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.

     

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.

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?



20 comments

  1. It sucks this story got divided into two. I hate when the story starts feeling repetitive. It just makes me roll my eyes. Lol

    Genesis Whispering Chapters

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! This one absolutely could have been condensed into one book. Making it two meant the back and forth (and the angst) dragged on longer than it needed to.

      Delete
  2. I haven't read this author before, but it's always nice to see how an author and their writing evolve over the course of their career!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was concerned that I came down too harsh on these, but it's just that I know that the others I've read from her are so much better!

      Delete
  3. I guess yay for growth! LOL! I haven't read these but have for sure enjoyed some of her books over the last several years.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yeah, lots of growth! Funnily enough, I'm currently reading an ARC of her upcoming release and it's light years beyond these first novels!

      Delete
  4. I read these. That first book got me in the beginning, but then petered out. I would have been fine not reading the second book, but that ending got me and I had to. I actually ended up loving that second book. It worked for me. But I also think it could have been condensed into one book. I would say the same for the related books Consolation and Conviction. I did like those 2 more than this first duet. I think I stopped after these two duets and didn't finish the "series" because I couldn't handle more duets. I think I also read some spoilers that might have influences that as well. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deanna - What's interesting is that I'm currently reading an ARC of Corinne's upcoming release (#4 in the Willow Creek Valley series) and Jackson and Mark from those first two duets are in it! :) Not sure if you remember that Jackson ran a security company and Mark worked with him? Well, the main character in this ARC works for them. There are also a couple characters from the Arrowood Brothers series and I am loving all the crossover characters. It's giving me life. LOL

      Delete
    2. I think I'm planning on reading that one when it comes out! I haven't read all of the books in the series, but some.

      Delete
    3. Deanna - Yay! I just finished it this morning and loved it. The whole series has been great and I recommend any and all of them. :)

      Delete
  5. I love Corinne Michaels as well, but I must admit I haven't heard about these books before. And I'm sorry to read they haven't been as great as you'd hoped. Great to read she grew so much in her writing though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was definitely interesting to see how far she's come!

      Delete
  6. Back then, there were a lot of romance authors putting out duets. It was like a thing. I haven't read these books, but your review made me laugh

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true! And I never mind a good duet, but only when it makes sense and feels necessary. Sometimes it feels like they're stretched out just for the sake of making it two books.

      Delete
  7. It is always interesting to compare an author's earliest work with what they are doing now. It sounds like it is a good thing that there was some improvement.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely! It was interesting to see how far she'd come!

      Delete
  8. It is interesting to see how an author evolves. Glad to hear you've enjoyed her over the years even when her writing needed a little more polish.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Rachel! These were entertaining enough but her more current releases have so much more depth and really hit me hard.

      Delete
  9. I've not read Michaels yet but thanks for the head's up on her earlier work. When I read her, I will definitely stick to her most recent stuff.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good plan. I highly recommend her Arrowood Brother series. The first book is Come Back For Me.

      Delete