Twice I’ve been kidnapped by the fae.

First were the monsters who ripped me from everything I knew and threw me in a cage.
Next came the men who rescued me and offered me a safe haven.

But my saviors and my former captors have something in common. A decades-old curse holds all the Seelie fae in its grasp, turning them into savage, mindless beasts with the rise of the full moon. Something in my blood cures that rage like nothing else they’ve found. To most of them, I’m nothing but a prize to be claimed.

The fiercely passionate men who’ve taken me in would give me my freedom, but the ones who first stole me will stop at nothing to drag me back into their prison. The already weakened pack that’s welcomed me may not survive a battle.

I didn’t expect to find love among the fae… but I can’t deny the feelings growing inside me. I didn’t mean to get mixed up in a war between them… but here I am. When my newfound lovers leap into the fray to protect me, I won’t let them fight alone.

No matter what it costs me.

I have the flu. It is a particularly horrific version of the virus. I haven’t had the flu in so long that I had forgotten what it felt like and had all these symptoms that just muddled me up and confused me. I’m writing this entire review via touch typing and with my eyes closed. Dizziness engulfs me and all other symptoms have lefts me bound to my bed. I was only able to start reading again yesterday before I had neither the concentration nor ability to keep my eyes steady.

This is the second book in the 9-book series ‘Bound to the Fae’ by Eva Chase and I have fallen hook line and sinker into this magical story. It is a reverse harem, it is both fantasy and magical, it does cover some trigger warnings, it does have a deliciously sinful plot and an equally compelling storyline.

I managed to get the whole series in book sets of 3 on Kindle, so I have been extra cautious to read 1 book at a time and review accordingly instead of getting caught up in the rush of reading.

At the end of book 1, Talia had only just started to peak through the broken shell and take the first steps into her new life. Realistically, her character should be dead. Book characters have unbelievable strength and reserve that us humans can only hope to emulate.

This book sees many changes, more than I’d expected but none that throw the book off kilter in any way. The book makes a showing of highlighting the important events but still retains a good flow without distraction or the risk of ‘moving too fast’.

Here, Talia moves on from those timid first steps and becomes a warrior in her own right. To see her grow and adapt to a happy environment brought me more joy than I had imagined. I was so ready to see her claim back her own independence and to realise what a woman she was.

There are many elements to Talia’s past treatment that are disgusting. The horrors she has lived through and the trauma she has endured I wouldn’t wish on anyone, fiction or otherwise. To remember how the reader was introduced to her in book one and match it with the character she is in book two shows great accomplishment on her part. She is learning to thrive rather than survive and it’s a beautiful mix of fear and innocence that drives her forward.

Having not read any Eva Chase books before I started this series, I was unaccustomed with what her writing style would be like. Having waded through a significant number of reverse harems, I now know what I looked forward to versus what will drive me away. Regardless of the genre I read, a good plot, story development and character development are what I crave while reading.

Chase has the ability to draw me into the heart racing aspect of the story while at the same time making me feel like I’m winding down a lazy river. It feels like the perfect balance between adrenaline moments and plot descriptions. It flows like molten lava.

In this book we get an equal amount of point of view chapters from Talia, Sylas, August, and Whitt. I have a much better understanding of the character’s individualities and drives from these chapters, and it helps me to see the cogs between the quartet and how valued they are as a team and as individuals.

This book shaped not just the growing relationships between Talia and Sylas, August, and Whitt but also the growing conflict between the fae and the unseelie and the uncertainty around Talia’s abilities. While answers were given in this book, it is clear that there is far more to discover as the series continues. I feel like I’ve only glimpsed the depths to which the plot will take me on this journey.

I noticed it more in this book, but Chase has a talent for neatly wrapping up the end of the story while also simultaneously inserting a little cliffhanger. At least, that’s how I felt at the end of this read. However, it’s not a cliffhanger that makes you intently want to devote all time to reading but it is more of a cliffhanger that captures your heart and demands a certain headspace before reading on. It’s hard to put into words, I might be alone in thinking this.

The reverse harem aspect of the book is hot, it increases in ‘screen time’ if you will but it is still heavily tied to the main plot.

Reading this book is honestly one of the only things that has kept me sane while suffering from this flu and I see a lot of promise in this series. I can’t wait to continue reading.

I give this book: ✨✨✨✨✨