Accelerate by Tracy Wolff

When I read the synopsis of this book, I seriously thought it sounded like a retelling of Gone in 60 Seconds. Then in the first few pages, I felt a very Fast and Furious vibe. I’m not a car or a race person, but I wanted to give this a try since I remembered enjoying other Tracey Wolff novels I’d read.

Trigger warning: There is a description of rape in this book.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A drag-racing ex-con trying to go straight is backed into a corner by a crooked cop and unwittingly drags the woman he’s attracted to into danger. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

The Good Stuff
I was surprised at how fast this one grabbed me. I didn’t think I’d find it interesting, since drag racing and cars aren’t my thing, but by the second chapter, things were happening and they were happening fast. Not going to lie…there was some adrenaline packed into this book.

I loved the dialogue and interactions of the characters. There was a scene where the people who worked at Nic’s garage are bantering back and forth, and it was hilarious and genuine. Even the dialogue between Nic and Jordan is enjoyable, though it sometimes feels like they’re going around in circles.

Things That Made Me Go Hmmm
Nic has a guilt complex, and I get that. He feels bad because he messed up when he was younger and his brother continues to make him feel guilty. But I think he takes it a little far. After awhile, the whole guilt thing was overplayed, especially when he seemed to feel bad that he hadn’t been there to stop Jordan’s tragedy…even though he didn’t even know her then.

The synopsis is a little misleading, and I feel like either something was taken out of the book or was changed later. The synopsis that I read said Nic had to steal 10 cars, but it’s really just one. Unless I missed the 10 car reference amidst all the sex. I suppose that’s possible.

The Romance Factor
Though slightly melodramatic, I liked the romance between Nic and Jordan. It was somewhat of a case of insta-love, but it was also paced well so that it didn’t feel like a stretch. Not to mention I can completely buy into the whole adrenaline rush leading to strong feelings scenario. Since I thought both characters were likable, it wasn’t hard for me to want to see them together. 4/5

The Steam Factor
Though I thought the sex scenes were well written and both hot and romantic, I was a little concerned by all the pleasure screaming Jordan did. Especially when they were in a house where Nic’s sister, brother, and nephew lived. 4/5

Final Thoughts
This story was pretty much the full package: action, romance, sex, bad guys. I really enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in this series.

Ryker by Sawyer Bennett

Since I discovered the Cold Fury series a few months back with my introduction to Zack, I’ve been eagerly awaiting Ryker’s story. I mean…he’s the goalie! I love the goalie! And his intro in the previous book was definitely enough to rev me up for his romance.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A seasoned goalie and his team’s first female general manager give in to their mutual lust, determined to keep it a secret in order to keep their jobs and their integrity. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

The Good Stuff
This book had a lot of great stuff, and I had a hard time putting it down. Ryker is a nice guy trying to do right by his daughter, be nice to his cheating ex, and making sure that Gray knows she has his full support. He’s a strong hero that doesn’t go overboard with the alpha.

The element of Gray being the team’s first woman general manager gave the story something deeper to mull over than just the relationship. She’s a strong, smart woman, given a position that is usually given to men, and there is a wide range of opinions from the other players. This, in turn, flows into the question of career vs. love for both of them, but how it’s slightly different for men and women.

I ended up enjoying Gray and loving that even though she was strong, she still allowed herself some vulnerability and acknowledged that there was more to her than her education and professional position.

The Romance Factor
It was hard for the romance in this to beat the one in Zack, at least for me. Still, it definitely gave it a try with the developing relationship between Gray and Ryker and how they navigated their relationship around professional constraints. It does get a bonus for a damsel-in-distress moment and a heavy dose of angst. 4/5

The Steam Factor
Bennett continues to bring the hotness. While this one wasn’t as risque as some of her others, it was definitely enough to make a reader blush. 5/5

Final Thoughts
I’m guessing this is the last book in the series (though I’d be okay with being wrong), and I loved the high hockey note it went out on. It was also fun to see cameos from past characters. This is the series that introduced me to hockey romance and is thus far, the best that I’ve read.

Goodreads Review: Make You Burn by Megan Crane

Over Memorial Day weekend, I finished 3 books and this was one of them. Since this was my first motorcycle club read, I pictured all of the Sons of Anarchy characters in the story. While this book was harsh, it wasn’t in the same realm of SoA at all, but it was definitely a little more than I usually enjoy. Just a warning: the hero, in my opinion, doesn’t treat the heroine very well. In fact, he very much treats her like a piece of property, and while I get that that’s part of the culture, it’s not something that sits with me as romantic. Having said that, I know other readers who would find this to be their catnip. 

Make You Burn by Megan Crane

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ajax returns to the home of his motorcycle club, the Deacons of Bourbon Street, after the president of the club and his father figure, Priest, dies in a motorcycle accident. What he finds his Priest’s daughter, grown up and running her dad’s bar. Sophie is torn between loving and hating the motorcycle club life, but she misses her father and struggles with both her loss and her feelings towards Ajax, who she also has mixed feelings for: a long held attraction to him and anger at him for leaving ten years prior, even though her father was the one who sent him and three others away.

