Review of Coming Undone (Brown Family #2) by Lauren Dane

Coming Undone is the second book in the Brown Family series.

After his parents' death, Brody raised his siblings, giving up his dreams. Now he owns his own tattoo parlor and is widely recognized as an incredible artist. Elise spent many years as a world-famous ballerina, but after a relationship gone bad and resulting injury, she's left New York to settle in Seattle and begin again with her daughter Rennie.

Neither are looking for love or commitment, but they can't deny their passion. Then a revisit from Elise's past shoves both of them into territory they thought they didn't want but now know they need.

This book was one I read before. I remembered the story but enjoyed reading it again.

Elise was an interesting character with a tragic past. It takes nearly half the book before the full story is revealed, and it was a shocking one. I couldn't blame Elise for wanting to begin again. Her new career as a ballet teacher was something that seems to suit her, and Brody sure admired her for her skills.

Brody also had an interesting backstory in his parenting of his siblings and support of them in their adulthood. They both ran to him for help and shelter, and when he's injured, they both baby him, worried about him. It was touching to see how much they love him. The accident also introduces him to Elise, since she witnessed the accident and was the one to call the ambulance. His tattoo parlor was a strong background, but the story rarely visited it. It's connected to his sister's cafe, and their close relationship was sweet with the way they'd pop into each other's businesses for a cup of coffee or a chat.

The settings could have been more explored and detailed. There were locations that the characters went to that were largely blank, like the tattoo parlor. I got a good feel for the ballet school and Elise's house, but Brody's house was unpopulated, though I did get a good feel for his yard. I like much more details in the description of settings that Lauren Dane provided.

Descriptions other than settings were good. I could imagine all the characters, and for Brody, tattoos were an important part of his identity. I got a good picture of his ink. Minor characters didn't get as much description, though Raven was detailed. Erin, Todd, and Ben from Laid Bare weren't described much, but I think the author assumed we'd carry description from the previous book into this one, not a good assumption to make.

Dialog was better than in Laid Bare. It was smoother and more realistic. There was less cheese and more open conversation.

The sex scenes were great—well described in both action and sensation by the characters. They were intense, but not too intense, and well-written. They were often very similar to other encounters in the book, so Lauren Dane didn't vary the action as much as I like so the scenes don't get repetitive. It didn't get to the point of feeling like repetition, but it was close.

Overall, an enjoyable book. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Photo Credit Sarah Cervantes via stocksnap.io

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