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j4ynie's review
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Slow....so very slow. Even for a novella. Little to know action
jennareads1's review against another edition
5.0
This story was so full of everything. The plot is incredible and the story was so cute! There banter and humor, new friends and sad stories but best of all was the adventure and sweet moments between Ryul and Erryn. Ryul is a blood fae who’s lost his family and is desperately wanting to be reconnected with them. One sure fire way of that happening is wishing for it. But this wish only happens under one circumstance and now he has a new wish he wants just as badly or More. And that’s Erryn. Erryn is a human woman who has lived with a secret from her past and she blames herself for this tragedy. So she’s living a life of solitude in the wilds and the only company she ever has is the travelers that stop in to eat the wonderful soups she makes in her soup cottage. Until one night she hears something go bump in the night and she comes across a creature so ugly it’s cute and she falls in love. Maybe twice? This book is a must read so you can watch the hilarity unfold and a cozy love bloom. Will Erryn and Ryul get the things they desire most?
booknotes_athina's review
lighthearted
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
Bound By Blood by Jessica M. Butler is a fantasy romance novella and it is the second book in the Starry Kingdoms of the Fae Collection, but it can be read as a standalone.
The book is about a lonely soup maker's bargain with a cursed blood fae for a magical pup, that opens the door to love, soup, and a chance something special in the midst of loss.
It is a very sweet and lovely story that leaves you with a warm feeling and makes you want to eat soup. It's entertaining with 100% lovable characters and a HEA ending. It's very cozy and hearwarming to read.
I am interested to see how our main characters story continues after this novella.
libraryofabibliotaph's review against another edition
4.0
Cosy fantasy with a cute dog and a dangerous wish.
3,5/5 ⭐
This book gets off with a great start. Just take a look at the cover (both the dustjacket and the hardcover underneath) and the chapter headings, these are absolutely gorgeous! You’ll soon meet Errin, Ryul and Buttons, all lovely characters (and a dog) with unique personalities partly shaped by past trauma. They are well developed, even though some choices they make may seem a bit strange, everything will make sense once you get to know them better. The story perfectly qualifies as a cosy fantasy (with a touch of darkness), with lots of fluffy and comical moments. The way the story was laid out and the world described made me really curious about the larger world in which this story is set. There is already a hint of it, but as in many novellas, you feel there is more behind it. The pacing is also nicely done, the story doesn’t bore you. Some tropes you can expect while reading this book: he falls first, granting a wish, feeling lonely, looking for family, reversed age gap, cute dog.
Nevertheless it wasn’t really my cup of tea because. I couldn’t get myself to ship the main characters, their relationship felt a bit too forced in my opinion and I couldn’t relate to them at all. But this is purely how I felt and has nothing to do with the way the relationship is described and brought to life. I think the cosy fantasy genre just isn’t really my cup of tea.
If you are looking for a cosy, character driven fantasy novella with an HEA, this book might be what you’re looking for.
I received an eARC of this book.
3,5/5 ⭐
This book gets off with a great start. Just take a look at the cover (both the dustjacket and the hardcover underneath) and the chapter headings, these are absolutely gorgeous! You’ll soon meet Errin, Ryul and Buttons, all lovely characters (and a dog) with unique personalities partly shaped by past trauma. They are well developed, even though some choices they make may seem a bit strange, everything will make sense once you get to know them better. The story perfectly qualifies as a cosy fantasy (with a touch of darkness), with lots of fluffy and comical moments. The way the story was laid out and the world described made me really curious about the larger world in which this story is set. There is already a hint of it, but as in many novellas, you feel there is more behind it. The pacing is also nicely done, the story doesn’t bore you. Some tropes you can expect while reading this book: he falls first, granting a wish, feeling lonely, looking for family, reversed age gap, cute dog.
Nevertheless it wasn’t really my cup of tea because. I couldn’t get myself to ship the main characters, their relationship felt a bit too forced in my opinion and I couldn’t relate to them at all. But this is purely how I felt and has nothing to do with the way the relationship is described and brought to life. I think the cosy fantasy genre just isn’t really my cup of tea.
If you are looking for a cosy, character driven fantasy novella with an HEA, this book might be what you’re looking for.
I received an eARC of this book.
readingistravel's review against another edition
5.0
Might contain spoilers
This was a sweet and cozy story, and I loved the concept of saying the words “I love you” meant granting a wish to a fae. That was very different, and intriguing. Also Buttons is so cute.
This was a sweet and cozy story, and I loved the concept of saying the words “I love you” meant granting a wish to a fae. That was very different, and intriguing. Also Buttons is so cute.
morrigannicole's review
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dannibooks89's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
gemmamari's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
audreynbooks's review against another edition
4.0
3,75 /5
After a deal gone wrong with a fae, Erryn left her town and found shelter in a cute cottage owned by a lovely couple. They let her live there and she took over the soup business as long as their grandchildren doesn’t need the house to live in.
One day she sees a cute little winged dog coming to her house, filled by loneliness she decides to adopt it. A blood fae comes to get it, it turns out the little winged dog is not real, it is a magical apparition that took the wrong shape. The dog was supposed to be a creature capable of finding his lost family. The blood fae Ryul wants his magic back otherwise his magic will be weakened and the little dog will become real. Erryn doesn’t want to and even though Fae blood are dangerous because they can manipulate your blood and body like a puppet, she makes a trade with him. She can keep the dog and in return she makes soup for him every night for the next three months in hope to restore his magic. He warns her not to fall in love with him because if you tell a blood fae « I love you », they can ask a wish from you and you have to fulfill it not matter what, otherwise you die. So here starts the story of a women hunted by her past that decided to close her heart from love and a cursed fae who is trying to find his family.
This story is in the cozy and warm subgenre of fantasy. This book counts around 210 pages. The first half of it was quite slow pace, it was about Erryn’s daily life as a soup maker: talking to clients, preparing her soups, cleaning, reading recipes … and taking care of her little dog. There are a few conversations with Ryul but not a lot happened. As opposed, the second part of this story was fast pace and a lot more was happening, it got me more interested in the story.
The romance between Ryul and Erryn was cute. Ryul appear as a cold character when in reality he is really a cinnamon roll.
A lot of infos were given and we don’t really know where we are going with it. The author’s made a note at the end of the book explaining that a series will come out in 2024 about some of the other characters mentioned in the book. So I guessed all those infos are there to introduced this new series coming out. I feel like it was maybe a little bit too much infos, for example we were given all of the grandchildren’s names of the couple who provided the cottage to Erryn, but I get that she wanted to give clues about what is going to be in her series.
This novella is written in a single POV of the FMC. There is no spice.
After a deal gone wrong with a fae, Erryn left her town and found shelter in a cute cottage owned by a lovely couple. They let her live there and she took over the soup business as long as their grandchildren doesn’t need the house to live in.
One day she sees a cute little winged dog coming to her house, filled by loneliness she decides to adopt it. A blood fae comes to get it, it turns out the little winged dog is not real, it is a magical apparition that took the wrong shape. The dog was supposed to be a creature capable of finding his lost family. The blood fae Ryul wants his magic back otherwise his magic will be weakened and the little dog will become real. Erryn doesn’t want to and even though Fae blood are dangerous because they can manipulate your blood and body like a puppet, she makes a trade with him. She can keep the dog and in return she makes soup for him every night for the next three months in hope to restore his magic. He warns her not to fall in love with him because if you tell a blood fae « I love you », they can ask a wish from you and you have to fulfill it not matter what, otherwise you die. So here starts the story of a women hunted by her past that decided to close her heart from love and a cursed fae who is trying to find his family.
This story is in the cozy and warm subgenre of fantasy. This book counts around 210 pages. The first half of it was quite slow pace, it was about Erryn’s daily life as a soup maker: talking to clients, preparing her soups, cleaning, reading recipes … and taking care of her little dog. There are a few conversations with Ryul but not a lot happened. As opposed, the second part of this story was fast pace and a lot more was happening, it got me more interested in the story.
The romance between Ryul and Erryn was cute. Ryul appear as a cold character when in reality he is really a cinnamon roll.
A lot of infos were given and we don’t really know where we are going with it. The author’s made a note at the end of the book explaining that a series will come out in 2024 about some of the other characters mentioned in the book. So I guessed all those infos are there to introduced this new series coming out. I feel like it was maybe a little bit too much infos, for example we were given all of the grandchildren’s names of the couple who provided the cottage to Erryn, but I get that she wanted to give clues about what is going to be in her series.
This novella is written in a single POV of the FMC. There is no spice.