** Now a USA Today bestselling book! From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Regnery comes a unique story about the sins of the father…and the burdens of the son.My name is Cassidy Porter…My father, Paul Isaac Porter, was convicted twenty years ago for the brutal murder of a dozen innocent girls.Though I was only eight-years-old at the time, I am aware – every day of my life … the time, I am aware – every day of my life – that I am his child, his only son.
To protect the world from the poison in my veins, I live a quiet life, off the grid, away from humanity.
I promised myself, and my mother, not to infect innocent lives with the darkness that swirls within me, waiting to make itself known.
It’s a promise I would have kept…if Brynn Cadogan hadn’t stumbled into my life.
Now I exist between heaven and hell: falling for a woman who wants to love me, while all along reminding myself that I must remain…
Unloved.
NOTE: This book is intended for readers 18+ due to strong language, reference to violence and sexual content.**
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Katy Regnery has been one of my favorite authors ever since I read THE VIXEN AND THE VET, back in 2014. I have read many more of her books over the years since, but her new book, UNLOVED, has to be the very best book she has ever written. In my humble opinion it is a gem. It is at the top of my list of THE BEST READS OF 2017.
From the very first page in the Prologue I was drawn into the story. Brynn Cadogen had lost the love of her life, when her fiance was shot to death in a mass shooting. “I had someone in the crowd that night who had a name (Jeremiah Benton or just Jem) who I dearly loved. Those of us that survived are the walking wounded, or the walking dead.” Brynn has lived the live of a recluse with her four year old Siamese cat Milo, since that tragic night two years ago. Before the Steeple 10 shooting she had lived a full and rich life. She was a Website Designer, but it was this job that made it too easy to separate herself from the world. A hermit!
It is a forgotten cell phone that brings Brynn back to life. It leads her to a trip to Mount Katahdin. The highest peak in Maine and named by Native Americans with the meaning “The Greatest Mountain.” It is here Brynn has come to find a way to say goodbye. For the first time since Jem died she has direction. A purpose. Jem once told her, “My soul belongs to Katahdin… Well, it did anyway, before I gave it to you.”
Cassidy (Cass) Porter lived a very isolated, reclusive life in a rustic cabin in the woods, way off the grid, in Northeast Piscataquis, in the shadow of Katahdin. He has lived there with his mama and Grandfather Cleary since he was 9 years old. They had moved there after his father had been arrested and convicted for the brutal murder of twelve innocent girls. His father died in prison shortly after. His mother passed away from cancer and his grandfather had passed on, too. It was a quiet and isolated life for Cass. But he promised himself, his mom and grandfather to live a quiet life and always remember who his father had been. He dreaded any interaction with society.
He hadn’t wanted to be a hero, but when Brynn was attacked on the Mountain it was Cass alone who was the only thing between her and death. I just love those self-tortured heroes, whether they are recluses, scarred, broken or homeless. Then comes the heroine who “try” to save them, and all the angst that goes with it. Katy always writes well written books, but she out does herself this time. She guarantees a HEA, but there are lots of twist and turns plus surprises in this book. Highly recommend and would give more then 5* if I could.
Ohhhhhh man. This was a beautiful angsty mess. I just wanted to wrap Cassidy up in a hug and never let go. His loneliness was so evident, I could nearly taste it.
Quick plot: Cassidy lives up in the mountains away from people in order to live a clean, safe life (due to his father being a serial killer). He finds Brynn when she’s attacked in those same mountains and nurses her back to health.
Unloved was so angsty and emotional. So painful to read. But so good too. Seeing Brynn break down Cassidy’s walls was beautiful to see. Watching them form an emotional connection, the kind we all yearn for.
I think I’m starting to ramble and gush. What I really need to say here is how surprised I was by this story. How taken I was with these characters. I can’t wait to read more from Katy Regnery.
Another lovely read by Ms. Regnery! Very well written and edited.
This one begins with parallel stories – Brynn has lost her fiance in a mass shooting while he was attending a concert. She has spent 2 years grieving, and is inspired to make a trip to finally say goodbye. Cassidy’s story begins when he is a child, moving through the events of his life that led to his present circumstances. On a fateful day, their lives intersect. From there, Cassidy fights to keep Brynn alive and healing. As she heals, she begins to learn about the deeply kind and compassionate man helping her. Both Cassidy and Brynn begin to heal from past hurts, slowly letting love unfurl in their hearts. Cassidy tries so very hard to do what he considers to be the right thing, even though it is breaking his heart into a million pieces. Brynn realizes what the story of Cassidy’s life is, and fights desperately to find the keys to set him free from his self-imposed isolation. Will she find what she needs in time? Will Cassidy open up his heart to the truth?
This is really such a beautiful story. It does not have the rushed insta-love feeling, even though the characters fall in love over the course of a month. The story takes its time, revealing the heartbreak, character, and life events that shaped these two people. It is heartbreaking to think of the life Cassidy has had to lead – imposed on him by his grandfather and mother. Although both people made their decisions with the best of intentions, they still neglected to see who Cassidy really was versus who they thought he could be. While the epilogue did tie up some loose ends, I still wonder what Cassidy eventually did for a living. Also, I felt like there should have been a little more to the goodbye for Jem. I really thought that there would be a really beautiful passage about the timing and how he brought them together. And maybe, how Jem rescued one final person (Cassidy) from the mountain, giving both Cassidy and Brynn a new start in love and life. Anyway, I loved this. Enjoy!
I don’t really know how to start this review because this book just utterly blew me away! I really don’t know how the author does it; to write these stories that absolutely touches your heart and soul. She just knows how to take a story that’s in her head, put it onto paper and make you feel every last word she writes! I can’t tell you enough how much I adore her books. Think Unloved will really be one of my favorite reads of 2017! If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. If you haven’t read this author, this book is an absolute must read and be prepared to grab some tissues because it will rip your heart out but also put it back together again…
Cassidy has been living a lonely life, away from the world after being known as the son of a serial killer. He’s pretty amendment to live a life far away from civilization and to remain… unloved.
Brynn has been through a traumatizing time and needs to get away from it all, trying to get some closure. But one event turns her life upside down and the one that saves her, will be the one that could set her free and maybe, just maybe, she’ll be the one to save Cassidy in the end too…
Beautiful
Joan Jett once said, “Life is both strong and fragile.” There truly is a delicate and essential balance that needs to exist to maintain the even flow of it all. This is the prevailing thought I had as I read, Unloved. My second thought was that Katy Regnery, like Joan Jett is fierce with her words and voice.
The strength and fragility balance is one that Katy Regnery creates and maintains in her writing. Her word choice and the way in which she structures her sentences to tell this story is such a beautiful and powerful force. I was riveted to each word. I hung on to each one as the plot exploded and slowly reformed into one incredible and moving story.
The delicate yet strong personalities of Cass and Brynn also reflected the essential balance of life. These two very broken individuals had the strength to endure the tragedies which devastated their individual lives. They were both so emotionally fragile yet they found the courage to love and to allow this love to be a force for healing in their lives.
I was lost in Cass and Brynn’s world. I was a active participant in their daily interactions with each other. I was a captive in the ever tightening bonds of their intensely passionate emotional journey. I struggled with them as they fought to do what was right and necessary.
Unloved was an unexpected and emotionally moving read for me. It was a world of paradoxes and an expedition into uncharted territory. I reveled in the creativity of Katy Regnery’s plot twists. I cherished the emotional experiences that drove Cass and Brynn to be both vulnerable and strong enough to trust the true guiding force of life – love.
“Brynn. My… angel. My greatest… treasure.”
When I first saw the cover and read the blurb of Unloved I thought it was a dark romance, which is NOT the case. This is a beautiful and sometimes emotional contemporary romance. Even though this book wasn’t what I expected, I still enjoyed it a lot. Both Brynn and Cassidy were great characters and the chemistry between them was amazing. My heart broke for Cassidy, he went through so much and is still fighting an invisible demon. He lives off the grid and rarely comes in contact with people. When Brynn stumbles into his life, it is obvious that he wants to stay away and not touch her with his, what he believes to be, his darkness. Brynn sees a selfless, honest, pure and beautiful person, who deserves all the love in the world. She just has to convince him of that.
I absolutely LOVED the twist in this book. I totally didn’t see it coming and it was a very nice surprise. It added an extra layer and fit the story so well. The emotional moments were so touching. These two characters deserve all the happiness in the world, and I just loved the development in their relationship. The writing was great, it had such a nice flow and it was very easy to read. The author also took her time to tell Brynn and Cassidy’s story, so it didn’t feel rushed at all. There was insta-lust/love, but it didn’t bother me at all. I highly recommend Unloved to readers who love beautiful contemporary romance about broken and hurt characters.
Best book I have read this year.
How do you convince someone that they are worthy of love when he’s spent his whole life assuming the worst?
Unloved by Katy Regnery is a fantastic read. Ms. Regnery has given us a book that is well-written and loaded with amazing characters. Cassidy’s father was a serial killer. He and his mother moved in with his grandfather. Brynn’s fiance was killed in a mass shooting and has been struggling with it for two years. Brynn and Cassidy’s story is full of drama, sizzle, action and suspense. This book snagged me at page one and held me captive until the end. Unloved is an awesome book that will pull on your heartstrings, over and over. I look forward to reading more from Katy Regnery soon. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
I voluntarily read a complimentary copy of this book that I received from Bookfunnel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
5 I want it too Stars
It’s the age old question: nature versus nurture. Which prevails? Which is more important? Nature? Nurture? Both?
That’s what I didn’t realize I would be pondering while reading this story. I knew the love story would be unconventional, but I didn’t realize just how different and how amazing it would be.
Well, beyond the fact that Katy Regnery wrote it and she’s pretty freaking amazing–I haven’t met a book of hers I didn’t like.
But Cassidy and Brynn? Wow. I experienced ALL THE FEELS with this book.
I feel like I trust him, like I need him, like I want him.
Brynn has to find a way to move on. She has to find peace. She needs closure. She will say goodbye.
On Katahdin. The place where Jem’s soul would live on.
But what do you do when the worst case scenario happens to you? What do you do when you are experiencing something unfathomable?
Do you run? Do you fight? Do you succumb to the pain?
I watch her. I memorize her. I drink her in.
Cassidy lives a quiet life. He is isolated from society and seems to be content with the way things are. He’s been fighting demons that aren’t his, but demons he can’t escape nonetheless. He will do whatever it takes to conquer those demons.
But what do you do when you hear a scream? What do you do when you stumble upon something unfathomable?
Do you run? Do you fight? Do you give in to your demons?
“But don’t go too fast, huh?”
What unfolds in this book is unlike any other book I’ve read. The questions, the longing, the desire. The complications. The need. The want.
Can Brynn get the closure she needs on Katahdin? Can Cassidy save her from her past while holding his demons back?
Will the two find happiness with each other?
Will they find love?
I love her. I will love her until the sky falls. Until the sun and moon fail to rise. Until Katahdin crumbles. I will love her forever.
This book was different from any other I have read of Katy’s, but once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. I felt my heart break into pieces, and couldn’t put it back together until the very end. So many tears, and so much anguish, surrounded by a once in a lifetime love that is fated to never be, leads a forever happiness that will shine forever. I can honestly say this is by far Katy’s deepest, darkest story, and I am so glad I finally took the time to devour it. Definitely a must read!
This is one depressing book. While I totally understand the hero’s thoughts of keeping himself away from the world and the psychological problems he is experiencing. However, he is presented as a very intelligent man so one has to wonder why he would simply accept that his thoughts were correct and not seek out help. Perhaps I am looking at this story from too much of a realistic point of view to enjoy the story but it just didn’t ring true for me.
This woman can write! Such an amazing story. It is exceptionally well written, is very easy to read and I had a hard time putting it down.
It kept me on my toes and wondering what would happen next. This is a story about love, trust and belief in the other person. Thank goodness it has a happily every after or I would have been devastated.
I am really quite happy to recommend this engrossing, entertaining story.