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Sinners & Saints #1
Riding Irish
Mayhem is a way of life for Avery. The last thing she needs is a complication like Kane. The medal-winning swimmer who comes to her rescue is the ultimate golden boy. Everything this woman from the wrong side of the tracks shouldn't want and everything she can't stop thinking about. But emotion--and vulnerability--are liabilities she can't afford.
Kane can't understand why he experiences such dark, forbidden and kinky desires when he is around Avery. But her touch sparks a hunger deep inside him, and unleashes an erotic discovery where pain becomes pleasure. Their uninhibited passion reveals Kane's dominant nature.
As Avery submits to Kane, exploring boundaries and pushing limits, she discovers a life she never expected. The unlikely pair forge a bond so tight, their unyielding trust gives way to a love like no other. But Avery's brothers--members of Oahu's most notorious motorcycle club--have other plans. Now Avery is forced to make a decision where her loyalty resides--with her family or with a lover who brings peace to the chaos surrounding her.
Kane can't understand why he experiences such dark, forbidden and kinky desires when he is around Avery. But her touch sparks a hunger deep inside him, and unleashes an erotic discovery where pain becomes pleasure. Their uninhibited passion reveals Kane's dominant nature.
As Avery submits to Kane, exploring boundaries and pushing limits, she discovers a life she never expected. The unlikely pair forge a bond so tight, their unyielding trust gives way to a love like no other. But Avery's brothers--members of Oahu's most notorious motorcycle club--have other plans. Now Avery is forced to make a decision where her loyalty resides--with her family or with a lover who brings peace to the chaos surrounding her.
- GenresSportsContemporary
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 3, 2014
10 people are currently reading
517 people want to read
About the author
Sara Brookes
36 books224 followersA native Virginian, Sara sold her first published romance novel, FLASH OF DARK, an urban fantasy romance pitting vampires against the Fae, in 2009. Since that fateful day, she's published over 20 books in various sub-genres of romance, been generously honored with several awards, and saved the world from evil chocolate chip cookies.
Though she may insist otherwise, Sara loves the places her mind conjures and has always been fascinated by the strange, the unusual, the twisted and the lost (tortured heroes are her personal favorite). She is an action movie junkie, addicted to coffee and has been known to stay up until the wee hours of the morning playing RPG video games. Despite all this geekiness, she is a romantic at heart and is always a sucker for an excellent love story.
Though she may insist otherwise, Sara loves the places her mind conjures and has always been fascinated by the strange, the unusual, the twisted and the lost (tortured heroes are her personal favorite). She is an action movie junkie, addicted to coffee and has been known to stay up until the wee hours of the morning playing RPG video games. Despite all this geekiness, she is a romantic at heart and is always a sucker for an excellent love story.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 10, 2015
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
Having grown up with a deep love for motorcycles and being born in the surf state of California how can I not be excited for a book that mix bikes and surfing? Riding Irish starts off with a bang though the main character into literally a life or death position. The connection between the two is so quick it is almost unbelievable but it flows. I will say I was completely in love with the other male characters and happy to see that their stories are coming. My biggest complaint is for sure that some of the book seems rushed while others parts dragged on too much.
Having grown up with a deep love for motorcycles and being born in the surf state of California how can I not be excited for a book that mix bikes and surfing? Riding Irish starts off with a bang though the main character into literally a life or death position. The connection between the two is so quick it is almost unbelievable but it flows. I will say I was completely in love with the other male characters and happy to see that their stories are coming. My biggest complaint is for sure that some of the book seems rushed while others parts dragged on too much.
March 15, 2019
Pretty good. Lots of drama. The BDSM stuff seemed thrown in for kicks.
Bought from kobo.
Bought from kobo.
July 2, 2014
You wouldn't expect an epic love story to come out of a novel featuring an outlaw motorcycle club and an Olympic medalist, but that's exactly what you get in RIDING IRISH.
Former Olympic swimmer and entrepreneur Kane O'Hanlon is content with his life in Hawaii. Preparing for another season of rescues and recoveries with his business partners, he's struck dumb when he meets the beautiful surfer named Avery. Not one to take women too seriously, Kane knows at first glance that Avery is something special. The two of them can't seem to stay away from one another, but Avery desperately wants to help Kane get out of his own head during sex, to forget the saint versus sinner conflict and help him give into his darker needs. Because of his turmoil, among other things, their passionate affair is short-lived, and apart, both of them wind up making major life decisions within the next few years.
When Kane and Avery reconnect, he finds out that the reason she never contacted him after their breakup was due to her connection to the Dullahans--a notorious outlaw motorcycle gang that terrorizes the island. Kane knows you can't choose your family, and he and Avery quickly continue where they left off years ago...with a few surprising and erotic changes on Kane's end. Love hits them both fast and furious, but Avery's loyalty to her man will be tested when her brothers cause more trouble than they can get out of on their own. When all hell breaks loose and mayhem strikes, love and loyalty will be put to the test for everyone.
RIDING IRISH is book 1 in the forthcoming Sinners & Saints series by the incredibly talented Sara Brookes. This is the first book of hers I've had the pleasure of reading, and if they are all this amazing, I will be picking up her other works ASAP. The ever-present feeling of danger that permeated this story was tempered perfectly by an epic love story that even the most jaded romance fans will enjoy. Between the beautiful golden boy Olympic swimmer falling in love with the sister of four vicious and dangerous outlaw motorcycle gang members, and the edge of pain that Kane brought to their lovemaking when they reunited, RIDING IRISH kept me captivated and salavating from page one.
While I'm not into breath play in books as a rule, I have to admit that Ms. Brookes wrote such a stunningly beautiful story, much of which centered around breathing in one way or another. Kane used his knowledge of breath control from his swimming days to teach others how to stay calm and control their breathing underwater. This translated beautifully to the bedroom when he used the same techniques with Avery during some of their BDSM sessions. The transformation that Kane went through during their separation to get to the point where he embraced his Dominant side and learned how to control himself was fascinating. And while Avery could've been an easy character to hate for her dirty past and sketchy dealings, her strength and honesty made her an amazing heroine for me. The two of them had chemistry in spades and really were meant to be together. I appreciated that Ms. Brookes didn't wrap everything up in a nice neat bow with Avery's family, that there wasn't necessarily a wake up call for her deviant brothers and they suddenly became choir boys.
RIDING IRISH was gritty from beginning to end and I loved every second of the erotic yet tasteful sex, the raw sensuality, the dark danger and the perfectly developed cast and setting. I am anxiously awaiting the opportunity to pick up the next book in the Sinners & Saints series!
Former Olympic swimmer and entrepreneur Kane O'Hanlon is content with his life in Hawaii. Preparing for another season of rescues and recoveries with his business partners, he's struck dumb when he meets the beautiful surfer named Avery. Not one to take women too seriously, Kane knows at first glance that Avery is something special. The two of them can't seem to stay away from one another, but Avery desperately wants to help Kane get out of his own head during sex, to forget the saint versus sinner conflict and help him give into his darker needs. Because of his turmoil, among other things, their passionate affair is short-lived, and apart, both of them wind up making major life decisions within the next few years.
When Kane and Avery reconnect, he finds out that the reason she never contacted him after their breakup was due to her connection to the Dullahans--a notorious outlaw motorcycle gang that terrorizes the island. Kane knows you can't choose your family, and he and Avery quickly continue where they left off years ago...with a few surprising and erotic changes on Kane's end. Love hits them both fast and furious, but Avery's loyalty to her man will be tested when her brothers cause more trouble than they can get out of on their own. When all hell breaks loose and mayhem strikes, love and loyalty will be put to the test for everyone.
RIDING IRISH is book 1 in the forthcoming Sinners & Saints series by the incredibly talented Sara Brookes. This is the first book of hers I've had the pleasure of reading, and if they are all this amazing, I will be picking up her other works ASAP. The ever-present feeling of danger that permeated this story was tempered perfectly by an epic love story that even the most jaded romance fans will enjoy. Between the beautiful golden boy Olympic swimmer falling in love with the sister of four vicious and dangerous outlaw motorcycle gang members, and the edge of pain that Kane brought to their lovemaking when they reunited, RIDING IRISH kept me captivated and salavating from page one.
