Review of Broken Bonds (The Bonds That Tie) by J. Bree
“Or, I guess, she just wears her damage where we can all see it. I bury mine as deep as I can, as far down below my skin as possible, so I can pretend it’s not killing me slowly, painfully, constantly.”
– Broken Bonds
J. Bree
Even though “Broken Bonds” lacks a clear plot, it is very entertaining and addictive
Synopsis
After the death of my mother and her Bonded, I was relieved to find my own Bonds.
I was sure everything would be okay if I had them.
It wasn’t.
The fate of our people is in my hands and I know we’re better off if I’m alone.
After five years on the run, I’m caught and dragged back to face the men I ran away from.
I thought I was doing the right thing.
Now, I’m not so sure.
North, Nox, Gryphon, Atlas, and Gabe may never forgive me but one thing is for sure.
I won’t ever forgive myself.
Review
So… This series is really addictive. I actually didn’t know about it until a couple of days ago. I found the audiobook on Storytel and was immediately intrigued by the cover. And when I started it, I suddenly started seeing it all over Bookstagram? I don’t know how that’s possible, but suddenly everyone I follow is reading this series.
Let me start off by saying that this book is definitely not perfect. I sometimes cringe at the mc – Oleander ‘Oli’ Fallows – her attitude. She is sure she is the most dangerous monster in the whole world, but we don’t know why. She has powers, but we don’t know what they are until literally the last chapter. It just takes so long to get to know these characters.
We only got a glimpse of Oli’s powers at the end of Broken Bonds, which was really frustrating, especially since she keeps saying she had to leave her bonds because of her powers. We also don’t really know what the powers of her bonds are.
Also, don’t ask me why, but I thought the series was taking place in space? Like, maybe I thought that because of the second book’s cover, which has planets on it. It does not take place in space, which is okay, but I had to adjust my view of the world. The world building could’ve been a bit better and gone a bit deeper, I think I would’ve found out way sooner that the series… does not take place in space 🙃.
The plot isn’t that clear, if you know what I mean. We know two things 1) Oleander ran away to ‘save’ everyone 2) her powers are dangerous and if she bonds she will get stronger. But we don’t know what her powers are and why she really ran away.
Broken Bonds left me with a lot of questions. We don’t really get a lot of information about the plot, and I think this is because the author wanted to introduce us to the world and characters first. I do hope to get to know more about what exactly happened to Oli. And of course I want to get to know the guys more, I really like their personalities. Except for one bond, you will understand why I feel this way if you have read the first book.
There were some cringe moments in the dialogues, but the pining and sexual tension in Broken Bonds is immaculate. It is really a slow burn romance, though. It’s so slow that I am getting anxious to get something more than looks and flirty jokes. But the pining!!! I think that’s the main reason why people read this series. How does J. Bree come up with these different characters? I like each bond for different reasons, but I love the reverse harem situation. I am happy J. Bree isn’t making me choose between the men – North, Nox, Gryphon, Gabe and Atlas.
HOWEVER, I would’ve loved to see some characters who aren’t white. There are literally five (5) men in this bond group, and they’re all white. Why aren’t there any people of colour in this series? I don’t even know if Oli’s friends are white (I suppose they are, though).
Overall, Broken Bonds was so entertaining that I immediately started the next book in the series – Savage Bonds. I just can’t help myself, The Bonds That Tie is such an addictive series.
Would I recommend it?
If you like a trashy romance, then yes 😏. Just don’t expect too much from the plot because it doesn’t make a lot of sense, and you will be left wanting more and having a lot of questions. At this point, it’s honestly just vibes, but I’m here for it.
Rating
8/10
Details
Trigger warnings
Trauma, violence, bullying and harassment, sexual assault, death of loved one, forced relationships, fear of oneself, manipulation, torture, abduction, betrayal of a loved one
Representation
Polyamory (?)
Genre
Paranormal, urban fantasy
Pages
423
Publication date
June 28th 2021
Publisher
J. Bree
About the author
J. Bree is a dreamer, writer, mother, farmer, and cat wrangler. The order of priorities changes daily.
She lives on a small farm in a tiny rural town in Australia that no one has ever heard of. She spends her days dreaming about all of her book boyfriends, listening to her partner moan about how the wine grapes are growing, and being a snack bitch to her two kids.
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