Before I start my review, I wanted to just give a quick FYI. Denial does end in a cliffy. And while it isn’t one of those cliffs that will leave you wanting to throttle the author or throw your kindle, it is a cliffy nevertheless. The Careless Whisper series consists of three books; therefore, I am assuming book two will also end in one as well. If you don’t do cliffhangers, it might be best to wait until the series is complete. 

Can I just say, I FLOVED this couple! Completely and utterly adored Ella and Kayden. I seriously can’t wait for you to meet them.

Let me introduce you to the principle players. Ella's our resident "damsel in distress." Her identity is lost to her; the only thing she can remember is waking up in the hospital to one hell of a beautiful and mysterious man. Everything past that, is gone. Kayden’s our, drop dead gorgeous, knight in shining armor. He came upon Ella after she was beaten and left for dead. Ella’s a stranger to him, one he should be able to walk away from, yet his honor and intrigue towards her won’t allow him to. Instead, he’s vowed to defend and protect her. In the meantime, I say let the battle of wills begin. Ella's bound and determined to solve the mystery of who she is, while slowly falling for the one man she probably shouldn't, and Kayden's bound and determined to keep her safe, while guarding his heart by staying aloof.

These enigmatic and poignant protagonists hooked me from the start, keeping me glued right till the end. And while I delighted in them both, my love for Ella was definitely a bit more than my love for Kayden. I couldn’t help but fall hard for our girl. To be honest, I’m actually kind of girl crushing. Ella’s a kick ass heroine. One who didn’t act like the typical “damsel in distress.” I absolutely adored the perfectly balanced mix of strength, softness, and sass. When push came to shove, Ella totally didn’t need to rely completely on Kayden’s protection. Our girl was pretty bad ass in that department as well. The attack and her memory loss may have left her a victim but Ella most certainly wasn't one. She was all about survival.

Kayden, well, Kayden was definitely mysterious. This may have been my favorite characteristic about him. I loved that there was something more underneath the surface. Everything about this man screamed intrigue with a hint of dangerous. I’d almost venture to say he wasn't quite your typical hero. No, in my opinion, he was a tad bit more. His unique mix of dominance, charm, defender, and edge was one hell of an allure. No wonder Ella had a hard time resisting him. 

What captured my attention the most though was the fact these two were filled to the brim with secrets that will leave you chomping at the bit to get to the bottom of it all. With each tease of Ella’s memory, my mind was spinning with curiosity, wanting answers to the same questions she did. Each elude to her past felt like a new puzzle piece meant to send the story down a twisty road. Forget thinking you know exactly where these two are headed. Being a newbie to this series, I was even more tempted to read the connecting series to see if I could indeed piece together those missing pieces to the puzzle. And as Ella’s identity started to slowly unravel my desire to know just exactly who Kayden was amplified. The enigma surrounding him was at an all time high. Kayden was a tough nut to crack and it was obvious that there was more to him than meets the eye. 

I am anxious for May 31st to get here. I need to get my hands on Demand, the second book in this series. Ugh, I am soooo not a cliffy girl! Why, oh why, do I do this to myself?!

"I have received a complimentary copy of Denial as a member of the XOXperts,XOXO After Dark’s official street team, in exchange for an honest review.”

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series, which is now in development for a television show to be produced by Suzanne Todd of Team Todd (Alice in Wonderland). Suzanne Todd on the INSIDE OUT series: Lisa has created a beautiful, complicated, and sensual world that is filled with intrigue and suspense. Sara’s character is strong, flawed, complex, and sexy – a modern girl we all can identify with. I’m thrilled to develop a television show that will tell Sara’s whole story – her life, her work, her friends, and her sexuality.

In addition to the success of Lisa’s INSIDE OUT series, she has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa is presently working on a dark, edgy new series, Dirty Money, for St. Martin’s Press.

Prior to publishing Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women’s Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at www.lisareneejones.com and can also find her here: