Release Day Blitz & Review:
(Un)Bidden (Judgement of the Six #4) by Melissa Haag
BookCrushin is so excited to share with you all the next book in Melissa Haag’s Judgement of the Six series, (Un)Bidden! I am a huge fan of this paranormal romance series! Have you read the first book, Hope(less), in the series? It’s currently FREE! In this post you will find the book & series information, links, teaser and my spoiler-free review!
(Un)Bidden (Judgement of the Six #4) by Melissa Haag
Category: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Publication: November 24th, 2014
Purchase: Amazon
I left home because I didn’t want to end up in a cage like a lab rat. Hitching rides, begging for cash, and sleeping on the ground got old fast. That was the only reason I braved an overgrown path to a group of buildings. I’d hoped to find a bed and a decent night’s sleep. However, what I found was a place overrun by werewolves.
While on the run, Charlene finds herself surrounded by werewolves, creatures she can’t control with her mind like she can humans. Their existence has her believing she’s found a safe place to stay, a place where secrets are okay. However, she soon discovers she’s anything but safe. Charlene must learn how to use her abilities to influence the strange new species because if she can’t, the next bite she suffers might just kill her.
Read how the cycle begins, and have no doubt. Charlene’s past will shape the future of the Judgements.
Spoiler-Free Review:
[book rating=4.5/5.0]
This review will not spoil book 4, (Un)Bidden, but it may contain small details from the first 3 books that some could be construed as spoilers, again I would never mention any major spoilers within my reviews!
I am unabashedly a huge fan of this series! I am also a fan of shifter/were books, but I don’t read a ton of them, but I wouldn’t avoid them either. I know we all have a genre we love or hate…but do me a favor and break your rules or comfort zone to read this series! These books are a perfect mix of beautiful writing, creative storytelling, unique lore, fantastic mystery and wrap that all into some seriously swoon worthy romance! The build up and angst is just perfect in every single book!! Each book should be read in order and each book gives you such a new insight into the Judgement and the wolves. The story itself may be weaved together from book to book but each is so new and unique that you fall in love with each character in every book!
I just can’t stop recommending others to read this series! It’s worth every penny! They have also recently been rebranded – which I am a HUGE fan of the new covers – really should bring in a bigger audience. I do feel that these books are Upper YA and could be slightly New Adult, due to some common themes, however anyone over 16 should be mature enough to deal with the stories. Also, now available in paperback for the first time! Now if you still haven’t decided if you should read these books? Go download book 1, Hope(less) (links below this review) as it is currently free!
Now that I got a little crushin’ out of the way let’s talk shop – aka (Un)Bidden.
(Un)Bidden is a little different than the previous 3. Mostly because it is Charlene’s story, and at this point, we know Charlene as an adult with two grown boys of her own. So this novel starts off in the current day and everyone is making plans for what they are about to do (keeping this spoiler-free!). Then boom, flashback. We are taken back to the day Charlene chose to leave her life & family behind and how she ended up meeting the pack! We also learn just how important Charlene was to the pack as well as the future of the Judgements. Charlene spent the majority of her life not knowing anyone like herself, and it isn’t until some of the other girls start finding their way to the pack that she finally understands that she was the start of the cycle and instrumental in the continued success of the pack.
In each book we learn a bit more about what the heck is going on! This time as I mentioned, we flashback and we get to discover more about Charlene and her gift. We get to experience pack life before they became the social community as we know them. It was awesome to learn this stuff that as a reader we may have just taken for granted, except for some snippets of reminiscing done throughout. We learn so much! I could see this as a downside for some readers who want all action, but sometimes you need the build up to truly appreciate the stakes. At first I was confused as to why we were getting Charlene’s story as book 4, instead of ‘Peace’s’ (due to the ending of (Un)Wise). But now since I just told you & if you read the rest of the series so far, you’ve probably read the synopsis already, so it’s not a stretch to assume we will get back to all that action in the next installment.
Here’s the part where I tell you I was not a fan of Thomas at first, neither was Charlene, but the brilliance of this novel is, here I am falling for him, right alongside of Charlene! It really is great when you can feel the characters pain, love and awkwardness. Charlene however surprised me. I loved her character through and through but I ended up mad at her, just a little bit. Ahhh spoilers blaahh. I won’t say more on that! Their growth of character not just Thomas & Charlene, but as they all evolve was such a sweet journey to explore.
This book is chock full of all those cool things we all were dying to know, but that meant more of a discovery that is so important to where we all are now. Like that Emmitt, Charlene’s adult son, grew up to be such a good amazing mate and for Michelle (the Judgement from (Mis)Fortune), you can honestly see how Charlene became an amazing part of the pack and raised her sons right.
Melissa Haag weaves a story you want to read. Strong, wise and witty heroines combined with the romantic alphas who will do anything to win over their girl. Then sprinkle in a blaze of action into every book. The romance is so well built, slow-paced and so addicting! I wanted so much more when I got to the end, but it’s ok, because I know more exciting things are coming! I love discovering more about the Judgements in each installment, and knowing there are only 2 more books & Judgements to come, I can only say that this book was probably a little break in the midst of the war to come!
PS. If you are current in reading these books, don’t be sad there are only 2 books left because Melissa Haag is writing novellas from the boys perspectives!!! AHHHH! *seriously flailing*
NOW the wait continues…again.
Solid 4.5 stars out of 5! This series is fantastic and like I said earlier, I cannot recommend them enough!
Series:
Hope(less) (Judgement of the Six #1)
Gabby’s brain is like a human fish finder. It comes in handy when she wants to avoid people. Mostly men. They seem to like her a bit too much. It’s lonely being different, but she’s adapted to it. Really. She just wishes she knew why she is different, though.
In her search for answers, she discovers a hidden community of werewolves. She immerses herself in their culture, learning about their world until she meets Clay. He’s unkempt, prone to mood swings, intense without saying a word, and he thinks Gabby is his.
It’s going to take every trick she knows to convince Clay to go away, and every bit of willpower not to fall for him when she discovers the man beneath the rough exterior.
Delve into a riveting world of werewolves and young women with unexplained abilities, in Hope(less).
Grab Hope(less) Free at:
Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords | iTunes
(Mis)Fortune (Judgement of the Six #2)
Author Bio: Melissa Haag
Melissa Haag currently resides in Wisconsin with her husband and three children. Touch is her first published novel. She is currently working on book five of a separate six book series. To learn more about her upcoming projects, visit her at: http://melissahaag.com, and you can connect with her on: https://twitter.com/imagine2live & https://www.facebook.com/author.MelissaHaag
