Born to be Bound: A Villain Gets the Girl Beauty and the Beast Forced Proximity Omegaverse Dystopian Dark Romance (Alpha's Claim Book 1)

First off, let me be clear about one thing. This novel is not a romance. Should you start reading this book with the expectation of your classical boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, and they live happily ever after, you will come away hating this series. What this is, is a Dystopian erotica with a few romantic elements tossed in, a very few. Expecting it to fit the classical definition of romance will only lead you to disappointment. Dystopian: an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one. -- definition quoted from online. Shepard, our hero is actually more of an anti-hero archetype than a hero, in my opinion. He is the leader, formerly subjugated himself, who broke free only to subjugate everyone else. Those who cannot be subjugated, he kills. He is the head and leader of a newly founded dystopian society where no law rules but his own. To expect him to be any less brutal or vicious than the society he has founded is unrealistic and to ignore the true strength of his multifaceted character. This is an anti-hero who can love just as easily as he destroys, and does not hesitate to act, even if his needs are inherently selfish. He is all that we hate the most in the worst dictators. He is a totalitarian dictator, with all the traits we have learned to despise in such rulers. But he is what makes the world go 'round in this series. He is our catalyst. He is quite literally our Dystopian world's Creator. Without him and the vital direction his raw brutality provides this story, this world could and would not exist. There would be no conflict. Therefore, Shepard could not be classic hero material. He had to embody instead the far more ambiguous traits of the anti-hero. This world quite literally needed him to be the ultimate bad guy. Unfortunately for Claire, his obsessive love has a focus, and it's herself. Both our heroine and anti-hero have such depth and emotion to them. They are far from the static, rarely flawed hero and heroines you see in Romance. Claire is the foil to Shephard. She is light, where he is dark. He is corruption to her goodness. He is strength, she is weak. They are the perfect foils to each other. Mind you, I say this as an avid Romance reader. Shepard does stuff, to the heroine and others, that I would never tolerate in a romance. But again, this is not a romance novel. I approached this novel with an appreciation for what it is, not what I wanted it to be. For who the characters were, not who I wanted them to be, i was immersed in this new Dystopian world. The characters breathed, they hurt, they cried, they lashed out at injustices. They and their world fairly leaped off the page at me, bold in its stark, brutal reality. I can only give the author raves reviews for being willing to touch upon uncomfortable topics, to be willing to explore what most are afraid to touch, and do so with such amazing storytelling skill. And spoiler, yes, our anti-hero cheats, but the actions fit his character, they fit the situation, they fit the dystopian world that he has personally created from destruction with his own hands. Expecting him to be any less brutal than he is, any less selfish, is to ignore how vital that brutality and selfishness is to the creation of this story world. Had he been any less brutal, there may not have been an overthrow of power. He might not be the leader. He and Claire may have never met. There would be no story to be written, no story to be read. Need I mention, before I read romances, I read fantasy and science fiction, and enjoyed them immensely. These characters, this Dystopian world, appeal to my sci-fi/fantasy loving side. I honestly fell in love with this tale and am looking forward to the third installment, hoefully in the near future. Masterful storytelling, Addison. Because you took a chance, and wrote a compelling and dark tale, because you made me actually stop and think, you have won a fan in me.

I've read many of the reviews for this book and understand the reactions. However, I feel many of them are misguided, mainly because of the intended nature of the book itself. It is an omegaverse book, it is not a romance. It is not a "love" story in the sense many expect, it is a post-apocalyptic survival story that includes love within a realm of horrific brokenness. So to be honest, I don’t really understand the folks shouting about there not being a HEA, because come-on, not every damn story HAS a HEA. SO, for those looking for a typical shifter-esque alpha, all brooding and angry but with hidden romantic qualities that lead to swooning, keep moving right on past this one. Because “Born to be Bound” by Addison Cain is definitely NOT that. Rather it is about something grittier, more real, it’s about the idea that when things are at their bleakest, there most horrific, sometimes understanding and compassion can evolve. Additionally, it showcases strength of character and illustrates how, in life, the best choice can also be ghastly, violent, and soul crushing, at times requiring the sacrifice of our very selves for the protection and survival of the greater good. Claire and Shepard being merely the vehicles Cain utilizes to paint this extremely vivid picture. “Born to be Bound” is outstandingly caustic. It is beyond dark and not for the easily offended or faint of heart. It contains a dystopian theme so violent, so abhorrently disturbing it will churn your stomach and make your mind swirl with thoughts for days on end. However that is its purpose within the literary omegaverse framework in which it resides and sadly given today’s worldwide social climate, contains an underlying plot not really all that far-fetched. Cain boldly gives a stark and frightening glimpse into a post doomsday world were a biological plague has wiped out much of humanity forcing remaining societies under the protection of bio-domes. It focuses on one bio-dome city, Tholos, and is a master/slave socio-sexual exploration of a corrupt civilization taken over by the very underclass the elites of the society painstakingly oppress for years. And it is bravely raw and realistic. Yes it contains rape. Yes is contains infidelity. Yes it contains violence, and coercion, oppression, injustice, and great suffering. But folks, that’s what a dystopian society is, and this book isn’t at all more outrageous, more violent, or more repulsive than others within this sub-genre. It is an expansion of the archetype of alpha and omega beings, beings imprinted at birth and driven by animalistic instincts beyond their control. Here, alphas are by nature, violent, possessive, and driven by predisposition to mate and claim an omega. Omegas are born tethered by biological heat cycles that instinctually drive them to mate and be claimed. It is an uneven and oppressive power dynamic right from the start. One both parties are born into. And with this birth come the biological markers of their station, such as the nesting instinct of the omegas and the purring instinct of the alpha, each specific to their individual roles but necessary and complimentary to the others well-being and survival. It is eerily allegorical to stations of class and class behavior, and to the very real struggles of the poor underneath the crush of the super-rich of our current world. Especially where in relation to the very real realm of sex trafficking and slavery created by elites and going unchecked. One read of the details into a very real billionaire such as Jeffrey Epstein, brings instant understanding that although a work of fiction, the underlying points being made within this book are not so terribly outrageous. Yes “Born to be Bound” may be more sexually violent than others in this subgenre, but so what. It’s a dystopian exploration, not a damn literary romcom! Did I wish there was more character development to Shepard in this first installment, yes, yes I did. Does it need to be so sadistically violent? No, probably not. But I understood why it was, and read it and related to it for what it was, a dark, gritty, and bravely honest portrayal of the horrors of a society at its worst. Not all romances are designed to be feel good pieces written to give people hope of true love. Some are meant to be warnings of what NOT to do. Some, like this one, created to warn us to beware the evils lurking within the very stations charged with overseeing our safety, contentment, and existence within the realm of day-to-day living. Because the reality is, the oppressive Tholos regime created Shepard, Shepard in turn acted accordingly toward Claire, and ultimately Claire acted and reacted in keeping with all of the above. It is all connected, just as we are all connected as citizens of our realms, and ultimately molded and conditioned to act according to its acceptable edicts.

This is a great read. Can’t say much - afraid I’ll give something away. It is definitely worth the time to read. I’m starting the second book as soon as I finish this. Go read it - you won’t be sorry.

Wow. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart. This book is full of triggers. It is very detailed and violent so take warning ⚠️⛔️ ⚠️⛔️⚠️⛔️⚠️⛔️⚠️⛔️⚠️⛔️⚠️⛔️⚠️⛔️ This story was not what I was expecting but I did like the authors writing style. Addison Cain knows exactly how to draw a reader in to the story. The characters were well written. The twists and turns in this book threw me threw a loop though. I just didn’t see it coming. It ends on a cliffhanger and I have questions that need to be answered in book 2. I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy and am leaving a honest review.

Born to be Bound by Addison Cain is not a brand new story by the author but was a leader in the newly emerging Alpha/Omega stories that began to open up a new and erotic genre called the Omegaverse back in the not so distant past. Featuring dark romance, knotting, rutting, breeding, and a plethora of spicy erotic goodness this first book of Claire and Shepherd’s beginnings is a sizzling, violent, enemies-to-lovers tour de force of rich storytelling that is expertly written and crafted to entice readers into falling in love with their sensual and violent dystopian world. This is where an obsessive prime alpha intends to fully claim the female he has taken as his omega, though she would beg to differ. Loved the characters, range of emotions, intensity, grittiness, and fullness of this amazing, powerfully captivating read. TBC. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

What the heck was this? I'm really not sure. I don't know what I was even suspecting, but this was definitely not it. It was like a dystopian world with paranormal people called Alphas, Betas, and Omegas whose instincts resembled dogs. Yes, dogs. Or the most primal of instincts. So this girl - well, Omega, who are rare and valuable - enters the city she's in hiding from to beg the head Alpha for some food. She goes into heat (yes, heat - stay with me) right there around dozens of Alphas. Now apparently these Alphas go insane when a rare Omega is in heat, just bloody out of their mind to breed her, so obviously this is a bad situation for our Omega. But thankfully Shepherd - our hero (haha) - kills ten men and saves her! Takes her to his room to rest. Lol just kidding, he rapes her. But because she's in heat, she's alllll about it. So they bang. For three days. It was entertaining, but there were a lot of dripping fluids . . . I mean, a lot of dripping fluids. But during this time, the hero (haha) decides he wants to keep her, so he bites her, bonding them together forever. And keeps her locked in his room. I really enjoyed this anti-hero verra verra much! He's pretty sweet, but I loved the insane dominance thing. It was totally my jam. i.e. "If I ever smell another man's scent saturating you again, I will hunt down the male and rip off his limbs while you watch... then I will f*@# you in the pool of his blood." Okay, how awesome is that, right? I was totally into this dark Stockholm-like story. And I just really want the heroine to give in and love him! Because I loved him! Yeah, he was bad, but he was a gooooood bad. It was my first Addison Cain read, and I was happy to find it was really well written. With lots of dripping fluids aside, I was totally into it from the beginning. My only complaint was that I didn't like the side POVs. They were only small parts, but I skimmed them I found them so uninteresting. The world was a little confusing to me, but I got the gist of it to enjoy the story. It does end on a cliffhanger, though, so be prepared! If you're in the mood for something dark, strange, and erotic, then definitely give this one a try. There is a trigger, though. SPOILER The hero cheats on the heroine. It felt like it fit the hero's character well, so it didn't bother me. There was also so much wrong with their relationship this was hardly an issue for me.

Powerful stuff, wow, just, wow! SPOILER: This book and it’s sequels are VERY dark and VERY twisted, so PLEASE really heed the warnings before you purchase this book (pretty much anything Ms. Cain writes is not for the faint of heart). There is forced sexual scenes, mental abuse, hardcore strong BDSM scenes, gory violence all of which could be traumatizing to readers. So why read this series? Ms. Cain has beautifully constructed a dystopian universe that is bleak, violent, and totally revamps the “beings” biological mental and physical characteristics to where there really isn’t much of a semblance to us human folk. The social structure being made up of three types - alpha, beta, omega; and it really is survival of the fittest. I have read this series 3 times going on 4 with the latest Corrupted’s recent release. Shepard and Clair are my absolute favorite pair. The emotional roller coaster ride is intense and just pulls you in from the onset. At first you despise Shepard for how he treats Claire and the horrible things he does to her, but by the 3rd book you get to see a totally different side to him that makes you soften towards him. Yes, there are cliff hangers and no HEA until later in the series where they finally escape the failing community that is rapidly decaying and can start to hopefully normalize their lives as best they can in a world that is seemingly uninhabitable outside if bio-domes due to environmental hazards. A lot of people have complained about the cliffhangers. I don’t understand what the problem is. Just means more amazing storytelling will be coming. The contents of the books specify the hardcore depravity, cliffhangers, and not a HEA type book; yet I have seen a lot of negative reviews specifying those particular areas. I don’t think people understand the purpose of the review/rating privilege. It’s not to complain about stuff you were warned about prior to purchase, but more about the story, the writing, perhaps if the author put together a comprehensible and cohesive plot, and along those lines of criticism. Complaining about something that is clearly provided in the sales page does not give helpful review to help me determine if the book is worth my time or not. I’m off my soap box. But I do highly recommend this book as well as all of Ms. Cain’s work. Her ability to put in great dialogue that flows naturally and paints a detail image of her worlds and characters is beyond stellar. Great storyteller.

Ok, I hate cliffhangers, but expected it knowing this was a first in a series of books. I have read all three in the series and was unhappy that the last book somehow also has a cliffhanger leading into the next series. I am not good at delayed gratification, but I am looking forward to the next set of books being ready. The world view is intriguing - though I am not sure if the characters are meant to be canine or feline in nature. The more I read, the more feline they seemed. It was enticing to have something that was not set out in stone. There is great world building going on, 'show not tell' was well done, internal and external strife kept me engaged, unexpected plot twists abound, storyline is great, power exchange leading to fab sexual scenes (not all pretty but definitely well written and allows the antagonist to be forgiven in the long run for his despicable behaviors). The dynamic between the leading male (Shepard) and the female antagonist (Svana) is complicated and leads to much internal and external conflict for Shepard and for the leading female protagonist (Claire) which is not clarified until the end of the last of the three books. I found the Point of View to be one of the best executed components of the writing. PoV would change from one main character to another within the space of a few paragraphs, and a core group of supportive character's also had material from their PoV as they interacted or considered the main characters. In most books I have read with various PoV the authors have written one chapter in a particular individuals PoV and labeled it as such, so if you are used to that you may find it difficult to follow along unless you read every sentence as you go along; however, if you are attentive, the transitions from one character to another are almost seamlessly executed with what feels like an instinctual movement in the writing - which I am sure took a great deal more work than most readers would recognize. I look forward to seeing if this carries over into the authors other work. Definitely worth the money and time to read.

Volevo in italiano non in inglese

Loved it, like seriously. Fair warning, it is very explicit and violent and if you are sensitive to such violence do not read it, but past that I really enjoyed the story. The only thing I found really confusing was that we experience the story through everyone's eyes and points of views, even when you think it's Claire's narrative, you'll read what Shepard is thinking ... But nothing major once you get used to it. I only wished we had a bit more insight into the dystopian world around them, just to have more texture to the story. I actually really like our MCs. Claire is a smart woman, but not too proud to do stupid things as she's an omega. Shepard is a believable true born alpha, worthy of his reputation in some instances, but isn't single lined in his violence, they all have layers which made you empathize with them and want to read more to find out what would happen. There is definitely an evolution of the characters too which deffo makes it relateble and a good book in my opinion. I love the hierarchy in this world: alpha, beta and omega, it's so different to any other shifter/animal based book I've read, in a brilliant way. They truly are like the animals they're depicted to be. No mushy wushy nonsense. The only thing now to think of it is that they never fully shifted I guess into animals ? Maybe that's for further development later into the stories. Like I said there's a lot we don't know or have a clear enough picture yet of in the world they live in just yet.

What surprised me was how intense and emotional this story felt. Dark, brutal, zet strangely captivating. It is not an easy read, but the raw bond between Shepherd and Claire kept me hooked till the end.

What a dark book! In a dystopian world, Claire goes to the enemy for food and protection from a group of omegas. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned. This story is exciting and I felt so sorry for Clair. The story is well written, from the start you immediately immerse yourself in a dark world.

Si bien la serie es interesante conforme pasan los libros pierde fuerza; sin embargo, la evolución de la protagonista no decepciona.