Look - Whiskey Sharp is fine. I appreciate a friends-to-lovers romance with emotional resonance, but I didn't connect how I could have.

Sisters Maybe and Rachel Dolan and their small group of friends are very appealing, but it’s Alexsei Petrov’s family, the Orlovs, a boisterous, nosy, but loving family of Russian immigrants, and next door neighbors of the Dolan sisters, that really sucked me in. The matriarch of the family, Alexsei’s Aunt Irena, not only “adopts” the Dolan sisters into her home and family, but she sends Maybe to Whiskey Sharp, Alexsei’s upscale barbershop and whiskey bar for a job. Alexsei and Maybe have spent two years working together and building a solid friendship before taking their relationship to a romantic level. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, so I was totally onboard. I found Maybe impossible to resist. She’s friendly, chatty, funny, and fiercely protective of her older sister, Rachel. Rachel, a former FBI agent with a very intriguing and somewhat mysterious backstory, is key to Maybe’s story. Maybe’s determined cheerfulness is especially admirable considering her difficult childhood. The Dolan sisters’ parents add drama and conflict to the story, in the bes/worst possible way. As much as I love Maybe, Alexsei is just as appealing. He’s quiet, taciturn, kind of grouchy, but loyal, sweet, and protective of those he loves. He packs quite a punch. I kept picturing him dressed for work in his trousers, button down shirt with his sleeves rolled up and held in place with garters. Damn, Ms. Dane paints quite a picture! I want to go to Seattle, visit Whiskey Sharp, and sit drinking whiskey while watching sexy barbers with Russian accents go about their business. I know they’re not real and Whiskey Sharp doesn’t exist, but Ms. Dane makes me believe otherwise. Alexsei and Maybe are hot, sweet, and very funny. Their story, and their family and friends are very entertaining. I know this is one series I will be re-reading again and again.

I really enjoyed this new book by Lauren Dane. Alexsei and Maybe are both well written and thought out characters and I liked watching them support each other and falling in love.

Steamy friends to lovers romance…

*4.5 stars*

I loved Maybe and Alexsei’s story! It was a new series but it felt like (and took me right back to) Ink & Chrome (which means I will heading back there next!). I was determined to get to bed early but instead I am bleary-eyed this morning and not regretting it one little bit.

Did I stumble a little (okay, a lot) over the fierce and funny female lead’s name? Yes, yes I did. But her unique name reflected the brightness of her personality. She had a kick-butt attitude that surfaced everywhere starting with her confident approach to getting a job at Alexsei’s barber shop. She made an impression on him from the start but their friendship built until they were both ready for more…

Alexsei was a quiet man but he knew when to speak and made his move at just the right time. As their feelings grew, so did the intimacy as they both discovered more to admire and love about each other. Maybe was fiercely protective of her loved ones and let no one mess with them or her. Alexsei was the same…

The relationship between her sister, her aunt and uncle and now Alexsei and his family, was full of sweetness and sarcasm, and lots and lots of love. With the lovers’ bonds tested from more than one source, it was a journey full of all the emotion and just right drama I craved. The ending was abrupt to say the least but I know there is more coming with Rachel and Vic’s story next – so much for sleep!

I went into this story with high hopes but found myself not liking the characters all that much and I wasn't able to connect with them. I know there are ups and downs in every book as the characters were coming together, I thought they were to over the top. I did enjoy some of the secondary characters and found them interesting and how they played into things. I did not like them enough to continue on with the series though. I liked storyline enough to finish because I was curious where it would all go, Some parts where fine, other parts dragged. Sometimes the flow felt off and I never felt fully engaged. Ultimately this one wasn't for me.

I had high hopes for this one. In the end, I struggled to connect with the characters and it just wasn't my cup of tea.

DNF at around 20%. Not what I expected, stereotypical Russian representation which I didn't like coupled with strong alpha tendencies made give up on the story pretty early.

