| Title | : | Melancholy (Jokers Wrath MC, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 301 |
| Publication | : | First published September 9, 2014 |
To truly understand a story; you need to start from the beginning, but to start from the beginning; you have to go back, further than just you. After all, our stories don’t start with us, do they? Our stories start with the person before us, and the person before them. We are created from the stories of those people - from their mistakes, from their achievements, from their love and their hate.
No one’s story is ever truly their own.
I tried to create my own story, my own path, and my own actions. I’ve seen things people only see in their worst nightmares, but I never let it beat me down. I never let it become who I was. I picked myself up, and I kept going. Everything was what it was.
There was no point analyzing what it could be.
Could be’s didn’t matter.
Until Maddox came into the picture. He saved my life. He changed my world; giving me the second chance some of us only dream about. There was only one thing missing in my second chance, and she was the reason I fought so hard to survive.
My sister.
My sister who is supposed to be dead, well, at least, that’s what I thought.
That’s what he told me.
Now is where my story changes, but to understand this story, you have to start at the beginning…where it all began…and before.
This story is the second book in a series. You can get the first book on all major retailers. (Precarious - Jokers' Wrath MC Book 1)
This contains no cliffhanger and has a HEA. 18+
Melancholy (Jokers Wrath MC, #2) Reviews
-
Melancholy is my first Bella Jewel book and probably my last.
The blurb held a lot of promise. Unfortunately, the story never really came together for me. I just find the writing and the plot all over the place.
Don't even get me started on the heroine.
Santana...I don't even know what to say. She has a very cliched past and she has this sort of mutual understanding with the President of the MC that took her in, except that he sleeps around because he's not good enough for her. (Sound familiar?) But what really irked me was that this woman just didn't use her brain.
She has people after her and yet, she keeps going out at night. Alone. Without protection. She gets shot at one night but guess what? The next night after a confrontation with Maddox, she runs. Again. Alone. No protection.
After the third time it happened, I just didn't care what happened to the story anymore.
ARC provided by Bella Jewel in exchange for an honest review. -
Then and Now!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💚🖤💙💜
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍
Character development: 😤😥😊🤩😘
The heroine: Santana - she and her sister Pippi lost their parents at a young age and her life turned into hell. They lived in a foster home with a man obsessed with control and he used his fists to assert that control. They lived lives in fear and pain until they ran away.
The Hero: Maddox - President of the Jokers Wrath MC. They are in a war with the Tinman MC. Maddox is huge, muscular and handsome. He also uses the club whores pretty often. He has secrets from Santana but those secrets may destroy things between them so he is holding off from telling her.
The Story: The timeline in this one skipped around quite a bit at the beginning. It starts in 2007 when the two girls run away and then jumps forward to present day when Santana wakes up in the hospital after being shot. She ran out after finding Maddox was intimate with one of her friends, Ash from Precarious. Then it goes back to 2007 again, two months after the girls ran away when the girls are living on the street and starving and go house to house begging for food.
The story continues to go to the present day and then then flashes back to the time between 2007 and 2014 to fill in the gaps of what happened to Santana. She was definitely not living her best life and when she says Maddox saved her when he found her, she wasn’t kidding. Though since she has been with Maddox, she has lived good, though without her sister.
It was obvious in Precarious that Santana is in love with Maddox, but since she sees him with the club girls all the time, she doesn’t believe there is any way he is interested in her. Though when she tells him she is now seeing some guy named Alec, she is prepared for him going a bit crazy, just because he is so controlling with regards to her. He doesn’t disappoint.
The book was told in multiple points of view via dual narration, though the majority of the book was told in Santana’s point of view. I will admit I wanted more of Maddox’s POV. The narrators were Stella Bloom and Charles Lawrence. Both did a great job. I like Stella Bloom’s soft clear voice and she does a great rough voice for when she does male characters. Though I do like it better when actual males do the male voices and females do all the female voices (duet narration).
I liked the story but I really dislike so many flashbacks. A few are fine, but I don’t like this type of story when it shows a little from now, a little from then, and back and forth. So you only get a tiny bit of the back story before you get a tiny bit of the new one. It is worse on audio, because if you are doing something aside from just sitting and listening, you might miss when they say what year they are talking about and all the sudden things aren’t making sense.
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Not bad.
It's not gonna win an Oscar anytime soon, but it's pretty decent. Worth reading, especially if you like MC books. -
If after first part you can not wait to read Maddox and Santana story here you got it in a good style.
"We're a time bomb, slowly ticking together."
***Quick Review:***
Series: Second in the Jokers' Wrath MC series.
Grade: Motorcycle erotic romance.
Main characters: Maddox is a president of the Jokers' Wrath MC. Santana is a girl rescued by Maddox at a young age, and for many years at the club. Not slut, just a friend of the club.
Secondary characters: More about the team from Jokers' Wrath MC. New great character Mack, Maddox's foster brother.
Steamy: Hot sexual scenes. Dirty talk.
Sensitive topic: Yes.
Love triangle:
Cheating:
Cliffhanger:
HEA:
For who I would recommend? If you want to read something about a motorcycle club with lots of action.
***
About the plot: Maddox rescues a young girl Santanna, who is in very bad condition, under the influence of drugs. Takes care of her at the club, where she grows up. As she is getting older, the chemistry between them is growing. However, he treats her in some sense like "father". Hides their feelings, Santanna's trying to get her own life. But Maddox make it difficult to her. All this time he lied to her that her sister was dead. Which compiles only their relationship that does not have opportunity to develop. How they would cope in this situation? Even more when she finds out about the lie, breaks her whole life and everything she believed.
"I take a step back, a little too far, and with flailing arms I make my rapid descent towards the floor. I never make it, of course—my knight in shining... errr ... leather ... catches me. His arms wrap around me and he scoops me up, holding me close to his chest."
Why 4 stars? I was a little disappointed that so little was about the heroes of the first part. Mack took over a large part of the secondary characters. Do not get me wrong, He's great! But they disappeared somewhere. And a little cliché. In some scenes I must rolling my eyes!
Final thoughts: In this book is really a lot of action. The entire investigation of a missing sister and attempt to create a relationship. It's getting really crazy. It's impossible to get bored, no doubt! Also quite emotional, I really liked these characters. They have a great sense to places where they have sex. A really hot scenes.
“Taste it,” he orders. “Taste your cum on my cock. Taste. It.”
At the beginning I gave three stars, but I changed my mind. Bella simply wrote the book in her style, and the ranking of the three is strongly undervalued. It just has a very good and so-so scene. In general terms, it's really fine book. You definitely need to check it out!
Next in the series? Yes. Anguish - Mack and Jaylah story! -
God I m al over the place after this
Santana as luvd Maddox ever since he found her in a really bad way Santana's parents died when her an her sister were younger an Santana promised nothing would ever happen 2 her sister she wanted 2 protect with everything she had things were very hard but Santana did everything she could 2 protect her they had shadey people 2 fight against an my heart totally went out 2 them then Santana meet the ever so handsome sexy Maddox they had some hard time in the beginning but he stood by her al the way through there was strong goin on between them an it just grow over the yrs she didn't know how he felt an his over protective way did puss her off our the yrs as well but as time went on it just got worst she wanted 2 start dating but Maddox would never make it easy the more older Santana go the sexier Maddox found her an these shit ass men just weren't good enough 4 Santana he just want her 4 himself
Santana has been around the club 4 nearly 5 yrs an she just want a normal guy until she found out something that made her where the feels 4 Maddox had come had they alway been there but she just did c them well Ye I think that was it but when they were 2gether she just couldn't c how much Maddox wanted her but everyone else could once they started getting hot it was so hot they were great with each other the sexy time just getting better an better an Santana started show how much she wanted Maddox but he wasn't sure if he could get close with the secret he had held 4 so long would she still want him after it would she leave him he just didn't know but he had 2 tell her
I totally luvd this book it was so good I luvd every bit of it it had my happy sad lumps in my throat it was crazy but great crazy I was delights i had more of Krypt an Ash an then we got 2 meet Mack Maddox step bro an holy God he's so sexy I really need more of him so I m sooooooo excited 4 the next book the epilogue had me dyin 4 more 1 thing these books have is great sexy time it's so hot an good I was just dyin 4 Santana an Maddox 2 get it on
Overall I found this book had everything in that a MC book should great story characters it's a great series begin on the next book xxx
-
I am enjoying this series very much...review to come..
-
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STARS: 3.5 STARS
POV: Both. (But I would say more Santana’s POV)
HEA:
RELEASE DAY: 15 SEPTEMBER 2014
Now is where my story changes, but to understand this story, you have to start at the beginning … where it all began and before
This is the second book in the Jokers Wrath MC.
This story is of Maddox and Santana.
Maddox is the President of the Jokers Wrath, one of the biggest MC.
This is my Santana:
This is my Maddox:
Maddox saved Santana 5 years ago… but he is keeping a secret from her and he doesn’t know how he is going to tell her. The story alternates between past and present in order for us to find out how Santana ended up with Maddox.
Maddox and Santana have been in love with each other for so long but FFS this two is stubborn!! Santana decides she is not going to wait for Maddox and starts dating but Maddox does not like this AT all. Alec gets a warning but he doesn’t listen. I felt Santana did a stupid thing with Alec. (You will still find out, but you will know what I am talking about when you get to that point)
Santana finds out the secret that Maddox is keeping from her and she is NOT happy. He gives her an ultimatum that either she works with him or she goes out on her own without his help… he tried to protect her.
Having a club war going on at the moment, Maddox is trying to protect Santana but she is a feisty one ☺ She gets shot at multiple times.
The epilogue is giving us a background for Mack’s book. And let me tell you I cannot WAIT for Mack’s book!
FAVOURITE QUOTES / LINES
“Course you are, but my brother would cut my cock off and feed it to me in pieces”
“Maddox is my evil – he’s my dark place, yet I can’t seem to push myself away from him.”
He’s a God damned boy, but you wouldn’t know, because you ain’t ever had a fuckin’ man
An ARC provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review
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Hmmmmmm...this is FREE right now...and the blurb sounds interesting, but even then I just can't pull the trigger on this one, because:
1) Maddox is gross.
2) The
first one sucked donkey balls.
3) I don't read stuff I know I will hate just to write a bash review.
-
This second book in the Jokers' Wrath series tells the story of Santana and Maddox. Picking up where book 1 left off, Santana's past is told in several flashbacks interspersed throughout the story. There is so much more to the sweet girl we met in book 1 than I would have guessed. She had led such a tragic life before Maddox took her in. He saved her and in some ways, she saved him too.
Santana's feelings for Maddox, and his for her, are apparent to everyone except the two of them it seems. Finally, they clue in and the rest is history, more or less. Then, the secret that Maddox has kept from her is brought to light and the s**t hits the fan...but don't blink or you might miss it!
The speed and ease with which Santana decided to forgive and forget Maddox's missteps made me question whether I was more upset than she was! The same was true for Ash in book 1. For such strong women, they certainly lose their fight quickly! I want to see them make these guys work for it! Instead, they get a halfhearted apology and they cave. What's worse is that every time Maddox screwed up royally, or was acting like a jerk, it was portrayed as Santana's fault. About half the time SHE actually ended up apologizing for causing his behavior!
Overall, I thought the story was good and I liked it. My dislikes are pretty similar to my gripes about book1. Ms. Jewel does a wonderful job of building anticipation, but when the "big event" finally occurs, it feels anticlimactic. I have been left feeling a bit let down more than once in this series. Seriously! Major conflicts between the H/h should not be resolved with a simple conversation or two covered in a few pages of content, when 1/2 the book was leading up to that moment.
Otherwise, the characters are interesting and the chemistry is strong. I still enjoyed the story, just thought the delivery could be better at times. -
☆ ARC PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW ☆
~ THANK YOU ~
MY RATING ☆☆☆☆ STARS: Melancholy (Jokers' Wrath MC, #2) by Bella Jewel
I would've loved to have stamped this with 5 stars but I have read alot of biker books, and I'm just at that stage where I need them to be dark, gritty and full of things that make you shudder, a book that has you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what the author is going to throw at you next, sadly this book lacked that, but in saying that, it did get gritty towards the middle which kept me reading to the end..
I dream of two things, A tall, dark man who I know is bad for me, and a man who can give me a white picket fence. There is a true battle between good and evil, and evil is so tempting. Maddox - he;s my dark place, he makes me feel things that I've never felt before
~ Santana
When a man kisses you, and he really means it, and you really feel it, then you will ache for him. Everywhere ~ Maddox
I just didn't know I could get what I desperately needed from a biker ~ Santana
I'm gonna love you for every minute, every hour, every day, every month and every year for the rest of your life, because you're the only person in my life that's worth fighting for ~ Maddox
If you fall in love with Maddox in this book you will fall even deeper in love with bad boy Mack, I can not wait to read his story!! -
This is the second book of "Jokers' Wrath MC". We met Maddox and Santana in "Precarious", but know we get to know their story.
What can I say? Bikers are sexy and Maddox is an stubborn, alpha male SOB. Of course I love him for that.
Santana is a very loyal girl, but so hard headed. There were time i just wanted to slap BOTH OF THEM.
The story is intriguing. With a secret that could destroy Santana and made her hate Maddox. It's romantic and of course HOT and Steamy.
If you love bikers, this is a book you should read!
"Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review." -
RATING: 1 Heart :(
I'm going to keep this very simple, since I don't have much to say about this.
To begin with, I went into Melancholy with low expectations. And good thing too, as I did not like this one at all. Every aspect of this – the plot, writing, characters, and even romance – I could not connect to. We meet Santana in the first book, Precarious, and admittedly I was curious about her, but that curiosity quickly died after her clichéd past is revealed. Maddox isn't much better. I lost interest in him after the first book's scene, and I couldn't reason with his player ways. The man sleeps with anything that walks! That's a no no. Due to my lack of connectivity with the main characters, I ultimately didn't enjoy their romance. And, the heroine is . *sigh* I could have totally lived without that stupid plot element.
I sense a theme with Bella Jewels heroines. In the first book, Ash's solution to everything was sex. In this, Santana's solution to everything is to run away, fully aware that there are bad guys after her. But, she leaves anyway with no protection after every confrontation which lead to very predictable events taking place. Stupidly unbelievable.
The one thing I really liked in this was Mack. I am so intrigued by his character, and his book happens to be next, so I don't have to suffer through another book to get to his story. Thank heavens for small favours.
Overall, not my cuppa, obviously. Yet, the ratings for this seem to be very high, so don't take my word for it, and give it a try.
Posted: May 14, 2015 -
Maddox and Santana ... wow! The sexual tension was off the charts between these two. Emotional and raw with a fast pace that had me clenching my kindle long into the night.
-
If you love or hate MC books, you'll love this one. This one is borderline awkward, but Bella Jewel knows how to do it right! I can't even imagine Santana's life and struggle, but in this case, Maddox is here for the rescue. His personality is something you hate on the first touch, but later you realize he has to be that way for his own sake. The end is great, and Bella is starting to be one of my favorite authors :)
-
And it gets worse...
I'm leaning towards not reading any more from this author. I mean..."really!"
This was one of those times I'd have preferred the heroine , not being the "little" gal who needs to be protected from the big bad possessive alpha biker, for her own good, something of which kept her running away every chance she could get, which led to stupid events.
Nope, don't even read this one for a biker fix. -
This is an okay story
Melancholy, Maddox & Santana’s book
I like the story line and the action scenes, it was very intense and Maddox 😍 oh my, who wouldn't love him. As for Santana, she annoyed me so much. I struggled with the first half of the book but was interested with the new characters to continue reading. Overall this is an okay book. 👌🏻 -
4 Rescuing Stars
The characters that stole the show in (Precarious - Jokers' Wrath MC Book 1) now take centre stage... Maddox and Santana
Santana
Without giving away the plot, Santana had a terrible upbringing after the death of her parents...
"I tried to create my own story, my own path, and my own actions. I’ve seen things people only see in their worst nightmares, but I never let it beat me down. -Santana
We meet Santana after she overcame her past, after she was saved...
He saved my life. He changed my world, giving me the second chance some of us only dream about." -Santana
Maddox
We meet Maddox in book 1, As president, his whole life revolves around the club, his brothers and his girl...
Part of Maddox and Santana's journey was accepting their relationship. Santana had to accept that Maddox wasn't just her knight in shining.. Leather ;) and he had to finally claim what's always been his.
"I'm gonna love you for every minute, every hour, every day, every month and every year for the rest of your life, because you're the only person in my life that's worth fighting for."
Together they were explosive, constantly testing each other's limits. Which can only lead to one thing...
I loved this book more than the first, but that's not surprise as i always enjoy Bella Jewel's books. She's a talented writer with a creative mind. Definitely check her and her books out, including this! XO -
image:
well... really liked this book, more than the first one...
image:
image:
yeah... there were some stuff I was like for real?! but must say that I could deal with them better than in first book, maybe cos I knew what to expect..
soo anywhoo.. can not wait for more!!! -
3,5 stars
-
I first got hooked on Bella Jewel with her first MC series and can only say she knows how to write a good MC romance. I was so glad to see her embark on another MC series and the two books so far in the Jokers' Wrath series have met all of my expectations. Hot alpha males, believable romance, hot sex scenes...what else can you ask for? I loved Maddox's strength and his love for Santana poured off the pages. Yes he was controlling and at times obnoxious but I will take him any day. Santana, at times, grated on my nerves but I gave her a pass several times. She really did not start to show any real maturity until the last half of the book. There was suspense, angst and a deeply moving love story, especially when Maddox professes his love for Santana. No sex sharing, no cheating and a HEA. Definitely a 5 star read for me.
-
** 3.5 stars **
Entertaining but the plot was kind of all over the place and I didn't really love the way the romance played out. The heroine was immature and kind of dumb the way she ran off by herself at night multiple times and got hurt. The hero was okay, I didn't like the way he was doing other women while supposedly caring for the heroine before they officially got together. The story kept me reading though. -
5 Long lost sister
Spoilers
Now there was the Bella Jewel I grew to love. After reading book one, which was sooo not good, I went into this book a little worried. Book one really scared me, I hated it, so I didn't have high hopes of liking this one, especially since in book one I didn't like Maddox, but I freakin' loved this book. I loved the plot , loved Santana, and surprisingly after not liking him in book one, I loved Maddox. This book had me feeling so many feels. I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love with this couple.
Maddox was perfect in this book. Bad ass, protective, sweet, sexy, broody, and loyal. I truly am shocked how much I loved him after reading book one, but he won me over within the first few pages. The way he was with Santana was so sweet without him being a pussy, and because they were not together at the time I was able to get over the fact that he was sleeping with club whores. Especially since Santana dated other men too. Santana was so cute I just couldn't help but love her. She had a hard past and my heart broke for her. She came off at time a little naive and she made some stupid choices but it was easy to overlook because she was just so likable.
Maddox and Santana had a powerful connection. I could feel the sexual tension through my kindle. And smexy time was so fucking hot. Maddox was a beast. I also loved Mack, Maddox's brother. I found him so sexy and intriguing. I even like Ash and Krypt a little more in this book and that is saying something because I really didn't like either of them. The plot was exciting and kept my interest. When Maddox was so badly hurt and in the hospital I was tearing up. I really liked Pippa and I am looking forward to more from her. I loved the HEA Maddox and Santana got and that bomb at the end with Mack GOD I can't wait to read his book! I loved this book and I am so glad I didn't go to amazon and return this series after I read and disliked book one. -
5 Stars
LOVED this book, and absolutely LOVED both Santana and Maddox, ahhhhhhh:) My only issue is the stubbornness on both of their parts throughout......Not a fan of that being dragged out and yet it truly was a beautiful story! Absolutely LOVED the ending, was sooooo damn great and I am so happy for both of these couples that we have been reading about so far. I cannot wait for Mack's story and hell, I want all of this club's stories.... Hmmmm, wonder who or if Pippa may hook up with someone in the future:)
PS I loved Ash in this book:) Anyone who read my review on the first book knows I wasn't a huge fan of hers although I liked her a lot at the end of that book BUT LOVED her through this whole book! Kyrpt, oh yeah, he is still the same super hot guy that I LOVED in his story and grew to love him even more (if possible) in this book!!!!!!! -
Maddox is a president of the Jokers' Wrath MC, one of the biggest MC. Santana is a girl rescued by Maddox at a young age, and for many years at the club. Not slut, just a friend of the club. She had led such a tragic life before Maddox took her in. He saved her and in some ways, she saved him too. Santana's feelings for Maddox, and his for her, are apparent to everyone except the two of them it seems. Without giving away the plot, Santana had a terrible upbringing after the death of her parents... We meet Santana after she overcame her past, after she was saved...
This is the second book of "Jokers' Wrath MC". This story is of Maddox and Santana. What can I say? Bikers are sexy and Maddox is an stubborn, alpha male SOB. Of course I love him for that. well... yeah... there were some stuff I was like for real?! soo anywhoo.. Entertaining but the plot was kind of all over the place and I didn't really love the way the romance played out. The heroine was immature and kind of dumb the way she ran off by herself at night multiple times and got hurt. The hero was okay, I didn't like the way he was doing other women while supposedly caring for the heroine before they officially got together. The story kept me reading though. Whatever it was between this (none) couple (those unspoken words, those conflicted feelings) had me intrigued and I was desperate to see how their story would unravel. Well, to say "Melancholy" was drama loaded is probably an understatement because this book was (quite literally) full to the brim with it. From the first page to the last, there was always something going on that kept me on my toes, held my attention and more often than not drove me BAT SH*T CRAZY!!! Lol. I love anything that Bella writes. I loved Maddox, I loved how he was so protective. And I couldn't relate to Santana I mean why in the world, would you go out in public with out any protection from the MC. And the fact that half of the book Maddox thinks he is no good for her, I could have easily slapped him every time he said something of that sort. Amazing! There was action, smut, great story and a dash of sweet. Couldn't put this book down! I don’t know what it is about Bella Jewel’s books but they are like crack I just get sucked in and can’t put them down. Her characters can be so frustrating and just downright annoying but I still love it. And she always brings the really smoking hot scenes and a little humor. I wanted to choke Maddox and Santana because the lack of communication was ridiculous.
"We're a time bomb, slowly ticking together."
"I take a step back, a little too far, and with flailing arms I make my rapid descent towards the floor. I never make it, of course—my knight in shining... errr ... leather ... catches me. His arms wrap around me and he scoops me up, holding me close to his chest."
“Taste it,” he orders. “Taste your cum on my cock. Taste. It.”
Now is where my story changes, but to understand this story, you have to start at the beginning … where it all began and before .
“Course you are, but my brother would cut my cock off and feed it to me in pieces”
“Maddox is my evil – he’s my dark place, yet I can’t seem to push myself away from him.”
He’s a God damned boy, but you wouldn’t know, because you ain’t ever had a fuckin’ man .
I dream of two things, A tall, dark man who I know is bad for me, and a man who can give me a white picket fence. There is a true battle between good and evil, and evil is so tempting. Maddox - he;s my dark place, he makes me feel things that I've never felt before
When a man kisses you, and he really means it, and you really feel it, then you will ache for him. Everywhere.
I just didn't know I could get what I desperately needed from a biker.
I'm gonna love you for every minute, every hour, every day, every month and every year for the rest of your life, because you're the only person in my life that's worth fighting for.
"I tried to create my own story, my own path, and my own actions. I’ve seen things people only see in their worst nightmares, but I never let it beat me down.
He saved my life. He changed my world, giving me the second chance some of us only dream about."
I'm going to lose her before I've had the chance to even have her.
That girl is the one thing that's made me smile in a long, long time. If I lose her now... shit... fuck... I just can't. I can't lose the one thing I've fought so hard for.
If I lose Maddox, the only man I've ever loved with all my heart, I'll never recover. -
Review: Surj Harvey
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The first book in Bella Jewel's "Joker's Wrath" series entitled "Precarious" was brilliant and with the turn of events that lead to the mother of all endings, I couldn't wait to get my hands on Maddox and Santana's book. Whatever it was between this (none) couple (those unspoken words, those conflicted feelings) had me intrigued and I was desperate to see how their story would unravel. Well, to say "Melancholy" was drama loaded is probably an understatement because this book was (quite literally) full to the brim with it. From the first page to the last, there was always something going on that kept me on my toes, held my attention and more often than not drove me BAT SH*T CRAZY!!! Lol. Yup, Maddox and Santana have got to be one of the most frustrating couples I have ever met and there were so many occasions where I just wanted to bang their bloody heads together and knock some sense into them.I dream of two things. A tall, dark man who I know is bad for me and a man who can give me a white picket fence. There is a true battle between good and evil, and evil is so tempting. Maddox is my evil- he's my dark place, yet I can't seem to push myself away from him.
Santana was (to put it bluntly) a brat. She was childish and immature and some of her behaviour less than impressed me. However, there was also a strength to her, a fighting spirit that I admired and so her character for the most part left me conflicted. And Maddox... as much as I loved our president's alpha hotness, his stubborn streak wound me up no end. One minute I wanted to stroke his lovely toned torso, the next, I was ready to strangle him!!!We're a time bomb, slowly ticking together.
I was desperate to see this couple together but every time I thought they were close, their lack of communication or sheer stupidity would push them further apart... just grow up and talk to each other FFS!!! At one point I was quite literally pulling my hair out, they'd annoyed me that much. However, please don't interpret the way the characters made me feel the wrong way because the growth I saw in both characters and the maturity they showed when faced with adversity really did make up for the shortcomings in their earlier behaviour.
As much as the romance (or lack of) between Maddox and Santana was the main cause of the drama that weaved itself through the pages of "Melancholy," it was the sub plots that really tugged at the heart strings. Chapters from Santana's past were brutal and really brought home what this woman had been through as a child and the secret Maddox was keeping from the woman he had kept safe for the last five years was one that would surely lead to heart ache.I'm going to lose her before I've had the chance to even have her.
And so I read on with bated breath to see what the fall out would be and my oh my, it was not good. OK so maybe not good for the characters but I kind of loved it because I got to see The Joker's MC do what they do best... go to war!!! Woo Hoo!!! A Bella Jewel MC novel wouldn't be the same without blood, gore and gun battles now would it and she did not disappoint in that department.
I loved getting the opportunity to catch up with Krypt and Ash and the rest of the Joker's MC but the one thing that really does stand out in both books in this series is the overwhelming sense of family and belonging I get from these boys and their ladies. There isn't anything they wouldn't do for one another and that just fills my heart with a warmth like no other.
"Melancholy" was a fantastic second book to this series and I cannot wait to get Mack's story which is coming next. There's just something about that man that makes me want to get under his skin and into his head and my chance to do just that is on its way.
I rated "Melancholy" 4 Hearts.That girl is the one thing that's made me smile in a long, long time. If I lose her now... shit... fuck... I just can't. I can't lose the one thing I've fought so hard for.
If I lose Maddox, the only man I've ever loved with all my heart, I'll never recover.
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I just read Melancholy and I just loved it. I swear Bella for me just cant do anything wrong. I love her dirty talkin alpha bikers. They will always have a special place in my heart. This is Maddox and Santana's story. Maddox it the President of Jokers Wrath MC and has loved Santana since he found her high and half dead five years before. She was young then and now that she has gotten older, he cant help to want this strong, vulnerable girl. Santana wants him too but they always play cat and mouse with each other never really saying the words. They both feel like the other deserves better but here is the thing. She has experienced a lot of heartache, top one was that she believes her sister Pippa is dead. Maddox has been trying the whole time to find Pippa. He knows Santana will break when she finds out that he has known this entire time that she was not dead. How will Santana take the news? Will Pippa actually still be alive after all this time? You jut have to read to know how their story unfolds.
I loved it! This is a great follow up and even though you could read this as a standalone, you would miss out on so much more. All the characters entwine with each other even though it doesn't over power the story. You just get so much more. They are all very well developed. You cant help but love each of them no matter what they do. There are reasons for what they do, valid reasons so you just suck it up and either be there or be square! Best part about this, its a biker story and what you want it down right dirty and gritty. This is exactly what you get. I just cant help but be amazed and I will always want more!
Maddox is a dirty talkin, rough, and so freaking alpha. Gah, he just speaks to my heart! I wouldn't want him any other way. Santana is a strong character. She is sweet and lovely and can give just as good as she gets! I wouldn't want her no other way either. Their chemistry is just off the charts. You get a hint of it in Precarious. To me they lived up to their hype and I was with them all the way. Jealous, but all the way!
I loved the secondary characters too. I was shocked by some of it and cannot wait to see what happens with them. I will be waiting rather impatiently for the next ones! Keep em coming Bella!!
Story 5
Sex 5
Overall 5++++
Reviewed by Beggin from Mommys a Book Whore -
Ok, so I enjoyed this much more than book 1 – Precarious. There was still a lot of crazy going on that was both good for the storyline but also made me want to pull my hair out. The two MCs were both so stubborn, having played some sort of game whereby they clearly love each other but are not willing to admit it to themselves or believe that they are good enough for each other. That’s right, both are convinced that the other deserves someone better.
Santana was a good heroine, although she did make some stupid decisions , even though she didn’t really want to and ended up calling Maddox to sort out the situation for her. That’s not to say Maddox was not a fault sometimes. He’s supposed to be a badass biker and doesn’t even try to hide the fact that he f#*ks whores every night from Santana. He should have had the balls to admit his feelings much sooner than he did.
Anyway, that’s that done with. Like I said before, I enjoyed this storyline for the most part. It was a quick read too, which helped and after being reluctant to continue with the series after the first book, im now looking forward to Mack’s story next.
3.5 stars -
This is the second book of the Jokers' Wrath series and for me pesonally it was alright. Ashe and Krypt's story was frigging amazing so I'm slightly disappointed in this one. 3 - 3.5 Stars.
Santana and her sister Pippa took to the streets due to being in foster care. Luck in this case not so lucky is that Tana needed to take the pain away. She had an addiction until she nearly died.
She was saved by Maddox and the Jokers' Wrath and managed to kick that addiction. There was a lot of back and forth between the two. In the first book he gets down and dirty with Ash and Krypt and then he tries to pin it on Ash. At the best of times he was a douche. A hot douche but still a douche.
Santana is a brat and that wasn't always to her advantage. So Maddox screws up and Tana goes AWOL and is stunned when Alec pulls that stunt on her and that was not cool. Tana fucked up as well. So obviously they get Pippa back and there is the happily ever after. Really good plot and I just loved Mack and the preview of what is in store for him. -
OMG. I received this book as an ARC from the author. I started it at 4 and finished it by 10:30. It is friggin amazing!!!! Forgive me for the lack of details here but I never want to give away any of the story so enjoy the vague. I love Santana's story as heartbreaking as it is and Maddox is an insanely hot and alpha. The action in the book is awesome and the characters draw you in immediately (I wish there was a real Jokers Wrath MC). The story is intense and the drama is perfectly balanced. I am invested in this MC now and there is no going back. Seriously, if you read the first book in the series you will be hooked. But once you read this book, you will be addicted. I cannot recommend this book enough, let alone the first book in the series "Precarious". The next book is "Anguish" and when Mack's story is completed I will cut a bitch to get an ARC. Seriously. Cut. A. Bitch. Luckily it's scheduled for release in October so I might not have to hurt anyone.
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*I was given a ARC for a honest review*
I won't give to much away because I don't want to spoil this amazing story for anyone!
I started reading it about 12pm and finished before bed! This book pulls you in right away and you will be on the edge of your seat just waiting to see what happens! I love that we got to see more of Santana's life before Maddox...poor thing she went through so much! I am so glad Maddox "saved" her.
She sure is one tough cookie. Maddox what is there to say he is BOSSY BOSSY BOSSY, controlling, dominating,loyal (as heck),protective,loving(in his Maddox way) and pure Alpha Male. That's want makes him perfect! Santana and Maddox balance each other...he tells her what to do and she gives him heck about it! Bella Jewel writes books that get you invested in the story making you wish all the characters were real! You won't want to miss the BIG secret that's revealed and it's BIG! Can't wait for Mack's (Chief) story!
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