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Bound Series #1
Bound
Once finally back in her hometown of Washington, North Carolina, seventeen-year-old Emma Morgan learns the simple life she knew three years ago has changed from the moment she meets the charmingly, bright-eyed Liam Alexander. But when her brother, Sean voices his disapproval, Emma finds her loyalty in the way of her new found curiosity. Only the more she tries to avoid him the more she finds Liam in her constant company. A risk that will lead Emma into discovering a secret no human must ever know. One that might just cost her her life...
Unknown Binding
First published October 9, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 22, 2012
Bound was a pretty unique book. I don't want to spoil it for anyone so my review may sound kind of vague. I enjoyed it. There are twists and turns throughout and more than once this book caught me very off guard. I love it when a book can take me by surprise multiple times.
I was a little confused at the beginning of the book about what was going on, but after about 15-20 pages or so I started to get my bearings and then I really got into the story. Once this happened I devoured the whole book pretty quickly. Emma is such a relate-able and likable character. She is just so normal. She isn't overly aggressive, or overly sassy. And as much as I love a kick butt heroine, sometimes it isn't just the most realistic thing to see a 17 year old girl that can take down grown men. Emma is realistic, she is just your average teenager who is worried about fitting in and being the "new girl". At times, she was a little too dependent on her brother. I liked seeing their childhood pictures and memories because it helped me see just how close of a bond the two of them really shared.
Liam was really interesting too and I was fascinated throughout the whole book. We just kept learning more and more about him and it was all really cool stuff. I loved the supernatural element in Bound. It was fresh and inventive.
Bound is one of those stories that just keeps building and building as you read it. It didn't start out as much but the story just kept picking up pace and getting better. It was downright suspenseful at the end. The ending kind of threw me off. It didn't exactly end as a cliffhanger and I am not even sure if there is going to be another book or not. I really hope there is another book because I am not done with Liam and Emma yet! The end of Bound seemed kind of unfinished. Jennifer, I vote for a sequel! Fans of a new and different kind of supernatural should check out Bound.
I was a little confused at the beginning of the book about what was going on, but after about 15-20 pages or so I started to get my bearings and then I really got into the story. Once this happened I devoured the whole book pretty quickly. Emma is such a relate-able and likable character. She is just so normal. She isn't overly aggressive, or overly sassy. And as much as I love a kick butt heroine, sometimes it isn't just the most realistic thing to see a 17 year old girl that can take down grown men. Emma is realistic, she is just your average teenager who is worried about fitting in and being the "new girl". At times, she was a little too dependent on her brother. I liked seeing their childhood pictures and memories because it helped me see just how close of a bond the two of them really shared.
Liam was really interesting too and I was fascinated throughout the whole book. We just kept learning more and more about him and it was all really cool stuff. I loved the supernatural element in Bound. It was fresh and inventive.
Bound is one of those stories that just keeps building and building as you read it. It didn't start out as much but the story just kept picking up pace and getting better. It was downright suspenseful at the end. The ending kind of threw me off. It didn't exactly end as a cliffhanger and I am not even sure if there is going to be another book or not. I really hope there is another book because I am not done with Liam and Emma yet! The end of Bound seemed kind of unfinished. Jennifer, I vote for a sequel! Fans of a new and different kind of supernatural should check out Bound.
March 17, 2013
Bound by Jennifer Dean finds seventeen year old Emma Morgan happily returning to live in the small town of Washington, North Carolina, reuniting with old friends, old familiar haunts and her brother and best friend, Sean. Little did Emma know she would also find true love in Liam Alexander, a boy Sean tries desperately to keep her away from, going so far as to try to emotionally blackmail her. Emma sees Liam as completely different from anyone she has ever known, she has NO idea how right she is! Liam has a dark secret and Sean knows it, too well. What Emma learns could not only change her life, but put her in extreme danger. Will love be enough to conquer all? What about her relationship with Sean? Is he also hiding something from her?
Jennifer Dean has created a YA paranormal tale that does NOT rely on vampires or werewolves. I personally like the refreshing twist! Emma is a wonderful example of a teen who is strong and mature for her age without the whiny fits, even when she felt a little insecure. The depth of her relationship with Sean was evident in the details of their childhood in a picture album he made for Emma, a detail that I enjoyed, making her later reactions to revelations about Sean that much more realistic. Bound is the kind of story that builds on itself, with a good flow and an entertaining concept! The ending found me wanting to know more about Emma, Liam, Sean and the rest!
Reviewed for Readers' Favorite!
Jennifer Dean has created a YA paranormal tale that does NOT rely on vampires or werewolves. I personally like the refreshing twist! Emma is a wonderful example of a teen who is strong and mature for her age without the whiny fits, even when she felt a little insecure. The depth of her relationship with Sean was evident in the details of their childhood in a picture album he made for Emma, a detail that I enjoyed, making her later reactions to revelations about Sean that much more realistic. Bound is the kind of story that builds on itself, with a good flow and an entertaining concept! The ending found me wanting to know more about Emma, Liam, Sean and the rest!
Reviewed for Readers' Favorite!
July 4, 2018
This book is right out my alley! I am in love with superpowers, witches, immortal beings and all that the Paranormal Romance gender has to offer! And “Bound” is perfect for me! It has good quality writing, it has good characters, it has a good plot. What’s not to like?
Ok, although I admit I tend to give all the stars in the sky to Paranormal Romance books, I tend to be more critical, now that I’ve read and reviewed a few. There are small, small things that did not make me confortable reading, but these are not even worth mentioning because the bond our main character has to Liam, the bond between Emma and her brother, are just two of the things that make this book a great one.
Emma is determined to stand by Liam, to uncover the secrets surrounding his family and she will stop at nothing to do it. And this raises her brother’s disapproval. He dislikes Liam with all his soul and he fails to give her one concrete reason. So she follows her heart and instinct. As many other readers, I found Liam a really nice guy, for a person of his kind (find out more in the book) and his affection for Emma is pure and intense.
I liked the pace of the story, I liked that it followed more than one plot and I liked the system, with the super powerful beings. I will refrain from comparing this book to others as in the end, all books are alike… they all have covers and pages and words and stories J if you enjoy this kind of romance, this book is perfect for you! I hope you give it a try. Happy reading!
Ok, although I admit I tend to give all the stars in the sky to Paranormal Romance books, I tend to be more critical, now that I’ve read and reviewed a few. There are small, small things that did not make me confortable reading, but these are not even worth mentioning because the bond our main character has to Liam, the bond between Emma and her brother, are just two of the things that make this book a great one.
Emma is determined to stand by Liam, to uncover the secrets surrounding his family and she will stop at nothing to do it. And this raises her brother’s disapproval. He dislikes Liam with all his soul and he fails to give her one concrete reason. So she follows her heart and instinct. As many other readers, I found Liam a really nice guy, for a person of his kind (find out more in the book) and his affection for Emma is pure and intense.
I liked the pace of the story, I liked that it followed more than one plot and I liked the system, with the super powerful beings. I will refrain from comparing this book to others as in the end, all books are alike… they all have covers and pages and words and stories J if you enjoy this kind of romance, this book is perfect for you! I hope you give it a try. Happy reading!
May 12, 2014
Bound was a good book, in my opinion. The author’s purpose was to entertain the reader. I believe the author’s purpose was to entertain because reading about a girl falling love with an immortal, not a vampire, is a good change and the challenges that they went through. In other words, I think the author, Jennifer Dean, wrote this book to entertain us of her character’s adventures and love story.
I really could not find a theme in this book yet because I have not read the second one. But what I came up with is that you can not always trust the ones you love or who are their friends. Meaning that your loved ones can hurt in and if they don’t then maybe their friends will.
I believe that Bound is a narrative. Narrative writing is a type of writing in which the author places himself as the character and narrates you to the story. The author puts herself as the main character shares the character’s feeling and needs. I think the author used that to her advantage, meaning I could not put it down. At one part the main character is explaining what she is feeling a a man is killing her.
In my opinion, I liked this book because of all of the events that happened throughout the whole book; I could not put it down. This book is for people who love romance and the vampire books, even though it is a bit different. Those are the people I would recommend this book to. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars and I can’t wait for the next to come out.
I really could not find a theme in this book yet because I have not read the second one. But what I came up with is that you can not always trust the ones you love or who are their friends. Meaning that your loved ones can hurt in and if they don’t then maybe their friends will.
I believe that Bound is a narrative. Narrative writing is a type of writing in which the author places himself as the character and narrates you to the story. The author puts herself as the main character shares the character’s feeling and needs. I think the author used that to her advantage, meaning I could not put it down. At one part the main character is explaining what she is feeling a a man is killing her.
In my opinion, I liked this book because of all of the events that happened throughout the whole book; I could not put it down. This book is for people who love romance and the vampire books, even though it is a bit different. Those are the people I would recommend this book to. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars and I can’t wait for the next to come out.
November 6, 2021
I picked up this book because it seemed interesting and it was on sale in the Nook store on my tablet. My personal review of the book is that it reminded me of a sort of take on "The Originals" TV show(I like the show a lot better).
The characters kept me interested enough to want to check out the next book in the series. 5/10.
The characters kept me interested enough to want to check out the next book in the series. 5/10.
December 20, 2018
I had to force myself to finish reading this because the writing style was just really cringey? There was a lot of unnecessary fluff and I found myself getting annoyed with how poorly things were worded.
November 5, 2018
Dissapointing read, copycat to the Twilight book.
December 12, 2018
**3.5 Stars**
Review can be found at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/
Emma is so excited to move back to her home town after three years away, mianly because she has missed her older brother Sean, her absolute favorite person. But things are not as happy and carefree as she hoped they would be. Sean is acting off, not the carefree brother she missed. And to make things more complicated, there is a boy she keeps thinking about- a boy she was told to stay away from.
This is very much so a ya paranormal romance. Sure there is random plot with mystery and paranormal info thrown here and there, but the heart of Bound is love. We have the ongoing familial love and bond between Sean and Emma, as well as the new tentative love between Liam and Emma. Overall, the point of the book is the lengths someone will go for love as well fighting for what is right.
Side note, would an immortal being really fall into insta-love with someone they have spoke just a few casual times to? Eh, I am not certain if that is the case- I mean if you have all the time in the world, why rush? Just saying.
I found it really hysterical that the main character references the Twilight series in the book and how she did not want to be seen as another vampire obsessed girl while she was researching the mysterious Liam. The entire time I was reading this book I was mentally comparing it to Twilight (it was very similar, let's be honest). A teen girl who just wants to do the right thing but is kind of a loner, mysterious boy she is drawn to that keeps to himself and she is warned away from, being attacked by guys and is saved by said mysterious boy who has strange powers, going to do research on him to discover what he really is, a question and answer session in the woods and he carries her around with his super speed... Does that sound familiar to you? Yep, very similar to Twilight. And I don't mean it in a bad way, people really love the Twilight series (and no, I was not one of them) so I can see this as the perfect series for a Twilight fan to get their next fix. I just found it funny that the book even mentions how she does not want to be associated with Twilight...
All that being said, it was an easy paranormal romance read perfect for those looking for some light escapism reading. Make sure to pick up the next book in the series since there are a lot of things going on that you will for sure want answered.
I am voluntarily reviewing a complimentary copy of this book.
Review can be found at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/
Emma is so excited to move back to her home town after three years away, mianly because she has missed her older brother Sean, her absolute favorite person. But things are not as happy and carefree as she hoped they would be. Sean is acting off, not the carefree brother she missed. And to make things more complicated, there is a boy she keeps thinking about- a boy she was told to stay away from.
This is very much so a ya paranormal romance. Sure there is random plot with mystery and paranormal info thrown here and there, but the heart of Bound is love. We have the ongoing familial love and bond between Sean and Emma, as well as the new tentative love between Liam and Emma. Overall, the point of the book is the lengths someone will go for love as well fighting for what is right.
Side note, would an immortal being really fall into insta-love with someone they have spoke just a few casual times to? Eh, I am not certain if that is the case- I mean if you have all the time in the world, why rush? Just saying.
I found it really hysterical that the main character references the Twilight series in the book and how she did not want to be seen as another vampire obsessed girl while she was researching the mysterious Liam. The entire time I was reading this book I was mentally comparing it to Twilight (it was very similar, let's be honest). A teen girl who just wants to do the right thing but is kind of a loner, mysterious boy she is drawn to that keeps to himself and she is warned away from, being attacked by guys and is saved by said mysterious boy who has strange powers, going to do research on him to discover what he really is, a question and answer session in the woods and he carries her around with his super speed... Does that sound familiar to you? Yep, very similar to Twilight. And I don't mean it in a bad way, people really love the Twilight series (and no, I was not one of them) so I can see this as the perfect series for a Twilight fan to get their next fix. I just found it funny that the book even mentions how she does not want to be associated with Twilight...
All that being said, it was an easy paranormal romance read perfect for those looking for some light escapism reading. Make sure to pick up the next book in the series since there are a lot of things going on that you will for sure want answered.
I am voluntarily reviewing a complimentary copy of this book.
March 30, 2013
Bound Offers A Genuinely Refreshing Take On the Old YA Paranormal Romance Novel
Paranormal young adult fiction has certainly had a resurgence of popularity in recent years due to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. Yet it is unfortunate that the public's nearly insatiable demand for these types of stories hasn't always been met with the release of quality fiction. In fact, the whole genre suffers something akin to a bad reputation as many popular authors simply churn out one novel after the next for the masses. So it was refreshing to read Jennifer Dean's novel Bound which is remarkably different from anything else found in the genre.
The novel's primary strength is its pacing. Instead of starting out in some kind of supernatural realm, the book instead slowly builds the normal, everyday world around which the protagonist Emma Morgan lives. This approach to developing setting makes the paranormal aspects of the story all the more dramatic when they come along later in the novel. At the beginning, Emma is a regular teenage girl, not unlike the millions who read stories such as Bound. When she moves back to her mother's home in Washington, North Carolina, she develops a renewed friendship with her older brother Sean. But this relationship is soon threatened when a handsome young man named Liam enters Emma's life. Needless to say, Liam is much more than is initially revealed.
While Bound shares much in common with the other entries in the genre, it distinguishes itself by remaining true to the intended audience but also serving up surprises along the way. While the book certainly won't revolutionize the young adult/paranormal field, it is nonetheless an enjoyable read by an author who is obviously passionate about writing these kinds of stories. That energy comes through in the end result, which is an engaging story with an unpredictable yet seamlessly flowing plot. The characters are developed nicely too, especially Emma and Liam, who engage in a particularly poignant relationship through the course of the book.
The good news is that Bound is about much more than the paranormal. Author Dean seeks to transcend the simple, formulaic plots that have tarnished the genre's reputation in recent years. So if you want something that is familiar but offers a few pleasant surprises, then you certainly should give Bound a try.
Paranormal young adult fiction has certainly had a resurgence of popularity in recent years due to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. Yet it is unfortunate that the public's nearly insatiable demand for these types of stories hasn't always been met with the release of quality fiction. In fact, the whole genre suffers something akin to a bad reputation as many popular authors simply churn out one novel after the next for the masses. So it was refreshing to read Jennifer Dean's novel Bound which is remarkably different from anything else found in the genre.
The novel's primary strength is its pacing. Instead of starting out in some kind of supernatural realm, the book instead slowly builds the normal, everyday world around which the protagonist Emma Morgan lives. This approach to developing setting makes the paranormal aspects of the story all the more dramatic when they come along later in the novel. At the beginning, Emma is a regular teenage girl, not unlike the millions who read stories such as Bound. When she moves back to her mother's home in Washington, North Carolina, she develops a renewed friendship with her older brother Sean. But this relationship is soon threatened when a handsome young man named Liam enters Emma's life. Needless to say, Liam is much more than is initially revealed.
While Bound shares much in common with the other entries in the genre, it distinguishes itself by remaining true to the intended audience but also serving up surprises along the way. While the book certainly won't revolutionize the young adult/paranormal field, it is nonetheless an enjoyable read by an author who is obviously passionate about writing these kinds of stories. That energy comes through in the end result, which is an engaging story with an unpredictable yet seamlessly flowing plot. The characters are developed nicely too, especially Emma and Liam, who engage in a particularly poignant relationship through the course of the book.
