All I Am: Drew’s Story by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Series: This Man, #3.5
Erotic Romance
June 18, 2017
Forever 

Reviewed By Tori

Favorite Quote: “This woman could be my downfall. Could make me forget who I am. All I am.”

Raya Rivers came to Hux looking for sex. Hot, filthy, erotic sex with no commitment or emotional involvement. She has recently suffered an emotional blow and just wants to taken high up on the mountain then left alone. And who better than the club’s resident commitment-phobe?

Drew Davis is a forty plus workaholic who is quite content being unattached. As a single dad, he enjoys spending time with his daughter, his friends, and at Hux, an all inclusive sex club. When Drew is notified that someone at Hux has requested his particular skills- he is well known for his chains and cold, detached attitude- he goes in expecting a pleasant interlude and is shocked by the force of his connection to a woman he’s never seen before and probably never will again.

The more time they spend together, the harder they both fall, but neither were looking for love or happily ever after. When Drew’s fears get the best of him, Drew will have to learn to trust again or lose Raya forever.

All I Am will seduce and delight fans of Malpas’ This Man series, especially those who love any mention of Jessie Ward. This short full bodied novella gives readers an emotional and heartfelt erotic romance when cupid’s arrow hits one man when he least expects it. Told entirely from the male perspective,  we are given an intimate look into Drew’s  life and thoughts. This single dad is very private and selective about who he allows into his life and therefore his daughter’s, Georgia. After the stunt his baby mama pulled, Drew’s trust in women is at an all-time low.

I don’t trust women.

Meeting Raya Rivers is a blow Drew never saw coming. The chemistry between them left this reader’s Kindle smoking as their first club scene sets the stage for more to come. Intense sexual tension and kinky playtime keep you on edge as Drew fights his feelings for Raya and what she represents.

I can’t think past simply getting her naked. Putting my hands on her skin. My lips on hers. […] A need in me, a desperation I’ve never experienced before, robs my mind of rational thought.

Plenty of humor comes in the form of Sam and Jessie,  Drews two best friends, and Drew’s little girl.  As Drew is the only single one left, he’s had a front-row seat to Sam and Jessie’s relationship dramas for years and now get to benefit from their collective wisdom. And what wisdom it is. *laughs out loud* I love the easy and obviously close friendship they share. These three would do anything for each other and it shows.

“There’s not a chance in hell we’re getting through there.”

“You just need to be creative.” Sam produces two passports, a pair of boarding passes held between the pages.

I balk at him horrified. “Where the hell did you get them?”

“I borrowed them.” He shrugged like he hadn’t just committed a crime. […] “Don’t worry, I’ll give them back.”

Drew’s relationship with his daughter is adorable and I love how he thinks of her first and foremost before committing to anything. He really needs to do something about his baby mama. *nods head knowingly* She makes crazy look sane.

The ending is a dramatic affair that requires Drew to be one hundred percent honest with Raya and lay his heart out on his sleeve without knowing if it will be enough for her.

“You did something to me that’s never happened before, and it scared me. […] I should have had has more faith in you. In us. “

My only issues with this story were I do wish the ending hadn’t been so rushed or Georgia used so obviously as a plot device. Regardless, All I Am was an enjoyable visit back into Malpas’ This Man series.

An interesting tidbit: I believe we meet the heroine of Malpas’ next full length novel-The Forbidden– in here. Malpas has firmly said this is NOT a spin-off of this series so we shall see.  I’m excited to read it and will post my review closer to the release date (August 8th)

Grade: B-

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