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Shadow Bound #1
Fated Hearts
"He’s not a wolf."
Devastated by the death of his best friend, Zio is a soldier with one thing on his mind: revenge. Consumed by a conflict that’s raged as long as he’s been alive, he’s had little time or inclination to learn the legends of the shifter world he was raised in. And he certainly doesn’t have time to deal with a shifter of a different kind, even if it’s for the good of the war effort. For the good of his pack. The fact that he’s already crossed paths with the new face in his unit is almost irrelevant.
Almost.
Do no harm. Give life not death: it’s the oath Devan was reborn to live by, so when he’s sent abroad to embed with a wolf pack as their resident healer, he doesn’t hesitate. In the supernatural world, some bonds are instant—soldiers become brothers, pack become family. But others run deeper and before long, Devan’s at the mercy of instincts he can’t control.
Zio’s inner wolf is desperate to be with Devan, while Devan struggles to keep the pack safe. But as the war escalates, and new love is tainted by anguish and pain, the battles within might prove the toughest of them all.
"I won’t let him die."
Devastated by the death of his best friend, Zio is a soldier with one thing on his mind: revenge. Consumed by a conflict that’s raged as long as he’s been alive, he’s had little time or inclination to learn the legends of the shifter world he was raised in. And he certainly doesn’t have time to deal with a shifter of a different kind, even if it’s for the good of the war effort. For the good of his pack. The fact that he’s already crossed paths with the new face in his unit is almost irrelevant.
Almost.
Do no harm. Give life not death: it’s the oath Devan was reborn to live by, so when he’s sent abroad to embed with a wolf pack as their resident healer, he doesn’t hesitate. In the supernatural world, some bonds are instant—soldiers become brothers, pack become family. But others run deeper and before long, Devan’s at the mercy of instincts he can’t control.
Zio’s inner wolf is desperate to be with Devan, while Devan struggles to keep the pack safe. But as the war escalates, and new love is tainted by anguish and pain, the battles within might prove the toughest of them all.
"I won’t let him die."
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2019
61 people are currently reading
485 people want to read
About the author
Garrett Leigh
87 books2,399 followersShe/Her
Bonus Material available for all books on Garrett's Patreon account. Includes short stories from Misfits, Slide, Strays, What Remains, Dream, and much more. Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/garrettleigh
Facebook Fan Group, Garrett's Den... https://www.facebook.com/groups/garre...
Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British romance author and artist. Her debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and she is a 4 time LAMBDA finalist.
In 2017, she won the EPIC award in contemporary romance with her military novel, Between Ghosts, and the contemporary romance category in the Bisexual Book Awards with her novel What Remains.
Garrett is also an award winning cover designer, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com
Bonus Material available for all books on Garrett's Patreon account. Includes short stories from Misfits, Slide, Strays, What Remains, Dream, and much more. Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/garrettleigh
Facebook Fan Group, Garrett's Den... https://www.facebook.com/groups/garre...
Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British romance author and artist. Her debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and she is a 4 time LAMBDA finalist.
In 2017, she won the EPIC award in contemporary romance with her military novel, Between Ghosts, and the contemporary romance category in the Bisexual Book Awards with her novel What Remains.
Garrett is also an award winning cover designer, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
October 7, 2019
I really wanted to like this Fated Hearts, if that counts for something.
Sometimes, I'll read an urban fantasy or sci-fi book, and I'll feel like I was just thrown into the fray. Like I can't get my bearings straight and I have no idea what thehell is happening. That's how I felt reading this one.
My friends seem to be either in the "love it" or "meh" camp with this one, and I was hopeful I would be one of those who adored it. It started off okay, and I was excited to see where the story would take me, and then it just... stopped grabbing me.
One of my biggest issues with the story was the lack of physical descriptions. I felt like I could picture none of the characters, so they all blended together like character soup in my head. I had trouble keeping them straight, and I was less invested in them as a result.
I also found the whole plot to be more than a little confusing. The world-building made little sense to me. What roll did humans play with the shifters? Is this a post-apocalypse-type situation, or is this a fringe of society and the rest of the world is resuming like normal? Why did the shifter factions hate each other? Where did the shifters come from? I had so many questions. World-building done well is a very hard thing to accomplish, and it was lacking here.
I know Garrett Leigh can write her butt off, but this one wasn't it for me.
goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog
Sometimes, I'll read an urban fantasy or sci-fi book, and I'll feel like I was just thrown into the fray. Like I can't get my bearings straight and I have no idea what thehell is happening. That's how I felt reading this one.
My friends seem to be either in the "love it" or "meh" camp with this one, and I was hopeful I would be one of those who adored it. It started off okay, and I was excited to see where the story would take me, and then it just... stopped grabbing me.
One of my biggest issues with the story was the lack of physical descriptions. I felt like I could picture none of the characters, so they all blended together like character soup in my head. I had trouble keeping them straight, and I was less invested in them as a result.
I also found the whole plot to be more than a little confusing. The world-building made little sense to me. What roll did humans play with the shifters? Is this a post-apocalypse-type situation, or is this a fringe of society and the rest of the world is resuming like normal? Why did the shifter factions hate each other? Where did the shifters come from? I had so many questions. World-building done well is a very hard thing to accomplish, and it was lacking here.
I know Garrett Leigh can write her butt off, but this one wasn't it for me.
goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog
September 17, 2019
2.5 stars
I'm so in the minority with my rating I'm thinking I read a different book than everyone else, because I really struggled with this one. The first 60 percent was very heavy on the world building, which morphed into the shifter war. This impacted on and let down the character and relationship building that this author usually excels at. I also spent a lot of the time confused, as if I'd missed a book somewhere. I did read the prequel which was a peek into how Dash and Luca got together but still, I was so lost at times.
The character detail was so minimal I struggled to even form a picture in my head of what Devan and Zio looked like ..... and only found out at the end that Zio had brown skin and brown eyes. I know it's just a little thing but I need the details to build a picture whilst I'm reading, but the detail was so sparse I gave up trying.
This could have been fabulous with less of the total war domination and more on the slow-burn mates-bond romance that Devan and Zio had going on. A war that with one move Dash and Luca could've stopped in its tracks so more time could be given to Devan and Zio.
I'm so in the minority with my rating I'm thinking I read a different book than everyone else, because I really struggled with this one. The first 60 percent was very heavy on the world building, which morphed into the shifter war. This impacted on and let down the character and relationship building that this author usually excels at. I also spent a lot of the time confused, as if I'd missed a book somewhere. I did read the prequel which was a peek into how Dash and Luca got together but still, I was so lost at times.
The character detail was so minimal I struggled to even form a picture in my head of what Devan and Zio looked like ..... and only found out at the end that Zio had brown skin and brown eyes. I know it's just a little thing but I need the details to build a picture whilst I'm reading, but the detail was so sparse I gave up trying.
