Jai M {Cat Crazy Dragon }'s Reviews > Bonds of Cupidity

So close to either DNFing, or giving this a much lower rating.
Funnily, read another review that said the same. They also agreed that it was only saved by a change much later in the book, around chapter 37.

Before:
It’s slow. It’s random. It’s shallow.
We get moments of action, followed by the FMC being ditsy, clumsy (despite so much training in the previous book?).
The ditz humour could have worked, if balanced with more solid personality aspects.
But we didn’t get that.. Instead she would cry, go on about her feelings, then put it all aside and indulge herself. Alcohol, food, dancing, you name it. Out of sight, out of mind.
It really put me off her.

The MMC’s were always ‘doing’, action, sexy. But we never really learned about them… Their likes, dislikes…we know all of hers, but so little of any of theirs.

So much went wrong at one point, it was depressing. I need my angst and suspense balanced with moments of hope, strength, not silliness and avoidance.

Further, we are given no reason for the FMC’s desire for the A-hole MMC.
I really got annoyed with the FMC going on about how he shot her wing with an arrow (book 1), but never mentions the torture when he tied her to the tree…?
The arrow, while horrifying, made some sense. She was an unknown, at a distance, and previous circumstances had always led them to expect the worst.

Once she ‘arrived’ [fell] however, it was certainly obvious it was something else.
So now, the torture of her wing, leaving her tied for hours, injured, cold, alone…this is the part he really needs to answer for. (He never does).

But then in part he does answer for he behaviour in general (just never specifics).
He grovels, he offers explanations, but not excuses.. she realistically hesitates … but then gives in all too quickly … it’s the style-trope-formula 😒

But at least, he’s more than an A-hole now.

The action improves, the humour steps up a little, and we get a bit more detail..

So, I’m back to wanting to know where we’re going, and hoping we will return to the quality of Book 1…? 🧐🫣🤔

Edit: the inclusion of a new MMC.
I liked his sweetness and kindness to her. Was refreshing after the others, but ended up going too far in the opposite direction.
Like the moments when the others would go too far being dicks, the new guy went too far being a doormat. Existing solely for her, while she existed.. well… solely for her 🥱
Plus he was so shallowly, blandly, and superficially described-introduced…you just couldn’t feel for him, or believe in his story.
You wanna do Insta-lust-love, you need to explain it in more than 2 sentences.
He could have been a really nice balance, especially since the other ‘nice’ guy, acquiesced to the A-hole.
This one ‘saw’ her, paid attention to her pain, her fears, her needs.
Yeeeaaah, but then he ended up just basically allowing her to walk all over him and his needs, and never giving a reason why he would do this…
She constantly put the first 3 above him, despite that they did not treat her so well (though 1 of them had a way more believable relationship with her).

Do I recommend this? I don’t know, depends on the next book…