Tragic Bonds

The Bonds that Tie #5

by J. Bree

Nothing will ever be the same again.

Our Bonded Group has been torn apart, and the monsters are now the prey.
But we’re not going to just wait around for our enemy to strike; the blood on his hands is unforgivable, and the god living inside of me wants her revenge paid in blood.

And a thousand souls.

We have been pushed to the limit, tested in ways that have devastating outcomes, and paid the ultimate price. Can we recover from such losses? Is the promise of a world without our enemy worth the sacrifices we’ve made?

Can we prove to everyone, and ourselves, that together our bonds are unbroken?

*Tragic Bonds is a full-length reverse harem PNR novel with material that may be difficult for some readers. This book will end on a cliffhanger. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Why Choose, Paranormal, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Audiobook

Hardcover

First published June 28, 2022

About the author

J Bree is a dreamer, writer, mother, and cat-wrangler.
The order of priorities changes daily.
She lives on the coast of Western Australia in a city where it rains too much. She spends her days dreaming about all of her book boyfriends, listening to her partner moan about how the lawns are looking, and being a snack bitch to her three kids.

Visit her website at http://www.jbreeauthor.com to sign up for the newsletter or find her on social media.

Reviews

[Heather Mclarry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I personally was over the repetitiveness of the series.

[Marianna Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

We finally got Nox’s story and my heart hurts SO MUCH FOR HIM!!!

I love these characters and this series so much and I respect this book for what it is and the purpose it rightfully served to highlight the relationships and character development! I just found this one to be very slow from the 60% mark through the end, but still enjoyed reading it! However it’s so repetitive so you’ve been warned.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's hoping Oli's third power is resurrection.

—————-

UPDATE: (warning: some kinda-spoilers ahead)
J Bree has worked her magic sorcery yet again!!!! This book delivered everything I was hoping for: answers to so many of the questions we’ve had about Nox’s past, a deeper insight into the God Bonds, a SERIOUSLY satisfying battle against the resistance, and of course …. yet another crazy cliffhanger. I wasn’t bawling my eyes out like at the end of the Forced Bonds, so as far as cliffhangers go I’ll take it as a win.

Out of all the books, the relationship dynamic between Oli and her Bonded is definitely at its best in Tragic Bonds. There was a nice sprinkling of spice throughout, and outside of the physical stuff, the flirty banter between them all is always so fun to read.

Random things I want from the next book:
- a scene with Riley. Not really central to the plot, but I just want to see what his deal is, post-Giovanna
- We still don’t know who got in Sage’s head at the end of Blood Bonds?
- what are Aro’s powers?
- The God Bonds’ endgame - unclear whether they’re here for a purpose, or just because they want to exist with each other in the same time and space again?
- full group shmexy times with Oli and her Bonded. So they go out together with a bang, so to speak.
- I hope J Bree comes up with something kind of wild for their HEA; living a quiet life doesn’t suit any of them
- what is Oli’s third power????

[SK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh wow. What a cliffhanger! I swear it made me yell in frustration. Look, it's good but it's also frustrating.

I LOVED the way the book started. Nox and Oli finally talking like adults and sorting out their conflicts was much needed. Also, I LOVED how Nox went from "I don't want her" to "Look at her and you die." He went from hating her to absolutely falling head over heels for her and I LOVED HIM..IT👀😩 Seriously tho, how are the Draven brothers so sexy?! I'll take them both please 💳🌟

Midway through the book, it got repetitive. We see Oli training, some sexy times (no complaints about that cause it's juicy 💦), then strategising against the resistance (who do nothing) and their bonds glitching.

The second half was less impressive. I personally think the storyline didn't really need the "bonds are gods and they're waking up" narrative. It felt a bit much and unnecessarily making things complex. One thing I like about these books is the fact that they're simple and easy to follow through, do not require me to think and the whole gods situation makes it complex and present questions and loopholes.

The last 20% of the book was exciting. I'm looking forward to reading what the last book in the series has to offer but my expectations for it aren't too high, keeping it real.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished the book and I honestly have no words. J Bree has such a way with words and I can not wait to see how she continues this story.
Full RTC when I've processed the ending.
Update:
There are no words to express my love for this series. J Bree continues to release these books that top their predecessors.
In Tragic Bonds we see the guys act more cohesively in the hopes to end the resistance and evil like Davies
Without spoiling anything I will say that reading the scenes we have anticipated for is extremely satisfying.
This book however broke me and I found myself wanting to give Nox and Oli hugs. Tragic Bonds had me crying, I'm sure like many others, when I read about why Nox is the way he is.
I will say that I did not see the ending happening. I was extremely shocked...
I cannot stress how much I recommend you read this book or any book by J Bree for that matter.

[Laurens.Little.Library · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 53%

tl;dr
This series should have been four books long, max.

Some of you might be shocked to see this review, especially if you saw my reviews of the other four novels in the series, each of which I read in a day because they were strangely addictive.

Well, everything came to a crashing halt in book 5.

It all became so damn repetitive that honestly, I didn't care anymore.

I kept thinking I'd pick this up again but I need to be real with myself: that ain't happening.

