Undulate (Alchemy, #2) by Elodie Hart

Undulate (Alchemy, #2) Reviews

• 
  Isabella

  ***I received this ARC from the author***
  
  If you are looking for a spicy, single dad, age gap romance- this is your book. I was actually really excited for Maddy's & Zach's story and I am so happy I was able to read it before its release.
  
  I've said before that this series is a good mix of the Salacious Players Club series by Sara Cate & The Priest Series by Sierra Simone. If you have religious trauma like me, I think you will find comfort, while also getting to explore such a steamy, spicy story. I love this author's writing so much (this is her spicy spicy books pen name- I've loved everything else I have read by her.) These books are hot, funny, and have the perfect balance of spice, romance, and plot. Maddy and Zach are one of my new favorite book couples. I loved their almost opposites-attract relationship and how well their chemistry played out onto the page. Zach is DADDY. (I say that as someone who usually doesn't pick up single parent romances, but HOT DAMN. I'm in love with him too.)
  
  I really enjoyed book one, but this one was even better. I'm excited to see where the rest of this series goes!
• 
  Michae

  ok daddy spreadsheet🔥
• 
  Christi (christireadsalot)

  Undulate is the second book in the Alchemy series and this one had all the tropes I love: widowed, single dad hero, age gap (he’s older), close proximity (they work at the club together), and just all the delicious times! Zach and Maddy (aka Zaddy) are definitely my new favs!
  
  We saw glimpses of this couple in the first book and I was so ready to dive into their book after! Zach is a widower and a single father to his 2 daughters, he’s also the finance director and co-owns Alchemy (the sex/kink club the series is set around). His loss and grief does play a significant role in the story but I just loved the heart and emotion it added to his and his daughters’ characters. Before recently, Zach couldn’t imagine wanting, or doing anything, that he had with his late wife. But when Madeline (Maddy) is introduced into his life, he can’t help but feel very pulled to her.
  
  Maddy started working at Alchemy for their social media after venturing to the club in the first book with her best friend Belle (the heroine of book 1, Unfurl). Maddy is very open and so freeing with her sexuality and while she mentions multiple times Zach is not her usual type, she’s so pulled into his broody, bit tortured way. They end up having a hot moment when he decides to take a quick peek into “The Playroom” at the club and finds her laid out on a table, blindfolded, and ready to be devoured. 👀 Which he then admits all to her the next night when she’s babysitting his daughters. She tells him he can work out any of the “unspeakable things” he wants to do to her any time. 🔥 So what starts off as a no-strings attached situation, or course turns into more!
  
  This series is a lot of fun, think a mix of Salacious Players Club meets Priest series meets Magnolia Parks (as far as the writing style/speaking to the reader, London setting). I loved everything about this book: the fact that Zach and his daughters still have that loss of his wife/their mom, loved how Maddy refers to Zach as the “spankier version of Captain von Trapp”, Maddy’s times with his girls, the friend group/co-owners of Alchemy, and of course all the fun times with Zach and Maddy. I just loved their connection and the way she wants to be there for him. We definitely get lots of delicious times involving others as well (so if that’s not for you, probably don’t go into this series), but the HEA is just the couple at the end! I’m just loving this series and can’t wait for book 3!
• 
  hannah | hannahh.readss

  this was so disappointing:/ all smut and no plot
• 
  Heather Button

  After reading Unfurl, the first book in the Alchemy series, I didn't think a book could get much spicier. And then Undulate happened and my mind was blown. Holy spice, batman. Let me kindly suggest you do NOT read this one at work. 🔥
  
  Maddy is loving her job at Alchemy, the sex club where she's a social media manager. Honestly, it's a dream job for her. She's super confident and shameless in her own sexuality and GOOD FOR HER. She's always had a bit of a crush on the finance director Zach, who is a widower and father of two young daughters. The two are polar opposites and Zach is still recovering from losing his wife tragically to pancreatic cancer 18 months ago. His desire for Maddy feels like cheating and it takes a friend gently nudging him for him to be open enough to explore the possibility of Maddy. The two embark upon a mutually beneficial relationship that they think is one thing, but turns out to be so much bigger than they could've imagined.
  
  I love Maddy's confidence, but I definitely couldn't relate to her as much as I could Belle from Unfurl. I definitely loved Zach and how much he cared about his girls. It was rewarding to see him find happiness again in the midst of so much despair. I even loved the author's note at the end, which I typically never read, but I knew I had to with this one. What a beautiful story and message from Sara! I love the signs from Claire built in throughout this book, but even more so now that I know the story behind them. ❤️
  
  ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• 
  Tori - Novel Life

  I really loved this single dad, age gap SPICY romance.
  
