Jay
My life was a dark and desolate place. Consumed by work and full of regret, loneliness had become my closest friend. Ink and a tattoo machine were my therapy, a way to claim my own skin with the art that I loved.
The day I walked into her shop, I knew I’d found what I needed.
The light I’d been looking for.Jade
When I first looked into those blue eyes I saw a depth behind them that I wanted to explore. Jason “Jay” Clarke was more than a perfectly pressed suit and dimpled smile. He was a man with a heart of gold drowning in the weight of his world.
He wanted me to mark him.
I never expected him to soothe my aching heart.When our worlds collide and Jay begins to fall apart, will my love be enough to save him?
**WARNING: Not recommended for younger readers due to sexual content and language.
It’s the dark moments that make the good ones shine.
I became a fan of E.M. Abel after reading Breaking Shaun, but finishing this book just solidified it. She has such a raw talent; giving you these characters that are very far from the mainstream and incredibly endearing. If you’ve read the previous two books in this series, you’ll find this one to be a definite change of pace. There’s no major drama, no crazy angst, no plot twists and crazy plot devices. It’s a story about two somewhat broken souls learning how to heal themselves and then each other. It’s a beautiful love story with perfectly imperfect characters. It’s emotional, it’s sexy, it’s touching, and it’s real.
If you’ve read Freeing Asia, then you’ve already met Jay. But if you haven’t then don’t worry because you can easily read this book as a standalone.
Jay is a man that on the surface seemingly has everything; wealth, a successful career, and his pick of any woman he wants. But beneath the surface of his suave exterior is the broken soul of a man that craves the things that he can never seem to get; his father’s approval and love and a woman that doesn’t just see him for what he can offer her.
While he thought that Asia was the one that got away, now he realizes that it wasn’t so much her as the idea of her. He envies what Asia has with her husband, Marcus, but not because he wants her still but the love that they share. He’s tired of going on never ending dates with shallow women from his “circles” that bore him with their incessant talking about themselves and being seen as nothing more than a handsome wallet.
Then one day, a chance meeting with an exotic beauty changes everything…
Jade is a talented tattoo artist that even got a chance to be on a popular MTV reality show. She’s built up quite a following for her work because of it, but after her relationship implodes, she leaves her life in Boston behind to start new.
When Jay walks into her new tattoo shop for his tattoo, she’s instantly drawn to the immaculately dressed man that covers his ink in designer suits. The chemistry between them is instant and they’re equally drawn to each other, though there’s no insta-anything to be found here.
I think the part that I truly loved about this book is that while both Jay and Jade are broken characters, they’re also equally as strong…especially Jade. I thought that E.M. did such an amazing job in giving the reader an incredibly realistic portrayal of people that fight their own demons instead of each other.
While Jade has trust issues because of her ex-boyfriends betrayal, Jay has his own demons that are left from his turbulent relationship with his father. But yet together, they make perfect sense. This is a fairly slow paced book, but that also makes the reader truly get invested into the relationship between Jay and Jade. You feel all their ups and downs and you find yourself falling right along with them.
While at times I did find myself growing a little bored and turning the pages a little quicker in the hopes of something happening that would pick up the pace, I also appreciated the fact that there was nothing crazy or dramatic. It wouldn’t have been true to the characters or their story. It’s no small feat to portray a relationship that still has it’s ups and downs without making it be overly dramatic or angsty. I truly fell hard for both of these characters. Jade was still so strong even though her issues run deep, it was incredibly endearing. Jay was this perfect combination of demanding and sexy and vulnerable. There were two scenes that even managed to bring tears to my cold and black little heart.
If you’re looking for a sweet and sexy romance that while it may be slower paced still packs a punch, this is definitely the book for you. I adored it and cannot wait to see what this woman writes next. As sad as I am that this series has come to an end, I also appreciate that it wasn’t necessarily dragged out. It ended on the perfect note and with the perfect couple. Just wonderful.
COVER MODEL SPOTLIGHT
Photo by: TJ Dinch Photography
I have two amazing kids who always know how to make me laugh.
I’ve been passionate about writing since I wrote my first poem in the 3rd grade and I’ve been using it as a means to express myself since.
The one rule I use everyday is the Golden Rule–“Treat others the way you’d like to be treated.” I believe karma is very real and sometimes she can be a bitch if you make her that way.
I love acting crazy, I love to laugh, I love making people laugh, I love the ocean, I love dancing like no one is watching, I love good music, I love good books… oh man I should probably stop there. I love a lot of stuff.
Please feel free to write me or send a friend request.
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