This trope - (ex) White Supremacist, Nationalist, sympathizer / Black woman is one of my favorite guilty pleasures. I know. I know. Given the current political climate they've become a lot harder to enjoy, and they've taken a bit of a back burner on my reading list, but I stumbled upon this one and decided to give it a go. I enjoyed it, and am anxiously awaiting Book 2. That's right, the story doesn't end here; you have to read on for the HEA.
For a debut novel, this was pretty impressive. I had my issues, and didn't really settle into the plausibility of the story until right at the 50% mark but, after that, it was smooth sailing.
Megan goes to the August Knights motorcycle club to petition Shark, the MC President, to work off her sister's drug debt. I've seen this storyline before and I always have problems with it, especially given the fact that Megan is a black woman and this is a racist, redneck MC. The author does her best to set up a backstory, that Megan has let investigators know she's there so they can't just kill her, and that the club President is amused that she's 'crazy' and heck, why not just have their own personal maid/slave for a month...but it doesn't really work for me. I really see no reason why Shark would agree to this, given that he really had no way of knowing she wasn't a plant even though he confirmed that yes, her sister is in rehab, and yes, she does write books. I think the Feds could pull those two things off. So, we start off with me already giving this whole scenario the side eye. There is some passing mention of Shark finding her attractive and you get the sense that his strict orders that no one have sex with her, is because it would be bad form to him to take a taste himself. I wish he had been the one to mention her physical features, because Megan being the one to go on about her nice ass and breasts while in the middle of the situation she was in, was making me give this whole thing side eye #2.
Then, Aaron returns. Aaron is Shark's son and Vice Chairman/Enforcer. He'd been out on a job and is now back after two weeks, wondering why the hell there is a black woman serving food to the club members. Long story short, Megan is given to him to clean his house to compensate him for money owed to him by his cousin, and then it's places, people! Cause we're cooking with gas!
Aaron is not his father and the author takes pains to show that he is dissatisfied with MC life, and thinks most of them are a bunch of ignorant knuckleheads. He doesn't have some archaic view on race, though he's not exactly joining the NAACP. His thing is 'you respect me and stay out of my way, and I'll respect you'. But man, is he attracted to Megan and the curvy body she's trying to hide under her loose fitting clothes. Again, the build up here is a little clunky with much being made of Megan being 'crazy' and liking to walk on the wild side so we don't question her reasons for falling for a big, 'racist biker'. I felt it was a bit of a copout ie. telling and not showing. I did like that Aaron was big on consent, and that his stir craziness over his attraction to Megan was well done, and well documented. Once they were locked and loaded, I was fully engaged and really started to enjoy the story.
The sex - yes, yes, lawd and sweet, baby Jesus! Aaron was laying that pipe like he worked for the union. I was not mad at Megan AT ALL. Megan was a strong heroine and not one of these other silly types that get on my damn nerves. She was ride or die and, when placed in a precarious situation where she had to step up, she did the damn thing.
The 'ending' was fitting, and I didn't so much feel it ended on a cliffhanger, as it closed a certain chapter and prepared you for the next. Be warned, there is no HEA here; you have to wait for Book 2.
There are some funny moments - the scene with the black guys at 'The Mart', and Shark calling Megan every other 'M' name but the one her mama gave her.
Editing is very well done.
Warnings - you have to have an affinity for this type of book. The original scenario is offensive, the racist language, the whole servitude to work off the debt thing, and like I said, Megan's initial reaction to both Shark and Aaron will have you going, 'Say what??' The whole maid/slave cleaning bit had something raise up in me hard, and I struggled in the beginning. As for the author's warnings, violence, murder etc avoid if these are triggers for you. For me, it's right up my alley and I almost broke a nail rushing to hit the 'read for free' button.
Final answer - this was an enjoyable book, with a bit of a clunky start, that evens out midway. For a debut novel I was very impressed, especially because the author takes care to avoid many of the pitfalls of much more seasoned authors in this trope.
I give an A for effort, and very much look forward to Aaron going to get his woman!