While I'm not into breath play in books as a rule, I have to admit that Ms. Brookes wrote such a stunningly beautiful story, much of which centered around breathing in one way or another. Kane used his knowledge of breath control from his swimming days to teach others how to stay calm and control their breathing underwater. This translated beautifully to the bedroom when he used the same techniques with Avery during some of their BDSM sessions. The transformation that Kane went through during their separation to get to the point where he embraced his Dominant side and learned how to control himself was fascinating. And while Avery could've been an easy character to hate for her dirty past and sketchy dealings, her strength and honesty made her an amazing heroine for me. The two of them had chemistry in spades and really were meant to be together. I appreciated that Ms. Brookes didn't wrap everything up in a nice neat bow with Avery's family, that there wasn't necessarily a wake up call for her deviant brothers and they suddenly became choir boys.
RIDING IRISH was gritty from beginning to end and I loved every second of the erotic yet tasteful sex, the raw sensuality, the dark danger and the perfectly developed cast and setting. I am anxiously awaiting the opportunity to pick up the next book in the Sinners & Saints series!
April 6, 2017
Riding Irish is the first book in the new series, Sinners & Saints, by Sara Brookes. This exciting book is filled with hot sex, hot waves and bikers all set on a Hawaiian island. You’ll fall in love with golden boy as he struggles with his desires for the girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Come ride along for the ride of your life with Kane and Avery as they push their limits and discovery the love they have for one another.
Avery is a interesting one. Surfer, sister to MC bad boys, and she like her sex rough. What she actually does for a living besides surf I really couldn’t figure out but I did like her character. She would also happen to be the Sinner here (Pssst…You’ll have to read the book to find out why!). I like Kane, really I do. He worked through some of his head issues in an adequate amount of time enough that I could accept him as a Dom. His time with Avery always seemed very spot on especially when they are intimate. However, he is most definitely the saint in this book because there were moments when I found him just a smudge too goody-goody for some of the action scenes (of the non-sex variety) for it to be believable. As Kane struggles with what he thinks is wrong then comes into his own and becomes a Dom, you just know things are going to get interesting. Yowza do they! Avery and Kane put together are excitement and heat. Outside the bedroom they make a sweet couple but in the bedroom…oh yeah! They are quite the complete package. Does this book have a HEA for them? Certainly does and the journey they take to get there was fantabulous!
Of course, you can’t have bikers without some kind of rumble between rival clubs. This is where I’ll mention the secondary characters. You’ve got group A, Avery brothers. Not a fan of these boys. This is your younger sister guys. Show some respect! Then you have group B, their rivals. Typical bad guys, with a stereo-type turf war. Hello! You’re on a Hawaiian island. It can’t be that big to have turf wars. Then there is group C, the Riding Irish which is part of what this series is partially about. Kane and his biker friend forming a club. For me that is incidental because Kane’s friends are very interesting and I’m REEEALLY hoping Garvey and Boone get their own books.
I was telling my BBFs about this new exciting series by Sara Brookes. They know I’m a big fan of hers and asked me what’s it about. Then I realized I couldn’t quite pin it down. The title implies this is meant to be a MC since the word ‘Riding’ is in it. I wanted to say it was a MC series but the very few that I have read have been very violent, aggressive and filled with harsh language all of which was pretty much lacking. There was a sport aspect to it as well with Kane being a swimmer and Avery being a surfer. It most definitely had BDSM action so that pushes it into the erotic genre. So it’s a BDSM/MC romance between to athletes? I think I just hurt my brain trying to figure it out. What I do know is I enjoyed Riding Irish and anyone who loves Ms. Brookes will, too.
I received this book from the JeepDiva for the express purposes of an honest review. The opinions and rating of this review are solely mine and in no way was I compensated.
Stars– 4, Flames – 4
Avery is a interesting one. Surfer, sister to MC bad boys, and she like her sex rough. What she actually does for a living besides surf I really couldn’t figure out but I did like her character. She would also happen to be the Sinner here (Pssst…You’ll have to read the book to find out why!). I like Kane, really I do. He worked through some of his head issues in an adequate amount of time enough that I could accept him as a Dom. His time with Avery always seemed very spot on especially when they are intimate. However, he is most definitely the saint in this book because there were moments when I found him just a smudge too goody-goody for some of the action scenes (of the non-sex variety) for it to be believable. As Kane struggles with what he thinks is wrong then comes into his own and becomes a Dom, you just know things are going to get interesting. Yowza do they! Avery and Kane put together are excitement and heat. Outside the bedroom they make a sweet couple but in the bedroom…oh yeah! They are quite the complete package. Does this book have a HEA for them? Certainly does and the journey they take to get there was fantabulous!
Of course, you can’t have bikers without some kind of rumble between rival clubs. This is where I’ll mention the secondary characters. You’ve got group A, Avery brothers. Not a fan of these boys. This is your younger sister guys. Show some respect! Then you have group B, their rivals. Typical bad guys, with a stereo-type turf war. Hello! You’re on a Hawaiian island. It can’t be that big to have turf wars. Then there is group C, the Riding Irish which is part of what this series is partially about. Kane and his biker friend forming a club. For me that is incidental because Kane’s friends are very interesting and I’m REEEALLY hoping Garvey and Boone get their own books.
I was telling my BBFs about this new exciting series by Sara Brookes. They know I’m a big fan of hers and asked me what’s it about. Then I realized I couldn’t quite pin it down. The title implies this is meant to be a MC since the word ‘Riding’ is in it. I wanted to say it was a MC series but the very few that I have read have been very violent, aggressive and filled with harsh language all of which was pretty much lacking. There was a sport aspect to it as well with Kane being a swimmer and Avery being a surfer. It most definitely had BDSM action so that pushes it into the erotic genre. So it’s a BDSM/MC romance between to athletes? I think I just hurt my brain trying to figure it out. What I do know is I enjoyed Riding Irish and anyone who loves Ms. Brookes will, too.
I received this book from the JeepDiva for the express purposes of an honest review. The opinions and rating of this review are solely mine and in no way was I compensated.
Stars– 4, Flames – 4
August 6, 2014
Surfers, bikers and dominants are a powerful combination of sexy goodness. Ms. Brookes kicks off a new series with reformed bad boys and submissive girls.
Avery is a surfer who is hesitant to ever compete in a competition. She practices, signs up for the competition and then becomes a no show. When she meets the famous surfer, Kane, she may change her tune and show up to compete for once.
Avery and Kane quickly fall for each other. They are both water lovers with a shared passion. Kane changed his life by saving lives. The company he started is amazing and if this is really a type of company in existence, I'd love to take classes there. It's an adrenaline rush. The chemistry between these two characters feels like an adrenaline rush, too. They get into it hard and heavy. The sex is kinky, and just when it seems to be going so well, they crash, both figuratively and literally. Avery is in an accident, which whisks her from the arms of Kane.
The conflict in this story is well written. It's frustrating too because it shows how the bonds of family will override a person's good sense. Avery is caught between what she knows is right and her idolization of her older brothers from memories in her younger years. The way Avery has to choose between lover and family is all too painful.
The BDSM in this story is medium. It holds more a D/s aspect to it. It's just the right kinky level for most erotic readers. There is one little piece which may be too much for some--breathplay. It's done in a way that does make sense though, because both characters are water people. I loved it since I'm a convert to breathplay and I tend to be a water person.
The story does move at a good pace. Ms. Brookes does a good job of transition when doing leaps ahead to several years later. There are a couple of pieces to the story which were left out though. The break up is explained after the fact instead of in real time. This I'm mixed about. It works in this story but may leave some readers feeling as if they missed a chapter.
Overall, this is a smexy read recommended for those who enjoy athletic characters getting their kink on.
July 16, 2014
Kane O’Hanlon is a former swimmer and Olympic god medalist. After walking away from the sport, he has invested his life to open PRO, a rescue and recovery business in Hawaii. He has made it his life to teach and train swimmers and surfers breathing techniques to help ensure them extra time to be rescued if needed.
