A great second book! So much takes place in this one and I was hooked until the very end. Super entertaining and I couldn't put it down. I wish this was a series!

This was a satisfying sequel mostly, though I did feel that the second half was much slower than the first. I enjoyed all the new characters and finished the book wishing I had more time with them rather than the love triangle—which eventually became exhausting.

This was a good follow-up to the first book. It's not in my usual preferred genre, and while I found some of it a bit predictable, I enjoyed the journey for what it was. Would definitely recommend for fans of ACOTAR and The Cruel Prince!

I loved this book so much. It was the perfect end to this duology. All the twists and turns were awesome. I had no idea how this was going to end, but I was very happy with the ending. There was lots of action and adventure and some romance! I cannot wait to read more from this author. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an Ebook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I did really enjoy this book, and this Duology, though I wouldn't say it's one of my favorites.
Book two did hold my interest much more than book one! But it still took me time to get through the book, as it didn't have that "can't put it down" feeling for me.
I enjoyed Brie, but I didn't overly enjoy either of the main love interests. I honestly think I would have enjoyed this book the most if Brie just said "screw you" yo both Bash and Finn and just spent the book being her cool self and saving people.
I did enjoy the overall plot and the resolution of the love triangle in the end, though to me the ending felt a bit rushed. All that lead up to meeting and talking to Mab, and then very fast resolution.

Overall, would recommend and would definitely pick up something else written by Lexi Ryan.

Thanks for the ARC!

This was an excellent ending to a fantasic duology! I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the universe more! I was really worried about how things would wrap up for the characters. There was a good amount of concern and suspense on what would happen that left me on the edge of my seat desperately trying to read faster.
I will say this story isn't for people looking to read an incredibly complex fantasy. This was easy to get into and entertaining.

I think I enjoyed These Twisted Bonds even more than These Hollow Vows! This was so much fun and has everything I love about YA fantasy. This was a little spicier than I anticipated but I’m not complaining!

Highly recommend this duology to any lovers of fantasy, romance, and Fae.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc in exchange for a review.

I have eagerly waited a long time for this book. The first book was so well written that I often found myself thinking of the story and characters over the last year. Now that it is finally here, I will tell you that if you are like me and it has been awhile some you have read the first book, you may want to read it again as a refresher because this book jumps right in where the other left off. If you don't feel like waiting, you will soon pick up the gist of the prior book and remember those little things.

Can I tell you it will blow you away and grip you in the same way the first book did? Sadly, no I can't. Whatever fire that was burning in Abriella, the passion that drew people to her like moths to a flame, that drive and grit covering a her caring heart - all of that that made Abriella the dynamic character that she was in the last book is gone. It's almost like her fire has been dowsed when her heart was broken. She became this jaded character that just mopes and complains. She has become a disappointment for most of the book. Enough of the "poor worthless little human me" whining. Your not even a human any more, you can't use that excuse!

I really can't even go further into how much her decisions bother me without dropping spoilers. Stop having these internal monologs about how Sebastian doesn't really mean to deceive you. He stole your crown, killed you, turned you into the thing you hate the most, separated you completely from the only family you have, and bound your life to his . . . He did it all without asking for opinion or okay. Get angry. I want her to stop being so easily manipulated.

One of the only things I enjoyed about the book were the side characters from the prior book and new characters, like Misha from the Wild Lands. Bringing joviality and a sense of calm to scenes, he's the kind of character I wouldn't mind reading a spin-off about.

In total, expect a story light on the world-building, worth a plot that felt a little hurried near the end. There is definitely more angst in this book than the last with some kind of quasi- love triangle going on. Be prepared to not know who it comes or on top from one page to the next. I applaud the author for knowing when to write the story as it is and not extending it just to try to get 3 books. It works as 2.

** Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion **

Much like the These Hollow Vows, I found this sequel incredibly enjoyable.
It starts off exactly where it left off in the first book and the story picks up from there. There are some parts at the beginning that I felt dragged on but once I hit a certain part of the book, I couldn’t put it down! It’s been awhile since I’ve felt so torn up about a love triangle. I am not typically a huge fan of love triangles, but this felt different. There is so many underlining secrets and politics to the Kingdoms. It’s complicated and interesting and the ultimate goal was peace. So I just couldn’t make up my mind about the love interests.

If you’ve read These Hollow Vows and loved it, you need to read this! 🖤 The epilogue was so bittersweet and had me hugging the book when I finished.

When we last were with these characters, Sebastian has given Abriella the potion of life (turning her Fae) after bonding with her and gaining the Unseelie crown.  As this second book picks up Abrielle is on the run; from Sebastian, from Finn, from basically everything that she knows.  

I get it, she was lied to, used and forced into a life she wouldn't have chosen for herself.  Is she allowed a moment to whine and cry?  Yes.  But she spends a lot of time putting blame on everyone and wishing for a different outcome, while at the same time saying she wanted to help the Unseelie kingdom regain what it was losing.  This is where she starts to lose me.  She was such a strong person in the first book, that this whiny person was hard to get behind.  She wants to help, but she wants to get away.  She hates Sebastian, but she wants to help him.  She needed to figure things out, but it felt like it took too long and didn't give me confidence she'd ever be able to take on the responsibility coming her way.

I wish I could have liked this one more, I had been looking forward to reading this, but in the end this story fell flat for me.

These Twisted Bonds by Lexi Ryan wraps up the These Hollow Vows duology, The story picks up just after the conclusion of the first book. Brie is dealing with the betrayal that she experienced from the ones she loved and considered her friends. Early on, she struggles to come to grips with this betrayal, and she struggles with her new bonded status with Sebastian.
With the struggle between the two fae courts taking center stage in this novel, it is understandably filled with lots conflict, magic, and adventure, as well as new friendships. The love triangle continues, and when it is finally resolved, takes this book, in my opinion, from the YA category to New Adult category with some fairly explicit sexual scenes.
While I enjoyed the book, especially the second half, I felt thrown into the plot of the story without any reinforcing back story set up. I hadn't read These Hollow Vows in many months, and I really felt I needed to have read it recently. There were so many characters, and I had forgotten what their relationships/roles were. This made the beginning of the novel somewhat difficult to get into for me because I was trying to recall who was who.
Overall, the book was enjoyable. I thought the conclusion was a bit rushed, and I would have enjoyed more of what the second half of the book had to offer. Overall, I would recommend this to those who have recently finished These Hollow Vows

This was perfection!! Especially the ending. Of course I don’t want to spoil it but I am jumping with joy in how this amazing story was concluded. Lexi Ryan is just an amazing author and I’m obsessed with her writing. I can’t wait to have a physical copy in my collection. Thank you so much Netgalley for giving the opportunity to receive an early copy!

First thing I’d like to say about These Twisted Bonds is that I liked it better than the first book in the duology, These Hollow Vows. But with that being said, I still did not really enjoy this book as I had similar issues with it that I had with the first book. The plot seemed very formulaic and I predicted all of the plot twists that occurred, and the characters all continued to be problematic for me. Brie gained more personality in this book, but she still seemed almost like she was pretending to be someone else even to herself, and I found a lot of her actions and decisions seemed really rushed and unfounded based on her previous experiences. Sebastian seemed extremely childish for almost the entirety of the book and I don’t think that the redemption arc worked out for him as he didn’t seem to have grown enough to make it believable. And Finn was really hot-and-cold during the book, without satisfactorily explaining his reasonings for his behaviour. The dynamics between these three characters still felt off and a bit harmful in this book for all involved, but I did like Jes’s appearances and the friendship Brie had with Misha. If you enjoyed the first book, then you will most likely enjoy this one, but if you did not, then you will have found a lot of the same problems in this one.

These Twisted Bonds is the second book in the duology and unfortunately this series is just not for me. I read the first one and just disliked the MC and most of the plot. I was hoping that this second book would be better than the first but alas I still didn't like the MC and found her so frustrating that this was a dnf for me.

This book picks up right where These Hollow Vows left off. A refresher may be necessary if you don't remember what happens in book one.

The Good:
- I liked this better than Book One! I think because I found Abriella slightly less insufferable. The first half is about her coming into her new body and powers and I vibed with her “trust no one” attitude, lol.
- The pacing is better too. I love that Lexi Ryan keeps the traveling segments to a minimum. We get like, a paragraph about their journeys, and then get right to the action.
- It’s slightly spicier than the first book. Always fun.
- Mating bonds seem like a nightmare, honestly!! I liked that this showed the bad side of it.

The Bad:
- The romance/love triangle is basically a rip off of ACOTAR and so many other books. One side of the triangle gets basically no page time, which annoyed me for spoilery reasons I’ll say below.
- Jas is a plot device and not really a character.
- The plot is pretty convoluted between all the crowns, courts, bloodlines, etc. I still don’t really understand what the solution is or meant.

[SPOILER}
I’m honestly annoyed at how Sebastian was treated here. His actions were no worse than Finn’s yet they’re treated as unforgivable, and he’s given no time with Brie to explain himself. Also, the girl ending up with the edgy Prince of Night is SO overdone at this point; I was hoping things would go against type here. I like a childhood friends to lovers! Alas.

For me, These Twisted Bonds maybe missed the mark. I think it's still a promising series, and I wouldn't discourage people from reading it. But I spent the first few chapters struggling to remember what happened at the end of the previous book. Not only that, the main character spends much of the first chapter monologuing and her priorities and motivations shift quickly. This title just didn't stand out for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Clarion Books, and Ms. Ryan for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I’m so grateful this was a duology. I’m NOT a love-triangle book person and just the idea of stretching the agony out over the course of three books was killing me a little on the inside.

Abriella, reeling from Sebastian’s betrayal and her transformation into one of the despised fae, is on the run from Sebastian’s diabolical mother. She’s also desperate to save the Unseelie children in prison camps. Perhaps I misinterpreted it but it seems that between her efforts, the Wild Fae’s guerilla tactics, and Sebastian’s raids, this is accomplished relatively quickly, only for the children to fall into a coma-like sleep. At the same time, Abriella is struggling with the bond she recklessly made (there’s an old saying I remember from the Little House on the Prairie books: “Marry in haste, repent at leisure”, and if you sub the word “marry” for “bond” it is the perfect summation here). She regrets making it but is now stuck. Sebastian isn't giving up and neither is Finn. I'm sure there are people divided between the two ships but it's clear fairly quickly here which of the two Abriella chooses; the only real problem is she isn't willing to completely cut Sebastian loose for various reasons.

I was really into the “save the children” plotline and I wished that had been the complete focus, rather than deciphering how the magic got switched from Oberon to Abriella and all the ins and outs and whys and hows of the Unseelie? Shadow Kingdom? (are they the same?) throne. I also thought that Sebastian’s betrayal was a little inflated, and that Abriella should have blamed herself more for BONDING HERSELF FOREVER to someone just for comfort and safety. I mean, come on. But isn’t she 17 or 18 in this story? Tbh I would think that’s fairly typical behavior and thought process for a person that age. It isn’t really fair to judge a 17 year old’s actions by what an old (ahem)er person would do.

Overall this was a fun ride. I wouldn’t say that the tropes or themes (or even plotlines) are terribly original, but I do think this would have a fairly broad appeal to teens who like fae fantasy with a romantic flavor. I think that the main character’s actions, thought process and behavior are a little immature for an older reader, and I would caution any readers that aren’t into love triangles that this duology is basically ALL ABOUT one. That being said, I liked the writing style, and I would absolutely seek out Lexi Ryan’s adult titles – in fact, I have one lined up to read next.

WHAT A SATISFYING ENDING.

If you were ripped to shreds by the way that book 1 ended, than book 2 will repair your heart and then some. I loved Brie’s character development in this one more than anything! It felt as realistic as character development in a fantasy word can.

5/5 stars. A must read!


Huge thank you to the publisher, author, and net galley for an eARC to review!

All opinions are my own.

No spoiler review. Thank you to Netgalley and Clarion Books for the ARC.

This was easily one of my most anticipated books of the year, and it did not disappoint me one bit. After the end of these Hollow Vows I had no idea what to expect from These Twisted Bonds but I couldn’t have asked for a better sequel than this. What I enjoyed in book one was that there were little plot twists every time things started to get comfortable and the sequel did the same thing which kept me interested from start to finish. I never found that there was a lull at any part of the story and it all flowed together well.
We got to see Finn and Sebastian interact more and it was entertaining to read the dynamic between the two. I also liked that both men admitted to being selfish when I came to Brie, they didn’t try to hide how they felt and backstab one another and just owned up to their feelings. There was definitely some character growth but also some explanations as to why the characters are they way they are, as well as why they chose to do certain actions that seemed questionable at the time. By the end of the story I felt like everything closed off really nicely and it didn’t leave me feeling like things were left unanswered.

I did not expect to be in so much suspense the entire book but I honestly loved that I was. Okay so I wasn’t necessarily 100% happy with it at the time…. I haven’t been that stressed while reading a book in a long time but it was completely worth it. I enjoyed not knowing how the ending was going to turn out which made reading the end even better. As someone who lives for happily ever afters, the ending was pretty perfect. There was some selflessness from a certain character that I wasn’t expecting and it was bittersweet but was also one of my favourite parts about how the book ended.

I can’t wait to get my physical copy and honestly probably do a reread of both books quite soon. Lexi did such an incredible job with this duology and this book will certainly be making my top books of the year list.

This book was absolutely everything I hoped it would be!! It picks up immediately where we left off in book one. Slipping back into the story almost a year after reading book one felt as easy as coming home. If you loved book one be ready to love this one even more.