Rev (Bayonet Scars #3)

Rev (A Bayonet Scars Novel #3)

By JC Emery

★★★★☆

Everyone belongs somewhere. Even the misfits. 

With the looming threat from the Mancuso Crime Family, the Forsaken Motorcycle Club is preparing for a war that could destroy them. Grady, the club’s Sergeant-at-Arms, knows that love makes you weak, and he has zero interest in adding to his liabilities– especially now. He’s already got his teenage daughter who keeps him on his toes and a beef within the club that could fracture his relationship with a fellow brother for good. 

For Holly Mercer, her life is finally getting on track and the last thing she wants is trouble from her hometown’s resident outlaws. Keeping her nose clean is easier said than done, when suddenly she finds herself embroiled in club business. Holly might like the idea of being with a real-life bad boy, but even being in the same room with tough-as-nails Grady flusters her. 

When Holly inadvertently finds herself on Mancuso’s radar, she has two choices: trust that Grady will protect her, or continue to refuse the club’s help. Both roads are dangerous, but only one has the chance to damage her beyond repair. 

Love is never more dangerous than when it can destroy you. 

Mature Content Warning: The Bayonet Scars novels are a dark romance series which features graphic sexual content, violence, and foul language that is intended for a mature audience. Each novel features a different couple, though it’s not recommended that they be read out of order due to the series story arc. 

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Okay so first I have to admit, I am not sure what made me read this particular book.  I’m not sure if it was because I wanted to give this series one more try or if it was because I was so desperate for a Motorcycle Club Romance novel and I am running out of new ones.  The first book Ride, the story of Alex and Ryan was definitely not a favorite of mine.  I absolutely hated Ryan and almost didn’t finish the story because I just could not see what Alex saw in him.  The second book Thrash I did not finish.  I could not find a reason to like either main character.  It also solidified my hatred for Ryan.

I picked up Rev with apprehension but after reading the first few chapters realized I was actually enjoying it.  Thank God! Rev redeemed this series in my eyes, I actually am looking forward to seeing what comes next.  I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about Grady but was pleasantly surprised.  He was coarse, vulgar and insensitive but after a while he grew on me.  He was also funny, loyal and determined.  I could actually see why a woman like Holly would want to be with him.

As for Holly, I liked her.  I thought she was smart,  tough and had me laughing out loud throughout the story.  She did not put up with Grady’s BS and gave as good as she got.  Unlike a lot of female characters in these type of books Holly was not completely naive when it came to the MC and seemed to take the rules of the lifestyle in stride.

I felt the connection between Grady and Holly and enjoyed their story.  If the rest of the books in this series are more like this one I will definitely read them.  I would love to read more about Grady and Holly, Chey and Jeremy and Ian.  I only hope that in future books Ryan either has a very small part or finally redeems himself in some way.

Heart of the Race

Always a fan of a good Mary Calmes story!

Heart Of The Race

By Mary Calmes

★★★★☆

Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.

Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.

Originally part of Dreamspinner Press 2013 Daily Dose Anthology: Make A Play featuring 30 different stories by some of the best authors in M/M Romantic Fiction, this story called to me mainly because it was by one of my favorite authors, Mary Calmes.  This is a short easy read and like most of her works it’s a sweet love story.  If you are a fan of Mary Calmes I am sure you will enjoy it.

A sucker for a good GFY/OFY story I enjoyed seeing two best friends become more and fall in love.  Who better to fall in love with than the person who you trust the most in the world?  As Brian paints us the picture of  growing up knowing he’s in love with Varro and doing his best to keep his feelings from destroying their friendship while secretly wishing his straight best friend felt the same way about him, you can actually feel his heart ache.  Varro being absolutely oblivious to the way his best friend feels is almost maddening.    He needs Brian in a way that most need air but he can’t seem to open his eyes enough to realize Brian is the one person who makes him whole until it’s almost too late.

There’s angst, heartbreak, humor and romance.  There isn’t an over abundance of sex making this more of a contemporary love story. My one and only complaint really was that it was way too short.  I loved the characters but there was definitely room to expand the story more and to get a more in depth look at them.  I would honestly be happy to see more of Varro and Brian.

Nothing fires the blood like a little friendly competition. Anything from a meeting of the minds to full-body contact, these men are making a play. There are no losers in the game of love.  Over 1,500 pages of fiction selling individually for a total $80.20 or as a bulk package for $54.99.

Purchase the entire Make A Play Anthology from Dreamspinner Press or Heart of the Race separately at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Alpha Biker Heroes

Kristen Ashley just continues to make me swoon with her pantie melting, super alpha, hot men she writes about.  A few years ago if you would have told me that I would dream about throwing my leg over the back of a Harley and wrapping my arms tightly around a sexy member of a Motorcycle Club I would have laughed in your face.  Somehow though reading these books I find myself picturing myself as an “Old Lady”.  Between Tack, Shy and now Hop I am firmly ensconced in the world of Chaos Motorcycle Club, jealous of Tyra, Tabby and now Lainie.  Please Ms. Ashley keep bringing us these fabulous stories!

♨Release Date: June 4, 2013!♨

Fire Inside

By Kristen Ashley

★★★★1/2

Lanie Heron is absolutely the last person that Hopper Kincaid–Chaos MC Lieutenant–should take to his bed but he can’t resist when she approaches him and asks for “just one night”.  Lanie is all class and sophistication.  She’s also haunted–nearly being killed for standing by your  fiancé will do that to you.   Hop knows he should say no but he can’t.  Soon one night becomes more and Hop realizes that there is a lot more to Lanie than he originally thought.

“Not sure that’s a good idea, Lanie,” he told her, gentling his voice as he gave her the honesty.

“Why?” she asked immediately, and he felt his eyes narrow on her before he answered.

“Maybe ’cause you’re best friends with Tack’s old lady. I respect him, I respect her, and shit like this, babe, it gets complicated. Any complication sucks but a complication like this—” he shook his head “— no one needs that.”

She threw out a hand and declared casually, “It won’t get complicated.”

❤

“I’ve thought on it and decided it’s you.” Her hands at his neck gave him a squeeze and fuck him, fuck him, that moved him even more. “I understand why you don’t want to, but I promise, Hop, I swear, no kidding, seriously, no strings. No expectations. Just us. One night. Tomorrow, it will be like it’s always been. Like it didn’t even happen. I promise, Hop. Swear.”

Lanie is amazed at how much she enjoys being with Hopper Kincaid.  He’s different than what she’s used to.  Hopper has the ability to destroy her and there is no way she can allow that to happen.  She’s broken and scared, not to mention she can’t stop thinking about how she almost died and why.  Lanie has vowed to never put herself through that again and that means not allowing any man in again even if he is a sexy, smooth talking biker she can’t seem to resist.  Being with Hop can’t last, no matter what she has to keep him at a distance.

“You know my story,” she whispered. “You think I want another guy?” She paused then finished with emphasis, “Ever?”

The more Lanie fights it the more Hop has to prove to her that they were made for each other.  He will do anything to show Lanie she is worth it and he can help her heal.  It won’t be easy putting her heart back together and healing in her what threatens to destroy her but Hop is confident he can do it.

“I said just one night,” she reminded him.

“And I said I wasn’t done with you,” he fired back.

Unfortunately Lanie will do everything she can to not allow Hop to steal her heart and give her his at the same time.  There are only so many times she can push him away before he realizes that he’s fighting a losing battle.  Will he ever be able to get Lanie to completely trust him or is she too far gone?

 To be honest I was not at all impressed with Hop in the previous books he appeared in.  I disliked his character in Motorcycle Man and as for Own the Wind I really didn’t give him much thought at all.  By page 10 in Fire Inside I was completely in love with Hopper Kincaid.  He was redeemed in my eyes and I have to say he gave some serious competition to Shy who has remained my favorite of all the Kristen Ashley men.  I could seriously see myself drooling over Hopper.

What makes me love his character so much?  It’s simple, he is strong, intense, domineering in that way that makes you shiver when reading any of these books.  Hopper is also sweet and sincere and the type of man who shows the woman he is with a side of himself you would never expect but crave.  He’s protective and truly wants to help Lanie not only to open up and let him in but to also trust herself again.  He wants her to let her past go and to live, which also means he wants her to be able to let everyone, not just him back into her life.

“Hop is willing to do anything to make his woman happy. He’d walk a tightrope with no net if she was on the other side, cheering him on. And he just proved what we already knew, and he did that in a big way.”-Shy (From Own the Wind)

Lanie has some hurts that can’t just be healed with a few sweet caring words.  She has demons that need someone who can have an objective outlook to help her conquer them. She is classy and sophisticated with a smidgen of crazy (the good kind) thrown in.  She has drama–most of which Hop finds amusing–but you can’t help but find her funny and endearing.  She may not always see it but she has an innate strength as well.  There are times that Lanie makes me mad and frustrates me but I definitely like her character and won’t mind seeing more of her throughout the series.

“…Lanie is beautiful but she’s a fuckin’ nut. There’s no guarantees with her in the mix, and Hop’s not sayin’ it, but he’s gone for her. I caught sight of them late one night standin’ by his bike and I can’t say I’m an expert at readin’ bitches but, body language, she’s gone for him too. Cherry or Tack get in his face, Cherry butts up against Lanie, there’s gonna be fireworks.”-Shy (From Own the Wind)

If you’re a fan of Kristen Ashley, if you love books about Sexy Bikers and the women that manage to steal their hearts or you just love stories about love and redemption, you will fall in love with this book.  The only thing I didn’t enjoy was the fact that we only got brief glimpses of Shy, I could have used a little more of him *wink*.  Other than that Fire Inside is a definite must read!

To purchase your copy of Fire Inside (Chaos #2) Amazon ◈ Barnes & Noble ◈ Google

*Thank You to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book for honest review.

Kristen Ashley At Her Best!

This may very well be my favorite Kristen Ashley book to date.  I absolutely love, L-O-V-E, love this book!  I am completely, 100%, in love with Parker “Shy” Cage.  I also have to say that Tabby is one of the very few Kristen Ashley Heroine’s that I find myself loving—actually finding a real connection with—which makes the chemistry between her and Shy even better.  Own the Wind has definitely made me an even bigger fan of Kristen Ashley, if that’s actually possible.

Own The Wind (Chaos #1)
By Kristen Ashley
★★★★★

Blurb:

Tabitha Allen has a not-so-secret crush on Parker “Shy” Cage. Shy thinks he knows the path Tabby’s on and it isn’t a good one. So he decides to teach her a lesson to lead her to the right path. 

Unfortunately, he was wrong and his actions wound Tabby, breaking her heart. It’s Tabby who then teaches Shy a lesson about casting judgment and Shy Cage learns what it feels like to be invisible. But when tragedy strikes and Tabby’s heart is broken again, Shy does what he can in the background to help. Trying to forget her heartbreak, Tabby finds herself in danger. To keep it secret from her biker family, the Chaos Motorcycle Club, she calls Shy to rescue her. But when she lets him back in, she gets much more than she bargained for.

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This story is so many things that we have grown accustomed to when we read a Kristen Ashley book.  Obviously we have the strong Alpha male who has the ability to make you swoon.  The quirky, sassy and beautiful female that you wished was part of your posse.  The romance, the sexy and scorching sex and that ever present drama that all of her characters must overcome.  Sometimes that drama is over the top, sometimes it’s funny and ever once in a while it is absolutely heartbreaking of course no matter how you would classify it Kristen Ashley has a way of capturing your attention.