[Jessica ❥Chatterbooks Book Blog❥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I didn't see that coming. I knew that couldn't be all there was to it, but I never expected THAT. Ahh, I want to know what happens next asap, but at the same time, I'm not ready for the next installment. It's the last book in the series, and I'm not ready to see these characters go. 😭

The Bonds That Tie series is an incredibly unique paranormal, reverse harem romance series with an original reason for the RH style relationships. The Gifted and the gods/bonds are insanely interesting and creative. J Bree truly outdid herself with these books.

Oli and the guys are all complex characters with distinct personalities. The dynamics between her and each of her bonded is different and beautiful in it's own way. The connections between them are getting stronger and more intense as the stories progress, and everything going on with their gods/bonds are an absolute fucking highlight for me! Okay,... the dp was too, but that involved a god so. 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

If you're a paranormal RH fan, and you're not reading this series, you're doing yourself a great disservice. It's fantastically written and full of action, violence, emotion, sex, suspense, and superb characters. You won't regret picking it up. I guarantee it!

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴....

Noooxxxxxx!!!! 😭😭😭😭 *No spoilers. If you know, you know.* That one word, and I felt like someone punched me in my stomach. 😭



Poor Oli! Fuck....

Aww!



That dp tho!!! 🥵😂





Hell yeah!! 🙌🏼😂

Well, fuck.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this is still one of the best paranormal RH series out there. But this is the worst book in it. It has some good moments, especially with Atlas and North. And we finally get answers about what the Resistance is doing, how Oli’s parents died, the god bonds, and what Nox’s deal is. This book could have been great, but it doubled down on the thing that’s been dragging down this whole series: Nox.

Nox has been nothing but a little bitch for 4 books. He sexually assaulted Oli and has humiliated and degraded her– and not in a sexy way, or a “But he likes her underneath it!” way. He’s a bad character, both in terms of being vile person, and in terms of being poorly conceived. Too little, too late, this book finally revealed his backstory: he was raped by his mom when he was young. Obviously that’s terrible! It also doesn’t erase what he’s done to Oli, or absolve him of how he’s treated her as an adult. And, by making his backstory SO horrible (and revealing it to us right before Oli is all-in on him, when he’s STILL done nothing to earn that), this is a cop-out writing move, to get out of putting in actual work to redeem him. This isn’t character development. It’s a cheap use of trauma as a way of AVOIDING doing character development.

The story hasn’t given him an arc. All we’ve gotten from Nox is a non-arc where he’s barely been in this series, only appearing every so often to do something vile to Oli. Now suddenly, this book is going, “Here is his pile of trauma. Therefore, Oli likes him now, and reader, you should like him now too.” He hasn’t apologized, groveled, grown as a person… he just has an absurdly awful backstory, to make us shift from hating him to feeling bad for him.

After she learns his backstory, Oli thinks, “I’ve already forgiven him.” He’s still done NOTHING to own up to how he’s treated her! Oli used to be a great heroine who was easy to understand, root for, and sympathize with, but I feel so apathetic to her as she falls for Nox in a way that feels like insta-love, and like she's being a doormat to him. We haven’t been taken on this journey with her, to coming around on him – because there IS no journey! It’s not there on the page!

I’m not against falling for the asshole when a story does it well. But it’s a multi-step process! Step 1) He’s an asshole. Step 2) He owns up to it in some way. Step 3) He shows some sort of growth. This author seems to think that if you give him enough trauma, then Step 1 is all you need, and the others can be skipped.

Instead of doing the work to craft a well-developed character, this story is trying to manipulate us into liking him. Since his past is so bad, WE’RE bad people if we’re still not onboard with him, right? Sympathizing with a character who has trauma isn’t enough of a reason to like him, or want him with the heroine. You know what would make me like him? If he had an interesting arc, likeable personality traits, or had seemed to LIKE Oli at all during the first 4 books (their 1 civil conversation in Forced Bonds doesn’t count). I guess that’s too much to ask.

He does some non-horrible things this book (like help Oli when she was freaking out in the showers). But he hasn’t earned the ABRUPT change into a guy who would do this. He went from point A to Point C and skipped Point B in between. He’s suddenly just a different person, using Magic Stuff (the soul bond) as a shortcut. This isn’t satisfying, and it’s not good storytelling.

Since we feel bad for him now, the story doesn’t seem to think that he needs to answer for his behavior in the first 4 books. This is some rape apologist bullshit. I like dubious consent books, so I’m not standing on some moral high ground, here! But good dub con doesn’t try to make excuses for the hero, or brush off or retcon what he did. THIS story is essentially saying, “If you have a problem with how Nox treated Oli until this point, look at what he suffered, you monster!” Atlas – the only reasonable one who RIGHTFULLY has hated Nox! – is called a “bully” for his stance. This book can fuck off with that.

While the story is twisting itself into a pretzel trying to get us to love Nox, it’s also doing character assassination on Gryphon and North. They both knew Nox’s backstory. Making a survivor have sex when he doesn’t want to (the way Gryphon did last book) is evil! And it’s INSANE that North didn’t tell the bond group about Nox, so that they could all be aware of his triggers and keep Oli and him both safe. This trauma backstory is so poorly thought out, since in order for it to make sense, North and Gryphon have to be bad people. But these books have been building it up for SO LONG, there was time to have it make more sense. It’s sloppy as hell.

This book is so focused on trying to make us love Nox, it’s coming at the expense of other characters. It's breaking better characters, just to make 1 poorly conceived character happen.

Even though it doesn’t sound like it from this rant, I did like other parts of the book. Jericho was interesting and so was the god bond stuff. We got an Atlas and Gabe threesome, some good North and Gryphon scenes. Atlas can tear his enemies in half without touching them! Everyone roasted Oli for bringing a parka to Alaska in the summer! Zoey (from book 1) got LONG awaited comeuppance! We find out that Oli's bond has turned against its past "vessels" so it might turn against her and kill her, which is interesting! There was some enjoyable stuff outside of the Nox plotline.

The fact that Nox ruins an otherwise great series makes it even more frustrating than if this was just bad. It’s also frustrating because he could have been a good character. If the story had NO intention of giving him consequences for his SA of Oli, he could have simply not done that! (For a Nox type of character done better, see Ciro from The Dark Elite: Complete Series Box Set). Or this series could have grown some balls and given him an actual redemption arc (like Dukes of Madness did for Nick, another MUCH better character who did non con to his heroine) instead of this poorly developed non-arc for Nox that’s just Trauma Porn.

I’ll still read the last book. Hopefully when it all ends, I’ll still love this series overall. But more likely, I’ll see it as missed potential for a series that COULD have been fantastic…if only the author wasn’t so focused on trying to sell us on a bad character, at the cost of everything else.

[Poppyflowerjj · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐
4/5 🌶️

J Bree continues to OWN me with this series. OWN ME!! Truly one the most innovative, creative, and addictive PNR series I’ve ever read. The characters dynamics are so well written, the plot always intriguing, the spice fits the story perfectly. I’M OBSESSED. The emotions were running so high with this one. Nox is one of my favorite character and his death nearly killed me. Waiting for book 6 (Unbroken Bonds) to come out is going to be torture.

#1 Broken Bonds: ★★★★★ | 5 stars
#2 Savage Bonds: ★★★★ | 4.5 stars
#3 Blood Bonds: ★★★★ | 4.5 stars
#4 Forced Bonds ★★★★ | 4 stars
#5 Tragic Bonds ★★★★ | 4.5 stars

Quotes:
“Recovery isn't about wiping the board clean. Recovery is learning how to function around all of the scars and open wounds inside of us.”

“She was fucking made for me, a gift I do not deserve.”

“Not even death can keep us apart. Every part of you belongs to me, and I will tear any man apart who dares to get in my way. Bond or not.”

[ess ⚡︎ (mostly hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

NOXOLI NOX NOXOLI NOX NOXOLI NOX NOXOLI 🫶🏽 i knew from the get go that nox was gon my fav (cha bitch u was right)

“You saw every part of me, and I, you. I have no questions left, no unknowns. You can leave now if you want to, but don’t go for my sake because… I’d rather have you in here.”

”He smiles at me. An actual smile stretches over his lips without a hit of sarcasm or derision.”

gotta give it 3 cus miss bree cooked on their traumasoulties it felt pure, i loved them and our draven brothers. book started off so good with that

… then midway in it’s the same filler clusterfuck of this series that i don’t care to keep up with anymore. only interesting parts are the first few chapters, sex, last few chapters.

lowk wish the smut in the series was more well written too

[Lucie V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ Characters
✅ Multiple POVs
✅ Reverse harem
✅ More smut
✅ Powers
✅ Action
✅🆗 Nox’s redemption arc was missing
✅🆗 Slower pace
🆗 Repetitive plot
❌ I don’t understand why Oli doesn’t use her superpower to wipe the Resistance off the face of the Earth.
❌ Overuse of the words “bond” and “bonded”
❗️❗️Cliffhanger
❗️❗️Trigger warning: terrorism, mentions of murders and past torture, mentions of pedophilia and incest (past, nothing graphic), mild PTSD, and mentions of past alcohol problems

_______________________

Second read: Sadly, this book is where the series is starting to drag and go downhill. This could and should have been a 4-book series.

With this reread, I am even more annoyed with the fact that Oli’s Bond is described as the baddest, strongest motherfucker there is, or ever was, yet they don’t use her to just wipe out the resistance. They plan small attacks and deal with casualties instead of just letting Oli’s Bond out to destroy them all.
She said that she could render souls from a whole state if she wanted to, so she should be able to deal with a resistance camp without all the support and hassle that comes with organizing missions.
She should just walk over there and kill them all.
End of story.

_______________________

3.5 stars

I loved some parts, but the repetitive plot is getting too much for me to turn a blind eye to it.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The first half of the series was very addictive and entertaining, but now it’s like trash TV. It’s not always that good, but I still want to continue and know what will happen. At this point, I’m reading this series more for the characters than the plot. This book was Nox’s time to shine, even though I was hoping for a better redemption arc.

“We fight for ourselves, for each other, for our community. We fight to fix the evils these people have wrought, for the family we still have and the family we’ve lost. We fight to finish this once and for all, because we can’t live like this forever. We deserve better than this.”

Tragic Bonds picks up right where Forced Bonds ends, and Oli needs to keep her head clear if she hopes to be able to save her Bonded Group. Sadly, though, after those first few chapters of trying to undo the tragedy that happened at the end of the fourth book, it was pretty much the same “living in the Sanctuary and trying to figure out what to do about the Resistance” dance that we had for most of the fourth book.

There was, again, too much Bond/Bonded talk. The words “bond” or “bonded” were used 500 times in the book! 500 times in a 530-page book, that’s almost once every page!

The plot is getting repetitive and a little annoying, and that’s the reason I can’t objectively give this book a higher rating, even if I am in love with the characters and addicted to the series overall.

Oleander’s bond manifesting and tearing the souls out of everyone within a ten-mile radius is.

I don’t understand why Oli doesn’t use her superpower to wipe the Resistance off the face of the Earth. It doesn’t make sense. She could have killed them all 3 books ago. This time, she had a good reason why she couldn’t unleash her powers on the camps, but she didn’t have any excuse in the previous books. I just don’t understand why this is dragging on for so long if she is so powerful and so hell-bent on eradicating them. Or even why North didn’t just touch him and kill him with his Death-rending gift? Or his and Nox’s shadows? It seems they are all so powerful, yet they don’t even really try to defeat the Resistance.

At least, there was action, and the fighting scenes were good.
But, then, there is Silas Davies. Why is he still alive? Oli had many occasions where she could have killed him, yet she didn’t.
➡️ In the third book, she had to wait for Kieran to tell her bond to take over for her to kill the shield and wreak havoc, instead of just killing the shield and Davies from the start, since she was obviously able to kill the shield on her own.
➡️In the fourth book, they met Davies when he attacked the Hail Mary, yet he walked away.
➡️ Later in the fourth book, when Oli was in Davies' camp, she could feel him and Lydia in their tent, but she didn’t take their souls.

I think the explanation for that is that Davies is insanely powerful, too, and Oli is not sure if she can take him out, which makes no sense to me. She kept asking in the last 2 books if the guys think that she would be strong enough to take Davies or Lydia’s souls, but she also said in the previous books that she never found a limit to her gift, and that she could take out a whole state at once if she felt like it. Yet, you would have me believe that she is unsure of being able to take Davies’ soul or his bonded’s? It’s not consistent, and it really bothers me. I feel at this point that the author made this group of super powerful gifted beings, but also wanted the plot to drag on for 6 books, so she decided to have the characters doubt their abilities, and stay on the defensive instead of going on the offensive, and basically just let themselves be beaten by the Resistance because they wouldn’t use the full power of their gifts.

Recovery isn't about wiping the board clean. Recovery is learning how to function around all of the scars and open wounds inside of us.

We finally get answers about Nox!
After edging us for four books, the author finally spilled the beans about Nox and his dark past. It was great to finally understand his hatred towards the idea of having Oli as a Bond, and also heartbreaking to see all the trauma he’s been living with since he was a child. I just knew that he would find a place in my heart right next to his brother, and he did! That being said, he was still horrible to Oli in the first books, and even though I am happy they got their “clean slates”, I still feel that his appalling behavior toward Oli should have been addressed before they moved forward with their fresh start.

I love the Nox we saw in this book, but I would have really liked it more if he had been held accountable and we saw his character arc instead of him just doing a 180 ° because of what happened at the end of the previous book and the beginning of this one. It’s like a love/hate relationship: I love the character, but I hate that he got where he is now suddenly and with some soul-magic mojo and a chance to see Oli’s past as the only real explanation for his change of behavior, and no accountability simply because Oli finally learned how traumatized he’d been as a kid. Sure, it explains the behavior, but it doesn’t excuse it.

Oli’s Bonds are still awesome and amazing and the best.
The rest of the Bonds are pretty much the same in this book as they were in the fourth one, though, so there is no need to write all the same things again. I will only say that North Draven is my favorite in the group. I want to marry him and have him feed me and care for me for the rest of my life. Please and thank you.

I am missing Sage and her Bonded Group. Where were they in this book? We saw a few glimpses of them, and that was it. Her bonding to Kieran was not mentioned at all, except once it was done, and she just ceased to exist, except for those few times when Oli needed some girl time or another woman with her for a specific task. It is a little disappointing, because the strong friendship between Oli and Sage is one of the things that I adored from the first book, and I even remember writing in my review that it was nice to have the MC or a reverse harem series having meaningful interactions with someone other than her love interests… I feel that it is not true anymore, and it saddens me.

I only have one book left, and hopefully it will not be more repetition of the same conversations and battles with the resistance members. I love this series, but it is time for it to come to an end.


1. Broken Bonds ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
2. Savage Bonds ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Blood Bonds ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
4. Forced Bonds ⭐⭐⭐⭐


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[Aviva’s Library · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNFing at 28%

The only reason I even started this book was because I wanted to see how the ending of book four ended up playing out - and now that all of that is settled… I couldn’t give two shits about what else happens, so I’m giving up before I waste any more of my time and get even more frustrated.

