REVIEWS | chissickchat

Praise for Ties That Bind ...

Ties That Bind is erotica. No, that’s not right. It’s a love story. No, that’s not quite right either. It’s an exciting drama complete with family feuds and a ‘will they-won’t they’ romance. Nope, not that either. Actually, it is that – it’s all of that, rolled up into a tightly wound and seamless ball of excitement and fun, with just the right amount of tension. It’s the story of Alex and the family she is trying to escape. It’s also the story of Alex and her new boyfriend, Gabriel. It’s also the story of Gabriel, his career, and his past. These threads are weaved as seamlessly in the book as they would be in life – all the individual aspects of these character’s lives bumping up against each other and merging into a single tree with many branches.
So we all know I hate romance (I’ve mentioned that once or twice, haven’t I?). It’s true. Romance stories irritate the bejesus out of me. I can’t help it, I’m just not one for cheese (unless it’s melted over chicken, or crisped up in the oven…mmmm…). One of the things I hate most about romance is that it is unrealistic (I know, I know, a fantasy author shouldn’t really give two hoots about realism but hey ho). I didn’t get that with Ties that Bind though. Don’t get me wrong, I was irritated by the romance but for an entirely different reason (because that’s just me). It wasn’t a lack of realism that got me but in fact, quite the opposite.
Let me explain. Rather than lamenting over how flat and two-dimensional the characters were (because they weren’t), I believed in them whole-heartedly. So much so that rather than rolling my eyes and groaning at the ridiculousness of it all, I actually wanted to get up and shake the characters. Alex in particular. She was so real to me that I wanted to get up from my seat and knock some sense into her.
“Don’t run away,” I wanted to scream (in fact I did scream, in my head at least) “talk to him!!” Because, you know, communication is key. Instead of becoming irritated by the romance, I was trying to think of ways to fix their problems (and, for that matter, ways to communicate my solutions to these characters on my page). So yeah, Chissick managed to get me involved in a love story – me, with my stone heart and my disdain for all things romantic. And for that, she has to be applauded.
As I mentioned before though, the romance, whilst being the predominant storyline of the book, is far from the only one and actually, it wasn’t the one that intrigued me the most. The story of Alex and her family had me gripped and I found myself craving for more of this tale. This thread introduced a whole new ‘will-they-won’t-they’ aspect to the book and the tension that it created was fantastic. As Alex did battle with a family she was desperate to escape, I was left guessing at what the outcome would be and the suspense that this created had me turning ‘just one more page’ (or rather, one more Kindle click). It was shame, I thought, that this storyline was not a stronger focus for the book but I understand why it wasn’t and as a book pipped as ‘erotic romance’, it’s unfair to complain when the main story is the romance!
The book itself jumps between points of view. For the most part, we read Alex’s story – and in first person, present tense. Occasionally though, Gabriel pops up to tell his own tale – and that is in third person, past tense. This, which could potentially be jarring and uncomfortable for the reader, is handled really well. The two are written in such sharp contrast to each other that it makes the change obvious and thus easier to understand. It prevents confusion and makes the distinction clear rather than blurred. And if I’m completely honest, it was done so well that I didn’t even realise it was happening until a good 50% into the book.
Finally, of course, no-one can review a book like this without mentioning the sex scenes. I was right when I said at the start of this review that this is not erotica. At least, it’s not out-and-out erotica. It’s not porn for the sake of it, and actually the sex scenes are fewer than I had supposed when I started out. The sex scenes, too, are not cringe-worthy, they’re not repetitive, they don’t use silly words in place of real words, they are not too drawn out or skipped over quickly. In fact, they are just right and they fit the book really well – they have their place, and they work. They turn the characters into fiery and passionate people and it gives them that extra little bit of realism. Of course, if you are of a sensitive nature when it comes to this sort of thing, perhaps this book is not for you. But also, if you are specifically looking for erotica, I’d say this book is not for you either. There are explicit scenes but there is so much more to this book than a few cheap thrills and the odd jolly. It’s not all willies and nipples. It’s a book of more substance than that, with a few nipples and willies thrown in – and that cannot be a bad thing!

RJF

I could barely put this book down. The author has spun a story of love, betrayal, joy and pain with consummate skill. The characters are 100% believable and relatable. I caught my breath on a number of occasions as I found myself rooting for them. The story flows well and the pace is natural all the way through. I loved the different layers in this book and how the author had me on my toes the whole time never sure where it would go and what would happen. My only issue (minor) would be the overuse of certain objects such as the Cherry Coke Lip Balm and to a lesser degree the Classic Corvette. I do also think while the sex scenes were incredibly well written it could have benefitted from cutting out a couple of the scenes. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author.

I can never get enough of True Love Stories! The kind of love stories that have you sighing! Rooting for the couple to overcome all odds,and be together forever! That is how I felt About Alex and Gabriel,the main characters in E.R Chissick's Book! It was fate that they met,and it was love that drew them together,those were the ties that bound them! Alex had kept just a few things from Gabe,would her secrets break their ties to each other? Or would they overcome all obstacles to find true love and happiness! I enjoyed the author's story,I liked her writing style. I did find there was a lot of detail and imagery. I received this book from the author for a fair and honest review.This is a book for those 18+years.
WSL

Everyone at some time or another has day dreamed of how we might run into the love of our lives. Fate has a funny way of revealing itself. When Alex literally runs into Gabriel on a city sidewalk hot coffee flies and almost immediately a hot steamy love affair begins. But secrets are kept and the relationship falters. Will the passionate erotic love return or will it be lost forever?
The author of this tale paints a wonderfully detailed story between two people, their families and their beautiful and affluent surroundings. The story flows very nicely and the characters in the story are believable and interesting to follow. Details of place and body movement; especially during the erotic scenes in the story are amazing and breath taking. The emotions will pour over you in this one so be prepared. The only flaw I found in the story was a lack of conflict in the first 25% of the book. But conflict picks up after that making for a very interesting read.
This is the authors first novel and her skills as a writer in this first attempt is to be highly praised- it's just a beginning to a wonderful future as a writer and accomplished author.

TPR

I was given this book for an honest review. It is Elaine's first book and I have to say she needs to write more. I loved the story I felt it flowed well throughout. I loved the two main characters Alex and Gabriel, they both seemed liked real people and I loved reading about their life. There are erotic scenes between them in this book but don't be alarmed as Elaine has written it well and some of them leave me a tad breathless. Wow!! is all I can say. I really enjoyed the fact Alex was into her horse riding and setting up her own business as I love horses and horse riding and one day I would love to set my own business up, so I was incredibly happy when this happened to Alex. Even though this is quite a large book I couldn't put it down and managed to read it in 2 days. I am really looking forward to Elaine's next book to see what happens with Alex and Gabriel, I think they will take an interesting journey but I will just have to wait and see.

I really enjoyed reading Ties that Bind - well written, good storyline -
it kept me interested to the end. Look forward to Elaine's next book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Ties That Bind is a fantastic read. I was a bit apprehensive at first with it being from a self published author, But how wrong was I, the emotional journey with the twists turns and unexpentancy made me laugh, cry and I even e-mailed the author to tell her she was a Bit,h at one point. The only way I can describe this book is fanfu....gtastic. I cant wait for Elaines next book to be published and to see what journey the characters go on next. I would 100% recommend this book to my friends and family.

Elaine R Chissick writes well and certainly tells a good story. Ties That Bind has twists, turns and tension. There are surprises and a smidgen of steaminess too! A winning formula which I'm sure will make this indie author very popular indeed. This is a great book which is sure to appeal to fans of Danielle Steel. Well done Elaine R Chissick!

All my reading friends check out this book. I have just finished it and it was brilliant. Fans of the "Grey" books this is far more believable and realistic. You will fall in love with the characters almost instantly. Some fabulous writing with some twists and turns on the way. Very emotional at times and uplifting. A thoroughly good read get it on your kindle now. You wont be disappointed

For anyone who likes the shades of grey this is better. x

I don't usually go for this genre as I usually find them to be quite clichéd, but I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. It is well written and researched. The characters are believable and I was able to feel their joy and pain.
I also liked that fact that I couldn't work out whether it was going to have a happy or sad ending.
There are quite few erotic scenes in this book but they haven't been overdone. They are well written and not 'cringe worthy' like you find in some books.
All in all this is a good read and I would definitely recommend that you give it a try. I am very much looking forward to the next book.

