Synopsis
Kayden Michaels has a past filled with sex, addiction, and heartache. A past that he’s avoided sharing with the love of his life, Sophia, and held close to his core not risking rejection.
Needing to get his addictions in check and gain control of his life for the sake of his family, Kayden is forced to confront his past and make amends for the path he’s walked.
Kayden must recount every carnal act and the betrayal from those he’s loved to identify the triggers that spur his addictions and overcome it all to be worthy of Sophia’s love – his sole reason to exist.
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18730380-kayden
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HMTHGZ4
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00HMTHGZ4
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00HMTHGZ4
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00HMTHGZ4
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/393666
Review
**Arc was provided for an honest review**
I have to admit up front that I didn’t really like Kayden in Untangle Me. He seemed too high maintenance with too many addictions, and Sophia was such an innocent woman who really didn’t know what she was getting into by starting a long distance relationship with him. Sophia had to endure so much to keep their relationship afloat; I don’t think I could have stayed with Kayden, like Sophia did, after all he put her through. By staying though and fighting for their relationship, Kayden and Sophia did end up with their happily ever after, which redeemed Kayden slightly in my eyes by the end of the book.
Despite my feelings about Kayden in Book One, I still went in to Kayden: The Past with an open mind. I was hoping Chelle Bliss was going to give me insight into why Kayden was the mess of a man readers met in Untangle Me; I wanted to understand what made him into the down on his luck in love and life alcoholic, and thankfully, Ms. Bliss did exactly that in book 0.5. Kayden’s back story gave the insight I needed to adjust my opinion of Kayden and his actions in Untangle Me. When I was finished with the book, I had a new respect for Kayden and the fact that he had overcome so much loss and betrayal; he could have stayed in the abyss of despair and lost himself in a bottle, but he fought through it and now I see Sophia as his redemption.
Kayden: The Past is told solely through Kayden’s point of view. The book starts with Kayden explaining why he was writing the story of his past. He wrote it for Sophia as a way for her to understand the man he was, but I think he also wrote for himself as a way to acknowledge all of the demons from his past and finally move on from it…heal from it. The way that Ms. Bliss organized the chapters according to the parade of women who Kayden had either a relationship with or a sexual encounter with was a brilliant idea that illustrates what led him to the destructive path that he was on before he met Sophia. Man oh man, most of the women who Kayden chose to spend his time with were CRAZY. His ex-wife Danielle was definitely a huge reason for Kayden’s downfall. She really did a number on him and don’t even get me started on Lisa. She should have had a tattoo on her forehand that said crazy bitch! As I read about all of Kayden’s women, it really became clear that he thought more with his dick than his head and that kind of thinking never turns out well for anyone.
Kayden: The Past is definitely a wild ride of kinky sex and profuse drinking as well as an array of relationship failures and betrayals. It gives readers a raw look into what made Kayden the man he was when he met Sophia in Untangle Me. Chelle Bliss puts readers in Kayden’s mind and helps us to understand why he is beyond lost for much of his life. Ms. Bliss definitely knows how to write from the male perspective; she was able to expertly illustrate the thoughts and feelings of man struggling through all the highs and lows that life gives you. I never thought going into Kayden that my feelings for him would shift, but Ms. Bliss’ storytelling did just that. Kayden: The Past is a fantastic read. The story is full of well written scenes that portray the utter chaos that Kayden’s life turned into. Well done, Chelle! I can’t wait for Suzy’s story!
4.5 poison apples!
Extended Excerpt ~ Prologue
I was an addict.
Sophia didn’t know this about me when we met – when I stole her heart.
I struggle every day with my sobriety, and Sophia is my compass. She’s what keeps me grounded and always points me in the right direction. She doesn’t nag or yell but smothers me in her love and understanding.
Sophia asked to hear my story, my past. She wanted to know everything about me…what led me to her. I gave her a condensed version – one that is closer to PG-13 compared to the NC-17 reality that I lived. No matter how much the person you love the most, the one who is the center of your universe asks about your past, you never give the full truth. I never want Sophia to compare herself to any of the women or experiences that I’ve had before her. Sophia is perfection in my eyes. No one could ever compare to her.
I’d like to say my life began again when I met Sophia, that I was given a clean slate. Sophia met me at the point in my life where I had given up on love. My life consisted of work and pleasure – pleasure from the unattached sexual relationships and the booze that had filled my nights.
When my life spiraled out of control, Sophia caught me in her web of security and love. She is my savior, the only thing that is true in my life. She can’t know my entire story. Who would want to know the true story of the love of their life, the father of their child?
The thought of Sophia being with another man makes my skin crawl and pisses me off. She’s mine, and I’d like to think that I’ve been the only man in her life and the first one to taste her, but I know I’m lying to myself. Ignorance is bliss, and I’d rather stay in the dark.
After our child was born, I thought it was necessary to get help to control my drinking. I needed to make sure I never walked down the path of self-destruction again. I had too much to lose. For the first time in my life, there was something more important than myself or even Sophia. There’s a tiny little life that depends on me and needs my love and adoration.
I didn’t want to go to group counseling – I’ve done that before, and it sucked; it wasn’t more than a temporary fix. I needed something to get to the root of my addiction and allow me to find other ways to cope with the pressures in life besides at the bottom of a bottle. The counselor told me to write down the major events in my life – the ones that caused my drinking to go out of control or drove me to drink.
He said I needed to understand the cycle. What came first – the booze or the problems? He asked me to write a journal about my life. Everyone who I could remember that triggered my drinking, use of drugs, and events that were caused by my addiction that had an impact on my life. I didn’t see the use in writing it for someone else to read and analyze, but he said I would understand it in time.
Where do I start the tangled mess that was my life? Do I start with my first taste of booze, the first sniff of coke, or the crazy bitches I’ve experienced? There will be bits that I leave out; things I don’t want the world to know. I’ve included the ones that show what has molded me into the man I am today. The ones that will fill in the gaps on my troubled journey that Sophia and I overcame and show the depths of my depravity and addiction before Sophia walked into my life and turned my world upside down.
I’ll start at the beginning, what led me off the path of righteousness through my moment of self-destruction and finally salvation in the arms of a loving woman too good to be mine.
Kayden: The Past Playlist
Demons ~ Imagine Dragon
Crazy Bitch ~ Buck Cherry
Gorilla ~ Bruno Mars
Livin’ on a Prayer ~ Bon Jovi
Sex and Candy ~ Marcy PLayground
Love the Way You Lie ~ Eminem
Everything I’ve Known ~ KoRn
Bring Me to Life ~ Evanescence
Cold Hard Bitch ~ Jet
What Goes Around Comes Around ~ Justin Timberlake
Waiting for the End ~ Linkin Park
The Reason ~ Hoobastank
Control ~ Puddle of Mud
I Hate Everything About You ~ Three Days Grace
Untangle Me is ON SALE for 0.99
US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FH3UTJC
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FH3UTJC
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00FH3UTJC
AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00FH3UTJC
NOOK: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/untangle-me-chelle-bliss/1117031384
Chelle’s Stalker Links
Website: http://www.chellebliss.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorchellebliss1
Twitter: @ChelleBliss1
Giveaway
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MmY5NzI2ODdlOTBjNThjZjE0OWZkMWY4MjRlNTg3OjI=/
Fairest Of All Book Reviews 
Pingback: Kayden gets 4.5 poison apples from @FairestReviews | Chelle Bliss