REVIVE & OFF THE RECORD 1-4 by Madelynne Ellis-review tour

REFLEX
OFF THE RECORD #1
by Madelynne Ellis
Release Date: December 10, 2019
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, rock, romance

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When burying your heart and being alone forever is less terrifying than letting your demons out.

Rock guitarist Spook Mortensen wants nothing to do with sex, love, or intimacy. Having had his heart brutally destroyed by the explosive ending of his first real relationship, he’s content to remain celibate forever. Better that than being a monster.

Sound engineer Allegra Hutton can’t forget the mad chemistry that sparked between her and Spook the previous times their paths crossed. They’ve been text buddies for a year.

When their paths collide on the Riviera, the reckless energy that burns between them rekindles and reaches new heights. But Spook has no intention of letting his guard down or Alle in. Good thing Alle’s a born fighter. She’s determined to get her man, and she’s not giving up, even if that means digging into Spook’s past to break through the barriers he erects. Unfortunately, she’s not the only one out to expose him…

•••••

REVIEW:REFLEX is the first instalment in Madelynne Ellis’ contemporary, adult OFF THE RECORD erotic, romance series set in the author’s BLACK HALO world. This is Jan ‘Spook’ Mortensen, and Allegra ‘Alle’ Hutton’s story line. REFLEX can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the original Black Halo instalments for back story and history.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there WILL be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from three omniscient third person perspectives ( Spook, Alle, and Xane) REFLEX follows the building but struggling relationship between Black Halo guitarist Jan ‘Spook’ Mortensen and sound engineer Allegra ‘Alle’ Hutton. For approximately one year, Alle has tried everything to persuade Spook Mortensen to take a chance but Spook has sworn a personal vow of celibacy in the wake of betrayal and pain years before. Alle is desperate to learn the truth about what causes Spook to back away but as bits and pieces of information are revealed, Alle finds herself falling in love with a man so broken, he doesn’t trust himself or anyone else but all is not well when Spook continues to be the target of aggressive paparazzi, a target that is about to pay for the sins of the past. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Spook and Alle, and the fall-out as Spook, once again, finds himself at the mercy of someone else.

The world building continues to focus on the rock band Black Halo, but more importantly on the embattled guitarist Jan ‘Spook’ Mortensen.Spook’s past is dangerous and dark; a past that continues to haunt our hero both day and night but a past that is threatening any future with our story line heroine.

The relationship between Spook and Alle begins acrimoniously as Spook continues to push away our story line heroine. Alle doesn’t understand Spook’s need to reject but the heart wrenching truth is about to break Alle’s heart. The $ex scenes are intimate and erotic with some scenes of bondage and spanking.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, familiar and often intrusive secondary and supporting characters including all of the members of the band Ginny and Ash (Black Halo 1-3); Xane, Luthor & Dani (Rock Hard 1-3); Paul ‘Rock Giant’ Reed (Reckless Beat), as well as the contentious and virulent paparazzi, and Alle’s brothers Marshall and Ewan.

REFLEX is a thought provoking story of power and control, betrayal and manipulation, love and understanding. The dramatic premise is raw, gritty and haunting; the characters are broken, tragic and struggling; the romance is limited to our couple’s struggle to get beyond what was, and what will be. REFLEX ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Own a copy

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REPLAY
OFF THE RECORD #2
by Madelynne Ellis
Release Date: February 24, 2020
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, rock, romance

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When the heart-rending mistakes of your past are stuck on repeat, you’re destined to replay every painful beat.

Rock guitarist Spook Mortensen never had trouble keeping his desires in check until Alle Hutton gate-crashed his life and reignited his libido. Now his life’s careening out of control.

With Black Halo about to embark on their first official cruise and Alle along for the trip, Spook knows that not succumbing to temptation will require constant vigilance and ingenuity.

Alle’s determined to prove to Spook—and everyone else—that his deviant desires don’t make him a monster, and she’s willing to put her heart on the line to prove it. But being in love doesn’t mean she’s blind to reality. She knows Spook’s keeping secrets and that coaxing them out of him will be as, if not more, challenging than enticing him to explore their sizzling chemistry. Luckily, she’s always up for a challenge.

When the return of a figure from Spook’s past leaves him emotionally untethered, Spook and Alle’s burgeoning relationship is put to the ultimate test. When trust is compromised, only the truth will suffice. But can their relationship survive the revelation?

••••

REVIEW: REPLAY is the second instalment in Madelynne Ellis’ contemporary, adult OFF THE RECORD dark, erotic, rock romance series -a part of the Black Halo world. This is the continuing story of rock guitarist Jan ‘Spook’ Mortensen, and sound engineer Allegra ‘Alle’ Hutton. REPLAY should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events and cliff hanger of book one REFLEX.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise there WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers including BDMS and same $ex scenarios.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Spook and Alle REPLAY picks up after the events of book one. Black Halo has opted for a smaller tour as several members of the band are either on leave, have quit or are struggling within their personal lives but none more so than guitarist Spook Mortensen. Along with his ‘girlfriend’ Alle Hutton, Spook battles his demons that refuse to let go but as their journey through Europe brings Spook closer to home, the demons he has yet to address, take hold, and threaten Spook’s tenuous hold of his fragile psyche. Lines will be blurred then crossed, heart will be broken and crushed, secrets will reveal the true extent as to Spook’s shattered and splintered existence.

The world building continues to focus on Spook and Alle’s building relationship but also Spook’s friendship and dependency with Xane Geist. The world is about to be shown a monster they never knew existed but a monster that was created by someone else.

All of the previous story line secondary and supporting characters return. Alle’s brothers are about to destroy the man with whom she has fallen in love; and Spook’s past is about to reveal a fictionalized account of what happened in the past.

REPLAY is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, abuse and hatred, power and control. The character driven premise is heart breaking, dramatic and haunting-the complexity of Spook’s demons is dangerous and dark; the romance struggles in the face of secrets; the characters are broken, perhaps beyond repair.

HEED MY WARNING-this is NOT a story for everyone. There are issues that will trigger some readers; there are scenes both in the present and memories from the past that are graphic and heart wrenching. REPLAY ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

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REFRAIN
OFF THE RECORD #3
by Madelynne Ellis
Release Date: July 25, 2023
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, rock, romance

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When your past collides with your present, and you wind up broken, so you walk away, lest you break everyone else.

Rock guitarist Spook Mortensen has spent a decade hiding from his traumatic past. Now everyone knows his secrets, and their judgement leaves him broken inside and out. To avoid destroying everything that matters to him, Spook leaves both Black Halo and the woman he loves.

But there’s no running from the demons that lurk in the darkest corners of your soul, because they hitch a ride with you wherever you run.

There doesn’t seem to be a path out of the darkness, until the band’s irresistible, sex addicted, bad boy frontman swoops in determined to stage an intervention.

Xane’s prepared to do whatever it takes, no matter the sacrifice, to mend the hole in Spook’s heart and ensure he returns to where he belongs – Allegra Hutton’s arms and the Black Halo line-up. What neither of them expects is how intense the bond between them will become.

••••••

REVIEW: REFRAIN is the third instalment in Madelynne Ellis’ contemporary, adult OFF THE RECORD dark, erotic, rock romance series focusing on rock guitarist Jan ‘Spook’ Mortensen, Allegra ‘Alle’ Hutton and Xane Geist.. REFRAIN should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events and cliff hanger of book two REPLAY.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers including same $ex, multiple partners scenarios.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Spook and Xane, REFRAIN focuses on the aftermath of Spook Mortensen’s latest spiral. The demons from his past have been revealed for all of the world to read; the ghosts refuse to die; and Spook finds himself on the outside looking in as his band Black Halo implodes. His savior comes in the form of bandmate Xane Geist, the man whose own life is precarious at best. Keeping his distance means doing dark from the people he knows and loves but staying dark means rejecting the woman with whom he had fallen in love.

The world building focuses on Spook’s continuing spiral, and the friends who are struggling to keep him alive. Five months will pass, as the band struggles to continue without their friend, five months in which Alle will lose the only man she has ever loved.

Most of the previous story line secondary and supporting characters return, some now figure prominently in leading roles. Spook’s love for Alle is questionable, as his affections are now turned toward someone else.

REFRAIN is another emotional, dark, gritty, heart breaking and haunting instalment in Madelynne Ellis’ BLACK HALO rock romance series. The line between love and hate is blurred; there is no definitive relationship between Spook and Alle, Spook’s mental frailty is dependant upon someone else. REFRAIN ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

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REVIVE
OFF THE RECORD #4
by Madelynne Ellis
Release Date: August 8, 2023
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, rock, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play / Chapters Indigo /

When you hit rock bottom, the only option left is to rise.

When damaged, elusive rock guitarist Spook Mortensen reunites with his former band to record a new album, it sets him on an unavoidable collision course with his former girlfriend, feisty temptress, producer, Allegra Hutton.

Alle has never given up on her man. Their chemistry remains off the charts, as undeniable now after months apart as the first time they met. Moreover, she sees through Spook’s pain and self-recriminations to the damaged soul beneath.

Only by winning his trust, can Alle hope to mend his heart and secure their future. That means exposing herself to the deviant desires he’s kept in check most of his adult life. Desires her family and the world are still judging him for. Desires that mean, she’ll have to beg him to make her his, while pretending she doesn’t want him to.

•••••••

REVIEW:REVIVE is the fourth instalment in Madelynne Ellis’ contemporary, adult OFF THE RECORD dark, erotic, rock romance focusing on rock guitarist Jan ‘Spook’ Mortensen, and sound engineer Allegra ‘Alle’ Hutton. REVIVE should not be read as a stand alone as it pick up after the events and cliff hanger of book three REFRAIN.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Alle and Spook) REVIVE is the culmination of the previous three instalments in which Spook Mortensen’s life had spiralled out of control. With his past controlling his present, Spook Mortensen had gone into hiding, five months without his band, or the woman he loved but five months meant time to ruminate and battle the demons alone. Reuniting with the band forced Spook to reconsider his life going forward but he struggled to face the woman who held his heart. Betrayal and vengeance, mistrust and misunderstanding threatened Jan Mortensen every day of his life; using his friend as his anchor meant admitting the truth about his fears and his need for the people he trusted the most.

Throughout the series Alle Hutton had an uphill battle focusing on the man that she loved but there were people in Alle’s life that thought they knew better, never anticipating the fall-out or cost of their betrayal. Alle’s pain was magnified by Spook’s inability to trust, to trust the woman who was one part of the whole that would save his life.

REVIVE is a story of loss and survival; forgiveness and trust; family and friendships, relationships and love. The premise is heart breaking and emotional; the romance continues to struggle with issues of trust and communication; the characters remain broken yet struggling to heal. REVIVE ends on a happily ever after-for now. Like several members of Black Halo, forever is never a guarantee, sometimes perceived betrayal comes at a cost.

Reviewed by Sandy

Madelynne is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author. She wrote her first novel after discovering Black Lace Books in the 1990s. Having escaped the Hotel California, she dived into storytelling full-time. Her books are filled with bisexual bad boys who like to get down and dirty, and stories so angst-filled you know they’re going to hurt.

She lives in the UK near the Welsh border, where you can find her surrounded by books, drinking rapidly cooling decaf coffee, and listening to loud music. Her family still haven’t grasped that noise-cancelling headphones really do mean she can’t hear them.

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