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The Bonding Trials #2
Devoted
Devastated. Abandoned. Denied.
With Sienna separated from her Soul Bonded alphas, her time is running out. Her body is failing, and she can't survive without them. And after the events of the Bonding Trials, she's on the verge of giving up.
She put her trust in her pack again and again, and they failed every single time. Her heart can't take any more lies.
The Cohen pack is determined to find Sienna and bring her home. And nothing is off the table.
This is book two in the Bonding Trials duology. Make sure to listen to book one, Denied, first.
With Sienna separated from her Soul Bonded alphas, her time is running out. Her body is failing, and she can't survive without them. And after the events of the Bonding Trials, she's on the verge of giving up.
She put her trust in her pack again and again, and they failed every single time. Her heart can't take any more lies.
The Cohen pack is determined to find Sienna and bring her home. And nothing is off the table.
This is book two in the Bonding Trials duology. Make sure to listen to book one, Denied, first.
9 pages, Audible Audio
First published June 30, 2023
786 people are currently reading
528 people want to read
About the author
Evelyn Flood
24 books828 followersEvelyn Flood is an Amazon bestselling author of more than fifteen romance books.
She writes in various sub-genres including contemporary romance, fantasy romance and why choose, but you'll always find a main course of angst and a side dish of uncontrollable sobbing in every book she writes.
She's based in South Wales, where she spends most of her time hopping between coffee shops with her laptop in hand and buying a ridiculous amount of notebooks to write all of her ideas down.
Find her on Facebook in her reader group, The Evelyn Flood Collective.
She writes in various sub-genres including contemporary romance, fantasy romance and why choose, but you'll always find a main course of angst and a side dish of uncontrollable sobbing in every book she writes.
She's based in South Wales, where she spends most of her time hopping between coffee shops with her laptop in hand and buying a ridiculous amount of notebooks to write all of her ideas down.
Find her on Facebook in her reader group, The Evelyn Flood Collective.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews
July 1, 2023
Denied was GREAT, Devoted…not so much
**SPOILERS**
So, Devoted picks up right where Denied left off. Sienna is banished and sick (since she’s away from her soul bonded mates). There are “bounty hunters” after her, the threat of councilman Errikkson (Alicia’s awful father) and the matter of having NOTHING to her name and being stuck in a freaking forest!!
The first part of Devoted was actually really good. We learn what happened to Sienna’s pack and why they weren’t at her last trial hearing, thus causing her banishment. Sienna, as sick as she is, finds solace, help, and a temporary home with a kind Beta bar owner. Her friend Jess follows her and falls for the bar owner…all the while Sienna’s dumba$$ pack finally track her down and say they’re not going anywhere even if she doesn’t forgive them, they need to be close to help her get healthy again.
This is where the book goes downhill. Honestly, I DO understand that as a duet Devoted had to have a HEA, and was all for it…but not at the expense of Sienna’s dignity and moral high ground!! The Cohen pack DID NOT do enough to warrant Sienna’s forgiveness!! No amount of buying her stuff or whittling little wooden carvings could make up for their behavior in Denied, oh, and the fact that THEY ALMOST KILLED HER!!! If the book had been longer and the groveling much more pronounced (had gone on a lot longer!!) perhaps by the end it would’ve made sense for Sienna to tentatively give them another chance. But instead we get a “at deaths door” Sienna telling off the Cohen pack when they first find her…and that’s about it! SERIOUSLY?! I understand that the author wanted to spend time SHOWING us through actions that the pack was trying to atone, but it honestly just didn’t feel like it was nearly enough. I feel as if Sienna should’ve made them sweat longer, or even better…find another pack that decided to vie for her attention making the Cohen pack really understand what they lost, and then and only then when they were at rock bottom, Sienna “comes to the rescue” and “saves them” by taking them back. It makes no sense that after leaving the bar to return to Navarre that she would move right back into “The House Of Horrors” where she was subjected to humiliation and terrible behavior from her soul bonded pack. It would’ve made more sense if she went back to stay with her folks or Jess, and have the Cohen pack COURT HER to win her back. She folded much too easily!! And it wasn’t 100% believable that Logan and Gray were like 100% madly in love with Sienna, when most of the duet showed the two of them together, 100% in love with each other and either sleeping together, cuddling, holding hands. Plus we’re told that they’ve been a couple for 4 years! So fitting Sienna in so suddenly was just odd. And showing their “threesome” didn’t work. She had more chemistry with Tristan and he was a total obnoxious and stupid jerk for most of the duet. The only pack member I remotely enjoyed reading about was Jax. And honestly how the book was laid out, it just would’ve made more sense to have Sienna and Jax together as Alpha and Omega without the crappy pack they were stuck in. But if Sienna was going to go back to the underserving pack, she most certainly should’ve had them grovel A LOT MORE!!! —In addition the outcome with Alicia was not satisfying, she really didn’t get her just deserts, and Erickson has like ONE MEASLY PAGE to tie up his involvement in all of this mess, NO, more like half of a page! The book felt rushed, and the situations not believable. As much as I loved the first book Denied, I truly disliked the sequel Devoted.
**SPOILERS**
So, Devoted picks up right where Denied left off. Sienna is banished and sick (since she’s away from her soul bonded mates). There are “bounty hunters” after her, the threat of councilman Errikkson (Alicia’s awful father) and the matter of having NOTHING to her name and being stuck in a freaking forest!!
The first part of Devoted was actually really good. We learn what happened to Sienna’s pack and why they weren’t at her last trial hearing, thus causing her banishment. Sienna, as sick as she is, finds solace, help, and a temporary home with a kind Beta bar owner. Her friend Jess follows her and falls for the bar owner…all the while Sienna’s dumba$$ pack finally track her down and say they’re not going anywhere even if she doesn’t forgive them, they need to be close to help her get healthy again.
This is where the book goes downhill. Honestly, I DO understand that as a duet Devoted had to have a HEA, and was all for it…but not at the expense of Sienna’s dignity and moral high ground!! The Cohen pack DID NOT do enough to warrant Sienna’s forgiveness!! No amount of buying her stuff or whittling little wooden carvings could make up for their behavior in Denied, oh, and the fact that THEY ALMOST KILLED HER!!! If the book had been longer and the groveling much more pronounced (had gone on a lot longer!!) perhaps by the end it would’ve made sense for Sienna to tentatively give them another chance. But instead we get a “at deaths door” Sienna telling off the Cohen pack when they first find her…and that’s about it! SERIOUSLY?! I understand that the author wanted to spend time SHOWING us through actions that the pack was trying to atone, but it honestly just didn’t feel like it was nearly enough. I feel as if Sienna should’ve made them sweat longer, or even better…find another pack that decided to vie for her attention making the Cohen pack really understand what they lost, and then and only then when they were at rock bottom, Sienna “comes to the rescue” and “saves them” by taking them back. It makes no sense that after leaving the bar to return to Navarre that she would move right back into “The House Of Horrors” where she was subjected to humiliation and terrible behavior from her soul bonded pack. It would’ve made more sense if she went back to stay with her folks or Jess, and have the Cohen pack COURT HER to win her back. She folded much too easily!! And it wasn’t 100% believable that Logan and Gray were like 100% madly in love with Sienna, when most of the duet showed the two of them together, 100% in love with each other and either sleeping together, cuddling, holding hands. Plus we’re told that they’ve been a couple for 4 years! So fitting Sienna in so suddenly was just odd. And showing their “threesome” didn’t work. She had more chemistry with Tristan and he was a total obnoxious and stupid jerk for most of the duet. The only pack member I remotely enjoyed reading about was Jax. And honestly how the book was laid out, it just would’ve made more sense to have Sienna and Jax together as Alpha and Omega without the crappy pack they were stuck in. But if Sienna was going to go back to the underserving pack, she most certainly should’ve had them grovel A LOT MORE!!! —In addition the outcome with Alicia was not satisfying, she really didn’t get her just deserts, and Erickson has like ONE MEASLY PAGE to tie up his involvement in all of this mess, NO, more like half of a page! The book felt rushed, and the situations not believable. As much as I loved the first book Denied, I truly disliked the sequel Devoted.
July 13, 2023
By the end of the book, I felt that Siena the doormat dying and the shitty pathetic Cohen pack to end up alone, broken and devasted would have made a far better story than this crap where the groveling is nothing short of a joke, a utterly bad joke.
After the poor poor treatment of the omega in book 1, I came with high hopes, the blurb even making me crave the book more but I keep repeating my mistake of having high hopes from authors who write intriguing blurb but a lackluster and lazy story.
Had this book been longer, with more angst with the Cohen pack seeing Siena happy with someone else and simple using them for heat purpose or hell Siena getting luckily (since she is literally a magnet for bad luck, I hoped that in thos book finally her fate would turn for the better) new Soul Bonds this book would have turned out great but nope all we got were pathetic gift givings and the pack bulldozing into her space and the no fight FMC.
Bad bad read.
After the poor poor treatment of the omega in book 1, I came with high hopes, the blurb even making me crave the book more but I keep repeating my mistake of having high hopes from authors who write intriguing blurb but a lackluster and lazy story.
Had this book been longer, with more angst with the Cohen pack seeing Siena happy with someone else and simple using them for heat purpose or hell Siena getting luckily (since she is literally a magnet for bad luck, I hoped that in thos book finally her fate would turn for the better) new Soul Bonds this book would have turned out great but nope all we got were pathetic gift givings and the pack bulldozing into her space and the no fight FMC.
Bad bad read.
April 25, 2024
This book picks up right where book one left off.
The pack proved themselves with sad sweet words of regrets and promises, whittled cute little animals, painted murals, and made her nest. It was absolute bullshit and pathetic. These men destroyed her with their actions and this is how they earn her back?? 😑 I’m totally pissed.
Go fight to change laws and guarantee her denied status was revoked. Go make sure Alicia and her father were punished. Ooh idk go find all her items donated and get them back. They left everything to the “adults” to take care of. They are a bunch of man babies who sat around begging for forgiveness.
I’m absolutely bummed out she got physical with T so quickly. he should have been LAST! Absolutely last. Obviously I’m petty and holds a grudge like the grinch, but for once I want a female character be more than a horny omega who can’t think past her needs and make the men crawl.
Sigh 🙄😑 The conclusion was wrapped up short and quick. Didn’t get the redemption I wanted. Over all I’m just disappointed.
The pack proved themselves with sad sweet words of regrets and promises, whittled cute little animals, painted murals, and made her nest. It was absolute bullshit and pathetic. These men destroyed her with their actions and this is how they earn her back?? 😑 I’m totally pissed.
Go fight to change laws and guarantee her denied status was revoked. Go make sure Alicia and her father were punished. Ooh idk go find all her items donated and get them back. They left everything to the “adults” to take care of. They are a bunch of man babies who sat around begging for forgiveness.
I’m absolutely bummed out she got physical with T so quickly. he should have been LAST! Absolutely last. Obviously I’m petty and holds a grudge like the grinch, but for once I want a female character be more than a horny omega who can’t think past her needs and make the men crawl.
Sigh 🙄😑 The conclusion was wrapped up short and quick. Didn’t get the redemption I wanted. Over all I’m just disappointed.
July 6, 2023
Groveling 🤌 but still a little funky overall.
Quick review:
-Jess was the best character in this whole duet.
-Emmett is a close second.
-Jax was the best alpha in the pack.
-I needed MORE GROVELING. I wanted the Cohen pack to crawl through broken glass for Sienna.
----GIRL YOU ALMOST DIED. MANY TIMES AT THEIR HANDS. Some whittling and fairy lights should not have swayed you.
-I wanted the pack to be more proactive with trying for legislative change, they're supposed to be forerunners in their community but were just...sitting ducks.
-It was a touch repetitive.
-Don't get me started with Logan and Grey.
I liked this more than book one but I can't say I loved it.
Rating 3.25
Quick review:
-Jess was the best character in this whole duet.
-Emmett is a close second.
-Jax was the best alpha in the pack.
-I needed MORE GROVELING. I wanted the Cohen pack to crawl through broken glass for Sienna.
----GIRL YOU ALMOST DIED. MANY TIMES AT THEIR HANDS. Some whittling and fairy lights should not have swayed you.
-I wanted the pack to be more proactive with trying for legislative change, they're supposed to be forerunners in their community but were just...sitting ducks.
-It was a touch repetitive.
-Don't get me started with Logan and Grey.
I liked this more than book one but I can't say I loved it.
Rating 3.25
July 9, 2023
4 stars
The conclusion to this duet definitely exceeded my expectations. It felt as if the author read my review for Book 1 (of course not, lol) and touched on all the points that rubbed me wrong initially. I loved the grovel. It was not epic, but it felt sincerely heartfelt and it was nicely developped throughout the book. No easy shortcuts via reconciliation on the pillow. Instead, I got what I had wished for in my review for Book 1: sane adulting. Alphas stepping up, being articulate, long and wide, about their shortcomings and failures to care and protect. Alphas being humble, contrite and devoted (and not in a simpering way). Kudos EF ❤!
And I loved that Sienna stayed not only true to her girl next door persona (no diva-ing thank goodness!), but she did not yield easily to their grovelling. She took baby, cautious steps. There was real communications. Believable, step by step relationship growth, with each Alpha. Again, it all came across as genuine and relatable. The sexy times were hot, but did not overshadow the grovel, for which I am very grateful. Some may find the grovel too tame perhaps because it was down to earth but sweet adulting, but from my pov, it was definitely a more satisfying grovel route than Pack Darling: Part Two.
And as a bonus, we got kick-ass Jess and glimpses of her own sweet story (I do hope that EF gets to tell her own story one day), and some resolution on the political front. There was some angsty moments owing to the evil characters, but it was quite tame and quickly averted and solved.
All in all, I enjoyed the more than decent writing style and plot resolution offered by the author. It still lacked that viscerality element to be an epic 5 stars read, but in a world of poor grovel plots, this book shines through proudly .
-------
My review for Book 1: here
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2023
Like others have pointed out I'm not satisfied with the grovel. I'm not happy with how she gave in to Tristan first, the biggest a-hole of them all. I'm not sold on how she fits into Gray and Logan's pre-existing relationship. They're all over each other all the time, where does that leave Sienna? Like they can BARELY keep their eyes off each other for 2 seconds to put their focus on Sienna. At least they had enough sense not to f*ck each other outside the house when Sienna was literally dying inside. It was a close call. 🙃 Jax is just kinda there. The closure with Alicia was weird and the finale with Erikkson left a lot to be desired.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2024
I avoided reading this duet for a very long time, just based off of the blurb. It seemed like it wouldn't really be my things given that I don't always love omegaverse stories where they have too many extra things added into the environment without any real world-building being done.
I finally decided to pick it up because angst felt like what I needed, but this book is giving off such Pack Darling wannabe vibes. Not in a good way.
Let me breakdown all the things I find bad about this book in bullet points:
1. The PD plot vibes. If you're into bully books with angst, and love a good omegsaverse why choose, Pack Darling ids probably something you've read. Where this book majorly fails in trying to follow a similar premise to PD is with the motivations of the characters themselves.
In Pack Darling, we go into it knowing that the pack (a.) already has an existing omega that they are sort of struggling with because (b.) they put their work ahead of everything and have no emotional intelligence. They're truly getting by as a pack based on what they know, and they already take issue with the FMC joining their pack because it was a choice somebody made for them. This means, from the start of the book, you understand the character motivations come from a genuine place of frustration and anger, combined with the pack already lacking. The pack also never scents Lilah, so they don't fully understand who/what she is to them.
But this is not the case in The Bonding Trials. Here, our pack is excited to finally be meeting their matched omega. So excited, that when they're blackmailed, the cracks in the pack immediately start to form. But then it gets worse, because when the pack finally meets our FMC, Siena, they realize she's their soul bonded match - a match so perfect, it's like they're literally made for each other.
Which makes everything that happens after this that much worse, because their treatment of her is probably some of the worst I've ever read in a book - definitely way worse than how Lilah was treated in Pack Darling. It starts with them publicly humiliating Siena, then moves on to them making absolutely callus comments to her, then moves on to them allowing Alicia to slap her, then moves on to them not getting her proper medical care when she gets a major cut on her leg (also continuing with this plan after their Soul Bonded is hurt so badly), then moves onto them subtly trying to guilt her into having her heat with them.
By the end if this book, Siena is absolutely destroyed; emotionally and physically.
And her Soul Bonded pack has done this to her, knowing fully well who/what she is to them. They do all of these things despite that, and the chapters we get showing their 'remorse' don't really do much for me. They only serve to make this pack look weak and spineless, and absolutely unworthy of Siena. What sort of Alphas not only allow these things to happen to their omega, but are the ones who do it?
The Alphas are not teenage boys. The fact that they handled the blackmail so poorly as grown men is embarrassing. No discussions with Tristan's father, no discussions with the council, and no real consideration for Siena but instead focus on Logan & Gray.
2, The Heat (or lack thereof). When Siena starts going into her heat, the pack uses force to get her to stop long enough to drug her with something that'll knock her out for the next few days and stop the heat. When she wakes up, she is pissed that they denied her during her heat, especially when they made it clear they wanted to be a part of it.
Sounds awful, right? Yeah, it would be if just a few pages before Siena hadn't blatantly told them that she was absolutely not ready to share her heat, and she wanted them to look into alternatives so she wouldn't have to. The pack makes a big deal about discussing this early enough that she's 100% thinking clearly and not influenced by her hormones, and after a few days of consideration, Siena makes her choice. When her heat hits, she is not truly capable of consent.
Therefore, I can't help but see this as anything put poor writing and editing. Which is it? Are the guys doing something good by trying to get her consent ahead of time, and then following through when her heat hits? Or did they fuck up again because they denied her when her heat started? It can't be both, here.
3. The forbidden MM relationship. This was bad. Like... If you've read this book, then you know it's bad, right? Like we're on the same page?
First, it's bad because when Tristan & Jax find out, they're more angry than anything else. They're angry that Logan & Gray didn't tell them they were together, and they're angry that this is now being used as blackmail against them. There was no discussion to check in on them, and ask them if they're okay. These two have just been forcibly outed to their other packmates, and are in fear of being outed to everyone else (in a place where there are no visible MM relationships).
While I can understand Tristan & Jax being hurt they didn't know, I don't think it was handled well that their two packmates were not more understanding or empathetic.
HOWEVER... it only gets worse when Siena finds the two together and realizes their secret. She feels awful because she feels jealous, but they freak out thinking that she's mad that they're together. It's a whole mess and feels weird in a why choose omegaverse, when omegaverse roots are literally LGBTQIA+.
4. The world building. The world building in this story is honestly such a mess. We don't truly ever understand why there is a wall that separates our main city from the Beta city, or how that came to be. We don't ever really understand the trials, and there are multiple times throughout the story where even the blackmailing doesn't make sense in the world that's been built out.
If you're going to write an Omegaverse and add new rules to the typical world that exists, you have to properly build it out and explain it.
Not to mention the plot has so many things happening and none of them are fully realized. It's jus too many tropes and cliches.
5. The groveling. I mean... I'm obviously not anti-groveling. But I felt like the groveling in book 2 was genuinely not enough. Past that, we get no character depth to our pack and no real relationship growth. It all goes too quickly and without any finesse.
It's also difficult to truly forgive these men for everything that happened when you know that they knew that Sienna was their soul bonded mate. Them having this knowledge the entire time that they basically abused her really makes it difficult to inevitably get on board with them.
Overall, I think this duet is best avoided.
I finally decided to pick it up because angst felt like what I needed, but this book is giving off such Pack Darling wannabe vibes. Not in a good way.
Let me breakdown all the things I find bad about this book in bullet points:
1. The PD plot vibes. If you're into bully books with angst, and love a good omegsaverse why choose, Pack Darling ids probably something you've read. Where this book majorly fails in trying to follow a similar premise to PD is with the motivations of the characters themselves.
In Pack Darling, we go into it knowing that the pack (a.) already has an existing omega that they are sort of struggling with because (b.) they put their work ahead of everything and have no emotional intelligence. They're truly getting by as a pack based on what they know, and they already take issue with the FMC joining their pack because it was a choice somebody made for them. This means, from the start of the book, you understand the character motivations come from a genuine place of frustration and anger, combined with the pack already lacking. The pack also never scents Lilah, so they don't fully understand who/what she is to them.
But this is not the case in The Bonding Trials. Here, our pack is excited to finally be meeting their matched omega. So excited, that when they're blackmailed, the cracks in the pack immediately start to form. But then it gets worse, because when the pack finally meets our FMC, Siena, they realize she's their soul bonded match - a match so perfect, it's like they're literally made for each other.
Which makes everything that happens after this that much worse, because their treatment of her is probably some of the worst I've ever read in a book - definitely way worse than how Lilah was treated in Pack Darling. It starts with them publicly humiliating Siena, then moves on to them making absolutely callus comments to her, then moves on to them allowing Alicia to slap her, then moves on to them not getting her proper medical care when she gets a major cut on her leg (also continuing with this plan after their Soul Bonded is hurt so badly), then moves onto them subtly trying to guilt her into having her heat with them.
By the end if this book, Siena is absolutely destroyed; emotionally and physically.
And her Soul Bonded pack has done this to her, knowing fully well who/what she is to them. They do all of these things despite that, and the chapters we get showing their 'remorse' don't really do much for me. They only serve to make this pack look weak and spineless, and absolutely unworthy of Siena. What sort of Alphas not only allow these things to happen to their omega, but are the ones who do it?
The Alphas are not teenage boys. The fact that they handled the blackmail so poorly as grown men is embarrassing. No discussions with Tristan's father, no discussions with the council, and no real consideration for Siena but instead focus on Logan & Gray.
2, The Heat (or lack thereof). When Siena starts going into her heat, the pack uses force to get her to stop long enough to drug her with something that'll knock her out for the next few days and stop the heat. When she wakes up, she is pissed that they denied her during her heat, especially when they made it clear they wanted to be a part of it.
Sounds awful, right? Yeah, it would be if just a few pages before Siena hadn't blatantly told them that she was absolutely not ready to share her heat, and she wanted them to look into alternatives so she wouldn't have to. The pack makes a big deal about discussing this early enough that she's 100% thinking clearly and not influenced by her hormones, and after a few days of consideration, Siena makes her choice. When her heat hits, she is not truly capable of consent.
Therefore, I can't help but see this as anything put poor writing and editing. Which is it? Are the guys doing something good by trying to get her consent ahead of time, and then following through when her heat hits? Or did they fuck up again because they denied her when her heat started? It can't be both, here.
3. The forbidden MM relationship. This was bad. Like... If you've read this book, then you know it's bad, right? Like we're on the same page?
First, it's bad because when Tristan & Jax find out, they're more angry than anything else. They're angry that Logan & Gray didn't tell them they were together, and they're angry that this is now being used as blackmail against them. There was no discussion to check in on them, and ask them if they're okay. These two have just been forcibly outed to their other packmates, and are in fear of being outed to everyone else (in a place where there are no visible MM relationships).
While I can understand Tristan & Jax being hurt they didn't know, I don't think it was handled well that their two packmates were not more understanding or empathetic.
HOWEVER... it only gets worse when Siena finds the two together and realizes their secret. She feels awful because she feels jealous, but they freak out thinking that she's mad that they're together. It's a whole mess and feels weird in a why choose omegaverse, when omegaverse roots are literally LGBTQIA+.
4. The world building. The world building in this story is honestly such a mess. We don't truly ever understand why there is a wall that separates our main city from the Beta city, or how that came to be. We don't ever really understand the trials, and there are multiple times throughout the story where even the blackmailing doesn't make sense in the world that's been built out.
If you're going to write an Omegaverse and add new rules to the typical world that exists, you have to properly build it out and explain it.
Not to mention the plot has so many things happening and none of them are fully realized. It's jus too many tropes and cliches.
5. The groveling. I mean... I'm obviously not anti-groveling. But I felt like the groveling in book 2 was genuinely not enough. Past that, we get no character depth to our pack and no real relationship growth. It all goes too quickly and without any finesse.
It's also difficult to truly forgive these men for everything that happened when you know that they knew that Sienna was their soul bonded mate. Them having this knowledge the entire time that they basically abused her really makes it difficult to inevitably get on board with them.
Overall, I think this duet is best avoided.
July 2, 2023
“I spent years waiting for a mate. And you… you are everything. Everything I ever wanted, and so much more than I ever realized. And I swear to you, I will spend the rest of our lives making sure that you never feel the same way that you did during those Trials. I’m not asking for more than you can give. I know we have a lot of shit to work through.”
It took me much longer than I anticipated to write this review, as every time I started, I ended up crying, remembering all the pain Sienna had suffered. I love when a book affects me in such a way, and this duet will be one that remains in my head for some time. I will look forward to a re-read, this time straight through, once my TBR allows.
Sienna was nearly driven to the brink at the end of Denied, rejected by the Cohen pack at the final stage of the trials, and kicked out over the wall. I thought that would be the end of her woes, but we start Devoted in an even direr state – being kept apart from her soul bonded mates, her body grows closer to death, and she is withering away. Faced with her mortality, she allows the pack to earn their way back, though she tries to keep her heart out of it… damn those soul bonds forcing her hands.
Did the Cohen pack atone for their actions? For the most part, yes. There are still a few hurts I would have liked some further efforts to redemption. Tristan made a valiant effort. I thought he was beyond redemption, but he showed true remorse. They all did – though I wondered how much was based on discovering Sienna’s health was tied to being with them. I would not have minded some more intense groveling, but I think the soul bond really helped the pack get off easier than they would have otherwise.
I would still classify this as a slow burn, with few, but still intense scenes. There is the usual attraction simmering below the surface, yet rarely actualized. Scenes with MM are included.
This was an excellent rejected mates omegaverse that I will often recommend – very highly recommended.
Genre: Contemporary Omegavese
Tropes/Features: fated (soul bonded) mates, rejected mates, redemption arc, forgiveness, high angst, neglected omega, hurt/comfort, established MM relationship in pack
Narrator: Multiple 1st Person POV
Relationship Type: Why Choose – MMFMM, slow burn, few spicy scenes
Book Type/Ending: Part two of The Bonding Trials Duet, HEA
TW/CW: Listed in book, please read.
It took me much longer than I anticipated to write this review, as every time I started, I ended up crying, remembering all the pain Sienna had suffered. I love when a book affects me in such a way, and this duet will be one that remains in my head for some time. I will look forward to a re-read, this time straight through, once my TBR allows.
Sienna was nearly driven to the brink at the end of Denied, rejected by the Cohen pack at the final stage of the trials, and kicked out over the wall. I thought that would be the end of her woes, but we start Devoted in an even direr state – being kept apart from her soul bonded mates, her body grows closer to death, and she is withering away. Faced with her mortality, she allows the pack to earn their way back, though she tries to keep her heart out of it… damn those soul bonds forcing her hands.
Did the Cohen pack atone for their actions? For the most part, yes. There are still a few hurts I would have liked some further efforts to redemption. Tristan made a valiant effort. I thought he was beyond redemption, but he showed true remorse. They all did – though I wondered how much was based on discovering Sienna’s health was tied to being with them. I would not have minded some more intense groveling, but I think the soul bond really helped the pack get off easier than they would have otherwise.
I would still classify this as a slow burn, with few, but still intense scenes. There is the usual attraction simmering below the surface, yet rarely actualized. Scenes with MM are included.
This was an excellent rejected mates omegaverse that I will often recommend – very highly recommended.
Genre: Contemporary Omegavese
Tropes/Features: fated (soul bonded) mates, rejected mates, redemption arc, forgiveness, high angst, neglected omega, hurt/comfort, established MM relationship in pack
Narrator: Multiple 1st Person POV
Relationship Type: Why Choose – MMFMM, slow burn, few spicy scenes
Book Type/Ending: Part two of The Bonding Trials Duet, HEA
TW/CW: Listed in book, please read.
February 7, 2025
i just don't care about any of the characters,they have zero personality and barely two brain cells combined.
i also saw so many plot holes that at some point my brain shut everything up😭
there was no good groveling or fluff(i do not count them moping as groveling),the fmc made every wrong decision at every turn,the "villains" were caught so easily,the "villains" were also sooooo cartoonish,like what tf? and lastly i was so irritated by everyone calling the fmc "fragile" and "like fine china" she was dying from heartbreak the whole two books and i just can't believe that's a love story...
i also saw so many plot holes that at some point my brain shut everything up😭
there was no good groveling or fluff(i do not count them moping as groveling),the fmc made every wrong decision at every turn,the "villains" were caught so easily,the "villains" were also sooooo cartoonish,like what tf? and lastly i was so irritated by everyone calling the fmc "fragile" and "like fine china" she was dying from heartbreak the whole two books and i just can't believe that's a love story...
November 13, 2023
2 ⭐
I decided to read this book for one thing only: I wanted to see if the male protagonists would grovel enough. Well. No. I didn't like how she was so forgiving and how everything was with the "villain". No real revenge/ending.
I decided to read this book for one thing only: I wanted to see if the male protagonists would grovel enough. Well. No. I didn't like how she was so forgiving and how everything was with the "villain". No real revenge/ending.
July 1, 2023
I NEED to read this. I’m not even half way through book 1 and I’m already sad to end it. And I just realized it’s a duo loft. Oh pls pls give me an ARC lol. I’m dyingggggg to know what happens and I don’t even know what’s going on yet.
Sooo happy I found this author.
Ok so I was on the edge of my seat waiting for this book. I got it the second it was released and I’m so happy
The grovel was top notch. Top knotch* lolol. Anyway. She was just. So worn down. She she picked it back up w the help of her alphas who really had to win back her love
obviously Jess is just the absolute best. The abbbssoooluteeeeee best!
Emmet. I mean. There are no words for that sweet sweet beta
Good duet. Book one just broke my heart. Book two put it back together.
Sooo happy I found this author.
Ok so I was on the edge of my seat waiting for this book. I got it the second it was released and I’m so happy
The grovel was top notch. Top knotch* lolol. Anyway. She was just. So worn down. She she picked it back up w the help of her alphas who really had to win back her love
obviously Jess is just the absolute best. The abbbssoooluteeeeee best!
Emmet. I mean. There are no words for that sweet sweet beta
Good duet. Book one just broke my heart. Book two put it back together.
October 25, 2023
2.5 stars for the first half of the book
So I think I’m in the majority camp here where the first half of the book was everything I want in a betrayal book, the guys found her and Sienna stuck to her guns, gave the guys a piece of her mind and a big FU. LOVED all the feels. THEN…..
WTF? 🫠
Sienna decides to let the guys stay one night each JUST so she can heal and survive. This is where it all goes down hill, literally at 50%. She starts coughing up blood with Gray and they realize skin to skin is the key. Fine, even if it doesn’t fit with Book 1. However the very next day she’s like baking cookies and letting Jax kiss her and even though she says she hasn’t forgiven them that’s not really how she’s acting. What a let down. I think the author started rushing here, we begin to see more grammatical errors.
I loved the guys POV where you could feel their remorse and they understood their stupidity, but Sienna caved WAY too quickly here. They did grovel with words, promises and gifts, but man seriously, she jumped back into a sexual relationship too quickly for being on death’s door. The entire process was 4 days. So my problem here isn’t with the guys groveling it’s the heroine giving in too easily.
Don’t get me started on Tristan in this book, she wouldn’t even see him and suddenly once they’re back in Navarre she’s jumping him? The guy who caused this mess, made out with Alicia in front of her, HE gets her virginity when Jax was really the only one to stand up for her? 👎 I wanted that to go to Jax. We definitely didn’t get enough relationship building or redemption with the guys.
Then there’s the ball scene. I was excited for some payback, the author got us geared up for it and what do we get? Two dances with other alphas, a kiss on the hand and she’s back in the nest with all 4 of them. I wanted some competition, some serious jealousy and payback. We don’t get that. I enjoyed Tristans publicly claiming of her but really given the Bonding Ceremony it’s the least he could do.
Then we don’t even get a group scene because Logan and Gray apparently can’t wait so they finish each other before ever paying any attention to Sienna’s first time in her nest. When they do have a threesome just her, Logan and Gray, Logan does Gray again so we still don’t get him with Sienna. I enjoy MM but I need at least the MFC first time to be about her.
The epilogue was cute, even if again I’m ticked Tristan got first child and Jax was again shorted. I’m giving extra credit because I loved Jess and Emmett and the first half of the book which was like a whole different book. I wish the second half lived up to the first.
So I think I’m in the majority camp here where the first half of the book was everything I want in a betrayal book, the guys found her and Sienna stuck to her guns, gave the guys a piece of her mind and a big FU. LOVED all the feels. THEN…..
WTF? 🫠
Sienna decides to let the guys stay one night each JUST so she can heal and survive. This is where it all goes down hill, literally at 50%. She starts coughing up blood with Gray and they realize skin to skin is the key. Fine, even if it doesn’t fit with Book 1. However the very next day she’s like baking cookies and letting Jax kiss her and even though she says she hasn’t forgiven them that’s not really how she’s acting. What a let down. I think the author started rushing here, we begin to see more grammatical errors.
I loved the guys POV where you could feel their remorse and they understood their stupidity, but Sienna caved WAY too quickly here. They did grovel with words, promises and gifts, but man seriously, she jumped back into a sexual relationship too quickly for being on death’s door. The entire process was 4 days. So my problem here isn’t with the guys groveling it’s the heroine giving in too easily.
Don’t get me started on Tristan in this book, she wouldn’t even see him and suddenly once they’re back in Navarre she’s jumping him? The guy who caused this mess, made out with Alicia in front of her, HE gets her virginity when Jax was really the only one to stand up for her? 👎 I wanted that to go to Jax. We definitely didn’t get enough relationship building or redemption with the guys.
Then there’s the ball scene. I was excited for some payback, the author got us geared up for it and what do we get? Two dances with other alphas, a kiss on the hand and she’s back in the nest with all 4 of them. I wanted some competition, some serious jealousy and payback. We don’t get that. I enjoyed Tristans publicly claiming of her but really given the Bonding Ceremony it’s the least he could do.
Then we don’t even get a group scene because Logan and Gray apparently can’t wait so they finish each other before ever paying any attention to Sienna’s first time in her nest. When they do have a threesome just her, Logan and Gray, Logan does Gray again so we still don’t get him with Sienna. I enjoy MM but I need at least the MFC first time to be about her.
The epilogue was cute, even if again I’m ticked Tristan got first child and Jax was again shorted. I’m giving extra credit because I loved Jess and Emmett and the first half of the book which was like a whole different book. I wish the second half lived up to the first.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2024
The grovelling needed to be 10x what it was considering what they did and what they allowed to happen. They grovelled for ages but not well, whittled wooden figures and paintings does not make up for what they did to her. A disappointing end to what could have been a brilliant duet
October 13, 2024
I really didn’t connect to this story or the characters. To be fair, I’m not a huge fan of RH. This duet was entertaining and gave some good angst.
July 2, 2023
Maybe it's because I'm the best grudge holder (it's not a good thing, believe me) and have ridiculous martyr tendencies when I'm being a petty bitch (I have no chill), but I'd not have forgiven these damn clowns as easily as Si, even if death was the inevitability. ✌
August 27, 2023
This duology is essentially a group of guys making stupid choices a woman not knowhing why they are making stupid choices, but knows they are stupid. The second part is mostly the guys realizing their stupidity and how it affects the girl, her being angry for a while, but everyone hugging it out in the end.
Maybe I'm just a little tired of reading OV books where the O female has to prove herself worthy of the group through a test of some kind. If I didn't realize that before I started these books, I sure do now. The author does have some original ideas, the failing health of the O due to separation that is not due to heartbreak, but is actually a physical condition. The best friend is great in these books, too.I don't know if those things are enough to win it over for me, so it's a three star rating because I know that a big part of my disappointment in these novels was due to my irritation with the perceived misogyny in these books since the Os all seem to be female. It's not a matter of dominance or submission that I had a problem with, but the need to prove oneself worthy through a socially constructed trial that I disliked. Which may seem weird considering the theme of the series, but please not the moment of realization stated above for clarification.
Maybe I'm just a little tired of reading OV books where the O female has to prove herself worthy of the group through a test of some kind. If I didn't realize that before I started these books, I sure do now. The author does have some original ideas, the failing health of the O due to separation that is not due to heartbreak, but is actually a physical condition. The best friend is great in these books, too.I don't know if those things are enough to win it over for me, so it's a three star rating because I know that a big part of my disappointment in these novels was due to my irritation with the perceived misogyny in these books since the Os all seem to be female. It's not a matter of dominance or submission that I had a problem with, but the need to prove oneself worthy through a socially constructed trial that I disliked. Which may seem weird considering the theme of the series, but please not the moment of realization stated above for clarification.
