Review: The Second and His Bonded by Kiki Clark
SYNOPSIS:
As the son of an enemy, Kieran never expected to find a family with the Kincaid Pack… or a true mate’s bond.
After barely escaping his abusive family, wolf shifter Kieran McAllister struggles to find his place in the Kincaid Pack. Especially with the pushy but gorgeous second-in-command showing up every time Kieran turns around… and making him want things he shouldn’t.
The traumatized wolf who continuously refuses Bennett Young’s help has begun to haunt his dreams. But if there’s one thing he knows, it’s that tiger shifters don’t have mates. So why can’t Bennett get Kieran’s sad eyes out of his head?
Despite their differences, Kieran and Bennet find something they never expected in each other. Just as their bond begins to grow though, Kieran’s past threatens to destroy the very pack they both have been fighting to protect.
The Second and His Bonded is the second book in the Kincaid Pack series and features an overprotective tiger, a touch-starved wolf, lots of purring, an excessive amount of sunbathing, and a happily ever after.
REVIEW:
Another liked it but didn’t love it read. I don’t know if I am getting more picky about my books lately or what is going on. The cover and romance in this story were meh but the plot line and pack relationships were delightful and had me turning the page.
The romance just has no buildup, it’s like Bennett and Kieran go from strangers to bonded in a few pages and I really needed either clarification from the author or something more. If this is how fated, true mates work in the world, then explain that. But for Bennett, he felt some draw to Kieran. While Kieran was prickly and not interested in even seeing Bennett. Then suddenly all this talk of mates happen and they are bonded. And I am just left here blinking and thinking, “well then”.
Their moments of vulnerability occur at awkward times and actually interrupt the plot. Essentially the execution of the romance is the problem I have with this book. It almost felt like Kiki wrote the plot line and then added in the romance afterwards and it was just inserted randomly and didn’t feel authentic. Even as I finish the story, I don’t really feel like I have a deeper understanding of who Bennett or Kieran are as characters, even though this was supposed to be their book.
The plot line was great, I loved the drama from both another pack and a hidden danger. The air of mystery and suspense had me dying to know more about what was really going on. The pack dynamic grew so much in this story. We see the characters develop a closer bond with the pack and we even see Kai start to take on some responsibilities as the alpha-mate. So I liked learning more about the pack and seeing other secondary characters, such as Drake, Jamie, Nico, one-character who I won’t spoil, and I really hope they all get their own stories. I will probably continue reading the series, just for the plot line alone. *fingers-crossed the romances improve*
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