I’d led a selfish existence.
I liked who I was. Hell, I loved myself.
Women threw themselves at me and I took what they offered without remorse. I promised them nothing.
I sank my teeth into life, holding on to the bitch like my very existence depended on it.
Time passed.
Women came and went.
The second I let my guard down and released the hold I had on life… What was my award for such … hold I had on life… What was my award for such carelessness?
A love so spectacular and heart wrenching that it threw me for a loop. When I was in too deep to escape, my greatest fears became reality.
This is my story.
My downfall.
My salvation.
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“Without Me” (Men of Inked #5) is the story of Anthony, the oldest of the Gallo children. He has sit back and watched his siblings Joe, Mike, Thomas and even Izzy find the love of their lives, but not him, he is a love them and leave them kind of guy. That is until he meets a woman that he calls Kitty, because she won’t tell him her name. She is just not into him and doesn’t seem interested in the least and that is a first for Anthony. He is very interested in her and would like to get to know her so he has to do the only thing he has never done, he has to chase a woman.
Maxine is her name and she is almost as sassy as Izzy, but she has a secret. It’s not that she is not interested in Anthony, she just can’t be with him. You will have to read the book to find out why.
This book is loaded with all of the Gallo family and Maxine’s family also joins the crowd. It is a funny, sexy, romantic and emotional read.
I thought the last book I read in this series was my favorite, but this one was just as amazing! I could feel the anguish and the strength of the characters throughout their journey. I fell in love with Anthony and Max immediately. It was great to see how the other Gallos were making it through life too.
A total rollercoaster of emotions!
4,5 stars
Another standalone in the Men of Inked series, this book was raw and caused all the feelings.
This time, we get to know more about Anthony (the manwhore brother) and Max (the fierce lady who wants nothing to do with Anth…or so she thinks).
Anthony is living his life the way he wants. No commitment, no strings, no emotions, only a good time and goodbye. But when Max comes into his life, he has to face feelings and rejection for the first in his life.
“When I was in too depp to escape, my greatest fears became reality.
This is my story.
My downfall.
My salvation.
And my love”
Max doesn’t want commitment either, but for very different reasons. Reasons she refuses to explain, but that makes a lot of sense.
Her reiterated rejection is maddening at first and it’s hard to see how come he keeps coming back for more after she tosses him out time after time (although, that is probably him proving his own medicine).
But together they are explosive (this author can write really amazing chemistry) and, as times goes by, they cant fight nor deny their feelings for each other.
They learn how to be in a relationship, they learn how to be supportive, they learn how to love and be partners in life in all the things that matter. They improved, they grew, they turned into better people for one another, and it was wonderful to read.
‘”She’d forever changed me.
I’d had to fall hard and deep to come out on the other side a changed man.
I’d never go back to where I had been behore Max.
I didn’t want to be that man.
I had a purpose in life, and she was in my arms.
Nothing else mattered but living every day to the fullest and never regretting a moment of our lives together.
She was my salvation”
By the end, living without each other was not an option.
Without Me (Men of Inked, #5)
by Chelle Bliss (Goodreads Author)
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Anthony definitely met his match with Max, she’s hard headed and stubborn, really doesn’t treat him well to start off with giving him a slight taste of how he treated previous women. Though at least he was up front. Once you get to know her though you understand the why’s and I did sympathise. This story is very angsty, has some very full on sexual content and is intense. There are some sweeter moments as we move through the story which do come as a blessing and relief from the tense stuff. It’s hard to understand how someone would behave if living under a threat of something like that in this story, I can quite believe the self preservation factor kicking in and the loneliness while wishing for love and someone to really share it with. I can honestly say this was wonderful but turbulent at the same time. Started 23/8/21 Finished 24/8/21
The Last Gallo Brother Bites The Dust
Anthony Gallo is the moody, cocky, egotistical a-shole/manwhore/musician/tattooist oldest brother and has been the most anti-love, anti-relationship of all the Gallo brothers….He likes women…but when he sees Max sitting at a bar, he’s done….He just doesn’t take no for an answer….
Maxine Washington has a big secret, so she won’t give Anthony a chance…She’s just decided to spend the rest of her life alone… I’ll be honest, I didn’t like Max through a lot of the book…the hot and cold thing just wasn’t good to me…But the book, itself, was good….and what a good series!!!
WITHOUT ME is the 5th book in the “Men of Inked” series and you do not have to read the previous books to follow along with this one. (The series is great, so I think you should for your own enjoyment, but it’s not a must).
Anthony is the oldest Gallo Brother and the one that I knew the least about. There has obviously been something going on with him during the other brothers’ stories and FINALLY we get to find out what.
Max and Anthony are a great couple and this review is purposefully vague because there is a lot going on and I don’t want to ruin the reading experience for you. Just trust me, it’s a good one.
Another awesome Gallo read. This time we meet Anthony, the eldest, who has seen his siblings all pair off. The cocky rocker meets his match with Max. A woman who gives him a tough time and has a secret that has affected her outlook on life. More Gallo family fun. Love that all the past characters are involved.
Anthony Gallo, the eldest son and last man standing has finally met his match! Maxine Washington is a take no prisoners type of woman and wants nothing to do with this cocky man who thinks he is God’s gift to women just because he is gorgeous, built to please and sings his heart out like a rock star.
Anthony is not a man women say no to…usually. Typically they say hell yes and how often? Having Max say no it like throwing gasoline on a fire and he is burning hot. He knows she wants him but cannot figure out why she keeps taking him in and then throwing him out.
Watching these two battle each others will is sad and it is funny. Too many things come between them but Anthony will not give up when he wants her so badly. It is entertaining to watch the last Gallo go down fighting for what he wants.
Anthony is the official asshole of the family where women are concerned. He’s not rude or abusive, just thinks he’s God’s gift to women; does not date, and never sleeps with a woman more than twice. Maxine has sealed off all emotion but anger. She could give lessons at being an unapproachable ice queen with an attitiude. Whe they meet once night at the club where Anthony’s band played, sparks fly. Their journey is truly one that will keep you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Couldn’t ask for a better storyline.
Knowing Without Me is the final book in the Men of Inked series made reading it bitter sweet! I didn’t want to give up the Gallo’s and move on. Anthony was my hold out. As long as he played the field my Gallo clan was safe. Then he goes and finds his perfect woman, of course Anthony can not do anything the easy way so his book is my emotional wrecking ball on top of being the farewell. Chelle Bliss could not have written the end of her series better. Though she did give us hope for (maybe) novellas in the future to check up on our favorite Italians, she did give us the best book in my very humble opinion in her finale here with Anthony. ( Let us keep that between us and not tell City.. I feel like I’m cheating saying that!) Without Me is a standalone so if you are coming into the series late no problem! You will definitely want to get the other books, you have NO idea what you are missing!!
Anthony after a set with the band spots a woman who checks all his personal boxes for a hot night of fun, but when he gets rebuffed repeatedly she became even more interesting. Not the best beginning for the man who thinks he is the king of the sheets. For once Anthony is having to do the chasing and it is a whole new experience. He knows what it looks like to those around him, but he has a plan, but like most plans they never go accordingly.
What happens in this book I never saw it coming! Get tissues ready, never have I cried during a Chelle Bliss book but she had me near balling on this one. And if you think you have the Gallo family figured out they still have some surprises for you. I nearly busted a gut laughing at the family dinner. The Gallos are the type of family you watch on TV and wish you could be a part of. They support you, love you, and tease you unmercifully. I am going to miss reading about them in novels but look forward to anything Chelle writes in the future. This book is a must read and highly recommended.
As much as I looked forward to Anthony’s story I admit I put off reading it until I absolutely had to in order to have it reviewed in time for my tour date. I wanted to read it until it hit my kindle, that’s when it hit me that this is the end of the Gallo’s, that when I get to the last page it’s over. What has been my favorite series of all time is done. I cried reading the epilogue, I’m still not sure if it was more for how things ended up for everyone or due to this being the last of their stories.
Anthony, the lone wolf whose story we’ve been waiting for. He’s the oldest of the Gallo siblings, he’s always been a man whore through and through, never having a need for commitment. Izzy and Anthony were the closest in both behavior and opinion as far as relationships go and we know where that got Izzy!!
Watching the fall of Anthony Gallo was a a beautiful thing. His story was so different from the rest of his siblings.
It was almost heart breaking at times. I know he kind of deserved to have the tables turned on him and honestly I think it helped him come to the conclusion he did quicker than he would have had Max given in to him from the beginning, but I hated it for him too, hated to see him suffering. Max’s situation brings so much to the story. She tries to be so strong and fights to ignore the pull she feels towards Anthony. Her situation brings so much to this book but you’ll have to read it to find out what I’m talking about.
The second I let my guard down and released the hold I had on life… What was my award for such carelessness?
A love so spectacular and heart wrenching that it threw me for a loop. When I was in too deep to escape, my greatest fears became reality.
This is my story.
My downfall.
My salvation. –
There could not be a more perfect synopsis for this story.
Anthony may be a big, bad, sexy beast who can have a different woman every night but once he falls he falls hard and fast. He was the brother we really knew the least about throughout the series and I often wondered what his story would hold, Ms Bliss didn’t disappoint. He was the perfect sibling for the final story and as much as I hate that it’s over I’m happy to finally know Anthony Gallo.
The author has once again worked her magic like no other. It’s one of those stories that you wont be able to get out of your head it will be on repeat after repeat in your head. The nail biting story was really worth every word and page turn and hell even the hot as hell alpha males was worth the read. MUST READ story I would recommend reading the other books first so not to have any confusion and really they all go together I would for sure read them in order. I read it in 1 day and loved every single thing about it.
***I received this story for free in exchange for an honest review, see more of my review @ http://jmhoward2007.blogspot.com ***
I can’t ever say goodbye to the Gallos! I will not accept this as the end of the amazing series. I just finished Without Me and I already want more. Anthony’s story was just as fantastic as the rest of the series. Emotional Funny and Sexy Romantic!
I have loved this series from the very beginning so it pains me somewhat to say that I cannot give this book a 5+ star review as I think I have every other Men of Inked book. I am truly sad to see this series come to an end but I have to admit that this was not one of my favorites in the series. The first half of this story I had a very hard time not just giving up on it. The only thing that really kept me hanging in there through Anthony’s total dickdom was my sheer faith in the fact that Chelle Bliss DOES NOT write a bad story. And somewhere near the middle of the book I started liking Anthony & Max just a little bit more. By the end, I really loved the book, Anthony became the man I knew he could be & there was a very good reason Max was the way she was early in the book
Once again Chelle did it. Amazing job. Just read this book you can not go wrong.