From bestselling author Kenzie Reed comes an Opposites Attract Romantic Comedy...
You can take the girl out of the south, but you can’t take the south out of the girl. That’s why Crash McClanahan is all wrong for me. The sexy, growly biker is just a big walking nope. Not going to happen. Never in a million years. Sure, his kisses are sweeter than iced tea in July. But I’m monograms and mimosas. He’s bar fights and beer. I never wear white after Labor Day. He never leaves the house without his leathers. You get the idea. But when my new life in New York is upended, and I have to go on the run, Crash is the only one who’s there for me. He’s the only one who has my back. He’s the only man who drives me so crazy I that I don't know if I want him to kiss me till I see stars, or hop on his bike and disappear in a cloud of road dust. I know he's all wrong for me, so why does being with him feel so right?
This is second in a series, and the events and characters in the first are present and important for this story. Indeed, Savannah was kind of a sub-villain in the first book, so it's fascinating that Reed chose to pull her forward as heroine of this one. You don't have to read in order, but why wouldn't you?
If nothing else, having read the first will help calibrate the tone for this one. This one isn't so much wish-fulfillment, but there's still a stark element of fantasy that you need to be able to take in stride to enjoy this story. I'm really glad I knew that going in because it meant I could just sit back and enjoy the hijinks.
And I found I really liked Savannah! The best part about her is her struggle to become a good person while having no idea how to go about it. She has had no real role model in her past and now she's alone in every meaningful way trying to figure things out. I loved her determination to not only do good deeds, but to record them so that she'd have something to show for them (even if only seeing the day marked off). And I loved that Reed still managed to make that feel genuine and authentic even though it's also awkward and in many ways completely misses the point of doing good. It's a great tension in the character and I loved seeing it play out on-page.
Crash was interesting, too, though his whole resistance based on a silly negative motivation* was tiresome. Okay, I had a hard time staying engaged with him beyond the image of the cinnamon roll biker guy. Let's say that I liked what he could be and I liked the twist in his background, but that I wasn't so much on board on the moment-to-moment. Which is kind of a sad missed opportunity.
Also, I'm not a huge fan of the villains that pop up in these books and do actually dastardly deeds. Did we really need ? Sigh.
Anyway, I'm a little surprised to find myself giving this four stars. Yes, I liked Savannah that much and the banter was fun and the humor just right for my mood. Be aware that this is very much a taste thing; and where I show that my tastes trend low...
A note about Steamy: I let this review go too long for me to remember how much, or even if any, explicit sex was in this. I'm going to guess that it's as much as in the first book, but honestly, I forget. Oh wait! I remember some. So there's some steam...
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, here's a cache of the original) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
This is my biggest complaint about Kindle books..... there are a few spots where the author is talking about Crash but the name used is Chase, which happens to be another character. It gets confusing and quite honestly should be something that was caught pre publishing. And it isn’t just this author, it is several.
Savannah's Journey from Southern B**** to Old Lady and the Biker Who Gets Her There
The second book in Kenzie Reed's "Fake It Till You Make It" series shifts from Daisy to Savannah, the fiance stealer who learned the hard way that if you marry a cheater,you will get cheater in. She has been thrown out of her home by her mother, who tells her that her family "do not get divorced", and moved into Daisy's tiny NYC studio apartment as her roommate, then as her coworker way the nearby biker bar, where she meets Crash McClanahan, a rough customer and member of the Iron Ride, a vigilante gang. The two of them are total opposites but fall for each other quickly. If only Savannah wasn't being followed by a hit man...
Savannah has to return to Swampy Bottom County and her elderly great-aunt, the only relative who hasn't disowned her, to testify against Gramma Mae in an assault case (not surprising for those who met her in A Billion Times No). It turns out the hit man has arranged for her to return, and he continues to follow her there. Savannah's great-aunt is worried enough to search for a bodyguard for her. Who shows up for the job? Crash.
He takes Savannah to a sister chapter of vigilante bikers in South Carolina and they hide out in one if the club's trailers. It provides plenty of privacy for Crash and Savannah to act on their attraction... literally a dream come true for Savannah, who has been having X-rated dreams about her and Crash together for months.
The pacing in this story is fast but not too easy to speed through. Savannh is portrayed as a damaged girl who could never please her demanding mother, despises her father for not standing up to his wife, regrets marrying Percy on her mother's advice, and has developed a poor self-image due to gaining 50 pounds in New York. Crash gets his own tragic backstory as the unacknowledged illegitimate son of a Senate candidate who threatened Crash's now deceased mother if she went public with her story. Neither of them trusts the other with their struggles, and when one of his secrets spills out, she takes off for Swampy Bottom County again. That's when the members of the Iron Ride and the Skeleton Crew (South Carolina) team up to set a trap for the hit man. It works, but Savannah is still in danger from a source closer to home. What's going on, and who's behind it? Daisy is very pregnant and Chase forbids her to put the Detectives Club back in business, so it's up to Savannah herself to get out of a very dangerous situation.
This book has many twists and humorous moments. How does self-proclaimed dog hater Savannah adopt four dogs and one dog's eight puppies? Which 80-year-old belle will Beaufort Spillwell choose? Are biker chick Tawny and her biker beau Axl on or off, and will Savannah's Southern Belle makeover of Tawny solve the problem or make it worse? Plus, will Savannah be able to.pull off her undercover identity as biker chick Banshee?
I thought I was going to rate this book four stars, but the more I wrote, the more I realized it was a five star review. I can't change my rating, but The Belle and the Biker is a five star book. I recommend it strongly!
Kenzie Reed succeeds in crafting a story that leaves the reader guessing but enjoying the ride... just not as much as Savannah! Highly recommended.
I’m honestly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. First chapter we find out that the characters already hooked up prior to the book starting which is something I’m not a big fan of. I want to see the development of a relationship not watch two people fight negative motivations (look up Jennifer Cruise for a great definition of this). Yet despite all of this I found myself charmed.
I do wish there was more showing than telling with their relationship but overall their banter was fun and I found myself rooting for them to pull their heads out of their asses and get together already.
Having read the first book I was really curious how Savannah was going to be made into the lead character for this book. She still had a bite to her but you could tell she was trying. Clearly she is not a fan of the show The Good Place because then she would know doing good deeds to wipe your karmic balance won’t work, but it was endearing watching her try to improve and her insistence that she doesn’t like dogs. *Side note-is it really that easy to find strays? I feel like I’ve maybe seen 5 in my lifetime and yet she found one every other day!
Watching Savannah reconnect with her hometown in a positive way was definitely one of the bright spots of this book. It was good watching her realize how important these people are to her. The only thing I really did not enjoy with the book was that the vigilante biker gang was willing to use any means to handle a problem. I know this is a popular trope but I prefer my vigilantes Superman style who hand the bad guys over to the cops and don’t become judge/jury/executioner. This by no means takes away from the story, it is just a personal gripe of mine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Savannah and Crash (sigh) are an excellent couple and this was such a fun book to read. We meet Savannah is the book A Billion Times No and she was frankly unlikeable in that book. In this book, she has redeemed herself and then some. Savannah has been living in New York after getting cut off from her family after she divorced her cheating husband. She has been working as a waitress in a biker’s bar where she meets Crash. Crash is a member of the motorcycle club and a veteran. He is the brawn to the club and he doesn’t know what to do about his feelings for the Southern Belle. He leaves town after the have one night together but he returns after a few months handling club business in California. Savannah has to go on the run after witnessing a murder and her life is in danger after there is an attempt on her life. Crash becomes her bodyguard when they leave town to go to North Carolina to hide while they figure out who is after her. There is a lot of humor to this book with a bit of angst. These two are imperfect people who are perfect for one another. Savannah has grown since her introduction and you can’t help but root for this plucky heroine. She is smart, funny, and has a big heart and she is trying to atone for her past behavior. Crash can be infuriating. He’s a total alpha who is afraid of opening up due to his childhood. He tries to act tough but can’t resist Savannah. The supporting characters are fun and I laughed out loud reading this book. It was a fun adventure.
Rom Com at its best! In the free sample I laughed out loud (I do not think I have a funny bone, so that says a lot) Gemlins reference, that's all I'm saying! Savannah is Southern sweetness, manners, etiquette & snobbish at its best thanks to her horrible mother. Savannah 2.0 is still Southern sweet but also she recognized her faults and is trying to better her self. Crash is a hot biker with rich daddy abandonment issues, heart of gold but still guarded. Together they make this Rom Com hilarious! Throw in a crazy but well meaning (but not said in a nice way) aunt, stray dogs, murder, stalker and romance and you have this book. This is a light fluffy read, kinda like the water you cleanse your pallet with during wine testing. This is a book cleansing from heavier topics and emotions. I would not categorize this as an MC read. MC name, motorcycle riding, leather wearing men, yes, but not your typical "Mc" read. My movie line up picks for this book would be: Melissa McCarthy or Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde or Sweet Home Alabama character) playing Savannah, Jason Statham or Colin Farrell as Crash, Kathy Bates as aunt Heabzaith, Ruby Rose as Tawney, Gary Sinise or woody Harrelson as Axel, Harrison Ford or Clint Eastwood as Tank. Fantastic book to clear your heavier emotions out and laughter (at least smiling) in!
“I went ahead and lived my life exactly the way I wanted to, and every day that I wake up happy is me winning and them losing.” - Crash, ‘The Belle and the Biker’
Kenzie Reed’s second book and book 2 in the ‘Fake It Till You Make It’ series has it all: wit, humor, comeuppance, mystery, heat, love, bikers, a small town … I could go on quite a bit. Savannah, you may remember from book 1, seemed kind of horrible but then came around by the time it ended. I was happy to see more of her and as she tries to turn her life, attitude and outlook around, she’s adorable.
There are multiple dogs whose personalities shine through a bit, so if you’re a dog person you might go for this one as well. The cover is obviously professional, the continuity is on point and there were a lot of laughs in this book. We got to see more of the Bitter End folks and meet a new nearby small town: Sugar Hill. The drama never stops and I cannot wait for book 3. Well done, Kenzie. 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I like this author because so far the books I read by her are well written and super funny. Some of her reference to the South are cliche but overall she does a good job. This only got a 3 star because while I like both male and female main characters, they would never get together in real life. Also the story around them was too far fetched and took away from their romance. As with the books I’ve read thus far by Ms. Reed you get 1 maybe 2 really steamy sciences and then the rest is alluded to. I believe that books are reflection of the author and it saddens me for Ms. Reed that a lot of sex scenes take mere seconds to climax. Hope she knows that is not typical and that too, takes away from relating to the relationship of the main characters. All in all I would , RECOMMEND, but with reservations. STEAM = 1
The Belle and the Biker is the second Kenzie Reed book I have read. I loved the first one (A Billion Times No) and was really looking forward to the new one. I like quirky, fun, and romantic books and Kenzie did not disappoint me at all. Savannah is a southern belle, down on her luck who ends up working a number of part time jobs one of which is in a biker bar. Crash comes from the wrong side of the sheets of a prestigious family and is part of the gang hanging out at same biker bar. Total opposites attract but neither want to admit to it. When Savannah is a witness to a murder, Crash volunteers to protect her. This is a funny and wildly entertaining story and I highly recommend it. Cant wait for the next book.
But a lot of errors made this book confusing. Crash is referred to as Chase a couple of times, the dog, Rhett, was called another name as well and at the end Savannah says "my half brothers" which must have originally been meant as Crash's half brothers.
I generally look over slight errors since mistakes happen but these types of errors are very confusing. I actually had to use the search feature in Kindle to make sure I didn't miss the fact that Savannah had siblings earlier in the book.
This was a good story and I really enjoyed reading it. I gave three stars only because of the confusing errors.
This book starts off pretty good but goes downhill fast. I really liked the heroine in the beginning but couldn’t stand her at the end. She acts like she’s on this journey to better herself but honestly she still ends up rich and spoiled and because she’s gonna open an animal shelter with her millions, that makes her this great person? Then the heroes name keep changing from Crash to Chase. Wasn’t Chase the guy in the other book? Then the dogs name changed from Rhett to sergeant. The thing at the end with the actual bad guy was also pretty cheesy. There’s was just too many things that brought this book down for me. I couldn’t rate it any higher.
I decided to read this because I really did kind of like Savanah. Her efforts to try and improve herself were heroic, if a bit flawed. It did get old though. Then there was one of the reasons I don't care for the enemy to lover trope - total lack of communication. That irritates me. But the rest of the story kind of grabbed me. What, or who, was that inept assassin? The last third of the book actually got interesting. Too bad I had to wade through the non communication crap first.
I really enjoyed this book. The author did a great job at redeeming a not so nice Savannah’s from the previous book. I was not sure I would like her enough, but it turns out she was much misunderstood and starving. Crash is part of a Mc club that helps clean up the community around it and keeps its family safe. Savannah becomes family while working at their bar to keep a roof over her head. All kinds of crazy things happen to her and Crash works to protect her. Happily ever after is finally found in this fun book.
Savannah is a recovering b*tch from the south who has moved to NY to escape a failed marriage and public humiliation. She meets Crash McClanahan (really? Crash?) while working at a local biker bar. That's how the story stars, and it pretty much goes downhill from there. Opposites attract is the sad old trope used for this story, and, to be honest, Savanah isn't a very likeable character, despite her trying to turn over a new leaf. There was a decent twist to the story near the end, but, by that point, I was ready to be done with these two. Blah.
Savannah has been going through some crazy life changes. She's moved to NY, and is a southern belle waitressing in a biker bar. She has a one night fling with Crash and during to some miscommunication and some self confidence issues they have a strained relationship. Now she's witnessed a murder and someone is after her. Crash becomes her bodyguard and then her lover. Cute, fun romantic comedy.
This is a good second story. This book is about Savannah falling in love with a biker named Crash. Savannah sees a murder happen and she needs to disappear for a while until the murder is caught. Crash is her bodyguard.
Fun, adventure, sex, and personal growth for Savannah makes for a great book. This book suffers some of the same grammar issues as the first book, but it’s still good. Give it a try! Happy reading y’all!!
I really enjoyed this book. I almost skipped it but I'm so glad I didn't. I despised Savannah in the 1st book so I'm so glad she found herself, her happiness and Crash. Her aunt is crazy and I don't know how she didn't flip out on her but I think that was her way of loving her when she didn't know how. I really enjoyed the fact that she was a plus size woman now and was made to feel that she was beautiful, worthy and sexy! Much better book than book 1.
Love a biker story, ask that leather and engines, rawr, anyway this was a scary but really romantic story once they realised their feelings for each other, Crash and Savannah sitting in a tree k.i.s.s.i.n.g and oh my loads of other stuff too just a trailer not a tree, never mind, get the book you won't be Sorry, there's a kidnapping, shootings, but its so romantic, trust me.
Savannah, the nasty in the preceding book, has divorced Percy, been kicked out, penniless, by her social climbing mother, and moved to NYC to stay with Daisy! Along now, she has a waitressing job at the biker bar where Daisy worked. Her life is in tatters but she is bouncing back, crushing on biker Crash. They scramble into hiding when she witnesses a murder and is being pursued by the murderer! Adventurous, funny, enjoyable pursuit!
Why is it when the heroine is plus sized, we must be reminded about it every other page????
This was so bad, cringe, plus size obsession aside, i couldn't believe the same author wrote this. The entire first quarter was so cringe I wanted to quit. But I was on a flight and this was my only downloaded book.
I do not recommend and would not recommend the author based on my current two book experience
I couldn't imagine a better first read by a new author than this one. I found myself snickering, shaking my head, and gasping. Having family members from the south, I could totally relate to Savannah and her quirky mannerisms. Crash has his hands full. I look forward to reading more by Kenzie Reed, especially in this series.
This book had the best approach to finding your path in life. It's full of action, adventure, suspense, and romance. Also, I've never laughed so much from a book in my life. Being a 64 year old woman from the mountains in the South, I identified with just about everything. Thank you so much for this book.
I read the first book of this series and liked it. This one, however, just dragged. Spoiler alert: she gets shot at, they are in hiding and yet she keeps going on about her clothes. Really? I also didnt like how the hero is portrayed. I felt his character completely charged. Overall i would not recommend this series.
Ok, so I couldn't stand that Savannah at first, even when she showed up to grovel to Daisy: however, she's grown on me. Crash was a likeable jerk from the beginning and I really liked Tawny. The great aunt, man servant, mother, father, and all the weirdos of Bitter End and Swampy Bottom just added to the fun of the story.
I read the other books in this series but wasn't sure I would like this one. Snobby girl and a biker guy seemed strange combo. I will say the first part was slow but once they got to her quirky home town the story really took off. Great characters with humor and depth. I want to read more about them! Hoping for more in this series!
This was one of the funniest books I’ve read this year. Literally could not put it down and read it in 1days. The plot was interesting, the characters were lovable (10 stars for great aunt Hepzibah) and the Southern shenanigans were everything. I would dock a point for editing issues but I understand that this is a self published book and I had way too much fun to be petty.
Sassy, witty, snarky and a delicious gruff hero. I was smiling the entire time. Read and loved the first book and am looking forward to the third now that I've read this title.