Bound to Burn

The Cursed Grimoire #1

by S.E. Berkeley

Only the men I love can save me from my curse… but they are sworn enemies. Can I bind them to me before I burn?

After night falls, when the respectable customers have left and her bookshop is quiet, Astoria sells illegal and bloodthirsty grimoires filled with dark magic. It’s dangerous work, but her irresistibly charming book-thief partner, Lucas, makes the risks feel like a game.

Astoria has lived in hiding for seven years, after unleashing a devastating curse on her family. When she escaped, she left everything behind… including her magnetic, aristocratic fiancé Valen, whose dark gaze still haunts her dreams.

But then a deadly grimoire breaks loose in the shop—shattering Astoria’s control over her magic and nearly killing Lucas. There’s only one man powerful enough to help stop Valen.

Lucas and Valen hate each other on sight. Yet when Astoria’s curse rebounds and begins to consume her, they’re forced into a fragile alliance to steal the priceless amulet that can save her.

Can Astoria face the betrayals of her past and claim a future that might hold all three of them? Or will the rivalry between Lucas and Valen doom them all?

Perfect for fans of Jasmine Mas and Sadie Kincaid, this series blends J Bree’s dark “why choose” romance with Holly Black’s deadly, bookish magic.

Genres: Why Choose, Romantasy, Fantasy, Romance, Audiobook, Paranormal, Witches

414 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 18, 2026

About the author

S. E. Berkeley resides in California with her loving partner, feral children, and psychic cat. When she's not endlessly fetching snacks for small children, she enjoys hiking through her beloved state's wilderness and daydreaming of her next heart-pounding romantasy.

Reviews

[Krysta ꕤ]

2.5 ★

”I deserve to be loved like Lucas loves me. For the first time in my life, I’ll feel what being first in someone’s life is, and that’s a true gift.”

the more i think about this book, the fmc really did ruin a good thing. i liked the idea of the magical grimoires & the semi cursed library, though I don’t think any of that met its full potential and even despite the magic being all over the place and convoluted, i was enjoying the romance side of things.. until the end changed my mind.

the fmc Astoria is very immature, miserable and just someone who thinks the world revolves around her. i loved Lucas, as im currently preferring friends to lovers / golden retriever dynamics these days. i was unsure of Valen at first bc of how Astoria painted him, but he grew on me the more page time he had.

now, as a why choose im not understanding why the decision was made for Astoria to CHOOSE Lucas? & the way she dismissed Valen & told Lucas she “loved their life together and him more than she loved Valen” UM.. WHAT? the way she handled that whole situation was in poor taste, especially since she had a whole previous relationship with Valen before she even met Lucas.

she kept contradicting herself too, saying Valen never put her first & that’s why she’s prioritizing Lucas.. but she never put Lucas first either? i just think she’s taking advantage of him bc he’s the nicer of the two men. this is not to drag Lucas either cause he was actually my favorite, but im just so annoyed. if I was Valen, i wouldn’t even want Astoria back after that & I hope he & Lucas run off together cause they had better chemistry.

there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be someone’s priority, but the way she said it and then had sex with Lucas for the first time right after Valen left.. nope, it’s not for me. she was unfair to Valen and the position he was in, knowing he didn’t have as much freedom in his choices when it came to her like Lucas did. what a full blown hypocrite, if I’ve ever seen one.

⬊ thanks to NetGalley, the author and Bookouture Audio for the alc, all opinions are my own.

[meggthereader]

This book was seriously a wild ride from beginning to end. The world building alone was insane and extremely detailed which I love, but you need to definitely be taking notes during a book like this! The magic system was also super intriguing and once I finally got a hold of everything and understood it, I instantly loved it.

Sometimes when books are super detail like this one was it can at times feel overwhelming. Once I got the hang of the world building and the magic system it was a game changer. The magic system was insanely intriguing, especially with there being different types of magic users. The natural born magic users are called Weavers, while the others are called magicians. They were once human but now have the ability to wield magic. While this isn’t the main focus of the book, I know in the coming books this will definitely be explored more and will go more into detail which I am so excited for because there is so much that is left unknown about this world. The spice alone had me straight blushing. I was making sure not a single soul was able to see what I was reading because GIRL, they would have been left as speechless as I was at times. Even though this was a why choose, there was only one scene of this but man oh man was it good. I really wanted to be a Valen girl at heart because, who doesn’t immediately go for the bad boy? I definitely am team Lucas right now, and his monster pickle. The banter was definitely too tier. Not only were Astoria and Alicia funny as hell but when they all weee in a room together I knew it was going to be good.

And that ending?! The AUDACITY of that ending😩 It felt like I kept getting hit after hit and then the author decides to drop a major bomb AND cliffhanger on you that will have you begging for book two. I’m honestly so excited to see where this series goes. Book one was such a wild ride that I almost did not survive.

What to expect:

• Why Choose
• Cursed Heroine
• Morally Gray men with a touch of golden retriever
• Enemies forced into alliance
• Complex Magic System
• Betrayal and Second chances
• Forbidden grimoires and deadly magic
• Magical bookshop

*Thank you so much for Netgalley, Second Sky publishing and the author S.E. Berkeley for the ARC!*

[BookishKB]

🖤🔥Bound to Burn🔥🖤

I’m screaming after that ending 😭😭😭😭

⭐️ Six Star Read!! ⭐️

This book was SO good! I devoured it in one sitting and could not put it down.

The magic system, the worldbuilding, the banter, the spice 🌶️🔥🌶️🔥… I was obsessed with all of it.

And that ending?!?! Absolutely RUDE. I will be unwell until book two comes out! 😭🔥

📜 What to Expect
• Why Choose
• Magical Bookshop
• Cursed Magic
• Rival MMCS
• Hidden Identity
• Deadly Grimoires
_ _ _ _

📖 Final Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Audio Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo Narration (Avery Caris)
📅 Pub Date: June 18, 2026
Thank you to Second Sky, Bookouture Audio, and NetGalley for the advanced copies. All thoughts are my own.

[Sybrenna]

4.25⭐️ ohhh i genuinely ate this up😭 i was giggling and kicking my feet from the first chapter LMAO. The plot was eating, the romance.. was TEAAAA! The FMC?? A little irritating but also i understood her and where her rage came from. Both mmcs were such gems in my opinion and i loved them for Astoria. I was eating up their banter. Then, that ending.. now why.. did it come to that?? I’ll be back for book 2 LMAO.

[Em Louise]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early copy.

Bound to Burn had so much potential, but ultimately fell a little short for me. The industrial revolution-inspired vibe and the genocide of weavers storyline initially had me intrigued, but it felt underdeveloped as the story went on, which was disappointing because it could’ve been such a strong focal point.

There were elements I genuinely loved though. The sentient books were such a fun touch, the black cat familiar gave me Sabrina the Teenage Witch vibes, and the venom-sucking scene? Hot. I also thought Valen and Lucas had some of the stronger chemistry, even though it came out of nowhere.

Unfortunately, the structure felt messy and scattered. The writing became repetitive at times, and the run-on sentences started to feel tedious. I also found myself mentally editing while reading, which is never a great sign. For me, the biggest issue was that the chemistry across the relationship dynamic never fully clicked. I really think this story would’ve benefited from multiple POVs to add more depth and balance.

There are some genuinely interesting ideas here, but the execution didn’t quite come together for me.

[Lou (fairytales.and.fantasy)]

4.5/5


So i read this entire book in 2 days? 😅 I found this a super addictive read and i literally could not put it down, i don’t remember the last time i read a book that quickly but i was INVESTED!

I saw the words “dark why choose romantasy” and thought yes that sounds like a bit of me - and i was right! Bound To Burn fed my why choose loving soul and i was loving the tension between the 2 MMCs, I’m very much hoping their relationship is explored more in the next book because i NEED more of them 🥹 They were a good contrast to each other and that made the tension and banter between them even better!

The vibes of the book were immaculate - a magical shop filled with curses and grimoires? I could literally feel the magic whilst reading and i love that - this would be a great spooky season read imo! Our FMC Tori was a complicated character and i did find her a little abrasive at times but finding out her backstory and motivations made me appreciate her more and by the end i definitely found myself rooting for her!

Would i read it again? Yes and im really keen for the next book!

[mackenzie]

this wasn't bad at all, i binged it so easily and had a fun enough time, but it just wasn't completely for me. this definitely has its audience though!

thank you to netgalley + the publisher for an arc!

[Faeofashandpayne]

DNF at 38% 📖
This book started off really strong, and I was genuinely intrigued by the characters, the mystery, and the tension. Unfortunately, as I got further in, it began to feel a little repetitive for me, and I found myself struggling to stay engaged.
I hate DNFing books and really did try to push through, but sometimes a book just isn't the right fit—and that's okay.
That being said, the tension between Lucas and Tori was definitely a highlight for me. Their dynamic kept me invested for as long as it did, and I can absolutely see why other readers might love this one

[nihaarika]

3.75 stars (rounded up to 4)

bound to burn was fairly enjoyable, but there were a few things about it that missed the mark for me. but first, the good. the writing style was actually really fun. it was descriptive and immersive and made it very easy to visualise the things that were happening in the story. there were some pretty decent action scenes in the book, especially ones that heavily involved magic. the world building was good, and the magic system felt unique to a certain degree, with its concept of threads and grimoires.

now, onto the not-so-good. i like info-dumps/exposition scenes if they’re done tastefully, and i wish i could say the same for this book, but unfortunately, that is not the case. it felt like i kept on receiving more and more new information about the world and its magic system without allowing the previous information to sink in. as cool as the magic system felt, by the time we got to the meat of the story, it felt convoluted. even with the world-building, things started to feel super repetitive and a lot of time, multiple paragraphs would say the same exact thing, just in a very roundabout way.

the main reason why i picked up this book was because i’ve been wanting to read more why-choose books, and honestly this wasn’t anything special. like the spicy scenes were pretty good, i won’t lie, but i was having a hard time connecting with the relationship between astoria, valen and lucas. and honestly, valen and lucas had much better chemistry, although it did feel like it came out of nowhere. this relationship wasn’t bad, but also wasn’t anything special.

overall, bound to burn sadly was an average read for me. although, i am fairly intrigued by the ending and some of the questions left unanswered so i may pick up the next book when it comes out.

thank you second sky books for the e-arc!

