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Elemental Bonds #2
Impulsive Connections
an alternative cover edition can be found here
Ignited by accident, fueled by fate. Some bonds burn brighter than any flame.
Kade Mills has spent over a decade dreaming of his ideal meet-cute. Surely the universe wouldn't toss the perfect mage at him while he's a scarred shadow of his former flirtatious self, recovering from his last encounter with the malicious spirits haunting his pack's territory.
Liam Batiste is a man of simple pleasures; a quiet room and a stack of books are all he needs to be happy. He's only in Lost Creek to help his friend save the Mills pack from the unknown evil infesting their land, but everything changes when he and Kade are paired up to capture the supernatural threat.
After a run-in with a spirit leaves them entangled—physically and magically—they must learn to control the newfound power their unwanted connection grants them. As they struggle to resist the heady pull of their bond, they begin to realize it may hold the key to defeating the dark forces that are endangering far more than just Kade's pack… and perhaps it's not as unwelcome as they first thought.
Impulsive Connections is a steamy 149k M/M paranormal romance featuring a playboy wolf shifter, a nerdy mage, and friends who are trying their very best not to meddle. This simmering slow burn is perfect for readers who love reluctant mates, unintended bonds, forced proximity, unfortunate bed shortages, and knotting. While it guarantees a happy ending for its main couple, the overarching plot does contain cliffhangers, and the series should be read in order. Please look inside for content warnings. (This series does not contain mpreg.)
Ignited by accident, fueled by fate. Some bonds burn brighter than any flame.
Kade Mills has spent over a decade dreaming of his ideal meet-cute. Surely the universe wouldn't toss the perfect mage at him while he's a scarred shadow of his former flirtatious self, recovering from his last encounter with the malicious spirits haunting his pack's territory.
Liam Batiste is a man of simple pleasures; a quiet room and a stack of books are all he needs to be happy. He's only in Lost Creek to help his friend save the Mills pack from the unknown evil infesting their land, but everything changes when he and Kade are paired up to capture the supernatural threat.
After a run-in with a spirit leaves them entangled—physically and magically—they must learn to control the newfound power their unwanted connection grants them. As they struggle to resist the heady pull of their bond, they begin to realize it may hold the key to defeating the dark forces that are endangering far more than just Kade's pack… and perhaps it's not as unwelcome as they first thought.
Impulsive Connections is a steamy 149k M/M paranormal romance featuring a playboy wolf shifter, a nerdy mage, and friends who are trying their very best not to meddle. This simmering slow burn is perfect for readers who love reluctant mates, unintended bonds, forced proximity, unfortunate bed shortages, and knotting. While it guarantees a happy ending for its main couple, the overarching plot does contain cliffhangers, and the series should be read in order. Please look inside for content warnings. (This series does not contain mpreg.)
602 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 14, 2024
About the author
Marie Reynard
6 books555 followersMarie Reynard is an American in Japan, teaching English by day and writing M/M paranormal romance by night. Her steamy, snarky stories will take you from first kiss to forever with a few Fs in between—including found family, flirty banter, fake dating, and a fair amount of fu...n. Check out her website for more information on her books, and join her mailing list to get a free story or two and be the first to know about upcoming releases!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
December 13, 2024
“Elijah,” Aran said, “you just invited us to the shittiest bootlegged version of Pokémon GO ever, didn’t you”.
4.5 starts rounded down.
I remember one of my biggest take-aways from Accidental Bonds was that this story had SO MUCH potential- the banter, the magic, the world building, the mage/wolf relationships, the spice- but that being the first book in a larger story inherently meant that you wouldn’t be able to tell if it would live up to that potential without letting it get some more legs under it. So, I had been eagerly awaiting this book and had high hopes for it and I am happy to report that this lived up to all my expectations, and I had a great time coming back to this world.
I think that it’s safe to say that Marie Reynard has got the market cornered on endearing idiots to lovers because this was just so much fun.
Kade playing the role of the oblivious fuckboy to Liams academically smart but ‘oblivious to things outside of books’ nerd, made for some delightful banter and chemistry and while you wouldn’t necessarily think that they are a match that works I enjoyed how much sense they made together as you got to know the deeper layers of each character.
Considering how their bond started I thought that the book did a great job of navigating the aftermath and building something between Kade and Liam that was a strong, positive and loving bond (which I think a lot of books might have struggled with given the circumstances).
I did have a few moments were the development between Liam and Kade kind of felt like it dragged a little and would have been solved with some honest conversations, but then Kade had to go and have his little internal monologue acknowledging that miscommunication was one of his least favourite tropes in his trashy romance novels and despite that, he was so nervous that he doing the same thing in his reluctance to talk to Liam and I couldn’t help but laugh at them.
I am only now just realizing that this thing was a beastly 600 pages which explains why I felt at the time I was reading slowly but its only cause its twice the length I thought it was hahaha. The part of me that loved this and wants as much as I can get isn’t complaining, but the more realistic part of me thinks that this probably could have gotten away with being a little shorter.
The overarching story is great! I really loved the addition of Elijahs friends in this book and more about the other neighboring packs and potential villains (Aran/ Pierce enemies to lovers next?? Yes?? please???). I also really appreciated that the story didn’t just drop Elijah and Victor because their story was told in book 1, instead, while changing focus to a new couple, we got to continue to see them work together while the book uses their foundation as the corner stone to continue to build out to enrich the world.
It has been a joy to see how much Reynard’s writing has improved in even the short time that she has been releasing books in this universe, but her craft and her special brand of cheesy fun PNR humor really does seem to be getting stronger book to book.
The wait for Book 3 is going to suck but I can’t wait. Thank you to the GRR for the opportunity to read and review this ARC ❤️
Slight spoilers but it should be noted as a content warning this story heavily features a dub-con/sex pollen-esque storyline and that if this isn't a trope that works for you please respect your boundaries and be kind to yourself.
Pre-read
excited to see what Marie Reynard will bring to the table with her third full length novel ❤️ werewolves, mages and romance- don't mind if it do!
4.5 starts rounded down.
I remember one of my biggest take-aways from Accidental Bonds was that this story had SO MUCH potential- the banter, the magic, the world building, the mage/wolf relationships, the spice- but that being the first book in a larger story inherently meant that you wouldn’t be able to tell if it would live up to that potential without letting it get some more legs under it. So, I had been eagerly awaiting this book and had high hopes for it and I am happy to report that this lived up to all my expectations, and I had a great time coming back to this world.
I think that it’s safe to say that Marie Reynard has got the market cornered on endearing idiots to lovers because this was just so much fun.
Kade playing the role of the oblivious fuckboy to Liams academically smart but ‘oblivious to things outside of books’ nerd, made for some delightful banter and chemistry and while you wouldn’t necessarily think that they are a match that works I enjoyed how much sense they made together as you got to know the deeper layers of each character.
Considering how their bond started I thought that the book did a great job of navigating the aftermath and building something between Kade and Liam that was a strong, positive and loving bond (which I think a lot of books might have struggled with given the circumstances).
I did have a few moments were the development between Liam and Kade kind of felt like it dragged a little and would have been solved with some honest conversations, but then Kade had to go and have his little internal monologue acknowledging that miscommunication was one of his least favourite tropes in his trashy romance novels and despite that, he was so nervous that he doing the same thing in his reluctance to talk to Liam and I couldn’t help but laugh at them.
I am only now just realizing that this thing was a beastly 600 pages which explains why I felt at the time I was reading slowly but its only cause its twice the length I thought it was hahaha. The part of me that loved this and wants as much as I can get isn’t complaining, but the more realistic part of me thinks that this probably could have gotten away with being a little shorter.
The overarching story is great! I really loved the addition of Elijahs friends in this book and more about the other neighboring packs and potential villains (Aran/ Pierce enemies to lovers next?? Yes?? please???). I also really appreciated that the story didn’t just drop Elijah and Victor because their story was told in book 1, instead, while changing focus to a new couple, we got to continue to see them work together while the book uses their foundation as the corner stone to continue to build out to enrich the world.
It has been a joy to see how much Reynard’s writing has improved in even the short time that she has been releasing books in this universe, but her craft and her special brand of cheesy fun PNR humor really does seem to be getting stronger book to book.
The wait for Book 3 is going to suck but I can’t wait. Thank you to the GRR for the opportunity to read and review this ARC ❤️
Slight spoilers but it should be noted as a content warning this story heavily features a dub-con/sex pollen-esque storyline and that if this isn't a trope that works for you please respect your boundaries and be kind to yourself.
Pre-read
excited to see what Marie Reynard will bring to the table with her third full length novel ❤️ werewolves, mages and romance- don't mind if it do!
December 13, 2024
4.5
I love how detailed and intricate the ongoing plot is in this series. That cliffhanger.... cannot wait for the next book to arrive in 2025.
I absolutely adored Kade, who knew he was such a romantic!! I loved that we got to know him more in this book because he really intrigued me in book one. His passion for trashy romance and travel were beyond cute and the way he cared for Liam was just everything. I also loved how we got to see the lingering aftermath of book one's events with Kade - it felt more realistic and I'm glad it wasn't just brushed off or forgotten about. I definitely got the heartache when he felt rejected too.
Liam is definitely a more closed off character who knows what he wants and has a very singular focus, but once he pulled his head out of his arse, he was absolutely the perfect complement to Kade. I loved the way he talked travel with Kade and I hope in future we get to see them on these worldwide trips. He's very practical rather than emotional, but the temperament of Kade's wolf had enough emotion for the both of them! Even though they bond under unusual circumstances and it takes forever for them to acknowledge what's actually happening between them, I really liked their relationship and how they had a foundation of friendship that they were building on.
Their relationship is full of catastrophes and is an epic slow burn, but it was thoroughly entertaining to read. When Kade realised he'd been courting Liam with those gifts.... The humour was so good again, and I loved that we know who two of the MateHub forum members are now too.
I definitely see Miles and Grant becoming a thing in future, but I am so ready for Niall to get his comeuppance and for Victor's dad to meet the fate he deserves!
My only gripe is that the book did feel a little on the too long side and there was a fair bit of repetition that did slow the pace down. For me, I can read 600 pages in a day easily so I don't need the frequent reminders or recaps of what's been happening, but maybe for readers who don't read as fast that's more helpful in such a plot heavy book? I don't know, but for me personally it did slow the story down and it got a little frustrating.
Very excited to read the next book in the MateHub series, as well as Aran's story though!
*****
I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review
I love how detailed and intricate the ongoing plot is in this series. That cliffhanger.... cannot wait for the next book to arrive in 2025.
I absolutely adored Kade, who knew he was such a romantic!! I loved that we got to know him more in this book because he really intrigued me in book one. His passion for trashy romance and travel were beyond cute and the way he cared for Liam was just everything. I also loved how we got to see the lingering aftermath of book one's events with Kade - it felt more realistic and I'm glad it wasn't just brushed off or forgotten about. I definitely got the heartache when he felt rejected too.
Liam is definitely a more closed off character who knows what he wants and has a very singular focus, but once he pulled his head out of his arse, he was absolutely the perfect complement to Kade. I loved the way he talked travel with Kade and I hope in future we get to see them on these worldwide trips. He's very practical rather than emotional, but the temperament of Kade's wolf had enough emotion for the both of them! Even though they bond under unusual circumstances and it takes forever for them to acknowledge what's actually happening between them, I really liked their relationship and how they had a foundation of friendship that they were building on.
Their relationship is full of catastrophes and is an epic slow burn, but it was thoroughly entertaining to read. When Kade realised he'd been courting Liam with those gifts.... The humour was so good again, and I loved that we know who two of the MateHub forum members are now too.
I definitely see Miles and Grant becoming a thing in future, but I am so ready for Niall to get his comeuppance and for Victor's dad to meet the fate he deserves!
My only gripe is that the book did feel a little on the too long side and there was a fair bit of repetition that did slow the pace down. For me, I can read 600 pages in a day easily so I don't need the frequent reminders or recaps of what's been happening, but maybe for readers who don't read as fast that's more helpful in such a plot heavy book? I don't know, but for me personally it did slow the story down and it got a little frustrating.
Very excited to read the next book in the MateHub series, as well as Aran's story though!
*****
I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review
December 17, 2024
It pains me to give a full length novel by Marie Reynard less than 4 stars, but comparing this to Matehub: Legend (5 stars) and Accidental Bonds (4 stars) 3 stars feel right.
It took me a long time to like the book's characters, main and secondary. Even Elijah and Victor (the first book's MCs) weren't automatically likeable here. The never ending innuendos and sex-jokes (and the discussions about making them) were more annoying than funny, the pranks were strange. The way Elijah continued to say sorry that Liam (MC) had to spend time with Kade (MC) was insulting, the way the mage-friends kept insisting Miles had to be protected at all costs because of his innocence? Yeah, insulting. Aran and Kade being stereotyped for the longest time as cocky fuckboys as if that was all they were, yeah, insulting.
The book was very long (565 pages) but never boring. I enjoyed the world, the hunting for the spirits, the way Victor's pack tried to help the neighbouring packs, how challenging these weeks were.
Sadly until 85% there wasn't any emotional connection and relationship development between Liam and Kade, aside their growing physical attraction (and that was mostly because of a bond neither of them had wanted to begin with).
I liked Kade and Liam as friends fighting their bond's need to have sex, that was well done. But I needed at least some glimpse of caring beyond friendship, some tiny crumb of affection growing between them. I didn't get any clue from the author, though. No romantic feelings, no chemistry beyond the physical, no need to protect and care beyond the friendship. And even in the last part it felt more like discussing logistics and possibilities than love. My impression of Liam was that he's maybe aromantic, and Kade is a romantic at heart but I didn't feel a connection to Liam (beyond the bond) for too long.
When comparing this book to MateHub it's staggering how much chemistry and love I felt with Richard and Hunter despite the porn, and how little emotional connection I felt between Liam and Kade, even if the author had so much more time and occasions to develop a slow burn between them.
Tldr: I missed an emotional connection between the MCs beyond friendship, but enjoyed the fantasy world.
It took me a long time to like the book's characters, main and secondary. Even Elijah and Victor (the first book's MCs) weren't automatically likeable here. The never ending innuendos and sex-jokes (and the discussions about making them) were more annoying than funny, the pranks were strange. The way Elijah continued to say sorry that Liam (MC) had to spend time with Kade (MC) was insulting, the way the mage-friends kept insisting Miles had to be protected at all costs because of his innocence? Yeah, insulting. Aran and Kade being stereotyped for the longest time as cocky fuckboys as if that was all they were, yeah, insulting.
The book was very long (565 pages) but never boring. I enjoyed the world, the hunting for the spirits, the way Victor's pack tried to help the neighbouring packs, how challenging these weeks were.
Sadly until 85% there wasn't any emotional connection and relationship development between Liam and Kade, aside their growing physical attraction (and that was mostly because of a bond neither of them had wanted to begin with).
