Author: J.C. Emery
Publisher: Left Break Press
Published: December 15th 2014
Format: eARC | Pages:
Genre: NA, Contemporary, Romance
Source: InkSlinger PR
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!
Young love is always perfect. Until it's not.
Cheyenne Grady is a total daddy's girl to her bad-ass father, the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Forsaken Motorcycle Club. She's funny, and kind, and she just wants that deep, earth-shattering love like her dad has with her school secretary, Holly. But Cheyenne's been looking in the wrong direction, because the only good that can come from the way she looks at Jeremy Whelan is a lesson in heartbreak.
Jeremy always wanted to prospect for the Forsaken Motorcycle Club and wear the same patch as his father. When a life-long dream becomes reality, Jeremy realizes that the outlaw lifestyle is not for the faint of heart. Nor is it easy on relationships. He wants to be a good man, but temptation is everywhere.
Cheyenne is beautiful, and strong, and exactly what Jeremy could have forever. As long as he doesn't screw it up.
Love is never more powerful than the first time.
I received a copy of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review for a blog tour. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!
The brotherhood is deeper than family and survives shit that most relationships never could.
Crush was a perfect addition to the Bayonet Scars series. It's got everything that the rest of the books in the series have with the added bonus of a little more angst due to the starting age of the characters. I do love my angst! I was very excited to see how J.C. Emery would pull off Jeremy and Cheyenne's story since they're younger than the rest of the group and I wasn't disappointed at all.
That's one thing Dad always made sure I understood--we protect our women. Always.
One of the things I like the best about this series is that you never really say goodbye to the characters you've met in the previous books. Well I shouldn't say never...things do...happen. Their stories and their lives are all woven together and you've got sort of two main story lines going on simultaneously that connect everyone together. Situations that wouldn't do either of them justice to wrap up with just one book. The stories just keep going and bring more trouble before they eventually will be resolved. Each set of couples bring on different points of view and elements to the story lines. I love the fact that just because one couple's book ends doesn't mean their story does with it. You still see new events and such, just through a different point of view!
I never feel more at home than I do right here on Forsaken land.
You get to know Jeremy quite a bit in the second book, Thrash, which is about Duke and Jeremy's sister Nic. I was excited to get to know him more and see what would become of him and hopefully have him be someone who's good for Cheyenne. As hard as it is to do, I really adored this kid. With Jeremy's childhood it's sort of a miracle he's not more messed up than he already is. I mean he makes bad choices sure and he's difficult and has that typical I-know-everything-better-than-you seventeen year old boy attitude and a lot of anger in the beginning. But he's also protective and there's a sweetness to him as well. He's not all hardness straight to the core. He'd always leave me feeling hopeful for him.
I may or may not have earned a reputation over the last few months as being a slight pain in the ass, but I'm Sterling Grady's daughter what else can anyone expect from me?I freaking love Cheyenne. She's like a seventeen year old girl version of her Dad, Grady, who just so happens to be my favorite character so far. As much as I was looking forward to seeing how Cheyenne and Jeremy's story would unfold, I think I was even more excited to see more interactions between her and her father. She has this way of wrapping just about everyone she meets around her little finger and batting her eyelashes to get what she wants. Well sometimes at least. She's funny and she's smart and so much fun to read about.
Sometimes it feels like I can't get anything right no matter how hard I try.Being young and in love is hard enough, heck it's hard even when you're older, but being in the dangerous world and situations that these two are just makes everything that much more difficult to navigate. It's not like other coming of age type stories, there isn't this youthful innocence and naivety to it. These two have seen a lot and experienced a lot already. They both screw up on more than one occasion and it's a bit heartbreaking at times. But there's also a sweetness and that passion that comes from a first love where the other person just consumes you. I feel like J.C. Emery did a really good job of capturing that teenage voice with these two characters and showing their growth as they age throughout the story.
Ian's always been good to me, but I know he has a dark side that puts people on edge.The books in this series just keep getting better and better. I'm absolutely hooked and I'm always both terrified and excited to keep turning the pages with each one to see what's in store for this group of people next. I don't know how long we have to wait for Ian's story to come out next which I am highly intrigued about. Everyone has their issues but there's something darker and mysterious about Ian so I cannot wait to get inside his head and figure him out. Halfway in I'm still very much in love with this series and am fully prepared to drop everything with each new installment and dive right back in!
Excerpt:
My girl blushes before stumbling over her words as she asks, "Do you want kids?"
I stop breathing, stop moving-- even doing the pat-bounce-- and don't know what to say to that. Heard it from a couple of the brothers before. Don't ever mention marriage to a chick unless you're ready to have kids because that's all she can see in her future. Probably should have listened to that shit before opening my mouth.
"I want to be a mom," she says. Fuck. I still can't move and Robin's starting to scream again.
She's greedy with the pat-bounce, so I force myself to make my hand move. It barely calms her.
"Not now, but someday," she clarifies.
"Eh, why not," I say like it's no big deal. "I'll be a fucking pro at this shit by the time I'm thirty."
"Thirty is probably young enough to have kids," she says through a yawn. And I swear, my fucking heart starts beating again and I relax my arms around Robin. "Let me try again," she says and reaches for her. I hand her over, hoping Chey's better with her this time because that crying has got to fucking go. When she cradles Robin against her chest, she moves her around a bit before settling in and doing the pat-bounce. Robin is still crying but it's nothing like before.
"There you go," I say and smile at her.
"I can't believe my mom didn't stick around for this," she mumbles. She doesn't talk about her mom, but for some reason she is right now. I don't got shit to say because my mom didn't stick around either. It's not like I have anything encouraging to say. "Nic's probably going to remember every single thing about her daughter from her favorite color to her worst nightmare."
"Yeah, I give her shit, but Nic's like a fucking grizzly about the kid. She's a good mom."
"I'm glad Robin has that," she says and I agree.
"Me too," I say.
Giveaway:
About the rest of the books in the series:
Ride (Bayonet Scars #1)
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.
Thrash (Bayonet Scars #2)
Loneliness suffocates the heart. Acceptance breaks down walls.
As a Lost Girl to the Forsaken Motorcycle Club, Nicole Whelan knows how to party. She’s not cut-out for relationships and her life is way too complicated for anything more than casual encounters. But one night when she falls into Duke’s bed at the clubhouse, he sees something in her that he can’t let go of—no matter how many times she tries to run.
Having been left to raise her teenage brother, Jeremy, she’s already got her hands full and isn’t looking for anymore complications. But Duke’s just watched his best friend fall for the only girl he couldn’t have, and then almost lose her so shortly after, shaking him to his core. Faced with his own loneliness, he’s more determined than ever to break down Nic’s walls and show her that he can be good for her; but he’s got a bad track record and she’s got a bad temper. Changing his ways isn’t easy when he’s not sure what he’s even changing for.
The violence and turmoil are at an all-time high, and Forsaken is in a vulnerable place when a twist of fate breathes new life into the club. It’s a much-needed beacon of hope for the embattled biker family, even if everyone’s not exactly on board. With Duke and Nic’s relationship already on shaky ground, and something even more important at stake, the Forsaken Motorcycle Club will fight like hell to keep their family together and whole.
Love is never more precious than when it’s new.
Rev (Bayonet Scars #3)
With the looming threat from the Mancuso Crime Family, the Forsaken Motorcycle Club is preparing for a war that could destroy them. Grady, the club’s Sergeant-at-Arms, knows that love makes you weak, and he has zero interest in adding to his liabilities– especially now. He’s already got his teenage daughter who keeps him on his toes and a beef within the club that could fracture his relationship with a fellow brother for good.
For Holly Mercer, her life is finally getting on track and the last thing she wants is trouble from her hometown’s resident outlaws. Keeping her nose clean is easier said than done, when suddenly she finds herself embroiled in club business. Holly might like the idea of being with a real-life bad boy, but even being in the same room with tough-as-nails Grady flusters her.
When Holly inadvertently finds herself on Mancuso’s radar, she has two choices: trust that Grady will protect her, or continue to refuse the club’s help. Both roads are dangerous, but only one has the chance to damage her beyond repair.
Love is never more dangerous than when it can destroy you.
About the author:
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, and kick-ass heroines that live inside her head and pursuing her bachelor's degree in English. 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.
JC writes adult, new adult, and young adult fiction. She dabbles in many different genres including science fiction, horror, chick lit, and murder mysteries, yet she is most enthralled by supernatural stories-- and everything has at least a splash of romance.
