Customer Reviews

Coming Undone

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A tattooed, Harley riding bad ass. What's not to love? Brody is the older brother to his two siblings Adrian and Erin. Nearing forty, he owns a successful tattoo shop, a nice home, and enjoys a satisfying life knowing both of the siblings he raised are settled in successful careers and happy. Surrounded by family and good friends, life is good for Brody.

Elise, a former ballerina, and now owner of dance studio, moves in across the street from Brody, hoping to establish a quiet life for her and her young daughter Rennie. She's rebuilding her life after a violent relationship with Rennie's father and hoping to escape her former in-laws who seem bent on making her life a living hell.

A freak accident brings their worlds together and they begin an amazing friendship that will eventually change their lives in ways neither of them ever expected.

Fresh off my high of reading Laid Bare I hoped that Coming Undone would be every bit as good. Well, it's not--it's even better in my opinion.

Brody is sexy on so many levels. Besides his obvious physical appeal, he's the guy you know you can count on without even asking when times get rough. He's the protector, the fixer, the gentle giant. He possesses a self assured sexuality without being cocky and just the right amount of confidence to curl your toes.

Elise is an independent, dedicated single mother who is determined to leave her past behind and create a happy, safe home for herself and her young daughter. Although she has been through hell and back, Elise is strong and seeks no pity from her friends. Young and sexy she discovers that wounds from the past have not permanently scarred her spirit or her sensual nature.

Both Laid Bare and Coming Undone are centered around families and their relationships, but I did wonder how a young child would fit into this erotic romance. Lauren Dane handled this beautifully developing the relationships appropriately, without portraying the child as an obstacle in the developing emotional relationship between Elise and Brody. Instead Rennie, Elise's daughter, captures everyone's hearts around her with her sweet honesty and sunny personality. She is truly charming.

Elise and Brody have blazing hot chemistry and waste no time in heating things up. Because both are busy business owners and Elise is first and foremost a mom who puts her daughter first, they have to be creative with their private time together. This makes for great spontaneous sexual situations and they learn to seize the opportunities as they present themselves. Translation: hot sex in a very mirrored dance studio between dance classes, hot desk sex at the tattoo shop...you get the picture. During their first unplanned sexual encounter:

"He pulled out a lone condom, checked the expiration date and breathed a sign of relief. He'd need to make a donation somewhere that afternoon when he left, to thank the universe for that luck."

For those of you who loved Todd, Erin and Ben from Laid Bare, don't worry, you haven't heard the last of them or their very interesting relationship. You'll get a small peek into their lives as they've moved from newly weds to marital bliss and yes, you even get a little encore Erin/Todd/Ben ménage bonus.

Once again, Lauren Dane weaves a sexy tale of love and romance with characters that are firmly grounded in family and emotionally sound. The sensual nature of her characters will keep you warm and breathless as you follow them through the ups and downs of discovering new friendships and finding love.

Have you ever read a book that everyone really seems to enjoy, but you find yourself having the opposite reaction? This has happened to me in the case of Lauren Dane's Coming Undone. I've been a big fan of Lauren's past work and she really does write some of the best love scenes out there. But with Coming Undone, I felt something was missing. The plot didn't keep my interest because the plot came across as too ho-hum, and the fact that the two main characters use each other for the soul purpose of being each other's booty call didn't give me that feel of a sexy and smoldering romance I usually think in terms of a Lauren Dane book.

Coming Undone is a sequel of sorts to Laid Bare, which I didn't read. But I will say that I was able to catch up with the characters in a way I wasn't confused. The heroine of this tale is Elise Sorenson who has come to Seattle, Washington with her daughter Rennie where they can have a fresh start. After a disastrous abusive marriage that left her unable to ever dance ballet professionally again, Elise has hope she can live without fear. But, she still has to contend with her deceased husband's parents, especially her horrid ex-mother-in-law, who is making plans to take Rennie away from her.

What Elise doesn't count on is her tattooed, Harley riding neighbor Brody Brown, who sends wonderful shivers down her spine. It's been a very long time since she has had any sexual release with another man. She knows he is very wrong for her because of his lifestyle, but can't help but wonder what it would feel like to have Brody's goateed mouth pressed against her own. Brody is very interested in this widow, even though he thinks she would never be attracted to a man like him because he owns a tattoo shop and is constantly surrounded by a group of rowdy siblings and friends. Brody takes a big chance and admits his attraction to Elise. He visits her at her dance studio and comes out and says, "I think we should expand our friendship to friends who have sex." And since Elise would love nothing more than to have sex with Brody, she hops at the chance and they become friends with benefits.

These two engage in a hot and heavy affair where they can't stay away from one another. These two have quickies all over the place. Soon their physical attraction changes into something deeper and Brody can't help but want Elise and Rennie as a permanent fixture in his life. A big plus is his sister Erin (heroine from Laid Bare), thinks Elise and her precocious daughter would be perfect Brody. He just has to figure out a way to keep his ex-lover Raven at bay who still wants him for her own, as well as Elise's ex-in laws who harass her to the point where she thinks she'll loose Rennie forever.

Coming Undone is a very simple read, meaning there's not a great deal of action, unlike her past few books. I found myself wanting something more and something deeper to happen because the majority of the scenes had an incredible amount of interaction with many characters. There is a great amount of dialogue and scenes of everyday life that just didn't thrill me. I also wasn't turned on by the many scenes of Brody and Elise having quick sex. Their passion came across a bit too stilted and calculating for me to really enjoy.

Brody is a wonderfully written hero and Elise is well rounded, but I felt their chemistry was more tepid than hot, and their "let's rip off our clothes and go at it" love making too cool. At one point I thought Elise and Brody would be better as just friends than lovers. The only real external conflict is Elise worried about Rennie being taken away from her clichéd villainous ex mother-in-law and Brody having to deal with the rebel like Raven who feels she has a claim on him because they were lovers in the past. I waited, hoping for a big reveal or something explosive, but it never came.

There's a lack of depth and overall conflict in Coming Undone, but for those who like a read in the terms of what you see, is what you get, then this latest by Lauren Dane is for you.

Katiebabs

Coming Undone

Lauren Dane is amazing. First she gave us Erin, Todd, and Ben to fall in love with in "Laid Bare." Now, with Brody's story, she's made me fall even harder. There is nothing unlovable about Brody Brown. He has the looks and sexuality of a bad boy, with the heart and soul of the most sensitive and loving man ever born. While he takes charge and does everything necessary to take care of those he loves, he tries hard to keep those urges dialed down, since Elise's past with an abusive husband make his controlling behavior a hot button for her. When Elise lets herself accept that Brody really just wants to do anything to make sure she and her daughter Rennie are happy, she is better able to accept his personality and stop keeping her past from him. Elise is a strong person, even without Brody in her life, and she is determined not to become another "burden" to him. Rennie is a loving and funny little girl who makes Brody and his family fall in love with her, too. I absolutely loved this book, and I can't recommend it enough.

I was also thrilled to read more about Erin and Brody's younger brother, rock star Adrian. I hope he gets his own story soon, because he stole most every scene he was in, as far as I'm concerned. He is another honest and trustworthy and hot and fabulous man, and he deserves his own happily ever after!

The next book in the series comes out in November, and it will be the story of Ben's brother Cope and Erin's employee Ella. That one should be great, as well.

This is a story about how two people who have finally gotten their life together from past difficulties, and are perfectly happy alone, fall in love.

I usually like Laura Dane's stories, but for some reason this one just dragged for me. I kept thinking something was going to happen, and it never did. This could have been a short story and been much better.

I like my romances to have action and something that keeps the story moving. This one just didn't seem to have that. To be honest, aside from the problems they talked about the main characters having outside the relationships, it was the story of a normal relationship without a lot of fire.

And for the record, I would have liked a little more back and forth about the Raven situation. How would Brody have liked it if Elise had a close personal MALE friend that was all over him like that? I doubt he would have been as understanding.

Coming Undone is your typical romance where two people are not looking for love only to find that it is too late and that they are already in a serious relationship. This story line is not uncharted waters in the romance world.

What I liked: I liked the Elise character. Loved that she was a strong h character and not the weepy-need-a-man character that I hate in h. I also liked the Raven character only because she brought conflict to a story line that was starting to drag. I also liked Brody, he was a worthy H.

What I disliked (spolier): I agree with the other reviewers that I was waiting for a big blow up with the Raven character. I liked the tension that the character brought but the way Elise dealt with it was so anticlimatic. It seemed like Raven had overall more passion than her. I would have expected A LOT more of a reaction if a guy that I was dating said "I sort of kissed her." I also had a huge issue with the way that Brody kept defending Raven. Again, great tension if Cyborg, I mean Elise, would have had any kind of reaction. At least a discussion, something! She was so unemotional that I was asking myself, does she even really care? It wasn't until the end that she had a reaction to Raven and by that time I was just confused that she would be SO upset about a hug when she had not been at all upset about a kiss. Really, Ms. Dane!!! Any girl is allowed a tantrum after hearing that her boyfriend was kissed by another girl and he did not tell her.

Overall the story was ok. I agree with some of the other reviewers that at times the story dragged and that overall it was a somewhat anticlimatic story. I didn't hate it but it is not a story I am going to reread either.

With multiple tattoos, a large build and love for riding his Harley, Brody's appearances can be a bit offsetting but he's a prime example of why one should never judge a person based on their looks. He's a gentle loving man who set his own dreams aside when his parents died in an accident to raise his siblings but now owns his own tattoo parlor and takes great pride in his achievements. His love for family and their close-knit group of friends - and theirs for him - says a lot about the sort of man he is... but it's the introduction of Elise and her daughter into his life that makes him realize just how much he's been missing.

Elise's career as a primary dancer is over but she's a survivor and not even her ex's abuse could destroy her spirit. In a bid to begin a new life for herself and Rennie far from the heartache and painful memories of New York they've settled in Seattle and Elise feels safe for the first time in a very long time. Oh sure there are still concerns stemming from her past but Elise's dance school is doing well and enrollment is up and Rennie is settling right in and thriving. The only thing missing is a man in her life but fantasies about the hot biker living across the street will have to do - for now. Elise's focus must remain on raising her seven year old daughter and she isn't about to complicate things by dating.

Despite them being neighbors, Elise doesn't officially meet Brody until she witnesses him being hit by a speeding vehicle. Even then it's just to care for him until the paramedics arrive - and then lock up his house after following his instructions on how to contact his sister, Erin. From those few moments on the phone with Elise Erin realizes that Brody's new neighbor is levelheaded and exactly the sort of woman he needs in his life. She's right of course but neither Elise nor Brody are looking for a happily-ever-after. However, there's certainly nothing wrong with being friends with benefits. After seeing his sister through the devastation of the murder of her daughter, Brody is well acquainted with the sort of haunted fear and pain he sees in Elise's eyes but he's hoping she'll trust him enough to willingly share the details of her past with him.

While Elise's relationship with Brody progresses she realizes that he's become a vital part of her life. More importantly, he's a pseudo father figure to Rennie and she worries about what will happen when he decides she carries too much baggage and leaves. Brody's made of stronger stuff than she ever imagined because he'll stand by her through as much drama as her ex-in-laws can provide. Elise's nice safe existence is threatened but with the love of a good man and a family who loves her at her side she can conquer anything - including Brody's jealous ex-lover Raven.

I admit it, I fell in love with Brody in Erin's story LAID BARE and my feelings for him have only grown stronger as I read the sequel COMING UNDONE. Lauren Dane's talent for creating characters who touch your heart is only counterbalanced by the intense sexual attraction that brings them together. Add in the emotional turmoil facing them all and readers are treated to a story that they won't be able to put down. One of the things that I particularly enjoyed about this story is the strength Elise possesses which is prominently displayed in her refusal to give in to her fears - or her ex-in-laws spiteful actions. Brody's refusal to `dump' Elise when things get rough only made him more memorable - he's just so perfect it makes me wish I actually knew him. COMING UNDONE picks up right where LAID BARE left off and we even get to revisit Erin and her men. Now I do have to admit to being very curious about Raven and Adrian - there's so much animosity between them but I can't figure out if there's an attraction or not. In any case, I'd love to read more about them - together or individually - in the future. The next book in this series, INSIDE OUT, is due to be released in December 2010.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

Like a day at the beach, Lauren Dane's second novel in the Brown Siblings series, Coming Undone, is sexy and smooth, bright and memorable, and hot...oh, so hawt!

Elise Sorenson arrived in Seattle ready to move forward and make a better life for her daughter. She is a survivor with a capital S, ready to put the chaos and pain of the past behind her and build a normal, loving future for the two of them. With her success as a principal dancer in the National Ballet Theater, Elise has opened a studio and purchased a home. Her life finally feels stable and complete. And even though she enjoys fantasizing about the Harley driving hunk across the street, she has no inclination to disrupt the peace she and her daughter, Rennie, have found at long last.

Brodie Brown knows he's got the perfect life. After taking on the responsibility to raise his younger brother and sister at the age of eighteen, he reflects with pride as he watches his brother's rock star career continue to thrive and his sister find happiness in the life she has built with her two men. He owns his own home, runs a premier tattoo parlor, has the love of friends and family and enjoys his freedom. He's got it all and a relationship is the last thing on his mind when a drunk driver hits him in front of his home and an angel comes to his rescue.

Coming Undone is a story about family--family by blood and family by bond. It is a slow ride to discover how unlikely friendships come together and enrich each other. Dane's second tale was more than the story about Elise and Brody. It is the story of how Elise, her daughter and her parents come to be part of the Brown's family circle. How Erin (from Laid Bare) and Elise develop an empowering friendship based on their love of Brody and their similar pasts. The unlikely bond that the ballerina and rocker-chick found in their shared tragedies made the story seem genuine.

Elise is real. She is the kind of friend you could respect. Elise has seen the gutter and survived, leaving her confident in her convictions. I admire how she has steadfastly kept her priority clear--her daughter. She is fun, good and loyal to the core. Her past has humbled her and taught her compassion for others. I know I could be myself with Elise and that would be all she would want. And I have to love her conviction to always make her daughter's well-being her primary focus even when it means putting your libido on hold. Elise can come teach me to shoot pool or pirouette any day of the week.

In Laid Bare, I saw Brodie's protective side, but to be honest, I wanted Todd and Ben to be Erin's protectors. Brodie just came off a little overbearing. Having learned more about him in this book, I find him endearing. I can see that he has actually held back his need to manage Erin and he consciously allowed her husbands to move into his protector role. The way Brodie remembers Rennie by bringing her flowers along with those for her mother or planning dates that not only include Rennie but are designed to entertain her showed how much thought and attention he puts into his relationships. What a charmer! And I have got to be honest. The man knows his way around a bed (or a ballet studio, stairs, hallway, wall, tattoo parlor...and the doorway. Yep, the doorway was good too!) Mmmm. For a compassionate softie, this Harley ridin' tattoo artist knows how to take control and light a fire.

Coming Undone moved at a slow and steady pace. It lacked any real tension although there were conflicts to overcome in the plot. A true contemporary romance, there were no hidden daggers or surprise twists. It was more like a train ride with wonderful people and a cooler of beer than a wild roller coaster ride. The sex was hot and plentiful, but not erotic. It accentuated the story rather than overpowered it.

I happened to pick Coming Undone up on a day filled with interruptions, laundry, ironing and the life of a crazy mom. It was the perfect fit for the day. Easy to set aside, and just as easy to fall right back into when I sat outside a dance class. I am giving it a big thumbs up and I've already marked my calendar for November 2, 2010 when Cope's story, Inside Out, is released.

This series is prime comfort material. The homey vibe hugs readers, but it's more the warmth of heated floors than a campfire outdoors. In short, COMING UNDONE is cosy, but lacks spark. To elaborate:

You'd love to have these characters in your life. With their unconditional love and support, insatiable seksual appetites, unwavering hotness, and stubborn sincerity, they'd be the best friends you'll ever have. But what we want in real life is not necessarily what we want from fiction. People read for many different reasons: Some read to escape, others to learn, others to think. Some enjoy reading about lives less hectic than their own. I like to read about characters who have bigger issues than I do - and this is why COMING UNDONE doesn't suit me.

The characters' histories are more intriguing than their present. The truly bad stuff is behind them; they've survived, and even thrived. Now, there's only the THREAT/IDEA that what and whom they love most will be taken away - it doesn't actually HAPPEN. And this troubles me because there's great potential here for conflict to form a real page-turner. But that's all it is: potential. The way things could've gone, but didn't, would've made a much stronger, gripping story. COMING UNDONE certainly has a whimsical charm about it, but it could've been more.

SPOILERS AHEAD

-Elise fancies Brody. He fancies her. They strike up a deal for shagging without love. Their shagging is perfect every time (if in different positions). They fall in love with one another. They marry. VERDICT: Potential to create conflict, but doesn't.

-Elise is the single mother of a circa-seven-year-old. Rennie is well behaved, socially well adjusted, healthy, spirited, loving and talented...the kind of kid who isn't flawed. Who doesn't throw tantrums, or has trouble making friends, who's not particular skilled or gifted, or has chronic illness. Yes, being a parent can ruin seksytimes...only it doesn't here. Elise's parents and friends are always on hand to be with Rennie, so Elise and Brody can have seksytimes. They even have seksytimes while Rennie is in the house, but she never interrupts or wants attention at a less-than-convenient time. VERDICT: Potential to create conflict, but doesn't.

