearances, Shyla Ball has an enviable life: a loyal boyfriend, a great job, and family that loves her. She doesn’t realize how deeply unsatisfied she is until she has an embarrassing encounter with a handsome stranger at a coffee shop. Taylor Holden, a successful businessman, takes a sudden special interest in her and offers her a job she cannot refuse. Soon after, she learns there is much more to this intensely private man than meets the eye. He is hiding many painful secrets, including why it is that he has seemingly plucked her out of obscurity for such a lucrative position. Her “perfect” world is turned upside down by her infatuation towards Taylor and in just a couple of months, her life looks nothing like it did before. While she is frightened by the changes she sees in herself, she cannot resist the lure of Taylor Holden. As Shyla slowly gains Taylor’s trust, she learns of his complex history and how it has molded him into the person he has become. When elements of Taylor’s secret past resurface and threaten to destroy them, Shyla finds out there may be more to Taylor’s story than even he is aware of. Strapped is a story of passion, manipulation, obsession, and family secrets.

Review

Where to start, this book follows Shyla and Taylor’s complicated and at times trying relationship. Shyla in a freeze in her life, her relationship with her partner Rick is kind of dull. They seem content with each other but don’t really seem as though they are happy, they are almost just coasting along.

 

Enter Taylor, Shyla meets him completely be accident while getting some coffee. One interaction leads to another and Shyla’s life really changes. Her life is no longer boring or mundane, she is traveling the world, dressing in expensive designer clothes, and spending time with the rather gorgeous Taylor Holden. Taylor is a no nonsense man, he knows what it is that he wants and he will go for it. “There is one stipulation. This offer ends the second that you walk out the door. I am a busy man and I don’t have time for negotiations.”

 

The working relationship between these two, certainly turns into something more, although it seems like it takes a while to finally get there, there is always an undercurrent of chemistry between them.  Taylor on a trip decides to tell Shyla how he feels and I have to say I loved that he opened up to her even this tiny bit. “I like you, Shyla. No its more than that, I care about you. More than I ever have about any woman.”

 

Taylor seems to be completely surrounded by mystery, from the beginning it feels as though he is hiding things from Shyla. Shyla spends her time trying to get him to open but, but he is always hesitant. “Shy, it’s not about trust. I don’t know what else to say except that it’s very personal and I am not ready to tell you.”

He has quite a few secrets and you do find them out throughout the book, some of them I was surprised by. Taylor didn’t have a typical upbringing and it makes sense as to why he is the way he is. You can see that all the things that has happened to him really affect him in his everyday life.

 

Shyla is trying to get Taylor to navigate a normal relationship, and one of my favourite things that she says is when Taylor asked her about love. “True love? You can’t understand it until it really happens to you. I guess that this is how I would define it. You don’t know how you could have ever walked the earth without that person because once they appear in your life, if you ever lose them, you too would be lost forever.” That was such a touching scene to read.

 

The book also contained some really hot scenes, Shyla comes across as this shy and timid woman who doesn’t really seem to come out her box, but once her and Taylor get together, all bets are off. Between elevators, balconies, showers, baths, im not really sure what more they could do.

 

This book takes some twists and turns near the end, some I saw coming and others I was shocked by. There is a lot to be said about the past not staying in the past, this book really proves that. Then ending……. My only question is why???

 

This is a must read for anyone who wants mystery, romance, hot scene and all kinds of twists and turns. Well done Nina G Jones on a fantastic and gripping read.

Stacey

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