Review: Beloved and Beholden | The Belonging Duet by Corinne Michaels

Corinne Michaels is one of those "it" authors for me. She writes just the kind of emotional contemporary romances that I love, and over the last two years I've devoured more than a dozen of her novels. Recently I decided to do a deep dive into her backlist and read the Belonging Duet, her first two published books, and I've gotta say: she's come a long way, baby. Sure, Corinne's signature romance and emotional impact was there, but without the polish and the remarkable characters that I've come to expect. It's obvious there's been a lot of growth and finesse over the last 7-8 years. So here are my rambly-ranty thoughts on Corinne's earliest work, The Belonging Duet.

     

BELOVED (The Belonging Duet #1)

Pub date: May 27, 2014

Format: Audio

3.25 Stars

Enough. That single word is all I’ve ever wanted to be. Enough to make someone stay. Enough for someone to love and cherish, but I’ve been burned every time.

Except at my job. I thrive there. In my office, I have the ability to fix things and command situations.

Until my new client walks in.

It shouldn’t matter that he fills out a suit better than any man I’ve ever seen. His dimples and blue-green eyes shouldn’t call to me on every level. I know men like him and they’re dangerous to trust.

But Jackson Cole is irresistible.

The pain of the past disappears when he’s around. With him, I’m more than enough, and I break every rule about dating a client. I fall desperately in love with him—only to realize I should’ve trusted my instincts because I’m no one’s beloved.

BEHOLDEN (The Belonging Duet #2)

Pub Date: 

Format: Audio

3 Stars

I tried resisting him. I fought to ensure history wouldn’t repeat itself. In the end, Jackson and I knew he would win. He broke down my walls, obliterated every excuse, and made me love him against all odds.

Then he shattered my heart into thousands of pieces.

I can’t let him back in. It was hard enough surrendering my heart the first time. If he hurts me again, I’ll never survive. No matter what he thinks, we’re beholden to our past.

Catherine - One of my favorite things about Corinne's books are her characters. The women are down to earth, strong, relatable, and someone you could imagine being friends with. Catherine was... eh, not quite those things. Those around her were forever telling her how strong she was but I beg to differ. Girlfriend played the victim very well. She used her Daddy issues and a bad break-up with her fiancé to color her outlook on virtually everything. I can't remember the last time I read about a character who was so in her feelings. I mean, she wallowed in some epic teenage-level angst. Her friendship with Ashley was pretty cringey. They called each other Biffle (as in BFL... yeah, I cringed, too) and their relationship just felt super immature. I will say that I really admired Catherine's ambition and her work ethic - she was quite the go-getter. And her loyalty to those around her was strong.

Jackson - I adore Corinne's heroes. She writes men who are strong, protective, and willing to go the distance for the women they love. There were glimpses of that in Jackson but he often missed the mark. Too often he crossed the line from alpha-male to alpha-hole. His mood swings, specifically in the first book, were annoying. I loved his loyalty to his friends and his former team members but this guy's guilt and savior complex was written with a heavy hand. I mean, you'd think Jackson was solely responsible for all the ills in the world, such was his angst.

Plot - First, this really could have been one book. There was no need to drag out the drama over two books. It made the overall story feel repetitive and I was starting to think: Oh FFS, will you two just sort it out already? I really enjoyed the times Jackson and Catherine were together and they did have great chemistry. I also liked the sub-plots with both of Jackson's companies and the conflict/sabotage that occurred with Catherine and a rival. Those aspects really added a lot to the story. But in the end, the characters felt weak and the drama and angst was overdone. Oh, and Jackson's Big Secret that finally came to light in the second book? Really? Why was it a secret (Jackson's explanation was pretty flimsy) and why did Catherine overreact so badly? Yeah, too much drama and angst.

So there you have it. My ranty thoughts on the Belonging Duet. If You've read Corinne Michaels before, what did you think of these? And if you're new to Corinne Michaels, some words of advice: Skip her earliest work and jump right into the Arrowood Brothers series or the Willow Creek Valley series, both of which are excellent.

HAVE YOU EVER READ A FAVORITE AUTHOR'S EARLIER WORK AND BEEN SURPRISED OR DISAPPOINTED?