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Everything I Left Unsaid #1
Everything I Left Unsaid
I didn’t think answering someone else’s cellphone would change my life. But the stranger with the low, deep voice on the other end of the line tempted me, awakened my body, set me on fire. He was looking for someone else. Instead he found me.
And I found a hot, secret world where I felt alive for the first time.
His name was Dylan, and, strangely, he made me feel safe. Desired. Compelled. Every dark thing he asked me to do, I did. Without question. I longed to meet him, but we were both keeping secrets. And mine were dangerous. If I took the first step, if I got closer to Dylan—emotionally, physically—then I wouldn’t be hiding anymore. I would be exposed, with nothing left to surrender but the truth. And my truth could hurt us both.
And I found a hot, secret world where I felt alive for the first time.
His name was Dylan, and, strangely, he made me feel safe. Desired. Compelled. Every dark thing he asked me to do, I did. Without question. I longed to meet him, but we were both keeping secrets. And mine were dangerous. If I took the first step, if I got closer to Dylan—emotionally, physically—then I wouldn’t be hiding anymore. I would be exposed, with nothing left to surrender but the truth. And my truth could hurt us both.
352 pages, ebook
First published October 13, 2015
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9107 people want to read
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January 6, 2016
*****FOUR STARS*****
{Netgalley ARC}
I took a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed by the empty space around me, usually filled in with so much fear. Without that fear, with the rules - said and unsaid, implicit and explicit - I felt undone. Unmade. As if I'd been pruned, allowing --God, please, please allow--new growth.
Annie McKay is a young woman who is trying to start her life over in a new town far from her old home in Oklahoma. She had been planning her escape for quite some time. Annie's married to an abusive man, and she knew that if she didn't leave soon, her days were numbered. She hasn't had an easy life because she grew up with a mentally abusive mother. She went from one abusive relationship to another in her short life time.
Annie has escaped to a small town in North Carolina and is making a new home for herself at the Flowered Manor Trailer Park, where she also has landed a job which entails cleaning up the landscape for the trailer park. On her first day in her new home she finds a cell phone that is ringing and something compels her to answer the call. A seriously sexy voice is on the other end and she ends up having a conversation with the man. Dylan asks if she could keep an eye on one of her neighbors in the trailer park, named Ben. For some reason Dylan and Annie become intrigued by one another. They carry on this weird relationship through several phone calls.
I was kind of bored during the first half of this book and I was seriously questioning all the really great reviews. Annie and Dylan's conversations turn into sexy talk rather quickly which had me shaking my head because, seriously, Annie had been so sexually repressed by her abusive husband, I found it a little unbelievable that she was that eager to have phone sex with a total stranger. Even though the thought of having phone sex with a hot stranger is a serious turn on, those scenes seemed a little awkward.
Later on in the story, we find out who Dylan is and then it starts to get interesting. At about the 60% mark the two finally meet and that's when I was seriously invested in this story. I couldn't put it down and the sex was explosive!! This went from being a Three Star to a Four Star read for me at this point.
I kind of predicted what would happen at the end but that didn't stop me from wanting to jump right into the second book. Luckily it's out and I can get my answers now.
{Netgalley ARC}
I took a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed by the empty space around me, usually filled in with so much fear. Without that fear, with the rules - said and unsaid, implicit and explicit - I felt undone. Unmade. As if I'd been pruned, allowing --God, please, please allow--new growth.
Annie McKay is a young woman who is trying to start her life over in a new town far from her old home in Oklahoma. She had been planning her escape for quite some time. Annie's married to an abusive man, and she knew that if she didn't leave soon, her days were numbered. She hasn't had an easy life because she grew up with a mentally abusive mother. She went from one abusive relationship to another in her short life time.
Annie has escaped to a small town in North Carolina and is making a new home for herself at the Flowered Manor Trailer Park, where she also has landed a job which entails cleaning up the landscape for the trailer park. On her first day in her new home she finds a cell phone that is ringing and something compels her to answer the call. A seriously sexy voice is on the other end and she ends up having a conversation with the man. Dylan asks if she could keep an eye on one of her neighbors in the trailer park, named Ben. For some reason Dylan and Annie become intrigued by one another. They carry on this weird relationship through several phone calls.
I was kind of bored during the first half of this book and I was seriously questioning all the really great reviews. Annie and Dylan's conversations turn into sexy talk rather quickly which had me shaking my head because, seriously, Annie had been so sexually repressed by her abusive husband, I found it a little unbelievable that she was that eager to have phone sex with a total stranger. Even though the thought of having phone sex with a hot stranger is a serious turn on, those scenes seemed a little awkward.
Later on in the story, we find out who Dylan is and then it starts to get interesting. At about the 60% mark the two finally meet and that's when I was seriously invested in this story. I couldn't put it down and the sex was explosive!! This went from being a Three Star to a Four Star read for me at this point.
I kind of predicted what would happen at the end but that didn't stop me from wanting to jump right into the second book. Luckily it's out and I can get my answers now.
Read
October 13, 2015 ::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED ::: 4.5 stars!
With it’s sexy mysterious hero, strong feisty heroine, and captivating story, I was addicted to this story from start to finish!! The hero was just the kind of guy I fall in love with the most! He was scarred and sexy… just mysterious enough to keep me wondering, just tortured enough to tug my heart strings, just sweet enough to make me swoon, just dangerous enough to give him an edge, but with that possessive and protective edge that defined him as an Alpha male. I loved him, I loved her, and I loved the book!!
Ok so first things first. This is how the story was first described to me: “a gritty and erotic romance where a phone call from a mysterious stranger is picked up by the wrong woman and ignites a dangerous game of seduction.” <—— I read that and was SOLD!!
The story begins with the heroine setting up in a trailer park after fleeing her abusive husband. Everything in her life is upside down and she has so much to figure out. But right after she moves in, a phone rings… only it’s not hers. She answers it and that is the first of many times that she talks to Dylan.
My heart was racing ever since that phone call. I’ll also say that I loved the premise of the story and I loved the first chapter but it was the writing of chapter two that fully made realize that this was going to be an awesome book because we got our first glimpse at Dylan’s life… and he caught my full attention.
I thought the author did a really great job of making Annie a very strong heroine. She reached the point where she was no longer going to allow anyone to control her life, and even though it went against everything she’d ever been taught or conditioned to think, she pushed herself to be stronger every day. I loved the way she didn’t just give in to anyone without questioning things or investigating it for herself. After so long being controlled by other people, I admired her drive to be brave and independent.
And I just could not freaking wait to find out more about Dylan. Ahhhhhhh this guy was so sexy and mysterious and clearly tortured in some way. I luuurve tortured heroes!!! With each new phone call or each little snippet from his POV, I’d piece together tiny new bits about who he was and what his past was but it was never enough to get a clear picture so that just made me read even faster. It was kind of like seeing something out of the corner of your eye — the harder you look, the more it slips away but that just makes you even more desperate to see what it is it!
The thing that impressed me the most about this story was that the author did such an amazing job of building palm-tingling, heart-racing, scorching hot sexual tension between Dylan and Annie even though, for the majority of the book, they’d literally never even met!!!!!! It was seriously impressive! That was the thing that made me the most wary about this story when I first heard about it — building the foundation of a believable relationship literally only over a phone — but it worked SO well!!! I felt their connection just as though they were standing in front of each other.
But the upside of their physical separation was that it allowed them, well especially her, the freedom to open up to each other in a way that they may never have otherwise done given both of their pasts. Without any physical strings to each other, they could also talk about their most erotic fantasies without any fear of judgment. And let me tell you, it was HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT!!! This is definitely a scorching romance so if you’ve been looking for something sexy and sizzling to read, definitely pick this book up!
The story is told in alternating POVs — hers is first person (and is the majority of the story), and his is third person (making him even more mysterious) and I found the transition between them smooth and very well done. Oh my gosh, this book is filled with amazing quotes! I have so many highlights!
The pacing is really great — the story is always moving forward and there’s never a dull moment. There are twists and surprises, a great sense of community that is build with the supporting characters, a very strong and erotic connection between the main couple, and a really unique plot. I genuinely loved it!
Now, since this is a 2-book series, the number one question I’m being asked is whether this one has a cliffhanger. Technically, yes. But, if you ignore the very last two pages, then it’s more of a hopeful happy-for-now ending. I mean, let’s be honest, the last two pages were thrown in to hook readers into the next book. Like, obviouuuuusly no matter how bad it gets, the issue will be resolved and it’s external to the relationship so *shrug* since things were good between the hero and heroine at the end, I was fine with this ending even though technically it is a cliffhanger (but only because of the last two pages). Also, good news is that the sequel (and conclusion) will be out next month so it’s a very short wait between books!
All in all, I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for the next. It was sexy, mysterious, intriguing, exciting, thrilling, romantic, sweet, gritty, and addictive. Can't wait for the next!
Rating: 4.5 stars. Contemporary Adult romance.
2-book series.
_______________________________________
For more of my reviews, book news and updates:
✦ Main blog: Aestas Book Blog
✦ Facebook Blog Page
✦ Twitter
✦ Subscribe by email
With it’s sexy mysterious hero, strong feisty heroine, and captivating story, I was addicted to this story from start to finish!! The hero was just the kind of guy I fall in love with the most! He was scarred and sexy… just mysterious enough to keep me wondering, just tortured enough to tug my heart strings, just sweet enough to make me swoon, just dangerous enough to give him an edge, but with that possessive and protective edge that defined him as an Alpha male. I loved him, I loved her, and I loved the book!!
Ok so first things first. This is how the story was first described to me: “a gritty and erotic romance where a phone call from a mysterious stranger is picked up by the wrong woman and ignites a dangerous game of seduction.” <—— I read that and was SOLD!!
I didn’t think answering someone else’s cellphone would change my life. But the stranger with the low, deep voice on the other end of the line tempted me, awakened my body, set me on fire. He was looking for someone else. Instead he found me.
And I found a hot, secret world where I felt alive for the first time.
His name was Dylan, and, strangely, he made me feel safe. Desired. Compelled. Every dark thing he asked me to do, I did. Without question. I longed to meet him, but we were both keeping secrets. And mine were dangerous. If I took the first step, if I got closer to Dylan—emotionally, physically—then I wouldn’t be hiding anymore. I would be exposed, with nothing left to surrender but the truth. And my truth could hurt us both.
The story begins with the heroine setting up in a trailer park after fleeing her abusive husband. Everything in her life is upside down and she has so much to figure out. But right after she moves in, a phone rings… only it’s not hers. She answers it and that is the first of many times that she talks to Dylan.
“You can hang up whenever you want. Say the word and this is over. But if you want to keep going, it’s my rules.”
I clutched the phone in my hand.
“Yes or no?”
My heart was racing ever since that phone call. I’ll also say that I loved the premise of the story and I loved the first chapter but it was the writing of chapter two that fully made realize that this was going to be an awesome book because we got our first glimpse at Dylan’s life… and he caught my full attention.
I thought the author did a really great job of making Annie a very strong heroine. She reached the point where she was no longer going to allow anyone to control her life, and even though it went against everything she’d ever been taught or conditioned to think, she pushed herself to be stronger every day. I loved the way she didn’t just give in to anyone without questioning things or investigating it for herself. After so long being controlled by other people, I admired her drive to be brave and independent.
And I just could not freaking wait to find out more about Dylan. Ahhhhhhh this guy was so sexy and mysterious and clearly tortured in some way. I luuurve tortured heroes!!! With each new phone call or each little snippet from his POV, I’d piece together tiny new bits about who he was and what his past was but it was never enough to get a clear picture so that just made me read even faster. It was kind of like seeing something out of the corner of your eye — the harder you look, the more it slips away but that just makes you even more desperate to see what it is it!
He was forgetting. She was making him forget.
He came from a long line of villains. And that shit couldn’t be forgotten… He was still the beast. The bad guy in the stories. She just didn’t know it yet. And he was forgetting. He was letting himself forget. Because he’d somehow gotten addicted to the sound of her voice. The way her voice made him feel.
Sometimes it was nice pretending to be the hero.
The thing that impressed me the most about this story was that the author did such an amazing job of building palm-tingling, heart-racing, scorching hot sexual tension between Dylan and Annie even though, for the majority of the book, they’d literally never even met!!!!!! It was seriously impressive! That was the thing that made me the most wary about this story when I first heard about it — building the foundation of a believable relationship literally only over a phone — but it worked SO well!!! I felt their connection just as though they were standing in front of each other.
“Are you safe?” he asked.
The question with it’s implied concern bit into me… Tears burned my eyes. No one had worried about me. Not in a very long time…
“Yes.” My voice was gruff and thick. “I’m safe.”
“You sure?”
I got the sense that if I told him no, that I felt threatened or scared, he would do something about it. Arrive at that metal door to help me.
The temptation to trust him was not insignificant.
But the upside of their physical separation was that it allowed them, well especially her, the freedom to open up to each other in a way that they may never have otherwise done given both of their pasts. Without any physical strings to each other, they could also talk about their most erotic fantasies without any fear of judgment. And let me tell you, it was HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT!!! This is definitely a scorching romance so if you’ve been looking for something sexy and sizzling to read, definitely pick this book up!
The story is told in alternating POVs — hers is first person (and is the majority of the story), and his is third person (making him even more mysterious) and I found the transition between them smooth and very well done. Oh my gosh, this book is filled with amazing quotes! I have so many highlights!
What he heard in her voice told him everything he needed to know about her. That she was scared, but she was trying… In her voice he could hear every dark and forbidden thing she craved. And he wanted to give it to her. Everything she wanted and the things she didn’t know to want, yet.
How far would she go?
She wanted dark? He had all the dark. All of it. And he’d show her every midnight corner of it.
The pacing is really great — the story is always moving forward and there’s never a dull moment. There are twists and surprises, a great sense of community that is build with the supporting characters, a very strong and erotic connection between the main couple, and a really unique plot. I genuinely loved it!
Now, since this is a 2-book series, the number one question I’m being asked is whether this one has a cliffhanger. Technically, yes. But, if you ignore the very last two pages, then it’s more of a hopeful happy-for-now ending. I mean, let’s be honest, the last two pages were thrown in to hook readers into the next book. Like, obviouuuuusly no matter how bad it gets, the issue will be resolved and it’s external to the relationship so *shrug* since things were good between the hero and heroine at the end, I was fine with this ending even though technically it is a cliffhanger (but only because of the last two pages). Also, good news is that the sequel (and conclusion) will be out next month so it’s a very short wait between books!
All in all, I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for the next. It was sexy, mysterious, intriguing, exciting, thrilling, romantic, sweet, gritty, and addictive. Can't wait for the next!
“Hey.”
“You okay?”
I smiled at his familiar opener. “Why do you always ask that?”
“Because it’s the only thing that matters.”
Rating: 4.5 stars. Contemporary Adult romance.
2-book series.
_______________________________________
For more of my reviews, book news and updates:
✦ Main blog: Aestas Book Blog
✦ Facebook Blog Page
✦ Subscribe by email
October 17, 2023
5 Tell Me No Stars ⭐
On the run and travelling half way around the country, Annie McKay finds sanctuary at Flowered Manor Trailer Park and Camp Grounds. A place where dreams go to die. No longer the neglected daughter or battered wife, she will slowly learn that she is capable and deserving of so much more.
Scared and cautious, it goes against her nature to answer the ringing phone she finds discarded in her trailer. Annie learns that the phone belongs to Dylan who had tasked the previous tenant to watch somebody in the trailer park. Somehow an innocent conversation quickly escalates to frequent calls with a stranger that has her questioning her sanity.
"Are you safe?"
The question with its implied concern bit into me, sweeping away my laughter like someone taking his arm over a dinner table, sending plates crashing to the floor. Tears burned in my eyes. No one had worried about me. Not in a very long time.
Dylan is an enigma. You eventually learn he is a recluse that hides up on his mountain and is also starved for human contact. From the very first phone call, he is charmed by the faceless girl that exudes innocence that reels him in and turns him on. The possibility of these calls turning decadently sexual has them wound up.
"You can do it, baby," he breathed, when I was sobbing that I couldn’t take any more. I had three fingers in my pussy and my clit was on fire. He wouldn’t let me touch it.
"I want you to do it."
These two are guarding secrets. Hiding behind anonymity gives them a false sense of security as they don’t realize that their feelings are evolving. They are totally addicted. Everything I Left Unsaid was the perfect slow burn which had these two exploring their feelings through delicious foreplay over phone sex.
Completely original and mesmerizing, the sexual frustration leapt off the pages whilst this dodgy trailer park had unexpected healing qualities. Although both Annie and Dylan are scared to explore anything further, it is inevitable. This is book 1 in the duet and although they do meet, their future is left hanging in the balance.
On the run and travelling half way around the country, Annie McKay finds sanctuary at Flowered Manor Trailer Park and Camp Grounds. A place where dreams go to die. No longer the neglected daughter or battered wife, she will slowly learn that she is capable and deserving of so much more.
Scared and cautious, it goes against her nature to answer the ringing phone she finds discarded in her trailer. Annie learns that the phone belongs to Dylan who had tasked the previous tenant to watch somebody in the trailer park. Somehow an innocent conversation quickly escalates to frequent calls with a stranger that has her questioning her sanity.
"Are you safe?"
The question with its implied concern bit into me, sweeping away my laughter like someone taking his arm over a dinner table, sending plates crashing to the floor. Tears burned in my eyes. No one had worried about me. Not in a very long time.
Dylan is an enigma. You eventually learn he is a recluse that hides up on his mountain and is also starved for human contact. From the very first phone call, he is charmed by the faceless girl that exudes innocence that reels him in and turns him on. The possibility of these calls turning decadently sexual has them wound up.
"You can do it, baby," he breathed, when I was sobbing that I couldn’t take any more. I had three fingers in my pussy and my clit was on fire. He wouldn’t let me touch it.
"I want you to do it."
These two are guarding secrets. Hiding behind anonymity gives them a false sense of security as they don’t realize that their feelings are evolving. They are totally addicted. Everything I Left Unsaid was the perfect slow burn which had these two exploring their feelings through delicious foreplay over phone sex.
Completely original and mesmerizing, the sexual frustration leapt off the pages whilst this dodgy trailer park had unexpected healing qualities. Although both Annie and Dylan are scared to explore anything further, it is inevitable. This is book 1 in the duet and although they do meet, their future is left hanging in the balance.
October 14, 2015
~5 MIND BLOWN STARS~
Everything I Left Unsaid is like nothing I have EVER read. It has an impeccable blend of sexiness, mystery, action, intrigue, and romance all wrapped up into one power punch of a read! As I feel it is imperative for every reader to go into this one blind, I will avoid spoilers at all cost in this review.
"No one missed me. Or worried. Or wondered. I'd vanished and the world just kept spinning."
Annie is on the run and lands straight into a trailer park in the boonies of North Carolina. In order to escape her abusive husband, she has abandoned everything in order to survive. Moments after she has arrived in her new home (an RV trailer in the middle of a run down trailer park), she finds a phone. The phone rings and she meets Dylan.
"Daniels was the beast. He was the bad guy in the stories. Some other asshole could be the hero, save the day and get the girl."
Dylan is a recluse living in a mansion in the mountains. He has always had someone "watching" the old man living in the trailer park. When a new girl answers the phone, he realizes there is something different about her. Dylan has scars (both emotionally and physically) that have caused him to want to hide away from the world. Can Annie be the angel he needs to drag him out of his hell?
"The rules he was breaking were piling up around his feet like metal shavings, razor sharp and about to cut them both."
Honestly, this book was such a surprise. It was a bit of a slow starter for me because I was simply trying to gather my bearings. And yet, as the pieces began to fall into place, I could not put it down. With Dylan's guidance, Annie is discovering who she is. Dylan awakens Annie's sexual desires and once the temptation is awakened in her, she doesn't want to stop. The amount of passion and tension in this read is the driving force of the plot. It is silent but deadly throughout each beat of each moment. There are so many questions just desperately waiting to be answered. The secondary characters play a significant role in the story and thoroughly enhanced the plot. Of course, I was dying to know what happened to Dylan to make him 'the beast" that he has become? Who is the old man in the trailer park? Will Annie finally be free from the demons of her past? Is love really possible through so much pain? Told in dual POV, Ms. O'Keefe keeps the intrigue building and the tension doesn't stop. Not only is this a clever plot with well crafted execution but the sexy factor is off the charts. This book has something for everyone!
"Carefully, as if he were a live bomb, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I was struck with the very real fear that nothing was going to be enough with him. Not ever."
Overall, I cannot rave enough about this read. However, be forewarned, you will want to have the next book handy as this one ends in a huge cliffhanger! Thankfully, I was able to get the second book loaded on my kindle before I even finished this one. I highly recommend this read to anyone who enjoys a sexy romance story with action, suspense, and a story full of heart! I am so glad that I read this book and I cannot wait to read more from this author!
~ARC graciously provided via NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review!~
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
Everything I Left Unsaid is like nothing I have EVER read. It has an impeccable blend of sexiness, mystery, action, intrigue, and romance all wrapped up into one power punch of a read! As I feel it is imperative for every reader to go into this one blind, I will avoid spoilers at all cost in this review.
"No one missed me. Or worried. Or wondered. I'd vanished and the world just kept spinning."
Annie is on the run and lands straight into a trailer park in the boonies of North Carolina. In order to escape her abusive husband, she has abandoned everything in order to survive. Moments after she has arrived in her new home (an RV trailer in the middle of a run down trailer park), she finds a phone. The phone rings and she meets Dylan.
"Daniels was the beast. He was the bad guy in the stories. Some other asshole could be the hero, save the day and get the girl."
Dylan is a recluse living in a mansion in the mountains. He has always had someone "watching" the old man living in the trailer park. When a new girl answers the phone, he realizes there is something different about her. Dylan has scars (both emotionally and physically) that have caused him to want to hide away from the world. Can Annie be the angel he needs to drag him out of his hell?
"The rules he was breaking were piling up around his feet like metal shavings, razor sharp and about to cut them both."
Honestly, this book was such a surprise. It was a bit of a slow starter for me because I was simply trying to gather my bearings. And yet, as the pieces began to fall into place, I could not put it down. With Dylan's guidance, Annie is discovering who she is. Dylan awakens Annie's sexual desires and once the temptation is awakened in her, she doesn't want to stop. The amount of passion and tension in this read is the driving force of the plot. It is silent but deadly throughout each beat of each moment. There are so many questions just desperately waiting to be answered. The secondary characters play a significant role in the story and thoroughly enhanced the plot. Of course, I was dying to know what happened to Dylan to make him 'the beast" that he has become? Who is the old man in the trailer park? Will Annie finally be free from the demons of her past? Is love really possible through so much pain? Told in dual POV, Ms. O'Keefe keeps the intrigue building and the tension doesn't stop. Not only is this a clever plot with well crafted execution but the sexy factor is off the charts. This book has something for everyone!
"Carefully, as if he were a live bomb, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I was struck with the very real fear that nothing was going to be enough with him. Not ever."
Overall, I cannot rave enough about this read. However, be forewarned, you will want to have the next book handy as this one ends in a huge cliffhanger! Thankfully, I was able to get the second book loaded on my kindle before I even finished this one. I highly recommend this read to anyone who enjoys a sexy romance story with action, suspense, and a story full of heart! I am so glad that I read this book and I cannot wait to read more from this author!
~ARC graciously provided via NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review!~
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
September 30, 2015
4 Stars
How do you review a book where even the slightest detail can be a major spoiler? I've been struggling with writing this for days now because of this. I write something, then change my mind and delete it. Quite the conundrum I have myself here. If I can give you one piece of advice with this book? Go in absolutely blind. Don't read reviews. Any reviews. Even mine (though I will keep it absolutely spoiler free). But this is just one of those books where what makes it good is the not knowing. You guess a detail here and there but you just never know exactly where it will go.
Think a modern retelling of Beauty and The Beast, and yet not quite. This book was nothing I expected and yet I couldn't seem to put it down. The less you know going into it, the more you'd enjoy.
Annie is running. She's spent days on the road running from a past that still haunts her. Ending up in a trailer park and answering a stranger's cell phone left behind in her trailer irrevocably changes everything for her with the sound of his voice. Dylan is a mystery, and while they know nothing about each other and keep their dark secrets close to their vests, there's a draw they feel that's unquestionable. What begins is almost a dare of sorts, a sexually liberating experience for Annie who has only known a reserved life completely isolated from everything. Dylan feeds a sexual hunger in her that she never knew. But the secrets they both keep can cost them everything in the end.
This book was unlike anything I've read in a long while. It's super sexy even though the main characters spend a large part of the story not having met physically. That only serves to stoke a fire of chemistry that practically ignites every page by the end.
Dylan is a very compelling character though his past and even his present is clouded in mystery for most of the book. This is Annie's side of the story and you get it revealed to you piece by piece until the entire devastating puzzle is laid out before you. Annie is not the typical heroine I enjoy reading about. She's reserved, weak, a shell of a person that she could be due to her upbringing. Dylan feeds a darker hunger inside her that she never knew she had. And while I wanted to think that the things they do are almost out of character for her, it also oddly fit. I'm not even sure how to explain it.
The story itself was addictingly good, though clearly there's still much more to the puzzle yet to be revealed. The writing is compelling and captivating and draws you in from the very first chapter. Be advised that there's a hell of a cliffhanger at the end, but luckily book 2 is releasing just a short month after.
ARC courtesy of publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
For more reviews visit
How far would she go?
She wanted dark? He had all the dark. All of it. And he'd show her every midnight corner of it.
How do you review a book where even the slightest detail can be a major spoiler? I've been struggling with writing this for days now because of this. I write something, then change my mind and delete it. Quite the conundrum I have myself here. If I can give you one piece of advice with this book? Go in absolutely blind. Don't read reviews. Any reviews. Even mine (though I will keep it absolutely spoiler free). But this is just one of those books where what makes it good is the not knowing. You guess a detail here and there but you just never know exactly where it will go.
Think a modern retelling of Beauty and The Beast, and yet not quite. This book was nothing I expected and yet I couldn't seem to put it down. The less you know going into it, the more you'd enjoy.
Annie is running. She's spent days on the road running from a past that still haunts her. Ending up in a trailer park and answering a stranger's cell phone left behind in her trailer irrevocably changes everything for her with the sound of his voice. Dylan is a mystery, and while they know nothing about each other and keep their dark secrets close to their vests, there's a draw they feel that's unquestionable. What begins is almost a dare of sorts, a sexually liberating experience for Annie who has only known a reserved life completely isolated from everything. Dylan feeds a sexual hunger in her that she never knew. But the secrets they both keep can cost them everything in the end.
This book was unlike anything I've read in a long while. It's super sexy even though the main characters spend a large part of the story not having met physically. That only serves to stoke a fire of chemistry that practically ignites every page by the end.
Dylan is a very compelling character though his past and even his present is clouded in mystery for most of the book. This is Annie's side of the story and you get it revealed to you piece by piece until the entire devastating puzzle is laid out before you. Annie is not the typical heroine I enjoy reading about. She's reserved, weak, a shell of a person that she could be due to her upbringing. Dylan feeds a darker hunger inside her that she never knew she had. And while I wanted to think that the things they do are almost out of character for her, it also oddly fit. I'm not even sure how to explain it.
The story itself was addictingly good, though clearly there's still much more to the puzzle yet to be revealed. The writing is compelling and captivating and draws you in from the very first chapter. Be advised that there's a hell of a cliffhanger at the end, but luckily book 2 is releasing just a short month after.
ARC courtesy of publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
For more reviews visit
August 22, 2015
4.5 Stars
This new to me author delivered an entertaining, mysterious, and very hot story. Annie has chopped and dyed her hair and is hiding from her abusive husband in a trailer at the Flowered Manor Trailer Park and Camp Ground. To her surpise, she hears a cell phone ringing in the trailer with a ‘Dylan calling’ and her already complicated world just got even more complicated. Dylan asks her to spy on a resident named Ben without making contact. Dylan and Annie’s relationship slowly gets very sexual over the phone…
”Oh, fuck, baby. I don’t even care if this is some kind of game you’re playing. I’m in. Whatever it is, I’m so fucking in.”
Annie does manual labor around the trailer park as she gets to know her neighbors and yes that phone keeps ringing. Dylan slowly gets Annie to push her sexual boundaries daily and yes their relationship is yummy. Wish I would have found that damn phone first!
The story amps up when a dangerous biker shows at Ben’s door and Dylan steps into Annie’s life in the flesh. Both characters have being keeping some aspect of the truth from one another and so a lot of reveals are made and a lot of person to person contact as well.
”…we were the editors of our own selves, revealing only what we wanted to show. Being only what severed us best.
Trust was an enormous act of faith.
And faith… God, faith was hard.
Who was Ben? Really. Who was I? And who the fuck was Dylan?”.
The action, sex, and mystery is all highly entertaining and the author does gift dual povs as well as a cliffhanger ending. I would recommend checking this story out, the writing was great and I’m looking forward to book two.
”Yes. I will always have you.”
Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
This new to me author delivered an entertaining, mysterious, and very hot story. Annie has chopped and dyed her hair and is hiding from her abusive husband in a trailer at the Flowered Manor Trailer Park and Camp Ground. To her surpise, she hears a cell phone ringing in the trailer with a ‘Dylan calling’ and her already complicated world just got even more complicated. Dylan asks her to spy on a resident named Ben without making contact. Dylan and Annie’s relationship slowly gets very sexual over the phone…
”Oh, fuck, baby. I don’t even care if this is some kind of game you’re playing. I’m in. Whatever it is, I’m so fucking in.”
Annie does manual labor around the trailer park as she gets to know her neighbors and yes that phone keeps ringing. Dylan slowly gets Annie to push her sexual boundaries daily and yes their relationship is yummy. Wish I would have found that damn phone first!
The story amps up when a dangerous biker shows at Ben’s door and Dylan steps into Annie’s life in the flesh. Both characters have being keeping some aspect of the truth from one another and so a lot of reveals are made and a lot of person to person contact as well.
”…we were the editors of our own selves, revealing only what we wanted to show. Being only what severed us best.
Trust was an enormous act of faith.
And faith… God, faith was hard.
Who was Ben? Really. Who was I? And who the fuck was Dylan?”.
The action, sex, and mystery is all highly entertaining and the author does gift dual povs as well as a cliffhanger ending. I would recommend checking this story out, the writing was great and I’m looking forward to book two.
”Yes. I will always have you.”
Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
October 10, 2015
4.5 "Layla" STARS
This is one of those books that are best to be experienced first-hand. I don’t include spoilers in my reviews but even if I did, my review just won’t accurately capture the undercurrent of emotions: longing, loneliness, shame, dread, anger, hope or lust that runs so beautifully through the words on the page.
This story was a total and utter surprise. I didn't know what to expect and Ms. O'Keefe delivered a really awesome, original story. This is a story about Annie McKay and Dylan Daniels.
Two people who are worlds apart yet so close together. Two people who have secrets and lies between them but also an undeniable connection.
“I wanted to feel my body from the inside out, in a way I never had before.”
"He could hold me or tear me apart - with one hand."
To say this was HOT would be an understatement. While this may be really hard to believe, even though Annie and Dylan don’t lay eyes on each other until about three quarters of the way into the book, every moment or encounter between these two is rife with sexual tension, longing and raw need.
Their story is titillating, sexy, mysterious and with shadows of darkness and danger.
"Truthfully, he would break every rule he had, every promise he'd ever made, and go to all the trouble in the world for this girl and she has no idea. None."
I don’t know why I haven’t read Molly O’Keefe before now. She’s a great writer and this is a great story. I have to see what else she’s written. This story does end with one hell of a cliffhanger but thank goodness that I have the next book, I need to know what happens. I highly recommend this book to those of you who love romance, want to be surprised and enjoy sizzling attraction and taunts and teases that make you squirm with pleasure!
Like I said before, the writing is beautiful and the imagery created with the words...in addition to the quotes above, here are more of my fave quotes:
"Their secrets were making a mess of them; all their sharp, jagged edges were out, waiting to hurt each other."
"And he was going to smear her with all the filth on his hands. He was going to get it all over her."
“The rules he was breaking were piling up around his feet like metal shavings, razor sharp and about to cut the both of them.”
***An advance reading copy was provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.***
For more reviews and blog posts.
This is one of those books that are best to be experienced first-hand. I don’t include spoilers in my reviews but even if I did, my review just won’t accurately capture the undercurrent of emotions: longing, loneliness, shame, dread, anger, hope or lust that runs so beautifully through the words on the page.
This story was a total and utter surprise. I didn't know what to expect and Ms. O'Keefe delivered a really awesome, original story. This is a story about Annie McKay and Dylan Daniels.
Two people who are worlds apart yet so close together. Two people who have secrets and lies between them but also an undeniable connection.
“I wanted to feel my body from the inside out, in a way I never had before.”
"He could hold me or tear me apart - with one hand."
To say this was HOT would be an understatement. While this may be really hard to believe, even though Annie and Dylan don’t lay eyes on each other until about three quarters of the way into the book, every moment or encounter between these two is rife with sexual tension, longing and raw need.
Their story is titillating, sexy, mysterious and with shadows of darkness and danger.
"Truthfully, he would break every rule he had, every promise he'd ever made, and go to all the trouble in the world for this girl and she has no idea. None."
I don’t know why I haven’t read Molly O’Keefe before now. She’s a great writer and this is a great story. I have to see what else she’s written. This story does end with one hell of a cliffhanger but thank goodness that I have the next book, I need to know what happens. I highly recommend this book to those of you who love romance, want to be surprised and enjoy sizzling attraction and taunts and teases that make you squirm with pleasure!
Like I said before, the writing is beautiful and the imagery created with the words...in addition to the quotes above, here are more of my fave quotes:
"Their secrets were making a mess of them; all their sharp, jagged edges were out, waiting to hurt each other."
"And he was going to smear her with all the filth on his hands. He was going to get it all over her."
“The rules he was breaking were piling up around his feet like metal shavings, razor sharp and about to cut the both of them.”
***An advance reading copy was provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.***
For more reviews and blog posts.
Want to read
December 22, 2015
Place holder: Burning a hole on my Kindle. Reading ASAP.
Book 1 in duet.
Amazon: http://goo.gl/zUTb2U
BLURB:
I didn’t think answering someone else’s cellphone would change my life. But the stranger with the low, deep voice on the other end of the line tempted me, awakened my body, set me on fire. He was looking for someone else. Instead he found me.
And I found a hot, secret world where I felt alive for the first time.
His name was Dylan, and, strangely, he made me feel safe. Desired. Compelled. Every dark thing he asked me to do, I did. Without question. I longed to meet him, but we were both keeping secrets. And mine were dangerous. If I took the first step, if I got closer to Dylan—emotionally, physically—then I wouldn’t be hiding anymore. I would be exposed, with nothing left to surrender but the truth. And my truth could hurt us both.
October 16, 2015
4.25 Smoking-Hot Phone Sex Stars!
Everything I Left Unsaid is my first reading experience with Molly O'Keefe. Not sure how I've missed this writer as her style captured me right from page one. I'm also very glad I can dive into the sequel to this story as I'm 100% invested.
Annie McKay is a woman on the run. Running from an abusive, controlling husband, she lands herself as far from someplace memorable on any given map of North Carolina- a dilapidated trailer park named The Flowered Manor. Taking up residence in a converted old RV, Annie finally feels a semblance of safety in hiding. Peace.
***ring ring***
Annie finds a cellular phone tucked into the couch cushions...the previous tenant must've left it. Curiosity be damned, she answers it. A deep, masculine voice is on the line. Not looking for her, but offers her a "job" watching over the tenant two trailers down for a little cash. She can do that. She does need to eat. And so their
Dylan Daniels lives a life of solitude up on the mountain he owns. Buried beneath his secrets, he finds his daily texts and chats with this woman something to look forward to each day. Sure he's lonely but this woman draws him...she's so meek, almost scared, and he wants to break her out of her shell.
The gradual evolution of Dylan and Annie's relationship felt perfect- not rushed yet this semblance of safety from just chatting through an anonymous cell phone line breaks down Annie's walls of protection. She's attracted to his voice, turned on by his grumbles and groins. This is a first. Living the past four years with an abusive husband that doesn't care about her whatsoever (in the bedroom or out) makes her cognizant of just how sexually repressed she is. A little flirting, phone sex never hurt. And her newest library book, Fifty Shades of Grey is moving her libido right along. What happens behind closed trailer doors....
Annie doesn't bank on her newfound sexual energy and attraction to this enigma on the other line. It's building new life experiences both within her trailer and without. He challenges her...and she accepts. Even if it's skinny dipping in the water hole alone or eating dessert for breakfast. But with this newfound independence, Annie finds she wants more...she wants Dylan. To see, and to feel Dylan. But with that, she's terrified. The walls of safety she's constructed must come down. And is he even interested?
Molly O'Keefe constructs a story here that spreads beyond this H/h. She builds a community within that run-down trailer park. A community of folks that have their own personal hardships, struggles financially, family drama, their pasts, secrets- but it's a community nonetheless. In some respects they keep to themselves but deep down you know when push comes to shove, everyone has each other's back. I loved that "community" aspect of this story. It takes a village and all that jazz...
I'm wholeheartedly invested in this love story of two very scarred people, hiding from their pasts, secrets, even their "presents," yet they find each other nonetheless. It's sexy, suspenseful, and the last half had me feverishly turning the pages for the incoming sh*tstorm I just knew was on the horizon. Will this community come together in the end for Annie? I sure as heck hope so.
Moving on...
Advanced copy received by Random House via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
October 17, 2015
5 STARS
"You are wild now,too.And brave.What else do you want to be?"
"I want to be with you."
I loved it so much,this is amazing!I was mesmerized and hooked from the first moment!I just knew that I will love this book from the moment I read the synopsis!This story intrigued me a lot because it's like nothing I have read before!It's captivating,original and unique.I loved the mystery around the story and the plot was fantastic,generally I loved every part of this book,and I didn't want to finish!!
Can a phone call change your life? This is exactly what happened with Annie and Dylan!
Annie is on the run from her abused husband.She finds a place to stay in a trailer park.Moments after she has arrived in her new home she finds a phone. The phone rings and she meets Dylan....When a new girl answers the phone Dylan realizes there is something different about her.And like that they start spending time talking in the phone. They are two people who have secrets and lies between them because they are afraid to tell the truth about who they are...They are two people who are from different worlds but somehow they are close to each other..
"But this fucking hunger they had for each other kept them here,locked together in this tragedy."
Like I said in the beginning this story is so different from what I have read and this why I feel so in love with the story!I seriously couldn't put it down!Whatever new I learn about Dylan and Annie makes the story even more interesting!
I feel so emotional for both characters, they have become one of my favorite couples!They are passionate,intense,erotic and so hot together!And when I say hot I mean it!!Their moments together is one of the hottest moments I have read in a book!!I loved Annie,she is a sweet girl.I loved the fact that Dylan changes her in a good way!He awakens feelings that she never knew about!Dylan..*sigh* he is a mystery....OMG he is so hot!But I don't want to give anything else for his character because it's better to read it and find out about him...But you only need to know that I'm in love with him!
After finishing this brilliant story I want so bad to read the second book because I need some answers!If you are looking for something unique and different then you should definitely check this book!!
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
"You are wild now,too.And brave.What else do you want to be?"
"I want to be with you."
I loved it so much,this is amazing!I was mesmerized and hooked from the first moment!I just knew that I will love this book from the moment I read the synopsis!This story intrigued me a lot because it's like nothing I have read before!It's captivating,original and unique.I loved the mystery around the story and the plot was fantastic,generally I loved every part of this book,and I didn't want to finish!!
Can a phone call change your life? This is exactly what happened with Annie and Dylan!
Annie is on the run from her abused husband.She finds a place to stay in a trailer park.Moments after she has arrived in her new home she finds a phone. The phone rings and she meets Dylan....When a new girl answers the phone Dylan realizes there is something different about her.And like that they start spending time talking in the phone. They are two people who have secrets and lies between them because they are afraid to tell the truth about who they are...They are two people who are from different worlds but somehow they are close to each other..
"But this fucking hunger they had for each other kept them here,locked together in this tragedy."
Like I said in the beginning this story is so different from what I have read and this why I feel so in love with the story!I seriously couldn't put it down!Whatever new I learn about Dylan and Annie makes the story even more interesting!
I feel so emotional for both characters, they have become one of my favorite couples!They are passionate,intense,erotic and so hot together!And when I say hot I mean it!!Their moments together is one of the hottest moments I have read in a book!!I loved Annie,she is a sweet girl.I loved the fact that Dylan changes her in a good way!He awakens feelings that she never knew about!Dylan..*sigh* he is a mystery....OMG he is so hot!But I don't want to give anything else for his character because it's better to read it and find out about him...But you only need to know that I'm in love with him!
After finishing this brilliant story I want so bad to read the second book because I need some answers!If you are looking for something unique and different then you should definitely check this book!!
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 12, 2015
3.5 Stars
Abused wife, Annie hits the road, and that road leads her to the Flowered Manor Trailer Park. Not the most savory of places, but within her new rundown trailer, she finally feels safe. In her new home, the ringing of an abandon cell phone spikes a curiosity she can't deny, she answers. And that one call changes everything.
"In her voice he could hear every dark and forbidden thing she craved. And he wanted to give it to her."
Everything I Left Unsaid was a unique read, the plot was original, suspenseful, and sexy. My favorite thing about this one was the secondary characters, Ben and Joan were a wonderful addition. So while I enjoyed Dylan and Annie, I felt something was missing, there was a lot of steam, but I don't feel like I know enough about them, personally...That said, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.
Abused wife, Annie hits the road, and that road leads her to the Flowered Manor Trailer Park. Not the most savory of places, but within her new rundown trailer, she finally feels safe. In her new home, the ringing of an abandon cell phone spikes a curiosity she can't deny, she answers. And that one call changes everything.
"In her voice he could hear every dark and forbidden thing she craved. And he wanted to give it to her."
Everything I Left Unsaid was a unique read, the plot was original, suspenseful, and sexy. My favorite thing about this one was the secondary characters, Ben and Joan were a wonderful addition. So while I enjoyed Dylan and Annie, I felt something was missing, there was a lot of steam, but I don't feel like I know enough about them, personally...That said, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.
September 21, 2015
4 "What are you scared of?" stars
" 'You are safe. I won't hurt you, Annie.'
I think I'm already hurt, I think I'm bleeding and don't even know it."
I've never read anything by this author but when a fellow booklover pointed it out on Netgalley, I decided to try something new. And I don't regret it. This book is nothing I expected it to be and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.
Annie has fled her farm home in Oklahoma and has taken refuge in a trailer park in the middle of nowhere. Annie left because she believed her abusive husband was close to killing her and she left to survive. Upon moving into the trailer, Annie finds a ringing cell phone and answers it. On the other end is the mysterious Dylan who knew the previous tenant. Even through the phone the two feel a connection with the other, and one phone call turns into a series of texts and more phone calls. Both of them have secrets and walls and it's up to each other to break those walls down.
In an overly saturated market of typical new adult stories, this one stands out among the others. It's about two people who do not know each other forming a connection, both are lonely and don't know how to ask for help. Annie is scared of her husband and Dylan has isolated himself because of his past and his family. The two of them find a wonderful escape in the other but know a realistic relationship is not possible.
People are not what they seem and secrets are the most prevalent themes in this book. Annie often reflects back to how her mother appeared in front of other people, but was really a nutjob behind closed doors. Her husband Hoyt had seemed like a nice guy but ended up horribly abusing her. Ben the old man in the trailer park seemed like a nice old guy, but has a dark past. Even Joan the stripper next door neighbor has some secrets.
I do feel like in this first book we really brushed over the main characters. By that I mean a lot of time was spent on developing their chemistry and not enough on them personally. For example I would really like to know the story of Dylan's past, it's such a huge part of him and it was somewhat skimmed over. Same with Annie, her husband and what he did was mentioned but there was no plan to move further than escaping.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and will happily continue to read more by this author. I will warn you all though, this book ends on a cliffhanger (that I saw coming but it was still good). Luckily the release dates show the second book will be released soon after the first. So no long wait time. Yay!
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
" 'You are safe. I won't hurt you, Annie.'
I think I'm already hurt, I think I'm bleeding and don't even know it."
I've never read anything by this author but when a fellow booklover pointed it out on Netgalley, I decided to try something new. And I don't regret it. This book is nothing I expected it to be and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.
Annie has fled her farm home in Oklahoma and has taken refuge in a trailer park in the middle of nowhere. Annie left because she believed her abusive husband was close to killing her and she left to survive. Upon moving into the trailer, Annie finds a ringing cell phone and answers it. On the other end is the mysterious Dylan who knew the previous tenant. Even through the phone the two feel a connection with the other, and one phone call turns into a series of texts and more phone calls. Both of them have secrets and walls and it's up to each other to break those walls down.
In an overly saturated market of typical new adult stories, this one stands out among the others. It's about two people who do not know each other forming a connection, both are lonely and don't know how to ask for help. Annie is scared of her husband and Dylan has isolated himself because of his past and his family. The two of them find a wonderful escape in the other but know a realistic relationship is not possible.
People are not what they seem and secrets are the most prevalent themes in this book. Annie often reflects back to how her mother appeared in front of other people, but was really a nutjob behind closed doors. Her husband Hoyt had seemed like a nice guy but ended up horribly abusing her. Ben the old man in the trailer park seemed like a nice old guy, but has a dark past. Even Joan the stripper next door neighbor has some secrets.
I do feel like in this first book we really brushed over the main characters. By that I mean a lot of time was spent on developing their chemistry and not enough on them personally. For example I would really like to know the story of Dylan's past, it's such a huge part of him and it was somewhat skimmed over. Same with Annie, her husband and what he did was mentioned but there was no plan to move further than escaping.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and will happily continue to read more by this author. I will warn you all though, this book ends on a cliffhanger (that I saw coming but it was still good). Luckily the release dates show the second book will be released soon after the first. So no long wait time. Yay!
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 24, 2015
There is a LOT of love for this book out there among early reviewers, and I have to say, much of that is warranted. I think if you are looking for a well written book that is about a woman's sexual exploration after a horrible relationship, this book will suit you very nicely. However, for me, I was looking for so much more- more relationship development, more REAL feelings, a more believable story- and I don't think that was what I got.
The main plot of the story is a woman on the run meets reclusive, rich man, who is also damaged in his own way. While I really liked the fact that Annie was coming into her own, I really didn't buy the whole jump to a deeply sexual relationship with a stranger. From someone with that level of repression to trust someone else so easily with a part of herself that she has never explored, it just didn't read as believable.
Annie was also a bit of a mess of a character. She was so contradictory; bold but shy, blushingly naïve but also a temptress, and I can't help be reminded of many of the "good girl" typical main characters that I've seen over and over again. I didn't find her sexual exploration to be very interesting, and unfortunately that was a main part of the relationship development between her and Dylan.
Dylan... also sort of a mixed bag. I wasn't sure exactly what it was about Annie that he loved so much, other than her inexperience and the fact that they had lots and lots of phone sex. They both had a very surface understanding of each other, and I prefer something deeper than insta-love/insta-connection. I like my relationships in my books to develop slowly over time, with real experiences and real knowledge driving the intimacy. I don't feel like I got that here.
What I did like about the book was the writing. Woah, this author can write a super engrossing tale. I was very impressed with her ability to create atmosphere and draw me into a book that was less than perfect. This author's way with words is something to be admired; she is no amateur. I actually really enjoyed the secondary characters as well, and I could have had the entire story take place in that trailer park, learning more about the rocky and difficult lives of its other inhabitants.
It was hard for me to rate this book because, on one hand, I couldn't put it down, and I think this author is talented. However, at the same time, I didn't like many things about it. I didn't like the mega cliffhanger ending that seemed to come on artificially and with no reason for the conflict, and I didn't like the forced connection between the MCs. Overall, I think this book will be a huge hit with many people, but I don't think I care enough to move on to the second in the series.
**Copy provided in exchange for an honest review**
The main plot of the story is a woman on the run meets reclusive, rich man, who is also damaged in his own way. While I really liked the fact that Annie was coming into her own, I really didn't buy the whole jump to a deeply sexual relationship with a stranger. From someone with that level of repression to trust someone else so easily with a part of herself that she has never explored, it just didn't read as believable.
Annie was also a bit of a mess of a character. She was so contradictory; bold but shy, blushingly naïve but also a temptress, and I can't help be reminded of many of the "good girl" typical main characters that I've seen over and over again. I didn't find her sexual exploration to be very interesting, and unfortunately that was a main part of the relationship development between her and Dylan.
Dylan... also sort of a mixed bag. I wasn't sure exactly what it was about Annie that he loved so much, other than her inexperience and the fact that they had lots and lots of phone sex. They both had a very surface understanding of each other, and I prefer something deeper than insta-love/insta-connection. I like my relationships in my books to develop slowly over time, with real experiences and real knowledge driving the intimacy. I don't feel like I got that here.
What I did like about the book was the writing. Woah, this author can write a super engrossing tale. I was very impressed with her ability to create atmosphere and draw me into a book that was less than perfect. This author's way with words is something to be admired; she is no amateur. I actually really enjoyed the secondary characters as well, and I could have had the entire story take place in that trailer park, learning more about the rocky and difficult lives of its other inhabitants.
It was hard for me to rate this book because, on one hand, I couldn't put it down, and I think this author is talented. However, at the same time, I didn't like many things about it. I didn't like the mega cliffhanger ending that seemed to come on artificially and with no reason for the conflict, and I didn't like the forced connection between the MCs. Overall, I think this book will be a huge hit with many people, but I don't think I care enough to move on to the second in the series.
**Copy provided in exchange for an honest review**
August 11, 2015
4.5 stars Wow, this was fantastic! Review to come. Big cliffie, so I'm grateful I already have book two.
October 26, 2015
♦ 10/26/15 ~ If you sign up for her newsletter, she will send you exclusive flashbacks from Dylan's childhood for the next four weeks! Here's the link:
http://www.molly-okeefe.com/
Annie's on the run and ends up at a trailer park called Flowered Manor Trailer Park, of all things. As soon as she gets in her trailer, a phone rings. Once she finds ~and answers~ it, she's drawn to the caller...and his voice. It tempts her, seduces her and she wants more. And the caller? Mysteriously, he knows exactly what to give her and that makes him want to give her more.
Okay, a little farfetched but it was something different and I decided to see where it would go.
And obviously, that would mean phone sex! But not exactly the kind we're used to. This is a little more intimate and a lot less selfish. Annie wants to explore her wild side and Dylan gives it to her. And let me tell you, it is HOT!
However, the only connection these two have is by their {almost} nightly phone calls. The rest of the time, Annie is a regular person trying to get her life on track and making friends in the trailer park. And boy, those friends are some interesting characters!
Dylan, well, he is mysterious. He works on engines and lives on a mountain and has all kinds of secrets. Little by little, we get to know more about him but it takes a while.
A couple of problems that I had was that I was drawn to the book because the blurb said "Fans of Jodi Ellen Malpas, K. Bromberg, and Joanna Wylde will be unable to resist this..." I love Jodi Ellen Malpas and I just don't see the connection and as far as Joanna Wylde goes, well, there is a motorcycle gang so maybe that's the connection? And I haven't read K. Bromberg so I have no idea there.
The second thing is that the couple don't meet till about the sixty-five % mark. That's a long time but...there is a reason and knowing there's another book makes it somewhat understandable. Still it was a long time to wait.
There's a huge drama and then just when I thought the book would be tying up nicely for the next book, BAM! There's a huge blowout and the cliffy is a doozy. Thank goodness, M.O. included the first chapter of the next book. And it's even crazy! I almost wish she didn't include it. ;)
The next book is The Truth About Him and it's coming out November 24, 2015. I can't wait to find out what happens!
Favorite quote:
♥ "Yes. I will always have you."
http://www.molly-okeefe.com/
Annie's on the run and ends up at a trailer park called Flowered Manor Trailer Park, of all things. As soon as she gets in her trailer, a phone rings. Once she finds ~and answers~ it, she's drawn to the caller...and his voice. It tempts her, seduces her and she wants more. And the caller? Mysteriously, he knows exactly what to give her and that makes him want to give her more.
Okay, a little farfetched but it was something different and I decided to see where it would go.
And obviously, that would mean phone sex! But not exactly the kind we're used to. This is a little more intimate and a lot less selfish. Annie wants to explore her wild side and Dylan gives it to her. And let me tell you, it is HOT!
However, the only connection these two have is by their {almost} nightly phone calls. The rest of the time, Annie is a regular person trying to get her life on track and making friends in the trailer park. And boy, those friends are some interesting characters!
Dylan, well, he is mysterious. He works on engines and lives on a mountain and has all kinds of secrets. Little by little, we get to know more about him but it takes a while.
A couple of problems that I had was that I was drawn to the book because the blurb said "Fans of Jodi Ellen Malpas, K. Bromberg, and Joanna Wylde will be unable to resist this..." I love Jodi Ellen Malpas and I just don't see the connection and as far as Joanna Wylde goes, well, there is a motorcycle gang so maybe that's the connection? And I haven't read K. Bromberg so I have no idea there.
The second thing is that the couple don't meet till about the sixty-five % mark. That's a long time but...there is a reason and knowing there's another book makes it somewhat understandable. Still it was a long time to wait.
There's a huge drama and then just when I thought the book would be tying up nicely for the next book, BAM! There's a huge blowout and the cliffy is a doozy. Thank goodness, M.O. included the first chapter of the next book. And it's even crazy! I almost wish she didn't include it. ;)
The next book is The Truth About Him and it's coming out November 24, 2015. I can't wait to find out what happens!
Favorite quote:
♥ "Yes. I will always have you."
October 10, 2015
This book came at exactly the right time for me. I was looking for something different without it being too out there and I got my wish. Everything I Left Unsaid is a thoughtful, provocative story of a young woman running from her abusive husband and straight into the arms of a mysterious, scarred man whose secrets could hurt those around him.
When Annie answered a mysterious cell phone she found inside her newly rented trailer, she had no idea what she was in for. The owner of the voice Dylan Daniels convinced her to spy on her neighbor for him since that was what the previous owner of the cell phone did before Annie found it. Curious and intrigued, she agreed. This was to be start of her relationship with Dylan.
I loved how their "relationship" evolved. It was totally unique and intriguing. And very, very hot and titillating. Phone sex has never been this hot. I'm not even kidding. By the time the sexual tension was already through the roof.
Much like Annie, I was intrigued and curious about Dylan Daniels and his connection to the man he wanted Annie to spy on. Although I gotta say that their relationship was quite obvious to the reader from the get go, it still doesn't negate the mystery and the intrigue surrounding their relationship.
Then there's Annie and Dylan's relationship. Prior to leaving her abusive husband, Annie was very sheltered. Her back story was quite intriguing and while readers know why she ran early on, the author did a great job with exposing the many facets of Annie's old life. Although, she does come off as Mary Sue-ish at times, I loved her strength and bravery. Aside from Annie's POV, we also get inside Dylan's head, which was fantastic because we get to read his inner turmoil. He's such an interesting hero. He's definitely has a lot of baggage and I hope the next book delves deeper into his back story.
There's so much more to this book than just sex. There's a story here and each of the characters are so well drawn that it made the story fuller and more enjoyable. So I highly recommend this one.
A word of warning though. This ends on a cliffhanger. A huge one.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When Annie answered a mysterious cell phone she found inside her newly rented trailer, she had no idea what she was in for. The owner of the voice Dylan Daniels convinced her to spy on her neighbor for him since that was what the previous owner of the cell phone did before Annie found it. Curious and intrigued, she agreed. This was to be start of her relationship with Dylan.
I loved how their "relationship" evolved. It was totally unique and intriguing. And very, very hot and titillating. Phone sex has never been this hot. I'm not even kidding. By the time the sexual tension was already through the roof.
Much like Annie, I was intrigued and curious about Dylan Daniels and his connection to the man he wanted Annie to spy on. Although I gotta say that their relationship was quite obvious to the reader from the get go, it still doesn't negate the mystery and the intrigue surrounding their relationship.
Then there's Annie and Dylan's relationship. Prior to leaving her abusive husband, Annie was very sheltered. Her back story was quite intriguing and while readers know why she ran early on, the author did a great job with exposing the many facets of Annie's old life. Although, she does come off as Mary Sue-ish at times, I loved her strength and bravery. Aside from Annie's POV, we also get inside Dylan's head, which was fantastic because we get to read his inner turmoil. He's such an interesting hero. He's definitely has a lot of baggage and I hope the next book delves deeper into his back story.
There's so much more to this book than just sex. There's a story here and each of the characters are so well drawn that it made the story fuller and more enjoyable. So I highly recommend this one.
A word of warning though. This ends on a cliffhanger. A huge one.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Read
March 17, 2016March 16 UPDATE!!!
Everything I Left Unsaid has been awarded the Reviewers Choice Award for the Best Erotica of the Year by RT Magazine!
http://amzn.to/1M9cCA0
JAN 3 UPDATE!!!!
EVERYTHING I LEFT UNSAID is on sale across all major retailers! 1.99 in the States! 2.49 in Canada!
Hey! So this is the first book in a 2 book series! This book DOES END ON A CLIFFHANGER! A doozy of one! But the second book THE TRUTH ABOUT HIM is out one month later.
While writing this book I called it The Phone Sex Book. The Phone Sex With Tom Hardy Book (the hero is inspired by Tom Hardy - specifically those lips!) It's more erotic than my other releases - so be warned (or get excited? Your call.)
Between EVERYTHING I LEFT UNSAID and THE TRUTH ABOUT HIM I will be sending out exclusive content - flashbacks in Dylan's POV in my newsletter. So sign up at www.molly-okeefe.com to get the goods.
Happy reading everyone!!
Everything I Left Unsaid has been awarded the Reviewers Choice Award for the Best Erotica of the Year by RT Magazine!
http://amzn.to/1M9cCA0
JAN 3 UPDATE!!!!
EVERYTHING I LEFT UNSAID is on sale across all major retailers! 1.99 in the States! 2.49 in Canada!
Hey! So this is the first book in a 2 book series! This book DOES END ON A CLIFFHANGER! A doozy of one! But the second book THE TRUTH ABOUT HIM is out one month later.
While writing this book I called it The Phone Sex Book. The Phone Sex With Tom Hardy Book (the hero is inspired by Tom Hardy - specifically those lips!) It's more erotic than my other releases - so be warned (or get excited? Your call.)
Between EVERYTHING I LEFT UNSAID and THE TRUTH ABOUT HIM I will be sending out exclusive content - flashbacks in Dylan's POV in my newsletter. So sign up at www.molly-okeefe.com to get the goods.
Happy reading everyone!!
October 10, 2015
Originally posted on the The Book Nympho
The story is told from the first person point of view of Annie McKay, a young woman who is obviously hiding out from something or someone. She's living in a camping trailer in a rundown trailer park near Cherokee, North Carolina. Her personal circumstances are revealed slowly through conversations she has with a man she only knows as Dylan who was the voice on the other end of a cell phone that was left in the camper by the previous renter. We also get Dylan's perspective in a third person narrative making this an intriguing exploration of two very compelling characters.
I loved this incredibly complex and compelling story of two people drawn to each other by chance. Through their conversations, we learn more than just the essential details about them as their anonymity seems to give them license to open up and expose their vulnerabilities in a unique way. Their individual tragedies isolated them from the rest of the world but connected them to each other inexplicably. Their phone interactions were sexy and erotic, strengthening them over time.
There were times when I couldn't understand either character but ultimately it all began to make sense. I became so emotionally invested in them individually and as a couple. The story was riveting, exciting, frustrating and oddly romantic. It took me days to stop thinking about them.
The book ends with a frightening cliffhanger (we were forewarned by the author) so make certain you have the next book queued to begin immediately after this one. Annie and Dylan's relationship is unlike any other I've read, a good thing. While this is Annie's story to tell, I thought it brilliant to weave in Dylan's perspective. The contrasts added complicating layers, which deeply immersed me into the story. Loved it!
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
The story is told from the first person point of view of Annie McKay, a young woman who is obviously hiding out from something or someone. She's living in a camping trailer in a rundown trailer park near Cherokee, North Carolina. Her personal circumstances are revealed slowly through conversations she has with a man she only knows as Dylan who was the voice on the other end of a cell phone that was left in the camper by the previous renter. We also get Dylan's perspective in a third person narrative making this an intriguing exploration of two very compelling characters.
I loved this incredibly complex and compelling story of two people drawn to each other by chance. Through their conversations, we learn more than just the essential details about them as their anonymity seems to give them license to open up and expose their vulnerabilities in a unique way. Their individual tragedies isolated them from the rest of the world but connected them to each other inexplicably. Their phone interactions were sexy and erotic, strengthening them over time.
There were times when I couldn't understand either character but ultimately it all began to make sense. I became so emotionally invested in them individually and as a couple. The story was riveting, exciting, frustrating and oddly romantic. It took me days to stop thinking about them.
The book ends with a frightening cliffhanger (we were forewarned by the author) so make certain you have the next book queued to begin immediately after this one. Annie and Dylan's relationship is unlike any other I've read, a good thing. While this is Annie's story to tell, I thought it brilliant to weave in Dylan's perspective. The contrasts added complicating layers, which deeply immersed me into the story. Loved it!
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
September 6, 2023
4⭐
Genre ~ erotic romance
Series ~ Everything I Left Unsaid #1
Others in the series ~ The Truth About Him
Setting ~ North Carolina
Publication date ~ October 13, 2015
Page Count ~ 318
Audio length ~ 11 hours 2 minutes
Narrators ~ Joe Arden, Maxine Mitchell
POV ~ single 1st & 3rd
Featuring ~ 2 part story, escape from an abusive marriage, infidelity, steamage, cliffhanger
Annie & Dylan
Annie left her abusive husband behind to start fresh. She's cleaning a house when she comes across a ringing phone that says Dylan is calling, so she answers it. Thus sets forth a phone relationship for a good portion of the book. They have a bunch of phone sex before they actually meet.
Annie's POV is in the 1st and Dylan's in the 3rd. I really liked how they took their time to get to know each other on the phone before meeting.
There's a crazy cliffhanger, so make sure you have book 2 ready if you decide to read this one.
Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference. Although I bet it wouldn't be terrible since Joe is easy on the ears.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
Genre ~ erotic romance
Series ~ Everything I Left Unsaid #1
Others in the series ~ The Truth About Him
Setting ~ North Carolina
Publication date ~ October 13, 2015
Page Count ~ 318
Audio length ~ 11 hours 2 minutes
Narrators ~ Joe Arden, Maxine Mitchell
POV ~ single 1st & 3rd
Featuring ~ 2 part story, escape from an abusive marriage, infidelity, steamage, cliffhanger
Annie & Dylan
Annie left her abusive husband behind to start fresh. She's cleaning a house when she comes across a ringing phone that says Dylan is calling, so she answers it. Thus sets forth a phone relationship for a good portion of the book. They have a bunch of phone sex before they actually meet.
Annie's POV is in the 1st and Dylan's in the 3rd. I really liked how they took their time to get to know each other on the phone before meeting.
There's a crazy cliffhanger, so make sure you have book 2 ready if you decide to read this one.
Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference. Although I bet it wouldn't be terrible since Joe is easy on the ears.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
March 27, 2017
It was different (which is not easy to find) and sensational book, which draws me from the first to the last page. Intriguing, captivating, cliff, but fortunately next book early as next month!
About the plot: Annie McKay is on the run. She runs away from the place where she lived her whole life. The only place she know. She ends up in a trailer of distant mountains in North Carolina. She believes that her biggest fear not reach her there.
Then in her new home she finds a ringing phone. Hoping to overcome her demons, she decides to pick it up, but does not expect, that at the other side is someone who will change her life. And someone who has his own demons.
Final thoughts: Very unusual and unique storyline. Perhaps there are similar stories, but this is told in a very good way. The author is creating a mystery which with each another page show a little more. Gradually we got another puzzle of the story that does not even end with that part.
Add to it a very complex characters. The whole mystery about him and her is quite engaging. You are just reading because you want to know what hides behind them. In the course of reading you are getting closer to answers, and more and more you like and you support the main heroes. And their shared hot times, if it's just on the phone, or finally together, are as hot as they should be in a good romance.
The biggest advantage of this book for me are secondary characters. They are in the background, but at the same time just as interesting as the main characters. In the same way mysterious and surprising are their stories. That brings a lot to the story and builds extra excitement.
However I must admit, that despite the very addictive and hot scenes in the first part, which was created only on phone calls between them... (what is quite amazing!) could be little bit happen faster. But it's a great story built on details from the first to the last page. And when it reaches the main point, simply explodes your senses. It is surprising and after this you just have to get into hands the second part. Completely amazing is that the book will be as early as November! And I hope that when we learn about them even more, it will be even better.
I'm not too much write about the plot, and even in a quick review spoilers, because I think better go into it blind. You have to see, and I can promise you that you will be drawn into this emotional story.
***Quick Review:***
Series: The first in the Everything I Left Unsaid series.
Grade/Tag Tabs: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense.
Release Date: October 13th, 2015.
Main characters: Annie McKay, twenty-four years old, she is on the run, abandons her miserable life, to find peace, safety and herself. Dylan Daniels, is 29 years old and builds the engines.
Secondary characters: Complex, great secondary characters. Each character brings something new and interesting into history.
Steamy: Yes. All the scenes are really hot. Some of the best phone sex scenes I have ever read. A lot of dirty talk. As for me 4 to 5 on a scale of hotness.
Sensitive topic:
Love triangle:
Cheating:
Cliffhanger:
HEA:
Next in the series? Yes. Next book The Truth About Him November 17th 2015.
***
ARC kindly provided for an honest review. Thank you!
About the plot: Annie McKay is on the run. She runs away from the place where she lived her whole life. The only place she know. She ends up in a trailer of distant mountains in North Carolina. She believes that her biggest fear not reach her there.
Then in her new home she finds a ringing phone. Hoping to overcome her demons, she decides to pick it up, but does not expect, that at the other side is someone who will change her life. And someone who has his own demons.
"In her voice he could hear every dark and forbidden thing she craved. And he wanted to give it to her."
Final thoughts: Very unusual and unique storyline. Perhaps there are similar stories, but this is told in a very good way. The author is creating a mystery which with each another page show a little more. Gradually we got another puzzle of the story that does not even end with that part.
"The distance between us throbbed. With anger. With lust. Questions and huge fucking secrets."
Add to it a very complex characters. The whole mystery about him and her is quite engaging. You are just reading because you want to know what hides behind them. In the course of reading you are getting closer to answers, and more and more you like and you support the main heroes. And their shared hot times, if it's just on the phone, or finally together, are as hot as they should be in a good romance.
“Now what?”
“Now, take off your clothes.”
The biggest advantage of this book for me are secondary characters. They are in the background, but at the same time just as interesting as the main characters. In the same way mysterious and surprising are their stories. That brings a lot to the story and builds extra excitement.
However I must admit, that despite the very addictive and hot scenes in the first part, which was created only on phone calls between them... (what is quite amazing!) could be little bit happen faster. But it's a great story built on details from the first to the last page. And when it reaches the main point, simply explodes your senses. It is surprising and after this you just have to get into hands the second part. Completely amazing is that the book will be as early as November! And I hope that when we learn about them even more, it will be even better.
I'm not too much write about the plot, and even in a quick review spoilers, because I think better go into it blind. You have to see, and I can promise you that you will be drawn into this emotional story.
***Quick Review:***
Series: The first in the Everything I Left Unsaid series.
Grade/Tag Tabs: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense.
Release Date: October 13th, 2015.
Main characters: Annie McKay, twenty-four years old, she is on the run, abandons her miserable life, to find peace, safety and herself. Dylan Daniels, is 29 years old and builds the engines.
Secondary characters: Complex, great secondary characters. Each character brings something new and interesting into history.
Steamy: Yes. All the scenes are really hot. Some of the best phone sex scenes I have ever read. A lot of dirty talk. As for me 4 to 5 on a scale of hotness.
Sensitive topic:
Love triangle:
Cheating:
Cliffhanger:
HEA:
Next in the series? Yes. Next book The Truth About Him November 17th 2015.
***
ARC kindly provided for an honest review. Thank you!
July 2, 2016
BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING,
DARK AND DIRTY
HOT AND STEAMY AND CRAZY
This book had it all :D
READ THIS BOOK LIKE NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T
Its amazing!
I devoured this book in a day, pulled an all nighter and it was sooooo worth it.
The story something so new and fresh, I fell in love with the main characters.
The author wrote this novel so well, it felt like I was inside, a part of the messed up lives of Dylan and Annie!
DARK AND DIRTY
HOT AND STEAMY AND CRAZY
This book had it all :D
READ THIS BOOK LIKE NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T
Its amazing!
I devoured this book in a day, pulled an all nighter and it was sooooo worth it.
The story something so new and fresh, I fell in love with the main characters.
The author wrote this novel so well, it felt like I was inside, a part of the messed up lives of Dylan and Annie!
September 9, 2016
“It’s a seduction, Annie. It’s about want. Not need.”
“You’ve already seduced me ... All I want is you.”
5 “Inevitable” stars
A chemistry-filled, intense love story featuring a young woman claiming her life back and a strong but broken enigmatic hero, this book is highly sensual and a little bit dark, but clever and totally unique! The writing is emotive and engaging, and I was enthralled from start to finish. I absolutely loved it.
Annie is on the run from an abusive husband… I know, I know, this story has been done before, but wait, it gets better …. Setting up residence in a run-down trailer park, Annie sets about creating a quiet life and rediscovering herself after suffering almost her whole life under the controlling thumb of first her mother, and then her husband. She finds work, starts reading again (thoroughly enjoying Fifty Shades, hehehe), and rediscovers her love of the small things.
And then there’s Dylan.
On her first day in her new home, a cell phone rings. It’s not Annie’s phone, but in a move that will change her life, she answers it anyway. It’s a man named Dylan, who is looking for the person who last lived in her trailer. He’s been paying the people that have previously lived there to keep an eye on her mysterious neighbour, Ben. But their brief conversation turns into something so much more.
Annie and Dylan share an immediate and intense connection. His voice does things to her, she feels safe with him, truly desired for the first time in her life, and before long things turn steamy.
Annie discovers a whole new side of herself with Dylan – a part of herself that she has kept hidden and hasn’t ever explored. It’s hot, sensual, and a little bit dirty. And more than just phone sex, Dylan pushes Annie to reach beyond her limits, to do things she’s always dreamed of, and she starts to blossom as he helps her gain confidence in herself as Dylan brings her back to life.
But it’s all still over the phone, and very much in the present. Annie hasn’t told Dylan about her life, and Dylan tells her nothing about himself other than warning her not to romanticise what they have. But each conversation draws them closer and closer, until the inevitable happens.
I don’t want to go too much into the storyline because the way it all unfolds is perfect, and I want others to be able to dive in and experience it all just like I did, but OMG! This may be a ‘quiet’ book - there’s not really a lot of action, and the pacing is slow and steady - but I was still glued to every page. Annie’s journey is addictive, the little glimpses that we get of Dylan have me desperate to know more, and with some great twists thrown in along the way, the intensity that O’Keefe is able to create makes this an amazing read!
Annie is a wonderful character! She’s inexperienced and sheltered, but she never comes off as being weak or annoying. I loved watching her find her way and discover who she is. Dylan is almost her total opposite – confident and experienced, but he is a scarred man with a dark past, and he has no intention of letting anybody get close.
Written in dual POV, the chemistry between Annie and Dylan is absolutely electric. What they have together is seriously hot and incredibly intense but they joke and have fun as well, and I adored the development of their ‘relationship’. But they are both keeping secrets from each other, and with their pasts still having such a huge hold over them, they have a lot that they need to work through - both individually, and in order to have any chance of something more between them.
This is the first book of a duet and yes, it ends on a cliffhanger. Parts of the story finish really well, and honestly, even without the cliffhanger ending, I would have been grabbing for the next book as soon as it became available just to see how the rest of the story plays out. But O’Keefe throws in an ending which is expected, but still gets the heart pumping, and again I’m keen for resolution.
I loved this story. It’s fantastically written with a unique angle and I read it in a day, unable to put it down. I can’t wait to see how it’s all going to end.
5 stars.
An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.
“You’ve already seduced me ... All I want is you.”
5 “Inevitable” stars
A chemistry-filled, intense love story featuring a young woman claiming her life back and a strong but broken enigmatic hero, this book is highly sensual and a little bit dark, but clever and totally unique! The writing is emotive and engaging, and I was enthralled from start to finish. I absolutely loved it.
Annie is on the run from an abusive husband… I know, I know, this story has been done before, but wait, it gets better …. Setting up residence in a run-down trailer park, Annie sets about creating a quiet life and rediscovering herself after suffering almost her whole life under the controlling thumb of first her mother, and then her husband. She finds work, starts reading again (thoroughly enjoying Fifty Shades, hehehe), and rediscovers her love of the small things.
And then there’s Dylan.
On her first day in her new home, a cell phone rings. It’s not Annie’s phone, but in a move that will change her life, she answers it anyway. It’s a man named Dylan, who is looking for the person who last lived in her trailer. He’s been paying the people that have previously lived there to keep an eye on her mysterious neighbour, Ben. But their brief conversation turns into something so much more.
Annie and Dylan share an immediate and intense connection. His voice does things to her, she feels safe with him, truly desired for the first time in her life, and before long things turn steamy.
“I’ve never been wild.”
“You want to be, don’t you? That’s why you’re calling me.?”
“Yeah, I guess…maybe…”
“Yes or no. There’s no one else here to hear you and I ain’t judging.”
“Yes. Yes, I’d like to be wild.”
“I’m the fucking luckiest man on the planet tonight. The only thing I’m going to do is help you come.”
Annie discovers a whole new side of herself with Dylan – a part of herself that she has kept hidden and hasn’t ever explored. It’s hot, sensual, and a little bit dirty. And more than just phone sex, Dylan pushes Annie to reach beyond her limits, to do things she’s always dreamed of, and she starts to blossom as he helps her gain confidence in herself as Dylan brings her back to life.
She was scared, but she was trying; in order to get what she wanted she was pushing past her own bullshit fears and being brave. In her voice, he could hear every dark and forbidden thing she craved. And he wanted to give it to her. Everything she wanted and the things she didn’t know to want, yet.
How far would she go?
She wanted dark? He had all the dark. All of it. And he’d show her every midnight corner of it.
But it’s all still over the phone, and very much in the present. Annie hasn’t told Dylan about her life, and Dylan tells her nothing about himself other than warning her not to romanticise what they have. But each conversation draws them closer and closer, until the inevitable happens.
“It’s a seduction, Annie. It’s about want. Not need.”
“You’ve already seduced me,” she whispered. “All I want is you.”
I don’t want to go too much into the storyline because the way it all unfolds is perfect, and I want others to be able to dive in and experience it all just like I did, but OMG! This may be a ‘quiet’ book - there’s not really a lot of action, and the pacing is slow and steady - but I was still glued to every page. Annie’s journey is addictive, the little glimpses that we get of Dylan have me desperate to know more, and with some great twists thrown in along the way, the intensity that O’Keefe is able to create makes this an amazing read!
Annie is a wonderful character! She’s inexperienced and sheltered, but she never comes off as being weak or annoying. I loved watching her find her way and discover who she is. Dylan is almost her total opposite – confident and experienced, but he is a scarred man with a dark past, and he has no intention of letting anybody get close.
Written in dual POV, the chemistry between Annie and Dylan is absolutely electric. What they have together is seriously hot and incredibly intense but they joke and have fun as well, and I adored the development of their ‘relationship’. But they are both keeping secrets from each other, and with their pasts still having such a huge hold over them, they have a lot that they need to work through - both individually, and in order to have any chance of something more between them.
We were editors of our own selves, revealing only what we wanted to show. Being only what served us best.
Trust was an enormous act of faith.
And faith…God, faith was hard.
This is the first book of a duet and yes, it ends on a cliffhanger. Parts of the story finish really well, and honestly, even without the cliffhanger ending, I would have been grabbing for the next book as soon as it became available just to see how the rest of the story plays out. But O’Keefe throws in an ending which is expected, but still gets the heart pumping, and again I’m keen for resolution.
I loved this story. It’s fantastically written with a unique angle and I read it in a day, unable to put it down. I can’t wait to see how it’s all going to end.
5 stars.
An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.
August 1, 2015
WOW! Molly O'Keefe, where did you come from? Why haven't I ever read anything by this author before? I absolutely loved this book.
Annie has just moved in to her new "home sweet home," a Febreeze/cigarette smelling RV in a rundown trailer park in North Carolina. She's on the run from her abusive husband. On her first day, she hears a phone ringing from the cushions of her couch. There's a name on the caller ID, Dylan.
She answers the phone and begins talking to the mysterious voice on the other end. Dylan explains that he'd like her to keep an eye on the man who lives two trailers down from her, Ben, but under no circumstances is she to talk to him. She agrees to watch Ben and so starts the relationship between Dylan and Annie. Their conversations quickly change from business into something much hotter.
Annie is not weak, but she has been sheltered from the world. Because the calls with Dylan keep them both anonymous, Annie's wilder side comes out.
Annie and Dylan both have secrets that they are keeping. As some of those secrets start to unfold I was left with my mouth open wondering what was going on. The big question was, "are they going to meet?" Dylan left Annie (and me) wanting more.
"It's about seduction, Annie. It's about want. Not need."
"You've already seduced me," she whispered. "All I want is you."
Of course this ends with a cliffhanger since it's the first part of a two part story. And OMG, that ending. I cannot wait for The Truth About Him.
This was an excellent read. I loved the writing. The descriptive language transported me into the story so easily and I was able to see details of this story so clearly, as if I were there. I enjoyed the relationships Annie had with the secondary characters and I can't wait to see more of their stories in the next book.
This was my first Molly O'Keefe book, but it will definitely not be my last.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 10, 2018
This first book begins with Annie running away from her abusive husband.
What follows it is her answering a telephone that she doesn't own and then, getting attracted to the voice behind the line. She discovers her hidden and repressed sexual identity with the man on the other end of the line.
Although it was a bit weird that she didn't focus on her escape but on her sexual desires, I went on reading to see where the story goes.
The man is a recluse, living his life away from his family and the society. He is extremely rich. There is a lot of suspense surrounding him and his past life.
When they meet in person, they find that they still have a strong bond and attraction and although they give in to their desire, they make a deal that it is for one time only. Both of them have their own reasons for that. Dylan doesn't think he deserves her and he has trust issues. Annie doesn't want to involve him with the wrath of her husband. However, their worlds somehow collide and the book ends in a cliffhanger.
***********************************************
The second book in the series is the continuation of their story.
Although I was interested in Book 1, I regret to tell that I DNF'ed Book 2 because in the second book, the focus changes as the abusive husband problem is solved in the very first chapters and then, the book turns more into a thriller with added angst, drama and action. That wasn't what I signed for so I lost my interest in it.
***********************************************
Also, I kind of disliked its writing. One chapter is told by the heroine herself in the first person whereas the other chapter is told in the third person but focusing on the hero.
This writing style is kept the same in Book 2, only in that one it is reversed to Dylan telling his story and Annie's part is told in the third person.
What follows it is her answering a telephone that she doesn't own and then, getting attracted to the voice behind the line. She discovers her hidden and repressed sexual identity with the man on the other end of the line.
Although it was a bit weird that she didn't focus on her escape but on her sexual desires, I went on reading to see where the story goes.
The man is a recluse, living his life away from his family and the society. He is extremely rich. There is a lot of suspense surrounding him and his past life.
When they meet in person, they find that they still have a strong bond and attraction and although they give in to their desire, they make a deal that it is for one time only. Both of them have their own reasons for that. Dylan doesn't think he deserves her and he has trust issues. Annie doesn't want to involve him with the wrath of her husband. However, their worlds somehow collide and the book ends in a cliffhanger.
***********************************************
The second book in the series is the continuation of their story.
Although I was interested in Book 1, I regret to tell that I DNF'ed Book 2 because in the second book, the focus changes as the abusive husband problem is solved in the very first chapters and then, the book turns more into a thriller with added angst, drama and action. That wasn't what I signed for so I lost my interest in it.
***********************************************
Also, I kind of disliked its writing. One chapter is told by the heroine herself in the first person whereas the other chapter is told in the third person but focusing on the hero.
This writing style is kept the same in Book 2, only in that one it is reversed to Dylan telling his story and Annie's part is told in the third person.
November 26, 2015
Predictable ending.
October 16, 2015
Everything I Left Unsaid by M. O'Keefe is a 2015 Random House publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sometimes it simply comes down to this: READ THIS BOOK! I promise you will find it absorbing, scorching hot, relentless, and suspenseful, and will leave you gasping, breathlessly wanting more.
Annie is one of those truly inspiring characters, a woman who has never been off the family farm in Oklahoma, knows very little about the world at large, but she has a survivor's instinct that screams into her ears, telling her to get the H out Dodge before it's too late… so she leaves her abusive husband, still bearing the marks of his hands around her bruised neck. She winds up in a trailer park filled with other kindred spirits who have graduated from the same school of hard knocks as Annie.
Once she steps inside her trailer, the oddest thing happens… a cell phone stuffed between some cushions starts to ring... Should she answer it?
A phone call will change Annie's life, and open up a whole new world of sensations, giving her a taste of real pleasure, and a renewed outlook on life. From the first moment she hears his voice, she leaves behind “Annie's” bleak surroundings, transforms into her new alter ego- “Layla”, and steps into Dylan's exotic, titillating, and exciting world.
Dylan has been paying people to watch over an elderly resident of the trailer park, but apparently, his last employee has left without notice, leaving his cell phone behind. When Layla answers the phone, something about her voice, her bad jokes, and tone of innocence, intrigues Dylan, and the two strike up a most unusual relationship, one that builds a odd sort of trust, a sense of safety, and sends “Layla” on an amazing journey of sexual and self- discovery.
Told from Annie's first person perspective, her vulnerability and innocence jump off the pages, making me worry about her constantly. She has been sheltered, raised by an unstable mother, going straight into an abusive marriage. She has never been on her own before, and is now surrounded by some characters that made me a little nervous, unsure of whom to trust.
Dylan gives us a third person perspective, and while he is also struggling with some major emotional issues from his past, he exudes a powerful presence, one that made me feel like Annie/Layla would be safe with him. But, there are some boulder size obstacles the couple will face. Still, despite all that, Annie's journey is incredible, and I was so proud of her and the courage she shows by taking charge of her life.
This is a spell bounding story, very unique, with some big and interesting curves thrown in that kept me sitting on the edge of my seat.
The one huge bummer is that there is a cliffhanger and it's a whale of one. UGH!! BUT… the author was quite upfront with that and assures us the wait will not be long for the next chapter of the story. So, in the meantime, I'll be sitting on pins and needles, impatiently counting the days until I can hear Dylan's voice again. *Sigh*
Sometimes it simply comes down to this: READ THIS BOOK! I promise you will find it absorbing, scorching hot, relentless, and suspenseful, and will leave you gasping, breathlessly wanting more.
Annie is one of those truly inspiring characters, a woman who has never been off the family farm in Oklahoma, knows very little about the world at large, but she has a survivor's instinct that screams into her ears, telling her to get the H out Dodge before it's too late… so she leaves her abusive husband, still bearing the marks of his hands around her bruised neck. She winds up in a trailer park filled with other kindred spirits who have graduated from the same school of hard knocks as Annie.
Once she steps inside her trailer, the oddest thing happens… a cell phone stuffed between some cushions starts to ring... Should she answer it?
A phone call will change Annie's life, and open up a whole new world of sensations, giving her a taste of real pleasure, and a renewed outlook on life. From the first moment she hears his voice, she leaves behind “Annie's” bleak surroundings, transforms into her new alter ego- “Layla”, and steps into Dylan's exotic, titillating, and exciting world.
Dylan has been paying people to watch over an elderly resident of the trailer park, but apparently, his last employee has left without notice, leaving his cell phone behind. When Layla answers the phone, something about her voice, her bad jokes, and tone of innocence, intrigues Dylan, and the two strike up a most unusual relationship, one that builds a odd sort of trust, a sense of safety, and sends “Layla” on an amazing journey of sexual and self- discovery.
Told from Annie's first person perspective, her vulnerability and innocence jump off the pages, making me worry about her constantly. She has been sheltered, raised by an unstable mother, going straight into an abusive marriage. She has never been on her own before, and is now surrounded by some characters that made me a little nervous, unsure of whom to trust.
Dylan gives us a third person perspective, and while he is also struggling with some major emotional issues from his past, he exudes a powerful presence, one that made me feel like Annie/Layla would be safe with him. But, there are some boulder size obstacles the couple will face. Still, despite all that, Annie's journey is incredible, and I was so proud of her and the courage she shows by taking charge of her life.
This is a spell bounding story, very unique, with some big and interesting curves thrown in that kept me sitting on the edge of my seat.
The one huge bummer is that there is a cliffhanger and it's a whale of one. UGH!! BUT… the author was quite upfront with that and assures us the wait will not be long for the next chapter of the story. So, in the meantime, I'll be sitting on pins and needles, impatiently counting the days until I can hear Dylan's voice again. *Sigh*
October 23, 2015
Title: Everything I Left Unsaid
Series: Everything I Left Unsaid #1
Author: M. O'Keefe
Release date: October 13, 2015
Cliffhanger: Yes
HEA
I'm a little late to the game with this book. I had this ARC offered to me quite a while back and I'm just now getting around to reading and reviewing. I am seriously considering smacking myself for this this foolish mistake. This is a well established author, but completely new to me and I was really impressed with the skill in her storytelling. The writing style was exactly the type I go for: nicely descriptive and fast flowing. Saying that it's fast flowing is really saying a lot considering the hero and heroine don't meet until well into the book. Their knowledge of one another consists of some dirty phone calls with short conversations. I fine with that though in this case. This part of the story was all about Annie's exploration into her sexuality and his ability to push her into seeking out her secret, naughty desires. She needs time to find the woman inside who hasn't been allowed to spread her wings since her mother passed away and she fell into hell.
The lake of bitterness and anger was gone, replaced by a desire for everything. A hunger for it all. I felt empty and wide open to the world. Waiting for experience to fill me up. Satiate me.
Annie has just escaped an abusive relationship. She's a woman on the run and hiding in the filthiest, cheapest part of nowhere where she can disappear and start a new life.
Even living in a run down, dangerous trailer park, she feels like she's been handed the world. She was such an interesting and refreshing character. On one side she's been so sheltered and she has a naive quality about her. She's not familiar with a lot of simple things in life that people take for granted. But conversely, she also has the old soul. The side that has been beaten and survived loss. In those eyes you see the painful knowledge of emotional and physical abuse, the loss of the only family she's ever known, and hardship. She fascinated me, she really did.
When she begins the strange communication with Dylan over the cell phone found in her trailer, she starts a journey of self-discovery and carnal fantasy.
How far would she go? She wanted dark? He had all the dark. All of it.
Suddenly she's doing things she's never dared to even admit to herself that she craves. Dylan was mysterious and seeped in darkness. But those three words that begin every conversation are a temptation she can't resist.
"Are you okay?"
Just three simple words, spoken with sincerity and concern over her welfare. It was something she was never given in her life and she reached for it like a flower in the sunlight. Even though he was your dominant and dirty talker type, he was unable to hide the fact that he cared. About a faceless girl who picked up the phone and through just his words and direction found release and a dangerous addiction. He's as needy as she is, for her freshness, her raw and honest emotion. He finds that so irresistible.
The game that they play is on a very slippery slope. He's secretive and emotionally wounded. He's completely against forming an emotional attachment-and probably the last person she should involve herself with at the worst point in her life. They both hold secrets and are unable to be open with one another. So it's only a matter of time before what they have implodes.
This was a great first book, part one of a duo. It's what I would describe as an mildly dark erotic book with a solid story to back it up. What a nice surprise this was, I can't recommend it enough. Although the abused heroine on the run trope is not a new one, this had a completely refreshing feel to it. There is a pretty intense cliffhanger at the end here, so be prepared. The Truth About Him releases on November 24.
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November 10, 2015
I'm going to make a pre-review and I hope I will have more time to make a proper one when I get some time on a computer but seriously if you haven't read or add this boo; do it now!
This is certainly very different from what you've read so far.
Both MC are engaging. Annie is on the run and Dylan is somewhat 'hiding'.
They don't seem to have anything to do with the other, yet one phonecall will change everything.
The book is very mysterious. We know more about Annie than Dylan despite the fact it's told from both pov.
They didn't even meet before at least 70% of the book but their relation continue to grow via phonecalls.
And believe me when I say it's HOT! In other books you've probably experienced phone sex but not like in here. Sexual tension and frustation take another meaning.
The author set a world around both of them. Annie&Dylan have a past, they have their own history and they are not ready to share it yet, or at least not all of it.
This is the first book in a duet and I can't wait to have my hands onThe Truth About HimI can't wait to see their personal story intertwine and become one strong unit.
This is certainly very different from what you've read so far.
Both MC are engaging. Annie is on the run and Dylan is somewhat 'hiding'.
They don't seem to have anything to do with the other, yet one phonecall will change everything.
The book is very mysterious. We know more about Annie than Dylan despite the fact it's told from both pov.
They didn't even meet before at least 70% of the book but their relation continue to grow via phonecalls.
And believe me when I say it's HOT! In other books you've probably experienced phone sex but not like in here. Sexual tension and frustation take another meaning.
The author set a world around both of them. Annie&Dylan have a past, they have their own history and they are not ready to share it yet, or at least not all of it.
This is the first book in a duet and I can't wait to have my hands onThe Truth About HimI can't wait to see their personal story intertwine and become one strong unit.
October 5, 2015
FUUUUUUCK!!! Cliffy from hell!!!!!!
Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review :)
Wow! this book really surprised me. It was different from the usual storylines in that it started w a simple phone call to a lost phone.
Annie is running away from a degrading and abusive life...She has been sheltered and emotionally and physically abused her entire existence. She is a 'yes' girl, always pushing her needs, wants even anger aside to please others. So, she runs....she creates the woman she wished she could be and for the duration of the book she is pushing herself to new experiences, trying to not always live in fear, and determined to figure out what makes her happy.
Dylan...Dylan...Dylan....HOLY HOTNESS!! I love him! He is living with a different kind of torment. He avoids people, living on a mountain and rarely ever coming down. He and Annie, by fate, began a very sexual phone only relationship that is HOT HOT HOT!
Insert...Holy Shit moment and everything turns upside down and inside out. Annie and Dylan are forced to meet face to face and OMG they are fabulous together... BUT..UGH!!! of course they fight fate and push each other away.....
As we learn more and more about Dylan, and as Annie is realizing what she needs to do with her life, we are kicked in the face w a cliffy from hell!
GIMME' book 2 NOW! PLEASE!!!!
Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review :)
Wow! this book really surprised me. It was different from the usual storylines in that it started w a simple phone call to a lost phone.
Annie is running away from a degrading and abusive life...She has been sheltered and emotionally and physically abused her entire existence. She is a 'yes' girl, always pushing her needs, wants even anger aside to please others. So, she runs....she creates the woman she wished she could be and for the duration of the book she is pushing herself to new experiences, trying to not always live in fear, and determined to figure out what makes her happy.
Dylan...Dylan...Dylan....HOLY HOTNESS!! I love him! He is living with a different kind of torment. He avoids people, living on a mountain and rarely ever coming down. He and Annie, by fate, began a very sexual phone only relationship that is HOT HOT HOT!
Insert...Holy Shit moment and everything turns upside down and inside out. Annie and Dylan are forced to meet face to face and OMG they are fabulous together... BUT..UGH!!! of course they fight fate and push each other away.....
As we learn more and more about Dylan, and as Annie is realizing what she needs to do with her life, we are kicked in the face w a cliffy from hell!
GIMME' book 2 NOW! PLEASE!!!!
September 8, 2016
★★★★½
This book! When I said I didn’t expect to like this book so much? Yeah, I totally didn’t expect to. I wanted to try a new romance author but the potential for a quick DNF was blinking like a neon sign in the back of my head. I love reading romance but some people just shouldn’t be writing it. (not that I could do any better...)
As noted in the synopsis, the hero and heroine's interactions are confined to the phone throughout a good chunk of the book. Yes, that includes their bow chicka bow wow. The phone thing was pretty interesting though. It added an element of mystery and secrecy. OK, so the phone sex parts bordered on a little over-the-top for me at times, but I kinda started looking forward to the scenes right along with our experienced yet inexperienced heroine and then when I learned of the hero's emotional circumstances, I actually appreciated what those moments did for the characters in retrospect.
I loved both of these characters so much. They were developed with an impressive fragile complexity. The side characters were enjoyable as well, even if they were not always likable. Yes, the semi-erotica component was a tiny bit cheesy at times and my patience was tested by the heroine’s choice to not reveal a huge truth to her new bosom buddy , but lots of positives made up for it. I didn't even mind the epic cliffhanger at the end.
Oops.
My favorite quote
"Tolerance. Faith was not just faith in God or faith in people that look like you or were attracted to the opposite sex. Faith was faith in humanity. God loved us all and we should do the same."
Note: Before writing this review, I was torn between a rating of 4 or 5 stars. Apparently, I still am. Neither one fit with my personal reading experience – this is when I really need goodreads to offer ½ stars. So I’m going with 4 but please know that it’s 4.5. I usually round up, but every time I went to do it, a reflection of 5 full stars didn't quite feel right either. I’m just weird today I guess.
Molly O'Keefe's adult romance series: Everything I Left Unsaid includes the following installments as of September 2016:
#1-Everything I Left Unsaid
#2-The Truth About Him
#3-Burn Down the Night
#4-Wait For It
9/3/16:
I did not expect to like this book so much!
RTC
9/2/16:
Listening to the audio of this one as part of Gotta Have Romance With A Kick September group reads!
This book! When I said I didn’t expect to like this book so much? Yeah, I totally didn’t expect to. I wanted to try a new romance author but the potential for a quick DNF was blinking like a neon sign in the back of my head. I love reading romance but some people just shouldn’t be writing it. (not that I could do any better...)
As noted in the synopsis, the hero and heroine's interactions are confined to the phone throughout a good chunk of the book. Yes, that includes their bow chicka bow wow. The phone thing was pretty interesting though. It added an element of mystery and secrecy. OK, so the phone sex parts bordered on a little over-the-top for me at times, but I kinda started looking forward to the scenes right along with our experienced yet inexperienced heroine and then when I learned of the hero's emotional circumstances, I actually appreciated what those moments did for the characters in retrospect.
I loved both of these characters so much. They were developed with an impressive fragile complexity. The side characters were enjoyable as well, even if they were not always likable. Yes, the semi-erotica component was a tiny bit cheesy at times and my patience was tested by the heroine’s choice to not reveal a huge truth to her new bosom buddy , but lots of positives made up for it. I didn't even mind the epic cliffhanger at the end.
Oops.
My favorite quote
"Tolerance. Faith was not just faith in God or faith in people that look like you or were attracted to the opposite sex. Faith was faith in humanity. God loved us all and we should do the same."
Note: Before writing this review, I was torn between a rating of 4 or 5 stars. Apparently, I still am. Neither one fit with my personal reading experience – this is when I really need goodreads to offer ½ stars. So I’m going with 4 but please know that it’s 4.5. I usually round up, but every time I went to do it, a reflection of 5 full stars didn't quite feel right either. I’m just weird today I guess.
Molly O'Keefe's adult romance series: Everything I Left Unsaid includes the following installments as of September 2016:
#1-Everything I Left Unsaid
#2-The Truth About Him
#3-Burn Down the Night
#4-Wait For It
9/3/16:
I did not expect to like this book so much!
RTC
9/2/16:
Listening to the audio of this one as part of Gotta Have Romance With A Kick September group reads!
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