Mina Porter's mother sent her away because of a terrible secret. When Mina meets tattooed bad boy Jax McElvoy, she's immediately drawn to him, but not for the reasons he might think.
Jax falls for Mina too, but quickly figures out she's hiding something. He's determined to break down her walls and find out her secret. But Jax soon realizes he should have just let hidden secrets stay buried, because this one will cost him his dearly.
Unscathed is a contemporary romance with a deadly twist by bestselling author Tim O'Rourke and author C.J. Pinard.
Tim is the author of over sixty books including the No 1 bestselling 'Kiera Hudson Series', 'Samantha Carter - Vampire Seeker Series', 'The Sydney Hart Mysteries', 'The Moon Trilogy, and 'The Mechanic' among other titles.
Tim is currently working on new Kiera Hudson books and other works.
Don't be shy; feel free to contact Tim at any of the following:
Well this romance turned into a little thriller for me. I loved how cameras and pictures ended up being the grounding focus of the story. This is definitely a paranormal read that had me acting like a big chicken after it got dark outside.
I swear I burned myself with canola oil three times from being so jumpy while frying some delicious chicken. I'm shocked more people aren't reading and reviewing this book, it's a good fast read. Fast because you keep turning the page to find out what happens next.
I think I'll wait until daylight to read another book by this author.
I just absolutely had to be a little naughty and squeeze Unscathed into my schedule to read and review, after it has been written by two fantastic authors, Tim O'Rourke and C.J. Pinard (my personal favourites at the moment). I was also curious to find out what 'deadly twist' Unscathed had in store for its readers in this seemingly contemporary romance. After being wowed so often by Tim and C.J. on their solo ventures I expected a similar reaction to Unscathed, and I was not disappointed. Unscathed exceeded my expectation tremendously and was a different type of 'wow' as the authors interweave a unique story of romance with a paranormal edge. Unscathed comes complete with two amazing main characters in Mina and Jax who have their own demons to tackle and some pretty hot sensual scenes that certainly turn the heat levels up!!!
English-born Mina Porter is sent to Florida, USA, to live with her uncle after an incident in London upsets her mother. Unfortunately for Mina her secret is difficult to escape from and when she meets Jax McElvoy, a tattooed bad boy mechanic, she feels compelled to follow him. It isn't too long before Jax begins to take an interest in Mina and romance begins to blossom. That is until Mina's strange behaviour makes him question her motives and he becomes determined to discover Mina's secret. Once revealed, Jax wishes he hadn't found out as it shockingly affects him personally in an unimaginable way. Is Mina crazy? Or does she hold answers that he needs to seek? Either way, how will he now deal with his feelings towards Mina and her secret?
What began as a contemporary romance, and what I initially felt was right for the Young Adult alone, began to turn into something a whole lot more with hints of the paranormal and a darker, denser plot as the story moved on, encapturing the mind for all adults. Due to the momentum of the story, the strong characters, style of writing and of course the curiosity and need to have to find all the answers I found Unscathed to be a quick read and had it read within a day.
Unscathed is told from Jax and Mina's point of view, making it easy for the reader to connect to both characters as we are made aware of both of their histories. Mina is a girl that didn't intend to cause any of the trouble that she found herself in. And yet in many ways it couldn't be helped. Having to start a new life at her young age and to leave her mother and friends behind must have been an ordeal in itself as she has had to settle down and make new friends in Florida. This alone makes Mina a very strong character. She doesn't seem too daunted by her new life in the US and even with her secret shadowing her she appears confident and sociable.
Jax, I LOVED Jax!!! Although much younger I personally couldn't help but picture the character 'Jax' from FX's 'Sons of Anarchy' series. Whilst the two characters' appearance are different there were some similarities in their name, image of being a little rough/tough with tattoos and them both working at a garage. This made it so easy for me to instantaneously click with the character and want to fight his cause from the very beginning. Actually, 'can I be Mina?' I hear myself ask! Jax is HOT!
Jax and Mina's chemistry is ELECTRIC! The physical scenes are written very sensually. It kept the momentum and the passion/intensity flowing. There is also a sense of realism when some of these moments don't always end up rosey. The story can change very quickly from love being in the air to confusion and awkwardness between the characters due to the tension that is created from Mina's behaviour and the revealing of her past and how it is possibly connected to Jax. The reader is left feeling sympathy for both characters.