I liked Kade and Liam as friends fighting their bond's need to have sex, that was well done. But I needed at least some glimpse of caring beyond friendship, some tiny crumb of affection growing between them. I didn't get any clue from the author, though. No romantic feelings, no chemistry beyond the physical, no need to protect and care beyond the friendship. And even in the last part it felt more like discussing logistics and possibilities than love. My impression of Liam was that he's maybe aromantic, and Kade is a romantic at heart but I didn't feel a connection to Liam (beyond the bond) for too long.
When comparing this book to MateHub it's staggering how much chemistry and love I felt with Richard and Hunter despite the porn, and how little emotional connection I felt between Liam and Kade, even if the author had so much more time and occasions to develop a slow burn between them.
Tldr: I missed an emotional connection between the MCs beyond friendship, but enjoyed the fantasy world.
December 16, 2024
This wasn’t perfect but I had a huge amount of fun reading it!
It picks up right where book one left off and the overarching plot is easy to follow along if that’s a worry for you because you have a goldfish brain like me. 🐠
I loved the continued world and history building and the overall suspense/mystery aspect in this. The different spirits and the group’s PokémonGo approach to them were a brilliant idea. I flew through those chapters!
I loved the references to the MateHub universe and the meeting of MagicalHWood and KnottyWolf69 (IYKYK).
And I adored Kade, who presented himself as such a fuckboy in book one but revealed layers and layers in this one. I squealed every time he switched into romance mode and giggled like crazy when he offered a short promenade in overwritten bodice ripper language 🫠
Liam on the other hand, I couldn’t really connect to as much. I dunno, he was a bit boring? Too closed off? Too restrained? Anyway, the rest of the very strong cast more than made up for it, at least for me.
This, dear people, was an idiots to lovers sloooooow burn. Which is one of my fav tropes if done right but even I have to say it might have been too slow? It was more of a ‘ffs finally, you idiots’ than a ‘clutch my kindle to my chest because the tension is too much’ moment when they finally arrive at that point. You know?
Also, there were a few pacing issues during the first half of the book (it dragged a lot during the research period imo) and the ending was such a fucking tease. MARIE REYNARD YOU CAN’T HONESTLY MAKE ME WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR TO SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING THAT’S JUST CRUEL! (But honestly, I’m so excited, can’t wait for Aran’s and I suspect Pierce’s story 🫶)
This was a big boy with almost 600 pages, but I flew through it. Despite my few niggles I was completely hooked on this world and everyone’s stories and I couldn’t put it down. 4⭐️
🚨SPOILERS AHEAD🚨
This is for your future goldfish brain, Pauline:
Aran was kidnapped by Pierce, Victor’s father tried to poison him using the weird flower, Niall is insane and they haven’t trapped the spirit yet, there are two unknown mages (one of which might be not so bad?), they located the shifter with the stone in a ghost town, Miles and Grant have serious chemistry (sex ritual?).
It picks up right where book one left off and the overarching plot is easy to follow along if that’s a worry for you because you have a goldfish brain like me. 🐠
I loved the continued world and history building and the overall suspense/mystery aspect in this. The different spirits and the group’s PokémonGo approach to them were a brilliant idea. I flew through those chapters!
I loved the references to the MateHub universe and the meeting of MagicalHWood and KnottyWolf69 (IYKYK).
And I adored Kade, who presented himself as such a fuckboy in book one but revealed layers and layers in this one. I squealed every time he switched into romance mode and giggled like crazy when he offered a short promenade in overwritten bodice ripper language 🫠
Liam on the other hand, I couldn’t really connect to as much. I dunno, he was a bit boring? Too closed off? Too restrained? Anyway, the rest of the very strong cast more than made up for it, at least for me.
This, dear people, was an idiots to lovers sloooooow burn. Which is one of my fav tropes if done right but even I have to say it might have been too slow? It was more of a ‘ffs finally, you idiots’ than a ‘clutch my kindle to my chest because the tension is too much’ moment when they finally arrive at that point. You know?
Also, there were a few pacing issues during the first half of the book (it dragged a lot during the research period imo) and the ending was such a fucking tease. MARIE REYNARD YOU CAN’T HONESTLY MAKE ME WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR TO SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING THAT’S JUST CRUEL! (But honestly, I’m so excited, can’t wait for Aran’s and I suspect Pierce’s story 🫶)
This was a big boy with almost 600 pages, but I flew through it. Despite my few niggles I was completely hooked on this world and everyone’s stories and I couldn’t put it down. 4⭐️
🚨SPOILERS AHEAD🚨
This is for your future goldfish brain, Pauline:
Aran was kidnapped by Pierce, Victor’s father tried to poison him using the weird flower, Niall is insane and they haven’t trapped the spirit yet, there are two unknown mages (one of which might be not so bad?), they located the shifter with the stone in a ghost town, Miles and Grant have serious chemistry (sex ritual?).
December 14, 2024
Idiots to lovers, with all the pining and longing omg I’m obsessed! We first met fuckboy Kade and bookish Liam in Elemental Bonds 1, Accidental Bonds and I thought I knew what to expect but wow was I wrong. I love all of Marie Reynard's books but Impulsive Connections is right up there at the top of the list now. This book was really well written with lots of layers. One of my favourite parts was seeing how Liam's mind works as he tries to figure out solutions to problems. Balancing Liam and Kade's intelligence with their complete obliviousness involving their bond - and making it believable- was a feat. Thanks Marie for a smart, engaging, enjoyable read. I already can't wait for book 3.
I really loved all the humour in Impulsive Connections and I'm super impressed with how many dick jokes and innuendoes were packed into the book. Although the group is working on a serious mission to track down and get rid of the malevolent spirits wreaking havoc on the pack's land, there is a light-hearted fun vibe to the book. It was a great combo, especially in light of Liam and Kade's relationship developing throughout the book.
Rating: 5 stars
Angst: 3.5/5
Steam: 3.75/5
I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.
"You're everything I've ever waited for, everything I've ever wanted," Kade said. Everything I've hoped for, dreamed of, dared to believe in."
I really loved all the humour in Impulsive Connections and I'm super impressed with how many dick jokes and innuendoes were packed into the book. Although the group is working on a serious mission to track down and get rid of the malevolent spirits wreaking havoc on the pack's land, there is a light-hearted fun vibe to the book. It was a great combo, especially in light of Liam and Kade's relationship developing throughout the book.
Rating: 5 stars
Angst: 3.5/5
Steam: 3.75/5
I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.
December 31, 2024
Really like this author and MateHub Legend is one I've reread countless times. The first in this series was also good but I struggled a bit with this one. It took some time before I felt the connection between Kade and Liam and the book is loooong. The story though is still good and I'm looking forward to the next. 2.5 ⭐⭐⭐
December 12, 2024
THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING, how does @marie__reynard keep writing absolute BANGERS? While I LOVED Accidental Bonds, Impulsive Connections is somehow even better 😱? It has reluctant mates and idi0ts to lovers OF COURSE, but it's also a fast burn spice, slow burn romance 🤌🏼🤌🏼. The Elemental Bonds series is a little bit more angsty and intense than the MateHub stories, and I love the fast paced, easy to follow storyline as the characters try to figure out why mysterious spirits are attacking local packs. It’s also full of epic banter, MateHub references that had me cackling, and THERE IS A SOUP SCENE (so much caretaking and sweetness). I enjoyed every single minute, and I am BEGGING you to try this series because it is SO. MUCH. FUN.
I knew a little bit about Liam and Kade from the previous books, but omg y'all, I had NO idea that Kade was a closet romantic and it was SO. FREAKING. CUTE. Though he's known as a playboy with a filthy mouth, he desperately wants a meet cute like one of his romance novels and longs to do the whole formal courting thing with his fated mate. I couldn't get enough of him! And Liam - for such a smart guy, how on earth was he missing all of the signs that they had a true bond 🤦🏼♀️🤣? What's so fun about this story was that these guys spend most of the story denying what EVERYONE else around them sees, which leads to some pretty hilarious situations. Accidental cuddling, ridiculous gift-giving, the possessive scent marking! And I loved that they ended up having to work together to research what's affecting the packs surrounding them - it really lets them get to know one another before they FINALLY realize what's going on between them.
Liam and Kade really are adorable and dare I say... my favorite? Remains to be seen because there's MORE coming, and I seriously cannot wait. There's just so much to love about this book - from their prank wars (the DickHunt book covers! the candles!) to the discussion of weird shifters in romance (the way I NEED Marie to write that sweater shifter book!). I cannot recommend enough, one of my favorite things I've EVER read, prepare to see non stop yapping my friends because I LOVE these books SO much.
I knew a little bit about Liam and Kade from the previous books, but omg y'all, I had NO idea that Kade was a closet romantic and it was SO. FREAKING. CUTE. Though he's known as a playboy with a filthy mouth, he desperately wants a meet cute like one of his romance novels and longs to do the whole formal courting thing with his fated mate. I couldn't get enough of him! And Liam - for such a smart guy, how on earth was he missing all of the signs that they had a true bond 🤦🏼♀️🤣? What's so fun about this story was that these guys spend most of the story denying what EVERYONE else around them sees, which leads to some pretty hilarious situations. Accidental cuddling, ridiculous gift-giving, the possessive scent marking! And I loved that they ended up having to work together to research what's affecting the packs surrounding them - it really lets them get to know one another before they FINALLY realize what's going on between them.
Liam and Kade really are adorable and dare I say... my favorite? Remains to be seen because there's MORE coming, and I seriously cannot wait. There's just so much to love about this book - from their prank wars (the DickHunt book covers! the candles!) to the discussion of weird shifters in romance (the way I NEED Marie to write that sweater shifter book!). I cannot recommend enough, one of my favorite things I've EVER read, prepare to see non stop yapping my friends because I LOVE these books SO much.
December 16, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
A second 4-star read in this series, but whereas Accidental Bonds was a case of rounding down from 4.5, this is one of rounding up. All the good things from book 1 were in evidence: satisfying but not overly complicated worldbuilding; smart, stylish writing; a sense of fun and humor, balanced by a shadow of menace and high stakes; and well-rounded, likable characters. Unfortunately, my main quibble from book 1 -- that the tease went on too long -- was way more in evidence here. This is 576 pages long! And much as I was, for the most part, enjoying it, it really didn't need to be; there was bloat in the middle, as the pattern and interactions established early on in Kade and Liam's accidental bond/ tether repeated over and over. It was only once Reynard brought the other packs back into the mix that things started heating up again, and from there it was full-steam ahead.
(Speaking of heat . . . for the majority of this book, there was a lotta hat, no cattle. Talk about blue balls.)
But even though this cried out for some merciless trimming (576 pages!!) and was repetitive in terms of themes and tropes from book 1, I can't help but give credit to a book that held my attention and cheered me up in the midst of a weeks-long slump -- and when it was done, I immediately missed the characters and the world they inhabit (which, moreso than book 1, has particularly amusing overlaps with the MateHub universe). And the ending!! The ending!!! Can't wait for the Arran and (??? It's gotta be Pierce, right?) book!
I got an ARC from GRR in exchange for an honest review.
A second 4-star read in this series, but whereas Accidental Bonds was a case of rounding down from 4.5, this is one of rounding up. All the good things from book 1 were in evidence: satisfying but not overly complicated worldbuilding; smart, stylish writing; a sense of fun and humor, balanced by a shadow of menace and high stakes; and well-rounded, likable characters. Unfortunately, my main quibble from book 1 -- that the tease went on too long -- was way more in evidence here. This is 576 pages long! And much as I was, for the most part, enjoying it, it really didn't need to be; there was bloat in the middle, as the pattern and interactions established early on in Kade and Liam's accidental bond/ tether repeated over and over. It was only once Reynard brought the other packs back into the mix that things started heating up again, and from there it was full-steam ahead.
(Speaking of heat . . . for the majority of this book, there was a lotta hat, no cattle. Talk about blue balls.)
But even though this cried out for some merciless trimming (576 pages!!) and was repetitive in terms of themes and tropes from book 1, I can't help but give credit to a book that held my attention and cheered me up in the midst of a weeks-long slump -- and when it was done, I immediately missed the characters and the world they inhabit (which, moreso than book 1, has particularly amusing overlaps with the MateHub universe). And the ending!! The ending!!! Can't wait for the Arran and (??? It's gotta be Pierce, right?) book!
I got an ARC from GRR in exchange for an honest review.
December 14, 2023
What can I say? Amazing work again! I’m so invested in this story, I can’t wait for the next one.
I loved the slow burn, the insecurities and the progress of the feelings. Kade’s guilt and Liam’s vulnerability at the beginning were so well described. I felt those through the pages and the slow falling in love.
I can honestly say I love all the characters and I can’t wait for them to get their HEA. Miles and Grant seem like a unit, but who will Aran’s mate be? Pierce from Niall’s pack (who betrayed them under the influence of the spirits- or not?!) or Rick from Victor’s pack (who was unfazed by his dick jokes)? Or someone new? I can’t wait! I need book 3 right now! I need to know how the story goes on! It’s THAT good!
This book, like the first one, had everything I want in a book: amazing writing, fabulous characters, fantastic world-building , steam, emotions, surprises… EVERYTHING! It’s becoming one of my favourite series and the author as well one of my favourites. Perfect. Everything is perfect. Looking forward to the next one!! The wait will be long but worthy 🙂
I loved the slow burn, the insecurities and the progress of the feelings. Kade’s guilt and Liam’s vulnerability at the beginning were so well described. I felt those through the pages and the slow falling in love.
I can honestly say I love all the characters and I can’t wait for them to get their HEA. Miles and Grant seem like a unit, but who will Aran’s mate be? Pierce from Niall’s pack (who betrayed them under the influence of the spirits- or not?!) or Rick from Victor’s pack (who was unfazed by his dick jokes)? Or someone new? I can’t wait! I need book 3 right now! I need to know how the story goes on! It’s THAT good!
This book, like the first one, had everything I want in a book: amazing writing, fabulous characters, fantastic world-building , steam, emotions, surprises… EVERYTHING! It’s becoming one of my favourite series and the author as well one of my favourites. Perfect. Everything is perfect. Looking forward to the next one!! The wait will be long but worthy 🙂
September 9, 2025
Genuinely so sad this is over, I miss everyone already. The next book is definitely one of my most anticipated reads! RTC 🩷
December 11, 2024
Thank you for the ARC opportunity! This was just as entertaining and awesome as I had predicted!!
**I did NOT click the spoiler button. I tried hard to stay vague enough to make this early review one everyone can enjoy! But- as always, if you are a purist and want to head in completely blind, this is your warning that I do discuss some overall plot points.**
Just like with all of Marie's books, I LOVED THIS. I devoured it in two days- I simply could NOT get enough of every darn thing in this book.
Ever since finishing Accidental Bonds, I have been so excited to see what Marie had in store for the rest of this crew. Up until this point, we only knew of Elijah's mage friends through their text exchanges, but all of that changes in "Impulsive Connections." I didn't think it was possible for this book to be even better than AB, but I think that was actually the case, because of the mages. Tossing them into the mix with Victor, his pack and the neighboring wolfpacks in Lost Creek makes this installment so much fun, with extra banter, extra dialogue and all the tension we can expect from Marie.
