Jaed’aden was resigned to his fate when taken to the auction; after all he’d been a slave for 9 years. When he realized that the pirate was bidding on him it sank through his numbness and terrified him… he’d heard of what that man did to his slaves, they barely lasted a month. When Shay won the bid, he’s still not sure that it’s a good thing. Will she be like all his other owners?

When I started reading the story I felt like I’d missed the first part and I’d started in the middle of a book. I wasn’t even sure Shay and Raerei mated at first. As the tale went on, it became apparent that they had a very full and brutal past that was not elaborated on very much in the story so I felt like I was missing a lot. As a result, the two never really felt like a couple to me, and when Jaed’aden was added to the mix it seemed like it separated them even more, even though I understood that he was supposed to be the one to bring them closer because of his gentle nature. Jaed’aden seemed too abused, scared and immature to handle two such powerful personalities. The story also tended to jump around a lot and not make sense at times, like when they landed on their home, had a fight to stay and keep their territory, then abruptly left to find Jaed’aden’s home. There was some minor BDSM with tying up and Jaed’aden calling them Mistress and Master, but it wasn’t hard core at all. This book is part of a series, but it does not appear to really tie to it until the end when they meet Jaed’aden’s people. Crimson Shackles has a a lot of potential for a wonderful story, I would have liked to have seen a first book starring Shay and Raerei, telling what happened to them and how they came to own a ship. The little snippets of their past were intriguing, and I found myself on the lookout for more about their unusual culture.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Explicit

Reviewer: Julia
January 14, 2009