Book Description
Twelve months. Total submission. One million dollars.
I spent six years in a convent, preparing for a life of silence and service. I never expected my new life to begin under the ruthless control of Stephan Marek—my boss, my temptation, and the most dangerous man in Chicago’s most elite law firm.
Stephan is a brilliant, untouchable predator in a thousand-dollar suit. When he discovers I’m a virgin—untouched in every way—he makes a deal only a monster would propose:
One year of complete sexual submission in exchange for one million dollars.
The money will save my sister’s life. The price will cost me my soul.
The contract is airtight. The rules are absolute. But nothing about Stephan Marek is simple.
As I’m drawn deeper into his world of dominance and control, my shame collides with a dark, awakening desire. In the shadows of his penthouse, obedience begins to feel dangerously close to freedom. I vowed never to surrender again—but what if my submission is the only thing that can set me free?
He owns my body by contract. But will he keep my heart by choice?
The Contract is a dark, emotionally intense BDSM romance that explores the thin line between possession and protection.
If you loved the religious and moral tension of Priest by Sierra Simone or the erotic depth of The Siren by Tiffany Reisz, this is your next obsession.
Fans of the forbidden workplace dynamics in Beautiful Bastard and the high-stakes legal tension of Terms and Conditions will find their new favorite anti-hero in Stephan Marek.
If you crave the raw intensity and binding sexual agreements found in Sara Cate’s Keep Me or Nikki Sloane’s The Initiation, this story of power exchange and ultimate surrender will leave you breathless.
Tropes Included: Virgin Heroine (Former Nun), Forbidden Boss/Employee Romance, Age Gap / Alpha Hero, Forced Proximity & Power Exchange, Explicit BDSM & High-Stakes Consent, Guaranteed Happily Ever After.
Welcome to Binding Agreements—where contracts are seductive, control is currency, and desire always comes with a price.
My Review
Katie is a former nun. She left the church when her sister got sick and needed cancer treatments that their mother couldn't pay for. Katie is smart so it was no big deal to get her lawyer's license and get a job at a large firm.
Stephan has been a lawyer for 20 years, people know he's intimidating, organized and thorough. His orderly life is thrown for a loop when he interviews Katie for a position at his firm and he gives her the job.
The pull Stephan feels towards Katie is instantaneous. They work closely together on a huge case that they cannot afford to lose. But there are things about the case that are getting them into hot water if anyone finds out about it. As they work together for the case, it becomes harder and harder for them to not act on their feelings. They both make some decisions that are very questionable. Decisions that would ruin their lives if anyone found out but they do it anyway? It just wasn't very smart or believable to me that they just decided to risk it all for the reasons they came up with.
Stephan was not the hero that I wanted. He has some emotional damage that makes him a bit strange. So instead of just falling for Katie and having a normal relationship with Katie when they admit their feelings for each other, he brings out a contract he's been working on for them. It's a Dom/sub contract. If she signs it, she agrees to be his submissive for 12 months and she'll get paid One Million dollars, which is more than enough to pay for her sister's cancer treatments.
Stephan thinks he's saving her, protecting her or something. He could have just told her that he likes a little BDSM in the bedroom instead of drawing up this contract because at first, she was hurt by it, but she did agree, which I seriously doubt a former nun would do. But what do I know.
The funny thing is, there isn't a whole lot of BDSM in the book, sure there's a little bit but it wasn't anything over the top like I was expecting. They don't even act on their feelings until almost half way through the book. The first half of the book was a bit slow but it does pick up a bit.
I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.
Disclosure: I was given an e-ARC copy of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
There are so many books where you're expecting more from it. The blurb is often better than the actual story.
ReplyDeleteThat definitely happens sometimes.
DeleteI have read a lot of books in this genre, so something has to sound really good (and different) before I start a new one. This doesn’t tempt me. Have you read any Alexis Rey? I usually like her books!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read her, I'll have to look into her. Thanks.
DeleteJust ok then
ReplyDeleteYes.
DeleteNot sure about the hero. Great review!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteSounds like an interesting premise. Glad to see you enjoyed it overall.
ReplyDeleteIt was good overall.
DeleteSounds alright :-D
ReplyDeleteit was.
DeleteSo many books do not find their pace until the end, I often found books with boring hundred first pages.
ReplyDeleteAnd that sucks because I almost didn't finish it because of that.
DeleteI agree with Dezmond. Some books don't get it until the end. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people will DNF a book that starts off slow.
DeleteToo bad it was only a three, interest plot!
ReplyDeleteIt was.
DeleteWow, it sounds very dark and very spicy, but not so much? That's a bummer. If someone is looking for spicy, they tend to be disappointed when the book doesn't deliver.
ReplyDeleteI was expecting more dark and spice.
DeleteOoh sorry it wasn't as good as you had expected.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteThe description definitely makes it seem like a much steamier book.
ReplyDeleteYes it did.
DeleteHmm, sounds like someone thought it would step up the taboo aspect if the gal was a nun and into kink, but this doesn't sound like the best way to go about it with what is going on. Yeah, sounds like a decent read with a bit of mixed feeling to it.
ReplyDeleteYes, I really thought it was going to be spicier.
DeleteNuns.
ReplyDeleteI smacked my own knuckles with a ruler.
lmao I mean, if you're into that sort of thing.
Delete"but she did agree, which I seriously doubt a former nun would do"
ReplyDeleteYeah, does seem kind of strange? I don't know. I could see it working with the right character, but it sounds like we might have just liked the tantalizing idea here without actually doing the work to make it make complete sense.
Yes, exactly.
DeleteThat is a book I would judge by its cover
ReplyDeleteHa!, It does have a nice cover.
DeleteThis was an honest and balanced review that clearly lays out what worked and what didn’t for you. Your take on the character decisions and believability adds a helpful perspective for anyone considering the book.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteThis sounds intense
ReplyDeleteNot as intense as I thought it would be.
DeletePerhaps not the best ... but not too bad!
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Yes, exactly.
Delete