Why I picked up this book:

INKonsolable is the fourth and final (to this date) book in the INKomplete series. You can read my reviews of INKarnate, INKapable and INKurable for information on this cute little novella series. I received a free copy of this story from Pen and Kink Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

This review may contain spoilers.

INKonsolable (INKomplete #4)
	It’s been five years since Blakey’s beautiful wife Elizabeth died and his grief is just as sharp today as it was back then. But now he’s desperately lonely too. As he becomes closer to his friend Aisleyne, Blakey fights it with everything he has. How could he even think about moving on? No, friendship is all he has to offer. That will have to be enough.

   

What I loved:

I love that our hero in this book is an older guy, someone who’s already lived a full life, lost pieces of it, and he’s not at a ripe young age to turn heads from all the girls. Blakey’s struggle is real, and something a lot of people can identify with. He’s got a poor self image, wants to be loved, and yet this gorgeous life he had with his wife and all his happiness is lost. And the people around him are so happy and in love you can see the hole it’s burning in his heart. From the first page you ache for his grief.

Aisleyne is utterly fantastic. She’s a strong-minded woman who takes no shit from anyone. Yet what really gave a strong depth to her personality was that after Blakey really hurt her feelings, she discovers he needs a little extra help and boom… there she is. You get a chance to see the gentle nurse and caretaker who sets aside her own insecurities to help others. She’s a wonderful character who is the perfect opposing love force for Blakey.

Areas needing a touch of refinement:

Blakey’s loss is hard, and it’s consumed every corner of his life. But for this short novel, I think personally I would have liked to see the self-loathing toned down a bit in favor of more time with Aisleyne. The book didn’t have a lot of sexual tension, and I would have liked to feel more of the fireworks between the two lovers.

It also toned down some of the sensory detail. This was the first book in the series where it felt like I was reading the story instead of immersed in the trauma and heartache. Blakey’s a wonderful character, but feelings were more identified than felt. Especially with the sex scene I felt a bit like a third party in the room watching as opposed to in the action.

Overall:

Another great read. Mara Malins has me as a reader for life. I loved this tale and the series as a whole, and I adore the fact that the characters were older with deeper, more well-established lives in this book.

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