Title: Reaper's Property
Author: Joanna Wylde
Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing Inc.
Publication Date: January 9, 2013
First, let me say I love me a bad ass biker. Wanna know how much? Well, Biker Chick by JoDee Messina is on regular rotation on my mp3 player, especially in the summer. Motorcycle Man by Kristen Ashley is one of my favorite books as is Undeniable by Madeline Sheehan (my review of that can be found on HERE.). And Sons of Anarchy is my absolute must see TV show. (Chibs. I love that man. *sighs*) So if it has
a motorcycle and a hot guy in it, I'm likely going to check it out.
So, in the Kristen Ashley Addict's Support group on Goodreads someone recommended Reaper's Property, and after hearing great things about it I picked up the book. Actually, I first messaged the author because I wanted to buy it on Nook. Joanna Wylde let me know it would be up on Barnes and Noble but she just wasn't sure when. She directed me to the excerpt on her website to tide me over. I read it. Can I just say, OMG! I was hooked. And then I had to wait. So I waited. And waited some more. In total it was about 9 days. NINE WHOLE DAYS! They might have been the longest of my life; that is how much I wanted to read this book! So by the time I hit "purchase" I was quivering with
anticipation But let me tell you, it was all worth the wait!
First, let's start with the blurb from Goodreads:
Marie doesn't need a complication like Horse. The massive, tattooed, badass biker who shows up at her brother’s house one afternoon doesn't agree. He wants Marie on his bike and in his bed. Now.
But Marie just left her abusive jerk of an ex-husband and she’s not looking for a new man. Especially one like Horse—she doesn't know his real name or where he lives, she’s ninety percent certain he’s a criminal and that the “business” he talks with her brother isn't website design. She needs him out of her life, which would be a snap if he’d just stop giving her mind-blowing orgasms.
Horse is part of the Reapers Motorcycle Club, and when he wants something, he takes it. What he wants is Marie, but she’s not interested in becoming “property of”.
Then her brother steals from the club. Marie can save him by giving Horse what he wants—at home, in public, on his bike… If she’s a very, very good girl, she’ll get lots more of those orgasms only he can offer, and he’ll let her brother live.
Maybe.
Horse was hot, alpha, an ass, but god did he love Marie. He, being a hot alpha biker, had no idea how to show this so he seriously messed up on occasion. But I think in the end he made up for it all. As for Marie, she was a bit naive in the beginning. And I did understand her trepidation about being an "old lady" but at one point her indignation at being considered "property" seemed a bit forced. I am in no way condoning a woman being anyone's property. I'd sooner stab someone that ever do that. My issue was more that she didn't listen to what Horse was saying. He was trying to explain the MC culture. He wasn't saying he thought of Marie as his property, it just was the culture and how the guys saw it. But instead of thinking about this from the MC point of view, she flipped the hell out. Not cool Marie. Not cool at all. However, even though it wasn't cool, it fit who Marie was. That might sound confusing, but looking at from my perspective I'd have acted different. But because it's Marie, and because the author set up who she was as a person so well, Marie's reaction wasn't something I can really get annoyed about. It was just...well it was Marie!
The secondary characters were fun to hear about. I loved how the women supported Marie and made her feel welcome. I caught the look between Painter and Em and that certainly piqued my interest. (Will they get an HEA?! Will they? Will they?! *bounces around with a grin*) Of all of them Serena was the biggest surprise for me. At first I hated her and thought she was a distraction. However, the author proved me wrong and Serena became someone I ended up liking. A lot. I hope she gets an HEA at some point. Maybe her and Picnic should get together!? That'd be hot. *snickers* Oh and a note on Marie's brother. I think, with regard to him, the author did an excellent job. She had me totally liking him in the beginning, and then, through a series of events...oh did he make me mad! Kudos to Ms. Wylde for the twists and turns she provided. It was such a fun ride!
I enjoyed the grittiness of this book. I actually wish we saw more of it. I don't mind the dark side of life (as long as I am just reading about it or watching it on TV.) It's why I like SOA: the grit, the violence, the sex, the drugs...it's intoxicating and usually so horrifying I can't look away. Makes for good TV. or books. I also liked how the author talked the MC talk and she researched the culture. I really got the sense she knew about what she was writing. She mentioned cuts, the 1%, going to "church", the parties, the ways the members dealt with issues within their ranks, the dirty, kinky and out of control sex, drugs and rock and roll, and other tidbits of MC culture. Another plus? The switching of POVs between Horse and Marie at times. I actually wish there was a bit more of it. It really helped in understanding what was happening, especially when the whole text messaging debacle happened between the two. It sorted out, at least for the reader, that they were both being idiots and needed to communicate better and I don't think this would have been conveyed properly if we didn't hear from both of them. (Though I do wonder, was this ever resolved? I don't remember Horse ever finding out that Marie sent the last message. He read her drunk texts, and then threw his phone. Did he ever know she sent the one saying she was sorry?! I think that question requires a thorough re-read!)
There were a few plot holes however, they weren't distracting. They just left me with questions when I finished. First, Marie had an anonymous email account and I thought this would be implausible given the surveillance the guys had on her. And even if it did get by, why didn't she tell Horse when they made up? And with Max I would have liked to hear, via Horse's POV, what happened to him. Why did they let Max back? Wouldn't he be one of the 1st suspects when all the bad stuff is going down? And I didn't get why Marie was locked upstairs during the party. Why couldn't she hang with the gang. She'd have been protected it would seem. Oh, and when Horse in the hospital and before the epilogue, there was a chunk missing. I was dying to know what happened with regard to the aftermath of what I'll call the "big bang". (And I don't mean anything dirty here, so get your mind out of the gutter!) Lastly, at the end, what happened to the dog?! I didn't see anything mentioned in the epilogue, though I could have missed it. Please tell me he is alright! *worries like crazy over Horse's dog* Again, none of these things make the book any less great. It is likely something that will improve as the author moves forward with her writing. (Note: As a writer, sometimes I too miss plot points in telling a story. The characters are in my head while I'm writing; so I know what happens along the way, even in the background. But sometimes I forget to flesh it out for the reader, who is most definitely not in my head. It happens and it's something that only gets easier to avoid the more a person works on the craft of writing.)
As you can see I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more about the Reapers. I hope we get Picnic's story and Painter's. I hope too that we see Marie and Horse a little bit during those books as well. I give this a 4 out of 5 stars!
If you'd like to purchase the book, here are the links for Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Also, the author was kind enough to do a Q&A session with the Kristen Ashley Addicts Support Group on Goodreads and that thread can be found HERE.. She answers a bunch of questions from readers and gives insight into the research she did and the book itself. Did I mention she rocks?! If I didn't I should have. Cause she does. Check out that thread and you will see how right I am!
*This book was a self-purchase and I was not in any way compensated for, or even asked, to review this book. All opinions are my own*
But Marie just left her abusive jerk of an ex-husband and she’s not looking for a new man. Especially one like Horse—she doesn't know his real name or where he lives, she’s ninety percent certain he’s a criminal and that the “business” he talks with her brother isn't website design. She needs him out of her life, which would be a snap if he’d just stop giving her mind-blowing orgasms.
Horse is part of the Reapers Motorcycle Club, and when he wants something, he takes it. What he wants is Marie, but she’s not interested in becoming “property of”.
Then her brother steals from the club. Marie can save him by giving Horse what he wants—at home, in public, on his bike… If she’s a very, very good girl, she’ll get lots more of those orgasms only he can offer, and he’ll let her brother live.
Maybe.
Horse was hot, alpha, an ass, but god did he love Marie. He, being a hot alpha biker, had no idea how to show this so he seriously messed up on occasion. But I think in the end he made up for it all. As for Marie, she was a bit naive in the beginning. And I did understand her trepidation about being an "old lady" but at one point her indignation at being considered "property" seemed a bit forced. I am in no way condoning a woman being anyone's property. I'd sooner stab someone that ever do that. My issue was more that she didn't listen to what Horse was saying. He was trying to explain the MC culture. He wasn't saying he thought of Marie as his property, it just was the culture and how the guys saw it. But instead of thinking about this from the MC point of view, she flipped the hell out. Not cool Marie. Not cool at all. However, even though it wasn't cool, it fit who Marie was. That might sound confusing, but looking at from my perspective I'd have acted different. But because it's Marie, and because the author set up who she was as a person so well, Marie's reaction wasn't something I can really get annoyed about. It was just...well it was Marie!
The secondary characters were fun to hear about. I loved how the women supported Marie and made her feel welcome. I caught the look between Painter and Em and that certainly piqued my interest. (Will they get an HEA?! Will they? Will they?! *bounces around with a grin*) Of all of them Serena was the biggest surprise for me. At first I hated her and thought she was a distraction. However, the author proved me wrong and Serena became someone I ended up liking. A lot. I hope she gets an HEA at some point. Maybe her and Picnic should get together!? That'd be hot. *snickers* Oh and a note on Marie's brother. I think, with regard to him, the author did an excellent job. She had me totally liking him in the beginning, and then, through a series of events...oh did he make me mad! Kudos to Ms. Wylde for the twists and turns she provided. It was such a fun ride!
I enjoyed the grittiness of this book. I actually wish we saw more of it. I don't mind the dark side of life (as long as I am just reading about it or watching it on TV.) It's why I like SOA: the grit, the violence, the sex, the drugs...it's intoxicating and usually so horrifying I can't look away. Makes for good TV. or books. I also liked how the author talked the MC talk and she researched the culture. I really got the sense she knew about what she was writing. She mentioned cuts, the 1%, going to "church", the parties, the ways the members dealt with issues within their ranks, the dirty, kinky and out of control sex, drugs and rock and roll, and other tidbits of MC culture. Another plus? The switching of POVs between Horse and Marie at times. I actually wish there was a bit more of it. It really helped in understanding what was happening, especially when the whole text messaging debacle happened between the two. It sorted out, at least for the reader, that they were both being idiots and needed to communicate better and I don't think this would have been conveyed properly if we didn't hear from both of them. (Though I do wonder, was this ever resolved? I don't remember Horse ever finding out that Marie sent the last message. He read her drunk texts, and then threw his phone. Did he ever know she sent the one saying she was sorry?! I think that question requires a thorough re-read!)
There were a few plot holes however, they weren't distracting. They just left me with questions when I finished. First, Marie had an anonymous email account and I thought this would be implausible given the surveillance the guys had on her. And even if it did get by, why didn't she tell Horse when they made up? And with Max I would have liked to hear, via Horse's POV, what happened to him. Why did they let Max back? Wouldn't he be one of the 1st suspects when all the bad stuff is going down? And I didn't get why Marie was locked upstairs during the party. Why couldn't she hang with the gang. She'd have been protected it would seem. Oh, and when Horse in the hospital and before the epilogue, there was a chunk missing. I was dying to know what happened with regard to the aftermath of what I'll call the "big bang". (And I don't mean anything dirty here, so get your mind out of the gutter!) Lastly, at the end, what happened to the dog?! I didn't see anything mentioned in the epilogue, though I could have missed it. Please tell me he is alright! *worries like crazy over Horse's dog* Again, none of these things make the book any less great. It is likely something that will improve as the author moves forward with her writing. (Note: As a writer, sometimes I too miss plot points in telling a story. The characters are in my head while I'm writing; so I know what happens along the way, even in the background. But sometimes I forget to flesh it out for the reader, who is most definitely not in my head. It happens and it's something that only gets easier to avoid the more a person works on the craft of writing.)
As you can see I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more about the Reapers. I hope we get Picnic's story and Painter's. I hope too that we see Marie and Horse a little bit during those books as well. I give this a 4 out of 5 stars!
If you'd like to purchase the book, here are the links for Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Also, the author was kind enough to do a Q&A session with the Kristen Ashley Addicts Support Group on Goodreads and that thread can be found HERE.. She answers a bunch of questions from readers and gives insight into the research she did and the book itself. Did I mention she rocks?! If I didn't I should have. Cause she does. Check out that thread and you will see how right I am!
*This book was a self-purchase and I was not in any way compensated for, or even asked, to review this book. All opinions are my own*
Hey, this is Joanna Wylde, the author. Thank you so much for your review! I really enjoyed reading it, and have heard from several people that they wanted more of an epilogue... I promise, in the next book there will be!
ReplyDeleteAlso - the dog is fine. I would never kill off a dog, LOL.
Yay! I know I'm a bit crazy, cause here I am, with everything happening with Max and Horse and Marie, all worried over the dog! But seriously, I am SO glad to hear the dog made it! :D
Delete