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The Sacred Hearts MC #7

Brother to Brother

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Melody Beswick thought she was bringing herself and her thirteen month old son home to his father. It was her last ditch effort to make a better life for her and her boy. One in which Noah had a father to look up to and guide him. While she knew Grinder wasn’t perfect, she believed in him, and love always found a way, right?

Melody never thought her dreams for herself and her son could twist into such nightmares, and that it was so true, the old adage, that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. She’s about to find out that another adage is true, that sometimes it’s better the devil you know, when instead of finding Grinder, it’s his cold and critical brother Archer at the end of her long drive that she must contend with.

With no other options, and no place else to go, Melody is about to make a deal with this devil that she can’t refuse. Who knew it could, quite possibly, be the best decision she’s ever made?

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2016

240 people are currently reading
529 people want to read

About the author

A.J. Downey

93 books1,137 followers
A.J. Downey is a Pacific Northwest girl living in an East Tennessee world who finds inspiration from her surroundings, through the people she meets, and likely as a byproduct of way too much caffeine. She specializes in real and relatable romance stories featuring that real-life kind of love that everyone craves.

You can find her on Facebook at facebook.com/authorajdowney

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5 stars
619 (46%)
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433 (32%)
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208 (15%)
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53 (3%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
Profile Image for ➦Paulette & Her Sexy Alphas .
1,181 reviews357 followers
April 20, 2025


ok I went shopping in my friend’s library again, and found me a new author…… I was Leary about reading a new author, I was not disappointed; I am now a fan





When Melody Beswick shared the news of her pregnancy with Grinder, her child's father, he walked out on her, moving to another state and leaving her in a tough situation with no money and nowhere to stay. She tried to reach out to the Sacred Hearts club in Arizona but had no luck. Feeling desperate, Melody decided to drive to Grinder’s new location, her heart racing as she approached. With her finances depleted and options running out, her determination to find her ex was clear.

Archer didn’t exactly roll out the red carpet for Melody when they first met, but his demeanor changed once he laid eyes on Noah. He was taken aback that his brother, Grinder, had left Melody and Noah behind. Thankfully, Archer took them in until Melody could get back on her feet.

I have to be honest; I really didn’t like Archer at the start of the book—he was quite rude to Melody. However, I eventually warmed up to him as I learned more about his story.
So, if you’re looking for a slow-burn romance featuring a charmingly grumpy biker, some great secondary characters, a bit of motorcycle club excitement, and a touch of heartache that leads to a happy ending, then you’ve come to the right place! ….. let’s hope the next installment is as good





Profile Image for ren ♡ .
405 reviews1,010 followers
January 5, 2021
The first 40% was pretty much just me BEGGING for someone to cut this single mom some slack. This poor woman. Geez. I was so stressed for the heroine half the time, and the hero did nothing to subside it. The story does pick up later but by then my heart had kind of hardened towards the hero.

One thing I did like was how it depicted the motorcycle club. I felt like it was done well... more realistic. Overall, it was an okay read!

Rating: 2/5
Profile Image for Nicla.
416 reviews347 followers
November 12, 2016
4.5 stars

Another fantastic read by AJ Downey. What I loved most about this story is the characters. You really get emotionally invested in them and want them to get their HEA. Melody is my favorite type of heroine. Sweet yet strong. Archer was an alpha jerk to begin with but he turned out to be an amazing hero. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

HEA
Cheating/OW/OM
Any push/pull
Any couple separation
Angst Level: Low
Heat Level: High
Profile Image for Melanie.
728 reviews3 followers
July 10, 2016
Archer felt obligated to help Melody when she turned up at the club with Grinder’s child. He’d always cleaned up after his fallen brother before, and this time was no different in his eyes.

Melody just wanted the best for her child, and for the time being at least that was Archer. He was willing to provide and care for her and Noah, and that was all she wanted. As long as Noah was happy, that was all that mattered. She truly didn’t believe her happiness mattered at all.

