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!

Undeniable by Madeline Sheehan

Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Undeniable #1
Genre-Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by Kay
332 pages

I'm truly at a loss for words with this review. I think I need a mind scrub and maybe a visit to confession. I'm not Catholic and I'm not making light of religion but I may need some prayer time after this.

Deuce West is an outlaw biker. He lives this lifestyle with no apologies at all. He likes what he does. The drinking, the illegal stuff and the whoring. He has a meeting with Eva Fox when she is visiting her father in prison. Her father is a President of a rival but friendly motorcycle club. Eva is five at their first meeting and when she charms Duece's father at his visit with him, he's taken with her. Not a perverted kind of way either. He's intrigued because she, at age five, listens to classic rock, wears Chucks and wants to be a motorcycle club queen. Duece is eighteen years her senior.

This story continues to span these two character's lifespans. It usually skips ahead by five to seven years.

The things I liked:

The slow build of their relationship. The all consuming attraction. The look inside of the outlaw biker lifestyle, if this is an accurate description. The suspense of the book. The desire of the heroine to try and save everyone around her even as she stays true to what she is.

The things I didn't like:

Deuce is married through most of the book. The constant infidelity of almost every character.

This book was an interesting book to read. Good character development. It sucked me right in and didn't let go. Even when the storylines butted right up to and through my hard limits. If you want a raw, gritty, dirty, and emotional love story, read it. But be prepared for all that it is and that it makes no apologies for it.

Lord of Wicked Intentions by Lorraine Heath

Grade-C
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-The Lost Lords of Pembrook #3
Genre-Regency Historical
Reviewed by Kay
370 pages

Rafe Easton is one of the Lost Lords of Pembrooke. They were hunted to be killed as boys so they didn't inherit the title that was theirs. The boys split up at very young ages with the promise to come back when they were older, to reclaim all they had to give up. Rafe was the youngest brother and went to work in the workhouses. His existence was horrific at best. Beaten regularly. As he got older he became of debt collector for a very dangerous man. He then became the owner of all that this man had. His life only cost him his soul and his heart.

Evelyn Chambers was the illegitimate daughter of an earl. After her mother's death she came to live with her father and her half brother. Her life was sheltered and pampered but never public. After her father's death, she is offered up to a group a gentlemen. She would go to the highest bidder. At the time, she thought her brother was trying to get her a husband.

Rafe sees Evelyn and knows he can't let her to to one of those men in attendance at the get together. He offers for with the intent of her becoming his mistress. Evelyn is horrified at her circumstances but she possess no skills to speak of. She knows what this means. She has to become a mistress to man that doesn't even seem to like her.

I loved the premise of this book and was pleased with the outcome. What I didn't like was that I found parts of it very slow and boring. The parts that were good were very good but the others were tedious. I was looking forward to this read because historicals are always palate cleansers for me. There were emotional scenes but Rafe just left me cold. All in all, I enjoyed this series and look forward to Lorraine Heath's next series.

                     

Dane by Liliana Hart

Grade-C+

Hotness Level-Inferno

Kink Level-No Kink

Series-The Mackenzie Brothers #1

Genre-Contemporary

Reviewed by Kate

57 pages

 

This is the story of Dane and Charlie (Charlotte), high school sweethearts. 10 years ago, Dane left town and doesn't realize that Charlie had his son all those years ago. Dane comes back to town and immediately runs across Charlie and the sparks start flying again.

 

I was completely okay with how fast they got back together. I can accept that given their history together. I marveled at Dane's ability to rock her world 4 times in less than 12 hours. Really. There should be a hall of fame for that somewhere. I was even okay with the fact that the secret baby secret caused zero conflict.

 

If you're looking for a secret baby story that short and blistering hot, this is your story. I will definitely be reading more of Liliana Hart in the future.

 

Are you a secret baby fan? Which books would you recommend?

Westin's Chase by Cristin Harber

Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Titan #3
Genre-Military Roamntic Suspense
Reviewed by Kay
276 pages

Jared Weston is the head of Titan, a group of black ops men. He's super controlling but only because he has to be. He's in charge of these men and their missions. He has always been a no strings attached guy and it's always been fine with him. Until lately. He realizes that there might be more to him than his missions. He might want something more. When the woman he is interested in gets taken, he gets a jump start to these thoughts and plans.

Sugar is an arms supplier, only to those military types. Most of them are on the up and up. We met Sugar early on in this series and she's a handful. Spunky and a little bit crass but totally endearing. She's had her eye an Jared for a long time but his attitude has always kept her at a distance. She's a modern gal, she enjoys men and what they can do for her sexually. When she goes on a mission, she's captured. The person who was with her is rescued by Titan but she's left behind because Titan didn't know she was there. They do go back and get her though. But Sugar is changed by a meeting she has with a young girl. When she gets home she finds out there is a hit on her and she has to turn to Jared and Titan for help.

Cristin Harber has done it again. What a good book this was. Action, suspense and hot romance. But also, she took a trusted character and made him a traitor. But you still liked the traitor and totally understood his reasons for the actions he took. A great moral dilemma. Do you betray people you care about for those that you love? Wow, this is a really great series!

                      

The Beginning of Us by Sarah Brooks

Grade-A

Hotness Level-Spark

Kink Level-No Kink

Genre-Contemporary/ f/f

Reviewed by Kate

115 pages

 

When I ran across this book, I got excited for three reasons. A-it's f/f, a genre I wanted to read more of, B-it's teacher/student, and C-it seemed that part of it would be written in letter format. I absolutely love a story written in the form of letters or journal entries or anything similar. I am so glad I picked this one up.

 

Tara is a senior in college who falls and falls hard for her professor, Eliza. When Eliza leaves without a word to Tara, Tara takes to her laptop and pours her heart and story out into a letter to Eliza. The entire story is written in a letter format. Tara's words were so raw and gritty, stark and honest. The story hooked it's claws into me and would not let go! I could not stop reading this one.

 

At first, the angst that Tara is feeling over being abandoned by Eliza reminded me of Bella Swan in New Moon and I worried that we'd soon find Tara curled in on herself and staring at a wall. Instead, Tara uses her words to cope with her loss. The story quickly started to remind me of The Girl in the Box by Ouida Sebestyen, a book I read as a teen that still sticks with me today (girl is kidnapped and left alone with only a typewriter-I would recommend reading if you haven't already). There is a sense of Tara discovering herself through her own words. Almost a coming-of-age feel. This book, like The Girl in the Box, will stay with me for a long, long time. Sarah Brooks have given us such a different, unique voice with story, I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

 

The Girl in the Box is one of those rare books that has stuck with me for the last 20+ years. Do you have any books that just won't let you go?

The Dom Project by Helloise Belleau and Solace Adams

Grade-B+

Hotness Level-Inferno

Kink Level-High Kink

Genre-Contemporary/BDSM

Reviewed by Kate

157 pages

 

Robin blogs about her search to find her perfect Dom to help her explore her submissiveness but so far all she's come across is a long line of duds. Her best friend John is a Dom, although neither knows of the other's sexual preferences. When they find out, they make a deal. John will act as Robin's Dom and help her discover what aspects of submission she wants/needs. No sex involved. Surely they can do this experiment and maintain their friendship too.

 

If you want to take this story down to its bare bones, it's a friends-to-lovers story with a heavy dose of BDSM. But it is so much more than just that. The characters were deep and complex. The story was fast paced and gripping, hot and searing. The resolution...*insert contented sigh.* This book has stayed in my head since I finished it a few days ago. In a good way.

 

I do want to mention that there are some scenes involving John and other partners. I mention it because I know that some readers are bothered by their heroes and/or heroines being with other characters. I felt it added more layers to John's character. It made me want to know even more about him.

 

I love a story that sticks with me after I read it. The characters come alive in my head. This one certainly fit the bill. I certainly hope that the authors work together again because I can't wait to see what else they could come up with. What a great read to kick off 2014.

 

Typically, I don't enjoy seeing the hero/heroine in other sexual relationships, but this one worked for me. How about you? Does it bother you? Is it a deal breaker for you?