From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills comes a new standalone romance about a flawed hero and the woman he can’t forget.“She crossed my path and changed my whole direction.”He called himself Spider. I just knew him as the sinfully gorgeous guy with eyes of fire that fate sat next to me on the airplane. I didn’t know who he really was…British rock star…my stepbrother. He … who he really was…British rock star…my stepbrother.
He kissed me because he thought we’d never see each other again. We would.
Everyone warned me about him.
They told me he was ruthless and cold and screwed up.
They said he’d leave me with a hole in my heart.
Maybe I should have listened.
Maybe I should have built up a fortress to keep him out.
But I crumbled instead.
They say an unbreakable thread connects those who are destined to meet. If that’s true, then the moment he sat next to me, we were bound together forever.
He just had to figure it out before it’s too late…
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He’s a rockstar in the making and she’s a high school student trying to make her dream of attending NYU a reality. They meet at the airport, both headed to the same destination unbeknownst to them. Things are about to get interesting.
Spider lives for his music. He needs it to feel peace. His home life with his father is strained to say the least. He’s on his way home to visit his dad and his dad’s new wife and daughter. He expected a preteen in pig tails….what he got was the same girl he met on the plane. The girl he made out with…she’s his new stepsister.
Rose is beautiful, driven and only seventeen! She had a rough childhood, until she was adopted and taken in by Anne. Anne has given her a life and a future, however she is a bit controlling and wants to keep Rose under her thumb. All Rose wants is to go to NYU and attend school. It’s all she has ever wanted.
Rose and Spider have a connection immediately, like they always knew eachother. Their chemistry is intense, even when they both try and stay away. However, troubled pasts unite them and they form an unbreakable bond.
Spider has demons and he needs to not let them touch Rose. Decisions are made. Sometimes you sacrifice everything for love. But when your souls are connected, time and distance make no difference. What was always meant to be, will be.
I went into this book somewhat blind only knowing it was about a stepbrother rockstar. Let me start by saying, I LOVE this author. Everything she’s written I’ve devoured and loved, until this. I did not love this book. I absolutely devoured it. I read it in less than 24 hours. The writing was flawless, the characters engaging, but I am not one that likes too much angst and there were some issues covered in the book that are triggers for me. I know my rating is not the greatest, but would I recommend this book? Abso-fucking-lutly! And here’s why.
Spider was a little bit broken because of a chain of events that happened after a family tragedy when he was in his early teens. He’s lost in a downward spiral with no one to grasp to stop the fall. Then he meets her.
Rose spent most of her childhood happy living with her grandmother, until her death sent her back to live with her drug addicted mom. Some shit went down and she’s thrown into the foster system. But not before connecting with a boy who she thought she would never see again.
This story was intriguing. It was raw and it was real. I did get my HEA and while I loved it, I can’t say that if it were me this happened to, the hell he put her through, I can’t say it would have ended the same. I am still conflicted on how I feel about Spider. One minute I love him and the next I think about the hell he put her through and I want to junk-punch him. It’s a love/hate thing for me.
This book left me conflicted as to whether I liked it or not. I started writing this review as I was reading, and now days after I’ve finished I am still thinking about this book. Sooo, I guess there’s my answer.
Oh Spider!
Such a fantastic, quick read! The understanding nature of Rose was on point. I ached at Spider’s back story. The chemistry between these two was off the charts! Thank you for your stories!
OH WOW!! I have had this book on my kindle for a while, and I really wish i had read it sooner!! I love a Rock Star, and I love them even more if they are a BAD BOY Rock Star and Spider most definitely fits that bill !!
Rose is travelling to visit her mother, and is a nervous flyer, sitting beside this bad boy rocker does not make it easier for her. But he has charm and entertains her throughout their journey. They share a kiss and it leaves Rose absolutely hooked !!
Spider is the baddest of bad boy rockers. He hugely indulges in all aspects of the lifestyle. He really couldn’t care less waether it pleases people or not. He knows he has a problem with his over indulgences but hey what else does he have? Then he sits beside Rose on a plane and begins to wonder if there could be more.. whats this girl done to him? Seems not when she actually turns out to be his new STEP SISTER !!!!
