Bound to Flame Review

Title: Bound in Flame

Author: Katherine Kayne

Series: The Hawaiian Ladies Riding Society #1

Publisher: Smith Publicity

Publication Date: 28 October 2019

Source: Smith Publicity

Format: eARC

Pages: 347

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

Letty Lang is a suffragist of the most fearless kind, with a bullwhip, big plans, and ancient power she doesn’t understand. Will a fast horse and a stubborn man derail her dreams?

Banished to boarding school to tame her wild temper, Leticia Lili‘uokalani Lang sails home to Hawaii, bringing her devotion to animals with her. She’ll be among the first female veterinarians in history—most remarkable in 1909 when women still cannot vote.

With one mad leap into the ocean to save a horse, Letty sets another destiny in motion. She is a mākāhā, a Gate to the healing fires of the land, her beloved ‘aina. Letty must fight to harness the ancient power that lives within her, fueled by her connection to the islands. But the price of power is steep. Her inner flame burns hot—hot enough that her kisses can actually kill, a precarious inconvenience since the horse’s owner, Timothy Rowley, lights another kind of fire.

Can Letty learn to master her power to have a chance at life and love? Or is the danger of the flame too great?

Book Review:

Pre-reading Thoughts:

I am so excited to jump into this historical fiction with a twist. It sounds like an interesting read with some romance and magic thrown into it. 

Thank you so much to Smith Publicity for providing me with a copy of this book. Just a quick disclaimer for those reading this review, I have received this book for free. Please note that this does not affect my opinion in any way. All thoughts are my own. 

Writing Thoughts:

The writing was lush with detail. It did slow the pacing down quite a lot especially as the language was more elevated to suit the time in which the book was set. I think the author does an incredible job of creating the atmosphere for a re-imaging of the time and makes the reader feel as if they are stepping through a time machine into what the author imagines the early 1900s to be. 

Plot Thoughts:

The overall plot is incredible. It created a wholesome book that wraps the reader in an amazing reading experience. From daring moves to fierce female main characters to swoon-worthy moments. This is the perfect book for a summer holiday. However, whilst I did enjoy everything that took place, I wish things happened a little sooner. 

Character Thoughts:

I really enjoyed reading about this cast of characters. They were diverse and entertaining, often leaving me entertained for pages. I loved how fierce Letty was but she didn't shy away from voicing her fears. I loved her character a lot.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I liked this book. I think it is the perfect summer read with its slow-paced plot and rich setting. The writing creates the perfect atmosphere for a summer holiday read. The plot was incredible and kept me interesting but there was a small pacing problem with major events in the book. The characters were fun to read about and I cannot wait to read more about their stories in future books. This is a book best going into without knowing too much. Thank you so much to Smith Publicity for providing me with a copy of this book!

Yours in Reading,

Melleny