Showing posts with label Madeline Sheehan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Madeline Sheehan. Show all posts

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Laura's Review of Unbeloved (Undeniable, #4) by Madeline Sheehan



If you have read and enjoyed Devil’s Game (Reaper’s MC, #3) by Joanna Wylde, Creed (Unfinished Hero, #2) by Kristen Ashley and Saving Dallas Forever (Saving Dallas, #3) by Kim Jones then you will LOVE this book!


Synopsis
Dorothy Kelley is a born romantic, searching for her prince. Instead she finds herself pregnant at fifteen, and in a loveless marriage by the tender age of eighteen. 

Then hope comes riding into her life on a motorcycle and within weeks, Jason “Jase” Brady, a member of the Hell’s Horsemen Motorcycle Club, sweeps Dorothy off her feet.

But nothing is ever simple for Dorothy. Jase is married with children. And as Dorothy patiently waits for Jase to give her the happily-ever-after she’s been dreaming about, James “Hawk” Young, a member of the Hell’s Horsemen with secrets of his own, sees an opening into Dorothy’s life and takes it.

Carrying on two secret affairs is no easy feat. As Dorothy tries to dig herself out of the mess she’s created, covering one mistake with another, tragedy strikes, nearly costing Dorothy her life and that of her unborn son.

What follows is a long and painful journey of self-discovery and forgiveness, as Dorothy comes to realize that home was exactly where she’d left it, and the love she’d forever craved had always been within her reach.

This is the story of Dorothy, Jase, and Hawk.

We are all born pure; it is our journey that burdens us and leads us astray. Our mistakes that beat us down and cover us in guilt and shame, burying us a little more with each passing hardship. It is up to us to dig ourselves out, to come to terms with our faults, to embrace not only our imperfections but those of the ones we love, and to once again find the path we strayed from.
 

Warning:
This is not a conventional or predictable love story. It involves one woman and two men bound by a love so destructive it spans two decades, pitting brother against brother, and shattering the lives of those touched by it.



What I Loved
       
           First of all this is truly one of the most amazing series I have ever read.  Madeline Sheehan has spun this beautiful, dark, gritty, world that I just cannot get enough of.  I was so happy to FINALLY get to Dorothy, Jase, and Hawk’s story.  They’ve all been background characters so far, but it was hard to not get emotionally invested in their story even if it wasn’t from their point of view.  This begin starts the prologue with a little bit of background, laying out the ground work in a general way, which I loved because we don’t need to dwell on facts we already know but at the same time you want to foundation laid out.  The book begins about seven after Unattainable, where Dorothy and her son Christopher have been living in San Francisco, while Hawk was roaming the country has a nomad, and Jase was busy getting drunk every day.  I love that we get a progression in their story along with other stories going on around them.  Dirty and Ellie are still together, Eva and Deuce are getting older and raising their kids.  It was so exciting to see things from Dorothy’s point of view and Hawk’s as well.  I love that we finally do get closure with certain aspects of Dorothy’s life, and Jase finally starts to get his act together.  This story though made me head over heels in love with Hawk, I just can’t get enough of this man and I want more!   

Not So Much
                I absolutely LOVED this book and I have been enamored with series from book one, I wish Madeline Sheehan was able to pump these books out several times a year because I need more.  I guess the only thing that bothered me a little was that there wasn’t a lot of closure with certain storylines, or at least the summary of things that I was looking for.  Jase’s story just kind of ends, and I had expected maybe another chapter from his point of view but there was nothing.  Also when things start to finally look positive for Dorothy the story just ends as well.  The last chapter takes place seven years after the majority of the book takes place, and I felt like things were just getting started instead of ending.  I wanted more of their love.  Also the sex scenes in this one were just not as well detailed or plentiful as the other books which kind of pissed me off.



This Book Was…

                Absolutely amazing!  Each and every book brings you on a journey, and not just any journey.  It’s filled with detours, wrong turns, pot holes, and bumps.  I probably cried about three times while reading, some of them good tears, some of them sad ones, but I loved every minute of it, and I can’t wait to do it all again.  I see that Madeline Sheehan is going in a different direction with this series a little bit, by the next one being Preacher’s story.  So instead of going forward with these stories we are taking a step into the past, which is great I love that idea, but the epilogue leaves you with a HUGE cliff hanger and I am kind of pissed because it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be even addressed in the next books.  But I could be wrong (I’m very much hoping I am).  Madeline has a way of sucking you into this dark, outlaw world and instead of disgusting you, it not only intrigues you, but you never want to leave.  Such an amazing book, one I was looking forward to and was not disappointed with it at all.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

BOOKS LAURA CAN'T WAIT FOR IN 2014!!!!!!!!





Captivated By You (Crossfire, #4) by Sylvia Day:  Obviously we all love this series, and I can't get enough of Gideon Cross!!  I like that this series is turning in a new direction and is departing somewhat from the 50 shades genre.  The synopsis for this book just sucks you right back into Gideon's and Eva's drama and I can't wait to read this book and see what happens next for these two.  (The cover is not out yet so I put up the last book's cover)

Rare and Precious Things (The Blackstone Affair, #4) by Raine Miller:  This book kind of surprised me because I thought that the Blackstone Affair books were done, but I'm so freaking happy another book is coming out!!!! I can't wait to see Ethan and Brynne get set for parenthood and settle into marriage together.  The summary sounds very intriguing and I have soft spot for books that take place in England so this definitely one of my favorite series, and Ethan is very much one of my favorite rich, sexy alpha males! 

The King (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #12) by J.R. Ward:  I cannot freaking wait for this book!! I feel like with the break away from the "Lover" titles means that the series is taking a new turn.  I never thought I could love a vampire series as much as I love this one.  J.R. Ward has managed to create and entire world, not just a bunch of characters but a very complicated and detailed subculture that I just can't get enough of.  I can't wait to see what is in store next for Wrath and Beth, and the rest of the Brotherhood.




Rock My Body (Black Falcon, #3) by Michelle A. Valentine:  Who doesn't love a series that revolves around hot rock stars??? I can't wait to learn what happens with Tyke, the bassist of Black Falcon!  I really like this series, it's hot, is sexy, and keeps you on your toes in every book.  I loved Noel's and Riff's stories and I can't wait to go back on tour with Black Falcon and watch another member fall in love! 





Unbeloved (Undeniable, #4) by Madeline Sheehan:  This series is probably the most raw and bitter series I have ever read, but that's what why I love it so much.  Each book shows the darker side of humanity and the negative consequences of love, but that just makes you appreciate all the good times in each story.  It makes you hold onto the relationships in each story and you can help but fall for each and every love story in every single book.  I can't wait to read about Hawk, Dorothy, and Jase's story its been a long time coming if you read this series and I can't wait to see how all this will turn out!  Madeline Sheehan is a genius when it comes to this series and I will read anything she writes. 



Lovely Trigger (Tristan and Danika, #3) by R.K. Lilley:  Rock Bottom truly ended with Danika and Tristan both hitting rock bottom.  When you me these two characters in the In Flight series you so badly want to know what happened to these two people. I was completely broken hearted when I found out at the end of book 2, and I just NEED these two to work it out.  This series is just amazing, and R.K. Lilley is an amazing author, I love all of her books.  I can't wait to get some closure for these two but I know once it's all over I'm definitely going to miss Tristan and Danika so much.



Rusty Nailed (Cocktail, #2) by Alice Clayton:  When I saw that there was another book coming out in this series I literally yelled YES!!!! Although I have to wait till June for this book, it's definitely going to be work the wait.  I can't wait to see whats in store for Caroline and Simon and their crazy antics.  The first book, Wallbanger, had me cracking up from beginning to end and I pray the second and third book (Screwdrived) will not let me down in that department.  I need more Simon in my life!!! 


Forever With You (Fixed, #3) by Laurelin Paige:  I can't wait to see what will happen next with Alayna and Hudson.  I really like this series because Alayna seems to be just a broken as Hudson is when you first meet them, and because of that it departs from the 50 Shades type.  Alayna is such a great character because I rooted for her from the very beginning, she is written like many of the other female leads in this kind genre.  She isn't constantly complaining, or not understanding why Hudson even likes her, and she isn't a whiner.  Alayna makes a decision and sticks to her guns,book 2 had me wanting to slap Hudson a couple times but by the end I was head over heels in love with him.  I root for their happiness and I hope we get to see that in this book!



Kaleidoscope (Colorado Mountain, #6) Kristen Ashley:  Any book by Kristen Ashley is amazing and I cannot wait for this one!!! She is truly my favorite author, and I can't get enough of her books.  She writes such endearing characters and amazing series and Colorado Mountain was the first series I ever read from her.  The last book in this series was awesome and so have the rest of the books.  I seriously want to move to Colorado and meet a hot sexy mountain man because of these books.  I love that all her books kind of overlap with one another and all these different characters are intertwined with each other so much that you never truly have to say goodbye to any of them.



Beauty from Love (Beauty, #3) by Georgia Cates:  YES!!! That's all I have to say about getting more Jack McLachlin in my life.  This series has made me want to meet any man that owns a vineyard and move to Australia.  I can't wait to see what will happen now that Laurelyn has finally moved to Australia and they are together!! I always love a story when a character's past comes back to the haunt them and from the synopsis of this book seems that is exactly what will happen to Jack.  Hopefully their love for one another is strong enough to survive it.





Twisted (Tangled, #2) by Emma Chase:  The first book in this series was hilarious!  I loved that the entire book was from the dudes point of view and Drew Evans did not disappoint in any department.  It looks like this book will be from Katherine's POV and it doesn't seem that they rode off into the sunset in a horse drawn carriage kissing and hugging (and way more).  Can't wait to find out what craziness is going on in Drew and Katherine's life!







Saving Dallas Forever (Saving Dallas, #3) by Kim Jones:  This series is freaking awesome.  Book one ended with my jaw on the ground.  Book two took my breath away.  Not a lot of books take me by surprise but this series totally did.  I have no idea with secrets Dallas will reveal in this book, and I have no idea what will happen next for Luke.  As long as the sex scenes are just dirty as the first two books and Dallas' temper goes off a couple times in this story I know I will love it. (The Cover has not been released it, so I'm using the cover from the 2nd book cover)





The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3) by Deborah Harkness:  I don't think I have loved a vampire more than I love Matthew Clairmont.  This entire series has just totally enchanted me, and the massive amount of details in each and every scene has me bowing down to Deborah Harkness as a writer.  You don't have to like paranormal books to read this series, it just such an amazing take on Witches and Vampires and there are no words to describe how much I love these books.  I know I will be sad to see Matthew and Diane go, but I can't wait to see how everything will end because I have no clue how it will.  





Cooper (Corps Security, #4) by Harper Sloan:  At first after reading book 3, I was like; wait what?  Then immediately after I was like ohhhhhhh okay now it's making sense.  You have to read the third book in this series to understand what I'm saying.  I can't wait for this book to come out, I love this series so much and I have a feeling how this book will play out but Harper Sloan threw me for a loop in the last book, and I will love it if that happens again!  Great series and I know this book won't be anything less than awesome! (There is no cover yet for this book, so I put Beck in it's place)





Frank and Benny (The 'Burg, #5) Kristen Ashley:  You meet these two characters in At Peace (The 'Burg, #2) and right away you want to know more about them. Kristen Ashley gave us a taste of whats to come in the fifth book, but I automatically wanted more!!  Cannot wait for this book, and since I love everything about Kristen Ashley I know I will love this book.  Bring on Frank and Benny, and quickly!!! I mianss the 'Burg series, I've been having Kristen Ashley withdrawal.  






Hard As You Can (Hard Ink, #2) by Laura Kaye:   There is nothing I love more than a man with tattoos, combine that with hard muscle and military experience and I'm panting.  I love that this series has one center arc to it, so you just get deeper into these characters and their lives.  I can't wait for this book and to see things from Shane and Crystal's point of view.  This series offers a lot of mystery and raises quite a few questions, it will be very interesting to see how this all plays out! 






Consumed (Devoured, #2) by Emily Snow:  I wasn't sure if I was going to put this book on this list because it was supposed to be released in 2013 but has been pushed back several times.  Now it says its being released on NYE, so we will see.  I can't wait to read this book though, I want to know all of Lucas' deep dark secrets and this book promises to spill them all!! Bring on Lucas and Sienna!!! Who wouldn't fall in a love with a rock star Dom with millions of fans and sexy tattoos? 






Fighting to Forget (Fighting, #3) by J.B. Salsbury:  Bring on more sexy fighters please!!! After being introduced to these group of hot males and all their tattoos. I just couldn't get enough of them.  The synopsis for this book looks amazing and I can't wait to see whats in store for Rex.  This definitely seems like a story of pasts haunting your present and affecting your future.  Can't wait to get more of these guys, Jonah and Blake just wasn't enough.








Off the Record (Record, #1) by K.A. Linde:  This looks like it will new series starting up in 2014 and I say, BRING IT ON!  I love Linde's Avoiding series so anything else she creates I will definitely read.  The synopsis for this book looks really interesting and who doesn't love a secret love affair? While reading the Avoiding series I wanted to scream about a million times because I was so frustrated with the characters and really into the series, so I don't expect anything less with this new series.  

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Laura’s Review of Unattainable (Undeniable, #3) by Madeline Sheehan

If you love Creed by Kristen Ashley, Convicted by Aleatha Romig, and Reaper’s Property by Joanna Wylde then you will love this book!!!!!



“From chaos, the strongest sort of love is usually born.”

Basic Summary:  A story born in childhood, tying one girl to one boy, leads to a destructive path—that hurts more than it doesn’t, that shatters more than it heals—testing the love that binds the two through a lifetime.

                Tegan Matthews is the daughter of Dorothy Kelley, a club whore in Hell’s Horsemen.  A plain little girl, Tegan falls into the gritty world of the motorcycle club.  When she meets a sweet, caring boy, she embraces the warmth and affection he shows her.  Case West is the son of the president of the Hell’s Horsemen.  Tall and blonde with deep brown eyes, as he grows up Cage realizes the power of his dimpled smile and smooth drawl.  With once chance encounter, Tegen becomes forever tied to Cage.  Following is a wayward journey that is filled with regrets, mistakes, and heartache, pulling at the threads that hold them together.  Cage and Tegan fight hard but love harder, and in the end what matters is where the journey takes one girl and one boy, who have been twinted together with one another since the beginning.

This is Tegan’s and Cage’s story.  Love doesn’t erase a broken heart, and it sure doesn’t change people.  But no matter how old, how flimsy, how frayed the rose of love is, it keeps you tethered to the people you love. 

What I Love About This Book: This series is probably one of the darkest series I have ever read other than Captive in the Dark.  Madeline Sheehan manages to capture the darkest sides of humanity in her characters but at the same time playing with your mind enough that you can’t completely hate them and you can’t completely love them.   This is the third book in this series and before you even begin to open up to page one, you have to be able to handle depravity, stupidity, and love all at the same time. 

This books opens up to a young girl’s story of losing her virginity to the boy of her dreams only to have her heartbroken to smithereens.  Every girl out there can relate to Tegan in some way, shape, or form.  We have all had our hearts broken by assholes, and I don’t many people who have a wonderful losing their virginity story.  I think this kind of sad part of Tegan makes her a very sympathetic character, and it makes you instantly latch onto her.  You kind of get a bit of her attitude in Unbeautifully (Book2) and even though she might seem like a total bitch, no one can really blame her for that considering all she’s been through.  You immediately applaud her for making it out of Montana and away from the Hell’s Horsemen motorcycle club but as you read you realize that the MC is always with whether she’s in Montana or not.

There is so much rage built up in Tegan and she is a person who acts then thinks later on, maybe
regretting her actions but it’s like she doesn't know another way to live.  Cage like Tegan has a lot of anger built up inside of him, trying to find his place in the MC.  His father never approves of him, he isn’t let in on a lot of the dirty business that goes on in the club and isn’t sure where he really stands with his father as the President of the MC.  You see his dedication to his brothers and to the club as a whole, this kind of life is in his blood and all he really wants is for his own father to stop ragging on him constantly and actually approve of his choices.  Cage grew up in a dysfunctional family with no real support system and as a child he grew up quickly taking care of his sister Danny when their parents couldn't then doing it again for his youngest sister Ivy when once again his father couldn't step up and do it himself.  To me, he just needs to be supported in some way, instead of being the one doing the supporting.  He needs a woman to hold him up when he needs it, and be by his side through life and is just so lonely because he hasn't found that yet.  Without that kind of relationship in his life he is kind of just floating around with no real grounding and purpose to his life.

“The older I grew, the more I grew to love him until I no longer looked to him as the one stable figurehead in my life, but instead loved him with an intensity that at times bordered on madness.”

Tegan and Cage are just so crazy together, they are like two sparks that come together and create a huge fire.  There is just tons of yelling between them, so much so I’m surprised Tegan has a voice after a while because if that was me, all that yelling would mean no voice for a couple of days.  Cage is so obviously in love with her he doesn't know what to do with himself, and there is so much anger between them that it just explodes when they come together.  Their first sex scene was definitely combustible and border line physically dangerous and it just got hotter from there!

There are so many times while reading this book that I felt like someone had ripped my heart out and stomped on it over and over again.  This story is so bitter and raw it’s terrifying.  A couple times I was reading and Deuce would be screaming at Cage and I swear I felt like I could really hear his voice in my ear, I would look away from the book and the silence would come back and I would realize just how into the story I was. 

On top of Tegan and Cage’s story, Dirty and Ellie’s relationship played out throughout the plot as well.  Dirty being another character I don’t think I’ll ever be 100% on way or the other about.  He’s so twisted and messed up in this story, and so damaged and broken that you love him but are repulsed by at the same time.  He’s Ellie’s hero but so many other people’s devil that it’s hard to completely love him.  He’s vulnerable and weak because of past abuses done to him a

“No matter how old, how flimsy, how frayed the rope of love is, it does keep you tethered to the people you love.  And I was forever tied to Cage.”



Cons:  There wasn't a ton of details in this book, when Cage finally gets to Tegan to his house, you get no real description of his house and I know this is the third book in this series but there was no description of the club house as well.  I feel like there was more background information on Deuce and Eva’s house than any other place in the entire book.  I would've like more detail of what Cage’s house is like, what kind of life has he built for himself before Tegan came along and I didn't get any of that.  To me houses that important characters live in so significant because it can represent so much of what this person’s life has been like.  I can picture Cage’s place being very sparse and not really decorated at all because of the fact that he’s a bachelor who isn't concerned with outward appearances, travels often, and has the option of sleeping at the club house whenever he wants.  The same goes for Dirty, you get what his place was like, but there wasn't a lot of detail and it would've been interesting to see how his lifestyle has created his home.  You get from Ellie that his place unlike him is a very clean, but that’s really about it, what kind of furniture does he have, does he have a TV, what is the layout?  All those little things are important to character development for me and it would've made me attach more emotionally onto these characters. 

“She was family, she was his best friend, and just like he’d take a bullet for his sisters, for his brothers, even for his old man, he knew in that moment, staring down at her, he’d take one for Tegan too.”


Overall:  This series just rips you apart and tears at your soul.  It’s so dark and gritty it shows all the dark sides of human beings  but shows all the love people have to offer at the same time.  In Unattainable there is no grey area for these characters it’s just black and white.  Every experience is extreme, whether that is full of love and life or blood and abuse.  Cage and Tegan can’t seem to live without each other; they just existed in some sort of personal hell without one another.  There were so many times I wanted to scream at Cage or Tegan to go to each other, to stop this miserable cycle they were stuck in because I was so wrapped up in the story. 


Madeline Sheehan has managed to create a world full of dark, disgusting, abusive, violent men but who are capable of so much love, so much support that you just can’t completely hate them.  Deuce really pissed me off in this book, which is weird because I really loved him in book one but he was a total asshole in this one.  I liked that Ripper and Danny were prominent for good chunks of this story as well, it’s nice to see their happily ever after continue on, as well as Deuce and Eva’s.