OMG I fell for Spider hard, I think he may now be my most fav rock star, I loved his dramas, i loved his angst, but most of all i loved his heart. This wasn’t a selfish self indulgent rock star, yes he was but, when it came to it, this was a man without a selfish bone in his body. He would move heaven and earth for those he loved. He would walk away to make sure Rose got the life she deserved. he would walk away and make himself worth of her, omg my heart melted. This couple couldn’t neither fight nor deny their feelings for each other yet, Rose definitely expected and knew Spider wouldn’t be a guy for her happy ever after, she knew he would break her heart. What she didn’t know was the lengths and depths this man would travel, to make life right for her !!! Definitely a must read and definitely a ROCK STAR you won’t easily or ever let go off !!!
I will admit i have not read an Ilsa Madden Mills book for ages, but as soon as i saw this book book and read the synopsis there was no way i wasn’t oneclicking this bad boy and i am so glad i did, what an awesome story.
I do like the rockstar romance there is no denying that but the thing i loved about this book was it wasn’t solely focused on the music, it was about the characters and how they both were overcoming there pasts and the present and i loved everything about this book.
I didn’t want this story to end and could have kept reading these characters for days. I loved Spider i thought he was a little prick to start off with but there is nothing better than falling in love with the him with Rose i felt we were on the journey with Both him and rose. Rose was strong, she had tenacity and for a young girl she had been through a lot and i love seeing her grow.
I have to say i loved Oscar aswell he was a brilliant side character and he was the best friend that everyone wished they had.
Loved everything about this book, if you love second chance, heartbreaking, heart warming books then this is the one for you. To read characters going from rock bottom to being the happiest then get this book now.
5 massive stars from me.
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This is the third book in the English Bad Boys series. Spider.. my goodness where do I begin? This is my favorite book in this series. Spider and the girl he falls for.. he KNOWS she is off limits and tries with everything he has to resist her. He protects her, and very clearly feels understood by her. His love driving him to leave when he knew it wasn’t right for her, to give her a chance to grow while he cleaned himself up and matured.
This definitely isn’t your typical romance, and mannnn it kicked me in the feels. These characters squeezed my heart, and I fell in love with their story!
Good story that kept me turning pages.
Not as good as some of the author’s other books but still entertaining.
Loved it!!!
And then there was Spider and Rose. Oh my. Spider has intrigued me since I started reading the Briarwood books, but he was never my favorite because he makes absolutely terrible decisions. I love his sense of humor, his easy way of being, but you can tell he’s a bit tortured underneath. These two face some really interesting fate-based circumstances. None of their journey is easy. I honestly struggle really hard to like characters who do things like make decisions for other people based on what they think is best for them. Flips my angry switch every time! I also stumbled on the moments that make them both cheaters. While I hated some parts of the trip, and I would have done lots of things differently, this pair stole my heart in the end. Worth a read for fans of the BA world!
Rose and Spider will lead you on a emotional roller coaster ride that is worth every taboo sensual complex moment! If most people had to walk in Rose’s shoes they would have given up the fight long ago. After the years of neglect she learned to cope with as child, she then had to survive her Mama’s murder and the harsh realities of the system but managed to come out with some smarts and drive thanks to her Granny words of wisdom. When Anne came looking to adopt a trophy, Rose knew just the show to put on and has been playing the role since much to her chagrin. Now she wants a chance to spread her wings a little, step outside of the box and maybe be just a tad reckless… why not start with taboo affair of the heart? Spider is a lost soul adrift in ocean that has no horizon in sight. His vices sustain him, but ultimately they are doing more harm than good. When he meets Rose he knows immediately that she is eons outside of his league and he shouldn’t even associate with the sweet girl never mind lust after her, but there is something about her that makes her impossible for him to ignore. How was Spider to know that this angel would be such forbidden fruit? Spider has never wanted anyone the way he wants Rose, but with his demons he can only hurt her. She will be his forever, but can he be the kind of man she deserves?
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book.
3.5 stars
So after a few dark books this was a pleasant turn. Super adorable. It’s a quick read that I was able to get in before I read a dark trilogy.
The book is a dual POV and has two parts. There is a moment when the heroine does something stupid but I can forgive her because of her next course of action. Am I still mad that it happened? Yes.
Again it was cute. Now back to the world of dark for the next few days.
I love how good of a guy Spider is, despite everything working against him. He’s suffered greatly, and tries to harden himself, but he still has such a good heart.
I was sad that we didn’t get a mention of his cousins (#DirtyEnglish #FilthyEnglish), especially Dax. But I guess we didn’t really get to see much of that period in this book, so it’s understandable. A cameo would have been enjoyable though 😉
When Spider hit my kindle early…..I was so excited to start reading this! I’ve enjoyed all the books I have read from Ilsa Madden-Mills, and this was no exception! I absolutely loved this story. It was a slow burn, second chance romance with your first love (even though it is your stepbrother)….ahh, I just love it all. Did I want to hurt Spider a few times during the story? Of course……my heart broke for Rose in those moments when he hurt her. Yet, those times in her life led her to become a strong woman, who finally stood up for what she wanted.
Spider also grew so much throughout the course of this story. As much as Rose became a strong woman, Spider became a man. One who would do anything to make the woman of his dreams happy, even if he had to watch her from a distance. I just loved him and what he did to become the Spider we saw at the end of the story. I absolutely love him.
The sweetest, heartbreaking beginning….Spider and Rose’s fates intertwine over a lifetime and struggle with surprises, demons, and countless mistakes all bent on ripping them apart. Once all the pieces started to come together, it was a fantastic ending to an angst filled ride!! A great love story!
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
I read all of 3 books by the author including this one and it’s safe to say that I love her writing style a lot, because despite the plot, I always enjoyed the read. Her style is one of those, you know, the ones that create a kind of uplifting atmosphere, no matter the weight of the topic, and you just can’t let it go. It was one of the best things about this book. Okay, so I found the whole combination of rock star and stepbrother romance an intriguing idea a well and it really made me want to read the book, but the knowledge that I adore the writing style was an important factor as well.
Here is the thing, I think the premise of the story has a lot of promise; the prologue is brilliant and sucked me in instantly. It introduced an interesting starting point for the rest of the book. However I had a couple of problems with the rest of the story that just ruined some things for me. Okay, so I enjoyed the book and it was a quick and relatively easy read even with the heavier elements to it. Still, the whole insta-love aspect was the frits no-no for me. I hate insta-love stories and you probably could argue this point with the fact that practically the flirting and back and forth took years for them, but honestly they declare their undying love for each other after two brief days and that’s what define the rest of the plot. Then there is the whole jumping huge periods of time between meaningful events. It’s not an uncommon thing in books and it could have been a great addition for the structure of the story line because basically you see the characters in different stages of their life, which while show a great spectrum of growth and development in the characters, neither of these segments are long or detailed enough to really get to know the them or that part of the plot, their life, it just didn’t leave enough time for the plot points to develop well enough. In my opinion it was a miscalculation on the author part.
The final thing that bothered me was a pet-peeve of mine that I’m not going to get into detail because it can be spoiler. Let’s just say that it technically contains cheating.
The characters I loved even with all of their faults. Especially Rose, who needed to grow up pretty young and her not so sunny disposition of life, just gives her side of the story a fresh voice and a sarcastic, smart but troubled view. Spider was a great character as well, but he made a lot of stupid mistakes and took him years to get his shit together. They had a lot of things in common and their chemistry just oozes down the pages it just a shame that there story is pretty much shadowed by misunderstandings and unnecessary sacrifices. Their romance was kind of a play on the whole two broken soul makes a whole.
Then there is the epilogue which was another phenomenal chapter and a great and deserving ending for the book. I really enjoyed it and in the heat of the moment I would have probably given better rating for this but the more I thought about it the more the little faults factored into my final opinion. Still if you don’t have a problem with cheating, sex, love and drugs in books then I recommend reading it.
SWOON!!!! Spider wasn’t the book I thought it was going to be – it was so much more! From the prologue to the very last word, I was all in for Rose and Spider. I loved the time jam method of storytelling and Spider was just delicious as a character. The angst was at the perfect level to add tension without getting annoying. I’m such a fan of books where the male lead is ALL ABOUT the female and we get that with Spider in such a sweetly intense was as the book and characters evolve. This was only my second book by Ilsa Madden-Mills (Dirty English was my first) and it has totally turned her into a must read author for me! 4.5 out of 5 wine glasses.
So much angst! I loved every minute of it, too.
Spider is a hot mess. Rose told him he didn’t care who he hurt because he just didn’t care enough. She had it right. The LOST tattoo on his hand told the story. He never cared…until Rose.
She’s a strong young lady and is not willing to put up with anyone’s crap. She’s survived a lot. No one will manipulate her or belittle her. She’s going after what she wants.
He’s not ready for her and he destroys her. Just as he told her he would. He’s a rock star and he’s been a mess for years. Sex and drugs. Until Rose came back into his life and he knew he couldn’t let her walk away forever. He had to take control and get his shit together.
Years later, their lives intersect again. Only they’ve always been connected. Just ask Jane Eyre and Rochester…
4.5 stars
Fangirl down, I repeat, Fangirl down!!!!
I am an original “Web Girl”. I was caught in Spiders web back when he was being a rebel at Briarwood. I clung to every bit and piece Ilsa Madden-Mills released about him. For years, I longed for the complete unravelling of Spider’s web. I am a dork. I know this but there was no way Spider was leaving me without answers.
So fast forward years of waiting, like that chick in the vampire/werewolf book/movies (you know the ones…), Ilsa makes an announcement. (cue theatrical music) Spider is getting his story…only not the same.
Well call me intrigued, because Spider! But change…not sure I could deal with change. Then the skies opened up and the angels sang and I saw the blurb. Stepbrother romance. Ilsa wrote my personal kryptonite. Spider is now my own personal brand of heroin. (Yeah, apparently I’m all about that book/movie tonight.) Anyhow…
I squealed. I fangirled. I probably even preordered (coughs…totally did). But then the real kicker…the cover. Dear Lord Above…that cover. I swear to you I am pregnant from that cover. I messaged Ilsa to try and get the paternity papers started. Apparently, Ms. Madden-Mills is not taking responsibility. (The nerve of some people. She seemed so nice when I met her…shakes head.)
Legal issues and pending motherhood aside, Spider was delivered to my kindle by those nifty little elves who send books while you sleep. Once I saw my man, I couldn’t help myself.
Spider is more than I ever thought he would be. I knew (because he and I are made to be together forever. #Spicky or #Becder…it’s a work in progress) I knew I would love him. I just didn’t know I would also spend a good chunk of this book despising him..his actions. Spider, oh Spider. He broke my heart. He trampled my fragile young (35 is young, smartass) heart. He broke me and then well…
It’s probably best you read it. My aching heart is possibly biased. But let me just say from one Spider lover to a future Spider lover…He’s mine. You can read but I get to keep him. Forget whatever girl(s) you might see in this book. #Spicky is alive and well.
reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood (less)
Spider has been a slightly mysterious side character in other books that Ilsa has written and now he gets to be his sexy self in his very own book. I have fallen in love with this slightly cocky, full of fun mysterious character with every snippet we have got from him in the other stories. This story is ALL ABOUT HIM and it will have you smiling, swooning, and even feeling a little sorry for him and the female lead, Rose. Their story is different and wonderful. A little heartbreaking and definitely an epic love story.
The ay that Ilsa wrote the characters pulls you and to the story and you can feel all the emotions coming from the pages. I hurt when they hurt, laughed when they laughed and fell in love with them as I read. I always thought there was so much more to Spider than what he let be seen and this book gives all of that to you. If you are like me and think Spider has been a story that needed to be written then the wait is over and it was so worth the wait too. Seriously, the feels from this has made it my new favorite story but Ilsa Madden-Mills.