BLOG TOUR REVIEW & EXCERPT: The Forbidden

Check out my review & an excerpt from this new release by THIS MAN author, Jodi Ellen Malpas.

The Forbidden, by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Publish Date: August 8, 2017
Publisher: Forever Romance
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS

(Synopsis) Annie has never experienced the 'spark' with a guy-that instant chemistry that renders you weak in the knees. That is, until a night out brings her face to face with the dangerously sexy and mysterious Jack. It's not just a spark that ignites between them. It's an explosion. Jack promises to consume Annie, and he fully delivers on that promise.

Overwhelmed by the intensity of their one night together, Annie slips out of their hotel room. She is certain that a man who's had such a powerful impact on her must be dangerous. She has no idea that he belongs to another. That he's forbidden.

Where do I even begin with this book? I think I'll start with the author. I adore Jodi Ellen Malpas. Her stories are amazing and she's such a great writer. I wanted to read The Forbidden even before I knew what it was about. Truthfully, I didn't really know what it was about until I was actually reading it, and that's a really good thing. If I had gotten a wiff of the plot, I probably definitely wouldn't have read it, and in retrospect, that would've been a shame. 

The Forbidden deals with one of my hot buttons in romance books - one of the things I absolutely can't stand. Well, me and scores of other readers. When I realized what was going on (and I'm not going to spoil it here for you - you'll just have to read it to find out), I seriously thought about not continuing. I was afraid for my heart. And truthfully, my heart did break - many times. But, not exactly like I had thought it would at first. 

The main reason why I stuck with it was JEM's ability to draw these amazingly compelling and interesting characters. Both Jack and Annie were great, but it was really Jack who stole the show. He's the best sort of alpha male, and yet so vulnerable and compassionate too. They way he cares for Annie made my heart melt. Annie's unwavering faith in her man, even when things were at their worst, was impressive. I loved how they complemented each other and laughed together and loved each other. 

And yet, their story was absolutely heartbreaking. Many times I asked myself how they could find their way out of it and still be together. It seemed to be an impossible situation, and against all odds, I found myself rooting for them and hoping with each page that went by that they would find a way. It's certainly not the reaction I initially thought I would have. 

The Forbidden won't appeal to everyone. There will be some that will learn what it's about and make the decision that I probably would've made to not even start it. But, I will tell you that, at least from my perspective, you'd be missing out on a fantastically compelling, emotional and real book. Love isn't always neat and tidy. It doesn't fall in line like you want it to. But, it's worth fighting for. 

“Thank you for your help,” I say quietly, studying him, definitely detecting that he’s deep in thought. Don’t ask, don’t ask, don’t ask. I need to get back into my apartment without engaging with him, which could prove tricky when he’s blocking the doorway and looking like he has no intention of shifting to let me in.

“Annie,” he breathes. “I’m struggling so badly.”

“I’m not doing this.” I swallow, pushing my way past him. He grabs me by the top of my arm and holds me in place. “Let me go, Jack.”

“I’ve already told you I can’t do that. Annie, I’m drowning here. I’m going out of my mind, and the more time I spend with you the fucking worse it’s getting. Listening to you, talking to you, sharing a passion with you that goes way beyond the amazing time we had in bed together.”

“You have to forget!” I yell, knowing anger is the only way forward. Be angry with him. Let it dominate me and rule me, because the alternative scares me to fucking death.

He pushes me into the hall and slams the door behind us, forcing me to back up. “No,” he says, straight and even. “No,” he repeats, moving one more step forward, except this time I don’t retreat. Because I can’t. Because he has me locked in place with those grey eyes, and now they’re back to their full glory. Sparkling, even if it’s with anger. He reaches for his shirt and starts unbuttoning it before shrugging it off and throwing it to the floor, revealing the chest that’s haunting me.

I quickly look down at the pile of material, my mind reeling. His chest. His perfect damn chest. “What are you doing?”

“I have no fucking idea.” He reaches for me and slides a hand around my neck, pulling me to him. Our chests meet, and my determination to repel him vanishes under our connection. Wrongs turn into rights. Conflict turns into craving.

“I can’t get you out of my head, Annie.” His forehead meets mine, his palm massaging away the tightness in my neck muscles, softening me up until I relax in his hold. “I want you all over again, and I can’t even find the will to worry about how much more that’ll make me want you.” He breathes down on me. “I’ve played that night on repeat. I’ve dreamed of holding you in my arms again. I’ve craved the sound of your voice, the feel of your touch, the softness of your lips on mine. I know I shouldn’t want you. But I do. Nothing has ever made me feel this insane with need. Nothing has taken up so much space in my head. I can’t fucking help it, Annie.” His grey gaze sinks into me, my heart steadying to an even thrum. His head starts to shake mildly, his splayed hand moving up to the back of my head and fisting my hair. “I don’t want to help it,” he growls. “I want you. I don’t care how wrong it is.” His clenched fist tightens, gripping my hair harshly. “I know I’ve been on your mind since I fucked you every which way in that hotel room. Stop denying it. Don’t insult me and tell me you don’t crave that amazing feeling all over again. I can see it in your eyes every damn time I look into them. You. Want. Me.”

It’s me who moves in first. All me. I lunge forward and smash my lips to his, the magnetic force winning. His words winning. Jack winning. My heart winning. I coax his mouth open with hard, hungry kisses. I’ve lost my mind to a craving too powerful to fight off. And, like Jack, I don’t care how wrong it is.

Lost.

Yet as he walks me backward until my back slams into the wall, I feel found again.

I cry out, and Jack moans. We’re clumsy and desperate. He’s pushing me up the wall with the force of his kiss, then he’s rolling away, taking me with him until it’s his back slamming into the wall. It’s the elevator all over again. The atmosphere is sizzling. I’m on fire. He scoops me up, pinning me to him, and carries me into my bedroom. I focus on him. Only him and the return of feelings that I’ve fantasized about since that unforgettable night. All the guilt is abandoning me, and I let it, unprepared to let anything stop me from taking the forbidden.

Jodi Ellen Malpas was born and raised in the Midlands’ town of Northampton, England, where she lives with her two boys. Working for her father’s construction business full-time, she tried to ignore the lingering idea of writing until it became impossible. She wrote in secret for a long time before finally finding the courage to unleash her creative streak, and in October 2012 she released This Man. She took a chance on a story with some intense characters and sparked incredible reactions from women all over the world. Writing powerful love stories and creating addictive characters have become her passion, a passion she now shares with her devoted readers.

Social Media Links
www.jodiellenmalpas.com.uk
www.facebook.com/jodiellenmalpas
www.twitter.com/jodiellenmalpas

RELEASE DAY REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: The Protector

JEM fans take note - THE PROTECTOR is ALL THE THINGS. I loved this book so much, and I can't wait to tell you all about it. Check out my review and enter the giveaway, provided by the awesome peeps at Forever.

The Protector, by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Publish Date: September 6, 2016
Publisher: Forever Romance
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) People think they have Camille Logan nailed: daddy's girl; beautiful, spoiled young woman with her father's bank balance to fund her lifestyle. But Camille is determined to have a life free from his strings. Out on her own, she's made mistakes, including one that found her clawing her way back after a stint in rehab and plenty of bad press. Now, after fighting so hard to be independent and happy, she finds her life threatened as a result of her father's ruthless business dealings. Caught between resentment and fear, Camille prepares herself for the measures her father will take to protect her. But nothing could prepare her for the ex-SAS sniper who crashes into her life.

Jake Sharp resides in his own personal hell. He was distracted from duty once before, and the consequences were devastating--both personally and professionally. He vowed never to let that happen again. Accepting the job of bodyguard to Camille Logan isn't the kind of distraction from his demons he should take. Women and Jake don't mix well, yet protecting the heiress seems the lesser of two evils. But Jake soon discovers that she isn't the woman she's perceived to be. She's warm, compassionate, her presence settling, and his duty to protect her soon goes deeper than a well-paid job, no matter how hard he fights it. He needs absolution. He comes to need Camille. But he knows he can't have both.

Move over Jesse Ward and Miller Hart - there's a new Malpas man in town, and his name is Jake Sharp. He's not charming or rich or sophisticated like Jesse and Miller, but don't let that fool you. Jake has his own amazing qualities that make him irresistible, interesting and incredibly swoon-worthy. 

Jake is former military that was discharged after certain events in his past caused him to make some bad decisions while on a mission that compromised his men and left him with a huge amount of guilt and self-loathing. Working in security keeps his mind off his past, so when he's offered a 24-hour protection job that pays super well, he takes it, despite his misgivings about guarding a spoiled little rich girl. 

However, Camille Logan is not spoiled. She might be rich, but she's also bright, independent and determined to be better than her father. Jake shadowing her every move is a huge inconvenience, not just because he puts a crimp in her style and her schedule, but because his hot bod and commanding presence is incredibly distracting in all the best ways. 

Jake is such a complex character. His demons go deep and they color everything he does now. But, Camille is the first person in years to penetrate the impenetrable wall he erected to protect himself from further hurt and heartbreak. She's nothing like he thought, and when the threats against her escalate, his inherent protective nature kicks in, and THAT is a thing of swoon-worthy beauty. 

Now, I love a protective alpha male. Like, LOVE. So, you see why I loved this book. Jake was in the military. He's now a bodyguard. And his charge, which he is crazy attracted to, has come to respect, and manages to somehow bring him some peace in his otherwise sad and lonely life, desperately needs him to do his job and do it well.

For as much as I love Jake Sharp, I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I loved Camille as well. She wasn't afraid to take a stand against injustice, even if she was standing up against her own father. Despite her initial vehement disagreement with Jake's presence, she comes to appreciate his protection. She also comes to see that there is so much more to Jake Sharp than what meets the eye. And, as she unravels the mystery of him and she and Jake together, the mystery of who is after her and why, they realize how essential they are to each other. 

The Protector was an awesome book. I was caught up in every moment and every word. I rooted for Jake and Camille from the beginning. It was intriguing and suspenseful and super sexy. If you've never discovered Jodi Ellen Malpas before, The Protector is a great place to start. But be prepared - you won't want to stop here. You'll want to read all her books - nothing wrong with that. JEM does sexy alpha males SO well. 

Jodi was born and raised in the Midlands town of Northampton, England, where she lives with her two boys and a beagle. She is a self-professed daydreamer, a Converse & mojito addict, and has a terrible weak spot for Alpha Males.

Writing powerful love stories and creating addictive characters has become her passion – a passion she now shares with her devoted readers.

She’s now a proud #1 New York Times bestselling author – all six of her published novels having hit the New York Times bestsellers list – as well as a Sunday Times bestseller and international bestseller. Her work is published in over 20 languages across the world.

Social Media Links:

www.JodiEllenMalpas.co.uk

www.twitter.com/jodiellenmalpas

www.Facebook.com/JodiEllenMalpas

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REVIEW: One Night Unveiled (One Night #3)

One Night Unveiled (One Night #3), by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Published February 10, 2015
Publisher: Forever Romance
Format: e-ARC, obtained from NetGalley
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Livy has never known pure desire like this. The gorgeous Miller Hart captivates her, seduces her, and worships her in deliciously sinful ways. He knows her innermost thoughts, drawing her ever deeper into his dangerous world.

Miller will do anything to keep Livy safe, even if it means risking his own life. But his dark history isn't the only thing that threatens their future together. As the truth of Livy's family legacy unravels, an unsettling parallel between past and present comes to light. Her world spinning out of control, Livy finds herself caught between the rapture of an all-consuming love-and a deadly obsession that could destroy them both . . .

After a slow start to Jodi Ellen Malpas' One Night series, I thought each book got better and better, with ONE NIGHT UNVEILED being the best of them all, as it should be for the final book. Unveiled is the culmination of everything that has happened so far to Olivia and Miller. There's a lot of drama, a lot of danger, and of course, a lot of sex. And the best part is that JEM wrapped up all the loose ends, and for that, I thank her so much.

Miller and Olivia are hiding out in New York until Olivia's Nan falls ill and they are forced to return to London to help her and to face the music. It's the last thing Miller wants to do - return to the den of lions that are out for blood, when everything in him is screaming to keep Livy safe. But, Miller's puppet masters are demanding he return to work. And Olivia is determined to try and cobble together a normal life and a normal relationship with Miller by her side. By any means necessary.

Unveiled was one intense book. I mean, Miller is an intense guy, so it would stand to reason. For all his waffling back and forth earlier in the series about whether he could or couldn't be with Olivia, he certainly has made up his mind now. Miller is not letting Olivia go, no matter what. Finally, this man made me feel something. When it came to Olivia, Miller was passionate beyond reason. I freaking LOVED that about him. It was clear that he would do anything, give anything, be anything he needed in order to keep Olivia in his life. 

The one thing about having a relationship with a guy like Miller - it toughens you up. Olivia is no longer the wimpy, sheltered girl from book 1. She is ready to fight for her man and for the life she wants. She will take on whomever she needs to in order to make that happen. In Unveiled, she takes on Miller's former girlfriend, his former clients, and his former boss. She handles her own former boss, as well as her pushy grandmother, like a pro. I really liked this Olivia. 

Everything comes to a head in Unveiled. Miller is trying to keep Olivia safe and a secret because he knows that if the people who own him find out about her, he will never be able to get out, because they will know that she is his ultimate weakness. The best laid plans, right? He spends half his time trying to protect her, and the other half trying to find a way out of his job. 

Meanwhile, William is trying to help as much as he can, but neither Miller nor Olivia are exactly clamoring for his assistance. Especially when Livy's mother makes an appearance and complicates things even further, and it appears that William knew all along that she was there. William's motives are not always clear. Sometimes he seems like the good guy. Sometimes he doesn't. 

In true JEM fashion, secrets were revealed at the end that I never knew existed. Some of them I had a few inklings about. Others completely blindsided me. I love stuff like that. I love to be surprised and wowed. And, she found a creative way out of Miller's and Olivia's seemingly impossible situation, which was pretty awesome. 

There aren't many light and silly moments in Unveiled, but when we do see them, they usually involve Olivia's Nan. And, thank goodness for her presence, because Unveiled was emotional and scary and sad and intense. It had twists and turns and I was blindsided more than once. And the final chapter from Miller's POV was the absolute icing on the cake. So, even if you had trouble with the start of this series, I ask you to stick it out all the way to the end. You won't be sorry.

REVIEW: One Night Promised (One Night #1)

One Night Promised (One Night #1), by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Published July 17, 2014
Publisher: Forever Romance
Format: e-book, purchased
Genre: adult erotic romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 3 STARS

(From Goodreads) Livy notices him the moment he walks into the coffee shop. He's heart-stoppingly stunning, with a blue-eyed gaze so piercing she's almost too distracted to take his order. When he walks out the door, she thinks she'll never see him again. Then she finds the note he left on his napkin . . . signed M.

All he wants is one night to worship her. No feelings, no commitment, nothing but pleasure. Every defense mechanism Livy has adopted during her solitary life is at risk of being obliterated by this confounding man. He's obnoxious but well-mannered. He's a gentleman but aloof. He's passionate but emotionless. Yet the fascination is so powerful, Livy can't deny him... or herself.

M awakens something in Livy, something deep and addictive that she never knew existed -- and that she fears only he can satisfy. But she senses that behind the fast cars, fancy suits, and posh apartment, he's aching inside. To have him, body and soul, she'll have to brave his dark secrets. Delving into his world and breaking down his defenses become her obsession - an obsession that could shatter her heart beyond repair..

Where do I begin? One Night Promised is going to be a hard book for me to review. I had some serious problems with it - so many that I very nearly DNF'd it several times. But, I kept hearing that the last 15% made all the BS worth it, so I wanted to hold on until then. In the end, I was glad I did, because all those other reviewers were right. 

Livy has led a very sheltered life for the past seven years. She lives with her grandmother, has no real ambitions beyond learning to work the cappuccino machine at the coffee shop in which she works, and only hangs out with her mostly gay BFF. And then Miller happens. He walks into the coffee shop, insults her, and then completely turns her world upside down. But, both Livy and Miller have some pretty heavy secrets to work around, and by the time they figure them out, it could wreck them.

My first mistake was entering into this book thinking it would be a repeat of Jodi Ellen Malpas' This Man series, which I loved. I knew that One Night Promised also took place in England, also included an alpha male and also included secrets on his part, just like in the This Man series. Right away, however, I realized that having those preconceived notions gave me one strike before even cracking the spine. 

The differences between the This Man series and the One Night series were apparent right away. The first difference I noticed was in our female MC. Livy was no Ava - not by a mile. Livy was very nearly ridiculous. She has sheltered herself so severely over the past seven years of her life, that even completely benign and innocent altercations with anyone other than those she's familiar with cause her to react in over-the-top and unbelievable ways. For instance, at a waitress job early in the book, when she is handed a $50 tip from a rich guy, she's so opposed and uncomfortable with it, she throws it in the garbage. THROWS A $50 BILL IN THE FREAKING TRASH. Who does that?

Livy lives with her meddling, but sweet, grandmother, and is loathe to leave her. She never knew her dad, and her mom took off years before. Livy went through some wild lifestyle stuff when she was 17, and after coming to her senses, kind of swung to the other end of the spectrum. The other thing about Livy that bothered me a lot was that it seemed like she had very little self-control or self-respect when it came to Miller. He wasn't always nice to her, but because he made her lady bits tingle every time she locked eyes with him, she continued to pant after him. I swear, she lost her mind every time they were in the same room. It was infuriating. I just wanted her to woman up, tell Miller to shove it and make HIM come crawling back to her instead of the other way around. 

Oh yes - Miller. He was no Jesse Ward. Yes, Miller was controlling and alpha and manly. What he was NOT was charismatic and charming, which are absolutely essential characteristics when dealing with a control freak. Without the endearing qualities, the guy just seems like an ass - which was pretty much Miller most of the time. As a character, he was flat and stiff. There was no depth to him. The only thing that drove me onward was his secrets. It was apparent immediately that he had them, and I hate feeling out of the loop, so I was determined to figure them out. He wasn't very forthcoming with them, even after Livy spilled all of her darkest and deepest skeletons. It made me wonder what was so bad that he was so afraid of the full disclosure. 

The reader doesn't find out until around 85% what Miller's big secret is, and it really is a doozy. Honestly, I feel kind of stupid that I didn't see it coming, because after it's revealed, I remembered all the signs earlier that pointed to it. The revelation of the big secret ended up going hand-in-hand with a crazy cliffhanger. The two things put together accomplished what I had previously thought impossible. As soon as I was done, I downloaded the second book in the series, One Night Denied, from NetGalley. I actually started reading it right away. Surprising, I know. But, what can I say? Over the course of this entire book, Livy's and Miller's relationship became way more interesting than the characters did on their own. It was hot and angsty and drama-filled, which are all good bookish things. Stay tuned for more on the second book in this series.   

REVIEW: Beneath This Man (This Man Trilogy #2)

Beneath This Man (This Man Trilogy #2), by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Published January 15, 2013
Publisher:  self-published
Format: e-book, provided by NetGalley
Genre:  adult contemporary romance
To Buy: >Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  3.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) She knew she was heading towards disaster. Every instinct told her to run, but Jesse Ward was a hard man to escape.

It has been five days’ since Ava O’Shea left Jesse drunk and raging at Lusso – left behind a man who drowned her in his intensity and blindsided her with his touch. Getting over this man was never going to be easy. And now he’s back in her life.

She has questions she needs answering, but her determination to get these answers will give the pleasure-seeking playboy the power to destroy her again. She needs to keep her eyes wide open and caution at the forefront of her mind, an ambitious intention when Jesse Ward is within touching distance. And he plans to be.

He’s dark, he’s broken – Ava knows this, but the only way to find out how dark and how broken is to get beneath the steely exterior of this man.

Oh sweet goodness, where do I even start? I experienced such a range of emotions while reading Beneath This Man. First there was this one:

Extreme. Frustration. From the very beginning, although I was glad to see Ava put on her big girl panties and look at the bigger picture (Jesse missing and possibly injured), the subsequent and constant conversations about whether or not Jesse is an alcoholic was crazy. Of COURSE he's an alcoholic! I felt like this was very much swept under the rug, and it very much should not have been. 

And then, it's like Ava allowed Jesse to distract her from their real issues with sex. It's obvious these two have issues. He lied to her. She ran from him. They needed to sit down and hash things out in the worst way, and I really wanted to bear witness to that conversation. But, it came piece meal and with great stretches of flat out craziness and TONS of sex in between each chat. Don't get me wrong - good sex is important, but it should by no means be the foundation of a relationship.  

And the sex... yes, it was pretty hot. Yes it was pretty frequent. But, for the love of Mike, do we need to LABEL it? Let's see... there's the Retribution Fuck, the Truth Fuck, the Apology Fuck, the Sense Fuck, Sleepy Sex, Celebration Sex - really? It leads me to my next emotion:

Extreme. Anger. I really loved Jesse in the first book. In this one, not so much. The deception that he pulled on Ava was off the charts awful. That made me angry first. Then, I got more angry when she forgave him pretty easily. Grow a spine, woman! I don't think I could've done that.

And then there was how I felt toward Sarah. Yeah, anger covers that pretty darn well. What an awful, awful human being. Jesse's constant willingness to overlook what was clear to probably everyone else made me crazy mad. The only silver lining to this situation was when Ava finally, FINALLY took matters into her own hands (quite literally) and put Sarah in her place. I may have read that part twice.

Extreme. Exhaustion. At the end of it all, I was just really exhausted. I mean, there were some good things that happened in Beneath This Man. By the end, I did feel that Ava had started to grow up some. And, perhaps Jesse was starting to grasp the consequences of his actions and his words. I started to feel some hope that these two could maybe have a relationship and make it work.

Through it all, I have to say that Beneath This Man was certainly compelling. I could not put it down despite the frustration, the anger, the exhaustion - I just HAD to find out Jesse's secrets. And I had to know if Ava could get it together. And I had to know what Ruth Quinn's deal was (and I still didn't know this by the end!). The drive to know these things was so great that I immediately began the final book in the This Man Trilogy. What can I say? I honestly can't wait to see how it all ends.

REVIEW: This Man (This Man Trilogy #1)

This Man (This Man Trilogy #1), by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Published October 20, 2012
Publisher:  self-published
Format: e-book, obtained from NetGalley
Genre:  adult contemporary romance
To Buy:  Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  3 STARS

(From Goodreads) Young interior designer Ava O’Shea has an appointment for a first consultation at The Manor with the owner, Mr Jesse Ward. She is expecting nothing more than an overweight, cravat wearing, well-to-do countryman, and on arrival, nothing would suggest otherwise. How wrong could she be? This Man is devastatingly handsome, charming and confident. He is also a conceited, hedonistic playboy, who knows no boundaries. Ava desperately does not want to be attracted to him, but she can’t control the overwhelming affect he has on her. Every instinct is telling her to run, so she does, but Jesse Ward is not so willing to let her go. He wants her and is determined to have her. She knows she is heading for heartbreak, but how can she run when he won’t let her?

I am a very character-driven reader. If you want me to stay engaged in a book - to LOVE a book - it is imperative for me to love the main characters. All the books that I've abandoned before finishing have had a main character that I didn't like for one reason or another. So, what do I do when I fall head over heels in love with one main character and despise the other? 

As you might guess, I powered through. There were times I feared my Kindle would become a flying projectile, but I made it through This Man, and strangely enough, found enough positive things to compel me to immediately start the second book in the This Man trilogy. 

Have you read Fifty Shades of Gray? If so, then you're already halfway there with This Man. Because, it's pretty much the same story. Ana is now Ava. Christian is now Jesse. Ava is young, independent, beautiful, relatively inexperienced and is instantly affected when she runs into Jesse in his place of business. Jesse is gorgeous, ridiculously wealthy, a complete control freak and becomes obsessed with having Ava the second he lays eyes on her. 

Sound familiar?

Despite his crazy controlling ways, I adored Jesse Ward. He is charismatic and charming and, even when he's being an ass, it's really hard not to love him, because you just get this vibe from him that he's doing all the crazy stuff for a good reason. I don't agree with everything that Jesse does in this book. And, when his secrets spill out at the most inopportune time, he really doesn't handle it well and is a big meanie. But, all that notwithstanding, Jesse is absolutely incredible - a man who loves wholly and completely and gives everything he has. 

Ava, on the other hand, UGH. If I could've reached through my Kindle and bitch slapped her, I would've taken that opportunity several times over. She was just the worst kind of person through most of this book. She would make promises to Jesse with absolutely no intention of keeping them. He would say he's going to call her, and then when he did, she wouldn't answer. Over and over and over. Jesse would swoop in and save her from a difficult or scary situation, and in return, she would run away from him. 

Ava was an expert runner. I am an expert communicator. I have a degree in it and everything. So, I have absolutely no respect for people who run instead of sticking around to talk about the hard stuff. And, Ava had a degree in running away from Jesse and his hard questions. I really hated her for that. 

But, my goodness, was this a gripping story. I was mostly pulled along by Jesse and his secrets. This Man is told soley from Ava's point of view, so we always know what's going on with her. But, Jesse - you just know there's more to him than what meets they eye. Malpas is a good writer. My distaste for Ava aside, I could not put This Man down. I was obsessed with finding out what was going on with Jesse and what Ava would do when she found out. 

And, at the end, you find out some answers, but not nearly all of them. And this was my driving force with moving on in the series. I needed to know more. Malpas sure knew what she was doing when she wrote the story like this. Because, I ended up reading all three books right in a row. More to come...