Unwound (Mastered Book 2)

First thing I have to say is, if you have not read Bound then buy and it it first. Unwound is a continuation of the previous mention book. And just an FYI Lorelei James does not make a habit of ever produceing cliffhanger books. This was an exception and I'm glad for it. To bring the story together and get the full background of all characters it really needed to be put into two full length books.OK with all that said I love this book. I loved getting to see how the rest of this relationship unfolded from Ronan's point of view ( The first book in the first half of the relationship is discussed from Amery's point of view). While this book is about a great relationship it is also very much about sex. So if you aren't into reading about awesomely good sex then you're missing out on a fabulous book.

"Unwound" is part 2 in Lorelei James "The Mastered " series duet. Before tackling this excellent erotic romance novel I strongly suggest you read book #1, "Bound." Otherwise you will be lost in this storyline ."In "Bound" the author weaves the tale of Ronin Black and Amery Hardwick. Sexual tension during a class in Sensei Ronin's dojo, "Black Arts," draws these two together. A series of events bind them to one another in more ways than one. Amery falls under Ronin's sensual and emotional spell. He is strong, exotic, lethal at his art. He is everything sexy on the outside and a total enigma, a paradox, on the inside - very intense. And Ronin finds himself deeply in love with Amery. She is a talented, smart, self-sufficient woman... and beautiful, of course . There is also a rebellious part of Amery that desires to be bold, free to explore her sexual desires without the guilt. These lovers, however, are unable to communicate their feelings to one another. While she bares her soul to him and accepts his darker side, Ronin holds his past close to his chest.**Spoiler Alert: At the conclusion of "Bound," Amery learns who Ronin really is and breaks off with him for what she believes are lies of omission on his part. Ronin, unused to experiencing such strong feelings for a woman is almost undone by his loss.As "Unwound" opens we find that Ronin's anger issues have skyrocketed after Amery leaves him. He returns to fighting in the ring; punishing himself in order to alleviate his guilt over his part in losing Amery. One fight leaves him severely damaged and he makes his way, unconsciously (psychologically), to Amery for help. Ronin's vunerability leads towards forgiveness on Amery's part. There is a lot of intimacy building in this novel: the rebuilding of trust. While there is a bit less obvious sex here, there is more sensuality and a much more complex storyline. I really felt the connection and chemistry between our lovers.As in "Bound" I enjoyed learning about shibari and kinbaku binding. Shibari refers to purely artistic, aesthetic rope, whilst kinbaku refers to the artistic, connective, sensual, sexual practice as a whole. I looked up this art form and found the images to be erotic, a true art form, without the usual S&M connotations.While I really enjoyed the well written "Bound, I think "Unwound" is the better novel. As noted above, "Bound" is more explicitly sexual in nature, but the characters are not as complex as they are in this book. Ronin is closed off emotionally. "Unwound," reveals Ronin's point of view. He gives us all the passion, sensuality and emotional vulnerability which is lacking in book #1. "Unwound" offers more witty dialogue, character development, and humor than its predecessor. I felt a real connection with our protagonists and that made all the difference when reading this installment. There are also plots and sub-plots here, much more so than in the typical erotic romance. And new characters are introduced.I have not read an erotic novel for some time and have never read any of the author's other books. "Bound" & "Unwound" are certainly different in the erotic romance genre - well worth the read. These books are exceptionally well written and the descriptive passages are quite sensual. The characters are fairly complex and their relationship is very intimate, not only sexually but emotionally. Obviously there are some steamy scenes, a wide variety of them. I really enjoyed both novels, especially the more complex "Unwound."JANA

In my review of the first book in this series Bound, I spoke of the great trepidation I had about reading a Lorelei James book that didn't have a hot cowboy in it and let me say again that I'm so glad that I did. Amery and Ronin are great for each other. Their love story touched my heart and let's not talk about how the hot steamy sex scenes made me feel. I was glad to see that she discussed the fact that people who participate in contact sports and receive multiple shots to the head or concussions are possibly in danger of having dementia or even brain damage and also how Ronin stopped fighting and tamed down his practices when he found himself with medical issues. Macho men like him always tend to think that they are invincible. Amery and Ronin came from such different backgrounds which made the story seem all the more real to me. Bringing both of their families into the story helped to see how Amery is always struggling to build her confidence in herself and why Ronin is so secretive and closed off. I absolutely love this series and would love to see more stories including the secondary characters from Bound and Unwound. Thank you Ms. James for taking me into a world I would not normally venture into!!!

This is the continuing story of Amery and Ronin. You MUST read the first book, Bound, in this series. Delving further into their relationship, their past, and their families. Any questions you may have had are answered in this second book of The Mastered Series. I feel privileged to be able to witness the love and erotic sensuality between these two. This book is not about BDSM. It is about Shibari and Kinbaku, Japanese rope bondage. It is an art form and when performed by Master Black, it's indescribable.I have read a lot of books and many different series. This series is definitely in my top 10 and maybe even in my top 5! Ms. James writes with such detail. As you're reading, the words are playing like a movie in your mind. This was not a cliff hanger but a book that leaves room for more characters to have their stories told. We can only hope!Master Black, Sensei, Sir, I definitely look forward to visiting your dojo again...SOON!

I have NO WORDS to express how much I am loving this series by Ms. James!! As this is the first I've read from her I certainly will be checking out more of her stuff. The story of Ronin and Amery has caught me, kept me, captivated me, and enthralled me. I have FLOVED every single sentence! I am fairly familiar with this genre, so the fact that I hadn't stumbled on this series before suggests perhaps a "diamond in the rough" - hiding behind some bigger or better known names. I cannot say it enough!!!!! Pick up this "Mastered Series"!!!!! You will be SO VERY GLAD that you did!

Ronin Black, Sensei, rope master, MMA champion it is all the same man to Amery. Having decided his own penance Black finds his nurse Amery a very cute distraction.Enter left the ex Naomi who has more than a hidden agenda, she sends a poison package to Amery's parents who predictably round on her in a religious bigoted manner. Add in Ronin's sister and mother ...... go read it, seriously good

I'm not sure I even have the words to give this book the justice it requires. Such a brilliant ending to this two book series. As you would expect, it has been written beautifully. Lorelei James is an outstanding author. I thought Bound was brilliant, but she has excelled herself with this book. Congratulations Lorelei!! It's just perfect.

Another stunner. Lorelei can turn her hand to just about anything. Loved the journey of this book, so much emotion, I lost hours in this world. I've already read this twice!

Really enjoyed the characters well filled out the story was well written and easy to read definitely recommend it hope there are more to come.

Brilliant series, expensive but so worth it. Loved master black and amery, lovely love story.