April 8, 2024
★2.5/5! hmmmm im still debating if this is a 2 star or a 3…. imma leave it at 3 for now. I loveddd the first book since I enjoy books that hurt me HOWEVER this one was boring. All the characters just got annoying apart from the bestie - Jessalyn.
Update: it’s gonna be a 2.5/5 instead!
Update: it’s gonna be a 2.5/5 instead!
July 7, 2023
If it were up to me, the whole pack and the chick would've died in the first chapter. Some dumb, slow, and painful as fuck death. Maybe eaten alive by some chicken pox infected slugs? Itchy, slimy, and taking for fucking ever!
60% it took sixty fucking percent to stop with the goddamn moping and begging and feeling sorry for what happened in the last book. 60%!! THEN you get the lamest fucking sex scenes. You wait for almost two whole fucking books for that. Fuck me.
The useless villains "ending" was so stupid. After all the "suffering" everyone went through, that's all they get? Fuck outta here.
Jess and Emmett were by far a way better arc than the main people. I was obsessed with every little scene they can sneak up on. So the main people should've died, right, and then it's the Jess and Emmett show! Jess sounded like someone I'd love to read about and reading about Emmett being naked would've been the most productive part of my day.
I expected nothing from this book and still ended up disappointed, go figure.
60% it took sixty fucking percent to stop with the goddamn moping and begging and feeling sorry for what happened in the last book. 60%!! THEN you get the lamest fucking sex scenes. You wait for almost two whole fucking books for that. Fuck me.
The useless villains "ending" was so stupid. After all the "suffering" everyone went through, that's all they get? Fuck outta here.
Jess and Emmett were by far a way better arc than the main people. I was obsessed with every little scene they can sneak up on. So the main people should've died, right, and then it's the Jess and Emmett show! Jess sounded like someone I'd love to read about and reading about Emmett being naked would've been the most productive part of my day.
I expected nothing from this book and still ended up disappointed, go figure.
August 6, 2023
This duo was a bit of a mess of logical contradictions. It was frustrating. The whole relationship and decisions made never made sense. It wasn’t even the miscommunication and omissions, though they were annoying, but rather the whys of all of them which drove me nuts. And Sierra’s disregard for caring about any of it for more than 2/3 days just made her out to lack any sort of self respect.
Also, I don’t know if it was a formatting issue, but not starting a new paragraph when a different character was speaking made it incredibly difficult to follow.
Also, I don’t know if it was a formatting issue, but not starting a new paragraph when a different character was speaking made it incredibly difficult to follow.
October 2, 2024
2.5/5
My biggest issue was there wasn't enough groveling for my liking. Sienna took them back way too quickly. The guys were absolute monsters to her and were too stupid to come up with any other plan. They had Erikksons blackmail and could have turned it against them, but they were too selfish. They don't deserve Sienna. I firmly believe that, but at the end of the day, Sienna is happy and I can't begrude her her happiness. Jess and Emmett were the best parts of this book! They deserve a spinoff
My biggest issue was there wasn't enough groveling for my liking. Sienna took them back way too quickly. The guys were absolute monsters to her and were too stupid to come up with any other plan. They had Erikksons blackmail and could have turned it against them, but they were too selfish. They don't deserve Sienna. I firmly believe that, but at the end of the day, Sienna is happy and I can't begrude her her happiness. Jess and Emmett were the best parts of this book! They deserve a spinoff
March 23, 2025
ThIs poor chick was completely screwed by her pack. She gets exiled from her town, almost trafficked to some sickos, and endures crippling physical pain from being rejected by her soul-bonded idiot pack. After finding a safe place to tuck herself away her pack of idiots tracks her down and the groveling begins. This book is kind of a grovel-fest, and I enjoyed that part mightily. Another facet I enjoyed was the almost total lack of slick, which tends to over-lube most omegaverse books.
All in all, I kind of inhaled this OTT soapy omegaverse conclusion to this duo.
All in all, I kind of inhaled this OTT soapy omegaverse conclusion to this duo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2023
“Devoted” is one of the best omegaverse books that I’ve read this year. Evelyn Flood is making a name for herself in the genre and I am so glad I got to read a copy of this early!
“Devoted” picks up immediately where book one ended. We get to see what happened while the men were getting ready to meet Sienna at the Bonding Ceremony, as well as get an idea of what being “over the wall” means. It didn’t take them too long to reunite , which is fine because I’m not a glutton for punishment, so I liked that most of the book is the men trying to prove themselves to Sienna.
Another aspect of the book I enjoyed was Sienna’s character. It is SO common to read about omegas who ~are not like other girls~, which is code for “I’m aggressive and don’t enjoy traditional feminine things”. In this duet, Sienna is 100% your typical omega, and I LOVED that! I love that she enjoys baking, nesting, and homemaking. It was refreshing reading about a girl who unashamedly enjoys those hobbies, while still holding firm in knowing her worth.
I cannot recommend this duet enough. I wish Flood offered signed books as this is a duet I need on my shelves.
Tropes include…
✩ omegaverse
✩ second chance romance
✩ forced proximity
✩ I messed up, let me make it right
“Devoted” picks up immediately where book one ended. We get to see what happened while the men were getting ready to meet Sienna at the Bonding Ceremony, as well as get an idea of what being “over the wall” means. It didn’t take them too long to reunite , which is fine because I’m not a glutton for punishment, so I liked that most of the book is the men trying to prove themselves to Sienna.
Another aspect of the book I enjoyed was Sienna’s character. It is SO common to read about omegas who ~are not like other girls~, which is code for “I’m aggressive and don’t enjoy traditional feminine things”. In this duet, Sienna is 100% your typical omega, and I LOVED that! I love that she enjoys baking, nesting, and homemaking. It was refreshing reading about a girl who unashamedly enjoys those hobbies, while still holding firm in knowing her worth.
I cannot recommend this duet enough. I wish Flood offered signed books as this is a duet I need on my shelves.
Tropes include…
✩ omegaverse
✩ second chance romance
✩ forced proximity
✩ I messed up, let me make it right
June 30, 2023
I really enjoyed this one! For me, at times the physical romance stuff was a bit too fast-paced in where the grovelling was at (at times it felt like the guy(s) thought they were worth it already while they def hadn’t grovelled enough yet). That only happened a couple times were I was bothered by it. The grovelling is pretty neatly done, could’ve been a bit more but all around since they had reasons for what they did, I was very okay with the way it went.
I didn’t really love that her best friend was such a big part of the story, since I wasn’t a huge fan of her personality. Although I must say that I did love the way she loves and cares for Sienna.
So all in all a pretty good grovelling story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!!!
I didn’t really love that her best friend was such a big part of the story, since I wasn’t a huge fan of her personality. Although I must say that I did love the way she loves and cares for Sienna.
So all in all a pretty good grovelling story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!!!
April 28, 2024
Double review. (The Bonding Trials) both book 1) Denied and book 2) Devoted.
I wanted these books to work so bad that I ignored the many reviews littered with red flags. The premise is a combo between rejected mate and bullied mate set in an omegavers world with our heroine and her reverse harem of faded mates.
I plowed through both books hoping, hoping, after all it somehow raked up an accumulative 4 star average. Sadly I have to come in with a personal rating of 2 -2.5 stars ⭐️ at most.
Biggest drawbacks for me:
** characters frequently felt juvenile in their portrayal. Both by their action and dialogue.
** I’m willing to suspend reality and overlook the occasional plot hole or inconsistency. But when characters double down repeatedly making the same mistake upwards into the double digits, that just gets old.
** and booked two completely lost it’s pacing. When it came time for groveling and making amends we got mostly floundering. From both the heroine and hero’s. No one seemed to know what they wanted or how to get there.
I wanted these books to work so bad that I ignored the many reviews littered with red flags. The premise is a combo between rejected mate and bullied mate set in an omegavers world with our heroine and her reverse harem of faded mates.
I plowed through both books hoping, hoping, after all it somehow raked up an accumulative 4 star average. Sadly I have to come in with a personal rating of 2 -2.5 stars ⭐️ at most.
Biggest drawbacks for me:
** characters frequently felt juvenile in their portrayal. Both by their action and dialogue.
** I’m willing to suspend reality and overlook the occasional plot hole or inconsistency. But when characters double down repeatedly making the same mistake upwards into the double digits, that just gets old.
** and booked two completely lost it’s pacing. When it came time for groveling and making amends we got mostly floundering. From both the heroine and hero’s. No one seemed to know what they wanted or how to get there.
Read
April 27, 2024I’m a hater at heart and it pained me to see the men happy <3
Idk why in this particular story it’s so hard for me to forgive them. Maybe bcs she was on the verge of fkg [redacted]!? I also feel like they didn’t struggle. They suffered nothing. They needed to pay a price, have consequences, like Tristan losing his right to succeed his dad for example. Idk SOMETHING.
Jax is the only one who was redeemable to me since he objected to everything multiple times. But he still stood by and did nothing.
Idk why in this particular story it’s so hard for me to forgive them. Maybe bcs she was on the verge of fkg [redacted]!? I also feel like they didn’t struggle. They suffered nothing. They needed to pay a price, have consequences, like Tristan losing his right to succeed his dad for example. Idk SOMETHING.
Jax is the only one who was redeemable to me since he objected to everything multiple times. But he still stood by and did nothing.
August 12, 2025
Loved this series! This had lots of groveling, as well it should. It also had sweet moments and spicy moments.
There were still a few points that seemed unnecessarily dramatic or a bit unrealistic, but less so than the first book. I felt very satisfied by the ending.
This duet put the FMC through a lot, some of it unnecessary, but it also provided a great reward for the toil. I liked the side story with her best friend a lot.
Overall, I’d recommend this series if you’re looking for angst, unwilling bullying, and decent groveling.
There were still a few points that seemed unnecessarily dramatic or a bit unrealistic, but less so than the first book. I felt very satisfied by the ending.
This duet put the FMC through a lot, some of it unnecessary, but it also provided a great reward for the toil. I liked the side story with her best friend a lot.
Overall, I’d recommend this series if you’re looking for angst, unwilling bullying, and decent groveling.
June 4, 2025
Did I finish the second book after reading only the second half of the first book? Yes. Why: I’m a heathen.
I got carried away because I was so excited to find one of the rare omegaverse like Pack Darling, Baby and the Late Night Howlers, and Impossible/Inevitable that actually has a plot and isn’t just a total fuckfest.
There is a time and a place for fuckfests, but come on guys that can’t be all the Omegaverse genre is 😭😭 (I might be the only person with this opinion).
I got carried away because I was so excited to find one of the rare omegaverse like Pack Darling, Baby and the Late Night Howlers, and Impossible/Inevitable that actually has a plot and isn’t just a total fuckfest.
There is a time and a place for fuckfests, but come on guys that can’t be all the Omegaverse genre is 😭😭 (I might be the only person with this opinion).
October 13, 2024
My girl deserved WAY more groveling than she got tbh.
While I liked this one it kind of felt like it lacked the same substance as the first. Quite a bit happened but it also felt like nothing happened because none of the events were more deeply explored.
Still loved it and will read again and I'm now obsessed with Evelyn Flood so there's that
While I liked this one it kind of felt like it lacked the same substance as the first. Quite a bit happened but it also felt like nothing happened because none of the events were more deeply explored.
Still loved it and will read again and I'm now obsessed with Evelyn Flood so there's that
August 8, 2025
Awesome ending 🖤
I wasn't the biggest fan of book 1 but that's ONLY because I'm not a fan of the miscommunication trope! I really enjoyed that she didn't just forgive them after a few pretty words. She made them prove it through actions and time. I would have loved it that one star more if the revenge was a smidge better but again that's a personal preference! My girl Jess made my day! She definitely deserves her own story!
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️
I wasn't the biggest fan of book 1 but that's ONLY because I'm not a fan of the miscommunication trope! I really enjoyed that she didn't just forgive them after a few pretty words. She made them prove it through actions and time. I would have loved it that one star more if the revenge was a smidge better but again that's a personal preference! My girl Jess made my day! She definitely deserves her own story!
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️
February 14, 2024
***MY HEART***
I didn't think my heart will ever recover, but the Cohen pack came through. I wanted them to suffer as much as Sienna but she is soft hearted and and i reckon she deserved a HEA.
Please i want Jess and Emmet's story pretty pleaseeee***(
I didn't think my heart will ever recover, but the Cohen pack came through. I wanted them to suffer as much as Sienna but she is soft hearted and and i reckon she deserved a HEA.
Please i want Jess and Emmet's story pretty pleaseeee***(
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