Bounded Love

The Red Flag Dating Club #2

by Andrea Cumbo

She is just ready for the weekend to be over when the freak snowstorm hits and the town snowplow traps both her and her author guest in the store overnight.When Min Douglas finished the author event with her most famous guest yet, Booker-Prize-winning novelist Lucia Andrews, she was ready to go home, have a bath, and read until she fell asleep. And Lucia is ready for a little champagne and a cheese tray back at the hotel to celebrate the end of her successful book tour.But when the blizzard hits and the negligent snowplow driver blocks both doors to Min’s store, the two women find they may just enjoy each other’s company far more than their quiet nights in.However, when Min’s friends in The Red Flag Dating Club get word of the growing attraction between their friend and the famous novelist, they have a lot of advice for the business woman, not all of it wanted.Can Min be persuaded, and what does she want to be persuaded of, anyway?

Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2023

Reviews

[Lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy from the author and voluntarily reviewed it. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the first book in this series and was looking forward to continuing it. And while I really enjoyed the first book, this one I enjoyed even more. Bounded Love is the romance between Min, a bookstore owner, and author Lucia. They meet when Min is organizing an event for Lucia and then they end up getting snowed in. This romance also has some long distance dating and some wonderful anxiety representation.

This book just really worked for me, it gripped me from the start and I wanted to keep reading. These two characters felt so alive with their own fears, struggles and dreams. I felt like they were real people and I enjoyed seeing them fall in love. I like how they connected over movies and books and talking about them. I liked how they communicated and how they worked up the courage to tell each other the things they struggled with.

There was one thing that bothered me in the romance and that's the bit of conflict. Luckily it got resolved really well and I liked how there were still plenty of chapters after that so I could see how the characters made it work afterwards, which I thought worked well. I thought the conflict felt a bit out of character when it occurred and only later in the book I understood why that character acted that way and how that was caused by previous relationships and only then did I understand why she acted that. I also appreciated how they worked through the conflict and I could see how they both handled it and how they went on from that point onward. I thought they handled it very maturely, but at the same time the emotions were there and it was still clear the hurt this caused.

I also wanted to mention the anxiety and panic attack representation in this book. I've dealt with both of those in real life and usually avoid books that deal with it as they make me feel worse and more anxious. This one on the other hand had the opposite effect, it made me feel reassured I think is the right word and more capable of dealing it. Min really struggles and her anxiety and panic attacks are tough to deal with, but she has an amazing support group around her and it was just so wonderful to see how that helped and how she got through these tough events. Those scenes were really well written and I admired Min for knowing when she needed help and asking for it, something I still struggle with.

And this review wouldn't be complete without mentioning the wonderful friendship the women of the Red Flag Dating Club share. I really enjoyed reading about them and how these women were there for each other no matter what. They were there to support each other through hard and happy moments. It was wonderful to read about such strong friendships in this book. I liked seeing more of all four friends and I look forward to the next book.

To summarize: This was such a wonderful romantic read. I liked reading about Min and Lucia who felt like real people. I liked reading about them and they felt so relatable with how they had their own hopes, dreams, fears and struggles. I thought their romance was wonderfully written and I loved the way they communicated. There is a bit of conflict that bothered me a bit as it felt out of character at first, but I liked seeing how the characters worked through it and how later in the book I understood more about why that character had acted that way. The anxiety and panic attacks are written very well and instead of making me more anxious it made me feel reassured due to the support Min had and how she asked for help. The friendships in this book are so well written and I really like reading about these four women who are there for each other no matter what. This was a wodnerful read and I can't wait to spend more time with these characters in the next book!

[Andrea Cumbo]

Readers, this book was so fun to write. A bookstore. An author. A blizzard. Marvel Movies. A cute cat named after someone from the show Lost. All of it so fun.

But also, I had the chance to write some of my struggles in here, particularly with anxiety, and that was profoundly healing for me.

This is a sapphic romance. I hope you enjoy it, and if you have negative comments on the relationship between two women, please don't send them to me. THANKs.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this read filled with excellent characters in a quaint town.
The female besties were the kind you’d want to have in your world.
Working women who truly cared about the wellbeing of each other.
Snowbound in the apartment of forty something bookstore owner Minn and her favorite author Lucia who was in town for a book signing turned into something they never experienced before.
Trust, honesty and good friends make this a winning combination and a must read.

[Bonnie Theel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was well written. The characters were very caring.

I received a free ARC, and this is my honest opinion.