For me at least, with Shy I finally felt as if Ms. Ashley had developed a character I could actually see myself truly falling for in real life.  Now that is not to say I don’t love most of the men in her books, they are all hot and swoon worthy in their own way, however Shy had a “sweetness” a “sincerity” to him that I think surpassed almost all of her other men and seeing as he is in a Motorcycle Club that just sealed the deal right there.

“I’m with him because when I’m with him, I’m free to be me. I’m with him because he’s hot. I’m with him because he lets me blather, since I’m prone to blathering, and he lets me rant when I have a bad day. I’m with him because when I rant, he makes me feel better and he does this effortlessly. I’m with him because I live for the times when I’m on the back of his bike and we’re riding together, not even talking, just being free.” -Tabby

As for Tabby, she was strong, independent, funny and had the ability to stand up to Shy when needed and prove she could make a life for herself.  I loved this about her.  I loved that she had backbone yet she wasn’t hard even after growing up in the lifestyle they lived.

“I had you up against the headboard, baby, but that was not fucking and it came natural. It’s what we have. I didn’t know that’s what I’d get but I’m pleased as fuck you gave it to me. That alone answers your why when it comes to the us part. As for why it’s you, I don’t know, I don’t care. It just is. It could be ’cause you’re gorgeous. It could be ’cause you’re funny. It could be ’cause I like the way you handled Pete when he lost his daughter. It could be ’cause you and me got Chaos in common, it’s us, it’s in our blood and this was meant to be. It could be ’cause I like the way you are with your family. It could be ’cause you get off on bein’ on the back of my bike almost as much as I get off straddling it. I figure it’s all that and more. I am not gonna analyze it. I’m gonna feel it ’cause I like it and that’s all there is to it.” – Shy

Together Tabby and Shy are a great couple that I can’t wait to see more of.

“May feel like you’re fallin’, Tabby, but remember, I’m at the bottom ready to catch you.”-Shy

 

 

 

Bike’s and Hot Men…Yum!

There are always those books out there that take you completely by surprise, you never thought it would be something you would enjoy however you find yourself happy that you took the chance on it.  I can honestly say that is exactly what happened when I read Joanna Wylde’s latest, Reaper’s Property.  Super Alpha Males, Bikers, steamy sex and danger, what more could you want?

Reaper’s Property by Joanna Wylde ★★★★

Marie doesn’t need a complication like Horse. The massive, tattooed, badass biker who shows up at her brother’s house one afternoon doesn’t agree. He wants Marie on his bike and in his bed. Now.

Marie has just left her abusive cheating husband and is forced to move in to her mother’s trailer with her pot smoking brother.   The last thing she expects is to find out her brother is working for Reaper’s Motorcycle Club.  Not knowing much about biker’s and their world she is completely overwhelmed when she finds herself inexplicably drawn to the biggest and baddest one she’s ever seen, of course he has a name like Horse.  What’s worse is the fact that Horse seems to have set his sights on her as well and that’s more than a little scary.

When Horse makes it clear to her that he wants her to be his “Property” Marie can’t get away from him fast enough.  She is no one’s
property and will not be part of some sexist group of scary, violent, beer drinking criminals, no matter how much she wants Horse.
Horse may be used to the fact that when he wants something,  he takes  it but Marie doesn’t live in his world and will not make it easy for him.

When Marie’s brother steals from the club Horse see’s an opportunity. Marie can save him by giving Horse what he wants, her available in his bed or anywhere else he wants whenever he wants.  One way or another she will be his property, whether it’s as his play thing or his “Old Lady”.  If she doesn’t want to be on the back of his bike at least he will make sure she is in his bed.

Between Marie’s ignorance to the MC world, her brother’s stupidity and greed and the way Horse makes her want him even if it goes against everything she has always believed, Marie’s who life is turned upside down.  She will have to realize that she is playing by a whole different set of rules than Horse and even her brother.  So now who is she going to trust?

Bikes and Hot Men…Yum!