The Rising (Unlawful Men, #4) (2024)

Just when I thought this series couldn’t get any better… BOOM 💥
The Rising is thrilling, gripping, angsty, and suspenseful throughout….Phenomenal! 🇬🇧

The Rising picks up where The Resurrection left off, the first part of the book focusing on the relationships between our Hero’s and Heroine’s. This instalment of the Unlawful Men is a real test on the relationships between Danny and Rose, James and Beau. Tempers and patience is fraying amongst them all, add that to their murderous endeavour to find The Bear …The body count is rising.
Danny and James’ need to love and protect their women is even more fierce, but is it enough? Our favourite anti hero’s are on top form in The Rising 🔥
Rose and Beau both show some real balls in this book, especially Beau, we see the old Beau in this book, before she was broken and left in the darkness shrouding her. She really lives up to her nick name ‘Lara Croft’.
I did feel that this book centred more around James and Beau, it’s a real battle for them to survive together, and a test of their love for one another.
And of course all the secondary characters we already know and love are heavily involved in this book …and some new ones, too. Brad is just brilliant, he brings some fantastic humour to the gang, he’s hilarious! But, there is one conversation involving Ringo, regarding toilet habits lol, that had me in absolute stitches with laugher.

The Rising is written in all four POV’s again, and done very well, might I add.
The story builds at a steady pace of angst and suspense, ending in a crescendo of heart palpitations…really! There were parts that just blew my mind 🤯 The plot twists, the theories, the suspects and the red herrings are just bouncing of the pages, giving me whiplash! Trust no one, suspect everyone…that was my moto lol, and I still got it all wrong 😆
But that ending…WOW! 🫣😳
Obviously there is plenty of steamy, angry love making in there too 🥵

This book is EPIC, a monster of a book, it’s huge! It certainly isn’t a book you speed read, it needs your undivided attention to soak up all the info coming at you thick an fast! It’s packed with action and content…it never stops. Buckle up, it’s quite the ride!
Jodi Ellen Malpas, again, surpasses expectations with The Rising, fantastic penmanship, fantastic story line, totally nailed it!
The Rising gives you all the answers you want and need from the previous books in the series.

The Unlawful Men series is a series that just keeps on giving.
Bravo 👏🏼 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🇬🇧 You must read all the previous books in the Unlawful Men series to fully enjoy and understand The Rising.

'Enamoured, entranced & entertained from the first to last page. Jodi Ellen Malpas rises above the rest with the latest Unlawful Men instalment so good, you'll be reading with your jaw to the floor! - The British Bibliophile

Thank you to Valentine PR for sending me an ebook Advanced Readers Copy for me to read and leave an honest review

The Rising by Jodi Ellen Malpas is the fourth instalment into the explosive, bloody, growling world of the Unlawful Men and their unruly women. Danny and James less than gently inserted themselves into Rose & Beau's lives, but soon became a permanent and precious fixture despite the many things trying to keep them apart.

The need for more of this foursome has been blooming since book one, The Brit , where we first met the angel-faced assassin, Danny Black. Like the impending storm and unstoppable force that he is, he rolls into Rose Cassidy's life with no intention of being anything but the brutish Brit that he's known and feared to be. However, they weren't meant to be alone for long. Cue, The Enigma . With book two comes our second alpha male, James Kelly and equally as alpha in her own right, Beau Hayley. Their beginning is as explosive as their love, and fuel is only added to the fire as they go. The Resurrection brings to the fore enemies of both alpha males, and they have two choices. Face them together, or don't. Wisely, they choose the former and the unlikely team of The Brit and The Enigma was born.

