Double Bound (Strings Attached, # 2)

May 19, 2013 Jennifer W rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

*Originally wrote this review on Amazon.com*
Before I review Double Bound, just wanted to let you know, if you haven't read Strings Attached yet, please read it first. You could read Double Bound without it, but you get more information about the characters and the story in Strings Attached (and it's an awesome book too, don't miss it!). Onto Double Bound: My mind and heart is still racing! Without giving too much away, Jeremy, Arthur, and Carlo are sent out to Brazil to check out a resort, to ma...more

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Apr 30, 2013 A rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

There's something a little manic about my love for Nick Nolan's writing. He continues to captivate me with his characters that I, in equal parts, adore and despise. In this follow up to Strings Attached, we get a glimpse inside the life of Arthur, who managed to break my heart -- just completely obliterated it to pieces. Arthur and Carlo and Jeremy travel to Brazil to check on a family investment there. While there, they get mixed up in some messed up shit. And when I say messed up, I mean delic...more

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Aug 03, 2009 Elisa Ramblings added it · review of another edition

First of all, I'd like to point out that this book is a very easy read, meaning that the story flows smoothly and it maintains always an high pace. The first chapters are also very time consuming, trying to summarize 20 years of Arthur's life in few time. Arthur's past life is not the main focus of the book, but it shaped the man who he is now, and so it's essential to identify the character. Those first chapters allows also a first time reader to take in hand Double Bound without necessarily ha...more First of all, I'd like to point out that this book is a very easy read, meaning that the story flows smoothly and it maintains always an high pace. The first chapters are also very time consuming, trying to summarize 20 years of Arthur's life in few time. Arthur's past life is not the main focus of the book, but it shaped the man who he is now, and so it's essential to identify the character. Those first chapters allows also a first time reader to take in hand Double Bound without necessarily having read Strings Attached, like me, but then, at the end of the book, you will probably have the wish to read it, like me, since while this is the story of arthur, the other one is the story of Jeremy, the eighteen years old boy that plays an important role in Double Bound. And it would be probably interesting to see how the author manages a coming of age story, while Double Bond is almost a silver romance: Strings Attached was Nick Nolan first book, and it was a coming of age book... maybe the author grows with his writing? Or maybe it's only that Arthur was so compelling in Strings Attached that the author felt the need to give him his own story?

More than the story itself, that you can have summarized from the blurb, and that I would prefer not to develop more, I would like instead to talk about Arthur; the story has a lot of turn of events, and this contributes to the high pace said above. Enough to say that after all the high and down, Arthur's long and bumping life journey will end with him happy in bed with his lover, and I'm not spoiling anything, since the book starts like that, with Arthur satisfied in bed who goes down the memory lane.

Even if Arthur is a former marine, a former FBI agent and now a well-paid dogsbody who essentially has to protect Jeremy, he is not the hero type. All Arthur's grandeur gestures were made out of love or friendship, he has not a sacred fire inside for honor or patriotism. Arthur is a man who loves, and loved, too much, who can think to end his live when he is down, but that in the end never brings on the thought since he is able to love again. He loved Jeremy's father, Jonathan, and due to his betrayal he joined the Marine Corp; Arthur hoped to find in the Marine the family he hadn't and the comfort of being loved that he had with Jonathan. He did well and he opened his heart again, to Danny. But Danny died, that fathal September 11, and Arthur threw away his soldier life to commemorate Danny's love. And now Arthur is ready to love again, but at this point, it is real love, or only the memory of a lost love? or maybe the wish to finally have that family that he always searched and never found? In a case or the other, it's the proof that Arthur is able to love, and that despite all the time he was burned, he is always ready to love again.

Another thing I noticed in the story plot is that, despite being adventurous and fast paced, every events end in a "normal" way; there are not acts out of heroism, most of the time the decisive man is the one you will not expect, and even in the big action of the evil there is almost always a very small reason; and in the end, the novel closes with hope, and in a romantic way (remember Arthur in bed with his lover), but still in a very "pragmatic" way.

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/70...(less)

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Feb 24, 2013 Jayson James rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: coming-of-age, young-adult

Jeremy and Arthur were just as loveable as they were in “Strings Attached.” I connected with Arthur and how he was feeling along with the emotions and anguish. The way his story was told and intertwined with that of Jeremy’s was well written. This was a great book, with an end I did not see coming! The author mentioned he had other endings to the book and I wish he would have chosen one besides the one he had. I would love to see another book with these characters in it!

