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GATOR—
I’ve been called many things. Soldier was the term I signed up for. Prospect is what became of me. Gator is what I earned. A Hound of the Reaper is who I am. I finally have the full patch at my back and a group of brothers to call upon if needed. I’m more than just the grunt, I’m part of the whole freaking brotherhood now. And I’m looking for my old lady.

BAILEY—

Life is good. Not great, but that’s okay. Or so I thought till a certain biker decided I needed more, needed him. He’s young—too young for someone with a past filled with hurt and pain, to deal with the likes of me. I went through hell to get where I am. I’m not going back to it when this town learns I’m dating a man who wasn’t even driving when I was getting drunk in bars. But the more I push him away, the more he keeps coming back. If I’m not careful, one of these days he really will go away, and he’ll take my heart with him.

As if dealing with a broken heart is my only problem. My high school nemesis is back, and rumor has it, so is an enemy of the Hounds. Now is not the time to get caught up in a love story, not when people are going missing. Especially when they’re my students. I might not fight for my own happiness, but I’ll fight for those who can’t. And Gator will fight, too—with me, against me, and, if I’m lucky, for me. But will it be in time?

TRIGGER WARNING: This book contains swearing and scenes that some readers may find uncomfortable, to include the mention of rape, physical and emotional violence, and child abuse. If you have any issues regarding this book, please reach out to the author using one of the links on the About the Author page.

378 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 17, 2024

560 people are currently reading
122 people want to read

About the author

S.J. Rowe

14 books81 followers
After traveling all over the world as a child, S.J. Rowe has found a home in the southwest with her husband. She continues to visit exotic destinations around the world with her best friends, and when she is home, she splits her time between watching baseball and singing in the car. To unwind, she finds herself enjoying a good cup of coffee while curled up watching Star Wars.

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5 stars
361 (59%)
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182 (30%)
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56 (9%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for Doris.
3,592 reviews138 followers
March 26, 2024
Gator and Bailey

Gator is a member of the Hounds of Reaper MC and is ready to look for someone to settle down with. Bailey is in need of help and Gator is the man to help her out even if Bailey’s past is an enemy of the MC. This is a reverse age gap romance with suspense and chemistry.
Profile Image for Aly.
3,181 reviews
April 9, 2024
3.25 stars

Since Flint's book, I've been waiting for Gator and Bailey's story. I so enjoy stories where he falls first and shows how much he cares. Gator is so sweet to Bailey and won't let her be down on herself or think that she's not a good match for him.

I thought the pacing was a bit slow and wanted the trafficking storyline to be a bit more prominent to keep things exciting. There were some parts that overly explained things or were just a bunch of Bailey's thoughts that I think could have been shortened to help the story along. I did like seeing Bailey teach and interact with the kids, I think she'd be a great mom one day.

This has been a fun series and I'm having a good time watching the Hounds each find their loves and starting families.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to the author and Hidden Gems for the copy.
Profile Image for Brooke.
41 reviews3 followers
July 19, 2025
Alligators. Lock on and don’t let go

Gator & troublemaker, cute as hell! Bailey puts up such a fight with gator before she finally gives him a chance and when they do it’s gorgeous!
The twist and turns keep you hooked, and clinging for that happy ending. This book was great.
Now I want the next one
Profile Image for Petra Škobalj.
485 reviews
October 16, 2024
This book had its highs and lows for me, earning it a solid 3-star rating. The story of Gator and Bailey is intriguing, with plenty of emotional moments, but the pacing and overall execution left me feeling a bit conflicted. Gator, the younger, determined MC member, is completely smitten with Bailey, and their romance has a sweet side, especially with his persistence to show her how much he cares. Bailey, on the other hand, has been through a lot in life and understandably struggles to let anyone in, which makes their dynamic feel layered and genuine.

I really liked how the book tackled Bailey’s difficult past, from being adopted to her struggles with self-worth, and her protective nature towards her students added depth to her character. However, I felt that some of the internal monologues and explanations went on for too long, slowing down the pacing of the book. Bailey spends a lot of time in her head, and while that gives insight into her character, it sometimes dragged the story down. A bit more action or focus on the external conflict might have balanced this out.

Speaking of action, the storyline involving Bailey’s high school nemesis and the threat to the MC had great potential but didn’t quite deliver the level of suspense I was expecting. The trafficking subplot was a bit underdeveloped, and I found myself wishing it had been given more prominence to raise the stakes. The reveal about Troy being a child trafficker was definitely a shock, but it didn’t completely land for me since his character wasn’t fleshed out enough in previous books to make it as impactful as it could have been.

What I did enjoy was Gator’s unwavering devotion to Bailey. Even though she kept pushing him away, his determination to show her she was worth loving was touching. Their romance, especially his sweetness and patience, was the highlight of the book. The way Gator supports Bailey and steps up in her time of need was heartwarming, and those moments where he meets her parents or gives her his real name were nice milestones in their relationship.

Overall, the book has its strengths in terms of character development and emotional depth, but the slow pacing and underplayed suspense kept it from being a standout for me. If you enjoy MC romances with a focus on character growth and a steady, slow-burn relationship, this one might still hit the mark for you. Just be prepared for a few slow chapters before things really pick up towards the end.
Profile Image for Phoebe.
269 reviews34 followers
June 5, 2024
SUMMARY:
Bailey went through hell to get where she was. But the more she pushes Gator away, the more he keeps coming back. If she's not careful, one of these days he really will go away, and he’ll take her heart with him. As if dealing with a broken heart is her only problem. Bailey's high school nemesis is back, and rumor has it, so is an enemy of the Hounds. Now is not the time to get caught up in a love story, not when people are going missing. Especially when they’re her students. She might not fight for her own happiness, but she’ll fight for those who can’t. And Gator will fight, too—with her, against her, and, if she's lucky, for her. But will it be in time?

REVIEW:
Gator is the fifth book in the Hounds of the Reaper MC series. It is the novel when we all finally find out if Bailey finally gives Gator the chance to love her the way she was meant to be loved. There were a few moments that really caught my interest while reading. The moment that Gator gave Bailey his legal name was when she finally understood that he was serious about wanting her. The moment when Gator met Bailey's parents who are also her neighbors was a big step for them both in their relationship. Bailey has been pushing Gator away from her since they first met when her sister Jules had an accident where she lost her memories. Though now that Gator is finally a full patch member of the Hounds he is ready to get Bailey to give him the chance to love her and make her his old lady.

It was a journey for them both especially when Gator had to rescue Bailey after she had been kidnapped with her student. The not so much but still was a shocking moment was when Bailey found out Troy is a child human trafficker. I was not expecting the child human trafficker to be Troy since he had no relationship with Duke in any of the previous novels but it didn't completely surprise me that it had been Troy all along since after what he did to Bailey I didn't think he could ever be anything other than a bad guy. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series especially since it is Bass the gossips love story that will be out soon.
1,396 reviews7 followers
March 29, 2024
For me, the book started off great. Then it quickly seemed to lose momentum-- while Gator and Bailey seemed to be in proximity to each other, they didn't really interact, so it was hard to feel the chemistry they supposedly had. The plot also seemed to meander a bit, which didn't help with the book's pacing.
Despite the author showing/telling us about different aspects of Gator, he mainly seems to present himself in terms of his club membership so it was hard to see him as multifaceted. As for Bailey, I never really saw her do or say anything remotely troublemaker-like. Maybe her nickname would've made more sense if I had read more of the previous books in the series (or remembered their interactions, if there were any, in the ones I did read). Her internal monologue sometimes was repetitive, too, and the inner goddess stuff was sometimes cringe. I also didn't think revealing to the reader the one part of her life roughly three quarters of the way in worked for me since part of this book is written from her POV and it's something that would be a constant thing.
I would've liked a better sense of their ages, too. We get vague clues here and there, but otherwise it's conjecture.

