Bonded
3 Stars

The focus in this final book of the Cavanaugh Brothers saga is on the illegitimate half-brother, Blue Perez, as he struggles to come to terms with the truth about his birth, and the fact that his one-night stand with local waitress, Emily Shiver, has had an unforeseen complication. There is also a resolution to the ongoing mystery surrounding the death of Cass Cavanaugh.

Unfortunately, Blue and Emily's book completely misses the mark mainly due to the huge chip on Blue's shoulder. It is virtually impossible for him to move past his anger at what he perceives as his mother's betrayal, which results in his treating the woman, who has loved and cared for him his entire life, in a truly reprehensible manner. This makes it difficult for the reader to sympathize with him.

Emily is much more likable, but she too has issues, primarily a desire for independence, that lead her to push Blue away.

In terms of the murder mystery, the identity and motivation of the killer has been obvious since the second book, and all that remains is the rather lackluster revelation. That said, the final showdown is intense and exciting.

Overall, this series has excellent potential and Wright does manage to keep the reader's interest throughout despite some problematic characters and tropes.


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Blue Cavanaugh thought he'd found his soulmate online, but when he discovers that his "Cowgirl" is Natalie Palmer and that she's been manipulating him, he chalks it up to the fact that nobody can be trusted. When he finds Cass Cavanaugh's diary concealed in one of Natalie's cookbooks, he goes on a bender that leads to a one night stand with waitress, Emily Shiver that barely registers. His life hasn't been the same since the reading of Everett Cavanaugh's will when it was revealed that he is Everett's illegitimate son. Learning that Emily is pregnant with his child leaves Blue feeling more lost and confused than ever. As much as he wants to be there for Emily, she is determined to live her own life, but someone is out there is trying to make her miserable.

Bonded ends The Cavanaugh Brothers' series with Blue's story, providing opportunities for drama that are left unrealized. The romance between Blue and Cass is lukewarm at best. By the time the disappointing solution to the mystery of Cass's death is revealed, the killer has been foreshadowed multiple times, leaving the expectation for a twist unfulfilled. However, the series is successful in telling the story of several characters with very diverse backgrounds and intertwining their lives in a satisfying way. Overall, a decent series that could have been so much more. ( )

I had two questions: who killed Cass and what was Blue going to do? The ending of the book before this (can't remember the name right now) sort of gave away the answer to "Who killed Cass". I was interested in finding out how it was going to be revealed and how they got away with the truth being buried for so long. Figures, people in the right places willing to do whatever it took to protect family.
Blue. Blue was on the road to destruction on the night he found out who his on-line love interest was and just what she had been hiding. So what's a guy to do....go to a bar and get rip roaring drunk. Have a one night stand with Em, someone he sort of knew from high school, and BOOM....she ends up pregnant. Can he overcome all his doubts and fears? Can he find forgiveness for his mother and make peace with his brothers? Will Em and their unborn lead him down the path to redemption and happiness?
What do you think? Last book in a series and everyone needs their HEA right? Interesting time finding out just how off her rocker Natalie was. Seeing the brothers come together and find a bond. Blue and his mother finally talking. Solid end to a good series. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: It’s Blue’s turn for romance in this good, but not great, conclusion to the Cavanaugh Brothers series.

Opening Sentence: Some people might call it the hots, but if you asked Emily Shiver directly what her feelings regarding Blue Perez were, she’d probably say it was more like an . . . appreciation.

The Review:

It’s been a rough three months for Blue Perez Cavanaugh. First, he finds out his mother had an affair with Everett Cavanaugh, an affair that resulted in his birth. So that means he has three brothers, all of whom have plans for the Triple C that don’t coincide with his own. Then, the woman he had been falling for online turns out to possibly have something to do with his half-sister’s disappearance and subsequent murder. Suffice to say, life could be better. So when pretty Emily Shiver offers to give him a ride home when he’s obviously too drunk to drive, Blue takes her up on her offer and makes an offer of his own once they arrive at his place.

Emily Shiver has been obsessed with Blue ever since first laying eyes on him. So, despite not being one for one night stands, she can’t resist spending the night with Blue when the opportunity comes up. Fast forward to three weeks later, and Emily gets quite the surprise: she’s pregnant. Now, she and Blue have to figure out how they’re going to raise a child together when Blue finds it hard to trust anyone, especially someone of the female persuasion. Will they be able to work past their differences, or is their relationship doomed to fail?

I absolutely love this series, so I was anxious to read the conclusion. While it is a good read, it doesn’t quite reach the height that the third book did. A large part of that has to do with Blue. He has spent the past three books moping around because of his mother’s deception. While it is understandable given the short timeframe of the series, it makes it very hard to like him when he’s being so unlikable to every other character. Even in this book where he’s the hero, every sweet thing he does is often negated later by him continuing to act like a jerk.

As for Emily, she is a great main character. She’s sweet and strong, and her reaction to this pregnancy made me feel very connected to her as a character. She’s not afraid to put Blue in her place either, which made me like her even more. She just felt very real, and it was great to get to read her story.

Regarding the mystery of Cass’ disappearance and murder, everything gets wrapped up here. It was great to get to see the brothers’ efforts to find her killer finally come to fruition. In my opinion, the resolution was very satisfactory.

All in all this was a good conclusion to the Cavanaugh series, but not a great one. Blue’s frustrating words and actions do take some enjoyment out of the story, but Emily’s likeability makes up for it mostly. This is a quick read, and fans of the series should enjoy this conclusion.

Notable Scene:

“Okay, I know I got a bit nuts in there,” he started with a heavy exhalation.

“A bit?” she asked.

“That pre-thing sounded scary as shit.”

“That’s because you know nothing about it. It’s pretty common. And if I do get preeclampsia, it’s not until later in the pregnancy.” She sighed, her irritation stripping away. “You don’t have to worry, okay? About any of it. It’s all covered. This baby will be fine. I have my whole family looking out for me. My mom knows all about this. I don’t need you -“

He felt himself go rigid. He looked away. Her words had cut him.

“Come on, Blue,” she said, recognizing her blunder pretty quickly. “I didn’t mean it like that. All I’m trying to say is please chill out a little. Everything is going to be fine.”

Fine. Fine. He sniffed. Was it? Christ, nothing had been fine in the past several months. Why should he believe that this would be any different?

“Look, I need to go,” she said, turning around and opening her car door. “I have work.” Before she slipped inside, she gave him a tight smile. “I’m glad you came. Really. But next time, maybe it’s better if I go on my own.”

He stared at her, flinched as the door slammed shut. And as the weight of her words sank in, and she drove off into the late-morning sunshine, his guts twisted with pain. It wasn’t the kind of pain that stemmed from a fist to the jaw, but the emotional kind – the kind that came from fear and loss.

And a moment of hope, shattered.

FTC Advisory: Penguin/Signet provided me with a copy of Bonded. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )