Tuesday, September 23, 2014

BOOK REVIEW: A Lil' Less Broken by Tara Oakes

A Lil' Less Broken (The Kingsmen M.C. #1) by Tara Oakes

4 Stars

Julia Kaegan, known as Lil, has grown up in the motorcycle club lifestyle—her father, her brother—all members of the Kingsmen MC. At sixteen, her older brother’s best friend, Jasper known as Jay, professed his feelings for her, and they became a couple. But misunderstanding split them up a few years later.

In the present, Lil gets herself in a sticky situation one night at a bachelorette party, and it’s her family and Jay that to come to her rescue. The repercussions—she must return home and to Jay who she abandoned two years before.

With glimpses into the past, the highlights of their past relationship is unfolded. I can’t pinpoint what it is specifically, but I liked Lil and Jay together from the start. Perhaps it was their sweet rooftop early beginnings. 
“‘I’m not gonna play around with this anymore, babe. You my girl?’”
Or maybe it was the tension and animosity towards each other in the present. The “big reveal” that resolves their split from the past is priceless. 
“‘I’ll show you what you think you saw baby girl…’”
And one thing I appreciated is that their arguments in the present were always productive with truths and true feelings coming out, not drug out for unnecessary drama. And the make-up sex…ah well you can read those scenes and enjoy ;-)  The real drama occurs at the very end and it leaves you with a cliffhanger and one shocking event that I didn’t see coming. And while in general I'm not a fan of cliffys, the final scenes are exciting and would make a great TV episode ending should Jay and Lil ever get their own series. Cue the dramatic music. 

Told mainly via Lil's point of view (1 chapter by Jay) and listed as a novella at a little over a hundred pages, it’s still a fully developed story (or part one of the story) and a great introduction to the MC subgenre as the author provides a glossary of MC terms in the front matter.  While there is danger, the book is more sweet than gritty or angsty (which was fine by me).

Has Jay paid off Lil’s “debt?”  Did “repaying” Jay cause an extra ride along? Was Lil’s rash decision in the past influenced by something or someone?  What are Shade and his boys up to?

Get your copy of (#1) A Lil' Less Broken 

 Book Review of (#2) A Lil' Less Lost
Or add it to your TBR list: Goodreads

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