Liked the twists and turns in this book, thought it was going to be just a love story but turned out to be much more.

Ties That Bind grabs your attention from the first, the story flows well and keeps you interested. The characters were flawed which made them believable as real people. I'm looking forward to further books from this author!

Praise for Ties That Harm ...

A roller coaster read with dramatic and emotional highs and other parts of the story where we linger in domestic bliss. I enjoyed the lyrical descriptions of Italy, would have liked to spend more time at the stables and less at the house. Some characters we got to know, then didn't see much of. To me, Gina was too evil to be true, made me think of Cruella de Vil; but we only have to listen to the news to know what depths people will sink to and how love can turn to hate. But this is a great story about passionate love between two real people who have to cope with big dramas, but also the minor dramas of everyday life. The author also describes well the bliss of family life, which inevitably is accompanied by the sheer terror of all the things that can go wrong and there are plenty of heart stopping moments in this novel.

Ties That Harm is a far different book than the first in the series, Ties That Bind. The writing in this one is more beautiful, more intricate and detailed, but above all, more emotional. That is something which appeals to me because a great number of romance novels severely lack emotion, when one would think emotion would be a priority in this genre.

The author takes her time building in order for the reader to be fully immersed in these relationships, namely that of Alex and Gabe but also the family and friend relationships. We really get a feel for the deep love they have for Vincent. I’m not sure quite that much time was needed, however. It isn’t until over half the book is done that the real action begins. With that said, I would recommend the reader to stick with it because it is worth it to read on; something major WILL happen and when it does, it's exciting.

Now not all the characters are likeable, and while it is not necessary for the reader to like everyone, especially if that’s intentional, in this case, I had the feeling we were supposed to like or at least grow to like Greg and Lauren. I never did. Lauren’s behavior was irrational, and she never grew on me, nor did Greg. I could have done without them entirely except that their story did play a role in the bigger picture. That bigger picture was the real story, and that was what I did love about the book.

There are Britishisms which made their way into American dialog as well as the narrative of Alex, which brings me to another point. I love the narration of the book. It’s unique, with first person present tense for Alex’s point of view but third person past tense for everyone else. This is a fascinating style, and it really brings the reader into the story.

I can’t wait to see what more this author publishes in the future, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for her next work

Following on from 'Ties That Bind' this is a lovely easy read that I thoroughly enjoyed. 4*

This book was absolutely worth the wait and is a brilliant follow on from Ties that Bind. There is an air of suspense throughout the book where I had a feeling (I won't give anything away here) that life changing events might happen. I was almost holding my breath at times! As in Ties that Bind, the naughty bits bring some colour to your cheeks without being smutty and they all fit well into the storyline.

The book is well researched which adds an authenticity to the story, especially during the trip to Italy.

One other thing I noticed, which deserves five stars in itself, is the lack of grammatical and spelling mistakes. Picky as it might seem I can't help notice errors when reading Kindle books and this is the first one I have read that doesn't appear to contain any!

Well done Elaine, you have done a cracking job. I can't wait for number three!

Having read Elaine's previous novel Ties That Bind, I was more than happy to accept an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book follows on from the first book where you get to meet all the characters and find out their background. I loved Alexandra and Gabriel, they go through a lot together but still manage to come out the other side stronger than they were before.I thought little Vincent was a brave young character and I can't believe how much he has to go through. The story is a gripping one with quite a few twists that I didn't see coming. The ending leaves you wanting more and I am sure that is what the reader will get with the next book, I know for a fact I cannot wait.

A good follow on book but for some reason I couldn't get into it as much as the first one. I enjoyed reading about the old characters and getting to know the others a bit more but felt it didn't capture me as much as the first. Still a good read though.

I eagerly awaited the publication of this book after thoroughly enjoying Ties that Bind. My wait was well rewarded.
With well researched characters and locations I found I couldn't put it down which led to many, many late nights.
The characters kept me absorbed and the many twists and turns had me wanting to know what happened next.
Well done Elaine Chissick, dare I ask when the next book is due out?

Excellent sequel to her first book,keep up the good work Elaine looking forward to a third book.

Mrs M