Review: Promised (One Night) by Jodi Ellen Malpas

Livy notices him the moment he walks into the coffee shop. He's heart-stoppingly stunning, with a blue-eyed gaze so piercing she's almost too distracted to take his order. When he walks out the door, she thinks she'll never see him again. Then she finds the note he left on his napkin . . . signed M.

All he wants is one night to worship her. No feelings, no commitment, nothing but pleasure. Every defense mechanism Livy has adopted during her solitary life is at risk of being obliterated by this confounding man. He's obnoxious but well-mannered. He's a gentleman but aloof. He's passionate but emotionless. Yet the fascination is so powerful, Livy can't deny him... or herself.

M awakens something in Livy, something deep and addictive that she never knew existed -- and that she fears only he can satisfy. But she senses that behind the fast cars, fancy suits, and posh apartment, he's aching inside. To have him, body and soul, she'll have to brave his dark secrets. Delving into his world and breaking down his defenses become her obsession - an obsession that could shatter her heart beyond repair..

4.5 Star Review by Jen Skewes

Jodi Ellen Malpas quickly became one on my favorite authors for the simple reason that she gave me Jesse Ward, one of my top book boyfriends of all time.  I was so excited when I found out that Jodi would be writing another trilogy and could not wait to read it. 

Olivia is a young girl who works at a coffee shop.  She was raised by her grandparents and has been taking care of her grandmother.  She really doesn’t go out mush and it has been a really long time since she has been with a man, which is a result of her past.  She meets M one day when he comes into the shop for coffee.  Upon first seeing him she is completely captured by his good looks.  He is unlike any man she has ever laid eyes on.  She stumbles a bit on their first meeting and in the end M seems to be nothing more than a sexy rich pompous ass.  But even so she still cannot stop thinking about him. 

When they meet again she finds that M has been thinking about her as well and he offers her a deal.  Just one night, nothing more nothing less.  He wants 24 hours to completely worship Olivia.  While it is a very tempting offer, Olivia is not sure if she wants to go there with this man.  M wants to worship her lie no man has ever worshipped her before.  There is no denying the physical attraction of the effect that he has on her body.  Bu she knows nothing about this man, except that he can be very dangerous.  Because in the end she sees herself falling for him with the final result being a broken heart once the 24 hours is up.  

M is a complete mystery  He is certainly a sexy alpha male to the extreme.  You know that he doesn’t do relationships or commitment.  He doesn’t even date.  But he wants Olivia and even if he has her for 24 hours, that will have to be enough.  You can tell just from his actions and words that being with Olivia is more intimate that he may be letting on.  You can feel that he hasn’t been with or felt this way about a woman.  He may not have admitted any of this but you just feel it through his actions.   We don’t know anything about him and while Olivia has completely opened herself up to him in more ways than one, he hasn’t given her anything.  But still resisting him proves to be very difficult.  They have 24 hours together and in those 24 hours they both develop feelings that neither one of them expected even if they cannot admit it.  Will 24 hours with each other be enough?

Olivia was a wonderful heroine.  While part of her completely melted when ever she saw M, she stood strong when she needed to.  She had a tough past, with a mother who cared more about men and sex that she did her own daughter, but she still stayed strong. I loved her relationship with Nan but more importantly her friendship with her best friend Gregory.  I loved him and loved how much he cared for Olivia and how much he just wanted to see her happy.  Plus he gave great fashion advice. 

There was something very sexy about M that I loved.  Maybe it was the alpha male side or the fact that he we really knew nothing about him.  I’m not really sure.  Throughout the book I felt that he wanted Olivia in a way that he wasn’t used to.  But he was a complete mystery and one that I wanted so badly to solve.  And the whole time while reading I was waiting for that shoe to drop.  And when it finally did drop OMG I did not see it coming.  In true Jodi fashion there was that element of complete shock at what was revealed.  There was a part of me that was mad at M and completely understood Olivia’s feelings in that moment, because I too was feeling exactly what she felt; shock, disappointment, anger, hurt and frustration.  And when it was all over I found myself frantically searching the internet to see when the next book comes out.  I need to know what happens next.  I need to see that M and Olivia will make it through this.  I loved them together and loved how much M cared for her.  Another fantastic series by Ms. Malpas.  I will be patiently waiting for the next book.