A review by libraryofabibliotaph
Bound by Blood by Jessica M. Butler, J.M. Butler

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.