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The Binding Chronicles #1
Tethered
What could be worse than an arranged marriage to a vampire prince?
When Luna is sold into marriage to the Prince of Darkness, she thinks she knows what to expect. Arranged marriages happen all the time, right? Wrong. No one could have prepared her for the reality of being married to the vampire prince.
Ever since the day he was Made, Sebastian has been living according to Queen Marguerite’s rules. After all, he’s only alive because of her. When she orders him to marry and Bind himself to Luna, a human hailing a neighboring kingdom, he has no choice. He agrees to the marriage but never expects to feel anything for Luna.
When their Binding Ceremony goes awry, and they are magically Tethered, everything is thrown into upheaval. Unable to leave each other’s presence, they must learn to live with each other. Or die.
Tethered is a slow-burn arranged marriage epic romantic fantasy and is filled with forced proximity, magical bindings, vampires, and world-building.
Tethered takes place in the same world as Of Earth and Flame. It can be enjoyed on its own or alongside The Ithenmyr Chronicles.
NOTE: This series is upper YA/NA and has moderate steam. There are some instances of violence, language, and mature situations. Recommended for ages sixteen and up.
When Luna is sold into marriage to the Prince of Darkness, she thinks she knows what to expect. Arranged marriages happen all the time, right? Wrong. No one could have prepared her for the reality of being married to the vampire prince.
Ever since the day he was Made, Sebastian has been living according to Queen Marguerite’s rules. After all, he’s only alive because of her. When she orders him to marry and Bind himself to Luna, a human hailing a neighboring kingdom, he has no choice. He agrees to the marriage but never expects to feel anything for Luna.
When their Binding Ceremony goes awry, and they are magically Tethered, everything is thrown into upheaval. Unable to leave each other’s presence, they must learn to live with each other. Or die.
Tethered is a slow-burn arranged marriage epic romantic fantasy and is filled with forced proximity, magical bindings, vampires, and world-building.
Tethered takes place in the same world as Of Earth and Flame. It can be enjoyed on its own or alongside The Ithenmyr Chronicles.
NOTE: This series is upper YA/NA and has moderate steam. There are some instances of violence, language, and mature situations. Recommended for ages sixteen and up.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2023
6,733 people are currently reading
63.7k people want to read
About the author
Elayna R. Gallea
28books1,401followersElayna Gallea lives in beautiful New Brunswick, Canada with her husband and two kids. They have dogs and cats and enjoy touring their beautiful province whenever they can.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,700 reviews
July 14, 2023
i need to stop reading books i find on tiktok 😭
July 10, 2023
I'm such a bad reviewer, but I feel like anything below a 4 star deserves an explanation!
Tethered was my first experience with this author, and I had such high hopes for this one. Based on the description and the first couple of chapters, it had the potential to be a very compelling story. It fell so flat for me, though, and left a lot to be desired.
First of all, I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. It read a lot like a Wattpad fanfic, and it really struggled to hold my interest. There were many sentences and words that were extremely repetitive and very overused. I also can't tell if I didn't care much for the characters due to this writing style, or due to the characters themselves.
I had a hard time connecting to both main characters, Luna more so than Sebastian. While I could understand and actually enjoyed Sebastian's whole "scary outside, softie inside" persona, we never really got a good reasoning or explanation of why he feels this way. Luna was so scattered I got whiplash. One moment she was the mature scholar, and the next she was acting like a teenager. She did not communicate clearly, but then was frustrated when Sebastian thought she felt differently.
There were so many storylines, and none of them really go any sort of conclusion or clarification. Luna has still not confirmed her feelings for Sebastian, though they've kissed a couple of times. (But also, why did they think that when a stake was sticking through Sebastian's chest that THAT was the perfect time to make out? And speaking of that, how did that stake end up in his chest?) We find the person who killed Julieta, and apparently this same person also stole Luna's letters to her family, but we never find out why. We get the background on The People Of The Night, but when they kidnap Luna and Sebastian, we get zero clarification of what their end goal is (i.e. the Tether, why they kidnapped them, etc.). You're also telling me they were so consumed in whatever "ritual" they were doing they didn't notice Luna scoot halfway across the cave? And in a cave full of vampires, no one noticed when her blood started flowing freely? We also get zero answers before Sebastian goes completely alphahole male and kills everyone.
And how does Luna's brother fit into all of this? What happened with the plant? Was that all a lie, or are these people special or have some sort of power?
I get that you want to set up the sequel and it doesn't have to be completely wrapped up with a bow, but I feel like at least some questions need to be answered. The ending was so chaotic and I feel like I'm more confused than when I started. Some of these questions (or others?) could have been answered to give the story more depth and really help set up the sequel.
All in all, Tethered left a lot to be desired. I don't feel satisfied after finishing this, and I only feel the urge to read the sequel just to have the questions answered, not because I have a desire to continue the story. Honestly, unless I have Kindle Unlimited by time of the release, or I'm able to purchase it for $.99 like I did this one, I will not read it. It also makes me wary of diving into any of the authors other work. Just disappointed.
Tethered was my first experience with this author, and I had such high hopes for this one. Based on the description and the first couple of chapters, it had the potential to be a very compelling story. It fell so flat for me, though, and left a lot to be desired.