[Lexa Starling]

'"Goddamn it, Torment. Stop me if you dont feel the same as I do. Stop me if vou don't want me to." His lips brush against mine, his honey eyes burning. "Because if you don't, then I'm going to kiss you like I've wanted to a thousand times before."'
- Bound to Burn, by @Seberkeleyauthor
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 || 🌶🌶🌶

EXCUSE ME, WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?! See, this is the thing about reading books AS SOON as they release: they torment you and you are left tormented until an age has passed and the next one is out - and oh my, I need the next one IMMEDIATELY because WHAT just happened?!

Side note: being tormented is kind of ironic as one of the MMC's nickname for the FMC is Torment. Sigh. I AM Torment because I am truly left in a tormented state after reading that.

Anyway, if I wasn't clear, this was SO good. The plot was plotting so hard that I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest by the end. There is magic, betrayal, and a quest for an amulet. There's tension and banter and unresolved issues.The magic system is original and complex and our FMC is kind of morally grey and I am here for it. Basically Bound to Burn has everything to hook you in and keep you entertained, with good quality writing.
With it being a 'why choose' I was kind of expecting it to be more romance and spice heavy, but the spice that was there was relevant to the plot and definitely left you wanting more for book two.
As did that cliffhanger.
I am not okay. I am vexed.
Thank you, @secondskybooks for the #gifted copy. I have not read a book you've published yet that I did not like. True romantasy at its finest.
I loved, loved loved this.

[Taylor Reads Chaos]

Bound to Burn was one of those books that had me instantly hooked. I mean just the setting was easily one of my favorite parts. A magical bookshop filled with sentient grimoires was an immediate yes from me.

That being said… Astoria and I had a complicated relationship 😅 There were definitely moments where I wanted to shake her. She makes some incredibly frustrating decisions throughout the book, and at times she felt selfish, impulsive, and determined to make the worst possible choice available.

Now let’s talk about the real stars of this book: Valen and Lucas 💖 Valen absolutely stole every scene he was in, and Lucas was basically a golden retriever wrapped in green flags.

The first half was admittedly a little messy. There were moments where I wasn’t entirely sure where the story was going, and some plot threads felt scattered. But once everything started coming together, I was completely invested. The family drama, political intrigue, secrets from the past, and relationship dynamics all pulled me in.

And then that ending happened 😩

The absolute audacity of ending a book like that should probably be illegal. I finished the final pages and immediately needed book two.

Thank you to Bookouture for the ALC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Joseandbooks]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook ARC.

Bound to Burn was one of those books that just kept getting better the more I listened. It definitely started off a little slow for me, and I wasn’t completely hooked in the beginning. But around the halfway point, everything clicked into place, and I found myself wanting to keep listening to see how it all unfolded.

The story follows a young woman who finds herself caught in a world of powerful magic, dangerous alliances, and long-buried secrets. As she uncovers the truth about who she is and what she’s capable of, she’s forced to make impossible choices that could change not only her future but the fate of everyone around her.

The audiobook narrator was fantastic and felt like the perfect fit for the story. Their performance added so much personality and emotion, making it easy to stay immersed once the story picked up.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable fantasy that rewarded my patience. If you don’t mind a slower build that leads to an exciting second half, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a chance.

[taso.reads]

Bound to Burn is a delicious why choose romantasy that I stayed up until 6am to finish... If that doesn’t tell you how much I enjoyed it, then I don't know what will😅

Honestly this was just such a fun read!! I liked the gothic vibes within the worldbuilding and thought the overall magic system was cool. Its definitely left me super intrigued to learn more about the weaver magics in book 2. I also really enjoyed the magical books in Tori's bookshop!

I absolutely the MCs, you could just feel the tension building from the very beginning and the way they teased and yearned had me giggling & kicking my feet SO MUCH😍 This really is a why choose done r i g h t. They all fit so beautifully together and I can't wait to see what's in store for them in book two. Especially after that ending because it's left me feeling pretty scared & sus🤨 Also I reallyyy hope we get to see more of Jinx in book 2, because she seems like such a badass!

Special shout-out to chapter 25 which will forever live rent free in my brain🤭

Thank you so much to @secondskybooks for my ARC🫶 All opinions are completely my own.

[Bernie Groves]

I do love a why choose book, they are generally just such fun, chaotic reads and Bound to Burn definitely lived up to that. There are so many things going on in this book and it made for a great time. We have a magical bookshop, a best friend and business partner, a secret grimoire, an ex-fiance, estranged and evil family members, curses, a magical order and some seriously spicy moments.

The FMC is dealing with a lot! And you can really feel her emotions about the whole situation, she doesn't always make the best decisions, but she is holding on to so much hurt still from her past and she is just desperate to be loved and accepted.

The two MMC's are both vastly different but so well written, i love them both.

The ending was CRAZY!!! I mean seriously wild. That cliffhanger is going to be painful waiting for book two.

[Romie (romesreads)]

personally victimised by another cliffy ending

despite being marketed as a why choose, this aspect felt fairly minor? I spent a lot of the book confused due to the extensive world building and complex magic system, I really struggled to grasp what was going on for a good chunk of the book (this could just be a me problem though)

I’m intrigued to see where this will go so I’ll likely pick up the second book!

[Savannah]

I am absolutely OBSESSED with Bound to Burn. The gothic vibes, secret magical bookshop, forbidden grimoires, complex magic system, and of course the steamy, tension-filled romance, it was all perfection!

I love a good why choose romance and the dynamics between Astoria, Lucas, and Valen had me kicking my feet and giggling. The snark and banter is soooo good, and the spice payoff was everything. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

After that ENDING, I am dying to know what happens next!

[Nonfictionally Yours]

"In this time, my heart has remained steadfast in its utter devotion to you. I love you, Tori. Then, now and forever. I'm utterly and completely yours."

4.5 ☆

You know a book is good when it makes you love a trope you absolutely hated😭 Bound to burn has me finally seeing what the hype is around a why choose romance, and I'm so glad I see it now.

This book literally had me hooked. Right from the first chapter, I remember thinking about how I want to binge read it but also savior it at the same time😭 guess which option I went with? The plot of this book was so distinctive. Astoria has basically cursed her entire family and she needs the help of Valen to stop this curse. There was so much more that went into this plot. The romance, the spice and the story line was all interwoven together seamlessly, which made me not want to put this book down.

To my surprise, I LOVED the love triangle aspect of this!! It was done so so well and reading about it blossom into a why choose had me giggling most of the time. Both of the MMCs, Valen and Lucas, I love them!!! The writing was done so well I felt her connection to both of them. Valen is the broody and quiet dark haired MMC. We already know he's my favorite. No he literally calls her "my love"... I'm going to tear up😭 He is also her ex fiancé 🤭 so do with that what you will. Lucas was a total sweetheart. He was definitely the lighter side of their relationship. His emotions were portrayed so well, I truly felt for him during the book and his feelings towards Astoria felt so genuine and poignant because he thought he couldn't have her.

My favorite part of this book was DEFINITELY the banter between Valen and Lucas. And yeah it did all pay off in a specific library scene and chapter 25🤭 I'm sorry, those chapters had no business being that hot. Astoria struggling to choose between the two was completely understandable, if you read the book you'll totally see why😉.

This book missed being a 5 star read by so little for two reasons, one was I didn't feel myself connecting with Astoria as much as I'd have liked to. But I do know it's also the first book and I'm hoping that'll happen in the sequel. Another one was because the plot got slightly confusing during the middle, but it did all end up coming together in the end.

Now that ending??? I am actually very scared for the next book. We're going to be getting more romance development between them all right S.E Berkley??😅😅

Thank you so much to S.E Berkley, Second sky books and Netgalley for this ARC

[gracemoodreads]

Loved the why choose, everything else was just okay

OVERALL RATING: 3⭐

Astoria's relationship with Valen and Lucas was the best part of this book for me. I liked that it wasn't a foregone conclusion that she would have both of them, so there was a bit of rivalry going on and a lot of conflicting feelings. The three of them being forced to work together was fun to read especially with the guys' bickering.

Lucas growls low for just me to hear, “Are you only attracted to assholes?”

Valen’s retort floats through the stack he entered, “Definitely not, or else she would’ve fucked you already.”

You know that feeling when you're reading a love triangle, but you want the FMC to end up with both of the guys because they each have their own unique relationship with her? Yeah, that's how this one felt to me.

❥ Valen+Tori is that couple who have been together for a long time, know each other in and out, have an adventurous sex life, and whose families have a long, entangled history. But because of one incident where Tori felt betrayed, she left him, and now they have 7 years of unresolved feelings towards each other. This made their encounters (especially in the beginning) full of tension and yearning.

❥ Aster+Lucas is that couple that started with her saving him, becoming business partners, and now best friends who can't live without each other. They tiptoed around their feelings because they didn't want to ruin the friendship, but the circumstances in this book forced them to confront those feelings.

If this was a love triangle, though? I would be Team Lucas all the way.

I deserve to be loved like Lucas loves me. For the first time in my life, I’ll feel what being first in someone’s life is, and that is a true gift.

I love me some vindictive FMCs, and at first, I was 100% on Tori's side. She's that not-so-favorite child who was pushed to excel at everything but still treated as disposable. However, when the whole backstory about the betrayal was revealed, it seemed more to me like she got angry because she felt entitled to something and then failed to get it. Plus, there's that whole mess with the curse she inflicted.

The worldbuilding was shallow imo. We didn't really get to SEE what's so majestic about the Archweaver position or the Weaver society, and how different the four branches of Weaver magic are. Same thing about the magicians/Amur's guild. Most of it was just described. The whole magic system about soul binding, threads, and grimoires just confused me. There was a point when the book was literally putting me to sleep because of the narration/descriptions. I also found Astoria's info-dumping internal monologues while she was doing something else a bit disruptive at times.

Overall, while I enjoyed the love triangle part (with that hint of MM), the story failed to capture me and get me invested.

DO I RECOMMEND IT? Maybe, but I would say to manage your expectations.
WILL I REREAD THIS? No, I don't think I would.


~Thank you to the publisher, Second Sky, and the author for my eARC through NetGalley. I read the book through KU since it was already published.~

[Megan]

Thank you to Second Sky for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review!

After night falls, when the respectable customers have left and her bookshop is quiet, Astoria sells illegal and bloodthirsty grimoires filled with dark magic. It’s dangerous work, but her irresistibly charming book-thief partner, Lucas, makes the risks feel like a game. Astoria has lived in hiding for seven years, after unleashing a devastating curse on her family. When she escaped, she left everything behind… including her magnetic, aristocratic fiancé Valen, whose dark gaze still haunts her dreams. But when a deadly grimoire breaks loose in the shop—shattering Astoria’s control over her magic and nearly killing Lucas—there’s only one man powerful enough to stop it. Valen. Lucas and Valen hate each other on sight. Yet when Astoria’s curse rebounds and begins to consume her, they’re forced into a fragile alliance to steal the priceless amulet that can save her. Can Astoria face the betrayals of her past and claim a future that might hold all three of them? Or will the rivalry between Lucas and Valen doom them all?

Astoria is a sassy queen and I am living for it! She is so unapologetically herself and I absolutely love that for her. The way she is dedicated to her shop, to her familiar and her friends utterly warmed my heart. Yes, she does some questionable things but when it really comes down to it, she has such a wonderful heart.
Lucas is a sweetheart and you would be silly to say you don’t love him. Who wouldn’t want the embodiment of sunshine as their best friend and hint of more? Because I certainly do!! He’s incredibly selfless and I love that despite his sassy nature, he is different enough to Astoria that they compliment each other perfectly.
Valen had me on the fence for a while. His cold exterior made him a tough nut to crack but when I did, I found myself quickly falling rather in love with him - rather like Astoria fighting off her own feelings. What a great guy to have in your arsenal. Seemingly unflappable, he is brilliant for negotiation or for that much-needed cool headedness considering the situations they find themselves in. I do wish we could have known him a little more because I can sense there is far more to him than what meets the eye!

When I see a book is a Why Choose romance, I am SOLD! I am even further intrigued when I see it’s a romantasy too! This plot is brilliant. It offers an insight to a world that has such a wonderfully unique magic system ruling all whilst having these modernisms seamlessly blended in. I loved that we had high stakes, plenty of violence to keep things interesting, but also a mix of family and political ties gone wrong. The pace is kept to a swift clip, allowing me to devour this in only a few sittings! Character wise, we’re exposed to quite a few people from different backgrounds with a variety of motives. I liked that whilst we are exposed to various personalities, the focus still very much remained on the main trio and their unfolding story. I think having that really helped enhance the story as having the spotlight elsewhere would have watered down the tensions between the lead three. It would be remiss of me not to mention the romance which is so deliciously full of angst and longing and just ugh, absolute perfection. The chemistry between them is off the charts and the spice that follows all the built up emotion? I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It was practically volcanic it was that hot! Now that ending though… That was incredibly cruel. I should have known better than being lulled into a false sense of security. I think my jaw remained dropped for a solid five minutes in just utter disbelief. Where is book two because I need that immediately!!!

Overall, Bound to Burn is a stunner of a romantasy that you do not want to miss!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to Second Sky for an advanced copy of this book!

[EnchantedPagesinTeale]

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First off, thank you to NetGalley and S.E. Berkeley for providing me with an ARC of Bound to Burn in exchange for an honest review!

Bound to Burn had me confused, annoyed, entertained, frustrated, and fully invested all at the same time. Honestly? That’s kind of impressive. 😭

The SECOND I realized the FMC (Aster/Astoria) worked in a magical bookshop with chaotic grimoires running around like tiny feral creatures, I was immediately sat. It gave me major Crescent City vibes in the best way possible. Also, I could practically picture these grimoires acting like caffeinated gremlins straight out of Fantastic Beasts.

Now unfortunately… there’s Aster.

And listen — I tried. I REALLY tried to like her.

But this girl spent at least 70% of the book being clumsy, panicked, selfish, making terrible decisions, and somehow managing to stumble directly into danger over and over again. Every time she got herself into another mess because of her own bad choices, I just sat there like:

“Girl PLEASE.” 💀

At one point she literally leaves Lucas to deal with a nightmare spider situation because she was more worried about her grimoire. Jail immediately.

That said… her anxiety and panic attacks actually added a layer to her character that made some of her behavior make more sense later on. I still found her incredibly bratty at times, especially with the whole “I cursed my brother because I wasn’t chosen as heir” situation, but at least there was SOME emotional reasoning underneath the chaos.

NOW LET’S TALK ABOUT THE REAL STARS OF THIS BOOK:
Valen and Lucas.

Because WOW.

Valen absolutely stole every scene he walked into. The dark humor? The attitude? Calling Aster daft because she was yelling when she shouldn't have been? Immediate favorite. Meanwhile Lucas had me swinging back and forth between “awww” and “sir what exactly are we doing here?” every five minutes.

And the tension between Valen and Lucas?? EXCUSE ME??? Inject it directly into my veins.

The make out scenes? HOT.
The chemistry? HOT.
Valen + Lucas + Astoria = HOT AF.

This book also had moments where the humor completely lost me though. There were scenes where I genuinely could not tell if I was supposed to laugh, cry, cringe, or all three simultaneously. Some reactions felt SO overdramatic that I had to reread conversations multiple times trying to understand what was happening.

I also noticed quite a few inconsistencies throughout the story. Little details would get introduced and then seemingly forgotten later, which occasionally pulled me out of the worldbuilding. And for the first chunk of the book, the plot felt extremely messy and unfocused. It honestly read like random filler until the storyline FINALLY started revealing itself.

BUT.

Once the story actually settled into itself?
I was hooked.

The deeper the magic system, family drama, and character relationships became, the more invested I got. By the end, I was fully locked in despite all my frustrations with Astoria.

And then this author had the AUDACITY to end the book on a massive cliffhanger???

Rude.
Disrespectful.
I will absolutely be reading book two. 😭

Favorite line:
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I’m about to ruin our friendship.”

[Sol✨]

Thank you so much to Netgalley, S.E. Berkeley, and Second Sky Publishing for access to this Advanced Reader's Copy of Bound to Burn! This is my honest and unbiased review.

----
"Why do you always have to make me make you? Why can't you just love me, too?"
----

Bound to Burn is a fast-paced romp through a magical world dominated by the weavers, or those who can use magic by blood right, and magicians, who use magic through bound tokens forged from the souls of weavers. The story finds us in the aftermath of Astoria's rage and subsequent guilt of mortally cursing her brother after her father, the Archweaver, denied her as heir to the throne. Curses are explicitly banned as they eat away at the soul of both the weaver who cast it and its victim, so Astoria has spent the last seven years running a shop that specializes in magical (and sometimes murderous) grimoires. After her shop partner magician, Lucas, is gravely injured by one of these very grimoires, Astoria must seek out the help of her ex-fiance, Valen, to save him.

Astoria is a refreshing take on a female MC, as she is haughty and stubborn, but simultaneously wracked with guilt for her choices. She's an unreliable narrator and shapes the story to fit her beliefs and assumptions, even when it is quite clear that the choices she's making are unfair or --quite honestly--unhinged ones.

Her love interests, Valen and Lucas, were easy to love and represent two sides of the romantasy coin. Valen is a classic ice prince who is possessive but extremely devoted to Astoria, while Lucas is the golden retriever character who is reckless in his love for Astoria but shy to show it. The three of them make an interesting thruple, with the sparks between Valen and Lucas nearly shooting off the page from the moment they meet. Chemistry wise, I found myself enjoying the interactions between Valen and Lucas to be the most tense and rewarding, although Astoria and Valen's relationship pulled at my heartstrings. (PS Valen forever. I said what I said. Haha.)

The plot was quite tense and a fun read. If you love books centered around political intrigue and power-dynamics, this is an excellent choice. There's a lot of rich world building and character development. The only thing preventing this from being a five star read for me is some of the choices Astoria makes and the subsequent explanation for why they were made, ESPECIALLY regarding her brother and the events regarding him later in the books. It made the end of the book fall flat for me towards the last few chapters. I should also note there are A LOT of flashbacks in this book, which I am not necessarily a fan of, but I know it works well for others.

Will I read the next book? With the absolutely insane twist in the last few pages, you bet I am. Hoenstly, Berkeley turn on your location because we need to talk. I was not prepared and will need therapy. Can't wait for book 2!

[Rebecca]

Thank you NetGalley & Bookouture Audio for the ALC!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ . 5
🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

From the beginning I was drawn in, I found the narrator captivating and easy to listen to. I would be comfortable saying they’re probably one of my favourite narrators I’ve listen to, to date!

The way this started for me, it was absolutely bound to be a 4-5 star read. The story itself is interesting. Fast paced, plenty of depth with the world building and character building which I adored. The magic system itself is incredibly unique and refreshing, the concept behind the grimoire’s has been well thought out and again, refreshing. But somewhere around the 30%-50% mark, it started to come apart.

I can’t say I’m experienced when it comes to diving into Why Choose Romance but I think it’s safe to say I’m a fan. The spice was great, not overly done but there were some parts that I thought were a bit oddly placed. Maybe I missed something in the lead up to them but they didn’t make sense and just kinda left me with a question mark. Overall, it was steamy but not overdone and didn’t take away from the story, it was just lacking for me.

Now the characters, Astoria is a force to be reckoned with. Her rage was raw and the narrator captured it perfectly. As an FMC she is incredibly likeable and perhaps a little morally grey (big fan.) Valen was not a particular stand out for me, broody and incredibly possessive however I was more of a team Lucas girlie and I can’t help it, I like what I like. I found Lucas sweet, caring and if it were upto me to pick just 1, it would 110% be Lucas.

The last 20% is absolutely wild.. The ending?! My mind is absolutely spinning with possibilities and I need the next book ASAP.

This was enjoyable! Some parts fell flat for me but overall, I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.

[thebookish.dragon]

Format: 📱 & 🎧
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️


OH MY GOD, THAT ENDING????? 😩🫠

Like, we get this super spicy intimate scene as a closer (or so I THOUGHT!!!) and then THAT? Ugh 😩 I need book 2, this cliffhanger was mean 😭

Astoria (once thought to be heir of the Archweaver seat and overall cursed sassy girl) and Lucas (a magician thief on the run from a crime boss) are besties and business partners (she runs a shady grimoire shop, he steals grimoires for said shop) and maybe…more? He’s been listing after her for years and she’s been eye f-…staring longingly at him for just as long.

When an evil grimoire loses the plot (lol book puns) and transforms into a giant monstrosity of a spider (ew), she and Lucas must hunt down an ancient amulet to return to the book to its former state. Problem? It’s currently being kept at her ex-fiancé Valen’s house. Oops. 😬

Cue the failed heist attempt and the convenient capture of the intrepid duo by said hottie fiancé 😏 This love triangle begins to morph into a why choose moment, because suddenly Tori isn’t the only one eye f-…staring longingly at our blonde golden retriever MMC, Lucas.

The audio - single narrator, Avery Caris. This was my first audiobook with Avery and she did an amazing job! Her pacing was excellent, she varied the tone and timbre of the characters, and really gave Lucas that “golden retriever bf” vibe. I’ll be keeping an eye out for more of her work!


Notable tropes & themes —

❤️‍🔥 Feminine Rage
❤️‍🔥 Sassy 🐈‍⬛ familiar
❤️‍🔥 MFM -> MMF
❤️‍🔥 Why Choose
❤️‍🔥 Magical sentient books (grimoires)
❤️‍🔥 Morally Gray MCs (all three of them)
❤️‍🔥 Cursed FMC (who curses errbody)
❤️‍🔥 Complex Magic System
❤️‍🔥 Friends to Lovers & Second Chance Romance (for each MMC)


I received this eARC from Second Sky and this ALC from Bookouture Audio | Second Sky Books as an opportunity to read/listen and give my honest review.

[Hayley]

Astoria has spent the last seven years hiding from the Order and her father after cursing her brother. Surviving by selling illegal grimoires, she's managed to stay under the radar until a job goes disastrously wrong and her magic begins to corrupt. The only way to save herself is to steal an amulet, forcing her into a fragile alliance with Valen and Lucas - two men who can't stand each other…

Bound to Burn was seriously hot! 🥵 Between the tension, the flirting, the yearning, and the fact it's a proper why choose romance, I was all in from the start.

Lucas was easily my favourite! He's pure golden retriever energy and, when it really matters, he chooses Astoria every single time. Friends-to-lovers isn't usually my favourite trope but the pining between them had me hooked.

Valen couldn't be more different. He's methodical, precise, and much more of your typical morally grey MMC. Watching him wrestle with choosing between Astoria and his father's expectations added another layer to his character, and the second-chance romance between him and Astoria was done so well.

And honestly, why choose when you can have both? Especially when they can have each other too! The banter and flirting between Valen and Lucas was brilliant and gave the story some genuinely fun moments alongside all the angst and danger.

The pacing was fast without feeling rushed, and I really liked the magic system with the weavers and magicians. Astoria was such a compelling FMC: powerful and confident, but fully aware of her own flaws. She wasn't perfect, and that's exactly what made her so easy to root for.

This was an addictive fantasy romance full of heat, banter, longing, and a trio I couldn't get enough of. Hurry up book 2! Thank you to Second Sky Books for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Alexandria Williams]

Babes...
A magical bookstore.

Sentient grimoires.

A cursed heroine.

Two men who hate each other.
And a cliffhanger so disrespectful...

Astoria spends her nights selling dangerous grimoires filled with dark magic while trying to outrun a curse that has haunted her for years. She's messy, impulsive, and constantly making decisions that had me yelling at my audiobook like she could hear me. I kind of loved her for it. Because perfect heroines are boring. Give me the girl who is one bad decision away from setting her entire life on fire.

Now let's discuss the REAL reason we're all here.
Lucas.
And.
Valen.
BABES.
I refuse to choose.

One minute I was going crazy over Lucas and his golden retriever energy, loyalty, and unwavering devotion.
The next minute Valen would walk into a scene being all broody, mysterious, emotionally damaged, and ridiculously obsessed with Astoria and babesssss…I forgot my own name.

"In all this time, my heart has remained steadfast in its utter devotion to you."

There are political tensions, family betrayals, magical hierarchies, dangerous secrets, cursed bloodlines, and a magic system that required my full attention.

Not gonna lie babes, the worldbuilding had me working for a minute. I was taking mental notes like I was studying for finals. 😂 But once everything clicked? GAME OVER BABES.

As someone who reads a ridiculous amount of romance every month, I love when a fantasy world feels alive enough that I'd happily spend another thousand pages there. This one did exactly that. And then...
THAT ENDING.

Because I turned the page expecting another chapter and instead got a cliffhanger that felt like getting hit by a car.

[Nancy Weiler]

This book had me feeling all the emotions, excited, scared (spiders) and intrigued! But unfortunately it didn’t hit the spot I was hoping it too. This was my most anticipated read because who doesn’t love a why choose dark romantasy!

It starts out in Astoria/aster/ Tori FMC’s bookshop which is filled to the brim with intriguing and exciting magic as well as deadly and dangerous grimoire’s. It gave me a mix of cosy fantasy, but with a darkly creepy twist on it which was super intriguing. She also has her friend who helps Lucas MMC - he’s dreamy, real golden retriever.

The beginning of the book I would say at least 25% was extremely full on with the magic system and getting to grips with the world building etc. In parts I felt overwhelmed and flicked back a couple pages saying to myself “wait what happened” but, as you continue it does get easier to identify.

We learn Aster ran away from her home for reasons you’ll discover along the way. The love she left behind was another MMC Valen, his love was admirable and for such a dominant and sarcastic character he was so whitty and charming but in a sexy fun way. His banter with Lucas was chefs kiss and absolutely hilarious in some moments.

I did find the book very slow and slightly repetitive, then it got super interesting around the 60% mark. It is labelled as a why choose dark romantasy however the spice for me could have been more, I was expecting more.

Overall I loved the plot, magic system and characters I just would have loved it more if it picked up the pace.

Thank you Second Sky books for the early E-ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kels O.]

first thought - HOT. second one - don’t read if you hate spiders.

This book and world has some really unique magic systems. Weavers are connected to a weave where 4 threads of magic come from - everyone has one. People who have multiple are either culled or the Archweaver (the king). Weavers are long lived and think themselves above the humans. Some humans have magic though relics such as rings that allows them access to magic called magicians. Very spider / web inspired descriptions.

It opens with Tori (a weaver) running into her ex-fiancée Valen at her enchanted and almost sentient bookshop. From there is spirals when an ancient and cursed grimoire becomes sentient and attacks her and her business partner Lucas (a magician who escaped the magician ‘mob’). She calls on Valen to help which leads the three of them to work together to uncover secrets from 7 years ago, fix some mistakes and come to terms with all the betrayal and backstabbing that has and will happen. Tori is low key a miserable but bad bitch. Rightfully so after everything she been through, and Lucas is just the golden retriever following her along her journey of forgiveness and letting go of her toxic past. Valen was a big part of the book but it felt like you didn’t really get to know him.

At no point did I see where this was going and it ends with more questions than answers. I need to know more about this world and how she’s gonna turn her new found goodness into a win. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

[💕📚Cassie📚💕]

Read/Audio - 5⭐️ Spice - 4.8🌶️ Storyline - 5📚 narration - 5🎤

Let me just say I knew I would love this from the moment I saw the cover and read what it was about. However… I end up loving it a lot more than I expected! Which is a plus for me cause most of the time I can see 9 steps ahead of the story but not with this one.

This one took me for a roller coaster ride with a lot of dips and loops lol in a good way of course. First off the narrator did an amazing job bringing the characters to life along with the story. I laughed and of course cried oh and I gasped a few times lol I’m telling you it’s a story that took me by surprise in such a good way.

Avery Cari does a great job of delivering the emotions and keeping your ear I can’t wait to hear more of Avery’s work in the future. The author took two of my favorite things romance and fantasy and made one of the best babies!

She did a really good job of making the story pop and allowing us the readers explore the world of romance mixed with fantasy/drama and more! The love aspect of this is such a wild ride it takes you on a journey you didn’t expect especially near the ending 😅 Overall, the romance and spicy is there the storyline is fantastic by the end of this it left me wanting more like a lot more! There’s a lot to explore and the character development from start to finish is top-tier

If you love magic, drama, secrets, romance with why choose vibes, and all things fantasy this is for you!

I can’t wait for the next book like I need it now lol

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC copy! This is my honest opinion/ thoughts for my review.

[laureadswhat]

I want to first say that I think a lot of people will like this book. Here’s my experience.

I really liked the character. I loved the whimsical magic of flying books and monstrous ones. I like getting to know her and Jinx. I loved the chemistry between her and Lucas. Valen and Lucas together was so much fun. Chapter 25 was freaking delicious.

However, the reason I didn’t finish the book I because the explanation of magical families was extremely confusing. Plus, I feel like the magic itself was over complicated. It also didn’t all matter in the sense of the story. So, I just felt like it was too much and took me out of the story.

I found this extremely frustrating because there were so many things that I liked about this book. But as I was reading it and passing 20% where my head had been bogged down with magical information, I realized that I’d never recommend it because I wouldn’t want someone that trust my recommendations to feel that way.

However, as I mentioned, I think some people will find this to be a five star read. It’s written wonderfully after all of the information. So, please take my review with a grain of sand.

[Nicola Doyle]

Bound To Burn was a great read. It was an excellent start to the series. The story was good and the premise was strong. I loved the cover. It was so visually pleasing. It was a beautiful design. Perfect for a romantasy. I loved the writing. It was strong and the story flowed well. I've never read a lot of the 'why choose' trope but this was done well and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the setting was wonderful. It was so imaginative and I thought S.E.'s world-building was exquisite. I loved the characters. The dynamic between Astoria, Lucas and Valentin was brilliant. I love how their stories unfolded and twisted together. I definitely recommend this book and I can't wait for the next installment.