The moment I truly decided I was done with all of this was when Oli thought that none of her other bonds would have understood and accepted her the way Nox did now that he knows everything about her past and all the trauma she’s been through. I mean, are you for real?! How the fuck can you think that when they literally all grovel at your feet 24/7 for attention and affection like a bunch of love sick puppies? —- at least she felt bad and stupid for not knowing one of her bonds parents were still alive… was there no time to have a deep conversation between all of the fucking and sleepovers you guys had in the past four books? Don’t give me these eternal sole bonded relationships and then keep it all extremely surface level where none of them actually know anything about each other and they all keep secrets to themselves.

I’m honestly a bit angry because the potential this story/idea had was literally so good and I feel like it was wasted. There are so many plot-holes and unanswered questions… info dumpy world building coming in way too late in the series and therefore I no longer give a shit about it… and the one character that had the largest potential for a great story arc and redemption gets two seconds of bullshit trauma bonding and now all is right in the world. What a fucking let down. — If only I saw through the addictive feeling it had in the beginning, I could have saved myself a lot of time and aggravation.

I feel like between my other four reviews I made for each book in the series, I more or less covered all the issues I had with it and everything that had bothered me throughout… so I won’t repeat it all again - but unfortunately (and obviously) this series did not work for me - but if it did for you, then that’s great. Not every story is gonna be for everyone and that’s okay. —— Also, I did deep dive into some of the lower rated reviews on goodreads for this series and there are so many amazing points that a lot of other readers make… and I basically agree with every single thing I came across - so if you want more in depth reviews of the issues these books have… I highly recommend searching through there because there’s a ton of things people already wrote and pointed out that I couldn’t have said better myself.

[Noi (in & out) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hello, my name is Noi, and I'm a fool for actually thinking I'd get some answers from this book.

There were like 4? cute moments
(the Gabe and guys part, North smiling, the Nox thing, and Gryphon).
Maybe 3 SMALL pieces of information
(the bond thing, the change thing, a sliver of a motive).
Two 'twists'
(the way back past, the end).
One book left.

It could have easily been 200-250 pages and stuck to one of the other books.
-----------------------
Buddy Read with Bella 💕
Hoping for some answers

[Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m gonna need J Bree to stop with the cliffhangers before I’m reduced to a lady with delicate sensibilities

[Rogueish · Rating 1 out of 5]

In book three when Nox is going through a resistance camp looking for Kyrie (Gryphons sister) so he can retrieve his shadow creature, his inner monologue explains how Kyrie and Gryphon are so close because their parents have died... SURPRISE! Gryphon and Kyries parents aren't dead... Considering Nox and Gryphon are so close, you would think he actually knew his supposed bff better than that.... Especially considering Nox and North have the biggest issues with Gryphons dad...

I don't understand how so many people can genuinely like this series... Especially when there are so many contradictions...

Like whenever Everyone is interrogating one of Atlas sisters bonds Jericho, and Nox decides to ask if Davies is such a threat why does he kidnap people that are basically children with no challenging powers (or something along the lines of that) when the whole group basically just got back from a recon mission to retrieve Unser (a powerful ally)

I used to be all for this series, until I had read it about 5 times over and kept noticing mistakes... AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WHERE ARE THE TRIGGER WARNINGS? She doesn't ever go into details about rapes, but she does allude to rape A LOT.... This book basically starts off with Nox being sexually abused by his mother and even though I don't have any triggers, that still gave me a jolt...

Also what is with her running around like an idiot everytime one of the guys says something about how her parents died? Like I get it, it was traumatic, but there was no purpose of running around like a chicken with its head cut off...

Her facebook group is full of mindless stans, and I know how malicious they can get when someone is going after their precious author... But this series is so poorly written it's ridiculous... And NONE of them see it... Ridiculous... I'm done...

[Stephanie ☾]

Praying that J. Bree fixes all the faults of the previous books. 🙏🏻

Please, just no repetitive plot, a good dose of world-building, better smut and some good damn conversations!!!

[Nγx ❦ {CLOSED ACCOUNT} · Rating 4 out of 5]

⚜𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐈𝐈⚜ Since I'm going to binge read the last three books of this series, i will write an overall review for all three of them on my review of Unbroken Bonds. But these 4 stars are for Nox and Nox alone.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
⚜𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐈⚜ That cover!!!!! 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐇*𝐓. 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓. 𝐓𝐇𝐄. 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋. 𝐅#𝐂𝐊. I can't even think right now, i swear to God this is torture, what 𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 is this sh*t. How in the bloody Fu#king pixie dust am i suppose to still hold on and not read 𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖈𝖊𝖉 𝕭𝖔𝖓𝖉𝖘 when you show me this meth coated cover?!?!
I'm so confused like i want this book to come out because the faster it's released the faster the 6th will get here. Then i can get my hands on the 3 of them and finally end 𝐌𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. But also no, why are you getting a blurb or cover and a released date when i still can't read you for my own 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲. So not fair.

]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬. Am i reading this right? 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂!!! 𝐉. 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐌𝐘 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 Is that it? Cause if that's a 𝐘𝐄𝐒! then you have succeeded, quite 𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 i may add. What the hell happened in 𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖈𝖊𝖉 𝕭𝖔𝖓𝖉𝖘? You know what? Nope Don't tell me i'm done, just shoot me already. 𝐅𝐌𝐋!!

[Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was so disappointing! I truly don’t understand how everyone is giving 5 stars all around. It was so bland and tedious. It took me several days to finish this book when I usually would have inhaled it in one. Absolutely nothing happened, there was no real plot, just a giant piece of filler. Just repetitively going through the motions.

It was very one tone, aside from a few small scenes, I felt the exact same all the way through the book. There wasn’t any cute banter to laugh at, “spicy” scenes were bland and horribly unemotional. Oil was getting “stuck in her head” for several of them, which means you get stuck right in there with her…

The Nox drama was just so flat and annoying honestly. Several other reviewers have touched on this, but his trauma was just totally swept aside. I really hate when an author just tells you everything instead of showing, and that’s what the last few books have become. Every little detail has to be on the page but nothing feels organic and because of that you lose a lot of the emotion when reading. It’s very mechanical. Nox’s trauma was just a little tick box to say, ok filled that plot hole, right? Not to mention, the truth behind his behavior makes previous books make less sense, especially the whole Forced Bond thing. That title in light of Nox’s past got to a whole other level..

I didn’t feel like there was any character development at all in this book, or the past one. Oil is exactly the same, her bonds are the same, no one has grown at all since the first or second book. Except for the fact that everyone is just ridiculously OP. Oil’s whole “my bonds hate me and are going to reject me” is just bs and getting annoying at this point. She was never this insecure before she bonded and it doesn’t make sense for her personality to shift so drastically from the sassy and brave Oli to insecure and a bit pitiful. It’s not even that she’s scared, I get that her trauma isn’t erased because she’s bonded, but her reactions and thought process just doesn’t make sense. It’s too mechanical, too black and white, and not enough showing of emotions and trauma through actions not just word vomiting Oil’s every thought.

I desperately want to see her relationships truly grow. I want to see beyond the whole, they’re my bonds so I just love them so much. I want to feel the depth of their bonds, I want it to hit me, not just be told over and over again how they feel. There’s just not much substance to their relationships at this point. I feel like once Oli started to bond with the guys, the author stopped making an effort to show you why Oli should love them and why we as readers should root for them.

I’m just devastated at how much I anticipated this book and how let down I am. I felt a little bit like crying at the end like, this is it? Just one giant filler book, nothing happened, and it wasn’t even fun to read.

[Kateřina · Rating 2 out of 5]

The anticipation for this book was great, and the series continues to be a page turner. I wish I could say I enjoyed Tragic bonds as much as I loved the first book, but I can’t say that. While there were moments that I really enjoyed, unfortunately to me this book is a culmination of several problems that the series collected along the way, and all of them are connected to one character.

The way the story treats Nox is baffling. I still don’t understand what his character arc is supposed to be. Up until now, his only characteristic was that he absolutely loathes Oli, to the point when he sexually assaulted her, wants nothing to do with her, is in the bond group only because of North, and any attempt at his growth or character development was squashed with ‘He has issues’. For. Four. Books.

We finally get some answers about his trauma and don’t get me wrong, his past is probably even more horrific than most of us thought. But trauma only explains one’s actions, it doesn’t excuse them, and this book does absolutely nothing to redeem him in any meaningful way. He gets brought back to life, he soul bonds with Oli, and that’s it. Their souls merged, they know everything about each other, no other explanations or apologies needed, right? Yeah, no, that is such a cop out. And what’s worse, the other bonds just easily accept this, and Atlas, the only one who has always had an appropriate reaction to Nox’s behaviour, is once again painted as overreacting.

As a result of this abrupt change, his presence in the book just feels so forced, and unnatural, and other characters have to bend backwards to make it work. Which is another problem. Oli learns of his past and suddenly loves him (not just the bond), and forgives him. Instead of an opportunity for them to heal together, him apologising and her finally stopping blaming herself, we get a smut scene that does absolutely nothing for me, because, why the hell should I feel anything more than disinterest for a character that so far had like two civil conversations with Oli? The SA scene is not discussed at all, nor is the fact that even after knowing about his past, Gryphon and North pushed for their interactions, which just honestly feels so irresponsible and out of character for people very much obsessed with their central’s well-being and safety, not sure what the author’s intentions were here.

I actually like the rest of the plot. Atlas and Gabe are given more space in this book, which is always a plus, we learn a lot about the void-eyed bonds and what the resistance has been plotting. I just can’t help feeling that things were a bit rushed, again caused by dragging out Nox’s issues, which honestly should have been dealt with long time ago and giving him and Oli a chance of building a proper relationship instead of turning Oli into a doormat for her bonds who lost all of her personality from the first book. And no, being sassy doesn’t equal an identity, or a strong heroine.

I will read the last instalment, but I mourn the first book, which had a potential to turn this story into a phenomenal series, only to be ruined by a character who could have been great, but whose execution leaves much to be desired.

[Books Are The Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the 4.5 star read for me but I round it off to 5 because I am also judging the series cumulatively now. This installment in the series brought a lot of new things but at the same time there was also a lot of repetition. It is not the same material but I feel like the last 3 books have fell into a generic plot where the characters navigate the relationships in the first half and then in the end they go in some sort of Battlefield where either they lose or they win and the ending has some sort of twist in it . But overall I really enjoyed the story and it's because the author has created such realistic characters that we are invested in their lives. In the plot itself there are a lot of loose ends still now and the sixth book is really going to be explosive but the task is monumental because there is still so much to unravel.
I also love that the character evolution of Nox was not a 360 degree turn and the progression was very natural. It is something which is usually very common in other stories where the person who seems like the most damaged one suddenly turns into the most possessive hero and his character completely changes after all the cards are out on the deck. So it was really refreshing to see the genuine portrayal how a person despite being on good terms with the fmc still has some issues to navigate and they are not magically gone.
But I feel like we need a lot more group scenes because they are the ones which I enjoy the most and it would also be great to see more friendship and bonding scenes in the harem because right now it seems like there is a divide between the older members in the harem that is Gryphon, North and Nox and younger ones i.e. Gabe and Atlas.
Lastly I want Oleander's character to be a bit more self confident because it seems like she feels herself to be inferor than all of her bonded men and it was really endearing in the first couple of books but now she has proved herself repeatedly so her constant questioning of her potential makes her look a bit weak. Now that I am reading my review it seems like I have listed a lot of negative things but trust me on this that the book was really worth it and it was really good. it's just that when you really love a series and become connected to the characters you start expecting a lot more from it and its really unfair but yeah we are humans. And I could read another 3 books about them so it's really freaking me out that there is only one book left. So that is why the review is what it is. But I have full faith in the author that she is going to give us an explosive finale. Really looking forward to it!!!

[Eli24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

البته در اصل ۳.۸ ستاره
نه اینکه این جلد بد بوده باشه اصلا فقط اینکه به نسبت باقی جلدای قبلی هیجانش کمتر بود😅
شاید هم نویسنده اخر جلد قبلی بد شوکی داد و کاری کرد تا در مقابل هر شوک دیگه ای مقاوم بشیم🤷🏻‍♀️
یه چیزی که وسط اپدیت هام هم گفته بودم اینکه پنج جلد خوندیم و هنوز هیچ اطلاعات دقیقی نداریم و خیلی چیزا هنوز مشخص نشده.
اما حداقل ماجرا نوکس مشخص شد(و با اینکه هنوز ازش خوشم نمیاد) و حالا میشه یکم از رفتاراشو توجیح کرد(اما باز هم همشو نه... مخصوصا اون کاراش تو جلد اول😒)
و الان دیگه وقتشه برم سراغ جلد اخر و ببینم ته ماجرای این خدایان بی اعصاب سکسی چی میشه 🤭

پ.ن: هنوز هم اطلس چندشه 🥴

[ariyel ੭ (semi ia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars! ☆
⤿ no spoilers ﹒⟢

yeah i think i’m done. i got through five books, so i’m counting that as a win. no way i could reread the last one. this book took all my energy. i remember the final book being pretty disappointing anyway, so maybe i dodged something there.

this one was just… so repetitive. like pick a new problem. every single book it’s “i’m a monster,” “no you’re not, we still love you.” rinse and repeat. that alone could’ve shaved off an entire book.

i started skimming at one point because i just wanted to be done. it sucks because there were things i liked, but it’s all buried under so much filler. the pacing dragged, and i really don’t think this series needed six books.

i’m good calling it here.


━━━━ ⊱⋆⊰ ━━━━

☆ 🖇️ pre-read 𖥻 ＜꒱

k… this series is starting to feel like a marathon. i liked the last few books more this time but i need this one to actually do something.


the bonds that tie
⌗﹒ 01 broken bonds — 3.75 ☆
⌗﹒ 02 savage bonds — 4 ☆
⌗﹒ 03 blood bonds — 3.75 ☆
⌗﹒ 04 forced bonds — 3.5 ☆
⌗﹒ 05 tragic bonds — 3 ☆
⌗﹒ 06 unbroken bonds — 2.75 ☆

[Auudreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

ೃ⁀➷ 3.5⭐️ (just because this series becomes a little too long)

This book got me cry ugly tears, Nox’s story is the most tragic one, not surprising Oli calls him his most damaged bond. He definitely is. And I wanna protect Oleander so bad and the thoughts she can have against herself 😟

Every broken and scarred inch of him is known to me. And I love it all.

This is the fifth book of a series so there might be spoilers

This series does feel repetitive at some point. It’s always, them going on a fight with the Resistance, something major happens there and they go back healing/thinking/get prepared for another fight. This is why i rated it 3.5⭐️

Recovery isn't about wiping the board clean. Recovery is learning how to function around all of the scars and open wounds inside of us.

What I still love so much is how every bond is protective of Oli, sometimes maybe a little too much (hey Atlas, this one’s for you babe). There are 5 grown up men and I can’t seem to be able to pick a favorite. It’s a shame really. (maybe Nox just got a little higher on this book but his past broke me in pieces and now I feel very protective of him)

"You saw every part of me, and I, you. I have no questions left, no unknowns.
You can leave now if you want to, but don't go for my sake because... I'd rather have you in here."

J Bree knows how to write cliffhangers 😱 that’s for sure, I HAD to pick book 6 and start it to know what’s happening right away cause I couldn’t go to bed this way. I’m very curious as to how the last book is gonna close this amazing romantasy series.

 « Not even death can tear us apart »

Anyways, you guys should read this series if you love reversed harem, protective men, super badass FMC, and spicy scenes.🌶️💕

Kisses 💋

[Kati *☆･ﾟ]

OMG this new cover is to die for 😭😭😭
They all are!!
Can't wait to put that on my shelf!!!

Not sure yet, I'm really in love with the series but I have fallen SO HARD for these covers for each of the bonds. This is Atlas btw.

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

[✧ FLINN ✧ (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This installment was okay but a bit weak (like the previous one).

I think I'm ready to accept that this series has lost its spark and will, sadly, never be in the same caliber as the three first books.

It's still one of the best PNR series of 2022 or more even, don't get me wrong, but the plot is becoming predictable and the characters assassination of the guys are becoming even worse.

Gabe and Atlas are now just background characters and sometimes it's even hard to distinguish who is talking/ who is who, they look so much alike now.
Gryf' my man was not the same hard, almost cold/calculating toward others and a softie in the inside like in book 1 and 2.
North who was dark and handsome is now whiny and cliché (even tough I loved seeing his vulnerable side, that part was great).

LIKE @Claire said --S P O I L E R S
Don't even get me starting on Nox, she has just revamped this character without even him apologizing for the things he has done to Oli (like the r*pe) or even without him acknowledging his past mistakes. END OF SPOILERS
I wanted Oli to hold him accountable and I'm sorry but having a traumatic past doesn't absolve your wrongdoing in my eyes. I was so pissed when she said "I've already forgiven him", let him apologize at least ???!!

3 stars !

Anyway, still curious about the final book !

[✨Julie✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something that always bothers me about these books is that when push comes to shove, it’s their bonds and not them that take over and save the day. What’s the point of all the training if they’re essentially just a vessel for a parasitic god? All of them becoming such special snowflakes seemed like overkill to me. The ending was unexpected but I feel like the author is really dragging this series out at this point. After all the build up, I am doubtful that she can pull off a satisfactory ending that doesn’t feel like just another battle scene. I was pretty over it by book four but I’m committed to finishing out the series!

—————————————————————————

Picking this back up after a long hiatus. I’m too invested at this point not to finish this series but six books was overkill. Also, gotta say, there’s nothing about the group sex scenes that I find appealing. 🥴 I’m not a fan of reverse harem but I have stuck around for the storyline. If the author could have found another way to write this story without that aspect I think this series could have been massively popular. As is, those scenes are very disruptive to the progression of the story in my opinion and I am not excited to read more of them. And the amount of times the words “bond” and “bonded” are used is excruciating.

[Jo ✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread 10/2025 - still love this book the most out of all. Nox’s story is so incredibly heartbreaking and watching him finally, FINALLY begin to heal and let Oli in made me cry!

I swear these books have crack in them. I can’t put them down!!! Nox Draven, my beloved. I just love him. Incredible considering I wasn’t sure how he could come back from what he did in book 1, but he’s my favorite bond and I’m giving this book 5 stars purely for all the Nox moments we got. This book broke my heart and then healed it, had me giggling and kicking my feet, and now I’m FREAKING OUT because that last line- 🤯 I already know I’ll get nothing done tomorrow until I finish the final book.

[Valkyrie ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like someone took a spoon and scrambled my brains with it, but still, this is probably my favorite book in the series so far.

Thank you J Bree for edging me for five long books before giving me all the answers to the mystery that is Nox Draven. That was a great release. I feel great now. Well, except not. Because the trauma of what happened to Nox is just atrocious. But I can finally say I understand what’s going on. I still think she made some questionable choices that had nothing to do with Nox’ trauma, and kinda ruined things for me.

But I can’t deny how obsessed I am with the Draven brothers. They are my whole personality right now, ngl. And I loved how Bree decided to close the gap between Oli and Nox. Only something as big as what happened would have convinced me that it made sense for Nox to start accepting her. At the same time, not everything was fixed magically thanks to the soul-bond, and I appreciated that. That being said, it felt like Oli sacrificed a lot more for him than Nox did for her. There’s an unavoidable imbalance between them that doesn’t sit well with me., but there's no way around it I'm afraid.

Poor Atlas was done so dirty again. That scene with his parents… yikes. I hated it, and how only Oli and Gabe were really there for him. We still have one book left, but I need these Bond dudes to “bond” together a bit more, ngl.

Gabe and his dragon were perfect. You’re doing great, sweetie.

I can’t wait to meet Gryphon’s god. Can you imagine if he’s also a dirty talker? I may die lol

I decided to wait to read this series until it was finished, and I think my enjoyment suffered because of it. The anticipation definitely gave me high expectations. I’m hoping the ending is good enough.

[⋆˙sanyae˙⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i feel like this series is being dragggggged out. but i love the fmc, oli and her bonded family so i have mixed feelings.



⋆⭒˚.⋆pre~read⋆.˚⭒⋆
the audio is helping me fly through this series. it's my guilty pleasure🤭


♡ i rented the audiobook from the library♡