One Night: Denied (The One Night Trilogy Book 2)

She's now been humiliated, shamed and left desolate...she's more lifeless now than she ever was before she met that man. Crippling hurt and profound numbness...abandoned by her prostitute mother only to fall head over heels for a mysterious man who turns out to be the same! Olivia Turner feels utterly used.I adore this author, BUT ..I don't gravitate or connect to stories about weak women. And it's very difficult to like the calloused, hardened and emotionally detached Miller Hart...the male character of this story. The first book  One Night: Promised (One Night Trilogy)  and the first ⅔'s of THIS story so permanently ingrains within the reader just how messed up Miller is that it was simply hopeless for me to care about him...even after we learn WHY he's the way he is. And you know that deliciously intoxicatingly fun excitement you feel with a “cat and mouse” chase between a man and a woman?? That adrenaline ruuuush you feel while connecting to the main characters as they begin to fall for each other? It's completely absent in this story (for me)...instead the chase left me feeling frustrated and aggravated.There is very little to like about Miller Hart...his arrogance is more annoying than endearing. He's pompous and shameless. He's powerfully intense and mysteriously enticing. He never smiles or laughs (although in this installment, he's learning to loosen up). There has been no happiness in his life. He's brusque and starchy....unfeeling and (seemingly) unemotional. He comes across as an uptight jerk and a cold prick.Due to his abusive childhood, he simply has no warmth and no matter how hard I struggled to find something to like about him, the talented Ms. Malpas painted such an astoundingly vivid picture of his immoral behavior that it was so firmly ingrained within me and I just couldn't get past it. I kept hoping Olivia would run....run away as fast as she could and keep running and never look back. But of course that would've detracted from the story and we'd never learn Miller Harts' "mystery" nor the drama and suspense this story invokes. Miller is damaged, therefore he has built thick walls of protection around himself and lets no one in. He hates what he is...what he's become. And even though Miller warms up a teensy tiny bit in aggravatingly slow increments towards the end of this second installment, it's kinda' like "too little too late". It's not enough. His remote chilly persona has already been so deeply imbedded into the reader. I can only hope he can redeem himself in book #3.There are chapters in the story that don't meld, or blend with the previous chapter. When Olivia runs and vows "it's over"...next chapter she's in a hotel room with Miller with no explanation...they're suddenly just....there! So I'm sittin' here thinkin' "ok, this is a dream - - she's dreaming" and I read on waiting for her to wake up and realize it was all a dream...except she doesn't and I'm left sittin' here scratchin' my head thinkin' "HUH"?? WHY did she go back to him after finally growing some gumption and telling him off so superbly? Yes, yes I know it's because she loves him now...but...after finally realizing he's poison?!? More importantly...WHEN did she go back?!? WHEN did she determine she'd relent and give it another go and overlook his canoodling other women??!!? I'm sittin' there wondering if something was accidentally omitted or did JEM even write this story??Olivia Taylor was a frustrating character with little appeal (for me). I'd like her and then I wouldn't. (I know...weird, huh?) I do not read stories where women grovel and chase men or stories with a weak and spineless female character. Olivia was both when it came to Miller. She goes from a refreshing and strong sensible young woman who is usually intelligent and guarded around men, to being the complete polar opposite. And I get it...he's so handsome that you're left speechless. But...COME ON! And after years of avoiding men - - all of them - - she finds herself continually encouraging a dangerous, immoral man who should be left alone.This story is a far cry from the intriguing and emotionally gut wrenching  This Man (This Man, #1)   Beneath This Man (This Man Trilogy)  and  This Man Confessed (This Man Trilogy) ...it's the typical cat and mouse chase, conquer and own and overcoming horrendous obstacles. It's about all the up's and down's of fighting the attraction that you just know is gonna bring you down and slay you in the end...and losing the battle. It's about never giving up on that small ray of hope you feel for that relationship. Never giving up on a damaged soul you've fallen in love with. The highs and lows of two extremely wounded and emotionally damaged people trying to come together in a relationship full of false assumptions and secrets. It's a serious story of trusting (and not trusting) each other with truths. There is no humor. The only thing that would've made it better was hearing Millers POV.

Amazing can't wait to read more I love the narrationdefinitely takes the story to my crazy imagination and see where the story takes me next

One minute I think Miller is crazy & then the next I want to shelter him in my arms like Livy often does for his "thing". Livy suffers without Miller, she is wasting away to nothing, often throwing up from her anxiety, distraught. Why is Miller an escort? He owns a club, he doesn't need the money. How can Livy share her man with other women? It doesn't matter to Livy that it is rough impersonal sex - it's still sex! Women pay big money for Miller's cold aloof behavior because it the best sex of their lives, he is in full control, orgasms every time. That has to hurt Livy deep! Miller swears he only makes love to Livy, he worships her, & there is no doubt that he'll never be rough with her again. William sticks his nose into their relationship & we discover Miller & Livy's lives parallel the love William had for Livy's mother Gracie. William warns Livy that Miller will destroy her, tells her to run, that Miller doesn't have any morals. And William asks the most important question - does Miller love her? Miller is seriously determined to get Livy back, he goes a little crazy, hunts her down, chases her, convinces her Nan that their fight was a "misunderstanding." He seems to have split personalities, so polite & respectful sometimes but he has serious issues. And he lets his fists fly if anyone should come between him & Livy - her best friend Gregory gets beat up often ending up with Gregory threatening to end their friendship if she goes back to Miller. You have to get used to the way they talk - Miller won't let anyone else "taste" Livy which means her kisses which he finds incredibly intimate, something only two of them can share. He calls Livy his finest possession which is a big compliment in his mind since he grew up on the streets & never possessed much of anything. But now Miller & Livy don't quite fit into society's views - Miller is polished & beautiful in his suits while Livy is a simple girl who likes Converse shoes. I love when Livy dressed him in jeans & a t-shirt & everyone in the store drools! Best Miller line: "You give me the greatest pleasure by accepting me in my entirety." "My world was fading into blackness again & the only thing that can keep it light keeps running away." Best Livy line: "You have a someone, Miller. Everyone has a someone, and I'm yours like you are mine." "My effed-up, OCD-suffering, demon-holding, possessive, damaged, drug-using, ex-notorious male escort, part-time gentleman." This is a rollercoaster ride of emotions as Miller fights to end his escort service without causing physical backlash for Livy. We see a broken-down Miller who cries when he has to be with another woman - all he wants is to worship Livy & have his freedom & happiness for once. Great ending, have no idea how Livy & Miller are going to survive on their own!

Well the second instalment does answer a lot of questions but regardless of how much I like Miller as a character the story and plot began to drag on and made it difficult for me to read. I found myself loosing interest in the book and it's taken me a very long time to finish. I think the story could have been cut down without loosing any of the best elements. Livy got all my nerves and the interference of other characters began to irritate me. Nan and George were funny, and continue to give the story humour. The love scenes were nicely written, and romantic at times. There is a lot of angst, anger and dramatic scenes but I found them over the top. I was looking forward to this series but unfortunately it is not what I was expecting. I dislike the feeling that a story takes too long to read so although I have to finish the series I think I may need to take a break before reading the third instalment.

Gripping, sad, and funny. Livvie got on my nerves a tad with her weakness. I did question how quickly Miller changed from being cold in character and writing the goodbye letter and leaving it at Ice, then next time he sees her, he walks past her, has a shower and then is ok! Not sure if this part of the story was rushed but I feel it could have been another chapter there! That is my only gripe! I couldn't stop thinking about this book when I wasn't reading it. I wanted to stay up all night to finish, it captivated me from beginning to end. The part at the end sounds good, when she's getting on the plane. I'm hoping this will delve deeper in book 3!

Love this series. What an excellent 2nd book, and wow another amazing ending i cannot wait for part 3. This book had me laughing gasping and screaming and the ending wow my heart was racing! Nan once again is brilliant in this i love her humor. Miller is adorable but wow he has some past. Jodi your writing is amazing i love the way you narrate the characters the things they say, the actions they do totally make you understand how they are feeling. I dont know why but i loved it when miller said "did he just slam my f****** door?.... he just slammed my f****** door" i was in hysterics, i had to reread that part 2 or 3 times its was so funny!

Miller Hart .... sigh ❤️ JEM does it to me everytime, she makes me fall in love with the tortured men and Miller has so many demons its hard to know where they start. When he needs his thing I melt every damn time, there are so many layers to this story and just when you think you have it all figured out another bombshell is dropped. Nan is still my favourite character she is just so damn funny, they may think she's losing it but she is as sharp as a tack. I laughed, I cried and I screamed a lot but most of all I can't wait to read the next one.

This one really, really confused me. At one part I felt like I had missed a chapter because we went from her leaving him at his apartment adamant they weren't going to be together to them reconciling in the hotel room. I also feel extremely frustrated that Livy just accepts thing and doesn't challenge the things she should, like who is causing trouble or why he can't escape or who is helping him and how is he connected to William. I had this same problem with 'This Man' series and I'm hoping that this won't ruin the rest of the story for me.