Bound by Nature

By: Cooper Davis

Narrated by: Brock Thompson

Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

The mind may forget, but the heart remembers… A Forces of Nature novel.

As Hayden and Josh journey through rituals - and intimacies - that will knit their souls for life, passion and anger flares, revealing a powerful secret. In a different world, they might have been friends. Now, face to face after five years, the bitterness in Hayden’s eyes fills Josh with regret for what could have been - should have been.

As Hayden and Josh journey through rituals - and intimacies - that will knit their souls for life, passion and anger flares, revealing a powerful secret. The truth about a long-ago sharing of hearts, bodies and souls that ended in tragedy.

©2010 Cooper Davis (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Need a book 2. Great and emotional story

I didn't think I was going to enjoy this story but I now have the paper copy. Just beautiful.

Four point five stars out of five stars.

The story was good. The performance was excellent. Was hoping there was a continuation of this, but no.

Great story, decent narration

Hayden and Josh are shifters and mates. Hayden doesn’t believe Josh is gay and thinks he is, in fact, taunting him. In actuality Josh is trying to find a way to get closer. When the two finally do get together in a passionate clench the chemistry is amazing, it turns out they are mates, and their love is deep and profound… but not for long. Trouble has followed them home and they are subject to the most atrocious violence you can imagine (because it’s important to know and this is a possible trigger– rape and beating almost to death) leaving Hayden in a hospital with a spotty memory and a jail sentence.

There is much more to that night than Hayden knows and after years in jail it’s time for him to find out the truth. The problem is can he handle the truth? Or more importantly can their relationship handle the truth?

In the end, Hayden does remember… but is it too late and can they overcome the horror?

**

This is a hard story to read. If you have any triggers around rape this will spike them. The violence is severe and the rape scenes are difficult to read. In addition, the separation and the reason behind the separation is also hard to read… these boys suffer – a lot – before they can come together again.

I thought the way the story was told, through a series of flash backs, was nicely done. Sometimes it was a bit clunky, but for the most part it worked.

Because it was a shifter story, the insta-love thing worked – though I was perplexed by Josh’s actions in the beginning of the story. I don’t think that was ever explained to my satisfaction, but it was a small blip.

I really enjoyed their time together and the subsequent reunion, but I wished for more of them together, happy, settled and at peace. This is listed as “Force of nature book 1” but I’m not sure there is any more to this series written or in the works.

I give the story 4 of 5 stars, I really enjoyed it.


Audio:

Brock Thompson is the narrator and this is the first I’ve heard of him. He does a solid job. His voice is nice and rumbly, which I appreciate for the characters, but he does no variation whatsoever. In fact, most of the story is told fairly monotone. Even the rape scenes or passionate scenes are pretty flat.
It’s not hard to listen to (that puts it over a 2) but there is no real spark or imagination to his narration so that keeps it at a 3 of 5 stars.
I wouldn’t avoid this narrator but I definitely wouldn’t seek him out.

This love story surpassed my expectations

I have to admit that this story was not what I expected. It was so much more. I love the entire concept of mates for life. I wish that human beings were created that way, but alas, I have to read my mm books to get my mate-lust sated.

Between carefully placed flashback sequences, we get a clearer understanding of the love that exists between Joshua and Hayden. Both alpha males and heir apparent for both of their packs. Something happens that sends Hayden to prison. In the present, Hayden, once an awkward, but confident, and highly intelligent man, is now angry, resentful, and hateful. The love he felt for Joshua seems to have dissipated and he's lost his way.... well, I guess you can probably figure out that they are each other's destinies. But, the only way for Hayden to overcome his anger, is to remember his past. Once he does, it's all about forgiveness, love, and allowing time to heal old wounds. I have to say that of all the mate theme books, this one transcended the entire concept. I have to admit, there is one scene that I just could NOT take. I had to fast forward through. So, be forewarned that there is a scene that, while I'm sure was essential for us to understand the full extent of the love between these two men, it was too much for me to bare. Regardless, this book confirmed my faith in the love of one's mate, and I am eager to read more by this author. Wonderful read. Credit or no. It's a must-get.

Nature tale

Good concept of the story. Would enjoy even more exploring furter the woolf side of it. I find a bit flat using very common endearing terms such as baby for an Alpha male.

Two Alpha? No way!

The story started weak with an insecure supposed alpha and went down hill from there. Weak story line and to say the dialog was cheesy is an understatement. I had a hard time even visualizing the sex scenes. I would hate for these two alphas to lead their packs. Both come across as wusses.

Huge waste of time...

the story with poorly developed their narrator was awful. and there wasn't enough information to keep up with the storyline.

Incongruous Main Conflict in a Shifter World

While the writing wasn’t terrible, much of the book came across as generic shifter fare. I get the feeling that the amnesia inciting incident was an idea for a contemporary book, but shifters are a hot topic so the author slapped a relatively weak plotline for a human story into a paranormal book and decided to ignore the gaping plot holes and WTF illogical decisions created when you move this kind of story into a paranormal setting.

************SPOILERS****************
Considering the two MCs are the heir apparents of their respective packs, that they are repeatedly described as strong, large, etc and Hayden’s pack/family have money, it makes absolutely no sense not to go to the police. Had Josh told the truth, the physical evidence on his body and at his home would have backed him up and the police would have offered protection, which would add to the protection Hayden would have had anyway since he’s in a PACK and the next alpha. Josh decides Hayden is safer in jail, thinking he killed a man, which is shaky logic by itself because AGAIN they both have packs with territories that are patrolled and no strangers could enter their lands without being scented but ok. However, when Josh admits he feared that the creeps that assaulted them had people in jail that could hurt Hayden, it makes even LESS sense that Hayden would be safer there since Hayden would have no memory and be completely unprotected from being jumped by anyone. The fear and almost absolute power that Josh attributes to these two human men would be more understandable if this wasn’t a wolf shifter story. Josh apparently has NO faith in either pack since he decides human jail is a safer place for his mate. Additionally, the fact that he calls them “two thugs” after they are in jail for something else shows that they have little power or authority over a large group of people so other than intimidation, again how does Josh believe two humans have more power and ability than TWO groups of wolf shifters.

Flimsy premise that defies suspension of disbelief

SPOILERS & TRIGGER WARNINGS ABOUND
The wolf trope, amnesia trope, imprinting tropes, hurt and comfort trope, and vengeance tropes are all stretched to the point of being broken. The story mixes so many genres that it never achieves any cohesion. Despite the MC being werewolves, somehow they are completely powerless when they need it the most? Why make them werewolves if it does not move the story forward? How could a medical examiner not ascertain that the victim was dead before he was hit by the car? When Hayden is taken to the hospital, wouldn't they have done a blood test for evidence in a vehicular homicide case? Wouldn't they know that he had no alcohol in his system? Couldn't they tell that Hayden's injuries were from a blunt object and not a car accident? Why wouldn't they tell their packs about what happened? Again, the werewolf trope makes no sense when it is not actually used other than to retread the imprinting trope, like a regular relationship was not enough. What happened during the three years between the time Hayden was released from prison and the time they reunited? Why were they still scared to pursue the men when they were able to turn back into wolves? Couldn't Hayden defend himself once he was able to turn back into a wolf. The rape was completely unnecessary to create a hurt/comfort situation. Rape makes a poor plot device. That trauma was not needed for the development of the story and it just created an unexpected trigger that ruined anything that followed for me. The book ended without resolving what happened to the villians. For the violence, they inflicted, they should have been punished by the wolf packs, these were two Alphas that they attacked. There was no justification for the wolf storyline other than satisfying some Jacob Black slash yearnings. I was very disappointed by this story.