Blog Tour / Review / Giveaway: The Sins That Bind Us by Geneva Lee

Reviewer's Rating: 5

5.0Overall score

Here's to breaking out of the prisons we build ourselves

the sins that find us cover

Synopsis Blue

I wasn’t given a choice. Not when I did my first line of cocaine. Not when I became a single mother. But I changed, and every decision I’ve made was to protect myself and my son from my weaknesses—and my past.

Until Jude came along and made me question everything, even my own secrets.

The sins I carry with me can never be discovered. Life handed me broken bits of people and left me to construct my own world, and it’s too fragile to take a chance on Jude Mercer.

We write our own stories.

We build our own prisons.

We weave our own lies.

We commit the sins that bind us.

Review

Reviewed by Jean

Here’s to breaking out of the prisons we build ourselves

For anyone who has felt those debilitating moments in life which addiction and alcoholism provide, this book is bound to hit a few tender spots. I’m not just speaking to those that are afflicted with the issue but rather those that are impacted by them… those with the very real addiction of co-dependency. This book hit home big time. I’ve dealt with the issue of co-dependency the majority of my life from childhood right up to today. I’ll be dealing with it tomorrow. It’s a hard cycle to break especially when the disease has its inheritable components. Even when we don’t choose to embrace the disease ourselves, we have a tendency to gravitate to those that do. Even if the disease skips us by it has every chance of infecting our siblings and children. We are just as likely to select a life partner with the disease. It’s become our comfort zone and all we know. We make excuses for them and we try to fix them. We are just as mired in the disease as they are.

Faith Kane fell victim to the disease as a teen. Her twin, Grace learned the ugly realities of co-dependency. You can’t fix someone that doesn’t want to be fixed. While Faith lives her life flitting from one party to another and one bed to another, Grace has learned to retreat from others. She keeps her circle of friends tight. The Sins That Bind Us presents a recovering Faith with her four-year-old deaf son living in the tourist town of Port Townsend. She’s retreated from the life of parties and temptation. Her life revolves around the piece of wonder that is Max and visiting the Grandmother with Alzheimers who raised her. She has one friend, Amie. Amie is her boss and her roommate as well. She doesn’t let anyone else in. Not even the other members of the NA group she belongs to. That is not until the irritating, sure of himself, Jude joins the group. Now every boundary she has set for herself is in question. Jude is a major risk. First, he’s a member of the NA group so there is always the risk that he’ll slip in his recovery. Second, he’s a threat to her non-existent libido because it’s come roaring back to life. Third, she can’t take the risk of him being a fleeting moment in her son’s life. Finally, she has her secrets and he threatens them all.

Every impression you get of Jude is through the eyes of Faith. At first, he’s arrogant and sure of himself. He knows he’s God’s gift to women. He irritates her and grates on her nerves from their first interaction. Then as the story unravels you get snippets of Faith and Grace’s past. Faith’s past dealings with men are put in contrast to the ones she has with the very real Jude. He is everything the men in her past weren’t. He’s caring. He’s responsible. He’s an artist and lyricist… a well to do one at that. He’s the kind of man that would give you the shirt off his back. He’s no stranger to a childhood lived under the heavy hand of a violent drunk and yet he’ll be the first to go help drag a fellow NA member out of the local bar when they slip. He’s the perfect father figure for her son. He gets down to Max’s level from the get go and goes out of his way to connect with him. Still he’s a risk to let into her life. He’s also got his own secrets.

The Sins That Bind Us takes you on a journey as Faith navigates the intricacies of a relationship and opening herself to love. It’s about confronting our lies… those we tell others and the ones we tell ourselves. It’s about forgiveness and moving on. I couldn’t put it down. My copy is full of highlighted quotes. I’d share but I really think you need to read this one yourself. Expect a few twists. I had my suspicions on what those secrets were, still I was kept guessing. Ms. Lee did an awesome job at weaving the past into the story and leading the reader to the unraveling of all Faith and Jude’s secrets. Even if you have absolutely no experience with co-dependency and addiction this story will give you some insight and the romance is well worth reading. I dare you not to fall in love with the characters. Now I’m off to find out what else Ms. Lee might have on her shelves.

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O Factor: Spicy

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the sins that bind us

Excerpt

“Maybe he was already as tightly wound as me, but I can’t help but squirm under his possessive stare. I ignite that ferocity. I’m the storm that unsettles the peaceful blue pools of his irises. And realizing that vanquishes my fear. Because I’ve undone this man.””I want to say something but my mouth is empty. Before I can find words his lips find mine instead. He crashes against me, and I’m powerless against his force. He’s washing me out into the unknown and I don’t care if I drown.

My body shapes to his as his hand slides under my ass, lifting me from my feet. I coil around him, instinctively pressing the core of my want against his groin. A low growl vibrates through him and his arms bind me closer.

I want as much of him as he’ll give me. It’s the only need I’m capable of processing and I open to him, allowing his tongue to stroke across my teeth and then massage over mine. It’s an invitation and I RSVP by tangling my fingers into his hair. I grip it tightly, desperate to possess him as fully as he has me.”

When he backs into the kitchen table, we both spring into action, unbuttoning and unbuckling as quickly as our impatient fingers allow. Wiggling off my jeans, I return my attention to his body. I trail my palm over the swirling black ink and then I lunge forward and sink my teeth into his skin.

“Christ, Sunshine,” he grunts, but before I can register it as a complaint, he’s pushed me flat against the table and unsnapped my bra. I move to slide it off and my wrist knocks over a box of crayons.

Our eyes lock as they scatter to the floor and before I can raise the white flag, I’m back in his arms. Jude kicks open the door leading to the garage.

“I’ll fix it later,” he promises, sweeping me out the door. Twirling me around, he barricades it with our bodies. “Hold on.”

“I wrap my arms around his shoulders and cling to him as he frees his dick. I feel its heat prod against my belly. His whiskers scratch against my cheek as his mouth slants toward my neck. “I can’t be patient,” he warns me.

“Don’t be,” I beg.

He doesn’t need coaxing. His hand slips between my thighs and shoves my panties to the side. My bare back smacks against the wood as he thrusts into me. Jude’s chest smashes against my breasts as his weight overwhelms me. I lose myself to the rhythm. To the crash and the ebb. There is only each stroke, and the glorious, violent inevitability of being abandoned and filled.”

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the sins that bind us

geneva lee

Geneva Lee prefers fantasy to reality, especially fantasies involving powerful, dangerous, and sexy men. You can find her devouring a good romance while avoiding the laundry and the children. She lives in Kansas City with her family.