Denial is the first book in the Careless Whispers series, which is a spin-off of the Inside out series. If you have read the Inside Out series, then you are already familiar with Ella the heroine of this book. If you haven't, then it's time to meet her. Ella wakes up in the hospital, remembering nothing, but Kayden is in the room with her which is good for Ella, but bad for the reader because he doesn't know anything about Ella's past. 336 pages later and I still have no idea what is happening. Ella needs to remember everything in the next book because I can't handle the teasing. At a point, I was wondering if Kayden was the bad guy somehow and then tried to reason myself by saying that the hero isn't supposed to be the bad guy.

The end is an effing cliffhanger which is very annoying if you ask me. Just when we reached the part where all the good things started to happen and I thought I would get some answers the book ended and now I will have to wait for demand which comes out on May of 2016. Isn't that great?

We learn a lot more things about Kayden's past than we do for Ella and I still feel like Kayden has more to say. I am not sure if I understood completely his world. To be completely honest, I wasn't as satisfied with this book as I was expecting to be and I couldn't completely connect with it. I felt like Denial was more like a set up for the next books and it was lacking something.

Maybe it was too slow for my taste, but I still managed to enjoy it enough to give it 4 stars and recommend to anyone who asked for a book to read. Denial is a must for the fans of the Inside Out series. It has more mystery than romance, which was fine by me and the relationship between the main couple aka Ella and Kayden is a little more than rocky.

Love this series. Great read and can't wait for more.

While this book is touted as a standalone, it's apparent that the main character has been written about before and that this is the first of a series, which means cliffhanger!!! This story was just okay for me. An American amnesiac awakens to find a handsome rich guy who convinces her to come with him back to his palace. There was just too much intrigue and cloak and dagger stuff for me. Plus, I was looking for another series.

Was not able to review due to unexpected medical necessities.

This book is the mark of a truly exceptional talent! Lisa Renee Jones's ability to bring you into her stories and make you feel every emotion is truly amazing. Ella Ferguson wakes up surrounded by the sexy Kayden Wilkens, only she has no memory. Nothing! Nada! Kaden is pulled to the raven haired beauty and feels the need to protect her. Should she trust this man, when she knows nothing about what caused her loss of memory and the attack that caused it. Why was he there?

This book is what I'd call a slow burn. There are so many questions and too many things that you need to know or be aware of. It requires you to process and think as you try to catalog thoughts and feelings. You become a detective. Trying to piece together a life you don't recognize as your own.

Sometimes a blank slate is good but for her it is anything but. She doesn't remember anything and yet he feels familiar. His beautiful eyes keep her ensnared. He is helping her and he is promising her everything. But can he really be this "super"?

Doubt, feelings, and facts all jumble and leave you at the very end of this book with even more questions than you started!

Danger Will Robinson indeed!

reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood

Not my cup of tea. Will not be reading any more from this author. Sorry.

Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

So maybe more like 3.5 stars. There was a lot of promise here, especially with all the intrigue that Jones created, but it almost felt like there was too much going on. Reading this felt like watching a Dan Brown movie, trying to keep up while having thoughts about where the story is going, and the whole thing left me with some whiplash.

I appreciate that Jones needed to bring in a lot of these characters so she could start weaving the story together, but I had a hard time remembering who was who and what role they played in Kayden's world.

I think there's a lot of promise, but there is a lot going on.

Lisa Renee Jones write another fantastic story as a sp;in off to the great Inside Out series. I can' wait for the next one!

4.5 stars! Denial, book 1 (3). Suspenseful whirlwind affair between girl suffering from amnesia & her mysterious savior!


“Sweetheart, if I tie you up, it’s about pleasure, and I’ll be right there giving it to you”

Books in Careless Whispers trilogy should be read in order:
Book 1: Denial
Book 2: Demand
Book 3: Surrender

Denial (book 1) opens up to Ella Ferguson waking up in hospital bed staring into the eyes of a beyond handsome stranger.
“I’ve been called a lot of things, sweetheart, but beautiful isn’t one of them. And this isn’t a dream. How’s your head?”

As it turns out Elle is suffering from amnesia. She has no idea who she is, how she ended up in Italy and why the stranger, treasure hunter and head of The Underground of treasure hunters, Kayden Wilkens, Hawk has made it his mission to protect her.

There is no denying Kayden and Elle’s intense attraction as they fall into a sexual whirlwind affair. But while Elle tries to remember, struggles to make sense of her cryptic flashbacks, runs from the mob, avoids the meddling police she soon starts doubting everyone and everything including herself…
“And with him buried inside me, we are steady, unmoving, savoring the moment as our gazes connect in a collision of raw, dark emotions, one part mine and one part his.”

KAYDEN WILKENS, Hawk: American/32 years/Treasure hunter/Head of The Underground/Lt brown hair/Blue eyes/Orphan/Tattoos.
Eight words to describe Kayden Wilkens, Hawk: charming, commanding, secretive, possessive, enigmatic, intense, aloof and dirty-talker.

ELLA FERGUSON, Lady Hawk: American/25 years/Brown (red) hair/Green eyes/Orphan/Amnesia.
Seven words to describe Ella Ferguson: stubborn, resilient, smart, feisty, reflective, strong and impatient.

Denial, told from Elle’s POV, is the suspenseful erotic mystery of Ella figuring out who she is while the world around her proves riddled with villains, danger, deceit, greed, conspiracy and murder.

It’s a stand-alone spin-off series to the Inside Out series. Book 1 ends with a shocker leading right to book 2, Demand for the continuation of their story.

All-consuming plot! Brilliant story-telling! And all the right ingredients for an epic saga!
“You need to know that women and sex have been vices that have served me well.”

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

I admit it, this was the first novel by author Lisa Renee Jones I have read. And WOW! What a story! This novel is a spinoff of her fiercely popular Inside Out series. It is also book 1 of the enchanting new Careless Whispers trilogy. We meet several amazing characters, Ella, Kayden, and many others. Each character has their own attitudes and foibles that are expertly woven together. The story is a very fast paced whirlwind of action, danger, love, and intrigue. This novel has taken its well-deserved place in long list of absolute favorite. I did voluntarily review an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Denial was a suspenseful sexy mystery with many twist and turns. Ella Ferguson wakes up with no memories in an Italian hospital. By her bedside is Kayden her savior, struggling with her amnesia and who to trust we are lead into a complicated web deceit and lies. Good start to a new series!!!

If you like puzzles this is the series for you. It keeps you guessing, and trying to figure out what will happen. Pay attention to every detail because it could be a clue. And Ella's savior is just hot, intense and sexy. If I were Ella and lost my memory, I would love to be in that mans arms. But wait! How much can you trust someone you don't know?...

Title: Denial
Author: Lisa Renee Jones

5+ smashing stars

Wow. That's all I have to say. Now why in the world did I wait so long to read any of Lisa Renee Jones' books until now? That would be the question of the year since Denial, the first novel I've read from her, blew me completely out of the water. It has everything I could have hoped and more from a book: angst, suspense, drama, action, romance and so many questions that kept me guessing the entire length of the story. It wasn't like anything I had read before and I loved that. Even more so, I could 't guess what would happen, and to me, that's an even greater plus since too often, the ending is never a surprise for me. From the moment that Ella woke up at the hospital facing Kayden, you just knew that there was something special between them, a connection that ensures they'll be facing the uncertainties together, even though Ella completely lost her memory. Recovering those memories are their main concern as they realize that someone is after Ella and will stop at nothing to get her.

4 breathtaking dreams

This couple, as much as they'd like to deny it, need each other. They may not have had a connection before meeting in that alleyway and hospital, but the more time they spend together, the more their connection gets stronger. This is one series that I absolutely have to follow, and for certain, I need to find out just who exactly is after Ella, why and how this situation came to be in the first place. Lisa Renee Jones knows exactly how to draw her readers in to her story enough so that they'll be begging for more...

*ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Kathleen, The Small Girl from A small girl, her man and her books

3.5 Stars so rounding up to 4

I did not read the Inside Out series and so far I don’t think you need to in order to enjoy this book. There is reference to a couple of characters I’m guessing are from that series but so far, I don’t think that’s critical.

I’m not sure what exactly to say about the book other than it’s a good start to a series that has me hooked and wanting more. Other than that, I don’t know much. I don’t know who can be trusted and who can’t. We are given very small details of both Kayden and Ella’s past as things are pieced together. I’m not sure I like either character or if they are both bad. On the surface Kayden seems like a good guy but the cliffhanger in this book leaves doubt. Ella seems a bit wishy-washy about things at times but as she remembers things she gets stronger.

There are a lot of characters introduced in this book and again it’s hard to know who to trust and who the enemies are, if any.

The writing is pretty good so far…nothing terrible but nothing outstanding. There are obviously still a lot of questions to be answered and as this is a trilogy I’m guessing book 2 won’t tell us much either so I guess I’m in for the long haul.

“Memories are the enemies that never die”


So addictive, I was sucked in from the very first page! Who is Ella? Who is Kayden? The suspense is killing me . Lisa Renée Jones knows how to keep her readers interested , her writing is flawless and the attention to details enable us to feel involved , closer to Ella who is trying to remember who she is.
I can't wait to read Demand now.

"I’ve been thinking of everything, of me, of you and me. The words rip through me, speaking to the darkness inside me."
Five stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