Maniac

Necessary Evils, Book 7

By: Onley James

Narrated by: Liam DiCosimo

Thomas Mulvaney was just a child when an error in judgment cost him everything. He vowed then that he would do anything to atone for his mistake. And he did. He never strayed from the right path. Until Aiden.

Aiden Mulvaney doesn’t exist. He’s a lie created by the father who disowned him and by Thomas Mulvaney, the only man Aiden had ever begged to love him. But that was years ago, when he’d still believed in fairytales. Before Thomas rejected him.

Thomas has spent years trying to have Aiden in his life while keeping him at arm's length, but Aiden’s done with half-measures. He’s done with Thomas the martyr. He’s just done. So he’s kept his distance. Trouble is, now someone is threatening to expose a secret that affects them all.

No, not that one. A secret so shameful, Thomas won’t even utter it out loud. Can he and Aiden revisit the past and keep the family name intact, or will they both be buried beneath the weight of their memories as their old feelings resurface?

©2023 Onley James (P)2023 Onley James

Amazing

The whole series is truly a masterpiece!! I was excited seeing that at the new book was finally released on audible and it did not disappoint! Thank you for such a great adventurous story and narrator, loved it all!

Great story

I love this story. And what a way to end the series with Thomas and aiden.

Love this WHOLE series

The author had really out done herself with this series. The characters have murdery tendencies and the backstories are by no means fun or sweet - but she manages to create a story that is very touchy, funny and YES, sweet ! But not in a OMG is this a Lifetime movie? way. The characters are honest, blunt, dedicated to one another with "just enough" angst. What I like best about this series is that the relationship resolution isn't put off until the 3rd act .. ok, FINE - It's what I like second best, the spicy parts are the best parts ;)

I love them

I just love them. I'm so glad they got a happy ending. I love this series and am so so sad it's over.

Excellent Series!

Thoroughly enjoyed this series. Just enough spice, and excellent continued storyline. Would have preferred more performers, but Liam did a great job!

MIST READ!!!!

This book is seriously amazing and the audio for this whole series is out of this world good!!!!!!!

Most-eagerly awaited couple

I’ve been super-curious about Thomas and Aiden from the beginning. So many tantalizing hints were sprinkled throughout the previous books. I’ve been very interested in the older couples, this one the most. Thomas’s backstory was gut-wrenching. It was very engrossing. For the previous books, I started to get a bit tired of the large number intimate scenes, since I thought some but not all interrupted the plot too much. This book is the exception. I thought the 🌶️🔥 was just right.

As usual, this narrator did a fantastic job. However, the production value wasn’t as high as the others in the series. There were a few spots where there was a noticeable change in production quality. Would it be possible for it to be re-edited?

5 stars

The final book in this epic and addictive series delivers on multiple unspoken promises: a sprawling cast of characters featuring all of our favorites from previous books, an explanation for the mystery of Thomas’s origin story, and of course, the full story of Thomas and Aiden. So much about that last bit has been teased from the very beginning that there is a risk of the final reveal not holding up. I promise that is not the case, and I was invested in this book from the very first page.

Before we get to the heart of this story, which involves Thomas’ mysterious past, we get Aiden’s completely unexpected origin story. Previously, the prologues that covered Thomas’s first meeting with each of his sons as children were fairly heart-wrenching as we learn about their particular traumatic early childhoods. Aiden’s story is just as dark, but in a significantly different manner, since he comes to Thomas almost as a legal adult. His circumstances answer a lot of questions, but also make Thomas’s reasons for adopting Aiden fairly convoluted despite coming from a place of good intentions.

Though Aiden and Thomas now carry the baggage of 20 years of history, the present-day mystery very much centers on Thomas and also does a lot to fully explain the “why” behind original experiment that leads to his first six adoptions. One element of this series that I have particularly enjoyed is the nontraditional romance arcs of each psychopathic Mulvaney brother picking their person and following the various relationship styles that emerge from that point. James flips this concept neatly by showing the more dangerous alternative to a psychopath picking their person via the damage and guilt Thomas has carried for decades.

As we delve into that history and pain, we simultaneously experience the poignant tipping point that occurs between Thomas and Aiden. This isn’t a second-chance romance, but instead the exceedingly drawn-out journey toward a first chance (alternatively, the ultimate “idiots in love”). James slams us with 20 years of heartache between both men and makes us feel every bit of that pain but never slips into melodrama. This is a thematic contrast to the instantaneous connections featured previously in this series, but James delivers on heat that is equally explosive and emotional.

Meanwhile, the full Mulvaney crew is on hand to deal with this threat to their father. James does an excellent job wrangling a sprawling cast that includes not just the siblings and spouses but also Jericho’s crew and a long-awaited in-person reveal.* (As much as I adore the psychopaths and feelings faction characters, Calliope is the true hero of this series.) The emotional arc of this book very much centers on the two main characters, but each contribution of dialogue or action by the secondaries reminded me of how much I love this dynamic family made up of unique individuals despite originating from the same premise.

This is not the book to start with in this series, but it is a more than satisfying finale to the wild ride initiated in Unhinged. Fans of these books shouldn’t hesitate to pick up this one, despite the necessary alternations to certain thematic elements dictated by Aiden’s character and his history with Thomas. I can’t wait for more readers to also take a chance on this fantastic collection of nontraditional romances now that the series is complete. Meanwhile, I’m already anxiously awaiting the tales in both spin-off series.

*Yes, we meet her via Thomas in Damaged, but her introduction to the full cast here was an absolute delight.

Great series

I like Aidan and Thomas's story, mostly that they finally got thier shit together. love this series

Hope there's a spinoff!

Love this author! Love this series! Hope there's a spinoff or another series connected to this universe