While Archer did the noble thing, he was so out of his element sometimes he unintentionally suffered from foot in mouth syndrome, causing Melody’s self-worth to plummet even further. I really felt for her at times. She didn’t think she deserved anything at all, which was quite sad. Thank god for Shelly though, lol, we should always have faith in those SHMC Ol’ ladies to point out the error in the ways of the MC brothers.

I enjoyed Brother to Brother and am looking forward to seeing who A.J. Downey writes about next.
Profile Image for Sivutha.
634 reviews80 followers
August 5, 2016
5 Beautiful Stars

Archer is a cold broken man. He grew up in system and that is where he met his brothers Grinder, Nox and Rush. They may not be his blood brothers but they are his brothers none the less.

Melody was raised poorly by her mom and stepdad. She accepted love from Grinder even tho he was being unfaithful.

Well.....I don't want to ruin the book but all I can say is Archer was a super jerk to Mel when she showed up at the clubhouse with her son. But he redeemed himself and he was perfect in the book :).

“I laughed and dashed at the collection of moisture on my lashes. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before tearing into the paper, edging the ribbon off around the corner of the box.

“No!” I gasped and looked at him, “Are you serious? Are you fucking serious right now!?”

“Hey, language woman!” he said, laughing.”


“Family. I had a family, and it was the center of more than just my fuckin’ world. It was the center of my universe.
Profile Image for Emily.
5,898 reviews554 followers
October 22, 2016
Melody Beswick has one last chance to get help for her and her son. When she told Grinder, her babies father, she was pregnant he walked out on her but she has no options left and hopes he will consider taking them in. When she arrives at The Sacred Brotherhood MC, she finds Archer who has always hated her. The reception is as to be expected but when she finds out Grinder is dead, she is distraught.

Archer can't believe his brother Grinder left his girl and kid. He takes Melody and her son Noah in, until she can get on her feet. Archer though finds that the attraction he once had for Melody is still there though, he never understood why she stayed with Grinder but it was what it was. When he makes a proposition Melody can't refuse, they both have to let their past go in order to find a future, will they both be willing to do it.

This was excellent. I wanted to smack Archer initially but he softens on you. This is not an instant love story, it takes time to get there and it is so worth it. Not sure how I stumbled on this one but well worth picking up if you like MC books. Look forward to more in this series.
Profile Image for Brandy.
380 reviews
August 13, 2016
DISCLAIMER TO THOSE READING MY REVIEW:
This review is my personal opinion, it may contain swearing, quotes, rants, and spoilers!!!
READ AT YOUR OWN RISK....


Archer and Melody's story....
I freaking HATED Archer for like the first 30-40% of the book!! There were soooooo many times when I just wanted to fucking deck him! Seriously Melody is the sweetest, most selfless, loving, but also extremely timid female MC that I have ever read!! And fucking Archer was the biggest fucking dick on earth for almost half the book. But the he SOOOOOO TOTALLY REDEEMED himself with the last half. Melody and Archer's story is definitely one that I recommend, it didn't have much MC action but the MC was always around in the background to lend support or ya know blow stuff up for them when they needed it!!! ;-)
I also absolutely loved how all the SHMC ladies rallied and totally brought Mel into the fold, they so rocked it!
I can't wait to see what AJ Downey has in store for us next!!
Profile Image for Giorgia Reads.
1,331 reviews2,260 followers
January 17, 2020
This was actually good. I really really liked it. I previously tried to read and eventually DNFed a mc series by this author, I had a lot of issues with that one.
(Things like psychologically and physically abused women being put in situation where they wouldn’t react like the author seemed to think of as normal, things didn’t make sense like that. Also motivations for certain sexual behaviours didn’t make sense either. I’m not saying that being into public displays of sexual acts or threesomes are necessarily bad, to each their own and some authors really know how to make it work, but there it came out of nowhere and tbh it was disturbing considering the background we got previous to those acts.)

Anyhowww... this was a complete 180 from that and I loved the layers the characters had. Yes there were issues, yes they weren’t perfect but I wasn’t reading a Cinderella story it’s supposed to be real life people. I loved how the aspect of finances didn’t get glossed over either. The mc guy didn’t just s**t money as I’ve seen in other mc books, it’s not a glamorous lifestyle it’s well.. what it is but not any less good because of it.

Also I loved how the story spoke as to why and what we love about some people while not completely agreeing or even liking their actions. How everyone has got equal parts good and bad, and I’m speaking about Grinder as much as I am about Archer. Both messed up in their own ways, one was alive to make himself redeemable while loyal to a woman. A lot of shade was thrown at Grinder and I get where that comes from, I totally agree he wasn’t an upstanding guy and she deserved better but he didn’t promise her anything, he refused to make it official he cheated and she was fully aware, she was just as broken as him and starved for affection, I don’t think he took advantage as much as he didn’t know how to be more for her.
And the way Archer spoke about women in general and how he would treat them didn’t bode that well for me either, just because when he finds the one and realises it in time to stop being a jerk and profess undying loyalty and love doesn’t erase the fact that he didn’t have the best of attitudes towards women and others in general.

Both Grinder and Archer were the same if you ask me just with different faults or different reactions to circumstances.

All in all, I loved this book. It was genuine.
Profile Image for Lauren.
1,091 reviews121 followers
September 14, 2016
A must read

This is the first book I read from this author, and I must say I think I just fell inlove. This book was real for me, and what I mean is it wasn't fairytale-ish. She did not fall in love within moments of being next to archer, he didn't instantly want to bang her brains out, this story was love at its own pace and I loved it. I just loved Mel, she was so strong at times she didn't even realize it, and archer, Lord that's a very fine man indeed. I absolutely loved archer so Damn much, his character was sexy without even having to describe what he looked like, or the fact he wasn't some rich guy that solved all the problems with boat loads of cash. No this was real to me, and I loved every minute of it
Profile Image for Darcy.
14.5k reviews542 followers
November 17, 2018
As this one started out I really wasn't sure about it. Asher was an ass when Melody showed up. The thing is that he didn't mean to, it was just that when he spoke it didn't sound nice. Asher's actions were totally different. I liked seeing Asher and Melody slowly start to get to know each other, it was very up and down, but through it all both had Noah's best interests in mind. I was a bit shocked by the offer that Asher made, while Melody agreed I thought things might be cold for them. I loved finding out that both of them took things seriously and how it made for a very happy ending!
Profile Image for Brenna.
109 reviews4 followers
October 16, 2020
I don't think this author has been around a baby...

Ever. Or if they have it was a very very long time ago. It would go from weirdly coherent and intellectual dialogue for a 1.5 year old to disjointed language a baby wouldn't really use. It fully pulled me out of the story. Also, there was a dig at Obamacare... Which no matter how you feel about the policy did not actually make sense in the story... Currently, Oct 2020, I am reading to escape politics not have digs within a fictional romance book.
Profile Image for Jen J.
179 reviews3 followers
August 11, 2016
First for everything and this is mine, I just could not finish this book, made it to 39% and finally called it quits.

I didn't mind the H treating the h like junk, but I just could not get into the writing style, it was not for me.

Profile Image for Megan Fall.
Author 13 books366 followers
November 25, 2016
This author is amazing. I am so glad she decided to do a series with Grinder's brothers. The story was great and I was so happy to see Archer stand by Melody and become an amazing father and husband. I can't wait to read each of the twins books.
Profile Image for ♥ Joy Joy ♥.
462 reviews36 followers
August 4, 2017
Can we say "d'awww" and "hawt" at the same time?

Melody is a broken woman who decides to use the last of her money to get her and her son on the road in search of Grind (the baby's father). Archer is Grind's brother and one who has built so many walls up that he's one of those that lashes out easily in order to keep people from getting too close.

I loved the characters (main and supporting) portrayed in this story. It was both an easy read that touched on emotional issues and allowed for readers to appreciate the inclusion of an adorable child. I also liked how the author showed the different natures of clubs without getting too heavy into the "politics" of it all.

The story and writing were good, but I felt some parts of it were hurried through. Could have used a bit more "meat" in some places, but overall I'm satisfied and happy enough to want to read the next in the series.
150 reviews7 followers
August 2, 2016
So needed this! Love everything when it comes to the sacred hearts series!
Profile Image for Kimberly / Love Notes Book Blog.
2,617 reviews146 followers
August 10, 2016
3.25 stars. This was an okay read for me. This was Melody and Archer's story. Melody was a club girl and in love with Grinder. She was not officially his old lady, but she wanted to be and he treated her so. But he freaked out when she got pregnant and he left town for his brother's chapter in another state. Melody tried to make it alone during her pregnancy and afterwards, but was mistreated and abused by her mother and stepfather. She runs, taking her infant son, Noah, to find Grinder. She is shocked to find that Grinder died. His foster brother, Archer, is mad at Melody because her driving Grinder away led to his death, but he soon sees that he was wrong to blame her. He takes Melody in and helps her get on her feet. They live together in his dingy apartment but barely even talk. Melody takes care of her son and works hard, but deals with a lot, from a toddler who falls and needs stitches to almost getting raped in her apartment. Archer soon sees that it would be best for them to get married, for protection from neighborhood gangs and for insurance, as well as to keep Melody's parents from trying to take away her son. Melody sees that it would be best for Noah so she agrees. They get married before they've even kissed. Once they begin spending time together and really get to know each other, they fall in love.

I liked Melody and Archer together. They needed each other to make their lives complete. It was sweet to see their relationship slowly evolve. When Melody first shows up, Archer is not happy to see her. He thought she did something bad to Grinder before he died. He vows to help her and his nephew out, but he isn't very nice to her. He gradually warms up to her when he realizes he was wrong and sees how much she's been through. Once Melody and Archer got together and decided to give their marriage a chance for real love, I enjoyed the book more than before. Archer was over 40 but he was pretty clueless about women and not good at communicating. Melody was kind of timid and afraid to speak her mind. She was a good mom and so selfless that she was not good a taking care of herself or having any hope for own future as anything other than Melody's mom. I felt bad for all that had been through. I liked how Archer and his brothers wouldn't let her put herself last and made sure she took care of herself. I liked how Archer was with her. He was the strong, silent type but he made his feelings for Melody known and was patient with her. Their parenting conversations were mature and I liked how they were starting a life together with a fresh start that they never dreamed of. Archer and his brothers were really sweet with Noah too. Noah was only ne year old, but he was written much older. He talked a lot and it was not realistic. This was a "dead ex" book, but I never felt like Melody was in love with Grinder the way she was with Archer. Grinder treated her badly, cheated on her even though he told her he loved her, and even hit her. He was not a great guy. I was happy she got Archer, who treated her well and appreciated her like she deserved. This book's writing style was a little tough for me to get used to. But overall, this was an interesting story and I enjoyed it for the most part. This was my first book by A. J. Downey and I might try more books from her in the future.
Profile Image for Djg.
2,053 reviews31 followers
April 28, 2025
**Note to self: Menage in future book and in other series by author.

I love this couple. It takes a while for them to come together but that's why this is so beautiful because we get to watch them fall in love.

Melody and her 1 year old son have come cross country from Arizona to try to find the biker who abandoned her when she told him she was pregnant. They'd been together 3-4 years when he freaked out over her pregnancy then left for the mother chapter of the club in another state. Not wanting to raise her son with her judgmental and verbally abusive mother and step-father, she's hoping Grinder will help her out. When she arrives, she is confronted by his angry foster brother (and brother in the club) Archer who tells her Grinder is dead. Melody is devastated but once Archer sees baby Noah, he knows she's telling the truth. He was under the impression that she had driven his brother to behave recklessly causing his death.

Archer takes responsibility for Melody and Noah. He is gruff and short tempered and doesn't know how to deal with relationships. But he is always kind and loving toward Noah. Melody things Archer hates her because of how gruff and short he is. It makes him come off like an ass. Eventually, in order to protect them, Archer asks her to marry him. The whole club comes together to give them a fast but beautiful wedding and honeymoon. Once they are married, Archer is completely devoted. He is so tender and loving with her, the scenes of them together blew my mind. I love a hero who ADORES the heroine.

Melody is an awesome h. She describes herself as a club wh**e but near as I can tell, she was only ever with Grinder. She's an amazing mother and only wants to do right by her son. She has some self-esteem issues due to her upbringing but she truly did love Grinder. Grinder is described as being good to her but he wasn't always faithful and his abandonment of her didn't speak well of him (supposedly he never wanted to be a parent because of his experiences in foster care).

The members of the club are great too, it's a bit of a fairy tale and not the dark and dirty MC books that are out there which is fine by me. The only thing was I figured out pretty quick this is an offshoot of a previous series but I don't think the author ever mentioned what state the new club is in (except that it's green and humid compared to Arizona).
Profile Image for Ilove2read.
82 reviews
August 5, 2016
This book was a very good read, but I have to warn you that it is also very sad through about 75% of the story. Melody is a woman alone in the world except for her toddler son, Noah. After being mistreated by her parents for most of her life, something scares her enough to take Noah and they runaway from her hometown to find Noah's father, Grinder, who by all appearances ran out on her upon finding out she was pregnant. What Mel finds when she first reaches her destination is devastating to her. With her plans thwarted and no where left to go and not one person left to turn to for help she now realizes,for sure without a doubt she & Noah are completely alone & homeless. Or are they?

Archer is is Grind's adopted brother and he is a big bad brooding biker who scares Mel but she has no where else to go... Archer starts feeling things he has never felt before and soon he is taking control and putting a real life together fof not only Mel & Noah, but for himself! The Sacred Heart M.C. accepts Mel & Noah immediately as family and they always close ranks & protect family. They stand by Mel through the problems which eventually find her...


This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
174 reviews4 followers
August 9, 2016
Intriguing

I have to just say that I am highly impressed by this book. I absolutely loved Archer and Melody. This is the kind of book that you wish you could find to read all the time. The characters were written in such detail that you felt like you knew them. Archer started out having a cold,non approachable attitude. Melody was so frightened by Her past that she didn't know how to talk to him or express what she needed. Can Archer love his brother's child like his own son? Can he and Melody live together? I don't do spoilers so you'll have to read the book. You will be sucked in from the first page and not stop until you get to the end. Exceptional writing. Ps. Book has 2 other brothers,who I hope get their own story
Profile Image for Shaly.
1,198 reviews
June 20, 2018
This was sweet.

Melody was a great mother, a little over protective and unsure of her mothering abilities but she shouldn't have worried because I think she did everything a great mom does for her children...even accepting Archer's strange ass proposal..lol.

Archer was just angry, like all the time and I never quite figured out why. His life wasn't perfect but it was pretty good. Its obvious he was a good man when he took in Melody and Noah, another man in his position would have kicked them to the curb but he manned up and did what Grinder failed to do. Have to give him kudos for that, gruff exterior and all.

Melody and Archer gradually fall in love, none of that instalove crap so I did enjoy that aspect of the story! Overall a nice read, a little dull but nice nonetheless.
Profile Image for Daniela.
1,185 reviews
August 17, 2016
And she does it once again.....AWESOME!!!! I really missed my Sacred Hearts Peeps. Loved this story. At first Mel and Archer both had their faults. Mel was too timid and put up with a lot of shit. Archer was just a real shithead! There isn't a lot that surprises me but there were a few times where I just shook my head in disbelief over something that Archer said or did. Thankfully it all worked itself out and they became an awesome loving couple. I'm hoping for good things for Reaver and Hayden. It was just plain great to read about some of my favorite characters. Looking forward to the next one in this series about Nox.......sounds mighty interesting.
Profile Image for French Press Bookworm Blog.
951 reviews7 followers
January 6, 2017
I love baby stories. Like I am a full sucker for a sexy alpha male and a baby! That being said... while this definitely had that...it also had an H who was a real jerk! Like for not real reason or maybe I just didn't like his reason. He was being a baby and needed to man the heck up and get over the drama because no one has time for it! Once he did get over it...I loved him. He was so sweet behind all that macho biker talk. Noah was a delight who I just wanted to cuddle. Our h was okay. I didn't really connect with her so she was kinda just there but I didn't not like her so there's that! I can't wait to read the next one...I enjoyed this one but it's probably not going to be a re read.
Profile Image for Jaime Nicholson.
56 reviews1 follower
August 1, 2016
Melody arrives at the club with a baby - Grinder's baby. Archer (Grinder's brother) feels obligated to help her but not to be nice to her. Melody had no idea Grinder was dead but cannot go back from where she came. She is willing to do and put up with anything to care for her child.
I love this story. It's not only a hot love story but the story of a man learning how to love and a woman learning she deserves more than she has been given. Archer is not likeable in the beginning but I enjoyed the transformation. Melody is sweet, strong, and such a good mom.
Profile Image for Nancy cagle.
162 reviews3 followers
August 5, 2016
Great read

Gotta say A.J go and done it again great story great series I've read everyone of the Sacred hearts books and not one that I picked up that I couldn't put down and this one was one of them if you so happen not have read any of her Sacred hearts book please Start with the first one and continued reading down the line your gonna be amazed because this is one h**l of a MC series A.J don't every let anyone dull your Sparkle!! Keep doing what you do best writing and keeping us boring people entertaind......☺
365 reviews
March 4, 2023
This book kind of lost my attention. There were things written into the book that I simply couldn't get my head around...mainly Noah being written much older than what he is..I can see why he needed to be that age, but I don't understand why he needed to sound like a three-year old. I'm sorry, but I skipped several sex scenes...there seemed to be just so many in the book that it didn't add to the feel of the book.
There are many scenes in the book that held my attention though and it was wonderful to see that Melody and Archer managed to find their happily ever after.
Profile Image for M Robinson .
2,430 reviews
February 17, 2021
Started off good but then went all mills n boon. They got married after a very short time n then they are in love, it was weird. They barely knew each other.

The story lost its pace and seemed to drag on and on by the end I was skimming the pretty formulaic sex scenes.

The drama at the end was unnecessary and silly.

Disappointed

I'll try book two but I've got dnf feeling coming . Update its about a 36 Yr old man n 17 Yr old girl. Think I'll give it a miss. Why would I want to read about a dirty old man having sex with a barely legal child? (UK legal age is 16).
Profile Image for Maureen.
1,456 reviews28 followers
October 12, 2023
such a great story

What a fabulous story this was. I absolutely felt for Melony and what she had to go though. She may not have been a strong person, however she made the right decisions regarding the saftey of her son.
She went seeking the father of her son only to be told he was dead, then his brother Archer steped in and up to the plate, he was standoffish at first but as the story goes on truth comes out on how the the other chapter treated Melony.

A great story totally worth reading.
Profile Image for Carrie Avery Moriarty.
Author 27 books2 followers
May 22, 2018
I am never disappointed in reading any of this author's books. And this one is no exception. I picked up this series after reading two others by her, and I found that I simply couldn't put the book down. I started it, and breezed through it in just a couple of days. The characters are fully developed, the storyline is incredible, and the emotions that are evoked from it are simply beyond compare. Thank you, once again, for a great story.
231 reviews
February 2, 2019
By far very rigid and great storyline

My fav of the brotherhood books. I love how the bikers are Real. They have everyday probs and issues like going to work, saving money and such which make these stories not only believable but like able. Melody and Archer a a perfect couple where you see their love grow for each other as well as respect. It is a great story with heartfelt feelings and emotions that make it a definite page turner!
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