Story Rating: 4.25 stars
Audio Rating: 4.5 stars
Narrator: Greg Boudreaux
Length: 5 hours, 13 minutes
Audiobook Buy Links: Amazon/Audible | iBooks
Book Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks
After almost dying as a child from a heart condition, all Luke Sumner wants to do now is be allowed to live. But even though he is 21 years old, everyone in town, including his family, treats him like he is still a kid. His family hovers over him and his mother wants to constantly be protecting him. Luke would love to go away to school, but he knows his mother would be upset if he left home. Luke also hasn’t had the nerve to tell his family he is gay, not wanting to worry them further. And he definitely isn’t telling them about his more kinky side. Nor about his interest in a very hot, older man, Jack Lawrence.
Jack runs the local inn and has been noticing Luke ever since Jack moved back to town. Even though he sees Luke as all man, the large age difference between them still worries him. Not to mention he is sure Luke doesn’t share his interests in dominance and submission. But when Luke turns up at Jack’s club one night, Jack realizes that while Luke is a novice in both sex and kink, he definitely is a perfect match for Jack sexually.
The guys begin to explore their mutual kink with Jack teaching Luke about submission. They must keep their relationship a secret, as not only is neither man out in Ames Bridge, but with the age gap they know their dating would get a lot of people talking. But as they spend more time together, it is clear that there is no way they can keep things casual. Not only are the guys a great match sexually, but they are forming an emotional bond as well. But Luke is young and hasn’t ever been out in the world. Jack worries that Luke needs some time to explore being on his own and having some independence from his family. Now the men must figure out if there is a way they can give Luke room to find his independence and also for them to have their future together.
Tied to Home is the third book in Silvia Violet’s Ames Bridge series and I think it is my favorite so far. I loved the set up here, with Luke as a young man exploring his sexuality and his kink, but stuck with a town and a family who still see him as this sickly kid. Luke just wants to be allowed to grow up, to spread his wings, and he is constantly treated like he is not strong enough for any independence. I liked that even though there is a big age difference between the men, Jack is one of the few people that treat Luke as a grown up and as an equal partner. I enjoyed watching them develop their relationship and seeing Jack help Luke explore all of his interests. These guys are sweet and sexy together and I found them a great couple with nice chemistry. I did feel that Luke is a little quick to love (after just a few encounters and only a couple of weeks together). But I do think these guys work nicely together.
I also like how things play out with their relationship. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but I think Violet does a nice job both establishing the connection between the men, as well as giving Luke an opportunity to really blossom and come into his own. It allowed things to come together really solidly for the couple and I could believe in the strength and longevity of their relationship.
This story stands alone well, but both men are introduced in earlier books, and we do get some appearances here from characters from earlier in the series (Cal and Beck, in particular). So if you have been following along, I think you will enjoy this one a bit more, but it can easily be a stand alone.
I once again listened to this in audio by narrator Greg Boudreaux. He continues to do an excellent job with the series. Jack and Luke had enough distinction that it was easy to tell who was speaking. The recurring characters all felt consistent with previous books as well. The tone and pacing are great, and as always Boudreaux gives the steamy scenes a nice intensity. I have definitely enjoyed this series in audio and would certainly recommend it to audio fans. But whether audio or ebook, Ames Bridge is a great series and I really enjoyed this installment. I loved the age gap elements, as well as seeing Luke explore his boundaries for the first time and really come into his own. So this was another great addition to the series.
