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Length: 10 hours and 19 minutes

Not enough. Catherine Pope has never been enough. Every man she has ever loved abandoned her - from her father to her fiancé. She finally accepted the fact she would never be enough to hold any man's heart and soul.
Then Catherine met Jackson Cole.
When her world literally collided with the sexy former Navy SEAL, everything she always believed is turned upside down and left scattered. He made her feel alive and desirable, consumed her with fierceness and loyalty - which completely unnerved her. Jackson got her in a way no one ever had, giving him the power to destroy her.
If she breaks down and gives him what's left of her battered heart - will he protect it? Or will Catherine become an irrelevant part of yet another man's life?
Will she get the one thing that has always evaded her - to finally be someone's beloved?

10 pages, Audible Audio

First published May 27, 2014

4847 people are currently reading
17087 people want to read

About the author

Corinne Michaels

69 books15k followers
Corinne Michaels is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of romance novels. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love, and she enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak before finding a way to heal them through their struggles.

Corinne is a former Navy wife and happily married to the man of her dreams. She began her writing career after spending months away from her husband while he was deployed—reading and writing were her escapes from the loneliness. Corinne now lives in Virginia with her husband and is the emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children.


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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,908 reviews
Profile Image for Christy.
4,541 reviews35.9k followers
December 6, 2017
4-4.5 stars

description

Beloved is the story of Catherine Pope and Jackson Cole. If you’re like me and have read Corinne's Consolation Duet first, you’ve already met them and know a little about them. I've been anxious to read it and get to know more about these characters since I finished and I'm glad I finally made the time!

Catherine Pope has had terrible luck with men. It started with her father, and then her ex. She’s not looking to let anyone else in to just leave her. Then she meets Jackson Cole. Jackson was a Navy SEAL. He’s now running a successful business. Catherine isn't the only one with issues, Jackson has a past of his own (which I can’t wait to find out more about!). Even with all that, from the very start Jackson and Catherine have chemistry. From the moment they first meet, they are drawn to each other. As much as Catherine doesn’t want to risk getting hurt again, Jackson is irresistible to her. Catherine didn't have to fight very hard to fall for a man like Jackson Cole.

I adored Jackson and Catherine. They were both fantastic characters. Corinne’s writing has a great flow to it. I enjoyed this book lots and that ending… Gah! I’m going to have to read the next book soon! :) 


description
Profile Image for Patty ~ Wrapped Up In Reading Book Blog.
1,260 reviews10.2k followers
July 10, 2015
*****3.5 STARS*****
{BR with My Beautiful Bestie, Dee}


I long for undying love and affection. The kind of love that bonds souls. The kind of love that's so deep two become one.
To be someone's beloved




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I think most of us have the same dream as Catherine Pope, but a lot of us end up with Mr Wrong! That is how it starts off for poor Catherine. We find out early on that she's engaged to a first class douchebag, when she catches him in bed with another woman, who is a so called "friend".



I was loving the first half of this book. As soon as Jackson Cole enters the picture, I was quite smitten. I really liked how these two met, and even though it was a very predictable story, I still found myself falling in love with it.




But something went wrong with the second half. Catherine was such a weak character and her lack of self esteem bothered me. She caused unnecessary drama. Jackson was not innocent either. His constant changing mood swings started to annoy me as well. He does something towards the end that had me wanting to kick him in the gonads!



Not only were these two rather frustrating, but the story also got a little boring. Three nights in a row, I fell out cold HARD! I would wake up and it would be almost midnight. Hence I bust out this cute little guy.



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It ends on a cliffy and initially, I had planned to dive in to the next book but now I think I'll hold off for a bit. I will probably read it and am praying these two stop with the annoying behavior.
Profile Image for Sleepless Readmore.
163 reviews313 followers
March 4, 2015
90% STUD .. 10% MUFFIN .. JACKSON, BE MY STUD MUFFIN?
4.75 STARS

Jackson and Catherine .. ♥

description

Falling out of love is hard
Falling for betrayal is worse
Broken trust and broken hearts .. ►♫


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You fell into my life and I won't let you fall out .."


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"Jackson, I want you."
"Understatement of the year."


ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? This novel was released A YEAR AGO .. and I'm reading it now?! I've been deprived .. I truly have from my #STUDMUFFIN .. gosh got to love JACKSON! I'm glad I took on this recommendation, I certainly was not disappointed. At first, I was like uhh typical and thought I had the whole plot figured out HOWEVER Corinne Michaels does not fail to SURPRISE me. I seriously was not expecting it to end LIKE THAT .. I was thinking more along the lines of a HEA .. but then she does THAT?! WHAT ON EARTH .. TALK ABOUT CLIFFHANGER .. I WILL BE STARTING DEVOURING THE SECOND ONE SOON!

"Do you always have to manhandle me?"
"Well, baby, I'm all man and I sure as hell love to handle you."


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Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved .. ►♫


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"Don't kiss me if you're going to break my heart."
"Good-bye, Catherine."


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Beloved Corinne Michaels
- Sleepless, Readmore. Twitter

Beloved (Belonging, #1) by Corinne Michaels
Profile Image for Candace.
1,179 reviews5,018 followers
January 5, 2016
This was a sweet, enjoyable love story about a down on her luck lady and a damaged man. Having not read any of the other books by this author, this was my first introduction to Catherine and Jackson. I've gathered from other reviews that they are featured in the author's other series, as well.

Catherine was successful, smart and beautiful. Unfortunately, the shortcomings of her father have left her with some heavy emotional baggage. Believing herself to be undeserving, she chooses some real losers to date, unconsciously sabotaging any decent relationships along the way.

When her loser fiancé, Neil, cheats on her with her supposed friend, Piper, the backstabbing duo set out to ruin her life. As if betraying and humiliating her wasn't enough, they constantly go out of the way to rub their actions in her face, even trying to sabotage her at work. These two were quite a piece of work.

In the aftermath of their betrayal, Catherine unwittingly finds herself competing against Neil to represent an important client. Despite stealing Catherine's research and having Piper on the inside, Neil still loses the lucrative contract to Catherine. I've got to hand it to Catherine, she was one strong lady!

Meanwhile, Catherine keeps crossing paths with the sexy stranger, Jackson. They exchange a few very heated moments, only to be surprised with the revelation that he is the CEO of the company that she's been trying to gain as a client.

Regardless of the conflict of interests, the two pursue a relationship on the down-low. Or the most part, everything goes along in a rather uneventful manner. The death of Catherine's estranged father and interference from Neil and Piper provide some minor conflicts along the way. Otherwise, the story is largely uneventful up until the very last chapter when the story ends with a huge cliffhanger.

Overall, I give this story stars. I liked the characters, but didn't fall in love with them or the story. It was entertaining enough, but not a stand-out for me in any memorable way. I'll probably return to it at some point, but I'm not in any hurry.
Profile Image for SueBee★bring me an alpha!★.
2,417 reviews15.4k followers
consider-later
May 2, 2016
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FREE on Amazon US today (5/2/2016)

Stand-alone book 1.

BLURB:
Not enough.

Catherine Pope has never been enough. She repeatedly let’s men in—only to be left broken.

Then Catherine met Jackson Cole.

Jackson makes her feel alive, desirable, and consumes her with a fierceness she’s never known.
But Jackson struggles with his own past. His training as a Navy SEAL never prepared him for the battle to win her heart. He’s different, honorable, and worth the chance…but he must prove it.

If she gives him what’s left of her heart—will he protect it? Will she get the one thing that has always evaded her – to finally be someone’s beloved?


http://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Salvati...


FREEBIES are often good for MORE than one day, I have gathered all my FREEBIES on a special shelf: Kindle-freebies (currently over 500 books)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
Profile Image for K. Bromberg.
Author 111 books19.4k followers
May 28, 2014
A solid 4 - 4.5 Stars for this Debut Novel.

Want a male MC that has baggage but is still a nice guy that makes you swoon with his mixture of toughness and thoughtfulness?
Want a relatable heroine that you can see sitting next to having a glass of wine?
Want an ensemble cast that makes you like the main characters that much more?
Want a heart-warming story about hurt hearts learning to heal and love again?
Want steamy sex scenes juxtaposed with real situations and honest dialogue?
Want that little tug on your heart and your mouth falling open/lax when you finish the last page?

You sure have a lot of wants... lol ... but if your answer is yes to all of these...then don't hesitate to read this solid debut novel my Corinne Michaels...you won't be disappointed with it.

