From USA Today bestselling author Meghan March comes another dangerously sexy alpha hero…
The only permanent thing in my life is the ink I put on my clients.
I drift form city to city, in and out of beds, from one tattoo shop to the next.
Every time I start to put down roots, I rip them up.
Until New Orleans.
Until her.
She’s everything I’m not.
Full of fire and life. An innocent where I’m a sinner.
I want to consume her. Protect her. Keep her.
But first, I have to escape from beneath these shadows.
Beneath These Shadows is a STANDALONE romance set in the world of the Beneath series. You DO NOT have to read any other books in the series to enjoy it.
“You ever broken the law before this, Eden?” I expected a quick and unequivocal no, but it didn’t come as fast as I thought it would. “I don’t think so. I mean, I’m sure I have by accident sometime. I’ve jaywalked. But I’m not some kind of criminal.” Well, that makes one of us, I thought. My anger from earlier started to fade and be replaced by the heat of the knowledge that Eden’s naked tits were only inches from my chest, separated by water I could see right through. Last time I’d seen them under her pink bra, she’d been too fucked up for me to take advantage . . . but tonight she was completely sober. I raised my gaze from her chest, expecting her cheeks to be red when she realized I was staring at her nipples, but she wasn’t watching my face. She was staring down at my body. “Like what you see?” That got her attention. Eden jerked her head up to meet my eyes, and the blush colored her skin like I’d timed it. “You’re . . . big.” A booming laugh broke free from my throat at her unexpected response, and her cheeks flamed even brighter. “No, that’s not what I meant. I mean . . . everywhere. Not just, in the . . .” She looked down, then jerked her gaze back to mine. “I’m going to shut up now.” That kind of awkward and fumbling response couldn’t be faked, and protectiveness rose in me again. Eden was no con artist. She was a girl who couldn’t even say the word cock without turning red. “Ain’t no shame in my game.” She reached out a hand and covered my lips with her fingers. “Stop. You’re just making it worse. I wasn’t checking out your . . . package. I mean, I did before you got in the pool, but that’s only because I thought you’d have underwear on because who doesn’t wear underwear?” The babbling continued, and so did my laughter. Hell, I hadn’t laughed this much since Delilah had given in to a customer’s request and tattooed a flexing veined eggplant cartoon on a client so he could send pictures of it instead of dick pics. Eden pulled her hand back and covered her face. “I’m going to stop talking now. I seriously can’t be trusted to say anything that’s not completely humiliating when you’re standing this close to me naked.” “I disagree, and since I’m not ready to get out and put my clothes on, you’re going to have to deal with it.” She mumbled something under her breath. “Come again?” Eden pressed her lips together for a beat before saying, “I don’t know how to deal with it. This isn’t something I’ve ever dealt with before.” A crazy thought popped into my brain. “Are you a virgin?” If there was a red brighter than fire engine, that was the color of Eden’s cheeks. “No! Of course not. Really. I’ve touched a dick before. I mean, just the one, but it still counts. Well, I didn’t really touch it. Except, you know, inside me. Oh my God, I’m just going to shut up now.” Realization dawned on me as her babbled protest silenced. “You’ve had sex with one guy? Once? How old are you?” Eden turned to bolt, but instead smashed her tits into my arm. I stepped close enough so that only an inch of water separated us. Her gaze went skyward. “This is so humiliating.” That’s where she and I had differing opinions. “Why? Because you haven’t fucked every guy you’ve ever met? What’s wrong with that?” Eden’s gaze snapped down to mine and her brows drew into slashes. “Hey, whoa now. You can toss that double-standard crap right in the trash. What if I had screwed every guy I ever met? Would that make me less of a person? I mean, it’s not like you probably haven’t been with dozens and dozens of women. I’m not judging you. Except for maybe that Kitty girl. I mean, really? You’ve got to have some standards.” My laughter boomed out again across the courtyard. “Cupcake, just because I can get most any pussy I want, doesn’t mean I do it.” “Still, double standards are—” When she started on another tirade, I decided to silence her the best way I knew how. I leaned down and covered her lips with mine.
About Meghan March:
Meghan March has been known to wear came face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered books, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.
I became a fan of Meghan March's books after reading the first book in the series Beneath This Mask. I haven't read a ton of her books, but still I know that when I pick up one of her stories I'll be getting some guilty pleasure reading in. Her specialty is dirty talking alphas and once again she has delivered those goods. If you like inked, protective and possessive man-bunned men, Bishop will be right up your alley. As with the rest of the series, the book is set in the heart of NOLA. It was fun to experience the city during Mardi Gras and see it through Eden's innocent eyes. 
Eden is crime boss Dom Casso's daughter. You may recognize him from the Dirty Billionaire Trilogy or the Dirty Girl Duet. She did a series crossover with him. Dom is obviously powerful, corrupted, and dangerous. So it goes without saying that he has a lot of enemies. In order to keep Eden safe from harm, she lives completely surrounded and shielded from the world. Living with bodyguards and restricted from venturing out much from her apartment, she yearns for the freedom to explore the world and travel. When unknown troubles arise, she must assume a new identity and flee her gilded cage. For her, this was a blessing in disguise. She chooses New Orleans as her destination and her adventure begins.
Eden is finally able to make her own choices and see all of the things she has always dreamed of. But she wasn't anticipating the world to be quite so unaccommodating. Her protective bubble has been popped and she's about as far from street smart as you can get. This girl was like a magnet for mishaps and danger. She would walk right into risky situations like a lamb to slaughter. She just wasn't my favorite type of heroine. I do feel like her personality was fitting for being so sheltered for so long. You can't really fault her for being inexperienced, but at the same time, I would have liked to have seen her been more assertive in taking charge of herself. I was hoping to see some fire in her, to see her evolve more quickly. I will say that there is some unknown factors that come to light later and it helped me understand her propensity for her "damsel in distress" nature. Just not enough to make me love her.
Bishop is just what you would expect from a Meghan March hero. He was broody, alpha, and possessive as hell about this woman that stumbled into his life. It doesn't take long for his caveman instincts to come into play, and from that point on, she didn't stand a chance.
Protect. Defend. Claim. I hadn’t felt that fucking primal in years— and I needed to lock that shit down.
He tries to fight his attraction. They're complete opposites in pretty much every way-she's innocent and pure and he's seen things you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. But he can't seem to keep her out of his thoughts. Not to mention, without his help, she would have fallen victim to more than one unsavory person to cross her path. If anyone is man enough for the job though, it's him.
“You getting sick of rescuing me, Bishop?” I tried for flirty, but his face lost all traces of humor. “Never.”
He starts toying with the idea of putting down roots for the first time in a long time. He has a secret from his past that holds him captive. Guilt, fear, and uncertainty govern his inability to stay put. But this woman makes him want to make himself a real home and face whatever ghosts from his past that may come his way. If only he could find out what her secrets are.
These two spent a lot of time hiding their true selves, and their secrets. He knows that she isn't coming completely clean about who she is, but he has no idea how badly her truths will leave him floored.
When it comes down to it, the heroine just wasn't to my particular taste and I felt as if aspects of the resolution were pretty convenient, and not the most realistic. However, this book was enjoyable for the most part, I enjoyed revisiting this group of characters from the tattoo studio. If you're looking for a fast paced book with an edge of suspense and steam, this could be the book for you.
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