Intense and in your face from the first chapter. Ajax is unapologetic, hard core biker. Sophie is the daughter of a biker and always felt she came in second to the club to her father. Ajax returns after ten years when he hears her father died. If you like alpha, take control males, and I'm not taking your crap heroines, with a lot of hot sex, this is the book for you. Not everything is resolved in this book, which left me feeling like the book was just getting started.
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DNF at page 39. For real.

Although really I think I knew this was a sinking ship once I read this beautiful prose on the first page:

She was a lick of sweet sugar on a sweaty Louisiana afternoon

I think that gives a nice, ahem, taste of how pulpy the rest of the story went.

But just in case that didn't do it, let me explain the first scene. Ajax Sean follows what he thinks is a stripper into a bar. He finds out this is the daughter of the newly deceased MC President, and proceeds to maul her against a wall in a bar filled with her employees. And then is convinced at the end that there's no way anyone in there saw anything. Because reasons. But let's not let little Sophie off the hook here because she definitely let's him do it. And then is pissed at him about it afterwards. Because reasons.

Now, while all of this is happening there is paragraph upon paragraph of prose dedicated to how hot they think the other person is, and how they shouldn't hook up, but they really want to, etc. I have no problem with this, but it just went on for too damn long. I could say in a sentence what they took an entire page to say. And with much less profanity. Which, again, I don't mind, but I get when it's in dialogue. In between the dialogue I don't need a ton of superfluous cursing, thank you.

I have this two starts due to it (1) being a book and (2) I'm sure this book just wasn't for me. Like I am really sure that there are people out there who will absolutely love this. But I am just not one of them.

Copy courtesy of Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Last year I read Rachael Johns’ novel in the Deacons of Bourbon Street series (Fire Me Up) because I’ll read pretty much anything she writes. I did really like it (and proclaimed it as something my mother wouldn’t like – but she did). When I was given the opportunity to read the other books in the series, I naturally jumped at it. Recently I was looking for something fun, light and a bit different so I picked up the first book in the series, Make You Burn. Like the heroine Sophie, I got more than I bargained for in a good way.

The cover proclaims this story is scorching hot and I’d have to agree. It’s dirty, raw and honest. This one is definitely not for your grandma or mum (although she may surprise you). It’s also a bloody good read with a depth that I wasn’t really expecting. As it’s the first in the series, it sets up the story of the members of the Deacons of Bourbon Street motorcycle club who had to disperse rapidly to the corners of the country after something went wrong. But now their leader is dead and the boys are coming home to for his funeral. Ajax has self-proclaimed himself as leader and he’s going to make sure everyone pays their respects. But first he’s going to follow this girl in hot pants down Bourbon Street…

That girl turns out to be Priest’s daughter Sophie, much more grown up than Ajax remembers. Almost instantly, a hot, fiery relationship is ignited between them. Is it wrong? Is it right? As Sophie and Ajax to and fro between sex and their emotions, the other members return. While Priest’s death isn’t sorted out in this book (I imagine we’ll need to wait until the last book), Sophie and Ajax’s relationship is. Ajax is an absolute stinker at the start – it’s all about him and nothing else. He’s such an alpha male that I should have bolded, underlined and capitalised alpha. But Crane shows us he does have a somewhat sensitive side, which is good because Sophie’s tough but delicate. She could do with someone to match her, not someone to break her. For all of Sophie’s wildness, she’s pretty naïve when it comes to her father’s business and the darker side of the Deacons. I really warmed to her – she doesn’t take rubbish from anyone, least of all Ajax.

I don’t really read motorcycle romances so I can’t compare this against other books in the same subgenre. I did learn quite a bit though in terms of terminology! Some more motorcycle descriptions would have been good for the petrol heads among us! The main focus is sex and the relationship between the two rather than the mystery. Megan Crane sure does know how to describe a steamy relationship though! It was an enjoyable read with some darkness amongst the fun. I will be continuing with the rest of the series.

Thank you to Hachette Australia for the eARC of this book. My review is honest.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com ( )

I'm a sucker for a book set in New Orleans now that I call the city home. And I think the raw, gritty, dirty, debauched undertones of this story fit perfectly with the setting. It almost made me want to walk out of my office and find a dingy biker bar on Bourbon. I said almost - I can't quite bring myself to wade through the drunk tourists and gutter punks when the heat index is 108 with 98% humidity. I wouldn't even be shocked to find a girl (or boy) strutting down the street in gold hot pants and pasties.

Dangerous men are a bit of a fantasy for me... even more so now that they are forbidden fruit due to my job. So Sean/Ajax fell in line with my dirty little secret, and his description allowed me to picture Charlie Hunnam while I read. That being said, sometimes I felt like popping him in the head and yelling "STOP BEING SUCH A D-BAG A$$HOLE!" Even the hot dirty sex couldn't make up for his attitude EVERY time. Also, I didn't much care for his road name. Ajax. How'd he get that name? And why doesn't he like to be called Sean? I would have liked a little more background info.

Sophie was a pretty good female lead. She didn't annoy me, this stoic woman who had been raised by a biker dad but always kept on the outskirts of the club. I identified with her struggle to keep her emotions in check, even if I didn't understand her need to parade through the Quarter nearly naked. Sophie did have an issue with wanting to be claimed/wanted, so it made her willing to forgive Ajax's gruff ways a little too readily. But she also stood up to him and gave the sass, even if that was just to goad him into a few orgasms.

Overall, this was a quick steamy erotic read that I enjoyed. I would have liked a little more plot development and backstory... but I found the abundance of smut hot and entertaining, so I know my hormones must be in flux because I didn't skip over any of that raunchy sexytime. (TMI - you're welcome.)

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars / 4 flames. ( )

Sons of Anarchy fans! come and get your big bad biker fix. This book just romanticizes motorcycle clubs and bikers so well, even the dark and dangerous ones like Ajax and Sophie is the perfect biker bitch. Born and raised in a motorcycle club she knows the ins and outs; when to speak and when not to, body language and all the "etiquettes" But she's not prepared for the death of her father, Priest, the president of the Deacons of Bourbon Street or the return from exile of 4 of the top full patch members. She is especially not prepared for Ajax the VP, who just steps in and takes over and is definitely not prepared for the feelings he arouses within her.

Ajax is devastated by the death of the man who was like a father to him. Being exiled for 10 years has made no difference to his loyalties nor his priorities as far as the Deacons go. But Sophie is a game changer and one he didn't see coming. His instincts to protect her from the harsh reality of life has taken him by surprise and at the same time he knows that something is not right with the way her father died.

He must revive the Deacons and make them see the truth of the matter, and with Sophie by his side, just might make it a whole lot easier for the both of them to get through the coming storm.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review ( )