Before the Bond

by Lily S. Moon

235 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 20, 2026

Reviews

[Brenda A]

Not your traditional werewolf story

I really don't like leaving a low review however I was very disappointed with this book. There will be a few spoilers to explain why. Although the editing was good the story was lacking. It moved so slow that I found myself skipping through.when the MC admitted it was him in the backyard the MF said nothing about his red eyes. Her lack of of reaction in unusual situations hurt the story. The dialogue was unrealistic and childish, example, when the two rival wolf packs met. The MC said Give Me One Reason I shouldn't throttle you here and now. After that I just scroll to the predictable end. Also there was no Romance or intimacy.

[Sara]

I found this through a random fb ad. 3.5 stars and like .5🌶️ but I hate rounding down.

This wasn’t my fav but I still read the whole thing in a day so it kept me entertained. You’ve got fated mates, werewolves, mystery and a very very slow burn. Oddly my favorite character was Jake. The two main characters ( Olivia and Caleb) just seemed forced even though the whole last half of the book describes them not being forced 🤷🏻‍♀️. This story is left unfinished and more mysteries with side characters. So even though the next book follows different main characters I wouldn’t consider this a stand alone.

[Dawn Cavenee]

I did NOT enjoy the writing style of this book. I do NOT want to read another book by this author. The story was difficult to understand and I found myself rereading sections. Honestly, it felt like punishment every time I picked the book up. The plot is pretty standard, characters are good. The problem is in how the storytelling is worded. So very tired of ‘first true thing’, ‘only true thing’, etc. The word TRUE was present 49 times and TRUTH 40 times in less than 300 pages. Became annoying after a handful of times, but there were many, many more handfuls to go through. I am extremely sorry I started this book, but tremendously glad to be finished!!

[Leigh Macfarlane]

I loved this book. It is stylistically brilliant, but not necessarily an easy read. This is the kind of book that is ostensibly about werewolves but that I could write academic essays about, and they'd all talk about the werewolf as a metaphor -- because the complexity of this story and its themes are far deeper than any other werewolf book I've ever read. If you are thinking fast, brash, howling action, this is not your book. And yet, best novel I've read all year. So good, Lily. Off to buy book 2 and just hope book 3 is on the way soon.

[PinkFuzz]

I really wanted to like this one, because it was beautifully written. It feels like each sentence was placed with care, each word dense with meaning. But the plot was wanting. I didn’t understand the connection between the two primary love interests. There was no joy when they finally kissed, and each one seemed like they were bored of the relationship but compelled by outside forces to mime romantic feelings.

[Grissel Johnson]

Save Yourself a Headache

The blurb definitely caught my attention. What didn’t catch my attention was the actual writing of the book. Couldn’t get past page 37. It is extremely difficult to follow because it makes no sense at all. Sounds like might have been written with AI or the help of AI. Not worth the time and effort into attempting to read this.

[Erin]

I DNF'd this. I just couldn't get into it. It felt weird. I can't quite pinpoint what wasn't working for me. But I got a little more than 20% in and had no real idea of what was happening. It was like nothing at all was happening, page after page. Figured it was best to just move on.

[kirsten ❀]

★ ★.5 / 5

It was a fun read. I did feel like we didn’t get much build up between the main characters, but was still enjoyable.

I did enjoy the friendship between Olivia and Jake (mmc’s brother) I even wanted more of them to really see her take on an older sibling kind of relationship with him.

[Becky]

I’m not even sure how to start

This was a very difficult book to read. It’s as if the story is rushed, based on how the writer is trying to explain the plot. It’s has potential, definitely with the plot, but the writing is hard to follow.

Made it to page 39 and had to stop

[Erin Houghton]

loved it

I stumbled upon this book and I really enjoyed it! It kept my attention. I read the whole thing in a day. I’m interested to see what happens with Stella!

[Lynn Porter]

This was a barely OK book

[Drex]

It's too wholesome

[Heidi]

Hard to read. Main character isn’t very likable. Found book off random Facebook ad.

[Leah Formosa]

I just can't seem to be able to follow this book. The writing doesn't flow and makes it hard to read. Gave up after a few chapters.