Those Who Are Bound

by Lilly K. Cee

Being restrained isn’t what anyone wants. Not emotionally, anyway. But Elliott Shackled by guilt. Ensnared by grief. Tethered by dark, taboo secrets. Immured by wicked desires. After learning about Jonah's responsibilities, she becomes convinced that he Caged by expectation. Constrained by belief. But Jonah is the only man who has been able to rid her of the emotional ropes she’s wrapped herself up in. Jonah has the uncanny understanding that Elliott is freed when caged. But he’s the one man she’s desperate to save from herself. All Jonah wants to do is bind her to him. Who bends? ★★★★★ Content suicide, mature situations, NC, violation of religious symbols, references to SA including that of a minor and violent SA.

Genres: Dark Romance, Contemporary, Steamy

560 pages, Paperback

Published June 9, 2022

About the author

Lilly is a Kansas City native currently residing in sunny California. She has a degree in English literature from The University of Kansas and an incomplete degree in medieval history... So, does that count? The tuition bills say it does.

Lilly is a frequent traveler with a soft spot for Ireland, but Puerto Rico is her favorite destination. No matter where she is in the world, however, coffee is a need, necessity, addiction, and obsession... one that she shares with most of her FMCs.

Lilly's stories are dark and darker-themed romances with HEAs as well as love stories. Her books address a range of trauma-related issues and are not intended, nor appropriate for, readers under 18 years of age. A complete list of TWs for each book can be found on her LinkTree and her website.

Linktr.ee/lillykcee

Reviews

[NikiReadsRomance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was captivating! That is probably the best one sentence review I could come up with. JUST KIDDING! I have plenty more to say about this beatifically complex story.
I took a bit longer to write this review because I felt like I would not be able to do this story justice BUT, HERE WE GO!

❤️Quick Notes ❤️
Contemporary Romance
Dual POV
Slow burn (up until a certain point!)
Emotionally intense
Complex characters
Check the trigger warnings

❤️Ratings❤️
💗💗💗💗💗
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

This was a pretty intense read for me and these characters took me on a roller coaster!
Elliot has suffered through some significant traumas that have left an imprint on her life. She copes however she feels she can. In comes Jonah. And the attraction seems pretty instantaneous though that is not the only thing that Elliot notices about him. Jonah seems so open and honest in his feelings, wants, and needs, and voicing them to Elliot from the beginning.
One of the aspects of Elliot’s and Jonah’s relationship that I loved was the REALNESS of it. There was not any stepping around all of the “tough” conversations. There was no ignoring the words that make you uncomfortable or running away from moments of vulnerability. I also really appreciated the inner dialogue from both of them with all of their questions and insecurities. I don’t know about anybody else, but I think relationships (long, short and all levels of commitment) are complicated and sometimes fraught with insecurities at times. And, I liked seeing this Elliot and Jonah work through those things in a pretty honest way on the page.

Jonah was persistent in his belief in their connection and boy did he fight for it! Some of the moments with Elliot pushing him away and him equally, if not more adamantly, pushing back were just some of my favorites. I say that because it didn’t seem like just their connection for him, it was also about her and how strongly he felt that she needed to see herself.

By the end, I was pretty much a mess of feelings! Shocked, sad, sort of in awe(?), also happy… it was very confusing, in the best way!!
Thank you @writerlillyk for the opportunity to read this ARC!

A few of my favorite things
• I kind of loved the first interactions between Elliot and Jonah.
• Jonah’s adventurous side, his love of a certain food, and my goodness his dirty talk was on point!
• Elliot’s willingness to try new things with Jonah.

[Jazz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew! Talk about a steamy story. The tale of Jonah and Elliot was an intense and captivating one. Elliot is caught up in so much from her past and Jonah so desperately wants to break down those walls, I couldn't put this book down, I was flipping through it faster than I thought possible. This story captivated me so heavily and was truly so enjoyable. I'd definitely recommend giving it a read if you enjoy darker romances, the spice meter was off the charts!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was definitely not what I expected but in a good way! I really enjoyed it and I love the overall message of it. I have never read a book like this one, and it definitely had me shook at parts LOL. I can’t wait to see what other books Lilly comes out with in the future cause I’ll definitely be reading them allllll😂😋

(Side note the cover is BEAUTIFUL, I’m definitely a sucker for a good cover😅😍)

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Wendy Shouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I listened to the audiobook*
This is my favorite of Lilly's so far. She's such a great storyteller. I loved the characters, and the story was like nothing I've read before. So many twists and turns. I highly recommend this one. Narrated by a wonderful cast in duet style. It was beautiful.

[Gumiho Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Trigger Warning: Assault, Car and Motorcycle Accidents, Death, Nonconsent, Physical Abuse, Profanity, References to sexual assault and murder, References to sexual assault of a minor, Sexually explicit scenes, Suicide, Violation of religious symbols, Violence

An intense love Tug-of-War battle.

Those Who Are Bound by Lilly K Cee is a standalone novel and was like an intense battle of Tug-of-War. Elliott, a business owner, is looking for a new marketer to help bring more business to her company and meets Jonah, the boyfriend of the new marketer. They fall for each other at first sight and start a whirlwind of a relationship. But between her past and his expectations, can they stay bound to each other or will one break free?

Although there’s a lot of triggering content within this story, it is a beautiful expression of dealing with the tough stuff. I loved that Elliott was so complicated due to the overwhelming experiences she had, yet was extremely strong. Emotional and physical pain tend to be blocks when trying to open yourself up to love. Aside from the experiences that filled this intense story, there were some hot spicy moments! Who doesn’t love that, right!? Their journeys made me see things from another perspective and I appreciate this novel!

Even though this story is a slow burn, it gets slow in general, so it feels a bit longer than expected. There are parts that can be removed since they feel repetitive. It’s always better to keep moving forward, even if we naturally repeat and relive things in our minds. That type of thing will not keep readers entertained. We already understand that there’s a lot going on and that there’s a lot to think about. You can provide us the space to let it sink in and create our own ideas from it.

If you love a slow burn contemporary romance with some spiciness to it, then this is for you. Let’s not leave out the love and first sight and dark secret…dubious consent. I bet you’re super ready to dive in! If not quite ready for this level of intensity, check out some of Lilly’s other novels.

More from Lilly: Turbulence Series (Entanglement (Book 1) & Tranquility (Book 2))

*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of Those Who Are Bound from Lilly K Cee via RMWBooks & BookSirens

[Just A Girl And Her Smut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plot ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Narration 🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤

I absolutely love Lilly K. Cee’s writing style and her ability so weave a story that pulls you in from start to finish without there ever being a dull moment. She has never disappointed when I pick up one her books. That being said before you jump on the LKC bandwagon please read all TW ⚠️ as this book has some dark themes and unless you have zero issues with TW don’t go in blind.

I was lucky to be able to listen to an advanced copy of this book which included a full cast of amazing narrators: Angelina Rocca, Brennan Landry, Teddy Hamilton, Brenda Scott Wlazlo, Scott Rose, Rebecca Lee, with cameos appearances by Daryl Mayfield and Aryann Michele. Every single one of these people brought this book to life and made it such an immersible story.

Jonah and Elliot were a couple that you seriously are rooting for from start to finish. Both are flawed but you can relate to them. Their relationship was a rollercoaster of ups and downs but you never want to give up on either of them. This is truly an incredible story of overcoming tragedy, trusting yourself with someone else, and being open to love. Lilly has a way of writing a story that makes you feel EVERYTHING the characters are going through. Oh and the spice was freaking spicing my people, it might start off as a slow burn but once that fire is stoked DAMN!! I 100% highly recommend this book BUT get it in audio it’s an entire different feel ❤️

[Lishy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those who are bound by Lilly K Cee is the first book of the author that I have read. This book is a slow burn dark contemporary romance. We meet Jonah and Elliot in this gripping emotional read. You could feel the spark between Jonah and Elliot from the moment they see each other. The Author had added so much depth to the characters they were so well developed. This book took me away from my usual reads however I have no regrets as I loved the book.
The author did a sensational job in writing this story of torturous desire, and how these two characters came together and bonded through the battles of life.
Trigger warning suicide violations of religious symbols and reference to SA on a broad spectrum
Thank you to @rmwb and to the author for the eARC received to provide honest review.
#rmwbooks #arcreader #arcreview #rmwtours #bookreview

[Tracey Magruder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of the Romance Me With Book’s Tour for Those That Are Bound by Lilly K. Cee. Even though it’s not my usual reading preference (I am more of a fan of fantasy romance), I enjoyed it from start to finish. I would definitely give it a solid 4, probably closer to a 4.5.

As with the author’s other works, the writing is incredibly well done with well developed and an interesting and thought provoking plot. Elliot is a strong, independent female lead with a dark past and Jonah is certainly a perfectly written romantic interest. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow, and the navigation obstacles they had to overcome. It didn’t hurt that there was such amazing chemistry between them that leapt off the page and added to the extremely spicy moments.

(Minor Spoilers to Follow)

“No one can sink so low as to go beyond forgiveness.”

This quote appears at the start of the book and what a powerful message it is to see in writing. Are their people out there who do things that are so egregious that they are beyond redemption? Absolutely. However, does this quote apply to most of the general population? Absolutely.

This is a big theme of the book and for Elliot’s growth as a character. She is human, she made some big mistakes in her life, but that does not make her worthless or unworthy of love. So many people struggle with guilt and self loathing, it is always amazing to me when you see it written so well on the page.

I think my only disappointment in some ways was that the topic of conflicting religious views played heavily into the plot, but then it was never really revisited before the ending. To me it would have flushed out Elliot’s growth a bit more, even if nothing changed for her. To see her move past her own projections and hypocrisy even a bit would have added a little more satisfaction to the end.

Again, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you like very spicy contemporary romance novels, this would be a good fit for you. Be sure to double check the warnings provided if you are interested in this book.

[caroline girard · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost, I loved the book!

It’s sweet and twisted, you never know what will happen next and every time I felt I had a grip on the story, it shifted again.

Elliott (a woman with a guy’s name, loved the backstory behind it!) lives with trauma and she is guarded. When she meets Jonah, she sees in him a possible happy ending.

Jonah is not your average book boyfriend. Sweet, patient, understanding and H.O.T as hell!

I my opinion, there's a bit of « sunshine x grumpy » trope here, but reverse. She is the grumpy one, which is very refreshing.

Their chemistry is off the chart, the attraction is undeniable. Elliott and Jonah will fall fast and hard, until reality and Elliott’s trauma comes crashing in the burgeoning relationship.

I’m not easily offended, there's rarely any trigger warnings that will affect me, but I cringed a lot trough-out the book. Not because of the story itself, but because I was thinking about other readers going in blind, not aware of TW. There's mention of past sexual abuse ( mild), « kind of but not » incest, hint at « deviant » sexual behaviours and you have a MC voicing opinions about religion, not in a good way.

It wasn't hard per-say, but the writing is so good that your imagination will bring you much farther then the story will. You are now aware.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 4/5
🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶 4/5
🥵 🥵 🥵 3/5


Why is it not a 5 star review?

The back and forth of FMC
The ending was a bit anticlimactic
Insta love kind of that didn't made sens considering everything about the FMC

None of those are showstoppers!

I recommend this book for book lovers who love hardly obtain HEA, being surprised by a story, well written explicits scenes and strong FMC.

I received an eARC from the author, my opinions are my own.

[Lou Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

"𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓. 𝑰𝒇 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕."

Those Who Are Bound by Lilly K. Cee

*Before I go into a review, I just want to thank rmwbooks and Lilly K Cee for the ARC copy of this book!*

Jonah and Elliott had such a unique relationship that not a lot of people these days get to experience. The push and the pull between them were thirst worthy and made you keep turning the page to see how they would get through each obstacle of their relationship.

Now if I'm going to be honest, I really wasn't a huge fan of Elliott. I just felt as though it was super repetitive with her issue and I know it's because it was to prolong the book. But I can definitely feel for Elliott with everything that she went through in her past and how she tried to overcome it. She is very strong-willed, brave, outgoing and beautiful. And Jonah helped her through so much after meeting her.

Jonah is one of a kind. Sweet, caring, sexy, strong, adventurous. Who wouldn't want that in a man? He met Elliott and took her for who she was, no matter what her past was or who she was. He felt the attraction for her and wanted to fight for her, and fight he did. He is every woman's dream man in this book.

Overall, the book was very well done. I liked the concept of the mental and emotional trauma and the chemistry between the characters. It starts out as a slow burn romance, but as soon as they get together it is definitely not a slow burn!

⚠️ The author has put a list of the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book, but they are also listed on her website. ⚠️

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶🌶🌶/5

[Cathryn Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

My advice: see trigger warnings and go in BLIND. You will not regret it!

Those Who Are Bound is a riveting, deep, emotional story with perfectly flawed characters. I say perfectly flawed because they are the kind of people I would expect to meet in real life—I couldn’t relate to their full back stories and mindsets completely, but they are SO well thought out and developed, I could still feel for each of them, making them more like new friends I immediately clicked with and care for.

I didn’t expect to like Elliot as much as I did—but I actually LOVED her. She’s strong, spunky, sharp, and complex on many levels. It took me a minute to figure Jonah out...but they complement each other in fantastic ways. Their relationship unfolds beautifully: flirting, banter, deeper conversations, testing the waters of vulnerability. It’s mature as well, which is something I love as a reader.

The twists this book takes and the way it wraps up speaks to the author’s strength of curating a complex, full story. Beautifully written, Those Who Are Bound will make readers believe that no matter what darkness we carry, we are all deserving of love and all the happiness that comes with it.

[N.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story: ⭐️5/5
Narration:🎙️5/5
Spice:🌶️4/5 (this is a slowww burn but the angst and build up is sooo worth it!)

I received this for an ALC.
Thank you, Lilly K Cee for letting me listen to this beautifully written story!
I was absolutely blown away! Angelina and Brennan did absolutely phenomenal along with the rest of the cast. This story was deep and completely captivating. Elliot’s story and her thoughts on religion has me in a choke hold. Since she found out that Jonah was a preacher, she questioned his motives. She questioned all of it, especially their argument on the canoe trip, this spoke to my soul. She is an intelligent woman and she has been punishing herself for her brother’s suicide. Jonah was sooooo patient and kind. But he put his foot down and showed his dominant side when needed. All of the characters were absolutely perfect. Becks, Lucy, Killian… all of them were so great! The history of Becks and Elliot was great and I loved how Becks didn’t try to be some possessive alpha hole. He recognized what Jonah and Elliot had. He respected Jonah.
I definitely recommend. Check TWs.

[April Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I had to honor of listening to this in advance of the release of the full cast audiobook. The cast was amazing and especially the MCs seemed to fit the roles well.

I need to give a FULL WARNING ⚠️ that this book has some very dark themes and moments throughout. I’m very fluffy, so it was a bit out of my comfort zone but I still enjoyed it because the author did a great job with the TW and I was prepared for the story!

The writing/story was well executed and flowed nicely.

If you’re looking for some emotional and psychological damage, this would be a great choice! If you’re not in a good headspace, I’d hold off but do keep it earmarked for when you’re feeling dark and broody! Oh, I have to add, the steamy bits were chef’s kiss! 💋 I enjoyed the listen and appreciate the opportunity to have gotten in advance!

This multicast production by The Audio Flow includes: Angelina Rocca, Brennan Landry, Teddy Hamilton, Brenda Scott Wlazlo, Scott Rose, Rebecca Lee, with cameos by Daryl Mayfield and Aryann Michele.

[Vanessa Ortiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thanks to @rmwbooks @writerlillyk for the gifted copy of this book*

Elliott and Jonah's first encounter is fraught with misconceptions. Once the air is cleared, Jonah embarks on a whirlwind romance with Elliott who has some skeletons in her closet which make her hesitant to commit to the relationship.

What started off as a slightly slow burn romance rapidly became full blown spiciness. I throughly appreciated the focus on the evolution of the relationship between Elliott and Jonah - focus on mental and emotional trauma and their effects on the relationship.

I enjoyed the chemistry and interactions between the main characters but I have to admit Elliott frustrated me - her secret reveal didn't seem like the biggest deal she was making it out to be especially considering the personality of Jonah. Speaking of Jonah, he was a total heartthrob and the most patient person ever. Overall, I really enjoyed this story - all the characters were interesting and I was invested in all of them.

⚠️ The author provided some trigger warnings at the beginning of the book - check those prior to reading.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶🌶🌶/5

[『 Dıʀᴛʏ Gʀᴇʏ 』 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ 4 🌶️ 5 🎧

"𝘪 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘳𝘺. 𝘪 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘳𝘺... & 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪'𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮"
"𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵"
"𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮, 𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘵. 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘪'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯. 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘴"

my first 𝗟𝗞𝗖📚 & im so glad i signed up!! a slow burn...not my norm, but worth it!! elliot & jonah's whirlwind rom touches some dark themes, difference in belief, juicy revelations, & 𝗟𝗢𝗧𝗦 of yummy 🌶scenes!! both MCs were very competitive in nature... so who will bend?

the audio📚 is a multicast production by 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄. 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘢, 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘺, 𝘵𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘵 𝘸𝘭𝘢𝘻𝘭𝘰, 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘵 𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘤𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘦, with cameos by 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥 & 𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘦 all did phenomenal in bringing the characters to life!! 𝗔𝗟𝗟 of them!! im def looking forward to hearing more of their work!!

🪢 dark contemporary
🪢 he falls 1st
🪢 rope play
🪢 multiple POV
🪢 3rd person narration

[Grittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Thank you you to the author and publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

CW:  Assault,Car and Motorcycle Accidents, Death, Nonconsent, Physical Abuse, Profanity, References to sexual assault and murder, References to sexual assault of a minor, Sexually explicit scenes, Suicide, Violation of religious symbols, Violence

Those Who Are Bound by Lilly K. Cee follows the story of Elliot Rork and Jonah Montgomery.  Elliot is wracked with guilt and grief and is hiding dark secrets and wicked desires. Jonah is a good man who is the only one that has been able to untie Elliot's emotional issues, and he wants to bind Elliot to himself. Who will bend to the other?

Wow. This book is SO SPICY. It's super different than any other type of romance book that I have read. It's perfect for fans of instalove and people who like to go in blind.

[Kellie Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

INTRIGUING!!!

This is by far the most interesting book I’ve read and listen this year. That says a whole lot. I really really like this book from start to finish. I’m pretty sure I’ve not read or listen to a book that was as intriguing as this book in a very long time. The dynamic between Elliot and Jonah was instantaneous that had me spellbound from the very first paragraph. This book has sensitive topics that need to be considered while reading this book. If you can’t handle certain situations, please do not read this book because your mental health is important. If you like these type of books, you need to get this book today. Thank you so much for writing this beautiful book Lilly. You have become one of my new favorite authors and I cannot wait to read and listen to more of your books.

[brooke_and_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really was so emotional and different than most of the contemporary romances that I have read. There is some really heavy stuff that goes on in this book so make sure to check CW.

I really felt all the emotions during this book. It is a slow burn to get to more of the spice but the relationship between the two main characters really builds during this book. Elliot(the female main character) really has gone through quite a bit in her life and feels she carries a “demon” in her. I don’t want to give anything away but be prepared to experience characters that aren’t perfect and that have real problems. Jonah(the male lead) also someone who isn’t perfect, I truly fell for this character. He really and truly falls for Elliot and I loved all of it!

Highly recommend!

[Chelsea Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

we were dancing like it was the first time. we were dancing dancing with our hands tied
#swiftie

This whole book completely embodies Dancing With Our Hands Tied by @taylorswift in more ways than one 👀 🥵
The stylistic writing of this novel is so exquisitely detailed and, quite frankly, hot. I was pulled in immediately to the descriptive language of Lilly K. Cee. While this book has your typical romance and swoon-worthy moments, it’s not for the faint of heart and deals with deep, dark trauma, so it’s important to note the trigger warnings before a read, but a read is 💯 percent worth it! I loved Jonah and Elliot’s twisted romance and how their relationship develops throughout the prose!

https://www.rmwbooks.com/lillytwab
@writerlillyk @writerlillykcee @rmwbooks

[Simoné Wolmarans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lilly K. Cee has an absolute mind blowing ability for telling a story that quite literally leaves you a bit fucked in the head. (In the best way…)

Those who are Bound tells the story of a very damaged and broken, Elliot (Ellie), who truly believes herself to be the devil incarnate.
(She isn’t actually, just FYI)

“Until me.”

Jonah, is the beautiful, completely unexpected man that enters her life and shows her that darkness and light “have a very complicated relationship”

*The irony that he happens to be a pastor isn’t lost on me.

**Also… “Don’t mistake me for a man of God in your bedroom, Eliot. —— STOP IT, LILLY! Literally made me squeal 🫢

- This book is very dark but equally beautiful.
- Check your triggers.
- Was it spicy you ask? This was on bloody fire!

[Shellina · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 for this spicy dark romance, Those Who Are Bound by Lilly K Cee. Loved loved loved this book. Tons of trigger warnings, so definitely check the description for details. A spicy, confident female main character (Elliott) with secrets meets a straight-laced dominant (Jonah) and sparks fly right away. They seem like such a good fit, but can they overcome their biggest difference? It’s good, guys. Real good.

Kink awareness note: there were times when I was reading that I wondered if the author was asserting that kinks come from trauma. However, I think she does a good enough job of repeating how acceptable kinks are within consensual relationships, and wasn’t put off.

[Shawna Jimenez more.books.forever · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first read from this author and let me tell you it will not be my last I freaking loved this book! This was such an emotional roller coaster ride and I could not put it down. Elliott and Jonah are freaking everything! The chemistry between these two is instant and the spark shines as bright as the nights stars. This authors ability to make you feel everything these two characters were feel was unmatched. The ups and the downs and everything in between was truly an amazing experience. While you get all the spice and steam you could possibly want Elliott and Jonah’s story was so much more a true story of what two people go through to reach their HEA.

[Devons book corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I do want to start out and remind you to look up all trigger warnings before diving into this one*

When I saw this book, I was instantly intrigued. I really didn't read the synopsis, so I basically went into this book blind. I'm so glad that I did. I 150% loved this book. This is a slow burn, but it's so worth the wait and when the sparks start flying, look out. There is so much emotion between Elliott and Jonah and you can literally feel it. I honestly did not think that I would wind up liking Elliott as much as I did, but I LOVED how spunky and strong she was. This book was captivating and hard to put down. I would highly recommend this one.

[Ashley Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of things that I could say about this book, but the biggest part that I’m taking away from this was it had a great storyline I felt like the ending was rushed. The middle was kind of boring, and there was just way too much smut and not enough focus on the storyline like it had a lot of potential if you would’ve taken 50% of the smut out, it would’ve been a fantastic book up there with like still beating from Jennifer Hartman. I just felt like this was just too much focus on them being overly sexualized all the time rather than building on both characters personalities and feelings and things. With that being said, this is something that it’ll be great.

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not the first LKC book I've read, but when I listened to the description and some of the trigger warnings, I almost opted out of the audiobook. I'm so glad I didn't. Are there dark themes? yes. Is there some triggering content? yes. Was it worth every second I spent with these characters? absolutely yes! The narrators were phenomenal, and the duet narration was everything, allowing all the emotion and give and take between the characters to come out. Jonah is absolutely yummy, and Elliot is a bad ass! I laughed. I cried. I yelled at the characters. It was a whole thing! Please check your triggers and check in with yourself if you take the plunge. I'm so glad I did!!

[Heidi H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains many trigger warnings. There IS uncomfortable content. Please go in knowing this.

Jonah and Elliott are each bound in so many ways. Their dark romance navigates this complicated relationship through heartbreak to find their love.

My review is primarily for the soon to be released audiobook. This full cast was unbelievable. Angelina and Brennan draw you in and bind you to them as they weave this tale. The supporting cast flawlessly step in and keep listeners ready for every word. Kudos to each narrator for an amazing experience!

Overall rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 (4/5)

Narration:: 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️ (5/5)

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (5/5)

[Summer Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌟REVIEW🌟

BOOK: Those Who Are Bound
AUTHOR: Lilly K. Cee
PLOT: Elliott is a woman dealing with countless tragedies in her life and she feels broken and has a hard time loving. That is, until Jonah comes into her life. Jonah teaches her what it means to be loved and teaches her that it's ok to love. Jonah teaches her that a real man loves her flaws and all. The romance between Jonah and Elliott is extremely beautiful, and encapsulates a true love story!

SPICE RATING: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
STORY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Emiie Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elliot and Jonah seemingly have nothing in common, but as they get to know each other they find out that they can bond over much more than they believed.

Those Who Are Bound by @writerlillykcee was so amazing, this is my first book from her and you could feel the spark between Jonah and Elliot. I loved the depth she put into her characters, they had a past, trauma and issues it wasn’t just a magical happy romance, it was REAL.

#rmwbooks #arcreader #arcreview #rmwtours #bookreview #bookblogger

[Nikki Winkler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just listened to the HOTTEST advanced listener copy! Lilly K. Cee has to eat chillies for every meal to put out the kind of heat this inferno puts out!

My, oh my! The spice in this book was top notch and paced the storyline with just the right amount of banter, angst, and drama. The characters were likable even when they weren’t (if that makes any sense to anyone). Jonah is exactly what Elliot needs and the ride was excruciating and tense but oh, so satisfying!

I have a sneaking suspicion that there’s more to come in this group of characters - Lucy specifically!

5 Stars all the way!

[MsV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Voluntary ARC review.
I have never used the hot 🥵 emoji so much when highlighting a story. I enjoyed the wittiness, the interaction between characters, and of course the smut 🌶🌶🌶🌶
This was not my usual over the top, action packed paranormal story but the plot kept me hooked and the last 30% seriously through me for a loop. I went through so many emotions with Elliott and am absolutely obsessed with Jonah. Where can I find one?!?!?!