Uncaged Desires – Madi Danielle

I want to start this review by saying a huge thank you to Madi and her team for providing me with this review copy of Uncaged Desires!! This book was addicting, fast-paced, and beautifully written. As someone who got into Madi’s writing through The Hat Trick – a hockey romance novel centered around a why choose romance – this is exactly what I was looking for when it came to Madi’s next book. An interesting female main character with a dark backstory, three strong male leads with their own dark pasts and a spicy why choose romance? Sign me up. 

The story 

Max is running away from her old life. Her parents, her fiance, everything. She arrives in a small town on the coast and settles in to a small house where she begins to start fresh. New job, new people, new friends. That is.. until she comes face to face with the boys from the Uncaged, an MMA fighting club.

Three men become obsessed with Max and learning the ins and outs of what makes Max, Max. One, a stalker who likes to watch from the shadows. Two, a golden retriever with an injury that prevents him from fighting. Three, the coach of the fighting club who’s a little bit older. 

Can Max escape the shadows of her past while building her new life with her three men? 

The characters 

I’m going to start with Max as I feel like she’s the most important part of the story. I think Max is one of those characters that I can’t personally relate to but found myself enjoying. The way Madi wrote her character was sassy with an attitude that made me love her. She was strong and held her own while also being upfront and blunt with everybody she would meet. I also get it because she’s starting fresh and doesn’t want people digging into her personal business. I love that she was closed off but began to open up as the book continued and we can see that she’s settling into her new life more. 

Caine was a character that caught me off guard. I didn’t realize he’d be pretty much stalking her but who am I to complain? I’m a sucker for a stalker dark romance. The way he had the cameras in her house had me hooked and waiting to see what he’d do when she brought someone else home. Or when he watched her at night and snuck into her house… ugh, goosebumps! 

Drew was probably my favorite of the three guys. He was a little softer than the others and would shower with her praise. His nickname for her had me melting and I adored every second with him. He felt similar to Max in that he was closed off but opening up for her. 

Adam had this ruggedness about him that I just couldn’t get over. From his first intense scene with Max, I could feel the tension through the pages. Let’s not even talk about the scene in the woods. He gave me manly vibes and I just couldn’t get him out of my head. I’m obsessed with it. 

The setting

The small town setting was giving me all the good vibes. Not only was it by the water but the everyone knows everyone type of place was kind of crazy for someone who wanted to escape their old life. I love the mix of it all. 

The writing

Madi, you never fail to surprise me. This book started off darker than I expected and it continued to evolve as the story continued. I love the writing style you used here, making it a little more serious than your other books like The Hat Trick.

Final thoughts 

THAT CLIFFHANGER, MADI!!!!! I need book two as soon as possible! 

Rating: 4.5/5⭐️