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Feb 20, 2013 Tami rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really wanted to like this book. The writing was great and the beginning really caught me. Arthur was a very interesting person at the start, and his depression was described very well.

But then the story went down the drain for me.

I didn't like the sexual tension between the father figure and the son of his first love - that felt wrong to me.

Then the age difference: A 39 year old and an 18 year old? I don't buy into the "I had a hard childhood and therefore mentally I am MUCH older than my yo...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Martin Belcher rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Double Bound is the sequel to the first book Strings Attached where we are introduced to the beautiful young swimming hunk Jeremy Tyler and the rags to riches story of how he ends up living with his very rich Aunt and mysterious Butler, Arthur in a sprawling mansion in Ballena Beach, California.

Double Bound begins with Arthur Blaufee and his early years and how his first relationship with Jeremy's father influences how he feels towards Jeremy. Arthur is a multi faceted character and it is wonde...more

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Apr 13, 2010 Brie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m

I like the mystery part of the book,the suspense and unexpected turns were wonderful and you had to turn the page. BUT! The best part of any erotica (c'mon you know this) was lacking for me. His partner was adorable but always had him wondering if he was enough and doubting himself. Murdering his self-esteem most of the time. I have never liked it when the protagonist has to go through hard times, and his JUST KEPT COMING. The entire time I could barely concentrate for thinking of how I wouldn't...more

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Aug 31, 2010 Kassa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A few months ago I read Nick Nolan’s first book, Strings Attached, which is a warm coming of age, rags to riches story about a young gay man that comes to find acceptance and happiness. Double Bound picks up exactly where the previous book leaves off instead the focus is now on Arthur, the bastion of strength, guidance, and care from the first book. Now the story becomes a look into the complicated, rough life of a middle aged gay man struggling with serious bouts of depression and inappropriate...more A few months ago I read Nick Nolan’s first book, Strings Attached, which is a warm coming of age, rags to riches story about a young gay man that comes to find acceptance and happiness. Double Bound picks up exactly where the previous book leaves off instead the focus is now on Arthur, the bastion of strength, guidance, and care from the first book. Now the story becomes a look into the complicated, rough life of a middle aged gay man struggling with serious bouts of depression and inappropriate feelings for his young friend and pseudo son, Jeremy. Throw in a complicated murder mystery plot and this book is tough to put down.

The plot is tightly paced and combined with clean writing makes the pages fly by. Although there are some holes and leaps in the plot, the speed of the story and the characters make this a fun book to read. I didn’t always like where the book was going, there is a huge foreshadowing event at the very beginning that had me almost scared about what would happen, but that’s a credit to the author and story that it sucked me in so much immediately. The story has some definite over the top moments and ridiculous turns but in the style of fun, high action, creepy mysteries this didn’t bother me too much. I was easily able to sink into the story and go along for the ride.

Part of this is due to the superior characterization. Arthur is a very different creature from the first book, although be sure to have read Strings Attached before attempting Double Bound. Here Arthur is somewhat of a tortured mess. The reader follows his past through losing his first love Jonathan – ironically Jeremy’s father – to enrolling in the Marines and struggling to survive in the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell environment, then to the FBI before his current position with Jeremy’s family. Again the progression and leaps don’t always make sense and come across as believable, as well Arthur seems to be a totally different character from the first book with some details that don’t add up. If you can get past this then his complicated personality, dealing with severe depression and self worth issues, create a fascinating leading man.

Similarly the return of Jeremy, Carlo, and Katherine rounds out the cast with their well crafted and in depth personalities. Again, these characters felt like a departure from how they were presented in the first book, which isn’t bad per se but made me wonder since the changes felt manipulated by the story sometimes rather than natural and authentic. One of the best aspects though is the triangle between Jeremy, Carlo, and Arthur. It’s resolved mostly painlessly but creates an interesting dynamic that keeps you reading alongside the mystery. The complex web of emotions here feels honest as they make mistakes, stumble, and reach for happiness.

The mystery portion is well researched, involving creepy Brazilian rituals and some truly hair raising scenes. Again there are some obvious stumbles and the incorporation of the Jack and The Beanstalk theme never came across for me. The author explains this but I still found the connection absent and rather weak, if even there. But this doesn’t affect the actual story and the ease of writing makes this entertaining and fun to read. This is an author whose stories I enjoy reading quite a bit, regardless that there may be problems with the plot. The crisp writing is fresh, descriptive, and interesting with a flair for pace and dialogue.

