Book 824: Dream Bound (Tasier #1) – Arian Williams

I had no idea what to expect when I decided to accept a copy of this one from Gay Romance Reviews.* I’ve tried to stay away from the super genre specific ones outside of MM romance, it just didn’t feel like it was my thing. But for some reason, this one just spoke to me.

This is the story of Joon, who has been stumbling through life not really able to make connections with other people and wondering what is wrong with him, and Trey, his soulmate who has all the memories of their dreams together that Joon can’t access.

I really liked Joon as a character, he was awkward and adorable and didn’t have the creepy factor that Trey had, mostly just from already knowing they were soulmates. It just read wrong a few times, but I guess it wasn’t the worst thing ever.

As Trey talked, Joon mentally checked in with his body. No shaky hands. No sign of his usual panic attacks, He was out with an attractive stranger, but he was fine. That was, other than the stupid, unwelcome intrusion of sexy images of Trey in his head. A slight smile appeared on his lips. He could have a normal lunch out with an attractive man without falling into pieces. A tiny ray of hope shone inside him. (Chapter 9)

The romance, apart from the constant reference to soulmates was kept to only a couple of scenes which were well written and paced. There were a couple of scenes where Trey and Joon went at it and I was like “Really? That’s what you want to do at this exact moment?” But I guess they were fated to be together and they’re both pretty young, so horniness prevails.

The sci-fi/fantasy aspect of the novel was actually really well written, much to my surprise. I think I was worried that the cross-genre approach would mean one or the other would suffer. In actuality, they both could stand on their own which means Williams did a great job. We didn’t really get to know Tasier or the big bad that well, but for the first book of a series that requires a lot of world building, I guess it was okay. I definitely want to know more about this “fifth circle” and Ash. Like we got some info about it, but not enough to satisfy me.

I’m unsure if book two will still focus on Joon and Trey or if it’ll focus on the character whose soulmate has rejected him (maybe) and lives in Boston. Guess I’ll find out, because I will definitely be reading the second book when it’s released.

Recommendation: I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. I was incredibly worried about the MM romance/fantasy mashup but felt both parts were written really well and could stand on their own. I’m looking forward to the continuation of the series and will most definitely be checking it out when it’s released.

*I received a copy of Dream Bound via Gay Romance Reviews in return for my honest opinion. No goods or money were exchanged.

Opening Line: “Joon breathed in the aroma of espresso that soaked into every fiber of his clothes.”

Closing Line: “Whatever life had in store for him, he was ready.” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)