The good news is that Bound is about much more than the paranormal. Author Dean seeks to transcend the simple, formulaic plots that have tarnished the genre's reputation in recent years. So if you want something that is familiar but offers a few pleasant surprises, then you certainly should give Bound a try.
January 2, 2013
*Spoiler*- Warning, I can't write a review on this book w/o a spoiler alert!
Bound was a well written and intriguing book.
Let's be completely honest, as I started reading it I kept seeing quite a few similarities between Bound and the Twilight series. At first I was a bit put off because I love the Twilight series and if I want to read them, then I'll grab them off my shelf. But I kept reading and I am so glad I did!
While there are several similarities (Immortal / Vampire, Can't know the truth about the guy b/c their "kind" doesn't allow it, ect) I really did appreciate how Dean was able to make it her own. There were several twists that surprised me and it more than enough made me glad I didn't stop reading. Let me be frank by saying the writing and story itself never turned me off, it was just the similarities.
For example, I loved the extraordinary bond between Emma and her brother Sean. It was so refreshing to read a story where sibling love and bond really exists! Emma is strong willed and will not surrender until she knows the truth about Liam's secret. It is an extra surprise to learn Sean's secret as well! So many secrets in a little town !
Overall, I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars. I'm only knocking it down 1 star due to the similarities that I mentioned above. Still, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal romances!
Bound was a well written and intriguing book.
Let's be completely honest, as I started reading it I kept seeing quite a few similarities between Bound and the Twilight series. At first I was a bit put off because I love the Twilight series and if I want to read them, then I'll grab them off my shelf. But I kept reading and I am so glad I did!
While there are several similarities (Immortal / Vampire, Can't know the truth about the guy b/c their "kind" doesn't allow it, ect) I really did appreciate how Dean was able to make it her own. There were several twists that surprised me and it more than enough made me glad I didn't stop reading. Let me be frank by saying the writing and story itself never turned me off, it was just the similarities.
For example, I loved the extraordinary bond between Emma and her brother Sean. It was so refreshing to read a story where sibling love and bond really exists! Emma is strong willed and will not surrender until she knows the truth about Liam's secret. It is an extra surprise to learn Sean's secret as well! So many secrets in a little town !
Overall, I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars. I'm only knocking it down 1 star due to the similarities that I mentioned above. Still, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal romances!
February 17, 2016
Bound is a story about a high school girl, Emma and returning to Washington, NC after three years in Texas. Her older brother, Sean did not move with the family but stayed in Washington with is his Uncle. On the first day of school, Emma meets Liam, a handsome young man with wonderful emerald green eyes and the fun begins. Sean tells her to stay away from him but Liam comes to her rescue when she is in trouble and moves so quickly and moves the boys attacking her without touching them...
Emma has to figure out what it is with him as they develop a relationship the Sean totally opposes. Danger is near, the immortals work to protect Emma and the story was absolutely wonderful with the unexpected twists and turns. This story is far better than any vampire story and the depth of character for both Emma and Liam makes them so attractive to the reader. The story ended before I was ready and I hope the author will continue the story of Emma and Liam as they finish high school and beyond.
Emma has to figure out what it is with him as they develop a relationship the Sean totally opposes. Danger is near, the immortals work to protect Emma and the story was absolutely wonderful with the unexpected twists and turns. This story is far better than any vampire story and the depth of character for both Emma and Liam makes them so attractive to the reader. The story ended before I was ready and I hope the author will continue the story of Emma and Liam as they finish high school and beyond.
June 29, 2013
Rating: 7.0/10.0
Review: This book had me on the fence on my rating. I couldn’t decide whether a 6 or a 7 would be right, but I’m going with a 7 due to the detailed descriptions author Jennifer Dean painted through her words. This book is very much like the twilight series. So much like them that it’s hard to think the idea is completely unique. I will say that there is enough differences that the author made it her own, but Twilight screamed throughout the book. No sparkling vampires, (thank goodness) and no werewolves were in the book, but Jennifer Dean has put her own twist in the mythical creature pool. This is definitely a Young Adult book. It has a scene of naughtiness but it wasn’t crude like in that Gray book ‘everyone’ seems to like. Props to Jennifer on her first release. I would definitely give the 2nd book a chance to see if it steers away from the Twilighty feel.
Review: This book had me on the fence on my rating. I couldn’t decide whether a 6 or a 7 would be right, but I’m going with a 7 due to the detailed descriptions author Jennifer Dean painted through her words. This book is very much like the twilight series. So much like them that it’s hard to think the idea is completely unique. I will say that there is enough differences that the author made it her own, but Twilight screamed throughout the book. No sparkling vampires, (thank goodness) and no werewolves were in the book, but Jennifer Dean has put her own twist in the mythical creature pool. This is definitely a Young Adult book. It has a scene of naughtiness but it wasn’t crude like in that Gray book ‘everyone’ seems to like. Props to Jennifer on her first release. I would definitely give the 2nd book a chance to see if it steers away from the Twilighty feel.
January 20, 2013
The story was exactly like Twilight and ever since we had that talk in class about YA literature and romance I can't stand stories like this. I struggled to get through this book. It was written stronger than twilight but I would not recommend it to anyone who was looking for a good book to read for pleasure. The female character is weak and falls for the handsome supernatural boy who expresses his undying love shortly after they meet. Of course he tries to fight it but can't seem to stay away from this seemingly plain and normal girl. I have read it all several times before and I am done with it.
December 1, 2013
*I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads*
I loved this book. It's actually one of my favorite vampire novels. It has a great plot, great details, and it makes you want to read the book all the way through non stop because it's that amazing. (Yeah, I know, it's a short review, but I haven;t read it in like 9 months)
I loved this book. It's actually one of my favorite vampire novels. It has a great plot, great details, and it makes you want to read the book all the way through non stop because it's that amazing. (Yeah, I know, it's a short review, but I haven;t read it in like 9 months)
May 3, 2013
I thought Jennifer did a great job with this book! I love the supernatural romance books and if you do to this is the book your you. I could never stop thinking about Emma and Liam and I couldn't wait to get get home and read it! It's hard to put down and a great book I really hope she continues the series.
December 22, 2012
Fairly enjoyable, if you don’t mind many character similarities to Twilight. I really wanted more to the love story though. It felt very rushed and maybe a little forced. Definitely in need of a good proofreading.
June 5, 2013
It's good for a read to keep you entertained. A lot of it seemed cliche, there was only one scene that surprised me in the whole book. I'm not knocking it, I enjoyed it. It just isn't in my top 5 or anything.
August 10, 2015
Fantastic read. The basic story line reminds me of 'My Blood Approves'. But this book is wonderfully written.
February 4, 2013
Slow start, better ending!
April 5, 2013
Found it boring and predictable
November 13, 2014
Love this book! I found it randomly on my kindle. I'm trying to find the book though! I can't wait to read it again!
August 8, 2019
It's true this is a lot in this story that is similar to Twilight - but I still really enjoyed the story and I will read the next in the series Blinded.
December 21, 2018
3 Cranky Stars
I have mixed feelings about this book. I will state the obvious first: this is Twilight fan fiction. The plot, the characters, the situations, even some of the names are the same. It is really a shame that this book lifts so heavily from the Twilight series because the author didn’t have to. Ms. Dean is a skilled writer.
The heroine's internal dialogue is far superior to Bella Swan. Emma is the better protagonist. She’s twice as smart and less then half as emo. I think Jennifer Dean is very talented. She needs to focus that talent on original plots.
This book is almost a scene for scene recreation of Twilight. Just swap the word “vampire” for “immortal.”
I have mixed feelings about this book. I will state the obvious first: this is Twilight fan fiction. The plot, the characters, the situations, even some of the names are the same. It is really a shame that this book lifts so heavily from the Twilight series because the author didn’t have to. Ms. Dean is a skilled writer.
The heroine's internal dialogue is far superior to Bella Swan. Emma is the better protagonist. She’s twice as smart and less then half as emo. I think Jennifer Dean is very talented. She needs to focus that talent on original plots.
This book is almost a scene for scene recreation of Twilight. Just swap the word “vampire” for “immortal.”
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews