“She’s toxic. But to me, she’s a balm. And I’m fatal. But to her, I’m life.”
Whoa boy, this was a lot to handle – and I absolutely LOVED it! I completely ignored real life for two straight days and just dove into this immersive, intense, hot, violent, and exhilarating read. I don’t know how she does it, but Malpas has somehow made me love books that contain things that I hate. As with the fabulous The Brit, if you’d told me the storyline ahead of time… I wouldn’t have been interested. And I was nervous about the intensity of the first few steamy scenes in this, particularly some of the boundaries that are pushed. But I was absolutely engrossed in the story, and the mental games swimming beneath the steam had me turning the pages at an alarming rate. This couple is like a blazing inferno – burning hot and passionate; fueled by lust, grief, and a connection that ties them together even when they want nothing to do with each other. The push/pull, cat and mouse game between them was utterly addictive, and my eyes were glued to every scene, taking in every nuance and subtle shift in the relationship.
Do you need to read The Brit before starting this? Yes. Definitely yes. Not just because it’s a great book, but because the characters live in the same world, and the storylines interconnect. The two books have very different vibes – this one is less mafia and more head games with LOTS of steam – but they both have the same kind of intensity and storylines that become action-packed along the way. This also ends on a major CLIFFHANGER that ties the series together, so I recommend that you read in order. I honestly have no idea what we’ll get in the third book, but you’ll definitely be seeing more of these characters.
The story follows Beau, a woman who has lost herself. A former cop, Beau was once a rising star in law enforcement. After the death of her mother, a detective, Beau has lost her trust in the justice system – and lost her desire to live. She’s been struggling through the fog of depression and grief for the last two years, and it doesn’t seem like anything can pull her out of it. Until Beau meets a man. A mysterious, enigma of a man. All of Beau’s instincts are telling her to run from James, but he provides an escape from the depression… and that is all kinds of appealing. Desperate to feel something other than grief, Beau ignores the red flags that pop up all around James, and lets herself be pulled into his orbit. But she has no idea what she’s getting herself into.
One of the best things about this book is that even though I read (and loved) The Brit, I still had zero idea what to expect from this. The one-of-a-kind, layered storyline had me completely hooked, and it took so many unexpected turns along the way. It’s MEGA STEAMY, with boundary-pushing scenes and flawed characters who complement each other perfectly. James and Beau’s broken pieces fit together in a way that is compelling and unique, and the endless tension between them kept me riveted. I felt so invested in their relationship, and James makes for quite the antihero. This complex romance ties in with a brutal and suspenseful storyline, and the combination made this 500-page book fly by. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart, but if you made it through The Brit unscathed, then The Enigma will leave a lasting impression. It’s not a book that I’ll be forgetting anytime soon, and book three cannot be here soon enough. I was lucky enough to receive an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this steamy, dark romance.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3axsc7Y
Blurb:
A fatal blend of revenge and desire.
After leaving her fiancé at the altar and quitting her job as a Miami cop, Beau Hayley stumbles through life, feeling only resentment. Injustice. Loss. Her mom’s death was called an accident. She’s not convinced. Grieving, she becomes numb to everything except the constant, biting pain of heartbreak and hate. She can see no light. Until she meets James Kelly, a man who seems as damaged as she is, inside and out. And yet despite his twisted, cold façade, he stimulates feelings. Pleasure. He is a respite from her own flaws. A complete mystery.
And impossible to resist.
James Kelly has only one objective. Find the men who murdered his family and kill them all very slowly. But the web of crime and deceit leads him to Beau Hayley, the daughter of the notorious FBI agent who pursued him relentlessly until her death. Beau is not what James expected, and past the darkness that shrouds her, he finds a glimmer of light. Light is addictive. An escape. Beau might be the key to James’s mercy mission, but with dire consequences. So he has to decide—leave her breathing and risk exposing himself, or kill her and continue his mission, still unknown.
Still The Enigma
Two tortured souls playing one deadly game. But who will survive?
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3axsc7Y
Start with The Brit!
Blurb:
Pleasure has never been so deadly.
Rose Cassidy doesn’t truly live; she just exists. Numbing herself to fear and pain is the only way she can survive in this cruel world. So when she’s taken as collateral by the notorious Danny Black in a deadly game of power, she’s thrown by the deep fear she feels rising within her. And, worse than fear, a profound desire. She’s heard tales of The Brit. He’s callous. Coldblooded. But no one ever said he was wickedly beautiful and darkly captivating. He sees past her mask, giving her a cruel sense of hope. But she must fight their twisted attraction or risk losing the one thing she survives for.
When Danny Black took an enemy’s beautiful lover as security, he never anticipated the repercussions. Or the warped attraction they would share. Rose Cassidy pushes Danny to the brink of madness with her impenetrable façade and savage allure. He has to remind himself that she’s bait. A solution to a problem. Yet she evokes powerful feelings in Danny, and feelings are risky when you’re wanted dead by endless enemies.
The most dangerous game is about to be played.
But can either of them win?
*This story is gritty, dark, edgy, and contains scenes that some people may find uncomfortable to read. It is NOT for the fainthearted.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3iXdcFf
About the Author:
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author Jodi Ellen Malpas was born and raised in the Midlands town of Northampton, England, where she lives with her real-life man, her boys, and a beagle. She is a self-professed daydreamer and has a terrible weak spot for alpha males.
After writing in secret for too long, Jodi exploded onto the scene in 2012 with her debut novel This Man, starring the prolific Jesse Ward. Writing powerful love stories with fierce, memorable characters is her passion – a passion that has taken her on an amazing journey into the limelight of romantic fiction. Her work is now published in more than twenty-five languages across the world.
Find out more about Jodi at www.jodiellenmalpas.co.uk
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Jeeves Reads Romance 
What I find interesting is that she’s been indie-publishing some of her titles. Makes me wonder about her book deals. Do you have the scoop? Also, I love her, and I’ve read a couple of her books–Perfect Chaos and The Protector come to mind first. (Though I think the third I bought a while ago is still sitting in my TBR list.) I’ll need to spend some Christmas money picking up these two. I love paperbacks and $19.99 might be a little much for me at the moment. Thanks for the review! I have more to read! 🙂
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I’m seeing a lot of authors do a combination of self-pub and traditional pub recently, I think they reach different audiences that way. Plus, she’s already got the name recognition so no need for a middle man. She does have a new historical series on the way next year, and that’s traditional pub, I remember seeing a tweet about that. The paperback is definitely on the steeper side, but it’s a 500+ page book, so it’s beefy at least! Hope you enjoy these down the road!
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That would explain why it’s so steep. She had to cover the printing cost of such a thick book! Thanks for pointing that out!
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