This could have been fabulous with less of the total war domination and more on the slow-burn mates-bond romance that Devan and Zio had going on. A war that with one move Dash and Luca could've stopped in its tracks so more time could be given to Devan and Zio.
September 16, 2019
*4,5 stars*
What can I say?
Garrett Leigh AND shifters. YES, please!
The expectations ran high, and I know you should never expect anything, BUT this time I was not disappointed.- I loved pretty much everything here:
.) Interesting universe, I’m keen to hear more about.
.) Wild, explosive, angry Zio who needs a little bit of love to mellow and prosper.
.) Brilliant healer Devan who made me ah! and oh! for his gentle and kind nature.
.) Two shifters pulled together by fate almost against their will – the animosity between them to start with causes wonderful sparks.
.) The scorching heat and UST between these two.
.) I do love my mating bonds and all the passion and intense feelings that comes with them! But earthquakes?! That is awesome!
.) ‘Interracial’ relationship – Devon is NOT a wolf (but a shifter of a different kind).
What was a surprise:
This gets pretty gritty at times, as we find these packs at war which involves, not quite unexpectedly - a couple of bloody and gruesome fights.
A super start to this new series. Can’t wait for the next book!
What can I say?
Garrett Leigh AND shifters. YES, please!
The expectations ran high, and I know you should never expect anything, BUT this time I was not disappointed.- I loved pretty much everything here:
.) Interesting universe, I’m keen to hear more about.
.) Wild, explosive, angry Zio who needs a little bit of love to mellow and prosper.
.) Brilliant healer Devan who made me ah! and oh! for his gentle and kind nature.
.) Two shifters pulled together by fate almost against their will – the animosity between them to start with causes wonderful sparks.
.) The scorching heat and UST between these two.
.) I do love my mating bonds and all the passion and intense feelings that comes with them! But earthquakes?! That is awesome!
.) ‘Interracial’ relationship – Devon is NOT a wolf (but a shifter of a different kind).
What was a surprise:
This gets pretty gritty at times, as we find these packs at war which involves, not quite unexpectedly - a couple of bloody and gruesome fights.
A super start to this new series. Can’t wait for the next book!
September 13, 2019
Ohhh! A new shifter book. Eeek! It’s by Garrett Leigh.
But…Leigh doesn’t *do* shifters?
Wrong. She not only does them but she does them exceedingly well.
Huh? Okay, so…werewolves, right?
Nope. There’s more. Cats too. *whispers* Did you SEE that cover?!
Wait a minute! Wolves and cats?
Yep. Canines and felines.
*scoffs* That’s not gonna work.
Wanna bet?
Welcome to the party in my head. Ha! In all honesty, I didn’t doubt Leigh. Not even for a second. Why? Because she has proven time and time again that no matter what she tackles with her spellbinding pen, it’s going to be golden. The magical world of Shadow Bound caught me within the first few pages and never let go. I fought the curse of a stunning story and wavered between racing to the finish and slowing my roll to savor every page. Of course, I caved and read like a madwoman to devour it but then went back and read my favorite scenes several times before I felt I could walk away. I fricking love it when I’ve been snared and can’t quite seem to leave a story. I also let out a whoop of joy when I noticed this was book 1 (yayyyyy, that means MORE!) and quickly downloaded the bonus story of Luca and Dash. What a treat…thanks, Garrett!
What's to like: Things kick off with a bang…literally. There is no build-up or lull, it’s electrifying from the start. Zio is grieving and adrift. When his pack lost their healer and his best friend, the ground fell out from beneath his feet. He desperately wishes to forget for a minute, blindly searching for anything to numb the pain. Roaming the streets of London he finds liquid anesthetic at a human bar and finally seizes that dazed state he’s been hunting for. Until….until a frantic moment of pure undiluted lust brings a stranger into his arms. Without warning, he ignites a chain reaction of events that he has no control over. Or does he? The gorgeous sexy stranger that kicks every sense into overdrive isn’t going away any time soon. But they can just be packmates or maybe friends, right? After all, it’s only biology and human will is stronger than their inner beast. It must be. Because regardless of fate, their destiny doesn’t affect just the two of them. Gahhhhh! Talk about the most forbidden of forbidden love. But this is GL and you know, her boys don’t always follow the rules. Thank the moon!
What's to love: I can’t even begin to tell you how much I LOVE a well-done shifter book. It’s a feat not all authors can master but was proficiently and gloriously done here. Garrett creates an impressive world brimming with intense, carnal characters. Zio is bristly and brokenhearted. His anger is palpable. He is young and short-tempered. He needs stability, security, and certainty…he needs an anchor. Devan is grounded, confident and focused on his assignment, he doesn’t have time for distractions. Especially distractions that come in the form of a surly addictively sweet-smelling soldier. He is not searching for a mate. Nope. He was sent to the pack to help heal them during this war. But what if it’s not just bodies but the soul of his mission was healing a broken heart? And hard as he tries, he just can’t….stay away. Until orders come from their alpha’s that they are absolutely positively NOT permitted to complete any bond. However, not claiming his mate proves harder than anything Devan has ever faced. My heart raced as I chased these shapeshifters to the end. I was nearly panting, out of breath and completely exhausted. Who needs to run a race when I can just slip into one of Garrett’s books?
Beware of: War can be ruthless and the battles are gruesome. But the fighting doesn’t stop there, prepare for a battle of wills and battles of the heart. And their desires blaze brightly but are strictly off-limits, that is until fate demands she be obeyed.
This book is for: If you love shifter stories as I do, this is fresh take with exhilarating surprises and you need it. If you love GL specials as I do, this is an absolute must-read! If neither applies to you, my advise still stands- go quickly and go now, and let this story claim your heart too.
Book UNfunk
But…Leigh doesn’t *do* shifters?
Wrong. She not only does them but she does them exceedingly well.
Huh? Okay, so…werewolves, right?
Nope. There’s more. Cats too. *whispers* Did you SEE that cover?!
Wait a minute! Wolves and cats?
Yep. Canines and felines.
*scoffs* That’s not gonna work.
Wanna bet?
Welcome to the party in my head. Ha! In all honesty, I didn’t doubt Leigh. Not even for a second. Why? Because she has proven time and time again that no matter what she tackles with her spellbinding pen, it’s going to be golden. The magical world of Shadow Bound caught me within the first few pages and never let go. I fought the curse of a stunning story and wavered between racing to the finish and slowing my roll to savor every page. Of course, I caved and read like a madwoman to devour it but then went back and read my favorite scenes several times before I felt I could walk away. I fricking love it when I’ve been snared and can’t quite seem to leave a story. I also let out a whoop of joy when I noticed this was book 1 (yayyyyy, that means MORE!) and quickly downloaded the bonus story of Luca and Dash. What a treat…thanks, Garrett!
