Jodi Ellen Malpas

Yowza, this book has some serious problems and I am truly astonished its ratings on GR are so high. I am all in favour for a possessive, controlling hero, if he's still a gentleman and knows where the line is drawn, but, unfortunately, I now know what bat shit crazy really means, and not in a positive way.

Mr. Superhero, Jesse Ward, is controlling to the point of ridiculousness and has some serious stalker issues. In real life, I would take out a restraining order against him. He manipulates show more to the point of whether and when the heroine, Ava O'Shea, is allowed to go to the toilette, controls her with constant telephone calls and impedes her working day, and all in a very un-sexy way.

I like alphas, but usually with a true alpha hero it's about "his" woman's security and well-being, in this case it's just to go on my nerves as no true caring and consideration was shown between Jesse and Ava.

Oh, they do have lots of sex, and it's even well described and steamy in a hot vanilla way, but sex alone does not a loving hero make. And talking about sex here, I really like reading anal sex scenes (it comes with the erotic romance territory) but on the first night, without ANY other preparation than a couple of fingers, no lube, no condom (because we are clean *wink wink*), is neither sexy nor realistic.

To me the most annoying part in the story was the hero's tendency to bark "mouth" at the heroine when she used words like fuck or shit. It's not like Ava has a bad language, but she enjoys using the words in the heat of the moment. And like a mother hen who worries about her daughter's potty mouth, Jesse scolds Ava, but still uses swear words himself. While I don't like books where fuck is part of the vocabulary in every other sentence, I find it realistically done the way Ava used them and Jesse’s reaction just plain stupid. Maybe there’s a reason for that “mouth” issue which is described later on in the book, but I honestly don’t care to find out anymore. F show less

Sexually Explicit
After the events in The Invitation, Amelia is faced with a choice - forgive Jude Harrison or walk away. But there are more secrets hiding in her situation than she realizes. Can she find out the truth and wrest happiness from the past?
I didn't reread the Invitation right before this one and maybe I should have. I was unsettled by how quickly things escalated, therefore, as it picked up right where the Invitation left off. Having said that, I found this to be a great book.
I show more disagree fundamentally with forgiving for the horrible betrayal in the first book, but without that we wouldn't have much of a sequel. Accepting that forgiveness, the scenes were hot and the plot moves right along. It's hard to imagine a worse betrayal is possible but when it is revealed it's quite shocking. The book is intense and engaging and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. show less

Wow, I just devoured this book, and let me tell you, it was a wild ride! I can’t believe I’ve been meaning to read this author for so long, and I wish I had dove in sooner. I’m still reeling from the seduction, the foreplay, the angst, the secrets, and the betrayal. It's unbelievably good!

Can we take a moment to appreciate Amelia? This girl knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to stick to her guns! It’s so refreshing to see a strong character hold off a certain someone like Jude show more for as long as she did. She’s reliable and sensible, but that pull towards him scares her. Lust at first sight? You bet! When these two finally give in, it’s like fireworks. But my heart was in my throat when I started picking up on his red flags—like that volatile jealous temper and those oh-so-casual remarks that felt way too loaded. Honestly, I was screaming at the pages for her to push for answers harder. When everything blew up, all I could think was, "Oh man, not this!"

Then there's Jude. Talk about a complex guy. He’s mysterious and wrestling with his own demons. You can just feel his vulnerability hiding behind that charm, and it’s clear he’s falling hard for Amelia. But, let’s be real—something is definitely off. His possessiveness? Yikes. The seductive dance he does is both delectable and torturous, especially when his messy past starts to unravel, putting their entire relationship in jeopardy. Seriously, what the hell, dude?

And as for Amelia’s career aspirations, no wonder she’s fighting to prove herself! It’s hard to shine when the men in your life, especially her manipulative father, seem determined to overshadow her. I felt for her when her achievements were ignored by her family. Thankfully, her friends Abbie and Charley are a total riot, giving her just the support and reality checks she needs to navigate her life.

Ms. Malpas absolutely knows how to make that sexual chemistry burn. I was captivated by the characters and felt the secrecy hanging thick in the air. But let me tell you, the cliffhanger at the end? Exasperating! I need book two, like, yesterday!

Thank you to Ms. Malpas for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

For more of my reviews, visit The Eclectic Review. show less

I will start by saying this: I loved it. I loved every steamy, hot, crazy minute of reading this book.

Having said that.... There are times when I wanted to reach in my kindle and shake both of them. Jesse for being so damn obsessed and Ava for giving in just because he "fucks sense into her". Their relationship is so warped, it's crazy. Even through it all, I loved it. I rooted for them, cried for them and cheered when they were good. I cringed when they were being crazy and loved them both show more for being so insanely in love with each other. They definitely blur the lines between love, desire and
obsession... leaning more towards obsession than the others. I am hoping that with time, they will figure out that their love for each other is strong enough for them to not have to be insanely jealous and obsessed and not have to "fix" every.single.thing with sex.


The burning question is: Is Ava pregnant? And if she is, will it strengthen or wreck their relationship? Obviously, he wants her to be pregnant, but I think it's only because he thinks that will keep her with him. Will the reality be as warm as the fantasy? show less