I wanted revenge. That was the only reason I walked into Kingsnakes’ clubhouse and asked for a favor - to kill the district attorney. I was willing to do whatever was necessary, pay whatever amount they wanted, if they would take the job. They accepted, but what I got was more than I bargained for.
Chase Vaughn. A prince to the south side of Lake Forest and a face from my past that should have stayed there. Unfortunately, he and his crew are now a shadow I can’t escape if I want them to be my executioners. But the more time I spend around them, the faster the walls I erected around myself are crumbling and I’m not sure if I want to rebuild them.
When secrets start spilling out, what should have been a simple favor turns into more than I could have imagined.
I received this as an ARC from the author and boy, oh, boy am I honored to be reading it before it's release on Sept 19th.
This is one of those moments I wish Goodreads gave partial stars because this book is more than 4 stars but not quite a 5!
The world is developing and I found this story driven by Leila, the FMC, coming into more of her personal power as a single independent woman and a SA survivor at a base level. I wanted her to be more demanding and not fall so easily into lip locking (but who am I kidding...? I'd probably do the same thing.) I found the tone of the text and characters to be immature at first and then I put their age into context and it made more sense. I'm a 30 yo lady reading this so some of the miscommunication was like "but why...?!" but for the characters as early 20 year olds it makes perfect sense! Leila is thrown into a whole new world and she traverses it well for a 21 year old!
Lucy was giving Den of Vipers level MMC intrigue with a more thought out plot. Nex is obviously Garrett.. but more my type. If he wants to call me carino I will not complain one bit. This was also a beautiful opportunity that I haven't seen done before, where each love interest presents a different k*nk experience (Chase really does love chasing through the woods).
I love a 'Why Choose' trope and all of the boys bring different levels and intrigue to Leila coming into her power as a woman and a survivor. It was a tough start to the book for me personally (as a SA survivor) but the found family support was what kept me reading. Both Leila's relationship with the boys and Tate pushed her to check her reactions to situations and deal with the root of issues at different points.
This is just the first in a series and I'm quite invested in the relationship building and where Lucy left us at the end of the novel. I look forward to further connection between the FMC and MMCs, mystery solving, and what the heck is up with Tate and Jay?!
TW: Assault, Attempted assault, abuse( reference to childhood abuse), violence, group sex
Tropes: Why Choose, found family, biker gang, small town, corrupt politicians, primal play, light knife play
This book starts with Leila being raped by her father’s friend, a district attorney. Her father dismisses her claims and as soon as she turns 21 years old, she moves and rents an apartment with her bff, Tate. Once she becomes independent, she seeks the help of the Kingsnakes Motorcycle Club (MC), who lowkey control a part of her city and do gun trade. She asks that they kill the attorney for raping her and in exchange for their help, they ask for inside information. They start collaborating together which is where she gets mixed up with Chase, Eian and Nex who are part of the MC. They become protective of her and eventually develop a thing for each other. I don’t want to elaborate more since there are different elements and it’s really interesting. I recommend this book, just check for trigger warnings since there’s SA and rape.
As always, thanks to the author for this ARC. I enjoyed it a lot, good story building, a dash of action, lots of descriptions and the characters all bring something to the story. Ends with a cliffhanger so we’ll be seeing more of Leila and her men and I’d love to see how their relationship keeps growing.
Reasons to read: •Why Choose trope •RH •Strong FMC •Den of Vipers vibes but more PG13 •Multiple POVs
I liked that it ended on a cliffhanger but not… I can’t wait for more stories but it was great that this part of the story wrapped up that I don’t have that anxiety of an unfinished series.
I loved this book so much! there were some points where I wanted a little more before the end of the book.... mainly from my little broody Nex lol. but, maybe thats just my impatience because i love him so much! all of these guys, Chase, Eain and Nex are scorching hot!! and CLEARLY the only one for all of them is Leila... even if Nex is being a little stubborn Sally. The book overall wasnt too dark.. but i have a sneaky suspicion that the next books will get darker. and i am here for it!!!
okay writing.. thought this would be a good standalone, because nowhere did it say "series" so I was disapointed when the book ended and it was a cliffhanger. This could have been a perfect standalone, but its TO DRAWN OUT for a series.
It was interesting to say the least. Leila asks a favor from the club. She's willing to give them any payment. Can she handle their payment though? The FMC is fierce and strong. I needed more character development and background. I'm glad it was a series. This first part was really intense.
Easily a new favorite. The ending was relatively mild but I'm still dying for the next book.
This was heavily character driven and I loved it. There were a few inconsistencies and a few weak points, but my attachment to the characters more than made up for it.
Trip is the total package. Nex is the love of my life. I’m trying to remember the other guy’s name but I read this last night so I’m blanking. But this was a fun read.
This is Lucys debut novel and I couldn’t be happier for her! The story starts off pretty intense and sucked me in right away. The connections between the characters felt authentic and I loved seeing the dynamic between Leila and her men. I really love RHs that incorporate texting convos because they always make me laugh and I feel like they give a really good feel for the banter. Nex was my standout favourite and I can’t wait to see his relationship with Leila develop. Make sure you check TWs if needed.