Avery Dullahan is the only girl in the Dullahan’s family. Her four older brothers are part of, and lead, the most notorious biker gangs on the island. She tries to stay away from her brothers’ jobs, and frees herself with surfing. She used to surf competitively, but lately cannot get her head in the game to enjoy it.
At the near drowning of Avery’s best friend Natalie, Avery and Kane meet and start a no strings relationship. Avery is extremely free in her sexuality and tries to help Kane lose all of his restraints that he holds on himself. Kane just can’t let go, and ends things with Avery to preserve who he thinks he should be.
“She’d never met anyone so bothered by his own sexuality, yet who owned it with everything he was when all those guards fell down. The savior and the sinner. For some reason, he’d convinced himself he couldn’t be those two things at the same time.”
Three years later, they start up their relationship again after Avery asks Kane for help with her brother. This time, Kane has completely embraced himself sexually, and their connection is stronger than ever. When her brothers’ biker gang puts Avery’s life on the line, everyone’s loyalty and love are tested. Will their love be enough?
So this book was H O T…seriously. I would love for Kane to unleash himself on me…if you know what I mean. I think that’s what drew me into the story; I wanted to see where Kane and Avery’s relationship was going to go. Because not knowing their backgrounds, I had a hard time connecting with the characters individually, and parts of the story seemed to jump around. Leaning about why Kane walked away from swimming gave me a lot of insight into who he is, but it was a little harder to get to know Avery. On a side note of me thinking of it, are there really that many Irish people living in Hawaii? All in all, it was a good start for a series, and I want to see where else Sara Brookes takes it. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
****I was gifted a copy in return for an honest review****
Avery Dullahan is the only girl in the Dullahan’s family. Her four older brothers are part of, and lead, the most notorious biker gangs on the island. She tries to stay away from her brothers’ jobs, and frees herself with surfing. She used to surf competitively, but lately cannot get her head in the game to enjoy it.
At the near drowning of Avery’s best friend Natalie, Avery and Kane meet and start a no strings relationship. Avery is extremely free in her sexuality and tries to help Kane lose all of his restraints that he holds on himself. Kane just can’t let go, and ends things with Avery to preserve who he thinks he should be.
“She’d never met anyone so bothered by his own sexuality, yet who owned it with everything he was when all those guards fell down. The savior and the sinner. For some reason, he’d convinced himself he couldn’t be those two things at the same time.”
Three years later, they start up their relationship again after Avery asks Kane for help with her brother. This time, Kane has completely embraced himself sexually, and their connection is stronger than ever. When her brothers’ biker gang puts Avery’s life on the line, everyone’s loyalty and love are tested. Will their love be enough?
So this book was H O T…seriously. I would love for Kane to unleash himself on me…if you know what I mean. I think that’s what drew me into the story; I wanted to see where Kane and Avery’s relationship was going to go. Because not knowing their backgrounds, I had a hard time connecting with the characters individually, and parts of the story seemed to jump around. Leaning about why Kane walked away from swimming gave me a lot of insight into who he is, but it was a little harder to get to know Avery. On a side note of me thinking of it, are there really that many Irish people living in Hawaii? All in all, it was a good start for a series, and I want to see where else Sara Brookes takes it. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
****I was gifted a copy in return for an honest review****
August 1, 2014
Night Owl Review
Original Review Published here: http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Rev...
Avery Dullahan’s life has always been complicated. She is trying to get her life in order and keep it away from her older brothers who are in a motorcycle gang. However, her brothers keep drawing her into their dangerous game. Avery seems ready to put her brothers into her past and move forward. But is still drawn into their games.
Kane O’Hanlon is an Olympic gold medalist swimmer. He lived for the sport for several years until he walked away and opened his PRO shop. He works a rescue and recovery business. Kane still battles his demons from his past. Demons that are connected to Avery. He meets up with her again. He has changed and now embraces himself and seems to get over many of his demons.