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Profile Image for Stephanies.books_.
598 reviews5 followers
March 30, 2024
This is the second book I read in this series. Mad Max and Cheyenne's. Enjoyed their story, so I wanted to read more from this author.

This one is more slower paced and has a lot more inner dialogue through the first hundred pages. There are interactions between characters. But Reese aka Gator and Bailey aka TroubleMaker is limited.

The other club members are great as well as their old ladies and the misfit group of friends. Bailey's parents, a blast to read that part.

Gator knew right away Bailey was gonna be his old lady. He just wanted to take his time. Which he did.

Bailey definitely liked Gator but wanted to keep her distance. The wasn't much resistance when he finally grew a pair and made his move.

The ending felt rushed to me. I didn't like what was going on during the ending and maybe that's why it was rushed? It could have had more depth to the rescue aspect.

The book does hint at an age Gap but never really specifies the gap with actual ages. So I don't believe it is a major age Gap than a few years. She's is older though.

There are triggers. Uncomfortable triggers.

MC Romance
Reverse Age Gap?
Suspense
Triggers
Profile Image for Cherie Melbourne.
1,364 reviews15 followers
March 24, 2024
This is a first read of a story by this author. I did feel it would have been a better read if I had read the earlier books in the series to get to know the characters better.
I didn't have any problems putting this story down & walking away as the first half of the story was mainly Bailey and Gator going over things in their heads about the whys and why nots they should be together, it became boring for me.
There were gaps in the story that could have been filled with some interesting details, the mud run is the perfect example. We have the team heading to the start line & then the story continues after the end of the race, that gap in between could have been used to add some funny moments & show Gator to be the everything that Bailey needed.
The final chapter of the story was confusing, there was no indication of the relevance to the story I had just read. I read it 3 times to make sure I wasn't missing something.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Darcy.
14.4k reviews542 followers
January 28, 2025
Gator has been fun since we met him. I liked how he got his name and how the club then took it to the next level and how Gator found out about it. It was also fun to see Gator instantly smitten on Bailey, yet he knew he would have to bid his time because Bailey had a hard time getting past that he was younger than her, despite all the other words he kept saying about how into her he was. But once Bailey allowed herself the possibility of being with Gator that seemed to be it for them, it was a done deal and they were a couple.

Bailey adjusted well to the club and the people associated with it. Even took hearing about their secret mission and how they wanted her help with it. Sadly things got a bit out of control at the end, but through all of that Bailey kept the faith that Gator would come for her and helped the others by telling this as well.

It was nice to see things end well for our couple and for the trash to get what they had coming for them.
Profile Image for Patricia Baxes.
3,050 reviews30 followers
March 27, 2024
Even if you start to get a little ‘bored’ in the earlier chapters, once you hit chapter 20–HANG ON!! You won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough! I feel I should tell you that some parts of the book have some very difficult moments. Be sure to read the Trigger Warning section at the beginning of the book so you’ll be prepared.

The storyline really kicks you-know-what; the characters are totally amazing (and very hot); the plot is twisted evil yet somehow it all works; and the HEA is downright incredible! This book belongs on your TBR list whether you like MC books or not. Just grab it today—you’ll be glad you did! (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and was totally blown away by it.)
Profile Image for Darcy.
1,693 reviews9 followers
March 28, 2024
Born to a drug addict mother and adopted by her parents, Bailey has never felt like she fit in anywhere. She was bullied in throughout her school years and isn't quick to let anyone get close to her except for her "misfit" friends. When Gator shows interest in her, she doesn't trust that he will also leave her, especially since he is so much younger than her and can have any woman he wants. I loved their romance because he was willing to wait for her and give her every assurance that he would not be the one to walk away. When she becomes a victim to the group the Hounds are trying to take down, Gator will not let anything get in his way. The Hounds of the Reaper MC does not disappoint.
Profile Image for Melissa.
997 reviews5 followers
March 2, 2025
I felt like this was the best book of the series for much of it. Gator has made it absolutely clear in previous books that Bailey is his world and seeing him finally get her was so satisfying. The reason I didn't rate this five stars though is a big one for me - throughout the series, Bailey has talked about how big she is but then it comes out that she's a size 14 in jeans. That's an average size for a woman in America. That soured me on the author for quite a while.

