Dragon's Lair by Chantal Fernando
Publication Date: October 30, 2014
Publisher: Gallery Books
Amazon Link: HERE
Received From: Purchased


Summary (from Amazon):
The first in a new sexy romance series from bestselling author Chantal Fernando about the bad boys of the Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club and the women who fall in love with them.

When I found my boyfriend cheating on me, I did something stupid.

Or should I say, someone?

Because of that mistake, I'm now stuck in a world I don't belong in.

I'm a law student. They're criminals. He's the vice president of a motorcycle club. I'm a good girl with a strict upbringing. He's my ex-boyfriend's brother.

And I'm screwed.

Review:
When Faye walks in on her boyfriend having sex, she's devastated. So devastated that she goes to a bar by herself and ends up having mind blowing sex with Dex. Not only has Faye had a crush on Dex since she was a young girl, but he's also her ex-boyfriend's brother, and not to mention the vice president of a dangerous motorcycle club. Faye doesn't think one night with Dex can hurt, but she's wrong when the condom breaks and she ends up pregnant. Her parents kick her out and now her future as a lawyer seems unreachable. But when Dex shows up, angry that Faye didn't tell him about the baby, she's surprised that he wants to remain part of her life. He brings her back to his motorcycle club house, where she'll live for the next several months. And while at first Faye is nervous about living with a bunch of men who live for partying and sex, after getting to know them, she realizes they're not so bad after all. It tears Faye up, though, to see Dex with all the women he's slept with in the past, even though she knows she doesn't have a right to be jealous because they're not exactly dating. But spending time with Dex makes Faye realize that she wants something more—a family. But will Dex be able to put his fast lifestyle behind him and focus on the best thing that's ever happened to him?

This was the first novel I read by Chantal Fernando, and it definitely won't be my last. Dragon's Lair features a relationship between a good girl, Faye, and a bad boy, Dex. What I really appreciated about the book was that the author didn't make the story all about the happily-ever-after but instead added grit and realness that made the characters relatable and the story much more realistic. I also loved both Faye and Dex. I liked the fact that Faye stood up to Dex and the other men in the clubhouse, even though she obviously wouldn't have been able to physically defend herself. And I also appreciated her humor, which Chantal Fernando wrote perfectly into the story, and which I found myself laughing out loud several times. Dex was also likable even though he kept making mistakes. He never cheated on Faye, which would have been unredeemable to me, and always tried to make it up to Faye. Although he was rough on the outside and inside, there was still a caring side to him. I also loved all of the secondary characters, which Chantal Fernando did a great job of developing for future stories.

Overall, I couldn't put Dragon's Lair down and recommend it to anyone looking for a contemporary romance featuring a motorcycle club, pregnancy, and a good girl/bad boy relationship.

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Furious Rush by S. C. Stephens
Publication Date: August 23, 2016
Publisher: Forever
Amazon Link: HERE
Received From: Purchased


Summary (from Amazon):
Mackenzie Cox has a lot to prove. Daughter of a racing legend, she is eager to show the world that she has inherited her father's talent in the male-dominated sport of professional motorcycle racing. The last thing Kenzie needs is to be antagonized by her rival team's newest rider, Hayden Hayes. Plucked from the world of illegal street racing, Hayden immediately gets under Kenzie's skin. HIs insinuations that Kenzie is a spoiled princess who has handed her career rules her desire to win, and much to her surprise, Kenzie soon learns she performs better when she's racing against Hayden.

As Kenzie and Hayden push each other on the track, the electric energy between them off the track shifts into an intense—and strictly forbidden—attraction. The only rule between their two ultra-competitive teams is zero contact. Kenzie always does her best to play by the rules, but when her team slips into a financial crisis, she has no choice but to turn to Hayden for help. The tension simmers during their secret, late-night rendezvous, but Kenzie has too much to lose to give in to her desires. Especially when she begins to doubt that Hayden has completely left his street life behind...

Review:
When Kenzie attends an illegal street race she meets Hayden Hayes, who everyone considers to be unbeatable. She's even more surprised to find him training for her family's rival team, but she gives him a chance because he says he's done with street racing. But can Kenzie trust him, especially after things begin to go wrong on the track, including bike accidents that seem planned? Kenzie has enough to worry about because her father's depending on her to win so their family's racing company can succeed. But when they begin to struggle financially, Kenzie turns to Hayden even though she knows nothing good can come from them two of them working together, and not to to mention the sexual connection they have that makes it hard not to jump each other whenever they're together.

As someone who isn't familiar with motorcycle racing, I appreciated the author's detail about the sport so I never felt confused. I also liked that Kenzie was trying to defy the odds because she's a female rider in a predominately male sport. But at times Kenzie's character came across as a little bitchy, because of her constant need to defend herself, which is one aspect I didn't like about her character. Hayden was a very sexy hero with typical bad boy traits. I also liked that he was trying to better his life by getting away from illegal street racing because it showed a caring side of him. I rooted for this couple from the beginning but I have to admit that it was very frustrating that their first kiss kept getting pushed off. There was at least three times in the story that they were about to kiss but got interrupted, which at first added tension but after it happened multiple times it just created frustration.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Furious Rush by S. C. Stephens to anyone looking for a bad-boy hero, a sports romance, or a love-hate relationship.

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