First of all, I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. It read a lot like a Wattpad fanfic, and it really struggled to hold my interest. There were many sentences and words that were extremely repetitive and very overused. I also can't tell if I didn't care much for the characters due to this writing style, or due to the characters themselves.
I had a hard time connecting to both main characters, Luna more so than Sebastian. While I could understand and actually enjoyed Sebastian's whole "scary outside, softie inside" persona, we never really got a good reasoning or explanation of why he feels this way. Luna was so scattered I got whiplash. One moment she was the mature scholar, and the next she was acting like a teenager. She did not communicate clearly, but then was frustrated when Sebastian thought she felt differently.
There were so many storylines, and none of them really go any sort of conclusion or clarification. Luna has still not confirmed her feelings for Sebastian, though they've kissed a couple of times. (But also, why did they think that when a stake was sticking through Sebastian's chest that THAT was the perfect time to make out? And speaking of that, how did that stake end up in his chest?) We find the person who killed Julieta, and apparently this same person also stole Luna's letters to her family, but we never find out why. We get the background on The People Of The Night, but when they kidnap Luna and Sebastian, we get zero clarification of what their end goal is (i.e. the Tether, why they kidnapped them, etc.). You're also telling me they were so consumed in whatever "ritual" they were doing they didn't notice Luna scoot halfway across the cave? And in a cave full of vampires, no one noticed when her blood started flowing freely? We also get zero answers before Sebastian goes completely alphahole male and kills everyone.
And how does Luna's brother fit into all of this? What happened with the plant? Was that all a lie, or are these people special or have some sort of power?
I get that you want to set up the sequel and it doesn't have to be completely wrapped up with a bow, but I feel like at least some questions need to be answered. The ending was so chaotic and I feel like I'm more confused than when I started. Some of these questions (or others?) could have been answered to give the story more depth and really help set up the sequel.
All in all, Tethered left a lot to be desired. I don't feel satisfied after finishing this, and I only feel the urge to read the sequel just to have the questions answered, not because I have a desire to continue the story. Honestly, unless I have Kindle Unlimited by time of the release, or I'm able to purchase it for $.99 like I did this one, I will not read it. It also makes me wary of diving into any of the authors other work. Just disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2023
I received this as an ARC, and I deliberately waited a good long while before I wrote a review.
I didn't like it. I didn't like the main character. She seemed like a walking contradiction. Either she is smart, or she isn't. Which one is it? She forgets a lot of things until it becomes convenient for her to remember. There were several sections I got mad at her because she kept wondering why her husband seemed to be out of it and cranky despite being told exactly why several chapters ago.
The plot moved SO SLOWLY. I was over 30% through the book before the two characters had a conversation describing their binding/tether. And the amount of times it was about to be brought up and interrupted was infuriating. The internal monolog of both of them every time there was an issue and the other would be asking for an answer, but no, we have to build tension by warring with ourselves over what the implications could be... I nearly threw my Kindle across the room. "Let's talk about it," but oh, "I have to go talk to a guard about something first. Okay, I'm back. " Wait... she went to take a half an hour long shower.... ample time for something else to go wrong and interrupt us!
Not to mention that it mirrors a lot from ACOTAR. I read one scene that sounded like it was completely ripped out of that book.
I had asked for advice on what I should do about this review. Post it before the release of the book? Contact the author? Wait until it had been out for a while before posting the review? Obviously, I chose the latter. Some people suggested the book was just not my cup of tea. Which I think is not correct. The idea of the story wasn't just my cup of tea. It was a cup of coffee with my favorite creamer. How it was written is another issue altogether.
I didn't like it. I didn't like the main character. She seemed like a walking contradiction. Either she is smart, or she isn't. Which one is it? She forgets a lot of things until it becomes convenient for her to remember. There were several sections I got mad at her because she kept wondering why her husband seemed to be out of it and cranky despite being told exactly why several chapters ago.
The plot moved SO SLOWLY. I was over 30% through the book before the two characters had a conversation describing their binding/tether. And the amount of times it was about to be brought up and interrupted was infuriating. The internal monolog of both of them every time there was an issue and the other would be asking for an answer, but no, we have to build tension by warring with ourselves over what the implications could be... I nearly threw my Kindle across the room. "Let's talk about it," but oh, "I have to go talk to a guard about something first. Okay, I'm back. " Wait... she went to take a half an hour long shower.... ample time for something else to go wrong and interrupt us!
Not to mention that it mirrors a lot from ACOTAR. I read one scene that sounded like it was completely ripped out of that book.
I had asked for advice on what I should do about this review. Post it before the release of the book? Contact the author? Wait until it had been out for a while before posting the review? Obviously, I chose the latter. Some people suggested the book was just not my cup of tea. Which I think is not correct. The idea of the story wasn't just my cup of tea. It was a cup of coffee with my favorite creamer. How it was written is another issue altogether.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
March 2, 2023Dnf at 70%
Life is too short for average books and childish heroines, no matter how beautiful the cover.
Life is too short for average books and childish heroines, no matter how beautiful the cover.
October 3, 2023
😁 Yayyy! I haven't read Vampire Romance for a long times! After I found '' I just want to read it! *damn the beautiful cover!!* Lol 🧛 Luna has to marry Sebastian who everyone know as 'the Prince of Darkness' *I'm so scared!* 😨
🦇🩸 Worse than that...
