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Bonded
Alec Whitehall is old-fashioned—literally. Approaching his 123rd birthday, the steely vampire has nothing better to do with his time except to investigate and hunt murderous vampires as a means of regaining some sense of his withering humanity. While trailing his current case in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the last thing that Alec expects to find is his bonded mate—an unwelcome distraction, he's sure of it. But that's exactly what happens, and he's shocked to realize that his mate is a young attractive man named Aidan Copperfield.
How do two straight men deny an attraction that they have absolutely no power over? As their stony resolve begins to crumble and they start to succumb to the fiery magnetism between them, a sadistic killer continues to roam the city streets at night, narrowing his sights on the newly bonded couple.
How do two straight men deny an attraction that they have absolutely no power over? As their stony resolve begins to crumble and they start to succumb to the fiery magnetism between them, a sadistic killer continues to roam the city streets at night, narrowing his sights on the newly bonded couple.
166 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2014
About the author
Rosalie Tarr
1 book2 followersRosalie Tarr resides in the countryside of West Virginia with her husband and children. Amid the invigorating chaos of being a stay-at-home mother, she somehow finds the time to enjoy some of her favorite personal pastimes, which largely include reading and writing paranormal romance stories. When she’s not delving into a sensual world of vampires and werewolves, she loves to be outdoors with her family, soaking up the serene beauty of the Appalachian hills.
For most of her life, Rosalie has dreamed of one day writing stories that someone besides her own mother would want to read. It wasn’t until high school, when she earned a young writer’s scholarship to attend a workshop at the local college, that she realized more than ever that her career of choice was in fictional writing. Bonded is Rosalie's first novel.
For most of her life, Rosalie has dreamed of one day writing stories that someone besides her own mother would want to read. It wasn’t until high school, when she earned a young writer’s scholarship to attend a workshop at the local college, that she realized more than ever that her career of choice was in fictional writing. Bonded is Rosalie's first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 30, 2014
4.25 stars
Because no one does FOREVER like a vampire.
If you're a hardcore vampire aficionado, this one might be too soft for you. Bonded is a true double GFY: these men never even looked at another man until they looked at each other. And that's because they're bonded, and that bond is unbreakable.
Alec is almost 123 years old, young for a vampire and very young to be meeting his soul mate, but that's exactly what he finds in Aidan, a 21-year-old art student. Alec's friend Portia, who's nearing 500 and has yet to find her mate, assures him what he's feeling is longing for his true mate. But Alec is completely put off by the idea that his mate is a MAN.
It doesn't take long for things to heat up. There is an evil, powerful vampire slaying innocent humans who's toying with Alec. The sadistic crime element added suspense to the story. It was perhaps resolved too neatly, but I was kind of glad the angst didn't drag on too long.
The story is told from Alec's first-person perspective, but he can feel Aidan, so we grasp Aidan pretty well. I did want to know more about Aidan's family and life and more about vampire culture in general, particularly Alec's century of life as a vampire. I'm not sure the neat resolution with Michael, Alec's mentor of sorts, was necessary, but it was still sweet. And I adored Portia.
The epilogue was ridiculously romantic; for full effect, read near the ocean and run through the waves.
Because no one does FOREVER like a vampire.
If you're a hardcore vampire aficionado, this one might be too soft for you. Bonded is a true double GFY: these men never even looked at another man until they looked at each other. And that's because they're bonded, and that bond is unbreakable.
Alec is almost 123 years old, young for a vampire and very young to be meeting his soul mate, but that's exactly what he finds in Aidan, a 21-year-old art student. Alec's friend Portia, who's nearing 500 and has yet to find her mate, assures him what he's feeling is longing for his true mate. But Alec is completely put off by the idea that his mate is a MAN.
It doesn't take long for things to heat up. There is an evil, powerful vampire slaying innocent humans who's toying with Alec. The sadistic crime element added suspense to the story. It was perhaps resolved too neatly, but I was kind of glad the angst didn't drag on too long.
