Withstanding Me by Crystal Spears

       

Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series- Breakneck #2
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
264 pages

I had to read some other reviews to see if people felt the same way I did about this book. I found out several people did feel the same way I did. There's plenty of chaos here, violence, steamy sex scenes and filthy mouths.

ZZ aka Zig Zag aka Mason is another member of the Breakneck MC. He lives that lifestyle to the fullest. He takes care of his family despite his daughter's attempts to constantly test his patience and sanity. He balances this well enough but his focus is distracted because of Storm. Storm is a former sex slave that the MC rescued. She works for the Prez's wife and is enrolled in school for a business degree.

ZZ wants to take her to bed so bad but she rejects him at every turn. You see, she wants more. More than he is willing to offer her right now. She tells him he's gonna fall in love one day and it's gonna be with her. He insists that he has no desire to be a one woman man. She tries to date and he blows a gasket. He even runs her date off. You have all the elements of a Crystal Spears' book but it felt kind of scaled down. It wasn't as emotionally engaging as Seize me. It was emotional but not as much. It wrapped up some ends and opened more story arcs for this continuing series. I'm very invested in what goes on from here on out but I want the same intensity as Seize Me.

I hope that in the next book there is some of that but am scared because of Shadow being a sadist. That is one of my very least favorite story lines but I'm gonna trust her not to disappoint. Spears writes really badass heroines so Tatiana is going to be fun to read about and I await a release date.

Six Brothers by Lili St. Germaine

          

Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno?
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Gypsy Brothers #2
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
100 pages

Oh, man! Why did I devour this so quickly?

Book two starts with the funeral of the eldest son, Chad. Dornan is miserable and devastated over the death of his son. He's ready to go to war with whoever supplied Chad with the drugs that killed him. As Juliette/Sammi consoles him during his grief, she smiles on the inside. She's giddy with happiness. It's still very difficult to put my finger on what draws me to this series. I'm a romance reader and this isn't really as romance. I mean I see one continue to develop between her and Jase but how screwed up will they both be by the end of all this?

My heart breaks with the flashbacks of first loves, horrific loss and this woman's emotional and physical descent into the bowels of Hell. Seeing Dornan become more and more poised on the edge of lunacy is so extremely frightening. This book does some explaining as to the why of his obsession with Juliette/Sammi which was very helpful. As she sets her sights on Maxi, the next son in line she's gonna kill, your heart pounds and your pulse races. Can she pull it off? And what will she have to sacrifice of herself to do it? How far in the quest of revenge will she go?

I was reading a great historical book when I found out this was available and I immediately put the other book on hold and started this one. I figured that since historical romances are a balm to my soul, I'd probably need it after this book. I finished this book with a heavy heart and a small sense of satisfaction for her character. I can't wait for March 10th!

Two down, five to go.

Reaper's Legacy by Joanna Wylde

Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Reaper's MC #2
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
368 pages

When she dug her fingers into his shoulders on the side of the road as she gave birth to his nephew, their connection was set in stone.

Ruger(MC name)is a Reaper. Patched in and dedicated. Sophie is a single mother and broke. Ruger's step-brother is her baby daddy and a total deadbeat. Oh, and an abuser. Ruger has tried to be a part of his nephew's life and a semi positive role model to him. But his treatment of Sophie leaves a lot to be desired. He seems to look right through her.

Sophie loves her son, Noah more than anything. Sacrifices everything for him. Her parents disowned her after she refused to abort him, so she's all alone. After a near tragic occurence, she moves into Ruger's basement. The sparks between them crackle but their differences are huge. He's all club and she doesn't want anything to do with the club lifestyle.

When these two finally act on their attraction, fireworks happen. I loved watching these two come together figuratively and literally. Joanna Wylde has done it again. Totally engrossing storyline. I devoured it quickly. I love reading about this MC and it's members. Good characters and smokin' hot sex. Ready for the next one.

Seize Me by Crystal Spears

Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Breankneck #1
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
256 pages

Winter and Braxxon, wow, what do I say? There was so much I liked about this book but a couple of things I found uncool.

Winter is a runaway Russian Mafia princess turned stripper. By her choice though so don't feel sorry for her. She and her roommate agree to dance at an MC birthday party for their Prez. Little did she know that her life would change or to the extent that it did.

Braxxon is the Prez of the Breakneck MC and at his birthday party he sees an angel, Winter. He is so overwhelmed by her that it's staggering to him. He takes her for a private dance and they end up sleeping together. Not sex, just sleeping.

