Just an Illusion – Unplugged is book four in The Illusion Series. If you have not read Side A, The B Side, or EP, please turn around and go back to Side A. Trust me, you want to read this series the way it was intended- in order.
Sawyer Weston is cocky and arrogant. With his sinful smile and sexy dimples, he’s gotten his way most of his life. Infamous for his one-night stands and moves between … moves between the sheets, the lead singer for Bastards and Dangerous has never considered relationships—until he meets her.
With her curvy body, sarcastic mouth, and uncanny ability to put Sawyer in his place, Amelia Greyson has captured his heart. She can see into his soul and knows what he truly wants from life. Sawyer has a problem, though—she’s dating his twin brother Noah.
Although he wants her with every breath he takes, Sawyer and Noah’s complicated history prevents him from making a move on her.
Just an Illusion—Unplugged tells Sawyer’s story. Every thought, every feeling, are yours for the taking. Are you ready?
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Sawyer’s Side!!
***First – if you haven’t read the previous books in this serious… stop right here and go back and read them! This book should NOT be read first. You’ve been warned.
I will do my best to review this with no spoilers but I can’t make any promises. I was SO excited when the author announced she was going to tell the JAI (Just an Illusion) story from Sawyer’s point of view.
Sawyer’s side of the story explained SO much about his actions, reactions, etc. from the previous books. It explained just how much he fought to keep his feelings to himself and not come between Noah and Mel. I’ll be honest, it took me a while to read this book. Knowing events that occur and not knowing where in the timeline of things this book would end had me slowing down. Only one other book I’ve read had me crying over a character and I knew this book and the events from Sawyer’s point of view would be tough for me to read. With that being said, I absolutely loved this book and am looking forward to reading the next one when it releases.
This series will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions so be prepared! Just when you think you know this story and nothing is new… BAM, you have no idea!
A Beautiful Continuation of Mel & Sawyer’s Epic Story! I thought it was wonderful to hear things from Sawyer’s point of view. I can’t wait to read more! I adore these characters , they’re so fantastically well written that you just can’t help but fall for them. I never want this series to end! I’m excited to see everyone get their Happily Ever After- including Darren, Jordan, and hopefully Eli too! This series is definitely a Must Read!
I didn’t think I could fall more in love with Sawyer. He’s the epitome of selflessness. He has such a good and pure and beautiful heart, such a bright shining soul.
Dee Kelly proofs again that this series can compete with stories like the Thoughtless series.
JAI – Unplugged is very challenging. The struggles Sawyer endures, god I wanted to take him in my arms and hug the shit out of him.
To see his side through all the events, his love towards Noah – his whole family, it is indeed more endearing to me than Noah’s entire lifestyle was.
Unplugged left me with the feeling, that Sawyers telling is more mature, deeper. He constantly was giving to, and giving up for, the sake of the ones dearest to his heart. He really isn’t the bad boy everybody makes him out to be.
Like ever, beautifully written in Dee Kelly’s special style, Unplugged had me almost constantly at the edge. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and sadly it all was over in a blink of an eye.
This side of the story deserves the 4,5 stars I gave it. It’s got the perfect mixture of roughness, tenderness and brutal emotions life has to offer.
One day I will have all of these books signed on my shelf and they will look so damn incredible on it.
OMG! This book just made me realize why I fell in love with this series to begin with, not that it’s hard to remember. This author knows how to give you a story that will make you FEEL because even though I know what happens, this one still had my heart racing. I loved getting Sawyer’s perspective on how he was feeling and dealing with everything concerning Noah and Mel. I absolutely loved reading about these characters again and this book made me miss Noah even more. However, I’m so happy that Sawyer found his forever and I absolutely loved the update on him, Mel and their family, including Darren and Cadence(Cady). It’s said that Sawyer’s story can’t be told in one book and I definitely look forward to the rest of the story. This book makes me want to read this series again starting with the very first book. There is no way to read this series and not fall in love with it and if you’ve read this series and loved it, this book will not disappoint.
I’m going to start off by saying I am going to give all of the Just an Illusion books the same review because I can’t review them individually without giving away spoilers and you need to experience them for yourself. I read these books long ago the first time through before I realized how important reviews are for authors. Knowing what I know now the second read through was even more incredible than the first and I was able to appreciate them even more.
This is one series that will always stay with me. It hits you on a soul deep level and and while it is heartbreaking at times and I sobbed so hard I couldn’t read through the tears it’s one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read. The timeless love through heartbreak and pain is something I don’t know another author will ever be able to duplicate.
This series absolutely deserves 5 stars and more! This is one series I recommend often and hope everyone decides to read because it will stay with me always. It even helped me look at some things in my own life in a totally new light, and helps to reinforce that everyone need to live today as if there is no tomorrow. Life is too short to live with regret. Take that leap and do what makes you happy!
I read Unplugged and Encore one after the other so I reviewed them as a set.
If you haven’t read D. Kelly’s Just An Illusion books 1-4, stop, turn around and go back to the beginning because Unplugged and Encore CANNOT be read before the other books. Books 1-4 tell the story of Noah, Amelia, and Sawyer as told by Amelia and follow a timeline with all events in order. Unplugged and Encore are the same events but told from Sawyer’s point of view. Sawyer’s thoughts and actions were often unseen or known by Amelia so this is a very welcome addition to the Illusion story but the actual events that lead to what happens are not delved into.
If you HAVE read Just An Illusion 1-4, then these are very welcomed and heartrending additions to this complicated yet epic love story. Unplugged begins before Mel join the Bastards and Dangerous tour and starts with the twin’s fracturing at the hands of Marilyn. This pivotal time and how Sawyer dealt with it, felt about it makes all his later actions make so much sense.
As you walk through the story via Sawyer’s eyes you will be heartbroken for him, mad at him, root for him, and will definitely want to smack him a time or two. A flawed man who never thought he could live up to the all goodness that is Noah, Sawyer closed his heart only to open it when fate left him no choice.
These two books are cannot miss for fans of the story and the end and epilogues of Encore are especially touching. I guarantee there will be tears, both happy and sad.
Storyline: 5 stars
Characters: 5 stars
Heat Factor: 5 stars
Overall Rating: 5 stars
Just an Illusion: Unplugged is Sawyer’s story of the events from the first 3 books. Even though this book recaps the events from the first books, it’s still worth the read as we see everything from Sawyer’s POV. This book, like the three before it is beautiful and heartbreaking. If you weren’t Team Sawyer, you will be, I promise you this!
In this book we really see how deep Sawyer is. From the first few books we got he was an arrogant and somewhat reckless Rockstar but there was so much more beneath the surface of this beautifully broken man.
I loved that we really saw his love for Amelia and his family. The depth to his relationship with his brother and his own family. It was just an intriguing read to see the events from his POV.
I’m not usually one to enjoy the same story in different characters POV but Dee Kelly’s writing is just that good. She takes a story we know and writes it from another’s POV and it still captivates the audience.
As with all books by this author the writing is fantastic. The flow of the story and the depth and detail she puts into the story and its characters cannot be matched. This author has a true art of storytelling.
5 stars!
I read the box set trilogy of Side A, Side B, and EP and loved it. Reading this book, which is Sawyer’s point of view, I am seeing things in a whole new light and am loving it even more.
This story covers Side A and part of Side B but from Sawyer’s perspective. It doesn’t actually repeat what was in the original books, so you don’t have to reread the same scenes over again, but this gives you a look at scenes with the band, and Sawyer and Noah that don’t include Amelia, and it just adds so much more to the overall story.
Can’t wait to get stuck into Encore now.
This series will always hold a special place in my heart. My only hope when I began reading Unplugged was that the author wouldn’t minimize the love between Noah and Mel because I’ve seen other authors do it and it totally ruins the series for me. Thank the stars Ms. Kelly stayed true to both love stories. I really enjoyed reading about Sawyer and Belle’s “secret” friendship. It spoke a lot to who the two of them are. I also liked the bit of the present we got at the beginning and end of the story but otherwise this is a hard review for me to write. I really wanted to love this book and was anticipating Sawyer’s POV but overall it didn’t do it for me, I didn’t feel as connected to this story as I was to the other three books. It felt like the story was written just to be written. Almost every single conversation revolves around either Noah or Mel. I didn’t feel that I really learned anything new about Sawyer. I do seem to be in the minority but it’s how I feel. It will not change how I feel about the rest of the series, the author or even Sawyer’s next book. I hope in that one we get to see his interactions with his family and Nate while Mel withdrew from everyone and that we get more present time.
When I finished reading the whole “Just an Illusion” series, I was deeply sad that it ended but happy that I loved how it ended. I was a tad skeptic about a book from Sawyer’s perspective because I didn’t want more drama for him, despite he was my favorite character. After reading Unplugged, I think we all needed a book from his POV. You need to read the series first before diving into this book, otherwise you’ll be spoiled about what happens in the plot.
“Just an Illusion – Unplugged” is told from Sawyer’s point of view and it starts before the events of “Just an Illusion – Side A”. We are brought again into the world of Bastards and Dangerous and this time we will see some of the things that we know happened in the past but we never witnessed first hand. In Uplugged our main character and core of BaD tells us all about it. We not only understand his emotions and thoughts during crucial moments of the whole Just an Illusion series, but find out new things that we probably suspected but never truly knew since the POV wasn’t his in the other series.
Sawyer never disappoints, and he is the reason why I wanted to read this book despite some of the things happening are known to who has read the main series. This books shows us another side of Sawyer and his relationship with his brother Noah and the other band members. It doesn’t cover the whole series but I think the author plans to write a 2nd installment, so I’m excited to see moments of Sawyer and Amelia from the present.
D. Kelly now this is the Sawyer I loved from the beginning and I can’t wait to have his encore.
Sawyers’s sexy as hell, extremely talented, loves unconditionally, definitely knows how to bring his O game, and a total thief of my heart.
But if you haven’t read Just An Illusion A-Side, B-Side and EP you’ve missed a lot of tracks and need to flip back to the beginning and read them first. It’s essential you get to know the characters and inbetweens that make up Unplugged.
STOP IF YOU HAVEN’T READ A, B & EP
We’ve had POV from Amelia (Mel) now it’s time for our boy Sawyer to have his say, and man does he have a lot to tell you.
From the A-side most people had him pegged as the A-hole twin, in some respects yeah, but was he really? I knew there was more depth to him that he kept buried deep.
His sister and best friend’s Bethie (Anna), Darren and his Belle (Mel’s best friend) are the only people who knew Sawyer’s real thoughts, feelings and the sacrifices that he made along the way for Noah….until now.
If you’ve read the previous books you know what hell they’ve been through, to eventually drag their lives back together come out stronger at the other end, showing true commitment to each other over the years.
This series was phenomenal!!! I haven’t cried that bad reading a book EVER! After Amelia is crushed by loading not only her best friend but also the love of her life, she finally pulls out of her grief and makes Noah’s wishes happen. She lives and loves again. Wonderful story of tragedy and triumph.
**YOU MUST READ BOOKS 1-3 FIRST!**
This was by far one of my favorite books in the Illusion Series! I can’t wait for the conclusion.
I fell deep for Sawyer from book 1. I had a real hard time buying the relationship between Noah and Mel. But in the end D. Kelly pulled it all out by writing Sawyers POV. I loved how it was written as a reflection and memoir looking to the past. It was really exciting to see the true FEELS that Sawyer could never shake for Amelia all along. I love the bond that you really get to witness between the twins, Sawyer/Noah and how deep their love is for one another. That was amazing to read. All the characters are great and would do well in spin-off books.
I’m excited for the conclusion and Darren & Jordan’s stories. Great job D Kelly at choosing to essentially rewrite the stories again from a different POV.
Cried throughout but it inspired great emotion. Loved the entire series!!! You feel and understand the characters. I read constantly but this story will stay with me when I’ve forgotten many.
Just an Illusion – Unplugged, is the 4th book in The Illusion Series by D. Kelly and is a rock star romance. The story is Just an Illusion – Side A, told by Sawyer instead of by Mel, and in a lot of ways more emotional for me to read this book because I already know the outcome of the other books and the way that Sawyer feels about the situation. I’m not going to say how he feels since I am not going to give anything away in this review. Just read the other three books before you read this one; it will be worth it! D. Kelly is a great story teller and you may shed some tears but they are worth shedding! I loved reading this book!
Can’t get enough of these characters. Such a heart wrenching story. Evokes every emotion possible.
I have loved this series from the very beginning and each book is a little more heart-wrenching than the next but you read it in Sawyer’s POV and……..WOW! Being able to read and understand the dynamics of each relationship proves the bond and loyalty they all had with one another. I definitely had a soft spot for Noah when reading the previous books but with this book Sawyer has captured my heart. Reading his story will give you all the FEELS! Prepare yourself for one beautiful story about love and second chances.
I loved hearing from Sawyer’s side of things, it makes so much of what happens during this series so much more sense. The other plus is I got to see more of his relationship with Noah. I truly loved this series so hearing Sawyer’s POV was really enlightening. This is definitely a series that should be read in order otherwise you will miss so much. I love how characters throughout this series were so true to the story and what it was trying to tell. This was the first books I have read from this author but they definitely won’t be my last. I love this series and I want more because it is just so good. This is one series I will read again and again. So much emotion and struggle was put in Sawyer’s telling of his meeting of the woman that would rock his very foundation. HIGHLY RECOMMEND SERIES!!!
Having read the original trilogy (which you need to have read to enjoy this book) I wasn’t sure how this would work. Lets face it we already know the story and what happened don’t we? Well actually, no, there is quite a lot we don’t know yet.
This is the first part of Sawyer’s story. There were times in the original books where he seemed to be such a d**k, but hearing his voice, seeing things from his point of view, experiencing his heartache – boy it blew everything I thought I knew about him out of the water. Sawyer was and is so much more and so much better than he would ever give himself credit for. He had a huge hole inside him, a Mel shaped hole that only his princess could fill.
There is quite a lot of ‘new’ material in this book too. There are a lot of interactions between Sawyer and Belle and also Sawyer with J. We see familiar scenes from a very different perspective too, it was almost like history being rewritten and IMO takes great skill by the author. I really enjoyed this book, the writing held my attention and my emotions were put through the wringer.
I’m bracing myself for the Sawyer’s final book because as Sawyer told Mel at the end of this book
” You do realize you’re about to get into the sad stuff?
Deep breath taken, tissues ready and comfort food on standby – I’m ready and waiting for the tough stuff Ms Kelly.
Sawyer, where do I start ??
Sawyer Weston, be still my beating heart! Being inside his head has made me love him so much more! He’s so selfless in regards to his twin Noah, so utterly selfless that he will back off, there are no words as i finished and admired his strength, his capacity for the love of his brother just breaks my heart! His heart is just beautiful!
If you haven’t read the Just an Illusion series, you are missing out and you definitely need to read them before you read Sawyers POV!
My heart hurt, I was just surprised as all get out and just wanted to give him a big hug and tell him everything will be ok!