Genres: Contemporary Romance
Published by Signet
Released on October 6, 2015
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
In the first book, my favorite character was Rev Malloy. I was glad to discover that he would be the hero in the very next book. Happily, Rev continued to be an engaging character and even more so when the author revealed so much more about him and turned him into a veritable knight on shining Harley.
This second installment would work as a standalone in a pinch, but the reader would see obvious connections to the first book a few different times in the story as the first book’s characters are very present.
Rev along with Bishop get a call for help that is personal to him and the Raider brother who calls him. Breakneck’s daughter was kidnapped by a rival club in Texas who abducts young women and sells them to a Mexican human trafficker across the border. Their rescue operation is moderately successful and Rev ends up saving Annabel Percy, a powerful Senator’s daughter, during the raid of Mendoza’s compound.
Annabel was taken two months before and sold to Mendoza who runs the sex slave trade for American girls. Her hopes slowly withered and died and then just after Mendoza beat her within an inch of her life, she is rescued by a hard-bitten biker. Rev becomes her life line. She is overwhelmed with feelings of self-loathing and a desire to give up and she feels like it would have been better to die. Rev says he understands and she lashes out in anger until she hears his story and learns that he really and truly does understand as most others cannot.
They open up to each other and develop trust. Annabel slowly heals in the safe and warm arms of the Raiders MC, Rev’s family, and with Rev. However, both think they are unworthy of each other and meanwhile, Mendoza plots revenge.
There were aspects of book one that really didn’t work for me, but I decided to give book two a chance especially since it was Rev’s book. I have to say that some of the stuff that bugged me- mostly to do with the previous heroine- are not present in this one. Annabel was raped and endured so much that her road to recovery is naturally tenuous and hard. She is a whole different personality and as such this book was a much more engaging read for me.
As to Rev, while I don’t think he was the stuff of which typical fictional MC Presidents are made in that he didn’t have that assertive alpha quality, he did have a quiet commanding presence that people respect and listen to. His brother, Deacon, from the first book and the current MC Vice President was more that personality as is his younger brother Bishop, but in retrospect, I’m not disappointed that he was something different. It turns out that he was just right to handle having a rape and abuse victim for his love interest. Now does he screw things up with his own inner demons screaming at him? Yep, but he is well aware of it and knows to express his words of remorse even if Annabel isn’t ready to receive them right away. He’s also so very close to his family and that were cute and heartwarming scenes.
[quote]”You seem to get along well with Bishop.”
Rev grinned. “Ah, yes, my dear, sweet baby brother who should have been here half an hour ago with dinner.” After he laughed, he added, “Yeah, he’s my best friend. Along with our older brother.”
“What about your mother?”
The amusement in Rev’s face was replaced with such a look of admiration and tenderness that it caused an ache in my chest. “She’s my hero. Everything good and decent that I am is because of my mother.”
His endearing words, along with the conviction with which he spoke, momentarily left me speechless.
- 87 Annabel and Rev from Redemption Road[/quote]
There was a scene with Alexandra, the previous heroine, that again, had me grinding my teeth over her mean mouth. And unlike Rev, she doesn’t remember what an apology is and leaves it as understood that she didn’t mean what she said.
The action and danger in this one took a backseat to the character and romance development, but the reader always knows its there simmering in the background and not knowing when that pot will boil over. Mendoza was an evil fiend and I really wanted him to come to a long drawn out painful end.
The romance takes its time and develops at a believable rate for a rape survivor. I will put out a caution for folks with triggers from rape scenes. There are at least two flashbacks and nightmares that don’t get overly descriptive, but do reference back to the rapes. So yeah, they start out with comfort and then companionship to friendship, and finally tentative attraction. It was great to see them playful and later, passionate. What a lovely couple they are and I nearly swooned at several scenes. I wasn’t exaggerating at Rev’s knightly hero qualities.
[quote]My rational mind told me to be frightened of him. He was a stranger- a strange man at that. He towered over me with muscles that could inflict great harm. But everything I needed to know about him was in his eyes. Searching them showed me that he was a gentle giant, and he seemed like someone I could trust.
At what must’ve seemed like my continued apprehension, Rev held his hands up. “I’m not going to hurt you, I swear. As long as I have a breath in me, no one is ever going to hurt you again. You’re safe.”
I stared at him, weighing his words. “Y-You saved me,” I whispered.
- 51 Annabel and Rev from Redemption Road[/quote]
All in all, this was a good comeback for me when I wasn’t sure after the first book. Bishop’s book is next and he’s such a loud-mouthed, arrogant manwhore that love will totally cut him off at the knees I think. Might be fun to read, right? Anyhoots, this was a slightly gritty on the action, passionate romance, but mild on the MC stuff contemporary romance that I would recommend to those who enjoy such stories.
My thanks to Penguin Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Romance Roundabout #320 CR
Cliché Klatch #194 ‘its on the house’
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Well that sounds MUCH better than book one. Glad to hear it was a good read for you, Sophia!
Honestly, just having a new heroine and situation really helped plus I liked this hero even if I still can’t picture him as a biker MC president even in a club gone legit.
Gosh, I haven’t read anything from KA since her The Propostion series. I like how you mention that Rev is not the typical fictional MC president. Great review, Sophia!
He was a real sweetheart and that usually can’t be said of that type of character. Thanks, Grace!
Thus one sounds sooooooo goooooddd. I feel so bad for her since she was beaten to a pulp but I did feel slightly better that she picked herself up with the help of sexy biker man. ♡♡ I love the story of their romance and glad she was able to find herself again. I’m only nervous that biker man is a little too bit like all of the other bikers pit there. Did you think that, Sophia?
Well, this one is hard because of the human trafficking and the rape aspects which are not detailed out explicitly, but as far as the biker element goes, this is very light weight. I think you’d probably be okay with that side of things, Keionda. 🙂
Well, this one is hard because of the human trafficking and the rape aspects which are not detailed out explicitly, but as far as the biker element goes, this is very light weight. I think you’d probably be okay with that side of things, Keionda. 🙂
This one sounds hard to read but also has a lot of deep emotions. I will skip book 1, but maybe I will try this one.
The heroine in book one drove me nuts as did the improbable way she controlled things in the club. But this one got away from that and was mostly an isolated story about Rev and Annabel. The biker club element was pretty back seat.
I’ve yet to try a biker romance.
It took me a while, but I sort of fell into it when I was reading a Kristen Ashley series and one of the characters in the fourth book was a biker. I just kept going from there.
It’s nice when something bad happens and the guys fall into action to save someone and it goes off well. Of course the bad guy wants revenge, they always do.
This one had that big opening scene excitement and yes, it was only expected that the bad guy would go after them for a spot of revenge.
oh dang…this sounds super fantastic. I love stories that turn out like this one especially when the first book had problems. I really love seeing a couple playful.
They had such awful experiences that it was neat to see some lighter moments.
I’ve yet to try a biker romance.
It’s nice when something bad happens and the guys fall into action to save someone and it goes off well. Of course the bad guy wants revenge, they always do.