Both characters had a type of common ground and both, over the course of the story, were willing to change or at least try to listen. Unscathed is quite tragic in many ways. This is a story that not only tells of the romance between two young adults but also of how their young, innocent lives have been affected by their elders, which in turn has forcd them to face truths that no young person should have to face. Due to their separate ordeals they are actually more mature than their peers but still feel the need to try and fit in.
Even after reading Unscathed I was still excited about the characters, the chemistry between them and the emotional ride that the reader goes on with them. I simply couldn't stop thinking about this book. It is difficult to believe at the end of the novel that these two young individuals have only been together a short time as they have been through so much together.
Unscathed was received gratefully for the purpose of a fair and honest review.
“I like crazy. You’re like no girl I’ve ever met before. I don’t know if all the girls in England are like you, but if they are, then its one fucked up place.” “I’m not fucked up.” “No? There is something crazy about you, Mina, and it drives me crazy, too. I’m gonna find out what ever it is.” “Is that why you’re hanging around? As soon as you find out my secret you’ll be gone?” “I love secrets.” “You might not like this one.” “Why don’t you let me be the judge of that, Mina?”
I love when one of my favorite authors comes out with a new book. What’s even more exciting is when TWO of my favorite authors come out with one at the same time. But when two of your favorite authors get together to create one amazing story?? You just know you’re in for a treat and I was NOT disappointed!! Unscathed was a fun, hott, tattooed romance with a surprising & deadly twist.
“Why do you always seem so distracted, Mina?” “Do I?” “Yeah,” he said, glancing quickly over his right shoulder, then back at me. “It’s like you’re looking for someone the whole time.” “I’m sorry.” “It’s like you’re scared you’re being watched.” If only he knew it was me who was watching him.
Mina is a girl with secrets, secrets that had her mother shipping her out of London to live with her Aunt & Uncle in sunny Florida where she attends college and meets Jax.
Why did I attract the damn psychos? I thought I was a pretty nice guy. Was I too nice? I don’t know, but I do know this; no more Mr. Nice Guy. Screw everyone. If these girls want a bad boy… an asshole… then that’s what I’ll give them.
Ahhh Jax, I do love a man with tattoos on a bike!! There is no denying the chemistry between these two but Jax is a little jaded when it comes to relationships and Mina has been burned in the past. Turned on but gun shy leads to some interesting and explosive encounters.
Wow, this British chick had serious attitude-and I liked it. I mean, she was pissing me off for a bit, but I think she was testing me, playing hard to get. And anyone who knows me knows I love that. To a point, anyway.
What was it about her that was getting to me? Yes, her voice was sexy… that accent, God, when she wasn’t talking I wanted to devour her mouth. I wanted to run my hands down the sides of her body, cup my hands on her terrific ass.
I don’t know what it was about being this girls company, but she kinda had me all tongue-tied, which made me feel a little uneasy.
Jax knows Mina is hiding something and is determined to find out what it is, but nothing could have prepared him for the mystery that is truly Mina. Yes, I’m being intentionally vague here. I never saw the twist coming, though knowing these authors the way that I do, I should have. This was definitely not your typical romance and I loved that!! Funny, sexy as hell, mysterious & heartbreaking, I can only hope that we will see more from Jax & Mina. Tim O’Rourke & C.J. Pinard made one hell of a team, cannot wait for more **fingers crossed**
This sexy English girl truly had me unraveled, and I knew from here on out, I would be nothing more than soft, pliable minion at her complete and utter mercy.
4.5 stars Not too bad for a first time co-author book from one of my favs, Tim O'Rourke and C.J. Pinard, who's writing I am not familiar with. I enjoyed the story line and characters, especially yummy Jax ;). I enjoyed the story line...a lot. I was kept guessing throughout...until that 'ahhh haaa' moment. The only reason I am not giving UNSCATHED a five star review is because I felt that there was a lot of repetition and I found myself trying not to skim at the beginning of some chapters. Well done to both authors on this first time venture together!
Wow Seems like i had been waiting a very long time for Unscathed but the wait was well worth it. Two great Authors come together for this book. I actually could not put it down. Love how the twists unfold giving you clues but still making you guess. Just hope it does not make me look at photo's in a different light lol. Think these Authors should write another book together :)
Tim has done it again! He never fails to give me a great read. My only complaint is that the stories are too short. I love big meaty books. I have read every book Tim has written up until this one, and LOVED every one of them.
Tim and C.J. collaborated an amazing story with Unscathed. The chemistry between Mina and Jax is great, it keeps you wanting to know what the heck is going on, and I loved the supernatural twist! When it's revealed what Mina's secret is, well, I didn't see it coming! Awesome job!
Love all Tim's books and this one does not disappoint. Did not see that twist coming at all. Would like to read more about Jax and Mina, a sequel maybe?! :) xxxxx
September 2024 Kindle edition Alphabet challenge - U
I didn't get paranormal from the blurb so that was a surprise, also a bit wtf for an excuse. Started off feeling like a stalker romance. Jax mentioned so many times she made him uneasy, she was trouble etc and still followed along. Mina came across as she'd been hurt and maybe needed proof a mask wasn't dropping or some other psychological reason, knocking into him on purpose and then setting up the honey trap.
Then it gets to the reveal and its I see dead people. At that point I rechecked the blurb. As soon as she said she was in love with him that was it, all forgiven. The outcome still felt a little weird with the uncle at the lake, same with the ghosties holding hands. Another one off the kindle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
'In hearing this, Evelyn sprayed laughter, sounding like something close to a donkey'
"So were you watching me?" he asked. " I didn't say that," I said. "Yeah you did - you definitely said you were watching me."
' She again had the denim shorts on and her long, tanned legs looked down right lickable'
'The music and dancing continued all around us, but it seemed muffled somehow, like someone or something had thrown a cloak over the world.'
I waited quite awhile for this book since it was written by two of my favorite authors. In case you didn't know, they wrote 'Unscathed' -together- from across the globe. C.J.Pinard being in Florida (soon to be in Colorado) and Tim O'Rourke being in the UK. Isn't that amazing?
The wait was well worth it for 'Unscathed', as I knew it would be. This book is not what it seems, let me tell ya! As the saying goes, 'Looks can be deceiving.' It is so much more than your average contemporary romance. Once gain, these authors left me in shock by the twisted and surprise ending.
Mia's personality is very cute. Aren't all things British, though? I could almost hear her adorable accent through the pages. I went back and forth with liking her character through the story, as does Jax .Oh Jax ..hubba, hubba. He is a drool worthy seemingly misunderstood bad boy with tats. Wait, scratch that, maybe not misunderstood. He likes the personal life he lives until Mia bumps into it.
Mia has dark secrets that entice Jax in the beginning, but not for long. Some secrets are just too hard too handle. As soon as her secrets start to unravel, Jax isn't the happy camper he once was with Mia. Not only are her secrets shocking, but they border nut-ward worthy. Does Jax stick around after he discovers the truth? You'll just have to read 'Unscathed' to find out for yourself. Beware, secrets can be deadly!
" As Jax pulled me close, it felt as if he was absorbing all the pain I felt"
"Although we have led two different lives on two different sides of the world, we are more alike than perhaps either of us first though. I like us being alike." I tried to smile up at him.
'In hearing this, Evelyn sprayed laughter, sounding like something close to a donkey'
"So were you watching me?" he asked. " I didn't say that," I said. "Yeah you did - you definitely said you were watching me."
' She again had the denim shorts on and her long, tanned legs looked down right lickable'
'The music and dancing continued all around us, but it seemed muffled somehow, like someone or something had thrown a cloak over the world.'
I waited quite awhile for this book since it was written by two of my favorite authors. In case you didn't know, they wrote 'Unscathed' -together- from across the globe. C.J.Pinard being in Florida (soon to be in Colorado) and Tim O'Rourke being in the UK. Isn't that amazing?
The wait was well worth it for 'Unscathed', as I knew it would be. This book is not what it seems, let me tell ya! As the saying goes, 'Looks can be deceiving.' It is so much more than your average contemporary romance. Once gain, these authors left me in shock by the twisted and surprise ending.
Mia's personality is very cute. Aren't all things British, though? I could almost hear her adorable accent through the pages. I went back and forth with liking her character through the story, as does Jax .Oh Jax ..hubba, hubba. He is a drool worthy seemingly misunderstood bad boy with tats. Wait, scratch that, maybe not misunderstood. He likes the personal life he lives until Mia bumps into it.
Mia has dark secrets that entice Jax in the beginning, but not for long. Some secrets are just too hard too handle. As soon as her secrets start to unravel, Jax isn't the happy camper he once was with Mia. Not only are her secrets shocking, but they border nut-ward worthy. Does Jax stick around after he discovers the truth? You'll just have to read 'Unscathed' to find out for yourself. Beware, secrets can be deadly!
" As Jax pulled me close, it felt as if he was absorbing all the pain I felt"
"Although we have led two different lives on two different sides of the world, we are more alike than perhaps either of us first though. I like us being alike." I tried to smile up at him.
It all started in a flirty way where Jax and Mia crushed on each other which led to "accidental" meetings and a couple of dates. It gets creepy when Mia starts obsessing over Jax, taking photos and videos, following Jax, and building a collage/shrine of Jax's photos on her wall with the latter oblivious to Mia's stalker tendencies. For 3/4 of the novel, I'm motivated to read because I want to know WHY Mia is pursuing Jax so intently and what is it about Jax she's after. I was bracing myself for some major mess up or some of sort supernatural blast because C.J. Pinard did mention that UNSCATHED has some paranormal elements to it.
When the conflict was finally revealed, I'm a little relieved that it wasn't this jaw dropping, end-of-the -orld, kind of thing. Rather, it was the sad/closure kind with a squeeze of paranormal stuff to make it interesting. I wasn't blown away but I do appreciate the somber tones that UNSCATHED gave. Excluding the conflict, I loved Mia and Jax's back and forth and Mia's borderline crazy approach on the issue was very entertaining. I was expecting her to wield a butcher knife on several occasions, thinking she'll go on a rampage. Good thing nothing like that happened.
UNSCATHED is a mild, romantic, "paranormal" new adult novel. Tim and C.J. didn't go deep into the romantic aspect of the novel, instead UNSCATHED showed the beginnings of what could be a great relationship between two people who's connected somehow. I guess the mystery and suspense element of the novel stood out more than the other parts. The writing is eloquent and flowed really good. Tim and C.J. have good writing chemistry and I hope this won't be their last collaboration. I sure would like to see if Tim can shed his fascination for the otherworldly and write a straight up contemporary story just for the heck of it. Someday...
She can't help but watch them, take their picture. It has been something Mina had been doing for years now; videoing and taking pictures of people around her. Sometimes it was complete strangers. No matter what, she always had her phone with her, snapping away wherever she went. But there was one particular guy who held her attention. Jax was a college drop-out that had a lot of tattoos and worked at a local garage. The longer Mina watches him, the more fascinated she becomes. She wants to get to know him and arranges to literally run into him. Once they do meet, Jax starts having feelings for Mina and wants to finally try to have a real relationship with someone after all of those one night stands. There was just something about Mina. Jax knew she had secrets and at first it was exciting. But if he ever found out her secret, that could very well be the end of them. This secret had gotten Mina in trouble in the past. So much so that her mother had sent her away to her aunt and uncle. If only someone would hear Mina out and just believe her.
Another great paranormal read with some romance as well! I have to admit, my first thought was that Mina was some kind of crazy stalker chick. And the image keeps on like this for quite a while. You really don't know the complete story behind why she does what she does until very late in the book. And frankly, it gave me the creeps the more Mina snaps these pictures and videos and says that she sees something in them. You begin to wonder all sorts of things about what she is seeing. And unfortunately her secret could be a relationship killer. Her own mother rejected her after finding out her secret. Great job Tim O'Rourke and C.J. Pinard of keeping up the suspense in this book and giving me the creeps!!
After waiting what seemed like forever for this book to come out it was well worth the wait. When the likes of Tim O'Rourke and CJ Pinard come together you just know it was going to be good.
Jax and Mia are your total opposites Jax works in a garage, has tatoos, a different girl every night. Mia a goody goody, ok she's kind of a stalker but she has her reasons, right?
You'll just love this book it has a bit of everything and a little more, as I unexpectedly found out. Will Jax stick around when the truth comes out, it is alot to take in.
Would love to read more about these two, so hopefully there will be book number 2.
