Bound Triology Book 1 and 2 by Kate Sparks

The saddest thing I have to say in this review is that book #3 is not out yet!  I have been anxiously waiting this sequel and got it last week.  It didn't take me long to go through that puppy.

Rowan is a girl who thinks she wants adventure.  She has a nice life and a nice future but like so many of us, she dreams of "more" and "excitement".  Ironically, once she gets it, she realizes it is more work than she thought.
A few things I love about this series:
1.  the love story.  I love that there is no love triangle though it does take them both awhile to realize that they do indeed love one another.
2.  I love Aren.  I seem to have a thing for bad boy/assassin types in books.  Maybe b/c my husband is nothing like that.  Aren is a dude who is clearly NOT misunderstood.  He has done bad things.  I kinda don't like a period in the second book where he is a little whiney about "I want to be a good guy but it's easier to be bad and maybe it's too late for me to be good. What do I do?  blah blah blah"  However, toward the end of the second book he has a realization where he says "I will never be the white knight.  But maybe this fairy tale has the girl falling for the black prince instead."  If ever I were gonna fall for the black prince, it would be this book.  I love him.
3. I love the side characters, Kel and Cassia. I love the mer-people!  Yeah, you heard me, mer-people.  Not normally what I go for in a story but these two are awesome.  And they show up in both books!  Score two for one!
4.  I love that Rowan grows up.  She is a little naive in places but girl gets her feisty on when she needs to and I love that.  Plus she's smart.  I mean, she is an intellectual, not some vapid pretty girl or uber-warrior.  She is just smart and thinks things out when the pressure is on.  It ends up being one of her more endearing qualities.
I will say that there are moments where I found the story to be a bit wordy.  I also think she adds a lot of detail, almost to the point where it deters from the story.  But overall, I really enjoy the books.  Young adults (teens) beware: there is some foul language in this book and there is a bit of "promiscuity".  There aren't gratuitous sex scenes but she does elude to sexual situations.  Nothing too bad that takes away from the story so that's a positive.  It makes sense to the love story but isn't so steamy that you feel naughty for reading it.
I recommend this book.  Read it, like it, anxiously await book 3.  You know I am :)

Amazon description of:
Bound:
Welcome to Darmid, where magic is a sin, fairy tales are contraband, and the people live in fear of the Sorcerers on the other side of the mountains.
Rowan Greenwood has everything she's supposed to want from life—a good family, a bright future, and a proposal from a handsome and wealthy magic hunter. She knows she should be content with what she has. If only she could banish the idea that there's more to life than marriage and children, or let go of the fascination with magic she's been forced to suppress since childhood.
When Rowan unknowingly saves the life of one of her people’s most feared enemies, that simple act of compassion rips her from her sheltered life and throws her into a world of magic that’s more beautiful, more seductive, and more dangerous than she ever could have imagined.
Rowan might get everything she ever dreamed of—that is, if the one thing she's always wanted doesn't kill her first.

Torn:
Aren Tiernal knows that safety is an illusion, that his cruel and powerful brother will never forgive his betrayal. Still, returning to Tyrea to challenge Severn for the throne would be suicide. It’s not until Severn himself comes to collect what’s owed to him that Aren decides to risk everything in an attempt to bring down the most powerful Sorcerer Tyrea has ever known. The mission seems doomed to fail, but it’s Aren’s only chance to save himself, his country, and the woman who thawed his heart.
Rowan Greenwood has troubles of her own. Though she should be a great Sorceress, years of being closed off from her magic have left her unable to control her incredible power. When a pair of ominous letters arrive from her home country, Rowan has to choose between her new life and a chance at saving her family—and just maybe changing an entire country’s beliefs about the evils of magic.
Torn apart by separate quests, Rowan and Aren will have to discover untapped strengths and confront their darkest fears in order to overthrow a ruler determined to destroy them both.