The story is told from Alec's first-person perspective, but he can feel Aidan, so we grasp Aidan pretty well. I did want to know more about Aidan's family and life and more about vampire culture in general, particularly Alec's century of life as a vampire. I'm not sure the neat resolution with Michael, Alec's mentor of sorts, was necessary, but it was still sweet. And I adored Portia.
The epilogue was ridiculously romantic; for full effect, read near the ocean and run through the waves.
December 29, 2019
*3.5 stars*
Total guilty pleasure reading! Honestly, this story is pretty ridiculous. If you like hard core vampire books with a bad boy blood-sucker, formidable foes, and a well crafter plot... um, look elsewhere. If you want to fluff-tastic DOUBLE GFY where one of the MCs happens to be undead? Look no further!
Everyone and their mother knows that I'm a sucker for a sexuality discovery story. I just am! I seek them out like a bomb sniffing dog. When I saw that this was a double sexuality discovery story, I just had to jump on it.
I need my stories to have lots of buildup. Lots of back and forth- denial, need, denial, need. This book delivered on that. Was it always so realistic? Nah. Did I care? Not really. It was FUN! I'm also a sucker for bonded mates so this book got me- hook, line, and sinker.
The weakest part of the book was the "action" plot line. The villain was lame, and I almost wish there was no thriller aspect at all in this book because it was awkward and clumsy. However, this book was too cute and I lurved it, despite its issues. It was a quick read, and though it could have been a lot smuttier, I enjoyed the heck out of it.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Total guilty pleasure reading! Honestly, this story is pretty ridiculous. If you like hard core vampire books with a bad boy blood-sucker, formidable foes, and a well crafter plot... um, look elsewhere. If you want to fluff-tastic DOUBLE GFY where one of the MCs happens to be undead? Look no further!
Everyone and their mother knows that I'm a sucker for a sexuality discovery story. I just am! I seek them out like a bomb sniffing dog. When I saw that this was a double sexuality discovery story, I just had to jump on it.
I need my stories to have lots of buildup. Lots of back and forth- denial, need, denial, need. This book delivered on that. Was it always so realistic? Nah. Did I care? Not really. It was FUN! I'm also a sucker for bonded mates so this book got me- hook, line, and sinker.
The weakest part of the book was the "action" plot line. The villain was lame, and I almost wish there was no thriller aspect at all in this book because it was awkward and clumsy. However, this book was too cute and I lurved it, despite its issues. It was a quick read, and though it could have been a lot smuttier, I enjoyed the heck out of it.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
June 2, 2020
reread 6/1/2020 well, sadly this didn’t quite stand up to the test of time. I still enjoyed it quite a bit, but one thing just really bugged the sh*t out of me.
What I liked
* no immediate boinking when the mate was found
* fated mate didn’t equal immediate love and a relationship
* the initial internal struggle with feeling attraction to a man for the first time.
What I didn’t like
* the useless mystery that wasn’t a mystery. It brought nothing to the story. It was a throwaway plot point and was handled in the most anticlimactic way.
* turning Aidan’s ex into a bitchy shrew when she really had cause to be upset.
What I hated
* the need to make the MC feel repulsion when he thought about having a male mate. I can completely understand confusion, but why make being gay (or in this case bi) repulsive and humiliating? I tried to put it down to the time period Alec was born in, but it really bothered me. Especially since he felt that way for a long time.
****original review 5/30/2014****
This was a rare treat for me. I don't come across many vampire mate bonds in my reading. I loved the fact that the author allowed the main characters to struggle with the attraction to another male even with the bond. The mystery was a little OTT, but still good. I would love to read more concerning Aidan and Alec. I will definitely look for more from this author in the future.
What I liked
* no immediate boinking when the mate was found
* fated mate didn’t equal immediate love and a relationship
* the initial internal struggle with feeling attraction to a man for the first time.
What I didn’t like
* the useless mystery that wasn’t a mystery. It brought nothing to the story. It was a throwaway plot point and was handled in the most anticlimactic way.
* turning Aidan’s ex into a bitchy shrew when she really had cause to be upset.
What I hated
* the need to make the MC feel repulsion when he thought about having a male mate. I can completely understand confusion, but why make being gay (or in this case bi) repulsive and humiliating? I tried to put it down to the time period Alec was born in, but it really bothered me. Especially since he felt that way for a long time.
****original review 5/30/2014****
This was a rare treat for me. I don't come across many vampire mate bonds in my reading. I loved the fact that the author allowed the main characters to struggle with the attraction to another male even with the bond. The mystery was a little OTT, but still good. I would love to read more concerning Aidan and Alec. I will definitely look for more from this author in the future.
May 31, 2014
I loved this!!! Such a super sweet and very romantic vampire tale!! Double GFY baby!! Beautiful.
July 3, 2019
**grm**
This was a pretty nice story, with two men falling for the first time in love with someone of the same sex. I would have gladly avoided having the girlfriend(later ex) on page, but well she was kinda "useful" to explain the struggle of Aiden discovering these new kind of feelings. I loved Portia and Michael and I was happy to see that both of them found their mates. There was some angst and drama in the first part of the book, with Alec trying to catch a serial killer etc., and maybe all was resolved a bit too easily, but who cares, the real focus of the book was the bond btw our MCs and the pull they had for each other.
This was a pretty nice story, with two men falling for the first time in love with someone of the same sex. I would have gladly avoided having the girlfriend(later ex) on page, but well she was kinda "useful" to explain the struggle of Aiden discovering these new kind of feelings. I loved Portia and Michael and I was happy to see that both of them found their mates. There was some angst and drama in the first part of the book, with Alec trying to catch a serial killer etc., and maybe all was resolved a bit too easily, but who cares, the real focus of the book was the bond btw our MCs and the pull they had for each other.
April 9, 2014
Vampire meets his bonded mate, who is male, and falls hard even though vampire is straight and tries to fight the compulsion drawing him to his fated love, who's also not gay.
This book would have gotten more stars if it hadn't been a) too short, and b) so superficial.
I liked the mythology, and I liked that the two MCs tried to fight the attraction for a while, even though the fact that neither identified as gay prior to meeting the other was a little off-putting. It was like the supernatural bond took away their choices, and they couldn't help but want each other. Meh.
The overall plot was engaging, and I stayed interested primarily due to the writing - snark, humor and good dialogue, with believable characters - but the HEA epilogue was again too neat for me.
I requested this book from Netgalley because of the blurb indicating the vampire mating not being what the vampire expected, and the book delivered on my expectations. The drama with the rogue vampire kept things interesting too, though the climax of that drama was perhaps a little bit too neat as well.
I also had a hard time believing that a supernatural being could be so oblivious, but then again, he had to be for this to make sense.
Overall, pleasant, but forgettable.
** I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. A positive review was not promised in return. **
This book would have gotten more stars if it hadn't been a) too short, and b) so superficial.
I liked the mythology, and I liked that the two MCs tried to fight the attraction for a while, even though the fact that neither identified as gay prior to meeting the other was a little off-putting. It was like the supernatural bond took away their choices, and they couldn't help but want each other. Meh.
The overall plot was engaging, and I stayed interested primarily due to the writing - snark, humor and good dialogue, with believable characters - but the HEA epilogue was again too neat for me.
I requested this book from Netgalley because of the blurb indicating the vampire mating not being what the vampire expected, and the book delivered on my expectations. The drama with the rogue vampire kept things interesting too, though the climax of that drama was perhaps a little bit too neat as well.
I also had a hard time believing that a supernatural being could be so oblivious, but then again, he had to be for this to make sense.
Overall, pleasant, but forgettable.
** I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. A positive review was not promised in return. **
January 11, 2015
Not the usual vampire story.
Don't expect brooding, tragic haunting vampires here. Alec is a nice vampire that keeps his humanity by protecting humans from murderous vampires.
The beginning is slow but well written and I enjoyed his struggle with accepting his bonded mate when he realized it was a man. There wasn't any homophobia here but feelings I'd expect from anyone who suddenly found themselves attracted to someone of the same sex.
The villain is the usual bad vampire so nothing really exciting. The violence while explicit isn't overwhelming and over quickly.
My real problem with the story is the quick acceptance of two straight men being in a homosexual relationship. Yes, it's 'fate' creating the mate bond and they both fight it in the beginning but then quickly get over it and everything is fine. The sex didn't seem realistic considering the story. I'd expect fumbling, insecurity and some timidity about handling the dangly bits. There is none, frotting, first time oral sex and then anal WITHOUT LUBE with no doubts or hesitance. These are two 'Gay For You' men, essentially virgins that not only know what to do but do it well.
Yes, it's a paranormal vampire story so I shouldn't expect anything realistic but when it comes to GFY butt virgins I like the fumbling, hesitance and figuring things out.
All in all it was an enjoyable read and I give it three stars.
Don't expect brooding, tragic haunting vampires here. Alec is a nice vampire that keeps his humanity by protecting humans from murderous vampires.
The beginning is slow but well written and I enjoyed his struggle with accepting his bonded mate when he realized it was a man. There wasn't any homophobia here but feelings I'd expect from anyone who suddenly found themselves attracted to someone of the same sex.
The villain is the usual bad vampire so nothing really exciting. The violence while explicit isn't overwhelming and over quickly.
My real problem with the story is the quick acceptance of two straight men being in a homosexual relationship. Yes, it's 'fate' creating the mate bond and they both fight it in the beginning but then quickly get over it and everything is fine. The sex didn't seem realistic considering the story. I'd expect fumbling, insecurity and some timidity about handling the dangly bits. There is none, frotting, first time oral sex and then anal WITHOUT LUBE with no doubts or hesitance. These are two 'Gay For You' men, essentially virgins that not only know what to do but do it well.
Yes, it's a paranormal vampire story so I shouldn't expect anything realistic but when it comes to GFY butt virgins I like the fumbling, hesitance and figuring things out.
All in all it was an enjoyable read and I give it three stars.
April 13, 2014
The supernatural novel Bonded by Rosalie Tarr!!!!
Alec is an old fashioned vampire and now he is approaching his 123rd birthday. His main function now is hunting murderous vampires to help regain some sense of the decline of the human race. Aidan is a young and beautiful man who meets Alec who turns out to be his bonded mate which comes as a complete surprise to Alec. Both men appear to be straight and they're trying to deal with their attraction to each other which is very new for them. Now that they are coming to terms with their hot newly connection, a serial killer has now set his sights on the couple.
I enjoyed how the characters tried to fight their attraction to each other and it also comes down to some supernatural powers that might be pulling them together. I was riveted to the story mainly by the great writing of beautiful dialogue and how the author snuck in some great humour. The character of Aidan was so interesting to read as he was human, straight and had a girlfriend which brought on some internal conflicts with what he feels for Alec.
The only issue I had and it wasn't a bad one was at times the story was too neatly tied up and written and needed some edge but by all means it does not ruin the story. If you like reading about vampires, supernatural characters, serial killers, funny friends than Bonded by Rosalie Tarr is the book for you.
"Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review."
Reviewed by Paul at Gay Media Reviews!
Alec is an old fashioned vampire and now he is approaching his 123rd birthday. His main function now is hunting murderous vampires to help regain some sense of the decline of the human race. Aidan is a young and beautiful man who meets Alec who turns out to be his bonded mate which comes as a complete surprise to Alec. Both men appear to be straight and they're trying to deal with their attraction to each other which is very new for them. Now that they are coming to terms with their hot newly connection, a serial killer has now set his sights on the couple.
I enjoyed how the characters tried to fight their attraction to each other and it also comes down to some supernatural powers that might be pulling them together. I was riveted to the story mainly by the great writing of beautiful dialogue and how the author snuck in some great humour. The character of Aidan was so interesting to read as he was human, straight and had a girlfriend which brought on some internal conflicts with what he feels for Alec.
The only issue I had and it wasn't a bad one was at times the story was too neatly tied up and written and needed some edge but by all means it does not ruin the story. If you like reading about vampires, supernatural characters, serial killers, funny friends than Bonded by Rosalie Tarr is the book for you.
"Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review."
Reviewed by Paul at Gay Media Reviews!
August 31, 2015
Finally my wish has been granted.
Best DOUBLE Gay For You Romance
Yaayy!!
*******************************************************************
It feels like an M/M version of Midnight Sun and No Such Thing as Immortality being combined into this lovely book.
I think this is the first Double-GFY book I've ever read. There should be a listopia for this.
Best DOUBLE Gay For You Romance
Yaayy!!
*******************************************************************
It feels like an M/M version of Midnight Sun and No Such Thing as Immortality being combined into this lovely book.
I think this is the first Double-GFY book I've ever read. There should be a listopia for this.
November 5, 2014
This was unexpectedly fun! This one had vampires, mates, and a double GFY, which was pretty awesome. We could use some more gay vampire romances, give the werewolf/wolf/bear/whatever shifter romances a rest for a bit and write some hot vampires biting each other m/m romances! haha
I will say, I think that this book could have done without the whole "vampire killing people" mystery, as that took away from the delicious romance, and it was just tied up too neatly. However, I really liked the dialogue, the characters, and I would definitely read more with these characters or a sequel set within this world of vampires.
I will say, I think that this book could have done without the whole "vampire killing people" mystery, as that took away from the delicious romance, and it was just tied up too neatly. However, I really liked the dialogue, the characters, and I would definitely read more with these characters or a sequel set within this world of vampires.
Read
November 29, 2016DNF at 38%..I just couldn't get into it. The writing isn't bad. Also vampires honestly aren't my favorite supernatural MC's... It's probably more me than the book...
June 13, 2023
The cover is so ugly, who would give it a chance like that! But it is actually a very nice mm romance, the kind I love to read (g4u, bonding). And I am usually one that despise double g4u because it never feels natural, but if you add the whole "bond" thing + "mate for life" is another thing entirely.
So imagine the surprise of vampire Alec when he finds his mate, and it is a man, not a woman. He is not happy since he is not gay. But the pull, and the "I can't stop watching/stalking him", ahhh. While Aidan is a human and he is not aware of the mate thing, he also feels the pull, and all that staring and blushes, ahhh. I also like that it was told from Alec's POV (Aidan was easier to read, and Alec could read his mind and sense his feelings anyway, so no need to have his POV).
Unfortunately for Alec (and Aidan, since he is also not gay), Aidan has a girlfriend. For better or for worse, she is a bit nasty so the breakup is inevitable.
Besides the gf obstacle, there is an older vampire who is a serial killer, who is after Alec, and when this vampire realizes Alec is crazy about Aidan, of course he is also after Aidan. So there are a couple of dangerous situations, plus a big fight where almost everyone loses their lives. Enter Alec's Maker, who saves the day. Turns out, he has also being in love with Alec for decades.
Surprisingly, it is not too smutty (but nevertheless, it is very, very hot). The most the do at first is kissing and humping, which suits their new sexuality discovery.
The ending was kind of underwhelming:
So imagine the surprise of vampire Alec when he finds his mate, and it is a man, not a woman. He is not happy since he is not gay. But the pull, and the "I can't stop watching/stalking him", ahhh. While Aidan is a human and he is not aware of the mate thing, he also feels the pull, and all that staring and blushes, ahhh. I also like that it was told from Alec's POV (Aidan was easier to read, and Alec could read his mind and sense his feelings anyway, so no need to have his POV).
Unfortunately for Alec (and Aidan, since he is also not gay), Aidan has a girlfriend. For better or for worse, she is a bit nasty so the breakup is inevitable.
Besides the gf obstacle, there is an older vampire who is a serial killer, who is after Alec, and when this vampire realizes Alec is crazy about Aidan, of course he is also after Aidan. So there are a couple of dangerous situations, plus a big fight where almost everyone loses their lives. Enter Alec's Maker, who saves the day. Turns out, he has also being in love with Alec for decades.
Surprisingly, it is not too smutty (but nevertheless, it is very, very hot). The most the do at first is kissing and humping, which suits their new sexuality discovery.
The ending was kind of underwhelming:
December 1, 2018
This is a typical superficial M-M mystical bonding romance. It started of OK with the straight vampire, Alec trying to fight off his attraction to his destined one true soul mate who happened to be a straight human. But it quickly got repetitive as he kept thinking the same things while stalking the human, Aidan. There just wasn't enough plot to carry the story along and by a third in, I was wondering when they would actually start interacting with each other. I also really wanted to see things from Aidan's viewpoint but the entire story is unfortunately told in first person through Alex.
When the couple got together the story got worse. Aidan was too eager to jump on board the vampire love train and the whole thing seemed really creepy. The sex wasn't hot and it didn't make up for the lack of introspection on anyone's part about what was going on. Aidan was like the stereotypical woman eager to give up her life so she could be be at the side of her man. I was bored by the last few chapters and really didn't care about their HAE mostly because it didn't seem all that happy to me for Aidan who seemed more in thrall then in love.
On the plus slide, the writing itself was competent and flowed well.
When the couple got together the story got worse. Aidan was too eager to jump on board the vampire love train and the whole thing seemed really creepy. The sex wasn't hot and it didn't make up for the lack of introspection on anyone's part about what was going on. Aidan was like the stereotypical woman eager to give up her life so she could be be at the side of her man. I was bored by the last few chapters and really didn't care about their HAE mostly because it didn't seem all that happy to me for Aidan who seemed more in thrall then in love.
On the plus slide, the writing itself was competent and flowed well.
May 2, 2018
Bonded by Rosalie Tarr has the story of Alec and 123-year-old vampire, and Aiden the young artist who brings light back into Alec’s life.
Alec is scared he feels like he is becoming the monsters he hunts. Bloodlust is getting to him. He doesn’t want to be a mindless killer. He might be a vampire, but he doesn’t have to be a murderer. He is shocked when he finds out his mate is a man.
Aiden is human, an artist and young. He is the opposite of Alec in many ways. He is the light of Alec’s darkness.
Can this work in the long run? Well if you ask me yes it can. Alec just has to know he needs Aiden. Aiden might be young, but he is strong enough to love without conditions.
Loved this story!! Cannot wait for more from this author in the future.
Five Shooting Stars
Alec is scared he feels like he is becoming the monsters he hunts. Bloodlust is getting to him. He doesn’t want to be a mindless killer. He might be a vampire, but he doesn’t have to be a murderer. He is shocked when he finds out his mate is a man.
Aiden is human, an artist and young. He is the opposite of Alec in many ways. He is the light of Alec’s darkness.
Can this work in the long run? Well if you ask me yes it can. Alec just has to know he needs Aiden. Aiden might be young, but he is strong enough to love without conditions.
Loved this story!! Cannot wait for more from this author in the future.
Five Shooting Stars
September 9, 2017
It had the right amount of everything, light enough to make you happy and intense enough to keep you interested.
4.5 stars!
4.5 stars!
November 29, 2017
3.5 stars. Sweet romantic fated mates love story. Sexual tension but uninspiring sex - and NO LUBE.
September 7, 2024
Good, could have been fleshed out more
May 27, 2014
*free copy provided by the publisher via netgalley*
I read this book four days ago in one sitting, with the intention of writing the review later in the day, when I came back from some errands. One thing led to the other, and I completely forgot about it. And now, for the life of me, I can barely remember what the book was about. Not a very good sign, since I’m not one to forget things like these.
Reading the blurb on goodreads, I slowly started to remember…that the feeling was just…meh. And that’s probably why I couldn’t remember either way – did I love it? Did I hate it? The answer is…meh.
Usually, I’m a total sucker for a male-male paranormal story. Werewolves, vampires, you name it. And usually, the authors know how to draw me into the story and make my heart race.
I’m afraid it wasn’t the case with this book. I didn’t get sucked in. I liked the idea well enough, but the execution fell a bit short.
It’s weird, but I kinda got a feminine feel from it…even when we’re in Alec’s head (which is almost all the time), it’s somehow obvious it was written by a woman. I’m not sure how to explain this, since it’s just a feeling I got, but it’s not a very “manly” point of view, if that makes any sense. The thoughts are a bit too detail oriented, and men usually aren’t like that. Those mile long descriptions/interior monologues give me headaches. I don’t need to know about every brick and every stone and every wrinkle.
