Bound to the Shadow Prince by Ruby Dixon is a fantastic enemies-to-lovers story!
The spice, the characters and the writing were absolutely compelling.
I devoured it! I loved it! I ate it the heck up!

Thank You NetGalley and Wattpad Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Candra and Nemeth make for one heck of a good fantasy book but we warned-- it's a thick one. Candra is forced to be in a tower with Nemeth as a sacrifice to the gods. The book could be split into two parts-- their time in the tower with the slow burn romance and the more action/war when they get out. I enjoyed having them build the relationship and not having instalove with the two characters. If you are a fan of monster peen, being locked in a tower, and virgin MMC then this book is for you.

*Force Proximity
*Monster/Human looooove
*Chronic Illness Rep

I want to preface this review with I had never read a book by this author before and didn’t realize how spicy this book was going to be. Personally, it was just too much spice. However, I really enjoyed the story, and I liked Candra and Nemeth. I thought that their connection was a lovely one and even with them being locked in a tower the non-spicy scenes really did a lovely job of showing them growing as people and as a couple. I also liked the twists towards the end of the book. So, while this book’s spice level may have been too hot for this reader, I did enjoy the other aspects of this book.
Thank you to Wattpad Webtoon Book Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

🕯”𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰’𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.”🕯
Candra starts of the book as a fundamentally selfish character, and I actually really enjoyed that! Its not often that that a FMC is unashamed about being selfish but Candra had her reasons and they were very good. I also liked that it didn’t mean she was cruel or unthinking, its just that she was going to look after herself and she wasn’t willing to sacrifice her happiness or comfort for others. Obviously, she’s not a monster because she does end up going into a tower for 7 years to spare her sister that fate, but she tries HARD to get out of it. There were quite a few times that I actually laughed at loud when Candra was being selfish and sassy about it.
I also liked that Nemeth was such a cinnamon-roll. He was so sweet and I loved how he wanted to protect her. With that being said a few things didn’t make sense to me mostly surrounding why Candra got sent to the tower in the first place. It seemed like it was for an extra GOTCHA moment and not really to answer any outstanding questions.
Overall, I really enjoyed it! I would recommend it for fans of IPB, spicy fantasy, and enemies to lovers!

Ruby's books have been on my radar for a while now. She is known for writing spicey books within the Omegaverse (a sub-genre in romance). Her heroes are often not human, and the sex scenes are incredibly kinky and usually involve knotting/breeding. For those new to the Omegaverse universe, here is a brief overview of the subgenre. In most cases, romances that fall in the Omegaverse universe have this alpha/beta/omega feel to them. Think of the hierarchy system that exists in a wolf pack. Often, characters in these books fall into these roles, and how they interact with each other is determined by their role; these roles also extend to sexual interactions. Another characteristic within the Omegaverse is, shall we say, kinkier sex that often includes breeding, MCs going into heat, knotting, imprinting, mating, scent marking, etc. There is also always a fantasy/sci-fi element to the stories. Bound To The Shadow Prince falls on the lighter end of the Omegaverse spectrum, which makes it a great gateway book into the Omegaverse universe.

Now, let's talk about the book itself. I really enjoyed this book; it was a surprisingly addictive read. Now be warned, it's a beefy book, clocking in at just over 500 pages. The fantasy elements in this book are there, but they aren't the story's main focus. The world-building is on the lighter side, and events happening outside of Candra and Nemeth's relationship aren't necessarily given much time in the spotlight. Basically, this book focuses on the relationship between Candra and Nemeth... and, well, them banging it out in this tower that they are forced to stay in (and also a few other places). A little over 50% of this book takes place in this tower that Candra and Nemeth are forced to stay in to appease the goddess. I really enjoyed the time we spent in the tower. The sense of isolation leaped off the pages, as did this feeling of unknownness. We know this war is happening between these two kingdoms, but we have no idea what is happening. When Candra and Nemeth venture out of the tower, things drastically change in their world, but we don't know what caused that change. The last quarter of the book was a bit rushed with a lot of moving parts.

Candra is a brash, outspoken heroine who loves flirting. I really enjoyed her character. She is witty and loved stirring the pot. She knows everyone thinks she is useless and doesn't expect much from her. But she has this inner strength that is hidden underneath that carefree attitude. It was also great to see her take charge when it came to taking those first steps to an intimate relationship with Nemeth. Nemeth is not human; his people resemble gargoyles. His character surprised me. I was expecting this gruff, broody alpha male, but I was completely wrong. In his first couple of interactions with Candra, he sort of comes off as this stand-off-ish hero, but he quickly turns into this cinnamon roll of a hero. He was so caring and kind and the complete opposite of what I expected of him. I like the fact that he wasn't what I was expecting.

The romance is, of course, very spicy. If you like forced proximity, enemies to lovers, mating, touch her and die, breeding, virgin heroes, and lots of dirty talk, then you are going to love this book. A large chunk of this book is sex in some form. It is the main focus of the story. I liked Candra and Nemeth together. Ruby perfectly created that lusty tension that makes your heart beat faster and hooks you in. I know Ruby was trying for an enemies-to-lovers trope feel to their relationship, but it fell flat for me. That sharp, witty banter that often exists in enemies-to-lovers relationships wasn't really in this book. But besides that, the journey that Candra and Nemeth went on in this book was addictive. There are some unexpected bumps and twists in their relationship that I wasn't expecting. It really was an entertaining read.

Bound to the Shadow Prince is a satisfying romp that is sure to get your heart beating faster.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Webtoon Book Group for providing the ARC.

This was the first book that I have read by Ruby Dixon. I am fully aware of her Ice Planet Barbarians series, but I do not find myself enjoying any of those books. However, I still wanted to see what the hype was surrounding her books and see if it was something that I could potentially enjoy.

The story was...not bad. It wasn't good either. There were a lot of plot points that I felt were very loosely tied up or not tied up at all. There felt like a big disconnect between Candra and Rementh in the first half of the book. They went from begrudgingly enjoying each other's company to falling in love with each other with little to no build up in between. I can understand that her MO is very much writing to provide a vehicle for monster romances, but I would have liked more than what I received.

Overall though, I felt that the story was kind of bland. I couldn't care enough about the characters, and while there was some plot, it was mostly glossed over and solved with relative ease. I wish I could have had something to connect to and empathize with, but I really just felt like a 3rd party observing things happening as opposed to getting drawn into the story.

I'm glad that there are people out there that enjoy her books and her writing, but I think that I have satisfied my curiosity enough to move on.

Bound to the Shadow Prince by Ruby Dixon is a captivating fantasy romance that follows Princess Candra and Prince Nemeth, royals from enemy kingdoms who find themselves unexpectedly bound together by an ancient curse. The story takes place over several years when Candra and Nemeth are both bricked up in a tower to appease a Goddess so that they may escape her wrath.

As Candra and Nemeth grow closer, unexpectedly falling in love, all is not well in their kingdoms beyond the wall of the tower. They must navigate their feelings as they navigate the changes and horrors of the world they return to, while trying to protect one another from their warring families.

Dixon's writing shines with her trademark wit and humor, creating a compelling narrative that keeps readers engaged throughout. The chemistry between Candra and Nemeth is palpable, with Nemeth described as terrifying, cruel, yet disturbingly magnetic. This dynamic creates an intriguing tension that drives the story forward.

While the novel deviates from Dixon's usual science fiction settings, it retains her signature style and delivers a satisfying romance. The author skillfully weaves elements of fantasy, enemies-to-lovers trope, and curse-driven plot to create a unique and entertaining read.
Readers have praised the book for its engaging characters, well-developed world-building, and the author's ability to balance humor with more serious themes. The novel offers a fresh take on fantasy romance, making it an appealing choice for both longtime fans of Ruby Dixon and newcomers to her work.

No one does it quite like Ruby Dixon. Somehow this book is filthy hot without compromising that it’s actually got a solid plot and a lot of heart. To appease an angry goddess, Candra and Nemeth, who are from two countries starting a war, are bricked up in a tower to serve seven years. There are no windows, food delivery is only once a year and the only people to talk to are each other. They are mortal enemies. I love that Candra is a representative for people with chronic illnesses. This kind of representation matters–showing that an MC can be sick and still be the MC. She has a blood sickness and she's dependent on medicine to survive, which complicates living in a tower for seven years with limited supplies. Up until now, her illness and her shameless flirty behavior made her overlooked as a frivolous and useless princess. She was never meant to do something like this, unlike Nehmeth who was raised to do this. It’s forced proximity at it’s finest

Her people consider his people monstrous. But she realizes that underneath that grumpy exterior Nemeth is a big marshmallow.

A couple of warnings though, there is knotting (iykyk) and just in general lots of smut. It does take place in a time of war, so there are character deaths. The world outside the tower is not the one they left behind to go in. Your partner will reap the benefits after you read this and be VERY grateful.

I really liked the proposition of this book, with the primary notion being forced proximity by obligating the two main characters, who are enemies, to live in a tower together for 7 years. The spicy scenes in this book were definitely spicing. The relationship between these two characters kept me engaged and glued to the pages of the whole book.

However, I did feel that the pacing was off a bit. And I would have liked more dilemmas to ensue to bring more tension to the storyline giving a different layer to the pages.
While I enjoyed Candra and Nemeths love story, I did feel like something was missing. It might have been that Candras character felt incredibly one dimensional to me. I would have liked more depth and contrast to her.

Overall, this book was charming and effortless to become immersed in. The author did an amazing job at building the world so vividly that you could picture it handily. And the character descriptions and details were top notch.

I really enjoyed it. I liked the premise and it kept me wanting more! The story dragged on at certain points but I kept pushing myself to finish it. I feel like there could have been more chemistry with the love interests but that's just me nitpicking because I did enjoy it overall.

I didn’t know what to expect from this author since it’s my first book by them. But wow! I was not disappointed!!! It did feel like it dragged on a bit but i am a sucker for an enemies to lovers trope. Candra and Nemeths love story was really good but felt lacking a little bit. The smut was chefs kiss though!
I will definitely be reading more by this author though!!!

This book is DELICIOUS, the spice is perfection.
The story is really good too 🤣♥️

But the spice man or man, is it good.
If you want some “monster smutt” with a good story, this is it.

*4.5 stars*

Finally!

I've been a Ruby Dixon fan-girl since her Ice Planet Barbarians series, but I've been crushingly underwhelmed with her other books since, especially her newer offerings. However, I could NOT stop reading Bound to the Shadow Prince, and I pulled two nearly all-nighters to finish this nearly 600 page book.

I've read nothing but kind of negative reviews of this book, so I went into it with extremely low expectations. However, I was SO pleasantly surprised with this one! Like, it went above and beyond my expectations, which probably contributed to my high rating.

Warning: this book has a VERY slow burn romance, enemies-to-lovers, lots of violence and death, and it is LONG. This isn't the typical Ruby Dixon "love at first sight" kind of story. It is kind of slow with lots of world-building, and I was here for it!! It struck me in just the right sort of ways.

The romance is romancing, baby! Give me a bookish, kind of nerdy GIANT male alien MC and a sultry female seductress MC any day of the week. Just, YES. It really worked for me. I loved the chemistry that developed between these two, and I kept wanting more. Also, I adored the chronic medical condition representation in this romance. I would postulate, based on symptoms and treatment, that the medical condition is loosely based on type-1 diabetes, and it's really well done.

I have very few negatives about Bound to the Shadow Prince. Any book that keeps me reading all night automatically gets 4.5-5 stars, in my book. Be ready for twists and turns, and some smoldering sex scenes. Thank you, Ruby Dixon!

I am pretty sure this is my new favorite book. I was immediately invested in this story! Usually it takes me about 20% of the book to feel like it gets good, but this one was magnificent from page one. I’ve enjoyed Ruby’s books previously but this one is sure something special.

Candromeda has been cursed with a blood illness from the moment she was born. Being barren and needing daily injections is a small price to pay for her freedom in court. She is cared for in every aspect, and very little is expected of her (overall, she is an absolute brat). No one cares what the "cursed" princess does, and she loves the freedom that comes with being unwanted. She was never supposed to be the sacrifice....
Now, she must spend 7 years trapped in a tower with her sworn enemy, unable to leave. With no time to prepare, she doesn't know how she will survive the first month, let alone 7 years. That is, if her enemy doesn't kill her first.

I am entirely unsure where all the negative reviews are coming from... I absolutely loved this book. I have been reading Ruby Dixon's work for years, and when I had the opportunity to this ARC, I was extatic! This woman made me fall in love with monster romance! Who doesn't love an obcessed male who worships their woman (so what if he is gray and had wings and claws)? I think Dixon is a master of romance, and Bound to the Shadow Prince was no different. Despite this book being much longer than previous works, I felt the story was still well balanced between world building, main story line, and spice. I felt there was more time for me to fall in love with the characters and savor the relationship as it developed.

If you are curious about monster romance, Ruby Dixon is always my first recommendation. It is the absolute adoration that all of her MMCs have for their FMCs😍 I hope the author writes more stories set in this world because I am hungry for more!

Tropes:
-enemies to lovers
-one bed
-forced proximity
-monster romance
- knotting 😉
-virgin MMC
-obsessed MMC

Thank you to NetGalleyy and the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC.

3 -⭐⭐⭐

“You, princess, will be the death of me...”

Bound to the Shadow Prince is a fantasy monster romance standalone following Candra and Nemeth. Candra is a cast off princess suffering from a blood curse and she has accepted her lot in life...until dire circumstances have led her to be chosen to remain locked in a tower for seven years in order to appease a vengeful goddess. In addition she is to be locked in with a warrior species known as the Fellian, the enemy of her people. Yet as time goes on they build a connection...and then something unexpected occurs that forces these two to work together and confront a world they once knew. Will they be able to survive this new world or will their differences keep them apart forever more?

This book gave me a lot of mixed feelings.

Candra is a spunky princess who is willing to explore and I really enjoyed her openness. She starts off a bit annoying with a spoiled princess vibe but once she's in the tower I found she found this strength and independence that won me over.

Nemeth starts off as this closed off scholarly being that doesn't know what to make of Candra. I liked seeing him find a connection with her and the feralness he gains when he realized how much he comes to love Candra.

This book is about 5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. Spice begins fairly early on and grows in intensity as these characters find their connection. There is primal play, knotting, and domination. The spice is explicit and happens on a regular basis. The MMC is also a creature with claws and wings but he is humanoid.

For me, when the romance in this book hit its strides I was LOVING it! The connection between Candra and Nemeth once they accept their relationship was filled with intimate moments, banter, and connections that had me giddy. That said, the beginning and third act of their relationship were a struggle at times and that's mainly because I didn't understand how things went from a to b and b to c. For characters that fell in love hard, the transition of time needed more development...and yet that time didn't matter during a semi third act break up. Though the ending does have HEA that was sweet and endearing. I also want to add a spoiler note in case you need this trope spoiler (view spoiler) as I know some people don't enjoy it...I actually do! Overall, the story was brought to an ending nicely and teased with an opportunity to continue exploring this world but with different characters.

Overall this has some promise! If you have enjoyed Ruby Dixon in the past I think you will enjoy this! I would pick up another book from this world!

Thank you Wattpad Books for this arc!

The idea is very exciting! Being stuck in a tower with a stranger for 7 years and being forced to rely on each other. The book is very spicy, nothing terribly crazy but there is a lot of knotting. Loved that the FMC was so forward and I felt her worries in surviving with her illness. And the ending was an unexpected wild ride. The book was tad too long.

Princess Candra grew up being the pampered, sickly princess who didn't have a care in the world. But a tragic accident has Candra rushing to prepare to take her younger sister's place as the sacrifice locked up in a tower for 7 years just three days before she has to be in the tower, and nothing will ever prepare her for what awaits her and her kingdom.

It's a weird plot because a lot happens while also feeling like nothing is going on at all. I mean, a large portion of it takes place with Candra and Nemeth locked up in a tower with no windows and next to no diversions. Then there's even more wandering with no idea of what's going on in general and it could get frustrating if you're not used to that in books, but it felt like tension and world-building to me because I'm used to it in epic fantasy.

Ruby Dixon is known for her cinnamon roll heroes and Nemeth is a perfect example of one. He's bookish and caring, but the monster side of him is ready to come out if it means protecting Candra. It's a nice little balance to the fact that he's most definitely not human because it puts an emphasis on his empathy and human-like qualities.

My one major gripe is that the banter during the smexy times gets downright ridiculous at times. There's playful and then there's whatever Candra and Nemeth engage in. I was either cringing from second-hand embarrassment or skimming the good parts just to save myself from having to read that. Not exactly ideal.

I'm still not sure I'm completely in on the whole monster romance genre, but I will say that I don't regret reading Bound to the Shadow Prince because it's an enjoyable fantasy romance.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and W by Wattpad Books for the fascinating entry into monster romantasy!

Forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and monster romance a perfect trifecta. I enjoyed this book but the pacing felt off. I struggled through some parts but didn’t want to put it down for others. As always, the smut was fantastic.

I ended up giving up on this at 60%. Honestly it should’ve been two books! This one should have ended on the cliff hanger of them leaving the tower. But I got to this pivotal moment and there’s still HALF THE BOOK left?? No way. And it was sooooooo boring. And they’re life long mates but they still keep secrets???????????? Unfathomable.