They tethered together. What's gonna happen next? 🩸🦇
Giddy begin, my friends. Imagine when you bound with a handsome supernatural hottie.😂😂 Their bicker is just so fun and fierce! Haha 🤣 I love how Luna isn't afraid of this dangerous Prince of Darkness. BUT Dang, I hate the Queen! She is just real bitch, I don't like her!! lol
🦇 Let's enjoy vampire world with Luna and Sebastian, guys. 😁👍 All the bloodthirsty vampires are waiting for you!! 🧛 HAHAHAAA *evilly giddy giggles*🦇
🦇🩸 Worse than that...
They tethered together. What's gonna happen next? 🩸🦇
Giddy begin, my friends. Imagine when you bound with a handsome supernatural hottie.😂😂 Their bicker is just so fun and fierce! Haha 🤣 I love how Luna isn't afraid of this dangerous Prince of Darkness. BUT Dang, I hate the Queen! She is just real bitch, I don't like her!! lol
🦇 Let's enjoy vampire world with Luna and Sebastian, guys. 😁👍 All the bloodthirsty vampires are waiting for you!! 🧛 HAHAHAAA *evilly giddy giggles*🦇
March 12, 2024
Okay, let me preface this by saying it hurts my heart a bit to give this rating/review. Not only is the cover art gorgeous, but the premise of the storyline sounded interesting.
The cherry on top - this author is also Canadian.
So…I WANTED to love this book.
But within the first few pages, I was annoyed. So much so, that I started taking some notes on exactly what I found annoying as I read. I literally had the notes app open beside me on my phone.
I was really tempted to DNF. And I actually would have, but I wanted to use this book to fulfill part of a mini reading challenge I’m participating in with the motif prompt being “Royalty�.
This isn’t really a properly laid out review, so much as a copy/paste of the notes I made in my phone while reading. So without further ado, these are the main reasons I did not enjoy this book�.😔
1. Corny/clunky, unrealistic dialogue
2. Repeating phrases/descriptors (A LOT of them - often occurring more than once per page)
� Raised a brow
� Eyes wide/widened
� The air thickened
� I tilted my head
� Pursed my/his/her lips
� An entire minute ticked by�/at least 5 minutes�/another minute went by�
- the thing is, it honestly doesn’t take very long for silence to become uncomfortable. Certainly less than a minute. Regardless, specifying an exact time makes it less believable, not more. A more eloquent writer might use phrasing such as “The minutes seemed to stretch unfathomably long…�, OR “It seemed an eternity before he broke the silence…� but even then, that type of phrasing can’t be used too often before it also becomes tedious.
� The prince/vampire I married - we get it. He’s a prince/vampire…and you married him.
� Bathing room
- It’s clunky to keep using the label “bathing room�, especially when referring to what is essentially a very modern-day type bathroom. If it has a toilet, sink, shower, tub, please just call it a bathroom. Even “water closet� would be less awkward than “bathing room� if the writer was going for less modern phrasing.
3. Both main characters behave more like petulant, emotionally immature children, than a 21yr old and a centuries old vampire.
4. Initiating a kiss with a vampire that has a stake through his chest…then being disappointed that it was one-sided & just “nice�? But then all of the sudden this mortally wounded vampire is ardently participating in the impromptu make out session? Is he in danger of dying, or not? This entire scene takes away the gravity of the situation & gives the impression he wasn’t that seriously wounded.
5. Please, for the love of all that is holy, stop saying “in the name of research� when it comes to things like kissing/sex. It’s juvenile.
6. Show rather than tell - set the scene without belabouring the obvious.
ex - “Danger radiated from her every pore�. Yes, we get it, the vampire queen is supposed to be dangerous. Maybe try to convey it without such obvious phrasing & a bit of variety?
* But then contradiction on the next page with “Picking invisible dirt from under her fingernails, the queen looked like she wanted to be anywhere else.�
- WHY? Why would she feel any sort of discomfiture if she’s supposed to be the most deadly thing in the room?
7. What is the point of eternal imprisonment for dangerous/criminal paranormal beings rather than outright execution?! The deadly/vicious vampire queen has sympathy? Why, just why? Other than not being able to come up with a better way to move the plot forwards�.
8. OVERALL - the author tried so hard to create a complicated/mysterious storyline, but it fell completely flat.
The cherry on top - this author is also Canadian.
So…I WANTED to love this book.
But within the first few pages, I was annoyed. So much so, that I started taking some notes on exactly what I found annoying as I read. I literally had the notes app open beside me on my phone.
I was really tempted to DNF. And I actually would have, but I wanted to use this book to fulfill part of a mini reading challenge I’m participating in with the motif prompt being “Royalty�.
