A is for ache. C is for choice. H is for his. E is for Everly. I have always gotten the short end of the stick when it came to my personal life. Drug addicted mother, obsessive step father, shitty upbringing, and one soul shattering, heart-wrenching relationship. But everything changed when I met Alec Prescott. I couldn’t stand the cocky hotshot lawyer at first, but after assisting him on one … after assisting him on one case, my opinion changed drastically. He became the beginning I so desperately needed, even if romantic relations at work are completely forbidden.
Unfortunately, falling in love with a co-worker is the least of my problems. Funny thing about the past, it’s never truly far away. No matter how fast you run from it, or how hard you try to suppress it, it’s there, lingering like a fog, blinding your vision, impacting your decisions, affecting your life.
That’s where Tage Andrews comes in. He’s the heartache I can never outrun. The man who saved me from my past all while pillaging my emotions. I want to avoid reliving it—avoid him—but he’s always there, lingering like a fog, blinding my vision, impacting my decisions, affecting my life.
This is my paradoxical predicament.
Two men.
One choice.
Inevitable heartbreak.
A.C.H.E. is an angsty, fast-paced, romantic suspense with ménage themes. Reader discretion is advised. (less)
more
I have always attempted to give ‘star’ ratings on my completed reads, just as a tracking method for my titles that I have completed. I have unlimited packages for audio, kindle, and utilize the local/state library.
However, I do not check the ‘I recommend this book’ unless I am willing to reread a book and or a series.
[I read about 5-15 books a month through kindle, and I listen to about 15-30 books monthly]
I have a full life as a nurse, professor, wife, daughter [daughter in law], sister, and mother. I love to read and love a thousand other lives by turning the pages in countless books.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide a review. Happy reading 🙂
This three POV story was heartbreaking with thrilling action and hot steamy scenes. Both Alec and Tage stole my heart right away. You felt so much for each man and then put Everly in the middle and you could feel the decisions she would have to make. In the end after all the hotness and action my heart broke at the same time I smiled. I absolutely love the way M. Never makes you feel every single word that is written!
I received an ARC gift of this book long after its release but I must say, THANK YOU M. Never for popping into my life this week, I’ve been really missing out on reading your fascinating books for too long!
How this story grabbed me and kept my eyes locked on my Kindle right from the first pages! I love when that happens, an immediate draw that leads to book that’s hard to stop reading!
A young woman, treated like a princess trapped in an ivory tower, but not so sweet and innocent now since the bad, bad wolf prowled in to corrupt her, save her and then love her. Then one day, the princess loses it all, the protector lets her down and she hates him for it.
The bad, bad Tage, has kept to the shadows, watching, protecting and keeping her safe ever since he made that terrible decision years ago. That girl has become a strong woman, as he knew she would, starting over in a new life so different from the one she escaped. Does this violent man belong in her past or her future? Hmmm???
Everly has a choice to make when a new chapter leads her to that arrogant but intensely sexy lawyer in the high powered firm where she is a legal secretary. She discovers there’s alot hidden behind the cockiness that Alex presents to the world and she likes what she sees. So, does Everly need to leave her broken heart behind along with the memories of Tage or follow a new, hopeful feeling that Alec is bringing out in her now?
Ghosts from the past threaten and tangle with the present. Danger is around each corner, trying to ruin the happiness Everly wants so badly. Who will be the one that captures or regains her heart? Who can she trust to keep her safe this time? Tage or Alec?
You’ll have to read this to find out what happens next as Everly struggles with her feelings for both of them. Super hot, mighty suspenseful, mysterious, and swoony goodness all mixed in to make one amazing, intense, fast paced story. Loved it but the ending was not what I expected which makes me wonder…is this really the end of their story? If not, please give me the rest of it…not a cliffhanger, just a different kind of ending. M. Never, you are an evil woman!
This is not a HEA story. It’s a story where even if it seems someone gets everything they want, it still isn’t enough. Love isn’t enough. This is Everly’s story. The story of how she finds love and loses it, only to find love again and have it taken from her. She is never enough, not for her parents or her first love. She is the person who is loved for a little while only to be walked away from. It could give a girl a complex. She is strong and she will find a love just as strong. You will love this book and hate it. It will leave you aching in your heart.
Everly’s world was torn from her at a young age, now she’s trying to rebuild her life as strong, independent woman. But her past keeps showing up at the worst times. Tage saved her when she was younger and than he broke her heart by leaving her, but did he leave? He keeps showing up saying he’s protecting her.
Then there is Alec, the jerk she works in the same office with. She can’t stand the site of him, until one night they run into each other and neither can tear their eyes away. But as in the mess her life is Tage shows up and tries to ruin things. But she has grown and is a strong woman and Alec is not going to let some stranger come and take this beauty away. Now they have to find a way to keep Ever safe and figure out how they can all live and love as a team.
So Intense
This had it all. It was a bit slow to start but if you hang in there you will see love, hate, internal battles, external battles.
Once it really got started it held me in it’s grasp right to the end.
Awesome read and now I have a new author to follow.
So, I’m not sure how to write this review. This story was so twisted up and tangled. Everly, Alec, and Tage were all such strong characters I wasn’t sure how the story was going to play out. I don’t think there was any easy answer with this love triangle. The story was very good and kept me turning pages to see where it was going. It was a little light on details. Some things were just skimmed that maybe could have used more depth to make the story richer. The ending, oh my heart, the ending. Have you ever read something that made you happy and broke your heart at the same time? I think this is the first time that I’ve ever truly been so torn about the ending of a book. My heart actually hurts and I can’t stop thinking about it. And isn’t that the mark of a great book? Great job M. Never on creating this story that has drawn such an emotional response out of me.
M always delivers!!
Where do I even begin with this story?. A non stop page turner that will have you hooked from the very beginning. We’re given a perfect blend of second chance, love triangle and taboo treat all wrapped into one helluva story. I don’t know which man I was cheering for more Tage or Alec, I can understand why Everly is struggling so much. The twists and turns that we’re taken throughout this story keep you on your toes and will leaving you smiling yet a complete emotional mess in the end. Phenomenal read and highly recommend you grab your copy now.
Great book. Loved it.
I dived in knowing nothing about the story, I haven’t even read the blurb. The only thing I knew was I liked what I read so far by M. Never. No surprise here, I liked this one too.
I liked the three main characters and that I got their different POV’s. It’s always a plus for me.
Ménage stories are my sinful delights. When I start to read I always wonder how the author will portray the unique dinamics of a ménage relationship. There are so many layers when it comes to love. Ménage is yet another type where sharing the emotions or common past or perhaps a vision of a future makes it only more complex and eventually more simple.
Honestly I didn’t give much tought about how one or the other character behaved or if I liked the ending or not. That was because the writing and the story itself absorbed me. I dived in and next time I came up for air was when I finished the last sentence of the epilogue.
Surely all three of them – Everly, Alec and Tage – had their flaws, their own work cut out for them but they all changed, developed. Accepted things that were impossible to change and changed whatever they decided was possible.
I’m glad I read this book and recommend to read it with an open mind.
“I will ache for eternity…”
I have to so many things to say about this book but first- “I will ache for eternity…” is the singular most heart breaking thing about this book. It is a look at the past, present, and future. It is a pain that will never quit. It is a sad, devastating statement that I have no doubt is true. I loved that quote. I hated the circumstances but that quote was everything.
Now for my not so loving thoughts. I loved MOTO by M. Never. So when she pulled the menage card so quickly in this book, I was oddly disappointed but went with it. I felt like everyone involved was more frat party than adults embarking on a very different path. The speed and lack of ansgt with the decision did not feel organic. I rolled with it anyway because…duh, M. Never. But… Yes there are several buts.
BUT…
1. The two strangers in love with the same girl agree with minimal thought to embark on a menage relationship.
2. One of said strangers just started dating the girl a week before?!?
3. Drama llama ding dong. Don’t get me wrong! I love suspense and action. I love intrigue and spy like stuff. It just came across as rushed.
4. (And maybe my not reading it yet has to do with this one, but…) References to Ghostface Killer had me running to Goodreads and checking the blurb which also left me confused. Clearly I need to read that one next.
My highlights-
1. The bar owner…come on! It was awesome meeting that old guy.
2. The nice little twist from Gunner- poetic don’t you think.
3. The final words from the epilogue.
I liked it. I did. I’m convincing you, not myself. It’s just not on the same level as her other books. I felt rushed and that perhaps it could have used a bigger build up. The characters aren’t as developed- or at least they don’t quite feel real. I was definitely reading this book and not it bringing me along for the journey.
Standalone Story.
Everly Paige is a secretary for the law firm where Alec Prescott is a junior partner. When the two are thrown together for a moment, Alec decides he wants to get to know her. Now that Everly is working with Alec on a case, she begins to see his human side. However, her past is always with her. Tage Andrews is always with her. Tage cannot leave Everly, even though she got out of her family’s reach years ago. When he sees that Everly is with another man, though, Tage is determined to scare him away. Instead, the two come to an understanding.
If you’re looking for a book with an office romance and a side of drug kingpin this is the book for you!
Sorry..Not my cup of tea…
Um… I dreaded writing this review because I don’t want to offend anyone as I am not really good with words so I just tell you right up front that I didn’t like this book. I’ll try to explain why but please keep in mind that it’s just my personal opinion.
The blurb sounded promising and I was really excited about my first read from this author. As great as the prologue started out though, it sadly didn’t continue this way. First off, I never warmed up to Everly. I just didn’t like her tedious and repetitive thoughts. Her character was dull and Alec’s wasn’t much better. I couldn’t form any excitement and found no interesting characteristics of either of them which was a pity because Everly thought of herself as ‘damaged, plain and simple – a defective product of her destructive past’, which would have been interesting but I just didn’t see a damaged character in her. Color me surprised when the plain and boring girl with glasses and no make-up only bought clothes from brands and had perfect never worn dresses for any occasion in her closet even though she never went to parties. And although she never wore make-up, she knew exactly how to apply it without much of practice and owned enough to make her look so different that she didn’t even recognize herself in the mirror afterwards.
I was very confused about Alec who I disliked right from the start. His thoughts were weird and I didn’t understand him at all. He was supposed to be this cranky lawyer but then Everly thought of him as sweet and funny and I just saw neither.
The way Everly and Alec started off was strange as well because how could he have not recognized her just because she wore make-up and was dressed differently, when he had just hours ago talked to her at work?!
Everly really had balls and no reservations whatsoever to talk to him in a way I would have never dared to talk to a superior at work right from the start. If you develop a certain friendship and atmosphere where you know you can loose up and talk back that way, that’s fine. But going from almost no contact to being that relaxed with each other at work was a mystery to me, especially in a world of lawyers. The lawyers I’ve met so far looked down to their assistants and there’s rarely something like instant friendship. That’s not to say that it can’t develop over time but the way it happened here bothered me. There was also no development of feelings and I never felt any building connection between the characters.
Feelings came out of nowhere and a lot of things happened way to fast. I felt like the story played within just a few days. I’ve also never been bored reading a sex scene before but I guess there’s always a first time. The writing was just too clinical and matter of fact. Where was the passion and the deep feelings?! Where was the depth of the story and the talking through of important situations?!
I’m not sure if it would have made much of a difference but I felt like it would have been better to write the story from the third person instead of first person and three POVs. The writing sometimes felt like written in third person and I think it would have made more sense.
This was all in the first quarter of the book and the rest wasn’t much better. The only slight silver lining was Tage but even he had flaws and couldn’t give the story what it was missing. He was an alpha and overall enigma which was the only tiny joy in this book.
To be honest, Alec bored me, even during the sex scenes which were such a disappointment; not to mention Everly’s thoughts during the sex which bothered me a lot. Why couldn’t she just enjoy what must have been overwhelming feelings?! I obviously couldn’t deal with the writing. I’m sorry. The scenes didn’t give me the feelings they were supposed to be because of how they were explained instead of felt from Everly. Even the way it came to the scene with the three of them happened without much afterthought and they acted as if it was the most mundane thing in the world.
I hope you can understand my reasons for my rating. I really tried to give a few examples of why I didn’t like this book without being mean and as I mentioned before it’s my personal opinion and just because I didn’t like it doesn’t mean that you won’t enjoy the story as so many others did.
This is an amazing story. There is mystery, violence a small amount and sex. I love that Everly, Alec and Tage finally got together, but Tage is a warrior and cannot make a commitment to stay with them, but Everly is finally happy and marrying Alec, so it is a half HEA. Enjoy
She’s kept captive, his hidden treasure a little doll in a tower. When Tage spots her in the window he curious. Climbing in her window they become friends and lovers. Declaring their love he promises to keep her safe and come back for her. Eight years later and Ever still pines for him and lives an almost reclusive life. Then her work friend talks her into attending a work party. Junior partner Alec is on the verandah when she crosses his path. Ever is a vision, when their eyes meet they are drawn into an unforgettable moment. That pivotal point when two souls truly find one another. They go on a date together but with a jealous Tage watching from the sidelines. It’s only a matter of time before he comes between them.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie’s Book Reports.
A is for ache.
C is for choice.
H is for his.
E is for Everly.
Everly has always gotten the short end of the stick when it came to her personal life. Drug addicted mother, obsessive step father, shitty upbringing, and one soul shattering, heart-wrenching relationship. But everything changed when she met Alec Prescott. She couldn’t stand the cocky hotshot lawyer at first, but after assisting him on one case, her opinion changed drastically. He became the beginning she so desperately needed, even if romantic relationships at work are completely forbidden. Unfortunately, falling in love with a co-worker is the least of her problems. Funny thing about the past, it never is truly far away. No matter how fast your run from it, or how hard you try to suppress it, it is there, lingering like a fog, blinding your vision, impacting your decisions, affecting your life. That is where Tage Andrews comes in. He is the heartache she can never outrun. The man who saved her from her past all while pillaging her emotions. She wants to avoid reliving it-avoid him-but he is always there, lingering like a fog, blinding her vision, impacting her decisions, affecting her life. This is her paradoxical predicament. Two men. One choice. Inevitable heartbreak.
What a wild and bump ride A.C.H.E. is. I usually kind of know what to expect in books but this one blew me away. I also want to say I have seen it said that people had questions unanswered and hoped there was another book. I however felt like this was a complete standalone and love how it ended. Yes I might have one thing I would like to know how it was resolved but sometimes in life tings never get resolved so I just figure that is the way this one thing is going to be for this book. Besides its just a simple little thing and nothing major. As for the characters I felt like I got their complete story. That life is not simple or pretty and that sometimes in this world one thing is more important than another and your decision might not be the one everyone is expecting but it is how you see your life going and your willing to give up one thing for another. Cryptic, I know but you have to read the book and then you will know exactly what I am talking about. And now my book review is totally backwards as I just told you how I feel about the ending and left everything in between out of the review. So I will start from the beginning. This is the story of Everly, I love that name by the way. She, bless her heart is basically like the princess locked away in a tower to keep her away from the rest of the world, thanks to her mother and her step father. One a drug addict and the other a drug lord basically but a criminal mastermind for sure. Everly spends everyday locked away in her room that looks like it belongs to a child rather than a almost adult and is not even allowed to go outside. Though that doesn’t stop Tage from sneaking into her room and them falling in love and experiencing a lot of first for Everly. As far as she is concerned he works for her step father as one of his guard but that is way far from the truth. Things suddenly come to a head and we find Everly in the city, free from her awful family and working for a law firm as a secretary. The one person in the entire world that she can not stand is Alec. He is cocky and just downright rude. However after being forced basically by the girl she works with to go to a work function where she is actually dressed up and Alec realizes that he has probably been to quick in his judgement of her and is drawn to her and knows even though it is wrong and against a work policy he must have Everly. I loved watching these two get to know each other better. I feel for Alec too as this was happening and couldn’t wait to see what was in store for them when suddenly, Tage reappears in her life and throws everything for a loop. He is back and is willing to give up his top secret job that he has done all his life to have a change with Everly. However she is now in love with Alec too. And this is where things get complicated but it seems to work as they decide to share her and since she is in love with both of them she is fine with it. It works too and I loved them all three together just as much as I did if she had picked one man and then bam the world explodes. You guys do not want to miss this book. It is absolutely amazing and will keep you on your toes. I loved this book. I loved how it ended, I was totally happy with the way things were and I understand why choices were mad that were made. I love M. Never books. They are always to amazing and A.C.H.E is no exception at all. Do not miss this book. If you have never ever read M. Never I have to say you are missing some of the most amazing books that I have ever read.
Where should I start? This book has an interesting storyline, intrigue, secrets, as well as plenty of hotness! Tage is great, but I like Alec better…although both of them together would be awesome! Another great book – M Never never disappoints!! Totally love the cover too!
Hot MMF Book. Love the mystery and twist in this book as well as the love story between Everly, Tage and Alex. Tage and Alex were just what Everly needed. They were perfect for her!!
This cover, this author, this book…all amazing!
So angsty and wonderful! So steamy, I devoured it!
Highly recommend this book and author, such a great read!
Ther characters will grab you and hold on until the last page…loved it!