Release Blitz and Review: Forbidden Bonds by Lexi C. Foss

Title: Forbidden Bonds

Series: An Immortal Curse Novel #2

Author: Lexi C. Foss

Genre: Dark Paranormal Romance

Release Date: August 1, 2017

Exile never felt so good. . .

Tom’s a trained sniper, not a babysitter. He kills rogue immortals for a living, but after releasing classified information to a friend, he’s banished to a remote location with the CRF’s most prized asset.

Can two tortured souls find solace and love in one another?

Secrets unfold as Tom forms a forbidden relationship with his new charge. The immortal woman evokes memories and feelings long forgotten, and forces him to question everything he’s ever known.

Sacrifices must be made.

A rash decision sends them both running for their lives as enemies vie for their heads.

Some bonds are meant to be broken. . .

Forbidden Bonds is the second book in the Immortal Curse series by Lexi C. Foss. It picks up where Blood Laws left off, but focuses on two different characters, Tom and Amelia. Having met Tom in the previous book, I didn’t think that I was going to enjoy this one as much as the first installment. Surprisingly, I wound up liking it even more! Action, romance, betrayal, and charm, I loved every minute of it!

Upon realizing that her brother thought she was dead, Amelia lost all hope of being rescued from the hell she was enduring at the hands of CRF. They performed torturous experiments on her, kept her imprisoned without the use of her powers, and living in her own filth for years until the day Stas saw her by accident. Stas is Amelia’s brother’s girlfriend, and if she were to alert him of her discovery, the CRF would have a whole lot of trouble on their hands.When the head of CRF, Jonathan, found out about this new development, he agreed to let his son, Tom, move her to a new location. 

Tom is tasked with babysitting Amelia at his family’s cabin in the middle of nowhere for the time being. He volunteered for the job, because he didn’t want to see anything happen to her. Though he never liked the idea of her being imprisoned there, when he saw her on the ground covered in blood after being beaten by his father, he couldn’t handle it any longer. After he takes Amelia to the cabin, he allows her to roam the cabin freely instead of locking her in a cage in the basement like he was instructed. He buys her clothes, toiletries, and begins to treat her like a human being. At first, she doesn’t trust his actions, but as time goes on, his intentions become clear. 

Everything is going well, but Johnathan constantly checks up on his asset. He even randomly sends his team to resume experiments on Amelia at the cabin. One day, they catch Tom and Amelia offguard, and everything takes a drastic turn. Tom is forced to choose between his father, his duty, his life, and Amelia. He makes the decision to save her without hesitation. Now, he just has to keep her alive.

The characters of Tom and Amelia were perfect for one another. They were both broken at the hands of his father, underestimated by their loved ones, and strengthened despite their circumstances. I loved that Amelia was helped by Tom, but ultimately was responsible for saving herself. She is no damsel in distress, and that’s what I loved about her. Tom cared for her and helped her learn to defend herself even with the risk of her turning around and using that knowledge on him. At the time I thought he was an idiot, but that idiocy saved her life, so I forgave him. I didn’t like how careless he was with his own mortality, but all in all, he is a good man that I fell in love with immediately. Based on the last book, I would have told you that was impossible. If you are hesitant to read this, because like me, you didn’t care for Tom in the first book, don’t be. You are guaranteed to have a different opinion once you start reading this one.

I said in my review of Blood Laws that it was slower moving which I thought was mostly due the world building involved. After reading this book, I can now say that with almost complete certainty. Without all the explanations that were needed in the first book, I was able to fly right through this one. Everything flowed perfectly, and there was never a dull moment.

I liked the fact that even with the book ending, I won’t have to say goodbye to Tom and Amelia for long. All of the characters you meet in each book will be in the next, so the end of “their” book isn’t the end of them. We will continue to watch the characters grow and their relationships build as the story unfolds throughout the remainder of the series.

Forbidden Bonds is an action packed, paranormal romance with a unique world and well developed characters. Lexi’s writing is engaging, the story is interesting, and I never wanted to put the book down. I had an awesome time diving back into this world, and I think you will, too. I bet you’ll enjoy your time there even more this time around!

“Easy way, or hard way? Ladies choice.” 

Amelia’s pulse leapt. She had to clear her throat twice to speak. “Excuse me?” He couldn’t mean. . . 

“Hard way it is.” Tom stepped forward, and caught her hip before she could scramble to the side. 

“What-?” The words froze in her throat when his opposite hand snaked around her back to the gun tucked into her shorts. 

He tsked. “Someone was in my room. Find anything else interesting while snooping?” 

She bristled at that. “I was not snooping.” Liar.

“No?” He removed the weapon, and threw it on the bed. Instead of taking a step back, he placed his palm against her lower back, and pulled her closer. Her hands flattened against his chest to maintain a slight gap between them. It did nothing to ease the flutter in her lower belly, or dispel the heat climbing up her neck.  

“So the gun from my nightstand magically appeared in your shorts? That’s a neat trick, sweetheart.”

“Gentleman,” Tom greeted after assembling the communication unit. “Blake sends his regards. Who wants to dance next?” Knowing his words would reveal his location, he moved deeper into the parking lot on the other side, away from the sidewalk and further from Amelia. He really hoped she’d been smart enough to hide in the car, and not try to find him.

“Hello, son,” his father replied. “You mind telling me what the fuck you’re doing?”

John Fitzgerald using curse words brought a smile to Tom’s face. He’d thoroughly pissed off the CRF’s CEO enough that he had lost his cool over the communication channel. Nice. How far could he push him?

“Right now?” Tom asked, voice low. “I’m taking out your unit. Or did you mean in general?” A flash of metal grabbed his attention. Sentinel Charlie was in a crouch position thirty feet to his left, and facing the wrong direction.

Tom shook his head. How many times had he told the man to watch his six? Idiot. He took a detour around a few cars to sneak up on his former teammate and slammed his pistol into the back of the kid’s skull.

“Well, that wasn’t even any fun,” Tom said with a dramatic sigh. “You really ought to send Charlie back to training, John. He still hasn’t mastered surveillance.”

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Lexi C. Foss is a writer lost in the IT world. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and their furry children. When not writing, she’s busy crossing items off her travel bucket list. Many of the places she’s visited can be seen in her writing, including the mythical world of Hydria which is based on Hydra in the Greek islands. She’s quirky, consumes way too much coffee, and loves to swim. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or visit her website at www.LexiCFoss.com.

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