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Fire on Ice #1
Bound
The tie that binds them together may tear them apart...
College senior Kate Camden has learned to adapt - to her last year of school, to the promise of motherhood, to the fact that she's doing it all alone. But just when she's learned to adjust, heartache threatens to break her apart.
Pro hockey player Jason "Ryke" Ryker has it all: adoring fans, a promising career, and a beautiful wife. But when his seemingly perfect life is shaken by tragedy, he's left questioning whether having it all is ever more than an illusion.
When circumstance brings Kate and Ryke together, they discover they don't have to hurt alone. Bound by a grief that haunts them both, they must rely on one another to survive heartbreak. But that grief is more powerful than they realize, and the tie that binds them together may ultimately tear them apart.
College senior Kate Camden has learned to adapt - to her last year of school, to the promise of motherhood, to the fact that she's doing it all alone. But just when she's learned to adjust, heartache threatens to break her apart.
Pro hockey player Jason "Ryke" Ryker has it all: adoring fans, a promising career, and a beautiful wife. But when his seemingly perfect life is shaken by tragedy, he's left questioning whether having it all is ever more than an illusion.
When circumstance brings Kate and Ryke together, they discover they don't have to hurt alone. Bound by a grief that haunts them both, they must rely on one another to survive heartbreak. But that grief is more powerful than they realize, and the tie that binds them together may ultimately tear them apart.
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 13, 2013
919 people are currently reading
6,569 people want to read
About the author
Brenda Rothert
82books2,218followersBrenda Rothert is the author of more than thirty Contemporary Romance novels. You can learn more about her books at her website, , which features teasers, excerpts and trailers for her books. Follow her here:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 699 reviews
September 9, 2016
FOUR BOUND STARS.
I think it's fairly obvious by now that I can't possibly resist a story of love. What you may not know is that a sports themed romance really gets me excited. Combine love, Brenda Rothert's writing talent, some heart ache and a Ice hockey professional and you are left with a story that is soul searching, heart melting and sexy-steamy all in one gorgeous book. From the cover to the ending this short, moving story won me over. Here are my 'bound' book thoughts ...
What's it all about?
In her last days as a college student Kate Camden will spend them battling against some of the darkest days of her young life. Life is proving to be difficult for this blonde beauty and she's doing all she can to keep her head above the water. Ice hockey star and model Jason Ryker is living his dream, from the outside this handsome sportsman seemingly has it all, but inside he's a man fighting demons from his past. When life brings Kate and Jason together their brokenness may just be the thread that draws them close, but with broken hearts and a past that hasn't been easy, Kate and Jason find themselves battling to find a way to overcome obstacles that stand in the way of their love.
What did I love?
Even though this book was on the short side it definitely left a dramatic impression. When they say 'all good things come in small packages' they must have been thinking about this loveable, touching novel. The author created an intimate atmosphere as she developed Kate and Ryke's relationship. I was so transfixed by the story that I forgot that I was reading about fictional characters, I loved the anticipation that was built up from the start and I instantly felt connected to where these characters would end up. There wasn't a moment that I felt distracted or uninterested, the author held my attention in every scene. The book started out with some surprise difficulties that instantly grabbed my attention and from that point the author continued to pull at my heart strings. From beginning to end I felt emotionally invested with both the characters. Kate and Ryke were both adorable, individually I loved their point of views and as a couple I was cheering for them from the beginning. The attraction between them was relatable and the slow burn style build up made the book into an addictive page turner. The intimate moments between the couple were both sensual and sexy and there was definitely enough steamy moments to keep most lovers of heart melting scenes happy. Overall there wasn't much that I didn't adore about this story of love. I cried, laughed and fell in love right alongside these characters and I'm ready to know more ...
Why not five?
Firstly I'd like to say that this book was a winner in my eyes and it deserves every one of the respectable four star rating that I gave it. For me there was not much between this book getting the full five stars however, I would have liked for the story to be longer, I wanted to learn more about Ryke and Kate and their developing relationship. I needed more of a prolonged conclusion to the story, I loved the building up of the relationship and anticipation of the couple finding true love, but I would have liked the author to have spent more time giving the reader a more detailed happily for now ending. Thankfully this book is a part of a series so I'll get my second look into the lives of these characters at a later date. All in all this book both touched and enchanted me, I would recommend this promising start to the series to other readers and I'm interested in reading more by this author.
Final thoughts ...
Sweet, sexy, weepy, touching and thought provoking. This author has created a story that is full of heart and soul and I'm one to happy reader to have been given the book to review. This will be a series to look out for and i'm happily adding this author to my 'look out for future releases' list. Don't delay go grab it readers, enjoy ... kisses.
*Guest reviewer for Dirty girl romance book blog, ARC generously provided by author in exchange for an honest review.*
I think it's fairly obvious by now that I can't possibly resist a story of love. What you may not know is that a sports themed romance really gets me excited. Combine love, Brenda Rothert's writing talent, some heart ache and a Ice hockey professional and you are left with a story that is soul searching, heart melting and sexy-steamy all in one gorgeous book. From the cover to the ending this short, moving story won me over. Here are my 'bound' book thoughts ...
What's it all about?
In her last days as a college student Kate Camden will spend them battling against some of the darkest days of her young life. Life is proving to be difficult for this blonde beauty and she's doing all she can to keep her head above the water. Ice hockey star and model Jason Ryker is living his dream, from the outside this handsome sportsman seemingly has it all, but inside he's a man fighting demons from his past. When life brings Kate and Jason together their brokenness may just be the thread that draws them close, but with broken hearts and a past that hasn't been easy, Kate and Jason find themselves battling to find a way to overcome obstacles that stand in the way of their love.
What did I love?
Even though this book was on the short side it definitely left a dramatic impression. When they say 'all good things come in small packages' they must have been thinking about this loveable, touching novel. The author created an intimate atmosphere as she developed Kate and Ryke's relationship. I was so transfixed by the story that I forgot that I was reading about fictional characters, I loved the anticipation that was built up from the start and I instantly felt connected to where these characters would end up. There wasn't a moment that I felt distracted or uninterested, the author held my attention in every scene. The book started out with some surprise difficulties that instantly grabbed my attention and from that point the author continued to pull at my heart strings. From beginning to end I felt emotionally invested with both the characters. Kate and Ryke were both adorable, individually I loved their point of views and as a couple I was cheering for them from the beginning. The attraction between them was relatable and the slow burn style build up made the book into an addictive page turner. The intimate moments between the couple were both sensual and sexy and there was definitely enough steamy moments to keep most lovers of heart melting scenes happy. Overall there wasn't much that I didn't adore about this story of love. I cried, laughed and fell in love right alongside these characters and I'm ready to know more ...
Why not five?
Firstly I'd like to say that this book was a winner in my eyes and it deserves every one of the respectable four star rating that I gave it. For me there was not much between this book getting the full five stars however, I would have liked for the story to be longer, I wanted to learn more about Ryke and Kate and their developing relationship. I needed more of a prolonged conclusion to the story, I loved the building up of the relationship and anticipation of the couple finding true love, but I would have liked the author to have spent more time giving the reader a more detailed happily for now ending. Thankfully this book is a part of a series so I'll get my second look into the lives of these characters at a later date. All in all this book both touched and enchanted me, I would recommend this promising start to the series to other readers and I'm interested in reading more by this author.
Final thoughts ...
Sweet, sexy, weepy, touching and thought provoking. This author has created a story that is full of heart and soul and I'm one to happy reader to have been given the book to review. This will be a series to look out for and i'm happily adding this author to my 'look out for future releases' list. Don't delay go grab it readers, enjoy ... kisses.
*Guest reviewer for Dirty girl romance book blog, ARC generously provided by author in exchange for an honest review.*
May 27, 2017
3.5 stars!
I enjoyed the audio version of this one. I hope to find the time to continue on with the series, because while this wasn't a cliffhanger by any means- It felt really unresolved to me.
I enjoyed the audio version of this one. I hope to find the time to continue on with the series, because while this wasn't a cliffhanger by any means- It felt really unresolved to me.
December 17, 2014
FREE TODAY 12-17-14 on Amazon
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SPOILER FREE REVIEW -mature content reader discretion is advised.
4 STARS out of 5
Genre: New Adult Romance
Bound gets a strong 4 STAR rating from me. Can you believe that I was not supposed to read this book? The synopsis drew me in which is rare because most days that does not happen so I caved and read it and I am very very happy that I did!
Review
Learning she was going to be a mother her senior year of college was not part of the plan for Kate, but life has a way of throwing curveballs at you. And that is exactly what happens to 22 year old Kate Camden when she learns she is pregnant. Knowing she will have to do this as a single parent does not deter her and she moves forward with the help of her mother. However when life dishes out a devastating blow coping with the pain seems�unbearable.
Kate crosses paths with Jason ‘Ryke� Ryker a professional NHL player at a bereavement group. Ryke notices Kate immediately and is drawn to her instantly wanting to reach out and comfort her.
‘I wished for words to soothe her, but I didn’t have any.�
He feels her pain and understands what it means to experience a loss that makes you feel like your world has come crashing down at your feet.
When Kate mentions that she is need of a job Ryke offers her one which she declines..at first. Becoming the personal assistant to Ryke has her now in a one on one exchange with him day in and day out. There is no way Kate can ignore the fact that Ryke is gorgeous and for the first time in a year she is attracted to a man. But she does because she needs this job not a new relationship.
A friendship quickly takes root as they tip toe around the obvious. Something everyone can see but them. Ok well maybe they do see it. No, let me rephrase that; they more so feel it.
The attraction may be hard for either of them to deny but how can they be what the other needs when pain still resides inside both of them.
My Thoughts
I love when a book is not even on my radar yet I somehow come across it, read it and thoroughly enjoy it. That unfortunately does not happen often for me so this was definitely a pleasant surprise!
Rothert did not shy away from tragedy, death and how it affects people. How can one move on from a life altering tragedy? Is handling it all alone the best way to try and deal with it? Is opening up to a room full of people who share a loss like you easier to do? Can you ever find happiness again? All of this is explored in Bound.
Writing wise the author was careful as to not allow death to take over the story completely. You will get a ton of angst and some good laugh out loud moments.
My Rating and Why
I gave Bound 4 STARS because I felt the story kept my rapt attention allowing me to finish within a day. On top of that readers get dual pov's which is key for me. Love LOVE getting inside the male head. I also like how the author kept the characters true to life by not having them jump at the insta-lust they felt. Instead there was a slow build along with a getting to know you period to their friend/relationship.
Readers are given a competent heroine who knows she is not ready to jump in to a sexual relationship even if it’s a romp to satisfy a lustful craving. I consider that refreshing now days.
