Bound by Duty (Bound, #1)

by Stormy Smith

[whisperingchapters]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest opinion.

I dived into BOUND BY DUTY not really knowing what to expect. The cover had really caught my attention. I went to Goodreads to see the feedback this book had and realized it has a 4.47 out of 5 in rating! I was blown away! Most of the books in Goodreads have a much lower rating, so for this book to have that much and has 47 reviews, I just knew it had to be good and I am happy to say, Stormy Smith delivered it!

It started with a prologue that was short yet straight to the point and with a hook, good enough to give the readers the want to keep reading right from the start. This story has surprises everywhere you read. When you think you have some things figured out, Stormy does a 180° and changes everything—the reader ends up with mouth wide open and scratching the head a couple of times trying to figure out what is going on. The suspense in the book is not that intense but it is palpable enough to keep you guessing.

I got frustrated at times with Amelia because she would react way too strongly to situations but then I realized I would definitely do the same thing and probably do it more times than she did, so she is forgiven. Amelia is very strong for having to deal with every curve ball life is throwing at her from every angle. She doesn't have a break!

Aidan, the one Amelia wants but can't because he is human; Bethany, Amelia's best friend and roommate; Micah, Bethany's boyfriend and helps Amelia with her powers; Cole, Amelia's older brother—these characters play a big role throughout the whole story. I am Team Aidan all the way. I suffered with him a lot while reading the book and I just wish...*sighs*. Bethany is a country, hyper girl that gives the humor to the whole book and I love her for it. Micah is a character that I had my reservations with in the beginning and I shall say no more. Cole is the protective brother who was there for Amelia, helping her regain control of her powers until she turned 10, leaving Amelia with her father, whom is not so right in the head, or is he? Amelia decides to move to a college that is near Cole and once again he is there for her.

This story contains a lot of secrets. It gets to a point where the reader's brain will lead to explosion because there are a lot of secrets from the characters and they are very important so read carefully.

What I noticed and liked was how Amelia was introduced as already knowing she is not human, not like other book characters that don't know anything. BUT, Amelia doesn't really know how to control her powers, given that she wasn't taught how to, the proper way. Her powers had me so excited and I swear it was like the excitement was building up inside me every time she would use them half-way and even more when it was full force (even though she tried to control it but couldn't).

I HIGHLY recommend this book. It is definitely a nail biter and sitting on the edge of the chair kind of book just so you can jump when things get rough. The ending is so heart breaking and leaves you NEEDING that second book. This story was beyond amazing and exciting to read.