  I loved that Maddy and Zach had this emotional sexual connection. I really wish we saw more of Maddy with the two girls. But other than that. So good!
• 
  Claire

  Wow, the second installment in the Alchemy series is just as steamy as the first, Unfurl. It has a lot of different gears than Unfurl, though. Unfurl is a forward-moving drive by an earth moving machine, strong and relentless. Undulate is a ride in a Lamborghini that has you breathless, terrified and exhilarated at the same time. If you love spectacularly steamy sex and top-notch quality prose, you will not be disappointed!
  
  Thanks to Elodie for an advance copy. Glad I didn’t have to wait!
• 
  Cokiereads

  Whew!
  
  We met Zach and Maddy in book 1. I was super interested in Zach (and the author points it out, people are interested in widowers) because come on, a single dad who takes care of his daughters who's wife passed away?
  
  Maddy is younger, and loves what she does and how she does it. Zach is older and has a lot on his plate. He's got two daughters who miss their mom and he misses his wife.
  
  I knew that this book was going to be steamy (I mean yeah, where they work!) But with Zach's storyline brought it to new layers I wasn't expecting. I've read books where men have lost their wives but I've never seen it explored quite that way. Very emotional.
• 
  Caitlin (The Love Librarian)

  3.5 stars
  
  Overall, I enjoyed Undulate more than Unfurl, but oddly enough I was more convinced of the connection between Rafe and Belle than I was Zach and Maddy. This book didn’t leave me feeling like they had a genuine connection.
  
  I enjoyed the idea of Zach re-discovering his happiness after the death of his wife. I liked that Maddy played a huge role in that, which also led to her wanting to be more serious with him than she first intended.
  
  All that aside, I think the author focused more on the physical connection between Zach and Maddy, rather than spending time building on the emotional connection. I’m all for the sex, but without the majority of those scenes, there wouldn’t be much substance left. It just became repetitive. There were only a few scenes that showed how good Maddy was with the kids. The ending was rushed and we were told more than shown that they ended up as a family unit that just worked.
  
  I would still recommend it because the author’s writing is decent (still too long-winded for me personally), but it wasn’t the best book I’ve read with these tropes. Whenever one of the characters is a widower, I look for more of an emotional connection between the widower and the new love interest, and unfortunately I didn’t get that here.
  
  TROPES: sex club/kink; single dad; age gap; forced proximity/workplace
  
  TRIGGER WARNINGS: hero is a widow (extensive talks of grief); author has further content warnings in the beginning of the book
• 
  Tils Cole

  5 stars all around!! This is the second book in the series written by Elodie Heart and I loved it way more than I thought I would. Once I started reading it I simply could not put it down as it was truly incredible. It’s a lot more Steamier than the first book in the series ultimately taking Undulate to a whole different level of steamy romance. Elodie has written a powerful love story; a love story that doesn't just focus on hot and steamy romance between Zach and Maddy but also the emotional journey of what people go through. It’s also so incredible to read a book where one of the characters is so open about their emotions on the level of which Zach is in the book.Elodie wrote Zach’s storyline very beautifully in a different way to what male widow storylines are normally written in which ultimately made it rather emotional but in a lovely new way. It was an emotional rollercoaster of a book which had me crying one minuet to laughing the next with all the themes the book explores. This book is an incredible powerful yet steamy romance story. I personally loved the second book to this series. I can’t wait to read what Elodie writes next. Thank you Elodie for the ARC copy of the book.
• 
  KatReadsRomance

  Sumptuously Rich and Layered. Seriously Heated!
  
  When Elodie Hart’s (Sara Madderson’s explicitly steamy romances) first book in the Alchemy Series, Unfurl, was released, I felt the deeply empowering messages and sensuality of it, down to my core. Freedom. Breaking out from what holds us back. A reclaiming. A subtle unfurling of Self. It was a personally empowering book. Book two, Undulate, has unlocked another cage for me.
  
  I was given an Advance Review Copy (ARC) of Undulate and I feel blessed to tell you that this book and the Alchemy series is definitely one that women who are searching for an understanding of themselves will want to read.
  
  Maddy is such a wonderfully self-actualized young woman at the age of 23, it’s almost hard to believe it’s possible. Most of us are working on knowing and accepting who we are until the day we die. But I think Maddy understands the secret. She has been working on being who she is, since she was a teen. She knows — and lives —who she is right now. She trusts herself not to be rigid in her knowledge of herself. She is willing to continue to grow and expand, undulating in the current of life and all of its ripples. Accepting that life changes as it flows along, rather than fighting it.
  
  So what is it about Undulate that makes it such a wonderfully empowering story to read? As Maddy gets to know Zach, she first believes it’s all about pleasure, but it quickly becomes about so much more. Zach gives Maddy a family… not that she was searching for one, but she recognizes her life is enriched by it. Zach allows her to explore other sides of who she is without sacrificing her hard earned understanding of herself.
  
  Zach is a grieving widower with two young daughters and he’s essentially only existing. Zach and Maddy's souls recognize each other and the need they have for each other. She brings pleasure and intimacy back into his life, and that helps not only him, but his children too. Seeing their father happy, helps them know they are safe.
  
  I absolutely adore Zach’s alpha attitude in the bedroom! Mostly though, I adore the single daddy trope. It tugs at my heartstrings so strongly, it is my kryptonite. A man who gives everything he has for his deep love of his children — to the extent that he gives precious little to himself. He needs the balance of support and excitement a loving relationship offers.
  
  That’s an ‘a-ha!’ moment right there… WE ALL need balance in all the compartments of our lives — love, devotion, work, family — everything. Who said reading romance couldn’t teach us about life?! Not me.
  I laughed out loud, I cried into my sleeve, I clenched my thighs in the gazillion scenes filled with spicy role play heat! I loved the life these two created
  
  I laughed out loud, I cried into my sleeve, I loved the life these two created!
  
  Sara Madderson is one of my very favourite authors. Her characters are lovely, with self-assured women, who are smart, stylish, caring, fabulous, and comfortable financially, if not wealthy. We love them because they are all these things. And, I personally love that both the female and the male main characters communicate well. They are not so hung up by the traumas of their lives that they have to hide themselves. They say what they mean and mean what they say. It’s such a refreshing change every time I go back to one of her books.
  
  We are so caught up in who we think we should be to fit in. Maddy wears her sexuality and her fantasies as a badge of honour. May we all be so brave and true.
• 
  Jen Carambula

  This book is the embodiment of perfection.
  I know it sounds like too much but for me it is, I loved this book even before it was written. When I read the previous book in this series Maddy and Zach caught my attention immediately and I was begging for their book to come. Thankfully I was not the only one and Sara (she writes this series under a pen name because they’re not her usual romantic spice, they’re next level spice 😉) didn’t keep us waiting. For two characters that barely interact to make me obsessed over them that have to be another level of chemistry AND BOY DID SARA DELIVER!! Their chemistry is out of this world from page one and the spice is outstanding, REALLY NEXT LEVEL.
  But besides the spice and the chemistry this book goes hard in other stuff and here is where I confirm once again that Sara it’s my favourite writer.
  Zach is a widower and father of two sweet girls. I was only in chapter one and I was crying my eyes out. I don’t think there’s one person who hasn’t experienced grief so we all can understand how’s to lose a loved one but I had never seen a more accurate depiction of grief as I’ve read in this book. I felt the pain Zach and his girls were going through, I cried with and for them, got emotional over their little steps towards healing. This book is the perfect balance between emotional, sweet, hopeful and filthy. If you ever lost a loved one you will know the pain and this book depicts it in a way that goes straight to your soul and then brings all the hope. The grief in this book is deep but the love it shows is deeper. Love not only for a partner but for family and friends and how the right people will always be with you through it all. Love never dies and it only grows.
  I cried and I laughed, I swooned and I had to fan myself.
  This book took me in a rollercoaster of emotions and it was perfectly done. Grief is such a complex thing and Sara did it justice.
  And Maddy? What can I say about this girl other than she is such a firecracker but so full of love and soul. My girl knows how to rile up Zach and he enjoyed every second. And I enjoyed every second of their relationship even before they had a full book for themselves. I thought Unfurl couldn’t be bested but Undulate is at its own level. My two favourite books of the year and two books that I know I will reread forever. I will never get tired of recommending this series because the subjects it tackles are done perfectly and they help get so much closure.
  
  I received and ARC of this book in exchange of my honest review. All this thoughts are mine and I seriously recomes this book.
• 
  Jezabel Nightingale

  Five heart filled, incredibly sexy, sexual, and sensual stars!
  
  Another amazing read in the Club Alchemy world. Great characters who grow through their experiences and show that one size definitely doesn’t fit all when it comes to emotions.
  
  I loved how open Maddy was about her sexuality, yet at the same time had insecurities that she needed to address. Zach was just a heartthrob, despite what he had been through.
  
  Thanks to Elodie Hart for the early copy for review.
• 
  Jocelyn

  I should have DNF’d this book.
• 
  Deb M

  Undulate
  
  Wow! With each new book, I am in awe of Elodie’s (Elodie Hart, aka Sara Madderson) talent. Not only does her writing flow smoothly, almost effortlessly, but her ability to crack open and reveal the workings of the human psyche via her characters is also mind-blowing.
  Zach’s grief over the loss of his wife, and his struggle to raise two young daughters, is heartbreaking. And Elodie has done a superb job of making us feel witness to all the emotions.
  Giving in to his attraction to Maddy, his fun, sexy, gorgeous, and younger co-worker at Alchemy, was supposed to be a temporary way for Zach to forget his problems. Until it becomes much more than mere physical relief. Zack’s inner monologues spot-on convey the rollercoaster of lust, yearning, happiness, and guilt, to name a few, that he’s on.
  
  And what begins as a fun little project for Maddy—she’s secretly longed to give her hot boss a diversion or ten—blossoms into something she never expected or, up until now, wanted.
  There are a lot of layers to this book, people—a lot. I discovered more as well as different insights during my second read.
  Buckle up because you're in for a blazing hot story that'll take your heart through the wringer—in a good way!
• 
  Haley Smith

  **I received an ARC from the author for a voluntary review**
  
  While I love Maddy & Zach, it was a little bit of a struggle for me to get into the book. I felt Maddy was so all over the place at the beginning that I almost stopped reading. That part didn’t last long, thank goodness. Her scatterbrained self at the beginning reflected me as a person & I don’t want a character who is exactly like me & my ADHD self since I can barely keep up with my own scatterbrained thoughts.
  
  I did love Zaddy though. The spice in this book was 🔥🔥🔥.
  
  I loved their HEA but especially for Zach. The author did a great job of showing us his pain of losing his wife & trying to be a good father to 2 little girls.
  
  I especially loved the little “signs” that Zach’s late wife, Claire, showed them. It brought back memories & happy feelings of all the “signs” I’ve received from loved ones who have passed including my best friend/roommate in college.
  
  Overall, it was great. Unfurl definitely kept my attention more but both books have been wonderful to read. ❤️
• 
  Stephanie

  Undulate by Elodie Hart is Smut-acular! Seriously people, a five out of five on the spice scale.
  
  I’ll start by saying, what-in-the-holy-hotness did I just finish? This book is Fan-f*c$ing-tastic!
  
  When reading an Elodie Hart book you know you are guaranteed a couple of things; well executed plot, solid character development, beautiful and descriptive language and all the feels - all the feels everywhere if you get my drift. And the spice, you get All. The. Spice.
  
  And, as always, Elodie handles sensitive topics that serve the plot with the sensitivity and respect they deserve and as such are listed as trigger warnings.
  
  Consider yourself warned, Unfurl is on point in all the best ways so go ahead and treat-yo-self.
  
  I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review
• 
  Javiera

  wow. this book was incredible. I absolutely loved the character development, the plot and the spicy. Sara/Elodie does it again. This book was age gap, single/widowed parent. Maddy and Zach were incredible. I could not put this book down. Zach's background and story added so much depth to the book and to the spicy. I appreciated how honest he was with Maddy about his life and his expectations. I can't wait to keep reading this series.
  
  
• 
  clara

  2.5
  i’ve read unfurl so i knew what the vibe of undulate would be, but knowing about zach’s backstory and stuff i was more excited for this one, since i love a good second love trope (bonus points if it has single parent) despite many people not enjoying it.
  
  i know this is a VERY steamy series, but considering the emotional charge this plot has i was hopeful the development to their emotional connection would still have a big focus and be nicely done, but unfortunately i didn’t feel that. i wouldn’t have minded all those sex scenes if that had happened.
  
  instead i got a story that has a bunch of descriptive sex (and i’m talking like several chapters of pages and pages) and none emotional development. it felt to me that zach and maddy were agreeing to be just fuck buddies in one chapter and he was calling her his girlfriend in the next. considering the main topic of the story it felt sooo quick. mind you, i don’t mind smut and a lof of steam in books so this is not a attack on that.
  
  like i previously said, second love trope is a trope that i actually love (especially when it’s dead ex), so i’m not very picky about the guy saying he loved another woman very much before the mmc, but you still need to SHOW me that he’s actually in love with the mmc for it to be okay. and unfortunately i wasn’t convinced.
  
  everything just happened so quickly that i couldn’t buy how he wasn’t actually just using her to fill a void his late wife left or something. that was a huge thing that got in the way of me actually getting “attached” to zach and maddy as a couple. at the start i was loving them but after noticing the quick pace…
  
  again, if we had more scenes focused on them slowly getting to know each other emotionally and out of a sexual scenario that would’ve been fine and more tangible to me, so i would’ve connect A LOT more to them. also, maddy should’ve had more scenes with the kids! i really wish the book would be just a tad bit longer so the evolution in their relationship felt seamless.
  
  with that said, i still had a good time and shed a few tears. i loooved zach and his relationship with his daughters <3 maddy was also a great character!
• 
  Maya

  Undulate had me hooked from the first few pages. If you like spice, it's got open-door scenes with 5 alarm heat and kink. But where Elodie Hart shines as an author is in the emotional moments.
  
  Zach finds himself as a rather sudden widower and single father after the love of his life dies from pancreatic cancer. He's part of owner of Alchemy, a high-end sex club, with his 3 best friends from uni. However, he just manages the books and has never had an interest in partaking in the club itself, especially after losing his wife and trying to meet the needs of his young daughters.
  
  Maddy, the new social media manager for Alchemy, is Zach's opposite. She is sexually adventurous, young, and free of responsibilities. As she and Zach begin to explore a relationship, she's battling other people's expectations that she's not capable of responsibility and that she shouldn't be "tying herself down."
  
  Hart does start off the book with content advisory, which I always appreciate.
  
  The first chapter begins with Zach discussing what he misses about his wife and it's so emotive. "Hugs and kisses and clandestine gropes in the kitchen and making up the bread of exhausted sandwiches with tiny, wriggly children as the filling..." I was hooked. I think if you've ever lost someone you've loved, even if not a spouse, you can relate to the discussions on grief between the pages of Undulate. 
  
  In the end, it's an uplifting story of learning to love again and defining your own happiness. It also has a monogamous HEA.
• 
  Jess Awad

  4/5 ⭐️
  5/5🌶️
  
  This was my second Elodie book and I loved it. She writes some seriously good smüt 🥵
  
  We met Maddy in the first book of this series (Unfurl) and I was really looking forward to her story in Undualte. Maddy is 23 and sexûally liberated from a Catholic upbringing. She has a crush on her boss(Zach), but he’s a grieving windower and therefore doesn’t want to cause him any trouble.
  
  I love Zach’s character. He’s been in a state of grief and survival for a lot time. He’s such a good dad and person and he’s truly grieving the loss of his beautiful wife. Then one day Zach finally decided to do what he’s been thinking about since meeting Maddy and he follows her into the séxÿ play room at the séx club he Co-owns.
  
  I wasn’t sure how their story would play out, but the way Maddy was supportive and willing to help Zach with anything he needed to feel some joy was great to read about. And seeing how Zach tried to make Maddys fantasies come to life was just truly wonderful. The smüt in this book was unreal and I loved how open and confident they both were with what they wanted and needed. && I loved the little tidbits we got of Rafe and Belle in this book. I still love those two the most 🥰
• 
  Georgia Husselbee

  After reading and loving Unfurl and being introduced to Zach and Maddy, I knew that reading Undulate would be a blast, and it really really was.
  
  Maddy and Zach work at Alchemy, a sex club, Maddy is the social media manager and Zach is the finance director, and neither can lie that there is an initial attraction. Zach is a widower and father of two children and he hasn’t been with anyone since his wife died. Despite part-owning a sex club, he has never had any interest in using any of the facilities, until he meets Maddy and begins to question himself.
  
  ‘I don’t want to be with anyone else. I just want you.’
  
  I loved their relationship and the communication between them both as Zach is clearly torn between loyalty to the mother of his children and his newfound chance at happiness. This book felt way spicier than the Unfurl and I don’t know whether that’s because of Maddy’s experience or not, but either way I was here for it. Maddy was such an icon and full of confidence. She was such a great main character and I loved how she was so unapologetic for her desires and sexuality, whilst still having a weakness for Zach. These two together were really something else!
  
  ‘If I don’t seize my own happiness when it seeks me out I’ll be no use to anyone.’
  
  Whilst this book is very much a romance, it was also quite emotional at times as Zach deals with his grief and how to move on without upturning the lives of his daughters. I loved the dual perspective because the confession scene! Wasn’t expecting for that to go where it went and I was so happy to see Zach’s story told in such a beautiful way.
  
  Undulate is a sexy but emotional story and I loved every second.
  
  *Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
• 
  books-with-dreamcatcher

  4.5 ⭐️