As a long time fan of CJ Pinard, I had to read this after hearing about it on her Facebook Page. She certainly did not disappoint! I've not read as much by Tim O'Rourke, but he is absolutely amazing, and is now on my must read author list. This book had me enchanted from the very beginning. I finished it in a day as I just could not put it down. Both authors did a fantastic job, you could not tell who wrote which part, it was so seamless. Now these two talented authors need to get together and continue the series, I'd love to read more!
This was a very easy and entertaining read, I quickly got involved with each of the protagonists delving deep into their stories. I loved the two perspectives, Jax and Mina each telling their sides of this interesting love relationship brought another level to the telling of the story. Tim and Carolyn got this spot on and bringing in a little of the paranormal makes this tale even better. excellent
I’m pretty sure I picked up this book on a SYKD (Books You Know Damn Well You’re Never Gonna Read) because it’s been sitting on my kindle shelf gathering dust for ages. So, I figured I’d finally read it and get rid of it for good.
I went in completely blind, no idea what I was about to dive into, just assuming it had to be spicy because, well, there’s a hot half-naked dude on the cover. But let me tell you, I was not prepared for what came next!
This book was nothing like I thought it’d be. At first, I was convinced the main female character was going to pull a “reverse Haunting Adeline” with some creepy stalker vibes. But, oh no, it suddenly took a hard left turn into spooky supernatural territory, and I was like, “Wait, what?!”
This was my first paranormal ghost story, and honestly, it was… alright. If I’d known what I was getting into, maybe I would’ve been more mentally prepared for all the unexpected 👻 jump scares. But hey, lesson learned.
The beginning was a bit odd. I wasn't 100% sure this was something I was going to enjoy. Jax annoyed me with the way he talked/thought, but I figured I'd hold out and see if it got better. And it did. Much better.
The sex scenes were intense but well written. I felt like I was right there (I don't know if that's good or bad)
The suspense was killing me throughout the book. While I figured out the twist, I wasn't sure I was right, so it was still a shock when it came to light. Though, the reasoning behind all of it, I was wrong.
Well written boom. Fantastic storytelling. I felt for both Mina and Jax. I rooted for both of them even before the twist. So that was a weird feeling since I felt like you weren't supposed to like her, but I did. I just prayed she turned out good.
*received this book for free from the stuff your Kindle promotion in 2023*
"You're like no girl I've ever met before. I don't know if all the girls in England are like you, but if they are, then its one fucked up place."
1/5🌶
This is the first book I've read from either author and I must say it was a whirlwind. If you're anything like me you're going to be saying WTF through most of the first half of this book. But seriously stick it out. It's not what you think and it's so worth it!
I Am not sure why more people aren’t talking about this book- yeah a few grammatical errors - but it’s well written- had me guessing a bit- and had an actual plot- I would definitely recommend this to friends-
The story line was good and kept my attention. I finished the book quickly. I did not like how sometimes it was present tense and sometimes past tense. Also there are some words missing-needs editing.
I am a huge fan of Tim's having read all his other series so I thought I would give this collabaration a go. It was definitely a slower paced story for me though I did enjoy the 'connect the dots' feel to it. Mina and Jax (love that name) were two broken souls who fate brought together despite their different lives. They were both broken in some way and this love story with a difference leads them down the path of self discovery and acceptance. This is not my usual genre as I don't mind a good love story from time to time but I do prefer the faster paced urban fantasy or thriller type books. If you were reluctant to pick up this book because of Tim's previous books then don't worry, it does have a supernatural element to it but it is sweet and uplifting. If you are a romantic at heart, then this book will definitely appeal to you.
This was unexpected. I don't want to say too much, because I don't want to give anything away. Definitely a cool idea. I wish the authors would have done a better job of establishing the connection between Jax and Mina. The relationship seemed awkward and a little forced. I still really enjoyed the book and it was so not what I thought it was.
As a huge fan of both Carolyn and Tim, I was excited to read Unscathed... and I wasn't disappointed! The heat of Mia and Jax mixed up with the mystery was enough to keep you on the edge. I hope they come together to do another book. Good job!
I along with Jax really thought that Mia was a bit cray cray. However after her explanation I truly felt for Mia and it is sad her family held so many secrets.
I am happy in the end that both Jax and Mia found some answers and some form of closure they both needed.