Beneath This Man

By: Jodi Ellen Malpas

Narrated by: Edita Brychta

Length: 19 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Book two of the number one New York Times best-selling This Man trilogy.

Jesse Ward drowned her with his intensity and blindsided her with his passion, but he kept her away from his dark secrets and broken soul. Leaving him was the only way Ava O'Shea could survive. She should have known that Jesse Ward is impossible to escape - and now he's back in her life, determined to remind her of the sensual pleasures they had shared.

Ava is equally determined to get at the truth beneath this man's steely exterior. That means letting herself get close to the Lord of the Manor once more. And it's exactly where Jesse wants her - within touching distance....

©2013 Jodi Ellen Malpas (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"I couldn't tear myself away." (FictionVixen.com)

"This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas really hooked me right from the beginning. It's erotic and passionate and romantic...it'll also leave you wanting more." (BookishTemptations.com)

"This Man was a sexy, infuriating, wild ride. The back and forth in this book gave me whiplash...I cannot wait for Beneath This Man!" (TheBookListReviews.blogspot.com)

Better than the first book

Finally able to see the bigger picture in book 2 of this series. I prefer it over Jesse’s point of view in This Woman.

This was all sorts of crazy!

First off, Ava and Jesse are one messed up couple. And Jesse is more than just a dominating alpha male, he is all sorts of crazy and twisted. I found myself screaming at Ava for being so stupid for hanging on to this relationship….seriously?? He might be rich and handsome but he is totally cray-cray! From hiding birth control bills to forcing a marriage proposal via sex… It was all just so over-the-top.

This book was just as repetitive as the first one and did drag on and on with the sex, fighting, drama, etc. When there was an actual plot it was very good. I have such mixed feelings about this book. It was like the proverbial train wreck….I couldn’t look away, or in this case I couldn’t stop listening.

Compared to others in this genre, I thought it was better than the Crossfire or Stark trilogies but doesn’t compete with the Blackstone Affair. I’m certain I will get the third book simply because I can’t stand not knowing how it all ends.

I'm Almost Speechless

As I said in my previous review for book 1, I just don't know how to put it all into words. Jesse Ward has way too many secrets and is way too out of control for things to go at all well for him and Ava. This book picks up right where book 1 left off. Jesse is on a bender and his friends high jack Ava to get into the penthouse to check on him. The relationship has too many secrets and deceptions for it to be anything but toxic for Ava. I find Ava weak for the most part, maybe some would say she is strong enough for both of them, you'll have to decide for yourself. The story does suck you in though.
This book is for adults only. Worth the credit or cash.

roller coaster

loved pt 2. Can't stop myself from jumping right into the finale. Really enjoy this narration.

wonderful

This is by far one of my favorite audio books. I can't even count how many times i have listened to it. My favorite scenes are both at the manner. the party; and the whipping

Addictive

There is something about this series that has me addicted. The books are long, the story is good, but it is more than that. Ava and Jesse are still figuring out where they are. Or I should say Ava is. Jesse, the controlling side of him, knows he is in love with her, and will do whatever it takes to make her his. But there is a complexity to Jesse that is just confounding. One minute, he is the dirty talking, alpha male, over protective and alluring. The next minute is submissive and whiny. It's like he has multiple personalities and it's amazing to me that Ava even can deal with it. She does become quite the spitfire. Much more than the first book, she gives as good as she gets, and the push pull of their relationship mad me wonder for a while where things would end up! Between the sex scenes, the plot is fast paced and exciting, and much like a train wreck, I just couldn't look away. It's addictive. And now I will have to grab book 3 to see how it all actually ends. Will they be together? Only time will tell!

Edita Brychta gives a good performance, keeping the story moving and the characters exciting. I enjoyed the performance and can't wait for the next book in the series.

SOOOOOOOO good!

I cannot say enough good things about this series. You will chuckle, you will laugh out loud, you may cry... I did! So captivating! Definitely worth the read and I'm definitely going to read this series again!!

Continuing the journey

This is the second installment of an amazing series featuring Jessie and Ava and their erotic journey together. Jodi Ellen Malpas has developed such a beautiful story of these two flawed characters who come together and weave a great story. I’m clicking the third and final installment now.

Mentally exhausted from this whirlwind romance!

Despite the fact that this book mentally exhausted me like no other book ever has, I did find myself spellbound by Ava and Jesse's unique and dramatic love life and I was unable to stop listening to their over-the-top crazy story. Eventually, I really did end up liking the second part of this trilogy much more than the first one. This book was so intense and I was utterly lost and transfixed in their world. Jesse & Ava in the depths of despair at the end of This Man. Both of them are broken by what has happened and their relationship is seemingly in ruins. They’re both in pieces and wrecked and, Jesse especially, hell-bent on self-destruction. This was done so very well – their broken hearts and intense overwhelming sadness leap vividly to life right off the page and their despair is palpable. They’re just lost without each other. Anyways, Jesse's friends come to Ava for help and so ensues the beginnings of their reconciliation. Eventually, Jesse is back to his arrogant, alpha, dominant controlling glory with sleepy sex, sense fucks, reminder fucks and now even retribution fucks. The steam factor in this book is through the roof!! I honestly didn't think Jesse Ward could seem anymore crazy but in Beneath This Man, the guy introduced us to a whole new level of borderline DELUSIONAL! At one point, I became appalled with their relationship but soon came to the realization that its just who they are(crazy in love). Throughout the book, the couple has their ups and downs. Jesse still held a lot of secrets from Ava until the end. Jesse finally opens up towards the end of the book and explains where he was AND what he was doing during those days he disappeared in the first book This Man. When he revealed this, my heart broke for Ava because she was devastated. Beneath This Man is a beautiful, captivating, conflicting, tortuous romance that had me completely consumed by their story. This book provides a wild ride, a rollercoaster of emotions, a train wreck and a beautiful prelude of what's to come in the next chapter in their story.... This book was definitely better for me than the first. I don't know what the third installment will bring, but I can't wait to find out!

Amazing Series

This book is so good, the series is great. I don't want to stop listening. Really engaged me emotionally. Very, very good.