Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Savage Bonds

I'm really enjoying the extended world-building and slow burn romance(s) in this book. It's pretty well-paced, something always keeps the story going and there weren't really any lengths for me here.

What I didn't enjoy:
- the dubious or nonexistent consent (again); they all seem ruled by their bonds occasionally, and one bonding occurs here where neither of the people involved have any agency over their actions, but the bond still completes.
- Oleander is still pretty whiny and naive. Some specks of self-esteem are showing up but if she and everyone else just communicated... this would be much less annoying.
- What I LOATHE in this series is the body shaming... like, Oleander seems to be conventionally pretty/ have a normal, slim body; throughout the book(s) she starts tactical training (sounds like basically CrossFit plus martial arts), so she gets pretty physically fit. AND STILL there are so many scenes where she just thinks about her body, like why the guys would like her "lean, toned" legs (because how is that appealing, a mystery!), or her belly (that was slim to begin with, and is now even flatter). This is also a book with the "she eats more than the guys and still doesn't put on any weight!" trope (both the FMC and her sidekick best friend).
Like, in the scene after the bonding, we're talking sex haze afterglow... just nope:

"I'm definitely not perfect but he says it with so much conviction that I desperately want to believe him. His hand begins to move to stroke over the soft skin of my belly and I'm happy that all my training has shrunk the little belly I have there. I still have one, probably because it's housing my uterus because, hi there, I'm a girl, but it's not something I'm self-conscious of anymore."

So, a completely flat belly but she needs to explain that organs need space? So over this, and it's the reason that none of these books will get 5* from me, I think. We don't know anyone's eye color iirc, but we have heard about her belly a dozen times. Hard nope.

What I enjoyed:
- some more hints at the mechanics of bonding... and possibility of manipulating it? I'm really curious to learn what is going on there.
- more of the Resistance, though I still have no idea what their goal might be other than terrorizing the Gifted community? But am looking forward to see what all the foreshadowing was about. So far, a confusing but good villain.
- the bonding itself. With my favorite. Here for it! (Spice overall would say 2/5)

So yeah, some issues with this, lots of CNs to watch out for, but still enjoyable.

Content Warnings

crgrace's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

mx_virg's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Content Warnings

ka_ke's review against another edition

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funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Gryphon?! First?! I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Atlas is sus, I don’t trust a guy who does everything for a woman he’s only just met regardless of biological bonding or w/e. North is warming up, and Gabe is the ideal guy.

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