This isn’t really a properly laid out review, so much as a copy/paste of the notes I made in my phone while reading. So without further ado, these are the main reasons I did not enjoy this book�.😔
1. Corny/clunky, unrealistic dialogue
2. Repeating phrases/descriptors (A LOT of them - often occurring more than once per page)
� Raised a brow
� Eyes wide/widened
� The air thickened
� I tilted my head
� Pursed my/his/her lips
� An entire minute ticked by�/at least 5 minutes�/another minute went by�
- the thing is, it honestly doesn’t take very long for silence to become uncomfortable. Certainly less than a minute. Regardless, specifying an exact time makes it less believable, not more. A more eloquent writer might use phrasing such as “The minutes seemed to stretch unfathomably long…�, OR “It seemed an eternity before he broke the silence…� but even then, that type of phrasing can’t be used too often before it also becomes tedious.
� The prince/vampire I married - we get it. He’s a prince/vampire…and you married him.
� Bathing room
- It’s clunky to keep using the label “bathing room�, especially when referring to what is essentially a very modern-day type bathroom. If it has a toilet, sink, shower, tub, please just call it a bathroom. Even “water closet� would be less awkward than “bathing room� if the writer was going for less modern phrasing.
3. Both main characters behave more like petulant, emotionally immature children, than a 21yr old and a centuries old vampire.
4. Initiating a kiss with a vampire that has a stake through his chest…then being disappointed that it was one-sided & just “nice�? But then all of the sudden this mortally wounded vampire is ardently participating in the impromptu make out session? Is he in danger of dying, or not? This entire scene takes away the gravity of the situation & gives the impression he wasn’t that seriously wounded.
5. Please, for the love of all that is holy, stop saying “in the name of research� when it comes to things like kissing/sex. It’s juvenile.
6. Show rather than tell - set the scene without belabouring the obvious.
ex - “Danger radiated from her every pore�. Yes, we get it, the vampire queen is supposed to be dangerous. Maybe try to convey it without such obvious phrasing & a bit of variety?
* But then contradiction on the next page with “Picking invisible dirt from under her fingernails, the queen looked like she wanted to be anywhere else.�
- WHY? Why would she feel any sort of discomfiture if she’s supposed to be the most deadly thing in the room?
7. What is the point of eternal imprisonment for dangerous/criminal paranormal beings rather than outright execution?! The deadly/vicious vampire queen has sympathy? Why, just why? Other than not being able to come up with a better way to move the plot forwards�.
8. OVERALL - the author tried so hard to create a complicated/mysterious storyline, but it fell completely flat.
March 1, 2024
Every time a book about vampires disappoints me, a part of me dies.
I feel like I'm being generous with the two stars because I don't have anything good to say about this book. I didn't like neither the slow, repetitive plot nor the writing, and I had to skim through it to finish it.
[edit: just lowered it to one because i really hated it]
I had such high hopes for this one, but I found a quote that summarizes the whole book pretty accurately:
Because what. The. Fuck.
The characters were insufferable. They literally behaved like dumb, immature children. The corny, unrealistic dialogue made me want to pull my hair out.
My 6-year-old cousin has the ability to hold more complex and meaningful conversations than this man who we have to believe is over three hundred years and this supposedly smart girl who is twenty-one.
I really need to stop reading books I find on tiktok.
I feel like I'm being generous with the two stars because I don't have anything good to say about this book. I didn't like neither the slow, repetitive plot nor the writing, and I had to skim through it to finish it.
[edit: just lowered it to one because i really hated it]
I had such high hopes for this one, but I found a quote that summarizes the whole book pretty accurately:
“For a male who has lived for over three centuries, sometimes you seem to be as ignorant as a babe.�
Because what. The. Fuck.
The characters were insufferable. They literally behaved like dumb, immature children. The corny, unrealistic dialogue made me want to pull my hair out.
My 6-year-old cousin has the ability to hold more complex and meaningful conversations than this man who we have to believe is over three hundred years and this supposedly smart girl who is twenty-one.
I really need to stop reading books I find on tiktok.
Want to read
November 17, 2022Arranged marriage with a vampire prince you say?👀
February 2023
February 2023
April 11, 2023
fmc is insufferable
April 4, 2024
I think that authors set themselves up for failure when they repeatedly describe their main character to be smart. A lot of the times they spend so much time saying that over and over again that they completely forget to put instances where they're actually being anything but an idiot. That's definitely the case here. I cannot tell you how many times the FMC says that she's logical, she's the most educated in her family, she's a scholar - if I had this girls self confidence in lies I would be leading a successful cult by now.
Sebastian was a mommies boy. The number of times he says: "yes, mother," the first time we meet him actually made my stomach turn.
The maturity of all the characters was really the main issue for me. Even side characters - as we see with the first meeting with that blonde vampire who's just a bitch for no real reason. All the vampires kept griping and groaning about everything like toddlers. And unfortunately the main character didn't really do anything to put them in their place.
Sebastian was a mommies boy. The number of times he says: "yes, mother," the first time we meet him actually made my stomach turn.
The maturity of all the characters was really the main issue for me. Even side characters - as we see with the first meeting with that blonde vampire who's just a bitch for no real reason. All the vampires kept griping and groaning about everything like toddlers. And unfortunately the main character didn't really do anything to put them in their place.
April 21, 2023
I received an ARC from the author for an honest review of Tethered.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars.
This was my first five star book of the year, and let's just say, other books are now going to have to up their game.
I don't even know where to begin. The characters, the world building, the tension, the morally grey (but not really morally grey) Prince. I couldn't have put this book down even if I wanted to. I read this all in one sitting.
Elayna grips you from the first chapter right up to the last, I was captivated from the very first page. And Sebastian, beautiful, strong Sebastian, he is my new obsession. I don't want to say too much to spoil this amazing book, so PLEASE just read it. If you are a fan of A Court Of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, this book will be right up your street. I can already feel the book hangover setting in.
Truly deserving of five stars. Incredible.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars.
This was my first five star book of the year, and let's just say, other books are now going to have to up their game.
I don't even know where to begin. The characters, the world building, the tension, the morally grey (but not really morally grey) Prince. I couldn't have put this book down even if I wanted to. I read this all in one sitting.
Elayna grips you from the first chapter right up to the last, I was captivated from the very first page. And Sebastian, beautiful, strong Sebastian, he is my new obsession. I don't want to say too much to spoil this amazing book, so PLEASE just read it. If you are a fan of A Court Of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, this book will be right up your street. I can already feel the book hangover setting in.
Truly deserving of five stars. Incredible.
May 21, 2023
| DNF 25%
If a book fails to hold my interest by the time I reach the 25-30% mark, it's time to let it go.
And that's what happened here ...
� What to expect:
� New Adult
� Fantasy Romance
� Childish heroine
� Tormented Hero
� Arranged Marriage
� Forced Proximity
� Reluctant Allies to Lovers
� Human x Vampire
� Royalty
If a book fails to hold my interest by the time I reach the 25-30% mark, it's time to let it go.
And that's what happened here ...
� What to expect:
� New Adult
� Fantasy Romance
� Childish heroine
� Tormented Hero
� Arranged Marriage
� Forced Proximity
� Reluctant Allies to Lovers
� Human x Vampire
� Royalty
September 26, 2023
That's it. Vampires as a theming are officially dead to me. No pun intended. This is like the fifth or sixth bad vampire book I've tried recently.
I made it about 52% before I had to call it quits. I will not be bothering with the next two books. I'm giving it one star because I'm irritated that this was so contrived and dull.
The heroine, Luna, is so bland and contrived, behaving extremely cliched with her I'm so smart and I BELONG TO NO ONE RAWR kind of attitude, even when this assertion is really not the most pressing matter she should be crusading about (it's like complaining about impropriety when you're literally on the chopping block) that's immediately tainted with but oh my god this guy I don't like is so hot... I want to sex him... for science....
The scene where she starts screaming about how clearly she's the only one suffering and Bastien couldn't possibly be suffering, when she doesn't actually know much about him, just goes to show what she's a brat and self-centered. She can express her own misery without acting like she knows others' feelings or trying to win the Misery Olympics.
I found Sebastien to be boring. The queen wasn't really menacing, just kinda corny in how overdone and dry the attempts at making her appear scary were. The story reeks of insta-love and lust-mistaken-for-love. Absolutely no nuance or development set into their relationship. They hate each other, fight a little, then suddenly they're into each other.
Plus, the world randomly shoves in elves and faeries. What is up with everyone wanting to shove every kind of fantasy creature into a shared universe? The vibes are off! It's like crossover cartoon episodes where it looks and feels wrong to see these very different universes merge.
Overall, a big let down. I was pushed a lot of ads for this and the next time I see one on my feed, I'm gonna report so my stupid algorithm never shows it to me again.
I made it about 52% before I had to call it quits. I will not be bothering with the next two books. I'm giving it one star because I'm irritated that this was so contrived and dull.
The heroine, Luna, is so bland and contrived, behaving extremely cliched with her I'm so smart and I BELONG TO NO ONE RAWR kind of attitude, even when this assertion is really not the most pressing matter she should be crusading about (it's like complaining about impropriety when you're literally on the chopping block) that's immediately tainted with but oh my god this guy I don't like is so hot... I want to sex him... for science....
The scene where she starts screaming about how clearly she's the only one suffering and Bastien couldn't possibly be suffering, when she doesn't actually know much about him, just goes to show what she's a brat and self-centered. She can express her own misery without acting like she knows others' feelings or trying to win the Misery Olympics.
I found Sebastien to be boring. The queen wasn't really menacing, just kinda corny in how overdone and dry the attempts at making her appear scary were. The story reeks of insta-love and lust-mistaken-for-love. Absolutely no nuance or development set into their relationship. They hate each other, fight a little, then suddenly they're into each other.
Plus, the world randomly shoves in elves and faeries. What is up with everyone wanting to shove every kind of fantasy creature into a shared universe? The vibes are off! It's like crossover cartoon episodes where it looks and feels wrong to see these very different universes merge.
Overall, a big let down. I was pushed a lot of ads for this and the next time I see one on my feed, I'm gonna report so my stupid algorithm never shows it to me again.
February 9, 2025
02/22/24 Edit:
Despite my better judgement, I picked this one back up�
Look, I’m gonna be honest here, this book is a basic bitch.
Typically I don’t rate DNFs, but, I mean, 5hrs into the audiobook, and I’m telling you that I’ve seen what I needed to see and the answer is no.
This reads like it was written by a really strong B student in a sophomore high school English class. And I’m not one of those assholes on LitTok judging books bc they are not “well-written� as decided by the people who run the Booker Prize or w/e. I can read a basic book. But there’s no magic here. I am not captivated. This thing is dull as dirt and I’m bored to tears.
