fallen_for_books30's review against another edition
3.0
3.50 stars
This book is about a girl aka loner. lol I loved the name who has a past and about a guy who has just gained custody of his nephew trying to adjust to new life style. They crash into each other in a club where Lena the Loner doesn't usually go and her life takes a complete twist.
The starting of the book was interesting but bit slow and felt like a little forced. The guy Eric seemed too sweet but as and when the story progressed it got more engaging ! There are situations which will make you blush, shocked and thrilling. The characters and the story developed gradually giving me time to like them and fall in love with it! There is no cliffhanger and you gonna love it because it isn't just erotic it has many sweet elements in it, lovely characters.but if you are expecting a very strong plot. there isn't and story ended abruptly . it could have been better!! I thought it would be a mind fuck but it wasn't!! I don't know I found it less dark even though it had Dom and sub scenes! It was a good story about a girl and a guy bout finding each other and falling in love.
This book is about a girl aka loner. lol I loved the name who has a past and about a guy who has just gained custody of his nephew trying to adjust to new life style. They crash into each other in a club where Lena the Loner doesn't usually go and her life takes a complete twist.
The starting of the book was interesting but bit slow and felt like a little forced. The guy Eric seemed too sweet but as and when the story progressed it got more engaging ! There are situations which will make you blush, shocked and thrilling. The characters and the story developed gradually giving me time to like them and fall in love with it! There is no cliffhanger and you gonna love it because it isn't just erotic it has many sweet elements in it, lovely characters.but if you are expecting a very strong plot. there isn't and story ended abruptly . it could have been better!! I thought it would be a mind fuck but it wasn't!! I don't know I found it less dark even though it had Dom and sub scenes! It was a good story about a girl and a guy bout finding each other and falling in love.
heatheray's review against another edition
4.0
Bound and Unbroken was so much more than I thought it would be. I honestly was hoping for a good storyline amongst the BDSM. What I got was a beautiful storyline amongst the BDSM. If you follow my reviews, you know that when there is something happening underneath the sex, there is growth happening, important changes are happening, the relationship is deepening, those are the books I love. I rarely enjoy a book where it is just all about sex. I need more than that to my stories.
In Bound and Unbroken, there is so much going on. Lena and Eric don’t just jump into bed together. We get a taste of their personalities, a taste of who they are and a feel for Lena’s need to be in tight control of her life while she gives us a sense that she really would like to give up control just for once, just one time step out of her safety zone, hence the cab ride.
I loved this book. There was one scene that made me squirm and say I don’t think so. No way could I do that. I don’t think I’ve seen that before in a book and the thought of it had me a tad uncomfortable. (It’s not anything dangerous or risky, it just…. you’ll see when you get there.)
I loved watching their relationship grow as Lena works through things that have happened to her in the past. When we understand those things, we understand her need to control everything around her.
I don’t want to go into much more detail because I risk giving away things that aren’t in the blurb, and we all know how I hate spoilers.
I will just say this book is a beautiful hot emotional sexy journey to becoming bound and unbroken.
Thank you for my ARC!
In Bound and Unbroken, there is so much going on. Lena and Eric don’t just jump into bed together. We get a taste of their personalities, a taste of who they are and a feel for Lena’s need to be in tight control of her life while she gives us a sense that she really would like to give up control just for once, just one time step out of her safety zone, hence the cab ride.
I loved this book. There was one scene that made me squirm and say I don’t think so. No way could I do that. I don’t think I’ve seen that before in a book and the thought of it had me a tad uncomfortable. (It’s not anything dangerous or risky, it just…. you’ll see when you get there.)
I loved watching their relationship grow as Lena works through things that have happened to her in the past. When we understand those things, we understand her need to control everything around her.
I don’t want to go into much more detail because I risk giving away things that aren’t in the blurb, and we all know how I hate spoilers.
I will just say this book is a beautiful hot emotional sexy journey to becoming bound and unbroken.
Thank you for my ARC!
meganmargoking's review against another edition
3.0
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
HUGE first note, this book contains self-harm. If I had known that beforehand, I wouldn't have read it. Self-harm is a big trigger for me. When the marketing for this novel was going on lots of stuff was mentioned like the BDSM, anal play, etc. Never the self-harm or past rape. Feel like that should have been mentioned somewhere. Oh well. I had to take this book slowly because of that. If you have trigger issues of self-harm or rape, just stay away from this novel. I'm sorry to say that but it's completely true.
Callahan was brave to write this novel. You can tell this issue was close to her heart. She get major kudos for that. I believe one of her goals of this novel was to get BDSM romance out there, you know? I think she did a good job doing just that. The chemistry between Eric and Lena is solid, even though I thought it progressed too fast but that issue comes up in the novel. Cade, who is Eric's best friend was a wonderful character. Callahan said she someday might center a novel around him, which I look forward to, I must admit.
When I wrote down all of the cons I had for Bound and Unbroken, I realized it all boiled down to that it could have been written better. Yes, the book is over 200 pages long but it has editing issues (quick note: I got an ARC). Transitions were jarring and words could have been used less frequent (ie: Loner is used 57 times. I got tired seeing it on the page very quickly). Some plot lines and even characters could have been removed from the story entirely to make it more smoother. There was really no point in the tornado subplot. It literally came out of the blue and wasn't mentioned again. Eric's mute nephew could have been axed. Charlie didn't play any role in this novel except as a conversation piece and as a way for Eric and Lena to meet outside of their one night stand. Plus, Charlie is totally mute in the beginning of the novel and by the end he's a chatterbox? Why? The characters needed more development in general, for their backgrounds to be explored. Lena's was explored but what about Eric's? He had a mute nephew and discovered BDSM in high school. Okay. What else? That's why, I know this novel was over 200 pages but honestly I think it had the potential to be more.
I had some consent issues with this story too. In the beginning of the novel, Lena has no knowledge of BDSM or the 'culture', yet she falls into way too easily. She instantly calls Eric 'sir' and 'master' even outside the bedroom. It bothered me a lot that she was afraid to got to a BDSM club and Eric basically pressured her to go during the first couple weeks of their relationship. In the club scene, Lena has a bit of a threesome with Eric and Cade and there's some clothespin kink involved (she isn't given warning beforehand and the clothespin appear out of nowhere... like out of some mysterious bucket I guess). But at the end, she is very pleased, sated from an orgasmic high. Eric asked her how she is feeling, and she responded:
Okay, I know it was meant it jest because she feels really good but when I read that line I was like WTF!? I found it as a trust issue, like it went through your brain that he could have drugged you?? It's an overreaction, I know. But it still bothers me.
Here's some quotes I enjoyed by the way:
That one made me gasp. I just love it. Such a short sentence but what it implies! That her normal, everyday self is a lie.
HUGE first note, this book contains self-harm. If I had known that beforehand, I wouldn't have read it. Self-harm is a big trigger for me. When the marketing for this novel was going on lots of stuff was mentioned like the BDSM, anal play, etc. Never the self-harm or past rape. Feel like that should have been mentioned somewhere. Oh well. I had to take this book slowly because of that. If you have trigger issues of self-harm or rape, just stay away from this novel. I'm sorry to say that but it's completely true.
Callahan was brave to write this novel. You can tell this issue was close to her heart. She get major kudos for that. I believe one of her goals of this novel was to get BDSM romance out there, you know? I think she did a good job doing just that. The chemistry between Eric and Lena is solid, even though I thought it progressed too fast but that issue comes up in the novel. Cade, who is Eric's best friend was a wonderful character. Callahan said she someday might center a novel around him, which I look forward to, I must admit.
When I wrote down all of the cons I had for Bound and Unbroken, I realized it all boiled down to that it could have been written better. Yes, the book is over 200 pages long but it has editing issues (quick note: I got an ARC). Transitions were jarring and words could have been used less frequent (ie: Loner is used 57 times. I got tired seeing it on the page very quickly). Some plot lines and even characters could have been removed from the story entirely to make it more smoother. There was really no point in the tornado subplot. It literally came out of the blue and wasn't mentioned again. Eric's mute nephew could have been axed. Charlie didn't play any role in this novel except as a conversation piece and as a way for Eric and Lena to meet outside of their one night stand. Plus, Charlie is totally mute in the beginning of the novel and by the end he's a chatterbox? Why? The characters needed more development in general, for their backgrounds to be explored. Lena's was explored but what about Eric's? He had a mute nephew and discovered BDSM in high school. Okay. What else? That's why, I know this novel was over 200 pages but honestly I think it had the potential to be more.
I had some consent issues with this story too. In the beginning of the novel, Lena has no knowledge of BDSM or the 'culture', yet she falls into way too easily. She instantly calls Eric 'sir' and 'master' even outside the bedroom. It bothered me a lot that she was afraid to got to a BDSM club and Eric basically pressured her to go during the first couple weeks of their relationship. In the club scene, Lena has a bit of a threesome with Eric and Cade and there's some clothespin kink involved (she isn't given warning beforehand and the clothespin appear out of nowhere... like out of some mysterious bucket I guess). But at the end, she is very pleased, sated from an orgasmic high. Eric asked her how she is feeling, and she responded:
"Good. Fuzzy. Did you drug me?"
Okay, I know it was meant it jest because she feels really good but when I read that line I was like WTF!? I found it as a trust issue, like it went through your brain that he could have drugged you?? It's an overreaction, I know. But it still bothers me.
Here's some quotes I enjoyed by the way:
"I believe this is your facade."
That one made me gasp. I just love it. Such a short sentence but what it implies! That her normal, everyday self is a lie.
"It's time you stop running, little Loner."
tamaraepps's review
4.0
This review is also posted on my book blog Captivated by Books.
When Lena is dragged to the bar by her flatmate, she didn’t expect to enjoy herself, and certainly not meet someone. But when a man starts talking to her, her curiosity is piqued, and leads to a shared cab ride and memories. Until she sees him at the school she teaches at.
Eric only returned home to look after his nephew, and wasn’t looking for a relationship, but after seeing the woman he shared an almost intimate cab ride with at his nephew’s school, he can’t get her out of his mind. But will she accept that a relationship with him involves so much more than anything she’s experienced before?
Firstly, yes, this book includes a lot of sexual scenes, however, I felt most of them were more about intimacy and the character’s growing relationship than simply kinky lust. Because of this, they were so much more relatable to, than just a description of the physicality – I felt how Lena and Eric felt which only invested me more in the story. Admittedly, I feel there were more sexually charged scenes than strictly necessary, but most of them were important to the story, and nothing was there just to shock the reader.
The main thing I enjoyed about Bound and Unbroken was how real the world the author created was. There were no billionaires with limos and giant playrooms, but there were friends and family, and a BDSM club which I felt really added to the authenticity and believability of the story. There were a lot of supporting characters that played important roles in the story, I only wish I knew more about them; as this is a series, I hope they are more clearly characterized as I it can only make the world more real.
The main characters, Lena and Eric, do have issues in life, but so does everyone. I think Skye Callahan could have shared more of their pasts within the book, as she only alludes to troublesome childhoods, without going into depth. While I am glad the characters are fairly stable at the time their relationship starts, only having snippets of their pasts is quite distracting, as I’m creating it in my head (only for it to be disproved or changed by a later snippet), and therefore unsure of how their previous experiences have made them make the choices they do. While it is understandable that neither character wishes to push the other into explaining their issues before they are ready, this leaves the reader unsatisfied as this usually isn’t explored further.
As I said, I feel there may have been a few too many sexually charged scenes, but at the same time I would say at times I could have done with a little more physical interaction. Of course I want to know how the characters are feeling, but occasionally I had to reread passages to work out what was physically going on (and for some of them I still can’t visualise it) which took me out of the flow of the story. Other than that, however, my only other complaint is that the book could have been proofread better.
I would recommend Bound and Unbroken to anyone interested in the BDSM lifestyle, though this story is primarily a love story with extra kink. Those who feel this kind of relationship can only be abusive will find this book confusing as there is never any signs of abuse or non-consent – in fact the safe word isn’t only discussed regularly, but the reaction to it is also experienced by the reader. However, you won’t like this book if you don’t like to read about sex or alternative relationships (including homosexual). It is a fairly quick read once you get into it, and I know I will continue to read the series as I want to know where the author is going.
[I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
When Lena is dragged to the bar by her flatmate, she didn’t expect to enjoy herself, and certainly not meet someone. But when a man starts talking to her, her curiosity is piqued, and leads to a shared cab ride and memories. Until she sees him at the school she teaches at.
Eric only returned home to look after his nephew, and wasn’t looking for a relationship, but after seeing the woman he shared an almost intimate cab ride with at his nephew’s school, he can’t get her out of his mind. But will she accept that a relationship with him involves so much more than anything she’s experienced before?
Firstly, yes, this book includes a lot of sexual scenes, however, I felt most of them were more about intimacy and the character’s growing relationship than simply kinky lust. Because of this, they were so much more relatable to, than just a description of the physicality – I felt how Lena and Eric felt which only invested me more in the story. Admittedly, I feel there were more sexually charged scenes than strictly necessary, but most of them were important to the story, and nothing was there just to shock the reader.
The main thing I enjoyed about Bound and Unbroken was how real the world the author created was. There were no billionaires with limos and giant playrooms, but there were friends and family, and a BDSM club which I felt really added to the authenticity and believability of the story. There were a lot of supporting characters that played important roles in the story, I only wish I knew more about them; as this is a series, I hope they are more clearly characterized as I it can only make the world more real.
The main characters, Lena and Eric, do have issues in life, but so does everyone. I think Skye Callahan could have shared more of their pasts within the book, as she only alludes to troublesome childhoods, without going into depth. While I am glad the characters are fairly stable at the time their relationship starts, only having snippets of their pasts is quite distracting, as I’m creating it in my head (only for it to be disproved or changed by a later snippet), and therefore unsure of how their previous experiences have made them make the choices they do. While it is understandable that neither character wishes to push the other into explaining their issues before they are ready, this leaves the reader unsatisfied as this usually isn’t explored further.
As I said, I feel there may have been a few too many sexually charged scenes, but at the same time I would say at times I could have done with a little more physical interaction. Of course I want to know how the characters are feeling, but occasionally I had to reread passages to work out what was physically going on (and for some of them I still can’t visualise it) which took me out of the flow of the story. Other than that, however, my only other complaint is that the book could have been proofread better.
I would recommend Bound and Unbroken to anyone interested in the BDSM lifestyle, though this story is primarily a love story with extra kink. Those who feel this kind of relationship can only be abusive will find this book confusing as there is never any signs of abuse or non-consent – in fact the safe word isn’t only discussed regularly, but the reaction to it is also experienced by the reader. However, you won’t like this book if you don’t like to read about sex or alternative relationships (including homosexual). It is a fairly quick read once you get into it, and I know I will continue to read the series as I want to know where the author is going.
[I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
gnatj's review
4.0
A sweet and sensual introduction to what looks like it will be a great series.
I loved the main characters. I wanted more of the secondary characters though. Especially Miah.
All in all a great read. Can't wait for more.
I loved the main characters. I wanted more of the secondary characters though. Especially Miah.
All in all a great read. Can't wait for more.
anitalouise's review
4.0
Wow! This book had so much good stuff going for it. A romance between two people - Lena is dealing with some heavy emotional issues and Eric, who finds himself taking guardianship of his nephew - oh and the kid doesn't speak, some solid BDSM scenes and some stand out secondary characters. Lena and Eric are wonderful together although there were times the book was a little unevenly paced. Nice for those who like a little BDSM-lite but interestingly, it's not entirely the focus of the book. It's more about Lena learning to trust Eric and dealing with herself and overcoming her many issues and using BDSM to help her develop trust. The title seems to indicate that this may a series or maybe we get more of Eric and Lena. It's not entirely clear because the ending is somewhat abrupt. It could end there but then maybe not. Looked around on Goodreads and the author's web site but no other info on forthcoming books. At any rate, a different but good read. Hope to see more of Cade and/or Miah.
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