Review! Abe & Dominic: Ties of Steel Series by @mjfieldsbooks @BTSPromosPR

Ties of Steel Series

by M.J. Fields

 

Abe: Four in Hand (Ties of Steel, #1)

Released: December 16, 2014

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Twenty-six-year-old Abraham O’Donnell is the CFO of Steel Inc. After working tirelessly for over a year, he takes a week off to enjoy the sand, surf, and bikini-clad women of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. After all, he's earned it. When a brief interlude with a flight attendant in her hotel room goes awry, Abe heads to a rental home with a private beach. While floating naked in the pool, he learns a guest house on the property is also occupied. So much for rest and relaxation. Ever the gentleman, Abe tries to make the most of his misfortune, and offers to make the beauties staying on the property some dinner. It's senior year and Nikolette (Nikki) Bassett is a few days late for her last college Spring Break with her four best girlfriends. When she arrives, all these ladies can talk about is the guy next door. And once Nikki gets a look at him, she knows what they mean. Fresh from an afternoon of surfing, Nikki can hardly believe her eyes when Abe approaches. The sexual tension and banter between the two of them leads to steamy hot sex on the Atlantic shore. It's only a Spring Break fling, and both Abe and Nikki know better than to make it out to be more than that. Or do they? Abe’s calm demeanor changes once he has a taste of Nikki. That night, no location is safe. He takes her on the beach and ravages her in his bed. But despite their mind-blowing sex, Abe's taste for ultimate control in the bedroom makes Nikki uneasy. Nikki's just getting over a heartbreak and she can't afford to let Abe in. So, she pushes aside her budding feelings, and leaves Florida and Abe behind without a backwards glance. Not used to being dumped and afraid to admit how much it hurts, Abe cuts his loses and heads back to Steel Inc., resume his role at the top of Steel Inc., pouring his heart and soul into his work. But Nikki Moore won't be forgotten so easily. Her taste, scent, voice, the noises she made when he brought her to ecstasy, the way she tasted on his tongue, and felt under his touch haunts him. Always fighting for control, Abe tries to push Nikki far into the back of his mind, as he fucks the rented women he had grown accustom to. But Karma is a bitch, and Abe blames her for Nikki leaving him the way she did. So when Nikki shows up unexpectedly, Abe welcomes Karma with open arms. Control has left the building and safety of one's heart is no longer strong enough to stop what happens next. 

Abe, is the first in the Ties of Steel series from bestselling erotica author MJ Fields. It is a spin-off of the bestselling Men of Steel series featuring the Steel brothers: Jase, Cyrus, Zandor and Xavier.  

This was an enjoyable read. I wasn’t glued to the pages, but it was interesting and steamy!

          It’s is always fun to revisit the other characters from the Steel Series, but Abe and Nikki were a fun addition to the group. Abe is a yummy alpha male with a big cuddly heart, but he demands COMPLETE control in the bedroom. Due to his position as CEO of such a high profile company, he sticks mostly to hired companions. However, when he meets Nikki, he knows almost immediately that she will change his life.

          Nikki is a little jaded from being cheated on and Abe’s intensity scares her and she takes off in the night. When they are brought together again by circumstance, she decides she wants to take a chance on them.

          It’s a rocky road, but they find a common rhythm. Along the way, Abe eases Nikki into learning and experiencing his preferences in the bedroom. Abe doesn’t cross the line into BDSM, but more like extreme control. They fall in love and it seems as though they might be able to walk off into the sunset.

The problem is that Nikki’s got some trouble following her and Abe is determined to keep her safe. Even if it means sending her away.

The relationship between Abe and Nikki is back and forth, almost but not quite causing some whiplash. However, they are both characters with great personalities and a sweet love story. They have humor, wit, and intelligence. Seeing as how baseball is my favorite sport, that element in the book added was fun for me!

My biggest issue with this book was the epilogue. It’s not a cliffhanger, but it still left me hanging and a little confused. The story was completely buttoned up, but the last scene didn’t resolve. It seemed to end right in the middle, like watching a TV show and even though you’ve discovered who the killer is, you’re still left unsatisfied when the cable goes out for the last 5 minutes of the show.

          Despite that, I really did enjoy this book and I look forward to reading the next in the series. As well as going back and catching up with any Steel brothers I missed!

 

Dominic: The Prince (Ties of Steel, #2)

Released: January 18, 2015

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The Italian, seductive, quiet alpha, Dominic Segretti, is leaving Livorno, Italy and headed for the Jersey Shore. His family's business is in danger of crumbling under the management of a man who tormented and grossly underestimated his investment in a business he grew up loving, and the hatred of a man who made his life hell for thirteen years. He has been quietly waiting for the right moment to bring Benito Deluca to his knees. He comes to the US, armed with enough evidence to prove his case to, Josephine Steel, his aunt, and his cousins, Cyrus, Jase, Zandor, and Xavier. The night before he plans to tell them of the corruption that could cause the demise of DeLuca INC, he decides to take a night to de-stress. He plans a night of relaxation and enjoyment for himself at the Hilton Casino on the shore. Delaney Johnson is starting over after a break-up and graduating college. She has landed the job of her dreams in NYC. Arrangements had been made to stay with her best friend, Nikki Bassett, and her fiancé', Abe O'Donnell. Feeling that her luck has suddenly changed, she stops to play a few slots, just for fun. She finds herself winning big, and gains an admirer. One hot night of uninhibited sex with a stranger takes her places she never knew she could go. Dominic sees something in her, something familiar, something undeniable. Will this one hot night turn into many, or will the Beast's plans crush any hope of them exploring their future?  

Dominic (The Prince), The Ties of Steel, is a spinoff of The Steel Series. One of the best things about a spinoff series, is catching up with all of the other characters! Although, this can be read as a standalone.

Delaney is pretty down on her luck. She has family drama, relationship issues, and she’s at a loss as to what to do with herself after graduation. However, she gets on a bit of a hot streak, new city, new job, and her best friend to stay with until she can find a new home. She gets into town a little early and hits the slots at a local casino. It’s there that she meets the tall, dark, handsome, and Italian, Dominic. Swoon.

Dominic knows immediately that Laney will be someone special to him. He convinces her to stay the night with him and they find that there is an undeniable connection between them. However, Dominic is entrenched in secret plans to put a dishonest man and gain back what was stolen from him.

Secrets and misunderstandings ensue causing a rocky path to happiness. However, Laney and Dominic eventually find their HEA and unlike Abe (Book 1), I looooooovd the epilogue!

Dominic is a strong, brooding, sexy as hell, millionaire. He’s got all the right personality traits and looks to make him a swoon-worthy alpha, and he’ll melt the panties right off of you.

Laney is smart and independent but she is also damaged. Where Dominic has been able to move past his grief and heal, Laney has let her hurt and grief eat away at her to a point where she lets bitterness and mistrust throw a wrench into the possibilities of her relationship with Dominic. Her tendency to jump to conclusions (while they were not without some merit) got a little bit too much after a while. And, she got over her issues in the blink of an eye, but these things didn’t really take away from the book, just bugged me a little bit.

Unlike Abe, I felt like Dominic had a little bit more trouble with the writing. I don’t normally bring up anything about editing in a review, however, it flipped back and forth between past and present tense frequently, sometimes even in the same sentence. There was also a confusing use of italics, where I felt that it was never needed. Don’t let that discourage you from reading it though. I really did enjoy the book. The story was well constructed, the characters developed and likeable, and, as I said, the HEA is my favorite kind. It left me with the warm fuzzies. Worth the read!

 

Sabato: The Cross (Ties of Steel, #3)

Releasing: April 5, 2015

 

The mere mention of the name Salvatore Efisto, a notorious crime boss in the Sicilian Mafia, was enough to make any man seek their quickest escape. When his body washes up on the Jersey shore, there is one suspect who the authorities will stop at nothing to find. Raised and reared in the Cosa Nostra, Sabato Efisto has seen crime, chaos and destruction his entire life. When he fell in love, his heart beat for the first time. However, his father made sure that the young prodigy he was creating, was no longer distracted Sabato took refuge in clubs, sex and control. His connection with women on an emotional level was a luxury he could not and would not allow himself. Valentina Segretti helps him hide from those searching for him. The sexual tension between them boils until finally it explodes into page scorching sexual… scenes. Melyssa, a friend of Valentina’s, returns to Jersey and finds him in hiding. As a law student she offers advice to Sabato. The attraction between them is much different than his to Valentina. Two women, who could not be any more different from each other, and one man, who is literally fighting for a life he never knew he could dream of having. Will he choose one, or will he return to Italy as head of the Sicilian Mafia?  

MJ Fields's love of writing was in full swing by age eight. Together with her cousins, she wrote a newsletter for family members. The newsletter was put back into 'publication' in September of 2001 for the entertainment of her cousin on a Navy aircraft carrier in the gulf, (Her cousin is a female Navy officer and helicopter pilot).

She self-published her first New Adult romance in January 18, 2013. Today, she has completed four self-published series, The Love series, The Wrapped series, The Burning Souls series, and The Men of Steel series.

Ties of Steel, (the first series spun off of some the Men of Steel series) book 1 ABE and book 2 Dominic are now available. The Norfolk series, has two titles available now, Irons 1 and Irons 2.

MJ is an Amazon bestselling author in multiple categories as well as all of Amazon as a whole. She lives in central New York, surrounded by family and friends. Her house is full of pets, friends, and noise ninety percent of the time, and she would have it no other way.

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