MC Chronicles: The Diary of Bink Cummings: Vol 4 (Novella) by Bink Cummings

Blurb: Fat and pregnant, I’m at the end of my rope with swollen ankles and exhaustion.
Growing a little person inside of me is no small feat, and when that same little person decides it’s time to be welcomed into the world, I’m suddenly catapulted into the beauty of motherhood.
Join me in my birthing journey.
You’re in for one helluva ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.5 stars

I’M DONE!!!!!!

So this was a really short novella and I finished it pretty quickly.  This book actually wasn’t necessary to the ending of this series.  I could have never read it and it wouldn’t have made a difference.

There was a loose end in the last book I was hoping would be resolved, but it wasn’t. A fact I’m really upset about because during the ENTIRE series this issue with her mom was made in to this really big deal.  And when it finally all came to a head, it was explained away as if it was CRITICAL to the entire story.  I was so pissed, and that was the beginning of the end for me.  So I probably wasn’t that invested in this book as I could have been.  I’m nursing a pretty wicked readers remorse headache right now.

This book seemed to just be a fun, extended epilogue really.  She finally had the baby that shes been carrying around since the second book.  And it was just more of the same.  Big is sweet and he loves her, she is a bitch and she loves him  No growth of characters and no resolving of loose ends.

I’m glad I’m finally done with it.  Would I recommend this series?  Yes, with a cautionary warning. Is it one I’d re-read in the future. Uhhhhhh, not really.

The Diary of Bink Cummings: Vol 3 (MC Chronicles #3) by Bink Cummings

Blurb: Tests, life is full of them. The world is constantly putting you through them to see how much you can take before you break. Before you are no longer who you are. Before your world dissolves around you. How long you can stay strong and overcome the obstacles.
It’s no secret that Big and I butt heads. It’s no secret that I not only dislike my mother, I hate her because she hates me. But can these people break me? Can they push me to the edge of insanity, ready to jump?
Having stayed and moved in with Big, I was living the life I never even knew I wanted. Every day was filled with promise, warmth and unconditional love. Until the day, it wasn’t. Until the day it all changed and I quickly learned what I’m made of, thanks to the truths behind many years of painful secrets.
It only took a single day for my world to never be the same. One day to change me forever. One day for revelations. One day I’ll never forget……

3 stars

The beginning of this book was great!  It was consistent with the previous books storyline.  But then, towards the end I got a bit lost.  Everything just went from deliciously melodramatic to absurdly ridiculous!

It was the equivalent of ‘jumping the shark’ (bonus points for knowing the reference!).  Binks’ stubbornness and pride really got to me in this book. I just couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t admit her feelings to Big.  It was childish really, holding them over his head like some kind of emotional blackmail.  I kept thinking ‘they are gonna fuck this baby up when it arrives’ cause they don’t know how to be reasonable with each other.   And I know it’s an MC book and its wildly unbelievable.  I get that, I can suspend my belief for the enjoyment of a book.  But the ending was even too much for that I think.

I had to just laugh at their over the top antics.  It took me right out of the story honestly.  And while I still enjoyed it, I’m not really looking forward to the next one if I’m being honest.  This series has hit the end of the road for me.  I will finish it though, because the last book is a novella and I can power through it.  I need to read the last one for my reading challenge.

I still think there were some loose ends that needed to be addressed.  Like what happened to her mom?  That’s a big loose end to just leave hanging like that.  Maybe the novella will give me some closure.

 

The Diary of Bink Cummings: Vol 2 (MC Chronicles #2) by Bink Cummings

Blurb: When changing life’s course, you never consider what twisted curve-ball fate might dump in your lap. Growing up in the MC, then gaining my own personal Independence was not only a curse, it was a blessing. So when I decided to say fu*k my past and embraced my future, away from the only place I called home, I tried to re-invent myself, by becoming the woman I am today.
Until, one day, fate reared its ugly head, forcing me to return to the place I ran from. The place where I had no choice but to face HIM. And hide the biggest secret of my life, as I wallowed in silent fear, of the insurmountable repercussions it would evoke when anyone found out the truth.

 

 

 

 

Favorite Quote:

“I want you on the back of my bike, livin’ in my house, havin’ my daughter. I wanna own all your smiles and only see you cry when you’re happy. I wanna die in your arms because it’s the only fuckin’ place I’ve ever truly lived,” he says decisively, as if he doesn’t even have to think about it.

4 stars

*Original review*

Holy crap on a cracker, I thought it couldn’t get better. I was wrong.

Bink realizes that Big is too possesive and refuses to cave to his domineering nature. Good for her! She steals away into the night and makes it to Chicago, about three hours away. I can’t even sum up this story anymore and frankly I don’t want to. Read the damn book!

It’s so worth it. Second book blows the first one out of the water. Really.

*re-read*

Wow, I have become more wordy as I get older. Also, I’ve noticed that I don’t like Big as much as I used to.  Maybe I’ve become enlightened, whatever the reason, he’s a pretty big douche-nozzle.  Unfortunately, I still find him attractive in a ‘I’d rip his balls off if a man ever did to me what he did to her’ type of way.  So yeah, still working on those issues. 😉

The weird attraction they have to each other is impossible to not love though.  Their chemistry is the main basis for their relationship.  The sex thing got a little old but is a big part of their characters as bikers.  At first I didn’t see the big picture.  They were just people who like to have sex, anywhere they could.  But as I started to read the third one, I realized this is an intregal part of their characters.  They are very sexual beings.  Or maybe I just became numb to it.  ::shrugs::

Don’t get me wrong, they have tender moments, quite a few actually.  Which just help provide the depth a reader needs to not chalk this up to some shallow story.  No, this book is pretty well rounded, except in sex and violence.  But hey, its a MC book, you gitta expect that.

I quite like it.  Another score for an MC book.  Maybe I’m just a more than normal picky reader when it comes to this genre.

The Diary of Bink Cummings: Vol 1 (MC Chronicles #1) by Bink Cummings

Blurb: I’m a biker, and I’m a woman, who was raised by my biker family the Sacred Sinners.

Growing up an MC brat, I’ve known nothing but leather, booze, club whores, comradery, and bikes, my entire life.

My name is Eva “Bink” Cummings, and this is my story.

How at the ripe old age of thirty, with no husband, no kids, and being a part of a motorcycle club. Things aren’t always what they appear to be. I’ve found out the hard way, that your life, in an instant, can be flipped upside down. And the people you know and love aren’t always what they seem.

4 stars

So I read this book a while back and never finished the series.  I really like this authors writing though and wanted to tackle a series to finish so I dug this one up and started to re-read it.  I have found that I still feel the same as I did when I first read it….

This book was so interesing! I loved how it was written in diary fashion. It was very straightforward and real. Lots of sex, drinking and fighting. Just so you know, definitely not for kids.

Bink is a badass biker chic! She was raised by her ‘family’ in the Motorcycle club and resided there for most of her life. This gives her special prviledges because women are never allowed to live in the clubhouse. Her daddy is the VP and the men all love her. She is a smartass of the highest caliber and can give as good as she gets. She can cook like no ones business and enjoys spending time with her ‘family’. Her mom is a snatch and left her to fend for herself when she was very young.

This is a love story, albeit a pretty twisted one. I normally don’t like these kinds of books because they are too unbelievable. *says the fan of sci-fi and fantasy adventure* But seriously, they are too vulgar and the characters are usually pretty shallow.

I like to be proven wrong. And I was with this book. The storyline had a good background and while it was quite sexual in nature it wasn’t overkill. At least not to me. Bink cusses and fights like a dude but can be very motherly to her family.

Big is the quintessential alpha male. Prez of the club, controlling to the point of irrationality. Too much at times. He was too demanding for me. But Bink puts him in his place and doesn’t cave to his demands. Which leads to all kinds of fighting, but its all foreplay right?

Can’t wait for the third one as I have already read the second one.

Diamond Girl (G-Man #1) by Andrea Smith

Blurb: Thirty-five year old Samantha Dennison sends her only child off to college and finds herself generally feeling F-R-U-M-P-Y and lost. Her loveless marriage to ‘the mannequin’ has become intolerable; her daughter and best friend have both advised ‘Sammie’ to get a life of her own. Her husband has his own agenda which does not include her.

Sammie finally heeds their advice and takes pole-dancing lessons to get into shape and develop self-esteem, but it serves to do much more than that! The thrill of the dance and sexuality she discovers within herself is a potent mixture. She gets a part-time job as a dancer in an Indianapolis Gentleman’s Club called Jewels. She becomes the dancer known as ‘Diamond’ and very quickly catches the attention of a ‘bad-boy’ biker named ‘Slate.’

Slate is the ultimate ‘alpha’ male; however there’s a problem: he simply wants it to be about exclusive sex; Sammie wants and needs more from Slate. Sammie’s certain she’s embarked on a dangerous relationship with the hot biker and ‘prospect’ member of the notorious Outlaw Motorcycle Club. She soon finds out she’s totally out of her league with Slate and the dangerous people he associates with in Indianapolis. Something big is brewing in Indy; and it’s not about race cars!

4 stars

I liked it.  One of the things I really loved was that the female was so close in age to me. I don’t see a lot of those as I tend to gravitate towards NA and YA books.  But I could identify with a lot of what she as feeling. Her life was predictable, no change, no surprises and she wanted to shake it up a bit.

I was NOT prepared for the amount of violence in this book.  Nor was I prepared for all the twists and turns.  I can’t really go into them but suffice to say that it was not predictable, at least for me.  I figured this book to be a biker club romance, complete with cliches and tropes that go along with this type of story.  But it had more depth than that. And the plot was solid.  Most biker books I read have simple, easy to understand plots.  This one was developed and strong.  And I think I could have really enjoyed the book if there was no sex in it.  Which says something since I’m a huge romance fan.

Her husband (thats right kiddies, shes is married), I think his name was Jack, is the ultimate bad guy, I mean, I really had some physical hate brewing inside me for him.  His actions and lack of remorse were beyond shameful and I’m clearly still upset about the things his character did.  And while I don’t condone cheating, in this case, I’m glad she moved on to greener pastures.

Sammie was awesome. She transformed in this book, from frumpy housewife to sex magnet.  Her confidence soared and I loved how she took control of her life when things seemed to be so out of it for her.  I really dug Slate’s character. He seemed to be an alpha type but he was respectable like.  He walked the line, if that makes sense.  It’s all kinda hard for me to explain. I’ve seen some really bad reviews for this book and while I can see the flaws they point out, those seem to be the very reasons I liked it.  Ah, well, to each their own. Sometimes a book is enjoyable without having to dissect it.  And that’s how I felt about this one.

I’ve had this book for over two years and I’m just now getting to it.  I’m glad I finally did.

Silver Bastard (Silver Valley #1) by Joanna Wylde

Blurb:  Fourteen months. For fourteen months, Puck Redhouse sat in a cell and kept his mouth shut, protecting the Silver Bastards MC from their enemies. Then he was free and it was time for his reward—full membership in the club, along with a party to celebrate. That’s when he saw Becca Jones for the first time and set everything in motion. Before the night ended he’d violated his parole and stolen her away from everything she knew.

Five years. It was five years ago that Puck destroyed Becca and saved her all in one night. She’s been terrified of him ever since, but she’s even more terrified of the monsters he still protects her from… But Becca refuses to let fear control her. She’s living her life and moving forward, until she gets a phone call from the past she can’t ignore. She has to go back, and there’s only one man she can trust to go with her—the ex-con biker who rescued her once before.

Puck will help her again, but this time it’ll be on his terms. No more lies, no more tears, and no more holding back what he really wants…

4 stars

This is another audio book that I chose from my Overdrive account. (An amazing app that allows you to listen to books for free through your library card) And I  know I’m not supposed to start new series but I needed another book to listen to.  And I liked the cover. I have a kinda sketchy past with MC books.  There was only one MC book that I recall liking.  So I figured I’d try a different format.  This was my last ditch effort before I threw in the towel on this genre.  I can gladly say that it worked.

This book was f-ing amazing! The voices are what really pushed it over the edge.  This book was a dual POV and it was read by a male and female.  These fucking readers you guys…  IDK who read them but I’m gonna look them up.  They read it so well.  I felt the characters, I felt the anger and the betrayal. I felt the chemistry and sexual tension between the characters.

The woman especially did a really good job I think.  Each voice was distinct and had a unique pitch and accent.  Even the male voices sounded real and it was astonishing how many inflections she could do. I’ve never heard so many different voices come out of one person in my life.

The guy was great to. I’m not trying to knock him but there’s only so high a males voice can go.  So when he did the females voices it wasn’t as seamless a transition.

The story itself was a predictable read…except the ending.  I totally bought into the story, but there was one point at the end that really shocked me.  Kudos to that author for that. The cool thing about it is it tied up all the loose ends so I don’t have to read anymore in the series.  And I’m not going to because I’d had my fill of this story line and world and have no interest in returning.  The beginning was very graphic and intense so people who are not into that kind of stuff I would not recommend this for you.

What If: The Anthology by Chelle Bliss, M. Mabie, Aly Martinez, Erin Noelle, River Savage, Hilary Storm, Shantel Tessier, Alice Montalvo-Tribue

Blurb: What If: The Anthology is a collaboration from some of today’s hottest indie authors. What happens when one pivotal moment in a story changes? Have you ever wondered how things might have been?
In these eight, never before released, novellas you’ll see what happens when your favorite characters take a different path.
A twist on the fictional reality you’ve already read. A chance to see if the grass is greener on the other side.

What if one little decision changed everything? What if?

8 Novellas include:
Delusion by Author Chelle Bliss
Lure by Author M. Mabie
Twisted Course by Aly Martinez
Alive by Erin Noelle
Paradox by River Savage Author
Two Steps Back by Hilary Storm
Unforeseen by Shantel Tessier
Unspeakable Lies by Alice Montalvo-Tribue

To enjoy the twist of fate within What If: The Anthology we recommend you read the following novels:
Throttle Me by Chelle Bliss
Bait by M. Mabie
Stolen Course by Aly Martinez
The Book Boyfriend series by Erin Noelle
Incandescent by River Savage:
No Strings Attached by Hilary Storm
Unforgettable by Shantel Tessier
Unspeakable Truths by Alice Tribue

This is no longer available to purchase via Amazon.  

Yeah so I didn’t read any of these books before reading this anthology because I’ve never read an anthology with a prerequisite before.  Usually they are all first books in a series or stand alones.  So this was kinda odd for me.  I love anthologies and I read a few a year.  This one was decent but it probably could’ve been better if I would have read the other books first.  

But here go my reviews anyway!

Overall rating 4 stars

Delusion by Author Chelle Bliss

This one was okay.  Only daughter, four older brothers, tattoo shop, you get the picture.  I felt the MC used cuss words for shock value so her dialogue felt a bit fake or forced but the chemistry was written very well.  And the male MC was a decent guy, for an alpha dominant.  

Lure by Author M. Mabie

This one was very different than the rest of the stories.  It was about a couple that loved each other but she was marrying someone else.  It was pretty cool. The emotions were there.  I felt for the woman, at the wedding being asked to follow her heart instead of her head.  

Twisted Course by Aly Martinez

This one was real painful to read.  I cried.  It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Interestingly enough I hated the female MC, I found her to be an asshole.  The male MC was trying, but it was never enough for her.  I loved the ending.  That needed to happen.   I don’t want to read the corresponding book to this because I liked the ending so much.  And it was not predictable.  

Alive by Erin Noelle

Didn’t read this one because of the authors note: It was written as an alternate ending to book three in this series.  And since I never read any of those books, I skipped it.  And I will say that I was disappointed in that because who puts an alternate ending to a book 3 in an anthology?  I don’t think that is the way to catch new readers.  

Paradox by River Savage Author

This one was run of the mill MC club likes woman, kidnaps her for his own personal use, she gets Stockholm syndrome and it ends up biting her in the ass in the end. Except the ending threw me on this one.  And the emotions in this one were written good.  The male MC seemed to genuinely care even though he couldn’t really express it since he was in a motorcycle club and ya know, they have to be all hard all the time.  

Two Steps Back by Hilary Storm

This one was decent.  Rock star falls for other rock star but they are too cool to express themselves emotionally so they cover it up with casual sex.  But then the end really throws you and I found it to be inconsistent with the whole story.  It was like it was thrown in as afterthought.  

Unforeseen by Shantel Tessier

Okay this one was sad and I liked it a lot.  I really felt her grief in this.  I was way off base on the story line too, which was a huge plus for me. I think that Tate was a bit too mean for my tastes but I think that had to do with the fact the whole story was from Missy’s POV so we never got into his brain.  