*ARC provided for review purposes*
Profile Image for Beverly.
1,005 reviews788 followers
May 23, 2015
I want to share a little background information with everyone before I jump into my review. So, I am sure most of you have heard about Corinne Michael’s new book Consolation coming out in few days. Well, I was psyched to read it, no dying to read it. So I entered myself in contests all over FB because I didn’t want to wait for the blog tour arcs. Yes, I am crazy - I know this. The point is there are books you want to read, you know we all wait for them, then there are books you are dying to read. I was dying to read Consolation, from the moment I read the excerpt and cried I knew I had to have this book. Here’s the worse part���I had no freaking clue Beloved and Beholden even existed. You know sometimes I feel like I live under a rock! Then I learned that Consolation is a spinoff of the Belonging Series. WTF!! I had to read these immediately! So the gist of all that, if you decide to skim my review, is these books are fantastic and blew me away! Do I love Consolation? Hell yeah! HOWEVER, these books are just as good and should be read! If you, like myself, have been under a rock…read these books! Okay, enough rambling onto my review.

Beloved is the story of Jackson and Catherine. Catherine has just found out her fiancé, the man she had planned to spend the rest of her life with has been cheating on her. She is completely devastated and her world is shattered. As if this isn’t enough of a blow she finds him with her friend. Catherine is completely shattered when she discovers their betrayal, but she is a strong, independent and determined woman, so she picks herself up and continues to live.



When she meets Jackson it is completely unexpected and despite her instant attraction to him isn’t interested in what in starting anything. However, when fate brings them back together and they begin working together there is only so much denying herself she can do. In my opinion, she held out a lot longer then I would have. Jackson Cole is sex on stick. He is sexy, protective, and successful, more than that he is honest.



There is so much to this story and I truly loved every minute of it. I read this book in one sitting. What sold me on these two characters were their brokenness. First, I love damaged characters, because I love watching them overcome their circumstances. I enjoy seeing the struggle and character building that goes into finding yourself, forgiveness, and peace. That’s what this story is about to me. Jackson and Catherine’s story is beautiful and I loved these characters.



I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a romance story with tons of heart and depth while still remaining fun and sexy. This was my first Corinne Michael’s book but I am completely sold on her beautiful characters and strong, heartfelt writing.


Profile Image for Kelli C .
1,053 reviews362 followers
January 13, 2016
NOooooo! Why the hell did I not know this had a cliffhanger of epic nature? OMG...Corinne Michaels is tying to kill me!

What can I say this is a bit of a hot heartbreaker from start to finish! Catherine Pope has not had good luck with the men of her life, esp those who are supposed to love her unconditionally. But now, she is getting married...she is happy...she is ummm....well...

That is not supposed to happen right?

Yea Girl...cry, drink it up and then just move on! I mean chalk this one up to another loser male who you weren't good enough for right? Focus on work and focus on you...don't let anyone in...you seem have been doing it your whole life!

Oh hell, maybe just some hot hooking up a complete stranger will be the answer...



Jackson Cole...mystery man extraordinaire. Catches tipsy woman, drops panties with his sexy voice, and invades Cat's dreams nightly.


Push and Pull of two characters. Lots of insta-lust and ridiculous attraction. Both damaged in the soul, but both able to find something in one another. SCREW IT, you only life once right?



OH the heat...ahem...so damn good! But oh the flipping drama and angst. The mysterious pasts, the douche ex boyfriends, the military side jobs, the dangerous air around them and the oh so heartbreaking angst of falling in love without a net!



Holy hell of a cliffhanger...WTH, why did in not prepare myself for this damn emotional rollercoaster???

well...only book 2 will answer that question!
February 9, 2015
4.5 StArS

WOW....LOVE LOVE LOVED IT


Meet Jackson Cole





I told you I'll always find you, but you have to want to be found. Let me find you Catherine"



Catherine Pope feels like she has never been enough. Repeatedly let down by men. Until one man, literally knocks her off her feet.



Jackson Cole...Ex Navy Seal ......struggles with his own past. But when Catherine Pope falls into his lap....and fate brings them back together .... he battles to win her heart.


Beloved.....It was exactly how I like my books, Suspenseful. Swoonworthy. Lashings of Drama. Sexy. Intriguing. Even made my lip quiver. I could go on and on and on!!




and THAT ENDING....OH MY




This is Corinne Michaels début novel, but you wouldn't know it! Beloved is a fantastic read.




What you waiting for....yes....go.....go one click...by the way the box set is cheaper *wink*




Profile Image for Hollie.
1,680 reviews
July 23, 2014
Total waste of time and money

I don’t even know where to start with this review. Multiple times I almost gave up on this book, and I wish I would have. The heroine is whiny throughout. This book was little more than her constant pity party. The hero was so very one dimensional. Nothing about him felt realistic to me. It had all the elements for disaster. Immature heroine, unrealistic hero, pathetic plot, insta-love, and so beyond cliché. I rarely rate a book a one star review even if I despised it. But for a sh_tty book to end on a cliffhanger, with no ending, ummm no. 1 star read all the way. It sucked from the beginning to end
Profile Image for S.M. West.
Author 38 books1,241 followers
March 11, 2015
4 You're it for me STARS

This was my first book by this author and it was a fast and entertaining read. I had it on my TBR but was only prompted to read because of a BR. At first, I thought I'd read this before. I mean, I knew I hadn't but the story had been done before. The writing and the heroine, Catherine, and her BFF, Ashton, still held my interest even though I figured it was about a broken woman, abandoned by her father, her cheating ex-fiancée and made to feel like she was never enough or less than by the men in her life. Enter the "Knight in shining armour" to fix her. I was wrong.

Yes, Jackson Cole is certainly a knight and he causes feelings and reactions in Cat that she's never felt or done before.



"He's just a man, a very sexy and fuckable man, but still - he's my client."

But there's more to Jackson. He's broken too and has his own baggage that neither Cat nor the reader fully understand.

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These two are drawn together despite the turmoil of both their pasts and Cat's insecurities.
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And boy, let me tell you, Jackson is IT! Like Cat, I was putty in his hands.



But a crisis takes place that has Jackson doing the one thing he promised he wouldn't and his actions sets off a series of events that leaves us hanging for the next book! I'm a little scared for the next one, again, I fear that I know what is going to happen but I sure as hell hope that I'm wrong.
Profile Image for J.L. Davis.
Author 1 book5 followers
June 26, 2014
What?! What?! Are you serious right now? I mean this in the most respectful way ever but eff you Corinne Michaels! I mean that with total love. But you have screwed me up with that ending!



First of all I should have read the reviews a little better to know this had a cliffhanger. But I'm glad that I didn't because that tends to put me off books. And I would have punched myself in the face if I missed this little bit of book magic. Second, there is no way in hell this is her first book! If that's true I'm mad that she waited this long to write one.


Moving on the the actual book

Catherine.






I'm not going to say I loved her ALL the time but I don't think that's necessary to love a book as a whole. I think sometimes we have to disagree with the main characters because that's what makes them more human. Right away we are treated to two major heartbreaks for Catherine. We get to struggle through her inability to let her trust issues go and through her huge abandonment issues. The ending kind of crushed me a little bit for her and I can't wait to see how she handles it in the next book.


Jackson.







Muffin. Sexy as mess ex navy seal who happens to end up being Catherine's client after a random but intense meeting where she literally falls for him. I love love love the way he pushes her through to book. And even though I was so made at him for the way things ended I know he will make it up in the next book. I do have to say I kind of guessed at what his issues where even when the were suppose to be a mysterious.


Piper and Neil




Die. Die. Die. Seriously. I hate them .


This is me waiting for this book. So PLEASE give it to me soon!!!!! Thanks!

Profile Image for Michelle.
2,082 reviews895 followers
August 26, 2014
4.5 Stars

Screenshot_1

Beloved begins with a quick flash back to the first man that lets her down. The single event that will create a map of Catherine’s future, a path that she has to fight to not to follow. Catching her fiancé with another woman is just more proof that she is destined to be let down by the men she is willing to give her love to. Proof that she is just simply not good enough, not worthy enough to be loved in return.

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When she stumbles into the arms of Jackson while out for a girls night, her body comes to life but he’s just another man that will let her down. Turning her back on the handsome man isn’t enough to erase him from her thoughts and just when she least expects it, Jackson resurfaces. There is only so much desire she can deny herself. Jackson is slowly breaking down every defense she has, claiming her body and owning her soul. Risking her heart to yet another man that can destroy her, Catherine lets go and gives in; but history might just repeat itself.

Jackson knows about loss, heartache and guilt. He carries his with him each day. He never imagined that he’d feel like this again, that someone would catch his attention, get under his skin until claiming her as his own was his only option. As Catherine shares her fears and her past with Jackson, his truths remain tucked away. Bits are revealed that give a glimpse into the sadness that flashes in his eyes, but not the whole story. A pain that he just can’t let go of, the guilt that he’s carried all these years.

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Bra-fucking-vo! This was a stunning debut novel. Jackson was absolutely swoon-worthy and I think I might just start stumbling into strange men’s laps while out with the gals (in my pretend book world, my husband DOES. NOT. EXIST.) just in the hopes of getting some serious tingly feelings. The writing felt like it had much more experience behind it and a lot of the typical things you find with a debut was missing. You could see clearly the effort the author put into this novel.

I absolutely loved this story, from start to finish. The plot, the characters, the story and the supporting cast of characters. Even the ones you hate, you loathe with a passion. Jackson was dreamy, confident and then all of a sudden, like a wet dream, his broken showed.

Full-on-lady-boner-making-broken!

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Give me a strong hero that is a bit bossy, has a dirty mouth and I’m happy. But give me that same man wrapped in a bunch of heartbreaking pain that suffocates him? Well that is like giving a fat kid cake, a woman two cocks to play with, a man a beer and a nice rack to look at while he watches Sport Center. Pretty much perfect.

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Now, there was one thing that kept me from moving my rating to a full five stars... it was close, like really, really close. Although I felt for Catherine and her issues; I didn’t fully get pulled into the emotional aspect of her struggle. I can see that what she’s been through would cause some series insecurities and doubts but I just never felt that the two events showcased were enough on their own to make her the way she was. Although, I don’t think that giving additional information on similar relationships would have helped me with this. It is just my deal. I am not good with the insecure chicks unless I get some pretty dramatic trauma to explain it away and even then I am not easy on them. I did like seeing that shift when she realized how she felt and I really hope that she has the fight in her to push down the voices in her head and take what she wants. I think I am going to enjoy watching her growth in the next book.

The first thing I thought when I finished this was: When is the next one out! Corinne Michaels has a fan with this reader and I look forward to seeing what she brings us with her second novel. For those that enjoy a romance that has a hot hero, steamy sex and characters that have to overcome scars of their pasts and fight for love, this is your book.

Thank you, Reanell for gifting this book to me and recommending that I read it!

Profile Image for Dee Montoya.
943 reviews597 followers
July 13, 2015
***3.5 Stars*****

(BR with my Sweet Bestie Patty)

I've been looking forward to this book since it first came out and once I started reading it, I was totally hooked to the sexy plot and the awesome characters. After I reached the second half of the story I started to notice a very annoying pattern of constant push and pull from both main characters and that completely turned me off. This has never happen to me, where I read a book that starts so strong then takes such a drastic down fall.

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Catherine is thriving in her life, she has a dream job, where she's the best at what she does and has a dreamy fiancé who loves her; or so she thought. One day she finds him in bed with one of her friends and instead of acting remorseful, he blindsides her with the news that he wants out of the engagement, leaving her completely broken. Catherine has abandonment issues after her father left, when she was very young so now she's feeling even more insecure about love, than ever.

In her quest to try to move on with her life she throws herself into her work and while trying to secure a big account that could mean a big promotion for her she meets a man; s sexy and mysterious man that will turn out to be her new boss. Jackson is the CEO of the cosmetics company that just hired Catherine for their new marketing campaign and from the moment he saw her, he was drawn to her smarts and beauty. Jackson doesn't waste time in letting her know his intensions and she seems completely helpless to her body's reaction to the sexy Alpha male.

The problem is, that both of these characters have a lot of baggage and even though their chemistry is explosive and undeniable they are both scared of the intensity of what's unfolding between them and what it could mean to their already delicate hearts. I must say that I loved reading about their first encounters and the sexy dates but once their feelings started to get more complicated both of these, once strong characters, started to act crazy. The whole I-Love-You-but-I-can't-be-with-you dance these two kept pulling was exhausting, more Catherine than Jackson but towards the end he also started acting very insecure and it just turned me off completely.

I'm in the minority here in regards to my opinion about this book, but I'm very picky about the type of characters I enjoy reading about in a story and the wishy washy attitude is not something I can tolerate. I don't doubt that there's a lot of people out there that would love this novel but unfortunately it wasn't for me.
Profile Image for Jiana.
298 reviews917 followers
February 8, 2017
This book wasn't "bad" in any way. On the contrary, it was good, especially the first half of it. My main issue was the second half and how much it just dragged on and on and on... and I just wanted it to end.

I enjoyed Jackson and Catherine's relationship. It had depth. Both of them are broken and since this is a duology, things weren't solved 100%. Honestly, I didn't overly love either of the MCs. Catherine was good in some parts, annoying in others. Jackson was so charming the first half but I kinda just lost interest in the second half.

Also, I've wanted to try out Corinne Michaels's books for a year now and I'm more or less satisfied with this book. I wasn't blown-away like I expected, but I wasn't disappointed either. I liked Corinne's writing as well. I'm definitely going to read the rest of her books!

The book ended with a cliffhanger, and although I usually wait a bit before going into a sequel, I'm probably going to start book two, Beholden, right now. I'm hoping it will be better and I kinda want to be done with Jackson and Catherine's story and see how it will unfold after that cliffhanger.
Profile Image for Wil Loves Books!.
1,543 reviews491 followers
February 3, 2018
This is one book I’ve tried to read before, left aside and now listened to the audiobook and loved it. Catherine is freaking awesome and Jackson is ridiculously dreamy. This is definitely a winner in my book! I also loved the audiobook narrator btw...
Profile Image for AJ.
3,242 reviews1,070 followers
January 25, 2016
I really wanted to love this, but… 2.5 stars

I absolutely loved the Consolation / Conviction duet by this author, and went into those books not knowing that these ones actually come first. This book tells the story of Jackson and Catherine.

Catherine Pope dreams of finding true love. After being abandoned by her father as a child, she has had never felt like she is enough, and though she has found professional success, there’s nothing she wants more than to be the centre of somebody’s world. So her world is turned upside down when she finds her fiancé cheating on her. The pain of his betrayal reinforces her insecurities and she swears off men, determined to protect what is left of her heart.

Jackson Cole is an ex-SEAL, and runs a security company (as ex-SEALS seem to do). He also, somewhat bizarrely, runs a cosmetics company, and when that company hires Catherine as an independent publicist, these two are thrown together into a sizzling pot of sexual tension.

The chemistry between them is evident from the start, and as much as Catherine may try to keep things professional, Jackson’s sweetness, smooth moves and dirty talk are impossible to resist and they begin a hot affair that is both passionate and emotional, and they both find themselves swept up in the emotion of it all.

“You’re it for me”

Sounds great, right? The set up is good, the chemistry is good, and the romance develops really nicely, but Catherine is still struggling with her insecurities, and Jackson has secrets from his past that he won’t open up about, and that cause his own set of issues. It leads to a whole heap of back and forth that seems to escalate as their relationship deepens, and ended up driving me batshit crazy. I wanted to smack them both so hard as they each had an attack of the stupids, and it left me completely annoyed with the both of them.

To be honest, I struggled with Catherine for most of the book. I don’t mind a heroine who is afraid to fall in love, and watching her work through her issues to find happiness, but it just got to be too much in this one. She’s constantly mooning and complaining “he’s going to leave me” and comes off as an overly-dramatic, whiny and annoying fool, and I got tired of her constant insecurities when Jackson gave her no reason for it. He was there for her through it all, supporting her and being completely fabulous.

“I told you I’ll always find you, but you have to want to be found. Let me find you, Catherine.”

I listened to this as an audiobook so I’m not sure whether the excessive whiney-ness was due to the writing or the narration, but either way, I’m not a huge fan of Catherine. And then it gets worse…. .

Honestly, had I read this first I probably wouldn’t have been excited to go on with the series, but luckily, I know that Corinne Michaels can write a fabulous story. And with this one ending on a nasty (though annoying) cliffy, I will keep going in the hope that Catherine and Jackson can sort their shit out and redeem themselves.

2.5 stars, it was just ok.
Profile Image for lucie.
593 reviews758 followers
dnf
September 12, 2017
DNF @ 50%

This is so stupid, cheesy and full of clich��s and I don't even care what happens next.

description

The man is obviously perfect gentleman, rich and has a mysterious past and she of course thinks that she doesn't deserve love, she's not worthy a man like him and questions everything. Blah, blah, blah, no, thank you, bye.

I rolled my eyes so many times that I rather stop here and hopefully pick a better book next time.
Profile Image for Kiki.
1,217 reviews680 followers
dnf
September 15, 2019
Whatever this duet is selling is not love. That’s bullshit and potential manipulative and toxic relationships glorified for I don’t know whose benefits.

First time he demands she let him in and he’ll not be the one to walk away, just to do EXACTLY that the moment SHE gives in. I guess one can even interpret as the male ego being hurt when she tried to let him go (for legit reasons if you ask me), so he had to get her to take him back so HE can walk away. All the doing the right thing for her was PURE BS. He basically just breaks his promise the moment she gives in.

This story shouldn’t have progressed after that to begin with. He shouldn’t have been forgiven to begin with. But because the woman is an idiot and forgives him, what does he do? Promptly goes and breaks any promises he made to her as a condition of their relationship.

No. Her friends were wrong. She shouldn’t have to listen to him explaining something that he should have disclosed at the beginning. She wasn’t mad at the secret. She was mad because he betrayed her with that secret. She owes him nothing after the betrayal. And TBH, he COULDNT explain anything. The reason for not telling her: he just didn’t want to.

I can’t believe her friends were telling her mistakes don’t make people but people make mistake. Mistake is forgetting your toothbrush before your sleepover. To lie, is NOT a mistake. It’s a damn choice that he made.

Someone said the h was terrible because she didn’t cut a gorgeous loyal guy who wants to give her the world some slacks. He was NOT loyal, he did NOT give her the world, for the world would have meant honesty and truth. He’s just a rich guy who refused to let her go cause he can. Excusing his behaviour yet faulting her normal reaction is on you. That’s what enables toxic masculinity and rape culture. All her friends basically giving this message was also pure BS.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Mandi.
39 reviews3 followers
May 28, 2014
Have you ever read a book that felt like a journey? That’s how I felt about this story. Catherine starts out at the second lowest point of her life and although it would be so easy to just throw in the towel and give in she doesn’t. She proves time and time again that she’s a fighter, that she deserves love and happiness, success and respect. Her growth was so admirable I wanted to high five her on more than one occasion. You have a woman left behind by the only two men that she has ever loved and still she’s ready to stand tall and put it all on the line again. Does she have doubts? Of course. Did I want to smack her? You bet. That’s what makes her relatable though. Queue the playlist because she’s only human!

The dynamic between Cat and Ashton is so natural and fun that I found myself wishing that I could get in on one of their girls nights, naming calling and all. There is nothing like a great BFF in a story to set you straight and give you inappropriate advice about men and what you should use them for after you’ve gone through a bad breakup. These two had me rolling but also their love for each other warmed my heart. Ashton has been there for Cat when she had no one else. She’s her biffle and I love their love.
Ok, now let’s get to the good stuff. An ex- Navy SEAL in a suit! Did you hear that? I said an ex- Navy SEAL IN. A. SUIT. That’s a double whammy folks. Jackson is what dreams are made of. He’s alpha without even trying and sexy as all hell. He has past, secrets that our girl Cat has no clue about. Demons that haunt him and have made him into the man that he is and their relationship is a learning curve for both of them. For once Cat is put first, treated with respect and is on cloud nine. Things couldn’t be and better until life gets in the way and pasts and presents collide rocking them both.
I found myself wanting to shake them both at different times during this story and that’s ok because it’s all part of the journey. Corinne gave me the feels HARD and left me wishing and hoping, begging and crossing my fingers for them to come out on top and she did it all while making me laugh, cry, yell and stomp my feet and by melting my panties. THIS GIRLS GOOD. All of that and this is just the beginning. A debut novel that reads like it was written by someone that has been writing bestsellers for ages. Beloved is a solid 5+ star read for me, I dare you to disagree 
Profile Image for V.
367 reviews2 followers
March 23, 2015
2.5 stars

A little too cheesy for me. The heroine, with her constant insecurities about being hurt again and then going on and on about how the hero affected her, just made my eyes roll. Jackson was ok i guess, but again his forward-ness towards her came across as over the top and forced rather than intensely-sexy as with other book-boyfriends ive read about.

Sigh....wish I'd liked it more.
Profile Image for Bookishrealm.
3,241 reviews6,429 followers
January 27, 2021
This was a solid 3.5 star read. The second half of the book was definitely weaker than the first half but I think I will pick up the second book because that cliffhanger!

I've been hearing a lot about the Salvation series in the romance community and when I realized that it was available via audio I thought that it would be intriguing to pick it up. Beloved is technically the first book in the Salvation series AND the first book in the Belonging Duet. It features main characters Jackson and Catherine. By the time readers are introduced to Catherine in the first couple of chapters, it is easy to tell that she's been through a great deal of trials and tribulations. From being abandoned by her father to having a really bad relationship. Her hesitancy at entering any sort of romantic is understandable; yet, there is this underlying want and need to be adored, loved, wanted, and respected. Enter Jackson, a man who appears to have it all together and has this undeniable attraction to Catherine. It is rather interesting to see the two of them navigate their relationship with each especially as it tests the boundaries of the work place environment. I found the heat and drama surrounding the first part of their relationship to be entertaining, but things began to fall apart going into the second half of the book.

Michaels doesn’t necessarily change her characters, but it felt like readers became more exposed to emotionally charged parts of Jackson and Catherine. Clearly this makes sense considering that each brings forth a certain level of emotionally baggage into their relationship. HOWEVER, I don’t feel as though it was designed well in all areas of the plot and character development. Catherine began to age down in both thoughts and actions. While I was sympathetic and in many ways empathetic to her situation I began to lose connection with her as a character. And while I adored Jackson, his lack of trust/judgement felt extremely misplaced. He was attempting to conflate two situations that, as a reader, I felt had absolutely no relationship.

Though I was disappointed with the second half of the book, I thought that the cliff hanger was intriguing and I can’t lie and say I’m not interested in learning how it’s going to impact Jackson and Catherine’s relationship. Michael’s writing is really accessible and easy to follow and she definitely knows how to write a good steamy scene with lots of great chemistry. This wasn’t my favorite romance book, but it isn’t bad. I’m hoping to see a little more character development in the next installment.
Profile Image for Maren’s Reads.
1,188 reviews2,197 followers
June 2, 2023
I’m addicted to this series apparently. RTC.
Profile Image for Vicky Sp.
1,814 reviews130 followers
September 21, 2019
Cat è una ragazza che ha tanto sofferto, tradita da suo padre che l 'ha abbandonata e dal suo ex fidanzato che l' ha trattata nel peggiore dei modi. È intraprendente e ha successo nell suo lavoro. Ma è rimasta troppo ferita dagli uomini quindi è rigida e fredda nei loro confronti e non crede più nell'amore. Jackson è un Seals ma si occupa anche di affari, infatti gestisce due società con successo. È gentile, affidabile, bello e affascinante. Porta sulle spalle il pesante fardello delle esperienze dolorose e forti che ha vissuto sul campo. È disilluso e convinto di non poter vivere nessun rapporto amoroso perché non meritevole di affetto o di attenzioni.
Durante l' intera lettura sono rimasta in attesa, mi aspettavo un cliffhanger o un evento imprevedibile, un segreto che saltasse fuori, che giustificasse l'aura cupa e il magone dei protagonisti. Li ho trovati entrambi  eccessivamente pessimisti e negativi. Si sono respinti vicendevolmente nel momento di maggior bisogno e rimurginato, troppo, su parole non dette e su gesti (attesi) mai arrivati.
Profile Image for Reanell Tisdale.
534 reviews183 followers
May 31, 2016
5 dirty talking stars!

How can I describe what this book did to me? From beginning to end I was hooked by the sexiness that is Jackson Cole. Seriously my favorite type of male is a dirty talker. Jackson Cole or Muff as his friends call him is definitely a hot dirty talker. From the first encounter where she falls into his lap, I knew he would be special. Each and every character was well written and I fell easily for each one....well except for Neil. That one made me want to do very bad things to him, and not in a good way. But that's the beauty of a well written character, you can love or hate them in good way. It speaks about the ability of the author to make you feel these emotions about characters you like or dislike.

This story was beautifully written and the plot had me begging for more. And that ending. OMG how dare you leave me hanging like that?! I will be here (im)patiently waiting. (hehe) Great job on this authors debut novel, I seriously can't wait to see more from her in the future!

And because I love to tease how about a little excerpt to wet your 'appetite'?

“Tonight, when I’m alone, I’m going to think about how good your legs felt wrapped around me, how your voice sounded when you screamed out my name. I’ll remember how it felt when my dick sunk into your hot, wet pussy.” He leans down and whispers against my ear, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand, “And I’ll be counting down the minutes until I have you again.”

Seriously, how can you not want to read this book based off that paragraph alone?!
Profile Image for Pam Nelson.
3,798 reviews124 followers
March 25, 2017
4 Beloved Stars

Ok so I really liked this book, I wouldn't say I loved it.
I am on the fence if I really like Catherine or not.

See I kind of feel like she is a but weak, now I know she was dumped. And that’s terrible totally no one deserves to be treated like that.
But then she kind of turns to the poor me. When really she should be PISSED at Neil and Pepper or whatever her name is. I didn't really care she was not a character I wanted to remember the name of. Cause if you can do that to a friend you’re not someone I want to remember.

I think the poor me part comes where she doesn't confront him, he is calling and calling and calling…. I mean how many times. Pick up the phone have a face to face, get your mad out.

So yeah that is just one of the reasons I am not a Catherine lover as of yet. BUT… I am a Jackson lover.. I mean come on he is dreamy and swoony and he is bending over backwards to get close to her.

I just really wanted to give him a hug too, you KNOW he is going through some things, and here is another example of me wanting to shake Catherine a little she doesn't pry like AT ALL but its ok for Jackson too… So come one fair play people..

Over all I enjoyed book one, I will read book 2 because I need to know what happens.. Cliffies.. love to hate em.

*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
Profile Image for Vale198.
520 reviews
September 29, 2019
Noioso dall’inizio alla fine in attesa che succeda qualcosa ma calma piatta , l’altra serie dell’autrice mi era piaciuta molto invece . C’è solo L’ultimo capitolo di interessante . ⭐️⭐️
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