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Kage Trilogy #2
Kage Unleashed
My name is Jamie Atwood, and I am an idiot. Against all odds, I got the attention of Michael Kage, the hottest MMA fighter on the planet. To say he rocked my world would be an understatement. He transformed me completely, made me depend on him, and made me love him. And the sex? Let me put it this way: I'd never been with a guy before I met Kage, but I'd gladly spend the rest of my life on my knees for him. He is my obsession and my addiction. But I did something stupid, and now I'm paying for it. I don't know if I'll ever see Kage again.
Being Michael Kage was never easy. Too many demons, too much anger, and not enough to live for. And then I met Jamie Atwood. He's got this innocence about him that speaks to something deep down inside me- in a place that's never been touched by anyone. He's beautiful, smart, and courageous, and he hasn't been tainted by the darkness that's ruled my life. I wanted him from the first second I laid eyes on him. It's selfish, I know. Because you can't bring an innocent thing into the darkness and not expect something to rub off.
Being Michael Kage was never easy. Too many demons, too much anger, and not enough to live for. And then I met Jamie Atwood. He's got this innocence about him that speaks to something deep down inside me- in a place that's never been touched by anyone. He's beautiful, smart, and courageous, and he hasn't been tainted by the darkness that's ruled my life. I wanted him from the first second I laid eyes on him. It's selfish, I know. Because you can't bring an innocent thing into the darkness and not expect something to rub off.
Audiobook
First published August 24, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 576 reviews
October 28, 2015
*** JUST LOVING THIS SERIES ***
Well book one ended with'that' cliffhanger and thank goodness I could dive straight into this one.
This book picks up straight after the shocking events at Jamie's house and sees Kage and Jamie estranged.
In this one we get Kage's pov and it was great to finally get inside his head.
Kage has gone to training camp and is trying to convince himself he's done the right thing,ending things with Jamie.
Jamie is left pretty devastated at Kages departure but he's determined to get his man back.At the same time he's trying to cope with his mother's illness and he decides to open up to his father about his relationship with Kage.
This book is smoking hot and this Author writes some of the best M/M sex scenes I've read.
Kage is all sexy and dominant while Jamie all submissive,flirty and flustered.
These two just work perfectly together.
This is an excellent M/M series and one of the best I've read for being consistently good.
Book 3 is out now and I'll be getting to it really soon,can't wait for more of these two gorgeous boys.
Highly recommended!!!
Well book one ended with'that' cliffhanger and thank goodness I could dive straight into this one.
This book picks up straight after the shocking events at Jamie's house and sees Kage and Jamie estranged.
In this one we get Kage's pov and it was great to finally get inside his head.
Kage has gone to training camp and is trying to convince himself he's done the right thing,ending things with Jamie.
Jamie is left pretty devastated at Kages departure but he's determined to get his man back.At the same time he's trying to cope with his mother's illness and he decides to open up to his father about his relationship with Kage.
This book is smoking hot and this Author writes some of the best M/M sex scenes I've read.
Kage is all sexy and dominant while Jamie all submissive,flirty and flustered.
These two just work perfectly together.
This is an excellent M/M series and one of the best I've read for being consistently good.
Book 3 is out now and I'll be getting to it really soon,can't wait for more of these two gorgeous boys.
Highly recommended!!!
November 2, 2021
ummm... no review because i just wanna move on to book 3 immediately. 👀 all i gotta say is that this series is super addictive!!
July 23, 2018
4.5 Stars
Well, it was a bit better than the first one and I enjoyed it more! But I still had my previous problem with Jamie! He’s in love with Kage but yet, he’s not digging in Kage’s past!! I wonder, isn’t he curious about Kage’s past??? The doc said Kage was suicidal but still Jamie didn’t ask Kage/anybody else anything! He wasn't like a worried boyfriend! He’s the coolest guy I’ve ever seen! Told in dual POV, 1st person. It’s the second installment in the "Kage" trilogy, ends on a cliffhanger and has to be read in order. Overall, I had a good time with this one and hope you like it as well!
Well, it was a bit better than the first one and I enjoyed it more! But I still had my previous problem with Jamie! He’s in love with Kage but yet, he’s not digging in Kage’s past!! I wonder, isn’t he curious about Kage’s past??? The doc said Kage was suicidal but still Jamie didn’t ask Kage/anybody else anything! He wasn't like a worried boyfriend! He’s the coolest guy I’ve ever seen! Told in dual POV, 1st person. It’s the second installment in the "Kage" trilogy, ends on a cliffhanger and has to be read in order. Overall, I had a good time with this one and hope you like it as well!
November 7, 2015
HOLY SHIT that was the meanest cliffhanger EVER! Ms. Mavis Black is most certainly a masochist. My deepest sympathy to anyone who read this before the third book was out.
Will review when I'm finished with the sequel.
Will review when I'm finished with the sequel.
October 9, 2017
5+++++ Stars
Not gonna go into detail:
-The Audio-book is still top notch
-We gets Kage's POV its dark, heartbreaking , grumpy , sweet and everything in between.
-Jamie is still a darling.
-I wanted to smack both of them, and at times it was OTT but did i care nope. I am addicted.
Grumpy Kage:
Fuck breath, I thought. I don’t need breath as long as I have him.
Damn you lucky bastard!
Got to run Book 3 is calling:
December 31, 2015
Warning: this book if full of drama queen characters, immature reactions and OTT situations but I love it so much I don't care. This is a creepy truth to be told. And it's even creepier that I celebrate it. Hell yeah!
Now, poker face. I admit that during the first 30% of the book I was only thinking about seeing them together again. This installment starts at exactly the same moment the first book finished. Like, not even a second is hidden in between. But that also means we have to put up with the separation, so for impatient people this may be very frustrating. I'm talking from my own experience.
But the wait was worth it. And that's when the OTT situation (amongst others) took place. And I know this is not a deep thought but I forgive it because Kage and Jamie are so cute and hot together.
And it should always be this way.
A new facet this book includes is Kage's POV, which I was dying for. That means getting to know his inner self, of course. And I think it was spot on, it only made me want him more. I'm aware he's not the usual guy and I seriously would think it twice before flirting with him but I must admit his aura is irresistible. In two words or three: he's the dark and dangerous guy full of shadows and a tortured past, but beneath it all there is a tender heart, or so that's what I hoped. I only longed for his loving thoughts and displays of affection. Because he is hard but he is also soft. Even when there were certain attitudes that in RL sound too condescending or selfish, I loved him. Because with them it was playful and sexy. Because I understood their relationship and if it works for them, it works for me, too. Because in truth they are adorable.
I must say that the hot scenes are routine now. They are very sexy, so I'm not really complaining about that. There are also some scenes I've never seen in a book. I had the chance to see how MMA fighters struggle to lose weight just before a fight. I was given an insight and it indeed sounds very unhealthy. I liked the scene a lot, and not because they make out, but because I could feel their bond there in an unusual place and unusual circumstances. Maris Black writes things that are truly a shock but it's a shock that pleases me.
The relationship is still maintained in secret, because Kage has a lot of focus on him in the MMA world. Still, Kage is willing to throw it all away for the sake of Jamie, who refuses because he wants Kage to succeed. So they keep a low profile in order not to raise suspicions, which of course arises the understandable longing and distress at not being able to touch each other in public more than a brotherly way.
Now, poker face. I admit that during the first 30% of the book I was only thinking about seeing them together again. This installment starts at exactly the same moment the first book finished. Like, not even a second is hidden in between. But that also means we have to put up with the separation, so for impatient people this may be very frustrating. I'm talking from my own experience.
But the wait was worth it. And that's when the OTT situation (amongst others) took place. And I know this is not a deep thought but I forgive it because Kage and Jamie are so cute and hot together.
And it should always be this way.
A new facet this book includes is Kage's POV, which I was dying for. That means getting to know his inner self, of course. And I think it was spot on, it only made me want him more. I'm aware he's not the usual guy and I seriously would think it twice before flirting with him but I must admit his aura is irresistible. In two words or three: he's the dark and dangerous guy full of shadows and a tortured past, but beneath it all there is a tender heart, or so that's what I hoped. I only longed for his loving thoughts and displays of affection. Because he is hard but he is also soft. Even when there were certain attitudes that in RL sound too condescending or selfish, I loved him. Because with them it was playful and sexy. Because I understood their relationship and if it works for them, it works for me, too. Because in truth they are adorable.
I must say that the hot scenes are routine now. They are very sexy, so I'm not really complaining about that. There are also some scenes I've never seen in a book. I had the chance to see how MMA fighters struggle to lose weight just before a fight. I was given an insight and it indeed sounds very unhealthy. I liked the scene a lot, and not because they make out, but because I could feel their bond there in an unusual place and unusual circumstances. Maris Black writes things that are truly a shock but it's a shock that pleases me.
The relationship is still maintained in secret, because Kage has a lot of focus on him in the MMA world. Still, Kage is willing to throw it all away for the sake of Jamie, who refuses because he wants Kage to succeed. So they keep a low profile in order not to raise suspicions, which of course arises the understandable longing and distress at not being able to touch each other in public more than a brotherly way.
April 6, 2023
I am so disappointed with this series. 😞 My friends loved it!
It was entertaining alright, but the number of things that didn't work for me, if put on a scale, was way heavier and significant.
⚠️ It was too OTT for the likes of me, a bit heavy on insta-love, and superficial where feelings were concerned.
⚠️ The writing sometimes lost me with tedious inner talks, they were not interesting enough to keep my attention and I would jump to dialogues. 😖
⚠️ Also, parts with too much telling like when Laylas heard Kage and Jamie from the guest room,
⚠️ The absent uncle. C'mon, we deserved more here.
⚠️ How mean and ridiculous was Jennifer's character? Why the need to make the sister a bitch?
I won't read the next now, and maybe never will.
February 16, 2018
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Uncertain of how I feel*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
We're back with the hired intern Publicist, Jamie Atwood (21) and MMA fighter, Michael ‘The Machine’ Kage
Kage was just a fluke, a one-time deal. I shouldn’t even give it a second thought, and I certainly shouldn’t question my sexuality. The fact was, I was only an imperfect human, and Kage was larger than life. He was a shooting star. Anybody would have fallen for him, right? Not just me. Any-fucking-body. Even the most macho of macho men— the most alpha of alphas. Hell, Chuck Norris would have bottomed for Kage if he’d gotten the chance.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (New Adult?) Contemporary Romance (M/M)
Series: - Series, Book Two.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Michael ‘The Machine’ Kage
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Unsure.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Unsure.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2.5 stars.
August 24, 2015
This soooo made up for that cliffy. Need book 3 now!
March 10, 2016
Review written February 28, 2016
3.3 Stars - Still interesting enough but I had some doubts
Book #2 (of 3)
Back again to a KAGE-audiobook (7 hrs well narrated by J.F. Harding). I truly enjoyed #1-Kage (3.9 stars). I sincerely hope this second Unleashed will be in the same good standard and not change to an erotic drama feast. (Please!!)
And my thoughts 7 audio-hrs later?
Not liking as much as #1 but it was all in all another good enough listening. I'll continue with the last in this trilogy.
*********************************************
It felt good to start and continue young student Jamie Atwood's and the mysterious MMA fighter Michael Kage's dramatic and steaming intense love story.
The first trilogy part Kage left me loosely hanging there on a cliff. This second, Kage Unleashed, opens with the very next scene just some minutes later. Some struggling, family stuff, being apart days, heartbreaking tears and deep thoughts and these two are once again in the same place in Las Vegas. — Angry, frustrated, hørny young men (in love) with a urgent need and the taste for roughly smexy moments....
*********************************************
Somewhere in the middle of Unleashed wasn't I even sure I wanted to continue. You all know I'm not fond of dark...
# Kage is of course hoping for grand important UFC fights and a future contract. Our strong damaged fighter gets more famous, more silly self-absorbed as well as showing a new bull-shît alpha dominant. —The hard gets harder!!— Well, where did the nice and interesting "I so much want to be loved" boy dissaper? I wasn't not sure I liked this new nasty Kage character.
# Jamie is on the other side more and more turning to a used submissive hopelessly needy for his life-love. I'm sorry to say but I felt mostly sad for Jamie in this second book (truly liked him in #1). Where did that cute cheerful and fearless outspoken guy dissapered? The brave young happy man we first met? The boy with a future, plans and all dreams?
I might be old fashioned but I need equality and mutual respect between my main characters. Especially in a contemporary nowadays romance relationship in a modern country (like US). I need that to truly enjoy, like and feel tenderness for my MC's. I don't want dark, evilness or to worry that something heartbreaking brutal or nasty (to never be able to repair) should happen.
... Luckily, at last this very, heartbreaking, intense and steamy drama turned okay to a romantic "good for now" place (before another cliffy like ending).
*********************************************
A big savior for these books are an excellent narrator in J.F. Harding. Without him..?? I'm not sure but I might have given up. Either way, the Kage trilogy is still a tempting romance story so I shouldn't whine.
Three point three approved Goodreads stars (from a reader who's probably too old, picky and politically correct for this type of erotic NA drama). — Anyway, I'm eager to continue and listen to the shorter (5:30 hrs) last third audiobook, #3-KAGE Unmasked.
*********************************************
I LIKE - enough to want some more with these boys
*****
The KAGE Trilogy totally 20 hrs audiobooks listening. All three available and published late January 2016.
3.3 Stars - Still interesting enough but I had some doubts
Book #2 (of 3)
Back again to a KAGE-audiobook (7 hrs well narrated by J.F. Harding). I truly enjoyed #1-Kage (3.9 stars). I sincerely hope this second Unleashed will be in the same good standard and not change to an erotic drama feast. (Please!!)
And my thoughts 7 audio-hrs later?
Not liking as much as #1 but it was all in all another good enough listening. I'll continue with the last in this trilogy.
*********************************************
It felt good to start and continue young student Jamie Atwood's and the mysterious MMA fighter Michael Kage's dramatic and steaming intense love story.
The first trilogy part Kage left me loosely hanging there on a cliff. This second, Kage Unleashed, opens with the very next scene just some minutes later. Some struggling, family stuff, being apart days, heartbreaking tears and deep thoughts and these two are once again in the same place in Las Vegas. — Angry, frustrated, hørny young men (in love) with a urgent need and the taste for roughly smexy moments....
‘I’d never hated jeans as much as I did in that moment, because there were two pairs of them between us...’
‘I just did what came natural. I spread my legs wide for him and wound my legs right back around his waist where they’d been only a minute before.’
*********************************************
Somewhere in the middle of Unleashed wasn't I even sure I wanted to continue. You all know I'm not fond of dark...
# Kage is of course hoping for grand important UFC fights and a future contract. Our strong damaged fighter gets more famous, more silly self-absorbed as well as showing a new bull-shît alpha dominant. —The hard gets harder!!— Well, where did the nice and interesting "I so much want to be loved" boy dissaper? I wasn't not sure I liked this new nasty Kage character.
# Jamie is on the other side more and more turning to a used submissive hopelessly needy for his life-love. I'm sorry to say but I felt mostly sad for Jamie in this second book (truly liked him in #1). Where did that cute cheerful and fearless outspoken guy dissapered? The brave young happy man we first met? The boy with a future, plans and all dreams?
I might be old fashioned but I need equality and mutual respect between my main characters. Especially in a contemporary nowadays romance relationship in a modern country (like US). I need that to truly enjoy, like and feel tenderness for my MC's. I don't want dark, evilness or to worry that something heartbreaking brutal or nasty (to never be able to repair) should happen.
‘I fell back onto the bed and sighed, feeling like one of those girls in the movies right after the dreamy guy finally asks her out. What had happened to me? I’d gone from unapologetically commit-o-phobic to rom-com heroine in a few months’ time. It was pathetic, and it made me smile.’
... Luckily, at last this very, heartbreaking, intense and steamy drama turned okay to a romantic "good for now" place (before another cliffy like ending).
*********************************************
A big savior for these books are an excellent narrator in J.F. Harding. Without him..?? I'm not sure but I might have given up. Either way, the Kage trilogy is still a tempting romance story so I shouldn't whine.
Three point three approved Goodreads stars (from a reader who's probably too old, picky and politically correct for this type of erotic NA drama). — Anyway, I'm eager to continue and listen to the shorter (5:30 hrs) last third audiobook, #3-KAGE Unmasked.
*********************************************
I LIKE - enough to want some more with these boys
*****
The KAGE Trilogy totally 20 hrs audiobooks listening. All three available and published late January 2016. 
May 9, 2019
4.5 Drama Stars
This one is told in both Jamie and Kage's POV which I really liked. It starts off right where book 1 finishes and goes back over the cliffhanger in Kage's POV which got me all sad again, I can't believe he just walked away.
We learn more of why Kage is as private as he is and it made me love him even more. We get lots more MMA action in this one which I really liked.
Poor Jamie is still trying to come to terms with his sexuality and finds himself in a scary situation with two big alpha's. Of course Kage comes to the rescue and saves Jamie and they finally reconnect. These two together are so freaking hot!
All is going well until it isn't (again). This one has so much drama! I think Jamie and Kage spent more time apart than together but one thing's for sure, I LOVE Jamie and Kage and can't seem to get enough of them. I'm loving this series!!
This one is told in both Jamie and Kage's POV which I really liked. It starts off right where book 1 finishes and goes back over the cliffhanger in Kage's POV which got me all sad again, I can't believe he just walked away.
We learn more of why Kage is as private as he is and it made me love him even more. We get lots more MMA action in this one which I really liked.
Poor Jamie is still trying to come to terms with his sexuality and finds himself in a scary situation with two big alpha's. Of course Kage comes to the rescue and saves Jamie and they finally reconnect. These two together are so freaking hot!
All is going well until it isn't (again). This one has so much drama! I think Jamie and Kage spent more time apart than together but one thing's for sure, I LOVE Jamie and Kage and can't seem to get enough of them. I'm loving this series!!
July 19, 2018
dnf at 58%
This book made me angry. Every single character / scene / dialogue is ridiculous. It was like reading a bad fan fiction.
This book made me angry. Every single character / scene / dialogue is ridiculous. It was like reading a bad fan fiction.
December 27, 2015
Another cliffhanger... I waited to read this until I had book 3 in hand, and I'm very glad I did. But now that the whole trilogy is available, I can definitely recommend it to fans of complicated dramatic guys in an angsty relationship.
This book gives us quite a bit more insight into Michael Kage - who he is underneath the determined fighter persona, and of some of the past that has shaped him. Jamie grows up some from the previous book, which makes him more sympathetic, although he still has a degree of immaturity. We get a lot more of Jamie's family, and I enjoyed the mix of personalities and attitudes.
I loved having Kage's POV in this book. It both helps us understand him and the forces that shape him, and gives us more shades of emotion in the story. We move deeper into both the fight world and the shady life of Kage's uncle and the power he controls. This is a fast, gripping read, and I immediately picked up the next installment.
This book gives us quite a bit more insight into Michael Kage - who he is underneath the determined fighter persona, and of some of the past that has shaped him. Jamie grows up some from the previous book, which makes him more sympathetic, although he still has a degree of immaturity. We get a lot more of Jamie's family, and I enjoyed the mix of personalities and attitudes.
I loved having Kage's POV in this book. It both helps us understand him and the forces that shape him, and gives us more shades of emotion in the story. We move deeper into both the fight world and the shady life of Kage's uncle and the power he controls. This is a fast, gripping read, and I immediately picked up the next installment.
September 2, 2015
Currently reading with friends here
So excited
So excited
November 11, 2015
I wish I hadn't started these because now I need to see how it ends. My feelings are the same as after I read the first one. Jaime and Kage are both immature and the storyline is OTT- BUT- I can't stop reading them.
July 16, 2021
***4 Stars***
SURPRISE - - We get Kage's point of view in this one!!
And boy does it add to the fucked-up-ness we have going on! We're given a taste of the shit that Kage has had to wade through, a brief glimpse into a tragic childhood and confirmation of his true feelings for Jamie. And his uncle....UGH....
After the unbelievable cliffhanger in the first book, we're left with both guys trying to pick up the pieces. Revelations are coming to light and both men have to face the fear that it's okay to want each other, to allow the desire to take over, to give in to the desperate need clawing at them.
Both men are unsure of their place in the other's life. How does an innocent and naive college boy from the suburbs of Atlanta fit into the dark, gritty and hard world of a professional fighter? How does a man trained to demolish an opponent within seconds with his fists find tenderness and acceptance with a fresh-faced boy just discovering himself.
But Kage's first professional UFC fight is looming in the horizon and the truth still remains....now is not the time to publicize a gay relationship. And although Kage and Jamie need to figure out for themselves what's best for them, there are others out there who have an agenda...and nothing will stand in their way of making sure that Kage becomes the best fighter the world has seen.
I gobbled this book up in one day. Sure, there's areas where you have to suspend belief. Sure, some things really don't make sense. Sure, some people come off a bit gullible and you have to wonder why they aren't questioning things more. Do I care?
There's just something about this story and these guys that has me completely invested in the fucked up, upside down, nothing makes sense, who are you, where will this go, what the hell is going on wizardry that is this series.
Though, my one grievance with this second book is that the guys spent too much time apart. I wish they would have gotten their head out of their asses sooner. But on the plus side, I like that Jamie is developing a backbone.
I'm off to the last book to see how all of this ends because Maris Black leaves us with one doozy of a mic drop at the end of this book!!
There's a lot of heavy shit tied like an albatross around my neck, and while I'm plenty strong enough to drag it around for the rest of my life, it would be criminally selfish for me to expect someone else to do it. Yet that's exactly what I did with Jamie. I tried to take an innocent boy who barely weights more than my warm-up barbell and force him to carry me AND my baggage.
SURPRISE - - We get Kage's point of view in this one!!
And boy does it add to the fucked-up-ness we have going on! We're given a taste of the shit that Kage has had to wade through, a brief glimpse into a tragic childhood and confirmation of his true feelings for Jamie. And his uncle....UGH....
After the unbelievable cliffhanger in the first book, we're left with both guys trying to pick up the pieces. Revelations are coming to light and both men have to face the fear that it's okay to want each other, to allow the desire to take over, to give in to the desperate need clawing at them.
He wasn't asking for love. I'd already given him my heart on a silver platter, and it hadn't been enough. He was asking for something much darker than love, something I was well-used to giving.
Both men are unsure of their place in the other's life. How does an innocent and naive college boy from the suburbs of Atlanta fit into the dark, gritty and hard world of a professional fighter? How does a man trained to demolish an opponent within seconds with his fists find tenderness and acceptance with a fresh-faced boy just discovering himself.
But Kage's first professional UFC fight is looming in the horizon and the truth still remains....now is not the time to publicize a gay relationship. And although Kage and Jamie need to figure out for themselves what's best for them, there are others out there who have an agenda...and nothing will stand in their way of making sure that Kage becomes the best fighter the world has seen.
I gobbled this book up in one day. Sure, there's areas where you have to suspend belief. Sure, some things really don't make sense. Sure, some people come off a bit gullible and you have to wonder why they aren't questioning things more. Do I care?
There's just something about this story and these guys that has me completely invested in the fucked up, upside down, nothing makes sense, who are you, where will this go, what the hell is going on wizardry that is this series.
Though, my one grievance with this second book is that the guys spent too much time apart. I wish they would have gotten their head out of their asses sooner. But on the plus side, I like that Jamie is developing a backbone.
I'm off to the last book to see how all of this ends because Maris Black leaves us with one doozy of a mic drop at the end of this book!!
August 26, 2020
4.5 rounded to 5.
OK, so we get some of Kage's POV in this book unlike book 1, and while he sounds like a real ass in the beginning when you "hear" his thoughts, you have to understand his self-protective mechanism, how he's had a horrible past, is still being essentially held hostage by his uncle and treated like a "machine" (honestly like people treat the animals in dog or cock fights), and he's never had anything of his own nor ppl he can trust. AND his therapist is manipulating him likely for his uncle. This is a very very beaten down (emotionally and mentally) guy. And if you understand that the only control he feels is when he's beating someone else down, when he fights and wins, then you get why he is this way. And DESPITE that, he's still going out on a limb to have a relationship and expose himself with Jamie.
You can tell I'm a Kage fan, which I guess is the point of the series given the name.
At the same time, I've become a slightly bigger fan of Jamie. Well, fan is a strong word. I like him a bit better. I don't like how every time he's feeling off, he goes out and parties and tries to get laid or kiss or whatever. After Kage broke up with him in that way (which he honestly pushed Kage to do it with all the crap at his family's house), I can kinda understand why he went out, but his naivete is astonishing. But the second time after Kage asked him to trust him, he goes out and kisses Cam and starts getting undressed... that just pisses me off on behalf of Kage again (you can tell I'm protective of him). It's a lot to ask for from Jamie to keep it in his pants and trust Kage who goes off getting engaged to a girl, but given everything they've done to and for each other I would think Jamie has caught on. And for a guy who tells Kage he loves him, don't then go off kissing and undressing other men!! Even if you're feeling down and insecure!!
So yeah, I guess Jamie still has room to grow on me...
OK, so we get some of Kage's POV in this book unlike book 1, and while he sounds like a real ass in the beginning when you "hear" his thoughts, you have to understand his self-protective mechanism, how he's had a horrible past, is still being essentially held hostage by his uncle and treated like a "machine" (honestly like people treat the animals in dog or cock fights), and he's never had anything of his own nor ppl he can trust. AND his therapist is manipulating him likely for his uncle. This is a very very beaten down (emotionally and mentally) guy. And if you understand that the only control he feels is when he's beating someone else down, when he fights and wins, then you get why he is this way. And DESPITE that, he's still going out on a limb to have a relationship and expose himself with Jamie.
You can tell I'm a Kage fan, which I guess is the point of the series given the name.
At the same time, I've become a slightly bigger fan of Jamie. Well, fan is a strong word. I like him a bit better. I don't like how every time he's feeling off, he goes out and parties and tries to get laid or kiss or whatever. After Kage broke up with him in that way (which he honestly pushed Kage to do it with all the crap at his family's house), I can kinda understand why he went out, but his naivete is astonishing. But the second time after Kage asked him to trust him, he goes out and kisses Cam and starts getting undressed... that just pisses me off on behalf of Kage again (you can tell I'm protective of him). It's a lot to ask for from Jamie to keep it in his pants and trust Kage who goes off getting engaged to a girl, but given everything they've done to and for each other I would think Jamie has caught on. And for a guy who tells Kage he loves him, don't then go off kissing and undressing other men!! Even if you're feeling down and insecure!!
So yeah, I guess Jamie still has room to grow on me...
July 16, 2021
Okay, I am not a shrinking violet. I have lived through tough times. Once I stayed in a $35 a night motel .... in Santa Monica, complete with crunchy shag carpeting and when you sat on the toilet, your knees touched the opposite wall. Another time, I ran out of pesto sauce after Trader Joe's had closed ... I know, I'm a survivor.
But I cannot figure out the appeal of the Kage trilogy for the life of me, and it is driving me crazy, buggy, sorta nutso, doncha know? Kage and Jamie - idiots ...both of 'em. I'm all "eye rolled" out over those two. Jamie - for christ's sake, buck up - "My entire body shook with jealousy and rage but, dammit, everything Jason said was true. I was worthless. Kage had just saved my ass, but I didn't deserve to be saved. He should have let those guys mess me up." And the dry-humping in the condom aisle of a Vegas Walgreens - honey, no, just .... no.
And the worst part? Now I have to read the third book in the goddamn saga because I just finished this book and HAVE TO READ THE NEXT ONE ..... I hate myself.
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But I cannot figure out the appeal of the Kage trilogy for the life of me, and it is driving me crazy, buggy, sorta nutso, doncha know? Kage and Jamie - idiots ...both of 'em. I'm all "eye rolled" out over those two. Jamie - for christ's sake, buck up - "My entire body shook with jealousy and rage but, dammit, everything Jason said was true. I was worthless. Kage had just saved my ass, but I didn't deserve to be saved. He should have let those guys mess me up." And the dry-humping in the condom aisle of a Vegas Walgreens - honey, no, just .... no.
And the worst part? Now I have to read the third book in the goddamn saga because I just finished this book and HAVE TO READ THE NEXT ONE ..... I hate myself.
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April 8, 2022
4.5 Stars!
The first book was a delight, the second book was ULTRA SUPER DELICIOUS!
Jamie and Kage are very hot together, A fucking messy relationship I'm loving. The two are like roller coasters, they are twists and turns in the scorching passion. I love two males desperate for each other 😂😂😂😂😂
Let's see if I like the third book as I liked book 1 and 2. I hope to close this trilogy with equal notes for each book, but it will depend on how it ends. I'm a person who i go from heaven to hell fast when it comes to MM books
The first book was a delight, the second book was ULTRA SUPER DELICIOUS!
Jamie and Kage are very hot together, A fucking messy relationship I'm loving. The two are like roller coasters, they are twists and turns in the scorching passion. I love two males desperate for each other 😂😂😂😂😂
Let's see if I like the third book as I liked book 1 and 2. I hope to close this trilogy with equal notes for each book, but it will depend on how it ends. I'm a person who i go from heaven to hell fast when it comes to MM books
February 3, 2016
2 stars
So the book opens up with Kage saying some mean shit about Jamie. And already making mental plans to fuck an OM. And right there, I hate his fucking guts.
Time flow in this was just fucking crazy. The first 10% of the novel is just Kage sitting in the back of the taxi having just left Jamie. What the fuck is that all about?
And really, Jamie having his ex-girlfriend come to his rescue after Kage had left and be grossed/weirded out by the sex she witnessed...then they're quasi-friends again...not to forget the Jamie/Dad drama over Kage.
Seriously, what fucking audience was this written for?
At 36% Jamie is now pursuing OM cuz Kage dumped him. Instead of fun, Jamie nearly gets raped by two men at once. And who saves him...Jesus this trope never gets old (eye-roll)...the H.
And honestly, I never could see Kage giving a shit about Jamie, not any more than he would any of his other rent boys. And when Jamie tells him he feels like a whore, and Kage calls him his whore, it wasn't sexy, it was just fucking sad. Especially the whole "let's just be fuckbuddies" thing. I would never put up with this shit in my M/F I don't know why I put up with it my M/M.
Amazingly, even with all the threats, there were no OM. Just...OW drama.
And that fight between Jamie and Kage on the floor of Jamie's apartment. I mean really, WTF was that shit?
“I’d gone from unapologetically commit-o-phobic to rom-com heroine in a few months’ time.”
--- And right there, that's the problem. Jamie was completely written as a female.
Why do I keep reading?
The writing.
And I don't trust Kage's psychiatrist. I'm really kind of curious to see what bullshit she's up to.
Quotes:
---
“He’d go on to have that vanilla life that so many people seemed to want, with the picket fences and flower beds, and the fucking gazebo in the backyard with the Christmas lights strung all over it”
Don't be hatin' - we get up to some kinky shit in that gazebo.
So the book opens up with Kage saying some mean shit about Jamie. And already making mental plans to fuck an OM. And right there, I hate his fucking guts.
Time flow in this was just fucking crazy. The first 10% of the novel is just Kage sitting in the back of the taxi having just left Jamie. What the fuck is that all about?
And really, Jamie having his ex-girlfriend come to his rescue after Kage had left and be grossed/weirded out by the sex she witnessed...then they're quasi-friends again...not to forget the Jamie/Dad drama over Kage.
Seriously, what fucking audience was this written for?
At 36% Jamie is now pursuing OM cuz Kage dumped him. Instead of fun, Jamie nearly gets raped by two men at once. And who saves him...Jesus this trope never gets old (eye-roll)...the H.
And honestly, I never could see Kage giving a shit about Jamie, not any more than he would any of his other rent boys. And when Jamie tells him he feels like a whore, and Kage calls him his whore, it wasn't sexy, it was just fucking sad. Especially the whole "let's just be fuckbuddies" thing. I would never put up with this shit in my M/F I don't know why I put up with it my M/M.
Amazingly, even with all the threats, there were no OM. Just...OW drama.
And that fight between Jamie and Kage on the floor of Jamie's apartment. I mean really, WTF was that shit?
“I’d gone from unapologetically commit-o-phobic to rom-com heroine in a few months’ time.”
--- And right there, that's the problem. Jamie was completely written as a female.
Why do I keep reading?
The writing.
And I don't trust Kage's psychiatrist. I'm really kind of curious to see what bullshit she's up to.
Quotes:
---
“He’d go on to have that vanilla life that so many people seemed to want, with the picket fences and flower beds, and the fucking gazebo in the backyard with the Christmas lights strung all over it”
Don't be hatin' - we get up to some kinky shit in that gazebo.
September 25, 2019
Re-read 9/25/19
Damn...these books are so good !! This one started out a bit slower. We also get Kage's pov..which for me was a big plus. Things pick up right after the cliffhanger from the previous book. We get the inside the head of both these guys...and damn they're both a fucking mess. It starts out slow and gets more and more intense, I don't think I had any fingernails left towards the end :))
I'm not gonna say too much about the storyline, because a lot of people are still reading book 1 and I don't want to ruin things for anybody.
Kage was a bit of a cold-hearted asshole for parts of this book, but then again, with the way Jamie's family was acting and the way Jamie himself responded, I couldn't really blame him. That's not to say that all the shit he said later on in the book didn't piss me off !!
This one was a bit higher on the angsty side...I loved every second of reading it !!!
These guys are definitely going on my " favorite mm couples" list !!!
And yes...this one ends on a cliffy again...I freaking need book 3...RIGHT NOW !!!!!
Damn...these books are so good !! This one started out a bit slower. We also get Kage's pov..which for me was a big plus. Things pick up right after the cliffhanger from the previous book. We get the inside the head of both these guys...and damn they're both a fucking mess. It starts out slow and gets more and more intense, I don't think I had any fingernails left towards the end :))
I'm not gonna say too much about the storyline, because a lot of people are still reading book 1 and I don't want to ruin things for anybody.
Kage was a bit of a cold-hearted asshole for parts of this book, but then again, with the way Jamie's family was acting and the way Jamie himself responded, I couldn't really blame him. That's not to say that all the shit he said later on in the book didn't piss me off !!
This one was a bit higher on the angsty side...I loved every second of reading it !!!
These guys are definitely going on my " favorite mm couples" list !!!
And yes...this one ends on a cliffy again...I freaking need book 3...RIGHT NOW !!!!!
September 1, 2015
Fantastic BR
I am completely fascinated by Kage! #3 comes on October and I can't wait for it!
I am completely fascinated by Kage! #3 comes on October and I can't wait for it!
August 24, 2015
4.5 Stars
So, it's been a while coming but finally they're back! Sexy, closeted MMA fighter Michael Santori Kage and his college intern publicist and new found lover, the formerly straight but now totally besotted Jamie Atwood...two of the most complex, stubborn SOB's I've come across in a while because boy, do these guys put each other through the emotional mill in part two of this drama filled trilogy!
Kage (Book one) ended on one hell of an unexpected cliffhanger, that left their just coming into it's own romance pretty much in tatters and Jamie and Kage at an emotionally charged stand off that seemed unsurpassable, so I was dying to see just how it was all going to play out in the follow up.
I was sort of hoping that the two of them would argue it out and come to their senses quickly but..oooh nooo!..its not as easy as that! This begins exactly where it left off, only this time we see it all from a deeply conflicted Kage's POV, who unable to look past the pain and betrayal from a now heartbroken Jamie, ups and hightails it off to pre-fight training camp to prepare for his first UFC fight. At this stage as far as he's concerned, as much as his heart still craves Jamie, his head tells him enough's enough, and unfortunately for a while his head wins out over his heart!
Jamie in the meantime, is not only dealing with the aftershock of losing Michael Kage, he's also having to cope with family issues, his ex's mistaken perception of what she saw go down between him and the angry fighter, and the quandary of how to finally reveal that he's in a relationship with a guy, because whatever Kage feels, Jamie is going to get his man back… and if it means making decisions that don't always make him act rationally, then that's what he'll do.
So begins a heated tug of war between the two of them that over the course of this mid trilogy storyline, has them constantly thrown back into each other's paths, only to have a mix of misunderstandings, mulish pride and some not so nice characters with agendas of their own conspire to pull them apart again and again....
For rest of review follow Link-> http://bit.ly/1PMjOj0
So, it's been a while coming but finally they're back! Sexy, closeted MMA fighter Michael Santori Kage and his college intern publicist and new found lover, the formerly straight but now totally besotted Jamie Atwood...two of the most complex, stubborn SOB's I've come across in a while because boy, do these guys put each other through the emotional mill in part two of this drama filled trilogy!
Kage (Book one) ended on one hell of an unexpected cliffhanger, that left their just coming into it's own romance pretty much in tatters and Jamie and Kage at an emotionally charged stand off that seemed unsurpassable, so I was dying to see just how it was all going to play out in the follow up.
I was sort of hoping that the two of them would argue it out and come to their senses quickly but..oooh nooo!..its not as easy as that! This begins exactly where it left off, only this time we see it all from a deeply conflicted Kage's POV, who unable to look past the pain and betrayal from a now heartbroken Jamie, ups and hightails it off to pre-fight training camp to prepare for his first UFC fight. At this stage as far as he's concerned, as much as his heart still craves Jamie, his head tells him enough's enough, and unfortunately for a while his head wins out over his heart!
Jamie in the meantime, is not only dealing with the aftershock of losing Michael Kage, he's also having to cope with family issues, his ex's mistaken perception of what she saw go down between him and the angry fighter, and the quandary of how to finally reveal that he's in a relationship with a guy, because whatever Kage feels, Jamie is going to get his man back… and if it means making decisions that don't always make him act rationally, then that's what he'll do.
So begins a heated tug of war between the two of them that over the course of this mid trilogy storyline, has them constantly thrown back into each other's paths, only to have a mix of misunderstandings, mulish pride and some not so nice characters with agendas of their own conspire to pull them apart again and again....
For rest of review follow Link-> http://bit.ly/1PMjOj0
October 30, 2015
Overall book rating 5++++++ Stars
Audio book rating N/A
Book cover 4 Stars
"WHAT I OFFERED WAS A ONE-WAY TRIO TO PROZAC CITY"
Are you ready for this emotional ride?????
"So, yeah. I fucked. him. up.
What I hadn't counted on was destroying myself in the process. I hadn't known I'd leave my beating heart back there on the ground beside him, quivering in the dirt. Didn't matter, anyway. I wouldn't be needing a heart where I was going."
I was a mess reading this book (Thanks bestie I don't know what I would have done without you, keeping me calm). This was rally an emotional ride for me. My heart broke throughout this book but strange it broke but there were always that little string of hope just waiting at the end of the street.
"So he may have a buzz, but he's not drunk, right?" "I don't think he's wasted. but I doubt he's eaten. He's so skinny, if he sucked on a helium balloon he'd probably float away..."
We all have our demons and we all deal different. I just loved the way Jamie's dad handled him coming out it was so sweet and adorable to know he only wants the best for his son.
I just can't say it enough I LOVE IT TO THE MOON AND BACK!!!!!!!
Audio book rating N/A
Book cover 4 Stars
"WHAT I OFFERED WAS A ONE-WAY TRIO TO PROZAC CITY"
Are you ready for this emotional ride?????
"So, yeah. I fucked. him. up.
What I hadn't counted on was destroying myself in the process. I hadn't known I'd leave my beating heart back there on the ground beside him, quivering in the dirt. Didn't matter, anyway. I wouldn't be needing a heart where I was going."
I was a mess reading this book (Thanks bestie I don't know what I would have done without you, keeping me calm). This was rally an emotional ride for me. My heart broke throughout this book but strange it broke but there were always that little string of hope just waiting at the end of the street.
"So he may have a buzz, but he's not drunk, right?" "I don't think he's wasted. but I doubt he's eaten. He's so skinny, if he sucked on a helium balloon he'd probably float away..."
We all have our demons and we all deal different. I just loved the way Jamie's dad handled him coming out it was so sweet and adorable to know he only wants the best for his son.
I just can't say it enough I LOVE IT TO THE MOON AND BACK!!!!!!!
November 13, 2015
Another great book in the Kage series! Gotta say, though, with the way book 2 ended, I'm kinda scared to read book 3! Oh, Kage! You're killing me, baby! Jamie, hope you've got a good hold on him, cuz i'm getting the feeling he's getting ready to drop hard....
December 3, 2024
“It’s hard to sit back and take it when someone breaks up with you, especially when you’re still hung up on them. And even more especially when they cut all ties with you and act like you don’t exist.”
4⭐️
I enjoyed the second book of Kage and Jamie but not as much as the 1st book. For some reason this less than 300 page second installment felt like it could have been the ending act of the 3rd book. I know we all hate 3rd act break ups but I rather it happen all in one book and not have a second book dedicated to a 3rd act break up. This book brought up the angst and the questions on Kage’s past and real feelings toward Jamie and what Jamie really wants from a relationship with him. Overall I had a good time, read it in one setting but it just was missing that spark of the 1st book:
4⭐️
I enjoyed the second book of Kage and Jamie but not as much as the 1st book. For some reason this less than 300 page second installment felt like it could have been the ending act of the 3rd book. I know we all hate 3rd act break ups but I rather it happen all in one book and not have a second book dedicated to a 3rd act break up. This book brought up the angst and the questions on Kage’s past and real feelings toward Jamie and what Jamie really wants from a relationship with him. Overall I had a good time, read it in one setting but it just was missing that spark of the 1st book:
September 9, 2015
Notes :
- Ok, I already like the writing.
- I can't totally blame Kage for his behavior towards Jamie. His family sucks. And of course, he snapped.
- It's taking way too long to bring them together..
- Lolol. Funny moments. If you play with a fire expect to get burned.
- Oooooh I love it when somebody getting territorial. *shivers*
- Kage and Jamie are like chemistry bomb ready to detonate when they're together.
- My goodness, they're obsessing over each other but didn't want to admit it. They're just playing this dumb game. Who's better in yanking a chain.
- Good god, another f***ing cliffhanger.
This books was told in Dual POV and ended in cliffhanger.
- Ok, I already like the writing.
- I can't totally blame Kage for his behavior towards Jamie. His family sucks. And of course, he snapped.
- It's taking way too long to bring them together..
- Lolol. Funny moments. If you play with a fire expect to get burned.
- Oooooh I love it when somebody getting territorial. *shivers*
- Kage and Jamie are like chemistry bomb ready to detonate when they're together.
- My goodness, they're obsessing over each other but didn't want to admit it. They're just playing this dumb game. Who's better in yanking a chain.
- Good god, another f***ing cliffhanger.
This books was told in Dual POV and ended in cliffhanger.
December 27, 2020
What a ride. This is much darker and angstier than the first book. Kage keeps saying in the first book that he is bad, that Jamie doesn’t really know him, and shouldn’t want him, but he still comes off as a sweet guy who likes rough sex. Or at least he is sweet with Jamie.
Here we get to know him a lot more, and it hurts. He is hurting. Jamie is hurting. They are hurting each other.
The end, although dark, gives me hope for Kage and Jamie. They’ll be ok. I hope. I think.
Starting book 3 immediately. ❤️
Here we get to know him a lot more, and it hurts. He is hurting. Jamie is hurting. They are hurting each other.
The end, although dark, gives me hope for Kage and Jamie. They’ll be ok. I hope. I think.
Starting book 3 immediately. ❤️
August 26, 2015
The first book of this trilogy went on to become one of my top 3 reads this year (so far) which left me quivering in anticipation with this second installment and I am so fucking glad that it didn’t disappoint! Not one bit! Maris Black simply has that magic touch because I loved everything she has written so far and KAGE Unleashed just totally skyrocketed my fan–girling mode to another level towards Michael “Kage” Santori and little oh-so-naïve Jamie Atwood.
So, it starts off where the author left me just about dying with that cliffhanger in book one and now, I get to read part of the story from Kage’s point of view. It’s very much refreshing to read the emotional depth of this trained-killing-machine. Kage obviously has a traumatic past with everything orchestrated by his douche of an uncle.
“The truth is, I deserved what I got. For the bad things I’d done in my short twenty-four years of life, I deserved that and a whole lot worse. It was karma.”
The first chapter alone left me nervous (dunno why) with all the feels! It was intense getting a glimpse of Kage’s inner turmoil and what he really feels towards Jamie. Then right after the first chapter, it’s almost a non-stop mirage of events with both Kage and Jamie letting pride and doubts get in their way. I was at the edge of my seat (bed) trying not to yell at both of them for their stubbornness and I wanted to jump for joy at the same time for staying true to what they feel at the end of the day. Kage asked Jamie to trust him and so he did and vice-versa.
The manipulation of his uncle and that stupid bitch therapist was so laughable because it’s so predictable but I don’t mind predictable if the writing’s this awesome! And speaking of Uncle Santori – we’ll obviously get to hear more from him in the final installment of this trilogy because we didn’t get much of Kage’s past in this book and I really,really hope that Kage will put him in his place. Maris Black just gave us something to nibble on (at least this time, we have some info about the guy) and I honestly cannot wait to get hold of that freaking third book! I’m mentally willing myself to calm down or I’d go berserk and go write a fan fiction about these two. Or maybe not. Haha!
Before reading this, I was warned about another cliffhanger but really, not a big issue at all. It’s not much of a cliffhanger at all if I’m being honest. Just know that this trilogy is just unreal. Just so good and I cannot wait for Kage Unmasked to finally make its way on my reader. Super fucking mighty fucking highly recommended!!!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
So, it starts off where the author left me just about dying with that cliffhanger in book one and now, I get to read part of the story from Kage’s point of view. It’s very much refreshing to read the emotional depth of this trained-killing-machine. Kage obviously has a traumatic past with everything orchestrated by his douche of an uncle.
“The truth is, I deserved what I got. For the bad things I’d done in my short twenty-four years of life, I deserved that and a whole lot worse. It was karma.”
The first chapter alone left me nervous (dunno why) with all the feels! It was intense getting a glimpse of Kage’s inner turmoil and what he really feels towards Jamie. Then right after the first chapter, it’s almost a non-stop mirage of events with both Kage and Jamie letting pride and doubts get in their way. I was at the edge of my seat (bed) trying not to yell at both of them for their stubbornness and I wanted to jump for joy at the same time for staying true to what they feel at the end of the day. Kage asked Jamie to trust him and so he did and vice-versa.
The manipulation of his uncle and that stupid bitch therapist was so laughable because it’s so predictable but I don’t mind predictable if the writing’s this awesome! And speaking of Uncle Santori – we’ll obviously get to hear more from him in the final installment of this trilogy because we didn’t get much of Kage’s past in this book and I really,really hope that Kage will put him in his place. Maris Black just gave us something to nibble on (at least this time, we have some info about the guy) and I honestly cannot wait to get hold of that freaking third book! I’m mentally willing myself to calm down or I’d go berserk and go write a fan fiction about these two. Or maybe not. Haha!
Before reading this, I was warned about another cliffhanger but really, not a big issue at all. It’s not much of a cliffhanger at all if I’m being honest. Just know that this trilogy is just unreal. Just so good and I cannot wait for Kage Unmasked to finally make its way on my reader. Super fucking mighty fucking highly recommended!!!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
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