-The characters are very close with their families and their friends. Everyone does what they love, and loves what they do. They're successful. They're businesses are popular and profitable. They're the best in their fields. Everyone is ridiculously good-looking. Everyone is healthy, even mentally. The only character who's less than perfect is Raven, and that's why she's my favourite. She doesn't have everything she wants. She feels left out. She feels Elise is usurping Raven's position within the group. Raven doesn't want to settle down and get married and have kids. She's the devil's advocate who dares to admit that all this lovey-dovey, cosy-sweetness thing is actually quite freaking annoying. She's the only character who has a distinctive personality (the others may have different names, jobs and relationships, but at the core they're the same). At one stage Raven asks Brody about Elise, "Is her pussy magic?" Raven may be cast in the bich role, but she's my favourite, and I love her to bits. Does she cause conflict? Yes, but not enough to derail the relationship or life. She just plants doubt and jealousy; not a big deal. VERDICT: Potential to create conflict, but doesn't.

-Elise killed her druggie ex in self-defence. No criminal charges, no prison, no worries. She took her daughter and easily moved west, got a house, a job, a lover, friends, and living near her parents (and babysitters on demand for Rennie). Everyone thinks she's perfect, but Elise claims not to be: that she's a bad daughter, wife, mother, lover, friend. But she's not. She may have poor self-esteem, but she is essentially perfect. VERDICT: Potential to create conflict, but doesn't.

-Elise's ex's parents take her to court to claim full custody of Rennie. They could've really loved Rennie, but instead saw her as a tool to defeat Elise. The Sorensons have no real proof that Elise is unfit to be a mother. And whilst in the restroom, the judge overhears Mrs Sorenson antagonise Elise and admit they only want Rennie for spite. Case easily closed in favour of Elise. VERDICT: Potential to create conflict, but doesn't.

-The characters are rather verbiose, excellent at forming sentences that say exactly what they mean and in such elaborate detail. Dare I suggest taking writing advice from FUTURAMA's Robot Devil: "Your lyrics lack subtlety. You can't just have your characters announce how they feel." There are MONOLOGUES in this book. The characters are always in each other's business, discussing their seks lives. Everything is shared. Brody tells his siblings to mind their own business, but they don't, and he lets them. VERDICT: Potential to create conflict, but doesn't.

-Erin is married to Todd, and Ben is their husband, just not in official paperwork. Erin is pregnant. Who's the biological father of the child? I'm guessing we won't know, because the baby will love everyone equally, and will be equally loved by all. But the very fact that Erin and Todd are married shows a power imbalance, though they claim to be equal. But Ben's on the outside because of their marriage. As kids grow up, you can see physical resemblances to their ancestors. I don't know if it's scientifically possible to have genetic material from two fathers unless there's IVF or whatever involved, but this baby is conceived just by rooting. I would love for the baby to be genetically Ben's and for that to be obvious as the kid ages. That could cause conflict. But I think we all can guess that it won't. I'd love to be proven wrong, I really would. VERDICT: Potential to create conflict, but probably won't.

When she broke her leg, she broke her dream of becoming a ballerina. However, she has no time to mope as she has a daughter to raise. So needing a change of scenery, Elise and her child leave New York for the Left Coast Seattle.

Her next door neighbor tattoo parlor owner Brody Brown gave up his dreams to raise his siblings when their parents died. He rides a motorcycle as he seeks the wild side he gave up out of family responsibility. Brody and Elise are not looking for any involvement beyond casual sex so why each wonders do they want more in their relationship. However, when New York comes to Seattle, Elise keeps Brody out of her trouble that has followed her and her daughter from the Right Coast to Washington State; but he refuses to stay out of it as this is his two females.

This is a heated contemporary romance starring the Brown family patriarch and his new neighbor. Both have baggage, but the most important thing in their fling is not to harm her daughter. Fans will enjoy love between two likable individuals who cannot stop their nurturing need to help and the heat of desire from exploding while their love for one another ignites them. Lauren Dane is two for two with the Brown saga, but fans will have to cope with the wait for the next Brownian romance.

Harriet Klausner

Loved Brody and Elise's story and went on to books 3 (Inside Out) and 4 (Never Enough) and wished that i wouldn't have to wait for more. The stories are sexy, emotional and just so engaging that you won't be able to put them down. Have fun