Once Upon a Twilight!: Book review and Excerpt: Beneath These Shadows by Meghan March

Beneath These Shadows
Beneath #6
Author: Meghan March
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: October 25, 2016
Review Source: Red Dress Press

From USA Today bestselling author Meghan March comes a new dangerously sexy alpha hero...

The only permanent thing in my life is the ink I put on my clients.
I drift from city to city, in and out of beds, from one tattoo shop to the next.
Every time I start to put down roots, I rip them up.
Until New Orleans.
Until her.
She’s everything I’m not.
Full of fire and life. An innocent where I’m a sinner.
I want to consume her. Protect her. Keep her.
But first, I have to escape from beneath these shadows.

Beneath These Shadows is a STANDALONE romance set in the world of the Beneath series. You DO NOT have to read any other books in the series to enjoy it.

Ahhhh!!! OK, so Meghan March was an author I found BY ACCIDENT a few months ago because she had an e-book with an audible companion on sale. I've read 3 books since then and EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I'm blown away. I absolutely love her writing.

Beneath these shadows is the newest book in the Beneath series about Eden and Bishop. Eden is the illegitimate daughter of the notorious head leader of a major mob family, Dominic Casso. She lives her life completely sheltered like a caged bird until unexpectedly one day, she gets a chance to spread her wings. Dom is being investigated and shit is hitting the fan so Eden's body guard puts her on a plane with a fake ID and cash to a place of her choosing. She's always wanted to go to New Orleans, so she doesn't think, she just goes. Upon arriving in New Orleans, during Mardi Gras, she runs into one problem after another. It's there that she meets her unlikely sexy hero, Bishop.

I love Eden and Bishop! Their chemistry is smoking from the very beginning. While this book did have some insta-love, in my opinion, it wasn't over the top unbelievable. Meghan March has the amazing ability to write such intense sexual chemistry and tension!! I really love how Eden continues to want to try and "save herself" and not want to rely on her man to save her. She is very strong and brave. AND BISHOP, good lawd, it was like Meghan created the perfect man for me with Bishop. He had just enough alpha to be SEXY, but enough sense to let his woman take the reigns sometimes. At least, he learns this after a little bit! I love the other characters that are mentioned. They are like a little family. I haven't read all of the Beneath series yet but I plan on devouring each one soon.

I rate this book 5 stars because, like all of Meghan March's books so far, I couldn't put it down. She is quickly becoming a go to author for me and I can't wait to read all of her books. She has definitely become a "one click" without reading the blurb type of author for me.

EXCERPT

“You ever broken the law before this, Eden?”

I expected a quick and unequivocal no, but it didn’t come as fast as I thought it

would.

“I don’t think so. I mean, I’m sure I have by accident sometime. I’ve jaywalked.

But I’m not some kind of criminal.”

Well, that makes one of us, I thought.

My anger from earlier started to fade and be replaced by the heat of the

knowledge that Eden’s naked tits were only inches from my chest, separated by

water I could see right through. Last time I’d seen them under her pink bra, she’d

been too fucked up for me to take advantage . . . but tonight she was completely

sober.

I raised my gaze from her chest, expecting her cheeks to be red when she

realized I was staring at her nipples, but she wasn’t watching my face. She was

staring down at my body.

“Like what you see?”

That got her attention.

Eden jerked her head up to meet my eyes, and the blush colored her skin like I’d

timed it.

“You’re . . . big.”

A booming laugh broke free from my throat at her unexpected response, and her

cheeks flamed even brighter.

“No, that’s not what I meant. I mean . . . everywhere. Not just, in the . . .” She

looked down, then jerked her gaze back to mine. “I’m going to shut up now.”

That kind of awkward and fumbling response couldn’t be faked, and

protectiveness rose in me again. Eden was no con artist. She was a girl who

couldn’t even say the word cock without turning red.

“Ain’t no shame in my game.”

She reached out a hand and covered my lips with her fingers. “Stop. You’re just

making it worse. I wasn’t checking out your . . . package. I mean, I did before you

got in the pool, but that’s only because I thought you’d have underwear on

because who doesn’t wear underwear?” The babbling continued, and so did my

laughter.

Hell, I hadn’t laughed this much since Delilah had given in to a customer’s

request and tattooed a flexing veined eggplant cartoon on a client so he could

send pictures of it instead of dick pics.

Eden pulled her hand back and covered her face. “I’m going to stop talking now. I

seriously can’t be trusted to say anything that’s not completely humiliating when

you’re standing this close to me naked.”

“I disagree, and since I’m not ready to get out and put my clothes on, you’re

going to have to deal with it.”

She mumbled something under her breath.

“Come again?”

Eden pressed her lips together for a beat before saying, “I don’t know how to

deal with it. This isn’t something I’ve ever dealt with before.”

A crazy thought popped into my brain. “Are you a virgin?”

If there was a red brighter than fire engine, that was the color of Eden’s cheeks.

“No! Of course not. Really. I’ve touched a dick before. I mean, just the one, but it

still counts. Well, I didn’t really touch it. Except, you know, inside me. Oh my

God, I’m just going to shut up now.”

Realization dawned on me as her babbled protest silenced. “You’ve had sex with

one guy? Once? How old are you?”

Eden turned to bolt, but instead smashed her tits into my arm. I stepped close

enough so that only an inch of water separated us.

Her gaze went skyward. “This is so humiliating.”

That’s where she and I had differing opinions. “Why? Because you haven’t

fucked every guy you’ve ever met? What’s wrong with that?”

Eden’s gaze snapped down to mine and her brows drew into slashes. “Hey,

whoa now. You can toss that double-standard crap right in the trash. What if I

had screwed every guy I ever met? Would that make me less of a person? I

mean, it’s not like you probably haven’t been with dozens and dozens of women.

I’m not judging you. Except for maybe that Kitty girl. I mean, really? You’ve got to

have some standards.”

My laughter boomed out again across the courtyard. “Cupcake, just because I

can get most any pussy I want, doesn’t mean I do it.”

“Still, double standards are—”

When she started on another tirade, I decided to silence her the best way I knew

how.

I leaned down and covered her lips with mine.