Book Review: Bonded Nightmare by E.M. Rinaldi

“Bonded Nightmare” is that type of Romance book that deserves so much more love and hype. I devoured the story and I cannot believe I discovered E.M. Rinaldi so late!

Eryn has been running all her life. As the heir of the Nightmare faction, she along with her parents, have suffered the persecution of the Tribunal. When it is discovered that she is destined to be a witch’s bond, her family is pardoned and the bounty is lifted. Still, Eryn refuses the bond and decides to keep hiding in the human world. Pushed by her parents, she starts studying at Moorcroft University and becomes best friends with her human roommate Rani. Little did she expect for her bonded to follow her here.

Kai has been searching for her ever since he learned of their bond. All he wants is a life with the woman he is destined to love and when her life is in danger, he will do all in his power to protect her, even from herself and her stubbornness.

My previous experiences were nice, I guessed, but kissing Kai was like a jolt to the system. Like lightning coursing right underneath the surface of my skin, sinking into my muscles, and taking my nervous system for a joyride.

The author has created a beautiful romance around the fated mates trope. However hard Eryn tries to run from her destiny, however hard she tries to push back her feelings for Kay, she cannot escape. The connection between them is very well created. They become stronger together, their bond becomes more intense with every skin-on-skin contact.

Trying to fit in in a world that doesn’t accept someone different is also a theme present in the story. Eryn is constantly looking over her shoulder, always under the impression that someone will eventually find out that she is different. Not to mention the fact that her enemies are still lurking. She want to pretend she’s normal and have a healthy friendship with her roommate, but one cannot hide from their origin.

“I have no problem saving you, princess. It’s having to do it because you refuse to use your intelligence that I find irritating.”

“Asshole”, I snarled. “Who said I wouldn’t have figured it out on my own?”

“Before or after getting stabbed again?”

Both characters are very well build. They are both relentless when it comes to their wants and apparent needs. Kai wants Eryn and wants a future with her. Eryn wants to become a veterinarian and she will finish her studies, regardless of her position as bond to the Witch faction heir. I love them! I love their interaction, the banter, the back and forth. Kai is protective, Eryn is reckless. He does not deny his role, she does everything she can to stay away. He is willing to compromise, she doesn’t believe a word.

Rani, the best friend, and Kai’s cousin and second in command Ezra, are also an amazing bunch. She’s considerate, not nosy but considerate. Rani is the perfect best friend. Ezra is smart and always there to protect his cousin and his cousin’s bond. He never misses a beat when it comes to their safety. His feelings for Rani slowly turn into something more and I love how the author left us some hints throughout the story.

“So bossy,” I muttered. Somehow he pressed even closer.

“You like my bossy.”

“Overconfident,” I fired off.

“Irresponsible,” he replied in kind.

The writing is beautiful. The characters feel real and relatable. The plot did not feel burdened with too much of something. Initially, I saw Eryn’s carelessness as a plot hole, but it is later disclosed that she has lived a life without much knowledge of the magical world. Speaking of, even if the author made it clear that this is not a Romantasy, I must admit I wanted to have the magic system a bit more explained. It would have enlightened us more on why some factions were so determined to prevent the bond from happening.  

Something else that threw me off was the spelling of “magick”. I didn’t see the relevance of writing this differently. Also the use of the bond as in the partner, the bond as in the connection between the main characters, and also the word “bonded” used in similar circumstances had me confused.

“You can be mad at me later,” she started.

“Oh, I’m going to be mad at you right fucking now, princess. I can be mad and get us out of this at the same time. Multitasking.”

Even if there are some aspects that prevented me to give all my 5 stars, I would reread this book over and over! I loved it so much and I cannot wait for the sequel. I hope we will get to see more of the world and I hope we will see more of their powers. Oh, did I mention Kai is a shadow wielder???

Cover Review: this is going to hurt… I like the colors and the overall design. But I see little to no connection with the story. Why? Why? Or maybe I am missing something ….Maybe the eye would leads us to the dream world or to the idea to look beyond what we normally see. But the flowers and the raindrops … why???  

“Things will be different,” he admitted. Well, that was helpful. Not.

All in all, I do encourage you to read “Bonded Nightmare” by E.M. Rinaldi and I hope you’ll enjoy it at least as much as I did. The author has crafted an entertaining narrative with compelling characters and unexpected twists. It is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good romance, with a dazzle of magic.

I am excited to go through E.M. Rinaldi’s backlist and I cannot wait to tell you all about those other books. In the meantime, let me know in the comments below if you have read any of the books by the same author or if my review made you at least a tiny bit curious. I would like to start A Familiar Duology, maybe we can buddy read – it’s available on Kindle Unlimited as well 🙂

P.S.: I have so many other quotes… I loved this book. I love the writing, I love the author. Give me more? I’m addicted!