Review of Tethered by Elayna R. Gallea

What could be worse than an arranged marriage to a vampire prince?

When Luna is sold into marriage to the Prince of Darkness on her twenty-first birthday, she thinks she knows what to expect. Arranged marriages happen all the time, right? Wrong. No one could have prepared her for the reality of being married to the vampire prince.

Ever since the day he was Made, Sebastian has been living according to Queen Marguerite’s rules. After all, he’s only alive because of her. When she orders him to marry and Bind himself to Luna, a human hailing a neighboring kingdom, he has no choice. He agrees to the marriage but never expects to feel anything for her.

When their Binding Ceremony goes awry, and they are magically Tethered, everything is thrown into upheaval. Unable to leave each other’s presence, they must learn to live with each other. Or die.

Tethered is an arranged marriage high fantasy romance and is filled with forced proximity, magical bindings, vampires, and world-building.

Tethered takes place in the same world as Of Earth and Flame. It can be enjoyed on its own or alongside The Ithenmyr Chronicles.

NOTE: This series is upper YA/NA and has moderate steam. There are some instances of violence, language, and mature situations. Recommended for ages sixteen and up.

Check it out on Amazon 

This was my first book by this author, but I saw a random IG review about this being a gothic vampire romance with all the vibes but no on-screen spice, so I went to check it out. There was this beautiful cover and it was on a pre-order sale, so I snagged myself a copy, and it was well worth the read.

The vibe checks are all here. I didn't know I needed to read a gothic vampire arranged marriage, but I did, and if you too have that need, Tethered delivers. There is some romanticized blood-drinking, which kind of grossed me out, but it's a vampire book, so I guess that's to be expected. Oh, and there's an absolutely fantastic cliff-hanger. I may be the only reader who appreciates cliff-hangers, but this one was a beauty.

Note to more sensitive readers: As the author mentions in her blurb, there is some foul language and violence, as well as tensions between a married couple. The main warning probably belongs to the hero's "mother" who is NOT a good person.

 This book is perfect for adult readers of romantasy who want to vibe.

Check it out on Goodreads