The connection between Avery and Kane is intense. The sex scenes are blistering. I enjoyed seeing how Kane dominated Avery without a lot of stuff and toys. While I don’t like to read about breath play the author incorporated it in a way that put a very beautiful spin on something that could be very dangerous if done wrong. In addition, it incorporated in the overall story line the breathing classes that Kane teaches at his shop.
Riding Irish is the first book in the Sinners & Saints series by Sara Brookes. This book is very well written with a believable plot. I loved that the story was not rushed. The main and the secondary characters are fascinating and engaging. The ending of the story was a bit predictable but the ride there was truly interesting.
Overall, this was a great story. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Original Review Published here: http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Rev...
Avery Dullahan’s life has always been complicated. She is trying to get her life in order and keep it away from her older brothers who are in a motorcycle gang. However, her brothers keep drawing her into their dangerous game. Avery seems ready to put her brothers into her past and move forward. But is still drawn into their games.
Kane O’Hanlon is an Olympic gold medalist swimmer. He lived for the sport for several years until he walked away and opened his PRO shop. He works a rescue and recovery business. Kane still battles his demons from his past. Demons that are connected to Avery. He meets up with her again. He has changed and now embraces himself and seems to get over many of his demons.
The connection between Avery and Kane is intense. The sex scenes are blistering. I enjoyed seeing how Kane dominated Avery without a lot of stuff and toys. While I don’t like to read about breath play the author incorporated it in a way that put a very beautiful spin on something that could be very dangerous if done wrong. In addition, it incorporated in the overall story line the breathing classes that Kane teaches at his shop.
Riding Irish is the first book in the Sinners & Saints series by Sara Brookes. This book is very well written with a believable plot. I loved that the story was not rushed. The main and the secondary characters are fascinating and engaging. The ending of the story was a bit predictable but the ride there was truly interesting.
Overall, this was a great story. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
June 18, 2014
I had a few mixed feelings whilst reading this one. Don't get me wrong I really enjoyed the characters of Kane and Avery. The passion these two shared was intense to say the least. Their passion together was hot as.
One thing I didn't really understand is that after being engaged how Kane could not have noticed that Avery had gone missing for over a day. Wouldn't he have contacted his fiancé. I know he had been out drinking with his mates but to then spend the next day and then half of the following day without even trying to make contact and then finding out through Avery's brothers that she had been kidnapped seemed a little odd to me.
I think I liked Kane a little better before Avery's accident. He seemed less self involved when it came to Avery then, although it was good that he finally accepted the direction his life was going. I just thought he seemed more about getting Avery off then any thing else.
One thing I didn't really understand is that after being engaged how Kane could not have noticed that Avery had gone missing for over a day. Wouldn't he have contacted his fiancé. I know he had been out drinking with his mates but to then spend the next day and then half of the following day without even trying to make contact and then finding out through Avery's brothers that she had been kidnapped seemed a little odd to me.
I think I liked Kane a little better before Avery's accident. He seemed less self involved when it came to Avery then, although it was good that he finally accepted the direction his life was going. I just thought he seemed more about getting Avery off then any thing else.
July 27, 2015
I loved and enjoyed reading the sensational, captivating romantic, erotic love story I received free from Goodreads First Reads.
Avery is trying to break free from the notorious motorcycle club that her brothers are involved in. While surfing with her friend, Natalie, they both find themselves in a life and death situation. Kane and his friend rescue the girls and while Natalie is rushed to the hospital, Kane drives a shaken up Avery home.
Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written love story of Kane and Avery by the talented author Sara Brookes.
Avery is trying to break free from the notorious motorcycle club that her brothers are involved in. While surfing with her friend, Natalie, they both find themselves in a life and death situation. Kane and his friend rescue the girls and while Natalie is rushed to the hospital, Kane drives a shaken up Avery home.
Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written love story of Kane and Avery by the talented author Sara Brookes.
June 16, 2014
An unlikely romance between the conflicted sister of a criminal motorcycle club and a retired Olympic swimming champion leads to murder, mayhem, and a whole lot of scorching D/s sex. Great setup for what looks to be a promising new series.
November 20, 2014
A review of this book can be found here http://www.bdsmbookreviews.com/2014/1...
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews