I liked this book overall. The chemistry between John and Aaron is off the charts. When John is hurting, Aaron knows how to help. Of course, then tragedy strikes and the book then goes into flashbacks of them meeting, their relationship and other partners they had. Liam was not a very likeable character, but he was not evil, just jealous. I have trouble reading books with this kind of back and forth time table (It's the same with tv shows that do this) or I would give it more stars. There were good characters in this book that engaged you and kept you reading. Again, I liked the book and will look for more of this author

Forever Bound is the first book in the Bound series by author Chloe Stowe. I liked the pacing of this book, I loved the emotional build up too. This book kept me really connected to how the characters were feeling and a part of that love building between them.
Aaron has known John for nine years. John is a year older than him. Aaron is runner. They are both in the air force. Gone to private dungeons before BDSM. Aaron loves to submit.
John loves to cycle. Loves to rush, the power of being a master. He loves being Aaron’s master.
I loved everything about this book except for one thing, feels very unfinished. There seems to be more that these characters need to say to finish off this story. But they are meant to be together and that love shines through. Over all pretty good and I would want to know more in the future.


Four Twinkling Stars

This book was not at all what I expected it to be and that’s probably the main reason my review is so low. I expected an erotic smutty romance but I got mostly a story about the meeting between the doctor and pilot. Sex itself was really put on the back-burner, which is not want I want in a book that is marketed as an erotic romance.

Characters…

The characters felt very one-dimensional. I wasn’t able to connect with them on any emotional level. I really wanted to feel for them and their situations but I found myself not really caring.

Their relationship with each other was interesting. Their meeting and the story of how they came to care about each other was different and as a story by itself I would have liked to learn more and dig a little deeper.

Plot…

I know I am being really knit-picky about this book but it really isn’t a bad book. If what you want is a story where a doctor meets a pilot who gets shot and they get caught in a tornado and all these crazy things happen that pushes them together then this is the book for you. However, if what you want is just a mindless hot and steamy erotic romance then you might be a little disappointed.

I would recommend that the synopsis be changed to better reflect the story.

Overall, I became bored throughout the story and have forgotten a lot about what I read. I just remember not enjoying it very much and wishing it had more sex.

Forever Bound was kind of hard for me to rate. On one hand, I liked both John and Aaron and so desperately wanted to like their story. On the other hand, their story was simply not executed well enough for me to rate it too highly.

Aaron is a pilot in the Air Force during the days of DADT (Don't Ask, Don't Tell) and John is a surgeon. They meet when they're in their early 20s and there's a strong attraction from the very beginning. John is out and proud, currently in a FWB relationship with Liam when he meets the sexy pilot. Aaron, though, has always been straight until he meets John, to whom he's instantly attracted. In fact, he's in a relationship, an on and off kind of relationship, with a fellow Air Force colleague, a woman named Rosalyn. After their first, fortuitous meeting, they become friends, best friends, and their long distance relationship is filled with sexy texts, Skypes, etc. They become casual, non-exclusive, lovers, and stay that way for years. Then one grim day, John loses a patient, and Aaron is there for him in the way only he can - by offering John his submission so that John can take out his pain on Aaron's body. But, someone who hates John is watching, and it's the catalyst for the backbone of this story.

As Aaron fights for his life in the OR, John recalls their long, twisty relationship in a series of flashbacks. And it's here where the story lost me, because the flashbacks are so non-linear and not set apart from the present very clearly, that I got lost more than once trying to figure out exactly where the story was going, and where it was. I prefer flashbacks to be clearly delineated, either with headers with dates, or in italics, or what have you. Something, anything, that clearly lets me know that I'm reading a flashback. Then I won't have to try to figure out what's going on. There are all kinds of things thrown into the flashbacks. There's BDSM, including subspace training with a bearded "master" hypnotist, there's the jockeying back and forth for control between the two, there's the fact that both have relationships with others while at the same time maintaining their casual, but loving sexual relationship with each other, there are exes, including the FWB man John was with when Aaron and John first met (and who turns out to be a serious douchebag), and tons of other things that just muddy up the story line. I felt as if my head were in a fog nearly the whole story and it's because of the flashbacks. Perhaps if about half of the flashbacks were taken out, AND if the ones left in were clearly set apart from the present, I might have been able to connect with what could have been a great story. As it's written, though, I just couldn't reach my way through all the nonsense to get to the good stuff.

So, what could have been a really sexy BDSM story about best friends who happened to be in love, is instead a muddy, semi sexy story with two great characters. They were great enough that they deserved better than what they got in Forever Bound.

Forever Bound
Chloe Stowe
4.5 Stars✨

Wow! What an awesome story!! This wasn't exactly what I was expecting when I requested this book. This was so much more. I loved reading about how John and Aaron met, lusted after each other, grew closer together, became best friends, became lovers, fought with each other, comforted each other. I never could have guessed the ending and am so glad I took the time and read this one.

Description
When a soldier and a surgeon explore their darkest fantasies, they find that submission can be a gift of the heart... Aaron Chambers is an Air Force pilot and a consummate soldier. He is strong and always in control. John Castle is a surgeon; his intelligence is daunting, as is his success. But when a twist of fate causes John to lose a patient, he finds himself mired in a downward spiral of doubt and loss of control. Aaron's rescue plan is simple... to give his soldier's will and body for one night to John. But hatred-filled eyes watch master and willing slave play, and riddle more than their playground with bullets. It is a fight for survival. It is a fight for love. It is a fight that leaves John and Aaron forever bound to each other...


This was my first book by this author and I will definitely keep my eyes open for more of her books in the future. Thanks NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I like the MM books a lot. This was interesting because it dealt with someone in the military and the MM romance sect. I did find it hard to follow at time because of how some of the scenes jumped from the past to the present through the book. However, overall it was very well written and I loved how it ended. A very engaging book. I could not stop reading and finished it in one day :)

Aaron thought the world stopped moving the first time he saw John. He questioned who he was but knew that John would play a prominent role in his life. The book does a wonderful job of exploring how they met and how they ultimately became best friends and making the other feel complete.

I normally do not enjoy books with time/flashback formats, HOWEVER I truly enjoyed this book! The author handled the flashbacks well. Both MC were engaging and the chemistry was between them from the start. I would have liked more detail in the aftermath with Liam but overall that plot point was executed well. The action was fast paced and the BDSM aspect was just the right level to spice it up without being heavy handed (if you aren't into the lifestyle). I would definitely read more from this author in this series.

Aaron and John are both great characters and have great chemistry. The story is fast paced with lots of drama and emotion and held my interest throughout. I really liked it.

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. The story of Aaron and John involves Aaron being shot and while John is at his bedside, he keeps going back in time to events that happened in their relationship. The book has a HEA and is fairly well written. I would have preferred an Epilogue for an update. It needs to deal with their relationship in the present after Aaron's recovery s little more. Overall I would recommend the book.

This is a hot story, reissued. You need to keep in mind that it was originally published in 2010, before the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, as that is important in the story.
Aaron is an Air Force pilot who is also a submissive man. He hasn’t allowed himself to recognize that he is either bisexual or gay until he gets stimulated watching John and his friend with benefits Liam engaged in oral sex.
John is a surgeon, accustomed to being in charge in the operating room and also in his personal life.
The story bounces around in time and sometimes it requires the reader to take the time and effort to realize which crisis is current and which is in the past. I lost trace a few times and had to re-read a bit to get my bearings.
All in all, a good story. A few more breadcrumbs to keep the reader grounded would have been helpful.

I enjoyed this story about Aaron, an air force pilot and John, the surgeon. They were nice, fully developed characters, the story was real, and messy and fun and that amazing rollercoaster that is known as falling in love. Of course it’s not all smooth sailing (is it ever?). I didn’t find myself rolling my eyes at any point and the story felt real and it was a refreshing change from tales with immature characters and silly scenarios. My only remark would be that the story seemed to jump back and forth in time and I was a little confused at one point but this didn’t hinder the story. All around, everything about this book was really well done. I’m not so keen on the heavy BDSM Sir/Master type relationship and this was a quick and much softer telling which spiced up the story nicely. There wasn’t too much sex in the book I thought but what scenes there were well written and not too over the top.