Series Review - - The Beautiful Mess Series by TK Leigh

The Synopsis...

Book 1...

What happens when you lose everyone that promised they would always be there for you? How can you protect the few pieces of your shattered heart that remain?

Olivia Adler is a woman with a troubled past. After losing her parents at the young age of six and being raised by an uncle who she lost years later, she refuses to get attached to anyone, including friends. For the past decade, she has been able to remain unattached to any man, too worried about losing someone to get too close. Until Alexander Burnham walks into her life one night and changes everything. But he has issues of his own. And he’s keeping a secret that could turn Olivia's world upside-down. Will Olivia let Alexander in enough for him to get close and protect her from a force threatening her very existence, or will she push him away, scared of letting Alexander in, in order to protect her heart?

 

Book 2...

How can you continue living when you’re living a lie? How can you convince your body to stop feeling, your soul to stop caring, and your heart to stop beating?

Haunted by her past, Olivia Adler flees Boston for a beach in Florida, leaving everyone behind, trying to shut the world out. Remaining a relative recluse in her self-imposed prison, she tries to turn everything off, wanting to feel nothing. But a new acquaintance won’t let that happen. After being away from Alexander for a month, his voice constantly ringing in her head, reminding her that her inability to confront her demons will not only destroy her, but also him, can she really be expected to want to feel again when it brings nothing but pain?
Back in Boston, everywhere he turns, Alexander Burnham is reminded of Olivia… His Olivia… He tries to dull the ache left in his heart the only way he knows how… in the bed of a beautiful woman. But Alexander isn’t about to lose his Olivia. After a clue comes to light regarding Olivia’s whereabouts, can he convince her to return to Boston with him? When a force that has laid dormant for months resurfaces, can Alexander still protect her from the unknown danger? And when Alexander comes face to face with a shadow of both his and Olivia’s past, will he be able to tell her the secret that is threatening to tear them apart?

Book 3...

How long can you keep a secret from the one you love? How can you possibly say the words that will rip both your worlds apart? 

Finally able to face her fears of abandonment, Olivia Adler begins to prepare for the next phase of her life. But Alexander Burnham is still holding on to all the secrets about Olivia’s past, trying to protect her. As days go by, Olivia is slowly starting to remember her past and Alexander realizes it’s only a matter of time until she puts all the pieces together and figures out who he is… 

And who she is... 

But if she remembers, her life could be in even more danger than it already is, and Alexander cannot have that happen. When shadows of Olivia’s past threaten not only her life, but also those around her, will Alexander finally put Olivia’s needs ahead of his? Will she be able to put all the pieces of her past together in order to save her own life and those that she’s close to? Can she figure out who she can trust and who is threatening her very existence? 

Mel's Review...

5 Stars

TK Leigh, you have renewed my faith in writers!  I have not been that captivated by a story in a VERY long time!  You literally have my mind and emotions in a complete uproar.  I was going to sleep on this review but I am reeling and have to get my thoughts off my chest in hopes of curing the massive book hangover you left me with.  I simply can not say say enough about this book.  TK Leigh's words brought so many emotions off the pages and into my heart.  She painted such a vivid picture, leaving no detail out.  The plotting was spectacular.  This is one of those books that would make a GREAT movie.  From start to finish you could tell she poured her heart and soul into every single line.

Olivia was exactly what the title reads, a Beautiful Mess.  She was strong as she survived something no child should ever have to survive, losing her parents, but at the same time she never really learned to move past it.  She put up walls to protect her heart but she didn't see that she was really hurting herself.  Olivia made no attempt to hide the fact that casual sex was as far as a relationship would ever go and she even kept her closest friends at an arms length.  She was ready to pack up and leave the minute things became too real.  Oh my, was she absolutely frustrating at some points.  I seriously wish I could have reached through my Kindle screen, grabbed her and given her a good shake.  She was her own worst enemy.  No matter how content she felt she always let her fears get in her way.

Alexander may be one of my favorite male characters, ever.  He was not only completely sexy but his heart was amazing.  His love undying love for Olivia was breathtaking.  Even as a boy, Alex knew that Olivia was the only girl for him and once he had her back he did whatever he had to to ensure he would never lose her again.  I am not saying I completely agree with all of his actions, but he went above and beyond to show her how much she meant to him.  It didn't matter what she threw at him, he was always right there to show her he wasn't going anywhere.  His alpha male personality combined with his dominance in the bedroom made him so much fun to read!  It was refreshing to see a man who would basically walk through fire for the woman he loved.
 
Olivia and Alex's relationship was a constant tug of war battle.  And while reading it, your emotional state was in limbo.  Their story was so complex; a story of love, loss, fear, trust and growth.  The pain and love they both felt through out the story was almost tangible to me as the reader.  And every time you thought they had finally reached a point of comfort TK Leigh rips your heart out and dose a little dance on it.   You see, through the entire series Olivia seems to be in danger but with no real threat made against her.  There are unanswered questions about her childhood and the person who held the answers was killed 5 years before Alex found Olivia.  As the story escalates and more details surface I found not only my emotions in a fluster by my mind was a complete wreck.  I just could not believe the things I was reading.  The plot twists were undeniably earth shattering, not only to Olivia and Alex but to the readers as well.  TK's writing style was so masterful.  She gave every little thing such detail, it was like watching a movie through words.  There was never a time that I felt like she left out something or could have explained the situation better.  
 
She wrote amazing secondary characters that added so much to the story of Olivia and Alex.   Olivia's best friends, Keira and Mo, are the kinds of friends that everyone should have.  They understood Olivia's fear and while they never pushed her had no problem calling her out when they thought she was out of control.  In the second book, TK introduces us to Cam, someone Olivia meets while once again trying to run from her feelings.  He is absolutely smitten with Olivia but cares so much about her he puts her own needs before his.  His addition was a breath of fresh air in a very intense story.
Every character played such an important roll in making the story what it was, even Adele. (rotten witch!!).
 
Again, I want to say this series was by far one of the best I have read.  It is long and entirely worth the money.  This was my first series by TK Leigh and I am totally sold.  I have recommended this series to everyone I have come across in the past couple days.  It has a bit of everything (including super hot sex scenes:)) so there is something for everyone but be warned, the deeper you dive into this book the darker and scarier it gets.  There are some trigger points but she does give a bit of a warning in the beginning so proceed with caution.  Anyway, I said it once and I will totally say it again, TK Leigh you completely destroyed my life during this book and I loved every single second!!  Thank you for being such an amazing writer and THANK YOU for Mr. Burnham!!

 

The Ratings...

Storyline: Magnetizing

Female Characters: Strong but frustrating

Male Character: Sexy and Protective

Author's writing style: Detailed and Masterful

Plot Twists: Oh, My heart!

Laugh Factor: minimal

Cry Factor: I ugly cried a few times

Steam Factor: Oh, Mr. Burnham :)

Violence: Proceed with Caution

Buy Links... 

Amazon  B&N

 

About TK Leigh...

T.K. Leigh, otherwise known as Tracy Leigh Kellam, is the USA Today Best Selling author of the Beautiful Mess series. Originally from New England, she now resides in sunny Southern California with her husband, dog and three cats, all of which she has rescued (including the husband). She always had a knack for writing, but mostly in the legal field. It wasn’t until recently that she decided to try her hand at creative writing and is now addicted to creating different characters and new and unique story lines in the Contemporary Romantic Suspense genre.

When she’s not planted in front of her computer, writing away, she can be found running and training for her next marathon (of which she has run over fifteen fulls and far too many halfs to recall). Unlike Olivia, the main character in her Beautiful Mess series, she has yet to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

For bookings and donation requests for giveaways, she can be reached at authortkleigh@gmail.com.