Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have to admit, this book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. The first half of The Bond That Burns felt slow and a little tedious. I found it hard to get invested in the romance, mainly because the two main characters just couldn't stand each other and the main love interest made Medra’s life a living hell at the start. Their constant bickering was a bit off-putting, and it made it difficult to root for them as a couple.

However, things definitely picked up in the second half. The pace quickened, and the story became much more engaging. The tension built, and I found myself drawn into the plot a lot more. The cliffhanger at the end was absolutely killer, and it's left me eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.

While I recognize that these books are a bit of a guilty pleasure, I still found myself enjoying the quick, easy read. The dialogue can be cringey at times, but it's not enough to ruin the overall experience. It's one of those books that's perfect for when you're looking for something light and fun to get lost in for a few hours.

🐉ARC review🐉

The bond that burns by @briarboleynauthor
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Dramione girlies ! This one is for you. I mean just look at that character art. If I thought I loved book 1, this one just surpassed that by miles. Omg.. I was not expecting anything that happened in this book. There are dragons and a wolf and betrayal and friendships and I am completely addicted to this book. I NEED MORE !!!!!!! I need book 3 ASAP and I just signed up to arc the next book. 💥

✨📚 the absolute depth of this story is breathtaking. Briar Boleyn truly has created a new level of fantasy romance.

❤️‍🔥 Bonded Mates
🔥 Enemies to Lovers
💖 Found Family
🐉 Dragons
🧛🏼‍♀️ Vampires
✨ Shifters
🪄 Magic & Alchemy

Book 3 will be one of the most highly anticipated books of the year!!

I was extremely glad that I had the second book so right after I finished the first I was able to dive into this one!

I've found this series to be extremely addictive and I'm loving it. It's full of vampires, dragons and other fantasy aspects that I live for. This one especially was full of action, suspense and tension. It's full of plot and spice while also being fast-paced with fantastic character growth.

I absolutely need book three soon because I need to know what is in store for Medra, Blake and Florence. And of course the fluffy Neville!

With this book ending on another cliffy like book one, I will be (im)patiently waiting for the next book. I am 100% invested into what the next book and this series brings.

I have been recommending this series to other readers I know and will continue because I've fallen in love with this series so much!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy! First of all who doesn’t want to read a book with dragons in them!!! Want to feel a roller coaster of emotions pick this book up and if you like cliffhanger this one is for you. I love the fantasy in this and the tension.

What a book. I knew Briar Boleyn was good but this is a masterpiece. Everything you want in a book is this kind and more. Absolutely brilliant

I did not think I could have loved our MMC Blake anymore, but WOW did this book take me on the most adrenaline filled roller-coaster of my life. This book had some spiceeee to it and Briar's ability to write the most intriguing side characters filled this book with not stop tension and plots! Medra had guts this book because I could never be half as brave and defying as she is. I was so stressed this book with the lies, backstabbing, danger, and villains that went down, I need book 3 like I need air!! I cannot wait for the 3rd bookkkk bring on the dragons, give me the dethroning of Blake's father, unleash all the tension, tell me what happens to Medra's bestfriend and where Kage will stand in all this?!

Thank you Netgalley for this incredible ARC!

Briar Boleyn’s “The Bond That Burns” is a captivating journey into a world brimming with raw emotions, compelling characters, and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. From the very first page, Boleyn draws you into a world of intense connection and heart-wrenching dilemmas, where the bonds between characters are as fierce as they are fragile.

The pacing is perfect, maintaining tension and intrigue while allowing the depth of character relationships to unfold naturally. Boleyn excels at creating complex, relatable characters whose inner struggles are palpable, making their journeys both touching and unforgettable. The chemistry between the protagonists is magnetic, their love story a mix of passion and vulnerability that will have readers rooting for them from start to finish.

The world-building is also outstanding, with Boleyn weaving together a setting that feels rich and immersive, a backdrop that perfectly complements the emotional journey of the characters. Themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the search for identity resonate throughout, making the novel as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.

Briar Boleyn has delivered a masterpiece with “The Bond That Burns”. It’s a powerful tale of love, resilience, and the complex nature of human connection. If you're a fan of heartfelt romance with depth and complexity, this is a book you won’t want to miss. Highly recommended!

I didn’t think the first book could be topped but boy was I wrong! Everything about it was perfection. The plot, the character growth, the relationships and all the twists! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and couldn’t read it fast enough.

Then Briar had to go and do us dirty with that cliffhanger😭 I literally screeched out loud when I realized that was the ending. The only comfort is knowing book 3 will be releasing in a few months.

4.5⭐️
I LOVED the direction Briar took this book! the development with Nyxaris in the storyline was SO good, love the grumpy old dragon vibe! Is it possible to love Medra anymore she is badass! i love her found family friendship with florence, must protect her at all costs! loved the snippets of her pov in this book!

I wanted to shake Blake so hard, he won me over again in the end! I really enjoyed the development with all the other characters. OK Kage i see you.. Mr smooth! NEVILLE little fluffball my heart! had me teary eyed 🥹

I loved that we got more history and family secrets too in this book 🤭

So many unexpected events in the last 20% of the book had me on edge in the best way! i love its unpredictability. THE CLIFFHANGER i cant wait for book 3 release im SO invested at this point i HAVE to know more!

Thankyou Briar Boleyn & netgalley for this arc, all opinions are my own.
-adelereadsromance

5⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for the opportunity to ARC read this book.

The bond that burns pick up RIGHT where we left off with the cliffhanger of On wings of Blood..

DRAGONSSSSS 🐉

This book had me gripped and was everything it needed to be. So much going on, fabulous character development, FLUFFINS and some 🌶️- 🙌🙌🙌

I just love Blake and Medra's story and all the ups and down that comes along with it! The friendships and found family aspect in this was also just 👌

Another cliffhanger so I will be very impatiently awaiting the 3rd book - another anticipated 5⭐️ read.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

EXCUSE ME!!! THAT ENDING!?!? May I please have book 3 asap??? 🙏🏼

The Bond That Burns is an incredible continuation of the Bloodwing Academy series. It was filled with so much action, secrets, and plot twists. Blake Drakharrow's character development was amazing to watch. At first I was getting increasingly frustrated with him but by the end he had me swooning all over again. I'd also love to learn more about Kage Tanaka, Neville, and Nyxaris as the series progresses. Every scene they were in had me wanting more. Medra is still a badass fmc as usual. She does what she wants, doesn't take shit from anyone, and isn't afraid to stand up to authority. She is still profoundly protective of her found family. Overall, such a great book 2! Time flew by so quick!

Please please please read this series!

*Thank you to Netgalley, Starwater Press, and the author, Briar Boleyn, for an ARC. Opinions expressed are solely my own.

Book 1 was good, but Book 2? Amazing and such a fun time!
I absolutely loved how the characters evolved from book 1 and during book 2, im also so happy we got more about Florence she is adorable. I also liked that we got more about nyaxris, I love his grumpy ass and how his relationship with Medra developed.

Now blake I didnt really love in this book for some reason. I like that he has his own struggles and trauma to figure out. However i feel like his character went back and forth and it was just a bit off. And his relationship with Medra was a bit meh.. the spice tho was good!

I liked the plot and the twist and turns were interesting for sure! And the cliffhanger I absolutely didn't see coming! I do feel like there was too much going in the end and things felt a bit out of place but besides that the pace in the book was pleasant.

I cant wait to continue this series once the next book comes out!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy. All thoughts are my own.

Review posted on instagram, fable, goodreads & amazon (waiting for Amazons approval so it will be up once they approve it!)

Thanks again to net galley and Briar Boylen for the arc. This sequel was perfect follow up from book 1. I love Medra’s best friend. Kage is trying to help her but I think he has other plans. I love her dragon. And the tension between her and Blake!!!! Love it all

After finishing Book 1, I dove straight into Book 2.

I absolutely love dual POV. Getting to be in both Medra and Blake's head is great. Seeing Blake's actions play out then thinking to myself "Why TF is he being like that??!" Then 2-3 chapters later I get to be in his head. Cool. Cool.

This series is very much curing my book hangover of another popular series. I love the dragon! I won't say more than that as to avoid spoilers, but I love the relationship, if you can call it that between the dragon and Medra. A mutually beneficial working relationship maybe?

If you like dragons, fae, vampires, bully romance, dual POV, shifters, found family, blood play, stabby FMC, dark academia, HP vibes, then go read book 1 and jump into Book 2, cuz book 3 is coming and I cannot wait.

Oh, be warned, she left us an a cliffhanger!!!!

**Absolutely Obsessed!**

Book 2 of this series took everything I loved in the first one and made it *bigger*. Dragons, fae, vampires—this book had it all, and the world-building just got even more intense. I loved seeing the characters grow and evolve, especially the way their relationships deepened and the stakes got higher. The tension between them was so gripping, and the character progression was amazing! Honestly, I think this one surpassed the first book for me, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next!

What a wonderful second book! I wasn't sure how this would live up to the first which I adored, but this was a great read.

The most important thing to me was to see how Medra and Blakes relationship developed after the ending of book 1. I was pleased things weren't simple and it was a satisfying resolution. Now I need to know how they cope with the ending of book 2!

And the dragons obviously. Dying to find out what's going on, and what happens next. The plot moved along really well here, with plenty of surprises! Aenia broke my heart a little bit and I adore Florence and Theo.

A great second book, can't wait to continue this series.

Book two in the Bloodwing Academy series is far more fun where romance is concerned. Readers will definitely be able to scratch that romantic itch and dear old Blake’s emotional progress is well structured. I do miss the class time that was so prolific in book one but I suspect we will be able to enjoy a big learning curve regarding the dragons (I do love a good training montage) and the uncovering of further political machinations.
There are a lot of loose ends still to tie up! I look forward to reading book three.

this book includes:
badass fmc
obsessive mmc
dark academia
found family
bully romance
enemies to lovers
hate to love

The bond that burns picks up where On wings of blood left off with that cliffhanger. Which for me is one of the best things that can happen with the 1st book leaves on a cliffhanger ending.

Medra is even better in this book compared to the 1st book. She takes no shit whatsoever. One of my favourite things about her is that she stands up for whoever needs help. I absolutely hate when reading a book and the main characters can see someone needs help and they can help them but they don’t for whatever reason. Well Medra is not that type of character. If someone needs help she is the one to stand up and help them which is something I really appreciate.

Blake becomes even more obsessive in this book which you wouldn’t think is possible but it is which to me is swoon worthy 😍.

The bond that burns is full of twist and turns that will keep you on your toes and needing book 3.

This book is written beautifully in a way that draws you in and I can’t wait to read book 3 just to experience it again.

"In my dreams, she wanted me just as much as I wanted her."

The best way I could describe these books is Harry Potter meets Fourth Wing but with vampires.

These books had me hooked from page one!

Medra Pendragon is the last of the dragon riders in a world where dragons no longer exist. Yet to the vampires, she is a threat, and therefore, she is forced to attend Bloodwing Academy. There, she has to face a battleground of not only competitions but the alluring Blake Drakharrow, who is now her betrothed and slowly stealing her heart.

Book one is a lot of world building, and I found it a bit draining, especially when this book was flagged as a Dramione, and I sort of just wanted to get to that part... I would say it's a low dose Dramione, like just sprinkles on your ice cream at night time.
You can see the book one build up. You can see what it's doing, and then a cliffhanger slaps you in the face. Honestly, I shouldn't be surprised that cliffhangers exist, but they still get me.
Book two was so much better than book one, and I think it's because the back story was set up extensively prior. Medra develops so much as a character in this one. Blake somehow is more shirtless, and then the cliffhanger (yes, also hurt me again) was somehow better than book ones 🤦‍♀️

I can't wait for book 3!