It hurts me to rate a Lauren Dane title so low. She has some of my absolute favorite romances from the last few years. But this one just didn’t work for me.

First of all, in theory, I like the name Maybe. In practice, it’s really difficult to read. I had to reread every sentence that started with her name, which was frustrating. It was a little easier when her name was in the middle of a sentence because at least the capitalization would signal to my brain to read it differently, but overall, it made for an exasperating reading experience.

Maybe’s name wasn’t the only thing about her character that drove me crazy. She has this relationship with her sister that’s difficult to understand. We don’t get the full backstory here, but her older sister, Rachel, used to be an FBI agent. Apparently she was kidnapped and somehow injured, and has had a long recovery. But she’s fully recovered. Physically, anyway. She’s not working as an FBI agent again, she’s working as a tattoo artist, and she’s clearly still dealing with some PTSD. But physically, as far as I could tell, she’s fine now. Maybe and her parents have a terrible, hostile relationship, and somehow they’ve decided that Rachel’s issues are Maybe’s fault? They refuse to accept that Rachel is physically fine, and keep insisting that move back into their house so they can take care of her. Even though she doesn’t need to be taken care of. They won’t’ listen to anything either Maybe or Rachel say about it.

In fact, they’re so openly vicious and hostile to Maybe that it makes no sense for Rachel not to see it or know how it is. They refer to Maybe as a low-class drug whore, for fuck’s sake. How am I supposed to buy that Rachel just doesn’t realize how bad it is? According to Maybe, it’s because she hasn’t wanted Rachel to know. So in order for her to hide the full extent of their parents’ hatred, she… goes to see them with Rachel? I… I don’t know. I couldn’t really follow Maybe’s logic here. Their parents love Rachel; they treat her like the golden child. Fine. So when Rachel was recovering, Maybe didn’t want their hostility to interfere with that, so she let her parents treat her like garbage. And now that Rache’s fully recovered, Maybe still lets her parents treat her like shit so that Rachel….. I don’t know. Rachel’s the older sister. She’s physically recovered. Her parents treat her like she’s made of glass. So why Maybe things she needs to stand there and take the abuse heaped upon her makes no sense.

Her father is the one we see the most. And he’s a one-note, spittle-spewing, raving lunatic. And yet Rachel and Maybe continue to try and deal with him by explaining themselves and trying to speak to him logically. Which just pisses him off and makes him worse. And at the end of the book, he plays his trump card. He announces that since Rachel is refusing to see reason and move back in with her parents, they’ve consulted an attorney and they’re going to establish themselves as conservatorship over Rachel and her affairs, which…. What? This is ridiculous. Rachel went through a pretty awful ordeal. She’s fully recovered physically. She has a job, she pays her mortgage, she eats, she doesn’t really drink, she’s healthy… I just don’t understand how this entire plot makes sense. There’s no indication that her parents have judges in their pockets or can afford to pay anyone off to make this happen. You can’t just declare that a perfectly healthy, mentally sound adult needs a conservator because you don’t like the choices they’re making. It makes less than no sense. And since it was announced at the end of the book, I assume it’ll be the main conflict of the next book.

As for Maybe and Alexsei, their relationship was fine. It was almost completely conflict free. They decided early on that they wanted to be together, so they were. This was another issue with the book. Their relationship was great; I liked reading about them, but there just wasn’t much to their story. The middle dragged because they weren’t really doing anything except cutting hair and having (admittedly great) sex together. There just wasn’t any story there. ‘

I can’t decide if I’m going to read the next book or not. I do want to get Rachel’s full backstory and see her get her HEA, but if the main conflict of the book is going to end up being this fight with her parents, well. I don’t know if I care that much.

3 1/2 STARS!


✦ Boss/employee romance

✦ He owns a hipster barber shop / whiskey bar

✦ Russian hero

✦ She’s also a drummer in a small punk rock band for fun

✦ And has piercings and some tatts

✦ Easy read, nothing much to say about it but I liked it and I definitely want to know about Maybe's sister, Rachel, who is going to fall for Vicktor and I cannot WAIT (her book is already out, btw).

BTW, her dad needs to be pushed into a lava pool.

Favorite Quote:

He sat in the chair at her old desk. Bounced a little and once he was satisfied it didn't make noise, he motioned her his way with a soft call of her name.

"Fuck me here in the darkness. Me and you and the silence that only comes with snow."

DNF
I loved the sound of the book and the cover completely drew me in. Going in, I was very excited. However, I struggled to connect to the writing or any of the characters. Therefore, I decided to set it aside.
Thank you to publisher for considering me for a review copy.

Maybe and Alexsei are ridiculously hot and their story is unputdownable! Whiskey Sharp; Unraveled is the perfect beginning to a new series. It's fresh-voiced, steamy and enticing. Definitely a must-read!

Maybe Dolan has been on her own after running away from home at age 16, when she realized her parents were always going to blame her from the unwanted actions of one of their male policeman friends, causing them to have to move from the rest of their friends. Then, after her older FBI agent sister Rachel was brutally attacked, Maybe "took over" her recovery, causing further friction with her parents, who refuse to believe that where Rachel is now, happy and working at a tattoo parlor, is where she wants to be and that she is not being pressured by Maybe.
Maybe has gotten a job at the vintage barber shop whiskey bar, Whiskey Sharp, cutting hair and drawing the undivided attention of its owner, Alexsei, nephew of the Russian family that lives next door to the sisters. She falls for him as well, but isn't afraid to push back and assert her independence when he pushes too hard. He knows she's hiding a lot but doesn't pressure her too much, until a run-in with her father brings it all to a head -- a very happy one!

Solid 3.5⭐️ I would rate it higher because I really did like it and was totally into it, BUT some of her previous work just spoke to me.

Anyway....

I love the wild bearded Russian! This story opened up a culture I'm not very familiar with and I enjoyed reading about all the different foods! Lauren Dane has a way with writing about love-- a lover type of love, friendship love, and family love... LOVE LOVE LOVE. She makes you wish you could crawl into the story and be a part of their family.

One thing that kept throwing me off was the heroines name-- Maybe. Yes, Maybe was her name and it tripped me up every time I read it and had to go back and reread the sentence. Another thing that was confusing to start, but balanced itself what was things that happened in the past. It was written as if there was a book before this that I missed out on, but then I realized those questions and comments made throughout would be answered as you went on.

I am a sucker for books about family, and I looooooved the hero's big, complicated, interfering and loving family and the way they wrapped up the heroine and her sister in their embrace. I wasn't always as certain that I believed in the sheer undiluted evil of the heroine's own parents (they were both SO awful that they felt a bit 2-dimensional) - but I loved the warmth between the heroine and hero, and I bought book 2 the second that I finished reading this one! Definitely a series I'll be reading straight through.

Maybe Dolan has been working for Alexsei for two years and has had a crush on him the entire time. As their working relationship goes into a romantic one, their friends are happy for them. Alexsei's Russian family embrace Maybe and her sister as their own. Lots of family drama on both sides that make for a deeper story.

I can't wait for the next in the series.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆
I used to read Lauren Dane back in the day, and I was curious enough to want to try out this series. I always found it easy to fall into the story – addictive.

I need to be honest, and this has nothing to do with the plot itself, I had a hard time in the beginning of the novel connecting. By 25%, I still wasn't invested whatsoever. It felt as if there was a book prior, as if the reader should understand who these people were, and their past experiences. Not only was I slightly confused, hoping a little light would be shed soon, for some odd reason I was reading the novel inside my head in a flat tone – both narrators sounding exactly the same, the diction and author's voice melding into the same tone, which was amazing as one had an accent and was bilingual. Their inner monologues truly were similar.

