This Man

This Man Trilogy, Book 1

By: Jodi Ellen Malpas

Narrated by: Edita Brychta

Length: 17 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Named one of "The 20 Greatest Ever Romance Novels According to Goodreads Reviews" by O, The Oprah Magazine

Young interior designer Ava O'Shea has no idea what awaits her at the Manor. A run-of-the-mill consultation with a stodgy country gent seems likely, but what Ava finds instead is Jesse Ward - a devastatingly handsome, utterly confident, pleasure-seeking playboy who knows no boundaries.

Ava doesn't want to be attracted to this man, and yet she can't control the overwhelming desire that he stirs in her. She knows that her heart will never survive him and her instinct is telling her to run, but Jesse is not willing to let her go. He wants her and is determined to have her.

©2013 Jode Ellen Malpas (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Outstanding!

Any additional comments?

This book was totally HOT! I bought the book to read along with the audio book but was disappointed to see that they were not the same. There were things in the book that were not in the audio book and vice verse. The story totally rocked though!

HOT!!!!!!!

If you could sum up This Man in three words, what would they be?

Hot, Enchanting, Hypnotic

What was one of the most memorable moments of This Man?

For me the most note worthy moment of this book is when Ava finds out what "The Manor" is actually all about and how she handles it. "Good Girl"

Have you listened to any of Edita Brychta’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first book I've heard Ms. Brychta perform and I was absolutely hypnotized by her

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved the immediate spark between Ava and Jesse. In my opinion it was tastefully orchestrated which drew me in to the characters and kept me interested through out the story

Any additional comments?

I completed both Book 1 and Book 2 of this series within a week, I couldn't put it down. I am impatiently waiting for Book 3 to be released on Audible.... Book 2 ended with a shut the front door moment leaving me over anxious. I've been twiddling my thumbs and checking Audible daily to see if a release date has been set up yet but to my utter disappointment I am left with no signs for the release. Sigh... Still waiting

Slow start but worth the listen

After all the buzz about this particular series, I figured it was time to give this book a listen. Ava, an interior designer gets a job at the Manor. Jesse, sees her there and immediately knows he wants her. After relentlessly pursuing her, the two get together. Their chemistry is hot, but as soon as things get too deep, Ava flees. Jesse does not take no for an answer, so his intensity of pursuit increases and this pattern continues. The repetitiveness of this scene(though in different circumstances) did make the book unreasonably long. While the sex scenes were spicy, it could have done with less of the same type of scene over and over. The character of Ava, while organized and put together in some cases to me seemed quite immature and impulsive in others. Her reactions at times made me dislike her. Jesse is a complex character, his overbearing personality, controlling attitude and secretive nature all make me wary of him, but there is something attractive about the mystique that he does have. There are definite secrets he is keeping, and are not revealed, leaving the cliffhanger open to book two and the way it did end will make me listen to the next one.

The narration by Edita Brychta is not one of my favorites. I think with a story like this, the characters needed a much stronger sounding voice to make the story more believable. The male voice, with the commanding tone that Jesse needed did not come across enough for me and I think make the story lag that much more.

My favorite

I truly love the story and it’s characters, its mysterious adventures, thrilling, romantic and funny . Everything you need in a great series...

I love this Man.

What made the experience of listening to This Man the most enjoyable?

this book is romance and funny at the same time.

What did you like best about this story?

How they could not say away from each other.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laugh my head off! A most buy!

Any additional comments?

I can not wait to the next book.

Was hooked right away

Would you listen to This Man again? Why?

I will listen to it again. I like the narrator, that Jesse is a dreamy character

addicted to this trilogy already

I loved this first book I can't wait to get the others i started this when I went on vacation and couldn't put it down I spent more time in the book than shopping favorite word in book " mouth" to funny I love this book

Keep pushing through.

Honestly, it was difficult making it through the first half of book. I couldn’t honestly see what she saw him until the later part of the book. FYI - I love Henry Wolf, Gideon Cross, and Dominque Blaine. I look forward to the character development of Jessie Ward. I love tortured possessive billionaire men. Haha. Jessie Ward took to another level. I almost DNF but I kept pushing forward. I am so glad I didn’t put the book down.

This man says ...Watch your Mouth and Wear Lace.

Where does This Man rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The chapters are Long! The story drags on a bit around the middle, but the reader is lively an the characters come alive.

Since they compare it to Crossfire Series and Fifty Shades I will have to say it falls right in the middle. Of course if you haven't read either of them you won't get it but if you have you will know that Gideon Jesse and Christian are two really mental men. Jesse in this story is by far the most obsessive, delusional, territorial, secretive man of them all.
Where Christian and Gideon would fall and relent, Jesse doesn't even grasp the understanding of those words and what they mean.

As for for the heroines, Ava from Crossfire, Anastasia from Fifty Shades, and Ava from This Man, Ava O'Shae from this story is more submissive. All women are swept up and run from these strong men but she is by far the most flaky of them all.

As for audiobook this falls in third place behind Fifty and Crossfire because of plot issue and the way that it drags on smack in the middle of the story. It is a beautiful tale that feels so authentic and real, but my goodness the plot is lacking. At least the characters are lively.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hmmmmm. It has to be Jesse because he has so many flaws and so many layers. At the end there is a bit of his POV and I think that this is what the book is lacking. I want to know what he is thinking when he does what he does because he is just so direct. I like when books like these have the male POV it gives us readers the other side of the coin.

I keep thinking what if I was in Ava's position? What if I had some guy like Jesse going after me hard and so passionate and so all about me. I would want to know what was wrong with him and how he got that way. Ava is oblivious to so many things and sure likes him being all possessive cause she can't stay away. I keep wondering why she keeps losing her pills and thought did cross the mind that he had something to do with it.

Ava is seriously blind to the things around her.
I am curious about Big John as well and that lady hanging around him at the mansion.

Which scene was your favorite?

Anytime Jesse gets in his little possessive and deranged modes. I am fascinated by how obsessed he is about her. His POV would be incredibly effective in this capacity.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book is nothing more than a front row seat to the wildest ride between two people who seem perfect for each other but don't communicate worth a damn. Besides some really good friction between the sheets they don't know much about each other (until the end) and it's a wonder they lasted as long as they did. Ava is oblivious.

Any additional comments?

This book has so many mixed reviews and I think I know why. . .
People should stop comparing to other books like it and take it for a story on it's own. Those who judge the book and say that "have we run out of idea" and that they "feel bad for the state we have gotten to" should go and sit down somewhere. You know what this book was about when you bought it so don't be mad if it's sex sex sex back to back to back.
The story is about the characters and that in itself is art. I don't mind it not having much of a plot, the characters are enough for me. And chill out, it's the author's first book.

Overkill

The storyline started out really interesting. But once the sex started, it just went on and on and on. It was a little too much to be believable, if you ask me. Loved the performance though.