I also wish that we had more of the end conflict. I felt like that was pretty rushed and could have made for an excellent nearly full book storyline.
Profile Image for Merry Jelks-Emmanuel.
13.1k reviews154 followers
March 20, 2024
Gator and Bailey kept me glued to the pages of their exciting story. He is younger than she is but is drawn to her anyway. He has patched in with the Hounds of the Reaper MC and now looking for his forever woman. She tries to stay away but the pull between them is strong and when her past returns and he is an enemy to Gator's MC. Will her nemesis bring chaos and danger to Bailey and Gator of which his MC brothers have to answer the call. This story kept me glued to the pages.
I am volunteering to leave a review for an arc of this book.
Profile Image for Angela Rush.
Author 10 books20 followers
April 23, 2024
Awesome read

I’m loving this series and SJ Rowe did not disappoint with this one. I was so looking forward to this one and it was great. Tear jerking, full of romance, and mystery.
Bailey is a curvy girl and Gator is a younger hottie. He falls first and is determined to get his girl! She finally accepts his attention and falls hard, but insecurities from her past causes her to doubt him. Then an evil she wasn’t expecting takes her and one of her students. Despite them being at odds, Bailey hangs on to hope for her man to find her and save the day.
Swoon worthy with a HEA!
Profile Image for Camille.
18 reviews
September 5, 2024
Ok I love this series. Each book gets better and better
But the C8 stuff is driving me mental! I CANT FIGURE IT OUT!

Are they involved with the human trafficking? Are they good or bad? Is someone in the hounds working with them or a plant? Is it CIA or Jimmy related. I need to know. I was hoping I was going to get more info since there was more than just encrypted messages this time but I still have no idea. I’m thinking it’s human trafficking based on the Texas comment but dear god I need someone to bounce ideas off of with!

WHO IS C8!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
4,806 reviews9 followers
July 28, 2025
okay read

Had high expectations with this book as really liked Reece and Bailey. Started off really well but then when the critical incident occurred I felt great disappointment in how the author portrayed Bailey and the almost blasé way other individuals were treated. No follow up post rescue about anyone until almost the last chapter. Lost lots of points so just okay read. Last two books had been really good and disappointing that Bailey became less of a troublemaker. Liked the retribution doled out.
1 review
October 5, 2025
Enjoying the series, it’s a light and fast read. I’m not sure if the author is dumbing down the vocabulary or trying to create a mood. The use of “ain’t” drives me crazy. I don’t know any English teachers, accountants, or officers in the military who would use that word as a routine part of their vocabulary. Also, a teacher constantly cussing is just wrong. Definitely needs better word building and someone to fix grammatical errors.
The stories are interesting and are complete but do end with a continuing cliffhanger. Lot of drama and HEA. Hopefully, I can get over the overuse of ain’t.
92 reviews
April 19, 2024
absolutely phenomenal

I have come to love this series so much it is unreal. I literally cried in earlier episodes and now I’ve fallen in love with Gator and his love for Bailey is so heart warming. He knew what he wanted and by god he was going to do what ever he needed to do to win her love and god help anyone who was stupid enough to try and take that away from him. Definitely a must read. 💜🔥💜🥰
212 reviews
April 27, 2024
Good, yes. Slow, yes.

I was looking forward to this one, I love this series (although I wasn’t a huge fan of Mad Max) but parts of this book had me skimming. It is sort if a slow burn. The plot is good and the characters are great just such lengthy paragraphs and chapters with extra stuff that I just felt like I didn’t need this time around? I am still interested in “Candy” and the shop and C8???? Maybe the next book will give us more info?! Happy Reading
Profile Image for Genny.
39 reviews2 followers
Read
October 9, 2024
DNF 5% in. Last book we used a stereotypical representation of autism and this book is a stereotypical “oh woe is me I’m fat and no man will ever love me and everyone teased me growing up” representation. I see from other reviews that the book gets better but I can’t move on from this part. Sucks because I liked the series before the last two books. Don’t know if I’ll continue with the next book.
29 reviews
February 6, 2025
This series just keeps getting better!!!

Omg I am so in love with these characters!!!! Bailey and Gator are such a great pair. I have been rooting for them since Flints book. I so enjoy the fact that the story line continues through each book but isn’t repeated and boring. The arc grows as each couple goes through different events. The club as a whole comes together and the plot just gets thicker. !!!!
Profile Image for Wendy Livingstone.
20k reviews257 followers
June 1, 2025
Amazing!!

This is Gator and Bailey's story.
This is a well written story which has family, friendships, emotions, actions, danger, suspense, intrigue, loyalty, challenges, secrets, lies, heartbreak, angst, twists and turns, undeniable chemistry, humour, witty banter, and unconditional love, which all leads to an entertaining, haunting, and unpredictable addictive page turner.
I look forward to more more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.
Profile Image for amys.readsx.
204 reviews10 followers
June 2, 2025
Such a good story

I loved Gator and Bailey's story so much! I related to Bailey and could understand all her reservations. Gator is nothing but amazing, though, and I love that she never had to second guess him.. until he effed up a little, but he came in hero swinging!

Loved the story, the sprinkle of spice, and as always.. every member of the hounds! Definitely a page turner. It kept me invested. On to the next!
16.6k reviews153 followers
March 20, 2024
He has been called many things but soldier is one of the better one. He is part of a MC club and he is about to find her. She is in need of help and he will do all in his power to keep her safe. What is going to happen? How will it all go? See just what will happen for them all
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review
Profile Image for Ana Armstrong.
1,608 reviews
July 10, 2024
Awesome story!

Wow!!!
Gator and Bailey’s story has been a long time coming and worth the wait. My gosh, after a bit of a rocky start, these 2 have a fantastic love story.
There are so many twists and turns and storylines popping up in this book - you gotta pay attention or you’ll get lost.
Loved this one and can’t wait for the next!
15 reviews
September 27, 2024
omg!

Omg I absolutely love these books could not out them down!!! Really need the rest to come on kindle unlimited because I am just itching to read them!! Honest to god one of the mc best series I have read so far! So captivating and i would clear your whole day if you plan on picking these books up because once you start you cannot put them down!
Profile Image for GKP2460 .
4,249 reviews70 followers
March 22, 2024
"Soldier was the term I signed up for. Prospect is what became of me. Gator is what I earned. A Hound of the Reaper is who I am."

Gator is Gator and Baileys good, reverse age gap read. Great characters and an engaging storyline that keeps you glued to the pages from beginning to end.
1,928 reviews3 followers
April 21, 2024
Ok

This book was ok. I liked the characters and storyline but it was really just drawn out. Lot of filler that didn't add anything to the book, but made me want to just skip through parts of it.
549 reviews
December 17, 2024
I liked this book and would have given it 4 stars, but someone needs to proofread before publishing. There were numerous errors throughout the book that had me stopping to figure out what was being said. Very frustrating and really takes away the enjoyment of the book.
1,758 reviews34 followers
April 26, 2025
Gator

I absolutely loved Gator and Bailey’s story ❤️❤️❤️ and I am addicted to the Hounds of Reapers MC series. A definite page turner and very entertaining. 100% recommend this book to everyone ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ you will not be disappointed 😎🖤
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