What do you think?
Rate this book
Love Doesn’t Cure All
Burned & Bound
It was one kiss and a promise of tomorrow…
WEST
Loving Jackson Myles almost cost me my life. I ran, going wherever the wind took me. I did things I’m not proud of to survive.
When I inherit my half of Double Arrow Ranch, I mean to sell. I want nothing to do with Jackson or that place. But my dad’s will requires I work the ranch for one year or I’ll forfeit the sale.
Only Jackson isn’t some soft and sweet kid anymore. He’s hard edges and rough antics, and he takes nothing from no one—including me. As I start to unravel, dragged down by the memories of Double Arrow Ranch, Jackson is there to pick up my pieces. But do I want him to?
JACKSON
I loved West McNamara. I loved him when he kissed me, I loved him when he vanished in the middle of the night, and a part of me still loves him. But I hate him for all the same reasons.
When West inherits his half of Double Arrow Ranch, he can’t sell it without working the ranch for one year. That means I’m stuck with him.
But this West isn’t the kid I knew. He’s tortured and broken, tattooed with the secrets of seventeen years lost between us. As I learn his secrets, can I reconcile the best friend I lost with the broken man in front of me?
**Burned & Bound is a standalone novel with a guaranteed HEA wrapped up in a heavy emotional story. The content is meant for readers 18+ so please read responsibly.
WEST
Loving Jackson Myles almost cost me my life. I ran, going wherever the wind took me. I did things I’m not proud of to survive.
When I inherit my half of Double Arrow Ranch, I mean to sell. I want nothing to do with Jackson or that place. But my dad’s will requires I work the ranch for one year or I’ll forfeit the sale.
Only Jackson isn’t some soft and sweet kid anymore. He’s hard edges and rough antics, and he takes nothing from no one—including me. As I start to unravel, dragged down by the memories of Double Arrow Ranch, Jackson is there to pick up my pieces. But do I want him to?
JACKSON
I loved West McNamara. I loved him when he kissed me, I loved him when he vanished in the middle of the night, and a part of me still loves him. But I hate him for all the same reasons.
When West inherits his half of Double Arrow Ranch, he can’t sell it without working the ranch for one year. That means I’m stuck with him.
But this West isn’t the kid I knew. He’s tortured and broken, tattooed with the secrets of seventeen years lost between us. As I learn his secrets, can I reconcile the best friend I lost with the broken man in front of me?
**Burned & Bound is a standalone novel with a guaranteed HEA wrapped up in a heavy emotional story. The content is meant for readers 18+ so please read responsibly.
461 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 22, 2024
326 people are currently reading
1747 people want to read
About the author
A. Winchester
31 books207 followersWord Nerd, Connoisseur of adventures of a literary nature, Would die first in a Supernatural episode.
I’m an author, reader, and most importantly, a nerd. I love all things superheroes, demon hunters, and long-running movies and tv shows. I enjoy diving deep into characters and their stories, journeying with them while figuring out who they are. It’s the goal I have for all the characters I create and hope you find a way to connect with them.
I’m an author, reader, and most importantly, a nerd. I love all things superheroes, demon hunters, and long-running movies and tv shows. I enjoy diving deep into characters and their stories, journeying with them while figuring out who they are. It’s the goal I have for all the characters I create and hope you find a way to connect with them.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
January 2, 2025
You know how I get annoyed when I feel like one MC is trying harder than the other? Well. This book is Jackson giving 180% and West coming in strong at -20%.
This.....shouldn't have been a romance. Or maybe it just wasn't. To me.
It's not even West's fault. That man needed intensive long-term therapy the likes of which required a three book arc at minimum to be believable.
He's so broken that he needed help more than he needed romance. It was clear from chapter one, and I wish Jackson hadn't needed to break himself at the altar of West before it became clear to him.
Brief background.
West was abused physically and emotionally by his father growing up, and it seems every adult in their shit town knew about it but were too much of cowards to do anything about it(despite the lies they tell themselves otherwise)
He watched his mom commit suicide, got the homophobic beating of a lifetime from his father at 17/18 and ran away from home. A series of unfortunate events end up with him in jail for armed robbery,and he later leaves as a survivor of a 9 man gang rape and a murder for self defense.
Jackson was pushing Sisyphus' boulder from the jump. Ex best friend returns after 17 years away, shortly thereafter he discovers it wasn't because West abandoned him after their kiss. And everyone he trusted had known and kept it away from him because ✨reasons✨.
Cue the biggest 'I can Fix Him' campaign of the century. Except, he couldn't. Because love isn't a magic cure. But he tries.
And tries.
And tries.
And tries.
Spoiler alert: He fails every time.
Until he's the one who's broken. And West can't deal. Because he can hardly deal with his own issues. I WANT to have grace for him, I do. Because he's had a rough time of it.
But I'm going to be honest, it was hard not to be disappointed. I wish he'd found it himself to come through at least once. I GET why he couldn't. Didn't stop me wishing he could have.
So here we are. Started with two MCs. One okay, one broken. By the end, they're both broken.
On the plus side, Jackson never once said anything he didn't mean, for better or for worse(usually for worse)
“I ain’t saying you have to. I’m saying we were robbed of a chance to find out, and if you ever wanted to find out… that door is open on my end.”
“I do trust you. I walked into this thing with you knowing full well that at the end of this year together, you’re going to break my heart."
Maybe my issue overall was that the last 10% of the book had SO much going on that I couldn't buy the authenticity of what was being claimed.
90% in, I told myself there's no wayyyyyy this doesn't have a book two. There's no way this can be wrapped up in 10%.
Maybe if the last bit had been as well paced as the first 90%, I'd have loved this.
As it is, I would love this as a story of healing. The depictions of West's suffering? Harrowing.
Do I like this as a romance? Do I root for these two to be together by this stage of their lives? No.
And it's that much sadder that I don't even blame West for it. It's just what it is.
Is there a word for a romance that's mostly sad then ends with a 'jk, they lived happily ever after'?
This is a tragedy that forgets itself by the end.
This.....shouldn't have been a romance. Or maybe it just wasn't. To me.
It's not even West's fault. That man needed intensive long-term therapy the likes of which required a three book arc at minimum to be believable.
He's so broken that he needed help more than he needed romance. It was clear from chapter one, and I wish Jackson hadn't needed to break himself at the altar of West before it became clear to him.
Brief background.
West was abused physically and emotionally by his father growing up, and it seems every adult in their shit town knew about it but were too much of cowards to do anything about it(despite the lies they tell themselves otherwise)
He watched his mom commit suicide, got the homophobic beating of a lifetime from his father at 17/18 and ran away from home. A series of unfortunate events end up with him in jail for armed robbery,and he later leaves as a survivor of a 9 man gang rape and a murder for self defense.
Jackson was pushing Sisyphus' boulder from the jump. Ex best friend returns after 17 years away, shortly thereafter he discovers it wasn't because West abandoned him after their kiss. And everyone he trusted had known and kept it away from him because ✨reasons✨.
Cue the biggest 'I can Fix Him' campaign of the century. Except, he couldn't. Because love isn't a magic cure. But he tries.
And tries.
And tries.
And tries.
Spoiler alert: He fails every time.
Until he's the one who's broken. And West can't deal. Because he can hardly deal with his own issues. I WANT to have grace for him, I do. Because he's had a rough time of it.
But I'm going to be honest, it was hard not to be disappointed. I wish he'd found it himself to come through at least once. I GET why he couldn't. Didn't stop me wishing he could have.
So here we are. Started with two MCs. One okay, one broken. By the end, they're both broken.
On the plus side, Jackson never once said anything he didn't mean, for better or for worse(usually for worse)
“I ain’t saying you have to. I’m saying we were robbed of a chance to find out, and if you ever wanted to find out… that door is open on my end.”
“I do trust you. I walked into this thing with you knowing full well that at the end of this year together, you’re going to break my heart."
Maybe my issue overall was that the last 10% of the book had SO much going on that I couldn't buy the authenticity of what was being claimed.
90% in, I told myself there's no wayyyyyy this doesn't have a book two. There's no way this can be wrapped up in 10%.
Maybe if the last bit had been as well paced as the first 90%, I'd have loved this.
As it is, I would love this as a story of healing. The depictions of West's suffering? Harrowing.
Do I like this as a romance? Do I root for these two to be together by this stage of their lives? No.
And it's that much sadder that I don't even blame West for it. It's just what it is.
Is there a word for a romance that's mostly sad then ends with a 'jk, they lived happily ever after'?
This is a tragedy that forgets itself by the end.
January 7, 2025
West + Jackson 🖤
Friends to enemies to lovers | Trauma | Broken Man | HEA
I am so stuck with how to rate this right now. This had the potential to be one of my favorite books. I absolutely loved most of it. However, at around 90% it all went to hell. It made me want to stop reading it entirely. I'm going to continue to sit with my thoughts and may change my rating later.
West has a shit ton of trauma. Most of his behavior and responses were completely justified and understandable. But then it got to a point where he was only taking and not giving to the one person who was always there for him and that's not okay. Jackson only needed back maybe 25% of what he gave to West but instead he got nothing.
