In the searing fourth novel in the Mastered Series, following Unraveled, only one woman can set a hardened fighter free from his past.…
In order to survive a life of tragedy, Deacon McConnell embraced his roughest edges and learned to fight on the streets. Then a life-changing jujitsu seminar led by Sensei Ronin Black led Deacon to become a professional fighter. With his muscular physique and his body covered in tattoos and scars, the MMA fighter defines mean, both on and off the mat.
But everything changes when innocent Molly Calloway signs up for his kickboxing class. Molly is Deacon’s opposite in every way: She’s kind, sweet, thoughtful, and educated. After a heated argument between them turns into a passionate encounter, Deacon realizes Molly is eager to experience more, and she looks to him to take her to the darker edge of lust....
The last thing either of them expects is how deeply their lives will be thrown upside down by the passion they find together.
I didn't read any of the other books in this series, so I dove right into book four. There were times in this book that I was little confused due to the fact I didn't read the books prior to this one. Due to that, I missed a lot of background information on certain characters, and I missed a large portion of the relationship development for Molly and Deacon. I think I would have enjoyed this book even more if I could have seen the build up between Molly and Deacon. It was a little hard for me to jump right into their relationship, however, I got adjusted to that pretty quickly.
I really loved the side cast of characters in this book. Each character was so unique and eccentric. I enjoyed all of the interactions Molly and Deacon had with the side characters. I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I read the prior books. I know that the people who have read the other three books probably loved seeing the old characters again.
This book was definitely an emotional roller coaster. It took a long time for Deacon to open up to Molly, and it was extremely heart breaking once he did open up to her. I was annoyed that it took him so long to be truthful to Molly, but I definitely felt bad for Deacon. He went through some traumatic things, and I was glad Molly was there to help him cope with everything. Molly and Deacon had a very powerful relationship that was built on acceptance and understanding.They also had a lot of chemistry, which lead to a lot of steamy scenes in this book. Deacon was extremely sexy throughout this entire book, and I liked that a lot! I enjoyed watching their love and admiration grow for each other throughout the book.
I didn't know that this book had a BDSM element to it, so I was a little worried that I was not going to enjoy this book once I found out it had BDSM. However, the BDSM was pretty light. I was happy about that, because that is not my cup of tea. I was able to handle a lot of the BDSM that was in this book. However, sometimes the BDSM scenes intimidated me in this book. Deacon's personality also was a lot more intense than I was expecting. He freaked me out sometimes in the book due just to the fact that he was so intense.
There was some drama thorough out this book was I felt like was very childish. The drama made me want to throw my book across the room at times. However, I understood the drama was necessary for the story arc for Molly and Deacon. It just was hard for me to accept at times because I was so frustrated. I also was not a huge fan of fighting aspect of this book. I thought it was extremely hot that Deacon was a fighter, but I grew tired of reading about him fighting.
Overall, I liked this book a lot. It was a steamy romance that had a very addictive element to it. Lorelei is definitely a very skilled writer. I know that fans of this series will love this book. It can be read as a stand alone, but I would recommend reading the other books first. I cannot wait to see what the rest of this series has to offer!
3.5 - 4 / 5 Fangs
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review*
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
Deacon "Con Man" McConnell is an MMA fighter under the wing of Sensei Ronin Black. Years ago, Ronin was the one who defeated Deacon in an underground fight. He was also the one who offered him a job at his place of business. Since then Deacon has been Ronin's friend. They are very similar in the way that they lack communication skills. They don't do touchy feeling stuff. Deacon has been interested in Molly for a while but he had to give her up when his coach told him to concentrate on fighting.
Molly Calloway has come a long way. When we first met her she had been attacked. This incident made her join a kickboxing class. Deacon was her instructor. He was tough on her but he was also the one responsible for making her regain control. She is not scared anymore. She has developed a back bone. Giving Deacon a second chance is something she might not be willing to do. But, Deacon is not going to give her up this time.
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I have waited a long time to finally get Deacon and Molly's story.
Deacon worked hard for his second chance with Molly. He was determined to have her. He was there for her when she needed him. I'm just surprised he didn't loose his temper with her evil cousins Jennifer and Brandi. I would have. Who does that?? Mean girls are just nasty.
I'm very happy with Molly's growth through the series. She is not a doormat anymore. I know violence is not the answer but between her cousins and his cousin, a kickboxing kick was in order.
4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