Unspeakable Lies by Alice Montalvo-Tribue

I totally felt for the female MC in this one.  And I would have chosen the same path as she did.  It was unfortunate and seemed wrong but what else could she do?  She wasn’t meant to follow that path.  It’s about a wedding that starts out great but goes downhill fast.  But it was real good.  Anymore than that and I will be giving away spoilers. 

 

I wish I could say go get this book, but its not on Amazon anymore so, you could borrow it from me I think.

It Ain’t Me, Babe by Tillie Cole

Synopsis:
Sinning never felt so good…
A fortuitous encounter.
A meeting that should never have happened.

Many years ago, two children from completely different worlds forged a connection, a fateful connection, an unbreakable bond that would change their lives forever…

Salome knows only one way to live—under Prophet David’s rule. In the commune she calls home, Salome knows nothing of life beyond her strict faith, nor of life beyond the Fence—the fence that cages her, keeps her trapped in an endless cycle of misery. A life she believes she is destined to always lead, until a horrific event sets her free.

Fleeing the absolute safety of all she has ever known, Salome is thrust into the world outside, a frightening world full of uncertainty and sin; into the protective arms of a person she believed she would never see again.

River ‘Styx’ Nash knows one thing for certain in life—he was born and bred to wear a cut. Raised in a turbulent world of sex, Harleys, and drugs, Styx, unexpectedly has the heavy burden of the Hades Hangmen gavel thrust upon him, and all at the ripe old age of twenty-six—much to his rivals’ delight.

Haunted by a crushing speech impediment, Styx quickly learns to deal with his haters. Powerful fists, an iron jaw and the skillful use of his treasured German blade has earned him a fearsome reputation as a man not to be messed with in the shadowy world of outlaw MC’s. A reputation that successfully keeps most people far, far away.

Styx has one rule in life—never let anyone get too close. It’s a plan that he has stuck to for years, that is, until a young woman is found injured on his lot… a woman who looks uncannily familiar, a woman who clearly does not belong in his world, yet a woman he feels reluctant to let go…

    

My Review:
2.75 stars — Welp, this was my second chance for both Tillie Cole and MC books.  And while this book did better for both aspects, I was still seriously underwhelmed.  So looks like all those books I bought from Tillie Cole will now be going into my cloud to get lost and dusty.  😦

Soooo….  I was actually super intrigued with the prologue.  The meeting between those two children was quite sweet and I already felt their connection.  And the circumstances surrounding both main characters intrigued me.  I’m somewhat fascinated with cults (in a bad car accident, just can’t look away kind of way), so I actually enjoyed the look into that aspect (even if it was quite horrific at times).  And the concept of a feared MC leader who has a speech impediment?  Seriously interesting.  (And I just realized that that’s a disability, so hey — almost another diversity read!)

And I didn’t mind either character at first — they weren’t overly annoying, and while the crude language and basic den of iniquity that surrounds a MC was pervasive, I was too intrigued by the characters to let it bother me.  But at some point I lost that fascination, and the little things started pecking at my brain.  As Mae described him (IIRC), Styx really was like two completely different people.  Which could be kind of hard to believe.  And I’m generally not into falling for a guy who’s a psychopathic murderer who actually enjoys and is proud of his torture techniques.  (Though what’s strange is that I was fascinated by the WAY MORE PSYCHOPATHIC Flame character — and was quite disappointed that he wasn’t the focus of book 2 which I already own)

As for Mae, she let me down in a few areas.  (Warning: a bit spoilery, so read this paragraph with caution)  First — if someone you truly loved was beat to all hell and barely able to stand, and you go in to help clean them up, would you really stand there and get wet for them just b/c it’s the first time you saw them naked?  Am I the only one that would be more concerned with their welfare, and less focused on my lustful feelings?  I don’t know.  Didn’t sit right with me (and yes I know it’s a tiny part).  Second — the whole Rider shezzizle.  Once she figured out he was in love with her, what kind of selfish cow must she be to want him around to be her best friend??  Like seriously, it’s causing him pain, but she just keeps confronting him and rubbing it in his face???  Bad form.  Seriously heartless and cruel.  I didn’t really like how she wavered around Rider at all in the end…and frankly didn’t even like Rider that much, even before he became cranky obsessive Rider (never really trusted him).

