Review: Maddox!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 7, 2014
"Loss is loss. It's not a contest about who's been hurt more. We all have our own battles to fight."We met Maddox in Facade. He is Laney's motorcycle riding, tatted, loner, older brother. His past has been traumatic and complicated. He is closest to his sister, but their family had serious issues that continue to haunt them. He has always had to take care of the women in his life, but he also has secrets, guilt, and regrets and feels that he has failed them.Bee is lost, wary, and closed off. Her past has left her unsure of who she really is and who she is supposed to be. Her views on love are skewed and she hides behind protective walls.One night these two collide and never thought they'd see each other again. But it just so happens that Bee owns the tattoo shop that Maddox is dying to apprentice at.These two people are so similar that it is scary. They have the same ideas on keeping distance and not becoming attached. Neither likes to share or ask for help. Bot have secrets and have been shaped by their past. They don't want to let the other in and fight to resist. They try to be strong and not need others. They do not let anyone in to see their real feelings, pain, loss, or guilt. They are both broken and lost and in need of change.(Quote)I want to wrap her inside me where we can both pretend we're not f***ed up and lost.People say that opposites attract, but in this case they are almost the same person in male and female form and they are drawn to each other to spite themselves. Their actions speak louder than words. Their game is a masquerade of hiding who they really are. They both need to break free from the past in order to open up and face the future. And they both need to learn to let themselves feel and share and be real.It was a journey that required patience, healing, and pushing boundaries. This installment (like the rest of this series) had interesting, unique back stories. There was emotion, angst, drama, turmoil, resistance, humor, and pain. This book brought back the couples from Charade(Cheyenne and Colt) and Facade(Laney and Adrian) and allowed us to see their continuing stories. I would recommend atleast reading Facade first because you get more background into the complicated past of Laney, Adrian, and Maddox and the tragedy they are all still dealing with. They are all interweaved together through pain friendship, and love. There were secrets that needed to be exposed to bring closure to some areas. It was good to see them all trying to recover from their pasts and move on, but it is an ongoing process. This one tied all of the books together.(Quote)Life is f***ed up, it hurts, and it’s not always pretty, but damned if it can’t be beautiful too.Thanks to Nyrae Dawn, Forever/Grand Central Publishing, and Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. Quotes are from ARC and my change in final draft.