EPIC
Review to come at Sinfully.3.5 stars
I don’t like motorcycle club books and that made me hesitate at first, but it’s Adrienne Wilder and couldn’t resist. The club storyline isn’t at the forefront of the story so that worked out for me. This is also not nearly as dark or intense as his other contemporary books I’ve read; in fact this is probably what I’d consider a light erotic romance from him.
This is an opposites-attract romance between writer Andrew and bouncer/musician/Dom Matt, a member of the local MC Legion. Andrew, I wanted to smack the moment I met him. Doormat is a cliché but it’s the only way to describe him. NO sense of self-worth. But hey, there are people like that who base their worth on others’ perceptions of them and allow that to dictate how they view themselves.
Matt I liked. He’s not taking crap from anyone. He’s living life on his own terms. His family has no use for him and yes, it still hurts, but he knows it’s a lost cause even as he still makes a bit of effort. He joined the Legion MC to feel like a part of something, but he’s never been able to fully commit to them. In fact, he’s not really fully committed to anything. He may look like the big, bad, dangerous biker, but he’s not quite what he seems.
Matt is Andrew’s fantasy and muse. Their relationship starts off as sex, but quickly Matt sees something underneath Andrew’s plain, almost forgettable exterior and is drawn to the emotion underneath. Andrew has watched Matt for quite some time and his feelings for the man are already much more complex. Andrew comes as a big surprise to Matt and has him seriously thinking commitment for the first time, but that opens up a whole new set of problems.
Their relationship may have revolved around sex, but it did grow into more and Matt did have feelings for Andrew, even if he couldn’t recognize them at first. They have both been rejected by and suffered the loss, to some extent, of their families, and have searched out that acceptance from others. Andrew’s need to be loved is a bit more self-destructive and even as he found his strength when it came to his horrible ex, Phillip, he still allowed Matt to manipulate him into doing things he didn’t want and that never sat right with me even knowing Matt would never hurt him.
One way that Matt and Andrew fit perfectly is when it comes to sex. Andrew wants it rough and his conflicting desire for it and embarrassment by it flips all of Matt’s switches. The sex, is hot, rough and plentiful, with some BDSM elements.
Outside of the relationship there are some other things simmering. There is the return of Andrew’s ex who is up to no good, Matt is being pressured to show up at the family Christmas party and “be normal” and he is also reconsidering both his position in the Legion, when a job that comes up doesn’t sit right with Matt at all, and staying with the band he put together just as it seems they may have a shot at being noticed.
There were some flaws that I haven’t seen in the author’s other books. Some plot points that weren’t fully fleshed out or seemingly came out of nowhere, going from zero to WTF? (Matt’s parents and brother mostly) without really connecting smoothly, and I wanted to see just a little more of the depth in the relationship. It was definitely there and for the most part I adored the way Matt cared about Andrew.
That being said, despite some of the craziness or maybe because of it, I did enjoy reading this book and found myself wanting to go back to it and see what would happen next whenever I had to put it down. It kept me wondering if Andrew would grow a backbone, if Matt could convince Andrew that he sees him differently than Andrew’s own poor perception of himself, and just how things would go down with Matt and the Legion? If you’re looking for an escape from reality with a lot of very hot, kinky sex, two broken characters that work together despite their differences and a storyline with a bit of craziness I think this could be a fun read for you.
