Review: Found Underneath This is the exciting and long-awaited conclusion to the Finding Me series. The story picks up from where book one ended. In the previous book, Shaw Mercer had hired Willow Blackwell to be his fake girlfriend to help bolster his father’s re-election. Along the way the unthinkable happened, they developed feelings for each other. Shaw was not the type of person who believes in monogamous relationships so you can imagine how he struggled when he tries to reconcile his feelings with his beliefs. Willow has experienced pain and her way of dealing with it is to push away those who care for her. This was the reason for her ending her engagement a few years ago. Shaw Mercer stirred up emotions she thought was dead and buried and she did not understand how to handle these feelings. However, one thing was certain, no matter the fears; their love for each other was undeniable. Just as it seems they were both coming to terms with their feelings, a tragedy from the past was determined to derail their relationship.Shaw is a domineering alpha and is used to getting what he wants. Women fall at his feet every chance they get, however only one woman has the power to bring him to his knees. He will do anything to have her stay in his life, even if it meant keeping the truth from her. I understood his need to protect her, but keeping the truth from her, not a good idea. He would discover the devastating impact that secrets have on relationships. Willow also played her part in keeping secrets in their relationship. I have to admit their actions were frustrating, which made wish I could knock some sense into them. Despite this, I enjoyed their interaction with each other. Their chemistry was undeniable, and they complemented each other perfectly. His patience in the midst of her stubbornness was commendable. It demonstrated the depth of his feelings for her.Willow is a complex character. I admired her strength in the face of adversity and her willingness to forgive. Even though her actions were frustrating, I understood her unwillingness to trust and give herself completely to Shaw. Trusting your heart to someone can be scary, especially if you have experience loss in the past.The secondary characters brought their own brand of flavour to the story. Willow’s best friend and roommate was a riot. She speaks her mind without apology. Her acerbic tongue had the power to cut a grown man down to size. I was not a fan of Willow’s ex-fiancée. He is determined to get her back, and he will play dirty to accomplish his wish. What he failed to realise is that such actions have far-reaching repercussions.It's hard to explain the impact this story had on me. I enjoyed Lost in Between and I expected that Found Underneath would be no less enjoyable. What I did not expect was the emotional wringer I experienced. I read this in one sitting, there was no way I could put this down without finding out how the events would unfold. The writing was beautiful, which made it easy to connect with the story. The flow was perfect, the pacing ideal and the descriptions vivid. It made me feel as if I were a part of the characters' lives. I felt every emotion that permeated the pages of this beautiful story. The books are lengthy but, it was worth every moment spent reading this story about family, love, healing and forgiveness, which delivered a satisfying and solid ending.Overall, I enjoyed this conclusion to the Finding Me Series. It is funny, sad and addictive. If you enjoy romance that sizzles and engages your emotions then you will like this series. View all my reviews
I like this cover. Hot guy. Great use of graphics. Bold text. Fairly good composition. Similar to book one so good unity within the series.
At the end of book one I was a bit on the fence on whether I would bother going on to read this one or not. I enjoyed book one, but it didn't WOW as much as I expected it to. That said when this landed on my tablet I found myself curious to see how all these twists and turns and secrets would turn out and I am happy to report that I enjoyed this one IMMENSELY.
As I said in my review for book one this author has a very readable way of writing and book two was no different in that respect. Although this was another relatively long read I found the pace to be much better than the first. I was never bored or felt the need to skim. There was no OW drama. Some OM drama. A ton of angst. A whole lot of frustration and feels. Some hot sex scenes. Twists and turns. Interesting secondary characters. I need Noah to get a book..please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?? Both Willow and Shaw remained likable characters. I wanted to smack Willow a few times, but Shaw's unwavering love and commitment went a long way to smooth my ruffled feathers.
Not much left to say at this point. I am glad I gave this one a chance. It exceeded my expectations and ended up being an enjoyable way to spend a few hours. Two thumbs up from yours truly.