If you fell in love with Sal in Thirsty, get ready to fall in love all over again with his brother Eddie in Trashed by Mia Hopkins!

‘Trashed’ by Mia Hopkins book review:

Right off the bat I’ll tell you that you really should read Thirsty in order to fully appreciate the storyline in Trashed because there are a lot of family dynamics going on.

This isn’t really a problem, though, because Thirsty is truly an amazing read. Really, anything by Mia Hopkins is well worth the money and the time.

I honestly can’t think of any other writer that does it like Mia Hopkins. Not only is her world building fantastic, with so many family secrets constantly being unearthed and issues constantly arising from the characters’ pasts, but the way she crafts words together is just beautiful.

If you let me, I would just sit here and continually praise her writing because it always leaves me amazed and wanting more, but I should probably get on and tell you about the book itself, right?

Like his brother, Eddie is fresh out of prison after getting put away for activities related to the neighborhood gang be belongs to.

The prologue of the novel kicks off with Eddie meeting his mystery woman for the first time. He’s crashing with a friend, she’s crying in the community garden, and he’s spent the last five years in prison.

That doesn’t stop the pull between them, and despite every reason why they shouldn’t — they’re together for the first time.

Months later, Eddie is still having a hard time holding down a job. It’s not easy when you’ve been in prison for years and you have to take whatever is available.

Eddie ends up going to a temporary job washing dishes at a restaurant, lying about having done it before. How hard could it be to wash some dishes? Very hard in a busy commercial kitchen, and he ends up accidentally breaking many of them in his inexperience.

For the first time, Eddie meets the chef of the restaurant when she comes to see what happened, and he’s blown away to come face-to-face with his mystery woman.

But she’s not alone and crying. She’s in control and she’s fierce. And she doesn’t admit to knowing Eddie at all when she tells him that he owes the restaurant money now.

That means Eddie will have to keep coming back, despite his limited experience.

But this also gives Eddie an opening to get to know his mystery woman better — who he now knows is named Carmen.

There’s still so much more that Eddie doesn’t know about her. He has no idea how their pasts, presents, and futures are tied together.

All he knows is that he can’t stop thinking about Carmen, even with his impending family issues and trouble with the gang that won’t let him forget he’s still technically a member.

Carmen has a few secrets of her own, though, ones that Eddie never would have guessed. In some ways, it brings them closer and in other ways, it just reminds him how different their lives are.

Despite everything that could easily pull them apart from one another, Eddie and Carmen find ways to lean on each other instead. They both have their own issues and things going on in their lives, but they find ways to help each other where they can and it makes them stronger.

Not to mention their steamy connection in the bedroom (and at work…and in a car). I highly suggest enjoying these pages from the comfort of your own home, lest you blush furiously while Eddie and Carmen struggle to keep their hands off each other.

By the end of Trashed, I was already wishing there was another novel ready in the series to read next. I can’t wait to see what Mia Hopkins will give us next in Tanked!

‘Trashed’ by Mia Hopkins synopsis:

He burns for her. Lucky for him, she likes to play with fire…

My name is Eddie Rosas, but everyone calls me Trouble. Since I got out of prison six months ago, I’ve had one goal: find my father, whatever the cost. My older brother says I need to move on. He also wants me to leave our gang, East Side Hollenbeck, and go straight, but I can’t—not until I uncover the truth about our family and its missing piece.

One problem? I’m distracted. My distraction’s name is Carmen Centeno. Smart, passionate, and tough as hell, Carmen is a woman from the neighborhood who’s built her career as one of the city’s top chefs. She’s a master of creating pleasure both in and out of bed. But when our connection deepens, how can I show her I’m not the trash everyone says I am?

The pressure’s rising. Carmen deserves a man she can depend on. And when the ghosts of my past rise up, I’ll have to outsmart them—or lose my shot at a future with the only woman who believes in me.

The Rosas brothers will return in Tanked!

Trashed by Mia Hopkins will be released on July 16! Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, or Kobo! And don’t forget to add it to your Goodreads!