And then, there’s the characters. Alec is a very straight man but the thought of his mate dying fills him with dread? That’s a pretty big contradiction, especially since it’s only the beginning and he knows nothing of this mate. I think this whole bond thing is a bit too much – the author is trying to make two magnets get together by sheer force. I don’t like the idea of people not having any say, and that this so called bond can practically override your will and everything about you.
And once we get over the whole “it’s the bond’s fault” thing, Alec tells Aidan to go with him, and he does? A complete stranger? Just like that?
What are you?
What do you think I am?
I don’t know.
Take a wild guess.
Tell me.
I’m a vampire.
- it’s like reverse Twilight.
And the cherry on the cake: 3 seconds after arriving at Portia’s house, Aidan is going to bed, asks Alec to join him on the bed and asks Alec to kiss him. And he’s supposed to be straight? Reeeealy?
This whole thing is absolutely ridiculous.
I read this book four days ago in one sitting, with the intention of writing the review later in the day, when I came back from some errands. One thing led to the other, and I completely forgot about it. And now, for the life of me, I can barely remember what the book was about. Not a very good sign, since I’m not one to forget things like these.
Reading the blurb on goodreads, I slowly started to remember…that the feeling was just…meh. And that’s probably why I couldn’t remember either way – did I love it? Did I hate it? The answer is…meh.
Usually, I’m a total sucker for a male-male paranormal story. Werewolves, vampires, you name it. And usually, the authors know how to draw me into the story and make my heart race.
I’m afraid it wasn’t the case with this book. I didn’t get sucked in. I liked the idea well enough, but the execution fell a bit short.
It’s weird, but I kinda got a feminine feel from it…even when we’re in Alec’s head (which is almost all the time), it’s somehow obvious it was written by a woman. I’m not sure how to explain this, since it’s just a feeling I got, but it’s not a very “manly” point of view, if that makes any sense. The thoughts are a bit too detail oriented, and men usually aren’t like that. Those mile long descriptions/interior monologues give me headaches. I don’t need to know about every brick and every stone and every wrinkle.
And then, there’s the characters. Alec is a very straight man but the thought of his mate dying fills him with dread? That’s a pretty big contradiction, especially since it’s only the beginning and he knows nothing of this mate. I think this whole bond thing is a bit too much – the author is trying to make two magnets get together by sheer force. I don’t like the idea of people not having any say, and that this so called bond can practically override your will and everything about you.
And once we get over the whole “it’s the bond’s fault” thing, Alec tells Aidan to go with him, and he does? A complete stranger? Just like that?
What are you?
What do you think I am?
I don’t know.
Take a wild guess.
Tell me.
I’m a vampire.
- it’s like reverse Twilight.
And the cherry on the cake: 3 seconds after arriving at Portia’s house, Aidan is going to bed, asks Alec to join him on the bed and asks Alec to kiss him. And he’s supposed to be straight? Reeeealy?
This whole thing is absolutely ridiculous.
June 3, 2014
Ok so we start with a sting of grizzly murders happening in Pittsburg. Aiken who is a 122 soon to be 123 year old vampier who only like to drain the blood of the scum of the city. As aide is out one night look for the one who is murdering he has drank nothing but animal blood for the past six months and feels the urge for human blood he come across a prostitute and end up feeding from her while he is feeding from her he has a vision of nothing to do with the women that he is feeding from. He end up taking too much blood from the girl and so she will survive he takes her to the emergency room sites her wrist and to make it look like she had done this to her self.as soon as he is sure she is ok he makes his way to his best friend called portia. who is also a vampire to talk about what happened to him.
Portia who is a older vampire than Aidan explained to him about the bonding of a vampire and his mate. She advises him to go back and find his mate. So he go's out looking for his. Perfect female mate. He go's walking around and the strong bond feeling he felt before comes back but much stronger.
As finds were his mate is living he does not want to meet her but he can feel that his mate is one the way out. But as his mate shows up he sees the she is a HE. This is were al the fun begins.
There are quit a few twist and turns in this book. I enjoyed reading this but it keep me interested from the first page to the last page it is for a Mature audience I would be happy to recommend this book it a good book to take on holiday. Great first novel looking forward to reading more from Rosalie Tarr
I have given this a 4 star rating.
Portia who is a older vampire than Aidan explained to him about the bonding of a vampire and his mate. She advises him to go back and find his mate. So he go's out looking for his. Perfect female mate. He go's walking around and the strong bond feeling he felt before comes back but much stronger.
As finds were his mate is living he does not want to meet her but he can feel that his mate is one the way out. But as his mate shows up he sees the she is a HE. This is were al the fun begins.
There are quit a few twist and turns in this book. I enjoyed reading this but it keep me interested from the first page to the last page it is for a Mature audience I would be happy to recommend this book it a good book to take on holiday. Great first novel looking forward to reading more from Rosalie Tarr
I have given this a 4 star rating.
May 13, 2014
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 because I did snicker quite a bit in the story. Delivery can only make up for the plot so far, though, and I felt that Bonded took the gay for you a bit far with 2 'straight' characters. I have to admit to having issues with fact that the insta-love element didn't just apply to the character's newly met relationship but to the sexual desire element as well.
There's a line there when it comes to attraction going from opposite to same gender that doesn't always need to be crossed. It's like telling a gay man he just needs to meet the right woman, and he'd be straight. Now, maybe in paranormal fiction that would work... but how loud would folks cry out against it, if it were true? I didn't really expect all that in the story, so it really colored my reading experience.
I did like the author paired both the romance with an underlying story. Without giving away anything, I enjoyed the arcs of the story... until the end. Like another reviewer said, it just felt too neat, too pat. Things are never perfect--especially when you deal with real people and real events. I'd have loved to see a better realistic ending.
Overall, I like the story. But... that's it; I just like it. I find that vampire fiction isn't as common anymore, so I was super excited to pick this up to read, but then fizzled. It just didn't quite live up to what I was looking for as far as the overall storyline.
There's a line there when it comes to attraction going from opposite to same gender that doesn't always need to be crossed. It's like telling a gay man he just needs to meet the right woman, and he'd be straight. Now, maybe in paranormal fiction that would work... but how loud would folks cry out against it, if it were true? I didn't really expect all that in the story, so it really colored my reading experience.
I did like the author paired both the romance with an underlying story. Without giving away anything, I enjoyed the arcs of the story... until the end. Like another reviewer said, it just felt too neat, too pat. Things are never perfect--especially when you deal with real people and real events. I'd have loved to see a better realistic ending.
Overall, I like the story. But... that's it; I just like it. I find that vampire fiction isn't as common anymore, so I was super excited to pick this up to read, but then fizzled. It just didn't quite live up to what I was looking for as far as the overall storyline.
November 30, 2019
I'm not particular about my novels as long as they have HEA's, and I rarely write reviews since I'm no good at being critical.However, this novel was one of the few I'd read during its creation when it was on Wattpad. I'd found it captivating them when I waited on pins and needles for each chapter, and I still find it as entrancing as I did then. I used to read chapters repeatedly till I knew many by heart.I thought the relationship between Alec and Aidan to blossomed rather quickly, which is normal with soul mates, but Aidan and Alec put up enough resistance that it seemed more natural than it would have otherwise.
Bonded is definitely a sweet read that leaves you interested in finishing especially if you love old vampires falling in love.
Bonded is definitely a sweet read that leaves you interested in finishing especially if you love old vampires falling in love.
July 12, 2014
I enjoyed this book very much. I will say you shouldn't start reading this novel with preconceived notions. Rosalie Tarr has a unique author voice, and the overall flavor of the book is likewise different. The pacing was well done and free of lags, so the whole story flowed nicely. There was enough conflict to be believable and interesting without filling the plot and relationship with too much angst. For me, it was a nice balance. I would certainly recommend this book.
October 18, 2015
This book was entertaining. Nothing mindblowing, because I've read several books about vamps with similar or better world building, but it was entertaining. I also wish the story would have been a bit longer since the main characters don't meet until arround 30% or something like that, i think.
May 23, 2014
Sweet vampire romance about a straight vampire becoming bonded (finding his human mate) with a straight man. There was just enough angst to make this an enjoyable read.
June 30, 2014
3.5 stars
September 10, 2016
3,5* Stars
January 1, 2015
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews