Review: Undeniable by Madeline Sheehan

Undeniable (Undeniable #1)
by Madeline Sheehan
Published on: 10/7/12
Self Published
Genre: Very Adult Contemporary Romance

Warning: This is not a typical love story. This is an all-consuming, soul-crushing, tear-your-heart-into-pieces story. It’s intense, gritty and raw, dark and disturbing, and it doesn’t happen overnight. This is an epic love story that knows no boundaries and has no time limits. It grows and develops—with hurt, sacrifice, and heartache—over the span of a lifetime.

Eva Fox is the princess of the Silver Demons Motorcycle Club. Growing up with bikers in the club lifestyle is all that she knows. When she’s a young girl, Eva meets the reason for her existence. Deuce West is the sexy, biker bad-ass of the Hell’s Horsemen Motorcycle Club. Like Eva, he was born and raised in the club—but that’s where the similarities end. Their first meeting is innocent, but as Eva matures into a woman, their chance reunions evolve into a fit of lust and love. Fate continues to bring them together time and time again, but their twisted journey is filled with pain, betrayal, and bloodshed that could tear them apart. Eva sees in Deuce what he cannot see in himself—a man worthy of love—and Eva spends her lifetime proving to him that her undeniable love is the one thing he can’t live without.

This is Eva and Deuce’s story.

It wasn’t easy.
Nothing worth doing ever is.
And love is worth everything.

My Rating: 4 Coffee Cups

I was originally going to do a short review in my "Week in Reviews" Sunday feature, but I realized once I started typing that I couldn't really stop. This book just had that kind of an effect on me. When I was at the Boston Author's Event a couple of weeks ago, I actually told the author Madeline Sheehan that I never wanted to go through my Kindle and punch a fictional character in the cojones quite as much as I wanted to punch Deuce (yes, this is verbatim). She then told me I would likely need Yoga or meditation for the next one, so yay. Ok, so back to this book. 

This story spans about 20ish years. You first meet Eva and Deuce while they are visiting their respective fathers in jail. You're brought into their world pretty much immediately. You are also introduced to the fact that there is an 18 year age gap, being that she is 5 and he is 23 when they first met. Yes, I will wholeheartedly say that reading that and knowing that this was going to be a love story made me cringe and say quite a few internal "eewww"s. They meet up a couple of times in the interim years until their next major meeting when she is 16 and he is 34 (oh and married with children might I add). Also, in the interim you're brought a little bit deeper into her life, namely you're introduced to a little psychopath in the making, also known as Frankie. He is the son of a fellow biker who was killed in the "line of duty" who Eva's father took in. He immediately becomes entirely dependent on Eva and extremely overprotective of her. He's also insanely violent - insane being the operative word here. But back to Deuce and Eva's second meeting. Let's just say daddy- head of the Silver Demons Motorcycle Club- was not particularly pleased with Deuce's- head of the Hell’s Horsemen Motorcycle Club- behavior. Doesn't end pretty. Which is why it is another two years before they see each other, and this time is entirely by pure stupid luck.  

And this sets up the ulcer creating events that take place going forward. It pretty much all goes to hell in a hand basket after this point. They meet up again- it's awesome, you begin to really fall in love with their love story, root for them and BOOM instance #1 for why I wanted to virtually castrate Deuce. It's pretty much a re-occuring theme throughout the book. He doesn't know how to keep it in his pants. 

I was not going to cry. Nope. Just because he wasn't the man I'd thought he was didn't mean I was going to cry. It was my own fault, putting him on some kind of pedestal when in reality he was just another biker, who lies, cheats, and steals and who can't resist slutty club ass. 

This, pretty effectually, pushes her into the arms of the now full fledged psychopath Frankie. They actually get married. And Frankie, becomes psychotically obsessed with her. Now, you get angry at Deuce and at times you even hate Deuce, but Frankie scares you. He does things that make you sick. And when Deuce's club has a confrontation with Eva's club to retaliate against Frankie for some bit o'crazy he pulled you see just how far Frankie is willing to go to keep Eva. And this sets off a whole new set of obstacles and events Deuce and Eva have to get through. I could compare pretty much the last 30-ish percent of this book to attempting to navigate through a minefield. It was also like a train wreck, in which you just couldn't take your eyes off of it. They hate each other and violence ensues. Then they love each other and try to be happy. Then they're not and hospitals become involved. And throughout this there are a few more instances where virtual castration would've been warranted. I can't go into much detail, hence the vagueness.

Oh and on a side note: I loved Eva's BFF Kami. Definitely a much needed comic relief. 

This book sucks you in, beats you up, chews on you a little bit before spitting you out and then attempts to haphazardly put you back together again. I say haphazardly because you still feel lingering effects even after this book is finished. The fact that I read this book nearly a month ago and I'm still reeling is the reason I gave it 4 coffee cups. Love it (like I did) or hate it, it did something to you and touched you in a way that no book before this really has.