And this seems to be a trademark of Ms. Cole’s — but I really don’t like how she makes her characters talk.  It wasn’t too bad in this book, though I read a review or two of the next book and it seems to get worse.  I’m not talking about the b*tch stuff (though that got tiring)…I’m talking about the…I don’t know…almost way she was portraying Texans?  It just seemed really stereotypical, not authentic.

Was going to maybe give the second book in this series a try thinking it would be Flame and Maddie, b/c I am sooooo curious what’s up with Flame (he’s f’d up yo).  But turns out it’s Kyler and Lilah, and they just did not interest me at all.  So I’m officially giving up on Ms. Cole.  Apparently her writing is just not for me (putting me in the minority).

Reaper’s Property by Joanna Wylde

Synopsis:
Marie doesn’t need a complication like Horse. The massive, tattooed, badass biker who shows up at her brother’s house one afternoon doesn’t agree. He wants Marie on his bike and in his bed. Now.

But Marie just left her abusive jerk of an ex-husband and she’s not looking for a new man. Especially one like Horse—she doesn’t know his real name or where he lives, she’s ninety percent certain he’s a criminal and that the “business” he talks with her brother isn’t website design. She needs him out of her life, which would be a snap if he’d just stop giving her mind-blowing orgasms.

Horse is part of the Reapers Motorcycle Club, and when he wants something, he takes it. What he wants is Marie, but she’s not interested in becoming “property of”.

Then her brother steals from the club. Marie can save him by giving Horse what he wants—at home, in public, on his bike… If she’s a very, very good girl, she’ll get lots more of those orgasms only he can offer, and he’ll let her brother live.
Maybe.

    

My Review:
2.5 stars — Well…so, I’m again attempting to read books for authors that are going to be attending the Emerald City Author’s Event this upcoming April.  And I started looking at the books on my TBR and reading the reviews, and I just wasn’t very encouraged.  Not to say that this book doesn’t have a TON of fabulous reviews, but I read some of the bad reviews and they made me wonder if I’d like it.  But the problem with reading some ranty bad reviews is that you have all that stuff going on in your brain while you’re reading, and it kind of affects your enjoyment.  Or it did for me.  See, I read one review that basically lambasted this book for it’s rapey vibes.  And while I could totally see what they were saying, I began to wonder why it *wasn’t* bothering me that much in this book.  And my hubby (of all people) helped me gain perspective — the thing is, that while so much of what happened sexually in this book had a rapey vibe, the heroine, Marie, didn’t feel that way, so it was hard to feel that way as a reader.  She was all in for pretty much everything she could get from Horse, so while she may have been forced into being a sex slave of sorts, she was a willing and happy participant pretty much all of the time.  In the end it had more of a BDSM quality to it than anything else.  So at least I stopped feeling guilty for not being more bothered by all that.

See, that wasn’t what made this such a meh book for me.  Nope, turns out I don’t think I’m an MC kind of girl.  I don’t really find them fascinating…in fact, the violence in their culture is a huge turn off.  I’m just not attracted to criminals I guess.  And I get that the book was trying to show how their world is so much different, but was accepted by all of them — but I just wasn’t all that enthralled with the way they treated women, even if they had the old ladies and whatnot.  I’m going to give one more MC book a try since it’s another author for the same event, but I doubt I’m going to find my mind changed.

Also?  Totally wasn’t feeling the chemistry between Marie and Horse.  I guess it was all just so base, that I didn’t get the build up of sexual tension…it just apparently existed.  Basically the writing didn’t get me excited whatsoever.  Which is kind of a detriment to an erotica…  I do believe I’m mostly on my own here though…it seems to have worked quite well for most other readers.

Didn’t really like Marie either.  She was so hot and cold, and I guess I just can’t vibe with characters who are so volatile emotionally.  And I really didn’t buy her love for her brother at all, that felt really forced…actions speak louder than words in this case.

I did enjoy some of the sisterhood type stuff between Darby (Darcy?), Maggs, Cookie, Em and Marie.  But it was such a tiny part of the book, it was all that gave this a half star upgrade for me.

Ah well.  At least I think I only have maybe 2 other MC books on my kindle, so it’s not a huge loss to find out I’m not a fan.