Trauma explains behavior but it doesn't excuse it. There's still a responsibility there.
⚠️ possible spoilers below in detailed tropes and trigger warnings
Tropes:
Childhood best friends to enemies to lovers
Bull rider
Horse whisperer
Strict roles
Mental health rep
C-PTSD rep
Broken man
Equine therapy
Pierced nipples
Pierced 🍆
Touch aversion
TWs:
Child abuse on page by a parent
Violence
History of multiple brutal rapes
History of sexual assault by a doctor
History of incarceration
Hospital stay
Severe injury
Fear of hospitals
PTSD
AA meetings
Alcoholism
Panic attacks
Feelings of unworthiness
3rd act breakup
Betrayal (no cheating)
Friends to enemies to lovers | Trauma | Broken Man | HEA
I am so stuck with how to rate this right now. This had the potential to be one of my favorite books. I absolutely loved most of it. However, at around 90% it all went to hell. It made me want to stop reading it entirely. I'm going to continue to sit with my thoughts and may change my rating later.
West has a shit ton of trauma. Most of his behavior and responses were completely justified and understandable. But then it got to a point where he was only taking and not giving to the one person who was always there for him and that's not okay. Jackson only needed back maybe 25% of what he gave to West but instead he got nothing.
Trauma explains behavior but it doesn't excuse it. There's still a responsibility there.
⚠️ possible spoilers below in detailed tropes and trigger warnings
Tropes:
Childhood best friends to enemies to lovers
Bull rider
Horse whisperer
Strict roles
Mental health rep
C-PTSD rep
Broken man
Equine therapy
Pierced nipples
Pierced 🍆
Touch aversion
TWs:
Child abuse on page by a parent
Violence
History of multiple brutal rapes
History of sexual assault by a doctor
History of incarceration
Hospital stay
Severe injury
Fear of hospitals
PTSD
AA meetings
Alcoholism
Panic attacks
Feelings of unworthiness
3rd act breakup
Betrayal (no cheating)
July 10, 2025
4⭐ fucking raw and fucking beautiful 💛
I had a lot of thoughts while reading this — but never doubts.
I usually don’t comment on other reviews (what hits hard for one person might miss for another), but I’ve seen people say the relationship felt unbalanced — that West didn’t give as much as Jackson. And I just don’t agree.
How could he?After the trauma of losing his mother, the abuse he endured from his own father, and at a young age suffering from such violent abuse in prison, West doesn’t have much left to give. He lives with demons… they are the only constant in his life… and obviously the coping mechanism is the worst… and that’s exactly why he needs someone like Jackson. Someone who, once he knows the truth and realizes how everyone failed West (his parents, Mickey, everyone who stayed silent), steps up and gives *everything*. His heart. His patience. His love. His life.
So that West can *finally* start giving something back.
This book is delicate in its emotional depth — even if the characters swear like drunk sailors — and brutal in the way trauma is laid bare. These are two broken men, wrecked in different ways but *meant* for each other. Seventeen years couldn’t keep them apart. And even when I was frustrated or aching, I *believed* in them.
That said — the swearing? It got to me. It’s constant. Distracting, honestly. At times it pulled me out of the scene instead of pulling me deeper. But eventually, I got used to it. Mostly.
This is a book that asks a lot from the reader. You don’t just watch their journey — you walk beside them. Sometimes gently holding their hands, sometimes just trying to keep up with their heartbeat. 🫠🫶
I also love the format of the book, tiny chapters love that, so you get 101 and 2 epilogues 🫶 The cPTSD representation was out of this world. You felt the terror way of West distress in the words… u almost listen to his screams 😢 it takes a whiles to get some clinical explanation this but it all makes sense!
Some final thoughts I’m still chewing on:
I’m struggling to forgive the people who knew what West’s father did and stayed silent. That silence haunts more than the violence ever could.
And I *hated* that West left again at that specific, terrible moment without explaining himself. I get why he left — and I’m *glad* he did — but not telling Jackson? That felt needlessly cruel. Jackson would have understood. Instead, it became eight more months of silence and hurt that didn’t need to happen. It didn’t add emotional weight — just extra drama that didn’t feel earned.
But the ending? I *loved* the ending. I loved that they *fought* for their HEA, that they found peace — that they found a safe haven, West and Jackson surrounded by cows, goats, bulls, horses, and all those flowers? That’s the image I’m holding onto. 🐂🐄🐎🐐🌸🌹🌺🌷🌻
I didn’t need anyone’s validation about our relationship. Loving West McNamara wasn’t hard. Watching him fight a war that I couldn’t protect him from was.
And so I just loved him. And kept on loving him. That part was easy. That part I firmly believed I was made for.
You good, baby?” Jackson asked, his deep voice pulling me from my thoughts. He nudged Zeus a little closer. I smiled at Jackson—at the man who inspired me to be better. Who showed me just how good my life could be and saw me, even when I couldn’t see myself.
At the man who so fiercely believed in me that I knew I could do anything.
“Yeah, I’m good, cowboy.”
And I was.
I loved our life at West Haven.
I loved Jackson.
But most of all… I loved me.
I had a lot of thoughts while reading this — but never doubts.
I usually don’t comment on other reviews (what hits hard for one person might miss for another), but I’ve seen people say the relationship felt unbalanced — that West didn’t give as much as Jackson. And I just don’t agree.
How could he?After the trauma of losing his mother, the abuse he endured from his own father, and at a young age suffering from such violent abuse in prison, West doesn’t have much left to give. He lives with demons… they are the only constant in his life… and obviously the coping mechanism is the worst… and that’s exactly why he needs someone like Jackson. Someone who, once he knows the truth and realizes how everyone failed West (his parents, Mickey, everyone who stayed silent), steps up and gives *everything*. His heart. His patience. His love. His life.
So that West can *finally* start giving something back.
This book is delicate in its emotional depth — even if the characters swear like drunk sailors — and brutal in the way trauma is laid bare. These are two broken men, wrecked in different ways but *meant* for each other. Seventeen years couldn’t keep them apart. And even when I was frustrated or aching, I *believed* in them.
That said — the swearing? It got to me. It’s constant. Distracting, honestly. At times it pulled me out of the scene instead of pulling me deeper. But eventually, I got used to it. Mostly.
This is a book that asks a lot from the reader. You don’t just watch their journey — you walk beside them. Sometimes gently holding their hands, sometimes just trying to keep up with their heartbeat. 🫠🫶
I also love the format of the book, tiny chapters love that, so you get 101 and 2 epilogues 🫶 The cPTSD representation was out of this world. You felt the terror way of West distress in the words… u almost listen to his screams 😢 it takes a whiles to get some clinical explanation this but it all makes sense!
Some final thoughts I’m still chewing on:
I’m struggling to forgive the people who knew what West’s father did and stayed silent. That silence haunts more than the violence ever could.
And I *hated* that West left again at that specific, terrible moment without explaining himself. I get why he left — and I’m *glad* he did — but not telling Jackson? That felt needlessly cruel. Jackson would have understood. Instead, it became eight more months of silence and hurt that didn’t need to happen. It didn’t add emotional weight — just extra drama that didn’t feel earned.
But the ending? I *loved* the ending. I loved that they *fought* for their HEA, that they found peace — that they found a safe haven, West and Jackson surrounded by cows, goats, bulls, horses, and all those flowers? That’s the image I’m holding onto. 🐂🐄🐎🐐🌸🌹🌺🌷🌻
I didn’t need anyone’s validation about our relationship. Loving West McNamara wasn’t hard. Watching him fight a war that I couldn’t protect him from was.
And so I just loved him. And kept on loving him. That part was easy. That part I firmly believed I was made for.
You good, baby?” Jackson asked, his deep voice pulling me from my thoughts. He nudged Zeus a little closer. I smiled at Jackson—at the man who inspired me to be better. Who showed me just how good my life could be and saw me, even when I couldn’t see myself.
At the man who so fiercely believed in me that I knew I could do anything.
“Yeah, I’m good, cowboy.”
And I was.
I loved our life at West Haven.
I loved Jackson.
But most of all… I loved me.
Read
January 11, 2025DNF - no rating.
This was mainly a writing style issue for me. Super short chapters and there are 101 chapters. A lot of italics. Inner monologue style of telling information that doesn't really feel natural, who is the MC telling this to? Too many internal questions asked while in the MCs head.
I am not good at describing why a writing style doesn't work for me, so take that with a big grain of salt.
First person dual POV, heavy topics, check the thorough CWs behind spoiler tags if you're unsure.
Author-provided CWs were detailed and plentiful, which is great!
CWs:
This was mainly a writing style issue for me. Super short chapters and there are 101 chapters. A lot of italics. Inner monologue style of telling information that doesn't really feel natural, who is the MC telling this to? Too many internal questions asked while in the MCs head.
I am not good at describing why a writing style doesn't work for me, so take that with a big grain of salt.
First person dual POV, heavy topics, check the thorough CWs behind spoiler tags if you're unsure.
Author-provided CWs were detailed and plentiful, which is great!
CWs:
May 24, 2025
4.25⭐️
“Are you sure you want this, Jackson? I wouldn’t be mad if you didn’t.”
“I told you that if you’d asked me years ago to leave with you, I would’ve, you mean more to me than that ranch ever will, West. Always have, always will.”
This book was a 5 star until the last 20%, which lowered my rating. I'll start by saying that Jackson deserved better, and by that, I mean he deserved a better treatment than what he got.
“Why do you care so damn much about what happens to me?”
“I’d rather go through hell with you, West, than watch it destroy you.”
From the beginning, I knew West was a character carrying a lot of emotional weight, and he didn’t deserve anything that happened to him. I was and still very protective of him, so much so that I hated anyone who went against him, like Jackson at the beginning before he learned the truth. However, once he found out the truth, he made it his mission to take care of him, protect, and make West feel safe. He maintained this behavior throughout the entire book. Even when West treated him poorly or pushed him away, Jackson understood, was incredibly patient, and never asked for more than West could give. So, where’s my problem with this book? It’s when the story focuses entirely on West and forgets about Jackson even after what happened to him.
“Running away from me was the escape he needed?”
“Maybe… just maybe, Jackson, this isn’t about you.”
BITCH, IT WAS NEVER ABOUT HIM!! Everything Jackson did was for West, thinking about his comfort, making him feel good, and always putting West’s needs above his own. But what about Jackson’s feelings? Do they not matter? I get it. I’ve understood it from the very beginning and never blamed West because I understood he was hurting and didn’t know how to cope, and I’m not mad that West sought help, I fully support that. What bothers me is the way he went about it and his complete lack of consideration for Jackson. He was in the hospital, physically and emotionally broken, and I expected a conversation with him before leaving. That’s all. I’m putting this on the author not on West.
“You good, baby?” Jackson asked.
I smiled at him, at the man who inspired me to be better. Who showed me just how good my life could be and saw me, even when I couldn’t see myself. At the man who so fiercely believed in me that I knew I could do anything. “Yeah, I’m good, cowboy.”
And I was. I loved our life at West Haven. I loved Jackson. But most of all… I loved me.
That being said I was so proud of West, he came really so far and he deserved so much better from everybody except his mother and Jackson and yes, I still hate everybody who knew and did absolutely NOTHING or the bare minimum to protect that baby.
“Are you sure you want this, Jackson? I wouldn’t be mad if you didn’t.”
“I told you that if you’d asked me years ago to leave with you, I would’ve, you mean more to me than that ranch ever will, West. Always have, always will.”
This book was a 5 star until the last 20%, which lowered my rating. I'll start by saying that Jackson deserved better, and by that, I mean he deserved a better treatment than what he got.
“Why do you care so damn much about what happens to me?”
“I’d rather go through hell with you, West, than watch it destroy you.”
From the beginning, I knew West was a character carrying a lot of emotional weight, and he didn’t deserve anything that happened to him. I was and still very protective of him, so much so that I hated anyone who went against him, like Jackson at the beginning before he learned the truth. However, once he found out the truth, he made it his mission to take care of him, protect, and make West feel safe. He maintained this behavior throughout the entire book. Even when West treated him poorly or pushed him away, Jackson understood, was incredibly patient, and never asked for more than West could give. So, where’s my problem with this book? It’s when the story focuses entirely on West and forgets about Jackson even after what happened to him.
“Running away from me was the escape he needed?”
“Maybe… just maybe, Jackson, this isn’t about you.”
BITCH, IT WAS NEVER ABOUT HIM!! Everything Jackson did was for West, thinking about his comfort, making him feel good, and always putting West’s needs above his own. But what about Jackson’s feelings? Do they not matter? I get it. I’ve understood it from the very beginning and never blamed West because I understood he was hurting and didn’t know how to cope, and I’m not mad that West sought help, I fully support that. What bothers me is the way he went about it and his complete lack of consideration for Jackson. He was in the hospital, physically and emotionally broken, and I expected a conversation with him before leaving. That’s all. I’m putting this on the author not on West.
“You good, baby?” Jackson asked.
I smiled at him, at the man who inspired me to be better. Who showed me just how good my life could be and saw me, even when I couldn’t see myself. At the man who so fiercely believed in me that I knew I could do anything. “Yeah, I’m good, cowboy.”
And I was. I loved our life at West Haven. I loved Jackson. But most of all… I loved me.
That being said I was so proud of West, he came really so far and he deserved so much better from everybody except his mother and Jackson and yes, I still hate everybody who knew and did absolutely NOTHING or the bare minimum to protect that baby.
March 5, 2025
1.5 stars. Sigh... I really wanted to love this. The book had a promising start and I was actually excited because of the themes it would explore. I am very sad to say that overall it didn’t work for me, but I’ll highlight the positive and negative aspects. Heads up that this review is VERY long, I just had many thoughts.
The plot is about West, a man that hides from his past until he is called to the ranch where he lived with his family. Except he wants to avoid it at all cost because of the memories from said place and the fact that he left Jackson behind, the person that used to be his best friend and he has loved since forever. West will have to confront his past, Jackson's feelings and choose between running away again or fighting agaisnt his own self-deprecating behaviour.
The idea is really geat. I’m always interested in reading a story about a character's healing journey. It's not easy work due to the topics. While the intention is good, I feel that the technical aspects needed more polishing. I thought the writting style was nice, but my problem starts with the book's structure, because it has around 100 chapters but the content from each one is way too short. This has a negative effect on the story because the scenes are cut off abruptly after barely being set up, with no transitions between them, then pass onto a new one or a different POV. It is the reason I wasn’t able to get emotionally invested. It made it feel almost mechanical, when the story has great potential of tugging heartstrings.
Another thing is that the continuation between the scenes felt like a whiplash at times and repetitive at others, so I was bored out of my mind. The majority of the book goes like this: West suddenly gets into a crisis, he lashes out and hurts Jackson, Jackson doesn’t mind and goes to find West after he avoids him, everything is forgiven. Rinse and repeat. I understand the purpose could be to present how damaged West is, but my problem is that Jackson became a punching bag, a tool, a character with no soul because he didn’t react to any of it. He is constructed with a savior complex, which would’ve been interesting if that had being addressed/explored, but it only ends up in making him a tool for West's development, without acting like a character on his own.
Speaking of West, he was a very dislikeable MC to me. This is something I wouldn’t mind because I enjoy flawed MCs, but his development didn’t feel organic. I think the intention was to portray him as self-destructive as possible, but . It’s not believable. Everything about their relationship felt very in the surface because Jackson .
It got to a point where I wasn’t rooting for them. The book was supposed to make me want them together, but I didn't. I would've preferred if this was written in a single POV so we could follow West more and actually dive deep into his behaviour, because while it is a result of big traumas, he is saved from all responsabilities about his mistakes in the present. He is a grown man but he behaved like a child, and the narrative also treated him like one.
There’s also the fact that they didn’t really have chemistry for me, their development should’ve felt gradual and organic, but it felt like a cycle, until he makes that decision near the end. It could’ve worked better if West , but it came out of nowhere. While I really like the idea of still felt too abrupt. Please, dear authors, don’t be afraid of showing rather than telling, especially if you will . It's a waste of an opportunity to build up angst and it feels lazy.
This book needed less pages and better pacing, it needed to at least scrap some of the repetitive scenes in favor of a better progression. Why not have West ? That would have felt more like genuine love, but what happened near the end sealed the deal for me that West doesn’t deserve Jackson, since he would rather hurt him for no reason. I wouldn't have a problem with this because I enjoy unhealthy dynamics, but the point of the book wasn't that and it shows, plus I wasn't looking for that here.
One last pet peeve from me that appears is some misogyny, specifically in Jackson’s thoughts and dialogue, I felt that those scenes from the third act were unncessary. I’m guessing it could be part of the western genre, but I rather not have them anywhere near me. It's not even treated as character development, it's just there to make fun of women and have a jealousy moment.
Since I don’t like ending reviews in total negative light (when it’s possible), I want to add some things I got from this book that I truly enjoyed: the "baby" petname Jackson used for West (it’s adorable), the exploration of past abuse and its effects during the sex scenes, the "idea"(not the execution) for the ending. The finale felt like the right one for the story's intention, I just wish most of it would’ve been better done.
-This was an ARC review.
Tags: (might miss some of them)
-POV: first person
-Content warnings:
-Elements:
-Kinks:
-Sexual act(s):
-Dynamic:
The plot is about West, a man that hides from his past until he is called to the ranch where he lived with his family. Except he wants to avoid it at all cost because of the memories from said place and the fact that he left Jackson behind, the person that used to be his best friend and he has loved since forever. West will have to confront his past, Jackson's feelings and choose between running away again or fighting agaisnt his own self-deprecating behaviour.
The idea is really geat. I’m always interested in reading a story about a character's healing journey. It's not easy work due to the topics. While the intention is good, I feel that the technical aspects needed more polishing. I thought the writting style was nice, but my problem starts with the book's structure, because it has around 100 chapters but the content from each one is way too short. This has a negative effect on the story because the scenes are cut off abruptly after barely being set up, with no transitions between them, then pass onto a new one or a different POV. It is the reason I wasn’t able to get emotionally invested. It made it feel almost mechanical, when the story has great potential of tugging heartstrings.
Another thing is that the continuation between the scenes felt like a whiplash at times and repetitive at others, so I was bored out of my mind. The majority of the book goes like this: West suddenly gets into a crisis, he lashes out and hurts Jackson, Jackson doesn’t mind and goes to find West after he avoids him, everything is forgiven. Rinse and repeat. I understand the purpose could be to present how damaged West is, but my problem is that Jackson became a punching bag, a tool, a character with no soul because he didn’t react to any of it. He is constructed with a savior complex, which would’ve been interesting if that had being addressed/explored, but it only ends up in making him a tool for West's development, without acting like a character on his own.
Speaking of West, he was a very dislikeable MC to me. This is something I wouldn’t mind because I enjoy flawed MCs, but his development didn’t feel organic. I think the intention was to portray him as self-destructive as possible, but . It’s not believable. Everything about their relationship felt very in the surface because Jackson .
It got to a point where I wasn’t rooting for them. The book was supposed to make me want them together, but I didn't. I would've preferred if this was written in a single POV so we could follow West more and actually dive deep into his behaviour, because while it is a result of big traumas, he is saved from all responsabilities about his mistakes in the present. He is a grown man but he behaved like a child, and the narrative also treated him like one.
There’s also the fact that they didn’t really have chemistry for me, their development should’ve felt gradual and organic, but it felt like a cycle, until he makes that decision near the end. It could’ve worked better if West , but it came out of nowhere. While I really like the idea of still felt too abrupt. Please, dear authors, don’t be afraid of showing rather than telling, especially if you will . It's a waste of an opportunity to build up angst and it feels lazy.
This book needed less pages and better pacing, it needed to at least scrap some of the repetitive scenes in favor of a better progression. Why not have West ? That would have felt more like genuine love, but what happened near the end sealed the deal for me that West doesn’t deserve Jackson, since he would rather hurt him for no reason. I wouldn't have a problem with this because I enjoy unhealthy dynamics, but the point of the book wasn't that and it shows, plus I wasn't looking for that here.
One last pet peeve from me that appears is some misogyny, specifically in Jackson’s thoughts and dialogue, I felt that those scenes from the third act were unncessary. I’m guessing it could be part of the western genre, but I rather not have them anywhere near me. It's not even treated as character development, it's just there to make fun of women and have a jealousy moment.
Since I don’t like ending reviews in total negative light (when it’s possible), I want to add some things I got from this book that I truly enjoyed: the "baby" petname Jackson used for West (it’s adorable), the exploration of past abuse and its effects during the sex scenes, the "idea"(not the execution) for the ending. The finale felt like the right one for the story's intention, I just wish most of it would’ve been better done.
-This was an ARC review.
Tags: (might miss some of them)
-POV: first person
-Content warnings:
-Elements:
-Kinks:
-Sexual act(s):
-Dynamic:
December 24, 2024
Wow. Just...
I had to sit with this one, y'all. It's one of those rare books that I want to immediately start all over again.
Winchester is by far my favorite author, especially after this book.
Burned and Bound is a deeply emotional story about West, a largely traumatized adult with touch aversion and CPTSD from a life absolutely no one deserves to live. His story was FELT. And Winchester did this character so much justice. So much. I felt like I was living his pain and trauma right along with him. However, it was done in such a way that while you gain a deep understanding of someone who may be living with both "disorders", you see someone deeply desperate to escape its clutches. I'm often iffy about disability rep in most books because I have a degree in Disability Advocacy and am disabled myself. While I know this is not everyone's experience with either of these disorders, it is on par symptom-wise with folks I do know who unfortunately have to live with it. It's so beautifully, heartbreakingly written, and I think Winchester did a phenomenal job of writing West.
Then there's Jackson. If I could ever find a Jackson in real life, I would NEVER let them go. The absolute love and devotion this man showed was nothing like I've ever read. His patience and empathy showed no bounds.
I don't want to give anything away at all, so let me just tell you this. I've read thousands of books over my lifetime, and this one... No seriously THIS one... Just made my all-time favorite read. Not just favorite read of the year. Of all time.
I implore you to pick this one up and get your tissues ready. This book needs to be read.
I am so honored to have received an ARC of this book. Thank you, Addison.
I had to sit with this one, y'all. It's one of those rare books that I want to immediately start all over again.
Winchester is by far my favorite author, especially after this book.
Burned and Bound is a deeply emotional story about West, a largely traumatized adult with touch aversion and CPTSD from a life absolutely no one deserves to live. His story was FELT. And Winchester did this character so much justice. So much. I felt like I was living his pain and trauma right along with him. However, it was done in such a way that while you gain a deep understanding of someone who may be living with both "disorders", you see someone deeply desperate to escape its clutches. I'm often iffy about disability rep in most books because I have a degree in Disability Advocacy and am disabled myself. While I know this is not everyone's experience with either of these disorders, it is on par symptom-wise with folks I do know who unfortunately have to live with it. It's so beautifully, heartbreakingly written, and I think Winchester did a phenomenal job of writing West.
Then there's Jackson. If I could ever find a Jackson in real life, I would NEVER let them go. The absolute love and devotion this man showed was nothing like I've ever read. His patience and empathy showed no bounds.
I don't want to give anything away at all, so let me just tell you this. I've read thousands of books over my lifetime, and this one... No seriously THIS one... Just made my all-time favorite read. Not just favorite read of the year. Of all time.
I implore you to pick this one up and get your tissues ready. This book needs to be read.
I am so honored to have received an ARC of this book. Thank you, Addison.
December 13, 2025
Yet another new to me author that has just blown me away with some amazing writing. This book was so unbelievably emotional and angsty, but also felt extremely realistic. The idea that as much as we want it to, love does not cure all. That's so valid. This is a heavy book that deals with a lot of anxiety, CPTSD, addiction, past abuse and honestly a lot of hurt feelings. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did such a fantastic job, it really felt like Evan Parker and Jonathan Lake just put their hearts and souls into this story.
West and his best friend Jackson had an almost moment when they were teens, but that was ripped away by one horrible person (and people that enabled them). 17 years later, West is barely surviving each day when here receives news that takes him back to his old life and pushes him to face things he's been spending years running away from. West's story is heartbreaking and it turned him into a tortured soul that pretty much hates everybody and everything. And he definitely wants nothing to do with his old BFF Jackson, who he feels had everything easy and handed to him.
Jackson will go down as one of my favorite MCs. This man was the grumpiest grump that ever grumped, but when it was time for him to step up... my goodness! The dedication and love that poured from this man's soul was inspiring.
I don't want to spoil anything, but I will just say that this is a very hard fought HEA and at times in the story you might get so frustrated with the ups and downs - but that's what makes this so realistic. This level of trauma is not healed with a good dicking... it takes commitment, and lots and lots of hard work. And a lot of love from Jackson.
Format: Audiobook - Dual narration by Evan Parker and Jonathan Lake
Contemporary MM
Hurt / Comfort
Tortured Soul
Friends To Lovers
Second Chance
Heartbreaking
Dedicated MC
Hard Fought HEA
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥
West and his best friend Jackson had an almost moment when they were teens, but that was ripped away by one horrible person (and people that enabled them). 17 years later, West is barely surviving each day when here receives news that takes him back to his old life and pushes him to face things he's been spending years running away from. West's story is heartbreaking and it turned him into a tortured soul that pretty much hates everybody and everything. And he definitely wants nothing to do with his old BFF Jackson, who he feels had everything easy and handed to him.
Jackson will go down as one of my favorite MCs. This man was the grumpiest grump that ever grumped, but when it was time for him to step up... my goodness! The dedication and love that poured from this man's soul was inspiring.
I don't want to spoil anything, but I will just say that this is a very hard fought HEA and at times in the story you might get so frustrated with the ups and downs - but that's what makes this so realistic. This level of trauma is not healed with a good dicking... it takes commitment, and lots and lots of hard work. And a lot of love from Jackson.
Format: Audiobook - Dual narration by Evan Parker and Jonathan Lake
Contemporary MM
Hurt / Comfort
Tortured Soul
Friends To Lovers
Second Chance
Heartbreaking
Dedicated MC
Hard Fought HEA
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥
![Profile Image for ♡Gabi♡ [life & work is chaotic hiatus].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1764457886i%2F137459201._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
May 15, 2025
depressing asf majority of the book, but I’m so happy west and jackson got their HEA. 🥹
the way my heart shattered for west and all that he had been through. 💔
jackson’s love for him was everything!! 😭
the way my heart shattered for west and all that he had been through. 💔
jackson’s love for him was everything!! 😭
March 21, 2025
4-4.5 stars maybe.. RTC. Need to digest this one a bit first.
December 31, 2024
Not for me - 2.5
This book was a 90% journey of mental illness and triggered episodes and 10% sprint of recovery. It never minimized the investment of recovery or how the mental illness will always be there.
But to be honest, I didn't really like either character. There was no space to. West was a constant spiral that ultimately had no room to be a person, and Jackson was an unflinching sacrifice to west's trauma. There was no room for either of them to really be a person, just stuck in their roles.
Honestly, Jackson setting aside each and every one of his needs left him hollow. And there was never any chance to fall in love with their love before they were just boiled down to victim and victim. West was a victim of his trauma, and Jackson was a victim of West.
It all just felt ukind and unfair to me. Both self harming in their own ways and hoping that it would work out.
The harm and trauma that Jackson endured was never validated, not really. He was just a saintly tool, serving only in the purpose of suffering for West. The fact that he was a strict top that just switched was never even vocalized. Then the fact that he was unintentionally* but still valid - physically abused by West to the extent that he was fully aware that there was a possibility of his own death at the hands of his love - and that not being a wakeup moment for both of them?
Jackson's only variety in character was a temper that was conquered immediately and without nuance each time it came up, which i belive was twice and both because he WAS abandoned by West without explanation. And both times he was abandoned were during huge pivotal moments in the foundation of his life experiences.
Jackson was martyred unapologetically. And it was an expectation that he endured this by his entire support system. The one moment anyone had any defense of his treatment was his buckle bunny friend when he was fighting for his life in the hospital, and that was expressed in a bitter way instead of a productive way.
Jackson was abandoned, abused, had his profession jeopardized, crippled, neglected, lied to by omission and manipulated, lost his one joy in bull riding, and probably faced public and parasocial backlash over his forced retirement and missing murderer boyfriend off page. He was also abandoned financially while he recovered from a life changing physical trauma, it was explicitly stated that they were likely losing the ranch, right around the time that West abandoned him again, and fighting to keep the ranch was another thing he endured when he should have been focused on recovery of his heart and body.
He never got the support he needed, and his very real need for that support was never even hinted at. And that loss of autonomy in his character makes him feel manufactured and flat and really i just find that very sad instead of something i could admire.
Tldr: Jackson did deserve better, and i never was given a reason to believe in their love.
This book was a 90% journey of mental illness and triggered episodes and 10% sprint of recovery. It never minimized the investment of recovery or how the mental illness will always be there.
But to be honest, I didn't really like either character. There was no space to. West was a constant spiral that ultimately had no room to be a person, and Jackson was an unflinching sacrifice to west's trauma. There was no room for either of them to really be a person, just stuck in their roles.
Honestly, Jackson setting aside each and every one of his needs left him hollow. And there was never any chance to fall in love with their love before they were just boiled down to victim and victim. West was a victim of his trauma, and Jackson was a victim of West.
It all just felt ukind and unfair to me. Both self harming in their own ways and hoping that it would work out.
The harm and trauma that Jackson endured was never validated, not really. He was just a saintly tool, serving only in the purpose of suffering for West. The fact that he was a strict top that just switched was never even vocalized. Then the fact that he was unintentionally* but still valid - physically abused by West to the extent that he was fully aware that there was a possibility of his own death at the hands of his love - and that not being a wakeup moment for both of them?
Jackson's only variety in character was a temper that was conquered immediately and without nuance each time it came up, which i belive was twice and both because he WAS abandoned by West without explanation. And both times he was abandoned were during huge pivotal moments in the foundation of his life experiences.
Jackson was martyred unapologetically. And it was an expectation that he endured this by his entire support system. The one moment anyone had any defense of his treatment was his buckle bunny friend when he was fighting for his life in the hospital, and that was expressed in a bitter way instead of a productive way.
Jackson was abandoned, abused, had his profession jeopardized, crippled, neglected, lied to by omission and manipulated, lost his one joy in bull riding, and probably faced public and parasocial backlash over his forced retirement and missing murderer boyfriend off page. He was also abandoned financially while he recovered from a life changing physical trauma, it was explicitly stated that they were likely losing the ranch, right around the time that West abandoned him again, and fighting to keep the ranch was another thing he endured when he should have been focused on recovery of his heart and body.
He never got the support he needed, and his very real need for that support was never even hinted at. And that loss of autonomy in his character makes him feel manufactured and flat and really i just find that very sad instead of something i could admire.
Tldr: Jackson did deserve better, and i never was given a reason to believe in their love.
July 22, 2025
West and Jackson live on a ranch of which their parents share ownership. They live in separate properties within its vast acres. They steal their first kiss when they are 18. But when West admits to his father he loves Jackson, he beats him and throws him out.
We then fast forward 17 years. West's father has died. His Will states the only way West can get the money from his share of the ranch, is if he works on it for a year. This forces West to return to the ranch.
Jackson never knew it was West's father that made him go away, and is angry at him for leaving. However, they come to an agreement to make it work for a year.
Throughout this time, old truths come to light about how West suffered ongoing abuse whilst living with his father. Other terrible things that happened to him when he was in prison also come out.
There's some hard hitting issues in this. It is VERY trauma heavy. It explores the ways West tries to overcome his demons, and how Jackson tries to help him. I'd advise to read the comprehensive list of trigger warnings provided by the Author at the beginning of the book.
It's realistic in many ways, mental illness and the effects of trauma are rarely a straightforward path, it can work its way into every aspect of life, spreading hurt, misery and chaos everywhere. I think in that respect this book represents that well. I'm glad it also showed there was no magic cure, just coping mechanisms.
Some slight negatives,
- There was a lot of repetition with the narrative, too many overused phrases & descriptions.
- Given West's aversion to touch, I couldn't understand all the tattoos and piercings. That didn't make sense.
- It was too one sided at times, I know West was broken, but he seemed to forget Jackson was a person who had feelings too.
- I didn't like how Jackson's injury and recovery was glossed over. He would have had his own trauma to deal with after what he went through. He got a bit of a raw deal in this story at times.
- The psychologist just appearing out of nowhere and West just disappearing from the hospital was just badly done in my opinion, a conversation at least needed to take place with someone.
- The last 10% or so let it down a little, I don't know.. it just didn't gel with the feel of what had happened through the rest of the book and felt a bit rushed.
Overall though, despite some niggles, I liked this. It was an angsty hurt/comfort, and given West's trauma there's a lot of push and pull. It was a slow burn but that worked well given the story dynamics. This is a romance, but make no mistake, it's a long hard path to get to their happy ending.
Rating this a 3.5/5.
We then fast forward 17 years. West's father has died. His Will states the only way West can get the money from his share of the ranch, is if he works on it for a year. This forces West to return to the ranch.
Jackson never knew it was West's father that made him go away, and is angry at him for leaving. However, they come to an agreement to make it work for a year.
Throughout this time, old truths come to light about how West suffered ongoing abuse whilst living with his father. Other terrible things that happened to him when he was in prison also come out.
There's some hard hitting issues in this. It is VERY trauma heavy. It explores the ways West tries to overcome his demons, and how Jackson tries to help him. I'd advise to read the comprehensive list of trigger warnings provided by the Author at the beginning of the book.
It's realistic in many ways, mental illness and the effects of trauma are rarely a straightforward path, it can work its way into every aspect of life, spreading hurt, misery and chaos everywhere. I think in that respect this book represents that well. I'm glad it also showed there was no magic cure, just coping mechanisms.
Some slight negatives,
- There was a lot of repetition with the narrative, too many overused phrases & descriptions.
- Given West's aversion to touch, I couldn't understand all the tattoos and piercings. That didn't make sense.
- It was too one sided at times, I know West was broken, but he seemed to forget Jackson was a person who had feelings too.
- I didn't like how Jackson's injury and recovery was glossed over. He would have had his own trauma to deal with after what he went through. He got a bit of a raw deal in this story at times.
- The psychologist just appearing out of nowhere and West just disappearing from the hospital was just badly done in my opinion, a conversation at least needed to take place with someone.
- The last 10% or so let it down a little, I don't know.. it just didn't gel with the feel of what had happened through the rest of the book and felt a bit rushed.
Overall though, despite some niggles, I liked this. It was an angsty hurt/comfort, and given West's trauma there's a lot of push and pull. It was a slow burn but that worked well given the story dynamics. This is a romance, but make no mistake, it's a long hard path to get to their happy ending.
Rating this a 3.5/5.
August 31, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burned & Bound
by A. Winchester
I'm trying to catch up with reviews of books I loved and that are still with me. Burned & Bound is one of these books. It's a book that punched me in the gut, patched me up, and then broke me again — all while serving a second-chance, best-friends-to-lovers, “we’ve got years and years of baggage and scars between us” slow burn that was as messy as it was beautiful. This isn’t just romance, it’s survival, forgiveness, and the kind of love that digs its nails into your soul and refuses to let go. I felt it all.
I read a lot of romance. A lot. I’ve waded through the predictable “oops, we kissed” stories, the copy-paste tropes, the lukewarm spice that barely simmers. Burned & Bound? Yeah, this one didn’t just simmer — it came at me like a wildfire. Emotional, raw, and absolutely relentless. This is a book that stays with you. it's one of these "beautifully ugly" books, that are so real, you could touch them.
We start with West, who is basically the definition of “tortured soul in a leather jacket.” The man is broken in all the ways that make you want to simultaneously shake him and hug him. His life since leaving Jackson has been survival at best, self-destruction at worst. He returns to the ranch not because he wants to, but because he has no choice. And of course, fate (or his father’s will) drops him right back in the orbit of Jackson, the boy he loved and left.
And Jackson. My god, Jackson. He’s every bit the hard-edged cowboy you’d expect, but layered with years of pain, anger, and that infuriating mix of “I hate you, but also I never stopped loving you.” If West is fire, Jackson is flint — all sharp edges, sparks, and the potential to burn everything down when they collide. And collide they do.
The chemistry between these two? Off the charts. But it’s not just about lust or spice (though yes, thank you, the spice delivers in its own, slowburn ways). It’s about years of longing, of betrayal, of what-if’s and unfinished business. Every look, every touch, every fight drips with history, and that’s what makes it so damn powerful. It's addiction, trauma, healing....
What I loved most is that this isn’t a fluffy romance. It doesn’t shy away from the ugly. Trauma, addiction, shame, grief — it’s all here, and it’s handled with honesty instead of being brushed aside for the sake of a neat love story. This is about healing as much as it is about loving, about two men dragging each other through the wreckage of their pasts toward something worth keeping.
And let’s talk about the writing: it’s tight, emotional, and vivid. The ranch itself is more than a backdrop — it’s a character, steeped in memory and pain, a place where both West and Jackson’s ghosts linger. Every scene felt like it carried weight. Nothing was wasted.
By the time I hit the ending, I was a mess. The heart? Shattered and stitched back together. The smile? So big it hurt. Because yes, we get the HEA, but it’s one that feels earned, not handed out like a participation trophy.
Burned & Bound is the kind of book that reminds me why I wade through all those mediocre romances in the first place — because when you find one like this, it ruins you in the best possible way. Five stars, full body ache, emotional hangover incoming.
Burned & Bound
by A. Winchester
I'm trying to catch up with reviews of books I loved and that are still with me. Burned & Bound is one of these books. It's a book that punched me in the gut, patched me up, and then broke me again — all while serving a second-chance, best-friends-to-lovers, “we’ve got years and years of baggage and scars between us” slow burn that was as messy as it was beautiful. This isn’t just romance, it’s survival, forgiveness, and the kind of love that digs its nails into your soul and refuses to let go. I felt it all.
I read a lot of romance. A lot. I’ve waded through the predictable “oops, we kissed” stories, the copy-paste tropes, the lukewarm spice that barely simmers. Burned & Bound? Yeah, this one didn’t just simmer — it came at me like a wildfire. Emotional, raw, and absolutely relentless. This is a book that stays with you. it's one of these "beautifully ugly" books, that are so real, you could touch them.
We start with West, who is basically the definition of “tortured soul in a leather jacket.” The man is broken in all the ways that make you want to simultaneously shake him and hug him. His life since leaving Jackson has been survival at best, self-destruction at worst. He returns to the ranch not because he wants to, but because he has no choice. And of course, fate (or his father’s will) drops him right back in the orbit of Jackson, the boy he loved and left.
And Jackson. My god, Jackson. He’s every bit the hard-edged cowboy you’d expect, but layered with years of pain, anger, and that infuriating mix of “I hate you, but also I never stopped loving you.” If West is fire, Jackson is flint — all sharp edges, sparks, and the potential to burn everything down when they collide. And collide they do.
The chemistry between these two? Off the charts. But it’s not just about lust or spice (though yes, thank you, the spice delivers in its own, slowburn ways). It’s about years of longing, of betrayal, of what-if’s and unfinished business. Every look, every touch, every fight drips with history, and that’s what makes it so damn powerful. It's addiction, trauma, healing....
What I loved most is that this isn’t a fluffy romance. It doesn’t shy away from the ugly. Trauma, addiction, shame, grief — it’s all here, and it’s handled with honesty instead of being brushed aside for the sake of a neat love story. This is about healing as much as it is about loving, about two men dragging each other through the wreckage of their pasts toward something worth keeping.
And let’s talk about the writing: it’s tight, emotional, and vivid. The ranch itself is more than a backdrop — it’s a character, steeped in memory and pain, a place where both West and Jackson’s ghosts linger. Every scene felt like it carried weight. Nothing was wasted.
By the time I hit the ending, I was a mess. The heart? Shattered and stitched back together. The smile? So big it hurt. Because yes, we get the HEA, but it’s one that feels earned, not handed out like a participation trophy.
Burned & Bound is the kind of book that reminds me why I wade through all those mediocre romances in the first place — because when you find one like this, it ruins you in the best possible way. Five stars, full body ache, emotional hangover incoming.
March 17, 2025
Jackson and West quickly became my favorite example of true, selfless, comforting love.
Their story is beautifully heartbreaking. I cried more times than I care to admit but every single tear was worth shedding.
Two men who found the courage to grow in their love and become the best versions of themselves. Jackson honestly had no idea how to help West but he used what resources he had and loved West unconditionally.
West came to terms with the fact that he needed to help himself to truly love Jackson. He had an incredible amount of trauma to heal but he did it for himself and the life he wanted.
I cannot give this story enough praise. Truly my favorite read of the year! The writing is beautiful and I will be thinking of this book for a long time! *please check content warnings before diving in, it was tough to read at times*
Their story is beautifully heartbreaking. I cried more times than I care to admit but every single tear was worth shedding.
Two men who found the courage to grow in their love and become the best versions of themselves. Jackson honestly had no idea how to help West but he used what resources he had and loved West unconditionally.
West came to terms with the fact that he needed to help himself to truly love Jackson. He had an incredible amount of trauma to heal but he did it for himself and the life he wanted.
I cannot give this story enough praise. Truly my favorite read of the year! The writing is beautiful and I will be thinking of this book for a long time! *please check content warnings before diving in, it was tough to read at times*
February 9, 2025
Burned and Bound is a second chance mm romance
This is your vibe if you like
Cowboys and ranch life
Second Chance romances
Trauma and mental health rep
Slow burns
This book made me feel. It made me feel the feelings. It’s a journey of finding your way home. Finding your way through the demons and monsters standing in your way. That are sometimes more like a dark cloud or a shadow the clings to you deep in your soul.
While this book does have romance, that is not the whole entire plot. This book is not going to be everyone. It isn’t a light read, it has heavy topics on addiction and trauma. Things people often don’t like to shed a light on. But I think this approach was handled well. I enjoyed their story, the highs, the lows and the sometimes difficult.
This is your vibe if you like
Cowboys and ranch life
Second Chance romances
Trauma and mental health rep
Slow burns
This book made me feel. It made me feel the feelings. It’s a journey of finding your way home. Finding your way through the demons and monsters standing in your way. That are sometimes more like a dark cloud or a shadow the clings to you deep in your soul.
While this book does have romance, that is not the whole entire plot. This book is not going to be everyone. It isn’t a light read, it has heavy topics on addiction and trauma. Things people often don’t like to shed a light on. But I think this approach was handled well. I enjoyed their story, the highs, the lows and the sometimes difficult.
February 3, 2025
This book is the equivalent to “this meeting could have been an email”.
It did not need to be this long. At. All.
I nearly DNF’d and realised I was 400 pages in and just needed to push through.
There was barely any character development. They “loved” each other based off the tiny bits of info we found out in the prologue. I also don’t understand how these “men” are in their 30’s with how their characters came across on page.
I love a long book as much as the next person. You can really get to know the characters and you fall in love with them and ache with them. This didn’t do that. It was repetitive and boring.
Oh what a waste of time. Onto the next…
It did not need to be this long. At. All.
I nearly DNF’d and realised I was 400 pages in and just needed to push through.
There was barely any character development. They “loved” each other based off the tiny bits of info we found out in the prologue. I also don’t understand how these “men” are in their 30’s with how their characters came across on page.
I love a long book as much as the next person. You can really get to know the characters and you fall in love with them and ache with them. This didn’t do that. It was repetitive and boring.
Oh what a waste of time. Onto the next…
March 6, 2025
How nice and healthy and tidy that last 10%, but what a cop out. We got loads of telling about hurt and flailing attempts to comfort and then when the real work should have started, we get all the nice mature healed letters. I like the reunion moment, at least. I appreciated the first 70% of this book even though it still has its problems. I especially liked the realism of losing it part way through sex. The bull riding thing was weird set dressing and the author treated it like she truly didn't agree with the practice, yet the character still did it and even ended up teaching it in the epilogue. Jackson himself should have had therapy, he gave and gave of himself and then got destroyed by the bull and then suddenly was happy go lucky when West wrote him a letter, just like he hated and raged at West for the first part of the book until he became giving and sacrificing once he knew his past. The immediate flipflops and short memory was super unrealistic, I don't care how much he loved West, it felt like the only journey he went on was a shallow savior arc that only functioned to push West along his arc. I don't know why we even had his POV, frankly. West was decently well depicted, but somehow I didn't feel his failures as much as I have in other addiction recovery/trauma recovery stories. The pacing of this book was all off, some things dragged and then suddenly they are kissing. Much of the plot advancement was very stochastic and unnatural, but then the regressions were very natural. I think making the last 10% a second book would have been deliciously angsty. Overall, 3 stars. Almost, but frustratingly not quite good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2025
This was a very interesting, romance adjacent book. Romance wasn’t the main focus of the story, and I appreciate that- especially when talking about heavy trauma, both in childhood and adulthood. I enjoyed that both characters had their own things going on. Their own life paths, their own careers, their own LIVES. It felt very real, especially since so much time had passed since they were teenagers. I also felt like their separate lives. Jackson and West both felt like full, fully developed characters.
Some people say West did not put the same effort in as Jackson, and that the relationship seemed so one sided. Here’s the thing: when you are traumatized and so deep in your grief and trauma that you are barley surviving- it takes time to get out. That’s realistic. I won’t spoil the story, but I think the idea that the relationship in this book was one sided don’t take the magnitude of the situation into account.
Overall, this was a story about moving on, how we heal from hurt, being loved and loving in return, and letting go of the things that just drag us down. Most importantly, it was a story about loving someone for their soul- grit, sharp edges, and hard times included. It’s a story of continuing to reach out your hand, and continuing to try to be better- even when it doesn’t go the way you think it should. A hard read at times, this book tore my heart out and stitched it back together- slowly, but it stitched it back together.
Some people say West did not put the same effort in as Jackson, and that the relationship seemed so one sided. Here’s the thing: when you are traumatized and so deep in your grief and trauma that you are barley surviving- it takes time to get out. That’s realistic. I won’t spoil the story, but I think the idea that the relationship in this book was one sided don’t take the magnitude of the situation into account.
Overall, this was a story about moving on, how we heal from hurt, being loved and loving in return, and letting go of the things that just drag us down. Most importantly, it was a story about loving someone for their soul- grit, sharp edges, and hard times included. It’s a story of continuing to reach out your hand, and continuing to try to be better- even when it doesn’t go the way you think it should. A hard read at times, this book tore my heart out and stitched it back together- slowly, but it stitched it back together.
December 4, 2025
Upd 12.25.
Lowering my rating. Months later and I don’t feel like it was an almost 4⭐️ book for me
3,7 ⭐️ rounded up I think
It’s a good story. The kind of story I usually like.
But I really would have wanted for the writing to be more.. refined. I mean it wasn’t awful but it wasn’t exceptionally good either.
This author doesn’t shy from banality and tries to convey the depth by using more emotional wording. And more often than not - it misses the mark and detracts from the depth this story could have had.
Also. Using italic to underline words and phrases is so SO annoying. I want to decide for myself which sentences or words are important and not have them spoon-fed to me by the author.
That said. I enjoyed the book and could push through the few annoyances. Wes’s story is tragic and I was happy to see him dealing with his trauma seriously.
Lowering my rating. Months later and I don’t feel like it was an almost 4⭐️ book for me
3,7 ⭐️ rounded up I think
It’s a good story. The kind of story I usually like.
But I really would have wanted for the writing to be more.. refined. I mean it wasn’t awful but it wasn’t exceptionally good either.
This author doesn’t shy from banality and tries to convey the depth by using more emotional wording. And more often than not - it misses the mark and detracts from the depth this story could have had.
Also. Using italic to underline words and phrases is so SO annoying. I want to decide for myself which sentences or words are important and not have them spoon-fed to me by the author.
That said. I enjoyed the book and could push through the few annoyances. Wes’s story is tragic and I was happy to see him dealing with his trauma seriously.
April 9, 2025
This book was so emotionally beautiful. PLEASE check your trigger warnings because this book is SO heavy with them. If you are not a person who understands trauma, abuse, and addiction, then this book isn’t for you. You won’t be able to understand the decisions West makes; what seems like an easy and obvious decision to you, won’t be to someone who struggles with these traumas.
The way Jackson loves West through it. He’s so fucking perfect. This man goes above and beyond, googling how to handle sexual assault victims, PTSD, and anxiety. He loved West so fiercely that West couldn’t accept it and man did it break me down 😭.
These two men were perfect and it was beautifully written. There is happiness at the end of the tunnel, a rainbow at the end of the storm. There are good days and bad days but it doesn’t make anyone less than. Everyone is deserving of love!
The way Jackson loves West through it. He’s so fucking perfect. This man goes above and beyond, googling how to handle sexual assault victims, PTSD, and anxiety. He loved West so fiercely that West couldn’t accept it and man did it break me down 😭.
These two men were perfect and it was beautifully written. There is happiness at the end of the tunnel, a rainbow at the end of the storm. There are good days and bad days but it doesn’t make anyone less than. Everyone is deserving of love!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2025
I gotta DNF this one….the angst is too much and so annoying. I understand west has trauma but this is just not a romance book. There’s hardly any character development or progress of anything and I’m 300 pages in. Nothings happened except both of them angry and saying “fuck” every 5 words which is very annoying
March 6, 2025
I don’t know what to give this so I’m settling with half way
2.5/5
The author did an amazing job with setting the foundation for this book and what they wanted to get from it.
The hurt really hurt and it was so well done, it was push pull with West which is understandable from his trauma perspective. I really liked the descriptions of what he was feeling. It built up a story of hurt surrounding everyone kind of knew what happened but never told Jackson.
70% is where this book really fell off, the healing West did with Jackson was off page which felt like a cop out given the wonderful story of hurt we had woven for us. It’s one of those where I questioned it but it wasn’t the end of the world.
Then the rodeo had to happen, there was not a single good choice by the author in this arc of the book. They introduced rampage and immediately you could see the plot point coming from a mile away that Jackson was going to get hurt. Amy straight up disappeared and they brought it the exposing West to the press plot point for a whole of 5 seconds and the resolution of that wasn’t explained to us. They said that they ran it by west what was released. But they should’ve explained to us as readers what was released so we can put the problem to rest along with it. We were left hanging instead.
Then you have the Marry Me and a psych who came from who knows where coming and convincing West to leave. Bear in mind here that Wests trauma was 17 years ago and in those 17 years he didn’t seek therapy and in the book he said he would never seek therapy. So why now…..
Even when he gave the explanation in the letters, it wasn’t really an explanation.
Once again all of Wests healing was off page, you can’t give us this level of hurt and then magically heal off page.
April 16, 2025
3.25⭐️
This book didn't quite meet my expectations. West has gone through so much and really needed to heal in his own way.
For that reason, I felt Jackson's method of helping West recover was a bit overbearing. For instance, he destroyed West's childhood home without allowing him the opportunity to process his feelings or make his own decisions regarding it. Don't even get me started on the proposal.
Overall, I am glad West eventually sought and got the treatment he needed.
This book didn't quite meet my expectations. West has gone through so much and really needed to heal in his own way.
For that reason, I felt Jackson's method of helping West recover was a bit overbearing. For instance, he destroyed West's childhood home without allowing him the opportunity to process his feelings or make his own decisions regarding it. Don't even get me started on the proposal.
Overall, I am glad West eventually sought and got the treatment he needed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2025
“I care about you, West. Your comfort. Your safety. Your happiness.” “Jackson…” “You’re my priority, baby, above anything else.”
This book wrecked me in the best way. Deeply emotional, slow-burn romance with cowboys, second chances, and an honest, unflinching look at trauma and recovery. It delivers all the hurt/comfort my soul could crave, while also offering one of the most moving representations of complex PTSD I’ve read in a long time.
What hit hardest for me was how raw and real the emotional journey felt, especially for West. Watching him navigate his trauma, make sense of his past, and slowly believe he deserved more was both heartbreaking and hopeful. I was constantly hurting with him, but I was also so proud when he realized he needed to seek real help not just for Jackson, but for himself. I liked how he wasn't doing it *for* Jackson, but because he wanted Jackson and finally believed that he deserved him.
Jackson, oh my heart. I loved how fiercely he stood up for West one he realized what had really happened. His anger wasn’t performative; it was protective. He cared, and he held the adults in West’s life accountable for, in his eyes "failing him". But what made Jackson even more lovable was the way he listened. When West said he'd made peace with the adults (Mickey and Magnolia), Jackson backed down. He wasn't thrilled about it, but he respected West's opinion and didn't want to cause more distress for him.
Jackson’s patience, his quiet nurturing, his desire to care for West was truly just saw beautiful. He would have helped West in anyway he could.
And the letters at the end! There was so much longing, but also so much hope. I loved how both men were on their own recovery journeys but still cheering for each other. It wasn't the easy kind of healing, and that made it all the more meaningful when West finally found a place to feel safe again.
I can’t say enough about how well this book handled trauma, recovery, and love. It didn’t sugarcoat the hard stuff, and that honesty made the ending feel all the more earned.
Also, not to take away from the moving story, but the author has to be a fan of the show 9-1-1 right? I mean, a fire captain character who is an AA sponsor named Bobby…like? Anyone? Just me?
If you love cowboys, second chances, emotional depth, and characters who fight for their future—this one’s for you.
This book wrecked me in the best way. Deeply emotional, slow-burn romance with cowboys, second chances, and an honest, unflinching look at trauma and recovery. It delivers all the hurt/comfort my soul could crave, while also offering one of the most moving representations of complex PTSD I’ve read in a long time.
What hit hardest for me was how raw and real the emotional journey felt, especially for West. Watching him navigate his trauma, make sense of his past, and slowly believe he deserved more was both heartbreaking and hopeful. I was constantly hurting with him, but I was also so proud when he realized he needed to seek real help not just for Jackson, but for himself. I liked how he wasn't doing it *for* Jackson, but because he wanted Jackson and finally believed that he deserved him.
Jackson, oh my heart. I loved how fiercely he stood up for West one he realized what had really happened. His anger wasn’t performative; it was protective. He cared, and he held the adults in West’s life accountable for, in his eyes "failing him". But what made Jackson even more lovable was the way he listened. When West said he'd made peace with the adults (Mickey and Magnolia), Jackson backed down. He wasn't thrilled about it, but he respected West's opinion and didn't want to cause more distress for him.
Jackson’s patience, his quiet nurturing, his desire to care for West was truly just saw beautiful. He would have helped West in anyway he could.
And the letters at the end! There was so much longing, but also so much hope. I loved how both men were on their own recovery journeys but still cheering for each other. It wasn't the easy kind of healing, and that made it all the more meaningful when West finally found a place to feel safe again.
I can’t say enough about how well this book handled trauma, recovery, and love. It didn’t sugarcoat the hard stuff, and that honesty made the ending feel all the more earned.
Also, not to take away from the moving story, but the author has to be a fan of the show 9-1-1 right? I mean, a fire captain character who is an AA sponsor named Bobby…like? Anyone? Just me?
If you love cowboys, second chances, emotional depth, and characters who fight for their future—this one’s for you.
August 6, 2025
This book was heavy!!! Completely and utterly heartbreaking.I honestly quickly wished i hadn't started it because I didn't know the pain I would feel for both MMCs.Such a beautiful, gut wrenching story, written so well.I finished the book after all the tears with a sigh of relief that they got their much deserved HEA
December 31, 2024
Absolutely devoured and loved this book!!
Read
January 25, 2025Dnf at 62%. Might come back to it? Just feels like we are going nowhere at this point
February 10, 2025
This book was INTENSE. Of course I loved it. Jackson was my favorite. I loved how grumpy he was, and I especially liked how he wasn't written to be this endlessly patient man whose personality falls to the wayside for the mentally ill counterpart. That's so prevalent in the books I have read, so it was so very refreshing to have Jackson be a big grump who didn't know how to channel his original animosity, and didn't just cave when people told him to give West some slack. He was like "no im pissed and screw him!" and I loved every second of it :D
West was so far on the struggle bus, I had all the feels for him. His life really was so rough, but I feel like part of the reason I didn't give a full 5 stars was because some of his trauma, while it may have been hinted at, just sort of showed up at the end and I was like "wait, what?". I also really love the hurt/comfort to feel balanced and this book was a ton of hurt, intense and prolongued hurt, but the comfort was so fleeting.
I know why West had to leave the way he did, but it still made me hurt so much for Jackson. All the times West needed help and assurance, I could feel the conflict of him just wanting to go hug him and not being able it. I was basically craving hugs even reading it, and that's how you know the book was written so so well.
West was so far on the struggle bus, I had all the feels for him. His life really was so rough, but I feel like part of the reason I didn't give a full 5 stars was because some of his trauma, while it may have been hinted at, just sort of showed up at the end and I was like "wait, what?". I also really love the hurt/comfort to feel balanced and this book was a ton of hurt, intense and prolongued hurt, but the comfort was so fleeting.
I know why West had to leave the way he did, but it still made me hurt so much for Jackson. All the times West needed help and assurance, I could feel the conflict of him just wanting to go hug him and not being able it. I was basically craving hugs even reading it, and that's how you know the book was written so so well.
![Profile Image for ash[hearts]angst.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1765847299i%2F164504656._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
January 7, 2025
“𝙄’𝙢 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮.”
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧, 𝙘𝙤𝙬𝙗𝙤𝙮.”
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: ❤️🔥❤️🔥
Wow ya'll, I got my first hurt/comfort on 2025 and it took my breath away! I haven't felt emotions like this since Every Breath After (iykyk) and I had to sit for awhile after i finished to just process the emotions.
❥ Dakota 'West' McNamara is burned by his trauma, not only by childhood, but by an awful event that occurred in his early adult life. West does the best he can, but he can't seem to run away from his past and the ranch and boy he let behind.
❥ Jackson Myles!!! Ugh, this man is everything. He's our cranky bull-riding, cowboy boss man who takes over the ranch. Love lost and bitterness take over and turn a once loving and happy kid into a grumpy asshole, and things only get worse when his old best friend and one great love come back into town.
❥ I loved the progression of this book. We get a small snippet of the friendship between West and Jackson, but that's all we need to know that these two were meant to be something more. When West comes back into town, it's a straight up hate-hate relationship between the two. As always, there's a thin line between love and hate, and these two teeter that edge constantly.
❥ It's clear to Jackson that the West he once knew and loved is dead and gone *cue Timberlake song* and once Jackson gets more understanding, he flips a switch in order to help his old friend. Jackson is a SAINT ya'll. A patient, loving saint who tries his hardest. However, he can only meet West as far as West wants to meet himself.
❥ West really tries and I loved that for him. For any survivor of trauma and abuse, the road to healing and recovery is never easy. I felt West and his pain through those pages and it was so raw.
❥ Their journey and their love is hard fought battle. I screamed, I cried, I was angry and bitter but that last 10% wrecked me in the best way. THIS is how you do hurt/comfort. THIS is how real love stories work, and how timing is everything. Amazing amazing book!
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧, 𝙘𝙤𝙬𝙗𝙤𝙮.”
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: ❤️🔥❤️🔥
Wow ya'll, I got my first hurt/comfort on 2025 and it took my breath away! I haven't felt emotions like this since Every Breath After (iykyk) and I had to sit for awhile after i finished to just process the emotions.
❥ Dakota 'West' McNamara is burned by his trauma, not only by childhood, but by an awful event that occurred in his early adult life. West does the best he can, but he can't seem to run away from his past and the ranch and boy he let behind.
❥ Jackson Myles!!! Ugh, this man is everything. He's our cranky bull-riding, cowboy boss man who takes over the ranch. Love lost and bitterness take over and turn a once loving and happy kid into a grumpy asshole, and things only get worse when his old best friend and one great love come back into town.
❥ I loved the progression of this book. We get a small snippet of the friendship between West and Jackson, but that's all we need to know that these two were meant to be something more. When West comes back into town, it's a straight up hate-hate relationship between the two. As always, there's a thin line between love and hate, and these two teeter that edge constantly.
❥ It's clear to Jackson that the West he once knew and loved is dead and gone *cue Timberlake song* and once Jackson gets more understanding, he flips a switch in order to help his old friend. Jackson is a SAINT ya'll. A patient, loving saint who tries his hardest. However, he can only meet West as far as West wants to meet himself.
❥ West really tries and I loved that for him. For any survivor of trauma and abuse, the road to healing and recovery is never easy. I felt West and his pain through those pages and it was so raw.
❥ Their journey and their love is hard fought battle. I screamed, I cried, I was angry and bitter but that last 10% wrecked me in the best way. THIS is how you do hurt/comfort. THIS is how real love stories work, and how timing is everything. Amazing amazing book!
January 4, 2025
This book. This is a heavy hitter of the emotional kind. The author does an amazing job with giving you these deep emotions without ever giving you explicit scenes of what West went through. But don’t let that fool you, it is an emotional roller coaster and just the eluding to what West had been through was a hard pill to swallow. Watching West struggle and drown and fight his demons was soul crushing and heartbreaking and the most devastating experience. Everyone deals with trauma differently and West? He never dealt with his. He just buried it and that didn’t work (and I don’t think it truly works for people). Jackson, man Jackson just loved West hard and fierce. Jackson loved West enough for the both of them, he believed in him for the both of them, but it was never enough. It was enough to eventually open West’s eyes and make him realize he wanted better and to fight for it and that was such a profound and powerful moment. Taking this journey with them, and it does feel that way, was such a wild roller coaster of emotions. I understood West on such a profound level and it hurt me as much as fueled me. And Jackson just made me believe in soulmates, in true love. I cried several times, I wanted to hurt people so many times for what West went through and I agreed with Jackson on his belief of what adults allowed to happen to a child. This book is heavy but there are light and bright moments. There is so much love and resilience and fight. It’s inspiring and beautiful and heartbreaking. Be aware of the triggers, this type of book isn’t for everyone though it might make you understand an abuse survivor, an addict, an alcoholic. And while everyone’s journey is different, it still might help everyone be a little more patient and understanding. This author did an amazing job and I love these two men. I was sad to see them go but over joyed at their ending.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews