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Boys of Bishop #3
Between the Sheets
Perfect for readers of Susan Mallery and Rachel Gibson.
After years of running, Wyatt Svenson has now parked himself in Bishop, Arkansas, trying to do the right thing and parent a son he didn’t even know he had until recently. Over six feet tall and packed with muscles and power, Ty likes to get his hands dirty, fixing his motorcycle at night and keeping his mind away from the mistakes he’s made. Then his pretty neighbor shows up on his driveway, doesn’t bother to introduce herself, and complains about the noise. First impression? She should loosen up. Funny that she turns out to be his son’s elementary school art teacher—and the only one willing to help his troubled boy. Ty needs her. In more ways than one.
Though Shelby Monroe is safe in her structured life, she is drawn to Ty’s bad-boy edge and rugged sexuality. What if she just lets it all go: her worries about her mother, her fear of heartbreak, and her tight self control? What if she grabs Ty and takes a ride on the wild side? “What if” becomes reality—intense, exhilarating . . . and addictive. But Ty wants more than a secret affair. He wants it all with Shelby. But will she take a chance and open her heart? Ty is determined to convince Shelby to take the biggest risk of her life: on him.
After years of running, Wyatt Svenson has now parked himself in Bishop, Arkansas, trying to do the right thing and parent a son he didn’t even know he had until recently. Over six feet tall and packed with muscles and power, Ty likes to get his hands dirty, fixing his motorcycle at night and keeping his mind away from the mistakes he’s made. Then his pretty neighbor shows up on his driveway, doesn’t bother to introduce herself, and complains about the noise. First impression? She should loosen up. Funny that she turns out to be his son’s elementary school art teacher—and the only one willing to help his troubled boy. Ty needs her. In more ways than one.
Though Shelby Monroe is safe in her structured life, she is drawn to Ty’s bad-boy edge and rugged sexuality. What if she just lets it all go: her worries about her mother, her fear of heartbreak, and her tight self control? What if she grabs Ty and takes a ride on the wild side? “What if” becomes reality—intense, exhilarating . . . and addictive. But Ty wants more than a secret affair. He wants it all with Shelby. But will she take a chance and open her heart? Ty is determined to convince Shelby to take the biggest risk of her life: on him.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 29, 2014
About the author
Molly O'Keefe
103 books2,121 followersMolly O'Keefe has always known she wanted to be a writer (except when she wanted to be a florist or a chef and the brief period of time when she considered being a cowgirl). And once she got her hands on some romances, she knew exactly what she wanted to write.
She published her first Harlequin romance at age 25 and hasn't looked back. She loves exploring every character's road towards happily ever after.
Originally from a small town outside of Chicago, she went to university in St. Louis where she met and fell in love with the editor of her school newspaper. They followed each other around the world for several years and finally got married and settled down in Toronto, Ontario. They welcomed their son into their family in 2006, and their daughter in 2008. When she's not at the park or cleaning up the toy room, Molly is working hard on her next novel, trying to exercise, stalking Tina Fey on the internet and dreaming of the day she can finish a cup of coffee without interruption.
She published her first Harlequin romance at age 25 and hasn't looked back. She loves exploring every character's road towards happily ever after.
Originally from a small town outside of Chicago, she went to university in St. Louis where she met and fell in love with the editor of her school newspaper. They followed each other around the world for several years and finally got married and settled down in Toronto, Ontario. They welcomed their son into their family in 2006, and their daughter in 2008. When she's not at the park or cleaning up the toy room, Molly is working hard on her next novel, trying to exercise, stalking Tina Fey on the internet and dreaming of the day she can finish a cup of coffee without interruption.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
December 25, 2016
3.5 stars
I'll be honest, the only reason I read Between the Sheets is that this is the book Harley Quinn is reading in the upcoming Suicide Squad movie.
And that's pretty funny as she's a psychiatrist gone bad because of The Joker, reading about an uptight teacher who learns to let go from a former bad boy.
The book isn't that much. What I really appreciated here are the sex scenes. I hate BDSM... simply hate it. In Between the Sheets, Shelby is very respectable on the outside. In bed, she wants it rough. And she gets it from Ty, but not in the disgusting, awful BDSM style.
So, if you're into the genre, you should give this one a try. It was pretty entertaining.
I'll be honest, the only reason I read Between the Sheets is that this is the book Harley Quinn is reading in the upcoming Suicide Squad movie.
And that's pretty funny as she's a psychiatrist gone bad because of The Joker, reading about an uptight teacher who learns to let go from a former bad boy.
The book isn't that much. What I really appreciated here are the sex scenes. I hate BDSM... simply hate it. In Between the Sheets, Shelby is very respectable on the outside. In bed, she wants it rough. And she gets it from Ty, but not in the disgusting, awful BDSM style.
So, if you're into the genre, you should give this one a try. It was pretty entertaining.
![Profile Image for Michelle [Helen Geek].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1448463806i/5557851._CR0,13,200,200_.jpg)
May 19, 2014
05/17/2014 --
Overall Rating = 4.5 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 2 / 3 / 1 = 2 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 4.5 Stars
Character Development = 4 Stars
Story Appreciation = 4.5 Stars
Ending = 4 Stars
Worth the Chili = 5 Stars -- [$4.27 on Amazon when released in July 2014]
Smexy [HEAT] Rating = Moderate
368 pages
This is a gem of a book trapped by a silly cover and an awful title. Please don't let poor marketing have you thinking this is just another cheesy serial romance. It is most definitely not. I found it raw and the insight profound. This author has done it to me again. She can cut to the very core of the reader and have us shaking our heads saying, "YES! She gets it."
A few things that shine through when reading this one!
1 -- This author has either personally experienced dealing with a loved one who has Alzheimer's or has done a shit ton of research on the subject. She captures the nuances of all the early games we play with ourselves. We think it will go away. Then, we think it will never get as bad as those stories we've read or heard. And then the last ditch efforts we make to "take care of it ourselves" while trying to lead a "normal" life. She nails it. Seriously nails it.
2 -- Shelby isn't an easy person to love. She has so many sharp edges, she'll cut you if you get to close. She doesn't know the first thing about love. It is so hard to see any soft in her. The only minutes may be when she is working with kids through her art. She is a heroine you find yourself wondering about to the very end. How can Wyatt [Ty] even want to go there?
3 -- The thing is, Ty figured out early that life isn't pretty. It may have moments, but overall, it's just life. When you find those precious moments, you GRAB them FAST. He hasn't always made the best decisions, but he has tried to make the best of things when he's screwed up. He see's a rawness in Shelby he likes. They have chemistry off the charts, but it's more than that. It is the way she handles her issues. How she still finds time to open herself to a kid who needs a boost. How she seeks him out to smooth some of her sharp edges and when she does .. he gets glimpses into something he wants. Something he needs in his core.
4 -- Casey is a great kid trapped in a mess. Ty is pulling him out, but we get evidence this kid has lived through some really bad stuff. He had the strength and the courage to find a way out on his own. All this and he is 10 years old. He is old beyond his years. He is a great character and a kid any of us would love to meet. However, when we do, we won't know all these things because he hide his softer side. We have to be willing to "pet the feral cat" to figure this out.
One of life's most powerful lessons is about love. You can't make someone love you the way you think they should love you. Love is defined very differently by each of us. We either accept the love of another and their definition for the love they give, or we don't. The decision is ours. Through these GREAT characters, Molly captures this perfectly for us.
5 -- The grit used to tell this story. This isn't a simple, pretty, easy read. It has a rawness, and depth of emotion you're not expecting. Molly O'Keefe pulled out all the stops writing this. I'm in awe.
Okay, now for a few things I thought could have been better:
1 -- The title. **spoiler alert** So, why this title? Because, we are to think this is a cheesy serial romance. I can't think of another reason why this title would be appropriate. I have a feeling this book may suffer due to some poor marketing. That would be a real shame.
2 -- Likewise, the cover. Just silly.
3 -- As good as this book was to the 90% maybe 93% mark, the ending felt rushed and a bit incomplete. It ended okay. Definitely no cliffhanger. These books can be as stand alone, but this one still felt rushed. Like we were hurrying up to end it by a certain page length or something. Another 50 pages or so and we could have had a smoother landing.
This book was the best in the series and I've liked them all. I thought the author did a great job with all the complex story elements. I enjoyed it immensely.
Happy Reading!
ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell via Netgalley in exchanged for an honest review.
Overall Rating = 4.5 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 2 / 3 / 1 = 2 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 4.5 Stars
Character Development = 4 Stars
Story Appreciation = 4.5 Stars
Ending = 4 Stars
Worth the Chili = 5 Stars -- [$4.27 on Amazon when released in July 2014]
Smexy [HEAT] Rating = Moderate
368 pages
This is a gem of a book trapped by a silly cover and an awful title. Please don't let poor marketing have you thinking this is just another cheesy serial romance. It is most definitely not. I found it raw and the insight profound. This author has done it to me again. She can cut to the very core of the reader and have us shaking our heads saying, "YES! She gets it."
A few things that shine through when reading this one!
1 -- This author has either personally experienced dealing with a loved one who has Alzheimer's or has done a shit ton of research on the subject. She captures the nuances of all the early games we play with ourselves. We think it will go away. Then, we think it will never get as bad as those stories we've read or heard. And then the last ditch efforts we make to "take care of it ourselves" while trying to lead a "normal" life. She nails it. Seriously nails it.
"Five years ago, when Evie had been diagnosed, Shelby couldn't even fathom doing that to her mother. She'd thought, stupidly, innocently, that she would be so much better than those people she'd been convinced were mistreating their parents. ...
It wasn't just a weight off her back; it was as if she could lift her head, look around and breathe for the first time in at least a year. But all she saw when she looked around was how far she had let herself and her mother slip."
2 -- Shelby isn't an easy person to love. She has so many sharp edges, she'll cut you if you get to close. She doesn't know the first thing about love. It is so hard to see any soft in her. The only minutes may be when she is working with kids through her art. She is a heroine you find yourself wondering about to the very end. How can Wyatt [Ty] even want to go there?
3 -- The thing is, Ty figured out early that life isn't pretty. It may have moments, but overall, it's just life. When you find those precious moments, you GRAB them FAST. He hasn't always made the best decisions, but he has tried to make the best of things when he's screwed up. He see's a rawness in Shelby he likes. They have chemistry off the charts, but it's more than that. It is the way she handles her issues. How she still finds time to open herself to a kid who needs a boost. How she seeks him out to smooth some of her sharp edges and when she does .. he gets glimpses into something he wants. Something he needs in his core.
"He wanted to believe no one had ever had her like this. Ever. Because he'd never been had like this. Ever. All the way. And it wasn't just sex, it was everything. Every single fucking thing about her."
4 -- Casey is a great kid trapped in a mess. Ty is pulling him out, but we get evidence this kid has lived through some really bad stuff. He had the strength and the courage to find a way out on his own. All this and he is 10 years old. He is old beyond his years. He is a great character and a kid any of us would love to meet. However, when we do, we won't know all these things because he hide his softer side. We have to be willing to "pet the feral cat" to figure this out.
"I love you. ... Did you hear me? Ty wanted to ask, feeling like somehow saying those words had cleared out part of him. Created a hole that needed if not filling, then at least acknowledgment. But he knew Casey had heard him. Maybe saying that had been too fast. Kind of like his big ultimatum to Shelby two weeks ago --- he'd ruined everything by rushing in. Forcing things that didn't need to be forced. And maybe it was unfair to expect more from Casey than what the kid could give."
One of life's most powerful lessons is about love. You can't make someone love you the way you think they should love you. Love is defined very differently by each of us. We either accept the love of another and their definition for the love they give, or we don't. The decision is ours. Through these GREAT characters, Molly captures this perfectly for us.
5 -- The grit used to tell this story. This isn't a simple, pretty, easy read. It has a rawness, and depth of emotion you're not expecting. Molly O'Keefe pulled out all the stops writing this. I'm in awe.
Okay, now for a few things I thought could have been better:
1 -- The title. **spoiler alert** So, why this title? Because, we are to think this is a cheesy serial romance. I can't think of another reason why this title would be appropriate. I have a feeling this book may suffer due to some poor marketing. That would be a real shame.
2 -- Likewise, the cover. Just silly.
3 -- As good as this book was to the 90% maybe 93% mark, the ending felt rushed and a bit incomplete. It ended okay. Definitely no cliffhanger. These books can be as stand alone, but this one still felt rushed. Like we were hurrying up to end it by a certain page length or something. Another 50 pages or so and we could have had a smoother landing.
This book was the best in the series and I've liked them all. I thought the author did a great job with all the complex story elements. I enjoyed it immensely.
Happy Reading!
ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell via Netgalley in exchanged for an honest review.
October 3, 2014
Quick summary
Shelby Monroe was humiliated six months ago (see Wild Child) and she's soldiering on until she meets neighbor Wyatt (Ty) Svenson. She's got a formula she uses to manage her life that keeps everyone at a distance and she's yet to have a meaningful relationship. Ty's new to Bishop and is struggling to figure out how to be a father to his newly-discovered 11-year old son, Casey.
The heart of the story
While Shelby's willing to keep everyone at arm's length emotionally, she doesn't have a problem tangling sexually with Ty. At some level, this works for both of them for a time until he realizes he needs more. There are some very interesting reasons why Shelby's wired this way and it doesn't help that she's struggling with her mother's increasing debilitation due to Alzheimer's.
Why I loved this story
I felt Shelby's humiliation in Wild Child to my core but I didn't know much about the character, thinking she was just a rather naive woman...sympathetic but without much depth. This story turns that notion completely on its head as you won't find a character with more emotional complexities. Ty's simpler but what makes him extraordinary is his ability to apply life lessons so readily to new circumstances. He's a biker that destroys every stereotype and his stretch to connect with his son was at times raw and at others uplifting. Ty's emotional growth bleeds messily and beautifully into his romance with Shelby, which she resists as if her life depends on it. The dynamics are riveting.
The bottom line
The constructs of these characters are brilliantly written and presented. It's a tough terrain but I never felt hopeless. This was an all-nighter for me because I couldn't find a decent stopping point. The story is just that good and O'Keefe continues to earn her distinction as a very talented writer.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
Shelby Monroe was humiliated six months ago (see Wild Child) and she's soldiering on until she meets neighbor Wyatt (Ty) Svenson. She's got a formula she uses to manage her life that keeps everyone at a distance and she's yet to have a meaningful relationship. Ty's new to Bishop and is struggling to figure out how to be a father to his newly-discovered 11-year old son, Casey.
The heart of the story
While Shelby's willing to keep everyone at arm's length emotionally, she doesn't have a problem tangling sexually with Ty. At some level, this works for both of them for a time until he realizes he needs more. There are some very interesting reasons why Shelby's wired this way and it doesn't help that she's struggling with her mother's increasing debilitation due to Alzheimer's.
Why I loved this story
I felt Shelby's humiliation in Wild Child to my core but I didn't know much about the character, thinking she was just a rather naive woman...sympathetic but without much depth. This story turns that notion completely on its head as you won't find a character with more emotional complexities. Ty's simpler but what makes him extraordinary is his ability to apply life lessons so readily to new circumstances. He's a biker that destroys every stereotype and his stretch to connect with his son was at times raw and at others uplifting. Ty's emotional growth bleeds messily and beautifully into his romance with Shelby, which she resists as if her life depends on it. The dynamics are riveting.
The bottom line
The constructs of these characters are brilliantly written and presented. It's a tough terrain but I never felt hopeless. This was an all-nighter for me because I couldn't find a decent stopping point. The story is just that good and O'Keefe continues to earn her distinction as a very talented writer.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
May 23, 2022
Molly O'Keefe binge-a-ton 2022. I can't get enough of these perfectly balanced small town romances. Plenty sweet with a steamy/gritty kickback. Molly O'Keefe is a treasure!
Shelved as 'to-buy'
September 13, 2017I added this book because Harley Quinn was reading it in the last scene in Suicide Squad.
May 28, 2021
Why did I read this book? Why did I think that the universe wanted me to read this book simply because i found it on the side of the road? What vengeful god made this my lot? Are we nothing but toys to the divine? In conclusion, this book gave me an existential crisis and I will need 3-5 business days to recover.
June 20, 2014
☆I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!!☆
Between the Sheets was a good, decent read. Both characters come from broken pasts and are trying to make something new of their futures.
For Ty, it is trying to build stability for himself and his son. And for Shelby, it’s trying to overcome her morbid, guilt ridden past that she needs to learn how to let go in order to move on and be happy.
#I had originally signed up for this book because I had been following this series had had hoped that with the title and cover indicating a hot, sexy read that it would follow that suit but it doesn’t. I mean, in some ways it does and some ways it’s not; it’s something more.
All and in all, I liked it and can’t wait for the next book in the series! Good job Molly!
Between the Sheets was a good, decent read. Both characters come from broken pasts and are trying to make something new of their futures.
For Ty, it is trying to build stability for himself and his son. And for Shelby, it’s trying to overcome her morbid, guilt ridden past that she needs to learn how to let go in order to move on and be happy.
#I had originally signed up for this book because I had been following this series had had hoped that with the title and cover indicating a hot, sexy read that it would follow that suit but it doesn’t. I mean, in some ways it does and some ways it’s not; it’s something more.
All and in all, I liked it and can’t wait for the next book in the series! Good job Molly!
June 25, 2014
By looking at the cover, you think you're going to get a light fluffy romance. WRONG! What you get is a rough, angst-filled book that shatters your heart. You'll want to reach out to Shelby and simultaneously hug her and smack some sense into her head, and you'll want to wrap Ty up in hugs and tell him he's doing the right thing.
If you read book one in the series, you will remember Shelby. If you didn't read book one, you'll get her back story and not be lost (but you should definitely read book one cause it's good). Shelby is so strong and brave and has gone through so much. Watching her realize that she is more than what her father drilled into her was miraculous. I honestly didn't thinks she'd get there. She was so stubborn and proud and sold herself short on deserving happiness. I'm so glad Ty didn't give up on her.
Speaking of Ty...he was broken in his own way, but he had such a loving heart. He was patient and kind and a little on the dominant side. He was HOT. For me, there isn't much hotter than a man who can take control, but still show how loving and gentle he is to a woman and child. Ty wanted to do the right thing for his son, and wanted more than Shelby was willing to give.
I've tried to write this and not give away too much about the plot. You just need to read this book. In fact, read all the books in this series. They are well written and the characters grow so much. I loved seeing Brody and Ashley in here, and how Brody has continued to change :) I'm looking forward to reading Harrison's book next!
ARC received from the publisher via Netgalley
If you read book one in the series, you will remember Shelby. If you didn't read book one, you'll get her back story and not be lost (but you should definitely read book one cause it's good). Shelby is so strong and brave and has gone through so much. Watching her realize that she is more than what her father drilled into her was miraculous. I honestly didn't thinks she'd get there. She was so stubborn and proud and sold herself short on deserving happiness. I'm so glad Ty didn't give up on her.
Speaking of Ty...he was broken in his own way, but he had such a loving heart. He was patient and kind and a little on the dominant side. He was HOT. For me, there isn't much hotter than a man who can take control, but still show how loving and gentle he is to a woman and child. Ty wanted to do the right thing for his son, and wanted more than Shelby was willing to give.
I've tried to write this and not give away too much about the plot. You just need to read this book. In fact, read all the books in this series. They are well written and the characters grow so much. I loved seeing Brody and Ashley in here, and how Brody has continued to change :) I'm looking forward to reading Harrison's book next!
ARC received from the publisher via Netgalley
July 31, 2014
3.5 stars
"The past is never dead. It's not even past. “ William Faulkner
Ty has just moved to Bishop with his teenage son, who he didn't even know existed until a few months ago, and is working to make a go at their relationship, settling in a new town, curbing his wanderlust and life in general. One evening a neighbor lady stops by to complain about his noisy habit of working on motorcycles until the wee hours. It's about the furthest you can get from love at first sight. However, when Ty gets called to the school to pick up his frequently in trouble son, lo and behold there is the neighbor lady, also the school's art teacher, and she is one of the few in the room sticking up for his son. Here starts the interaction and relationship between Ty and the neighbor art teacher, Shelby.
Shelby's story and background is completely saddening. She grew up in a house where her farther tried daily to break her down physically and emotionally and when she escaped into herself by deadening her emotions, he focused on her mother. Her father is dead now but her mother is also in the middle stages of Alzheimer's disease. Every day is a struggle for Shelby and when Ty walks in her door, she sees him as the perfect stress reliever. Their relationship starts off as escapism through sex, some steamy angry sex scenes here folks. Eventually, Ty starts to develop deeper feelings for Shelby and grows tired of feeling used. Shelby not knowing how to accept, understand, or express her feelings for Ty pushes him away, even as she wants to cling to him.
This story, with its characters and themes, was almost too real; it's not easy to read. The author does an amazing job of crafting incredible backgrounds, thought, feelings, and emotions for Ty and Shelby. At times, however, I almost felt like I was reading a story about Shelby and Ty, but separately. The relationship aspect takes a hit because of all the issues Shelby and Ty are dealing with; there really is not a lot of time left over for them. There is also an added story thread dealing with an exboyfriend of Shelby's that could have just been left out, the woman is dealing with enough already and it didn't really add anything to the story.
The writing and pace is good and with this being the third in The Boys of Bishop series, past characters make an appearance but never overwhelm the story and in fact, make me want to go back and visit their stories. Like I said, this is a heavier read but Shelby's past pain and increasingly declining mother coupled with Ty's ongoing struggle to connect with his son make for, while a daunting read, it is also an emotional read guaranteed to remain in your thoughts after you've put the book down.
"The past is never dead. It's not even past. “ William Faulkner
Ty has just moved to Bishop with his teenage son, who he didn't even know existed until a few months ago, and is working to make a go at their relationship, settling in a new town, curbing his wanderlust and life in general. One evening a neighbor lady stops by to complain about his noisy habit of working on motorcycles until the wee hours. It's about the furthest you can get from love at first sight. However, when Ty gets called to the school to pick up his frequently in trouble son, lo and behold there is the neighbor lady, also the school's art teacher, and she is one of the few in the room sticking up for his son. Here starts the interaction and relationship between Ty and the neighbor art teacher, Shelby.
Shelby's story and background is completely saddening. She grew up in a house where her farther tried daily to break her down physically and emotionally and when she escaped into herself by deadening her emotions, he focused on her mother. Her father is dead now but her mother is also in the middle stages of Alzheimer's disease. Every day is a struggle for Shelby and when Ty walks in her door, she sees him as the perfect stress reliever. Their relationship starts off as escapism through sex, some steamy angry sex scenes here folks. Eventually, Ty starts to develop deeper feelings for Shelby and grows tired of feeling used. Shelby not knowing how to accept, understand, or express her feelings for Ty pushes him away, even as she wants to cling to him.
This story, with its characters and themes, was almost too real; it's not easy to read. The author does an amazing job of crafting incredible backgrounds, thought, feelings, and emotions for Ty and Shelby. At times, however, I almost felt like I was reading a story about Shelby and Ty, but separately. The relationship aspect takes a hit because of all the issues Shelby and Ty are dealing with; there really is not a lot of time left over for them. There is also an added story thread dealing with an exboyfriend of Shelby's that could have just been left out, the woman is dealing with enough already and it didn't really add anything to the story.
The writing and pace is good and with this being the third in The Boys of Bishop series, past characters make an appearance but never overwhelm the story and in fact, make me want to go back and visit their stories. Like I said, this is a heavier read but Shelby's past pain and increasingly declining mother coupled with Ty's ongoing struggle to connect with his son make for, while a daunting read, it is also an emotional read guaranteed to remain in your thoughts after you've put the book down.
October 21, 2014
I wanted to like this better than I did but I just couldn't like the heroine. The hero wanted to treat her with respect but she kept making him treat her basically like a whore by refusing to accept anything else from him. Consequently the sex scenes while hot enough left me feeling kind of icky. I don't know why he fell in love with her since she made him feel bad about himself. Yes she had a miserable back story and she had flashes of kindness mostly to his son but she was just cold and unyielding. The three stars are for the quality of the writing and for the hero's relationship with his sone.
April 15, 2017
*I received a free ARC of Between the Sheets from Bantam via Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review*
Between the Sheets is a very profound story, where the romance took the back-seat and finding themselves became the characters’ main purpose.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
Between the Sheets is a very profound story, where the romance took the back-seat and finding themselves became the characters’ main purpose.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
September 12, 2016
Wow, as always, Molly O'Keefe delivers with this book! Are you looking for a contemporary romance with maladjusted heroes and heroines with lots of personal issues and poor coping mechanisms? Looking for those coping mechanisms to be broken painfully down as they fall in love? Looking for the redemptive power of love to bring them into a happier life, integrated into the community they once felt set apart from, and with a loving partner who makes them be a better person? Then you've come to the right spot.
Once again, we're in the town of Bishop. Shelby was in Wild Child, book 1 of Boys of Bishop, having destructive and degrading dirty sex with Dean Jennings, the CEO of a cracker company who had come to Bishop for a tv show. Shelby is an art teacher who grew up as the only child of a narcissistic shyster preacher, who was very emotionally abusive to Shelby and her mother.
Her father died, but the legacy of his abuse lives on in Shelby's thoughts.
Shelby is the main caregiver for her mother, who is sinking further into the dementia of Alzheimer's. She feels like a pressure cooker, from the pressures of trying to lock away her feelings from everyone, and from trying to take care of her mother, which is growing more and more difficult.
Shelby found she could blow off steam (and also punish herself) by having raunchy sex with Dean. She turns to the same act of destruction with her new neighbor, Ty. Ty has moved to town to give his newly discovered 11 year old son Casey a fresh start in a wholesome environment. Casey lived with his mom, a hanger on in a motorcycle club, until she went to jail for dealing meth. Casey escaped from foster care and trekked across the country to meet his dad, who didn't know he existed until Casey shows up in his grandfather's motorcycle repair shop. Casey is scared and hurt, and hides it by being troublesome. Ty is feeling overwhelmed trying to learn how to be a parent to his son who is quite a handful. He agrees to sex with Shelby as way for his to decompress as well.
Ty quickly finds that he wants more from Shelby than just dirty sex.
Ty begins to try to get Shelby to open up, to talk to him about what is going on with her home situation, and why she is so closed off. He gently tries to help her.
He wants to have their relationship become an open thing, acknowledged in front of their neighbors and friends, and between each other.
But Shelby is so ossified into her learned reactions from her father that she has great difficulty letting Ty into her heart. They agree that they will try to be a couple and move past their issues and to love each other, learning how to do so together.
Shelby tries and fails to break her bad habits when her mother's Alzheimer's reaches a crisis, however, which is heartbreaking to read. And she decides to give up on Ty and on love.
I cried when I got to this part of the book. I hurt for Shelby- for all her anxiety, and her yearning, and her pain in being stuck in her emotional rut. And poor Ty, who loves Shelby and wants a life with her!
Just when you think that their relationship is doomed (no, not really- this is a romance book, remember?!), Shelby reaches a personal breakthrough, and lets herself feel and recognize how much she has come to love Ty.
This book put me through an emotional wringer. It was so well written, and I felt caught up in the story the whole time I was reading it. I can't wait to see what Molly O'Keefe comes up with next, and there is no question, I will grab her next book as soon as it is available. She is definitely an auto buy for me, as her works are consistently outstanding.
Once again, we're in the town of Bishop. Shelby was in Wild Child, book 1 of Boys of Bishop, having destructive and degrading dirty sex with Dean Jennings, the CEO of a cracker company who had come to Bishop for a tv show. Shelby is an art teacher who grew up as the only child of a narcissistic shyster preacher, who was very emotionally abusive to Shelby and her mother.
As a child, in the face of her father's violent disapproval, she'd created this identity, this cold distance between herself and other people's opinions, in an act of defiant self-protection. Dad couldn't hurt her if she pretended not to care. Pretended she didn't need affection or approval.
And then no one could hurt her if she pretended she was above the messy needs and wants of the human heart. If she just buried what she wanted so deep they couldn't see it- so deep that even she forgot it.
It had been an abused and scared kid's way of coping.
And as a woman, she didn't even know how to change it.
Her father died, but the legacy of his abuse lives on in Shelby's thoughts.
In the heavy dark silence he left behind, she stacked and put away those small desires to be someone else, to want more than she had, and she got back to the business of being Shelby Monroe, Art Teacher. It was enough. And if sometimes she wanted to scream, or cry, or find some stranger to prove to her that she wasn't totally dead inside or invisible to the world, it was an urge she could easily overcome.
She had overcome worse.
Shelby is the main caregiver for her mother, who is sinking further into the dementia of Alzheimer's. She feels like a pressure cooker, from the pressures of trying to lock away her feelings from everyone, and from trying to take care of her mother, which is growing more and more difficult.
Shelby found she could blow off steam (and also punish herself) by having raunchy sex with Dean. She turns to the same act of destruction with her new neighbor, Ty. Ty has moved to town to give his newly discovered 11 year old son Casey a fresh start in a wholesome environment. Casey lived with his mom, a hanger on in a motorcycle club, until she went to jail for dealing meth. Casey escaped from foster care and trekked across the country to meet his dad, who didn't know he existed until Casey shows up in his grandfather's motorcycle repair shop. Casey is scared and hurt, and hides it by being troublesome. Ty is feeling overwhelmed trying to learn how to be a parent to his son who is quite a handful. He agrees to sex with Shelby as way for his to decompress as well.
Ty quickly finds that he wants more from Shelby than just dirty sex.
There was no part of her that looked comfortable, as if she was enjoying this, and he wondered if maybe they shouldn't just leave things at filthy sex on the floor. But their lives were already brushing up against each other in a dozen places and, well, he didn't want to leave it at filthy sex on the floor.
He liked her.
Liked her awkwardness and her seriousness. He liked what she hid behind them. Suddenly, he wanted to see her smile. Hear that hooting laugh again.
Ty begins to try to get Shelby to open up, to talk to him about what is going on with her home situation, and why she is so closed off. He gently tries to help her.
In the truck, after the party, he'd told her that the two of them wanting each other wasn't something to be scared of. That whatever was happening wasn't a big deal, but then he saw her mother not remember who Shelby was. He saw Shelby broken wide open over the guilt and pain of her mother's accident and he'd been ruined.
At that moment Ty wanting Shelby had become profoundly a big deal, because he wanted to help her. He wanted more than just this nasty amazing sex in the barn, he wanted more than the freedom of her body. He wanted her to see him as more than a simple tool.
I'm falling in love with her.
He wants to have their relationship become an open thing, acknowledged in front of their neighbors and friends, and between each other.
"I am no one's dirty secret. And I won't be yours anymore."
But that was all she could give him. And she wanted it to be private. Secret. Not because she was ashamed of him, or thought less of him, but because her entire life she had kept the things she wanted very small and very secret,- so her father could not touch them.
Hot shame flooded her.
But Shelby is so ossified into her learned reactions from her father that she has great difficulty letting Ty into her heart. They agree that they will try to be a couple and move past their issues and to love each other, learning how to do so together.
"But you mean more to me than the sex we've had, Shelby. I want more of your fierce heart and your secret smiles. Your loyalty and decency. I want to make you laugh until you hoot. I want to help you shoulder some of the load you've got because you've helped shoulder some of mine. I want to find out what you think and how you feel. I want to put you on the back of my bike and go for a ride. Lie down in a bed with you. I want to argue about what to watch on tv and... I want everything. Everything you have to give to a person, I want to be the man who gets it."
"I don't know how."
"Me neither."
Shelby tries and fails to break her bad habits when her mother's Alzheimer's reaches a crisis, however, which is heartbreaking to read. And she decides to give up on Ty and on love.
"I thought I could break down all your doors," he told her. "I could break your locks and force my way in, but you'll always find more, won't you? Something bad will happen in our lives and I'll be right back on the outside looking for a way in."
Nearly imperceptibly, she nodded.
His heart, under the too bright lights, shattered against the flecked linoleum floor, right at her feet.
"I'm going to go." He jerked his thumb back down the hall toward his son's room.
"That's for the best," she told him.
And he would be going on without her.
Shelby understood that her instincts right now were wrong. That she was living out the programming her father had given her when she was too young to understand. Too young to know that he was sick.
Despite knowing all that, she stood outside Casey's hospital room and knew that this was her fault. The boy in there. Her mother in surgery. Ty's barely contained anger and grief. It was all her fault.
Because for a little bit, she'd been happy.
I cried when I got to this part of the book. I hurt for Shelby- for all her anxiety, and her yearning, and her pain in being stuck in her emotional rut. And poor Ty, who loves Shelby and wants a life with her!
Just when you think that their relationship is doomed (no, not really- this is a romance book, remember?!), Shelby reaches a personal breakthrough, and lets herself feel and recognize how much she has come to love Ty.
"When I'm with you it's like I'm the person I'm supposed to be and I want that."
This book put me through an emotional wringer. It was so well written, and I felt caught up in the story the whole time I was reading it. I can't wait to see what Molly O'Keefe comes up with next, and there is no question, I will grab her next book as soon as it is available. She is definitely an auto buy for me, as her works are consistently outstanding.
August 4, 2014
4.5 stars. I really liked it.
Reviewed for Dear Author: http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...
Reviewed for Dear Author: http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...
July 29, 2014
I had a hard time connecting to the heroine despite her sad past and the romance was tricky too and I would have liked more of it rather than a one year later. More soon!
October 7, 2014
Review in English e em Português
It feels so good when you finish reading a book with your heart full of the good things that reading made you feel. Well, that's how I'm feeling right now. Between the Sheets is a love story, but not only about that kind of love which the H falls for the h. We findit here too, but it also shows us another kind of love that is so strong - and sometimes much greater - as the love of a husband for his wife is the love of a father for a son and a child by his parents.
Here we have the story of Ty and Shelby. Ty just found out that he was the father of a boy of 11 years old, Casey, and he’s struggling to manage all the confusion of feelings that is your life now. He is a good man, but he had a troubled childhood and adolescence as well and finds himself inadequate to the task of being a father, but he still loves his son and is doing everything to have a good relationship with him and give him a better life.
Shelby's life is also not that great. She also has had a hard childhood and suffered at the hands of an abusive, narcissistic father who did everything to destroy her self-esteem and her mother’s. To survive, she closed within herself, became an impenetrable island, driving people away from her. Shelby really believed that she was not capable of love, only to hurt people, so why bother to get involved? And there’s more, her mother has Alzaimer, and is already in a very bad stage, but Shelby did not know how to ask for help, so she's almost at the limit of his strength. Pretty complicated, isn’t it?
And what about Casey? People, he broke my heart! He suffered enough in the hands of a mother who took very bad care of him. She exposed him to things that no child should be exposed.. She go tinto jail and he fell into the hands of the system. He coudn’t take it anymore, so he fled and walking, crossed the state to find his father. Now, he is starting to feel safe and happy, but he doesn’t know how to deal with this feelings, and Casey still fears that her mother could reappear in his life and that Ty might also abandon him. So to mask those fears he makes trouble at school, and is not very good with his father, but what he really want is love, affection and understanding.
Shelby lives across the street from Ty, and they begin realize they are attracted to each other. At first their meetings are exhaust valves for both. Those moments in which sexual attraction is released, they can forget a little of life's problems and give free rein to their desires, but this is not enough. Ty is the first to recognize and demand more of their relationship, and as much as Shelby also wants more, she just couldn’t open up.
I can not even imagine what she was going through, and if you put her childhood traumas into that plate, it only gets worse, and despite her actions are justified, I can not help but be a bit annoyed with it. Damn, Ty was also afraid, he had thousands of reasons to think that they both would not work and that it could reach Casey somehow, yet he put himself out there. But anyway, her actions at the end of the book made it all better. And I understand that is very dificult to cut ties with the past and move on.
But without a doubt, what I enjoyed most was seeing the growth of love and the relationship between Casey and Ty. I loved the way the author dealt with it and did not let them both stay in this game of hide feelings. As hard as it was, we saw Ty come out and say to the his child that he had no idea what he was doing, but at the same time he wanted to do it rigt so bad! And that admission made all the difference for Casey, because he saw that his father was struggling so he also tried. It was beautiful when Ty said he did not care if Casey did a lot of bad things, he would discipline him, of course, but nothing he did would make him not care, not to love him. Beautiful, just beautiful.
The ending is beautiful, we see these three lives coming together and seeking a new beginning, based on love and acceptance. I super recommend it!
_________________________________________________________
É tão bom quando você termina a leitura de um livro com o coração cheio das coisas boas que aquela leitura te fez sentir. Bem, é assim que eu estou me sentindo agora. Between the Sheets é uma história de amor, mas não somente daquele amor que o mocinho sente pela mocinha, que nós estamos acostumadas a ler. A gente também vê isso aqui, mas ele também nos mostra um outro tipo de amor, que é tão forte – e às vezes bem maior – quanto o amor de um marido pela sua esposa, é o amor de um pai por um filho e de um filho por seus pais.
Aqui temos a história de Ty e Shelby. Ty acabou de descobrir que é pai de um garoto de 11 anos de idade, Casey, e está lutando para administrar toda a confusão de sentimentos que é a sua vida agora. Ele é um cara de bom coração, teve uma infância e adolescência bem conturbadas e se acha inadequado para a tarefa de ser pai, mas ainda assim ele ama o seu filho e está fazendo de tudo para ter um bom relacionamento com ele e lhe dar uma vida melhor.
A vida de Shelby também não está lá essas coisas. Ela também teve uma infância bem dura e sofreu nas mãos de um pai abusivo e narcisista, que fazia de tudo para destruir a autoestima dela e de sua mãe. Para sobreviver, ela se fechou dentro de si, se tornou uma ilha impenetrável, afastando as pessoas de si. Shelby realmente acreditava que ela não era capaz de amar, só de machucar as pessoas, então pra quê se envolver? E tem mais, a mãe dela tem Alzaimer, e já está em um estágio bem ruim, mas Shelby não sabe pedir ajuda, então ela tá quase no limite das suas forças. Bem complicado, não?
E o que dizer de Casey? Gente, partiu meu coração! Ele sofreu demais nas mãos de uma mãe que não cuidava dele de verdade. O expunha a coisas que nenhuma criança deveria se expor.. Ela acabou presa e ele caiu nas mãos do sistema. Não aguentando mais ele fugiu e andando cruzou o estado para achar o seu pai. Agora, ele está seguro e começando a ser feliz, mas ele não sabe como lidar com esse sentimento, e Casey ainda teme que a sua mãe apareça de novo na sua vida, que Ty o abandone também. Então, para mascarar esses medos ele apronta na escola, com o pai, mas na verdade ele só quer amor, carinho e compreensão.
Shelby é vizinha de Ty, e eles começam a conviver e perceber que estão atraídos um pelo outro. A princípio os seus encontros são válvulas de escape para ambos. Naqueles momentos em que a atração sexual é liberada, eles conseguem esquecer um pouco dos problemas da vida e dão vasão aos desejos, mas isso não é o bastante. Ty é o primeiro a reconhecer e demandar mais desse relacionamento, e por mais que Shelby também queira mais, ela simplesmente não consegue se abrir.
Eu não consigo nem imaginar o tamanho da barra que ela estava passando, se juntar os traumas da infância, aí que o que negócio piora, e apesar das ações dela serem justificadas, eu não conseguir deixar de me irritar um pouco com ela. Poxa, Ty também estava com medo, tinha milhares de motivos também para achar que eles dois não dariam certo e que isso poderia atingir Casey de alguma forma, mas ainda assim ele se abriu e se expos. Mas enfim, as atitudes dela no final do livro conseguiram redimi-la. E eu entendo a sua dificuldade de cortar os laços com o passado e seguir em frente.
Mas sem dúvidas, o que eu mais gostei foi ver o crescimento do amor e do relacionamento entre Casey e Ty. Adorei o jeito que autora lidou com isso e não deixou com que ambos ficassem nesse jogo de esconder os sentimentos. Por mais difícil que fosse, nós vimos Ty se abrir e dizer para o filho que ele não tinha ideia do que estava fazendo, mas ainda assim estava doido para acertar. E essas admissões fizeram toda diferença para Casey, pois ele via que o pai estava se esforçando e por isso ele também tentava. Achei lindo quando Ty disse que não importava se Casey fizesse um monte de besteiras, ele iria corrigi-lo, claro, mas nada do que ele fizesse iria fazer com que ele não se importasse, que ele não o amasse. Lindo, não?!
O final é lindo, nós vemos essas três vidas se unindo e buscando um novo recomeço, baseado no amor e na aceitação. Eu super recomendo!
It feels so good when you finish reading a book with your heart full of the good things that reading made you feel. Well, that's how I'm feeling right now. Between the Sheets is a love story, but not only about that kind of love which the H falls for the h. We findit here too, but it also shows us another kind of love that is so strong - and sometimes much greater - as the love of a husband for his wife is the love of a father for a son and a child by his parents.
Here we have the story of Ty and Shelby. Ty just found out that he was the father of a boy of 11 years old, Casey, and he’s struggling to manage all the confusion of feelings that is your life now. He is a good man, but he had a troubled childhood and adolescence as well and finds himself inadequate to the task of being a father, but he still loves his son and is doing everything to have a good relationship with him and give him a better life.
Shelby's life is also not that great. She also has had a hard childhood and suffered at the hands of an abusive, narcissistic father who did everything to destroy her self-esteem and her mother’s. To survive, she closed within herself, became an impenetrable island, driving people away from her. Shelby really believed that she was not capable of love, only to hurt people, so why bother to get involved? And there’s more, her mother has Alzaimer, and is already in a very bad stage, but Shelby did not know how to ask for help, so she's almost at the limit of his strength. Pretty complicated, isn’t it?
And what about Casey? People, he broke my heart! He suffered enough in the hands of a mother who took very bad care of him. She exposed him to things that no child should be exposed.. She go tinto jail and he fell into the hands of the system. He coudn’t take it anymore, so he fled and walking, crossed the state to find his father. Now, he is starting to feel safe and happy, but he doesn’t know how to deal with this feelings, and Casey still fears that her mother could reappear in his life and that Ty might also abandon him. So to mask those fears he makes trouble at school, and is not very good with his father, but what he really want is love, affection and understanding.
Shelby lives across the street from Ty, and they begin realize they are attracted to each other. At first their meetings are exhaust valves for both. Those moments in which sexual attraction is released, they can forget a little of life's problems and give free rein to their desires, but this is not enough. Ty is the first to recognize and demand more of their relationship, and as much as Shelby also wants more, she just couldn’t open up.
I can not even imagine what she was going through, and if you put her childhood traumas into that plate, it only gets worse, and despite her actions are justified, I can not help but be a bit annoyed with it. Damn, Ty was also afraid, he had thousands of reasons to think that they both would not work and that it could reach Casey somehow, yet he put himself out there. But anyway, her actions at the end of the book made it all better. And I understand that is very dificult to cut ties with the past and move on.
But without a doubt, what I enjoyed most was seeing the growth of love and the relationship between Casey and Ty. I loved the way the author dealt with it and did not let them both stay in this game of hide feelings. As hard as it was, we saw Ty come out and say to the his child that he had no idea what he was doing, but at the same time he wanted to do it rigt so bad! And that admission made all the difference for Casey, because he saw that his father was struggling so he also tried. It was beautiful when Ty said he did not care if Casey did a lot of bad things, he would discipline him, of course, but nothing he did would make him not care, not to love him. Beautiful, just beautiful.
The ending is beautiful, we see these three lives coming together and seeking a new beginning, based on love and acceptance. I super recommend it!
_________________________________________________________
É tão bom quando você termina a leitura de um livro com o coração cheio das coisas boas que aquela leitura te fez sentir. Bem, é assim que eu estou me sentindo agora. Between the Sheets é uma história de amor, mas não somente daquele amor que o mocinho sente pela mocinha, que nós estamos acostumadas a ler. A gente também vê isso aqui, mas ele também nos mostra um outro tipo de amor, que é tão forte – e às vezes bem maior – quanto o amor de um marido pela sua esposa, é o amor de um pai por um filho e de um filho por seus pais.
Aqui temos a história de Ty e Shelby. Ty acabou de descobrir que é pai de um garoto de 11 anos de idade, Casey, e está lutando para administrar toda a confusão de sentimentos que é a sua vida agora. Ele é um cara de bom coração, teve uma infância e adolescência bem conturbadas e se acha inadequado para a tarefa de ser pai, mas ainda assim ele ama o seu filho e está fazendo de tudo para ter um bom relacionamento com ele e lhe dar uma vida melhor.
A vida de Shelby também não está lá essas coisas. Ela também teve uma infância bem dura e sofreu nas mãos de um pai abusivo e narcisista, que fazia de tudo para destruir a autoestima dela e de sua mãe. Para sobreviver, ela se fechou dentro de si, se tornou uma ilha impenetrável, afastando as pessoas de si. Shelby realmente acreditava que ela não era capaz de amar, só de machucar as pessoas, então pra quê se envolver? E tem mais, a mãe dela tem Alzaimer, e já está em um estágio bem ruim, mas Shelby não sabe pedir ajuda, então ela tá quase no limite das suas forças. Bem complicado, não?
E o que dizer de Casey? Gente, partiu meu coração! Ele sofreu demais nas mãos de uma mãe que não cuidava dele de verdade. O expunha a coisas que nenhuma criança deveria se expor.. Ela acabou presa e ele caiu nas mãos do sistema. Não aguentando mais ele fugiu e andando cruzou o estado para achar o seu pai. Agora, ele está seguro e começando a ser feliz, mas ele não sabe como lidar com esse sentimento, e Casey ainda teme que a sua mãe apareça de novo na sua vida, que Ty o abandone também. Então, para mascarar esses medos ele apronta na escola, com o pai, mas na verdade ele só quer amor, carinho e compreensão.
Shelby é vizinha de Ty, e eles começam a conviver e perceber que estão atraídos um pelo outro. A princípio os seus encontros são válvulas de escape para ambos. Naqueles momentos em que a atração sexual é liberada, eles conseguem esquecer um pouco dos problemas da vida e dão vasão aos desejos, mas isso não é o bastante. Ty é o primeiro a reconhecer e demandar mais desse relacionamento, e por mais que Shelby também queira mais, ela simplesmente não consegue se abrir.
Eu não consigo nem imaginar o tamanho da barra que ela estava passando, se juntar os traumas da infância, aí que o que negócio piora, e apesar das ações dela serem justificadas, eu não conseguir deixar de me irritar um pouco com ela. Poxa, Ty também estava com medo, tinha milhares de motivos também para achar que eles dois não dariam certo e que isso poderia atingir Casey de alguma forma, mas ainda assim ele se abriu e se expos. Mas enfim, as atitudes dela no final do livro conseguiram redimi-la. E eu entendo a sua dificuldade de cortar os laços com o passado e seguir em frente.
Mas sem dúvidas, o que eu mais gostei foi ver o crescimento do amor e do relacionamento entre Casey e Ty. Adorei o jeito que autora lidou com isso e não deixou com que ambos ficassem nesse jogo de esconder os sentimentos. Por mais difícil que fosse, nós vimos Ty se abrir e dizer para o filho que ele não tinha ideia do que estava fazendo, mas ainda assim estava doido para acertar. E essas admissões fizeram toda diferença para Casey, pois ele via que o pai estava se esforçando e por isso ele também tentava. Achei lindo quando Ty disse que não importava se Casey fizesse um monte de besteiras, ele iria corrigi-lo, claro, mas nada do que ele fizesse iria fazer com que ele não se importasse, que ele não o amasse. Lindo, não?!
O final é lindo, nós vemos essas três vidas se unindo e buscando um novo recomeço, baseado no amor e na aceitação. Eu super recomendo!
July 8, 2017
Une histoire toute simple qui fait du bien au moral. Pas assez de passion entre les deux héros selon moi, mais une bonne histoire
December 29, 2014
Prior to the Molly O’Keefe’s Summer Rain short-story, The Heart of It I had started and quit three her novels despite hearing only the love and adoration for them from trusted reviewers and twitter friends. As I read the opening chapters of Between the Sheets I finally realized why I had struggled with her books. O’Keefe doesn’t shy away from presenting her characters at their most unflattering right from the start. Some authors slowly unveil and reveal character flaws and struggles slowly, ensuring you are invested in the characters and in all the O’Keefe’s I had tried to read, the main characters don’t meet-cute, they meet-hate and behave in less than ideal ways. They are better people than they appear to be, but they did deep holes with each other and the reader.
Between the Sheets is the second book in the Boys of Bishop series. The first book Wild Child has been sitting on my kindle since it first came available on NetGalley, abandoned after I read the first chapter and I only saw conflict ahead. Buoyed by my enjoyment of The Heart of It I was able to blaze through the conflict-heavy early chapters of Between the Sheets, till I was fully engaged with the characters, and their story. Once I got to know Shelby, Ty, Evie and Casey I couldn’t put the book down. While Between the Sheets alludes to events in Wild Child and has many characters in common, I didn't feel I missed anything vital in skipping it.
While most teachers and students trudge back into school after the holidays, Shelby Monroe is thrilled to be back. She loves her work, she loves using art to connect with her students but most of all her students and her work are an escape from her hellish home life. She is the main caregiver to her mother, Evie, whose Alzheimer is worsening to the point that Shelby can no longer manage with only occasional help. Other than Evie’s hired caregivers most people in Bishop are completely unaware of how much Shelby is trying to do on her own at home. Shelby is actually a master at appearing unruffled and in control even if she is terrified and in pain. People in her town have come to see her in a very particular way and she doesn’t know how to reach out and change that. She feels deeply untouchable and she thirsts to be touched and desired, to feel wantoned and abandoned to passion. She is deeply ashamed to feel that way. Even after falling prey to obsessive man in Wild Child, and having him try to slut-shame her on TV, in the eyes of most in her community, she is still good sweet Shelby and no one believes the words hurled at her. She is horrified to discover that she wishes some of them did, just so they might see that she isn’t as cold and withdrawn as she appears.
Ty is Shelby’s new neighbor. He has come to Bishop looking for a fresh start for his newly discovered son. Ty is also drowning and over-whelmed, and feels completely inadequate as father to Casey. Casey home life with Ty’s ex was unsettled, neglectful and deeply scarring, and Ty is not sure he can figure out how to make a difference in Casey’s life. Once confident and always able charm and make friends easily in any new place, Ty no longer feels so secure, and fumbles badly when Shelby shows up at his door at midnight, livid at the racket he has been making while tinkering with his bike. He makes all the wrong assumptions about her, just as she does with him.
O’Keefe did a wonderful job of drawing Shelby and Ty together, setting up how they will fall into each others arms but more importantly carefully developed how difficult it would be for Shelby who feels like she is nothing but sharp edges and the potential to deeply hurt others, to be vulnerable and to accept love. I loved how Ty is the one to stand up and set boundaries because he wants more from Shelby than angry-escapist sex and seeks to see her, not just the masks she puts up to the world.
As a pastor’s wife I was also very impressed with nuanced portrayal of faith, churches and pastoral/spousal abuse in this novel. Evie’s husband and Shelby’s father was a narcissistic preacher who verbally and emotionally abused his family. He used his power in and out of the pulpit to abuse them. While Shelby has complicated feelings about church, it is clear that faith and community also have the power to heal and mend people, as evidenced by Ty's experience of it. I loved that she could portray the fact that while abuse and hate are sometimes preached in the name of God, that is not what most churches are like.
I am going to pull up Wild Child up in my Kindle and then dive back in to O’Keefe’s backlist now that I know I shouldn't judge her characters by my first impressions and instead really get to know them since I can trust that there is more to her characters than conflict and anger.
A copy of Between the Sheets was provided by Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell via NetGalley for review purposes.
Between the Sheets is the second book in the Boys of Bishop series. The first book Wild Child has been sitting on my kindle since it first came available on NetGalley, abandoned after I read the first chapter and I only saw conflict ahead. Buoyed by my enjoyment of The Heart of It I was able to blaze through the conflict-heavy early chapters of Between the Sheets, till I was fully engaged with the characters, and their story. Once I got to know Shelby, Ty, Evie and Casey I couldn’t put the book down. While Between the Sheets alludes to events in Wild Child and has many characters in common, I didn't feel I missed anything vital in skipping it.
While most teachers and students trudge back into school after the holidays, Shelby Monroe is thrilled to be back. She loves her work, she loves using art to connect with her students but most of all her students and her work are an escape from her hellish home life. She is the main caregiver to her mother, Evie, whose Alzheimer is worsening to the point that Shelby can no longer manage with only occasional help. Other than Evie’s hired caregivers most people in Bishop are completely unaware of how much Shelby is trying to do on her own at home. Shelby is actually a master at appearing unruffled and in control even if she is terrified and in pain. People in her town have come to see her in a very particular way and she doesn’t know how to reach out and change that. She feels deeply untouchable and she thirsts to be touched and desired, to feel wantoned and abandoned to passion. She is deeply ashamed to feel that way. Even after falling prey to obsessive man in Wild Child, and having him try to slut-shame her on TV, in the eyes of most in her community, she is still good sweet Shelby and no one believes the words hurled at her. She is horrified to discover that she wishes some of them did, just so they might see that she isn’t as cold and withdrawn as she appears.
Ty is Shelby’s new neighbor. He has come to Bishop looking for a fresh start for his newly discovered son. Ty is also drowning and over-whelmed, and feels completely inadequate as father to Casey. Casey home life with Ty’s ex was unsettled, neglectful and deeply scarring, and Ty is not sure he can figure out how to make a difference in Casey’s life. Once confident and always able charm and make friends easily in any new place, Ty no longer feels so secure, and fumbles badly when Shelby shows up at his door at midnight, livid at the racket he has been making while tinkering with his bike. He makes all the wrong assumptions about her, just as she does with him.
O’Keefe did a wonderful job of drawing Shelby and Ty together, setting up how they will fall into each others arms but more importantly carefully developed how difficult it would be for Shelby who feels like she is nothing but sharp edges and the potential to deeply hurt others, to be vulnerable and to accept love. I loved how Ty is the one to stand up and set boundaries because he wants more from Shelby than angry-escapist sex and seeks to see her, not just the masks she puts up to the world.
As a pastor’s wife I was also very impressed with nuanced portrayal of faith, churches and pastoral/spousal abuse in this novel. Evie’s husband and Shelby’s father was a narcissistic preacher who verbally and emotionally abused his family. He used his power in and out of the pulpit to abuse them. While Shelby has complicated feelings about church, it is clear that faith and community also have the power to heal and mend people, as evidenced by Ty's experience of it. I loved that she could portray the fact that while abuse and hate are sometimes preached in the name of God, that is not what most churches are like.
I am going to pull up Wild Child up in my Kindle and then dive back in to O’Keefe’s backlist now that I know I shouldn't judge her characters by my first impressions and instead really get to know them since I can trust that there is more to her characters than conflict and anger.
A copy of Between the Sheets was provided by Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell via NetGalley for review purposes.
September 10, 2016
It's happened to me sometimes, to find myself in the middle of a book and realize that what I'm reading will define my concept of the genre it belongs to, or will be used to measure up all the books that will come in the future after it.
It can be because one particular character feels very dear to me, or because a specific plot device surprises or leaves me speechless.
When I'm done with that book and recollect its events, I can even come to the conclusion that it wasn't earth-shattering, in the history of literature, but the thought of it will still leave a smile on my face or cause a flutter of delighful fondness in my chest.
That's my experience with "Between The Sheets". I bought it because I saw Harley Quinn reading it in "Suicide Squad", I won't lie to you, and it doesn't seem like a lame reason at all, to me.
There's this saying, that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover and I do that a lot. I totally judge a book by its cover, but in positive. I often buy books only based on the beauty of their covers and it often backfires - epically.
I also buy books because people I admire read them and I have a huge crush on Harley, so I thought it could be a great idea. I'm so glad I'm so impulsive.
"Between The Sheets" is actually the third book in the "Boys of Bishop" series, and there are constant reminders of past situations and characters that make reading the first two books at least less confusing than rather deciding to just start with this one.
There are a lot of different PoV's, and the third person omniscient narrator manages to capture the complexity of some of them better than others.
The main characters are a trio of very different people for sex, age and background, but all of them are linked by the need to rely on others, open up to someone willing and desperate to love them for who they are.
Ty is a thirthy-something man who finds out he has a son on the edge of adolescence; he isn't exactly what could be defined as a mature, responsible adult.
He's spent the last seven years of his life living in as many States, meeting people, traveling, enjoying himself, but not really finding any reason to put down roots somewhere.
He's a little restless, a little wild. But having his son traveling alone to find him and know him in person, pushes him to change his view of the world, his idea on life.
He decides to try and find a quiet and welcoming place where to build a relationship with his son and they end up in Bishop.
Casey is a sweet eleven-year-old boy.
When he goes to his father, he hasn't anything to lose anymore. His mother is in jail. He's been to two different foster homes and is broken. He doesn't know what parental love is, doesn't know how to deal with adults and rules.
But he's determined to get better and to live with the father he hasn't had a relationship with for the first eleven years of his life.
Shelby lives in Bishop with her mother, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer.
She is a little like Casey. Growing up in a house where love, respect and support were replaced by hatred, humiliation and abuse made her guarded and fiercely independent.
She doesn't have many friends, doesn't know how to rely on strangers, doesn't know how to ask for help. She's used to handling bad news all by herself and has created this flawless persona to show the world and the people at the school where she teaches and where she meets Casey.
At home, though, she's desperate and bitter. She hasn't had one single good thing happening to her in years and now feels like the only person who ever really loved her is about to forget about her.
Ty, Casey and Shelby all cross paths, and it changes their lives forever.
I can genuinely say that "Between the Sheets" was a great Contemporary Romance story.
The characters were very well-crafted; I particularly appreciated how realistic their issues felt.
Shelby was an incredible woman, and I say this even though she almost drove me to madness at some point. She, with her stubborness and despair and humanity and rawness and beautiful dualism between her public appearance and her deepest and passionate desires, stole my heart.
The plot flowed so smoothly that I reached the 80% mark without even realizing it.
And I got so invested in each and every one of these characters - be it a protagonist or a secondary one - that, as soon as I finished it, I bought the second book.
That's right, now that I've started, I'm totally reading this backwards.
December 25, 2014
I've just found a new favorite contemporary romance author: Molly O'Keefe! What a great love story, not just the kind between a man and a woman, but also the love that lies between family members, and the devastating effects of being deprived of such love. If you're looking for a book that is a testament to the healing power of truly being noticed for who you are and loved anyways, then look no further: Between the Sheets should be your next read!
Although this is the third book in the Boys of Bishop series, which details the love lives of various couples residing in the small town of Bishop, Arkansas, this book can be read as a standalone. In fact, I hadn't previously read the prior ones, and I enjoyed Between the Sheets so much, that now I am going back to read them! To the extent you do plan on reading the entire series, there is some benefit to reading the books in chronological order, as prior characters do make appearances and continue to develop in the later books.
Motorcycle bad boy, Wyatt "Ty" Svenson just found out a few months ago that he is the father of an 11-year-old boy named Casey. Having spent most of his life running from one place to another when things got difficult or boring, he now has to figure out where he and Casey can lay down roots and get a fresh start, now that Casey's mother's party girl, trouble finding ways have finally landed her in jail.
Ty picks Bishop, and gets a job as a carpenter, even though his favorite hobby is refurbishing classic motorcycles, which he indulges in at night when his worries over how to start a new life keep him awake. During one of these late night sessions, he meets Shelby Monroe, his next door neighbor, who is none too happy with the noise Ty is making so late at night. No surprise, this first meeting ends with Shelby rushing off in a huff and Ty leveling some choice words at his "uptight" neighbor.
Imagine his surprise, when the next day, he is called into his son's principal's office and comes face to face with none other than Shelby Monroe, who just happens to be Casey's art teacher. To his astonishment though, rather than condemning him, Shelby offers useful advice regarding alternative art therapy, and even stands up to her boss, when the principal suggests that the cure to Casey's behavioral problems requires medication.
Soon Ty and Shelby start working on an art therapy routine for Casey which brings them together; and Ty, takes a leap, and asks Shelby out on a date. To his shock, assuming Shelby to be out of his league, he is pleasantly surprised when she accepts. When it becomes clear that she is merely interested in him physically, however, not in being seen in public with him or really "dating", Ty is stunned to find that he starts longing for more.
As he gets to know her better, Ty realizes that he and Casey are not the only ones who have had difficult childhoods. In fact, Shelby's deep dark family secrets are so emotionally devastating, that they may preclude her from ever becoming more emotionally involved with Ty or anyone else. Not being one to take no for an answer, and really seeing through Shelby like no one has ever done before, Ty soon starts pushing Shelby to open up in ways that she never believed possible, but are her scars so deep that she is now incapable doing so?
In addition to Ty's and Shelby's story, there is a well developed secondary storyline that is equally inspirational and amazing to watch develop, detailing how Casey and Ty learn to love and trust one another in their new roles as father and son. Interestingly, Shelby is as instrumental in this secondary plot, as the first, and I highly enjoyed this special, and somewhat unique for a romance novel, aspect of this book.
Ms. O'Keefe's gift with visualizing resolutions to complicated relationships and emotional issues is superb! I highly enjoyed not just the incredibly steamy, love scenes in Between the Sheets, but also the highly evolved familial interrelationships and how they shaped the characters' futures, and most importantly, the latent meaning underlying this story that highlights the restorative and empowering nature of true love. I can not recommend Between the Sheets highly enough!
Source: I received a review copy from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Although this is the third book in the Boys of Bishop series, which details the love lives of various couples residing in the small town of Bishop, Arkansas, this book can be read as a standalone. In fact, I hadn't previously read the prior ones, and I enjoyed Between the Sheets so much, that now I am going back to read them! To the extent you do plan on reading the entire series, there is some benefit to reading the books in chronological order, as prior characters do make appearances and continue to develop in the later books.
Motorcycle bad boy, Wyatt "Ty" Svenson just found out a few months ago that he is the father of an 11-year-old boy named Casey. Having spent most of his life running from one place to another when things got difficult or boring, he now has to figure out where he and Casey can lay down roots and get a fresh start, now that Casey's mother's party girl, trouble finding ways have finally landed her in jail.
Ty picks Bishop, and gets a job as a carpenter, even though his favorite hobby is refurbishing classic motorcycles, which he indulges in at night when his worries over how to start a new life keep him awake. During one of these late night sessions, he meets Shelby Monroe, his next door neighbor, who is none too happy with the noise Ty is making so late at night. No surprise, this first meeting ends with Shelby rushing off in a huff and Ty leveling some choice words at his "uptight" neighbor.
Imagine his surprise, when the next day, he is called into his son's principal's office and comes face to face with none other than Shelby Monroe, who just happens to be Casey's art teacher. To his astonishment though, rather than condemning him, Shelby offers useful advice regarding alternative art therapy, and even stands up to her boss, when the principal suggests that the cure to Casey's behavioral problems requires medication.
Soon Ty and Shelby start working on an art therapy routine for Casey which brings them together; and Ty, takes a leap, and asks Shelby out on a date. To his shock, assuming Shelby to be out of his league, he is pleasantly surprised when she accepts. When it becomes clear that she is merely interested in him physically, however, not in being seen in public with him or really "dating", Ty is stunned to find that he starts longing for more.
As he gets to know her better, Ty realizes that he and Casey are not the only ones who have had difficult childhoods. In fact, Shelby's deep dark family secrets are so emotionally devastating, that they may preclude her from ever becoming more emotionally involved with Ty or anyone else. Not being one to take no for an answer, and really seeing through Shelby like no one has ever done before, Ty soon starts pushing Shelby to open up in ways that she never believed possible, but are her scars so deep that she is now incapable doing so?
In addition to Ty's and Shelby's story, there is a well developed secondary storyline that is equally inspirational and amazing to watch develop, detailing how Casey and Ty learn to love and trust one another in their new roles as father and son. Interestingly, Shelby is as instrumental in this secondary plot, as the first, and I highly enjoyed this special, and somewhat unique for a romance novel, aspect of this book.
Ms. O'Keefe's gift with visualizing resolutions to complicated relationships and emotional issues is superb! I highly enjoyed not just the incredibly steamy, love scenes in Between the Sheets, but also the highly evolved familial interrelationships and how they shaped the characters' futures, and most importantly, the latent meaning underlying this story that highlights the restorative and empowering nature of true love. I can not recommend Between the Sheets highly enough!
Source: I received a review copy from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2015
3-1/2 Stars. Between the Sheets ended up being a little different from what I was expecting. For one, there were no sheets involved. At all. All the steamy sex takes place outside the bedroom. It was good to get back to Bishop and catch up with Sean, Cora, Brody, Ashley, Monica and the gang. I loved getting a glimpse of Ashley and Brody, happily settled down. This time around, we’re introduced to newcomers Ty and Casey, and local art teacher, Shelby.
Ty arrives shortly after discovering he has a ten-year old son when Casey walks away from foster care to find his dad after his mom is incarcerated. I loved watching that relationship evolve, seeing how uncomfortable Ty was in the role of fatherhood, and watching the angsty nervousness of a fifth grader trying to find his place in the world. I also love the alzheimer’s subplot. I thought that was handled so well.
Plot
Between the Sheets covers a lot of territory. With the alzheimer’s thread, school bullying, the evolving relationship of a rebellions man who only recently learned he’s a father, kleptomania, mental abuse, religious zealotry and art therapy. And all of it works really well together. Molly O’Keefe does a masterful job of weaving all the subplots nicely into the story. The push and pull of Ty and Shelby is well done, the writing is strong, and the sex scenes are steamy.
Characters
I don’t like Shelby. There, I said it. And that’s a problem for me, because the heart of the story is the romance. Shelby’s not fluff, she’s certainly developed, I just couldn’t identify with her. I understood some of her issues, but she came across to me as too self-centered, too inwardly focused to really be likeable.
Ty on the other hand, is fabulous. He’s solid, complex, deep, and infinitely likeable. He’s perfectly portrayed as the guilt-ridden new dad trying to navigate fatherhood without a map. Casey is authentic as the kid with the rocky childhood, struggling to find stability and unable to accept happiness as normal.
Bottom Line
I liked Between the Sheets. It’s well-written, has interesting characters, and covers a lot of important topics. I just didn’t love it.
Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Ty arrives shortly after discovering he has a ten-year old son when Casey walks away from foster care to find his dad after his mom is incarcerated. I loved watching that relationship evolve, seeing how uncomfortable Ty was in the role of fatherhood, and watching the angsty nervousness of a fifth grader trying to find his place in the world. I also love the alzheimer’s subplot. I thought that was handled so well.
Plot
Between the Sheets covers a lot of territory. With the alzheimer’s thread, school bullying, the evolving relationship of a rebellions man who only recently learned he’s a father, kleptomania, mental abuse, religious zealotry and art therapy. And all of it works really well together. Molly O’Keefe does a masterful job of weaving all the subplots nicely into the story. The push and pull of Ty and Shelby is well done, the writing is strong, and the sex scenes are steamy.
Characters
I don’t like Shelby. There, I said it. And that’s a problem for me, because the heart of the story is the romance. Shelby’s not fluff, she’s certainly developed, I just couldn’t identify with her. I understood some of her issues, but she came across to me as too self-centered, too inwardly focused to really be likeable.
Ty on the other hand, is fabulous. He’s solid, complex, deep, and infinitely likeable. He’s perfectly portrayed as the guilt-ridden new dad trying to navigate fatherhood without a map. Casey is authentic as the kid with the rocky childhood, struggling to find stability and unable to accept happiness as normal.
Bottom Line
I liked Between the Sheets. It’s well-written, has interesting characters, and covers a lot of important topics. I just didn’t love it.
Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2014
I'm still trying to collect my thoughts after reading this book. I was very excited to see Shelby get her happily ever after. Even seeing glimpses of her in two books did not prepare me enough for this one. Shelby is awesome. No wait, beyond awesome. And so is Ty. I wasn't expecting his awesomeness after the way he was with Shelby when they first met.
It's hard to talk about Shelby without talking about Ty because their child hood experiences are somewhat similar and both have been changed by them. They are also both currently dealing with other struggles as well, that are having huge impacts on their lives and relationships. Kudos to Molly for portraying them realistically and even imparting knowledge about Alzheimer's. My heart broke for Ty's struggles with Casey and for Casey as he tried to deal with everything. I hate that he had to experience so much. It kills me to read about fictional kids who've had lives like Casey's and that just makes knowing there are real children out there with similar or worse experiences out there so much harder to bear.
Between the Sheets is a great story. I didn't laugh very much, but I did smile quite a bit. Especially in the scenes featuring Brady, Ashley, Cora, Sean, Monica, Jackson, and Gwen. It was great to see all of them again and I loved catching up with them. There were some tears too, and some anger as well. I really feel like I'm doing you a disservice by not mentioning more, but I'm afraid to ruin anything in the book for you. This book really surprised me with the content. I know not to expect the usual when it comes to Molly's books, but every time I read one, I continue to be amazed by how satisfying her books her. They give me hope we can all find ways to deal with our demons and maybe find someone to love who will love us back.
It's hard to talk about Shelby without talking about Ty because their child hood experiences are somewhat similar and both have been changed by them. They are also both currently dealing with other struggles as well, that are having huge impacts on their lives and relationships. Kudos to Molly for portraying them realistically and even imparting knowledge about Alzheimer's. My heart broke for Ty's struggles with Casey and for Casey as he tried to deal with everything. I hate that he had to experience so much. It kills me to read about fictional kids who've had lives like Casey's and that just makes knowing there are real children out there with similar or worse experiences out there so much harder to bear.
Between the Sheets is a great story. I didn't laugh very much, but I did smile quite a bit. Especially in the scenes featuring Brady, Ashley, Cora, Sean, Monica, Jackson, and Gwen. It was great to see all of them again and I loved catching up with them. There were some tears too, and some anger as well. I really feel like I'm doing you a disservice by not mentioning more, but I'm afraid to ruin anything in the book for you. This book really surprised me with the content. I know not to expect the usual when it comes to Molly's books, but every time I read one, I continue to be amazed by how satisfying her books her. They give me hope we can all find ways to deal with our demons and maybe find someone to love who will love us back.
July 7, 2014
This book was incredible, I wish I could give it6 stars. Everything I want from a romance book!
Review :
This is the 3rd installment in this great series and the one that I was really looking forward to. Shelby was the most interesting character in the cast of characters in this series. I was pretty sure her book would be great and I wasn't wrong . It was even better than what I thought it would be.
Shelby has had a traumatic childhood with an abusive father and these has caused her to separate herself from other people and with what happened to her on reality TV show she has lost all hope of ever being normal.
Ty has found out he has a 11 year old son only 4 month ago and to give both of them a fresh start and a chance to right the wrongs ,he moves to Bishop.I loved how Ty learned to be a father to his son.
I really enjoyed this book , I was engaged and invested in the characters .This book just drew me in.
It is edgy emotional and maybe a little dark . Everything a great romance novel should be .If there were 6 stars on Goodreads I would have given it to this book!
You don't have to read the rest of the series to read this one although I recommend #1 and #2 in the series . This book can be read as a stand-alone.
Review :
This is the 3rd installment in this great series and the one that I was really looking forward to. Shelby was the most interesting character in the cast of characters in this series. I was pretty sure her book would be great and I wasn't wrong . It was even better than what I thought it would be.
Shelby has had a traumatic childhood with an abusive father and these has caused her to separate herself from other people and with what happened to her on reality TV show she has lost all hope of ever being normal.
Ty has found out he has a 11 year old son only 4 month ago and to give both of them a fresh start and a chance to right the wrongs ,he moves to Bishop.I loved how Ty learned to be a father to his son.
I really enjoyed this book , I was engaged and invested in the characters .This book just drew me in.
It is edgy emotional and maybe a little dark . Everything a great romance novel should be .If there were 6 stars on Goodreads I would have given it to this book!
You don't have to read the rest of the series to read this one although I recommend #1 and #2 in the series . This book can be read as a stand-alone.
December 28, 2014
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. The premise of a repressed good girl hooking up with a misunderstood bad boy is tried and true and the author is deft with characterization. But so much of this book fell flat for me.
Shelby was annoying to the nth degree and even "understanding" (which I did not) the reasons and events behind her behavior didn't change that. She's stereotypical in the way of the heroine whom I feel I am supposed to pity, but her own self-pity and martyr complex just make me want to give her a good shake. This story is very much about her emotional journey, which I wanted to appreciate but I couldn't feel enough empathy for her to care.
Ty is bland, a sad sack trying to start over and make things right with his estranged son. Their relationship is complicated and his attempts at parenting are both clueless and heartfelt. Their relationship was the only one I was invested in.
Normally I enjoy a book in which untangling complicated feelings and relationships takes center stage, but I couldn't muster up enough feeling to care whether Ty could cope with Shelby and her baggage.
Shelby was annoying to the nth degree and even "understanding" (which I did not) the reasons and events behind her behavior didn't change that. She's stereotypical in the way of the heroine whom I feel I am supposed to pity, but her own self-pity and martyr complex just make me want to give her a good shake. This story is very much about her emotional journey, which I wanted to appreciate but I couldn't feel enough empathy for her to care.
Ty is bland, a sad sack trying to start over and make things right with his estranged son. Their relationship is complicated and his attempts at parenting are both clueless and heartfelt. Their relationship was the only one I was invested in.
Normally I enjoy a book in which untangling complicated feelings and relationships takes center stage, but I couldn't muster up enough feeling to care whether Ty could cope with Shelby and her baggage.
July 29, 2014
Received an ARC for review from NetGalley
I am apparently reading this series backwards. I almost gave up on this book. I put it down at about 30% and walked away for a couple days. I came back to it because I liked Casey, and Ty a little. Shelby, I couldn't stand. At no point did I like her. Now the secondary characters, which I guess are the primarys in the two previous books, I loved. And the title...they never got between the sheets...never. Couch, wall, couch, floor, couch, table, but no beds.
I am apparently reading this series backwards. I almost gave up on this book. I put it down at about 30% and walked away for a couple days. I came back to it because I liked Casey, and Ty a little. Shelby, I couldn't stand. At no point did I like her. Now the secondary characters, which I guess are the primarys in the two previous books, I loved. And the title...they never got between the sheets...never. Couch, wall, couch, floor, couch, table, but no beds.
December 26, 2016
Review to come.
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June 13, 2015
Well hello. Didn't expect that.
March 15, 2019
Good book about two people who found healing in each other's arms. Ty was new to Bishop, looking for a place to settle and raise the son he just found out about. Ty had a rough childhood and youth and spent years trying to outrun the memories of the mistakes he'd made. He felt completely inadequate as a father and struggled to connect with Casey, but was determined to do the best he could. His way of relaxing and de-stressing was to work on the motorcycle he was refurbishing, and he frequently lost track of time working late into the night. That came to a screeching end when his neighbor showed up to chew him out about the noise.
Shelby has lived in Bishop all her life. She spent her childhood under the thumb of her abusive, narcissistic father, who hid his abuse behind his role as a spiritual leader. He did his best to destroy her self-worth and that of her mother. Shelby survived by closing herself off to all emotion and keeping people at a distance. Since her father's death, Shelby's mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Unwilling or unable to ask for help, Shelby hid behind a cool and unruffled façade while feeling overwhelmed by her life. Ty's arrival turned that safe life on its head.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Ty and Shelby, even though I frequently wanted to shake her. Their first meeting was very antagonistic, as Shelby's uptight attitude rubbed Ty the wrong way. He was surprised to discover that she was Casey's art teacher at school, and the only one willing to help his troubled son. While meeting to discuss Casey's needs, there was no denying the attraction that flared between them. While Ty wanted to date and get to know her, Shelby was only interested in a physical relationship, and a secret one at that. The more time Ty spent with her, the more he realized that he wanted more. I ached for Ty as every attempt he made to get closer to her was shut down. There were times I wanted to shake Shelby for not opening her eyes to what Ty offered her, but I also hurt for her belief that she was incapable of loving anyone. She very nearly succeeded in pushing Ty so far away that they couldn't recover. It took a crisis with her mother for Shelby to realize that she wanted to change and that Ty was the one who could help her do it.
Another vital part of the story was the relationship between Ty and Casey. They struggled so much in the beginning. Casey went through so much during his early years, with a drug-addicted and negligent mother. His desperation was obvious in the way that he searched for Ty. Though Ty was shocked and overwhelmed, I loved his determination to be the best father he could. I hurt for Casey, who found it difficult to believe that happiness could last and self-sabotaged when things went well. I loved how Ty's consistent presence in his life helped Casey realize that he could trust Ty. Ty's support of Casey over the fight at school was a turning point in their relationship, and I loved how they began to connect better during Casey's suspension. The part involving the bike auction was heartbreaking for Ty as he got a good look at what Casey's early life was like. I loved how he immediately took steps to change things because of it.
I loved the epilogue and seeing the progress that all three made toward giving and accepting love in their lives. Ty's surprise for Shelby was pretty sweet, as was the help of all their friends.
Shelby has lived in Bishop all her life. She spent her childhood under the thumb of her abusive, narcissistic father, who hid his abuse behind his role as a spiritual leader. He did his best to destroy her self-worth and that of her mother. Shelby survived by closing herself off to all emotion and keeping people at a distance. Since her father's death, Shelby's mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Unwilling or unable to ask for help, Shelby hid behind a cool and unruffled façade while feeling overwhelmed by her life. Ty's arrival turned that safe life on its head.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Ty and Shelby, even though I frequently wanted to shake her. Their first meeting was very antagonistic, as Shelby's uptight attitude rubbed Ty the wrong way. He was surprised to discover that she was Casey's art teacher at school, and the only one willing to help his troubled son. While meeting to discuss Casey's needs, there was no denying the attraction that flared between them. While Ty wanted to date and get to know her, Shelby was only interested in a physical relationship, and a secret one at that. The more time Ty spent with her, the more he realized that he wanted more. I ached for Ty as every attempt he made to get closer to her was shut down. There were times I wanted to shake Shelby for not opening her eyes to what Ty offered her, but I also hurt for her belief that she was incapable of loving anyone. She very nearly succeeded in pushing Ty so far away that they couldn't recover. It took a crisis with her mother for Shelby to realize that she wanted to change and that Ty was the one who could help her do it.
Another vital part of the story was the relationship between Ty and Casey. They struggled so much in the beginning. Casey went through so much during his early years, with a drug-addicted and negligent mother. His desperation was obvious in the way that he searched for Ty. Though Ty was shocked and overwhelmed, I loved his determination to be the best father he could. I hurt for Casey, who found it difficult to believe that happiness could last and self-sabotaged when things went well. I loved how Ty's consistent presence in his life helped Casey realize that he could trust Ty. Ty's support of Casey over the fight at school was a turning point in their relationship, and I loved how they began to connect better during Casey's suspension. The part involving the bike auction was heartbreaking for Ty as he got a good look at what Casey's early life was like. I loved how he immediately took steps to change things because of it.
I loved the epilogue and seeing the progress that all three made toward giving and accepting love in their lives. Ty's surprise for Shelby was pretty sweet, as was the help of all their friends.
July 16, 2017
I'll start by saying that I have not read the previous books in the Boys of Bishop trilogy, and while most of the novel was easy to understand, it would have been easier for me if I had already met some of the other characters in their books.
Between the Sheets is the book Harley Quinn was reading in Suicide Squad, and since Molly O'Keefe said that her book choice a lot about Harley Quinn as a person, I thought to give the story a shot as well. Unfortunately, though, I fear I didn't enjoy it quite as much as it seemed Harley did.
It was OK for the most part, there were a few things I rather liked, but I don't think I really saw why Ty and Shelby were attracted to each other beyond the physical part of things. There were good parts to their relationship, if one can call a string of sex-fests one, but mostly I grew tired of the heroine trying to keep the hero away from herself and how she refused to accept any help with her mother's illness. There are stubborn characters and there are stubborn as donkeys characters who refuse to accept any help simply because one of their parents mentally abused that into them when they were small.
I simply wasn't a fan of their relationship, to be frank. Or the way POVs seemed to change really randomly and it was really difficult to differentiate between Ty, Casey, and Shelby. Honestly, it felt like three of them had the same voice - yes, the woman, the man and the kid all had the same voice. I liked Ty's kid Casey most, but unfortunately for me there wasn't more of him.
Also, what's with the title? I don't think I even remember Ty and Shelby doing it between the sheets. All their physical excercise seemed to take place on a couch or somewhere like that.
All in all, it was an OK kind of read for me that isn't very memorable for me.
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Between the Sheets is the book Harley Quinn was reading in Suicide Squad, and since Molly O'Keefe said that her book choice a lot about Harley Quinn as a person, I thought to give the story a shot as well. Unfortunately, though, I fear I didn't enjoy it quite as much as it seemed Harley did.
It was OK for the most part, there were a few things I rather liked, but I don't think I really saw why Ty and Shelby were attracted to each other beyond the physical part of things. There were good parts to their relationship, if one can call a string of sex-fests one, but mostly I grew tired of the heroine trying to keep the hero away from herself and how she refused to accept any help with her mother's illness. There are stubborn characters and there are stubborn as donkeys characters who refuse to accept any help simply because one of their parents mentally abused that into them when they were small.
I simply wasn't a fan of their relationship, to be frank. Or the way POVs seemed to change really randomly and it was really difficult to differentiate between Ty, Casey, and Shelby. Honestly, it felt like three of them had the same voice - yes, the woman, the man and the kid all had the same voice. I liked Ty's kid Casey most, but unfortunately for me there wasn't more of him.
Also, what's with the title? I don't think I even remember Ty and Shelby doing it between the sheets. All their physical excercise seemed to take place on a couch or somewhere like that.
All in all, it was an OK kind of read for me that isn't very memorable for me.
The Book Challengers blog // The Book Challengers Instagram // The Book Challengers Twitter
August 1, 2014
Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2014/07/review-...
Favorite Quote: “When I’m with you it’s like I’m the person I’m supposed to be and I want that.”
With a young son in tow, Wyatt (Ty) Svenson has stopped running and decided to settle in the small town of Bishop, Arkansa. Fixing motorcycles in his garage helps to keep his hands busy and his mind off the multitude of problems that plague him. When his attractive neighbor comes over to complain about the noise, Ty sees a cold woman who thinks he’s beneath her and welcomes the anger she inspires in him.
Shelby Monroe, the local art teacher, has her life sectioned into boxes that she keeps sealed shut. Trying to deal with her mother’s Alzheimers, an abusive childhood, and a recent meltdown on TV, Shelby is barely hanging on by her fingertips. Heavily attracted to Ty’s bad boy image, her life is just not conducive to any relationships but that doesn’t stop her from wanting just a few carefree nights in Ty’s bed.
Ty isn’t looking for a casual relationship. He doesn’t want to be her dirty little secret. He wants it all with Shelby but first he’ll need to convince her that he and love are worth the risk.
This is my first time reading Molly O’Keefe. While I did not read the first two in this series, this book can be read as a standalone with no issues concerning past characters or storylines.
By the title and cover, I expected a fun and naughty romance contemporary. This story was so much more than that. Dark, edgy, and emotionally turbulent, Between The Sheets is a jewel hidden underneath a false facade. A modern day romance that speaks of second chances, love, heartbreak, redemption, and hope. It portrays three battered souls who must decide if the love they so desperately want is worth the pain that will come from reaching for it.
Heavily character driven, O’Keefe writes a bittersweet love story that doesn’t offer false platitudes towards a happily ever after. Her protagonists have deep issues that affect their lives and the lives of those around them. There is no instant fix or cure. We are assured almost from the beginning that this relationship, should it be successful, will always be a work in progress.
Well written with an emotionally deep and convoluted storyline, it gives an indepth examination of abuse, family, and the multitude pain that comes from both; the situations surrounding Ty and Shelby will bruise your heart. Shelby was raised by an abusive overly religious father. She choose to bury her emotions in order to save her sanity and comes off rather brittle, cold, and self serving at times. Her powerful voice resonates throughout the book, giving us her reasons for the way she is without manipulation. The shield she uses to protect herself is not attractive though as her backstory is revealed, you can easily empathize for why she is the way she is. She was taught to be self contained and it was a painful lesson she learned very well. Dealing with a parent who has Alzheimers only adds to Shelby’s already over flowing plate.
In the heavy dark silence he left behind, she stacked and put away those small desires to be someone else, to want more than she had, and she got back to the business of being Shelby Monroe, Art Teacher. It was enough. And if sometimes she wanted to scream, or cry, or find some stranger to prove to her that she wasn’t totally dead inside or invisible to the world, it was an urge she could easily overcome.
She had overcome worse.
Ty was easier to connect with than Shelby. Her knife sharp edges keeps everyone-readers included-at a safe distance. Ty is a good man whose carefree lifestyle is brought to a halt when a young boy appears out of nowhere, claiming to be his son. Ty learns an on and off again relationship produced a child he was never told about. The mother has been sentenced to prison for a multitude of crimes and leaves Ty struggling to get to know his son. Ty knows it’s time to settle and be the responsible parent his son obviously needs so he picks Bishop and hopes this town can help he and his son heal the breach that exists between them.
“I love you." … Did you hear me? Ty wanted to ask, feeling like somehow saying those words had cleared out part of him. Created a hole that needed if not filling, then at least acknowledgment. But he knew Casey had heard him.
Ty isn’t perfect. He had made mistakes that continue to haunt him to this day but he tries hard to be the best he can with what he has to work with. Ty’s ability to love without constraint is a gift that continuously gives through the story. Ty’s son, Casey, is a sweet mixed up boy whose whole life has been a series of disappointments. A neglectful abusive mother and an absent father has left him emotionally disconnected and in need of therapy. He just wants to be loved and does some questionable things to try and get that love.
At times I felt there was no way Ty and Shelby could make this work. Honestly, by the end of the book I still wasn’t completely convinced but I had hope for them. Ty falls hard for Shelby and steadily chips away at her shell but her emotional distance is hard to deal with. Plus, Ty is fragile in his new status of parenthood. Shelby shuts herself down to those who want to help but she is so gentle and giving with Casey and her kids and you are able to see the remarkable person buried beneath the guilt and shame she wears like a shroud. Oddly enough the deep and sensual intimacy found in here is a result of everything but the physical sex. Not to say the physical scenes aren’t a mixture of dark, hot, erotically stimulating needs and wants. Ty has a bit of a dominant side and Shelby likes having her rigid control ripped away from her in sexual situations.
“He wanted to believe no one had ever had her like this. Ever. Because he’d never been had like this. Ever. All the way. And it wasn’t just sex, it was everything. Every single fucking thing about her.”
O’Keefe takes great pains to show that sometimes the best way, the only way, to show someone you truly care is just by being there whether the other person acknowledges it or not.
The ending was a bit melodramatic in it’s attempt to force a decision in the relationship. It resolves itself on a dime and left me feeling that it was all too easily obtained for such a tremulous journey. Regardless of my issues, Between the Sheets was a pleasant surprise in its content and storyline and I look forward to reading more from Molly O’Keefe.
RATING: B
Favorite Quote: “When I’m with you it’s like I’m the person I’m supposed to be and I want that.”
With a young son in tow, Wyatt (Ty) Svenson has stopped running and decided to settle in the small town of Bishop, Arkansa. Fixing motorcycles in his garage helps to keep his hands busy and his mind off the multitude of problems that plague him. When his attractive neighbor comes over to complain about the noise, Ty sees a cold woman who thinks he’s beneath her and welcomes the anger she inspires in him.
Shelby Monroe, the local art teacher, has her life sectioned into boxes that she keeps sealed shut. Trying to deal with her mother’s Alzheimers, an abusive childhood, and a recent meltdown on TV, Shelby is barely hanging on by her fingertips. Heavily attracted to Ty’s bad boy image, her life is just not conducive to any relationships but that doesn’t stop her from wanting just a few carefree nights in Ty’s bed.
Ty isn’t looking for a casual relationship. He doesn’t want to be her dirty little secret. He wants it all with Shelby but first he’ll need to convince her that he and love are worth the risk.
This is my first time reading Molly O’Keefe. While I did not read the first two in this series, this book can be read as a standalone with no issues concerning past characters or storylines.
By the title and cover, I expected a fun and naughty romance contemporary. This story was so much more than that. Dark, edgy, and emotionally turbulent, Between The Sheets is a jewel hidden underneath a false facade. A modern day romance that speaks of second chances, love, heartbreak, redemption, and hope. It portrays three battered souls who must decide if the love they so desperately want is worth the pain that will come from reaching for it.
Heavily character driven, O’Keefe writes a bittersweet love story that doesn’t offer false platitudes towards a happily ever after. Her protagonists have deep issues that affect their lives and the lives of those around them. There is no instant fix or cure. We are assured almost from the beginning that this relationship, should it be successful, will always be a work in progress.
Well written with an emotionally deep and convoluted storyline, it gives an indepth examination of abuse, family, and the multitude pain that comes from both; the situations surrounding Ty and Shelby will bruise your heart. Shelby was raised by an abusive overly religious father. She choose to bury her emotions in order to save her sanity and comes off rather brittle, cold, and self serving at times. Her powerful voice resonates throughout the book, giving us her reasons for the way she is without manipulation. The shield she uses to protect herself is not attractive though as her backstory is revealed, you can easily empathize for why she is the way she is. She was taught to be self contained and it was a painful lesson she learned very well. Dealing with a parent who has Alzheimers only adds to Shelby’s already over flowing plate.
In the heavy dark silence he left behind, she stacked and put away those small desires to be someone else, to want more than she had, and she got back to the business of being Shelby Monroe, Art Teacher. It was enough. And if sometimes she wanted to scream, or cry, or find some stranger to prove to her that she wasn’t totally dead inside or invisible to the world, it was an urge she could easily overcome.
She had overcome worse.
Ty was easier to connect with than Shelby. Her knife sharp edges keeps everyone-readers included-at a safe distance. Ty is a good man whose carefree lifestyle is brought to a halt when a young boy appears out of nowhere, claiming to be his son. Ty learns an on and off again relationship produced a child he was never told about. The mother has been sentenced to prison for a multitude of crimes and leaves Ty struggling to get to know his son. Ty knows it’s time to settle and be the responsible parent his son obviously needs so he picks Bishop and hopes this town can help he and his son heal the breach that exists between them.
“I love you." … Did you hear me? Ty wanted to ask, feeling like somehow saying those words had cleared out part of him. Created a hole that needed if not filling, then at least acknowledgment. But he knew Casey had heard him.
Ty isn’t perfect. He had made mistakes that continue to haunt him to this day but he tries hard to be the best he can with what he has to work with. Ty’s ability to love without constraint is a gift that continuously gives through the story. Ty’s son, Casey, is a sweet mixed up boy whose whole life has been a series of disappointments. A neglectful abusive mother and an absent father has left him emotionally disconnected and in need of therapy. He just wants to be loved and does some questionable things to try and get that love.
At times I felt there was no way Ty and Shelby could make this work. Honestly, by the end of the book I still wasn’t completely convinced but I had hope for them. Ty falls hard for Shelby and steadily chips away at her shell but her emotional distance is hard to deal with. Plus, Ty is fragile in his new status of parenthood. Shelby shuts herself down to those who want to help but she is so gentle and giving with Casey and her kids and you are able to see the remarkable person buried beneath the guilt and shame she wears like a shroud. Oddly enough the deep and sensual intimacy found in here is a result of everything but the physical sex. Not to say the physical scenes aren’t a mixture of dark, hot, erotically stimulating needs and wants. Ty has a bit of a dominant side and Shelby likes having her rigid control ripped away from her in sexual situations.
“He wanted to believe no one had ever had her like this. Ever. Because he’d never been had like this. Ever. All the way. And it wasn’t just sex, it was everything. Every single fucking thing about her.”
O’Keefe takes great pains to show that sometimes the best way, the only way, to show someone you truly care is just by being there whether the other person acknowledges it or not.
The ending was a bit melodramatic in it’s attempt to force a decision in the relationship. It resolves itself on a dime and left me feeling that it was all too easily obtained for such a tremulous journey. Regardless of my issues, Between the Sheets was a pleasant surprise in its content and storyline and I look forward to reading more from Molly O’Keefe.
RATING: B
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