BOOK REVIEW: THIS MAN by JODI ELLEN MALPAS - THIS MAN # 1 - ORION BOOKS - ADULT - EROTIC ROMANCE

By: Jodi Ellen Malpas

Published By: Orion Books

Released: Available Now

Details: Paperback from the library, 456 pages

RATING: 4.5 STARS

Blurb: 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 effect 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?



BOOK REVIEW:

This is my fourth JEM read and I don’t really know why I waited so long to embark on reading about Jesse Ward.

I’ve met Miller and have one book left to read in the One Night trilogy.

I’ve really stayed away from knowing anything about this series for fear of spoilers and wanted to go in cold turkey.

Jesse… I gotta admit I had no clue he was going to be the type of character he turned out to be. I like him, but he seemed a little desperate…erm… to say the least. I know there is much more to come for me to learn. Two books to be exact and then With This Man.

Jesse is very much a Fifty Shades/Crossfire type male lead, even though I didn’t feel like Christian or Gideon were desperate or a little bit of a jerk (I say this nicely). These gazillionaires seem to have similar trust issues and bad pasts and get the girl with three letters to her name.

I did chortle a little at the lead female’s name being Ava.

Ana, Eva, and Ava—I’m seeing a little something there. (cocks an eyebrow)

I did enjoy This Man. I love the sexual content in books and there is a very high dose in this one. LOL *cough*

I did think Ava was a little too naïve for her age and sometimes I felt the angst was a little too forced when a conversation would have been so less dramatic, but I can see why this series has legions of fans.

I can see how it took off like a bullet from the start. We all seem to like that Fifty Shades/Crossfire-style of a story with the three letter female lead name and the secret these lads all hold close to their hearts.

They instantly want the three-letter-girl, but for all the money and business sense they possess, they don’t seem to know how to go about courting their three-letter-girl without going about it the controlling way and arsing things up. But they know how to get it on in the bedroom, against a wall, shower... (switches fan on)

Something seems to go off in their very sensible-business-minded minds and they do jerky things… all for love.

*sigh*

We simply love this style of a recipe in a book.

The End.

BOOK REVIEW - THE PROTECTOR by JODI ELLEN MALPAS - ADULT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE - FOREVER

By: Jodi Ellen Malpas
Published By: Forever
Released: Available Now
Details : Netgalley from Publisher for honest review, 384 Pages

RATING: 3.75 - 4 STARS

Blurb: Goodreads

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.

BOOK REVIEW:

I read The Protector, some time ago and I held off writing my review. I haven't yet read the This Man series, it is still on my TBR pile. I have all the books. I have only read the first two books in One Night series.

Damn... I wanted to love this story, I truly did. I think that is why I held off writing my review, because it is written by Queen JEM.

I have to be honest with my reviews, and I always am, and this one crushes me a bit to write.

I simply didn't find the story original and I didn't connect with Jake until the end...then I was all sniffles.

It was mainly  a connecting with the two main characters thing, for me. 

I still enjoyed the read, but I wanted a protector story that I connected with both characters, and it worked for me as the reader.

This is just my one personal opinion, and I can see so many readers totally dug it with four and five star reviews, and some felt like me. And that is ok.

BOOK REVIEW - DENIED by JODI ELLEN MALPAS - ONE NIGHT # 2 - HACHETTE - CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

By: Jodi Ellen Malpas
Published By: Hachette
Released : Available Now
Details: Paperback from library, 420 Pages

RATING: 4.25 MILLER STARS

Blurb: Goodreads

The passion that burned between Livy and Miller in One Night: Promised may end up destroying them both in this new novel of overwhelming desire and shocking discoveries...

He's amazingly wealthy, sinfully gorgeous, and can bring her to heights of pleasure she's never before known. For Livy, there's no turning back. She's determined to be the light in Miller Hart's dark world. Yet this new life comes with a steep price...

Miller knows that the power he possesses hasn't come without sacrifices-but he won't let Livy be one of them. Though he wants nothing more than to have her in every way, his first duty is to protect her at all costs...from his sins, his enemies, and especially himself.

But as their insatiable affair intensifies, the two attract the attention of an obsessive-and dangerous-third party. Discovering new revelations about Miller that rock her to the core, Livy will have to decide whether he's ruined beyond repair. And he must face his fear that in order to save her, he may have to lose her after all...


BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

I have not yet embarked on This Man series with Mr Jesse Ward. The only reason being my local seaside library doesn’t stock it.

WHAT THE FARK!!

I KNOW!!!

But they do stock One Night series.

I do know Jesse Ward is amazing and everything... I am getting there. I have steered clear of reading anything about Jesse although I did see somebody call him all kinds of crazy. So I am intrigued!

Now Miller.

Miller.

Miller.

I gotta be honest here and say I wasn’t feeling this second book as much as the first.

I did feel like for a greater part of the story we were more reading feelings and pushing away...no come back....pushing away, repeat and rinse.

It did take me a lot longer than normal to get through this book as I felt a little slowed down by all these goings on.

BUT THEN!!!

Da da daaaaaaaa!!!

That was supposed to be sinister music.

I did say supposed to be.

Things nearing the end of this installment got a little tense and...

MILLER GET IN THAT GOD DAMN ELEVATOR!!...

And then...

MILLER GET OUT OF THAT GOD DAMN ELEVATOR!!

If I was William I would have given him a great big shove to get him inside.

Truly. My heart couldn’t take the sweating and the anguish.

There were a lot of tears flowing in this book from the characters, mainly Olivia.

I did enjoy this installment, but it was much slower for me, personally.

Sophia needs to get her arse kicked. Spoiled brat. But she did play the part very well.

Any fans of Sophia??

No I didn’t think so.

I gave this installment 4.25 stars in the end as it is Miller and he is complicated and quirky and full of dark things even though Livvy makes them lighter.

She is saving him from himself and he does have a bad situation at hand.

“I’ve never been fascinated before. I’ve never given all of me before. You get all of me. Every fucked-up little piece. And I pray every second of every day that you’ll never give up on me, even if I do.” He pushes his lips gently to mine and leaves them lingering for what seems like for ever, injecting me with strength, intensifying my love. “ Keep me in this beautiful light place with you.” He releases me and hits me with pleasing eyes. “ Don’t let me fall back into darkness, I beg you.”



Olivia is very forgiving and she is putting up with...well you know if you have read this book and that would truly be difficult.

I adore William, he is mysterious and kinda the Knight in Shining armor in his own way when these two are falling to pieces a bit.

Nan’s a good cook and I do like George.

There is a lot of sex in this book.

So there you go.

I am looking forward to Unveiled and all this complicated shite being sorted out.

Michelle

BOOK REVIEW - PROMISED by JODI ELLEN MALPAS - ONE NIGHT # 1 - ADULT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE - GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING

By: Jodi Ellen Malpas

Published By: Grand Central Publishing

Released : Available Now

Details: Paperback from library, 402 Pages

RATING: 4.5 MILLER STARS!

Blurb: 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.


BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

This beautiful, pure girl has fallen in love with the big bad wolf.

This is my first JEM read. I haven’t started with This Man. I think it was only because my library catered to this series, so I went with it first.

I know everybody goes Barney Bananas for the This Man series. I am even more intrigued now to read it now that I have had a taste of JEM’s writing.

Livy has her secrets.

Miller ( Love his name) has his secrets. He is mysterious and you had better look at him when you answer his questions. He is a little OCD that way. It is the first time I have read a Miller in a book.

Big tick for name originality.

Miller is very sexual.

*Fans oneself * 

He wants to worship Livy when they can both be on the same page. There is a lot of running and chasing and sexing.

Miller is very delicious and eccentric with his ways.

He likes to thing.

I had my theories when reading and I was somewhat correct, but I still got a very powerful WT at the end of this book.

I think my fave part was the last few chapters.

This is a gradually paced read. I kept turning the pages because I knew JEM was an awesome writer and I wanted to know. I had something pegged from fairly early in and I have to read the second book to see if I am correct. Luckily I have it in my hot little grabby, grabby hands.

I think this book is certainly worth those last few chapters that really make the story plot POP!

LIKE IT POPPED!

I really like Gran and George. They are a fun asset to the story line. I think at one stage George was a little bit gobsmacked with Livy and her dress.

I think what I took most from this book, my first JEM read, was how visual her male character is in my mind. The little things she does to tweak his character. Also, the way Livy would inner monologue on Miller and her understandings of his eccentricity.

I really can’t wait to meet Jesse Ward now. I read this book without being aware of Mr Ward. It made reading about Miller without prejudices or comparisons to the infamous Mr Ward.

Apparently I’m going to be ruined once I meet him.

Michelle