Biker Baby is the third title in Penny Dee's Kings of Mayhem MC series, and I'm reading it immediately after reading, loving, and reviewing the second book in the series, Brothers in Arms. The teaser at the end of Brothers in Arms for this book had me hooked and I couldn't wait to read this one. The series follows the Calley brothers, and this is Caleb's story, and it did not disappoint. It gets 4.5 stars from this reviewer.
In the prologue, we meet Honey Scott, who is aware that she's not made a great decision by climbing into a no-tell motel with uber-sexy Caleb Calley; she doesn't know his name, but he's wearing his Kings of Mayhem MC cut. Caleb never learns her name either before engaging in quite a night of hot, graphic sex and a classic one-night stand. She even sneaks away in the early hours of the morning and Caleb awakes to find himself alone in the room. Told in alternating points of view, a device I've come to love, Caleb is surprised by how much he wants to see her again, since he, like his brothers, isn't in the market for a serious, committed relationship.
The reason for Honey's walk on the wild side was discovering that the man she'd spent the last 2 years with, Charlie, was secretly married, had children, and when she walked in on him and another of his girlfriends, she was done with cheating Charlie. A short time later, she's finds out that she's pregnant, and since she'd had a period after her last time with Charlie, she assumed that among the 4 condoms used during her one night stand with the handsome biker, one might have been faulty, and she decides to track him down to let him know about his impending fatherhood. She's unprepared for the sights of sin and debauchery she sees when she finally manages to talk her way into the Kings of Mayhem clubhouse, and no sooner does she find Caleb when they're having off the charts sex again.When he takes her to her home, she discovers the apartment she's been sharing is now empty and all her possessions are gone. Caleb assures her he can get her stuff back, and she still hasn't told him about her pregnancy.
By Chapter Eleven, Cheating Charlie has discovered that Honey is pregnant and assumes the baby is his, throwing some money at her and telling her to get an abortion, and as Caleb arrives, he overhears the argument and is stunned to hear Honey tell Charlie that the baby isn't his, it's Caleb's. Expecting the same reaction from Caleb that she got from Charlie, she tells him in no uncertain terms to leave and process this information, which he does, and after that, he's all in. He wants to be there for Honey and his baby, but Honey doesn't trust that this wild biker will be there for the long haul, so they arrive at a compromise. Caleb will move in with her, in separate bedrooms, attend all her appointments, but theirs will be a platonic roommates arrangement until they can get to know one another--and considering the heat these two generate, this won't be easy, especially considering Honey's irresistible attraction to Caleb's lovemaking abilities and way-too-often mentioned, extremely large physical equipment--the main reason I didn't give this novel the 5 stars it otherwise deserved. Too much information, too many times.
Caleb is an easy character to like--he's honest, he's loyal, he's sexy, charming, handsome, muscular and kind, and definitely not your average scruffy, unkempt, straggle-haired, pot-bellied MC member. Yes, he's indulged in clubhouse sex with the biker bunnies that hang around the clubhouse, but not since finding Honey and learning he's about to be a father. I liked Honey as well, although I wasn't thrilled with her on-again, off-again feelings for and lack of trust when it came to Caleb--an issue that led to many misunderstandings between them. I did, however, like their growing relationship and I did understand Honey's dislike of the drunken debauchery she witnessed at the clubhouse, and her unwillingness to be part of or accept that lifestyle.
To add even more drama and angst to this emotional story, Caleb has been receiving some odd packages from a secret admirer that he never mentions to Honey, and when Honey starts receiving some disturbing packages of her own, someone is clearly watching them, but is it one someone or two? Who is sending these packages and why? How will they affect the growing relationship between Caleb and Honey? Will Honey ever be able to get past her dislike of the MC club, its members and their lifestyle?
There are quite a few interesting twists and turns in this story, and plenty of suspense as well--but there's not much MC in this MC romance, not to mention the revelation of some dramatic news, that the one Calley brother we've only heard about in passing. Chance Calley, a Navy SEAL, has been wounded in action overseas and is being returned to a Maryland VA hospital for treatment, and the teaser at the end of this novel lets us known that he'll be the subject of the next novel in this well-written, addictively entertaining series. All I had to do was get a hint of the wounded warrior trope and I was already hooked, and I think you will be too.
I've already mentioned the graphic sex, but also am suggesting that although the novels in this series work as standalones, I think you will get a better understanding of the characters and their interrelationships if you read the novels in this series in the order in which they were written.
I voluntarily read and advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.