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NEW RELEASE: Summer Dreams by Laura John (Giveaway)
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SERIES REVIEW: Broken Chains MC by E.M. Lindsey
Broken Chains MC: Tidal Wave – E.M. Lindsey
Two men, two different worlds, one destiny.
Gunner has spent half his life running from his past, and the other half trying to protect himself from ever being vulnerable again. He’s escaped his old club and worked hard to earn the VP patch on his cut after joining the Broken Chains. But his entire life is turned upside down when Gunner’s past comes back to haunt him, and the club’s Deaf delivery guy ends up at the wrong place at the wrong time.
When his president asks him to protect the injured man, Gunner wants to say no. After all, he hasn’t been able to take his eyes off Logan since the day they met, and Gunner can’t afford that kind of distraction. But ignoring him is damn near impossible when every time he looks at Logan, he starts to feel something. And Gunner doesn’t think he has the power to resist him for much longer.
There will be no promise of a future though, if the Broken Chains can’t protect Logan from the mess he’s in, but even if they succeed, Gunner isn’t sure there’s a place for Logan in his world.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Ride
Album: Yoke Lore
Artist:
Broken Chains MC: Backfire – E.M. Lindsey
The last thing Smokey should let himself want is this man, but he can’t seem to stay away…
Every time Smokey stares at the President patch on his cut, he feels like an imposter. After all, that was not the life he was supposed to lead. In his former club, he did what they asked, when they asked, and that was enough for him. But thirty years later and the fate of the Broken Chains is resting on his shoulders, all eyes were on him.
Smokey had enough to deal with after the VP of Satan’s Souls got carted off to prison on his watch, but now there’s a dead man in an alley with a cut bearing the name of The Cobras. And Smokey knows they’re not prepared to handle the consequences if the Cobras’ President thinks they’re responsible.
However, the dead man isn’t the worst part: The only witness is a civilian.
Eliah Burns was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it seems like fate really has it in for Smokey, because Eliah is also the one man he’s been avoiding. Eliah has been in Smokey’s periphery for years, his little brother’s favorite professor—and he’s also the one-night stand Smokey hasn’t been able to forget.
Now Eliah’s in Smokey’s home, hiding from the men who want him dead, and Smokey’s trying to keep his heart from tripping and falling for a man he shouldn’t want while learning who is trying to set his club up to start a full on war.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Virtue
Album: Kilo
Artist:
Broken Chains MC: Broken Wings – E.M. Lindsey
The one thing Kicks doesn’t need in his life is to fall in love…
The night Kicks woke in the hospital with fresh scars and a missing eye was the night he promised he would never, ever let himself be vulnerable again. And as the Road Captain of the Broken Chains MC, he managed to keep that vow for five long years. But the universe has different plans for the biker when his President sends him on a mission to escort the rabbi, Jude Burns, who is now under the protection of their club. Kicks doesn’t want a babysitting job, but he’s not sure what to think when he’s faced with a mouthy, stubborn man who seems far more sinner than saint.
Kicks has never in his life felt more tempted to break his promises, because with this man, his vulnerability feels like power.
Jude Burns’ world is turned upside down when his brother gets involved with a motorcycle club, and by proxy, he finds himself in danger of being killed. And after being shot at on the road, and just barely escaping a fiery death, Jude isn’t sure where he belongs. He’d spent his entire adult life dedicated to his service as a rabbi, after all, even when the temptation of life outside called to him louder than ever.
And Jude knows the decision would be easy if it weren’t for Emilio—the dark-eyed Road Captain who makes Jude question every vow he’s ever made. Jude was pretty sure he wasn’t destined for love the way his brother was, but when Emilio falls to his knees and asks him to stay, he finds it’s almost impossible to tell him no.
Even if it means walking into the line of fire to save a man with ragged, broken wings.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Fractured
Album: J. France
Artist:
Broken Chains MC: Wicked – E.M. Lindsey
Hawke doesn’t talk about his past—and it’s not because he has a stutter that rarely lets him speak more than three words at a time. The shadows of what was haunt his every waking hour, but the Broken Chains MC have been a sanctuary he never expected.
And Hawke is the sort of man who knows better than to cross lines, especially when it comes the safety of his brothers. But when Jax, the VP of the Cobras, looks at him like he’s a whole man instead of shattered pieces of the person he was before he left his home behind, he can’t help but want to be just a little bit wicked.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Heal
Album: Yeule
Artist:
Broken Chains MC: Rising Tide – E.M. Lindsey
Once upon a time, Ghost was the best enforcer the Reapers MC had ever known—until the Hydra appeared and destroyed everything he’d worked for. After witnessing corruption down to the very core of their club, his only option was to take off his cut and leave.
But no matter how far he’s run, or how many things about himself he’s changed, Nate has come to realize he will never be able to escape the man he was. Ugly monsters have risen from the ashes of everything he burned down, and now they’re threatening his future.
Nate understands that the only hope the Broken Chains have to win against Hydra is to cut out his heart. And he’s willing to risk anything to make that happen, including his own freedom, to ensure everyone walks away from that final fight. Especially Rory, the only man who has ever held Nate’s heart in a vise.
For Rory, Nate’s willing to be reckless. For Rory, Nate’s willing to take every single one of Hydra’s hits. For Rory, Nate’s willing to do anything.
Rory knows the chaos must end—one way or another, someone isn’t walking out alive. He’s tired of running, and he’s tired of hiding. He didn’t ask to be born into the MC life, and he knows it’s not his future, but a man with a Nomad patch on his cut and tenderness in his calloused hands gives him a reason to stay. All Rory really has to do is live.
Well, that, and to convince Nate that in spite of their age difference, and in spite of their history, they can survive this rising tide.
Rating:
2.5 Stars – far from hate but not quite a likeSoundtrack: Surrender
Album: Bassnectar feat. Haley
Artist:
Broken Chains MC is my first series from E.M. Lindsey. It’s one of those stories that sneak up on you, and you end up binging the entire thing.
Oddly enough, this isn’t what I call heartwarming comfort reads nor was the romances swoony. But there’s something really compelling about this club of broken bikers trying to make name for themselves in a small tourist town in Florida.
The series tackles themes of second chances, abuse, disability, survival, found family, and the past coming back to bite you in the ass. The Broken Chains is a club of bikers who either ran away or were thrown away by their old clubs.
The club was founded by their president, Smokey, formerly known as Wrath. He was the son of the president of another club, an abusive father who would have gladly disposed of Smokey’s blind younger brother, Rory because he considered him a liability. Learning this, Smokey grabbed Rory and ran far, far away.
Smokey is overprotective of his much younger brother. He runs a mechanic shop and is well-respected by his members. Though, as a character, he left me wondering why he remains the president. His book, Backfire, starts the overarching thread that connects the entire series.
The Broken Chains bikers are haunted by Hydra, Smokey’s former club brother, who was secretly abusing Rory before. The psychopath made his presence known and hurt Eliah, Smokey’s boyfriend. The Prez made many bad decisions, some of which betrayed the trust of his brothers. Yet they still let him lead.
The rest of the books follow the club as they deal with Hydra’s looming presence and the crimes he committed to the club. Each book features Broken Chains officers.
Kicks is the laidback Road Captain. He’s missing an eye, for which Rory jokingly considers them sort of a team. He was assigned to babysit Jude, Eliah’s twin brother and a rabbi questioning his faith.
Hawke is the the Enforcer. He’s slightly built and has a stutter so bad he had to use sign language. The man is deadly and dominant. He found his person in Jax, the VP of another club they’re trying to make an alliance with. Hawke is also the character that intrigued me the most. He’s mostly in the background, so I was surprised that he’s a man who likes to take control.
