Unbound by Cat Miller

Narrated by Neva Nevarre

When I first read the synopsis of Unbound, Book 1 in the Forbidden Bond series, I must admit to being a little skeptical. It seemed quite likely that I was going to dive into just one more in the string of books featuring a supernatural hybrid heroine, whose existence must be kept secret, or her life will be lost. Yes, Ms. Miller does work from this basic premise, but I’m pleased to report that Unbound brought something fresh to this all-too-common storyline.

Danielle Vaughn has never thought of herself as anything but a normal girl. She lives with her mother, the only parent she’s ever known. She does well in school, has a steady boyfriend, and has goals to finish college and get a job. However, right before Dani is scheduled to leave home to attend an out-of-state university, things begin to change. She begins to see really well, and her sense of hearing is also heightened. Her mind is playing tricks on her, causing her to think she’s headed for the nearest insane asylum, rather than the university of her choosing.

What Dani doesn’t realize is that she’s anything but normal. She’s a demi-vamp, daughter of a human psychic and a powerful member of the vampire counsel. Dani’s mother fled when Dani was an infant, fearing her lover’s family would kill her daughter. For twenty-one years, Dani’s existence has remained a closely guarded secret. Now though, as Dani’s powers grow ever stronger, the vampire race must be made aware of her existence.

Chase Diedrich knows Dani’s a vampire as soon as he sees her in a local club. He senses something different about the alluring young woman, but can’t quite put his finger on what it is. He knows only that he’s attracted to her, despite his engagement to another. Chase is the son of one of the vampires’ most powerful houses, and he can’t give his love to just anyone. A long ago prophesy dictates his mating, no matter how he feels about the mysterious Danielle.

Dani is drawn to Chase too. Of course, she has no idea he’s a vampire. She is barely aware of what’s going on inside her own body. The fact that the world is full of others like her isn’t something she can grasp. She knows she wants to be with Chase, but his fiancé is quick to let her know the he is most definitely spoken for.

No one, including Dani, is ready for the massive amount of power, she possesses. Once it comes to light, Dani is thrust into the sight of a rogue vamp, seeking powerful young vampires whose power he can drain. Now, Dani must rely on the counsel who would see her dead in order to stay alive. Can she trust them? Can she trust Chase, and what about Kayden, Chase’s sexy best friend, who makes it clear he’s more than interested in becoming Dani’s lover?

Narrator Neva Nevarre was new to me before I began listening to Unbound. I am pleased to report that her performance of this book was solid. Her voice suits the twenty-one-year-old Dani to a tee, but her youthful sound doesn’t detract from her ability to portray older characters in a believable manner.

There were a few occasions when I had trouble telling Chase and Kayden apart, if both were in a scene together. Normally, Ms. Nevarre made it easy to differentiate these two powerful sexy men, but she did falter from time to time. Dialogue tags were helpful in these situations.

When I first heard Ms. Nevarre speak, I was afraid she would fall into the category of narrators who deepen their voices too much when portraying male characters. Luckily, this did not prove to be the case. Chase, for example, speaks with a husky quality that is not present when Dani is being portrayed. Some of the male characters are given accents, but none sounded forced.

I was a little worried about the possibility of a love triangle in this book. For some reason, one woman, with two men vying for her attention, is another very popular plot device and it happens to be one that doesn’t work well for me. I can handle it in small doses, which is just what Ms. Miller delivered. For a time, I was unclear who Dani’s heart really belonged to, but, by the end of the book, there was no doubt in my mind who her true mate would be.

Unbound had a lot of hurdles to overcome in order to make it an enjoyable listen for me. Luckily, Ms. Miller’s action-packed writing and fantastic world-building and character development overcame what I feared would be cliches. I loved this book so much that, upon finishing it, I immediately went to Audible, and purchased Unforgiven, Book 2 in the series.

Shannon

Narration:  B+

Book Content:  A-

Steam Factor:  Glad I had my earbuds in

Violence:  Graphic

Genre:  Paranormal Romance

Publisher:  Brilliance Audio

Unbound was provided to AudioGals for review by Brilliance Audio.