ARC Review - The Silver Chain by Primula Bond

The Silver Chain by Primula Bond

Rating = 3.75 stars pushed to 4

* ARC provided by Harper Collins UK, Avon via Netgalley for my honest review

The Silver Chain is the first part in the new Unbreakable trilogy and Primula Bond is a new to me author.

When I first started reading this book I must admit I was a tad confuddled. I felt it touched on a paranormal feel and therefore totally not what I was expecting to be reading. But after awhile it finally clicked – it was Halloween in London! Once I got into the writing style of the author I was intrigued, especially by the wonderfully dark, dominant and mysterious, Gustav Levi.

Serena Folkes is a young woman who has had a rough start in her life but she has been given a chance to start over and she does this by moving from her coastal home in Devon to the bright lights of London. Here she hopes to kick start her career as a photography artist. By coincidence, on that eerie Halloween night, she is confronted by Gustav who just happens to own an art gallery. They both feel an invisible binding taking place and from this, Gustav makes her an offer it would appear she cannot refuse. 

Gustav is hiding his own demons he wants to forget and he feels the offer he makes to Serena, for her to be his for the duration of the showing and selling of her art, is one step in the right direction of making this happen.

I did find the meeting a little weird at first and the coincidence of Serena running into a man that could give her the chance at the big time a little stretching but hey stranger things have happened in real life. However I loved that Gustav was 20 years her senior, a man of the World, who could teach her so much but what he didn't bank on was how much he would actually learn from her. 

The gradual build-up of the chemistry went from strength the strength between the two and I actually liked that it was not rushed, especially as it is not a standalone book.

The symbolic chain was a little hard to take in at certain points, especially when she was given free rein to wander around the house whilst attached to a hook in the wall in the top floor bedroom. How long was this chain and how big was this house? I got the being chained to him when they were together and I found that quite endearing but the other times – huh? Why did nobody in the very public art showing comment on it when he put it on in front of them, no raised eyebrows or nervous titters were made (which I would have expected from ‘nillas – although it’s not BDSM, just a little dip here and there!)

I did enjoy this book, even after finding the initial quarter hard to get into and then the issue with the chain in public (and in that house.) How this was compared to FSOG I'm not really sure as it was a more in depth and mature experience for me. I liked both main characters and the secondary characters just added to the ambiance of the read. One thing I would point out to the publishers is the cover. These kinds of covers are becoming quite repetitive on the shelves in WH Smiths (and other good bookshops) and they all look the same. I think something much more original would have been better.

So did I like this book? Yes. Do I want to read the next instalment? Yes – it has the potential to be a really good series. Therefore I would recommend this as a good read