This book is the first in a set of four (different authors), and I have to guess that this one was intended to offer back story and set up for an overarching mystery. After hearing a lot about motorcycle club novels and thinking I’d really enjoy them, I’m a little torn on how to feel about this one. The writing is good, but I wasn’t expecting the level of grittiness and the hard edge of the hero. You’d think after watching Sons of Anarchy, I’d know what to expect, but I never thought of SoA as a romance, and I think I might like my romances a little softer.

Sophie was great as the heroine who was both strong and vulnerable and dealing with all of her feelings surrounding her father’s death. I did feel she was a little quick to jump into bed with Ajax, but she also had some history with him, and I guess if you take her independence into account, she can sleep with who she wants, when she wants. What made the book hard to read for me was Ajax. While I think he was probably true to character, I just couldn’t get into the ultra-alpha male thing he had going on. He wasn’t just rough around the edges, he was like a sheet of sandpaper. Though Sophie stood her ground, male characters who dominate with harsh words and berating and “putting a woman in her place” dialogue just don’t do it for me.

Though I suppose there is a hard won romance between the 2 characters, I just wasn’t feeling it, so for me, the Romance Factor is only a 2/5, and that’s because towards the end I finally got some of the emotion and felt like Ajax might actually love Sophie instead of viewing her as property. The Sex Factor, on the other hand, is a solid 5/5. Readers who like it steamy shouldn’t be disappointed. There are many sexy times in this book, made only steamier by the fact that they’re sometimes in public places.

I know there’s a niche for MC romances, and as an objective reviewer, I think this was a good book. However, for my own tastes, I either wasn’t in the mood to read something so gritty or I’m just not geared for this type of romance. I’d be open to trying a few more, probably even in this series because I’d like to see how things pan out, but I’m not sure if this will every be a go-to genre for me.

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Goodreads Review: Last Kiss

I have been reading like a mad woman lately, and so I haven’t been spending time on writing or knitting. And while that’s okay, I really need to try to get some projects finished, including a couple gifts before my trip to Michigan in June. However, between book blogs and podcasts, NetGalley, and opportunities to read great books like this one, it’s really hard to tear myself away from my e-reader. Reader problems, I guess. This one was so good, and I’m thinking about using the other books in the series as incentives to get back into a routine and start getting my self back on track. 

Last Kiss by Jessica Clare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC for an honest review. Minor spoilers below.

To prove he can lead his Bratva, Vasily enlists the aid (i.e., kidnaps) a computer hacker known as the Emperor to help him find a painting. The Emperor is Naomi, a young woman with Aspergers, who is brilliant, self aware, and seems to take no issue with Vasily’s profession or the bodies he leaves behind (don’t worry…they’re all bad guys).

I’ve been pondering reading the Hitman series for awhile, but I wasn’t sure if it was going to be something I’d enjoy. I was excited to get a chance to read this one, the third in the series (it can be read as a standalone), and I confirmed that I definitely need to read the others.

The plot is full of hitman/assassination action, but it’s balanced perfectly with the romance between Vasily and Naomi. The start had me a little worried, as Vasily comes across as extremely cold-blooded, but the plot reveals so many interesting things, and it doesn’t do it all at once…it spreads it out over the whole narrative. The pacing is good, and I never felt a place where there was a lull in action. There were a few places where I thought there were continuity errors, but I was consuming this book, and I might have just missed some details.

Vasily and Naomi are high on the list of my favorite couples. Vasily is cold, but he has his reasons to be. Naomi understands her autism and is frustrated by it, but she continues to be who she is, and though she’s hurt by the unkind words of others, she also knows what she’s good at (hacking computers). The interactions between them go from sweet to sexy and back. I think one of the reasons I loved these two is that Naomi understands that people find her weird. She doesn’t like it, but she knows what it is, whereas Vasily only comes to terms with his own quirks after being around her. He also seems like a contradiction…a ruthless killer who accepts Naomi for who she is and even starts to adore her for it.

Romance Factor is a serious 4/5 on this one with a few Heart Feels and Aw Moments. Their relationship wasn’t quick, starting out as mutual lust. The way it developed between them and then developed them each as a character was very well written. The Sex Factor gets a 5/5. This one doesn’t let up, but neither is it overpowering to the story. Be warned though…there are sexual themes in this book that are not of the romantic kind. They are few and far between, but they’re there and they add to the mood of the story, which is dark and dangerous (and sad).

There wasn’t much that I didn’t like about this book, but I will say that while things in the present end well, the book doesn’t give everyone a bright future. I thought this would disturb me more, but it fits with the somber tone of the story, and really, it just means the authors have to write more so I can read more. I’m excited to read the first two in the series now. If you like graphic, dark, Stockholm Syndrome type stories, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

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