Throwback: Ride

 

 Death comes in Armani. Salvation comes in leather.

Principessa to the Mancuso crime family, Alexandra knows a thing or two about living outside the bounds of the law. Suffocated by the future her father has laid out for her, she makes a choice she can't take back, changing the entire trajectory of her life.

Thrust into the dark and dangerous world of the Forsaken Motorcycle Club for her own protection, Alex finds herself faced with the last thing she needs right now: the man of her dreams. He’s sex in leather, the devil incarnate, and one hell of a kisser. But he’s also off-limits. Ryan Stone can be her friend, but he’s forbidden to be her lover.

Third-generation Forsaken, Ryan knows nothing other than life on two wheels, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He enjoys the many privileges that come with the patch, and the only laws he recognizes are the ones set-forth by his club. That is, until who he wants more than anything isn’t allowed on the back of his bike —or in his bed. Balancing his desire for her body, and need to keep her safe, Ryan tries to keep Alex at a distance. Finally having made a choice for herself, she’s done hearing the word “no” and will push boundaries even Ryan himself doesn’t dare cross.

Love is never more tempting than when it’s forbidden.

With the increase in the popularity of MC romances, a lot of authors have jumped on the bandwagon. And while some firmly hold the reins, far too often there are authors who attempt to take advantage of a genre’s newfound popularity and write a book hoping to make a buck simply because any Tom, Dick, and Harry can e-publish these days (whether they should or not). Fortunately, Ms. Emery is a rein holder. I am ashamed to admit that I have owned Ride for over a year and never got around to reading it. And now that I have, I am thoroughly annoyed with myself for my oversight because it was a great read. I am in awe of how well she was able to show how similar the biker and Mafia worlds are while at the same time illustrating how different they are, all while orchestrating a romance between Armani and denim.

My heart wept for Alexandra. She found herself in position she never should have been put in and her love for her brother and the emotional strain of the situation caused her to inadvertently rat out her family. No one cared that it wasn’t intentional. No one seemed to take into consideration the circumstances – for goodness sakes, she gets ridiculed for being so sheltered and she’s left sitting in the middle of the aftermath of a gunfight with her cousin dying in her arms, her fiancé dying next to her, and her brother telling her to talk to no one and leaves her while he’s bleeding from a gunshot wound. Thankfully her Aunt Gloria’s promise to Alex’s mother is more important than is her loyalty to The Family and Gloria does what she must to insure Alex’s safety. Unfortunately Alex seems to trade the frying pan for the fire once her previously unknown to her Aunt Ruby comes to collect her. While her upbringing prepares her for parts of the biker lifestyle, she is woefully unprepared for her new life, especially when it comes to Ryan’s bipolar-like behavior toward – yeah I completely agreed with Alex’s characterization on that one. But Alex and Ryan are the proverbial moth and flame and as expected, Alex finds herself burned by Ryan’s behavior more than once. Luckily for Ryan, the chemistry between him and Alex is so intense that neither can fight it. Unluckily for Alex, she is forced to endure yet more tragedy before Ryan is finally able to admit how much she means to him.

My only real complaint about Ride is that I would have liked to have seen more interaction between Ian and Alex. Considering his plea during Church, I had expected him to be more interested in getting to know her and spending more time with this part of his family. Other than that small detail, I loved the book. The Mancuso family members we encounter in the beginning of the book felt authentic as Italians (no personal experience with Mafia members here, just Italians). The members of the Forsaken MC had just the right amount of edge and grittiness for my personal tastes. Of course the level of assholishness was perfect among the males in both cultures, with Ryan excelling at it. Gotta say, Ruby pulling the gun on him toward the end was priceless! I loved Ride and will be adding the rest of the Bayonet Scars series to my reading list so that I can spend some more time with Ms. Emery’s Forsaken MC.

 

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As a child, JC was fascinated by things that went bump in the night. As they say, some things never change. Now, as an adult, she divides her time between the sexy law men, mythical creatures, bad-ass bikers, and kick-ass heroines that live inside her head and her Netflix addiction. JC is a San Francisco Bay Area native, but has also called both Texas and Louisiana home. These days she rocks her flip flops year-round in Northern California and can't imagine a climate more beautiful. Her dream is to own her own Harley and she feels compelled to tell you that she is Team Peeta all the way.

JC is the author of the Men with Badges series and the Bayonet Scars series.

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