Scan barcode
A review by thebritishbibliophile
The Rising by Jodi Ellen Malpas
5.0
'Enamoured, entranced & entertained from the first to last page. Jodi Ellen Malpas rises above the rest with the latest Unlawful Men instalment so good, you'll be reading with your jaw to the floor! - The British Bibliophile
Thank you to Valentine PR for sending me an ebook Advanced Readers Copy for me to read and leave an honest review
The Rising by Jodi Ellen Malpas is the fourth instalment into the explosive, bloody, growling world of the Unlawful Men and their unruly women. Danny and James less than gently inserted themselves into Rose & Beau's lives, but soon became a permanent and precious fixture despite the many things trying to keep them apart.
The need for more of this foursome has been blooming since book one, The Brit , where we first met the angel-faced assassin, Danny Black. Like the impending storm and unstoppable force that he is, he rolls into Rose Cassidy's life with no intention of being anything but the brutish Brit that he's known and feared to be. However, they weren't meant to be alone for long. Cue, The Enigma . With book two comes our second alpha male, James Kelly and equally as alpha in her own right, Beau Hayley. Their beginning is as explosive as their love, and fuel is only added to the fire as they go. The Resurrection brings to the fore enemies of both alpha males, and they have two choices. Face them together, or don't. Wisely, they choose the former and the unlikely team of The Brit and The Enigma was born.
Since leaving things as they were in The Resurrection , there have been several questions on the minds of eager readers hungry for more of Danny, James, Brad and the gang. Namely, who is The Bear? That's a question that has plagued readers for over hundreds and hundreds of pages, prompting the guessing game to see if we were right by the time we find out who it it. (FYI: I didn't get it right). Jodi is an absolute master at keeping identities hidden and even throwing a spanner--or two--into the works just when you think you have things figured out. Queen of plot-twist whiplash, if you will. Her writing talent knows no bounds and I cannot think of another author, in her genre, that equates to how incredible she is. If you were blown away with how things were left in The Resurrection hold on tight for things to get twice as blowy--in more ways than one--in The Rising .
The Rising stays flawlessly true to the tone and feel as the other books in the series, while also elevating itself--rising, if you will--above to become something all its own. It echoes everything we've grown to know and love about the characters, their journeys, where they came from and where they're going to while giving us something new on every other page. Everything is escalated from the moments that had you biting your nails and holding your breath, the moments your jaw barely left the floor, the gut-churning angst, drama so worthy of an award, and surprises that send your head into a spin. It. Has. It. All.
More than one thing rose in this novel, if you know what I mean. That and the amount of mouth-scorching spicy and steamy scenes. There is often the comment made about having 'too many' sex scenes in a book, but I personally don't believe in such a thing and it's a good thing too! Beau, Rose, Danny and James in their respective pairs crank up the heat--and the action--to inferno type levels! I won't divulge or digress into the multiple and multitude of ways in which these events come to pass, but grab those fans, ice and anything to cool yourselves down. You're going to need it! Just when I thought I knew every which way 'it' could be done, Jodi surprises me and has caused several bruises from biting my lip too hard. No complaints here. I--like the characters--enjoyed those scenes and cannot say enough how much I appreciate Jodi for going there and giving us them. Notes definitely taken for future reference.
Danny, James, Rose and Beau have swiftly become firm favourites for myself and other JEM readers all within their own right. Jodi never fails to write a character that will be a hit and become a favourite for somebody, but this awesome foursome have such a hold on myself and other readers, it's simply impossible that we will be done or will be able to forget about them long after the Unlawful Men series has been long-since published and other novels following it. Danny and James are two of her strongest, most formidable men who have more to offer than they give themselves credit for. A sensitivity that lingers below the surface and love that can only be brought out by someone who is their other half as much as they are their equal. Rose and Beau. These ladies are the very definition of resilience, strength, determination, perseverance, loyalty, courage, bravery and so much more. They've been through--and continue to be put through--things that we would only hear about, let alone experience. On top of that, to be able to resist, stand up to and rebel against two men like Danny and James while knowing, expecting and accepting the consequences (sometimes), they are two of the most inspirational characters in the whole of literature. Fact.
Despite the endless events the characters are put through, their resolve to remain as one with each other is worth it and they're all worth fighting for. They're no longer in the darkness but are heading towards a lighter, brighter future not as The Brit or The Enigma, but as Danny and James with Rose and Beau at their sides.
I've been looking forward to this read for a very long time, and was over the moon when Jodi announced that there would be a fourth book after the outstanding reception and success of book one, two and three. There are certain authors, books and book series that come along that leave more than a lasting impression to a reader and Jodi, her books and this series in particular, is all three of those things for me. I read a lot, therefore a lot of characters, stories and series pass through my hands and grace my eyes, but this series--and The Rising has been something so remarkable, its up there with my favourite books of all time.
Immediately after finishing this novel, I took to Twitter to express just how much in awe I was left after turning the final page twenty-four hours after turning the first one. I said three things to Jodi. One, 'firstly, a round of applause & standing ovation for you'. Two, 'this is a top 2023 book right here'. Three, 'OH-EM-GEE'. I echo those stamens here in this review. For this book Jodi deserves nothing more than all the applause and a standing ovation from every reader out of their seat while doing so. It's my second top read of 2023 and quite honestly, I'll go so far as to say I might have found my top read of the year overall. The bar has been set aloft and very high, so much so that it's going to take a lot to match what this read brought to the table.
Thank you, Jodi, for giving it your all--and your longest book to date--with this novel and series. Your efforts have more than paid off and all those hours typing away, bleeding everything into The Rising was more than worth it. I don't think my review will even do what you've given to us, justice, but please know that this is going to be a novel I will be recommending and devouring for the foreseeable future.
Danny, Rose, James & Beau...five stars!
Thank you to Valentine PR for sending me an ebook Advanced Readers Copy for me to read and leave an honest review
The Rising by Jodi Ellen Malpas is the fourth instalment into the explosive, bloody, growling world of the Unlawful Men and their unruly women. Danny and James less than gently inserted themselves into Rose & Beau's lives, but soon became a permanent and precious fixture despite the many things trying to keep them apart.
The need for more of this foursome has been blooming since book one, The Brit , where we first met the angel-faced assassin, Danny Black. Like the impending storm and unstoppable force that he is, he rolls into Rose Cassidy's life with no intention of being anything but the brutish Brit that he's known and feared to be. However, they weren't meant to be alone for long. Cue, The Enigma . With book two comes our second alpha male, James Kelly and equally as alpha in her own right, Beau Hayley. Their beginning is as explosive as their love, and fuel is only added to the fire as they go. The Resurrection brings to the fore enemies of both alpha males, and they have two choices. Face them together, or don't. Wisely, they choose the former and the unlikely team of The Brit and The Enigma was born.
Since leaving things as they were in The Resurrection , there have been several questions on the minds of eager readers hungry for more of Danny, James, Brad and the gang. Namely, who is The Bear? That's a question that has plagued readers for over hundreds and hundreds of pages, prompting the guessing game to see if we were right by the time we find out who it it. (FYI: I didn't get it right). Jodi is an absolute master at keeping identities hidden and even throwing a spanner--or two--into the works just when you think you have things figured out. Queen of plot-twist whiplash, if you will. Her writing talent knows no bounds and I cannot think of another author, in her genre, that equates to how incredible she is. If you were blown away with how things were left in The Resurrection hold on tight for things to get twice as blowy--in more ways than one--in The Rising .
The Rising stays flawlessly true to the tone and feel as the other books in the series, while also elevating itself--rising, if you will--above to become something all its own. It echoes everything we've grown to know and love about the characters, their journeys, where they came from and where they're going to while giving us something new on every other page. Everything is escalated from the moments that had you biting your nails and holding your breath, the moments your jaw barely left the floor, the gut-churning angst, drama so worthy of an award, and surprises that send your head into a spin. It. Has. It. All.
More than one thing rose in this novel, if you know what I mean. That and the amount of mouth-scorching spicy and steamy scenes. There is often the comment made about having 'too many' sex scenes in a book, but I personally don't believe in such a thing and it's a good thing too! Beau, Rose, Danny and James in their respective pairs crank up the heat--and the action--to inferno type levels! I won't divulge or digress into the multiple and multitude of ways in which these events come to pass, but grab those fans, ice and anything to cool yourselves down. You're going to need it! Just when I thought I knew every which way 'it' could be done, Jodi surprises me and has caused several bruises from biting my lip too hard. No complaints here. I--like the characters--enjoyed those scenes and cannot say enough how much I appreciate Jodi for going there and giving us them. Notes definitely taken for future reference.
Danny, James, Rose and Beau have swiftly become firm favourites for myself and other JEM readers all within their own right. Jodi never fails to write a character that will be a hit and become a favourite for somebody, but this awesome foursome have such a hold on myself and other readers, it's simply impossible that we will be done or will be able to forget about them long after the Unlawful Men series has been long-since published and other novels following it. Danny and James are two of her strongest, most formidable men who have more to offer than they give themselves credit for. A sensitivity that lingers below the surface and love that can only be brought out by someone who is their other half as much as they are their equal. Rose and Beau. These ladies are the very definition of resilience, strength, determination, perseverance, loyalty, courage, bravery and so much more. They've been through--and continue to be put through--things that we would only hear about, let alone experience. On top of that, to be able to resist, stand up to and rebel against two men like Danny and James while knowing, expecting and accepting the consequences (sometimes), they are two of the most inspirational characters in the whole of literature. Fact.
Despite the endless events the characters are put through, their resolve to remain as one with each other is worth it and they're all worth fighting for. They're no longer in the darkness but are heading towards a lighter, brighter future not as The Brit or The Enigma, but as Danny and James with Rose and Beau at their sides.
I've been looking forward to this read for a very long time, and was over the moon when Jodi announced that there would be a fourth book after the outstanding reception and success of book one, two and three. There are certain authors, books and book series that come along that leave more than a lasting impression to a reader and Jodi, her books and this series in particular, is all three of those things for me. I read a lot, therefore a lot of characters, stories and series pass through my hands and grace my eyes, but this series--and The Rising has been something so remarkable, its up there with my favourite books of all time.
Immediately after finishing this novel, I took to Twitter to express just how much in awe I was left after turning the final page twenty-four hours after turning the first one. I said three things to Jodi. One, 'firstly, a round of applause & standing ovation for you'. Two, 'this is a top 2023 book right here'. Three, 'OH-EM-GEE'. I echo those stamens here in this review. For this book Jodi deserves nothing more than all the applause and a standing ovation from every reader out of their seat while doing so. It's my second top read of 2023 and quite honestly, I'll go so far as to say I might have found my top read of the year overall. The bar has been set aloft and very high, so much so that it's going to take a lot to match what this read brought to the table.
Thank you, Jodi, for giving it your all--and your longest book to date--with this novel and series. Your efforts have more than paid off and all those hours typing away, bleeding everything into The Rising was more than worth it. I don't think my review will even do what you've given to us, justice, but please know that this is going to be a novel I will be recommending and devouring for the foreseeable future.
Danny, Rose, James & Beau...five stars!