He knows he has to protect Winter, not only because of who she is but because of who he is. He falls for her and she becomes his obsession. She may be perfect for him because she can handle the ugly in his life even though she claims to want no part of it.

Things I liked:

He fell for her right away.

He truly cared for her.

He took no shit from anyone and protected his family.

Things I didn't like:

He kind of cheats, seriously, you have to read the book to get the situation.

He then does cheat.

He hits women in the book twice. I know this probably happens in this lifestyle but I do not like it.

Favorite quotes:

"My baby is speechless cause I just want to cuddle."

She's the Winter for my hottest summer days. She's the Angel for my Hell.

She will have to do the leaving and even if she did leave, she'd still own every single inch of me.

Overall, I enjoyed this a great deal and will read the rest of this series.

Seven Sons by Lili St. Germaine

Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno?
Kink Level-Mild Kink
Series-Gypsy Brothers #1
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
100 pages

I'm shaking my head here. What a hot mess of horror! It's not a conventional love story. At all. It's a story of revenge and reckoning.

Juliette grew up in the MC world until the age of fifteen. Her life totally changed as did she. Her father is murdered, her mother is drug addict who didn't protect her at all. Her innocence is shattered in the most horrific of ways. A police officer smuggles her out of town where she starts her new life. She was reported dead so her rebirth as Samantha is now her life.

She takes several years to plan her revenge and she does down to the last detail. The men that changed her life will pay and pay with blood. It may destroy what's left of her soul and pave her way straight to Hell. You totally are her side even as you cry as she sells her soul to the devil almost literally. There's a lot of emotions in this short novella and you feel every last one of them. I think there will be a romance in the future in the story but not now. I will say that there's sex in this book but it's not hot because of the circumstances. It's a cliffhanger and now to my own horror, I have to see it through. I have to see if she makes Dornan and his seven sons pay.

Motorcycle Man by Kristen Ashley

Grade: A-
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, MC
Series: Dream Man #4

Published: 5/22/12, republished 1/28/14

Reviewed by Anne

324 ebook pages

So I was at book club a couple weeks ago and a bunch of my friends were going on and on about Madeline Sheehan and what great motorcycle (MC) book crack she writes and how they love it so.  For the first time, I was feeling a little left out.  I thought I would not like an MC book.  I was hesitant to read one.  But I don't like feeling left out, and it was a reading goal of mine to try a Kristen Ashley book, AND I'd just gotten a NetGalley copy of Motorcycle Man, so I figured all signs were pointing toward it being time for me to put on my big girl pants and give this MC book thing a try.  

I started reading and was instantly pulled in.  Tyra is in bed after having sex with Tack, who she just met, and is seeing hearts and flowers and thinking that this man, finally, is her dream man.  And Tack?  

His hand left my skin to smack my ass lightly before he said, "Time to get to your own bed, darlin." (p. 17, ePub edition)

*snort*  Not exactly hero behavior!  But Tyra's got some backbone.  She feels like an idiot for mistaking fabulous sex for love, and for thinking Tack was her dream man, and because Tack is her new boss.  However, when Tack tries to fire Tyra, because he doesn't mix work and pleasure, she stands up for herself, and she keeps the job.

This book was so awesome.  Tack is an alphole, but a really sexy one.  And the thing is, over and over he proves that he cares about Tyra.   He gives her what she needs, and he apologizes when he makes mistakes.  Of course, he makes lots of mistakes, and one of them is being a sexist, macho, bossy pig of a man, but it's so easy to forgive him.  It's totally believable that Tyra would continue to fall for him.

The story line is good, believable, and very engrossing.  There's a certain amount of suspense and danger, but not enough to annoy me.  The writing style is almost a stream of consciousness, all from Tyra's point of view, but that worked very, very well.

My only problem with the book is the MC culture.  Women are second class citizens who have no say in the running of the club.  There are "old ladies" and club whores and they each have their place and accept one another.  And though the MC in this story is relatively clean, as far as drug running goes, it's acknowledged that drug running is a path that other clubs take.  I have so many issues with that lifestyle that I almost feel guilty reading the book.

Despite all that, and mostly because of the alpha hotness and dirty talking that is Tack, I loved this story.  I don't think MC romance will ever be a favorite of mine, in general, but this book is!  It's going on my favorites of 2014 list and I highly recommend it!