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Review

4 stars!

Intense and intriguing, this book features a damaged yet strong heroine, a strong yet damaged hero, and one complicated love story. It’s sexy and messy with great chemistry and fantastic character development, and I really enjoyed the journey.

 

 

This is book #4 in the Everything I Left Unsaid series. Fans of the earlier books will already know Tiffany and Blake, but this book can easily be read as a standalone.

Tiffany has lived through hell with an abusive husband. Now on her own with her children, she is fighting to make a better life for her family but the struggle is never-ending, and she is finding it difficult to get ahead. Enter Blake – her estranged husband’s estranged brother. Blake and Tiffany met once before, and it didn’t go well. And when they unexpectedly see each other again, both of their defences go up, and Blake once again shows his assholish colours. But he is a man who has been dealing with his brother and cleaning up his messes for his entire life, he has no idea how to handle Tiffany. And when she runs into trouble, it is Blake that is there for her, and despite the barriers that she puts up, he soon finds himself drawn into her world.

“Whatever this is…this impetus you have to help me right now, I know it’s a lie. You’re not kind, Blake, and I’ve had more than enough lies in my life. I don’t want any more.”

You can’t make this right
Tiffany’s words were true. But I still felt compelled to try. To change some of the shit Phil had left her dealing with.

Blake is a wonderfully complex character. He has worked hard and has become wildly successful and wealthy beyond his dreams. But he uses his money as a way to control everything in his life. He keeps himself emotionally distant, putting up a cold, ruthless façade that keeps anybody from getting too close. And now for the first time, he has met somebody who threatens to blow his carefully controlled, emotionless world apart. He wants Tiffany. He admires her strength and determination, and though they both have walls in place, their attraction to each other is off the charts and Blake makes it very clear what he wants.

“Listen to me,” he said. “I will never hurt you or touch you. I won’t put my hands on you unless you ask me. Beg me.” I gasped and fell back against the door, strength leaving my legs. “And I want you to beg me,” he said, still closer. “And I think someday you will.”

And Tiffany is great. I could completely empathise with her – not only has Blake treated her badly in the past, but she has been focussed on her children and just getting by for so long, that, the intensity of her feelings freak her out. But I love how she had the strength to stand up for herself and be honest about what she was feeling.

“I’m scared that the way I want you will tie me to you when I know that’s not what either of us wants. Or needs. But I’m just so…” I trailed off because there were so many words that could fill in that blank.
Lonely. Needy. Broken.

The sexual tension is thick between them, and the anticipation builds wonderfully as Blake and Tiffany battle it out.

 

 

They can’t ignore what is between them but in order to protect themselves they set up rules to keep things from getting too emotional. It creates a bit of a clusterfuck, but allows them the ‘freedom’ to act on their desires, and holy hot damn! But, of course, things get really complicated really fast.

It wasn’t sex. It wasn’t just sex. It was her.
I wanted her and I wanted the honor of being wanted by her.
And fuck if I hadn’t made my whole life about getting what I wanted.

I really enjoyed this book. Molly O’Keefe writes wonderfully twisty relationships, and this one is no different. Blake and Tiffany are both complex characters, and the dynamic between them is complicated and intense as they try to figure out what they’re feeling, what they want, and what they are capable of. And in a situation where it seems like Blake is the one who can swoon in and save Tiffany, he is a man who has been shaped by his demons and he needs just as much rescuing as she does, and I love that!

His hand touched my leg and I grabbed it. I held it with both of mine, like he was a lifeline and I needed saving. Or maybe I was the lifeline and he needed saving.
Was it possible we could save each other?

And the highlight of this book for me was watching the development of both Blake and Tiffany as they work through everything that is holding them back and fight for what they want.

She was the miracle I was trying to hold on to.

I was sucked into this book from the very beginning, and was captivated by Tiffany and Blake’s story. It’s not your usual love story, that’s for sure, but I enjoyed the dynamic and watching the battle between these two intriguing characters. It’s sexy and intense, with moments of sweetness, and finishes in a good place (though I would have loved an epilogue).

4 stars.

An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

Everything I Left Unsaid series