Undone

Unlikely Series #3

by J.B. Schroeder

Maxine’s inner circle hides a disturbed killer…
When Maxine Ricci’s models are brutally murdered, she’s convinced a serial killer is targeting her New York agency. She’ll do whatever it takes to safeguard her people—even if that means hiring bodyguard Shane O’Rourke. He alone understands the demands of the fashion world, because he used to be one of Max’s top models—until she fired him.
Reeling from a lawsuit that could tank his private security firm, Shane's got no choice but to accept Max’s offer. Unfortunately, the logistics of the job are a nightmare—as is the forced proximity to the sexiest, most challenging woman he's ever known.
Despite Max’s number one rule not to date anyone she works with, soon she and Shane are as tangled up as the killer’s mind. By the time they realize Max is the madman’s ultimate obsession—it might be too late for Shane to protect her. Can they find and stop the killer before everything they’ve built comes undone?

This is a sexy, urban, workplace romantic suspense with the delicious forced proximity of a bodyguard/woman in danger trope. With a killer hiding in plain sight, a straight-talking Jewish Italian businesswoman heroine, and a protective Irish boxer hero, there’s a heart-pounding rush of adrenaline and emotion on every page!

Undone is a stand-alone read, as well as Book 3 in JB’s award-winning Unlikely Series, where evil lurks in the most unlikely places.
Also available:
#1 Unhinged
#2 Uncovered

JB Schroeder is known for fast-paced, emotional ROMANTIC SUSPENSE with shocking twists!

Awards:
2019 NJRW Golden Leaf Award Winner for Romantic Suspense
2019 NJRW Golden Leaf Award Winner for Best Book by a NJ Author
2019 OKRWA International Digital Award ~ 2nd Place in the Novel Suspense Category
2019 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense ~ Single Title Finalist

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 20, 2018

About the author

JB lived for Sunday trips to the library growing up, and her favorite subjects were english and writing. She graduated Penn State with a degree in creative writing, then landed a job in publishing in New York City. Production led to design, which fed her creative soul and her bookshelves for a long time...

Now, JB writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance to make your heart race!

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Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When beautiful young models that work for Maxine Ricci start turning up murdered she has to put something personal from the past and hire PI Shane O'Rourke who she has a history with for protection.

The killer, whose POV we get through out, is obviously someone who has come undone. Its the who and why that the author dangles for most of the book that leads to a twisted ending.

[LuAnn Rodriquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

UNDONE by JB Schroeder is the third in a series that includes some of the same characters. Ms. Schroeder is a good romantic suspense author who created a storyline that made me take frequent breaks from the tension of this story. So far they have always been well written and I am never disappointed by the quality of writing. There is an interesting aspect to the character of the bad person in the story for whom it is possible to feel some sympathy by the conclusion.

I did not, however, find myself as drawn to the two main characters, Max and Shane, as I did to the others in the first two books but do think that was more my own personal tastes and not the author or the book. If you have a chance to read this book, I would recommend doing so, if only to discover your own reaction to the people in it.

I received a free reader copy for an honest review.

[Robert H. Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maxine Ricci, a stunningly beautiful woman and owner of New York's Ivory Mgt. seems to be losing her models right and left. One by one they're being hideously murdered. With a lot of misgivings, Max hires the best private detective in the business -- Shane O'Rourke. It's not that Shane's not the best protector around; it's just that Shane and Max have a personal history and much of it isn't good. What follows is a fast-moving plot, meticulously drawn with twists, turns, tons of emotion -- think love, hate, anger, passion, sex (I mean steamy sex!) and more. You'll be hooked from the first sentence and certain you know the killer from the first murder. Bet you're wrong! JB Schroeder is an up-and-coming author who is a storyteller - a GREAT storyteller. "Undone" is the third in JB Schroeder's "Unlikely" series and for many evenings of nonstop suspense, mystery, romance and just pure reading enjoyment I highly recommend it. After you finish it, look for the other books in the series.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This suspenseful novel started out slowly laying the groundwork for what becomes a hard to put down page turner! What I enjoy most about this author is her ability to make her characters feel real and keep you engaged with the story throughout. The plot twists keep you on your toes while you think you know where the story is leading and then you are surprised when the reveal makes its way to the pages. There is a good bit of romance and sex which helps heat things up and adds to the intrigue overall. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and think the author just keeps getting better with each new release.

I received a free reader copy for an honest review.

[Becky Claxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I loved this book. I hated to put it down when I had to. The mystery and suspense in the book kept me on the edge of my seat at times. I felt so bad for Max when she started finding her models murdered in such gruesome ways. She did a great job of keeping things together. Shane seems to be a very handsome guy, especially since he used to model for Max’s company. He was young when she fired him and hurt. I loved how mature he is now and looked at everything differently. I of course felt bad for the models that were killed. They were all so young. It was exciting trying to figure out who was doing the killing. I loved how Max and Shane grew close. I loved the book, and strongly encourage you to read it. I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story. Some of Maxine’s models are murdered and she has to hire Shane back. She fired him before when he worked for her. I couldn’t get enough and hope that there many more books to come. Superb author.

[Marion Lent · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a non-stop read straight from the start! The angst of the brewing sexual tension, as well as trying to figure out whodunit will keep you glued to the end. And the end....let's just say I didn't see THAT coming!

[Bev]

Maxine Ricci's models are being murdered in some of the worst ways. Maxine is sure a serial killer is targeting her modeling agency, so she hires a bodyguard to help protect them. Unfortunately, it is Shane O'Rourke, a former model she fired when he worked for her modeling agency. He now is doing private security, and has no choice but to accept Max's offer since his business is in trouble. Shane and Maxine have strong feelings for each other, and once again give in to them, but that just might be the undoing the killer needs. Can Shane stop the killer before he gets his real target at the agency? You will have to read the book to find out. I received a free ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

[Teresa Reitnauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this suspenseful page-turner. The mystery and intrigue increased as the story continued. The characters are well developed and drew me into the story. I felt Max's pain about the death of her models. Max and Shane have great chemistry.

[Maureen ~Bitch Can Write A Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every single time I finish one of her books I proclaim it my favorite, AND HER BEST.

This author gets better and better with every book. Great characters, twisted plots and edge of your seat drama. Dark, disturbing and delish. Her killers are so creepy, and her hero & heroine so...

I absolutely loved every Irish inch of her hero Shane, now Max...she took me a wee bit to love. But the ice queen fell hard from her perch.

Such a fast paced rush...I highly recommend diving into a book by this awesome author.

[Evonne Hutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very suspense filled romance!
A model agency where the models are dying....one by one. Who is next?
A good story line that is well written
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. This is my honest review.

[Gail Chianese · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Overall a wonderful and entertaining read. Had a few "hmm" moments, but nothing that really took away from my enjoyment or that would stop me from reading more from this author.

[Carey S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shane and his Uncle Joe run a security business, providing bodyguards for people in need who can pay for it. Max is the owner and creator of Ivory Management, a business that provides models for various assignments. She is a strong woman and gets very concerned when her models start getting murdered. She hires Shane’s firm to provide security to her employees. Years ago, Shane had been one of those employees, but got fired when he was no longer in high demand.

There are things that are very well done with this book, and things that are not quite as strong. The pacing starts off at a good clip, then slows toward the middle. The final section is a speed race filled with adrenaline! One aspect of the final reveal was a bit of a surprise, but not totally unexpected. At the start of the book, the age difference between the two main protagonists seems greater than toward the middle and end of the book. Nevertheless, the story keeps the reader engaged and curious about the culprit. Altogether, this is a satisfying read.

I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Elene Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book free and this is my unbiased review.

The book is set in the world of the fashion industry in New York. Maxine is of Jewish Italian decent with a fiery personality which matches her heritage. She runs a model agency and her models are being murdered in a gruesome manner and being left for her to find. In need of protection she approaches a former model who now co owns a security company for protection. Unfortunately she had previously fired Shane O'Rourke from her modelling agency. As an Irishman with an equally volatile personality he continues to bear a grudge even after years have passed.

Despite the animosity there is sexual chemistry which develops as the story unfolds.

I have given this 3 stars mainly because I struggled to gain empathy with the main characters. I found Maxine too aggressive and somewhat self absorbed and Shane came across as quite pouty to begin with. In my head I could not get it to flow. Not badly written hence the 3 stars but not one for me.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maxine Ricci, owner of her New York modeling agency. Two of her top models have been targeted, and were savagely murdered.
Max now has to put serious security in place for all her employees.
Shane O'Rourke who worked for Max, and was also fired by Max long ago. She thought Shane had aged too much, so he left on a bad note.
Shane now owns a Security company in New York City.
Max has to give in and ask Shane for his help, before another model is found dead.
Shane and Max secretly have a serious attraction for each other,but one of Max's dating rules is do not date the employees. The tension is obviously building between these two feisty characters.
Can they hold up against all that heat building when they are in the same room? A great read.
I received this book for free from ebook discovery. I volunteered to review it and this is my honest review.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5) The model industry is the background for the suspenseful, intrigue thriller. There is murder, the most creepy kind, there is sex, steamy. You are in Maxine's shoes, and Shane's shoes and the killer. It is so well done, it is almost seamless as you see through their eyes. I knew who did it in the beginning. (No I didn't cheat and go to the end :) ) , but then there was a twist and I thought I was wrong. Then it turned again and I wasn't sure. And then the ending....nicely done! I highly recommend this book, and I recommend you are not alone. Thank you for the arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own and were unsolicited.

[Glenda Bettin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book