Cover Bound: The Domino Effect Review & Giveaway

Synopsis

Twenty-one-year-old college student and aspiring journalist Nancy Delaney’s nose for news smells a hot story idea when it comes to international playboy and artist Peter Rostovich. But as she works to get her story, she soon becomes intimately entangled with the mysterious Rostovich, who finds her irresistible. He becomes Nancy’s ticket to sexual awakening, and she soon discovers she has an appetite for bondage, too.

And there’s far more to Rostovich than just his art — he’s involved in a strange, violent criminal underworld that kidnaps Nancy and spirits her halfway around the world, where she’s held prisoner and made to serve as private Dominant-for-hire somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Will the sexual powers Rostovich helped awaken in her be Nancy’s only hope for escape?

Goodreads Link

My Review

3.5 Star

I was excited to read The Domino Effect because the synopsis intrigued me. Going into it, I thought I would love it because let's be honest I devoured 50 Shades of Grey (all three books) in less than 18 hours and they seemed to be similiar themed books. Hughes does a great job setting the back drop of Cleaveland and what it's like for Nancy as she struggles to pay bills, finish school and set up her portfolio since she's an aspiring journalist. Peter Rostovich was a strong male character and I found his evasiveness and approach to be rather sexy. Especially since he had some clear dealing in things that may not be on the "up and up." However, I found the commonalities between Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele (from 50 Shades) to be overwhelming. They share the same qualities but have different jobs. They even meet in the exact same sort of situations. Nancy does her bestfriend/roommate a favor and ends up falling into Rostovich's immensely wealthy lap. Oh and of course, Nancy is a virgin.

But I did like the plot and the way that the stories differed. Minus the fact that the cast reminded me of 50 Shades. I liked how the progression between Nancy and Peter's relationship fit their character's personalities and was realistic. reflecting on my own experiences, I could totally relate to Nancy in some areas and she definitely had me as a cheerleader. She knew what she was getting into (being a journalist she possesses some natural instincts and questions everything) and she still took it on head first, refusing to give up. When she gets kidnapped and shipped off to a foreign country under duress, I was proud of how she handled herself and glad that Hughes didn't bend Nancy in a different direction because her reactions were so fitting. I high fived her in my mind for not becoming a complete mess and breaking down.

The thing I loved the most about The Domino Effect was the way Hughes wrote her. Her writing style provided a different perspective into these themed books. The scenes with sex were done in a way I haven't read before and for me, that was really cool. Instead of just seeing the chemistry between Nancy and Peter during the sexy scenes, Hughes also delivered the emotional side of their actions. Reading what was going through Nancy's head, her reactions, doubt, wonder and everything else when you're new to the BDSM theme (and sex in general) allowed me to really connect with her. Granted there was a scene thrown in there when she was being kidnapped and the next thing I knew she was having a fantasy dream when the last thing I read, she was in the middle of a conversation. Other than that, the plot is well paced and leaves only a couple loose ends (remember this is the first book in a series, so to me, the couple loose ends aren't really a big deal) but the cliffhanger at the end, is jaw dropping. I never saw that coming and the sudden change between loyalties to the "major players" towards the end was another great twist.

I just want to note that I believe some readers will love this story, it will fill them with butterflies and rainbows and squeal worthy moments. There were aspects that just weren't for me and some of the similarities in the beginning made it hard for me personally to connect to the story until halfway through. But I will be reading the second installment because I want to know what happens and how Nancy and Peter's story will unfold.

Amazon Link Smashwords

B&N Link Amazon UK

About the Author

JILL ELAINE HUGHES is a professional journalist, playwright, memoirist, and fiction author. She has written for the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Reader, Washington Post, Cat Fancy magazine, New Art Examiner, and numerous other media outlets. Her plays have been widely published and produced by theaters in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, Atlanta, San Francisco, the United Kingdom, and Australia. She is also the author of several New Adult fiction books. Ms. Hughes also writes erotic fiction under two pen names: Jamaica Layne and Jay E. Hughes.