Series Recommendation #2: This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas

I think I may have come up with this blog feature on series recommendations just so that I can talk about this series. I certainly tweet enough about it. I. Can't. Stop. Not even after this. The only reason this wasn't reco numero uno was because I finished reading the Up In The Air series first before this. That's it.

I love my lord Jesse Ward. I don't have words as to how much. Him and Ava are just unf. See? When I recommend this series, what I really want to come across is: Read it. Read it. Read it.

Here are my reviews of the three books. (Although I suggest you just skip them and read the books instead.)

Book 1: This Man

Book 2: Beneath This Man

Book 3: This Man Confessed

Others may not agree about how much I love this trilogy. That's okay--more Jesse for me. Yay! Did I say Mr Ward is currently my #1 BBF? Uh, sorry, Mr Grey, you have been dethroned...unless you give me your BBM PIN then I might change my mind about it. I might...ish.

End of.

This Man Confessed by Jodi Ellen Malpas

THE STUNNING CONCLUSION TO THE THIS MAN TRILOGY!

The Manor, the very place where their passionate love affair began, fills with guests on what should be the happiest day of Ava and Jesse's lives. She has accepted that she'll never tame the fierceness in Jesse-and she doesn't want to. Their love is profound, their connection powerful, but just when she thinks that she's finally gotten beneath his guarded exterior, more questions arise, leading Ava to believe that Jesse Ward may not be the man she thinks he is. He knows too well how to take her to a place beyond ecstasy . . . but will he also drive her to the brink of despair? It's time for this man to confess.


No matter how may reviews I make about this book, or this series as a whole, and despite the little things that really irked me at some points, the bottomline is that I love, love, love it. My top favorite book boyfriend right now is Jesse Ward. Let me count the whys.

One, Jesse Ward. Him and the fact this God is British. He was sexy in paper so just imagine if he was real and then you start hearing his British accent. I'm a goner just by the thought of all that. I want him. There's no -ish about it.

Two, Ava O'Shea. In most parts of the series, she would usually put up a fight but eventually gave in to anything that Jesse said or wanted. But if there was one person that could bring him to his knees and fast, it was her.

Three, in relation to numero dos, Jesse liked to believe he has the power. That wasn't really true. Ava had the real power, boy, and don't you forget it.

Four, the surprises that just kept on coming on every-other-chapter basis. I couldn't hold my breath otherwise I'd be blue. It was like being made comfortable and being left unawares, and then the author dishes in another hair-pulling Jesse-style issue, right up to the last few chapters.

Five, I loved how some issues that were left lingering from the first two books got all answered in the third and everything were put into perspective.

Six, the twists in this last books put the twists in the first two books to shame.

Seven, the very interesting secondary characters. Even the concierge kept me smiling.

Eight, *SPOILER ALERT*, so Jesse planned for Ava to get pregnant and when he succeeded, it was just endearing how he treated her and the entire situation. He had a book about pregnancy tucked away in his wardrobe, for pete's sake!

Okay, so I'll leave you to read about the rest about the nitty-gritty of the story. Let me just point out a couple of things that really bothered me in this story.

*ANOTHER SPOILER* First, the fact that Jesse took it in his own hands to make Ava pregnant for his selfish reasons didn't sit very well with me. For me, being pregnant is one of the most important things that could happen to a woman and leaving her without a say about it is just nasty. It's our body and therefore therefore it's our prerogative to have the first say in the matter.

Second, I was dying to edit these books. There were typos here and there and I mentally groaned whenever I spot one. Oh, well.

You must forgive me for the lengthy wait on posting these reviews. I couldn't be bothered with posting the review on the second book because I was too much of in a hurry to move on to the third one. And I just had to read the third one twice before I even thought of making the review.

Thank you, Jodi Ellen Malpas, for introducing me Jesse Ward. *crazy grin* Now cue Massive Attack's Angel. 

I wish I didn't have to say this but: end of.


Final verdict: 10/10. Great must-read, must have.

Beneath This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas

She knew she was heading towards disaster. Every instinct told her to run, but Jesse Ward was a hard man to escape.

It has been five days’ since Ava O’Shea left Jesse drunk and raging at Lusso – left behind a man who drowned her in his intensity and blindsided her with his touch. Getting over this man was never going to be easy. And now he’s back in her life.

She has questions she needs answering, but her determination to get these answers will give the pleasure-seeking playboy the power to destroy her again. She needs to keep her eyes wide open and caution at the forefront of her mind, an ambitious intention when Jesse Ward is within touching distance. And he plans to be.

He’s dark, he’s broken – Ava knows this, but the only way to find out how dark and how broken is to get beneath the steely exterior of this man.


So this was the second book in the story of the Jesse Ward and Ava O'Shea. It picked up just a scant five days from where the first book ended. 

That means that right off the bat, I got confronted with one major issue--Jesse's alcoholism. Ava's (and my God) was not perfect after all. But Jesse being Jesse, he had maintained that he wasn't an alcoholic. I can't say if I agree or don't agree with him on his stance, I'm not an expert. His issue being that once he started, he had a problem with stopping. And once he got drunk, things really got bad. In this instance though, getting drunk and unconscious brought Ava back to his life. 

I will not spill all the beans about everything in this book (much as I'd like to) but remember in my review of the first book, This Man, when I mentioned that Jesse was quite sensitive in admitting what his real age was. Man, oh, man. I gotta love Ava for finding a way to actually have him tell her the truth. That was a good one. Couldn't let men have all the power, I say.

And then if you have read the first book, you would know what Jesse's luxury hotel's business is really all about. When Ava caught Jesse availing one of its services to avoid getting a drink after they had one of their classic fights, she decided to get back at him by availing the same. (Not quite the 'service' you're thinking, you gutterbrain. LOL!) Then all hell broke lose. That scene was sooo crazy, I wish it wasn't in the book. But then it had its purpose and drove the point home quite well. 

And right at the end of the book, Jesse proposed to Ava for real. I mean, he offhandedly proposed to her sometime in the middle part of the book but in this last scene, it was in front of her family and their friend.

Marry me, baby.

You're crazy mad. You crazy, crazy man.

Will I be crazy mad and married? Please tell me I'll be crazy mad and married to you.

Ahh, who wouldn't say no to that. I certainly wouldn't.

Jodie Ellen Malpas just couldn't keep from giving twists. By the time you (and the characters) have settled with a particular issue in the story, another bomb just awaited to explode. It was one heck of a rollercoaster and I effing loved it.

More!


Final verdict: 9/10. Great read, must have.

This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas

Young interior designer Ava O’Shea has an appointment for a first consultation at The Manor with the owner, Mr Jesse Ward. She is expecting nothing more than an overweight, cravat wearing, well-to-do countryman, and on arrival, nothing would suggest otherwise. How wrong could she be? This Man is devastatingly handsome, charming and confident. He is also a conceited, hedonistic playboy, who knows no boundaries. Ava desperately does not want to be attracted to him, but she can’t control the overwhelming affect he has on her. Every instinct is telling her to run, so she does, but Jesse Ward is not so willing to let her go. He wants her and is determined to have her. She knows she is heading for heartbreak, but how can she run when he won’t let her?


Just when you think you have all the book boyfriends you need, you meet Jesse Ward. This is the very first book of the This Man series and I don't think I'll survive this trilogy. He is that nom!

Jesse Ward met Ava O'Shea when he asked for her services as the interior designer of his hotel after he saw her work for his newly bought penthouse. Their mutual attraction both surprised them but to Ava's credit she did try to fight it, considering that she had just gotten out of a years long relationship. But Jesse was relentless in his pursuit of her and what was a girl to do, right?

This man is a God.

Ava got that right. Although it was frustrating the way she always kept him at bay, to the point of running away from him more than once, it was more frustrating to read how she easily goes back to him after these attempts. But I have to admire how she tried, sensing that she was headed for heartbreak. Even if:

This mans is so perfect, I'm almost pain.

or: 

I'm a pooling mass of want.

But it was rather apparent that Jesse was hiding things from Ava, primarily what his business was really all about which she initially really thought was a luxury hotel. That was the ticking time bomb in this part of the trilogy. And just when Jesse decided to tell Ava everything, she found out beforehand. And all hell broke lose. 

The last two scenes in this book were just heart-breaking. I got to read a Jesse that wasn't expected and was a total surprise considering how confident he was in the first part of the book. But then when Ava decided to leave him, that was really the very first time she had stood her ground. It just proved that despite their history where she seemed to always give in to him, she showed that she could be firm about her decisions and he just couldn't bulldoze her into anything.

Second story goodness: Ava's bestfriend Kate and Jesse's friend Sam. These two were just hilarious but also were very good friends to both Ava and Jesse.

I can't wait to read the second book and see how this love story unfolds. Let's see if Jesse finally tells us his age. He was pretty sensitive about it--for a guy.

I'm keeping you forever.

Yes, please, Jesse. By all means. End of.


Final verdict: 8/10. Good read, must read.