Gunner is the VP. His book, Tidal Wave opens the series. His story is different in that it’s not connected to Hydra. But it is also about trying to outrun old ghosts that refuse to stay in past. Gunner ran away to protect his then-baby sister. Now a precocious 5-year-old, Maddie led Gunner to her favorite dance teacher, Logan, hearing-impaired but one heck of a dancer and a talented chef.
These four books are gritty hurt comforts that I finished in one sitting. They are not standalones because they are essentially club business, as seen through the POVs of its key members. I was deeply invested in it too.
The final book, Rising Tide, was a huge disappointment, though. It’s Rory and Nate’s book. Nate was Smokey’s brother in their old club who looked after Rory when his brother was away. Rory has a huge crush on the older man since childhood.
Rory is quite an inspirational character. He has street smarts and academic intelligence, and is well on his way to becoming an Ivy League professor. Confident and capable, he could also be abrasive, all sharp tongues and sharp edges, thanks to being abducted and beaten too many times.
Unfortunately, he hatched a harebrained scheme of using himself as bait to draw Hydra out because Smokey was too afraid to act. The brothers didn’t endear themselves here. While the plan might have worked, the plot was too thin, and if you removed the sex scenes, the book would have been a lot shorter. I ended up skimming.
I haven’t read many MC stories, apart from The Kings of Men MC, and compared to that, Broken Chains has a more serious, morally grey vibe. I also had a better understanding of MC life, especially its politics, its language, and the importance of names.
And while the finale didn’t live up to expectations, the series as a whole is a gripping rough ride.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Broken Chains MC As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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COVER REVEAL: Summer Dreams by Laura John
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SERIES TOUR: Corrupt Cupid Multi-Author Series (Giveaway)
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: To Mend A Broken Wing by Fearne Hill (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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One Line Reviews Of Some Books I Read This Year (September – December 2022)
This is a round up of the books I read on the 4rd quarter of this year that I’m too lazy to do a full review.
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: When the Glow Lights the Woods by Eule Grey (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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BOOK BLITZ: Anubis by Adrienne Wilder (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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SERIES REVIEW: Haven Hart Books 1-7 by Davidson King
***Long post. you can skip to the end for the tl,dr version if preferred
Never judge a series by its spin-off is a lesson I learned from Haven Hart.
I read Joker’s Sin series first, and I’m sad to say, I wasn’t too impressed. I didn’t bother with Haven Hart after that. Then on a whim, I decided to pick up Snow Falling, since heck, Joel Leslie and Philip Alces were narrating, and these two are always fantastic. Plus, I was also in the mood for some mafia romance.
I ended up binging the entire series! That GOOD!
These are not-so-mini reviews of the seven books in the main Haven Hart universe. The books should be read in order.
Snow Falling: A man with a dangerous past and a man with a dangerous future find love amidst murder and mayhem. But with Snow’s life being threatened at every turn, will Christopher’s best be enough to prevent Snow Falling?
I didn’t have much expectations going in. I thought it would be the usual mafia romance. Little did I know, I would be completely charmed by the delightful titular character, Snow. This ray of sunshine also charmed a houseful of mobsters, especially the boss, Christopher Manos.
Snow saved Simon, Christopher’s 8-year-old nephew, from a dire fate, putting himself in grave danger in return. Christopher offered the homeless Snow protection and a place to stay, hiring him as Simon’s companion.
It was a joy to watch the much-feared mob boss, Christopher Manos, become simply Chris. I loved how he was drawn to Snow without seeming to realize it. He instinctively let him take the lead, and it was so endearing that Snow didn’t even realize how much power he had having the Christopher Manos in his corner. Our boy asked for so little, and here was Chris, ready to give him the world!
It’s a fabulous book to open the series. It showed a glimpsed of Haven Hart from its underbelly. It touches upon some dark themes, but still relatively lighter than the other books. The plot had many surprising twists and dark secrets to uncover. I was completely riveted!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Naked
Artist: Jaymes Young
Album: Feel Something
Hug It Out: When a mole is discovered within Riordan’s organization, relationships are compromised, and people’s lives are in danger. Time isn’t on their side, and they discover answers can’t always be found by hugging it out when someone is hell-bent on eliminating each and every one of them.
So I tried reading this a couple years back, but I wasn’t feeling it. I was a bit skeptical (and admittedly judgey) about Teddy’s job. Like seriously, a professional hugger? I don’t even like hugging my relatives.
Second time’s the charm because past the first couple of chapters, I got the hang of it. It’s a cute story of an assassin who was gifted with a professional hugger. He didn’t know what to do with him, so he ended up falling in love.
I wasn’t as interested in the romance as I was with Riordan’s organization and his co-workers. He works for Black, an enigmatic and intimidating Thor of a man, who suddenly discovered somebody plans to launch a hostile takeover of his assassin company. Riordan and a few other trusted assassins work to uncover who was behind it.
This installment introduced many of the characters who star in the succeeding books. The plot is as suspenseful and more action-packed. It also hinted at the presence of the nameless, faceless, hella mysterious heir to the Haven Hart founding family via the presence of Poe. He is an artist Snow befriended, and also the Hart heir’s representative. I was dying with curiosity!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Bullet Holes
Artist: Gregory Alan Isakov
Album: Evening Machines
A Dangerous Dance: Bill and Mace’s traitorous hearts draw them closer together no matter how hard they fight the inevitable. With the lives of their loved ones hanging in the balance, they find themselves in the middle of a dangerous dance.
This is an enemies-to-lovers story of Bill, Christopher Manos’s underling who became Snow’s best friend, and Mace, an assassin from Black’s organization. They were forced to work together.
I didn’t expect Bill to get his own book. He was a goon from the Russian mob who threatened Snow. He had been given a second chance by Christopher after Snow asked to spare his life. He was mostly in the background, so I was surprised that he was suddenly Snow’s best friend.
Mace was more memorable because he’s a flashier character. That’s all I’ll say about him because he and Bill weren’t that interesting. However, both are great as secondary characters.
Their story felt very much like a mid-series book. It picked up the threads from the previous book and ended in an HFN. Not so satisfying but understandable given how things went.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Born Killers
Artist: Selebrities
Album: Lovely Things
From the Ashes: Unknowingly sharing the same goal—burying their own pasts deeper than the fires of hell can reach—Black and Quill are unaware that jumping into that fire will do more than ignite their feelings, it could lead to their own demise.
I was excited about this because Quill piqued my interest when he first appeared in Book 2. I was thrilled he’s paired with Black because they’re total opposites.
Quill is the colorfully tattooed smallish barista who latched on to Black and flirted every chance he got. Black is this grumpy giant who couldn’t understand why Quill, 20 years his junior, was interested in him. After the events in Book 3, he hired the young man to do deliveries.
At first, the story was cute and amusing with Black trying to fend off the relentless Quill. Then things took a darker turn when it was revealed Quill was a victim of domestic abuse. Black was in full protective mode because he took such crime personally.
Why he takes it personally was a story so tragic and horrific it triggered my anxieties. And I’m normally the type of reader who’s barely ruffled by blood and gore scenes. The author didn’t make it too graphic, it was just that terrible. You can feel how heartbreaking it was for Black to talk about it. Also, the scene where Quill was being hunted had me holding my breath. I was so terrified for him!
My heart went out to Black and Quill! I am so glad this is romance, and the happy ending is guaranteed, or else I would be completely devastated.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Born In Flames
Artist: In This Moment
Album: Mother
Snow Storm: The city of Haven Hart rests under the heel of Christopher Manos. Snow has found a home, a family, and the love of one of Haven Hart’s most powerful men. When Christopher and Simon are kidnapped, Snow risks everything to find his family. Snow calls in every favor he is owed, risking his life promising favors in return, all to save his family and the man he loves.
