“I can easily divide my life into two parts—before her and after.”
Hudson Pierce has led a life few others could even imagine. With money and power at his fingertips, he’s wanted for almost nothing. He’s never experienced love, however, and he’s seen few examples of it in his dysfunctional family. The ridiculous notion of romance has always intrigued him. He’s studied it, controlled it, manipulated it, and has yet to understand it.
Until he meets Alayna Withers.
Now, the games he’s played in his quest for comprehension can finally come to an end. Or are they just beginning?
Told from his point of view, Hudson fills the holes in his love story with Alayna Withers. His past and relationship with his long-time friend Celia is further revealed and light is shed on his actions during his courtship with Alayna.
MUST BE READ AFTER THE FIXED TRILOGY.
Book One: FIXED ON YOU
Book Two: FOUND IN YOU
Book Three: FOREVER WITH YOU
The Fixed Series is one of my all time favorites – everything from the writing to the characters to the emotions has every possible detail that I love about angsty romances.
You can read my Fixed On You review here, this is the book that began my obsession with Hudson Pierce. Want a little extra Hudson and Alayna love? Read Hudson’s Love Note to Alayna *Swoon Alert!*
Title: Fixed On You (Fixed Series Book #1)
Author: Laurelin Paige
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
Stalking and restraining orders are a thing of Alayna Pierce’s past. With her MBA newly in hand, she has her future figured out – move up at the nightclub she works at and marry the manager, David. He’s perfect for her because, although he’s attractive, he doesn’t get her all turned inside out and upside down like some other men have. It’s a safe plan, one that assures she’ll remain in control of her obsessive love disorder.
But what Alayna didn’t figure on is Hudson Pierce, the new owner of the nightclub. He’s smart, rich, and gorgeous – the kind of guy Alayna knows to stay away from if she wants to keep her past tendencies in check. Except, Hudson’s fixed his sights on her. He wants her in his bed and makes no secret of his plans to seduce her. Avoiding him becomes impossible after he offers a business proposition Alayna can’t turn down and she’s drawn further into his universe, unable to resist his gravitational pull.
Soon Alayna’s charmed by Hudson in every way possible and the control over her old behaviors slip. When she learns Hudson has a dark history of his own, she realizes too late that she’s fallen for the worst man she could possibly get involved with. Or maybe their less than ideal pasts give them an opportunity to heal each other and finally find the love their lives have been missing.
Check out My Review of Found in You – the second book in the Fixed Series
Title: Found In You (Fixed Series Book #2)
Author: Laurelin Paige
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
Alayna Withers has only had one kind of relationship: the kind that makes her obsessive and stalker-crazy. Now that Hudson Pierce has let her into his heart, she’s determined to break down the remaining walls between them so they can build a foundation that’s based on more than just amazing sex. Except Hudson’s not the only one with secrets.
With their pasts pulling them into a web of unfounded mistrust, Alayna turns to the one person who knows Hudson the best—Celia, the woman he almost married. Hoping for insight from someone who understands all sides of the story, Alayna forms a bond with Celia that goes too far—revealing things about Hudson that could end their love for good.
This is the first relationship where Alayna hasn’t spiraled out of control. And she might lose Hudson anyway…
I absolutely adored Forever With You – it was an amazing way to end Hudson and Alayna’s story…check out my review!
Title: Forever With You (Fixed Series Book #3)
Author: Laurelin Paige
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
Alayna Withers relationship with Hudson Pierce has tested both her and his ability to trust. They decide that the only way they can move forward together is with open doors and transparency. It won’t be easy for the scarred lovers, but they’re committed to each other more now than ever. Alayna, in particular, has grown through their trials, and has emerged more confident and faithful to the man she loves.
But while the pair is focused on the future, their past shows up again to threaten their fragile bond. Promises that were made are broken, and Alayna learns that Hudson still has very potent secrets—secrets that will tear them both apart. As much as she feels for him, her ability to forgive and forget is tested beyond her limits.
Even though she found the only man who could fix her, a forever with Hudson seems more and more out of reach.
The betrayal is really hers, but I don’t want to hurt her. I want to pull her into me, into my very soul, so that she can see how I feel about her, see how this rips me up. Tie her to me so completely that she can’t ever be out of my control. This was why I sent David away in the first place. This is why I hold onto her as tightly as I do. This is why I doubt her when she says she means forever. If she can wound me like this, then how easily will she leave me when it’s warranted?
It’s a fragment of my greatest fear realized—she loves me, but she doesn’t love me enough.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*
4.5 “When you love someone, their world interests you more than your own.” “fixed” Kisses
I was both excited and anxious when I heard about Hudson…because, let’s be honest…being in his brain is both a fantastic and scary place to be. But I was ready for the challenge…and all that it might bring me. It was a challenge…in both the good and bad sense. First of all, if you have no idea who Hudson Pierce is…we have a major problem that must be remedied. Hudson is the fourth book in the Fixed Series…and this series MUST be read in order. Fixed On You, Found In You and Forever With You are three of my favorite books ever and it’s all because of one man…and we get to learn all about him in Hudson…so as you see, it all comes full circle.
Hudson Alexander Pierce…what would my world be like without Hudson? It’s a sad thought to consider. He is definitely one of my top book boyfriends ever…definitely top three and this book solidified it for me. He is totally unique in his own amazing ways…combining all of the things I love and crave with this delectable untouchable quality that is solely Hudson. His dominance is unyielding…his power is addictive…and his mouth is filthy. He’s charismatic and charming….educated and witty…cultured and sophisticated…he is the perfect package. Plus he’s gorgeous, loaded, hung and can fuck for days – is there anything more that I can say to make this man more perfect? Well…just wait. Because getting in his head brings a whole different insight into his motives…his backstory and history give details as to why he is the way he is…and there are just certain things that are better learned from Hudson than from anyone else.
‘There was where my confusion lay – why did I give a shit? I’m not a completely emotionless man, but nearly. The feelings I do have are tame, controllable. Practical. This irrational desperation for someone I don’t even know – it rattled me. It rattles me now, these days later when my desperation has increased.
Never in my life have I felt this way about someone.’
Alayna Reese Withers…I always had a deep love and appreciation for this girl, but seeing her through Hudson’s eyes just took me to a whole other level. Seeing her actions and what her feelings brought out in him, there are no words. Experiencing her strength and beauty from his perspective…it made her even more gorgeous. Everything was magnified, I can’t even do it justice but I truly cannot think more of this girl. For the change that she brought out in Hudson…for the goodness that she created in his life…for the life she showed him he was capable of having…it just blows me away. It’s funny because even when Laynie was going through her crazy moments…the times when I was cringing and hoping that Hudson wouldn’t bolt…seeing those scenes from Hudson’s POV was possibly the most enlightening about his feelings about her. Because even at her craziest, when he could have/should have/would have logically been able to cut ties with Alayna and move on…he didn’t. That is enough to show me that he loves he more than anyone ever could…and that’s all that I could ever hope for.
‘Then I know.
I know that no one has ever looked at me this way. I know that this connection is not just one-sided, that she feels it too. I know that I scare her and fascinate her as much as she scares and fascinates me. I know that sooner or later I will fuck her , that she will enjoy it. That I will enjoy it. And somehow, with certainty that exceeds every other fact that I’ve come to accept in this space of seconds, I know that my life will never be the same again.’
Celia Werner…this review would not be complete if I didn’t mention Celia. I have never hidden my distaste for her…she’s portrayed as a villain in Fixed, Found and Forever and she earns that title with ease…but it is nice to know where and why all this evilness is in her. We get to see so many different sides of Celia…sides that I never knew existed, some intriguing, some confirming but I do have a new found appreciation for her. I think it’s very easy to judge bad people when they do mean things to the characters we love…so of course, with as much as I love Laynie and Hudson, anything keeping them from being together is the most horrible thing on the planet and therefore I must hate it. But…knowing what Celia has been through…seeing through Hudson’s eyes what he did…it did change things. It was enlightening…I can’t say that I like her, that’s too generous a word – but I think I have the capability of liking her. I definitely get her more which is enough for me and maybe…one day, Laurelin Paige will help give me a little more concreteness to all that is Celia.
‘“I don’t want to be like that with you.”
But it’s the only way I know how to be with her. With anyone.
“Then what do you want to be with me, Hudson?” She wipes her tears, and I have to hold myself back from kissing them from her face.
“Honestly? I’m not sure.” It’s the truest thing I’ve said. I lean back against the seat, and though I’m physically here in my limousine, I’m also completely lost. I’ve never been so without answers. Not just today with the mess that Celia has created, but since the very first day I saw Alayna.
Why her? Why now? Has therapy actually changed me? Is that why she makes me feel the way she does? Because as scared as I am to admit it, that’s exactly what’s going on with Alayna – I’m feeling. She makes me feel. What, I can’t say. I’m not familiar enough with these sensation to explain any of it.
It strikes me as funny. Why, after all my life of never feeling anything for anyone, this woman shows up and throws all my truths out the window.’
This is not a retelling of the previous three books…yes, we do see scenes from the three books from Hudson’s perspective but it’s so not repetitive. There is much to be learned from those scenes from his POV and it makes it more than necessary IMO. The book jumps from Before and After Alayna…that is the only way to classify Hudson’s life. Because before her…Hudson was a completely different person and we get to see the transformation right before our very eyes. I have always known that I am an emotional reader and thats one of the things that I have clung to with this series – I could feel Laynie’s emotions vividly…like they were my own, which is why I love Hudson as deeply as I do. That was the only thing that I struggled with in this book…before Alayna…Hudson didn’t have emotions. The Before parts of Hudson are…interesting, factual, they fill in a lot of the blanks for why Hudson is the way that he is, a lot of his past, a lot about Celia and their past, so much about Hudson’s family…it was all very fascinating and fulfilled my insatiably curious need to know more…so for that, I enjoyed it. But…it was, like Hudson, void of emotion. That part was hard for me…but, it was necessary. You cannot force emotion into a character who doesn’t feel it, so had it been fluffy and full of feelings…it would have been a lie. That. Isn’t. Hudson. Pierce. Or…should I say that wasn’t Hudson Pierce…before he found Alayna.
‘“Mon amour. Mon précieux,” I say at her ear. “Mon chérie. Mon bien-aimé.” My love. My precious. My cherished. My beloved.
I tell her this over and over in between kisses as I roll in and out of her. I tell her that I’m with her. Always with her. With all that I can give her. With every part of me that matters – the places that she’s awakened, the dark corners that she’s lit with her love.
I can’t give her all of me, but I can do this. I pray that it’s enough.’
Now…all of the After…and I do mean ALL of the After…was my favorite. Seeing all the scenes that I remembered from Fixed, Found and Forever…experiencing them from his POV…feeling them from his emotions….there are no words. He left me speechless…breathless…and in my happy place. This man knows no bounds when it comes to sexuality and if I thought I loved it from Laynie’s POV, he just sent me to a whole other land of fabulocity. It was sinful…and luscious…and everything I dreamed it could be. And it was also exploding with all the feels! It was like all the pent up emotions that hadn’t been allowed to escape for the past 20-odd years was just pouring from this mans brain, straight into mine and ladies, I was greedy. I enjoyed every one of them…even the ones that hurt. Hudson’s pain brought me pain…possibly more than what he felt, even though I knew the outcome, it still upset me to know the anguish he was in. But it was all worth it.
‘I’ve seen love deteriorate before. I’ve watched it unravel before my eyes. This is something I know. It’s the thing I’ve always been good at – destroying the fairytale of happily ever after.
Love doesn’t bear all. Love doesn’t endure. Love ends. It always, always ends.
For all that I’ve destroyed – in my past, with Celia, here today in Alayna – my curse is that my love alone goes on. My whole life I was empty. Now I’m full. Overflowing with love and aguish. Hers and mine. They are so completely entwined, so thoroughly mixed in each other that I don’t believe they’ll ever be separate. I love Alayna Withers. And each drop of that love is so laced with pain that it travels through my veins like acid, burning and scarring me from the inside out.’
This book gave me a whole new insight into why it is called the Fixed Trilogy. There are so many different mentions of the word ‘fixed’…now that wouldn’t be a big deal, except that I am a redundancy freak and that stuff sticks out to me…but…it wasn’t redundant…it was the context that it was used in that kept catching my attention. This entire series has been about two broken, lost people who are so messed up mentally that when they find the person that truly completes them…is perfect for them in every way…loves them so completely everything else doesn’t matter…they’re just fixed. Wholly. Truly. Without any doubt or question in my mind, the healthiest thing that Laynie and Hudson have ever done in their adult lives is realize that they are meant to be and even through the good, the bad and the ugly, they’re still fixed, together. The second that realization hit me, it brought tears to my eyes…it gave me a totally new appreciation for these characters, their love and the struggle that it took to get them to this place. It was amazing.
‘She leans down and kisses me softly then leans her forehead against mine. “I would never have given myself the chance to fall in love with you if you hadn’t forced me to. It doesn’t excuse you. But it’s the truth. And for that, I have to say that I guess things happened how they should have. If I had the chance to rewrite it all, I don’t think I would change a thing. This is the path that led me with you like this. It’s the reason I came back to you so easily. Because I realized I’d rather live through your betrayal and end up with you than never to have gotten you at all.”’
I am at peace with Alayna and Hudson…I was at the end of Forever but the epilogue gave me much more closure than I could have ever hoped for. It is the epitome of the ‘big red bow’ that I search for for all of my couples, so I love Laurelin to bits for writing it. I’m glad she saved it for this book and Hudson’s POV…for whatever reason it means more to me and I cherish it more than I would from Laynie’s. I am over the moon excited about Gwen’s story…I really liked her and from the blurb about Free Me, I think she is going to offer a captivating ride. Hudson gave me a new found appreciation for the journey that he and Alayna went through…the struggles that he had to over come…and for the love and solace that they found in each other. I will never forget these two beautiful souls.
Laurelin Paige is the NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Fixed Trilogy. She’s a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Mad Men and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Adam Levine.
I love Hudson!!
I absolutely adored this series and can’t wait to read Hudson’s POV!! Thanks for the giveaway!
I’ve read all three books and loved them all. It was one of the few trilogies that delivered in all three books and the characters stayed intact.
I loved the Fixed trilogy!! Now I just have to get my hands on Hudson! 😉
I haven’t read any books by Laurelin Paige, but I’m hoping to remedy that! Thanks for the giveaway!
I haven’t read any of the books yet but I would love to get started!
I’ve read the first two in this series and can’t wait to finish it!
I’ve read the entire fixed trilogy plus Hudson.. I am a huge fan of the series and Laurelin in general..
The series is on my TBR list, can’t wait to start reading! Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
I have read the first 3 books in this series and loved loved loved them! Hudson is next!!
I haven’t read any of the books yet, but my friend has them and has totally recommended them to me, so hope to read soon.
Yes, I’ve read the Fixed Trilogy. Thanks for the giveaway.
I could not wait for this book. I have been giddy since I heard it was coming out. I thought I wanted Gwen’s story next, but I am happy to wait so can be in Hudson’s beautiful, conflicted mind.
I haven’t read any of her books, but I really want to!
No, I haven’t. But I would love to! Thanks for a chance.
I have read the Fixed Trilogy and loved it!
I loved the Fixed Trilogy, Hudson both angered me and then made me fall in love with him. I don’t know how to put a picture of my ebook on facebook sorry