5 hours in and we haven’t even made it through two complete days of these people’s lives. ffs it took a few hours for the MMC to even explain what tethering is despite the FMC repeatedly asking. There was even a flashback at one point just to avoid even revealing the basis of this book. But the real kiss of death?
"…she said excitedly, practically vibrating with excitement.�
She was excitedly excited? Pls. This is what I mean by a strong B high school student. English Lit 101 - you cannot use the same word twice in a sentence. Thesuarus.com is free.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
__________________________
Um�.I was not expecting the instalust.
Putting this on pause not even 4 chapters into the audiobook. Idk yet if it's a DNF or not right now.
You know those usual beats you get in an arranged marriage romance? Fear or even hate, followed by a tentative peace, growing into lust that clears a path straight to love. The author ran all the way past those usual beats and just 4 chapters in we’ve arrived already at instalust and I can see love just around the corner. And so I feel like I’ve arrived at the end of the story. Is there any mystery left here?
I paid for the audiobook so I'm likely to give it another chance at a later time. Maybe it'll surprise me.
Despite my better judgement, I picked this one back up�
Look, I’m gonna be honest here, this book is a basic bitch.
Typically I don’t rate DNFs, but, I mean, 5hrs into the audiobook, and I’m telling you that I’ve seen what I needed to see and the answer is no.
This reads like it was written by a really strong B student in a sophomore high school English class. And I’m not one of those assholes on LitTok judging books bc they are not “well-written� as decided by the people who run the Booker Prize or w/e. I can read a basic book. But there’s no magic here. I am not captivated. This thing is dull as dirt and I’m bored to tears.
5 hours in and we haven’t even made it through two complete days of these people’s lives. ffs it took a few hours for the MMC to even explain what tethering is despite the FMC repeatedly asking. There was even a flashback at one point just to avoid even revealing the basis of this book. But the real kiss of death?
"…she said excitedly, practically vibrating with excitement.�
She was excitedly excited? Pls. This is what I mean by a strong B high school student. English Lit 101 - you cannot use the same word twice in a sentence. Thesuarus.com is free.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
__________________________
Um�.I was not expecting the instalust.
Putting this on pause not even 4 chapters into the audiobook. Idk yet if it's a DNF or not right now.
You know those usual beats you get in an arranged marriage romance? Fear or even hate, followed by a tentative peace, growing into lust that clears a path straight to love. The author ran all the way past those usual beats and just 4 chapters in we’ve arrived already at instalust and I can see love just around the corner. And so I feel like I’ve arrived at the end of the story. Is there any mystery left here?
I paid for the audiobook so I'm likely to give it another chance at a later time. Maybe it'll surprise me.
July 27, 2023
2.5⭐️
miren yo empece este libro mayormente por esa portada HERMOSA que tiene... fue malo? no, pero no fue para mi (creo)
no tengo nada específicamente negativo para decir, creo que para ser un young adult esta escrito decente, los personajes estuvieron okay, el lore de los vampiros estuvo interesante (lo poco que hubo)
entiendo que es el primer libro en una trilogía y es lógico que no digan todo en el primer libro, pero sentí como que estuvieron mucho tiempo haciendo nada para después tirar dos frases random y wow de repente hay plot (que se corta porque lo dicen en los últimos dos capitulos)
capaz que lea los otros libros, simplemente porque el final me pareció interesante y POR DIOS MIREN ESAS PORTADAS!!!!
miren yo empece este libro mayormente por esa portada HERMOSA que tiene... fue malo? no, pero no fue para mi (creo)
no tengo nada específicamente negativo para decir, creo que para ser un young adult esta escrito decente, los personajes estuvieron okay, el lore de los vampiros estuvo interesante (lo poco que hubo)
entiendo que es el primer libro en una trilogía y es lógico que no digan todo en el primer libro, pero sentí como que estuvieron mucho tiempo haciendo nada para después tirar dos frases random y wow de repente hay plot (que se corta porque lo dicen en los últimos dos capitulos)
capaz que lea los otros libros, simplemente porque el final me pareció interesante y POR DIOS MIREN ESAS PORTADAS!!!!
January 27, 2024
meh this was a let down
October 11, 2024
I really really loved this book! So excited to move onto the second book!
February 17, 2023
this was my first book by this author and i loved it so much i'm going to go back and read all of her other books!
~
Sebastian and Luna are both forced into an arranged marriage to help save their kingdom's, and throughout the first book they go through many trials together. they find out besides being binded together, the priest also tethered together which creates so many more problems but through all of this they become more than just two people forced to be husband and wife.
i have always had a soft spot for vampires and this book definitely gave me my fix! i cannot wait for the second one; since this one left off on a cliff hanger i have to know what happens next!
~
Sebastian and Luna are both forced into an arranged marriage to help save their kingdom's, and throughout the first book they go through many trials together. they find out besides being binded together, the priest also tethered together which creates so many more problems but through all of this they become more than just two people forced to be husband and wife.
i have always had a soft spot for vampires and this book definitely gave me my fix! i cannot wait for the second one; since this one left off on a cliff hanger i have to know what happens next!
February 18, 2024
I had such high hopes for this book but the cliffhanger ending was the best part. It’s not bad, it’s very well written, it’s just soooo wordy and slowwwwwwwww!!!!! I struggled to connect to the characters and the story. I feel like this book had just enough to keep me interested to finish it, but it’s by no means my favorite read. If you like vampire romance, that is not at all spicy with a slow to build plot you would most likely enjoy this book.
May 2, 2024
Absolutely horrible. How do you take one of the most unique story lines and create the most useless and boring novel? TikTok hyped this book up but it was not worth it. A human princess has to marry a vampire but they become “tethered�. They can’t ever be apart or else they’ll endure pain beyond belief. So they have to be side by side for all of eternity because the human princess will live as long as the vampire. But then randomly for one chapter the vampire was able to leave his wife’s side and walk away without any pain???? The tether didn’t work for one chapter and it’s never explained why. It was a one time thing that the vampire had control over. But why couldn’t he do that at any other point throughout the book? So many plot holes but I won’t ever pick up the second book to see if the author does anything about them. The worst part about this book is the human princess named Luna!!!!! I wanted her killed off immediately. Trust me you won’t ever forget that she’s not *like* other girls, she’s very different. Different as in “manic pixie� vibes. No one can be as unique as her (I’m being sarcastic). Then her vampire husband Sebastian was annoying as well but was more tolerable than Luna. He was supposed to be this evil, borderline demonic vampire but he’s actually too nice? I do not recommend, I didn’t DNF it because I had a sliver of hope that it would get better until it was over and then I realized it was never going to get better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2024
I wish�
I wish I would have known that this series was considered upper YA before reading. YA is just alright but I love vampires so this was better than I thought it would be. Idk if i’m going to read the rest of the series or not� I want the spice lol�
I wish I would have known that this series was considered upper YA before reading. YA is just alright but I love vampires so this was better than I thought it would be. Idk if i’m going to read the rest of the series or not� I want the spice lol�
January 9, 2025
There goes time I’ll never get back. Dnf 🤮
February 3, 2023
I’ve always been a sucker for vampire romance and tethered really hits home and it brings a whole new meaning to forced proximity!
Once you get into the storyline and plot you don’t want to put it down. I had so many questions and theories and I loved seeing how they all played out. The cliffhanger at the end was brutal and I can’t wait for book 2!
Once you get into the storyline and plot you don’t want to put it down. I had so many questions and theories and I loved seeing how they all played out. The cliffhanger at the end was brutal and I can’t wait for book 2!
May 23, 2023
� 104/ 100
Okay, honestly this was so entertaining.
Is this the best piece of literature ever? No. Is this something I will think about often? Maybe. Is this well-edited and not cringe? Also, No, but I had a GREAT TIME.
Sometimes you just need a silly goofy (vampire) romance fantasy to really get you grooving. This was just so much fun and I looked forward to reading it every night!
I will pick up almost anything that deals with vampires and romance because I am trash. I am so excited for the next book because she slays, personally.
Okay, honestly this was so entertaining.
Is this the best piece of literature ever? No. Is this something I will think about often? Maybe. Is this well-edited and not cringe? Also, No, but I had a GREAT TIME.
Sometimes you just need a silly goofy (vampire) romance fantasy to really get you grooving. This was just so much fun and I looked forward to reading it every night!
I will pick up almost anything that deals with vampires and romance because I am trash. I am so excited for the next book because she slays, personally.
Read
December 13, 202455% in, and unfortunately it gonna be a DNF for me. :(
The first few chapters set this book up to have so much potential, but man, this just doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
The first few chapters set this book up to have so much potential, but man, this just doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
February 22, 2023
Thank you so much to the author for the ARC I received in exchange for my honest review.
Immediately, I knew I liked the character profiles (handsome, strong and feared, morally grey, winged MMC vampire & an academic, confident and caring, human FMC) However, I did feel they flip-flopped a bit throughout the story, and would have appreciated a little more character continuity/consistency. I was also drawn to Tethered by the plot and storyline� the arranged marriage/almost enemies-to-lovers type situation. I mostly had issues with timing. The action seems to come and go in spurts, so the pacing just seemed to drag on a little too long for me. I believe this is part one of two books (a two part series?) and it definitely felt like it.
Would suggest for anyone who loves to read fanfic and is into Twilight or ACOTAR.
Immediately, I knew I liked the character profiles (handsome, strong and feared, morally grey, winged MMC vampire & an academic, confident and caring, human FMC) However, I did feel they flip-flopped a bit throughout the story, and would have appreciated a little more character continuity/consistency. I was also drawn to Tethered by the plot and storyline� the arranged marriage/almost enemies-to-lovers type situation. I mostly had issues with timing. The action seems to come and go in spurts, so the pacing just seemed to drag on a little too long for me. I believe this is part one of two books (a two part series?) and it definitely felt like it.
Would suggest for anyone who loves to read fanfic and is into Twilight or ACOTAR.
January 26, 2023
I really loved this book!
I enjoyed the relationship that built between Luna and Sebastian throughout the book. Luna was a believable character who was aware of her weaknesses - she’s a human academic in a world of warrior vampires. Throughout the story, it is clear that she isn’t a fighter and often feels helpless in the choices that are made for her, although she never gives up or breaks. I liked the fact that the book alludes to her being on the spectrum - she mentions several times that she struggles to relate to the feelings of others and will occasionally dissociate. Nice to see some neurodiversity in the FMC, although it does get frustrating when we (as the reader) know that Sebastian is suffering but she doesn’t seem aware of it.
Even more than Luna, I loved the MC, Sebastian. Sebastian isn’t your usual ‘all-powerful Prince� but rather someone who was also suffering from lack of choices and being manipulated. Although he fits the general stereotype of ‘sexy vampire�, he is also very thoughtful when it comes to dealing with Luna and the terrible circumstances that are forced upon both of them. He very much reminds me of Azriel from ACOTAR, which earns him bonus points from me! I loved that, despite the difficulties that the MCs are faced with, the author creates a sweet story about how it is them together against the world.
The world building was great, although due to this being the first in a series, the characters didn’t really go to many places - this book was more developing their characters.
In terms of spice, some is definitely alluded to and I think we’re likely to get more in future books.
One thing that bothered me a little bit is that towards the beginning of the book, the author mentions that vampires can read thoughts� but then this is forgotten throughout the story? There is no real mention of Sebastian being able to read Luna’s mind, and there’s several places in the story where, if mind reading was a thing, the plot would have been ruined� not sure if this will be explored more in later books? Edit: Apparently I misread this and it’s just one vamp who can mind read! I went back and yep, just me not comprehending properly!!
All in all, a great start to the series and I will definitely read later books!
I received an ARC from the author in return for an honest review.
I enjoyed the relationship that built between Luna and Sebastian throughout the book. Luna was a believable character who was aware of her weaknesses - she’s a human academic in a world of warrior vampires. Throughout the story, it is clear that she isn’t a fighter and often feels helpless in the choices that are made for her, although she never gives up or breaks. I liked the fact that the book alludes to her being on the spectrum - she mentions several times that she struggles to relate to the feelings of others and will occasionally dissociate. Nice to see some neurodiversity in the FMC, although it does get frustrating when we (as the reader) know that Sebastian is suffering but she doesn’t seem aware of it.
Even more than Luna, I loved the MC, Sebastian. Sebastian isn’t your usual ‘all-powerful Prince� but rather someone who was also suffering from lack of choices and being manipulated. Although he fits the general stereotype of ‘sexy vampire�, he is also very thoughtful when it comes to dealing with Luna and the terrible circumstances that are forced upon both of them. He very much reminds me of Azriel from ACOTAR, which earns him bonus points from me! I loved that, despite the difficulties that the MCs are faced with, the author creates a sweet story about how it is them together against the world.
The world building was great, although due to this being the first in a series, the characters didn’t really go to many places - this book was more developing their characters.
In terms of spice, some is definitely alluded to and I think we’re likely to get more in future books.
One thing that bothered me a little bit is that towards the beginning of the book, the author mentions that vampires can read thoughts� but then this is forgotten throughout the story? There is no real mention of Sebastian being able to read Luna’s mind, and there’s several places in the story where, if mind reading was a thing, the plot would have been ruined� not sure if this will be explored more in later books? Edit: Apparently I misread this and it’s just one vamp who can mind read! I went back and yep, just me not comprehending properly!!
All in all, a great start to the series and I will definitely read later books!
I received an ARC from the author in return for an honest review.
December 1, 2024
3 stars. I enjoyed the writing, and the premise was wildly inventive, but I'm disappointed, and find this book just didn't deliver.
The MMC Sebastian had a lot of potential, but he was weirdly apologetic, and was missing that ruthless edge that a seasoned vampire should have. He seemed rather helpless to the schemes of his mother, as well. If the intent here was that he still had human morals, even after all this time, it should have been a stronger plot point, with more viciousness outside of his softness for Luna, to balance it out. Unfortunately it doesn't seem like he can play the game, so to speak.
The first 50% of the book took place in privacy between them, but we didn't get a lot of forward action on the plot (or romance) until later. The burn is super slow; and I don't think it works here. There was a whole lot of forced proximity, but only a couple of too-brief hints of that frustrating deliciousness came of it.
Lots of plot points are left unaddressed by the end of the book, which seems to set up to second book following. Unsure if I'll pick it up.
The MMC Sebastian had a lot of potential, but he was weirdly apologetic, and was missing that ruthless edge that a seasoned vampire should have. He seemed rather helpless to the schemes of his mother, as well. If the intent here was that he still had human morals, even after all this time, it should have been a stronger plot point, with more viciousness outside of his softness for Luna, to balance it out. Unfortunately it doesn't seem like he can play the game, so to speak.
The first 50% of the book took place in privacy between them, but we didn't get a lot of forward action on the plot (or romance) until later. The burn is super slow; and I don't think it works here. There was a whole lot of forced proximity, but only a couple of too-brief hints of that frustrating deliciousness came of it.
Lots of plot points are left unaddressed by the end of the book, which seems to set up to second book following. Unsure if I'll pick it up.
May 10, 2023
poor writing
Story outline had potential but the characters lacked depth which meant the things they said and decisions they made had no basis. I didn’t not end up finishing it.
Story outline had potential but the characters lacked depth which meant the things they said and decisions they made had no basis. I didn’t not end up finishing it.
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