I enjoyed Bridget as a main character but Liam not so much. There was nothing exactly that put me off but I didn't get that he was actually interested.

I did like the time travel element, it's a fine line with Irish history when you take into account the English element and it needs to be done right and I think the author did a reasonable job especially considering she is not Irish.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ugh, I hate when I don't jive with a book!

Sadly, this book just did not do it for me. I had a very hard time getting into it from the get-go. The premise had a lot of promise and I basically love anything set in Ireland, but the plot did not intrigue me all that much. I also didn't really love the main characters.

Honestly, I really thought I would love this book, but I had a hard time getting into it. The hero of the story was hard to like, and the heroine felt a bit naive. It didn't work for me, and sometimes that happens.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Forever Bound

Author: Jessica Dall

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 2/5

Spice Level: 2/5

Recommended For...: romance, historical romance, time travel, soulmates

Publication Date: January 16. 2023

Genre: Romance

Age Relevance: 18+ (romance, sexual content, religion, alcohol consumption, violence)

Explanation of Above: The book is a romance that contains some sexual content, including a sex scene. There are occasional mentions of God and Christianity. There is some shown alcohol consumption. There is some slight violence.

Publisher: Entangled: Amara

Pages: 300

Synopsis: Set among the rolling green Irish hills, Kelkerry Castle is something out of a dreamy fairy tale. For hotelier Bridget Marshall, however, it's a dream come true...once she’s sorted out the mold, lead paint, and ancient plumbing. And she’ll prove to everyone in the nearby village of Shansally (pop. 119) that she’s not just another silly, dreamy-eyed American—including her curt (if utterly gorgeous) new neighbor, Liam O'Flannagain.

Only, this breathtaking castle has far more secrets than expensive repairs. While someone—or something—here desperately wants Bridget to give up and walk away, there’s another force tugging Bridget to stay. Because whenever she’s with Liam, the ancient past seems to come to life again, sweeping them along in a story they’re apparently destined to relive.

Now, Liam and Bridget are caught up in a long-ago tale filled with love, danger, and betrayal. The past seems to be working its magic on both of them, pulling them into a love story they’re helpless to resist. And they’ll have to uncover the truth of what happened all those centuries ago before history—and tragedy—repeats itself.

Review: For the most part this book had a great Outlander feel to it as it revolved around a woman who inherited a castle basically and her attempts to turn it into a B&B while also uncovering where a hidden artifact is buried via seeing glimpses into her past self with the help of an Irish man. The book had its typical “soulmate in every timeline” storyline and it was ok for the most part. I also did appreciate that it was set in Ireland.

However, I wasn’t very satisfied with the book. It felt like it drug on and on for a long time in the book and that the middle could have been simply summed up in about 100 less pages. The book was also kinda boring to me and I found it hard to keep reading it.

Verdict: It wasn’t for me but it might be for you!

I have been provided with a review copy of Forever Bound from NetGalley for an impartial review. I was just drawn into this wonderful story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. It was just so easy to get lost in this great story. I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Alright guys, so not every book is for every reader, and, as readers, we KNOW this, and yet when one falls a little left of field, sometimes it still can shock and awe. This title was like that for me. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't disappointed overall, just perturbed by the flashback/time travel combination events. It felt like I couldn't really get to know either set of characters well enough to form a strong bond with them, and, quite frankly, though I had no affection for the high and mighty snooty love interest, I didn't have any for Liam either. His personality just felt cold to me. Maybe it was the past influencing him so much in the present. Maybe it was the memories, even if they weren't his own, weighing his smile into a frown. Maybe he just had perpetual resting who-know-what face. I just couldn't get a good enough feel for them to make it work 100% for me. Still, with that being said, the building blocks of the story were interesting, such as Bridget's following her dream, and the ending was cause for celebration, not in a sarcastic way either, and I loved how the dog played a roll in all of that too.

All in all, a curious read that will have you wondering just what will happen next, who has it out for her, and asking "why the long face, Liam"!

I enjoyed this time travel historical romance. The setting was a dream. I would love to visit all the castles in Ireland and hope to have flashbacks to a past romance!

I loved that Bridget took a risk and bought this run down castle. Of course there’s going to be a lot of work to be done but it was good to see an independent woman take on such a task. I enjoyed watching her really come into herself as she navigated the construction of Kelkerry Castle and the strange visions around the property. I liked the mystery around the flashbacks to the past and the unfolding of the events that happened around the castle.

Liam. Oh swoon! Of course Bridget doesn’t have just one Irish man to look at but two. Douglas doesn’t hesitate to ask Bridget out and it doesn’t hurt that he’s easy on the eyes as well as educated in the history of the town and Kelkerry. Liam on the other hands is definitely more mysterious and leaves you wondering what his deal is. He doesn’t want to be at Kelkerry and doesn’t approve of Bridget getting close to Douglas.

If you’re looking for something a bit reminiscent of Outlander but a whole lot cleaner than I definitely recommend this historical romance. The pacing was perfect, the characters likeable and well developed, and the setting is a dream!

A fun contemporary almost-fantasy with a small nod towards Outlander and a deep bow to those of us who always dreamed of living in an Irish castle. Liam and Bridget were such fun characters and I loved getting to know them. Add in the side of whodunnit and the whole time traveling memory hopping deal, I was sucked in from the first page to the last! I would also totally read a story just about Cian and Ellyn, because even though I loved the bits we saw, I still wanted more!

This story is amazing! It's so magical yet so full of suspense, especially those scenes from the past! So well written! It felt like we too were thrown into this vision of the past with these characters! Don't even get me started on the scenery! The author did so well in that that I felt I was seeing, feeling, and hearing EVERYTHING! Like this is why read!
Thank You Turn the Page Tours and Entangled Publishing for the eARC!!

This is an incredibly engaging, fantastical book. Bridget has come to restore and Oldcastle, but she has a grumpy neighbor, Liam. Then all things start happening, where it seems like Bridget and Liam are getting caught up in some sort of past mystery involving the castle. The characters are well written, and are easy to root for throughout the story. the plot itself keeps you on your toes and seems somewhat magical as you read it all in all this is a book that I truly enjoyed and would recommend.

What an interesting and fun mix of history, romance & mystery - I don’t think I’ve ever read something that blended these genres together quite so seamlessly. Maybe it’s the use of past lives & flashbacks through a time travel vision lens that makes it work? I don’t know honestly but it works here.

Bridget walks away from her life in America to buy an old abandoned Irish castle, with dreams of restoring it into a grand hotel. Liam is her hot as hell but grumpy & brooding neighbor. Sparks fly amidst strange visions and jumps into their past lives as lovers. But while exploring these visions of the past, someone in the present is trying to derail her castle renovations.

This one has hot & steamy romance, jealousy, mystery & treasure hunting. It was a slow start for me but the story picked up and I ended up truly enjoying this.

I was provided a digital arc through NetGalley & Entangled. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In this fish out of water story, American hotelier Bridget Marshall dreams of turning a castle in a tiny village of Shansally into a hotel. But weird things start happening between her and her grumpy neighbor that lead them both to believe there's a whole lot more to the castle and their situation than meets the eye.

Whenever Bridget and her neighbor Liam are together, it seems they experience something that has them dealing with the past. It's unsettling and Bridget is compelled to learn more about the castle and in the process, learns more about what might be happening between her and Liam. Turns out it is a time-slip situation, and things could get very interesting for them.

I really did find this entertaining as a fantasy, especially the way Bridget and Liam are linked in the past and present. There's a nice build as they start to understand what is happening around them and how some of what was happening to them was inevitable. An interesting take on the time travel romance. There's a bit of a mystery and suspense element to this read that I liked as well.

An entertaining, easy to read romance with historical elements.

OMG!!! I absolutely loved this story. It was so interesting and entertaining. It was a cool and unique story that was easy to fall into.

I enjoyed the plot and the twisted mysteries surrounding it. This book keeps you guessing throughout the entire story. The book flows smoothly and the author takes her time laying it out and telling the most amazing story. It is full of mystery, danger and love.

The concept chosen by the author for her story really was interesting and drew me into the story from the very beginning. On top of the ground work she laid, she through in some unique characters and Irish traditions. With beautiful accents and folklore this story is sure to have you turning the pages and never setting down the book. The characters were interesting and fun.

If you enjoy time travel and mysterious history with a paranormal vibe, then this book is for you. It is fun, dangerous and oh good with a twist of heat to burn up the pages.

I unexpectedly loved this! I liked the time switch, I loved the romance, it felt more of a realistic development of a relationship. This absolutely felt very Lifetime movie and I don't hate that.

I really enjoyed this book! I enjoyed the glimpses into the past while we try to unravel the mystery Bridget and Liam are experiencing. He's a misunderstood grump but I really liked him. I love that Bridget is able to see who he is beneath the grumpy exterior.

Bridget bought Kelkerry Castle, near the small village of Shansally, Ireland sight unseen. She has plans to renovate the castle and open her very own hotel. She has plenty of work ahead of her and plenty of new people to meet.

Her new neighbor Liam is not very friendly unlike everyone else in the village. But the castle has plenty to keep her busy especially when they start to eat away at her budget. But she can't walk away. Whenever she's near Liam, the ancient past seems to come alive around them. Making them relive a story from the castle's past.

The past draws them together unable to resist the pull they feel for one another. They'll work together to figure out what happened all those years ago while also trying to figure out who is sabotaging her renovation efforts.

Thank you so much to the author and Entangled for the ARC to review.

This book had some intriguing elements to it that seemed to be a bit refreshing when it comes to romances.

When Bridget moved to Ireland to open a hotel within a castle that was not being used, things start taking weird turns.

Liam who is her brooding neighbor comes over and he is helping her with some of the renovations and problems the castle has.

Bridget digs deeper into the past, gets closer with Liam and learns some of the history to the castle. But as they get closer it seems fate and the past have something else in mind.

I absolutely devoured this book, although it has it's flaws I still enjoyed reading the book.

I’m a little torn, while I loved Bridget and the story kept we interested with the fast pace and it was really easy to follow along! I wasn’t a huge fan of Liam, I do love a good grump but I felt like he was being more manipulative then normal grumps we see. Maybe that’s just me tho, either way I really loved the story! The visions were definitely the highlight for me, how they were described painted a clear picture and I really enjoyed that!

A mystery centuries old has been waiting to be solved, Bridget and Liam are the only people that can do it.

Buy a castle she thought, it will be fun, what's the worst that can happen, she thought all of these things in the beginning, if only Bridget had known that buying that castle would change not only her life but her future, even possibly her past.

Through a string of "accidents," Bridget finds herself traveling back in time with Liam (The ohh so grumpy next-door neighbor) to try and figure out what it is that Lady Ellyn and Cain want them to know and find.

It gets to a point that the only way to save the Castle and Bridget's plans is finding the dowery that's supposed to be buried somewhere on the property.

Without giving away the ending, I have to say I think Fairies is a very possible conclusion, at least that's what I'm telling myself it all meant.

Time travel is something that has fascinated me for a long time, and I have to say the way it's done in this book is fascinating, tying the places to the people to items, everything has to line up in just the right way for things to happen.

This is a 4.5-star book for me, I rounded it up for review purposes.

Thank you to Entangled and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this ebook, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The premise/blurb is what initially drew me in to this book. I find that I just wasn't invested into the story that I thought I was going to be. I think I would've liked more past chapters more, but the constant past and present that Bridget was being transported to, felt weird to me. I didn't fall in love with the main characters either. I think this would be a good start for those who never read a time travel romance.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

While there might be room for a bit of improvement in some areas, especially when it comes to the two main characters, the story itself is really good and exactly what the plot promises.
What I mean by improvement really refers to the depth of the characters and the pace of their relationship. There was of course more insight into Bridget’s thoughts than Liam’s, but in my opinion, despite their clear connection and attraction there wasn’t really a talk about feelings and that threw me.
I adored the Irish setting, it’s one of my favourites, and it made me almost forget how much I loathe small towns - if small towns were a trope, Jessica Dall would’ve nailed it perfectly. You know that part in the Grinch where he’s all “hate, hate, hate”? That’s me with small towns, especially this one. It’s probably because I’ve known in a small town myself.
Bridget seems a fish out of water most of the time and there were times when I would’ve gladly banged her head against the wall for the way she acted, but I loved her tenacity when it came to the hotel and finding out what was happening in the visions she shared with Liam and who was behind her disgraces.
You get to know less about Liam’s personality, which is mostly hinted at through his actions. Two of the things I love the most about him are his protectiveness and his sass. I wanted to have more insight into his visions and his past, I feel like there was more to tell. Besides, I wish we had more moments between him and Bridget that didn’t exactly involve the visions alone, something more couple-y.
All in all, it was a good and fun read, one that, while missing some little elements, came to a full circle and left me with a smile on my face and sparked again my want to go back to Ireland. Perhaps I will find my own man named Liam - yes, yes, I have a huge weakness for that name.