Buy:  Kindle Ebook  |  Paperback

---

---

Review

“Are we doing this?”
… “We’re totally doing this.”

The third (and ? final) book of the Games trilogy brings us the story of Maddox, who we met in Facade. Even then, it was obvious that he was lost and struggling with the traumatic events of his past, and I was really excited to get his POV so that we can see all that he is dealing with and how that has shaped him into who he is.

“Even though I got something I want, something I need, I still want to take out the fucking world because of everything I’ve lost.”

Equally as messed up, Bee has been through traumas of her own, and because of that her perceptions on love, family, and her ability to trust others, have been completely screwed up. To Bee, love is “a murky fog that I don’t understand” and accordingly she lives a solitary life, not letting anybody get close, all the while trying to figure out just who she is and who she wants to be. My heart really broke for her. Her backstory is truly tragic, and even though she is suffering because of it, she’s very strong, and I love that she is out there trying to make a life for herself.

Maddox and Bee meet one night at a club where Maddox is working security and instantly antagonise each other, but they share a wicked attraction and very quickly…

“You here with anyone?” His voice is low.
… “No.”
… “Do you want to leave with me?”
“We go to a hotel, not a house. And it’s only one night.”
“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?” He smirks. It’s the first time I’ve seen him do anything except scowl … “Are you drunk?”
“No, just had the one beer.”
Maddox gives me a simple nod, then tells me the name of a hotel and says he’ll meet me there.

Yeah, not really feeling the love there! And things get even more complicated when Maddox shows up at Bee’s tattoo parlour – her pride and joy – looking to be taken on as an apprentice. She turns him down, only to change her mind after gets a bit of a glimpse into the real Maddox, and the two of them ending up working together. They are both completely closed off emotionally, but the physical attraction between them is still raging strong.

“It pisses me off that I want you,” he says with all the honesty in the world.
“You do pissed off well, I think. And sexy too.”

Things are kept professional, and despite the occasional lapse in the sexual stand-off, Maddox and Bee keep mainly keep to themselves, until without realising it, they discover that they’ve actually developed feelings for each other.

He looks down at me, strength and anger rolling off him. Not like violent anger, but frustration at the world. Like he’s given up, but not in the way that he wants people to feel sorry for him. He’s real and doesn’t paint the universe as a happy place like so many people try to.
I suddenly want to touch him. To see if the two of us coming together like we did that first night can give the world a little more of the realness that is lacks.

“Stop making me want you.” The same heat from his eyes is now in his words.
“Stop letting me have you,” I reply, and it seems to inflame him more.

I really liked watching Maddox and Bee come together. They are both so incredibly damaged by their pasts. Maddox is harbouring huge guilt, and has completely closed himself off, and Bee has been emotionally damaged, and doesn’t even understand what she’s feeling. They’re a total clusterfuck, but they share a similar jaded outlook on life, and they’re both incredibly passionate about their art, and express themselves beautifully through that, so it all works, and seeing them start to open up and realise their feelings was absolutely sensational.

“You’re kind of incredible. Has anyone told you that?” Closing down my thoughts, I focus on the muscle in my chest for the first time in forever.
“No.” Her voice is soft… sweet in a way I’ve never heard it. “It scares me that you did, only not as much as it should. That freaks me out even more.”
“It’s not like you’re the only one who’s nervous here.” Because I’m falling for her. Really fucking falling for her. I think I’ve known it for a while but it hasn’t been as real as it is right now.

Because of their shared past, Maddox’s relationship with his sister Laney, and her boyfriend Adrian (both from Façade), also plays a big part of this story, and I really enjoyed their interactions, as well as the opportunity to delve a bit deeper into their murky dynamic. Plus, getting to see more of Laney and Adrian was a big bonus. I enjoyed seeing them happy together, as well as getting a bit more of Colt and Chey’s relationship progression.

This book has a little bit less of an NA feel to it than the other two books in the series and although, for me, it didn’t have the emotional impact of the earlier books, it is still a great read, and a beautiful story featuring two broken people coming together, finding the strength to face their pasts and find peace with each other.

“I want you, baby. Fuck the rules. Let me have you.”
… “If you want me, take me.”

4 stars.

*ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review*

 

The Games series