Since leaving things as they were in The Resurrection , there have been several questions on the minds of eager readers hungry for more of Danny, James, Brad and the gang. Namely, who is The Bear? That's a question that has plagued readers for over hundreds and hundreds of pages, prompting the guessing game to see if we were right by the time we find out who it it. (FYI: I didn't get it right). Jodi is an absolute master at keeping identities hidden and even throwing a spanner--or two--into the works just when you think you have things figured out. Queen of plot-twist whiplash, if you will. Her writing talent knows no bounds and I cannot think of another author, in her genre, that equates to how incredible she is. If you were blown away with how things were left in The Resurrection hold on tight for things to get twice as blowy--in more ways than one--in The Rising .

The Rising stays flawlessly true to the tone and feel as the other books in the series, while also elevating itself--rising, if you will--above to become something all its own. It echoes everything we've grown to know and love about the characters, their journeys, where they came from and where they're going to while giving us something new on every other page. Everything is escalated from the moments that had you biting your nails and holding your breath, the moments your jaw barely left the floor, the gut-churning angst, drama so worthy of an award, and surprises that send your head into a spin. It. Has. It. All.

More than one thing rose in this novel, if you know what I mean. That and the amount of mouth-scorching spicy and steamy scenes. There is often the comment made about having 'too many' sex scenes in a book, but I personally don't believe in such a thing and it's a good thing too! Beau, Rose, Danny and James in their respective pairs crank up the heat--and the action--to inferno type levels! I won't divulge or digress into the multiple and multitude of ways in which these events come to pass, but grab those fans, ice and anything to cool yourselves down. You're going to need it! Just when I thought I knew every which way 'it' could be done, Jodi surprises me and has caused several bruises from biting my lip too hard. No complaints here. I--like the characters--enjoyed those scenes and cannot say enough how much I appreciate Jodi for going there and giving us them. Notes definitely taken for future reference.

Danny, James, Rose and Beau have swiftly become firm favourites for myself and other JEM readers all within their own right. Jodi never fails to write a character that will be a hit and become a favourite for somebody, but this awesome foursome have such a hold on myself and other readers, it's simply impossible that we will be done or will be able to forget about them long after the Unlawful Men series has been long-since published and other novels following it. Danny and James are two of her strongest, most formidable men who have more to offer than they give themselves credit for. A sensitivity that lingers below the surface and love that can only be brought out by someone who is their other half as much as they are their equal. Rose and Beau. These ladies are the very definition of resilience, strength, determination, perseverance, loyalty, courage, bravery and so much more. They've been through--and continue to be put through--things that we would only hear about, let alone experience. On top of that, to be able to resist, stand up to and rebel against two men like Danny and James while knowing, expecting and accepting the consequences (sometimes), they are two of the most inspirational characters in the whole of literature. Fact.

Despite the endless events the characters are put through, their resolve to remain as one with each other is worth it and they're all worth fighting for. They're no longer in the darkness but are heading towards a lighter, brighter future not as The Brit or The Enigma, but as Danny and James with Rose and Beau at their sides.

I've been looking forward to this read for a very long time, and was over the moon when Jodi announced that there would be a fourth book after the outstanding reception and success of book one, two and three. There are certain authors, books and book series that come along that leave more than a lasting impression to a reader and Jodi, her books and this series in particular, is all three of those things for me. I read a lot, therefore a lot of characters, stories and series pass through my hands and grace my eyes, but this series--and The Rising has been something so remarkable, its up there with my favourite books of all time.

Immediately after finishing this novel, I took to Twitter to express just how much in awe I was left after turning the final page twenty-four hours after turning the first one. I said three things to Jodi. One, 'firstly, a round of applause & standing ovation for you'. Two, 'this is a top 2023 book right here'. Three, 'OH-EM-GEE'. I echo those stamens here in this review. For this book Jodi deserves nothing more than all the applause and a standing ovation from every reader out of their seat while doing so. It's my second top read of 2023 and quite honestly, I'll go so far as to say I might have found my top read of the year overall. The bar has been set aloft and very high, so much so that it's going to take a lot to match what this read brought to the table.

Thank you, Jodi, for giving it your all--and your longest book to date--with this novel and series. Your efforts have more than paid off and all those hours typing away, bleeding everything into The Rising was more than worth it. I don't think my review will even do what you've given to us, justice, but please know that this is going to be a novel I will be recommending and devouring for the foreseeable future.

Danny, Rose, James & Beau...five stars!

The Brit & The Enigma Return To Miami’s Underworld Again When The Bear Resurfaces Very Much Alive. This Dark Mafia Romance Has Secrets & Broken Promises As Well As Shocking Surprises That You Won’t See Coming.

ABOUT THE UNLAWFUL MEN SERIES:

This series is about an unlikely mafia family that forms as the forces of Miami’s underworld struggle for power after the death of mafia boss Carlo Black. It is best if they are read in order.

Book one, The Brit, is Danny Black and Rose Cassidy’s dark story about games and power in the Miami underworld. It is a brutal story about a most unusual couple. Danny Black is an orphaned boy found on the streets of London and taken in by Carlo Black. Carlo raises Danny as his own, preparing him to take over his empire one day. Carlo also takes in his nephew, Brad, who proves himself to be a trustworthy friend to Danny.

Book two expands the series with the introduction of the Enigma – James – another orphaned British man set on revenge for the brutal destruction of his entire family. Kellen James and Beau Hayley’s story of crime and punishment in Miami has you enthralled. Their chemistry erupts as an escape against a backdrop of blood and danger.

In book three, the couples’ worlds collide. Danny, Rose, James, and Beau each have a story to tell as their eclectic mafia family begins to form. The power in Miami is constantly in flux. The Russians and Romanians were no longer in power, and with The Brit dead, The Bear stepped in to fill the void. The Enigma was at large and a potential threat, much to The Bear’s chagrin. But The Bear had a vast network of spies, and The Enigma was made out. A rumor was then leaked that The Brit might not be dead after all. This is the story of his resurrection.

Book four brings the crew back to Miami as the Bear’s hold begins to crumble. The Brit and the Enigma are rising to the top of the underworld as they reclaim the city, but danger awaits them.

Book five will continue with Danny’s story and give his cousin Brad a voice and story of his own as well. Although James is not slated to have a voice, hopefully, his story continues in the background.

Despite the blood, violence, and toxic relationships, this family is bound by love. Their affection is often reluctant, yet their fierce loyalty trumps all at the end of the day. There are many betrayals in their world, and the list of casualties is quite long. These cold-hearted killers don’t do relationships, so they are caught off-guard by love. The women that capture their hearts alter their male-dominated world. The men are softened, yet their reason to fight is fueled like never before as their protective instincts kick in. These men struggle to find balance in their new relationships, though, unused to giving any power to a woman. Their relationships are rocky and contentious at times, but it is counterbalanced by an intense passion. The love-hate nature of these romances is a product of the broken pasts the characters are working through. They might never achieve normal lives, but together, they strive toward finding something that approximates it – a family that supports one another through difficult times and celebrates their achievements.

To date, the series includes:
1.The Brit (Danny Black & Rose Cassidy’s story)
2.The Enigma (Kellen James & Beau Hayley’s story)
3.The Resurrection (Danny, Rose, James, & Beau’s stories)
4.The Rising (Danny, Rose, James, & Beau’s stories)
5.Coming soon (Danny and Brad’s stories)

FROM THE BRIT, BOOK 1:

This story primarily takes place in Miami.

Danny Black, thirty, has never cared for a woman. He pays for the pleasure he takes - it is easier that way. Known as the Angel-Faced Assassin, he is feared by most men, and despite his cold eyes and the scar across his cheek, women are enamored by him. There are no second chances with Danny, and he kills anyone who hurts him. He was taught by the best - his father, Carlo Black. Danny might be the only person on earth truly grieving the loss of his father. To the world, Carlo is the devil, but to Danny, he is the one person on earth that truly cared about him.

Danny was abandoned by his mother at eight years of age and left to an abusive stepfather. He suffered the unthinkable. He learned how to take the pain, and eventually, he felt nothing at all. It served him well. When Carlo came across him in a London alley, Danny was just ten years old. Carlo never had children of his own, but he was impressed by the boy's grit. He ended up taking little Danny back to Miami with him and raising him as his own. Carlo taught him to stay away from women and drugs because both are a distraction and distractions get you killed. Despite his twenty years in America, Danny never did lose his accent, so many refer to him as the Brit.

It was cancer that finally took Carlo, and as the sole heir to the empire, Danny is certain to be tested by his father's enemies when the news gets out. Uncle Ernie, Carlo's brother, is their only remaining relative, but he makes his living legally. The Black empire deals on the other side of the law. They supply weapons.

There has been relative peace in Miami since the Romanians were taken out fifteen years ago. Carlo had a working relationship with the Russians, giving them a steady supply of product. Thanks to a little blackmail, they have Agent Spittle from the FBI looking out for them from the inside. Danny inherited the marina their organization leased and operated out of for years, but unfortunately, the title is transferred without warning when the owner dies, leaving them scrambling for new footing. Danny has his sights set on a neighboring piece of land and has been working the deal. Perry Adams is a local attorney and a shoo-in for the upcoming Miami Mayor's race, and he happens to be part of Danny's master plan. As an attorney, Perry has been working the new marina deal for Danny, and as a politician, Perry is effectively owned by Danny thanks to generous campaign contributions. Once Perry wins, Danny will own the city. But Perry is suddenly acting skittish and saying he wants out.

Rose Lillian Cassidy, twenty-five, is great at her job. She seduces powerful men, making them putty in her hands. She doesn't enjoy a minute of it, but she is good at tuning out and putting on a fake smile. She entraps whomever her owner tells her to while also taking his abuse. It has been ten years now. An orphan by age eight, the foster system had failed her and she has nobody to turn to. She feels nothing, but she keeps going day to day with the hope of another reward. Another picture with a glimpse of the son who was torn from her arms ten years ago. To ensure his continued safety, her only option is compliance.

Rose's current assignment is a married politician hoping to become Miami's next mayor. But Perry is also in a heap of trouble with the infamous Danny Black, and when Perry gets careless, Rose gets pulled into the fray. She has never seen the Angel-Faced Assassin before, but the sight of him instantly overwhelms her with feelings. And when Danny takes her to ensure he gets his money back from Perry, she knows she is in deep trouble.

Danny is frustrated by a woman for the first time when Rose enters his life. She is completely unaffected by him. Most women throw themselves willingly at him, but not Rose. He hardly knows what to make of her or the feelings she invokes in him. She is just like him. She feels no pain and accepts abuse, and that tells him a lot about her. Danny and Rose battle it out as a new power struggle emerges amongst the players in Miami's underworld. Eventually, there is a happy ending.

FROM THE ENIGMA, BOOK 2:

Kellen James inherited his fortune from his infamous father, Spencer James, but he was never supposed to descend into a life of crime. Known today as James Kelly, a private stockbroker, he is a man to be feared. He is the face behind a mysterious figure known only as The Enigma and prefers to operate his cleansing business below the radar. He has an agenda, one that he has been patiently working on for the five years he has been living in the states. He had moved from his native England to Miami, where he operates incognito. He had reinvented himself after a family tragedy years ago, and he left his more aboveboard ambitions behind in favor of a life bent on bloody revenge. He lives an isolated life, but his loyal staff, Goldie and Otto, help to keep him grounded. He wears scars, both physical and emotional, that are reminders of his past and keep him singularly focused on revenge and his quest to take down The Bear.

Beau Hayley, thirty, was top of her class, scoring in the top five percent of the FBI Phase 1 test. She was set to go from a police officer to an FBI agent, following closely in her mother’s path. She was dubbed Lara Croft and poised to rise to the top of her profession, tracking notorious bad guys in Miami. She had followed her parents to Miami when they moved from New York City. Although Beau had found love with Ollie, her fiancé, who was also beginning a career with the FBI, her parents’ marriage had taken a hit after the move. Her father had left and taken up with a younger woman, and Beau was unable to forgive his betrayal. Her mother died in an explosion that nearly took Beau’s life as well. Today she suffers from a phobia of chaos and lives in a very small and controlled circle. She paints as a form of therapy.

With a scarred arm and an unyielding determination to seek justice for her mother, Beau is battling the agency to have her mother’s death declared a homicide. Her Uncle Lawrence and his husband Dexter took her in during much of the two years following the explosion. Everyone urges her to let it go and move on with her life, but she knows in her heart it was no accident.

When James and Beau meet, it sets off an obsession that threatens to destroy them both. She might just be his next victim. Both have their secrets, and neither is looking for a relationship.

As Beau petitions to have her mother’s accident deemed a homicide, she comes closer to uncovering The Enigma’s identity. She has a target on her back, but James isn’t the only one that wants that case closed. Beau’s life is in danger, and The Bear’s inside man is nervous. Nobody knows who that is, but there are many suspects.

Agent Nathan Butler has been a good friend to Beau in the wake of Agent Jaz Hayley’s death. Agent Oliver Burrows, Beau’s ex-fiancé, still hasn’t given up hope that she will come back to him. Her Uncle Lawrence’s husband, Dexter Haynes, serves in the Miami PD. Spittle is a former FBI agent with a connection to one of The Bear’s men. And, of course, The Enigma takes justice into his own hands, which made him Agent Jaz Hayley’s nemesis.

There are others that cause suspicion as well. Danny Black, The Brit, has been dead just over a year, but his cousin Brad Black is still in town. Beau’s father, Tom Hayley, is cold and uncaring. And her Uncle Lawrence might be kind and compassionate, but as her father’s brother, there remains a little uncertainty as to where his loyalty lies.

As they each pursue their own form of justice, James and Beau embark on a relationship of sorts that is doomed to fail. He needs to maintain his anonymity, and if Beau decides to start digging, she can take him down. Goldie and Otto are fiercely protective and try to warn him against such recklessness. Uncle Lawrence and Dexter are likewise protective of Beau. In spite of the fact that everyone is against them, though, the couple manages to find a happy for now ending. Much remains unsettled, however.

FROM THE RESURRECTION, BOOK 3:

Danny and Rose had spent three peaceful years in St. Lucia, getting lost in one another and enjoying visits with her son, Daniel. That isn’t to say they aren’t still a most unusual couple. They are heated, aggressive, passionate. But when Danny got the call from Brad, he didn’t hesitate to break his promise to Rose. And when he later returned, she broke her promise to him. Divorce is threatened, but Danny won’t accept that outcome. The Brit has been resurrected, whether he likes it or not. He will take care of unfinished business before danger finds its way to their island paradise, catching them unaware.

Rose doesn’t want her husband to return to Miami. She doesn’t want to see him dead – she would rather leave him. And when he won’t see reason, she is overcome with that familiar rage. He insists she is returning to Miami with him, but that is the last place she wants to go. She worries not only about the danger waiting for them in Miami but about how this change might affect her visitations with her son.

James Kelly is in trouble and he knows it. He and Rose had accompanied Danny back to St. Lucia, which might be a lovely getaway under other circ*mstances. Instead, he is playing nurse to Beau as they grieve the loss of their unborn child. As if losing her mother hadn’t been hard enough on her, the recent betrayals are devastating. James made a promise that he knew was impossible to keep, and if he doesn’t keep that truth buried, Beau might never forgive him. Beyond the healing, there is still unfinished business in Miami. The Bear is responsible for his loss as well as Beau’s, and his identity yet remains a mystery.

Beau’s life was turned upside down. James had entered it and granted her an escape, something that got her mind off of the blast that took her mother’s life and nearly hers as well. It helped get her mind off of her fruitless efforts to get her mother’s case investigated. It had been no accident and something was not right. Getting shot left her out of commission, and losing the baby was beyond words. So much had happened before they found The Brit and left for St. Lucia with him, and she worries about her Uncle Lawrence.

As they pursue their own form of justice, the characters return to Miami’s ugly underworld. When they return, however, none of them are quite the same as when they last left it. For Danny and Rose, three blissful years have tamed them to a degree, taking some of that hard edge. For James and Beau, their pain and grief are still a fresh wound upon their conscience. Each couple struggles to return, but there is danger that must be addressed.

IN THIS BOOK:

The entire gang had headed to St. Lucia to celebrate their freedom. Their biggest threat – the Bear – was dead and gone. Danny and Rose finally have Rose’s thirteen-year-old son Daniel full-time, and Rose’s pregnancy is an unexpected blessing. While James and Beau are still mourning the loss of their own unborn baby, they are thrilled for their friends. Beau’s Aunt Zinnea/Uncle Lawrence is getting past the loss of Dexter and finding her/himself again. He/she is a constant source of entertainment and positivity to the group. Otto and Danny’s mother, Esther, are toying with the idea of becoming an item, something that would pull Danny, Rose, James, and Beau closer together since Otto has been loyal to James for years, just as he had been to his father before him. It might also tear them all apart since Danny might kill Otto for looking at his mother. Finally, Goldie is showing signs of relaxing now that James’s quest for revenge is over. She, like the others, is finally in a position to think about what she wants from life.

It is a single phone call that ends the good times for all. The Bear is still alive and a very real threat to their safety. The crew returns to Miami where chaos soon ensues. Something appears to have happened to the Bear’s hold on power, but the person behind the name remains a mystery. Both couples are tested as the power struggle ensues. And Brad has his own problems as his simple bachelor life is challenged.

For James and Beau, getting the Bear is deeply personal. The Bear is behind Beau’s mother’s death as well as the murder of James’s entire family. Beau isn’t the same woman she once was when she worked in law enforcement, but her instincts are still alive. James still sees her as the fragile broken woman that walked into his life, and the idea of her returning to her roots disturbs him. He hopes he can bring down the Bear before the strain drives him and Beau apart. The crew faces a myriad of challenges along the way, but they eventually find a happy for now ending.

Wow! This is another great installment in the intense Unlawful Men series. This unconventional family continues to grow and meld together into something truly beautiful. It is composed of broken characters, each with a touching story. The next book follows Danny and Brad. While I am very ready for Brad’s story – I’ve felt sorry seeing him in the background since he and Danny have supposedly been so tight since childhood – I am also hopeful that James (and Beau) continue their story as well, and not simply in the background but in their own voices. I wasn’t sure about the four points of view at first when it appeared in book three, but here, I was already rooting for Brad’s point of view to be added. I think the next book could withstand six points of view – Danny, Rose, James, Beau, Brad, and Pearl – even if James and Beau’s story gets less attention.

There are a few issues that merit mention. First, there is high drama between Danny and Rose as well as between James and Beau. There is always a problem, and it does start to feel manufactured and old. Next, there are a lot of players. It does become difficult to follow, especially if you’ve not just finished reading the books in the series back-to-back. Third, there are a few scenes that are difficult to imagine. For instance, there is a scene in which someone is shot up by a group but there is no kill shot. At the same time, backup arrives seemingly out of nowhere. How they get there in the midst of the gunfire is unclear.

Danny, Rose, James, and Beau get pulled back into Miami’s power struggle when they learn that the Bear is not dead. This dark mafia romance has secrets and broken promises as well as shocking surprises that you won’t see coming. Their story is violent and bloody. It is about broken people trying but struggling to rebuild their lives. They are desperate for normality, but they can never be normal. Their story is well written. It is plot-driven, complex, and layered. The characters are well-defined. The story is told in first person in Danny’s, Rose’s, James’s, and Beau’s POVs. I rate this book 4.5 stars.