4/21/22
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I wasn't ready for this story! I feel the need to preface that because when I decided to give this book a read, it was solely based off a recommendation that pretty much described it as an easy bad boy biker A+ smut filled read. (Okay so the exact words used might have just been directly from a smut scene but semantics.) Either way what I got was so much more. And again, I say... I wasn't ready.
I had no idea about the tropes involved in this book. And part of me is glad that I didn't, because knowing me, I would have skipped reading this. There are very few tropes that are a no-go for me and the dead ex fiancé has solidified its self on my list. There is just something that rips me out of enjoying a book when you find out that a character has a dead ex that he whole heartedly loved.
Once this has been established, I can't help but think from then on that the heroine of the story is essentially the runner up. And that if the ex was still alive she would never have a shot.
Royal has a lot of grief and trauma for his dead fiancé. And it hits you even harder when you find out just how and why she died. But by the time its revealed what drives Royal I was already too invested to stop reading. So much so that another no-go trope, couldn't sway me from completing this story. I am never a fan of the Hero of the story "boinking" others after he meets the heroine. He can be sleeping with thousands of people beforehand and I wouldn't blink an eye... but that's because its before her. And sure this is situational thing because like with the aforementioned trope it comes down to personal taste. But I heavily dislike it and still I kept reading.
The question is why? Well because this story transcended the labels that I and the person who recommended it, had placed on this book. What had started out as a spicy popcorn read turned into me being torn, conflicted and sympathizing with both characters.
Royal loved his ex. He wanted to not only marry her but start a family. And she was taken from him. He carries on his life the best way he knows how but never forgetting his promise to her. So when Ava starts to soothe some of his pain, to allow him moments of reprieve from his grief and rage, its obviously is not something easy for him to deal with.
And Ava is just a girl who starts to fall for some beast of a man, who just so happens to be the brother of her boyfriend. She doesn't know anything of his past. She just sees him as someone she wants to help and that she likes being around and of course thinks is hot as hell.
So with two good characters, who both have their own issues in both life and love, I was hooked. There are a lot of surprises in this book, And I am not even going to hint at what they are because the punch to the gut that happens when you find them out... its worth it. And sure there are a few eye rolling moments and a few "oh really" moments but overall its a really good story.