My Ratings
Characters- Sweet and lovable
Writing Style- Sincere, Favorable with touching moments
Plot/Storyline- How to cope with loss, and how to let love back in
Steam Factor- Medium/Moderately Steamy on a scale of 1-10 I say 6
Overall- I enjoyed it and I definitely recommend it to romance lovers!!
Now go forth and read. Then come tell us about it on ŷ!
For more reviews got to:
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U.S. Buy Link:
SPOILER FREE REVIEW -mature content reader discretion is advised.
4 STARS out of 5
Genre: New Adult Romance
Bound gets a strong 4 STAR rating from me. Can you believe that I was not supposed to read this book? The synopsis drew me in which is rare because most days that does not happen so I caved and read it and I am very very happy that I did!
Review
Learning she was going to be a mother her senior year of college was not part of the plan for Kate, but life has a way of throwing curveballs at you. And that is exactly what happens to 22 year old Kate Camden when she learns she is pregnant. Knowing she will have to do this as a single parent does not deter her and she moves forward with the help of her mother. However when life dishes out a devastating blow coping with the pain seems�unbearable.
Kate crosses paths with Jason ‘Ryke� Ryker a professional NHL player at a bereavement group. Ryke notices Kate immediately and is drawn to her instantly wanting to reach out and comfort her.
‘I wished for words to soothe her, but I didn’t have any.�
He feels her pain and understands what it means to experience a loss that makes you feel like your world has come crashing down at your feet.
When Kate mentions that she is need of a job Ryke offers her one which she declines..at first. Becoming the personal assistant to Ryke has her now in a one on one exchange with him day in and day out. There is no way Kate can ignore the fact that Ryke is gorgeous and for the first time in a year she is attracted to a man. But she does because she needs this job not a new relationship.
A friendship quickly takes root as they tip toe around the obvious. Something everyone can see but them. Ok well maybe they do see it. No, let me rephrase that; they more so feel it.
The attraction may be hard for either of them to deny but how can they be what the other needs when pain still resides inside both of them.
My Thoughts
I love when a book is not even on my radar yet I somehow come across it, read it and thoroughly enjoy it. That unfortunately does not happen often for me so this was definitely a pleasant surprise!
Rothert did not shy away from tragedy, death and how it affects people. How can one move on from a life altering tragedy? Is handling it all alone the best way to try and deal with it? Is opening up to a room full of people who share a loss like you easier to do? Can you ever find happiness again? All of this is explored in Bound.
Writing wise the author was careful as to not allow death to take over the story completely. You will get a ton of angst and some good laugh out loud moments.
My Rating and Why
I gave Bound 4 STARS because I felt the story kept my rapt attention allowing me to finish within a day. On top of that readers get dual pov's which is key for me. Love LOVE getting inside the male head. I also like how the author kept the characters true to life by not having them jump at the insta-lust they felt. Instead there was a slow build along with a getting to know you period to their friend/relationship.
Readers are given a competent heroine who knows she is not ready to jump in to a sexual relationship even if it’s a romp to satisfy a lustful craving. I consider that refreshing now days.
My Ratings
Characters- Sweet and lovable
Writing Style- Sincere, Favorable with touching moments
Plot/Storyline- How to cope with loss, and how to let love back in
Steam Factor- Medium/Moderately Steamy on a scale of 1-10 I say 6
Overall- I enjoyed it and I definitely recommend it to romance lovers!!
Now go forth and read. Then come tell us about it on ŷ!
For more reviews got to:
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December 18, 2015
Spoilers... Do not read if you don't want to see spoilers..
Ok I loved so much of this book up till 63%
I was at 4 stars.
See I learned quickly that Ryker was not totally grieving his wife.. They were about to break up and he felt so bad that her life ended while they were struggling so bad. He loved her but he mentioned a lot that what he felt for Kate he'd never felt before. They had fun together and it was sweet. The sexual tension started to really get to be too much. They shared some sexy talk and kisses.. Then it's really starting to get good and they go camping with Kates friends.
Ok they have a drinking or kissing game. Ryker kisses all of or rather they kiss him.. All of her friends. With tongue and for a certain amount of time.
Then Kate kisses at least one guy.
What bugged me is that they could have said no. Also Kate was extremely upset and I was disgusted that one of the women was married. If you are ok with your husband kissing with tongue someone else go tell him to do it right now and just skip my review. I believe flat out that kissing someone else is cheating.
Her friend made me sick too by saying later that the kiss was hotter than sex with her husband.
Now I get mad reading reviews about safety issues when it's taken out of context. I will defend some of this by saying that I fully believe Ryker didn't want to kiss them but Kate asked him to play and she wasn't even that bothered about him kissing them until he didn't kiss her.
I also want to say it absolutely meant nothing to either of them. I am more mad about the married chick. Ok rant on kissing over.
The other things that dropped the rating was that when layer it seemed like they should be getting closer.. Still no sex by the way up till 80%
Kate was content doing her own thing and Ryker was really trying to spend time with her. See I know the author was trying to show the difference between Kate and Maggie but it came off forced. Then one page of the sex they built up to and bam.. Over.
Then something happens that scares Ryker and he tells her he loves her then oh one day we are getting married. The ending was way too rushed.
What's telling about this author's talent is that like a train wreck I couldn't look away. I needed to finish and I liked a whole lot of it. I really think Ryker was so patient and he deserved a freaking medal for Kate going hot cold.
Safety
The kissing was the only thing that really made it safe with exceptions.
But there was a lot of other women coming on to him. He would ignore them but not really in a way that worked for me. He could have walked away
Also his text messages from girls he banged named by the state he was in.
See I don't even care he was a manwhore. I care that his wife was dead six months and he started screwing puck groupies right after.
He didn't do anything with anyone after meeting Kate.
He was absolutely faithful even when they weren't together and while he was on the road he'd go straight to call her.
I honestly loved enough of this book to read more from this author. She's a great story teller but I hope she doesn't have all of this drama in her other stories.
If the kiss hadn't have happened.. I'd have rated this 4 stars.
Ok I loved so much of this book up till 63%
I was at 4 stars.
See I learned quickly that Ryker was not totally grieving his wife.. They were about to break up and he felt so bad that her life ended while they were struggling so bad. He loved her but he mentioned a lot that what he felt for Kate he'd never felt before. They had fun together and it was sweet. The sexual tension started to really get to be too much. They shared some sexy talk and kisses.. Then it's really starting to get good and they go camping with Kates friends.
Ok they have a drinking or kissing game. Ryker kisses all of or rather they kiss him.. All of her friends. With tongue and for a certain amount of time.
Then Kate kisses at least one guy.
What bugged me is that they could have said no. Also Kate was extremely upset and I was disgusted that one of the women was married. If you are ok with your husband kissing with tongue someone else go tell him to do it right now and just skip my review. I believe flat out that kissing someone else is cheating.
Her friend made me sick too by saying later that the kiss was hotter than sex with her husband.
Now I get mad reading reviews about safety issues when it's taken out of context. I will defend some of this by saying that I fully believe Ryker didn't want to kiss them but Kate asked him to play and she wasn't even that bothered about him kissing them until he didn't kiss her.
I also want to say it absolutely meant nothing to either of them. I am more mad about the married chick. Ok rant on kissing over.
The other things that dropped the rating was that when layer it seemed like they should be getting closer.. Still no sex by the way up till 80%
Kate was content doing her own thing and Ryker was really trying to spend time with her. See I know the author was trying to show the difference between Kate and Maggie but it came off forced. Then one page of the sex they built up to and bam.. Over.
Then something happens that scares Ryker and he tells her he loves her then oh one day we are getting married. The ending was way too rushed.
What's telling about this author's talent is that like a train wreck I couldn't look away. I needed to finish and I liked a whole lot of it. I really think Ryker was so patient and he deserved a freaking medal for Kate going hot cold.
Safety
The kissing was the only thing that really made it safe with exceptions.
But there was a lot of other women coming on to him. He would ignore them but not really in a way that worked for me. He could have walked away
Also his text messages from girls he banged named by the state he was in.
See I don't even care he was a manwhore. I care that his wife was dead six months and he started screwing puck groupies right after.
He didn't do anything with anyone after meeting Kate.
He was absolutely faithful even when they weren't together and while he was on the road he'd go straight to call her.
I honestly loved enough of this book to read more from this author. She's a great story teller but I hope she doesn't have all of this drama in her other stories.
If the kiss hadn't have happened.. I'd have rated this 4 stars.
Want to read
November 2, 2016FREE on Amazon US today (11/2/2016)
Book 1 in series. Their story concludes in book 2.
BLURB:
College senior Kate Camden has learned to adapt - to her last year of school, to the promise of motherhood, to the fact that she’s doing it all alone. But just when she’s learned to adjust, heartache threatens to break her apart.
Pro hockey player Jason “Ryke� Ryker has it all: adoring fans, a promising career, and a beautiful wife. But when his seemingly perfect life is shaken by tragedy, he’s left questioning whether having it all is ever more than an illusion.
When circumstance brings Kate and Ryke together, they discover they don’t have to hurt alone. Bound by a grief that haunts them both, they must rely on one another to survive heartbreak. But that grief is more powerful than they realize, and the tie that binds them together may ultimately tear them apart.
FREE:
FREEBIES are often good for MORE than one day. I have gathered all my FREEBIES on a special shelf: Kindle-freebies (currently over 600 books)
/review/list...
December 4, 2013
ARC provided by the author in exchange for honest review
***4.5 Heartfelt Stars***
Bound by Brenda Rothert can be summed up with these words: Loss, Grief, Sadness, Heartache, Depression, Coping, Moving On, Second Chances, Romance, Laughter, Friendship, Happiness, Closure, and Life. Bound is a story that united two individuals who were bound together with the same pain: LOSS of a loved one. When is it okay to finally move on? Is it right to move on? Why is our sadness and loss sometimes associated with guilt? Do second chances really exists? This is a story that reminds us that there is no right or wrong way to grieve, there are healthy ways to cope with the pain that, in time, can renew you and permit you to move on.
Kate Camden is a 22 year college senior when she becomes unexpectedly pregnant by her boyfriend, Quinn. The boyfriend is overwhelmed by the sudden responsibility and breaks it off with Kate leaving her to accept the fact that she will have to be a single mother. Just 17 weeks into her pregnancy, Kate finally accepts the fact that she’s going to be a mom and is looking forward to her baby. At her sonogram check up, Kate is informed devastating news: her baby doesn't have a heartbeat. She is completely destroyed and left broken by this. She is left numb, depressed, and closed off. The once upbeat and lively Kate is shut off from the world.
Jason “Ryke� Ryker is a 27 year old professional NHL star hockey player. He is one of the rising stars in the NHL and a hotshot model endorser of an underwear ad. His career is on the fast track but behind the success is a man who is left a widow at such a young age. His wife was tragically taken away from him by a drunk driver. The perfect life of Ryke is shattered and his world is turned upside down.
When Kate finally decides that she needs to get help for her depression, she meets Ryke at a bereavement support group. Ryke is drawn to Kate. He sees something in her and so he decides to reach out to her. Seeking a way to spend more time with Kate, Ryke hires her as his personal assistant. From then on, friendship blooms. They begin to lean on each other for support. The attraction and chemistry between Ryke and Kate are palpable. As much as they are attracted to each other, Kate is hesitant to move on. She doesn't feel worthy to be loved and cared for. She feels Ryke is too good for her.
As much as you want to shake Kate and tell her that she has a good thing in front of her, I understand where she is coming from. Loss of a loved one is something that can never be forgotten. It takes times and closure. The budding romance of Ryke and Kate felt real and not rushed. As much as you want them together as couple, I enjoyed the pace they went. Ryke didn't pushed Kate to move on. He understood that Kate needed to get to that place where she can be at peace with herself. I admired Ryke for his sweetness, gentleness, patience and loved for Kate.
Bound is one of those stories that I personally can relate to having experienced a sudden loss of my mother last year. Loss and grief can take a toll on a person. Losing a loved one is never easy and sometimes it might take days, months, and years to fully cope and move on. Reading this book brought back lots of memories for me since I experienced what Ryke and Kate went through losing a loved one. Personally for me, I felt both Ryke and Kate’s pain, fears, heartaches and loss. My heart ached for them whenever memories and flashbacks would remind them of the past and the what if’s of the future. Bound was more than a romance book, it was a story of coping, moving on and second chances. Second chances not only in love but at LIFE. Ryke and Kate’s story was about survival and two individuals who were able to claw out of the darkness and find the light and peace they both deserved.
Ms. Brenda Rothert did a fabulous job in this stand-alone book. She was able to incorporate sadness, loss, grief, humor, sexiness, and romance all in this book. This is a third book that I have read from Ms. Rothert and her books have never failed me. She makes her readers FEEL and those are the books I tend to gravitate towards to. I really enjoyed this book so I recommend everyone to go read this book.
***4.5 Heartfelt Stars***
Bound by Brenda Rothert can be summed up with these words: Loss, Grief, Sadness, Heartache, Depression, Coping, Moving On, Second Chances, Romance, Laughter, Friendship, Happiness, Closure, and Life. Bound is a story that united two individuals who were bound together with the same pain: LOSS of a loved one. When is it okay to finally move on? Is it right to move on? Why is our sadness and loss sometimes associated with guilt? Do second chances really exists? This is a story that reminds us that there is no right or wrong way to grieve, there are healthy ways to cope with the pain that, in time, can renew you and permit you to move on.
Kate Camden is a 22 year college senior when she becomes unexpectedly pregnant by her boyfriend, Quinn. The boyfriend is overwhelmed by the sudden responsibility and breaks it off with Kate leaving her to accept the fact that she will have to be a single mother. Just 17 weeks into her pregnancy, Kate finally accepts the fact that she’s going to be a mom and is looking forward to her baby. At her sonogram check up, Kate is informed devastating news: her baby doesn't have a heartbeat. She is completely destroyed and left broken by this. She is left numb, depressed, and closed off. The once upbeat and lively Kate is shut off from the world.
Jason “Ryke� Ryker is a 27 year old professional NHL star hockey player. He is one of the rising stars in the NHL and a hotshot model endorser of an underwear ad. His career is on the fast track but behind the success is a man who is left a widow at such a young age. His wife was tragically taken away from him by a drunk driver. The perfect life of Ryke is shattered and his world is turned upside down.
When Kate finally decides that she needs to get help for her depression, she meets Ryke at a bereavement support group. Ryke is drawn to Kate. He sees something in her and so he decides to reach out to her. Seeking a way to spend more time with Kate, Ryke hires her as his personal assistant. From then on, friendship blooms. They begin to lean on each other for support. The attraction and chemistry between Ryke and Kate are palpable. As much as they are attracted to each other, Kate is hesitant to move on. She doesn't feel worthy to be loved and cared for. She feels Ryke is too good for her.
As much as you want to shake Kate and tell her that she has a good thing in front of her, I understand where she is coming from. Loss of a loved one is something that can never be forgotten. It takes times and closure. The budding romance of Ryke and Kate felt real and not rushed. As much as you want them together as couple, I enjoyed the pace they went. Ryke didn't pushed Kate to move on. He understood that Kate needed to get to that place where she can be at peace with herself. I admired Ryke for his sweetness, gentleness, patience and loved for Kate.
Bound is one of those stories that I personally can relate to having experienced a sudden loss of my mother last year. Loss and grief can take a toll on a person. Losing a loved one is never easy and sometimes it might take days, months, and years to fully cope and move on. Reading this book brought back lots of memories for me since I experienced what Ryke and Kate went through losing a loved one. Personally for me, I felt both Ryke and Kate’s pain, fears, heartaches and loss. My heart ached for them whenever memories and flashbacks would remind them of the past and the what if’s of the future. Bound was more than a romance book, it was a story of coping, moving on and second chances. Second chances not only in love but at LIFE. Ryke and Kate’s story was about survival and two individuals who were able to claw out of the darkness and find the light and peace they both deserved.
Ms. Brenda Rothert did a fabulous job in this stand-alone book. She was able to incorporate sadness, loss, grief, humor, sexiness, and romance all in this book. This is a third book that I have read from Ms. Rothert and her books have never failed me. She makes her readers FEEL and those are the books I tend to gravitate towards to. I really enjoyed this book so I recommend everyone to go read this book.
May 8, 2024
Finding love after grief and loss!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙❤️💚
Steam: 🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘
World building: 🌏🌍
Character development: 😊😅🤨
Narration: 🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
The Hero: Jason Ryker - he is an NHL hockey player who lost his wife Maggie two years ago. Since then, he hasn’t dated, though he isn’t celibate. He attends a bereavement support group which has helped him quite a bit. His relationship with his wife wasn’t perfect, though many thought she must have been the love of his life, he knew she wasn’t and that caused a lot of guilt.
The heroine: Kate Camden - she was a senior in college when she found out she was pregnant. The father wanted nothing to do with her or the baby when he found out. Her mother went to her doctors' appointments with her and while at one of her appointments, they found the baby had no heartbeat. She had to deliver the baby and soon after had to get back to her classes. She never had time to grieve properly and after graduation, she decided to go to a grief support group.
The Story: Ryke and Kate meet at the support group, and he was interested in the beautiful but sad woman from the start. When he finds out she is looking for a job, he offers her a job as his personal assistant. He looks forward to seeing her every day, until one day she does something similar to what his wife did for him. He is a bit troubled after that, but they keep working together.
I usually don’t read books like this where people are suffering a loss, because they are a bit depressing, and this one was all that. I picked it at random out of my audiobook library, so I listened to it all. I did like the characters quite a bit though it definitely isn’t a book I would read again. There were quite a few flashbacks both to when Ryke was married and when Kate lost her baby. I wasn’t fond of those, but they did provide some insight. Of course, the book did get better as it went along, it just isn’t really my cup of tea.
This audiobook was told in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Chris Ruen and Kristen Leigh. I am not really a fan of either of these narrators, they both sound like they are reading rather than speaking naturally. Chris’s voice isn’t as deep as I usually like for a Hero, but it is gravelly which is nice. Kristen’s voice is soft which does match Kate and she is good sounding sad and depressed.
|ŷ||||
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙❤️💚
Steam: 🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘
World building: 🌏🌍
Character development: 😊😅🤨
Narration: 🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
The Hero: Jason Ryker - he is an NHL hockey player who lost his wife Maggie two years ago. Since then, he hasn’t dated, though he isn’t celibate. He attends a bereavement support group which has helped him quite a bit. His relationship with his wife wasn’t perfect, though many thought she must have been the love of his life, he knew she wasn’t and that caused a lot of guilt.
The heroine: Kate Camden - she was a senior in college when she found out she was pregnant. The father wanted nothing to do with her or the baby when he found out. Her mother went to her doctors' appointments with her and while at one of her appointments, they found the baby had no heartbeat. She had to deliver the baby and soon after had to get back to her classes. She never had time to grieve properly and after graduation, she decided to go to a grief support group.
The Story: Ryke and Kate meet at the support group, and he was interested in the beautiful but sad woman from the start. When he finds out she is looking for a job, he offers her a job as his personal assistant. He looks forward to seeing her every day, until one day she does something similar to what his wife did for him. He is a bit troubled after that, but they keep working together.
I usually don’t read books like this where people are suffering a loss, because they are a bit depressing, and this one was all that. I picked it at random out of my audiobook library, so I listened to it all. I did like the characters quite a bit though it definitely isn’t a book I would read again. There were quite a few flashbacks both to when Ryke was married and when Kate lost her baby. I wasn’t fond of those, but they did provide some insight. Of course, the book did get better as it went along, it just isn’t really my cup of tea.
This audiobook was told in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Chris Ruen and Kristen Leigh. I am not really a fan of either of these narrators, they both sound like they are reading rather than speaking naturally. Chris’s voice isn’t as deep as I usually like for a Hero, but it is gravelly which is nice. Kristen’s voice is soft which does match Kate and she is good sounding sad and depressed.
|ŷ||||
September 18, 2020
“I make you coffee every morning because the best part of my day is those few minutes with you.�
“Sometimes even though you can’t see someone, they’re always with you.�
My Thoughts: The following are my thoughts about this book:
General:
- Trigger warning-loss of loved one (happens in chapter 1, so it’s not the loss of a main character)
- Setting: Chicago, USA
Characters:
- Jasen Ryker (aka Ryke) (27): He’s a pro hockey player. Ryke lost his wife to a drunk driver when he was 25. For the most part he has worked through his grief. He’s successful, confident, incredibly patient and sexy (of course). There isn't a single thing that's not “swoony� about Ryke and I absolutely loved him.
- Kate (22): She recently graduated from college with a degree in psychology. Kate had a pregnancy that ended in heartbreak 💔 and she has struggled with grief. She is sad, but knows she needs to engage in life again. Although she has a recent degree, she's not entirely sure what she wants to do with her life. She has a very close relationship with her mom and I loved that aspect of the story.
- Together:
- These two have a sloooooooow burn to the bedroom. They have chemistry, but I felt like it would ramp up and then some type of cold water would be splashed on all the steam. So it was up and down, stop and start and that made it a little choppy. Once there was a break in their intensity toward each other, the chemistry faltered.
The story:
In the beginning, there is a heaviness to the book. Chapter 1 was a punch to the gut and it took a bit of time to recover. This book deals with all the aspects of losing someone: loss, grief, heartache, depression, coping, fear, moving on, guilt.
How and when do you move on when your heart has been broken?
This book also touches on how your decisions, perspectives and thoughts are most likely different once you experience something so life altering. The overall theme....everyone grieves differently, and that’s ok. But if you can’t get out of your grief and spiral down into depression, then that’s not ok and you need help. Ryke’s infinite patience with Kate was heart melting. I loved that guy!!
This book is also about hope and healing. When you find your way out of the dark tunnel, life will never be the same but that doesn’t mean it can’t be more amazing than you ever imagined. Allow yourself to believe in second chances and happiness.
Other:
- It took a long time to get between the sheets action. They had some phone sex but nothing in person. So after this huge build up to the final act, when they finally hit the sheets at 91% it didn’t even last a page. 👎😏
- I waited the entire book for them to finally feel like a couple. That was just way too long to wait. Honestly, this is even slower than a slow burn.
- I started out thinking this was going to be a solid 5 star, but in the end their “non-relationship� just dragged out for longer than it needed to
- The event at 93% was predictable. I kept waiting for it to happen all through the book but I was really hoping the author wouldn't throw in such an obvious thing. So I was disappointed when it unfolded as I expected.
Overview:
- POV: dual POV
- Tropes: love after loss, loss of a loved one
- H likable? Yes
- h likable? Yes, although her hot/cold indecisiveness got a bit old
- h virgin? no
- First time they kiss: 38%
- First time they sleep together: 91%
- First time they say I Love You 94%
- steamy? Not overly steamy
- OW/OM drama? no
- H/h cheat? no
- Did I skip pages? No
- Big secrets? no
- Did I cry? there were a few heart-tugging moments
- Did I laugh? Not really
- Cliffhanger? no
- HEA? HFN
- Epilogue? a few months later. I saw there’s another book after this one that follows them through the ups and downs of their marriage.
- Recommend? yes, if you can handle a story about the loss of a loved one
Quotes
“All I wanted to do was sleep. The moment I pulled the covers up to my neck was the only honest moment in my day anymore. It was when I could let go of the fake smile, stop pretending.�
“Am I arrogant?� I asked Luke as we stood against my kitchen island eating.
He pounded his chest, looking like he was gonna choke for a second. “Is this a trick question?�
".�
"You’re a fucking underwear model, dude. That’s enough to make any guy arrogant.�
“I eyed his dark scruff and his wicked ‘come hither� expression. I’d come hither in a matter of seconds if he looked at me that way.�
“What cologne was that? Whatever it was called, it needed to be renamed Sex.�
“I don’t think I��ll ever move past it. I’ll never be the person I was. I had no idea something could hurt so deeply that � it changed who I am.�
“If I decided to ease back into the dating game, it needed to be with someone a little more average than a panty-soaking NHL player who modeled underwear.�
“finding a way out of the darkness of her grief wasn’t something I could help with. She needed to figure out all on her own that she deserved to live again –really live, without guilt or fear crippling every decision.�
“Sometimes even though you can’t see someone, they’re always with you.�
My Thoughts: The following are my thoughts about this book:
General:
- Trigger warning-loss of loved one (happens in chapter 1, so it’s not the loss of a main character)
- Setting: Chicago, USA
Characters:
- Jasen Ryker (aka Ryke) (27): He’s a pro hockey player. Ryke lost his wife to a drunk driver when he was 25. For the most part he has worked through his grief. He’s successful, confident, incredibly patient and sexy (of course). There isn't a single thing that's not “swoony� about Ryke and I absolutely loved him.
- Kate (22): She recently graduated from college with a degree in psychology. Kate had a pregnancy that ended in heartbreak 💔 and she has struggled with grief. She is sad, but knows she needs to engage in life again. Although she has a recent degree, she's not entirely sure what she wants to do with her life. She has a very close relationship with her mom and I loved that aspect of the story.
- Together:
- These two have a sloooooooow burn to the bedroom. They have chemistry, but I felt like it would ramp up and then some type of cold water would be splashed on all the steam. So it was up and down, stop and start and that made it a little choppy. Once there was a break in their intensity toward each other, the chemistry faltered.
The story:
In the beginning, there is a heaviness to the book. Chapter 1 was a punch to the gut and it took a bit of time to recover. This book deals with all the aspects of losing someone: loss, grief, heartache, depression, coping, fear, moving on, guilt.
How and when do you move on when your heart has been broken?
This book also touches on how your decisions, perspectives and thoughts are most likely different once you experience something so life altering. The overall theme....everyone grieves differently, and that’s ok. But if you can’t get out of your grief and spiral down into depression, then that’s not ok and you need help. Ryke’s infinite patience with Kate was heart melting. I loved that guy!!
This book is also about hope and healing. When you find your way out of the dark tunnel, life will never be the same but that doesn’t mean it can’t be more amazing than you ever imagined. Allow yourself to believe in second chances and happiness.
Other:
- It took a long time to get between the sheets action. They had some phone sex but nothing in person. So after this huge build up to the final act, when they finally hit the sheets at 91% it didn’t even last a page. 👎😏
- I waited the entire book for them to finally feel like a couple. That was just way too long to wait. Honestly, this is even slower than a slow burn.
- I started out thinking this was going to be a solid 5 star, but in the end their “non-relationship� just dragged out for longer than it needed to
- The event at 93% was predictable. I kept waiting for it to happen all through the book but I was really hoping the author wouldn't throw in such an obvious thing. So I was disappointed when it unfolded as I expected.
Overview:
- POV: dual POV
- Tropes: love after loss, loss of a loved one
- H likable? Yes
- h likable? Yes, although her hot/cold indecisiveness got a bit old
- h virgin? no
- First time they kiss: 38%
- First time they sleep together: 91%
- First time they say I Love You 94%
- steamy? Not overly steamy
- OW/OM drama? no
- H/h cheat? no
- Did I skip pages? No
- Big secrets? no
- Did I cry? there were a few heart-tugging moments
- Did I laugh? Not really
- Cliffhanger? no
- HEA? HFN
- Epilogue? a few months later. I saw there’s another book after this one that follows them through the ups and downs of their marriage.
- Recommend? yes, if you can handle a story about the loss of a loved one
Quotes
“All I wanted to do was sleep. The moment I pulled the covers up to my neck was the only honest moment in my day anymore. It was when I could let go of the fake smile, stop pretending.�
“Am I arrogant?� I asked Luke as we stood against my kitchen island eating.
He pounded his chest, looking like he was gonna choke for a second. “Is this a trick question?�
".�
"You’re a fucking underwear model, dude. That’s enough to make any guy arrogant.�
“I eyed his dark scruff and his wicked ‘come hither� expression. I’d come hither in a matter of seconds if he looked at me that way.�
“What cologne was that? Whatever it was called, it needed to be renamed Sex.�
“I don’t think I��ll ever move past it. I’ll never be the person I was. I had no idea something could hurt so deeply that � it changed who I am.�
“If I decided to ease back into the dating game, it needed to be with someone a little more average than a panty-soaking NHL player who modeled underwear.�
“finding a way out of the darkness of her grief wasn’t something I could help with. She needed to figure out all on her own that she deserved to live again –really live, without guilt or fear crippling every decision.�
October 24, 2017
This has been sitting unread on my kindle for around 3 years so I bought the audio companion and thought I would take my time over the next week to listen to it. Big mistake. Huge. I started listening after work last night and finished at 1.30am this morning � OMG I just couldn’t stop!
Kate and Ryker meet at a bereavement support group after suffering tragic losses in their life. Ryker is a very well known as a player in the NHL and after losing his wife he eventually agreed to go along, in a effort to help him deal with what happened. Kate’s loss was very personal to her and after trying / pretending for so long that she was okay she gives in to her mother’s request to seek help and joins the group.
Ryker is immediately drawn to Kate,not just because she is beautiful but because there is so much sorrow and sadness surrounding her and he just feels this pull towards her, he wants to make her smile again. He figures out a way that he can help her and after she accepts his proposition they ending up spending a lot of time together.
Ryker has not had any significant feelings towards any other woman since he was widowed but there is something about Kate that he wants to explore. She is making him feel things that had been dormant but he is very aware of how fragile she is right now. Kate needs to get to place in her mind and heart before she can even think about being with any man.
Ryker is so damn sweet and patient with Kate, he wants her, badly and he is willing to wait until she is ready to open herself up completely to him. Kate is finding it very difficult to resist Ryker, her body wants him desperately but she doesn’t want to have anything casual with a man ever again. If she is with someone she wants to be their one and only, she needs commitment. Could she really have that with an NHL star who is constantly on the road? Ryker is determined to prove to Kate that he is that man for her and he wants a forever too.
Gah! I just loved all the angst in this, Kate is a hard nut to crack and I felt Ryker’s frustration but I also love that he just never gives up on her! I am even more excited to know that there is more from this couple in the next book, Captive �
Kate and Ryker meet at a bereavement support group after suffering tragic losses in their life. Ryker is a very well known as a player in the NHL and after losing his wife he eventually agreed to go along, in a effort to help him deal with what happened. Kate’s loss was very personal to her and after trying / pretending for so long that she was okay she gives in to her mother’s request to seek help and joins the group.
Ryker is immediately drawn to Kate,not just because she is beautiful but because there is so much sorrow and sadness surrounding her and he just feels this pull towards her, he wants to make her smile again. He figures out a way that he can help her and after she accepts his proposition they ending up spending a lot of time together.
Ryker has not had any significant feelings towards any other woman since he was widowed but there is something about Kate that he wants to explore. She is making him feel things that had been dormant but he is very aware of how fragile she is right now. Kate needs to get to place in her mind and heart before she can even think about being with any man.
Ryker is so damn sweet and patient with Kate, he wants her, badly and he is willing to wait until she is ready to open herself up completely to him. Kate is finding it very difficult to resist Ryker, her body wants him desperately but she doesn’t want to have anything casual with a man ever again. If she is with someone she wants to be their one and only, she needs commitment. Could she really have that with an NHL star who is constantly on the road? Ryker is determined to prove to Kate that he is that man for her and he wants a forever too.
Gah! I just loved all the angst in this, Kate is a hard nut to crack and I felt Ryker’s frustration but I also love that he just never gives up on her! I am even more excited to know that there is more from this couple in the next book, Captive �
September 10, 2016
Bound by Brenda Rothert is the story of two people who have suffered the loss of a loved one. Kate lost her baby on the 16th week of her pregnancy. She's having a hard time moving time and at the urging of her mother joins a support group. It's there she meets Ryke. He's a professional hockey player who lost his wife. After her death, he has a revolving door of women but it isn't until Kate that he becomes interested in having something more with a woman.
I found their story very emotional and I was unable to put it down. I love the way the author build up the relationship. There was great dialogue between the characters. I felt there was character growth done by both characters- especially Kate.
What I loved:
*dual POV
*standalone book
*story build up
*love the emotion the author was able to make me feel- right off the start.
Only complaint is the end. It felt a bit rushed for me. I wanted to know more about their lives down the road. Don't let this deter to you though. If you want a romantic, emotional story you won't be able to put down then this is one to read.
Thank you for the ARC Brenda Rothert. Truly a wonderful book �
February 9, 2016
3.5 stars
This is a beautifully written story of two people dealing with devastating loss and finding the strength in themselves, and in each other, to help them move on.
Kate is a college senior who suffers a devastating loss which throws her into a deep depression. She goes on with the motions of life, and manages to graduate, but every day is a struggle and she is completely lost and overwhelmed by her grief.
NHL player, Ryke suffered his own loss two years ago. Hugely successful and highly popular due to his charm and great looks, he is getting on with his life, but he still has his hard days, and the memory of all that he has experienced continues to haunt him.
Kate and Ryke meet at a grief counselling session one night, and are drawn to each other. When Ryke learns of Kate’s difficulties in finding work, he offers her a job as his assistant, and from here they are thrown into each other’s lives. Working together, spending time together, becoming friends and opening up to each other, they are there for each other as they try to find a way to cope with their grief and move forward � all while they are slowly falling for each other.
I really liked this book. I thought that the way Kate and Ryke’s losses were addressed, and the subsequent emotional turmoil was beautifully written. You could feel their pain, and I could understand their feelings of heartache, disillusionment, anger and guilt.
The development of their friendship was realistic and sweet, with moments of humour, and a nice amount of sexual tension. They wanted each other from the very beginning, but they are both dealing with so much it takes a while for them to even think about acting on those feelings, so they are good friends before anything romantic is even on the table, and I really liked that. The development into something more was both sexy and sweet.
The main issue I had with this book was the back and forth with the romance. Kate wanted him, but she was afraid of getting involved with somebody, afraid of what it could mean and of having to face another loss like the one she is trying so hard to recover from. I understood her struggle, and her loss and her grief absolutely tore me up, but the stop-and-start with Ryke and the mixed messages got to be a bit much for me. And more than just her fear of future loss, her constant doubt of him got annoying when he had done nothing to deserve it! She constantly questions his feelings when he’s been nothing but open with her, showing her and telling her how much he cares for her, and she still pushes him away. It went on for too long, and I ended up just getting annoyed with her.
In total contrast, Ryke is absolutely amazing! Sweet, loving and understanding, while at the still time still being sexy as all hell! He never holds anything back from Kate - he wants her and he lets her know it, gently encouraging her to accept what was happening between them, but at the same time being gentle and infinitely patient. From his funny banter to his smutty flirting and his swoony declarations, I absolutely adored him!
My heart broke for him, not only as he dealt with his own issues, but as Kate continually pushed him away, but of course it does all work out ok. Obviously the romance is a slow build , and I know there is another book which continues Kate and Ryke’s story, which is perhaps why the author drew out this part of their relationship so much, but I wanted a bit more from this one.
So after a very promising beginning I ended up having mixed feelings for this book. The set up was great, I really liked the characters to begin with (Ryke just shone through the whole book), and I liked the direction the story took � for me, it just took too long to get there.
Still a good read though � 3.5 stars.
This is a beautifully written story of two people dealing with devastating loss and finding the strength in themselves, and in each other, to help them move on.
Kate is a college senior who suffers a devastating loss which throws her into a deep depression. She goes on with the motions of life, and manages to graduate, but every day is a struggle and she is completely lost and overwhelmed by her grief.
NHL player, Ryke suffered his own loss two years ago. Hugely successful and highly popular due to his charm and great looks, he is getting on with his life, but he still has his hard days, and the memory of all that he has experienced continues to haunt him.
Kate and Ryke meet at a grief counselling session one night, and are drawn to each other. When Ryke learns of Kate’s difficulties in finding work, he offers her a job as his assistant, and from here they are thrown into each other’s lives. Working together, spending time together, becoming friends and opening up to each other, they are there for each other as they try to find a way to cope with their grief and move forward � all while they are slowly falling for each other.
The two of us were bound together by the thread of grief, but it wasn’t just our mutual losses that united us. We’d survived them, found each other and discovered the sometimes, from darkness can come light.
I really liked this book. I thought that the way Kate and Ryke’s losses were addressed, and the subsequent emotional turmoil was beautifully written. You could feel their pain, and I could understand their feelings of heartache, disillusionment, anger and guilt.
Grief was a hell of a thing. Some days you climbed the walls and others you couldn’t get out of bed. Just when you thought you might be pulling through, something would punch you in the gut and you’d be flat on your back again.
The development of their friendship was realistic and sweet, with moments of humour, and a nice amount of sexual tension. They wanted each other from the very beginning, but they are both dealing with so much it takes a while for them to even think about acting on those feelings, so they are good friends before anything romantic is even on the table, and I really liked that. The development into something more was both sexy and sweet.
“Can’t you just trust me? Let me hold you up when you hurt. Whatever I am, I want to share it with you.�
The main issue I had with this book was the back and forth with the romance. Kate wanted him, but she was afraid of getting involved with somebody, afraid of what it could mean and of having to face another loss like the one she is trying so hard to recover from. I understood her struggle, and her loss and her grief absolutely tore me up, but the stop-and-start with Ryke and the mixed messages got to be a bit much for me. And more than just her fear of future loss, her constant doubt of him got annoying when he had done nothing to deserve it! She constantly questions his feelings when he’s been nothing but open with her, showing her and telling her how much he cares for her, and she still pushes him away. It went on for too long, and I ended up just getting annoyed with her.
In total contrast, Ryke is absolutely amazing! Sweet, loving and understanding, while at the still time still being sexy as all hell! He never holds anything back from Kate - he wants her and he lets her know it, gently encouraging her to accept what was happening between them, but at the same time being gentle and infinitely patient. From his funny banter to his smutty flirting and his swoony declarations, I absolutely adored him!
She’d awakened something in me � the edgy, tense, crazy-fucking-good feeling of falling hard for someone.
I would’ve done anything for her, but finding a way out of the darkness of her grief wasn’t something I could help with. She needed to figure out all on her own that she deserved to live again � really live, without guilt or fear crippling every decision. It’d been so hard to make myself back off, even though I knew I had to.
My heart broke for him, not only as he dealt with his own issues, but as Kate continually pushed him away, but of course it does all work out ok. Obviously the romance is a slow build , and I know there is another book which continues Kate and Ryke’s story, which is perhaps why the author drew out this part of their relationship so much, but I wanted a bit more from this one.
So after a very promising beginning I ended up having mixed feelings for this book. The set up was great, I really liked the characters to begin with (Ryke just shone through the whole book), and I liked the direction the story took � for me, it just took too long to get there.
Still a good read though � 3.5 stars.
December 3, 2013
Bound completely took me by surprise. I think I was only 5% in before I was sideswiped by events�.twice! I didn’t see any of it coming and fun, moving and some ways fun story was an emotionally charged tale of loving and losing, grieving, of picking yourself up and learning that’s it’s okay to love and be happy and that life does in fact go on. Yes, in life your heart will hurt, it will suffer but moving on, trusting and loving are all part of the healing process. Life is for living and finding happiness is something everyone deserves. This story really did have a high impact opening that’s for sure.
“Don’t tell me what you think is best for me.� “Tell me what you want.�
Bound contained a mixture of past, present and alternative pov’s which kept me completely gripped in the story and witnessing the story from all angles added to the depth of emotion and feeling and I loved hearing both POV’s throughout this story.
‘She was like me: too wounded to be blindly optimistic anymore.� � Ryke
Tall, dark, sculpted Hockey heartthrob Jason Ryker (Ryke) completely stole my heart. Here was a guy who had suffered through a tragedy and was trying to make sense of his loss, grief and feelings. He was a different sort of character. He was stable, loyal and although he had his fair share of women, he only ever wanted to be settled and have the family he so craved. I really did feel for this guy and I loved the camaraderie between the hockey “family�. The hockey references peppered throughout really connected you to how Ryke felt about the team, his teammates and how important this sport was to his life, though I wouldn’t class this as a sports themed book per se as the emphasis is more on human relationships and the grieving process. I wanted to jump inside my Kindle and hug Ryke and will him to let go of his guilt because it was unfairly consuming him.
‘I wished for words to soother her, but I didn’t have any. I was a hockey player, for Christ’s sake. My favorite words were fuck and fucking� � Ryke
My heart really did go out to Kate and what she had suffered and the guilt she had allowed to eat away at her really had me feeling so much sympathy for her and I completely understood her intense emotions but I have to say there were times when Kate’s indecision’s could at times be a tad annoying, she gave me whiplash and I think she tended to put her own obstacles in the way of their relationship. I could relate to her being over cautious of opening herself up and guarding her heart, but I wanted her to cut Ryke a bit of slack because geez, this guy had certainly suffered through his pain also.
“Don’t hate me for things I did before we even met.� � Ryke
Together they were a fun, passionate and beautiful couple and I was HANGING for them to get together. This relationship sure was a slow burner so you really did experience the connections and the transformation from friends to lovers in Bound.
“Let me spend tonight with your heart instead of your head.� � Ryke
There were a couple of times the story felt a little rushed especially towards the end. There were times I was so invested in a situation, only to have it move forward a matter of weeks which for me was a little off putting and stilted the flow of the story . After giving us such an intense and slow build up, I felt the ending came to quickly and it was all over too soon and this standalone story really could have benefited from an Epilogue. I would have really loved to have had a glimpse into the future of Ryke and Kate’s future.
In saying that I these were small issues because I really did enjoy this story which I couldn’t put down and these niggles were soon overtaken by the power and poignancy of the story and I was, without question, completely invested in Ryke and Kate’s lives and relationship.
Their banter was so much fun and very refreshing as was the interaction between Ryke and his team mates. The sexual tension had me screaming at my Kindle at times for them to just “get on with it� but the chase, innuendos, the build up and the friends to lovers aspect of their relationship had won me over.
“Moving on is different from forgetting.�
Bound is a story about loving, losing and moving on. Of relinquishing the guilt of loss but never forgetting the impact that loss had on your life. It’s about learning to trust your heart, it’s about healing and knowing that it’s okay to want love and happiness. It’s about grieving, coping and moving and making room in your heart for the person who has become the salve to your shattered heart.
August 2, 2017
2.5 ~ 3 average stars
Bound was a quick, easy read about overcoming the pain of loss to find love. I liked the premise of the book and have always been a sucker for the "famous star/athlete falls for the average unfamous girl" cliche. Here the famous athlete is a sexy NHL pro and the average girl (albeit a pretty blonde one) is a struggling college grad. However, everything about it was just average. So while I did like the story, there was absolutely nothing here that made it unique or memorable.
What Worked:
*The heroine's was the heart of the storyline. It is a monumental loss that many women have experienced, therefore, not an easy subject to delve into. Here it was handled with realism and much needed compassion that is often forgotten.
* I liked that the hero was a hockey player. The author did a nice job showcasing the sport, on and off the ice, without overshadowing Ryke and Kate's journey through the grieving process or their love story. This will definitely not be my last dalliance with a hockey player ;)
What Didn't Work
*I have a HUGE problem when a MC's deceased spouse is vilified in an effort to make their new love interest appear to be the better choice. Ryke's wife definitely had issues and maybe Kate was better for him, but to continually make comparisons of the two was a big turn off for me. The author didn't have to try to make me dislike the dead wife in order to root for Kate and Ryke.
*Although I did like Kate and easily empathized with her, the constant questioning of Ryke's feelings was annoying especially when he went out of his way to show her how much he cared.
*While there was nothing horribly wrong with the writing, at times it was scattered and confusing making it difficult to follow.
So, not worthy of a top spot on your TBR list, but if you're looking for a minimal angst stand alone as an in between books filler - Bound will work for you.
December 4, 2013
Bound was such a fantastic, fun, yet emotional read for me with a wonderful storyline. I could not put down the book and read the entire thing is one long sitting. The story was exceptional, the characters were charming, and the story just all came together perfectly to make it the perfect read on a Sunday afternoon.
My Casting:
Bound tells the story of Ryke & Kate. Both are struggling with the loss of someone they love and alternates points-of-view from chapter to chapter between the two. Kate was a college senior who became pregnant and her boyfriend ran for the hills when he found out she was having his child. Eighteen weeks into her pregnancy she lost her baby and she is no longer the “Kate� she once knew; she is sad and depressed. Jason Ryker “Ryke� is a famous hockey player (oh and underwear model� can’t forget that!) but one night two years ago lost his wife in a car accident. He has moved on physically by sleeping with a different woman every night but cannot move on emotionally. Kate and Ryke meet and for the first time they both feel something other than sadness.
The two meet in a support group for those who are trying to cope with losing people they love. Kate & Ryke go to these meetings every week and I really loved the scenes of the meetings because it’s the only time they both can openly share how they feel. They speak openly in front of the entire group about each other but no one knows in the group they are talking about each other. It was sweet but I loved knowing what they were feeling and it was the only way they could share it with each other.
Ryke is an extremely sweet guy. He took Kate under his wing and fell in love with her. He gives Kate a job and they have a boss/employee flirtation thing going on, which made the story even better! I could totally understand their connection to one another and understand their fears they had. I love the long build-up and friendship that was formed before anything happened. It made it very realistic and their romance even better. They were there for each other and helped heal one another.
Bound was a perfect mix of fun yet had an emotional side to it as well. Sometimes a 5 star book does not have to be a deep emotional book, big name book. I found Bound to be the perfect book to read, just be warned you won’t be able to put it down once you start!
I give Bound 4.5 Stars!
Book provided by the author in return for an honest review.
Stay connected with my reviews, book news and more:
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My Casting:
Bound tells the story of Ryke & Kate. Both are struggling with the loss of someone they love and alternates points-of-view from chapter to chapter between the two. Kate was a college senior who became pregnant and her boyfriend ran for the hills when he found out she was having his child. Eighteen weeks into her pregnancy she lost her baby and she is no longer the “Kate� she once knew; she is sad and depressed. Jason Ryker “Ryke� is a famous hockey player (oh and underwear model� can’t forget that!) but one night two years ago lost his wife in a car accident. He has moved on physically by sleeping with a different woman every night but cannot move on emotionally. Kate and Ryke meet and for the first time they both feel something other than sadness.
The two meet in a support group for those who are trying to cope with losing people they love. Kate & Ryke go to these meetings every week and I really loved the scenes of the meetings because it’s the only time they both can openly share how they feel. They speak openly in front of the entire group about each other but no one knows in the group they are talking about each other. It was sweet but I loved knowing what they were feeling and it was the only way they could share it with each other.
Ryke is an extremely sweet guy. He took Kate under his wing and fell in love with her. He gives Kate a job and they have a boss/employee flirtation thing going on, which made the story even better! I could totally understand their connection to one another and understand their fears they had. I love the long build-up and friendship that was formed before anything happened. It made it very realistic and their romance even better. They were there for each other and helped heal one another.
Bound was a perfect mix of fun yet had an emotional side to it as well. Sometimes a 5 star book does not have to be a deep emotional book, big name book. I found Bound to be the perfect book to read, just be warned you won’t be able to put it down once you start!
I give Bound 4.5 Stars!
Book provided by the author in return for an honest review.
Stay connected with my reviews, book news and more:
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August 26, 2023
DNF at 48%. I'm calling time of death on this shit show of a book.
The hero keeps "knowing what she wants". Meaning, she wants to be kissed, sexed up, etc.
Except the heroine doesn't want that. Every time, he makes a move, she tenses up, pushes him away, or, like now, thinks, "I wanted him to stop - needed to, even - but I couldn't."
And that's where I call time of death.
This book is all about the hero lusting after the heroine, creating a job for her to be his assistant, and then constantly being inappropriate and crossing lines with her. She's grieving and messed up right now so all of his moves on her feel super gross.
I mean, he immediately got a hard on when he hears her telling her story in their grief support group about losing her baby.
"I wanted to wrap her in my arms, take her to bed and make her feel something so deep and powerful it made the sadness go away, if even for just a little while."
Basically, his whole approach to her is figuring out how to get her into bed. And acting like it's "real" love.
There's this plot line with a woman who goes to the support group to hit on the famous hockey player and everyone is like "ew, what a tramp". But somehow, it's good that the hero tries to manipulate the heroine into being in a relationship!?
He doesn't have anything for her to do as his assistant... he just wants to get close to her while she's not available for dating in her grieving state.
Ya. He's a great guy. 🤢
The hero keeps "knowing what she wants". Meaning, she wants to be kissed, sexed up, etc.
Except the heroine doesn't want that. Every time, he makes a move, she tenses up, pushes him away, or, like now, thinks, "I wanted him to stop - needed to, even - but I couldn't."
And that's where I call time of death.
This book is all about the hero lusting after the heroine, creating a job for her to be his assistant, and then constantly being inappropriate and crossing lines with her. She's grieving and messed up right now so all of his moves on her feel super gross.
I mean, he immediately got a hard on when he hears her telling her story in their grief support group about losing her baby.
"I wanted to wrap her in my arms, take her to bed and make her feel something so deep and powerful it made the sadness go away, if even for just a little while."
Basically, his whole approach to her is figuring out how to get her into bed. And acting like it's "real" love.
There's this plot line with a woman who goes to the support group to hit on the famous hockey player and everyone is like "ew, what a tramp". But somehow, it's good that the hero tries to manipulate the heroine into being in a relationship!?
He doesn't have anything for her to do as his assistant... he just wants to get close to her while she's not available for dating in her grieving state.
Ya. He's a great guy. 🤢
December 14, 2015
This was a total disappointment. I was expecting a story of healing and learning to open up back to love. Instead the characters were immature, very self involved, and they didn't seem to evolve a whole lot. There was also a whole lot of dram for no good reason. The premise was intriguing but it dissolved into a typical new adult novel fill of aching balls and burning thighs. Not exactly heart warming to me for this type of story. Just my opinion.
July 23, 2017
Great angsty read, even though Kate tried my patience a time or two. Loved Ryker though. What a patient, sexy man.
4 stars
4 stars
December 1, 2013
“Bound� is all about loss, forgiveness, coping; and also moving forward and being susceptible to love again. Both Ryke and Kate go through such devastating losses in their lives and meet in a support group where they build and friendship and companionship.
Later when Ryke decides to hire Kate as his own personal assistant (since he is a famous hockey star and wants to get closer to her), the two subsequently become even closer.
As feelings grow and develop into more, what will become of this couple? Can Kate let go and find herself worthy of Ryke's love? And can both Ryke and Kate heal each other and move on towards the next chapter in their lives or will old demons get in between the two?
My thoughts: Oh my, did I just love this book!!
I have a definite weakness for hockey players and Ryke totally lived up to par!! He was not a jerk or a man whore but a guy dealing with the loss of his wife. When he meets Kate, something inside himself is drawn to her and as they get to know one another, he becomes her constant and moral support and her to him vice versa. He’s so unbelievably sweet and understanding that I couldn’t help but want him to myself. Not to mention the fact that he’s steaming hot! Lol
As for Kate, there were a couple of times where I wanted to slap her but I ultimately did get her deal. I mean, the girl got pregnant, got ditched by her baby daddy, and then when she goes to get a sonogram she finds out that her baby doesn’t have a heartbeat. How much more tragic can you get? After all, she was only a college student when this all went down and when she finally had accepted that she was going to be a single mommy she has this huge bomb dropped on top of her. Sheesh.
I definitely recommend this book to all of you readers!! It’s not predominantly a sports read, but just rather has a hot hockey player if you’re worried that there’s going to be a whole bunch of hockey stuff and terms in it. It also does not fall into typical romance and sports clichés as this one for me actually had heart and a moral to its story. It does not stem for the typical “love at first sight� charade but gradually builds a strong bond and camaraderie between Ryke and Kate before they jump into a romantic relationship. SO VERY APPRECIATED!
I am so honored that the author had shared the ARC with me, as if is my first read from her, and I look forward to more! A very well done job!
January 19, 2015
#OMG this book is #FREE #mustclick
Within the first few pages of this book, you know it is going to be an emotional ride! Kate Camden and Jason “Ryke� Rkyer meet in a very unusual fashion, no I won’t tell you how because I enjoyed the heart ache filled journey to their meeting and I think the reader should experience it first hand.
Grief is a powerful emotion� well for those who have experienced deep loss they know grief is more accurately a series of powerful emotions� Ms Rothert shows this is spades. She is able to get the readers heart to ache for both Ryke and Kate.
I adored the use of the grief support group in this book, not just that it was there to show that there is help for those grieving but its use to move the story forward, to get these two communicate in a safe and open environment.
The bond that slowly develops between Kate and Ryke was so well done, you could feel them connecting, you could feel Kate pushing Ryke away out of fear and although frustrating at times, it really fit with the experience she had just gone through. Rkye, Jason so pulled at my heart, his patience, his kindness, his desire to take things at a pace that works for Kate has me adoring this man. Yes, I love hockey boys but this one holds a special place in my heart.
Speaking of hockey boys I loved the use of Jason’s teammates to move the story forward, I adored Luke; his comrodary with Jason felt real and true. Speaking of real and true, Jason’s work for charity so filled my heart, yes I will say it I love Jason Ryker!
Ryke and Kate’s slow journey to a true relationship had me knowing their foundation was solid and had me closing my kindle feeling as though these two were real people facing the world together!
There is a book 2 coming but no worries you get resolution on this book! Yes, said the reader who hates cliffhangers, no worries here at all. Book 2 was asked for by readers as they want more Jason and Kate!
I am so excited for CAPTIVE, book 2 and Kate and Jason have found their way into my heart!!!
And I do hope Jason’s buddy Luke gets his happy too!!
Within the first few pages of this book, you know it is going to be an emotional ride! Kate Camden and Jason “Ryke� Rkyer meet in a very unusual fashion, no I won’t tell you how because I enjoyed the heart ache filled journey to their meeting and I think the reader should experience it first hand.
Grief is a powerful emotion� well for those who have experienced deep loss they know grief is more accurately a series of powerful emotions� Ms Rothert shows this is spades. She is able to get the readers heart to ache for both Ryke and Kate.
I adored the use of the grief support group in this book, not just that it was there to show that there is help for those grieving but its use to move the story forward, to get these two communicate in a safe and open environment.
The bond that slowly develops between Kate and Ryke was so well done, you could feel them connecting, you could feel Kate pushing Ryke away out of fear and although frustrating at times, it really fit with the experience she had just gone through. Rkye, Jason so pulled at my heart, his patience, his kindness, his desire to take things at a pace that works for Kate has me adoring this man. Yes, I love hockey boys but this one holds a special place in my heart.
Speaking of hockey boys I loved the use of Jason’s teammates to move the story forward, I adored Luke; his comrodary with Jason felt real and true. Speaking of real and true, Jason’s work for charity so filled my heart, yes I will say it I love Jason Ryker!
Ryke and Kate’s slow journey to a true relationship had me knowing their foundation was solid and had me closing my kindle feeling as though these two were real people facing the world together!
There is a book 2 coming but no worries you get resolution on this book! Yes, said the reader who hates cliffhangers, no worries here at all. Book 2 was asked for by readers as they want more Jason and Kate!
I am so excited for CAPTIVE, book 2 and Kate and Jason have found their way into my heart!!!
And I do hope Jason’s buddy Luke gets his happy too!!
December 2, 2013
I need a cold shower and a slap across the face!
Brenda Rothert has done it again! She is one of my favorite authors and I stop everything and consume every book she writes. She has a wonderful gift and is able to make you see and feel everything as you are reading. I literally laughed out loud at the witty banter and I blushed a few times too. I am visualizing the sexy, tattooed, hockey player's muscles right now.... I need a minute... What was I saying? Oh, right, I was telling you about Ryke. He is a professional hockey player. He attends weekly grief counseling meetings and that's where he meets Kate. They each learn the other's story during the group discussions. Their mutual heartbreak and loss is the thing that binds them together. These feelings of loss are something that they both understand, and what friends and family don't understand. They can relax with each other because they don't have to pretend they are okay. They don't have to hear, "I'm sorry for your loss". They don't have to deal with people abruptly ending their conversations or avoiding eye contact. They are drawn to each other and the sexual chemistry is intense. I felt it through my Kindle and it was hot! Can they let go of the past? Can they overcome their fears and find the strength to risk love again? What? Did you really think I was gonna answer my own question? Of course not! You need to buy this book and find out for yourself. You won't regret it, I promise. Hurry up, get to clicking NOW!!!!!
Brenda Rothert has done it again! She is one of my favorite authors and I stop everything and consume every book she writes. She has a wonderful gift and is able to make you see and feel everything as you are reading. I literally laughed out loud at the witty banter and I blushed a few times too. I am visualizing the sexy, tattooed, hockey player's muscles right now.... I need a minute... What was I saying? Oh, right, I was telling you about Ryke. He is a professional hockey player. He attends weekly grief counseling meetings and that's where he meets Kate. They each learn the other's story during the group discussions. Their mutual heartbreak and loss is the thing that binds them together. These feelings of loss are something that they both understand, and what friends and family don't understand. They can relax with each other because they don't have to pretend they are okay. They don't have to hear, "I'm sorry for your loss". They don't have to deal with people abruptly ending their conversations or avoiding eye contact. They are drawn to each other and the sexual chemistry is intense. I felt it through my Kindle and it was hot! Can they let go of the past? Can they overcome their fears and find the strength to risk love again? What? Did you really think I was gonna answer my own question? Of course not! You need to buy this book and find out for yourself. You won't regret it, I promise. Hurry up, get to clicking NOW!!!!!
December 29, 2013
Four Stars
Death is our fucked up camaraderie
Death. Love. Second chances. Hockey.
So, yea. I couldn’t refuse this book once I found it. Both the H/h suffered a huge loss. It was this type of commonality that brought these two together. Knowing that, you knew going into this, this was going to be an emotional read. However, as the story unfolded, it wasn’t the grief nor the sadness that made me a hot mess. No worries, I’ll delve into that in a sec.
I wasn’t the only one. Funny how I felt more kinship with this random mix of strangers than a lot of my longtime friends.
Kate Camden suffered the loss of her 18-week-old baby. The pregnancy was purely accidental, and though she was initially conflicted about it, in the end she very much wanted the baby. With the help of her mother, she was ready to raise her baby without the father. But when she lost her baby, she was never the same. She was left a broken mess and a future with children uncertain. To help her move forward from her loss, her mother convinces her to attend a grief support group. This is where she meets NHL Hockey player, Jason “Ryke� Ryker.
But it was something else about her that was commanding my attention. That sadness on her face � I’d been there. The haunted look in her eyes � I’d looked that way. She’d lost someone, and though I didn’t even know who, I felt like she knew me. I wanted to wrap her in my arms, take her to bed and make her feel something so deep and powerful it made the sadness go away
Ryke was still grieving the loss of his wife. The support group has helped him a lot through his loss. When he sees the newest addition to the group, he was immediately drawn to her. He learns that she’s in need of a job. So what does he do? Offer her a position as his personal assistant. He is desperate to find out more about her, but the more time they spend together, the more interested he becomes.
I wished for words to soothe her, but I didn’t have any. I was a hockey player, for Christ’s sake. My favorite words were fuck and fucking.
Having feelings for Kate not only confuses him, but it completely freaks him out. He loved his wife, but their marriage was far from perfect. He doesn’t want to freak Kate out, but then again he’s trying way to hard to not make the same mistakes he did when he was married. But he slowly starts to realize that Kate is not like his wife at all, and that realization makes Kate more intriguing.
And that was it. As soon as I heard those words I knew this was a man I could fall deeply in love with. If I let go of the tight hold I had on my heart, he would own it.
**Sigh** These two constantly fight their attraction to one another. They’re both very hesitant to take things between them further � Kate especially. OMG! Does it make me a horrid person because I just wanted to tell Kate to get the fuck over it already? I know, I know. I should be more sympathetic, but my patience grew very thin when it came to Kate. Ryke was nothing but a gentleman to her. He was sweet, kind, generous and did nothing to deserve the mixed signals she constantly gave him. One minute they’re hot and heavy, but then out of the blue Kate puts the kibosh on it. Ugh.
So aside from the female blue balls I got while reading this, I did enjoy it. Plus it helped a lot that Ryke was a hot hockey player. I’m a sucker for hockey and hockey players. I kid you not, but as I write this review, I’m watching HBO 24/7: Red Wings/Maple Leafs Road to the Winter Classic. If you do not know what that is, that’s okay (I guess.) I’m a die-hard Red Wings fan and I LOVE hockey players. Le sigh� Sorry, I digress. I look forward to the sequel, and no worries…this does have an ending of sorts, but I’m glad there’s more to their story.
-----
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Death is our fucked up camaraderie
Death. Love. Second chances. Hockey.
So, yea. I couldn’t refuse this book once I found it. Both the H/h suffered a huge loss. It was this type of commonality that brought these two together. Knowing that, you knew going into this, this was going to be an emotional read. However, as the story unfolded, it wasn’t the grief nor the sadness that made me a hot mess. No worries, I’ll delve into that in a sec.
I wasn’t the only one. Funny how I felt more kinship with this random mix of strangers than a lot of my longtime friends.
Kate Camden suffered the loss of her 18-week-old baby. The pregnancy was purely accidental, and though she was initially conflicted about it, in the end she very much wanted the baby. With the help of her mother, she was ready to raise her baby without the father. But when she lost her baby, she was never the same. She was left a broken mess and a future with children uncertain. To help her move forward from her loss, her mother convinces her to attend a grief support group. This is where she meets NHL Hockey player, Jason “Ryke� Ryker.
But it was something else about her that was commanding my attention. That sadness on her face � I’d been there. The haunted look in her eyes � I’d looked that way. She’d lost someone, and though I didn’t even know who, I felt like she knew me. I wanted to wrap her in my arms, take her to bed and make her feel something so deep and powerful it made the sadness go away
Ryke was still grieving the loss of his wife. The support group has helped him a lot through his loss. When he sees the newest addition to the group, he was immediately drawn to her. He learns that she’s in need of a job. So what does he do? Offer her a position as his personal assistant. He is desperate to find out more about her, but the more time they spend together, the more interested he becomes.
I wished for words to soothe her, but I didn’t have any. I was a hockey player, for Christ’s sake. My favorite words were fuck and fucking.
Having feelings for Kate not only confuses him, but it completely freaks him out. He loved his wife, but their marriage was far from perfect. He doesn’t want to freak Kate out, but then again he’s trying way to hard to not make the same mistakes he did when he was married. But he slowly starts to realize that Kate is not like his wife at all, and that realization makes Kate more intriguing.
And that was it. As soon as I heard those words I knew this was a man I could fall deeply in love with. If I let go of the tight hold I had on my heart, he would own it.
**Sigh** These two constantly fight their attraction to one another. They’re both very hesitant to take things between them further � Kate especially. OMG! Does it make me a horrid person because I just wanted to tell Kate to get the fuck over it already? I know, I know. I should be more sympathetic, but my patience grew very thin when it came to Kate. Ryke was nothing but a gentleman to her. He was sweet, kind, generous and did nothing to deserve the mixed signals she constantly gave him. One minute they’re hot and heavy, but then out of the blue Kate puts the kibosh on it. Ugh.
So aside from the female blue balls I got while reading this, I did enjoy it. Plus it helped a lot that Ryke was a hot hockey player. I’m a sucker for hockey and hockey players. I kid you not, but as I write this review, I’m watching HBO 24/7: Red Wings/Maple Leafs Road to the Winter Classic. If you do not know what that is, that’s okay (I guess.) I’m a die-hard Red Wings fan and I LOVE hockey players. Le sigh� Sorry, I digress. I look forward to the sequel, and no worries…this does have an ending of sorts, but I’m glad there’s more to their story.
-----
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Twitter:@thessamari
Shelved as 'arc-to-review'
December 2, 2013COVER REVEAL
Want to receive an ARC of Bound? Well the first 5 people to respond on the with their email address will be receiving an ARC of Bound by Brenda Rothert.
College senior Kate Camden has learned to adapt - to her last year of school, to the promise of motherhood, to the fact that she’s doing it all alone. But just when she’s learned to adjust, heartache threatens to break her apart.
