His Dark Bond (Fallen, #2)

Jun 24, 2012 Mara rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pnr

I hadn't fallen for Bond with Me. And I didn't enjoy reading His Dark Bond.

I found it so boring I skipped chunks of it (including the steamy bits). As a rule of thumb, I feel cheated by this fake heroines who seem always this strong and clever and smart, but roll over 2 seconds after meeting the guy. He is by the way a jerk (to be nice). I have nothing against alpha jerks... if the heroine rips them a new one :D Otherwise where's the fun?

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Jan 30, 2012 Ellie rated it 4 of 5 stars

His Dark Bond, Fallen #2, by Anne Marsh
Grade: B

“You got to feel, Vkhin, to have a soul mate. Me, I don’t have anything left.”

Nessa St. James is not having a good day. First, the Dean of the university she works at cuts her funding and tells her to work for a professor who gets way too handsy and then she is kidnapped by the leader of the Fallen while giving a lecture. The Fallen believe that the only way to win back their wings and get back into Heaven is to find their lost soul mates on Earth....more His Dark Bond, Fallen #2, by Anne Marsh
Grade: B

“You got to feel, Vkhin, to have a soul mate. Me, I don’t have anything left.”

Nessa St. James is not having a good day. First, the Dean of the university she works at cuts her funding and tells her to work for a professor who gets way too handsy and then she is kidnapped by the leader of the Fallen while giving a lecture. The Fallen believe that the only way to win back their wings and get back into Heaven is to find their lost soul mates on Earth. Nessa’s name happens to be on a list of soul mates and the Fallen, especially their leader Zer, will do whatever it takes to get Nessa to save one of them.

Three centuries ago Zer lead a rebellion of the Dominion angels, warrior angels, against the Archangel Michael after three Dominion females were found brutally murdered. The Dominions lost and were banished to earth and forced to make bargains with human women to feed off their souls to stay alive. Now that soul mates are starting to be found the Dominions have hope and as their leader Zer is determined to save all of his brothers. What Zer never expected was Nessa St. James. Nessa is not only just the key to saving one of the Fallen but she might be able to uncover the secret of soul mates and be able to identify more in the future and she might be the key to saving Zer and getting him his wings.

I have been reading a lot of fallen angel type books lately but this is one of my favorites so far. It was action packed and fast paced from the very first pages and maintained that flow until the very end. I am a sucker for all things soul mate so this book had me before I even started but the fact that it’s a really great story and so well written kept my interest and made it so easy to love. There is a big mixture of science and religious doctrine woven together and done in such a way that they really helped the story and never got boring which sadly sometimes happens.

I really, really, really, really liked Nessa St. James. I thought she was super smart and very feisty. She refuses to let anyone use her or walk all over her even Zer who she is very attracted to. I love that she doesn’t let Zer hide himself or his possibilities and she makes he face up to his own reality and see the truth. The scenes between Nessa and Zer are smoking hot and I actually blushed at one in the beginning. This is not my first rodeo so I was very surprised when this happened and it’s not very often that I have to fan my face while reading a romance novel.

The only problem I had with the entire book was with Zer and it’s not even a very big problem just an annoyance. Zer calls Nessa “baby” in almost every single sentence and it drove me crazy. For some reason the endearment was used way to much for my liking and to me came off condescending. I think that if the use of the word “baby” had been cut in even half I would have been okay but it was way too much and really rubbed me the wrong way.

I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to see which Fallen’s story we get next. I loved the action, dialogue and the romance that Mrs. Marsh gave us and I think the new world she created is wonderful. Great book in a great series that everyone should be reading. (less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Denise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-paranormal

Zer and his brothers are Fallen Angels a thousands of years ago they fought against the very angel they protected, for doing the right thing. Since the Fallen rebelled against Archangel Micheal he condemned them to near-eternity of punishment. He banished them to earth not to returned to the heavens and stripped them of there wings. The only way for a Fallen to regain his wings and return to the heavens was to find their sole mate and love, but she also has to be the one to redeem his dark side...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Elizabeth Botkin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was quite literally taken by surprise by this book as it was shelved with in the Sci Fi section at our local library. The cover art made me a bit leery to pick it up and my husband was convinced before I was that it was a romance novel.

And so it was. I enjoyed it despite the distractingly frequent intimate scenes. I'm not a big fan of romance or erotica, but I loved the concept of the Fallen, the corrupt Lieutenant, the 13th tribe and the science/genetic components of this universe. I am a suc...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Joyfully Reviewed rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: joyfully-reviewed-miranda, suspense, paranormal, series

Zer is leader of the Fallen a group of angels that fell from Heaven. For Zer and those like him, they must find their soul mate if they ever want to get their wings back. Unfortunately, there are some that will do anything to keep Zer and his followers from finding their mates. A soul mate bond is one that can never be undone and it is to be treasured. Zer and his fallen search for their soul mates in this unforgiving world.

Dr. Nessa St. James is a leader among her field of DNA research. With he...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-emmy

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This incredibly hot romance has fabulous world building, bad boy angels, and is packed with paranormal action scenes.

Opening Sentence: Three thousand years ago, rebellion ripped apart the Heavens.

The Review:

Once again we’re back in 2090, following the Fallen into dystopian Moscow–now called M City. The Fallen used to be angels, the Dominions of Heaven charged with defending the Celestial Throne, until they were betrayed and rebelled against...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Cocktails and Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-provided, paranormal, 2012-reading-challenges

Anne Marsh has created a world of Fallen Angels in M-City that I can only describe as having an equivalent to the residents of Caldwell, NY. If you are looking for angelic men who only do good deeds, these men are not for you. These Fallen are men who fight their inner beasts on a daily basis, while policing those that have given into their inner beast. They conduct heated sexual encounters with any number of women (or men) who line up to have a favor granted in return for the feeding off their...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Nora-adrienne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy

His Dark Bond
By Anne Marsh
Copyright February 2012
Publisher Brava

Zer is no angel - well, not anymore. He's explored every flavour of sin imaginable, drinking in the pleasures of humanity. But now he must find the woman who carries his salvation in her very blood...a woman like Nessa St. James.
Nessa has considered the bargain the Fallen offer. Anything she wants in exchange for accepting Zer's bond? No way. Not her. Not when she finds out about the mind-blowing ritual involved and the marks of su...more His Dark Bond
By Anne Marsh
Copyright February 2012
Publisher Brava

Zer is no angel - well, not anymore. He's explored every flavour of sin imaginable, drinking in the pleasures of humanity. But now he must find the woman who carries his salvation in her very blood...a woman like Nessa St. James.
Nessa has considered the bargain the Fallen offer. Anything she wants in exchange for accepting Zer's bond? No way. Not her. Not when she finds out about the mind-blowing ritual involved and the marks of surrender that will ink her skin. But with a serial killer to stop and centuries of experience on his side, Zer will do whatever it takes to change her.

Nessa is one of the country’s leading geneticists. So she is more than a little upset when she is called into the Dean’s office and told that her funding was cancelled and her lab was being closed. It was her own research that was coming to bite her in the backside. She’d developed a fast system of DNA testing. Just like a pregnancy test, you peed on the stick and it would tell you if you were human or paranormal. Now the answer to that test is being used against her by someone who was not an academic. He was a bean counter.
Nessa was given 3 days to find new funding or she had to vacate her lab. Desperate to find an answer she heads to the building where her lecture hall is and pulls out her cell phone, dialing while she walked. She is contacting a company called Genecore which had contacted her with an interest in her research. She is determined to find her own funding and keep her lab open.
Zen is the leader of the Fallen (called Goblins on earth). They had been Angel’s and Heaven’s front line troops against evil, who rebelled against the Archangel Michael and were stripped of their wings and sent to Earth as punishment. He left them one out. For each fallen there is one Soul Mate. In the three thousand years they’ve been banished they have found only one true Soul Mate. This is because there is someone who is destroying them as soon as they are located.
Zen has managed to get a list of names which were stolen from their greatest enemy and now it was a race to find these women, who were destined to be the Soul Mates of his people.
Now we get to the crux of the story. When Zen finds Nessa and basically kidnaps her, the true battle begins between them. Zen to have her mate with one of his Fallen, and Nessa to regain her freedom and independence. This is a romance that will rock the fabric of Zen’s existence and have Nessa tied up in emotional knots.
As the first book in a new series it has all the elements of love, lust, anger, hate, and a kickass number of fights taking place. I love it. I think you will too.

FTC Full Disclosure: This book was offered to me by the publisher who only requested a fair and impartial review.
(less)

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Feb 17, 2012 Toni rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kensington-arcs

I knew dark angels were bad, but I had no idea!

Zer is the leader of the Fallen and he will redeem his fellow angels, no matter what he needs to do. Finally, things are looking up for the Fallen and he is determined to ensure that he and his brethren will be back where they belong, in heaven. One human woman is not going to get in his way. He is bigger and stronger and she will do what he says.

Nessa St. James is a brilliant woman who has no idea what she is in store for. All she wants to do is co...more
I knew dark angels were bad, but I had no idea!

Zer is the leader of the Fallen and he will redeem his fellow angels, no matter what he needs to do. Finally, things are looking up for the Fallen and he is determined to ensure that he and his brethren will be back where they belong, in heaven. One human woman is not going to get in his way. He is bigger and stronger and she will do what he says.

Nessa St. James is a brilliant woman who has no idea what she is in store for. All she wants to do is continue her research on the mysterious thirtieth tribe, but that has now been taken away from her. Suddenly her world is filled with danger, death and angels. She is being forced into a world she has no desire to be part of and Zer will regret the day he kidnapped her.

Time is running out for the Fallen. They are weakening and they need their soul mates to earn their wings back. For centuries they have searched for these women, but as time progressed and no soul mates were found, the Fallen started to believe that this option for redemption was a lie concocted by the archangel Michael. Now that a soul mate has been discovered, it is a race to find other women that can save the Fallen. Nessa very well may hold the key to their salvation. Too bad she has no desire to become involved.

Anne Marsh’s take on fallen angels is just wonderful. She has taken an old tale and put a whole new spin on things. The Fallen were wrongly accused and cased out. Now they are living life to the fullest, waiting for the right time to seek their revenge; if time and madness don’t take them down first.

Let me just say, even though His Dark Bond is about angels, there are no religious connotations. I’m not sure how Ms. Marsh does it, but she does. The Fallen are bad boys to the core, but she has an ability to make them loveable, ok that might just be pushing it a bit, likeable.

At first glance, these men are pure evil. They have turned their corner of Russia into their own and they rule with an iron fist. Guns, murder, and lust are all theirs and they own it. It’s not until you are allowed into their secret world that you can comprehend their reasons and see that things are not always as they appear. But make no mistake, they don’t care what you think of them and they will do anything to get their wings back.

Zer feels he is not worthy of redemption and will sacrifice Nessa to one of his brothers. No matter how he feels about her. Nessa will not go down without a fight and Zer has misinterpreted the wrong woman. Their power play was fun to read. I was completely drawn into this fascinating corner of Russia.

Ms. Marsh has filled this novel with amazing action sequences and steamy sexual tension. Even though I found some faults with the probability at the end, I enjoyed the book as a whole. She has written a wonder new universe and I can’t wait to see what is next for these delightfully evil angels.(less)

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Jul 28, 2012 Scarlett rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fifty Shades Fans; Erotica fans

Recommended to Scarlett by: Goodreads

Shelves: fantasy, just-for-fun, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 05, 2012 Crystal (Redheads Review It Better) Cuffley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, fallen-angels

Feeling like a failure for letting down the men that chose to follow a decision he made over 3,000 years ago, Zer feels overwhelmed with the need to correct the situation. He looks to a list of women that are matches to become a soul mate for one of his fallen brothers. Determined to help, he find Nessa St. James, a sexy professor he can't help fantasizing about. But there is no way she is meant to be his. Not only does he not deserve a soul mate, he has no soul of his own which is why he strugg...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Sutashii rated it 4 of 5 stars

His Dark Bond took me a while to read because of school, work and other responsibilities. That in itself let me enjoy the book more, usually I can gobble up a book in a day. I won the book on the Goodreads website and was ecstatic, even more so when I saw what type of book I had gotten. Just my type!

I absolutely loved Anne marsh's character Nessa. Smart, full of life and conviction towards her goals, she and I absolutely hit it off from the start! She showed a passion for her work and study that...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Debra Dermastja rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love this book. I was truly hooked just after the first chapter. For me if I can get into a book that fast I know I’m in for a great story! After reading I realized it was book two, so I plan to go back and read book one. This book had a lot of great sub characters that I want to know more about.
I love that this series has fallen angels that are not your typical good guys. Yes deep down they have a good heart and want to go home back to heaven, but they will take what they can get and however...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Krystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1st-reads-i-won, paranormal, favorites, paranormal-romance

Nessa St.James= genetics professor, Zer=Fallen Angel; how they meet, he bursts into her lecture hall, kidnapps her, and takes her to his club. Nessa is on a list of possible soul mates for the fallen. Cuthah had rid the world of them execpt for one, Nessa. Zer kidnapps her and tells her everything he can about him, his club, and the bond/sould mates. Nessa has 3 nights to think over what Zer had told her. On the 3rd day she has until midnight to roam the club and look for a bond mate. At preciou...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Thousands of years ago, an elite class of angels were tricked into turning on the archangel Michael. As punishment, they were cast out of heaven, forced to live a nearly mortal existence on earth, without their souls. Their only chance to return to heaven would come if they found their soul-mates and bonded to them.

In the first book of the series, Bond With Me, the first soul-mate was discovered after nearly 3000 years. And now, many of the Fallen have hope. Of course, several of their kind have...more Thousands of years ago, an elite class of angels were tricked into turning on the archangel Michael. As punishment, they were cast out of heaven, forced to live a nearly mortal existence on earth, without their souls. Their only chance to return to heaven would come if they found their soul-mates and bonded to them.

In the first book of the series, Bond With Me, the first soul-mate was discovered after nearly 3000 years. And now, many of the Fallen have hope. Of course, several of their kind have already given up. No longer content just to sip off the souls of humans, they are sucking them dry, twisting into dark versions of their former selves. It's those twisted Fallen that Zer and his men must fight.

Zer was the leader of the warrior angels who attacked Michael all those years ago, and has never gotten over his guilt for his actions. And when the beautiful scientist Nessa comes into his life, as a potential soul-mate for one of the Fallen, he doesn't even consider that he might be the one for her. Of course he is, though. The story follows Nessa and Zer as they find their way to each other --and work to keep her out of the clutches of the very man who orchestrated the angels' fall all those years ago.

This book was really, really hot. Zer is a sexy, dominating alpha who does a really fantastic job of sexing up our heroine. His band of angel-brothers is also a big win. Especially Nael and Vkhin. The men are all well-drawn, with distinct (and swoon-worthy) personalities.

However, the book was not without problems. My biggest issue was that I often felt like I did not have a complete grasp on the world-building. Some of my questions cleared up over the course of the book, but others never completely went away... especially when it came to the nuances of bonding and soul-sipping -- as well some questions about the Fallen who went rogue and the Preserves where they were ?imprisoned? --Maybe some of this was explained more fully in the first book, but I found myself scratching my head too many times, and sadly that kept pulling me out of the story. In addition, I felt like there were some abrupt shifts in the story telling that I found jarring.

It's a dark book with a lot of angst and a generous helping of sexy times. I just wish I hadn't felt lost so many times during the read. 3 stars.

*ARC Provided by author for review(less)

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Jul 28, 2012 Sam rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: not really

Shame on me - I loved the cover of this book which drew me to read the narative. I really enjoyed the story line and the creativity behind this book but got really bored several times when the book seemed to drag. I'm all about the "cat and mouse" game between a strong woman and strong man in a story! Unfortunately Zer and the good Doctor let me down when they finally decided to get down to business. The sex wasn't steamy and lacked the emotion of "god, I'll like some of that" factor for me in t...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Meaghan rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the first novel, Bond with Me, we had Mischka and Brends as our main story, but there was another couple Pell and Dathan that held a secondary plot line. In His Dark Bond the whole book focuses on just Zer and Nessa. I liked having two couples in the first book, but I appreciated Anne keeping Zer and Nessa at the forefront of this one. They had quite a few more issues to work through and I think another couple would have deluded the intensity of their story. While we don’t get to see a second...more In the first novel, Bond with Me, we had Mischka and Brends as our main story, but there was another couple Pell and Dathan that held a secondary plot line. In His Dark Bond the whole book focuses on just Zer and Nessa. I liked having two couples in the first book, but I appreciated Anne keeping Zer and Nessa at the forefront of this one. They had quite a few more issues to work through and I think another couple would have deluded the intensity of their story. While we don’t get to see a second couple, we still get to see inside the head of the enemy, Cuthah quite a few times. He is as determined as ever to take down the Fallen and he is using all his power to manipulate everyone around him to get what he wants. His arrogance does eventually catch up with him though, and his fate in this book was an unexpected turn that I did not see coming until the very end.

As for the couple themselves, Zer wants Nessa from the second he sees her, but is determined to have her bond with one of his brothers instead. Zer is as alpha male as they come and has completely ruled out any chance at having a soul mate. He thinks he is beyond help, so when Nessa comes and rocks his world he is completely caught off guard. She is a scientist and does not put much stock in the whole “happily ever after” notion so they are both trying to fight what they feel for one another. Zer is trying to keep his hands to himself, thinking that Nessa will eventually bond with another, but there is no denying the spark they feel for one another. Anne sure knows how to steam up the pages even when the characters are just doing ordinary things like riding in an elevator. Being the leader of the Fallen I did not think we would get to see Zer’s book this soon, but I am happy that Anne let us see what happens when someone who thinks he is beyond redemption, get a chance at happiness.

The plot of this book was still just as thrilling as the first novel, but it was more an emotional struggle than physical one. Cuthah is still following them and gathering more to his side every day, but the real crux of this book is Zer letting Nessa in. They have a few run-ins with rouges of course, but that threat remained in the background of this book as Nessa and Zer tried to decipher their relationship. Nessa is also important because she has research that may help the Fallen find their soul mates. This makes her a huge asset to both Zer and Cuthah. Nessa struggles to decide where her loyalties truly lie and how her research should be used. Nessa’s research allowed Anne to further explore the origins of the soul mates and I relished learning more about where they came from and why they have not been found before now. We also learned more about the original rebellion through Zer’s eyes and his perspective put a few more pieces of the overall puzzle into place.

The climax of the story was my favorite part of the entire novel. Anne manages to give you great action sequences, hot steamy romance and heartbreak all in the last fifty pages, making it impossible to put down. There were a couple of characters that showed up that I did not expected at all and loved how Anne kept some of the best twists for the end.

There was only one real negative I had while reading. It does not have to do with the plot, but the language used. Some of the words used to describe feelings were used repeatedly and it took me out of the moment at times. For example “lost for her” was used a couple of times close together and I wanted Zer to express his feelings using another saying. It is sweet the first time, but after a couple of times it gets redundant. I am also reading this book in ARC form though, so maybe by the final copy of the book these changes will be made. This is not a big negative, just a small aspect of the book that I bothered me a little while reading.

Overall this is another amazing addition to this series. I love Anne’s version of the Fallen and hope that she will continue to give us more of them. There is a novella coming out in May called Savage Bond that features Vkhin, he is in His Dark Bond, so we get a little peak into what he is like, but not enough. I look forward to reading more in this series and keep fingers crossed that we will get to see a book featuring Nael because out of all the secondary characters in this book he is the one that stood out for me. I think it probably has something to do with the scene of him in the club helping Zer and then later when he dances with Nessa. That guy just oozes masculinity and I want to see the girl that will be able to rein him in. If you love paranormal romance then I highly suggest you check out this series!(less)

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Apr 24, 2012 A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-requested, home-library, kensington

Zer is the leader, the sire, of the Dominions. Now that they are Fallen Angels he is still their leader and for over 3,000 years he’s led them on Earth. 3,000 years is a long time to hope that they will find their soul mates and be admitted back into the Heavens. Many of his brothers have turned rogue and he’s had to imprison or kill them. Zer discovers that Cuthah, the lieutenant of Michael the Archangel, has been tracking and killing the soul mates through the years because he has an agenda al...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Gizzie rated it 3 of 5 stars

The action in the book was great in the begining of the book but was hard to follow at the end. I found it a little dis jointed because of the discriptive seperations in the chacters conversations. Also some of the movement of chacters wasn't consistant. An example was that one time the chacter was setting on the bed talking then while still in the same conversation without any explation the same chacter has his coat on walking out the door without nothing in between.

All in all it was a good rea...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-romance, sexy, vampire

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Setting: M-City (old Moscow) – G-2, angel run now; the club; her laboratory on campus..

Theme:
Redemption; giving ones whole self into the caring of another, and receiving their whole self into your caring; love;

Characters:
Zer: head of the fallen angels; bears the burden of guilt in having defied Michael and leading the others, even though felt justified in defending the women angels wh were being attacked and brutally killed; can’t personally have sex/absorb the emotions of a woman because afraid...more

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Feb 22, 2012 E_bookpushers rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-it, series, paranormal, e-book, reviewed, romance

Originally posted at: http://thebookpushers.com/2012/02/16/...

Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: Out Now
How we got this book: Purchased

HE HUNGERS FOR HER BODY . . .
Zer is no angel—well, not anymore. He’s explored every flavor of sin imaginable, drinking in the pleasures of humanity. But now he must find the woman who carries his salvation in her very blood…a woman like Nessa St. James.
AND HER SOUL
Nessa has considered the bargain the Fallen offer. Anything she wants in exchange for accepting Zer’...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Lisa Jo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, physical-collection, paranormal

HIS DARK BOND has a promising story line yet a somewhat disappointing execution. Paranormal fans may get their fix, but could still be hard pressed to find a fan favorite.

Nessa St. James is having a normal day lecturing at the university, when suddenly a group of lethal warriors crash in to kidnap her. They are the Dominions, the fallen angels of Heaven and they are as dangerous as they are attractive. Their leader Zer is the most lethal of them all and has Nessa in his sights. He knows she is a...more HIS DARK BOND has a promising story line yet a somewhat disappointing execution. Paranormal fans may get their fix, but could still be hard pressed to find a fan favorite.

Nessa St. James is having a normal day lecturing at the university, when suddenly a group of lethal warriors crash in to kidnap her. They are the Dominions, the fallen angels of Heaven and they are as dangerous as they are attractive. Their leader Zer is the most lethal of them all and has Nessa in his sights. He knows she is a soul mate, so if he has to kidnap her to keep her safe and gain her compliance, so be it. The Dominions' enemies want Nessa dead and Zer will do everything he can to prevent that from happening because Nessa is the salvation for one of his brothers. She is the means to gain back their wings and redemption. Zer and Nessa share a sizzling attraction, but he knows it will go no further. He has long since lost his emotions and belief that a soul mate exists especially for him. Yet everything about Nessa is showing him he may be completely wrong...

The premise of this book really hooked me in. I was truly excited and ready to read about it, but early on I began to realize there may be a few problems. The first half of the book really makes no progress. In a way it made me question the characters' intelligence. Both Nessa and Zer acknowledge a sexual attraction towards one another, but they think that could never mean they're ‘bonding' material. As the book goes on, you realize this attraction is obvious to everyone (reader included) but they still refuse to acknowledge its potential. What personally became irksome to me was the repetitiveness of the characters' thoughts. If a character said or thought something once concerning their potential to be soul mates, or lack of, it was rehashed over and over again.

To expect HIS DARK BOND to be sexy would be stating the obvious. In a way it was, but it was also weird. In some parts, Anne Marsh tries to make it kinky but it just ends up being awkward. It was lust with no feelings attached. Which I guess in a way suits the ‘Fallen' characters since they really aren't supposed to have feelings, but it just didn't seem right. You don't really get a full understanding of what it's like for one of the Fallen or how they experience anything, if at all. It's possible more has been explained in the first book to help readers understand these characters. I will honestly admit I have not read the first book to this series, so I cannot say with certainty whether or not that previous novel would have improved my enjoyment of the second.

As for the characters, I became overwhelmingly frustrated with Nessa. She seemed smart and independent, but when kidnapped by Zer and the Fallen, she just loses her identity. While it is true that her character sees few options that could change her fate, once you get to know her personality, you realize she just gave in too easily on some matters. She didn't like it, didn't want to do what they ask of her, but she did it. It just made no sense to me. To complicate matters, her personality becomes extremely fierce after she concedes to some very important decisions. Finally, after it's too late, she grows a backbone. At this point, I just didn't know what to think about her.

It's possible there is something from the first book I'm missing and it's possible that this just isn't the type of paranormal I enjoy. Either way, I can't say I loved this book which is slightly disappointing since I was really looking forward to it. The characters just didn't connect with me and the story line was either repetitive or confusing. It seems like the building blocks for a great story are there, it just has an uncertain foundation. I will say the ending picked up and became the novel I was expecting from the start.

Unfortunately at that point I was just so confused about my feelings towards these two characters that I didn't know what to think. As dismayed as I am to write this review, I still found it intriguing enough to pick up the first novel or next to be released in this series. I am hoping that being left unsatisfied after reading HIS DARK BOND was just a fluke and that I will have more to look forward to from Anne Marsh in the future. Because after all is said and done, there is much potential and promise to be found in Ms Marsh's writing and I still have high hopes for this series.

Originally posted at The Romance Reviews(less)

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Jan 31, 2012 Paranormal Haven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-read-by-stephanie

Three thousand years ago, Zer and his fellow Demonions were charged with the task of defending the Celestial Throne. After being tricked into rebelling against the Archangel Michael, he and the men who followed him were stripped of their wings and most of their emotions and sent to earth. Any chance of salvation lies in the Fallen finding their soul mates.

Nessa St. James is one of the few remaining soul mates and though the thought of her with someone else makes his blood boil, Zer will do what...more Three thousand years ago, Zer and his fellow Demonions were charged with the task of defending the Celestial Throne. After being tricked into rebelling against the Archangel Michael, he and the men who followed him were stripped of their wings and most of their emotions and sent to earth. Any chance of salvation lies in the Fallen finding their soul mates.

Nessa St. James is one of the few remaining soul mates and though the thought of her with someone else makes his blood boil, Zer will do what it takes to convince her to bond with another. Nessa has been kidnapped from the university where she teaches and told by the wickedly seductive Zer that she needs to bond with a Fallen so they can protect her from their enemies. Nessa doesn't have a death wish but Zer has another thing coming if he believes she'll simply submit to his demands.

His Dark Bond takes place in a alternate Moscow in the future where if you're willing to trade pieces of your soul to the emotion hunger Fallen, you can have any one wish you desire. The Fallen can become addicted to emotions to the point where they turn rogue and feed off of humans until they die. Zer's own addiction and guilt of leading his men into a failed rebellion has made him think he doesn't deserve one of the remaining soul mates. I love Zer, not just because he's a fine example of what an alpha should be but for his unwavering loyalty and dedication to his men. It was their choice to stick by him all those years ago but he takes on the full burden of their fall and would give everything, even his chance to have a mate, to give them what they had back. I think Nessa is a great match for Zer, even if he doesn't believe so at first.

Zer and Nessa's first encounter is when he barges into her class and kidnaps her and she gives him attitude the entire time. Zer is very dominate and accustomed to having things his way. Nessa's stubbornness and refusal to ever take the easy way out is downright sexy to him and her naughty side makes it impossible to keep his hands off her. Nessa is a intelligent, strong willed woman whose genetic research has led to her uncovering a forgotten tribe of people that have a direct link to the soul mates the Fallen are searching for. Her work is important to her and she doesn't have time for a distraction like Zer. Nessa is a great heroine. I not only loved the sass she'd throw Zer's way but also that she wants to give him more of her, more than he thinks he deserves. This unlikely combination really worked and when things got hot and heavy, which at times involved elevators and voyeurism, I had a hard time not blushing.

The pool of candidates for soul mates is so small because of Cuthah. He is the lieutenant to Michael and has known of the Fallen's road to redemption the entire time. He has no desire to see the Demonions once again defending the Celestial Throne, something he wants for himself, so he has gathered rogues and spent years tracking down and killing as many soul mates as he can. Cuthah is vile and a worthy adversary to the Fallen. A few times I thought the fights between them were drawn out more than necessary but they gave the reader some action and really showed how dangerous the world of fallen angels can be.

Anne Marsh did a great job creating a cast of characters you can't help but love and a story that hooks you in from the start. This is a darker paranormal romance with an alpha that is rough around the edges and unapologetic in everything he does. If this is the right combination for you then I say definitely check out His Dark Bond. This is book 2 in Anne Marsh's Fallen series and I suggest if you have time, go back and read book 1. It's not necessary story wise but I think Mischka and Brends' story is worth reading.
- Stephanie(less)

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Jan 23, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews, paranormal-romance

Zer is one of the Fallen. Thrown out of heaven by Michael. Cursed to live the life of a goblin. Unless he can find a women who can love and redeem his soul. His Soul Mate.

Dr. Nessa St. James is on list of potential females that are compatible for the Fallen. She wants nothing more to continue her research and make tenure. But in walks a raging storm by the name of Zer, with his man handling ways and her world is forever changed.

I loved this story. Zer is a force. Intense, dominate and simply yum...more

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May 13, 2013 Judy rated it 4 of 5 stars

His Dark Bond by Anne Marsh
Fallen Series Book 2
Zer is the leader of the Fallen and carries the guilt for them being where they are. He believes he has nothing but coldness left in him and that he is walking the thin line between sanity and rogue. When they find a potential soul mate he refuses to consider himself in the running….that he don’t deserve redemption. And yet he feels drawn the beautiful professor.

Nessa St. James has just found out her job is in jeopardy unless she wants to work for a...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: signed-by-author-copy, won-in-giveaway, read-in-2012

This second book in the series is hotly sensual, boldly takes you deeper into the world of The Fallen. The story of Zer and Nessie breaks rules and causes hearts to soar in it's radiance. A story that readers will consume as fast as their hand can turn the pages zooming to an ending that bursts bright and hot like the sun leaving you with a smile of pleasure on your face at it's radiance! I am so looking forward to the next book in the series when it is released.

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Oct 26, 2012 Ilona rated it 4 of 5 stars

Even though I hadn't read book one in this series it didn't spoil my enjoyment of this book (won this from author along with book 3)

The story world was easy to catch onto and the action was fast and intense. I really liked the main characters and the interaction between them too. I am looking forward to reading more from Ms March's Fallen series.

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Jan 29, 2012 Sonya rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a really great read. Very well written, the story moved at a fast pace, the action was good, and it was STEAMY. Zer is an excellent alpha male, and Nessa is no weak little whimpering idiot. I don't know how I missed the first one in this series, but I'm going to make sure and go back and read it.

I look forward to more in this series.

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Jan 24, 2012 Nocturne Romance Reads rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

TOP PICK!!!
WOW! What can I say about this book...it was awesome! The Fallen Series by Anne Marsh is a totally different take on Fallen Angels. They have been exiled from Heaven and their only way back in is to find the one woman who can save them...their soul mate

read full review http://www.nocturnereads.com/His-Dark...

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Feb 09, 2012 Has rated it 3 of 5 stars

Three and half stars.

Full review to be posted soon:
I really enjoy this series. Anne Marsh combines smexy erotic love scenes with PNR really well and the world-building is very solid which has a gritty and dark edged tone. With this entry to the series, I did enjoy Nessa and Zer's story, although not as much compared to the first book, Bond with me.

However, I loved how science was used and how realistically to the series and how that related to Nessa's characterisation. The romance was hawt betw...more

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His Dark Bond (Fallen #2)

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