Double Bound is a good sequel and engaging to read. It’s not a story I’d necessarily read again but Nick Nolan is an author I’d read whatever he wrote. There’s a third story planned and honestly I’m eagerly looking forward to reading that one and hope that it shows more of Jeremy’s advancement and development. The side trip into Arthur’s background makes for a nice story but Jeremy remains the star of the series. I’m curious what he’ll get up to next.(less)

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Aug 28, 2011 Micha Meinderts rated it 3 of 5 stars

While Nolan improved his style and character development greatly, he definitely still needs to work on structuring a story. The pacing didn't always work out, suspense was poorly built or crushed because of too much showing of what was going on and the aftermath was choppy. A big shame because I really enjoyed reading about Jeremy and Arthur. I just couldn't get over the fact that everything was so obvious and the clarifying "Author's notes" made me feel really underestimated as a reader, just l...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Elisa Ramblings added it · review of another edition

First of all, I'd like to point out that this book is a very easy read, meaning that the story flows smoothly and it maintains always an high pace. The first chapters are also very time consuming, trying to summarize 20 years of Arthur's life in few time. Arthur's past life is not the main focus of the book, but it shaped the man who he is now, and so it's essential to identify the character. Those first chapters allows also a first time reader to take in hand Double Bound without necessarily ha...more First of all, I'd like to point out that this book is a very easy read, meaning that the story flows smoothly and it maintains always an high pace. The first chapters are also very time consuming, trying to summarize 20 years of Arthur's life in few time. Arthur's past life is not the main focus of the book, but it shaped the man who he is now, and so it's essential to identify the character. Those first chapters allows also a first time reader to take in hand Double Bound without necessarily having read Strings Attached, like me, but then, at the end of the book, you will probably have the wish to read it, like me, since while this is the story of arthur, the other one is the story of Jeremy, the eighteen years old boy that plays an important role in Double Bound. And it would be probably interesting to see how the author manages a coming of age story, while Double Bond is almost a silver romance: Strings Attached was Nick Nolan first book, and it was a coming of age book... maybe the author grows with his writing? Or maybe it's only that Arthur was so compelling in Strings Attached that the author felt the need to give him his own story?

More than the story itself, that you can have summarized from the blurb, and that I would prefer not to develop more, I would like instead to talk about Arthur; the story has a lot of turn of events, and this contributes to the high pace said above. Enough to say that after all the high and down, Arthur's long and bumping life journey will end with him happy in bed with his lover, and I'm not spoiling anything, since the book starts like that, with Arthur satisfied in bed who goes down the memory lane.

Even if Arthur is a former marine, a former FBI agent and now a well-paid dogsbody who essentially has to protect Jeremy, he is not the hero type. All Arthur's grandeur gestures were made out of love or friendship, he has not a sacred fire inside for honor or patriotism. Arthur is a man who loves, and loved, too much, who can think to end his live when he is down, but that in the end never brings on the thought since he is able to love again. He loved Jeremy's father, Jonathan, and due to his betrayal he joined the Marine Corp; Arthur hoped to find in the Marine the family he hadn't and the comfort of being loved that he had with Jonathan. He did well and he opened his heart again, to Danny. But Danny died, that fathal September 11, and Arthur threw away his soldier life to commemorate Danny's love. And now Arthur is ready to love again, but at this point, it is real love, or only the memory of a lost love? or maybe the wish to finally have that family that he always searched and never found? In a case or the other, it's the proof that Arthur is able to love, and that despite all the time he was burned, he is always ready to love again.

Another thing I noticed in the story plot is that, despite being adventurous and fast paced, every events end in a "normal" way; there are not acts out of heroism, most of the time the decisive man is the one you will not expect, and even in the big action of the evil there is almost always a very small reason; and in the end, the novel closes with hope, and in a romantic way (remember Arthur in bed with his lover), but still in a very "pragmatic" way.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982555024/?...(less)

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Dec 03, 2010 Nikyta rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook-and-pbhc, bubbles-safe, contemporary, cheating-open-relationship-swingers, cops-fbi-etc, friends-or-enemies-to-lovers, injury-recovery, kidnapped-hostage-taken, m-m, age-gap, military, series-serial

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'm going to be completely honest here and say that this book was really good. I absolutely loved Arthur. Jeremy, not so much. Sure, I liked him but he just got annoying at times that I just wanted to smack him. *sigh*

I liked the Brazil setting and the suspense when it came to everyone being kidnapped. Hated the aunt with a passion but you know what? All these elements made a great book and the reason I'm not rating this higher is because of two things.

