ARC Review: Bind and Keep Me by Cari Silverwood

“Cari Silverwood has become an auto-buy for me in a genre that has been suddenly flooded with a lack of originality and cookie-cutter characters, to be kind.” ~Under the Covers

BIND AND KEEP ME is Cari Silverwood’s second installment in her Pierced Hearts series. I absolutely adored the first, TAKE ME, BREAK ME for its edgy dubious consent, unique perspective, and intelligent dialog. BIND AND KEEP ME is no exception. I have to admit I was so surprised at the turn of events in this one! Klaus and Jodi have come to terms with their Master/slave roles at the outset, but things get hairy when they are unwillingly involved in the deaths of two acquaintances. You’ll have to read for the details, but things aren’t black and white. AT ALL. A third woman, Stephanie, becomes a third in their relationship, prompting Jodi to explore if she really has switch tendencies and Klaus to delve deeper into his sadistic nature. Consent is dubious….perhaps a touch more than dubious in ways that make you say no, but yes, but no….oh screw it, this feels too good!

I have a new reading addiction and it’s dark, complex BDSM. I love the emotions that these types of stories evoke. Make no mistake that one should be prepared for an experience that makes you question the characters’ actions at each step and what you might do in a similar situation. I had already developed a respect for both Klaus and Jodi from the first book in this series. I recommend reading that first, so as to have some insight into their frames of mind. The first person perspective, alternating by chapter which I loved before, is back. It was just as effective at ensuring I had empathy for Klaus and Jodi.

Knowing what’s going through Stephanie’s mind is key too. I haven’t read a whole lot of M/F/F stories and there is a nice variety in the scenes…the sex is HOT, but also drives the plot. Stephanie and Jodi get their share of alone time to explore, which was pretty delicious. When Klaus enters the picture, he invokes fear even in me, the reader! But I trust him as well. In case readers have their own hard limits, BIND AND KEEP ME embraces edge play, both of the knife and needle variety which was a huge plus for me. Scary for some, so beware. I read this in one day with minimal interruption. I absolutely had to see what possible resolution could come out of such an impossible situation and I was quite pleased. There is a HUGE cliffhanger, so compelling that I need the next installment!

Cari Silverwood has become an auto-buy for me in a genre that has been suddenly flooded with a lack of originality and cookie-cutter characters, to be kind. This is challenging but rewarding reading and I highly recommend it for anyone who can handle dubious consent, capture fantasy BDSM.

*ARC provided by author

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[about-author author=”Cari Silverwood”]