Frankly, I wasn't hooked, and I struggled to connect. One of the biggest issues was the heroine's name. Maybe. While this is cute, it's a nightmare when reading, especially when a sentence begins with Maybe (not her name, but the actual word MAYBE) this causes confusion, with the reader torn from the story to translate the true meaning of the sentence. Through 300+ pages, my brain never did the transition of the word MAYBE being a name, especially when the word 'maybe' was used in its natural context.

Now onward to the review.

The first quarter of the book is told, not shown, with a lot of backstory given. It wasn't an organic flow where the reader learned alongside the narrators. The narrators had a large backstory to tell, and they inner monologued it all in a storytelling fashion.

Maybe once said something about a kidnapping, in a way like I (the reader) should know what she meant by that (while inside Maybe's mind). Offhanded, "After the kidnapping." I had no idea what she meant, and another large portion of the novel flew by and I still didn't know what she meant by that. Same with what happened to Rachel.

This type of writing style was not what I remember Lauren Dane writing. The ease and flow weren’t there, combined with the stumbling block of her name.

I loved the setting of Whiskey Sharp, a barbershop that serves alcohol in the evening. Very hipster and innovative The Russian family. Alexsei is gruff, exacting, an alpha male, and Dane paints quite the picture of the man inside readers' minds.

Maybe was meant to be fun, chatty, yet her inner monologue was dry and hopeless – it didn't mesh together. Is she a survivor? An eternal victim? A martyr? Or the chatty fun girl?

Maybe and Alexsei have known each other for two years, so the readers miss out on two years' worth of flirty, bonding interaction. They're already friends, already know each other – however, the reader knows neither of them, so we miss out on that 'learning' period as they get to know each other with the reader along for the ride. The reader is told.

Maybe's family was an added frustration that completely overpowered the entire novel, especially the romance – why they loved Rachel and not Maybe, and it dragged without explanation for the bulk of the novel. Maybe acted as a martyr with low self-esteem. If Rachel truly loved Maybe, she would have told her parents it's either both of us or neither – you don't treat my sister like you do. So, I lost respect for Rachel for allowing this toxic dynamic to continue on. (Rachel was the oldest sister, watching her parents be abusive to her sister in the now. Yes, Rachel is fighting her own demons, but I will not give her a pass as being an enabler when it comes to abusing the one person who puts her first.) Maybe was always sacrificing herself for Rachel. "We'll go to Thanksgiving so you can spend time with the very people who are abusive to me." I'm sorry, but that's illogical, and it made me dislike Rachel too, no matter what has happened to her. A survivor would not condone victimizing others, especially when we're told Rachel and Maybe put each other first, yet it's shown as Rachel using her past as an excuse not to actually put Maybe first.

I felt as if there were many threads being shown, with the focus not on Maybe and Alexsei, and their relationship suffered from it. It was chaotic and all over the place as future books were set up, as if those books were more important than the one being told. The narrators were being overshadowed by others' stories.

There was so much going on beneath the surface and in the past, that I honestly believe the book should have been written earlier, so the reader could have experienced it all, instead of just being told what happened. Or, perhaps, Rachel's book should have come first, so Maybe could have had a story to call her own during her narration.

This being the romance genre, the focus is generally on the romance, the couple as they go against the odds. Even the steamy scenes felt tucked in there – the chemistry the couple felt outside the bedroom didn't transfer to inside the bedroom. They knew each other for two years, years we didn't see as a reader, and it was a foregone conclusion they would get together, so the author concentrated on setting up future books instead.

With everything going on with the past and present abuse, and Rachel's issues, Alexsei's story with the ex and the family just felt inconsequential. He and his family are absolute perfection (quite literally) and Maybe's family is the worst (quite literally), with no balance.

Overshadowed is the best word for it all.

This was Rachel's prequel, as told by Maybe.

The book just... ends. A cliffhanger. Nothing has concluded. But, get this... it's new narrators, when Maybe's story is incomplete. Rachel. To be honest, I have the next in the series, but I'm not sure if I care to read it.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆
I struggled with this book. The first third of the book seemed to drag and I felt lost much of the time.

The heroine's nickname "Maybe" is cute and all, but it’s also a word that is used frequently in books and I never did get to use to it being a proper name. We didn't even get an explanation of the nickname until close to the end of the book.

The romance between Alexsei and Maybe is a solid one. Friends-to-lovers at its best, it’s all the other drama that seemed to slow the book down at times.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
On many levels I really enjoyed this book – but I cannot believe that the author thought it was a good idea to call the lead "Maybe." Really, it was a significant problem for me – and even the reason she is called that is not very funny. I read fairly quickly and having to determine whether the Maybe at the beginning of a sentence was the person or just Maybe became incredibly annoying, as it slowed everything down. Trying to discount that annoyance, I also felt that I was late to the party and had missed a number of previous books. Gregori and Wren; Cora, Finlay and their mother; Rachel's life in the FBI; all of these seemed to be background knowledge that I felt I was missing.

I liked the Russian family angle, the importance of food and family. It set up the differences with the situation that Maybe and Rachel faced with their parents. I was very confused by the level of support that it was inferred that Rachel needed, yet she seemed to be functioning fine. But I could understand how protective Maybe was, even if it was unhealthy. Whiskey Sharp is a great idea for a venue, and the scenes in the bar/barbershop gave a good vibe to the place.

Alexsei was pretty much perfect, in almost every way – Rada was maybe his one failing, and the use of Russian in front of Maybe. I appreciated the care he took, and how he recognised the needs she had and held himself back too.

We are given some pretty big hints as to whose story we will get next, and I do hope that Rachel's story makes more sense of Maybe's because the story ends inconclusively in many ways, other than her relationship.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Kidnapping, torture (hints at), abuse

Maybe is a fantastic character. She is confident, honest, blunt, sassy, kind, gentle, and sexy. She knows what she wants out of life and isn't afraid to go and get it. Despite her past, she knows that looking forward is the only way to keep going. She has a sister whom she adores and tries to help through a tough recovery, and she has family who love her unconditionally. What she doesn't have are parents who understand her, love her, or support her.

Maybe's parents were a thorn throughout this book. I was unable to feel an ounce of sympathy towards them in this story and found them to be so annoying that I got angry at them – rightfully so! They are horrible people!

Alexsei is the calm silent type. He notices Maybe for a while before gathering his own courage to ask her out. When he is finally finished with his fiancée, he goes through a slew of women, all in front of Maybe. I thought that this was a strange dynamic, as if he had been attracted to her in the beginning, why the need to be with so many different women? It made his character a little hard to believe or even like.

At times, this story dragged for me. Alexsei and Maybe have great chemistry, but their overall relationship was not very organic. While they did have some great scenes, I think that these two seemed more like friends who slept together until the very end.

I did like how Alexsei understood Maybe's desire to protect her sister. Along with Alexsei's awesome aunt and strange mom, his family meant a lot to him. Both characters had a lot of family drama in this book.

Overall, it was a good story about loving yourself, finding someone to love you, and moving forward in life without fear.


Lee’Anne – ☆☆☆
This was an okay read for me – it took a while to get into, there was a lot of skimming at the beginning, but once the hero and heroine hookup, the pace changes.

Maybe is a hairdresser at a barbershop working for Alexsei Petrov. Maybe and Alexsei start off as good friends, but Maybe has been nursing a crush since first laying eyes on him. Alexsei is a bit of a manwhore and when Alexsei and Maybe are finally single at the same time, they fall in bed together and a budding relationship begins.

I’d give this book a solid five stars in the sexy/steamy department for sure. I just didn’t love the pace of the plotline at the beginning, and on a more random note, Maybe’s name made it confusing to read sometimes. That aside, I still found myself laughing out loud on more than once occasion and I appreciated the pace of the book from about 40% on so, I’m giving a solid three stars, but I probably won’t be reading further into the series.

Source: Net Galley
Release Date: February 1, 2018
http://www.laurendane.com/books/unraveled/
Whiskey Sharp: Unraveled by Lauren Dane
Whiskey Sharp #1
HQN
Contemporary
Reviewed by Jo

Maybe Dolan moved to Seattle in order to help her older sister recover from a job-related event that changed her life. Maybe left her family to go and live with her aunt and uncle as soon as she possibly could. That move gave Maybe the chance to grow into the person she was always meant to be. To say that her relationship with her parents is strained just doesn't cover it, yet Maybe is willing to put up with her parents for her sister.

Alexsei Petrov is part of a very close Russian family in Seattle. Alexsei owns a barber shop that is building a great reputation, so when a woman appears saying she was sent by his aunt and that she wants a job as a barber in his shop, he knows that if nothing else, he has to give her a try. That was one of his better decisions as Maybe is now one of his shops favorite barbers—heck, he even insists she does his cuts and shaves.

Maybe was attracted to Alexsei from the beginning, but when his move came, it kind of surprised her at first. Alexsei soon learns that while Maybe is confident in her abilities as a barber, she has very little confidence in other areas of her life. Alexsei also learns just what Maybe has overcome as their passion moves forward. While his family loves her for just being her funky self, it is very clear that her parents not only don't love her, but actively seek to undermine her. Maybe is willing to put up with her parents’ abuse in order to let her sister grow and heal, but even she has a limit, and when that is hit, Maybe learns just how much Alexsei loves her and how many other people love her just as she is.

When love comes knocking, sometimes you need to kick the door down instead of waiting for it to be answered. Alexsei learns this as he begins his journey to love with Maybe in Whiskey Sharp: Unraveled. There were many places that I just wanted to reach out and hug both Maybe and Alexsei. I loved watching as they went from friends to lovers while keeping a working relationship during it all. I also loved Alexsei even more as he showed Maybe just what love means as he uncovered just what she had grown up with. Maybe is no shrinking violet, but after years of doubting herself, it was great to see her bloom even more and stand up for herself. Even the secondary characters had me engaged, although it was the relationship between Maybe and Alexsei that had me from their first meeting. Whiskey Sharp: Unraveled is no light read for sure, but there is so much texture and feeling in the relationship between Maybe and Alexsei that even when it hurts, you just want to turn the page to see what happens next. This is a great start to a new series, and I can't wait to see the next peek into this world.

Intense, complex, and full of angst!

Whiskey Sharp Unraveled is an emotional, friends-to-lovers romance that reminds you that your true family is composed of those that love, care, support, and accept you and not necessarily those that are related by blood.

The prose is smooth and fluid. The characters are colourful, dependable, and passionate. And the plot is a sexy and steamy ride about love, life, familial drama, abuse, sexual tension, friendship, and romance.

I have to admit that even though I didn't have a great connection with the characters in Whiskey Sharp Unraveled and I found the heroine's name, Maybe, a little disruptive to the flow at times it is still an entertaining read with intriguing supporting characters that I look forward to reading more about in Whiskey Sharp Jagged, the next novel in the series.

I always enjoy Lauren Dane's books and this one was no exception.

It's always difficult to ease into a new series, and Lauren Dane's first book in the Whiskey Sharp Series, Unraveled is no exception. The premise of the series is great, set in a barbershop/whiskey bar. Unraveled features the first of two sisters, Maybe Dolan (Maybe is a nickname), sometimes the name becomes a distraction as "maybe" is an often used word as well. I think that what I always appreciate in Lauren Dane's novels is the concept of family sometimes being the ones you choose as opposed to the one you're born into. She quite often features dysfunctional biological families, and this series fits the bill. I found the characters to be layered and interesting, the story itself well crafted, and I am looking forward to book two, Maybe's sister Rachel's story. I did feel a sense of imbalance to the novel, as so much time was dedicated to setting the series scene.