What's to like: Things kick off with a bang…literally. There is no build-up or lull, it’s electrifying from the start. Zio is grieving and adrift. When his pack lost their healer and his best friend, the ground fell out from beneath his feet. He desperately wishes to forget for a minute, blindly searching for anything to numb the pain. Roaming the streets of London he finds liquid anesthetic at a human bar and finally seizes that dazed state he’s been hunting for. Until….until a frantic moment of pure undiluted lust brings a stranger into his arms. Without warning, he ignites a chain reaction of events that he has no control over. Or does he? The gorgeous sexy stranger that kicks every sense into overdrive isn’t going away any time soon. But they can just be packmates or maybe friends, right? After all, it’s only biology and human will is stronger than their inner beast. It must be. Because regardless of fate, their destiny doesn’t affect just the two of them. Gahhhhh! Talk about the most forbidden of forbidden love. But this is GL and you know, her boys don’t always follow the rules. Thank the moon!
What's to love: I can’t even begin to tell you how much I LOVE a well-done shifter book. It’s a feat not all authors can master but was proficiently and gloriously done here. Garrett creates an impressive world brimming with intense, carnal characters. Zio is bristly and brokenhearted. His anger is palpable. He is young and short-tempered. He needs stability, security, and certainty…he needs an anchor. Devan is grounded, confident and focused on his assignment, he doesn’t have time for distractions. Especially distractions that come in the form of a surly addictively sweet-smelling soldier. He is not searching for a mate. Nope. He was sent to the pack to help heal them during this war. But what if it’s not just bodies but the soul of his mission was healing a broken heart? And hard as he tries, he just can’t….stay away. Until orders come from their alpha’s that they are absolutely positively NOT permitted to complete any bond. However, not claiming his mate proves harder than anything Devan has ever faced. My heart raced as I chased these shapeshifters to the end. I was nearly panting, out of breath and completely exhausted. Who needs to run a race when I can just slip into one of Garrett’s books?
Beware of: War can be ruthless and the battles are gruesome. But the fighting doesn’t stop there, prepare for a battle of wills and battles of the heart. And their desires blaze brightly but are strictly off-limits, that is until fate demands she be obeyed.
This book is for: If you love shifter stories as I do, this is fresh take with exhilarating surprises and you need it. If you love GL specials as I do, this is an absolute must-read! If neither applies to you, my advise still stands- go quickly and go now, and let this story claim your heart too.
Book UNfunk
September 7, 2019
Garrett Leigh turns her considerable talent to paranormal romance and brings forth an extraordinary alternative to the usual fare of creatures that go bump in the night.
Here her shifters are a different entity to werewolves, vampires exist in covens and the Shadow Clan is something else entirely and sits above all other non humans providing a sort of balance between conflicting wolf packs.
And both sets of creatures have a unique blend of the traditional animal/human hybrid but with enhanced abilities and a gentle thread of magic which ties them to the physical world around them.
Zio and Deven are polar opposites but their attraction bounces off the page as they're thrown headlong into a situation thwart with danger.
Part action, part paranormal romance, part mystery adventure, this opener has all the hallmarks of Garrett at her finest.
There is superb world building, there are real and painful consequences for choices made, there is a deep and abiding love which fights to conquer all obstacles thrown in its path and there are threads laid down for the wider narrative to continue on.
It ends with a blend of extreme happiness, some trepidation about where series arcs will go next, some sorrow, a continuing battle between the species and loads of hope for a changing future.
I seriously cannot wait to see where it goes next.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Here her shifters are a different entity to werewolves, vampires exist in covens and the Shadow Clan is something else entirely and sits above all other non humans providing a sort of balance between conflicting wolf packs.
And both sets of creatures have a unique blend of the traditional animal/human hybrid but with enhanced abilities and a gentle thread of magic which ties them to the physical world around them.
Zio and Deven are polar opposites but their attraction bounces off the page as they're thrown headlong into a situation thwart with danger.
Part action, part paranormal romance, part mystery adventure, this opener has all the hallmarks of Garrett at her finest.
There is superb world building, there are real and painful consequences for choices made, there is a deep and abiding love which fights to conquer all obstacles thrown in its path and there are threads laid down for the wider narrative to continue on.
It ends with a blend of extreme happiness, some trepidation about where series arcs will go next, some sorrow, a continuing battle between the species and loads of hope for a changing future.
I seriously cannot wait to see where it goes next.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
October 15, 2019
* 1.5 stars *
I don't know what went wrong with this story, but something did.
It wasn't a very long book but somehow it felt like it was. Maybe the problem was that after a certain point I didn't think that there was anything happening aside from the characters repeating conversations that they already had multiple times.
This being a paranormal story set in a world where shifters, werewolves and vampires are real and live among humans, it opens the gates for a lot of creativity and unique tropes. With this genre there's unlimited opportunity in what a story can give, but here there was nothing unique and new about the paranormal creatures. I wanted more info about where they came from, their traditions, their nature.
There was a war between the North and the South but we didn't venture very far into the history of that world. Also, everything was very black and white. Them and us. Good guys vs bad guys.
As a whole, the story felt flat to me, like there wasn't enough planning and plotting about it. I really felt like the book could have been only half the length it was.
I've read many books from this author and this is the first time that I struggled this much to finish one. I think it's her first dip into this genre so maybe next time the world building will be better. That was my main issue with the story. Everything else was a direct outcome of that.
I don't know what went wrong with this story, but something did.
It wasn't a very long book but somehow it felt like it was. Maybe the problem was that after a certain point I didn't think that there was anything happening aside from the characters repeating conversations that they already had multiple times.
This being a paranormal story set in a world where shifters, werewolves and vampires are real and live among humans, it opens the gates for a lot of creativity and unique tropes. With this genre there's unlimited opportunity in what a story can give, but here there was nothing unique and new about the paranormal creatures. I wanted more info about where they came from, their traditions, their nature.
There was a war between the North and the South but we didn't venture very far into the history of that world. Also, everything was very black and white. Them and us. Good guys vs bad guys.
As a whole, the story felt flat to me, like there wasn't enough planning and plotting about it. I really felt like the book could have been only half the length it was.
I've read many books from this author and this is the first time that I struggled this much to finish one. I think it's her first dip into this genre so maybe next time the world building will be better. That was my main issue with the story. Everything else was a direct outcome of that.
October 22, 2019
It was ok. I've read many fated mates stories and this one was original within the trope.
I struggled understanding the background of this world. I felt like I picked up a book in the middle of a series. What little information was given was in the manner of mini info dumps.
The miscommunication device was used extensively. Not only a lack of communication between the MCs, but also a lack between other characters and the MCs. For me, this is always an annoying device.
While I enjoyed the new world and the MCs, the story was overall just ok for me.
I struggled understanding the background of this world. I felt like I picked up a book in the middle of a series. What little information was given was in the manner of mini info dumps.
The miscommunication device was used extensively. Not only a lack of communication between the MCs, but also a lack between other characters and the MCs. For me, this is always an annoying device.
While I enjoyed the new world and the MCs, the story was overall just ok for me.
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dnf
September 16, 2019Dnf @ 25%
October 26, 2019
4.5 stars. Loved it!
September 7, 2019
Well, hot damn. This book is intense. I honestly don't care much about the supernatural politics and think it was just pain in the arse with all the laws and orders and wars. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the sexual tension was insane. The main reason I breezed through this book in the middle of the night is because I just need to read Devan (a healer from Shadow Clan) and Zio (the young soldier from northern wolf pack) to have 'alfresco sex' (I learned it from Garrett's tweet) with each other.
Right from their first encounter, lust is in the air and we knew that they are fated mate. Zio being the young and naive wolf doesn't seems to know the seriously of this whole mating thing, but Devan the wiser one knows, but he was damn good at controlling it. Thrown in some 'I-hate-you-why-are-you-here' vibe, close proximity action and forbidden from mating by their alpha (because politics), the sexual tension was off the chart. Although, they are not banging each other, it doesn't mean everything is platonic, there are plenty of delicious intimate scenes and their relationship and love for each other just grow despite all the pack drama.
Right from their first encounter, lust is in the air and we knew that they are fated mate. Zio being the young and naive wolf doesn't seems to know the seriously of this whole mating thing, but Devan the wiser one knows, but he was damn good at controlling it. Thrown in some 'I-hate-you-why-are-you-here' vibe, close proximity action and forbidden from mating by their alpha (because politics), the sexual tension was off the chart. Although, they are not banging each other, it doesn't mean everything is platonic, there are plenty of delicious intimate scenes and their relationship and love for each other just grow despite all the pack drama.
September 11, 2019
So, a few years ago I got my hands on Garrett Leigh's Shadowbound novella and loved it. So, I was thrilled to find that Fated Hearts was in that same universe.
The author really shows her talent for creating new worlds, putting two very different characters together and make them mesh perfectly. I love a story with forced proximity and this had it in spades.
This read like an action/romance as a war was taking place, Devan wasn't allowed to shift, and Zio had quite an attitude for a while. I loved how Zio's pack brothers accepted Devan and took him into the fold, despite the uneasiness about the entire situation. There was just so much to the story that I found myself not being able to easily put it down.
If you are a fan of Garrett Leigh, this definitely reads like her contemporary romance with a shifter twist! You are in for a treat!
*Galley copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/*
The author really shows her talent for creating new worlds, putting two very different characters together and make them mesh perfectly. I love a story with forced proximity and this had it in spades.
This read like an action/romance as a war was taking place, Devan wasn't allowed to shift, and Zio had quite an attitude for a while. I loved how Zio's pack brothers accepted Devan and took him into the fold, despite the uneasiness about the entire situation. There was just so much to the story that I found myself not being able to easily put it down.
If you are a fan of Garrett Leigh, this definitely reads like her contemporary romance with a shifter twist! You are in for a treat!
*Galley copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/*
October 20, 2019
I guess I can mark this as DNF as after a few chapters I started skimming. I even put the book down & read something else & came back & started over again, still didn't work. Shifters are my jam. But this story left me dazed & confused. It was like it should have been book 2 or 3. I have no idea why there is a war & why it's been going on for 200 years. Why were they not allowed to mate? If Devan would have said one more time "You mean you really don't know what's happening?" and then proceed not to tell Zio I was going to sling my reader. Why was it such a big secret on what type of shifter Devan is? I couldn't even picture what these two looked like as there was no real description of either of them. I'm really saddened that it didn't work for me.
September 18, 2019
This surprised me because even though I generally hate shifter books, I enjoyed this a lot. The pacing of the plot & relationship between the 2 main characters is fantastic & a breath of fresh air. It’s not an insta-love tale where the characters meet & are immediately in love. It’s a slow build up that’s done rather well. The relationship & victories feel earned & I felt invested in them because the characters have their ups & downs but make it to the other side & tbh I felt like I was there with em. And you know what that is? GROWTH.
Anyway, nothing is perfect & the biggest issue I had with this book (and what kept it from getting 4 stars) is the character descriptions. These descriptions are either nonexistent or EXTREMELY vague. The author wrote, “Dark skin, full lips, and wide brown eyes, full of yearning and worry.” That description is for the main character Zio & isn’t said UNTIL THE END OF THE BOOK. Up until that point, I assumed he was pale as shit & now I have to rethink the image in my head. Other characters have no descriptions at all & it’s frustrating.
Another issue I had is that all of the problems the characters are faced with ALWAYS get wrapped in a pretty bow. The thrill of the tale was lost because I knew that the main characters, and supporting characters with a lot of screen time, would get out of whatever danger they were in because true love conquers all, or the power of friendship or whatever the fuck. Other than that, if you don’t think too hard about it, this was actually a fun book. I’ll probably be coming back for the next tale.
Anyway, nothing is perfect & the biggest issue I had with this book (and what kept it from getting 4 stars) is the character descriptions. These descriptions are either nonexistent or EXTREMELY vague. The author wrote, “Dark skin, full lips, and wide brown eyes, full of yearning and worry.” That description is for the main character Zio & isn’t said UNTIL THE END OF THE BOOK. Up until that point, I assumed he was pale as shit & now I have to rethink the image in my head. Other characters have no descriptions at all & it’s frustrating.
Another issue I had is that all of the problems the characters are faced with ALWAYS get wrapped in a pretty bow. The thrill of the tale was lost because I knew that the main characters, and supporting characters with a lot of screen time, would get out of whatever danger they were in because true love conquers all, or the power of friendship or whatever the fuck. Other than that, if you don’t think too hard about it, this was actually a fun book. I’ll probably be coming back for the next tale.
0-mm-books-i-own-and-to-be-read
July 24, 2019A shifter book by Garrett Leigh!!! YES, please!!!
Also - please please please please PLEASE DO NOT BE AN MPREG BOOK!!
Also - please please please please PLEASE DO NOT BE AN MPREG BOOK!!
August 5, 2020
Audiobook reviewGarrett Leigh is a master of writing stories about tortured souls, tackling mental illness and trauma and every kind of relationship. She’s written some terrific stories and when I saw she was branching put to the paranormal genre I was intrigued.
By now many of us have read countless of shifter stories and most of them tend to blend together, few bring something new to the genre. I do think Fated Hearts had some really interesting ideas and new twists and it made me want to find out more. At first the story was gripping and interesting, and I was eager to learn more. But it wasn’t long until that need fizzled out and I was just meandering along a world and story that needed more anchoring and fleshing out. There was so much of it that was either very superficial or didn’t really make sense, much that I had trouble connecting to a coherent picture. Too much of it was missing. It’s also why I’m having a hard time describing it more than in general terms.
A good narration can elevate a so, so story, just as a poor one can break the best of them. This time around it did neither, but was kind of on par with the story, both had their issues. The story failed to catch my attention and sadly the narration was the same. We all have personal preferences in terms of narrators and what we like and don’t. One listener will love a narration another just can’t cope with – just like readers will love and hate the same book. Personally Calley’s style of narration isn’t for me. I mean he is brilliant with different accents and he has a pleasant voice that is easy to listen to, but for me that just isn’t enough to carry the narration for the entire book.
Calley is a reader and not a performer and that’s all well and great. All narrators have their own style and way of narrate, but what I can’t get past is that he sounds bored with his reading, even during the intense moments and for me that’s a big problem. I also had a hard time following many of the dialogues and keeping track of the characters. They were all portrayed with the same voice and tone, and it was hard to distinguish one speaker from the next. I also missed a clear enunciation, it wasn’t uncommon for much of the dialogue to be mumbled so I had to really concentrate to hear what Calley actually said. Sadly it threw me out of the story and made me focus on all the wrong things.
I know Calley has a great fan base and many love his narration. I also wish I was among them - he has narrated some pretty great books in the past and I’d love to have listened to them. But sadly I think I have to pass on that. However, if you are a Calley fan, you have many books to look forward to.
A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Want to read
September 12, 20199/12/19 Currently on sale for 99c via Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07XSKC3ZP
September 17, 2019
Maybe I should start with the situation that for me the story felt like 2 parts, not particularly 2 different parts and it's not like those parts wouldn't fit together and I'm certain most readers don't feel that way but it doesn't matter, for me there are 2 parts: one I had some trouble to get through and one where I found some of what I like about reading a Gareth Leigh book.
Was it my high expectation that made me disappointed with nearly the first half of the book? Not necessarily my expectation that Leigh can master a paranormal but my expectation how a paranormal story has to feel when it's not only about a romance but also about war. If you place your romance into a world defined by war, if you don't focus on the fate of your main characters but deal also with strategy, battles and political implications then I expect a world building, one I can follow and even if it's an odd world it has to have an innate logic. Here I couldn't and it hadn't. There are books where it feels like the author keeps some aspects hidden to reveal it later in an attempt to build suspense or just to make the reader curious. Didn't felt like that here. In a world where the last pack of northern wolves is fighting against its extinction against all the southern wolves for decades, where the humans know about shifters and have the power to force them into small defined compounds the author likes me to believe the humans don't know about that war, don't care that battles happen near their cities, that humans living together with the shifters are killed? Really now?
I appreciate that Leigh brings new additions to the paranormal myth as we know it from other books. I'm always up for a new twist on shifter life. So yes, most of her wolves have an additional gift like power of water, mind reading or creating shields of all kinds, some reliable and more not so – but does the story take advantage of those gifts, are they part of the story or just for show? Unfortunately the later and then there is the mysterious Shadow clan, obviously big cat shifter with one of their alpha the most powerful shifter in existence and his mate a former vampire but due to the lukewarm world building I never understood what makes them so special and powerful.
So the main characters; Zio, impulsive, restless, angry, full of energy even in his grieving over the killing of his best friend and selfish to a certain degree. I would love to see that character grow, see what war and love brings out in him – my issue: he's beta of a special unit, supposed to lead and protect, to be responsible and reliable, only in the first half he is anything but. Then Devan, older, more experienced, most times the water to Zio's fire but does he ever explain the young wolf what that is that happens between them? No, he's a firm believer of secrets better being unsaid and only asking Zio if he really doesn't know what happens – repeatedly. That romance seems to be completely based on the mystic mating bond.
The second half though Leigh finally focused on the 2 MCs, on what this bond is doing to them, how they deal with the order to not fulfill that bond, how their protectiveness is similar advantage and disadvantage in times of war. There I don't miss the world building much and sometimes I also feel the kindling love and definitely their need to be together. The change came early enough to make it a 3 star read but it wasn't enough to get me over my disappointment.
Was it my high expectation that made me disappointed with nearly the first half of the book? Not necessarily my expectation that Leigh can master a paranormal but my expectation how a paranormal story has to feel when it's not only about a romance but also about war. If you place your romance into a world defined by war, if you don't focus on the fate of your main characters but deal also with strategy, battles and political implications then I expect a world building, one I can follow and even if it's an odd world it has to have an innate logic. Here I couldn't and it hadn't. There are books where it feels like the author keeps some aspects hidden to reveal it later in an attempt to build suspense or just to make the reader curious. Didn't felt like that here. In a world where the last pack of northern wolves is fighting against its extinction against all the southern wolves for decades, where the humans know about shifters and have the power to force them into small defined compounds the author likes me to believe the humans don't know about that war, don't care that battles happen near their cities, that humans living together with the shifters are killed? Really now?
I appreciate that Leigh brings new additions to the paranormal myth as we know it from other books. I'm always up for a new twist on shifter life. So yes, most of her wolves have an additional gift like power of water, mind reading or creating shields of all kinds, some reliable and more not so – but does the story take advantage of those gifts, are they part of the story or just for show? Unfortunately the later and then there is the mysterious Shadow clan, obviously big cat shifter with one of their alpha the most powerful shifter in existence and his mate a former vampire but due to the lukewarm world building I never understood what makes them so special and powerful.
So the main characters; Zio, impulsive, restless, angry, full of energy even in his grieving over the killing of his best friend and selfish to a certain degree. I would love to see that character grow, see what war and love brings out in him – my issue: he's beta of a special unit, supposed to lead and protect, to be responsible and reliable, only in the first half he is anything but. Then Devan, older, more experienced, most times the water to Zio's fire but does he ever explain the young wolf what that is that happens between them? No, he's a firm believer of secrets better being unsaid and only asking Zio if he really doesn't know what happens – repeatedly. That romance seems to be completely based on the mystic mating bond.
The second half though Leigh finally focused on the 2 MCs, on what this bond is doing to them, how they deal with the order to not fulfill that bond, how their protectiveness is similar advantage and disadvantage in times of war. There I don't miss the world building much and sometimes I also feel the kindling love and definitely their need to be together. The change came early enough to make it a 3 star read but it wasn't enough to get me over my disappointment.
October 22, 2019
Hm, somehow it felt like I was only getting pieces of a story.....
And I really got frustrated with how many times Devan shied away from telling Zio what was happening between them!
Still, I liked the characters and I'm interested to learn more about this world. :)
3.5 stars
And I really got frustrated with how many times Devan shied away from telling Zio what was happening between them!
Still, I liked the characters and I'm interested to learn more about this world. :)
3.5 stars
September 16, 2019
2.5 rounded up
I love a good shifter book, and this one had what felt like an interesting and unique premise/world-building, but I just don't think the author did a good enough job explaining/building it out. There were a lot of really interesting concepts, but I felt confused a lot of the time as to how this world worked and what was going on. Having never read the prequel novella, I'm unsure if that would have provided some much appreciated context, but even if it did, that really shouldn't be a requirement. Definitely some death/violence/sad bits (expected with this author) and, frankly, I thought the author just didn't do a good job with any of the fighting/strategy portions of the book. Again, it was super unclear and confusing what was happening and why and it really felt like the author didn't do enough research or put enough effort into making this ~war~ believable and understandable.
All that being said, I really did like the characters and the bond, and thought their connection was lovely. Of course, even with that, I was pretty frustrated at everybody's unwillingness and inability to ever explain, particularly to Zio, what was going on. If I had a dollar ever time Devan said "You mean you really don't know what's happening?" before he then proceeded to NOT tell Zio what was happening. It was a little ridiculous. I honestly did enjoy myself while reading, but not the strongest of Leigh's books. I'd say they're clearly not used to writing supernatural/fantasy-type books and it shows.
I love a good shifter book, and this one had what felt like an interesting and unique premise/world-building, but I just don't think the author did a good enough job explaining/building it out. There were a lot of really interesting concepts, but I felt confused a lot of the time as to how this world worked and what was going on. Having never read the prequel novella, I'm unsure if that would have provided some much appreciated context, but even if it did, that really shouldn't be a requirement. Definitely some death/violence/sad bits (expected with this author) and, frankly, I thought the author just didn't do a good job with any of the fighting/strategy portions of the book. Again, it was super unclear and confusing what was happening and why and it really felt like the author didn't do enough research or put enough effort into making this ~war~ believable and understandable.
All that being said, I really did like the characters and the bond, and thought their connection was lovely. Of course, even with that, I was pretty frustrated at everybody's unwillingness and inability to ever explain, particularly to Zio, what was going on. If I had a dollar ever time Devan said "You mean you really don't know what's happening?" before he then proceeded to NOT tell Zio what was happening. It was a little ridiculous. I honestly did enjoy myself while reading, but not the strongest of Leigh's books. I'd say they're clearly not used to writing supernatural/fantasy-type books and it shows.
September 16, 2019
3 confused stars
Let me preface by saying that I absolutely love Garrett Leigh. But as much as I love her, I did not fall in love with this book, this universe or even these characters. Which breaks my heart 💔
I was soooo looking forward to this book and the blurb was pretty vague, which admittedly, I sometimes prefer because some authors tend to give the entire plot away in the blurb! But in this case, I honestly didn’t know what to expect and I kept going back to the blurb to try to make sense of what I was reading. It was no help, as you can imagine.
I didn’t understand the war. I didn’t understand the shifter/human politics. I didn’t even understand the distinction between werewolves and shifters. A GR buddy noted that there was info dump at the beginning. I didn’t notice it. By the end of the book, I wish we had some info dump because I was so lost and confused! 😣
I hope the next book in this series is better because I’m so so unbelievably lost and it isn’t even funny 🥺
Let me preface by saying that I absolutely love Garrett Leigh. But as much as I love her, I did not fall in love with this book, this universe or even these characters. Which breaks my heart 💔
I was soooo looking forward to this book and the blurb was pretty vague, which admittedly, I sometimes prefer because some authors tend to give the entire plot away in the blurb! But in this case, I honestly didn’t know what to expect and I kept going back to the blurb to try to make sense of what I was reading. It was no help, as you can imagine.
I didn’t understand the war. I didn’t understand the shifter/human politics. I didn’t even understand the distinction between werewolves and shifters. A GR buddy noted that there was info dump at the beginning. I didn’t notice it. By the end of the book, I wish we had some info dump because I was so lost and confused! 😣
I hope the next book in this series is better because I’m so so unbelievably lost and it isn’t even funny 🥺
October 8, 2019
3-3.5
Me gustan mucho los romances con cambiantes, el mundo paranormal me atrapada.
Es el primer libro que leo de la autora y no sabía muy bien como era su estilo, la verdad que, por el tema del inglés, me costó un poco leer alguna parte, pero en general no me desagrada su estilo.
El mundo creado para esta serie está interesante pero no se si habrá algún otro libro anterior porque, en alguna ocasión, he estado un poco perdida, como si me faltara información de algunos personajes.
Eso si, los protagonistas me gustaron mucho por separado y sobre todo juntos, ese primer encuentro y la manera de interactuar entre ellos a lo largo de la historia.
Todo el tema de la guerra entre clanes, el pack, el proceso del emparejamiento, esto sobre todo, es lo que más me gusta de este tipo de libros, amor a parte, ese lazo místico que une a dos personas me fascina ^^
Me gustan mucho los romances con cambiantes, el mundo paranormal me atrapada.
Es el primer libro que leo de la autora y no sabía muy bien como era su estilo, la verdad que, por el tema del inglés, me costó un poco leer alguna parte, pero en general no me desagrada su estilo.
El mundo creado para esta serie está interesante pero no se si habrá algún otro libro anterior porque, en alguna ocasión, he estado un poco perdida, como si me faltara información de algunos personajes.
Eso si, los protagonistas me gustaron mucho por separado y sobre todo juntos, ese primer encuentro y la manera de interactuar entre ellos a lo largo de la historia.
Todo el tema de la guerra entre clanes, el pack, el proceso del emparejamiento, esto sobre todo, es lo que más me gusta de este tipo de libros, amor a parte, ese lazo místico que une a dos personas me fascina ^^
August 9, 2020
Book Reaction: https://neverhollowed.com/2020/05/12/...
Rating: 4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
Thank you to Signal Boost Promotions and Audible UK for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
Thank you to Signal Boost Promotions and Audible UK for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 14, 2019
4 stars
September 16, 2019
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
Fated Hearts is set in the world of shifters and as a reader, it isn’t a world I enter often. But once I started reading Fated Hearts I didn’t want to stop. Zio is a young wolf and a soldier, fighting a war that has been ranging for many years. Devan, a healer and a shifter, joins Zio’s clan when their own healer is killed.
The connection between Zio and Devan is so strong right from their very first meeting and the desire and chemistry between them was captivating. Zio and Devan are dealing with new and strong emotions swirling around them in the midst of war. It seems that there are more important things than their overwhelming need to be together but staying away from each other just isn’t possible.
The danger and violence of the war Zio and his clan are fighting had me feeling like I was only a page away from something terrible happening. It kept me on the edge of my seat and there were times the action had my heart racing.
If like me, you don’t often read shifter stories I highly recommend giving Fated Hearts a go. It is a fabulous story that will suck you right in and I honestly loved it. Fated Hearts is the first book in the Shadow Bound series and I hope the author doesn’t keep us waiting long for the next one. There are clearly many more stories to be told about Zio’s clan and I am looking forward to reading them all.
Fated Hearts is set in the world of shifters and as a reader, it isn’t a world I enter often. But once I started reading Fated Hearts I didn’t want to stop. Zio is a young wolf and a soldier, fighting a war that has been ranging for many years. Devan, a healer and a shifter, joins Zio’s clan when their own healer is killed.
The connection between Zio and Devan is so strong right from their very first meeting and the desire and chemistry between them was captivating. Zio and Devan are dealing with new and strong emotions swirling around them in the midst of war. It seems that there are more important things than their overwhelming need to be together but staying away from each other just isn’t possible.
The danger and violence of the war Zio and his clan are fighting had me feeling like I was only a page away from something terrible happening. It kept me on the edge of my seat and there were times the action had my heart racing.
If like me, you don’t often read shifter stories I highly recommend giving Fated Hearts a go. It is a fabulous story that will suck you right in and I honestly loved it. Fated Hearts is the first book in the Shadow Bound series and I hope the author doesn’t keep us waiting long for the next one. There are clearly many more stories to be told about Zio’s clan and I am looking forward to reading them all.
September 12, 2019
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
I have particular expectations for shifter books and when I heard Garrett Leigh was writing shifters, I couldn’t wait to check it out. The fated mates aspect and the heat and the longing in this book were especially well done.
Devan travels to England to assist Zio’s wolf pack. The war they have been fighting has been going on for decades with no end in sight. Devan is a shifter, but is not a wolf and it is not told upfront what kind of shifter he is and we have to wait for it a little bit. Zio’s pack is hesitant to accept a healer that is not a wolf, but they know they cannot be left unprotected. Devan’s clan has remained neutral in the fight, for a number of reasons, one of the biggest being that they have superior powers.
Devan and Zio are on each other in moments in the way only the fated mate bond can bring and their connections are incredibly heated and their chemistry cannot be contained. But once they figure out what the other is, they know it can never happen and the pack and clan know it can never happen and the men are basically losing their minds because they need to be together. There are, of course, reasons for all this happening.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
4.25 stars
I have particular expectations for shifter books and when I heard Garrett Leigh was writing shifters, I couldn’t wait to check it out. The fated mates aspect and the heat and the longing in this book were especially well done.
Devan travels to England to assist Zio’s wolf pack. The war they have been fighting has been going on for decades with no end in sight. Devan is a shifter, but is not a wolf and it is not told upfront what kind of shifter he is and we have to wait for it a little bit. Zio’s pack is hesitant to accept a healer that is not a wolf, but they know they cannot be left unprotected. Devan’s clan has remained neutral in the fight, for a number of reasons, one of the biggest being that they have superior powers.
Devan and Zio are on each other in moments in the way only the fated mate bond can bring and their connections are incredibly heated and their chemistry cannot be contained. But once they figure out what the other is, they know it can never happen and the pack and clan know it can never happen and the men are basically losing their minds because they need to be together. There are, of course, reasons for all this happening.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
September 17, 2019
Huh, that was really good. Up until the freebie prequel, Shadow Bound, I hadn't read anything by this Author.
This was some really good stuff. There were moments where I felt for sure I was missing out on a book or something, kind of like I was thrown into the mix, but then I realized I just needed to go with the flow and then I couldn't put the book down. It was very exciting to read.
I've been searching for a good shifter book and this for sure hit the spot. The world has me a little fascinated and I can't wait to see what comes next.
This was some really good stuff. There were moments where I felt for sure I was missing out on a book or something, kind of like I was thrown into the mix, but then I realized I just needed to go with the flow and then I couldn't put the book down. It was very exciting to read.
I've been searching for a good shifter book and this for sure hit the spot. The world has me a little fascinated and I can't wait to see what comes next.
October 21, 2019
Seemed like this should've been a slam dunk for me, but instead it was an air ball. A lack of world-building, a lack of character descriptions, a lack of transitions from one scene to the next . . . It all made for a big, confusing mess. It's been a while since I was this frustrated with a book, but my high expectations going in are probably (at least partially) to blame.
September 23, 2019
Love this book! I'm a huge fan of Garrett's and this book didn't disappoint. I don't read a lot of PNR but I'm glad I gave this one a chance. Definitely recommend!
May 3, 2020
Mmmm...shifters...I believe they are growing on me...
Ok, so I actually checked on my bookshelves and sure enough this is only my third shifter story this year, so I think I'm still fairly safe saying 'shifters not so much a big deal for me' but Garrett Leigh..yeah,that's a big deal for me. So when I was asked 'would you like to review a couple of audio books by Garrett Leigh...you bet I was all over that..although I have to admit I did hesitate for a nanosecond over the whole shifter genre...but, then I said
"It's Garrett Leigh, how can I possibly go wrong with this?" and I was right I couldn't.
'Fated Hearts' isn't a 'love at first sight' story but there was definitely some 'lust at first sight' and really given the whole premise of 2 souls being destined for each other...well, it's all got to start somewhere doesn't it?
When Devan's alpha ask him to not only become the resident healer for a wolf pack, but to become part of the pack with the assurance that if he truly wants to come home he will be brought back to the clan. It's with very little hesitation that he says yes. There's a war going on and it's vital that Zio's pack survive and without a healer things aren't looking good.
Zio's a warrior and he's mourning the loss of his best friend and his pack's healer when Devan arrives...so needless to say while the logical part of him knows they need a new healer the part of him that's loyal to his friends memory is less than happy.
This is a world where humans have full knowledge of the existence of shifters and while there may be a tentative peace between humans and shifts that's not necessarily the case between the wolf shifter packs.
Unlike my previous shifter stories this year 'Fated Hearts' was not a story laced with humor and fun times and I while I do enjoy a story that can bring some humor into my day, sometimes it's good to read/listen to something that's not necessarily light and fluffy.
While Zio and Devan were very different in some ways...Zio's a warrior and right now he's pretty much consumed with thoughts of vengeance and he's one angry wolf. He's close to his pack mates and more than a little resistant to newcomers. While Devan's a healer who's whole demeanor is pretty chill...except for where Zio's concerned these two both feel a very undeniable attraction to each other but in their own way they're each determined to ignore it because nothing comes before pack and it seems that everyone is in agreement that a matebond between Zio and Devon probably not a good idea...it would seem that Devan's 'NOT A WOLF!!!' and the only other thing I'll say to that is Devan is my favorite kind of shifter...I was such a happy little soul when his shifter form was revealed...yep, happy, happy, happy and no he's not a dragon...because damn, that would have been epic and awesome.
