Forbidden Bonds

Reforming the Paranormal Council #1

by Sheri Eleese

When Two Forbidden Souls Unite, Governments Fall

Lysander Galway belongs to one of the most powerful families of magic users. At birth, he was prophesied to have the paramount powers of this generation and the next; powers which would overturn the world. When his magic didn’t manifest, his life became filled with dangers and threats from the magic user community; his biggest adversary being his own mother. His older brother, Bryan, has spent his lifetime protecting Lysander from his mother’s machinations. Now Bryan is at risk and Lysander is determined to save his brother, whatever the cost.

Roman, a vampire Prince, has lived over one thousand years. As a young vampire, Roman lost his family to deceit and treachery. Overnight, he became responsible for the safety and well-being of his people. His life consists of ruling over and providing for his coven, growing his business portfolio, and running his club, Darkness. He had long given up hope on ever finding his mate. Roman was not prepared for Lysander.

Fate, sometimes, is a fickle mistress.

Genres: Vampires, Fantasy, M M Romance, Paranormal, LGBT, Magic, Amazon

223 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 17, 2020

About the author

I'm an MM Romance writer who believes that love should have no boundaries, in happily-ever-afters, that dragons are real…oh, and bacon; there’s always room for bacon.

My stories are romance with low angst, high action, fade to black or non-explicit sex, and characters who know how to kick butt.

Be sure to follow me on BookBub for the latest sales. https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sheri...

I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with my husband, two sons, four cats, and one crazy, energetic dog.

Reviews

[Elena]

DNF at 30%

I only got this far because the book is short and I wanted to give it a fair chance, but I was struggling from the beginning and the 1000-year-old vampire acting and thinking like an emo teenager was the last straw.

[Saskia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely not for me. Warning: Review contains mild spoilers but since the whole story is so glaringly predictable, they shouldn't ruin any 'surprises.'

This was painful to read. I really expected a 1000 year old vampire to be more competent than this. Instead they're all bumbling along, leaving themselves open and vulnerable time and again because despite all their planning they continue to not see the obvious. This didn't feel like a love story. The emotional beats are ticked off like items on a grocery list without ever building up to anything (first meeting and argument check, creepy stalking check, ... first Sex OK cool let's just jump right into the middle of it and move on quickly to, hm, more pointless telling of people in meetings). And some of 'romantic' conversation was positively cringe-worthy it was so cheesy and out of the blue. I also didn't enjoy the shifts in perspective. It seems to be mostly Lysander's story with some - mostly random and pointless - interludes from other characters. It just felt really messy and lazy. I am so happy this is over and will definitely not be reading the rest of the series.

Also:
1. It's really troublesome that the only nice female characters (the little girl with the tree stuck cat and the doddering old lady at the beginning of the bookand some 'female guards' with the sole virtue that they can't be beguiled by the pregnant female prisoner/spy because naturally only guys can be gay. Oh, and the midwife who's immediately killed for her efforts since management is a bunch of shortsighted assholes and apparently doesn't give a crap about people's safety...) have no impact on the story at all while the ones who do are all awful and/or abusive.
2. I didn't appreciate that giving birth is portrayed as something 'gross' and unfit to confront anyone with. If battlefield gore is ok, so should be the gore, blood and pain that is childbirth, especially if there was a torture scene included earlier for no apparent reason since it's never discussed after. If there'd been even one decent woman in that group with any power and influence at all, things would probably have turned out very differently (much better) for everyone and there wouldn't be any need for further sequels...

CN: brief torture scene, death of loved ones in the past, abusive parenting, gaslighting (by the 'good' guys), brief mention of a baby's crown being visible during it's birth, awful communication

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is my first read with this author and I enjoyed the beginning of this new series!! I'm on this Vampire kick right now and I wasn't disappointed at all. On to the next in the series!!

[Earlene Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confusing?

This story left me more and more confused as the story proceeded wirh me trying to keep up😟? Hoping the next book will clear up the confusion from this book. There is suspense, mystery and fighting.

[C.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one puts Sandi in the corner! Lysander is a younger brother. At birth a prophesy predicted he would be a powerful mage. As he grew older, the magic, just did not manifest. His mother, Charlotte called him a Null. Sandi's older brother, Bryce spent his life standing as a shield between their Mother and Sandi. Charlotte knows her sons very well and enjoys the challenge of manipulating them. Roman, is the Prince of Vampires and over a thousand years old. He's been searching for his mate as long as he's been an adult and rejoices when he recognizes Xander, as his. Miscommunications lead to delays in getting acquainted. Both men drag some luggage tonnage, that serves as a block, guard to a smooth union. Will they be able to put their luggage down long enough to talk? Will they be able to bond? Will Charlotte approve of the union? Will the Council approve of the union? These are the coolest group of characters I have read in a long time!Sandi and Roman, go through some things. Their conflicts lead to some good writing. Well done! I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sara Sigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lysander lived away from his family as he had no magic and bullied about it. He went to the club Darkness to get his friend home he was drunk but Roman tried to keep him there. During the day he would draw regular faces and caricature for some money and gives it to charity and gives some to the homeless. Him and Roman talked so he knows that he is Roman’s bloodmate. His brother was to marry a girl and get her pregnant so Lysander had to reject Roman and told him why and found out that his mother wasn’t going to keep her word so he went back to Roman. When they bonded it caused a small earthquake and Lysander got his magic Bryan disowned their mother and she stayed a war then. Different book but was good!

[Suzanne Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a romance in this book between the vampire Roman and magic user Lysander but the overarching story is more prominent than the romance. Also for those that care about such things the bedroom scenes are not described in great detail. I will admit that it took me a while to get into the story in this book but I think a lot of it is that I have read so many paranormal books lately. In the end though I found this book quite different from a lot of what I have read because of the overall story about a corrupt supernatural council and the prophecy about Lysander. The story ended up being very interesting and I can’t wait to read the next book. Enjoy.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cynthia Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lysander is a mage with no magic. Roman is a vampire and when he sees Lysander he knows that he is his mate. By law, all must bond with their own kind. Roman won't let that stop him from bonded with his mate. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one.

[BusyM3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new author from and I liked this book. This is the first book in this series and I am looking forward to read more and seeing where this series will go. A good paranormal romance story. This is the story of fated mates and their journey to get their happy ending.

I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[L H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author and I was intrigued by this story of Lysander who was supposed to be a powerful magic user but his magic had not manifested and he was treated poorly by his people because of it and Roman the responsible vampire who realizes that they are meant to be together. This couple has to deal with crappy obstacles thrown at them by the family that is not there for Lysander to get to their together which brought with it the very things that Lysander lacked. Not just love and someone he could trust but his magic. Good first book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[SFBookReviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forbidden Bonds is a MM Paranormal Romance and features fated mates between different paranormal species. This is book 1 in the series and is a paranormal, adventure romance novel well worth the read. The characters are loveable and memorable with a good story. Overall a very well-written book and looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[John-Torleif Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I’m a little disappointed that ‘instinct’ took care of so many of the intricacies of an inter species mating, it felt like a cop out. Also, I’m not clear on how Charlotte is still able to influence anything. Her big bargaining chip was that she was connected to the Galways - which has now been irrevocably severed. Then it was her idea to gather forces against them, and yet, they failed miserably, and lost huge numbers of people willing to listen to her lies. And yet, she seems to think that she has prevailed merely by planning ahead for her plan’s failure. Obviously, she probably has some nasty Easter egg yet to happen, but she’s a failure, her grasp on reality, and most certainly, all her hopes for power are vanishing, and she’ll be lucky if her ‘allies’ allow her to survive to be killed by her sons.

[Cyrus · Rating 1 out of 5]

How this trash has 4 stars is beyond me. Apart from the terribly amateur writing style (was there no editor?!) the story is every fantasy cliche done poorly and so boringly predictable. The way the characters handled relationships was horrendous and the kicker at the end was the man reacting as though a birth is so gross and weird - was this seriously written by a woman?! And then there’s not even a resolution.

Honestly, no one should bother with this terrible book.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

“As I will it, so it shall be.” I really like that saying. There is a lot of power in them. Very intense story. A lot going on and happening. Between be trail, power hunger, deceit and all the other things. Excellent and powerful story. I enjoyed it very much. I received a complimentary review copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[llv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forbidden Bonds by Sheri Eleese

Rating: 3.5 stars
I thought this to be a good start to a new series. I really liked all the characters. I thought it to be a bit predictable in place, but overall an enjoyable read.

[Lee Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was intense!

There was so much going on in this book! Magic users, horrid mothers, vampires...wow! I’m really enjoying this wonderful book and can’t wait to read the next book in the series! Highly recommended

[Tanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing!

this book was so good. I loved the characters, but especially Lysander.he is kind, loving and snarky. The perfect character.

This book isn’t steamy, but it is loving.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the premise, but the writing seemed jumpy.

[Theresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 37%. Really poor fated mates relationship. Lysander was naive, childlike and TSTL. Roman was a sloppy coven master.

[Michelle ⚫▪️◾▪️ · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a mess.

[Xiomara Alexa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Vaya caca de libro. Ni siquiera tiene lo esencial, que el desarrollo de una relación romántica.

[Riayl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Page 128 out of 163 on my e-reader and I am done with this shit.

For a 1000+ year old vampire, Roman and his followers are all FAIL. EVERYONE in this book except the people Lysander has chosen to interact with (friends and neighbors, all the "normal" people), treats him like he is an idiot. But despite being from a magic clan he was taught NOTHING about their world and at the very least, his brother and mate know this. NO ONE explains anything to Lysander EVER until after the fact. Yet he is constantly getting treated like a child. Roman makes major decisions about Lysander's life without consulting him, but he DOES consult Lysander's older brother. So that makes it all okay. Roman is all "everyone MUST respect you, blah blah blah" while his assistant Edgar has, from day one, acted like spoiled fucking brat and then Roman is all "you should treat him better Lysander".

Everything ends up being Lysander's fault. Roman doesn't tell him not bonding will end up killing Roman? All Lysander's fault. Roman starts pulling away and not spending time with Lysander and Lysander feels something is off, maybe with their bond but he can't actually talk to Roman about because Roman has his guards/Edgar REFUSE Lysander admittance to his office. I don't care who the fuck you are, you don't profess to love someone and that they are first in everything and then not even have the common courtesy to talk to them. You don't DELEGATE that shit to your aide, especially not one who takes so much obvious joy in shoving his power in Lysander's face. Roman sets up rules about who can see and touch Lysander, without Lysander's knowledge or consent and then when Lysander's best friend almost gets killed for hugging him, LYSANDER is in the wrong for being mad about it.

Instead of manning up and apologizing for being an ass, the great and mighty ancient vampire pouts like a fucking baby, while EVERY OTHER FUCKING CHARACTER tells Lysander how he is in the wrong. Your actions? Wrong. Your words? Wrong. Your feelings? Wrong. There is so much absolute NO going on here, that I struggle to pull words out of the ragey mass of my brain.

But, but, poor ittle, wittle Roman's brother died because his mate's best friend killed her out of jealousy, so OBVIOUSLY that makes it okay to isolate and control Lsyander. I mean, gosh, telling him that and explaining the precautions is so fucking hard, right? Also, obviously, Lysander's going to have as shitty a choice in friends right? Lysander, statistically speaking, is more likely to be killed by Roman, or even his own brother, than his best friend. Just sayin'.

So now, everyone in the book has gaslit Lysander into believing it is all his fault and he is in the wrong and this is fucking sick shit and I am done. But I guess that is good because skimming through other reviews tells me that there is going to be even more fuckery in the last little bit.

This reads like a "How to Grope, Groom, and Gaslight your SO into an Abusive Relationship (and Make Them Believe it is Their Own Fault".

Sorry, but my capacity to ignore the grossness of this is nonexistent today.

edit: Also, was there NO ONE to catch the part where the guy quoted someone and made "asterisk fingers"? I mean really? FFS.

[AllAboutThoseBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled to enjoy it

There were a lot of high school emotions at play. I could deal with the evil she-devil mother, hungry for power, and sympathize with the sons who she controlled high their care for each other. However, the actions jumped constantly. The conversations lacked much adult sophistication. It jumped the shark far me when one character slapped another to snap him out of his mood. I skimmed to the end to find a reason to continue the series, but didn't find one. I may try the first in the spin off to see if the writing has developed further. I like the premises.

[MM Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Reforming The Paranormal Council series starting with The Forbidden Bonds is like the soap opera of paranormals and fantasy genre. I loved how hard Roman pursued Lysander, and how hard Lysander resisted. I didn't like how Lysander acted like spoiled and bratty child. Those scenes were tough to read and I couldn't wait to get that over with. My love for Lysander quickly turned to annoyance then to hatred. The battle at the end was worth the wait. Can't wait to read the next one.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Miriam]

Have you ever over shared? Like you're having a conversation and you say something without really considering it beforehand and then you hear how it sounds and you wonder why the hell you told the other person that particular thing? And you're left feeling a little vulnerable, a little cranky and a little perplexed?

This book feels like that.

Unhappy dialogue where virtual strangers share details about deep personal issues, make inappropriate declarative statements, let outsiders in on inside things and generally behave as if none of them have ever had a conversation before.

Dnf.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

always nice to find new writers which writes books I like to read, especially queer fantasy books.
This is the start of a series, so there is a finished story as an ongoing story.

Their mother is really evil with doing all here things. Thankfully Lysander has no Roman who is his mate and they are by each others side. Although they both have to learn to trust each other with secrets and feelings from their past before they mess everything up.

I really like it how Lysander is growing in this book and not only growing into his magic powers.

[Nina Diab · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by this author. The premise really intrigued me as I love vampires, m/m romance, and magic, so I had to read this one. I like the overall storyline, but at times got very frustrated when characters created problems for themselves by underestimating (won't say too much as not to give things away). I am not a fan of insta-love, and would have liked the main couple to have more bonding time to grow closer. I enjoyed the story. 4 stars.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to a new series! The author brings strong characters and weaves an interesting story line. It's a well written M/M paranormal story and I enjoyed reading. I'm looking forward to the next book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Kkhmonrai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable paranormal romance story with inter-species (prohibited) mating, failed (maybe) prophesies, a conniving mother, protective brother, vampire prince, and a disappointing mage. Entertaining action and adventure.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kasey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needs editing

This is a good story but it needs some refining. Some of the dialog would have been better ax inner monolog, it was cring a verbal dialog. Some of the sentences need grammatical edits. Overall it is a rough diamond that could use some pollishing.