Pro hockey player Jason “Ryke� Ryker has it all: adoring fans, a promising career, and a beautiful wife. But when his seemingly perfect life is shaken by tragedy, he’s left questioning whether having it all is ever more than an illusion.
When circumstance brings Kate and Ryke together, they discover they don’t have to hurt alone. Bound by a grief that haunts them both, they must rely on one another to survive heartbreak. But that grief is more powerful than they realize, and the tie that binds them together may ultimately tear them apart.
Want to receive an ARC of Bound? Well the first 5 people to respond on the with their email address will be receiving an ARC of Bound by Brenda Rothert.
College senior Kate Camden has learned to adapt - to her last year of school, to the promise of motherhood, to the fact that she’s doing it all alone. But just when she’s learned to adjust, heartache threatens to break her apart.
Pro hockey player Jason “Ryke� Ryker has it all: adoring fans, a promising career, and a beautiful wife. But when his seemingly perfect life is shaken by tragedy, he’s left questioning whether having it all is ever more than an illusion.
When circumstance brings Kate and Ryke together, they discover they don’t have to hurt alone. Bound by a grief that haunts them both, they must rely on one another to survive heartbreak. But that grief is more powerful than they realize, and the tie that binds them together may ultimately tear them apart.
February 26, 2024
5 Ryker and Kate Stars
This has been a long time favourite book of mine & it’s the whole reason that I am addicted to Sports Romance - specifically books with NHL guys as heroes. Jason Ryker is a perfect book hero.
Kate and Ryker meet whilst they are both grieving from tragedies in their lives. The connection and chemistry is hot but the pages of this book also hold a poignant sadness that has clearly changed both the H/h from the people they were before they met.
I love Kate and Ryker as a couple. The other guys on the Team are entertaining too and there is enough lighthearted and funny moments to temper the sad ones.
Read in 2015
Re read 2019
Re Read 2021
Re read 2024 via ebook and audio.
This is such a good series and is an absolute comfort read for me. This author writes very well , from the plot to the character development , I love her writing style. Excellent narration by Chris Ruen and Kirsten Leigh. Listening time 6h 29m.
BE AWARE
HEA? Yes and there is a book 2 - - about the same couple.
Cheating? No
This has been a long time favourite book of mine & it’s the whole reason that I am addicted to Sports Romance - specifically books with NHL guys as heroes. Jason Ryker is a perfect book hero.
Kate and Ryker meet whilst they are both grieving from tragedies in their lives. The connection and chemistry is hot but the pages of this book also hold a poignant sadness that has clearly changed both the H/h from the people they were before they met.
I love Kate and Ryker as a couple. The other guys on the Team are entertaining too and there is enough lighthearted and funny moments to temper the sad ones.
Read in 2015
Re read 2019
Re Read 2021
Re read 2024 via ebook and audio.
This is such a good series and is an absolute comfort read for me. This author writes very well , from the plot to the character development , I love her writing style. Excellent narration by Chris Ruen and Kirsten Leigh. Listening time 6h 29m.
BE AWARE
HEA? Yes and there is a book 2 - - about the same couple.
Cheating? No
March 23, 2019
Bound was the first book in Brenda Rothert’s Fire and Ice series.
Jason “Ryke� Ryker and Kate Camden had both experienced tragic deaths. They met in a grief support group and Rothert developed the friendship that ultimately led to more.
I was a huge fan of Ryke, but Kate’s appeal kept declining the deeper I got into the storyline. I was sympathetic to Kate, but as the book progressed, I wasn’t empathetic. She annoyed me at 70% of the book when she was still whining to Ryke about his behavior before they even met. To me, her anger was illogical and didn’t seem to relate to her grief but was more a reflection of a weak personality. I craved a stronger person for Ryke.
In the end, although I wasn’t a huge fan of the heroine, I enjoyed the storyline. It was emotional and a journey of acceptance, forgiveness, hope and love. But most of all, it was a journey of healing, letting go and moving forward.
Jason “Ryke� Ryker and Kate Camden had both experienced tragic deaths. They met in a grief support group and Rothert developed the friendship that ultimately led to more.
I was a huge fan of Ryke, but Kate’s appeal kept declining the deeper I got into the storyline. I was sympathetic to Kate, but as the book progressed, I wasn’t empathetic. She annoyed me at 70% of the book when she was still whining to Ryke about his behavior before they even met. To me, her anger was illogical and didn’t seem to relate to her grief but was more a reflection of a weak personality. I craved a stronger person for Ryke.
In the end, although I wasn’t a huge fan of the heroine, I enjoyed the storyline. It was emotional and a journey of acceptance, forgiveness, hope and love. But most of all, it was a journey of healing, letting go and moving forward.
January 17, 2014
I heard about this book from Aestas' book blog and immediately went and bought it. I knew this was going to be a good one from just reading the synopsis. This book is a winner!! I am so happy I read it. The storyline was a bit different not the typical cookie cutter which made it all the better. I can't wait to read the next one which I know should be out sometime this month. a must read people!!!
November 25, 2013
****I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review**
I was instantly drawn in by Kate's tragedy and I felt her pain. I was intrigued by Ryke and excited for the two of them to be together. The tension between Kate and Ryke and the slow build up to their relationship was very interesting . . . at first. Halfway through the book, however, I grew frustrated with what seemed like the same scenario over and over again. Every time I thought Ryke and Kate were about to give in to their passion and have a grown up relationship, they'd basically start over with what seemed more like a teenage on again/off again romance. One minute they were close and confiding things in each other that they'd never shared with anyone else and then the next they didn't seem to know how the other felt. The constant back and forth, hot and cold took me out of the story emotionally. What had began as a very intriguing story dragged on and became redundant.
The writing was great from a grammatical standpoint which I really appreciated. The storyline itself was interesting and the characters were likable. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I just wished it had continued in the way it began.
I was instantly drawn in by Kate's tragedy and I felt her pain. I was intrigued by Ryke and excited for the two of them to be together. The tension between Kate and Ryke and the slow build up to their relationship was very interesting . . . at first. Halfway through the book, however, I grew frustrated with what seemed like the same scenario over and over again. Every time I thought Ryke and Kate were about to give in to their passion and have a grown up relationship, they'd basically start over with what seemed more like a teenage on again/off again romance. One minute they were close and confiding things in each other that they'd never shared with anyone else and then the next they didn't seem to know how the other felt. The constant back and forth, hot and cold took me out of the story emotionally. What had began as a very intriguing story dragged on and became redundant.
The writing was great from a grammatical standpoint which I really appreciated. The storyline itself was interesting and the characters were likable. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I just wished it had continued in the way it began.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2014
This is definitely a hard hitting novel. I felt raw after reading it and spent a great deal of the novel with tears in my eyes. It was brilliant! I love how Rothert takes real life situations to build her romances, rather than simply having 2 people run into each other with a whirlwind romance. It’s her hard hitting, to the point writing style that brings everything together so seamlessly. What she ends up with in this novel is epic.
By flipping between both main characters perspectives Rothert makes it quite easy to get to know them both intimately. As usual, I appreciate Rothert’s perfectly developed characters who are anything but perfect. It’s so nice to read about real life individuals with real life issues.
This was a fun, funny, emotional novel that I’ll definitely be reading again. Overall, this well written story held me captive throughout.
Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.
By flipping between both main characters perspectives Rothert makes it quite easy to get to know them both intimately. As usual, I appreciate Rothert’s perfectly developed characters who are anything but perfect. It’s so nice to read about real life individuals with real life issues.
This was a fun, funny, emotional novel that I’ll definitely be reading again. Overall, this well written story held me captive throughout.
Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
September 7, 2016 Oooh!! This one sounds heart wrenching and I love the cover!! Adding it to my reading list :)
BLURB - College senior Kate Camden has learned to adapt - to her last year of school, to the promise of motherhood, to the fact that she’s doing it all alone. But just when she’s learned to adjust, heartache threatens to break her apart.
Pro hockey player Jason “Ryke� Ryker has it all: adoring fans, a promising career, and a beautiful wife. But when his seemingly perfect life is shaken by tragedy, he’s left questioning whether having it all is ever more than an illusion.
When circumstance brings Kate and Ryke together, they discover they don’t have to hurt alone. Bound by a grief that haunts them both, they must rely on one another to survive heartbreak. But that grief is more powerful than they realize, and the tie that binds them together may ultimately tear them apart.
BLURB - College senior Kate Camden has learned to adapt - to her last year of school, to the promise of motherhood, to the fact that she’s doing it all alone. But just when she’s learned to adjust, heartache threatens to break her apart.
Pro hockey player Jason “Ryke� Ryker has it all: adoring fans, a promising career, and a beautiful wife. But when his seemingly perfect life is shaken by tragedy, he’s left questioning whether having it all is ever more than an illusion.
When circumstance brings Kate and Ryke together, they discover they don’t have to hurt alone. Bound by a grief that haunts them both, they must rely on one another to survive heartbreak. But that grief is more powerful than they realize, and the tie that binds them together may ultimately tear them apart.
December 21, 2013
WONDERFUL MIX OF HEARTACHE, LOSS, ROMANCE, ANGST AND STEAMY SEX
This book grabbed at my heart strings a mere 5 pages in and had me in tears - twice - within pages! It totally took me by surprised and reeled me in super fast. I fell hard for tall, dark and sexy "panty-dropping" pro Hockey player, Jason Ryker (Ryke). He had my heart from the get-go. I also really liked Kate and felt her pain and loss, and understood her struggle to move on. There were times when I wanted to shake her silly - Ryke wanted her - but I did get that she had a lot to work through.
“Moving on is different from forgetting.�
Bound is a story about loss, grief, love and learning how to move on. I LOVED this book
He pulled back a bit and I could still feel the warmth of his breath on my lips as he spoke in a low, raspy tone, "This is the prize I want," he said. "Let me spend tonight with your heart instead of your head." - Ryke
This book grabbed at my heart strings a mere 5 pages in and had me in tears - twice - within pages! It totally took me by surprised and reeled me in super fast. I fell hard for tall, dark and sexy "panty-dropping" pro Hockey player, Jason Ryker (Ryke). He had my heart from the get-go. I also really liked Kate and felt her pain and loss, and understood her struggle to move on. There were times when I wanted to shake her silly - Ryke wanted her - but I did get that she had a lot to work through.
“Moving on is different from forgetting.�
Bound is a story about loss, grief, love and learning how to move on. I LOVED this book
He pulled back a bit and I could still feel the warmth of his breath on my lips as he spoke in a low, raspy tone, "This is the prize I want," he said. "Let me spend tonight with your heart instead of your head." - Ryke
March 13, 2014
I needed my hockey fix. And this HELLASEXY book did to for me.
Total ESR (easy sexy romantic).
Total ESR (easy sexy romantic).
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