Bound to You by Alyssa Brandon

Title: Bound to You
Author: Alyssa Brandon
Release Date: April 10, 2018
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Pages: 304
Source: Bought
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Overall: 4 STARS

SUMMARY 

A stubborn teen faces off with her brooding, indifferent (but super hot) soulmate in this unique and sexy take on a classic paranormal romance story.

She's met her mate . . . and he's met his match.

Megan Ross has been waiting her whole life for her mate to come and sweep her off her feet. But the wolf she meets on the beach is NOT the sweet gentle boy she's been dreaming of. Instead, he's a warrior, one whose suffering has led him to lock his heart away in a prison as cold and hard as a diamond, who fights to resist the bond and their deep attraction.

Far from home, with a soulmate who is still a stranger, Megan learns that the path to true love isn't quite as straight and easy as she thought . . .

Chosen by readers like you for Macmillan's young adult imprint Swoon Reads, Alyssa Brandon’s debut novel Bound to You is guaranteed to make readers swoon, sigh, and maybe even cry before it's over. 

MY THOUGHTS 
It feels like it's been forever since I last read a YA paranormal book! Adult, yes... Karen Marie Moning's High Voltage and Ella Summers's Psychic Spell recently come to mind... But YA? Sadly, no. Fantasy is such a popular genre right now, which I also love, but sometimes a girl just really wants a story with a hot vampire, werewolf or faerie. So when I heard about Swoon Reads publishing Alyssa Brandon's YA debut Bound to You, I immediately added it to my TBR!  

"She's met her mate... And he's met his match."

I can be really terrible at remembering names, yet I've somehow memorized this enticing tagline. Right away, it tells me to expect a romance that will not come easily. And I love this cover! The red ribbon weaving through her fingers and the moons in the title. Bound to You isn't trying to be subtle—it screams paranormal romance! Megan might be happy to finally find her mate, but James definitely doesn't return the sentiment... I was eager to watch this unlikely pair open up to each other and fall in love. And okay, I also really had to know if this book was going to turn up the heat!

Megan was so hopeful and earnest in finding love. All she's ever dreamed about is finding her mate and bonding with him, having a protector that would always cherish her. I liked that she acknowledged it wasn't necessarily a modern idea, to put her college aspirations on hold and move to another country, all for the possibility of being with James and joining his pack. I completely empathized with her reasoning, of wanting attention and to feel noticed when her parent's priorities always seemed to be on her younger sisters or leading their large pack.

James, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the mating bond. He was cynical and so cold to Megan, and a piece of my heart broke for her every time he rejected or ignored her good intentions. Bound to You is no insta-romance. Magic might help werewolves find their destined mate, but forming a relationship and building trust and love is all up to the individuals. If the book had only been from Megan's perspective, I would have been like, "Girl, you deserve someone better!" But we did get James's POV, so it gave us some understanding into why he was ignoring his wolf instincts and treating Megan poorly. I just wished the book delved even deeper into his traumatic past.

Alyssa Brandon's Bound to You was everything I'd hoped it would be! The wraiths added some danger and thrills to the story, but the central focus is definitely the romance and rooting for Megan and James to get their happily every after. I'm really hoping there will be a sequel! Not just because I want more new and fresh YA paranormal books to read, but also to get a greater glimpse into this world of werewolves, witches and wraiths that we've only scratched the surface upon.