I was definitely intrigued with the shifter war and the world that's being created here. There's still a lot that I want to know but I have to admit for me the other main attracion was ...the relationship of course.
I loved Devan and Zio as a couple. For me they worked. Their connection was there and it wasn't that they were trying to deny it so much as resist it because for both of them it came back to what was best for the pack and with most shifter stories...especially wolf shifters pack is everything. It was the little moments that filtered into the story that gave Zio and Devan's connection that added touch of intensity that given the reality of their world helped to make things fall into place for me.
'Fated Hearts' is the first book in the 'Shadow Bound' series and while it laid out a fair bit of the ground work for this series in terms of setting, characters and world building there are still some gaps to be filled but I'm confident that those pieces will get added as the series progresses.
Now the final and rather important part of what made this such an enjoyable audio book was Dan Calley...this is only my second audiobook by this narrator and coincidentally my first one was also a Garrett Leigh story and just like that first audio book I was once again left with character voices that felt right to me and suited the individual characters giving them each their own unique voice.
While Zio and Devan's story felt complete for me it also felt like this world had so much more to share with me and I'm hoping that I'll be able to discover more of it soon...maybe even more about the 'Shadow Clan'...please!!! I mean no offense to Zio's pack or anything but I'd really like to see Shadow Clan get a lot more attention.
*************************
A copy of the audio book 'Fated Hearts' was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Ok, so I actually checked on my bookshelves and sure enough this is only my third shifter story this year, so I think I'm still fairly safe saying 'shifters not so much a big deal for me' but Garrett Leigh..yeah,that's a big deal for me. So when I was asked 'would you like to review a couple of audio books by Garrett Leigh...you bet I was all over that..although I have to admit I did hesitate for a nanosecond over the whole shifter genre...but, then I said
"It's Garrett Leigh, how can I possibly go wrong with this?" and I was right I couldn't.
'Fated Hearts' isn't a 'love at first sight' story but there was definitely some 'lust at first sight' and really given the whole premise of 2 souls being destined for each other...well, it's all got to start somewhere doesn't it?
When Devan's alpha ask him to not only become the resident healer for a wolf pack, but to become part of the pack with the assurance that if he truly wants to come home he will be brought back to the clan. It's with very little hesitation that he says yes. There's a war going on and it's vital that Zio's pack survive and without a healer things aren't looking good.
Zio's a warrior and he's mourning the loss of his best friend and his pack's healer when Devan arrives...so needless to say while the logical part of him knows they need a new healer the part of him that's loyal to his friends memory is less than happy.
This is a world where humans have full knowledge of the existence of shifters and while there may be a tentative peace between humans and shifts that's not necessarily the case between the wolf shifter packs.
Unlike my previous shifter stories this year 'Fated Hearts' was not a story laced with humor and fun times and I while I do enjoy a story that can bring some humor into my day, sometimes it's good to read/listen to something that's not necessarily light and fluffy.
While Zio and Devan were very different in some ways...Zio's a warrior and right now he's pretty much consumed with thoughts of vengeance and he's one angry wolf. He's close to his pack mates and more than a little resistant to newcomers. While Devan's a healer who's whole demeanor is pretty chill...except for where Zio's concerned these two both feel a very undeniable attraction to each other but in their own way they're each determined to ignore it because nothing comes before pack and it seems that everyone is in agreement that a matebond between Zio and Devon probably not a good idea...it would seem that Devan's 'NOT A WOLF!!!' and the only other thing I'll say to that is Devan is my favorite kind of shifter...I was such a happy little soul when his shifter form was revealed...yep, happy, happy, happy and no he's not a dragon...because damn, that would have been epic and awesome.
I was definitely intrigued with the shifter war and the world that's being created here. There's still a lot that I want to know but I have to admit for me the other main attracion was ...the relationship of course.
I loved Devan and Zio as a couple. For me they worked. Their connection was there and it wasn't that they were trying to deny it so much as resist it because for both of them it came back to what was best for the pack and with most shifter stories...especially wolf shifters pack is everything. It was the little moments that filtered into the story that gave Zio and Devan's connection that added touch of intensity that given the reality of their world helped to make things fall into place for me.
'Fated Hearts' is the first book in the 'Shadow Bound' series and while it laid out a fair bit of the ground work for this series in terms of setting, characters and world building there are still some gaps to be filled but I'm confident that those pieces will get added as the series progresses.
Now the final and rather important part of what made this such an enjoyable audio book was Dan Calley...this is only my second audiobook by this narrator and coincidentally my first one was also a Garrett Leigh story and just like that first audio book I was once again left with character voices that felt right to me and suited the individual characters giving them each their own unique voice.
While Zio and Devan's story felt complete for me it also felt like this world had so much more to share with me and I'm hoping that I'll be able to discover more of it soon...maybe even more about the 'Shadow Clan'...please!!! I mean no offense to Zio's pack or anything but I'd really like to see Shadow Clan get a lot more attention.
*************************
A copy of the audio book 'Fated Hearts' was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2019
*ARC provided by the author*
Garrett Leigh has solidly and consistently worked her way into my heart, becoming- against all odds (because I usually prefer my romances less angsty and a little lower on the steam department, I'm more of a fluff girl)-one of my favorite authors. This book is no exception.
With the right balance between an action-packed plot, a tension-filled romance, and the expected steamy content, Fated Hearts is one of Leigh's best works yet.
Not only the general plot is brilliantly constructed, but also the specific lore and worldbuilding are nothing short of marvellous. The intricacies of it all come together in a fast-paced, tension-filled, overall thrilling story.
As usual, the characters are yet another strong element holding the whole thing together. Not only the main characters, but also there was a wonderful cast of supporting characters that completed the picture, enriching the dynamics of the story as a whole.
Leigh just keeps going against every odd in her way, because "shifter romance" is another of the no's ticked in my box of literary tropes. But I'm past caring about those things when it comes to this author's writing. And not once have I been wrong so far, so it's all good.
Garrett Leigh has solidly and consistently worked her way into my heart, becoming- against all odds (because I usually prefer my romances less angsty and a little lower on the steam department, I'm more of a fluff girl)-one of my favorite authors. This book is no exception.
With the right balance between an action-packed plot, a tension-filled romance, and the expected steamy content, Fated Hearts is one of Leigh's best works yet.
Not only the general plot is brilliantly constructed, but also the specific lore and worldbuilding are nothing short of marvellous. The intricacies of it all come together in a fast-paced, tension-filled, overall thrilling story.
As usual, the characters are yet another strong element holding the whole thing together. Not only the main characters, but also there was a wonderful cast of supporting characters that completed the picture, enriching the dynamics of the story as a whole.
Leigh just keeps going against every odd in her way, because "shifter romance" is another of the no's ticked in my box of literary tropes. But I'm past caring about those things when it comes to this author's writing. And not once have I been wrong so far, so it's all good.
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