I hate. I thought I hated before the letter, before the werewolves, but now I understand that was nothing more than a chip on my shoulder. The urbat took what was mine. And, they will pay.
Isabelle leads a very normal life...for an emotional syphon. If not for Ethan and his bar, she would have lost her sanity long ago. But everything changes with the crash of her fighting cage and a man who transforms into a wolf. There’s something about Carlos—when he’s not growling at her—that makes her do things she wouldn’t normally do, like sigh and daydream.
Attraction aside, she is faced the very real evidence that werewolves and urbat exist, and the urbat are after her. And the only way she can keep Ethan safe is to join with the werewolves and Carlos. It’s a race against time to stop a war, fight for love, and find the last Judgement.
I love to write! Sharing the worlds I've created is beyond amazing . Want to read a book for free? Check out my website at: http://melissahaag.com/free-ebook/
Judgement of the Six is one of the series that I have marked as maybe-later and came back to it. That says something.
Regardless, I didn't like Isabelle's character that much. Carlos was even worse because you don't know what he was thinking or feeling. It is really frustrating but I guess Haag is saving whatever Carlos is feeling so that she can reveal that in her Companion series.
I thought that E-Z's ability was a bit redundant as she feels what others are feeling (more like Charlene and all werewolves) but she could also drain other people emotionally. I think it is similar to what Jasper could do in Twilight but Ezy feels itchy feely once she absorbs too much of emotions. So, she has to get rid of that unnecessary build-up by doing physical workouts.
I thought that didn't make sense whatsoever but I really wanted to know the rest of the story so moved along with it.
The problem with this story is that I liked Gabby, Michelle and Charlene more than Isabelle so every time any situation came up, I wanted to know from their perspective. I didn't like Bethi's story that much and I think Isabelle's my 2nd least favorite.
But I'll read Olivia's story because that's the end and this is the series I would like to finish.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
“I felt what the people around me felt. Like sampling ice cream, their emotions had different flavors, letting me know their moods.”
Let me start by saying that this review will be spoiler-free, but (Dis)content is the 5th book in the Judgement of the Six series and I may reveal things that may have already happened in previous books – I try to never say anything really major but fair warning that it could happen.
My initial thoughts when I finished (Dis)content were along the lines of, this can’t be over, this CAN. NOT. BE. OVER! Don’t get me wrong, it is a decent sized book, it’s not short; I just wanted so much more! So I may have felt a tad jaded once I finished, it’s not the final book in the series, but in my defense I feel obsessed with this story. This isn’t the first time in this series that I was mad that one of the books was over, but nothing to this extent. I guess when you can’t get over a book that’s a good thing. I had such a serious book hangover that it took me a while to process my emotions.
Speaking of emotions, this entire book is an emotional roller-coaster, which makes perfect sense since Isabelle, our main character, is sort of an empath and can use peoples emotions in many ways. Isabelle is one of the final Judgements, known as Peace, which is funny because she’s always so angry, callous and irritated. Which can be expected since her power, or curse (with great power comes great responsibility), allows her to siphon other peoples emotions. She goes from snark to shark in t-minus one second. So *my* emotions were all over the place too and that is a mark of a well crafted story. I was so absorbed in the book and characters that I was personally hurt whenever the characters were also hurt. While I was reading, I had to pause at times to determine if are these Isabelle’s feelings or mine? Which I thought was a fantastic way to feel…complete immersion in the book.
Let’s talk about the barely verbal Carlos. Carlos is the tall, dark and brooding wolf and Isabelle’s potential mate; the one who is making her second guess everything she has ever known in her life when it comes to getting close to anyone. Also, he is why she knows she must take this whole werewolf versus urbat craziness seriously, because she feels her connection to Carlos immediately, she doesn’t understand it, but it is a force to reckon with and it clearly nudges her to help the rest of the Judgements who are with Carlos’ group. He may not say much, but he is clearly a man of action, and you can’t help but root for him to break down Isabelle’s snarky walls. Plus he’s clearly knock-out gorgeous!
Some of the best parts of this series, as the story builds, each previous Judgement continues to play a more pivotal role, so we get a lot of our favorites back for more and more. In (Dis)content, you get the most interaction between all of the usual characters as they must work together to save the remaining Judgement. Bethi has great jabs, Gabby is working tirelessly, Michelle and Charlene play to their strengths, and their men are by their sides fighting. Plus we have Jim to cause just enough mischief to make me smile from ear to ear! The girls are especially needed to help Isabelle transition very quickly into understanding the crazy and real danger that is upon them, a luxury of time is not something they have anymore.
My only issue, other than wanting more, was I think, due to the fact that I am so invested in this series. I re-read the previous 4 books these last few months to prepare for the release and this isn’t my first time re-reading them. I fell like there is still too much of the overarching mystery left to be uncovered in this series & felt that Melissa barely scratched the service in (Dis)content. So as a reader I just think that means in (Sur)real, the next and most likely final installment, is going to either be jammed pack or long. I vote for very, very long. So what? I am selfish, I want it all!
(Dis)content is quite the book; we have so much action, devastation, humor and of course romance. This is a hell of a ride! Be prepared to be engrossed and have a ton of feelings along the way. I will continue to have this series on my ‘tell everyone to read’ list. Thank you Melissa for crafting this world that I cannot get enough of and am willing to sell off my first born for insights on the next installment. Alas, let the waiting game begin again.
ON REREAD: 4.5 stars — OMG, I’m so glad I reread this book while my hubby was on a business trip, b/c even though I knew it was coming, I still uncontrollably bawled at a certain part of this book. Gawd, this book makes me feel SO MUCH!! I feel like it just took the whole series up a notch, and I felt so much for Isabelle, and how her power affected her and the relationships she developed. I still want to know more about Carlos, but I think I remembered not getting answers from my first readthrough, so it didn’t affect me as much. It just made me more excited to finally read his book!
Otherwise, I pretty much felt the same as in my first read, I was just more absorbed and apparently decided I had more faith in the story than the first time. Though, reading through my original review, now I really am curious if Isabelle is ever going to learn Carlos’ secrets. I guess we’ll see! But I did enjoy their connection more this time through…
4 stars -- Well I can tell you one thing right off the bat: this was the most emotional book of the 5 so far. I bawled like a frickin baby in the middle of the book (and consequently rode my ass off on the exercise bike b/c I tend to bike faster when I'm in an emotional upheaval). I hope my neighbours don't think I've lost it. So yeah, this book really got to my feels. It's weird b/c Isabelle was kind of a tough cookie to crack...she's so angry and worked up all the time. But maybe b/c we feel all her emotions, and feel the effects of everyone else's emotions on her, it just ended up being very raw in places.
These poor girls really do go through trauma too...both at the hands of their powers, and at the hands of the Urbat. But it was nice to have a kickass heroine this time who could really take care of herself at least physically. She was kind of crazy powerful in that sense.
I LOVED the interplay between Ethan and Isabelle. I loved how Ethan pushed her and knew what she needed and did everything he could to get it for her. I loved the way they bantered too. He brought some great moments of levity, almost as good as Jim. Loved the little glimpses of Jim we got too. I wonder if he'll be for Olivia (the 6th Judgement). The bar scene was really amusing.
Now Carlos...hmmm.... OK, here's the problem. I think that at this point Ms. Haag had already decided to write the full companion series (I'd have to look at the dates, maybe one was already even released at the point this book came out), and so this book kind of suffered from a total dearth of insight into Carlos. I mean, yeah, I know it's from Isabelle's POV, but I still should have gotten a feel for Carlos a bit more than I felt like I did. It was another one of those times where I felt like the pull was where most of the attraction came...but you know what, that wasn't completely it. I think I just sometimes have a hard time with these mystical pairings, b/c a part of me wants more. But he was super kind and caring of Isabelle, very attentive, challenging, always there for her. I just didn't quite follow the romance train all the way to the station. I end up liking these books a lot for their plot and action and world building, but I feel like they're not my faves as far as the romance goes. But that's a totally personal thing.
Anyways, I was supposed to be talking about Carlos. I think the problem is that I'm super intrigued about what happened in his past. LIKE SUPER INTRIGUED. And so I was disappointed to learn basically zero about him. Like, doesn't Isabelle want to know what's behind some of his words and actions and why he seems to understand pain and how he keeps himself closed off, and why he's different for her? Because I do!! And I know I'll get that in the companion book...or at least I better get that in the companion book. But if the companion book follows the exact same timeline, then I'm left wondering when *Isabelle* will find all this out. Because after Carlos's book, that's it for them. There won't be more from their POV, so what then for the development of their relationship? It's like we end up seeing the beginning of their relationship, but I want more development...and that development for *ALL* the couples seems to happen in other people's books, so kind of behind the scenes. It's a little dissatisfying.
Also, I still don't get the chasing thing. Like, I sort of get it, but I don't completely get it. But I might just be dense.
So yeah. I loved the movement of the plot, the action, the emotional upheaval, and I honestly can't figure out how they're going to finish with only one book left, but I have faith in Ms. Haag. However, the romance leaves me a little bit underwhelmed in this series as a whole. I think Melissa and Emmitt were my favourite because I felt more of that with them. I am a romantic at heart. It's going to be hard waiting for all the other companion novels to be finished and released before getting to find out what happens next. But I will be here, impatiently waiting. :P
I would NOT recommend this series to any of my clean romance followers.
3.5 Stars
Confession. This one was tough for me to get through. There was so much hatred and so much anger that I started feeling it while I was reading. Don't get me wrong, I love feeling emotion while I'm reading, but the hatred and anger consumed over half of the book. For me, it was just too much.
I have been dying to read (Dis)content since I finished (Un)wise and, sadly, I was a bit disappointed. I had such a hard time connecting with Michelle. She was a piece of work. I get why she was the way she was but she's over the top at times and I wanted to slap her. I was about 2/3 into the book before I started liking her.
The only thing that saved from from really disliking this book was Carlos. Y'all that man has the patience of Job! He was very loyal and protective. He was always looking out for and taking care of Isabelle even though she was horrible to him most of the time. He was the perfect hero and I absolutely loved him!
I'm definitely enjoying this series but there seems to be loose ends in some of the books. There's things mentioned in a couple of the books more than once, but they never get resolved. Like in this one, Isabelle sensed on a few occasions anger and pain coming from Carlos and he admitted to building up thick walls around those emotions. But you never find out why he's angry and in pain. I don't know if you find out the answers to these questions in the companion books or not, but I'm not a fan of reading two separate books for the same couple in each of their POV's.
I'm excited and nervous to read the final book in the series. I have a feeling it's going to get extremely intense and I just don't know if I'm ready for that. But you know what they say... in for a penny, in for a pound. Wish me luck!
Content: Moderate language (I didn't really notice it while reading though). Mild-moderate violence depending on the person. Swoony kisses. Sketchy clean.
I read this series back in 2014, when I wasn't on goodreads. So it never got rated.
Basically this series is about six human woman, who have different special talents and don't what they are useful for. On the other hand there are werwolves. Kind of two different species of werwolves, one are the good one and one the bad ones. Both groups has people who are compatible with those human women. For each woman two guys to choose from.
Charlene was the first one found. We do not know her story. In Hope(less) the first book of this series we read about Gabby's story. In (Mis)fortune the second book of the story we follow Michelle and Emmitt's story. Book three is about Luke and Bethi's story, which I expected to be book two. (Un)bidden is the story of the older couple: Charlene and Thomas. The fifth book is Isabelle and Clay's story.
I liked Isabelle. She is a strong heroine and has to go through so much.
"(Dis)content" the fifth book in the intoxicating "Judgement of Six" series begins in a fight cage where Isabelle, to siphon off an overload of emotional baggage is engaged in a clash of fists when chaos erupts and a wolf slams against the bars trying to get to her. Fleeing the scene with her best friend Ethan, Isabelle's life is suddenly turned upside down when she discovers that she's one of six women endowed with special abilities to keep balance between three races- human, werewolves and Urbat.
Chased by power-hungry Urbat Isabelle decides to join forces with a band of werewolves, their mates and three Elders to protect Ethan from harm and to help find the sixth Judgement . What Isabelle doesn't expect is to be attracted to Carlos a werewolf who's an emotional vacuum that growls a warning at Ethan and anyone else who tries to get close to her.
The action never stops as Isabelle continually escapes the Urbat with her friends, is kidnapped and fights the emotional madness that threatens to swamp her. A fighter, she believes in standing up to the werewolves that want to dominate the world, but knows that only by working together as a team will they be able to counter the menace . The plot intensifies and suspense builds when Bethi suggests a plan to thwart the Urbat, but it could mean a new danger.
In a race against time as the Urbat escalate the hunt for the Judgements and their mates, Isabelle stubbornly clings to her love for her childhood friend Ethan even though her heart pounds whenever Carlos is around. Conflicted and without any knowledge of how a relationship works when faced with tragic loss, Isabelle crumbles, memories of the past her only solace as she tries to alienate Carlos. Blended into the violence, hatred and uncertainty in this story are strong elements of friendship, healing and love as Isabelle learns to trust and accept what she cannot change.
Isabelle who 's rude, flippant and tough is fearful of the power she wields, isolating herself from intense feelings, and any loving relationship. She doesn't admit her love for Ethan protecting him by keeping him at arm's length and is also fearful around the werewolf Carlos who's an emotional void when he's near her. Patient and kind Ethan speaks his mind with a snarky sense of humor which Isabelle laughingly counters. In contrast Carlos often broods, his stance threatening as he tries to protect his prospective mate. These personalities as well as other familiar characters are not only realistic and complex but unforgettable as they struggle against the sinister plan of the leader of the Urbat, and their own demons. As in all the Judgement of Six novels the characters add power, passion and drama to an exciting roller-coaster ride.
"(Dis)content" is a well-written blend of science-fiction fantasy, adventure and the paranormal with a large dose of romance that leaves you on the edge of seat from beginning to the end. This fifth installment in a fascinating series is rich in plot and characters but I can't wait to see what Melissa Haag has in-store for her readers in the finale.
***I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are 100% my own.***
The next to last book. We have met Hope, Fortune, Wisdom, and Strength. In this book we get to meet Peace. This isn’t because of the way she is, but rather the way she makes people feel. She’s an emotion siphon. She sucks in all the negative emotions that we feel and it leaves us feeling happy and peaceful. But such a power comes at a cost. That cost is all that negative emotion has to go somewhere and the only way Isabelle can let it out is by beating people up. And that’s how Bethi, Luke, Gabby, Clay, Grey, and Carlos find her. She’s in a ring, duking it out with a guy called, affectionately, Brick. It is when Brick lands a shot that all kinds breaks loose. Carlos is almost as tight lipped as Clay. But he withholds more than his words, he’s an emotional void. And that’s unusual for Z. She decides to leave with the group along with her best and only friend Ethan, and they make their way across country to try to escape the Urbat and get the sixth sister, Courage. Blake has her.
This story is darker than even Bethi’s, even though there’s less gore. Not less death, but less gore. Well, kinda. This book had me giggling at the Phineas and Ferb reference, bawling…like SOBBING…like crying noises coming out of my FACE. Stuff is getting deep and real and the danger is touching everyone. I can only imagine just how harsh the last book will be. I’m also glad to have the interlude of Charlene’s story between Bethi’s and Z’s story. Without it, it would be too much. And her story sets up so much that we experience in this one. So for those of you questioning why the break in tempo…TRUST me, you’ll need it. It gives you a chance to breathe, because books three and five will be just too much for so long. We see all the usual, except for the Greg and Mary and their boys. We get to see more of Jim and his antics. HAHAH! I love that character so much, he’s so light-hearted and fun, and so much like his uncle.
Ms. Haag is taking us down that rabbit trail and she’s not caring if we stumble along the way. And I’m ever so grateful for the companion books she is writing because like Clay, Carlos keeps his secrets close to his chest and we’re not given an inkling of what makes him tick. And honest, I’m dying to know. Only one more book left in her series and I think it’ll leave me sad and more than just bereft. So, as with all the others, I’m not just going to recommend that you read them, I’m going to shout and bother you until you do! And this is good for the older teen on up, due to thematic elements and violence.
Isabelle is not like the other gifted girls. She's already had to fight most of her life, and she's already been on her own for so long, save for Ethan. She's tough, and cautious, and unwilling to give anyone a piece of herself...until Carlos comes along and all her notions of what her life must be go out the window.
It did feel as though things moved almost too quickly, but upon reflection, and some re-reading of scenes in previous Judgment of the Six books, I've come to realize that everything is on an accelerated timeline, even more so as we come closer to the actual Judgment. There were certainly times when I felt like we could have learned much more, but I'm hoping that a lot of my questions will be answered in Carlos's pov/companion book.
I found it hard to love Isabelle, as she constantly pushed against any sign of affection, and acted like she could do what she wanted, even though she would in turn feel guilty once someone actually got hurt.
If I'm being completely honest, she and Carlos are not my favorite Judgment couple, but we saw such a small glimpse of them, that may be a premature assessment. It's hard to beat Emmitt and Michelle, though, so it's not entirely their fault. Absolutely read this series in order or you will spoil the crap outta the earlier books.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed reading [Dis]content; I absolutely loved Jim and Grey in this book. Well, I love Jim in every book he's in but Grey has been pretty quiet until this one. Charlene is coming closer to having to tell the truth, and Bethi is as strong as ever. There are so many lovable characters it's hard to pick a favorite!
You can still get Hope[less] free on all ebook retailers, so if you haven't begun the journey, start today!
The bonus content in the pre-order version (and if you're lucky some release day purchases may include this- you gotta grab it to find out) was absolutely heartbreaking, and sexy, and....well worth it!
*I received an arc but also purchased a copy, so take what you will from that*
I have loved this series from book one Gabby and Clays story. I thought it got better as it went and so much more information was given to us about Michelle, Charlene, Bethi and of course all the yummy werewolf men. I honestly thought this series was great and there was no way to improve it....until I read (Dis)Content. Seriously how does Melissa make an already can't put down series even better?
Isabelle and her rage problems yet she is supposed to be peace really left me thinking. I loved her bond with Ethan and his character made me laugh to myself a lot. I like that Isabelle wasn't a lay down and let the man take charge girl but instead this badass fighter who didn't take crap from anyone and constantly surprised the enemy Urbat. Melissa has such a good imagination coming up with a girl who can feed on emotions and collect so much energy she needs to fight to release it. I definitely think Carlos is the right man for her and I know he proves it to her very well. There was a moment in this book I cried but realized how much better the book got after that as well.
If there were more than 5 stars Melissa would have got them all with this book. Anticipating the next one and its going to drive me crazy!
(Dis)content was one wild ride! Melissa Haag has written another "suck you in" "can't put it down" book. I truly loved this book and had such a different mix of emotions while reading it. Melissa genuinely has a knack for pulling you into the world that she has created and eliciting an array of feelings from you about her characters. She had me feeling hopeless about any kind of resolution within this story, and I absolutely could not see how anything was going to work out.
Isabelle is the heroine that you would love to hate, but my heart went out to her. I can't even begin to describe what she has had to go through her entire life; I understood her pain and why she acted the way she did. I adore Carlos. He was so very long-suffering, loyal, patient, and loving. He was the only man that was possible for Isabelle. There are so many feels in this book; humor, heartbreak, sweet moments, frustration and nervousness, snarkiness, and ugly cries to name a few.
I loved the interaction between the characters that we have already come to know and love. Thank you for giving us more of them! I believe Melissa Haag took quite a risk with this story, but it was a risk worth taking.
Marvelous job with this book!! Waiting for the next one will be hard!!
(Dis)content begins when Isabelle meets up with her one and only friend Ethan. It's been awhile since they've been together, mainly because her powers keep her from being to close with anyone because she may hurt them. After she gets into a fight, and some weird guy changes into a wolf things go from bad to worse for her and her friend. Now, they are on the run, but when some strange people meet up with them, help them, and claim they are the good guys and need her help, everything gets a whole lot stranger for Isabelle.
This book was really good. It had a whole lot of emotion in it, and I loved Carlos and Isabelle, although I wish they had more time together than what we actually got to read. I also enjoyed the relationship between Ethan and Isabelle, it was very amazing to see how deep their friendship was. I adored this book! And now I'm more excited than ever to read the next one.
I’m a huge fan of this series. This book elicited stronger emotions from me than all of Ms. Haag’s previous work. The pieces of the puzzle are starting to show the bigger picture, but the surprises were present in pure JOS style. Isabelle was more difficult for me to relate than the previous characters, however, she is integral to the success of the story. Carlos became my favorite companion, bye Felicia (Clay). His mysterious, dangerous demeanor was very enticing. I’m still reeling from what I’ve read. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This series has yet to disappoint me and this new addition is no different.
Isabelle is a ball of fire! Fiercely loyal and funny as hell. And Carlos … I wouldn’t mind biting that smoldering hunk of man. Hotness aside, Carlos’ endearing kindness especially won me over. (Dis)content is as action packed as it gets. The book sucks you in from the start and never lets go.
*Received ARC in exchange for an honest review* Holy Wow! Flipping AMAZING! (Dis)content is an amazing book. This is the fifth installment in the Judgement of Six series and it was wonderful. Not only do we get to read about our favorite characters from the past, but we also get introduced to a new character. If you have not started reading this series yet, Please GO BACK AND START NOW. This cannot be read as a standalone. Ok moving on. (Dis)content is told from Isabelle’s point of view. We first meet Isabelle at the end of (Un)wise. This story starts a bit before that scene and does include that scene. Bethi was always my favorite character, but it is a tie now with Isabelle. Isabelle is a very strong character. I actually think her and Bethi are a lot alike. Each other is a fighter, although Isabelle is much better. I love that Isabelle is a strong and independent character. She shows that a woman does not need to depend on anyone else. She is a positive role model in that regard. Isabelle has two men attempting to take care of her. Ethan is her best friend from childhood. Ethan is a wonderful character. He is witty and funny which provides comic relief within this tension filled story. What I love most about Ethan is the fact that he sticks by Isabelle’s side no matter what. He knows that he is out of his element with following Isabelle, but his love and devotion for her outweighs his own safety. Then you have Carlos. If you have read the whole series, you already know Carlos. I really love how well he is developed throughout the story. He is fiercely protective, but we see subtle changes within him throughout the book. This story is fully of anger and fury. I love every minute of it. I think the way the author wrote the book made the readers feel like they were feeling everything Isabelle felt. There were times when I felt all wound up on the tension pouring from this book. This book was emotional in other ways too. This book made me ugly cry a bit. There are unquestionably some heart wrenching spots in this story that are sure to make you cry. With that being said, there are also some magnificently sweet moments within the book as well. HEAT! There is a lot of that. This was my favorite story to watch the romance portion play out. All of the tension added so much more to this book. It made the emotional parts more emotional and the hot scenes a lot hotter. I felt like there was a lot of cat and mouse chasing going on in this book and it lead to some wonderful scenes. I will say that this book has a cliffhanger ending, as all the rest do as well. That would be my only complaint is that this book ending abruptly. Overall, I unconditionally adore this book. It is delightfully written and hold so much emotion. Isabelle is a wonderful character who is strong and independent. I loved reading about her transformation and getting to know more information out of the story. I would and do recommend this whole series to anyone who will listen.
Ratings: Plot = 5/5 Characters = 5/5 Heat = 5/5 Writing Style = 5/5 Overall Rating = 5/5 Quotes: “The phone rang before my alarm. Hell hath no fury like a woman woken before her alarm”.- Isabelle, (Dis)content
“The world is full of promises waiting to be broken.” .- Isabelle, (Dis)content
“Relax Grey,” I said softly. “You virtue is safe with me. No spooning unless requested.” .- Isabelle, (Dis)content
I was so anxious to get this book. I've been waiting for Isabelle's story since book three because she was introduced at the end of book three, but the author felt like she needed to do Charlene's story as the fourth one-which was also amazing. Still, I was definitely itching for this one...and now I'm itching for the last one.
I'm always so impressed with Melissa's ability to make the reader care so much for each character and their predicament. Every single one of these girls has to battle through their own emotional, internal conflicts in order to come to terms with claiming one of the werewolves, and where most authors might have gone wrong by making that same essential plot point super redundant, Melissa Haag takes each individual character, gives them a seriously unique gift with emotional baggage that directly results from those gifts and then allows the girls to follow their own fulfilling journeys of love, discovery, and essentially acceptance of themselves and the men they are each meant for. It's so incredible and annoyingly addicting in the sense that I want all of the books now. Ahem. Now Melissa, gosh dang it!
Carlos is simply to die for. I loved his interactions with Isabelle and her incredibly snarky and defensive attitude where he is concerned. Her verbal jabs and his stoic personality make for some great tension, moments of hilarity, and some highly entertaining dialogue. I think Melissa always does a great job of remaining true to the characters based on the personalities originally set forth and how they react to every occasion and interact with whoever they come in contact with. At the same time they eventually do things that are contrary to how they would normally behave, but this happens in a way that demonstrates growth, development, and ingenuity, making them fairly complex and multi-dimensional characters in the process rather than causing the reader to feel like these people have severe personality disorders.
And doesn't that just suck when you run into a character you can never get a handle on?
I thought Ethan was an interesting addition to the story and definitely something the author has never done before. There was a really wonderful dynamic between him and Isabelle. He was a character I became overly attached to in a short amount of time. Always a sign of great writing.
As always, the author's voice and writing style were addicting and difficult to let go of. I always know I'm going to get a wonderful product from this author.
This was a great addition to the series, and if you haven't started it from the beginning...what are you waiting for? Seriously! I'm pretty sure the first book in the series, Hope(less) is free on Amazon.
If you have read my previous reviews on these books, then you know I have been excited for (Dis)content for a while now. Isabelle seemed like she was going to be badass like Bethi in (Un)wise, and I was excited for the Judgments to start coming together and figure out their destiny. I was more than excited when I received the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review, and I am so very happy to announce that (Dis)content did not disappoint me in any way.
Character wise, Isabelle was a fantastically strong character, both physically and emotionally. She did remind me a lot of Bethi and it is no surprise that the two find a fast friendship in each other. Her Judgment might be Peace, but Isabelle brought some much needed fire and attitude to mix up the group dynamic. What was interesting is that this book brought a full human into the mix! The dynamic between the girls, the wolves, and the single human was fascinating to explore and watch unravel. As for Carlos, it was interesting to see the more animalistic side of one of our male protagonists. Don’t get me wrong, we see Clay in his wolf form in most of Hope(less), but seeing the animalistic urges in Carlos’ human body (like how chasing her became a turn on), was a new aspect that we didn’t really see in any of our previous male love interests thus far.
Now if we are talking plot, this book was by far my favorite because the adventure truly beings in this novel. Previously, we were taking our time learning about the characters and their stories mostly over lapped with each other, now however, time is starting to crunch and bringing all the Judgments together has become more important than ever. While we were learning about Isabelle, and her romance with Carlos was jumping its hurdles, we also get to see the gang do some traveling, figure out some next steps, and make a huge decision that impacts the novel’s world in a major way. Isabelle didn’t have the option to relax and accept her new life like the other girls, things were all systems go from start to finish… however, I think that suited Isabelle’s personality perfectly.
Melissa Haag’s writing captivates you from the moment you open the book to the very last page where you find yourself eager to learn what happens next. (Dis)content has been my favorite novel in the series so far, and waiting until the series’ conclusion in winter 2016 seems a life time away. Thankfully, we will probably have at least one companion book to read somewhere between now and then, and Emmitt’s version of the events in (Mis)fortune will be fun to discover. This was the easiest 5 stars I have ever given, and I can’t wait to read what happens next.
I received a prerelease copy for an honest review. Melissa Haag is one of my favorite authors and this series in particular is one of my favorites. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of werewolves series. Most books I've read tend to lose my interest before the series completes. This is not so with the Judgement of the Six series. In fact, it resparks my excitement on the very first page of each book. I like Melissa's work as it doesn't take several chapters to draw me in but right from the start, I'm excited, interested, and taken for a ride! Another thing she is good at doing is writing about a different character in each book without ticking me off. I tend to like the main character in a first book and want to continue with that character as the main character throughout. I've yet, besides Melissa, found an author who has been able to do this and make me fall in love with each new character introduced. This is epic for me as I'm old school and very picky! I won't get into what this book was about as you can read that in the description and that, to me, wastes my time. I LOVED this book. I like that this particular main character is tough and no nonsense. She's detached yet relatable. This book made me laugh out loud (and share certain scenes with my hubby as I couldn't stop laughing) and yet cry at certain parts as well. I had a hard time putting the book down to attend to regular life and anxiously awaited a quiet moment to sneak in more reading time. Of the five, this book is not my favorite, but having said that, I loved it! I can not wait for the next in the series, and hope that there are many more to come and not just one more. Excellent job once again, Melissa Haag!!
Another great book in the Judgement of Six series. This one revolves around Peace--Isabelle--who ironically is actually extremely angry, fiesty and snarky. It's no surprise that as a sort of empath who siphons emotions from those around her (whether she wants to or not), she has very strong and pronounced emotions that I found myself getting easily caught up in; as she was I was equally angry, annoyed, vengeful, scared, pained, and distraught. I almost started to feel bloated with emotions too, and almost wanted to follow her lead and find someone to punch. I will not write spoilers, but do note that since your emotions get so closely tied to the characters', expect to find yourself in tears with heartbreak when the Urbat danger starts to leave destruction behind. On the other hand, it's balanced well by the patient love and mysterous caring between the quiet, seemingly emotion-less 'big guy,' Carlos and Isabelle as he waits for her to adjust to their life--and let go of her worry. However, I wanted more from their story! I thought this book ended rather quickly (it seemed too short!) and without as much conclusion to their love tale as with the others (though we do see the other Judgement girls still adjusting to their Mates in this book, too). It was interesting to finally see most of the girls using their abilities to work together. There are some big moves made in this book and I am eager to see how they use it to to--dear god, hopefully--overcome Blake and all the rest of the Urbat.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. However...I also purchased the preordered copy as well because I absolutely love the the Judgement Series. Prior to reading Discontent, I thought Gaby and Clay were my favorite couple, with Clay being in my top five for book boyfriend list. That is no longer the case. I ADORE Carlos and the fact that he is a Hispanic werewolf makes him even yummier to me. Thank you for the Latin flavor Melissa. I loved how he would shake trying to keep control, how he wanted to chase Isabella and trick her into biting him, and that he was able to keep a lid on his emotions even though we all knew how deeply he felt for her. The fact that there was another male in Isabella's life had to be difficult for Carlos, but he respected the boundaries and allowed her to fall for him instead of forcing the issue. Melissa had me laughing out loud - hard - and then sobbing several chapters later - extremely hard. This book was a mix of emotions and one heck of a roller coaster ride. Bethi was back at it with her sarcasm and insight. My favorite scene had to be when Ethan woke up with Carlos in the same bed asking if he had been recently spooned! I laughed for a good 10 minutes. If you follow Melissa's work Discontent is a must read! But I honestly feel like you should start with Gabby and Clay's story. Fall in love with them and then you won't be able to stop there.
I received the ARC for an honest review. This is a continuing story that hooks its talons into your heart and pulls you in to experience every agonizing and hilarious moment. The fifth in the Judgement of the Six series - this character was different in that she is tough and angry, didn't start out weak and running away from the very beginning. Her interactions with other characters are unique, and the results are distinctive to her. One of her most unique characteristics is that her best friend is human, something the werewolves frown upon.
Without giving away any of the story itself, I found myself laughing so hard at certain parts that I was still giggling about them later. There were also moment when I cried, the tragedy tearing at my heart. There were tons of twists and turns, earlier characters that made an appearance, and of course, the four Judgements who came before along with their mates. It was exciting to see how much the other women had changed and get a glimpse at who they are becoming.
If your interested in a fantastic read that's different from every other werewolf story you know, the Judgement Series is the one for you. But, start at the beginning. Each book ends in a cliff hanger that will lead to another exciting adventure. Thanks, Melissa Haag for taking us along for the ride!
et me start off by saying this book was amazing!. Anytime you can get that involved with a character in the matter of a few chapters so that when tragedy strikes, you bawl - well that Melissa Haag is some kick ass writing! I had to force myself to slow down - I wanted to read more and faster because I wanted to know what came next. This is the type of writing that the real world fades away and you can immerse yourself in a world where love is inevitable and werewolves good and bad really do exist.
Melissa continues this series with another unique and complex characters: Isabelle and Carlos. What I love about reading a really good book/series is when it continues to move and the characters are not whiny or weak. Well Isabelle is anything but whiny and weak and she is going to let you know it! There continues to be a real connection between the group and some much needed humor amidst heartache and stress. I think there were a few parts that in reading in public I laughed out loud and got a few strange looks from surrounding folks. Those are the fun books!
I think bringing in a human adult male that has a real connection to the main character is brilliant twist. It could have played out in so many different ways.
There is no need to light candles for the romance in this book, just POUNCE! Isabelle is a fighter through and through. She is the fifth of six Judgements that we get to meet in this series. Her "gift" (even though she wouldn't call it a gift) is that she is an emotional siphon. She pulls emotions from people around her and then must excise them from her body by exercise or fighting. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about all her fights both the hand to hand and the heart to heart kinds. I had moments snickers and giggles and moments of utter devastation and heartbreak as Isabelle tries to find where she "feels" like she's home. The author does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into the character's world for the emotional highs and lows as the cast works to bring all the Judgements together. The supporting cast of characters are the same characters from the previous Judgement of the Six books so it is imperative to read this series in order for the best experience and understanding of the characters and plot. The order is Hope(less) book 1 (Gabby), (Mis)fortune book 2 (Michelle), (Un)wise book 3 (Bethi), (Un)bidden book 4 (Charlene) and (Dis)content book 5 (Isabelle). This is a great series and I look forward to book 6 (and more companion books written from each man's POV).
As the end of this series grows closer and closer, I have NO IDEA how things are going to eventually play out. I mean, I'm going to guess things end up well for our heroes, but HOW they get to that point is poking me with a stick something fierce.
So. Isabelle and Carlos. She sucks emotions out of people and had to get physical to release the effects of being a syphon. He's...well, we still don't know much about him. Carlos is our mystery. Intensely controlled, he's Isabelle's haven when things get too rough.
Buuuut it takes a while to get to that point. Because when you're a woman who can steal aggression and anger and fear and love, it takes time to earn your trust. It's only Isabelle is taken to the edge of her abilities that she goes all in with the wolves and the Judgements anyway.
Let me tell you, the edge is pretty intense. Heck, Isabelle is pretty intense. Carlos is an excellent foil for her and I'm ITCHING to get all of his story. I want to see what's in his head. Deep waters and all that.
We are getting closer to the end, (Dis)Content is the fifth book in the Judgement of Six series and it was incredibly good just as the rest of the series has been. I love both the story and the characters, I have been with this series of years and I have loved every minute of it.
(Dis)Content picks-up right were (Un)Wise left off, a few from the group has shown up in a bar because they are looking for Peace. Isabelle is Peace, the fifth judgement and she is one helluva fighter. Isabelle's is an emotional siphon, she takes in the emotions that are around her and she needs to release them in a physical way so she doesn't end-up hurt. The gang comes for Isabelle but she isn't going anywhere without a fight but after the group explains the situation Isabelle knows that she is currently in the biggest fight of her life, it's the Ubarat versus everyone else and they cannot win.
In all of the other books in this series I pretty much like all the judgements and their mates. I don't know if because in the first three books the story was still newish and in the fourth book I had finally gotten to see Charlene's past but I had trouble liking Isabelle. I easy connected to her and I easily saw her perspective during certain situations but I was annoyed with Isabelle for about half the book.
She irritated me by not paying attention to what was really happening for her angrier taking over instead of noticing things and for how she treated Carlos. I know she doesn't really get it because of all the other emotions around her she's dealing with but come on the guy is nice doesn't need to be treated so poorly. After that initial part I did start to like Isabelle and I like it even better when her and Carlos was together.
Even with all that angry Isabella is a nice and caring person, she is funny, smart and she doesn't take crap from anyone and is a really good fighter. I love how she and Carlos balance each other out. I don't like the fact that she didn't take the time to really get to know him, I hope that she does.
The last fourth of the book was so good, the chemistry between Isabelle and Carlos, the action, the past coming back and the uncertainty made the book so much more intense at the end. (Dis)Content was so good and even annoyed I was highly entertained. Now that I have read Isabelle's story I can't wait to read it through Carlos' pov, I have so many questions about him. Carlos has been in previous books but nothing is never really revealed about him , I can't wait to read his book and get a little insight. This is it, just one book left and I am ready to see the final judgement.
Im mixed on this book. I liked the continuation of the story. There were alot of things I liked about the story and 1 huge reason I didn't like it. Things I enjoyed: 1. Isabelle- this poor girl. I really liked her. She was passionate and angry and all for the right reasons. Her gift was horrible and bc of it she was isolated and had to fight to get rid of the emotion or die. She was complex without being a sobbing mess like many heroins. 2. Ethan- what can I say about him. I wish he was the Hero not Carlos. He had such a connection with Isabelle. He understood her and gave her what she needed, levity. Her life was forced to be lonely and serious. Ethan gave her an escape, a sense of humor. I won't lie, when he died I cried. I did not want to see him go. Things I could do without: 1. All the driving and fighting (sparing) it was kind of repetitive and didn't really go anywhere with the story till they hit NY. 2. Carlos- OK he almost brought the rating down to a 2 star. I DID NOT like him. He was the typical quite, stoic alpha male who pushed and pushed. I much preferred Luke and Emmitt to this man. He was creepy and pushy. First he threatened her best friend (Ethan) twice. TWICE! A man who knew her all of a minute is threatening the ONLY friend or person in her life. What a jerk. Then at one point she ends up in bed next to him and he tells her if she wants him to go away she just needs to bite him. That lieing sack if crap. She knows nothing about their customs so he tries to trick her! What kind of man is that. I just did not like or respect this man. Throw in the fact that he gets his rocks of by telling her to run from him then him changing and tackling her in his wold form. Just creepy. There are so many things I hated about him the list could go on.....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
God, I forgot how much I enjoyed these books. Every time we were introduced to a new girl I would think "Damn, her life is so hard, I'm not sure how it can possible get worse than that". But then the next books comes out, and we meet a new girl and I realize - it can get worse. Every one of them endured so much in every life they lived. And I always feel sorry for the guys here. They've been waiting for their mates all their lives, but when they actually meet, the girls don't usually want anything to do with them. But I like how persistent they all were in their pursuit. And they can be so sweet and thoughtful. I wanted to read a book about Isabelle every since she was mentioned in the (Un)wise, and it didn't disappoint! I liked her character and her relationship with Ethan were fun to read about. And of course I liked Carlos. He reminded me of Clay, but where Clay was silent, Carlos was emotionally closed off. I'm even contemplating reading the story from his perspective. I remember that Bethi's character used to annoy me before, but here she was actually one of my favorite. I like how we are able to look at these girl from different perspective every time, it changes the way the reader sees them. My only concern is - is that it? There don't seem to be any more books, aside from the companion series. But there are still a lot of unresolved issues and we didn't get to meet Olivia, which I kind of hoped for. If that's all then it's a shame, I really enjoyed the books and would've loved to know how the story played out.
LOVED loved loved this book! It was everything I've come to hoe for and expect from one of Melissa Haag's books. I couldn't have been more pleased with how this one went, and this has to be one of the most hard-hitting ones as well. It brought all of the good and bad emotions out of me.
Isabelle is SUCH a badarse! She is a fighter and an empath with a strong set of morals, and a die-heard loyalty to those precious few beings that she allows herself to love. She is a close second fave to Bethi for me, and I definitely have a dual woman-crush on the both of them. *dreamy sigh*
It's clear that Isabelle has been through some trials in her life, but the world is not a kind place, and she will suffer so much more before her time is up. Is it worth fighting for, a possible end to her constraint pain? Or will the universe ask her for more than she's able to give?
I am so beyond thrilled that our gang of Judgments and Weres has finally collided and banded together. They make such a kick-butt team, and they absolutely needed Isabelle to make them even stronger and able to face their own battles. The final battle is steadily approaching, and our meager little family is doing everything in their power to prepare for the oncoming storm.