Genres: Contemporary Romance, Motorcycle Club Romance
Published by Signet
Released on May 3, 2016
Pages: 336
Format: ARC
I received this one unsolicited for review and though I had struggles with the first book in the series and was only moderately into book two, I thought I’d give it a chance. I got through the prologue and the first chapter and realized that no, this one was not going to work for me. I’m not a good match for this trilogy, it is apparent.
I thought because I did alright with book two with a few reservations that I’d give Last Mile a try. I had my suspicions this might be a short run for me because I had already encountered the hero in the previous books about his older brothers and thought he was a Class A jerk, but I’ve had authors change my mind about characters before. That said, I admit that this book was on a short leash because of how I felt about the first hero’s story and about this particular hero.
I wasn’t a few pages into the first chapter and was appalled by his attitude toward women. I get it- this is a biker romance so the misogynistic attitude should be expected and I did, but… he was being this way with his brother’s wife who was pulled away from her date at a nice restaurant and was stitching his busted up face at the time. First he sees her as sub-par intelligent and then he’s barely respecting her as little better than a club whore when she’s his brother’s wife and a member of his family. That attitude isn’t about biker clubs being all about the boys which I can tolerate when reading a book with an MC Club setting, but it was the derisive attitude in general that’s him and not about being in a club that dealt the death blow on this book for me. I’m old enough that this twenty-five year old jerk full of cocky arrogance seemed like a brat child for his disrespect toward his brother’s wife so no I’m done with his story. Oh, strike that about my age, I would have been disgusted by him when I was eighteen let alone now.
Maybe he gets a real comeuppance and goes through tons of growth to be a worthy man and maybe the heroine really takes it to him for his attitudes on women- and she might since she’s a big-time agent undercover, but I’m not sticking around to find out.
Published by Berkley
Released on September 4, 2012
Pages: 506
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
I’ve moderately enjoyed the books from The Florentine series and knew they are a loosely-tied spin-off of the Gabriel’s Inferno series. Then I received an unsolicited review ARC for the final book in the Gabriel’s Inferno trilogy. I figured that was a broad hint to get busy on this series.
I was looking forward to the fact that both Gabriel and Julia were teacher and student studying Dante’s works and there were ties to Italian art and literature. I was tantalized by the idea of a slightly taboo teacher/student romance and that Gabriel is a dark, tortured type.
However, about a hundred pages in, I just was not feeling this one. Gabriel was definitely torchy, but he was also not winning points with me (being caught up in some sort of mysterious guilt trip and hung up on things with your family is no excuse to be a rude, snobby jerk). Julia has her own torchy broody going on with her ‘he who must not be named ex’ and the weird stalkery infatuation she had for Gabriel even before she was his student (he’s her best friend’s older adopted brother and he doesn’t seem to remember that they had some sort of epic encounter that she remembers clearly). She wasn’t the classic stalker, but she was definitely hung up on him in a focused unhealthy way considering the way the encounter in the past was not followed up on.
Plus, the pair of them just kept circling around these ‘secrets’ they were carrying. I wasn’t intrigued by the idea that there might be a few reveals, I was eye-rollingly irritated.
So, when I felt myself feeling that way about it… not good for me or the book.
I like the author’s writing to a point. I did feel that the book took the long way to things and the plot was expanded as each new character was introduced so that there is so much swirling around the pair. The pace also bogged down with recurring inner monologued themes. But the connection to Dante was definitely a strength as was the complexity of Gabriel’s character. So, I’m going to go with the idea that the book/series will be great for some if not most, but it was not a good fit with me.
And yeah, I’m going to skip on the book three that came unsolicited for review since it’s part three of Gabriel and Julia’s ongoing story.
Genres: BDSM Romance, Romantic Suspense
Published by Berkley
Released on July 6, 2016
Pages: 318
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
You guys are going to bean me over the head since these are generally enjoyed books/series, but I read four or five chapters and just couldn’t keep going or get into this one. I love romantic suspense and a well-written erotic scene can make me squirm in a good way. This writer has been good for both on occasions with me. I’ve read a handful of her Wicked Lovers series and enjoyed a few of them.
But, this go around, I kept getting hung up on the overall romance. They were only together a short time and the romance was deep- and they were in a dire circumstance and there were secrets and yet, here we had a deep romance going on. Even though I liked individual scenes and liked the hero a lot, but that over all romance development was a niggling thing for me. So, I’m putting it aside for now. or maybe longer if ever. We’ll see.
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YIKES! Tell us how you really feel, right? (lol) You already know if there’s a trace of verbal/physical abuse in a novel that keeps going like the energizer bunny, I’m outta there, even though I know there are sort of rules for motorcycle clubs and women. Book 2 that had these secrets swirling around for our entertainment sounds sort of funny, and I’m not sure it would have maintained my interest either. A hardcore fan of Shayla Black/Sheely Bradley since she wrote her first erotic romance, this one surprises me a little. Enough to go out and grab so I… Read more »
LOL, yes, I think I did do just that, Ro. The first one I had to refrain from ranting while the other two didn’t work me up that much.
Oh, yes, I can see you getting curious about the Shayla Black Wicked Lovers. I’ve read books before to see what got someone fussy.
Have a great weekend, lady!
Holy DNF Sophia Rose, and I agree with everything you said about why you just can’t stomach a read.
Sometimes, I can only shrug and say I’m just not that into it. The Shayla Black book fell into that the most, but the first two had some clear things that I could put my finger on that I won’t read about if I can help it. Jerky characters are definitely on that list.
Dang, that’s too bad these didn’t work out for you, but what’s the point of reading books you don’t want too, right!
Yeah, I was seriously thinking I was in a funk because I hit all these rather close together, but then I picked up another book and the enjoyment was right there so I agree, no point if its not working. Thanks, Cyn!
It happens. I really hate mens characters that treat women badly or think they are lesser than the men around them. I can totally understand leaving that book behind. I haven’t read any of them but I can understand why you didn’t like them.
Yeah, I got mad pretty quick. She starts asking him about his custom bike business and he acts like the table started showing signs of higher intelligence through speech. Um no, women can follow a discussion on another person’s business venture just fine. Ugh. And I didn’t fair any better with a guy who was rude and arrogant about knowing more than any one else in book two. LOL Book three was just me not buying that people who have serious life and death worries and have big secrets from each other can be in love inside a week’s time.… Read more »
Sorry these didn’t work for you. Good for you for setting it aside as soon as you realized that you were not enjoying them. I need to do much better with that.
It is still very hard for me to do. I have sat down and then picked up several books out of guilt. I’m trying to do better at that. Rooting you on, Carole, since I know its not easy.
Hey, if you can’t finish a book for whatever reason, then you can’t. I agree especially about the Ashley book and the guy being so horrible. I like her as an author but this would be a quick no for me as well from what you said. The Dante one would be a no before I even opened it, I think. Just not my thing. But no worries, there’s way too many good books out there to read to waste time on books you don’t like!
Exactly. So many others to pick up and see if they are more my thing. 🙂
I was…not impressed with Katie Ashley. I was really surprised to see they got such good ratings. I love Shayla but some are better than others. I can’t remember if I read that one. If not I know I was supposed to. lol
I was surprised as well, but I wonder if its because she already has an established fan base with her other books that are a little different whereas this was my first intro to her books and so I didn’t have fan loyalty when I started the series. I certainly wasn’t impressed with this last one. I disliked it more than the first one. LOL Yeah, I felt bad for laying aside the Wicked Lovers story so soon, but I was struggling when they started having strong feelings so soon with all the other stuff they had in play. I… Read more »
It must be. I wonder if her others are written similarly. Holy cow on disliking it more than book one. I’d have no chance for this series then. lol Despite loving the covers. Ah well.
And, yeah, I get it on Wicked Lovers. Sometimes it’s not the right fit. Sometimes not the right day.
I don’t know. I know she has written a stack of books in contemporary romance and YA and has a huge following so maybe worth a gander at her other stuff at some point. I will admit that I probably won’t go out of my way, though. Not like I don’t already have a huge pile to read and a monstrous wish list of books to keep me occupied. Yes, you hit it on the head with Wicked Lovers. Sometimes its not the right day, week, or month, and then it is. 🙂 I still have about six of my… Read more »
I’m doing that right now, actually, with a book I temp DNFed back in Jan. Got my fingers crossed the mood is right 🙂
Yes, hopefully. But if its not… back on the pile or into the giveaway pile and onward to the next one to catch the eye- or ear. LOL
Sorry these didn’t work for you, but from your reviews I can see why these weren’t for you. I have had some authors change my mind about a character I didn’t like at first, but sometimes that doesn’t happen and the character you didn’t like as much is still unlikeable when they get their own book. And yeah once you start rolling your eyes at a book, it’s usually a sign that you aren’t really enjoying it. With the secrets and the unhealthy way she was hung up about him, i ca see why that second book wasn’t for you.… Read more »
I try hard to at least have a good explanation when I choose to put a book aside and especially since a couple of them were review ARCs (though I didn’t ask to receive them, I’m still grateful and will try).
If you do decide to type up your DNFs if you get them LOL. I would happily read them. I enjoy learning why someone loves a book and at the opposite end why they didn’t.
It sure is hard to explain sometimes why a book didn’t work for you.
I do always type up some thoughts for why I DNF a book, I just usually post it on Goodreads only. But maybe once I reach a few DNF’s or at the end of the year I might share them on my blog.
True! I’ve had a few where all I can find to say is that it didn’t grab me or it was boring to me. I try to think of why and it might be something specific, but sometimes I have no idea. Those tend to be short commentaries on the book. Yeah, a once a year one might work if you don’t have many and that would be a good thing. I’ve had several here at the beginning of the year because I was getting to the place in my review pile of much older review books and all the… Read more »
lol if they did not work for you, they def would not work for me at all. I’m sick of biker romances where the biker is a complete asshat to all women, including the wives. DUDE that is not how that shit works. They have a ton of respect for their brothers and their wives, it’s like one big giant family – no matter how messed up they might be. So yea.. so over glamorized this world is
Yes exactly. Have your camaraderie and your brotherhood, but it doesn’t mean treat women like dirt.
oh complicated. Sorry it didn’t work that much with them
Yeah, that’s okay, Melliane. I’ve already some good ones since I read these. 🙂
Oh nooooo, not a Katie Ashley book! I’ve only heard great things about her books. Plus, motorcycle romance…. hmph. The hero sounds AWFUL though – I would be annoy too. I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy/finish any of these! Hopefully your next reads are much better. 😀
Have a wonderful weekend, Sophia. =)
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!
Yes, I think she has probably written some good ones because she’s been writing a while, but yeah… he was a jerk and I wasn’t going to keep reading it.
Thanks, I’ve read a couple five star reads for me since then so I’m good. 🙂
You enjoy the rest of your weekend, too.
Too bad. The first and third books sounds like they have some potential. Sorry it didn’t worked on you 🙁
Yes, they all had good potential for me. It was a bummer they didn’t work. Thanks, Vanessa!
I’ve not read any of these authors, but I’ve heard of these books. Sorry they didn’t work for you. I hope you find many great books.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Rabid Reads
Yeah, can’t win them all. I have already found some good ones that match up good for me since these. 🙂