Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: An Irresistible Mess
AUTHOR: Mel Bossa
PUBLISHER: JMS Books
LENGTH: 241 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2025
BLURB:
REVIEW:
Both Kai and Jett have a lot against them. They keep putting one foot in front of the other despite the trauma they have endured. Many people experience various levels of trauma – much of it hidden behind closed doors – while presenting a completely different face to the outside world. After all appearances are what is most important 😉
In this case Kai has been doing this for a long time because he grew up in the foster system. He had to adjust/adapt to many different family dynamics after being removed from his mother and abandoned by his father after a very abusive start. He’s developed his own unhealthy coping mechanisms. He’s never sustained a relationship and calls himself the king of ghosting. He’s not prepared to allow anyone the power to break his heart.
Jett’s father has abused him for a very long time – just terrible emotional abuse for the most part – in a completely devastating way deeply affecting his development. He struggles with self-worth, with impulse control, with addiction, with decision making, with self-sabotage and with anger – all symptoms of his greater trauma. I’ll be honest that I never figured out the genesis of this abusive behavior. It just seemed like the father did it “because he could” as much as anything. Some light is shed late in the story, but bottom line – the guy is a pretty awful human. This bad start combined with a predatory “mental health professional” set Jett up for big trouble. The one good thing that he’s trying not to mess up is any kind of relationship with Kai.
Kai and Jett meet after Jett has made another bad decision that costs him his job and he’s looking for a new one. Jett is immediately attracted to Kai and Kai seems to respond to him also. Kai is going through a breakup and while they are getting to know each other, Jett figures out that they have another connection that he is unprepared for. And that connection screws things up.
Jett has started therapy with a guy named Carl. But everything about this mental health provider is a bit suspicious. Jett’s sister tries to warn him and so does Kai, but that doesn’t stop him. Jett is determined to make things right with Kai and so they agree to try to be friends, but of course there is more there. And Jett has now set himself up for manipulation and abusive control from Carl. Kai is not one to allow this to happen though – especially after Jett shows up for him when he has a health crisis. He’s determined to break this control that Carl has over Jett and do the right thing.
There are a lot of ups and downs for Jett. He keeps trying to do the right thing and even then, he still can’t control a lot of things in his life. But once he and Kai are really together, they are both going to have to figure out how they can stop running when things get tough. If they are going to be together they are going to have to stay and work through their problems together.
So if you’re looking for a light, fun, no angst romance, this is not that book. If I’m honest, I was a bit apprehensive taking on this book given the state of the world right now. This used to be my jam! The more f*d up the characters, the more difficult and redemptive the arc, the more I wanted to read it. Lately, not so much. But I am such a fan of this author, I decided I would take the plunge 🙂
Both of these men are damaged. They’ve been through a lot. They are both struggling with self-destructive tendencies, lack of connection, trust issues, etc. Jett has made doing a runner into this personality. He manages to screw up a good job by making a bad decision and this time it really follows him. Kai is there a he’s trying to recover and gain new employment. Kai’s definitely got his own demons though and Jett doesn’t help with that. At first. But they also have a lot in common and they eventually decide to try to work thing out. Jett’s humiliated by how he’s screwed things up with Carl and provided so much ammunition for Carl to be able to ruin things for him in so many areas of his life is kind of the breaking point. His decision on how he’s going to deal with that is the hurdle he has to clear if he’s ever going to be able to move forward with any kind of peace – something that has been in short supply for these two for most of their lives. I was kind of blown away that these guys were any kind of functioning adults. Like I’m not sure I would come out of that with the will to move forward. In the end, the most impressive part of this was that both Kai and Jett were able to realize that there was another way and that sometimes, if just one person really does believe in you, it’s possible to get up the next day and face the future if there is a shred of support and love to be had. This author in particular seems to find a way to tap into these kinds of characters that are able to overcome trauma and find a way to build a life on top of 747’s worth of baggage. Also a shout out to making sure to investigate and vet out any mental health professionals before engaging! Despite all the hardships and difficult times, this book is ultimately hopeful. Kai and Jett are in a much better place and they have worked hard to earn it 🙂 Highly recommended.
RATING: 
BUY LINK:
