Bound to You

Too many unanswered questions lead to an uneven debut in Brandon’s story of fated love. Eighteen-year-old alpha werewolf Megan Ross is eager to find her mate. To help, her father throws a party and invites numerous packs along the East Coast. When Megan meets James Sandleholm, a warrior alpha from Canada, it is clear that the two of them are destined to form a life bond as mates. Though James immediately brings her home to his pack, he has no intention of fulfilling the bond. His reluctance stems from painful past associations of the toll that his mother’s death took on his father (if a warrior alpha loses his mate, he begins to lose his grip on reality). As Megan tries to break through James’s armor, she discovers that warrior wolves are dealing with a dangerous threat long thought to be extinct. Brandon presents a promising story of how past pain and future expectations can cloud the present, but inconsistent worldbuilding and development of characters’ motivations lessens the story’s authenticity and impact. Ages 13–18. (Apr.)