M. O'Keefe (1)Critiques
Auteur de Everything I Left Unsaid
Pour les autres auteurs qui s'appellent M. O'Keefe, voyez la page de désambigüisation.
M. O'Keefe (1) a été combiné avec Molly O'Keefe.
Critiques
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨
First Impressions
Everything I Left Unsaid is the first book in the "Everything I Left Unsaid" series and this is the first of two books which involved our couple and this is also my first book from this author and I absolutely adored the writing style. For fans of edgier contemporary or dark romance, I can't recommend this one enough. I was so hooked into this story and the narration was so brilliant, I just didn't want to put it down. The romance that develops was so UNIQUE and I loved the development that grows between our couple here.
First Line
Escape smelled like a thick layer of Febreeze over stale cigarette smoke.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Dylan
Works in the background
Ex Racer and Gambler
Alphamellow + Bad Boy
The Heroine: Annie
On the run from her abusive husband
Reserved and Shy
Summary
Annie realizing that her husband wouldn't be keeping her alive for much longer, abandons her life and goes on the run. She knows that he needs her to sell her farm, but she refuses to sell it. Annie goes on the run and settles into one of the smallest communities she could find and starts living in a trailer park, working as a landscaper in North Carolina. When she finds a phone and starts talking to a stranger, they start exchanging texts and phone calls that with each call starts to really build the tension and connection between them. Both Dylan and Annie have secrets and its obvious that there is more happening in Annie's trailer park than meets the eye but their fates are intertwined if they only trust in the love that is growing between them.
What I Loved
This book just left me breathless and anticipating all the delicious tension that grows between Annie and Dylan. Both characters have so many secrets and seeing them slowly dig into each other was so intriguing. I really adored the moments between this couple and seeing them find their way that was so different than I expected it to happen. Dylan was such a bad boy secretive hero and I just wanted to peel his heart like an onion and the author really reveals him so slowly that I have to admire her writing talent within this story and if her other books are ANYTHING like this one, I have to say that I will be paying close attention to her backlist.
Then we have Annie. Annie isn't quite your typical heroine on the run from an abusive husband. She keeps her secrets close, and she isn't perfect. But I really admired her strengths that we see come into this book. We can see how the abuse have treated her and damaged her strong spirit. We see slowly her rediscovering her life and realizing her own power and what she is capable of. I love how explorative she becomes and how creative Dylan becomes with her and her "bucket list". The plot was so intricately laid out within this story and leaves you with such a ending that will have you jumping right into the second one!
What I Struggled With
There wasn't anything I truly struggled with, no a fan of the cliffhanger but since I was able to jump easily into the second book, I can't complain that much when the romance was so well developed.
Narration
The narration was incredible. There was so much deep emotion but also their tones really built up the chemistry just right between the couple that you could feel the actual tension building.
Overall View
I found this gem to be an incredible find, a TBR read that I am glad I picked up. Its a story of self discovering, slow burn that is a mix of salty and sweet and a romance to curl your toes and leave you with high expectation....
Favorite Quote(s)
"No one missed me. Or worried. Or wondered. I'd vanished and the world just kept spinning."
"Carefully, as if he were a live bomb, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I was struck with the very real fear that nothing was going to be enough with him. Not ever."
He'd learned the hard way to keep his wants and desires on a short list. Wanting too much, either one thing or a million, only meant he wouldn't get it. He was clumsy with fragile things- always trying to hold onto them so hard they broke.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Erotic Romance
Character Types: Bad Boy, Alphamellow, Shy Heroine
Themes: Small Town, Danger Elements, Slow Burn, Hot Smexy Times, Voyeurism
Tropes: Friends to Lovers
Book Perspective
Duo POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A Mix
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Jay Crownover
Katy Evans
Beth Kery
Song This Book Inspires
Snooze SZA-SOS
Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes I do recommend reading this series in order. The characters are all interconnected.
Steam/Spice Explanations
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Narrators:
Joe Arden
Maxine Mitchell
Also, even though it made sense to change the style, since Dylan was first-person narrating this time around, I was not a fan of how choppy it was. Lots of really short, terse sentences. So, stylistically, it reads like New Adult, but these are some grown people. I didn't like the disconnect.
However, Molly O'Keefe writes beautifully and there was a lot of emotional punch without leering over the specifics of Gabe's abuse, so a little bump up for that.
Not joking. And It's five stars, too. I consider these one book, and I resent whoever decided they had to be separate.
Some characters stay with you.
Linked by a Christmas gala ball, this collection of stories are in turn, romantic, steamy, tender and funny. What they are not, is festive, despite the title and the aforementioned link. It took me a while to grasp the construct, and I have to say, it's one hell of a party that they all attend! Different lengths, different authors, different relationships, but not a wrong step. Terrific.
This book... This first book had me on pins and needles but this one takes the cake. It picked up right where the last one left off and kept on going. I was so caught up in the story, the push and pull between Poppy and Ronan, and the mystery of what had brought them to where they were now that I am surprised that I even remembered to breathe.
This book brought more of Ronan's backstory to the forefront and explained a lot as to why he considered himself a monster. That isn't to say that Poppy took a backseat because she didn't. In fact, she no longer was meek or naive. This experience had definitely given her a backbone. For a large part of the story, it was about healing and trying to understand the other. It was missing part of the action but the suspense was still there. I am glad that the author did this because it made the story more authentic considering that recoup and healing time were needed considering how the last book ended. It would have not been as credible if Poppy and Ronan went about this new portion of her life while searching for answers if she had been on death's door.
The action picked up at the end and caused a very unlikely scenario to happen. The twist was one that I didn't see coming. It ended on a cliffhanger of what is to come in the last book. I can already tell that it is going to be intense. I am here for it because the unanswered mysteries and the anticipation of Ronan and Poppy coming together (no pun intended) have me waiting on bated breath. I just read this book and already I am clamoring for the conclusion. This is definitely a trilogy that I will be rereading back to back once they are all three out. I can only imagine the parts of the story that I missed in my frenzied state to flip the pages as fast as I could to find out what is going on.
There were some stories that were mentioned that had me looking forward to when they get a full story set in this world such as Skye Warren's Hallelujah and Alta Hensley's Silver Bells. There were others that were just loosely associated with the world but that made me instantly want to go read more about these characters such as Sienna Snow's Silent Night (good lord is Simon HOT), Maria Luis's Carol of the Bells, and Jenika Snow's It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. Of course, there were also old fan favorites that dived back into the world that they helped create; Away in the Manager by Jade West that took me back into the world of Lucian and Elaine ( Lucian is a dirty dirty delicious man), Little Drummer Boy by M. O'Keefe that reintroduced Poppy's sister, and O Come All Ye Faithful by Amelia Wilde that reminded me why Leo and Haley are a dream team of a couple.
I will have more individual reviews at a later time when my eyes are not being held open by toothpicks since I stayed up way too late to finish this fantastic collection of stories.
O Holy Night by Pam Godwin
Sweet lord. The original story with Tinsley and Magnus was one of my favorite books of 2021. I didn't think that it could get much hotter. I was wrong. So very wrong. These characters are delicious. I loved seeing how their chemistry is still intense. I loved seeing the cameos of other characters, especially Lucian and Elaine. That ending... just going to say it was HOT.
Baby, It’s Cold Outside By Giana Darling
Sweet holy hell. This is like Christmas in July. Combining Elena and Dante with a new character, Tiernan from the Midnight Dynasty world is like a Festivus for the rest of us. It was as if Elena and Dante should have been a part of this world all along, or as if Tiernan had been a part of the Lombardi world. That takes some skill to be able to do that.
The sneak peek into how Elena and Dante are doing in the future was EVERYTHING because I will never tire of seeing them interact with each other or be able to see how happy they both are. Not even going to lie, that ending was not only hot but might have made me swoon. It added the perfect image in my head to that amazing duet.
I liked the glimpse and tie-in with Tiernan also. It segued into a great introduction of how Elena came to make a cameo in Bad Dreams. This little story packed quite a punch. I wish that it had been longer but that is just me being selfish because I never want books by this author to end.
4.5 stars
I live for the books that can suck me in from the first moment and not let me go. This was one of those books. It grabbed me by the neck and it hurt to both read and breathe. I thought I had it figured out with the whole young girl marrying someone older to help her and her sister out of a precarious situation. This was that but it was so much more than that. There is a mystery at play here. The author leaves you wondering who can be trusted, who is a friend, and what is the purpose or motivation behind what is happening.
I sure wondered the motivations, especially when it came to Caroline, a friend that could have saved her from all of this. Especially, in light of what she witnesses Poppy going through. It is a bitter pill to swallow, but everyone, Caroline included, seems to have a reason for doing what they are doing and that ups the mystery even more. Poppy's sister, Zilla is also a mystery, but perhaps, the biggest mystery and unknown is Ronan. I loved the first meeting between Poppy and Ronan. The bantering was delightful and edgy. When he is reintroduced, I have my concerns. Is he good? Is he bad? Is he just someone Caroline is using? These questions really come to light when the book ends on a cliffhanger. April seems to be forever away as I wait to get those answers.
This is the first time reading this author but it will not be my last. I did struggle with Poppy a bit because I wanted her to see what Zilla and Ronan were telling her about not being so naive or easily manipulated. However, I have a funny feeling that the author is going to give this girl a spine and she is going to become fierce after so many years of being beaten down.
I really, really felt like this book was missing Joan.
That said, I would have maybe given this 3.5 or 4 had I felt a little more intrigued by the romance but that all seemed a foregone conclusion, particularly in the book. I may have given it that rating if the author didn't do that thing I find really jarring: 1st person then 3rd person from other MC POV. I don't know what to call that other than something I don't like.
I loved Dylan as a character and think he'll stick with me a bit more, and I think the family dynamic in this book was incredibly compelling. I will continue with the series, but on a borrowed basis...JUST for that POV thing.
In The Truth About Him, the second novel in M. O'Keefe's two book series Everything I Left Unsaid, the cliffhanger from the first installment is quickly resolved but there is plenty of peril ahead for Annie McKay and Dylan Daniels when someone from his past unexpectedly re-emerges.
When the previous installment ended, Annie's past finally caught up with her with a very unexpected arrival. With her situation becoming more precarious with each passing second, a dramatic turn of events quickly closes the chapter on this part of her life. However, before she and Dylan can move forward with their budding romance, Dylan's previous connection to a motorcycle club brings danger to the people around him.
With her past finally resolved, Annie really comes into her own during The Truth About Him. She is more confident and she does not hesitate to voice her opinions. She does not let anyone (including Dylan) make her decisions for her and although she sometimes is a little too stubborn, it is quite refreshing watching her stand up to her friends and neighbors. Annie is also willing to take a risk when it comes to matters of the heart and she does not hide her feelings from Dylan.
Dylan is still working to make peace with his somewhat dysfunctional family life. All of his secrets are finally revealed but forgiveness remains elusive. He remains uncertain about a future with Annie but despite his best efforts to stay away from her, he finds it impossible to resist their attraction. When things become rocky between them, Dylan makes a conscious effort to stop running from his problems and only then does he make progress conquering the lingering demons from his past.
While Dylan and Annie are more honest with each other in this installment, their relationship gets a little lost in all of the drama from Dylan's past. There is still plenty of unadulterated lust between them and their sex scenes remain extremely erotic. However, the storyline takes on a suspenseful element once Dylan is reunited with a couple of people from the motorcycle club and there is quite a bit of danger surrounding everyone as this part of the plot plays out. In the midst of these story arcs, Dylan's relationship with his father remains contentious and he is slow to relinquish his anger or offer forgiveness for the series of events that occurred between them several years earlier.
For the most part, The Truth About Him is an engaging and satisfying conclusion to the Everything I Left Unsaid series. The novel is well-written but the storyline is a little busy and somewhat slow paced. The main characters are fully developed and mostly sympathetic. All of the storylines featuring Dylan and Annie are completely resolved, but there are a few story arcs with secondary characters that leave a lot of unanswered questions. Hopefully M. O'Keefe has plans for future novels which will bring closure to these dangling storylines.
Everything I Left Unsaid by M. O'Keefe is a scorching hot journey of healing and sexual awakening for lead protagonist Annie McKay. This first book in a two part series is a poignant and heartwarming romance that is quite captivating and will leave readers impatiently awaiting the release of the final book in the series.
Fearing for her safety, Annie flees from her Oklahoma farm and makes a new life for herself in a rundown trailer park in North Carolina. Almost immediately upon her arrival, she answers a cell phone left by the previous occupant and she is instantly enthralled by the voice on the other end. Their flirtatious conversations quickly turn erotic and with Dylan's encouragement, Annie begins to explore her newly awakened sexuality.
Annie's sheltered upbringing left her vulnerable and lacking confidence. She made a decision she soon came to regret but seeing no way out, she slowly but surely gave up pieces of herself in order to keep the peace. When things finally come to a head and she truly believes her life is in imminent danger, Annie works up the courage to leave. With no real plan in mind for her future, she is content to remain at the trailer park where she not only feels safe, but tentatively forms the first friendships of her life with her neighbors.
Dylan is quite enigmatic and his life remains shrouded in mystery. He enters Annie's life at a time when she is ripe for change and although some of his requests are clearly out of her comfort zone, she refuses to let her unease stop her from acquiescing to his demands. Annie's explorations of her sexuality are the impetus for changes in all areas of her life while the growth of Dylan's character remains rather limited due to the narrow scope of their relationship.
Dylan and Annie's relationship is very unusual and for much of the novel, it remains rather superficial since neither of them is willing to reveal their secrets to one another. There is no denying the sexual chemistry between them and the sex scenes are blistering hot. However, their relationship lacks an emotional depth since neither Dylan nor Annie reveals anything of importance until nearly the end of the novel.
Everything I Left Unsaid by M. O'Keefe is a sexually charged novel of self-discovery and it is quite fascinating watching Annie gain confidence and become more comfortable in her own skin. The overall storyline is refreshingly unique and the characters are multi-dimensional and quite appealing. The novel comes to a rather dramatic conclusion that will leave readers anxiously awaiting The Truth about Him, the final installment of the two book series.
A note - the POV is constantly changing and the chapters are labeled with names of the character to help out. Still it was really hard to tell who was talking. Many things got sloppy toward the end.
Will I read the next book? Probably.
After the cliffhanger ending of the first book it picks up where we left them. Family is more important now and Dylan needs to remind his dad, brother and himself that it is loyalty that counts.
by Molly O'Keefe
#2 Everything I Left Unsaid
Audio narrated by Joe Arden & Maxine Mitchell
2-1/2*
I'm picking up this series partway through and I think may have missed a lot by doing so. Other than hearing about the main character, Dylan Daniels, having gone to prison for his brother, Max, and some fire that had happened in the past which caused Dylan's physical (and emotional?) scars, I was still left in the dark about why Dylan was still carrying so much anger toward his father, Ben. For a while I wondered if there was sexual abuse in his past somewhere, but I think it came down to basic neglect.
Whatever happened in Dylan's past seemed to be the cause of why he was so cold and initially unable to show tenderness or even receive love from others. The book references some recent sexual history between Dylan and Annie, a young woman who admitted to being married and in hiding from her abusive husband, Hoyt. They have a strange way of interacting with eachother, a push and pull that was confusing to me, and I wasn't convinced of their love story. There wasn't enough there to convince me it was more than lust.
Some of Dylan's family members are involved in a motorcycle gang involved in illegal drug distribution. They are feeling pressure from a dealer named Rabbit who has put serious threats out against Ben, Max, and even Annie. Dylan has been keeping a separate life away from them, designing engines for racecars and supposedly now being richer than Croeses. All of this is told as asides, so I had to piece all of that together. He's drawn back in because he's trying to protect people in his life.
With a little more work on the character development, it does have potential to be an interesting story about this family. All in all, however, I thought this was pretty meh so I won't be rushing out to finish the series. I would definitely suggest reading these books in order because this didn't work well for me as a standalone, and since there are a lot of high ratings for these books, there must be something to them that I just missed.
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Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨✨
First Impressions
The Truth About Him is the second book and the finale to the story between Dylan and Annie's story. This book literally picks up right after the first book ends so you can easily jump right into this one after reading the first book. I had such a fun time with this one here, and seeing the way into which these two learn each other and find their way of resolving their issues. I really admired the way in which this story was written. It starts off with so much intrigue and danger and tension and seeing our couple really find their ways past the stones thrown into their path was admirable.
First Line
Annie McKay came to slowly. Aware in pieces of her surroundings.
Summary
No summary as it will spoil the ending of the previous books.
What I Loved
I am going to keep this review a bit shorter as I don't want to reveal what happens at the beginning of this one as the first book ended with a cliffhanger. I know some of you may not mind some spoilers and I am sure other reviews will have those, but if you really want to know what happens I have it below here
(view spoiler)
The romance between Dylan and Annie is so endearing in this story. They really have to face some issues within their relationship and learn to fight for each other. There are secrets that revealed that were hinted at in the first book. But we also see the type of love that these two have for each other. I just admired their trust in one another and embracing fully what they have. It definitely had a "couple against the world" type of feel to the story. There are multiple characters that try to dissuade these two from being together. My heart ached for both of them. They both have flaws and struggles, but they truly come together so sweetly. I admired their convictions and standing strong despite the discouragement and learning to fight for each other. There is such a level of teamwork that comes into play into their story which I really appreciated. They had some drama in the first book, but this one is where their relationship issues gets resolved pretty early on and we see them fight against the outer conflicts that rise up.
(view spoiler)
Narration
Like the previous book, the narration in this one was with the same narrator and they did a superb job in portraying the conclusion for Dylan and Annie.
Overall View
This story was a powerful conclusion to our couple and seeing the mysteries being resolved and seeing our epic pair find their poignant journey to their well deserved happy ending. A POWER PACKED FINALE!
Favorite Quote(s)
I was not the right man for her, but I wanted to be.
And I was humbled by her choice.
She owned me. Despondent and wrecked, smiling and bright—it didn’t matter. I was hers.
“You. You are what is different. You have changed everything.” It was the unvarnished truth. As close to love as I was capable of getting.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Character Types: Bad Boy, Book Boyfriend, Widow
Themes: Small Town, Tear Jerker, Kids/Teens, Danger/Suspense, Heart/Touching, Pining Hero
Tropes: Epic Love
Book Perspective
Multiple POV's
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Plot conflict a bit more focused but some minimal relationship conflict that is addressed.
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Jay Crownover
Katy Evans
Jodi Ellen Malpas
Song This Book Inspires
Any time, Any Place by Janet Jackson
Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes, you need to read these books in order due to the serial plot
Steam/Spice Explanations
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Narrators:
Joe Arden
Maxine Mitchell