This installment returns to Christopher, Snow, and now teen, Simon. The happy couple wants to celebrate Simon’s birthday. Chris promised his nephew the two of them would go camping so that they could spend some quality time together. En route, they were ambushed and kidnapped.
Manos family skeletons were unearthed when Christopher came face to face with their kidnappers. The lengths Snow would go through to save his family knew no bounds. He even went so far as break his friendship with Poe by asking him to do the unthinkable, betray the Hart heir.
This part was particularly juicy because I was hungry for crumbs about the Hart heir. Poe guarded his secrets like a dragon guarding his hoard. I’m so tempted to skip to the 7th book!!!
Anyway, Snow was wonderfully brave and smart, even if he had to hurt Poe in process. Thankfully, they reconciled later on. With Black’s help, Snow hatched a clever rescue mission. This book also has a mid-series feel to it, bridging the past events to the present and laying down the seeds of things revealed in the next book. It’s not as dark as the previous book but still very gripping!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Find You
Artist: Ruelle
Album: Rival
Triple Threat: Lee, Jones, and Ginger deal with dangerous situations and mounting stress daily working for the most powerful assassin organization in the world. All of those things seem like a walk in the park compared to the friction that sparks between them. When all three are assigned to the same job, ignoring the heat from the inferno of desire becomes impossible.
Lee, Jones, and Ginger are Black’s people. Jones is the muscle and Lee’s best friend, while Ginger is the recruit. Lee is a hacker who went to the dark web to track down human traffickers who were running an auction. Then they discovered Ginger’s brother being sold and rushed to save him.
This is a road trip poly romance running alongside a vigilante mission to take down the human trafficking ring. It had Jones and Lee pretending to be buyers while Ginger worked in the shadows since his close resemblance to his brother would give them away. They had to follow instructions and codes to various locations before they could retrieve their “merchandise.”
Given the stomach-turning crime tackled here, the author did a good job keeping things from becoming too disturbing. The plot brings various arcs together and edges closer to the finale. I love how things are starting to fall into place. At the same time, it had me asking burning questions!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Bloom
Artist: Murder By Death
Album: The Other Shore
Raven’s Hart: Haven Hart stands on the edge of good and evil. Having balance between the two is the only thing keeping the town from crumbling to the ground. For years, one man has been charged with maintaining that balance. Poe. The air of mystery surrounding Poe is one of necessity. Poe will need the help of his friends to fight the ultimate battle; not just save Haven Hart but everything and everyone he holds dear to him.
Finally, Poe’s book!!!!
I will not say much about the plot. All you need to know is that it’s so worth it to read the first six to get to this! My jaw dropped to the floor at the revelations. And that’s just in the opening chapters!
I was also floored to know the true measure of the weight and heartache Poe carries. This guy is holding Haven Hart together single-handedly. And doing it while barely holding himself together. It’s a wonder he’s still standing, the poor man! Poe is amazing!!!
Davidson King definitely saved the best for last! Haven Hart was never the same after this!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: You
Artist: Tally Hall
Album: Good & EvilThe Haven Hart series is about family. The good ones, the ones people found, and the ones they’d rather forget. I loved how the main characters were so alive and real, I felt like I knew them personally. Their stories moved me, scared me, amused me, made me feel like I’m part of their lives. Their stories are a delicate balance of good and evil, much like the city that gave the series its name.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Haven Hart. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
Haven Hart Boxset 1-4: US | UK
Haven Hart Boxset 5-7: US | UKYou can also use my Bookshop affiliate links to buy paperbacks and MP3 CD audiobooks and help support independent bookstores.
HAVEN HART BOXSET 1-4
HAVEN HART BOXSET 5-7If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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COVER REVEAL: The Dating Disaster by Saxon James (Giveaway)
