Kabir Kabir Gill has always felt like the odd one out in Squad Six—the tech genius who stays behind the screen. His place? Beside her. His anchor? Always her. But the squad is shifting, lives are at stake yet again, and one mistake may have cost him everything, including the only woman who ever truly saw him. Especially now that she might belong to someone else.
Amelia Amelia Desmond never meant to break anything—least of all his heart. But love and war don’t play by the same rules. Missteps lead to misunderstandings, and now, with enemies closing in and loyalties fracturing, she has to decide if love is worth the risk when everything else is already on the line.
Bound by Scars is an action-packed friends-to-lovers romance set in a world of secrets, missions, and impossible choices.
This is book three in the Squad Six Series and is NOT a standalone. To fully experience the journey, read Bound by Valor and Bound by Thorns first.
Hear me scream because I got the ARC of this anticipated book!! Bye now!
A definite 5 star read for me!
I AM NOT OKAY!! EVERYTHING WAS SO GOOD AND NOW I NEED MORE OF LIA AND KABIR!!!
Firstly, I am so glad i was chosen as an ARC reader. Trusting Bakul and her Squad Six series was indeed one of the best decision I took as a reader. This was my first ever military action romance series and I loved every bit of all the three books. After reading Logan's book- Bound By Thorns, I thought no one could top Logan. Boy, I was wrong! Kabir 'Cipher' Gill is hands down one of the best MMCs out there. The bond between him and Amelia was so tender and filled with love that it made me yearn for a love I don't have yet. I do love a fearless, bold FMC and Amelia was it! SHE WAS IT, GUYS!
some of my favorite lines- - If she goes, I go. It was as simple as that. It always had been. - Stay. Please. I am not done loving you. [My heart actually ached while reading the scene where Amelia was shot and Kabir was crying profusely.] - I had no idea how to exist in a world where she wasn't full her. But more than anything- I had no idea how to exist in one where she didn't exist at all. [Kabir Gill can ruin you girls. I kid you not. That man is an entire package, wrapped with love and passion.] - If keeping Amelia alive meant becoming the Villain, then I'd burn down the world in silence. And let them call me traitor. [I am absolutely in love with Kabir.]
Let's talk about Zarek. He was always nonchalant towards Kabir and I wouldn't have probably noticed it if Bakul hadn't mentioned it in this book. I get where that man is coming from. He lost his family and then he thought he had lost Logan. He was scared to lose another person, so he made himself distant from Kabir. At the same time, I felt this irritation towards Zarek after reading Kabir's pov. How he felt distant and how he felt as if his worth was just that of a valuable asset. The pain that was portrayed from Amelia's pov after they all believed that Kabir was probably dead, made me cry internally, even though I knew he was alive. The raw pain you feel when you hear that someone you love is no longer alive is undescribable. The way her body reacted after seeing Kabir alive, falling on her knee and howling like a baby, struck deep in the heart. I could feel it as I read.
Can we talk about the cute names of endearment? Like Heeriye and Jaan? I swear they sound cringe at times, but from Kabir and Amelia, it didn't. It made me yearn for a love like their's. I am practically bouncing on my toes with the urge to read about Dylan 'Titan' Desmond. The Death mark members have truly intrigued me and I can't wait to read how Dylan came across them.
The epilogues made my heart sore with love, but also made me realise that I won't get to read this book again with the feel that it's a new story. Even though I knew the plot as summarised by Bakul herself, I still found myself hundred percent invested in the book as I turned the pages. The scenes with the kids and the love still as passionate as it were before, between Lia and Kabir, made this entire read worth the time. Took me two days to read this even though I took a break after reading 75 percent because of some other obligations.
The more I read this series, the more I go deep in it!
Okay, so hear me out —
After seeing the tropes I was curious what this book was gonna unravel in the plot and Kabir & Amelia's story but after reading it, I can surely say - it was thought provoking and at the same so admirable to read those two getting together on this journey, going through those phases with each other and without each other was EVERYTHING. PERIOD.
If I tell a little about, it's a Bestfriend's To Lovers trope and i think it was done justice quite thoroughly but I felt like - GIMME MORE!! I need more of them!! But I know, I'll get more most probably in the next book... fingers-crossed!! 🥺😮💨
Kabir & Amelia are just so made for each other, their love is the definition of trust, honesty, loyalty, that push & pull and the kind of love where you xan read each other's eyes.... it's my kinda love tbh. And that nickname which they gave to each other speaks for itself right?! Amelia's Jaan and Kabir's Heer!!! 🥺
Now shall we talk about that one thing that left my mind boggling was THAT CHAPTER from Dylan — *Titan's pov* I was like damn BAKUL, you played out here!!! 😮💨😮💨
That chapter uffff.... my heart and my brain were working overtime putting it all together somehow and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna need 1 or more read of it. Iykyk....
P.S. What I'm feeling like is that we needed Kabir & Amelia's before Dylan's because I can feel the storm coming in and this book was just the buildup for the same and it's gonna destroy everything & anything that comes in its path..... It's just a feeling! 💀
If I have too wrap it up in one line I would say - Bound By Scars was COOKED so we can eat up Bound By Ruins and I'm so down for it!!
Thank you Bakul for writing this gorgeous book and introducing me to Kabir & Amelia cause I might have a new definition for love now. ❤️🥺
“He saw me. Every forgotten quirk, every buried preference. Every inch of who I was, logged, saved, loved.”
Omg yes - I loved how we were able to sit with these characters just not individually but experience the build up of their relationship. Kabir may be a tech nerd, but he’ll bring you to his knees with his words 🥵. And Amelia, my sweet girl, she was strong and was not afraid to give the men around her hell. I did cry during this one (oops), the build up for Dylan’s book just tore me apart but I’m so excited. The action was there, the spice was there, the tension, the action and betrayal, the suspense, the cliffhanger - everything was there and I lived for it. I definitely ate this book up and I can’t wait for book 4.
🖤 friends to lovers 💀 found family 🖤 badass fmc x cinnamon roll mmc 💀 brief OM drama 🖤 “touch him and d!e” 💀 “don’t you d!e on me”
I don’t even know where to start because this book wrecked me in the most beautiful way. Kabir Gill and Amelia Desmond? They’re not just characters—they felt like real people living through pain, healing, and a love that came with scars.
Kabir calling her heeriye? Yeah, that broke me. The way he loved her—so fiercely, so quietly, so protectively—I’m never getting over it. And Amelia? She’s everything I love in a female lead. Strong, vulnerable, and just trying to survive in a world that hasn’t been kind to her.
There were parts that had me crying in the middle of the night and others that made me believe in the softness love can offer—even after the storm.
And now that I’ve finished the book… I AM SO DESPERATE FOR BOUND BY RUINS 😭 DYLAN. FREAKING. TITAN. I know he’s going to ruin me. That man has been silent and mysterious long enough—I need his story. Immediately. No crumbs. No patience left.
Bakul Sharma, I’m fully invested. Emotionally attached. Slightly unstable. And 100% ready for Dylan’s chaos.
This book is 3rd in the series. It was a powerful story between Amelia and Kabir. Their friends to lovers knocked me around a bit, and the emotion in this book packed a solid punch. It was painful, heartbreaking, frustrating but you want the best for these two who have been by each others sides for so long in Squad 6. There's so much happening in this book- not just between Amelia and Kabir, but between the other characters, there's active missions, a rogue agent, betrayal and a rat, we are looking at a bigger picture and this book blows it up.
Quotes:
He kissed me again. Fiercer. Longer. “Mine,” he choked out with a smile, like the word had been caged in his chest for a lifetime. “Even when you weren’t, you were mine.”
“If you exist, then I exist. Without you, I’m just an unfinished story… that will never be complete.”
This book is everything. Kabir Gill isn’t just a fictional character—he’s a storm of emotion, strength, and silent resilience. One of the most beautifully written male leads I’ve ever read, Kabir is the kind of book boyfriend who lingers. His love is fierce, loyal, and all-consuming. You feel every ounce of his heartbreak, his longing, and ultimately, his healing.
The chemistry between the MMC and FMC is electric, layered with pain, miscommunication, growth, and that ultimate, soul-deep connection. And the final HEA? Worth every single tear. A must-read for anyone who craves depth, angst, and characters who feel real.
Just read it. Feel it. Let it wreck and rebuild you.
i'm stunned and can't express how much beautiful and lovable this book was. action and romance both were incredibly written. the tension, and the suspence mainly took me away. i knew this was supposed to be a five star and that's true.
the way Kabir loved her. he was protective. my Amelia? she's vulnerable & my favourite female lead so far in this series.
screaming and waiting for the fourth book!!! DYLAN.
EASILY HER BEST BOOK YET. It's the kind of book that gets you out of a reading slump. The vibes were vibing and Kabir the man he is🧎♀️🧎♀️ I could eat him up. My man is YUMMY.
okay so where do i even start god 😭😭🫶 Kabir I love you you are so so good and Amelia the woman you are. the writing style was very nice also romance was so good but the other plot is also going so well can't wait for next. highly recommend this series.
Of course, I’m the author. But hear me out! I was terrified to write this one.
After Bound by Thorns, I was hopelessly in love with Logan (who isn't?), and I thought… how the hell is Kabir supposed to follow that?
And then my soft, techy, desi boy showed up like: “Hold my chai.”
Kabir is sensitive. He’s honest. He’s transparent to a fault. And I’ve known since book one that his story would open with: “Was there any way out of this? Could I ever fall out of love with her?” Spoiler: the answer was always no. 🥲
This book is my ode to a man who's been silently bleeding in the background since chapter one of this entire series, and to the woman who made him bleed in the best (and worst) ways.
Amelia? Oh, she’s mommy. No crumbs left. The throne is hers. She's devastatingly loyal to Kabir, even though she made mistakes.
Dylan, Zane, and Logan stole a few scenes like the dramatic side characters they are. And Sebastian? You’ve got exactly one book to get your act together. Until then, we’re not speaking.
I hope you love Bound by Scars as much as I loved breaking and rebuilding these two morons. ❤️🔥
*Bound by Scars* by Bakul Sharma is an intense and thrilling action-romance, the third book in the *Squad Six Series*. The story follows characters with complicated pasts as they face danger, betrayal, and high-stakes missions, all while navigating deep emotional connections. The writing is fast-paced and gripping, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The romance is intense and passionate, adding depth to the action-packed plot. Characters are strong, relatable, and well-developed, making their struggles and victories satisfying. Fans of action, suspense, and steamy romance will enjoy this exciting and emotional continuation of the series.