Bitten and Bound: The Complete Trilogy

Bitten and Bound #1-3

by Amy Pennza

The day I rode to the Rift with my brother the king, I never expected him to deliver me into the hands of our enemies. Desperate to stop the Deepnight from covering his kingdom in shadow, he’s pledged me as a blood slave to King Laurent, ruler of the vampire kingdom of Nor Doru. It’s a humiliation I never imagined I would bear. A betrayal I’m not sure I can forgive.

Unfortunately, my wishes don’t factor into the decisions of kings. Raised a princess, I know my duty. For as long as I’m bound in service, I’m at Laurent’s mercy. Survival means giving him my vein and my body. And when his cruel and arrogant general Varick demands the same, I must obey.

But all is not as it seems in the vampire court. King Laurent has secrets, not the least of which is how much he enjoys his general’s company. Almost from the moment I enter the twilight world of the Deepnight, I learn my journey across the Rift was so much more than a barter. And it’s not just Laurent and Varick I need to be wary of. There are rumors of darkness stirring—of long-forgotten danger rising in the old elven lands.

There’s something stirring in me, too. I’m hearing things I shouldn’t, and doing things no one should be able to do. The king takes me and I take his vein—and each time it gets harder to keep my new abilities a secret.

Torn between two kingdoms and two men, I’m surrounded by danger on all sides. My body has become a battleground, and I’m determined not to let the enemy win. But the more time I spend in the vampire court, the harder it is to resist the pleasure of being conquered.

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Dark Romance, Romantasy, Why Choose, Romance, M M F

694 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 24, 2023

About the author

Amy Pennza is a USA Today Bestselling Author of steamy fantasy romance. After becoming a lawyer because everyone insisted writing wasn’t a “real job,” she stubbornly wrote anyway—and is delighted to have proved them wrong. She’s grateful to spend her days crafting dirty, swoony books about magic, swords, and unforgettable characters. She lives in the Great Lakes region with her husband and five children.

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Reviews

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much sex and Laurent didn’t grovel hard enough.

[Sabs ✨️]

dnf'ed @ 33%.

I normally love all of Amy's books, but this trilogy isn't for me. I may try again another time, but it was turning into a rage read. Too many lies and broken trust between the triad. And from other reviews, the inequality of the relationship doesn't improve in the other books. My heart just kept breaking each time Given is left on the sidelines.

I will still keep reading her books as I've loved everything else so far.

[Lex V · Rating 2 out of 5]

You'd think this is a book about a FMC and also two supporting males by reading the synopsis. It's really the author wanting to write a gay vampire smut story and oh look she's there too.

Given feels like an after thought half the time and she's just there for the plot I guess.

There's just chapters on chapters of the males fucking. Which is fine, if that was what the book were presented as.

2 ⭐ because it's well written but the smut scenes just dragged on and got really boring by the second book.

Might DNF if it doesn't improve.

[Cassie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a compilation of the Bitten & Bound trilogy (Given, Stolen, & Kept) and it was a great idea to put them all together in one book. I say this because after finishing the first book, I was left a little worried, thinking that it left something to be desired. Certainly there was plenty of spice and the characters were intriguing, but there were a lot of issues that I was afraid were just going to continue in the next two books. Boy, was a I wrong. It almost felt like Pennza knew all the aspects that were troublesome and said, “Don’t worry; I got you!” and immediately proceeded to remedy them all. So here’s how that all went down.

With the first book, and then throughout the rest of the series, I will say that I was impressed with the world-building, and this was not something I fully expected. I’ve read quite a number of fantasy and romance books that focus more on characters and plot and not on world-building, but this one felt unique (while still grounded enough in fantasy commonalities to not get confusing), well-planned, and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of the books.

On to the plot. As I mentioned above, the first book was pretty heavy on the spice and setting the scene. There was a bit of a lack of plot. Then you get to the end of that book and the start of the second one and it’s a complete 180. The plot became so much more interesting, and I feel like Pennza steadily improved from book to book with the action scenes.

The characters were another place where things started shaky and then got progressively better. In the first book, I felt like I got a good sense for Laurent and Varick, but Given was just kinda there. With the rest of the series, though, Given comes into her own and takes charge, steering the plot and becoming the queen she should be. And even with Laurent and Varick there is a great deal of character development.

The last thing I’ll mention is the spice. If you were here for nothing else, you would not leave disappointed. Pennza definitely knows how to write those intimate scenes and they are quite prevalent throughout the series. For me, I was having a hard time with the first book because it felt a lot like the focus was just on the sex and not as much on building the relationships, especially between Given and the two men. For Laurent and Varick, we already have an established relationship, so it works better, but even their stuff seems unhealthy. Luckily, in the second book, you see that that’s the point. They are able to grow from their toxicity and sheer lust into having healthy boundaries and actual love and caring for each other.

In short, stick it out through the first book. I think Pennza very deliberately sets up these issues to allow for growth in the later books. The ending might be a little too tidy and too heavy on the happily ever after for some readers, but I appreciated all the strings that Pennza wove together to make it work.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Nyxie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried. I really did. I love me some vampire smut but when it's just thrown around every couple of pages, with SO much going on plotwise, the story all over the place really throws me off completely. There was so much happening all at once with no point to it. Got all the way to 60% and just couldn't finish all 900 pages.

[✨️Rush✨️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶/5
MMF

The plot and the smut holding hands so perfectly. I don't know if I'll ever come across a book as good as this. I really hope I do.

[Kearsten Jensen · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 33%(finished first book in the omnibus)

One if the main male love interests was just despicable. I understand that this is a dark romance but the non con and dub con was definitely not for me. And I want to note that usually I am not triggered by noncon or dubcon but when the icky MMC is trying to force a pregnancy between the other two characters where one has made it explicitly clear he is not on board and does not want to do it and the other actually has no clue that he is trying to force a pregnancy, just so he can kill her child I might add,it’s just a no for. As a woman in a post roe v. wade world and reading that it really triggered me! Aside from Laurent being terrible I felt like there definitely should have been more world building and communication among characters. When almost every interaction between the MC’s was sex it got old fast. Again I am always down for the spice but like maybe add some other elements as well. I was hoping it would get better that why I finished the first book in the omnibus but it just didn’t and I had no interest in finishing the series where Laurent remained a love interest.

[Seren Song ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehhh

The plot is kinda interesting. It’s porn, with plot, quite a bit of it (of both porn and plot). It’s chaotic though and sex scenes are shoehorned in all over the place. As much as I love spice (I’m a complete ho for spicy books), sometimes it can be too much. Some of those spicy scenes should’ve been removed and replaced with romance development, because that poor FMC was always a second or third thought to the two MMC’s.

I was hoping that it would get better at the end, that maybe there’d be chemistry between them at some point but nope. Laurent is annoying and selfish, and Varick is quite literally a tool (though he was significantly better than Laurent). Given was a wet noodle, but she still didn’t deserve the treatment she got. Also.. that name, I try to respect an authors choice when it comes to names because it’s their book, yknow? That name though, girl.. really? 😭

Anyway, read this if you A) like unsatisfying romances, B) enjoy a disordered plot that was built up as some intense thing but then ends up being resolved super fast, or C) like spicy scenes that are essentially repeated ad nauseam.

[Amber Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has an ok plot, but way too much smut. I wanted to finish the story and reached a point of skipping most of these scenes because it was so excessive.

[kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

her name is given? be so for real with me rn

[Grace Hanzelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone, or really to most people. But for me, this trilogy was *chefs kiss*. I would say it has more sex than I think any book needs (even a spicy book), but I also found so many of the scenes to be plot forward and/or heavy on emotional or romantic development between the characters. It’s a quick read - the whole trilogy clocks in at like 700 pages or something - and my only complaint is there were parts I wish were more fleshed out… I would have read a longer series with these characters if I could!

[Beta The Ninth]

DNF at book two of the omnibus. I felt deceived. I thought this was supposed to be about the relationship between the three of them, but it was all about the to MMCs' relationship with each other. They treated the FMC terribly and she was too much of door mat for my liking. She deserved better.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an 18+ book for mature audiences. This includes MM, MFM situations so please know that going in if that is not your cup of tea. Given is the half-vampire princess who is believed to save the human realm and the vampire realm, but how? She goes through so much and is one of my favorite female characters by far! The story is very immersive with spice, fantasy, and politics. The way writing is fast and intense but never skimps on the details and I really love Amy's writing style, a great mix of contemporary with old lore, world building and not repetitive in how people, places, and things are described. As someone who read all three books individually am happy with the way this is presented as the singular story. This is the book/series that brought me to Amy's writing and I have not been disappointed and I look forward to reading more of her work.

I received an advanced copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have finished book one of this trilogy, and wow, it is so good. Bitten and Bound encompasses all three books, so no waiting for the next instalment. It is a mystery shrouded in magic, with the characters being from human, vampire and fae backgrounds. The storyline weaves a mysterious tale around the 3 main characters who form a bond through their powers. Amy Pennza is so good at weaving her stories full of intrigue, and at bringing her characters to life.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Katerina L · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 65% ... The plot is sprinkled sparsely across an abundance of sex scenes. way too much. been trying to get myself to go back to this book to finish it for about a year and just tried but I just cannot. Who needs 7 page sex scenes honestly.

[Catte Coelho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read all three books in this series, I'm here to give my general opinion of all three in very brief form (more detailed reviews can be found in the respective GIVEN; STOLEN AND KEPT books).

Bitten and Bound was a surprise, but not always a positive one.
The first part (in Given) gets off to a strong start, introducing us to a completely new world, a social context that I've never read about in books and which seemed super interesting and a premise that promised to be addictive. However, as the story developed, I became a little bored (and not because of the story itself).

Don't get me wrong, the story has potential and I enjoyed reading to the end, because it does get better, but I genuinely feel that two books were enough to tell it, given the amount of detailed SMUT scenes that aren't necessary.

Everything is about sex in this book and that makes a PLOT that had everything to be spectacular, not so well developed, the development of the characters seems rushed and, therefore, the reading becomes a little dissatisfying.

That said: I liked it, but I didn't love it.
Solid 3 STARS for me.

Ratings of the 3 books:
Given - 3 starts
Stolen - 3 Stars
Kept - 4 stars.

[Jordan Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn’t forced myself to keep going which sucks because the premise sounded like a nice easy smutty read but I kept finding the relationship dynamic forced. Like you could honestly take out Given from the story and I think it would have improved the story a lot.

As a character she’s fine, nothing wrong with her. Buuuuuut the relationship between our two MMCs was just so established that it felt weird adding her in to it and they clearly loved each other very much and she felt kind of like an afterthought.

TL;DR take given out and focus on a relationship between Laraunt and Varick and the betrayal and secrets and you have a solid book.

[Beth M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This turned out to be a surprisingly good story despite wanting to send all of the characters to horny jail.

There was seriously so, so much sex in these books. It was between a MMF throuple so there was gay sex, straight sex, menage a trois, just a whole lot of dick slangin'

Anyway, the story ended up getting better and more serious after the first book with prophetic world-ending stuff, blah blah blah, horny heroes end up saving the day in between all the slangin'. Not the best writing in the world, but it was entertaining and sexy, so I'd probably read it again.

[Savannah Newsome · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 50%. As someone who likes smut, this was just way too much. It takes away from the plot completely. Not enough emotional chemistry between characters, we’re just fucking? Okay.

[BonBon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology consists of Given, Stolen, and Kept. Given starts off strong with intriguing world-building and interesting political and religious divisions between the Human and Vampire kingdoms. The premise is engaging, and the take on vampires feels fresh and unique enough to stand out.

The story follows three main characters, though the primary focus is on Given, the female protagonist. Looking at the series as a whole, Given often feels like a prop for the men in her life—politically, personally, and sexually. It takes nearly the entirety of the first book and a significant portion of the second for the two male leads to see her as more than a political tool or a romantic rival (depending on which man’s perspective you follow). Even as the series progresses, lingering undercurrents suggest that she remains valued more for her power, position, or role in the prophecy that drives the plot of all three books rather than as an individual.

This is a spice-heavy series, with explicit scenes involving all three main characters in various combinations. While the writing in these scenes is solid, the plot itself doesn’t always hold up. There are moments where the explicit scenes serve the story, but overall, the narrative could have been stronger.

Additionally, the book touches on heavy and potentially distressing themes, including non-explicit sexual assault, which is referenced multiple times. However, at least in the Kindle Unlimited version I read, there were no apparent trigger warnings.

Lastly, I have to mention the FMC’s name—Given. It was, frankly, ridiculous and occasionally confusing, since "given" is such a common word in English.

Despite its flaws, I still enjoyed the series. With a more disciplined developmental editor, it could have been much stronger. That said, it's still worth a read for those who enjoy dark paranormal romance with heavy spice.

[Kaley Quinn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing in this book but i didn’t vibe with this story.

Some of the quotes i enjoyed - “Bloodshed rarely made sense. Yet the world clung to it, repeatedly turning to violence as if it might offer some new solution. It never did. The only thing war had to offer was death.”

“When the male next to you is willing to step into the path of a sword to save your life, you don't give a fuck what he does in bed."

“It’s a waste of time to reflect on what might have been. Every choice you’ve made led to this moment, and that’s all that matters. You chose this path, even though it ends at the rift.”

"I threw everything at him," Evelina said. "Insults. Objects."
"Candelabras," Lar Plestes murmured.
"And he simply caught them and set them down. He waited for me to exhaust myself." She drew an even breath and looked at her husband. "He waited for me. I believe he would have waited forever."

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the complete trilogy which features the books Given, Stolen, and Kept. I loved the storyline, the world building the character, just everything . I loved the fact their are two morally grey lead male characters as opposed to one and then a perfect male, plenty of steam in MF, MM, and MMF. This series is an emotional rollercoaster and I thought it’s absolutely brilliant.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Read With Yora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wowwwwwwww 🤯🤯
That was bothering amazing 🤯
The secrets, the plots, the twists, the betrayal , and the epic fight was breathtaking 🤯the growth of every character was simply amazing that it made me speechless 😶, the fight was so epic that I didn't notice that I was holding my breath until the very end 🔥, I was so happy that each character had there own happy ending ❤️, but also sad that Jordan and rhys didn't have a happy ending although they sacrificed more than anyone 😿

[Allison Mundy-Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNFed. The first third is just sex scenes. Plot is non existent. I stopped reading when the major plot action started because if the characters had taken literally 30 seconds to listen to what each other had to say, we would’ve had interesting political complications and not “oh no I have to run away to the dark and scary woods”

Maybe someone who’s read it can convince me to continue, but I’m not a fan of no communication and sex without emotional investment

Good? If you like just smut
Like it? No.

[Courtney Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

i think reading all three novellas back to back hurt this rating unfortunately. since i didnt get a break between stories it really felt like a drag toward the end

was impressed at the writing in this though as i fully expected slop but it was like 2 steps up from that. got my bad romance urge satisfied now i can read something different though

[Erin Webb · Rating 1 out of 5]

I definitely started this WEEKS ago and I just finished it. It’s not good I’m sorry I could not get into it. I heard all vampire two man one woman and my mind said yes we need that. We did not need that. We might need it in another book but not this, and trust I love my little why choose cause multiple men is better than one.

[Kristina S · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 62%
I did enjoy plot and world building, but I kept waiting for 2 MMCs to have any feeling for FMC and it just wasn’t happening. Even in their POVs Lauren and Varick in their thoughts barely think about FMC. Just felt like MM romance with a random girl on a sideline.

[Hailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐️

[Oili K · Rating 2 out of 5]

honestly just not for me. the main character lacks a spine so often that i feel a little bored.

[Brooke Minor · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️