Bound by Fate

Bound #1

by Taashu K.

She was left at the altar… but fate gave her a husband she was never meant to have.

Ishani Kapoor was all set to marry the love of her life until… betrayal left her abandoned at the altar, her world shattering in front of everyone she held dear. Humiliated and heartbroken, she thought her story had ended before it began.

And then Rudra Rathore walked in…

The brooding heir to the powerful Rathore family, Rudra, was never meant to be her groom. To protect his family’s honor after his brother’s unforgivable mistake, Rudra makes a decision that binds them together in a marriage neither of them wanted.

They were never supposed to marry.
They were never supposed to feel anything.

Yet with every stolen glance and every clash of wills, Ishani and Rudra are pulled into a dangerous dance of duty, secrets, and an attraction that threatens to break every rule.

Can a union born of scandal and sacrifice transform into something deeper—or will the ghosts of their past destroy their chance at love before it begins?


Substitute-Husband
Marriage of Convenience
Slow Burn Romance
Cold Husband x Shy Wife

This is the start of the Bound By Series, but can be enjoyed as a Standalone Romance.

268 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 16, 2024

Reviews

[Vriii]

I didn’t like this book. I had to DNF it, and even before that, around the 72% mark, I was already skimming through the pages.

I don’t know what exactly went wrong for me, but I just couldn’t get into it. I have read other works by this author and loved them, but this one just didn’t work for me.

First of all, I couldn’t understand Rudra as a character. Like, what’s going on with him? I get that he has issues, but the mixed signals were just too much.

Then comes Ishani. She seemed like a strong character at first, but I don’t know. Something about her just didn’t connect with me.

Usually, I love the Jealousy trope. I enjoy when the MMC feels jealous over the FMC being close to another guy, but here it just felt a bit too much for me and I didn’t enjoy it.

I’m sorry, but this one just didn’t work for me.

[MasterSal · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing was pretty terrible here - repetitive and lurching from scene to scene. If I read another “Not now. Not ever” I may have screamed. But I finished

The real saving grace is the plot - which is basically a mishmash of a soap opera tropes ala Ekta Kapoor (but less long and dramatic). That was quite fun and kept me turning the page. So in the end I am giving this an average rating. If the writing doesn’t bother you this is fast paced enough to be fun. Just don’t expect Shakespeare here

[I’m a Paula too… Thompson]

DNF.

Not for me. Sorry.

[Uma Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bound by Fate (Bound Series #1) is an insightful and emotional slow-burn arranged marriage romance that strikes a very careful balance between pain and fate and healing. The central character is Ishani Kapoor, who feels devastated after being left standing at the altar when her childhood sweetheart, Kabir, leaves her to be with someone else. Kabir's rather brooding brother, Rudra, unexpectedly steps in to marry Ishani, and ultimately not because of love, but through familial duty and restoring family reputation.

The relationship slowly iceberg melts from a cold, awkward, uncomfortable relationship to one where feelings blossom into tenderness and start to feel very real. It wonderfully develops from strangers to partners in such a thoughtful, deep, and satisfying way. Rudra (the closed-off billionaire who does not believe in love) and Ishani (the strong and patient heroine who is figuring out how to heal) create a chemistry that felt the most raw and authentic.

Themes of fate, forgiveness, and second chances are relatable and spot on at the same time. It is richly emotional with family drama and that good tension that only adds to your intrigue. Taashu K’s writing style is simple yet expressive and you feel every ounce of pain, confusion, and squishable warmth throughout the read.

If you like arranged marriage, brother's best-friend energy, slow-burn romances and depth and heart, this is a must-read. It does not let you down.

I'm totally obsessed 😭🤌🏻

[Farzana Hussain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Passionate Contemporary Read

Author Taashu K has written a heartfelt romance novel, "Bound by Fate",in the (Bound Series Book ) .It has passion, drama, heartbreaks, second chance , pasts, and healing .This complex love story with the dynamics of pride ,fate , regrets and hidden desires is beautifully written and well_portrayed by the Author.

The story follows Ishani Kapoor who is forced into an unexpected arranged marriage of convenience with the handsome and brooding billionaire,Rudra Rathore,after Ishani is left at the altar by Rudra's brother,Kabir.The novel explores the theme of fate,a significant element of the story line which brings the couple together.There is also,pain, forgiveness, tradition,and the slow burning pull of love between the two protagonists.How Ishani tries to break down the barriers from the walls of Rudra's heart finally making their relationship compatible by accepting love and destiny is worth reading.

Overall,this complete emotional family drama has been well_crafted by Author Taashu K, with a strong attraction and an undeniable chemistry between Rudra and Ishani makes you rooting for more.I especially loved the backdrop of Paris making their journey of love and redemption a compelling, and an engaging read..This passionate romance novel has brilliant tropes of friendship, love, rivalry, second chance,and emotions. A highly recommended contemporary read by me.

[Reader By Dusk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the author's debut novel and it is written so beautifully by her. The book is about Ishani Kapoor and Rudra Rathore.

Ishani was all set to marry Kabir her childhood love but he left her just before their marriage and Rudra had to step up to protect the honor of the family. Both of them are not ready for the marriage with each other yet for the family they did but the question is will they be able to survive their marriage and most importantly will they fall in love with each other will they be strangers forever?

The book has everything in it be it love, drama, intimacy, second chance, past, insecurities and that's what makes it more beautiful. The way the characters are written be it Ishani who is heartbroken but never gave up in her relationship whereas Rudra even though he was falling for her but the insecurities he has shows the reality of life that even humans have insecurities.

The book also shows the aspect of communication and trust. Both things are the main elements of any relationship to sustain for a lifetime. That even if something lacks how a beautiful relationship can be crushed.

I love some of the scenes like Rudra's possessiveness for her, the way Ishani always kept herself first, her efforts in the marriage and the Paris trip. These scenes were so good 🫶🏻

Overall if you ask me I would recommend this then yes you can surely give this book a try.

[Mel :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bound by Fate has become my top read so far. The marriage of convenience trope with a surprise? Always gets me and this book made me love the trope more than ever. Taashu K has done a splendid job again in writing this book and this is my second by book of hers. Absolutely love reading it and this will not be the last one!

Ishani's character was just chaotic and so relatable. What do you do when your fiancé leaves you at the altar? My girl was crushed and so was I. What an asshole and am I glad he is gone. Just when I was fuming about this, his brother swoops right in to save the day!

Rudra is everything you would want in a man, and more. Stepping in to fill his brother's shoes, he agrees to marry and that's where their love story begins or not because this is a slow burn, but man does this book burn that love.

Ishani is so patient with Rudra which was so heartwarming, and I loved how he learned to come out of closed off nature and opened himself to her. The moment he realises how much she means to him? That moment has a special place in my heart.

This book was a spectacular read for me and I binged it in one night! I would definitely recommend reading this book if you like hot rich men agreeing to marry you to save his family's reputation and desi romances then this book is you!!!

[Yamini · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Bound by Fate" is new to me though not the author. Having read two of her books already, it was easy for me to read her this book. And once again, the author won my heart with Ishani and Rudra.

Ishani and Rudra were like two sides of the coin, balancing each other through their different sized hearts and opinions. I loved how patient Ishani was Rudra that ultimately broke his walls.

Rudra, the tough strong man, who couldn't afford seeing male species around his wife. Bro! I just melted at his possessiveness and would have loved it if he expressed it clearly. Atlas! He understood how to win the heart of his woman.

Ishani, the patient and kind girl, who claimed the heart of the tough man. But not limiting herself to be his wife, or someone's daughter, I liked how she chose something different from the business perspective as her profession. It's her simplicity, understanding and kindness that radiated her beauty throughout the book.

The author just woven words with equal and intense emotions and words. The narration, the twists and turns, the setting was so good that I would do anything to read this book again for the first time. What are you waiting for??? Grab the copy and read it asap!

[Honey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a slow burn in every way. Ishani gets left at the altar by Kabir and out of nowhere, his brother Rudra ends up marrying her. He literally says “this is just business” and that he doesn’t believe in love… so yeah, you can imagine the vibe at the start. It was awkward and cold, nothing romantic at all for Rudra and Ishani
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‎But slowly, things start to shift. They go from strangers to kind of friends and it felt real. Just when things are getting better, guess who shows up? Kabir. And then everything gets messy again.
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‎The book has family drama, jealousy, emotional moments, all of it. Rudra starts off super closed off, but Ishani is so patient. Watching them get closer bit by bit was actually really sweet.
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‎It’s not super long (around 226 pages) so it’s easy enough to read without feeling overwhelmed, but it’s also not so short that things feel rushed. If you’re into slow burn romance with a bit of chaos and a satisfying ending, this one’s worth the time.
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[May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bound by Fate is a beautifully written heartwarming romance that quietly steals your heart. This book starts with an arranged marriage that wasn’t even supposed to happen and slowly turns into this emotional, beautiful love story. Rudra and Ishani are such opposites, he’s cold and guarded whereas she’s soft and patient & watching them fall for each other felt so real❣️✨

The story has everything 🤌🏻✨ Love, pain, family drama, jealousy and that slow burn chemistry that just builds page by page. His grovelling felt so genuine and completely worth the wait.

It’s written in a simple way, nothing over the top but it hits straight in the feels. You can easily finish it in one go. By the end, I was just sitting there smiling like an idiot because it felt so complete and warm.

If you love emotional romances that heal you a little while breaking you a bit too, this one’s worth picking up 💓✨

[Moushmi Karmokar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished Bound by Heart and wow… my heart is in shambles (in the best way 😭💖). I couldn’t put this down the emotions, the tension, the love, and even the little jealous moments hit so hard.

The characters felt so real, every quirk, flaw, and secret heartache made them come alive. Rudra especially… I honestly get the whole quiet, closed-off, but deeply feeling energy, and seeing him slowly open up was honestly everything.

And the romance? Sweet, swoony, and intense in the perfect doses. Those quiet, almost accidental moments of connection just made my heart flutter like crazy. Taashu K’s writing makes you feel every little thing longing, ache, joy, and those messy emotions that stay with you after the last page.
If you���re into love stories that don’t just scratch the surface, but actually make you feel, this one is it. I’m officially impatient for the next book in the series!

[Madhu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like two mismatched puzzle pieces forced into place, Rudra and Ishani’s journey begins not with love, but with duty. Unexpected Marriage of Fate spins a poignant tale of two souls tangled in the threads of tradition, pain, and redemption. Rudra, all ice and iron, meets Ishani’s gentle warmth—a quiet storm of grace. Their marriage, born out of betrayal, slowly blossoms into a sanctuary of healing. In the city of love, Paris becomes not just a backdrop but a metaphor for the emotional thaw between them—beautiful, aching, and full of unspoken promises. Kabir’s return tests the roots of a love that was never meant to bloom, but does so anyway. Flawed yet fated, theirs is a romance that doesn’t burn bright, but glows slow and steady.

Rating: 3.2/5

[OJ Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book struggled for me mainly because of the writing. It felt repetitive and often jumped from scene to scene without smooth transitions. There was also a noticeable lack of emotional suffering or depth, which made the character journeys feel flat.

The ending didn’t help much either—it felt stretched and uncertain, without offering a strong sense of closure or purpose.

That said, the plot itself was surprisingly fun. It’s essentially a mix of classic soap-opera tropes—dramatic, chaotic, and familiar—but less drawn out. That element kept the story engaging enough for me to finish.

In the end, I’d call this an average read. If you’re someone who enjoys fast-paced drama and isn’t too bothered by writing quality, this might still work for you.

[Chetan V · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very placid and dull. Nothing new to offer. Its all been there and done that. Even the cancerization is not convincing. The story of Rudra and why he is like that is not told completely. This is a lacune

[Anjali Jain]

Terrible writing. the characters were not consitent with their nature portrayed.

[Vrinda K · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you don't want spoilers, don't read my review lol.

I loved this book and I'm getting excited to read the rest of the series. I wanted to punch Kabir so badly!!! The way he was trying to feed into Rudra's mind, like oh my goodness! I absolutely loved this book!