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Ties That Bind

by Beth (link)

Genre drama/angst, romance
Pairings Taylor/OFC, Zac/OFC
Length 17 chapters and epilogue
Status Completed

I’m sure I’ve said it before, but I just don’t care stories where the author uses their own name for their characters. There are probably exceptions, but rarely are these stories more than a self insert. With Ties That Bind, I can only hope it isn’t meant to be a self insert.

Beth — the author — also manages to hit another hallmark of bad writing with her quick scene changes, marked by dividers rather than worked into the story as actual transitions. If you can’t tell me what’s happening with your writing itself, we’ve got a problem. One scene in the first chapter, however, tells me what’s happening with a little too much detail. I’m just not entirely comfortable reading a rape scene dressed up to be erotic.

The following chapters only show in more detail how sick and twisted this Zac is, strangely erotic scenes mixed in with some of the creepiest dialogue I’ve ever read. I’m one to talk, considering I’ve written a story that comes dangerously close to being non-con, but I tried not to ever glorify the Bonnie and Clyde relationship of my characters. I don’t feel confident in saying that Beth did the same in this story.

I feel strange even calling Ties That Bind a romance, even though by the end, I’m more and more certain that’s what Beth intended it to be. From where I’m sitting, it looks a whole lot like Beth — the character — is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. But what do I know? I’m not the author. I’m having a lot of trouble separating the story from the author’s intent here, but either way, I just find this story both intentionally and unintentionally creepy.

Review by Bethany (website)