1. At times, I was annoyed and frustrated...more I'm going to be completely honest here and say that this book was really good. I absolutely loved Arthur. Jeremy, not so much. Sure, I liked him but he just got annoying at times that I just wanted to smack him. *sigh*

I liked the Brazil setting and the suspense when it came to everyone being kidnapped. Hated the aunt with a passion but you know what? All these elements made a great book and the reason I'm not rating this higher is because of two things.

1. At times, I was annoyed and frustrated with the constant poem-like writing in places. Actually, I don't even know if it would be considered poem-like writing but, in some places, it was just an exaggeration of a detail. For example, (Chris gave me this one ;-)): "...Arthur moaned, as he felt himself brim with tears that were not tears, but rather the inhaled gasping of his soul that sometimes erupted during pieces by Handel or Copeland, whose fiercely beautiful passages transposed into song moments like these." Really? The writing was good but in some places like that one, it's just too much. Also, sometimes you just couldn't tell who the author was referring to, it was just He this and He that so you couldn't tell who the pov was talking about. Arthur, Jeremy, Carlo, Babalu, or even Fabiano?

2. The second reason, and this is a big one because before this I was at a 4.5, is it's not a HEA. Okay, some might consider it one because it does state that Arthur is with a 'lover' but who that 'lover' is? I have no freaking clue. This is where evasive writing comes in because there's no indication who that lover is. It could be Jeremy or it could have been the guy he just met while walking his dog. I was disappointed with this because throughout the whole book I was under the impression Arthur and Jeremy were going to end up together and I loved that because I love May-December relationships but in the end, Arthur tells Jeremy they wouldn't work and to go out, live his life and find someone his own age. *shakes head*

After all that, the max I can give this book is a 3.5 rating because I did really like the book. It kept my attention after you get past the first few chapters. I liked how we got a glimpse of Arthur's life before he came to work for Jeremy and Aunt Katherine. I just can't give it more than that because I was sorely disappointed with the unsatisfied ending. As it is, if there is a third, I'm not even sure I'd read it because I've been so unsatisfied with the endings of the books in this series so far.

But, if you don't mind a pseudo-HEA and have no problems with the on and off writing style, you'll like this book because it does have a good plot, at least in my opinion. :-\(less)

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Jun 05, 2013 George rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Horrible. Like don't even waste your time horrible. This book tried to take several semi developed plot lines from the first book and tries to stretch them out into the second book. It ends up being very depressing in terms of Arthur's story, super unbelievable in terms of Jeremy's story, and just totally nuts for Carlo's story. Again the ending is complete rubbish. Sadly I was stuck on an 8 hour flight with nothing else to read, otherwise I would have found something better to occupy myself wit...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gay, gay-college-or-young-adult, gay-family, gay-cop-or-fireman, gay-trama

There has to be a book #3!!!! If you read the first book you should read this one. So much drama and really a great storyline. (view spoiler) I guess that is how Nick Nolan keeps us in suspense.

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Apr 27, 2013 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m

I liked this book, I didn't understand Arther that well concerning his feelings about Jeremy so I was very happy with how it ended for all. I would like to see all these guys again especially Jeremy.

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Sep 19, 2010 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nick Nolan did great research for this book.

Plus, some sexy writing.

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Aug 30, 2010 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

***

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Jun 30, 2011 Bradley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

This is the sequel to Nick Nolan's Strings Attached. It was decent. It reminded me why I don't like gay literature because it never rises above the rank of decent.

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Nov 28, 2010 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, gay, fiction, ebook, done

2.5 stars. Ok m/m romantic suspense that was all over the place. This book focused on the butler/bodyguard from the previous book. Unfortunately, especially the closer to the end of this book I got, it felt like the heir (the main character from the previous book) was back to being Pinocchio, with others deciding things for him.

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Mar 17, 2013 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this second story about Jeremy and Arthur. The cast of characters played good roles in the story set up here, even if it was fantastical. The Brazilian plot was intriguing and had lots of good twists to it. I look forward to the third in the series!

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Sep 18, 2010 Bubbles Hunty rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not a very happy story but well written and entertaining

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Jun 15, 2013 Ross H marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jun 06, 2013 Travis marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 30, 2013 McKenna Griffin marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 20, 2013 Tracey marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 19, 2013 Faye rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

May 14, 2013 Landon J. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Apr 29, 2013 Nicole marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Apr 27, 2013 Shannon marked it as maybe · review of another edition

Apr 19, 2013 Scott Loman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Apr 07, 2013 Lapisromana marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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Double Bound (Strings Attached #2)

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