From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills comes a new standalone romance about a flawed hero and the woman he can’t forget.
SPIDER
by Ilsa Madden-Mills
A sexy and forbidden new standalone
Available now!
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*FREE in Kindle Unlimited*
Blurb
He calls himself Spider.
I just know him as the sinfully gorgeous guy with eyes of fire that fate places next to me on the airplane.
I didn’t know who he really was . . . future rock star . . . my stepbrother.
He kissed me because he thought he’d never see me again. He would.
Everyone warned me about him.
They told me he was careless and ruthless and screwed up.
They said he’d leave me with a hole in my heart.
Maybe I should have listened.
Maybe I should have built a fortress to keep him out.
But I crumbled instead.
They say an unbreakable thread connects those who are destined to meet. If that’s true, then the moment he sat next to me, we were bound together forever.
He just had to figure it out before it’s too late…
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Review
3.5 stars!
“He’s a British rock star.
And my stepbrother.
What can go wrong?”
I love the premise of this book and when I read the blurb I knew I needed it. SPIDER by Ilsa Madden-Mills is a rollercoaster of emotion. Angsty, intense, emotional, and heartbreaking, Rose and Spider’s journey is not an easy one. It will crush your heart before it pieces it back together. You’ll find that sometimes two broken souls must experience the lows of falling in love at the wrong time before they can feel the highs of falling in love at the right time.
I’ll be honest here, I really enjoyed the story but didn’t all together love it. For every part I loved there was a part that almost ruined it. I loved the writing and the storyline but there were sections that were maddening. There were times I adored Spider and Rose and times I didn’t. There were swoon-worthy actions and there were appalling ones. I felt there was so much up and down that I couldn’t fully invest in the characters.
When we meet Spider his life is a complete mess of music, booze, drugs, and girls. He is hot, sexy, and a rock star. He knows what he wants but he’s not in a place to take it. He knows he is broken and imperfect, and he accepts his faults without making excuses. He does what he needs to do even if it breaks hearts, his included.
Rose is strong and determined to be true to her self no matter the pressures surrounding her. I understood how she felt and the connection she shares with Spider but there were instances that I wanted her to stand up for herself more than she did. I wanted the ferocity I knew she had to come out when she needed it most and sometimes it fell short.
The connection Rose and Spider share is all consuming. You can’t stop thinking about it. The chemistry is electric and the sexual tension is off the charts. I felt their connection but I wanted more depth. The physical aspects were solid but I wanted more of a connection on an emotional level. Not to say the story isn’t emotional, it was. Spider and Rose’s relationship is far from easy. The obstacles that keep them apart are heartbreaking and frustrating. Meeting “the one” at the wrong time had the ability to break them but when they reconnect at the right time, it is everything.
Written in dual POVs, I loved seeing the true nature of the characters and I think the character growth is well portrayed, especially because of the time jumps. I am not always a fan of them but they had an important part and they worked in this story. When Spider realizes what he truly wants he is determined to change his life around. I loved watching him overcome challenges and his perseverance was rewarding. It took a while to get to that part though. Spider could be very frustrating at times, and though I understood the reasons he acted the way he did, it really crushed me right along with Rose. However, then he would do something so swoon worthy that I would give him another chance. It was a tragic cycle but Spider and Rose needed to take the time apart to finally come together when the moment was right, and the ending is a beautiful conclusion to a difficult journey.
Though I enjoyed the story, there were two things irritated me most. When Rose and Spider are finally able to be together after the despair they’ve experienced, I didn’t love how fast things were resolved. I also didn’t love the collateral damage that came along with their quick resolution.
I will say that the ending was well thought out and I loved how everything came together. Overall, even with the frustrating parts, SPIDER is an enjoyable read that I can’t get out of my head.
*ARC generously provided by the author and Social Butterfly PR*
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills writes about strong heroines and sexy alpha males that sometimes you just want to slap.
She’s addicted to dystopian books and all things fantasy, including unicorns and sword-wielding females. Other fascinations include frothy coffee beverages, dark chocolate, Instagram, Ian Somerhalder (seriously hot), astronomy (she’s a Gemini), and tattoos.
She has a degree in English and a Master’s in Education.
When she’s not pecking away on her computer, she shops for cool magnets and paints old furniture.
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