Review by Dottie: Uncover Me by Chelle Bliss

Uncover Me

Men of Inked Series

By Chelle Bliss

Genres:

Erotica, Suspense

****

Teasers

 ****

 ****

Synopsis

I lost track of my life. 

Spiraling down the rabbit hole, I lost myself and became one of them. Living undercover within the MC, the days bled together as I became absorbed in a life of excess and violence. 

Becoming consumed was easy. 

Was I Thomas Gallo, good guy and respected cop or Blue, Sergeant-at-Arms of the Sun Devils MC? 

Before, I could answer with certainty. But now, there’s a darkness that has settled deep in my soul, fusing with my heart and altering my reality forever. 

The road I’ve traveled has been paved with danger, death, and deception. 

Roxanne grew up as part of the MC, a victim of her birth. Her life has been treacherous, setting her on a course of torment and destruction. 

When our worlds collide, secrets are revealed. Trying to save us from damnation, I fight for redemption and the woman I love.

Dottie's Star Rating

(3.5 Stars)

Review

I want to say first off, it completely pains me to only give this book 3.5 stars, because I absolutely love this series. I have followed each and every one of these books and read them very shortly after their release. I love the Gallo family (albeit a fictional family but pfff). The author states in the closing notes that this book has been the most difficult to write of the series but that it's a deeper story and she's right, it's deeper by far than the others.

This book is necessary to this series because it fills in the timeline with the details of events already known to the reader in Izzy's book(s) as well as it tells Thomas's story (which I will tell you I have really been wanting to hear from the first book on)...What I didn't care for is two-fold. One, when we start this book, Thomas has already met and is in a relationship with Roxy. This is difficult because the beginning of a relationship of the main characters of a book just seems important to me. To watch it grow, to develop. But as we join Thomas and Roxy, they are already involved. They already love each other. Yes, they have to fight for their relationship and in that regard it's well done. But there was no watching the bloom of new love develops and I missed that.

And secondly: Roxy/Angel. She's very sweet. If Thomas loves her, I'm with the Gallo family - she's good enough for me. But who is she? We learn basics about her background. We know she loves Thomas and will do what she needs to do to protect him. We know her childhood wasn't the best growing up attached to an outlaw MC. We hear her voice, almost every other chapter in this book are told by both points of view. But since we didn't see this relationship start and develop, I didn't really feel I knew her all that well. I will say I liked her. She made a couple of decisions I disagreed with, and that's okay too. She questioned something Thomas said that I would have flipped my lid about and yet she never calls him on it and that struck me as a bit odd. But even though Thomas has been absent throughout most of this series (he's an undercover DEA agent), I still feel like we'd gotten to know him and I like him. And like I said, if Roxy/Angel is good enough for him, she's good enough for me. But I wish I knew her better.

This is not saying this is a bad book. It's good. It's just not my favorite of this series. I will say absolutely that I liked it and will no doubt reread it along with the rest of the series at some point; possibly before Anthony's book, due sometime this spring (2015). If you are a fan of this series, you should absolutely read it. If you haven't read this series yet, I ask you, why not? The Gallo family is a fun, very loving, very loyal to one-another Italian-American family. Most of the adult "kids" run a tattoo parlor with each other and are very close. They've been worried about Thomas and he's been present in each book as one they all love and miss and worry about. And as I said, he definitely had a role in Izzy's story so we really got to know him then; and he's awesome. He's deep. He's willing to do what he needs to do to protect his family and to do the right thing. I love Thomas.

When he finally comes home and rejoins the family fold, he brings Roxy/Angel with him. The Gallos can be a rather loud, intimidating bunch of hugging, affectionate people and this is new to her...

Excerpt

As we walked out the front door, I said, "Thank you." She stopped, pulling me back toward her with her hand. "For what?" she asked, tilting her head and staring at me. I looked beautiful, dark eyes. "For coming today. I know they're a lot to take in." "I love them, Thomas. After we talked on the stairs, I let your words sink in. I needed to forget the past and look to the future. They made me feel welcome, and that's something I've never experienced. For the first time in my life, I felt like part of a family." She smiled as pools of water collected in the corners of her eyes.

This book is actually pretty sweet when you get beyond the nasty business with the MC and the grittiness of it (this is not one of those MCs we readers would find someone attractive within, these guys are just mean). The love story is like a fairy tale in a lot of ways (the prince rescues the princess from her mean and cruel "family" and takes her home to his castle and they live happily ever after...) and it fits within this family in such a way that it works. My only complaint is not seeing this blooming relationship start and watch them fall in love. Other than that, I enjoyed it and am anxiously looking forward to Anthony's book coming soon.

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