he·ro: /hirō/ (n.) : an admired individual who acts courageously in the face of adversity, often risking his or her own safety for the wellbeing of others without seeking recognition for acts of duty. (e.g. Everything Elliot Garnet is not, but wishes he could be.)Elliot Garnet has never been popular. His aptitude and single-minded focus on success has earned him a fortune but has led to a … to a solitary existence and a desire to keep his private life private. Romance holds little temptation, but there’s one woman who never fails to unravel his composure. Except, she’s so far out of his league they only ever speak in his fantasies, until fortune—or fate—causes their paths to cross again.
fan·ta·sy: /ˈfan(t)əsē/ (n.) : an imagined occurrence that is so improbable it has no basis in reality. (e.g. Nadia Rosza, the exotic goddess and object of Elliot’s most carnal desires reciprocating his feelings.)
With a revolving door of attractive men entering and exiting Nadia’s life, she’s yet to find Mr. Right. And after a disastrous date with yet another Mr. Wrong, she’s doubtful she’ll ever find true love, until an unexpected hero comes to her rescue. Elliot’s reserved, quiet nature lures her in, but the moment she gets too close he pulls back, tempting her all the more.
She’s an impulsive romantic and he’s a methodical realist. Their volatile chemistry ties him in knots, and despite his efforts to hide his painful past, Nadia slowly unravels his secrets and Elliot becomes unhinged, uncensored … UNTIED.
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Book 2 of the Mastermind series tells the story of Elliot and Nadia, both whom we met in the first book, Blind. Untied did not disappoint as Lydia Michaels continues her brilliant storytelling of the nerds of this series. The fears, insecurities, and vulnerabilities of both characters are front and center, but so is their patience and kindness and willingness to step out of their comfort zones for one another. The way their love blooms is so emotional and steamy, and you can’t help but get your own feelings caught up in the story the entire way. Without a doubt, you will ache for Elliot and Nadia and root for them as hard as I did. I also enjoyed getting to revisit the other lovable nerds. Book 3 can’t come soon enough for me. I just love the writing of Lydia Michaels – she has quickly become one of my top “go to / one-click” authors.
If you’re looking for a story that will melt your heart, this is it. From the beginning, Elliot is spellbound by Nadia. You can feel their attraction. The love they have for each other is one out of storybooks, and it draws you in instantly. I felt like I was in the story and could envision the whole story. Truly a romance story, with some steam in the mix.
Like all relationships, they have insecurities. You could feel how much they loved each other already, but wouldn’t let themselves go. I loved how Elliot worshipped Nadia in everything. He wanted to give her everything she wanted, but he couldn’t give her one thing. You feel so sad for Elliot once he explains why he feels the way he does. You want to console him and help him see he’s a great person.
I loved how characters from the first book come back and make an appearance. They offer help in time of trouble. The author truly keeps you entranced the whole story. It would make me so happy to see you enjoy this book as much as I did!!
Untied is book 2 in the Mastermind Series. Elliott and Nadia’s story is an emotional story filled with past hurts, feelings of guilt and fear of be unworthy of love, trust, forgiveness. Nadia has always felt unworthy of love as her past decisions have always let her down. Nadia is a romantic passionate stubborn firey woman. Elliot a very controlled nerd who always has to have total control to feel worthy. They both find themselves both unprepared for the sexual chemistry emotions they have for one in other. Her passion his control enables this couple to explore many emotions heartache and drama that come their way. I really enjoyed this book. A must read well written story with plenty of heat and action. Highly recommended read.
Untied is an incredible continuation of the Mastermind series. This is just my 2nd book from Lydia Michaels and I’m wondering why in the heck I haven’t read her before getting to Blind!! She is truly gifted and I honestly can’t wait to read more of her work.
This time around we get Elliot Garnet’s story. The man who has such control over ever aspect of his life and yet when it comes to women, he is a mere novice. In Blind, he met Nadia who unbeknownst to him would be the one woman to threaten that control. I could feel my own palms sweating as he just can’t handle being physically close to her. But with a few unexpected drinks to calm his nerves, finding Nadia alone and rejected one night is just the start of what could very well be their mutual undoing. But damn if it’s not worth every bit of anxiety and pain.
Elliot and Nadia might not look ‘good on paper’ as they say, but their chemistry is through the roof. I loved how Nadia understood Elliot’s trepidation about getting closer when they end up as housemates when his gallant nature gets the best of him. She is exactly what he needs to face his fears at being with a woman and I felt for both of them as mixed signals and pure dread take root more than once. But there’s a beautiful kind of underlying peace that invades both of their souls as both Nadia and Elliot finally give this wildly startling coupling a go. They fit quite well together and despite all they encounter, both together and separately, these two truly have what it takes to be happy together. They just have to believe it themselves.
I love how Michaels writes about these uber nerds and their reluctance to be more than they have been told they are. She carefully dissects the pigeon-hole they have been relegated to and fills their hesitant hearts with the best kind of love. For Elliot, it was a true feat getting him to see himself as more than the buttoned-up entrepreneur. And Nadia was the light he needed to see that success can be measured in many different ways. Including his new-found prowess in the bedroom. Damn, those scenes were incredibly erotic and perfectly placed. They were exactly what both needed even when doubt reared its ugly head.
Well-written and full of the feels I seek in the books I choose, Untied is not to be missed. I thoroughly enjoyed it and read it one sitting!! This wonderful read deserves a huge 5 stars!
Lydia has always captured my attention with her books. You never get tired nor bored with what she comes up with next. I love books in series because we always get to know all the characters in the series and I love reading their backstories. It’s always nice to get to know everyone that is attached to each other in some way or another.
In Untied we get Elliot and Nadia’s story. It was a little hard getting myself into this story only because the heroine has the same name as my daughter and I just didn’t want to picture my daughter being the character as she’s only a teenager, but I tried really hard not to put her into this book (ha)!
Any way, I loved the whole concept, the backstory from these two characters and it was a fun and entertaining read. You could never go wrong with a Lydia Michael’s book. She certainly knows how to capture your attention from beginning to end.
Wow I have no idea where to start!! I have to say Elliot is my favorite nerd so far I loved him and Nadia’s relationship and how they connected instantly! How he was lured in instantly by her and the same with her! They both had insecurities, they both were bullied, they both had to over come their past more so Elliot. This story was so engaging I was hooked on page one I just loved this story a huge 5 stars from me!! Hopefully we get a Jet and Hunter story in the future!!!
Lydia Michaels in Untied has created a story with characters most readers can relate to in some fashion. This does not mean the relationship of Elliot and Nadia is not without a few ups, downs, twists and turns but that is to be expected with a Lydia Michaels’ story. Elliot and Nadia bring qualities the readers will recognize and celebrate “been there, felt that, I’m glad it’s not just me (lol).” This is one book you will not go wrong with! You’ll fall in love with the characters and want more.
I’ve waited years (seriously…. since I read Blind) to read this story, and omgah. Lydia Michaels didn’t disappoint!
I love how the story starts, with a sort of superhero incognito, and it just goes from there. I love the side that Elliot and Nadia brought out in each other, as both of them faced insecurities and found the one they are meant to be with.
I enjoyed catching up with the secondary characters, and was so happy to return to the Mastermind crew!!!
A fantastic must read that I would highly recommend!!
Original and uniquely written, with a flair of pop culture references by way of quote to set the tone at the beginning of each chapter, this book was a story unlike any I have ever read before.
Elliot, ever the perfectionist, always in his head and closed off from past hurts is completely dumbfounded when Nadia, the woman of his fantasies, not only talks to him but proves interested in the man behind the suit and million dollar net worth.
Struggling day to day with the added stress of her closest relatives an ocean away, immigrant Nadia is tired of relying on men for help because they see her only as a beautiful specimen for their own desires. So, upon meeting Elliott, Nadia is a bit bewildered by Elliott’s giving nature, since he is not asking for her to give anything back in return, he simply wants to help and make her happy.
Unrelenting almost to a fault, watching these two bull-headed characters grow and change, pushing one another to become more, even if it was against their basic instincts was a delight.
If you are looking for a story that is creatively written, full of passion, vulnerability, and heart, this book is for you!
As Always, Happy Reading!
“5/5 Beaming Brains!” – Lit-Up My Mind
I was sooo hoping this was going to be the Elliot book! Desperate to hear his story and see more if it play out I am so glad he is book two! I Absofreakinglutely FLOVED Asher and Lettie’s story in blind so it was a tough book to top. That being said I think two of my now fav book quotes are from this book now. This is one “I think you’re everything I see,but other people see you from a different view. You’re like a starry night. Consistent. Quiet. Misunderstood at first glance. Like you said, same sky, different perspective. I see you. And I think you’re quite beautiful just the way you are. Maybe that will change, but I don’t know that it will. There’s nothing wrong with being who you are from where I’m standing.”
At some points I had trouble connecting with this book and then wham something like that quote above happens and I’m reeled right back in. I ran the gamut of emotions in this book, and tbh cried so hard my face burns from the tears.
Looking forward to the third book!
I loved this book! I was hoping we’d get to see Elliot get his happily ever after when we met him in the first book in this series, Blind. I really enjoyed Elliot and Nadia’s story! They were so good for one another and they each helped the other in such important ways.
This was truly a beautiful story and I really enjoyed it.
Better than the first in the series, IMO. I don’t know if it’s because I was already familiar with the characters, or if it was the story.
Elliot and Nadia both have skeletons in their past, both are feeling that twinge of ‘too good to be true’, afraid they will ruin what they have before they even have a chance at happiness.
Nadia is beautiful, artistic, and a free spirit. Elliot is controlled. Steady. Reliable. Constant. Until Nadia turns his world on it’s axis.
They say that opposites attract, but will these two be able to work through their differences, or will their differences rip them apart?
Untied, is book 2 in the Mastermind series. And it was my first book by this author, so I didn’t know what to expect. But I liked it, I thought it was well written. I just couldn’t connect with the characters, something was missing.
I did like the plot, and the ending was great for the story.
This was the second book in the series about a group of friends who only had each other as friends back in school and that friendship continues. Elliot has issues understanding people and emotions. Enter Nadia who is the opposite of him. I really enjoyed reading about their struggles to find balance and come together. I may have even cried a time or two when I could feel Elliot’s frustration and confusion. What a great story!
Thank you for the privilege of reading this book! Well done
I love Elliot. This is the second book in the Mastermind series. These childhood friends were nerds that were picked on when they were young. Even though they have banded together to become very successful with a leading social media site, they need to overcome things that happened when they were younger. Elliot was very structured and was taken with Nadia when he was forced to go to dance lessons in Blind. He could only admire her from afar and in his mind. He came to Nadia’s rescue one night when he witnessed her then relationship ending. He took the chance to go and have drinks with her. Then invited her to use one of his spare rooms. The way she helps break down his walls and shows him how to love and be loved. It is a great story and I can’t wait to see which one will be next.
Untied is the second book in the Mastermind Series. This is Elliot Garnet and Nadia Rosza’s story. Elliot has wanted Nadia for a while. Ever since he went to her dance studio with Asher (Blind, Book 1), his friend and one of his partners. Elliot is the CEO of GeekPeek. Nadia has just been thrown out of her now ex-boyfriend’s apartment with nowhere to go and Elliot comes to her rescue. Both Elliot and Nadia have many insecurities and it is kind of funny that their insecurities would complement each other if they weren’t so insecure. There is a lot of angst in Elliot and Nadia’s story. Elliot is a nerd and the underdog but, Nadia doesn’t see that and she needs a hero.
I loved reading Untied. Now who’s story is next. I can’t wait will it be Jet, maybe Hunter? The other GeekPeek partners. I give Untied 4.5 stars.
This story is so good, I can’t write a review that will do it justice. Each character is perfectly written and you don’t know how each will react when taken out of their comfort zones. Nadia is sexy dancer that isn’t used to men wanting her for more than her body. She is a strong woman wanting to succeed and help her family. Elliot is the handsome intellect that has no experience with women. Together, they each learn to love and be loved. The chemistry is undeniable and the love is heartfelt. This will be a top favorite release of the year.
5 out of 5 stars
What do you do when you are an introvert and really just want to be left alone . Meet Elliot, he is that man who just wants to work and keep his private life private . Until the day the one woman who can unravel him walks into his life . After a disastrous date Nadia is left with nowhere to go . When Elliot swoops in and saves the day taking her home with him . When the two unlikely people begin to navigate the rules of what love is and how they can come together . With pasts that are painful in both their paths . Will they be able to get over the hurt of the past and realize that they belong together.
The second book in the series is all about Elliot , Ashers best friend . He is such a sweet soul . I fell in love with him , he has had a hard life and has basically just given up on some things . You just want to wrap him up and hug him and tell him that everything will be ok and that he will be loved . It is so much fun watching him with Nadia and how she gets under his skin . He really gets so flustered . He is so cute when he does . Nadia is well she is such a fun read . She is gorgeous but also kind of a flirt . She needs a man in her life so she thinks. She is always picking the wrong man and it is eating away at her self esteem . She is hiding a sweet woman under all the flirting that she does . When they get together there are sparks and I mean sparks . You will fall in love with these two , trust me on that one .
I couldn’t put this book down when I got it . The characters had me falling in love with them . The author takes us on a very emotional rollercoaster ride . I laughed and cried through out this book . This book brought all sorts of feels , I really felt for Elliot and his past pain that he went through. You will really identify with these characters , and love and hate them . The author pours a lot of emotion into this book . So if you want a book that will make you laugh and cry and ugly cry . This book is for you . I truly enjoyed this book . So check it out .
To say I’m happy to have discovered this series is an understatement! The first book hooked me and had me wanting more. Elliott and Nadia’s story is touching, sexy and so much more!! It’s one of those books you’re thinking about when you aren’t reading it.
Untied is book two in the mastermind series. It tells the story of Elliot and Nadia, who we met in book one of the series. In book one readers can see that Elliot is a dynamic character so I enjoyed peeling back all of his layers in Untied and discovering who he really is. Untied is a great book with many themes that readers can connect to. I highly recommend.