If y'all thought that Elijah and Victor were dumb idiots unable to see what is right in front of their faces... well, just wait until you get your paws on Kade and Liam. This story started off with a BANG-- these two are tossed unexpectedly into a heated situation together and have to learn right off the bat how to handle their attraction. As in AB, we have an unexpected connection, one they each try hard to convince themselves is unwanted and "not real."
Ahhh, and therein lies the tension... the anticipation... the absolute deliciousness that is these two getting to know one another. I absolutely LOVED the banter between them- they prodded and provoked one another to the point of me laughing aloud- and it was made EVEN BETTER by the fact that in this book, they are EACH surrounded by a group of meddling friends, ones who make their situation that much more hilarious.
I LOVEDDD THE MATEHUB connections here- when Aran and Kade realize they have actually "known" one another for years- yeah, I was squealing.
Aran nodded solemnly. "Richard Knotz. The love of my life. Making people come together around the world."
And the practical jokes Aran is playing on them- I will not give it away- but it was SO PERFECT. Bringing "Dickhunt" into the picture was so indicative of Aran's personality, and played so surprisingly well to Kade's hidden inner romantic (HOW SWEET WAS THAT- THE F*CKBOY IS A TOTAL ROMANTIC AT HEART?!!!) I was cracking up at Kade trying to convince Liam that the porn references are actually.... sweet?! Because, you know, Richard Knotz and Hunter are actually an epic love story. I ATE IT RIGHT UP. EVERY SECOND, MARIE!!!
"He'd make this into the perfect love story he'd always dreamed of if it was the last thing he did."
There is a LOT of fighting the big bad in this book, and it seems that although these poor things fought and researched and practiced and fought some more, things are still not resolved and there will be more fighting of the bad guys in book 3. But I could NOT BE MORE EXCITED for the next two books. After reading this one, I was sure I knew who would star in the next book. But Marie tossed a wrench into my predictions, and it appears we will be receiving a different mage's love story first (not that I am complaining). Keep 'em coming! I WANT THEM ALL! EVERY LAST ONE!
I was pretty feral for these two idiots to communicate as we moved throughout this story. Kade's inner monologue made me laugh as he was lamenting the fact that in romance books, his most hated trope is miscommunication, and yet he can see himself REFUSING TO COMMUNICATE BECAUSE HE WAS SO SCARED TO SCREW IT ALL UP. Poor sweet Kade. I loved watching Victor and Elijah play such a pivotal role in helping them to get their heads out of their bums so they could actually have a conversation (and, ahem, other things.)
In typical fashion with Marie's books, once the heat really hit I swooned hard- I love the way she writes sexy times- and the romantic aspect in this one was hitting PERFECTLY at the same time. I could NOT get enough. As I was popping back through the book to peek at quotes I ended up rereading parts where they finally get together and it is JUST SO DAMN GOOD, YALL. SO. SO. GOOOOOODD.
I CANNOT recommend this series enough-- and the same goes for "Matehub, Legend" as well as "Five Star Review." I am a huge Marie fangirl and am SO excited to see where this story goes from here!
Thank you again for the opportunity to ARC read!
**I did NOT click the spoiler button. I tried hard to stay vague enough to make this early review one everyone can enjoy! But- as always, if you are a purist and want to head in completely blind, this is your warning that I do discuss some overall plot points.**
Just like with all of Marie's books, I LOVED THIS. I devoured it in two days- I simply could NOT get enough of every darn thing in this book.
Ever since finishing Accidental Bonds, I have been so excited to see what Marie had in store for the rest of this crew. Up until this point, we only knew of Elijah's mage friends through their text exchanges, but all of that changes in "Impulsive Connections." I didn't think it was possible for this book to be even better than AB, but I think that was actually the case, because of the mages. Tossing them into the mix with Victor, his pack and the neighboring wolfpacks in Lost Creek makes this installment so much fun, with extra banter, extra dialogue and all the tension we can expect from Marie.
If y'all thought that Elijah and Victor were dumb idiots unable to see what is right in front of their faces... well, just wait until you get your paws on Kade and Liam. This story started off with a BANG-- these two are tossed unexpectedly into a heated situation together and have to learn right off the bat how to handle their attraction. As in AB, we have an unexpected connection, one they each try hard to convince themselves is unwanted and "not real."
Ahhh, and therein lies the tension... the anticipation... the absolute deliciousness that is these two getting to know one another. I absolutely LOVED the banter between them- they prodded and provoked one another to the point of me laughing aloud- and it was made EVEN BETTER by the fact that in this book, they are EACH surrounded by a group of meddling friends, ones who make their situation that much more hilarious.
I LOVEDDD THE MATEHUB connections here- when Aran and Kade realize they have actually "known" one another for years- yeah, I was squealing.
Aran nodded solemnly. "Richard Knotz. The love of my life. Making people come together around the world."
And the practical jokes Aran is playing on them- I will not give it away- but it was SO PERFECT. Bringing "Dickhunt" into the picture was so indicative of Aran's personality, and played so surprisingly well to Kade's hidden inner romantic (HOW SWEET WAS THAT- THE F*CKBOY IS A TOTAL ROMANTIC AT HEART?!!!) I was cracking up at Kade trying to convince Liam that the porn references are actually.... sweet?! Because, you know, Richard Knotz and Hunter are actually an epic love story. I ATE IT RIGHT UP. EVERY SECOND, MARIE!!!
"He'd make this into the perfect love story he'd always dreamed of if it was the last thing he did."
There is a LOT of fighting the big bad in this book, and it seems that although these poor things fought and researched and practiced and fought some more, things are still not resolved and there will be more fighting of the bad guys in book 3. But I could NOT BE MORE EXCITED for the next two books. After reading this one, I was sure I knew who would star in the next book. But Marie tossed a wrench into my predictions, and it appears we will be receiving a different mage's love story first (not that I am complaining). Keep 'em coming! I WANT THEM ALL! EVERY LAST ONE!
I was pretty feral for these two idiots to communicate as we moved throughout this story. Kade's inner monologue made me laugh as he was lamenting the fact that in romance books, his most hated trope is miscommunication, and yet he can see himself REFUSING TO COMMUNICATE BECAUSE HE WAS SO SCARED TO SCREW IT ALL UP. Poor sweet Kade. I loved watching Victor and Elijah play such a pivotal role in helping them to get their heads out of their bums so they could actually have a conversation (and, ahem, other things.)
In typical fashion with Marie's books, once the heat really hit I swooned hard- I love the way she writes sexy times- and the romantic aspect in this one was hitting PERFECTLY at the same time. I could NOT get enough. As I was popping back through the book to peek at quotes I ended up rereading parts where they finally get together and it is JUST SO DAMN GOOD, YALL. SO. SO. GOOOOOODD.
I CANNOT recommend this series enough-- and the same goes for "Matehub, Legend" as well as "Five Star Review." I am a huge Marie fangirl and am SO excited to see where this story goes from here!
Thank you again for the opportunity to ARC read!
December 26, 2024
~4.5
Loved: engaging storytelling, overarching fantasy plot, growing worldbuilding, both MCs - each with their own distinctive voice, slow burn, and the relationship development between the MCs, friendships, and the found family vibe.
The book is on a longer side, but the plot and the characters were entertaining and gripped my attention, so the length didn't bother me.
HEA for the MCs, but major plot cliffhanger - a perfect setup for the next book. Can't wait!
My main complaint and one of the main reasons to round down - constant references to the MateHub and Richard Knotz and his mate. I haven't read the MateHub: Legend, and the non-so subtle advertising was super annoying.
Loved: engaging storytelling, overarching fantasy plot, growing worldbuilding, both MCs - each with their own distinctive voice, slow burn, and the relationship development between the MCs, friendships, and the found family vibe.
The book is on a longer side, but the plot and the characters were entertaining and gripped my attention, so the length didn't bother me.
HEA for the MCs, but major plot cliffhanger - a perfect setup for the next book. Can't wait!
My main complaint and one of the main reasons to round down - constant references to the MateHub and Richard Knotz and his mate. I haven't read the MateHub: Legend, and the non-so subtle advertising was super annoying.
December 18, 2024
2.5 stars
This pains me, but here we go.
I loved Elijah and Victor's story from book 1. I was so excited to see what would happen next, with all of Elijah's friends coming out to help Victor's pack defeat the evil spirits plaguing their territory. Unfortunately this book didn't quite meet my expectations. It was just WAY too long and I wasn't feeling any chemistry between Liam and Kade.
From the moment they met, Liam and Kade basically acknowledged their attraction to each other based simply on looks. I thought this was going to be a slow burn with Liam having to warm up to Kade's personality or Kade having to woo him, but Liam had pretty much decided that sleeping with Kade would be a fun distraction. And then their unintended bonding happened. I was like what are they going to do now because the way it happened was not ok. And here's where they started to lose my attention.
Since having sex would deepen their bond and thus make it more painful when the bond was severed, they mutually agreed to refrain from any physical activity together. So yes, by all means, let's now pull a series of weird pranks on each other with the end result being nothing but extreme sexual frustration. It made no sense to me why they would even find that funny. Add in the overly abundant dick jokes and I was ready to call it a day. It was non-stop and juvenile sounding, making their characters seem like they were 16 instead of the grown men they were. It also seemed out-of-character for what we previously knew of Liam (even if he was used to it from hanging around Aran), so the banter just felt forced and awkward at times.
In between pulling their pranks, it was redundant chapters of the same activities - Liam being confined to either Kade's bedroom to make Kade's wolf happy or to Elijah's magic shop so Liam could research how to destroy the evil spirits. Kade would get bored researching (he wanted to be out with the others trapping the spirits) so they'd "practice" sharing their energy/magic together so they wouldn't get lost in their new bond and could help out the pack more. Then they'd have dinner with the pack, go to bed, and wake up with Kade spooned around Liam and all these sexual thoughts filtering through their bond which they couldn't act on even though they both wanted to. Despite all the sexual tension, I felt like their chemistry was still seriously lacking and there didn't really seem to be much emotional growth either, with all the dick jokes getting in the way. I was so bored and kept wondering what was happening with Elijah and Victor and the rest of the boys out trapping spirits.
If it wasn't for the unintentional bond, I think Liam and Kade would have been knocking boots the entire time. The only slow burn about it was Liam's dunce cap preventing him from acknowledging he wanted to keep the bond. The miscommunication over that also went on for far too long. A conversation about how they could possibly make it work should have happened well before the 80% mark. By then I no longer cared if they remained a bonded couple. I was ready to move on to Miles or Aran.
And as a side note, I realize the author has a separate MateHub series (which I haven't read), but did we really need the excessive mentionings of both the MateHub forum and the porn characters involved? A cameo appearance would have been more interesting to me if she intends these series to be connected in the same universe, rather than the repeated name-dropping for readers to check out her other series.
The cliffhanger at the end bumped this rating up an extra half star, but couldn't make up for the boredom getting to that point. While I'm reluctant to go through the same recycled dick jokes all over again in Aran's book (PLEASE no), I am curious how they're going to resolve things and may actually give book 3 a go.
This pains me, but here we go.
I loved Elijah and Victor's story from book 1. I was so excited to see what would happen next, with all of Elijah's friends coming out to help Victor's pack defeat the evil spirits plaguing their territory. Unfortunately this book didn't quite meet my expectations. It was just WAY too long and I wasn't feeling any chemistry between Liam and Kade.
From the moment they met, Liam and Kade basically acknowledged their attraction to each other based simply on looks. I thought this was going to be a slow burn with Liam having to warm up to Kade's personality or Kade having to woo him, but Liam had pretty much decided that sleeping with Kade would be a fun distraction. And then their unintended bonding happened. I was like what are they going to do now because the way it happened was not ok. And here's where they started to lose my attention.
Since having sex would deepen their bond and thus make it more painful when the bond was severed, they mutually agreed to refrain from any physical activity together. So yes, by all means, let's now pull a series of weird pranks on each other with the end result being nothing but extreme sexual frustration. It made no sense to me why they would even find that funny. Add in the overly abundant dick jokes and I was ready to call it a day. It was non-stop and juvenile sounding, making their characters seem like they were 16 instead of the grown men they were. It also seemed out-of-character for what we previously knew of Liam (even if he was used to it from hanging around Aran), so the banter just felt forced and awkward at times.
In between pulling their pranks, it was redundant chapters of the same activities - Liam being confined to either Kade's bedroom to make Kade's wolf happy or to Elijah's magic shop so Liam could research how to destroy the evil spirits. Kade would get bored researching (he wanted to be out with the others trapping the spirits) so they'd "practice" sharing their energy/magic together so they wouldn't get lost in their new bond and could help out the pack more. Then they'd have dinner with the pack, go to bed, and wake up with Kade spooned around Liam and all these sexual thoughts filtering through their bond which they couldn't act on even though they both wanted to. Despite all the sexual tension, I felt like their chemistry was still seriously lacking and there didn't really seem to be much emotional growth either, with all the dick jokes getting in the way. I was so bored and kept wondering what was happening with Elijah and Victor and the rest of the boys out trapping spirits.
If it wasn't for the unintentional bond, I think Liam and Kade would have been knocking boots the entire time. The only slow burn about it was Liam's dunce cap preventing him from acknowledging he wanted to keep the bond. The miscommunication over that also went on for far too long. A conversation about how they could possibly make it work should have happened well before the 80% mark. By then I no longer cared if they remained a bonded couple. I was ready to move on to Miles or Aran.
And as a side note, I realize the author has a separate MateHub series (which I haven't read), but did we really need the excessive mentionings of both the MateHub forum and the porn characters involved? A cameo appearance would have been more interesting to me if she intends these series to be connected in the same universe, rather than the repeated name-dropping for readers to check out her other series.
The cliffhanger at the end bumped this rating up an extra half star, but couldn't make up for the boredom getting to that point. While I'm reluctant to go through the same recycled dick jokes all over again in Aran's book (PLEASE no), I am curious how they're going to resolve things and may actually give book 3 a go.
January 4, 2025
4.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this!! I love the overarching plot, the world building, and the characters. My only complaint is similar to the last book, where I just felt like the romance came in too late in the story.
I am finding the world to be extremely entertaining, and I loved the spirit plot. I thought the story really handled Liam and Kade’s mating quite well. I loved how we still saw lots of Victor and Elijah, and the story did a good job of refreshing my memory about what happened in book one without feeling draggy. The side characters are so great at propping up the story, rather than feeling like they’re stealing page time from our main characters.
There were a few spots where I felt the story got a bit slow, but overall I loved the length of the book and I flew through it.
My only complaint is that I once again felt the romance to be slightly lacking, with the acceptance of the relationship coming quite late in the story. I felt like once Kade realised Liam actually was his soul mate, that he would step up the wooing game, but that didn’t really happen. I felt like Liam was a bit too late to the game, and the slow burn was turning into a slow simmer lol. I definitely wanted more sweet and tender moments from the couple, and honestly maybe another romantic sex scene? I am shocked to be saying that about a book full of horn dogs.
I am so excited for the third book in the series and I’m kind of kicking myself for not waiting for the series to be complete before I started reading it, and I’m enjoying the books so much and NEED to know everything!
I really enjoyed this!! I love the overarching plot, the world building, and the characters. My only complaint is similar to the last book, where I just felt like the romance came in too late in the story.
I am finding the world to be extremely entertaining, and I loved the spirit plot. I thought the story really handled Liam and Kade’s mating quite well. I loved how we still saw lots of Victor and Elijah, and the story did a good job of refreshing my memory about what happened in book one without feeling draggy. The side characters are so great at propping up the story, rather than feeling like they’re stealing page time from our main characters.
There were a few spots where I felt the story got a bit slow, but overall I loved the length of the book and I flew through it.
My only complaint is that I once again felt the romance to be slightly lacking, with the acceptance of the relationship coming quite late in the story. I felt like once Kade realised Liam actually was his soul mate, that he would step up the wooing game, but that didn’t really happen. I felt like Liam was a bit too late to the game, and the slow burn was turning into a slow simmer lol. I definitely wanted more sweet and tender moments from the couple, and honestly maybe another romantic sex scene? I am shocked to be saying that about a book full of horn dogs.
I am so excited for the third book in the series and I’m kind of kicking myself for not waiting for the series to be complete before I started reading it, and I’m enjoying the books so much and NEED to know everything!
October 3, 2026
On paper I should not like this, it has a lot of things I do not like, really series feeling (4 mage friends all finding their shifter mates) and where previous plot and romantic pairing is really important and more to come on, with a real honest to goodness major cliffhanger - not about this romantic pairing but the fate of another yet un-matched friend. Oh and it is really long. Maybe that is why it took me a bit to read this, after finally discovering Marie Reynard's books (though Matehub Legend duh...).
But it does not matter, and I think I am all about the author's voice and how an author makes characters live (or not) and is able to make me care, rather than be about tropes or elements or what type of a story a book is. Because I loved it, enjoyed the long long book, and I am in line for whatever MR writes next, whatever it is (and I hope she does not forget this series either!). The characters were just do likeable, and I include all of the main MC and the cozy wolf pack (cozy with creepy enemies attacking them!) family feels. And I love the solution found for the future HEA of this pairing - they are smart enough to figure out they are falling for each other early on, but them wanting different things in life (and yeah external enemies) is the real conflict, and the way the solution adult like that yeah they will be compatible after all is just perfect. Much much better than having one of the MCs giving up their ambitions!
Only problem now I run out of the author's books and I am now waiting for her to continue not just one but two series, but worth it!
But it does not matter, and I think I am all about the author's voice and how an author makes characters live (or not) and is able to make me care, rather than be about tropes or elements or what type of a story a book is. Because I loved it, enjoyed the long long book, and I am in line for whatever MR writes next, whatever it is (and I hope she does not forget this series either!). The characters were just do likeable, and I include all of the main MC and the cozy wolf pack (cozy with creepy enemies attacking them!) family feels. And I love the solution found for the future HEA of this pairing - they are smart enough to figure out they are falling for each other early on, but them wanting different things in life (and yeah external enemies) is the real conflict, and the way the solution adult like that yeah they will be compatible after all is just perfect. Much much better than having one of the MCs giving up their ambitions!
Only problem now I run out of the author's books and I am now waiting for her to continue not just one but two series, but worth it!
December 18, 2024
I really enjoyed book one in this series and I was really excited to read Kade and Liam’s story, unfortunately it felt a bit too long winded. I’m all for story building but this was kinda the same thing over and over. It seemed like their relationship took a backseat to the rest of the story. Over all it was an okay story, but I wish we would have gotten more of their relationship.
December 24, 2024
Long, tropey, dopey
dick-joke-as-fate metaphor.
Mates fight dark magic.
dick-joke-as-fate metaphor.
Mates fight dark magic.
May 4, 2025
What do you mean the next one isn’t published yet??? You can’t leave me like that!!
December 17, 2024
this is definitely a good book, but it has some technical issues.
for me, the most important part about a book is that it needs to entertain me. that’s what i read for.
so, this did its job.
i was rooting for the characters and i loved their story.
however, there is a big but here. this is too long. when i say that a book is too long, im not talking about the page number, i mean that the book didn’t need these many pages. the author said that they managed to cut off almost 20k with a lot of difficulty, however there were a ton of repetitions. she could’ve cut at least another 10k. since she has an editor, that’s also something they could’ve pointed out.
especially when the plot itself is repetitive. and while that makes sense, when you add repetitive internal monologues and conversations, it gets tiring.
however, this didn’t have any of the things that i complained about book 1 (not enough romance and wayyy too serious for the plot itself) and nothing makes me happy as seeing an author get better.
so, im super confident that book 3 will be even better.
for me, the most important part about a book is that it needs to entertain me. that’s what i read for.
so, this did its job.
i was rooting for the characters and i loved their story.
however, there is a big but here. this is too long. when i say that a book is too long, im not talking about the page number, i mean that the book didn’t need these many pages. the author said that they managed to cut off almost 20k with a lot of difficulty, however there were a ton of repetitions. she could’ve cut at least another 10k. since she has an editor, that’s also something they could’ve pointed out.
especially when the plot itself is repetitive. and while that makes sense, when you add repetitive internal monologues and conversations, it gets tiring.
however, this didn’t have any of the things that i complained about book 1 (not enough romance and wayyy too serious for the plot itself) and nothing makes me happy as seeing an author get better.
so, im super confident that book 3 will be even better.
September 9, 2026
Love the pairing, continue to love the overall series/world, wish the pairing had moved faster though. I love a slow burn but these two almost guttered out a few times. HOWEVER. I am obsessed and so sad book 3 isn't out yet (or book 4!). I'd read another 10 of these right now if I had them.
August 26, 2025
even though marie gave me blue balls SO BAD I’ll forgive her because this was SO FUCKING GOOD 😭
Did Not Finish
January 26, 2026DNF @41. Fine, I'll spare my self the torture this time. This is waaay to silly, even for me.
December 24, 2024
It was ok?
I absolutely loved Marie Reynard’s first two books, but this book and the novella are incredibly disappointing for almost the exact same reason. They’re boring.
The plot was interesting if a little drawn out but the romance was bone dry. Kade and Liam had little to no chemistry and their complete refusal to have a conversation about their situation until the 85-90% mark had me bored to tears.
The characters even mention in the book that miscommunication is an annoying trope, but no communication is just as bad. It didn’t feel like Kade or Liam had any real reason for wanting to break or keep the bond. You could have replaced them with any other character and it wouldn’t have made a difference. The one very flimsy reason they had for not staying together could have been solved with a single conversation.
It was so clear where the story was going to lead and if they’d just sat down and talked at the midway point it would have had the exact same outcome as them coming together in the end. Because literally nothing new or exciting happens in the romance between those two points.
Honestly by the time the book was over I found the relationship a bit weird because they felt more like friends than anything remotely romantic. All the tension and pining you get out of a slow burn was just completely missing.
Plot wise the book is interesting but the overarching story is getting a little too drawn out for my liking. It’s been two books of dealing with almost the exact same problem and then still having it unresolved at the end of the book.
I’m hoping the next two books make up for what this one lacked because I was really excited for this series.
And I swear to god if the author writes that sweater shifter book I’ll buy a physical copy just so I can light it on fire and watch it burn.
I absolutely loved Marie Reynard’s first two books, but this book and the novella are incredibly disappointing for almost the exact same reason. They’re boring.
The plot was interesting if a little drawn out but the romance was bone dry. Kade and Liam had little to no chemistry and their complete refusal to have a conversation about their situation until the 85-90% mark had me bored to tears.
The characters even mention in the book that miscommunication is an annoying trope, but no communication is just as bad. It didn’t feel like Kade or Liam had any real reason for wanting to break or keep the bond. You could have replaced them with any other character and it wouldn’t have made a difference. The one very flimsy reason they had for not staying together could have been solved with a single conversation.
It was so clear where the story was going to lead and if they’d just sat down and talked at the midway point it would have had the exact same outcome as them coming together in the end. Because literally nothing new or exciting happens in the romance between those two points.
Honestly by the time the book was over I found the relationship a bit weird because they felt more like friends than anything remotely romantic. All the tension and pining you get out of a slow burn was just completely missing.
Plot wise the book is interesting but the overarching story is getting a little too drawn out for my liking. It’s been two books of dealing with almost the exact same problem and then still having it unresolved at the end of the book.
I’m hoping the next two books make up for what this one lacked because I was really excited for this series.
And I swear to god if the author writes that sweater shifter book I’ll buy a physical copy just so I can light it on fire and watch it burn.
January 7, 2025
I was so excited for the second book in the series to be released! I truly do think Marie Reynard is writing some amazing paranormal romances that manage to be both humorous and sweepingly romantic.
With that said- I didn’t love this book as much as the first one. I will say that the romance itself was great and I genuinely loved Kade and Liam together. I feel like they brought out the best sides of each other and their slow burn romance was the cutest thing ever. All of the banter and the pranks only added to my love for them as a couple but I do think it overshadowed the plot.
The actual plot of who was causing the dark magic on the different shifter territories was very slow moving and at some times it was very obvious as a reader as to what was happening but the characters themselves were not piecing it together. I feel like there were so many times where they would find a piece of information and kind of ignore it for the next day which I just found odd and made the plot feel slow.
The romance and all of the characters are the absolute best part of the series and I will continue to read the series because I do enjoy all of the side romances but I hope the plot picks up in the next book.
TROPES:
✨ M/M Romance
✨ Paranormal Romance
✨ Fated Mates/Scent Matches
✨ Small Town Romance
✨ Opposites Attract
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Grumpy/Sunshine
With that said- I didn’t love this book as much as the first one. I will say that the romance itself was great and I genuinely loved Kade and Liam together. I feel like they brought out the best sides of each other and their slow burn romance was the cutest thing ever. All of the banter and the pranks only added to my love for them as a couple but I do think it overshadowed the plot.
The actual plot of who was causing the dark magic on the different shifter territories was very slow moving and at some times it was very obvious as a reader as to what was happening but the characters themselves were not piecing it together. I feel like there were so many times where they would find a piece of information and kind of ignore it for the next day which I just found odd and made the plot feel slow.
The romance and all of the characters are the absolute best part of the series and I will continue to read the series because I do enjoy all of the side romances but I hope the plot picks up in the next book.
TROPES:
✨ M/M Romance
✨ Paranormal Romance
✨ Fated Mates/Scent Matches
✨ Small Town Romance
✨ Opposites Attract
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Grumpy/Sunshine
January 10, 2025
3.5 Stars
There was a lot of dirty humor, so much that I started rolling my eyes. And it’s not even that I’m a prude; I loved Matehub: Legend. But the excessive crude humor made more sense in a pornstar romance. Here, the stakes and plotline didn’t warrant this level of constant sexual innuendo.
Marie Reynard could’ve toned it down. It made the book feel unnecessarily long. I’m not saying there shouldn’t be any sex, but when there’s an important storyline to follow, I’d rather focus on that and less on the endless jokes and scenes.
I was also kind of over Liam being so flippant about their bond 65% into the book. It felt like he didn’t care much for Kade, (at least not romantically), which left a ton of emotional ground to cover in the last 30%. Plus, their constant assumptions about what they each wanted were just frustrating.
That said, the book is good! I don’t know what to tell you, I was definitely caught up in the plot. I just think it could’ve been cleaned up a bit.
There was a lot of dirty humor, so much that I started rolling my eyes. And it’s not even that I’m a prude; I loved Matehub: Legend. But the excessive crude humor made more sense in a pornstar romance. Here, the stakes and plotline didn’t warrant this level of constant sexual innuendo.
Marie Reynard could’ve toned it down. It made the book feel unnecessarily long. I’m not saying there shouldn’t be any sex, but when there’s an important storyline to follow, I’d rather focus on that and less on the endless jokes and scenes.
I was also kind of over Liam being so flippant about their bond 65% into the book. It felt like he didn’t care much for Kade, (at least not romantically), which left a ton of emotional ground to cover in the last 30%. Plus, their constant assumptions about what they each wanted were just frustrating.
That said, the book is good! I don’t know what to tell you, I was definitely caught up in the plot. I just think it could’ve been cleaned up a bit.
December 28, 2024
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
Impulsive Connections is the second book in Marie Reynard’s werewolf/mage Elemental Bonds series. The story picks up almost immediately after the events of book one (Accidental Bonds featuring Victor and Elijah) and builds/expands the evil spirit infestation from the first book as well. This story is mainly centered on Kade and Liam and the alternating POV helps reinforce that. At the same time, there is a lot of building for future books in the series (while also drawing on developments from book one), which means there’s a cliffhanger HFN ending. All of which is to say this story wouldn’t work well as a standalone.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
Impulsive Connections is the second book in Marie Reynard’s werewolf/mage Elemental Bonds series. The story picks up almost immediately after the events of book one (Accidental Bonds featuring Victor and Elijah) and builds/expands the evil spirit infestation from the first book as well. This story is mainly centered on Kade and Liam and the alternating POV helps reinforce that. At the same time, there is a lot of building for future books in the series (while also drawing on developments from book one), which means there’s a cliffhanger HFN ending. All of which is to say this story wouldn’t work well as a standalone.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
December 14, 2024
Marie Reynard has very quickly become a favorite author of mine, and this book continues to prove why. It perfectly balanced giving us insights into our previous main characters, Elijah and Victor, focusing on our current boys, continuing the overarching plot, AND planting seeds for the next stories. I adored Elijah and Kade's relationship — they were truly the perfect counterpart to each other with their book nerdinesss, endless dick jokes, and magic galore. I absolutely cannot wait to continue on in this series!
An ARC was provided by the author for review.
An ARC was provided by the author for review.
February 4, 2025
(2.5/5) I'll be honest, I don't remember much about the first book. A few snippets, sure, but no details. So when I started this book, I found it a bit difficult to recognise the characters and understand the plot. After a few chapters, however, I got into it, but in my opinion this book didn't start out so well.
I know it might be my fault for not remembering, but it also says a lot about this series. It just wasn't really memorable at all.
On top of that, I wanted to put the book down so badly in the end. The last few chapters were a real struggle.
Despite all the negatives, I would still like to say that I'm not ruling out continuing this series. Maybe the next book will win me over. But I'll have to wait and see.
I know it might be my fault for not remembering, but it also says a lot about this series. It just wasn't really memorable at all.
On top of that, I wanted to put the book down so badly in the end. The last few chapters were a real struggle.
Despite all the negatives, I would still like to say that I'm not ruling out continuing this series. Maybe the next book will win me over. But I'll have to wait and see.
December 23, 2024
Loving this series and can’t believe I have to wait again for the next books :’)
can’t write much atm, lots of dick jokes not much sex - nicely balanced :)
NSFW infos
- POC mage
- white American wolf shifter (older tops)
- in theory vers but not on page
can’t write much atm, lots of dick jokes not much sex - nicely balanced :)
NSFW infos
- POC mage
- white American wolf shifter (older tops)
- in theory vers but not on page
Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews