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Iron Horse MC #1
Exquisite Trouble
This is the first book in the Iron Horse MC series, with Swan and Smoke's story . . .
Before I met Smoke I'd never been kissed, really kissed, by a man, let alone a biker sex god bent on taking my virginity and my heart.
I got dragged into the deadly world of the Iron Horse MC by my crazy twin sister who is engaged to the club's President and even crazier mom who only cares about herself. Smoke has been assigned by the club to keep me safe even though he's everything that I should be afraid of. He's the kind of man who lives by his own rules and does whatever he wants whenever he wants, but he treats me like I'm something rare and precious, not a socially dysfunctional basket case who has no idea how to love, but needs him more than her next breath.
Not that my feelings matter, because if we don't find my mother soon, the only thing I'll have to be worried about is who is going to kill me first.
*-*
NOTE: This book, "Exquisite Trouble" is the first part of two, telling the story of Swan and Smoke, with a 'Happy For Now' ending. Their HEA follows in "Exquisite Danger", the second book of the series.
Iron Horse MC series
Reading order:
Book 1: Exquisite Trouble (Swan & Smoke, Pt #1)
Book 2: Exquisite Danger (Swan & Smoke, Pt #2)
Book 3: Exquisite Redemption (Sarah & Beach, Pt #1)
Book 4: Exquisite Karma (Sarah & Beach, Pt #2)
Book 5: Exquisite Innocence (Lyric & Hustler, Pt #1)
Book 6: Exquisite Sin (Lyric & Hustler, Pt #2)
Before I met Smoke I'd never been kissed, really kissed, by a man, let alone a biker sex god bent on taking my virginity and my heart.
I got dragged into the deadly world of the Iron Horse MC by my crazy twin sister who is engaged to the club's President and even crazier mom who only cares about herself. Smoke has been assigned by the club to keep me safe even though he's everything that I should be afraid of. He's the kind of man who lives by his own rules and does whatever he wants whenever he wants, but he treats me like I'm something rare and precious, not a socially dysfunctional basket case who has no idea how to love, but needs him more than her next breath.
Not that my feelings matter, because if we don't find my mother soon, the only thing I'll have to be worried about is who is going to kill me first.
*-*
NOTE: This book, "Exquisite Trouble" is the first part of two, telling the story of Swan and Smoke, with a 'Happy For Now' ending. Their HEA follows in "Exquisite Danger", the second book of the series.
Iron Horse MC series
Reading order:
Book 1: Exquisite Trouble (Swan & Smoke, Pt #1)
Book 2: Exquisite Danger (Swan & Smoke, Pt #2)
Book 3: Exquisite Redemption (Sarah & Beach, Pt #1)
Book 4: Exquisite Karma (Sarah & Beach, Pt #2)
Book 5: Exquisite Innocence (Lyric & Hustler, Pt #1)
Book 6: Exquisite Sin (Lyric & Hustler, Pt #2)
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 13, 2014
292 people are currently reading
3101 people want to read
About the author
Ann Mayburn
95 books1,974 followersAnn is Queen of the Castle to her wonderful husband and three sons in the mountains of West Virginia. In her past lives she's been an Import Broker, a Communications Specialist, a US Navy Civilian Contractor, a Bartender/Waitress, and an actor at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. She also spent a summer touring with the Grateful Dead(though she will deny to her children that it ever happened).
From a young age she's been fascinated by myths and fairytales, and the romance that often was the center of the story. As Ann grew older and her hormones kicked in, she discovered trashy romance novels. Great at first, but she soon grew tired of the endless stories with a big wonderful emotional buildup to really short and crappy sex. Never a big fan of purple prose, throbbing spears of fleshy pleasure and wet honey pots make her giggle, she sought out books that gave the sex scenes in the story just as much detail and plot as everything else-without using cringe worthy euphemisms. This led her to the wonderful world of Erotic Romance, and she's never looked back.
Now Ann spends her days trying to tune out cartoons playing in the background to get into her 'sexy space' and has learned to type one handed while soothing a cranky baby.
From a young age she's been fascinated by myths and fairytales, and the romance that often was the center of the story. As Ann grew older and her hormones kicked in, she discovered trashy romance novels. Great at first, but she soon grew tired of the endless stories with a big wonderful emotional buildup to really short and crappy sex. Never a big fan of purple prose, throbbing spears of fleshy pleasure and wet honey pots make her giggle, she sought out books that gave the sex scenes in the story just as much detail and plot as everything else-without using cringe worthy euphemisms. This led her to the wonderful world of Erotic Romance, and she's never looked back.
Now Ann spends her days trying to tune out cartoons playing in the background to get into her 'sexy space' and has learned to type one handed while soothing a cranky baby.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 405 reviews
October 25, 2016
Review for books 1-4 can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This was a...different read. There was a whole lot going on - MC Club, mafia assassins, survivalist cults, bdsm...I mean, my God, practically every hot romance trope of the moment, for fucks sake- and at times I rolled my eyes a bit, for sure.
Plus, there were a LOT of sex scenes. Almost too many - yeah, I can't believe I just said that either - but seriously, a lot.
Not I saying I didn't enjoy them *ahem* just saying it might be a bit overkill in the sex department for some people.
Aside from that, there was some unevenness at times and the plot seemed occasionally disjointed but, in the end, I was able to buy in and enjoy this more than I expected when I was at the halfway point.
Swan - despite being a golden clam - was a very interesting character and I really started to like her as the story went on. Smoke was a hottie, of course, and so was Beach.
Regardless, I'm knee deep in this ish now, so I'm off to read the next one now, which I hear is better than this one. So...woohoo.
Find me at:
This was a...different read. There was a whole lot going on - MC Club, mafia assassins, survivalist cults, bdsm...I mean, my God, practically every hot romance trope of the moment, for fucks sake- and at times I rolled my eyes a bit, for sure.
Plus, there were a LOT of sex scenes. Almost too many - yeah, I can't believe I just said that either - but seriously, a lot.
Not I saying I didn't enjoy them *ahem* just saying it might be a bit overkill in the sex department for some people.
Aside from that, there was some unevenness at times and the plot seemed occasionally disjointed but, in the end, I was able to buy in and enjoy this more than I expected when I was at the halfway point.
Swan - despite being a golden clam - was a very interesting character and I really started to like her as the story went on. Smoke was a hottie, of course, and so was Beach.
Regardless, I'm knee deep in this ish now, so I'm off to read the next one now, which I hear is better than this one. So...woohoo.
Find me at:
February 28, 2016
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
2,75 STARS
Hmm, not sure what to say about this story. It wasn't bad but it also wasn't great. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood to read it or something. I loved the start (somehow) but after that I slowly started to lose my interest in the plot.
The story starts in Smoke's POV and I loved that. We can really see his obsession with Swan. Basically he becomes her stalker, since her dear bitch of a mother stole from his Iron Horse MC and now it's on him to track down her mother and her also missing twin sister before their enemies get to them. And of course Swan just might be the key to accomplishing that mission.
I’m more of the villain in the story—the one that you fear hovering behind you in a dark alley—certainly not the guy who should be the one rescuing the beautiful princess.
I wished we got more than just the first and last chapter in his POV. Sometimes it would have really helped to know what was going through his mind. I think because of that I at first didn't really buy his love for Swan but in the end there was no doubt that his feelings for her were genuine. He had his assholish moments but more times than not he was super protective and possessive of her, which made me forgive him (if only a bit) for being an ass and a huge manwhore.
The rest of the story is then being told by Swan. I have to say that I quite liked her at the beginning. She dealed with life as best as she could and for that I respected her. Growing up with her father was insanely rough, since he put her though surviving tests constantly from age eight. I guess all that hard training in the end did paid off. She doesn't like to be touched and she now has the skill to protect herself from unwanted 'affections'. I also loved her sassiness, she definitely knew how to use it.
See, I was born with a terrible disease called ‘being a sarcastic bitch’. I think it’s a genetic condition from my mother’s side.
But by the end I felt that she lost some of her sassy personality and became more tame. It's like Smoke's touch was magic and therefore it was OK to simply instantly forgive him for any shit he pulled. So that irked me a lot in this book.
The only saving grace were the sexy scenes. There were many, like, MANY! So, that made me feel a bit better.
The biggest problem I had with this story was the plot. While I'm all for the romance and the development of the main characters relationship, I in no way want to read just about that! To be honest, there really wasn't much plot in this book. I kid you not! We get no closer to answers about what happened to her mom and sister. It's like watching a dog waiting for someone to throw him a bone that never comes! And that left me feeling really disappointed.
And since this is the first book of Iron Horse MC series, I can only assume that we will get some of the answers in second book. In the end, this is a great read if you want a lot of romance and sex but not such a great read, if you also want to get some plot answers. But, hey, just because I didn't like the story much, doesn't mean that you won't love it. If you like the blurb, then give it a go.
Safety-gang: Safe with exception but for some it just may be totally unsafe.
2,75 STARS
Hmm, not sure what to say about this story. It wasn't bad but it also wasn't great. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood to read it or something. I loved the start (somehow) but after that I slowly started to lose my interest in the plot.
The story starts in Smoke's POV and I loved that. We can really see his obsession with Swan. Basically he becomes her stalker, since her dear bitch of a mother stole from his Iron Horse MC and now it's on him to track down her mother and her also missing twin sister before their enemies get to them. And of course Swan just might be the key to accomplishing that mission.
I’m more of the villain in the story—the one that you fear hovering behind you in a dark alley—certainly not the guy who should be the one rescuing the beautiful princess.
I wished we got more than just the first and last chapter in his POV. Sometimes it would have really helped to know what was going through his mind. I think because of that I at first didn't really buy his love for Swan but in the end there was no doubt that his feelings for her were genuine. He had his assholish moments but more times than not he was super protective and possessive of her, which made me forgive him (if only a bit) for being an ass and a huge manwhore.
The rest of the story is then being told by Swan. I have to say that I quite liked her at the beginning. She dealed with life as best as she could and for that I respected her. Growing up with her father was insanely rough, since he put her though surviving tests constantly from age eight. I guess all that hard training in the end did paid off. She doesn't like to be touched and she now has the skill to protect herself from unwanted 'affections'. I also loved her sassiness, she definitely knew how to use it.
See, I was born with a terrible disease called ‘being a sarcastic bitch’. I think it’s a genetic condition from my mother’s side.
But by the end I felt that she lost some of her sassy personality and became more tame. It's like Smoke's touch was magic and therefore it was OK to simply instantly forgive him for any shit he pulled. So that irked me a lot in this book.
The only saving grace were the sexy scenes. There were many, like, MANY! So, that made me feel a bit better.
The biggest problem I had with this story was the plot. While I'm all for the romance and the development of the main characters relationship, I in no way want to read just about that! To be honest, there really wasn't much plot in this book. I kid you not! We get no closer to answers about what happened to her mom and sister. It's like watching a dog waiting for someone to throw him a bone that never comes! And that left me feeling really disappointed.
And since this is the first book of Iron Horse MC series, I can only assume that we will get some of the answers in second book. In the end, this is a great read if you want a lot of romance and sex but not such a great read, if you also want to get some plot answers. But, hey, just because I didn't like the story much, doesn't mean that you won't love it. If you like the blurb, then give it a go.
Safety-gang: Safe with exception but for some it just may be totally unsafe.
April 28, 2025
Swan lived in a little bubble she created for herself. After her twin betrayed her she held even closer to her rules about not trusting anyone, raised as a survivalist and with a phobia to touch it was easier to just keep others at a distance. Little did Swan know that Iron Horse MC had sent Smoke to keep a close eye on her and that her sister and crazy druggie mother had put her in danger.
Smoke has been watching Swan for a couple of months and he knows she is his one, his salvation. Now to convince Swan who has an innocence about her that causes friction between them, Smoke though is doing everything to be patient and let her come to him.
Loved this. Smoke is so used to living in his man world of the MC that he had a hard time translating his thoughts to Swan. Swan though is curious and so brilliantly smart that he doesn't know how to handle her at times. There are lies that will be revealed, chemistry that will explode, and a whole lot of popping a squat for some reading time. Great book.
Smoke has been watching Swan for a couple of months and he knows she is his one, his salvation. Now to convince Swan who has an innocence about her that causes friction between them, Smoke though is doing everything to be patient and let her come to him.
Loved this. Smoke is so used to living in his man world of the MC that he had a hard time translating his thoughts to Swan. Swan though is curious and so brilliantly smart that he doesn't know how to handle her at times. There are lies that will be revealed, chemistry that will explode, and a whole lot of popping a squat for some reading time. Great book.
March 2, 2016
*** Copy kindly provided by the publisher Barclay Publicity, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. ***
I have already read the third book in this series ‘Exquisite Redemption’ and loved it. That book is about Beach (the MC’s president) & Sarah (Swan’s sister). I loved that book so when this first book in the series popped up on NetGalley I just had to request it!! And it didn’t disappoint…
It’s the story of Swan. She’s a little bit socially awkward and can’t handle being touched by people she doesn’t trust. She doesn’t know it yet but her life is in danger. When hot, alpha Smoke (Master at Arms of the Iron Horse MC) comes to her rescue she immediately feels safe and doesn’t mind his touch. Because of her thrust and touch issues she’s still a virgin but being near Smoke makes her want to wanton. Her sister is missing. Sarah’s trying to find their mom who is the cause for both Sarah and Swan’s lives being in danger. Swan and Smoke now want to find Sarah.
I loved both Smoke and Swan. Especially Swan … just like her sister Sarah she’s a kicka$$ woman! I loved how strong and smart she is! Mini spoiler : .
I totally love Smoke. He can be arrogant and scary but like the author describes him in the book he is a romantic biker in a pornographic way :D I loved his patience and his Fortune Cookie worthy quotes!
Besides Smoke and Swan there are so many great characters in this book … Vance, Hustler, Mr Sokolov, her stepmom Mimi. I crave a book about Hustler! I want him ;D
I’m looking forward to read more from this series and give this book 4 stars! This book ends in an HFN and continues in book 2 : Exquisite Danger
I have already read the third book in this series ‘Exquisite Redemption’ and loved it. That book is about Beach (the MC’s president) & Sarah (Swan’s sister). I loved that book so when this first book in the series popped up on NetGalley I just had to request it!! And it didn’t disappoint…
It’s the story of Swan. She’s a little bit socially awkward and can’t handle being touched by people she doesn’t trust. She doesn’t know it yet but her life is in danger. When hot, alpha Smoke (Master at Arms of the Iron Horse MC) comes to her rescue she immediately feels safe and doesn’t mind his touch. Because of her thrust and touch issues she’s still a virgin but being near Smoke makes her want to wanton. Her sister is missing. Sarah’s trying to find their mom who is the cause for both Sarah and Swan’s lives being in danger. Swan and Smoke now want to find Sarah.
I loved both Smoke and Swan. Especially Swan … just like her sister Sarah she’s a kicka$$ woman! I loved how strong and smart she is! Mini spoiler : .
I totally love Smoke. He can be arrogant and scary but like the author describes him in the book he is a romantic biker in a pornographic way :D I loved his patience and his Fortune Cookie worthy quotes!
Besides Smoke and Swan there are so many great characters in this book … Vance, Hustler, Mr Sokolov, her stepmom Mimi. I crave a book about Hustler! I want him ;D
I’m looking forward to read more from this series and give this book 4 stars! This book ends in an HFN and continues in book 2 : Exquisite Danger
December 27, 2014
OK... that's what this one was for me.. just OK. I wish I could muster up some more reaction.. it had potential. It was definitely hot. But.. and I cannot believe I'm going to say this. I really really cannot believe I'm going to say this. There was too much oral. There.
I know! how can there be too much oral! But there was.. he was going down on her more than a hookers panties drop on a Friday night. I got really tired of reading how much he loved her hooch. It was just too much. The story was OK.. but Swan was a character that I just couldn't connect with...she was a virgin that had thoughts like very experienced woman and apparently she learned most of it from watching porn. Oh well..... moving on.
I know! how can there be too much oral! But there was.. he was going down on her more than a hookers panties drop on a Friday night. I got really tired of reading how much he loved her hooch. It was just too much. The story was OK.. but Swan was a character that I just couldn't connect with...she was a virgin that had thoughts like very experienced woman and apparently she learned most of it from watching porn. Oh well..... moving on.
September 9, 2019
This was a great read even though I had some minor issues with it. See my review with book 2 ;)
June 16, 2015
It is far too hot and I have no energy for proper reviews.
So basically, this was ok, I was rolling my eyes A LOT, and quite frankly lost track of the plot and all the goings on at points. Also a couple of plot inconsistencies.
But basically it was just full of:
Stalkerish behaviour, sex, drama, sex, drama, sex sex sex, drama drama drama bit of plot about some stolen stuff that some guys want and some other guys also want (I think, am not entirely sure) some more baddies, the hero seemingly blowing hot and cold, while still being ott possessive and stalker like, the heroine worrying about the hot and cold behaviour then turning into some sort of psychotic version of Xena Warrior princess - Cliffhanger!
But, I got the second on straight away as it was oddly enthralling and kept me reading.
So basically, this was ok, I was rolling my eyes A LOT, and quite frankly lost track of the plot and all the goings on at points. Also a couple of plot inconsistencies.
But basically it was just full of:
Stalkerish behaviour, sex, drama, sex, drama, sex sex sex, drama drama drama bit of plot about some stolen stuff that some guys want and some other guys also want (I think, am not entirely sure) some more baddies, the hero seemingly blowing hot and cold, while still being ott possessive and stalker like, the heroine worrying about the hot and cold behaviour then turning into some sort of psychotic version of Xena Warrior princess - Cliffhanger!
But, I got the second on straight away as it was oddly enthralling and kept me reading.
August 12, 2016
I’m fine with feminine arousal. But I think this story has overly descriptive oral sex scenes. Namely the excessive liquid of the girl him just loving to umm...put his head to the task of licking it. I am all for the enjoyment of that particular act but it freaked me out because the guy just buries his face in her despite all of the liquid (which is described to us).
That's squicky to me, not sexy. If I feel like he really could drink the stuff down there, or he may drown in the juices, it's hard to concentrate on the actual act. Maybe it's just me, but I found the whole idea disgusting.
Puhleez! You can write female arousal without resorting to copious fluids.... feeling your skin tighten, being unable to catch your breath, muscles fluttering, etc..... All of this I find a lot sexier than the alternative.
“You gonna go sniff her panties before work? Bet her pussy smells like baby powder and tastes like sugar.”
I don't think I have ever smelled someone's scent other than cologne or perfume or body odor. Soooo many romances use scent as an attraction, the only one I buy it in is a werewolf romance.
One last thing.....How are there so many virgin girls with slim bodies, small hips, jucy ass and extra large breasts? Not to mention blonde haired and violet-eyed. Everybody want's to fuck them at first sight but they are clueless about the beauty they possess.
June 28, 2016
Well well well!! This was the first book I've read from this author and it was on fire!!
There was sex, drama, sex, trouble, sex, sass, sex, action, sex, suspense,... did I mention sex?!
For me, this story was really about falling in love at the most inopportune time. Smoke and Swan immediately captured my attention and made this story quite the page-turner.
Smoke is an ex-Marine turned MC Club Sargeant at Arms. He's incredibly Alpha and possessive and dominant. He was quite the manwhore and engaged in many frivolous relationships, a few of them BDSM quality. He was a real bad man... that is until he "meets" Swan.
When Swan enters the story, she's a 20 year old virgin. She's insanely intelligent yet incredibly naive. Her upbringing was similar to military boot camp, so although she has all the necessary skills to survive in the wild and knows about 1000 ways to kill someone, she's sorely lacking in social skills.
The immediate connection and chemistry between these two main characters was intense. Saying their sex scenes were hot would be an understatement. Add in a great group of secondary characters and a suspenseful plot and this story becomes a worthwhile read.
XO
There was sex, drama, sex, trouble, sex, sass, sex, action, sex, suspense,... did I mention sex?!
For me, this story was really about falling in love at the most inopportune time. Smoke and Swan immediately captured my attention and made this story quite the page-turner.
Smoke is an ex-Marine turned MC Club Sargeant at Arms. He's incredibly Alpha and possessive and dominant. He was quite the manwhore and engaged in many frivolous relationships, a few of them BDSM quality. He was a real bad man... that is until he "meets" Swan.
When Swan enters the story, she's a 20 year old virgin. She's insanely intelligent yet incredibly naive. Her upbringing was similar to military boot camp, so although she has all the necessary skills to survive in the wild and knows about 1000 ways to kill someone, she's sorely lacking in social skills.
The immediate connection and chemistry between these two main characters was intense. Saying their sex scenes were hot would be an understatement. Add in a great group of secondary characters and a suspenseful plot and this story becomes a worthwhile read.
XO
August 11, 2014
HELL YEAH!!!!
so the story is something like this in gifs.... :)
twin sisters..
image:
mc and bad ass parents..
image:
one engaged to prez..
image:
the other got to know or involved with the sergant at arms..
image:
kidnaping, stealing... bad parents...
image:
and the end... I mean WTF?????
image:
i need next book, like now.. must say that the first half of the book like better but still happy that I read it !!
so the story is something like this in gifs.... :)
twin sisters..
image:
mc and bad ass parents..
image:
one engaged to prez..
image:
the other got to know or involved with the sergant at arms..
image:
kidnaping, stealing... bad parents...
image:
and the end... I mean WTF?????
image:
i need next book, like now.. must say that the first half of the book like better but still happy that I read it !!
July 20, 2014
Slick‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
3.5 STARS
Here’s the thing with Exquisite Trouble; I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it. Parts of this story were very intriguing and interesting, parts of it I wanted to throw the Kindle against the wall in frustration, parts didn’t ring true to the characters, and parts were really quite sweet. For me it is one of those books that just didn’t quite gel together cohesively, yet I found it hard to put down because I was invested in the characters. I still very much love Ann Mayburn’s writing style which is probably one of the reasons I couldn’t put this book down and the reason I will continue to read this series.
I was intrigued by Miguel “Smoke” Santos security expert and member of the Iron Horse MC but I can’t say that I loved him. There were aspects of his personality I enjoyed but at other times I truly wanted to beat him over the head with a cast iron skillet because he could be so dense especially where Swan was concerned. He claimed he “got her” and he understood her idiosyncrasies and while he was better with her than most, he still didn’t quite get the things that he did to upset her nor did he do anything to try and do better. Honestly that bothered me a lot because of his claims of wanting what was best for her, wanting to always protect her, to be there for her…yet he has no problem leaving her with men who would like her for themselves to go off to rescue some bitch she slept with in the past or having other bitches shop for her, just no! So yeah, there were a lot of things about Smoke I didn’t like and it has more to do with how he treated Swan than anything because I know he’s a badass, I know he’s in a MC, I know he’s done some bad shit and I can accept that but what I have a hard time with is disrespecting “his woman” and he did that on more than one occasion no matter how much he tries to say he didn’t. That shit don’t fly with me, so me and Smoke…we have some issues to sort though. I mean really Smoke, having your first BDSM session with your woman in her parent’s home? No, just no!
Then there is Swan, I liked the girl a lot and I get her being different I do but I have a hard time with her being so naive especially given where she worked and the fact that she had friends from the club. For someone who was taught to always be aware, I found it hard to believe that she had no clue about the MC world, like not even a little bit. She watched porn, supposedly a lot of porn, but she blushed at every little thing and she cussed like a sailor but Smoke had to get her to say words like cock and pussy? I just don’t know and while I get that she was sheltered and that she has some social issues (as Smoke thinks high functioning Autism), I really wondered about her trusting Smoke so much and then Hustler and then again Tom. From how she was raised, I just didn’t see that especially after meeting dear old dad and step-mom. With her supposed training I also don’t think she would have been stupid enough to get out of her car when she saw what was going on in the parking lot where the story truly began, but again maybe that’s just me trying to be logical.
Even with my issues regarding them, I couldn’t put this book down because I CARED about these characters and I wanted to see where this story took them which leads to my other issue. This book ended abruptly and yes, I know there’s another one coming but there were too many open story lines just left hanging. I’m hoping that because this is the first book that won’t be the case in subsequent books. Often first books in a series are hard because all the characters are being introduced, the ground work for the series is being laid out and it tends to bog down the story and in this case there was just too much left unsaid and undone and the book feels unfinished. When I finish a book and I’m like but hey what about that, and that, and that and what was up with that guy or girl; it kind of drives me crazy and I just want to scream a little bit.
There is no doubt this series is intriguing, there is no doubt you won’t be caught up in these characters, and there’s no doubt this author has an entertaining voice but for me I wanted more. I wanted the characters to reflect their upbringing, I wanted loose ends tied up, and more than that I wanted to believe that Smoke truly live by the words he spoke about Swan. I didn’t love this book but like I said, I also couldn’t put it down. Will I read the next one? You betcha and I’m going to hope that it’s the glue that sticks all the pieces of this book together.
3.5 STARS
Here’s the thing with Exquisite Trouble; I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it. Parts of this story were very intriguing and interesting, parts of it I wanted to throw the Kindle against the wall in frustration, parts didn’t ring true to the characters, and parts were really quite sweet. For me it is one of those books that just didn’t quite gel together cohesively, yet I found it hard to put down because I was invested in the characters. I still very much love Ann Mayburn’s writing style which is probably one of the reasons I couldn’t put this book down and the reason I will continue to read this series.
I was intrigued by Miguel “Smoke” Santos security expert and member of the Iron Horse MC but I can’t say that I loved him. There were aspects of his personality I enjoyed but at other times I truly wanted to beat him over the head with a cast iron skillet because he could be so dense especially where Swan was concerned. He claimed he “got her” and he understood her idiosyncrasies and while he was better with her than most, he still didn’t quite get the things that he did to upset her nor did he do anything to try and do better. Honestly that bothered me a lot because of his claims of wanting what was best for her, wanting to always protect her, to be there for her…yet he has no problem leaving her with men who would like her for themselves to go off to rescue some bitch she slept with in the past or having other bitches shop for her, just no! So yeah, there were a lot of things about Smoke I didn’t like and it has more to do with how he treated Swan than anything because I know he’s a badass, I know he’s in a MC, I know he’s done some bad shit and I can accept that but what I have a hard time with is disrespecting “his woman” and he did that on more than one occasion no matter how much he tries to say he didn’t. That shit don’t fly with me, so me and Smoke…we have some issues to sort though. I mean really Smoke, having your first BDSM session with your woman in her parent’s home? No, just no!
Then there is Swan, I liked the girl a lot and I get her being different I do but I have a hard time with her being so naive especially given where she worked and the fact that she had friends from the club. For someone who was taught to always be aware, I found it hard to believe that she had no clue about the MC world, like not even a little bit. She watched porn, supposedly a lot of porn, but she blushed at every little thing and she cussed like a sailor but Smoke had to get her to say words like cock and pussy? I just don’t know and while I get that she was sheltered and that she has some social issues (as Smoke thinks high functioning Autism), I really wondered about her trusting Smoke so much and then Hustler and then again Tom. From how she was raised, I just didn’t see that especially after meeting dear old dad and step-mom. With her supposed training I also don’t think she would have been stupid enough to get out of her car when she saw what was going on in the parking lot where the story truly began, but again maybe that’s just me trying to be logical.
Even with my issues regarding them, I couldn’t put this book down because I CARED about these characters and I wanted to see where this story took them which leads to my other issue. This book ended abruptly and yes, I know there’s another one coming but there were too many open story lines just left hanging. I’m hoping that because this is the first book that won’t be the case in subsequent books. Often first books in a series are hard because all the characters are being introduced, the ground work for the series is being laid out and it tends to bog down the story and in this case there was just too much left unsaid and undone and the book feels unfinished. When I finish a book and I’m like but hey what about that, and that, and that and what was up with that guy or girl; it kind of drives me crazy and I just want to scream a little bit.
There is no doubt this series is intriguing, there is no doubt you won’t be caught up in these characters, and there’s no doubt this author has an entertaining voice but for me I wanted more. I wanted the characters to reflect their upbringing, I wanted loose ends tied up, and more than that I wanted to believe that Smoke truly live by the words he spoke about Swan. I didn’t love this book but like I said, I also couldn’t put it down. Will I read the next one? You betcha and I’m going to hope that it’s the glue that sticks all the pieces of this book together.
December 2, 2014
The last book I read was filled with the unbelievable and made the book bad and me roll my eyes. I know and actually like that things in books happen that don't happen in real life but when it get ridiculous and it's hard to read because your eyes are rolling so much thats a different story. This book had some aspects that were less likely to happen in the real world but they made the story more interesting and exciting and just made for a great story.
Smoke was given the job of watching Swan the president Beach's old ladies (Sarah) twin sister, what started as a chore soon became his obsession. Swan is what Smoke has always wanted ands never found. Watching and protecting her in the shadows is what gives him happiness and he wants nothing more than to eventually claim her. When Swan's Sister Sarah goes missing and the Russians start searching for both the girls and mother Smoke is determined to keep her safe.
When Swan saw Smoke at her job she was instantly attracted to him but talking and interacting with people has always been hard. When Smoke defends her against a handsy customer Swan decides to take a risk and ask for his number the next time she see's him. When Sarah calls Swan and asks to meet Swan reluctantly agrees only to be kidnapped. When Smoke finds out he sets out to get Swan back and once he does he is more determined than ever to keep her safe and by his side.
When Swan learns what happened to her sister her determination to get her sister safely home won't be swayed, but staying with Smoke the sexy biker is a temptation she has never experienced. As the attraction grows Smoke is more determined than ever to stake his claim but knows he has to take it slow especially when he intends to introduce Swan to all of his kinks. As Swan begins to open up a woman from Smokes past intends to tear them apart and the threat from the Russians begins to escalate. Now they need to get Sarah back and find their mom more now than ever to keep both girls safe, so that Smoke and Swan can make a life for themselves they never thought hey could have.
I really liked this book, some say it ends in a cliffhanger, personally I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger more that the story isn't finished and since I have book two already loaded on my kindle I plan to dig right in. I really liked this story, there are some aspects in this book that had this been the end of Smoke and Swan's story I would have been mad because they haven't been resolved but I am assuming they will be in book two their stories concussion.
This book is at times over the top everyone and I mean everyone wants Swan(all of the men) or hates Swan(all the woman within child bearing years), and as another reviewers states this book is FILLED with scenes of the oral fixation and their is a dreaded evil ex/not ex who doesn't want to let Smoke go even though she never had him(who I hope gets it huge in book two) but I still really enjoyed this book. The writing was really good and once I started reading this book I didn't want to put it down, and when I finally forced myself to hours had gone by.
Smoke was a great hero, yes he went through many woman before Swan but no one else would due after Swan and he was crazy possessive. There is one part with the ex/non ex that made me really mad but like I said I am assuming that she gets tarred and feathered after being brought to the town square to be publicly humiliated by the towns people in book two. Swan was diffenent but for the most part I really liked her. I am really hoping after book two we get other characters books because this book is filled with tons of potential for more books and great stories. Since I can't seem to decide lately I am not sure if I would give this book a 4 or a 4 1/2 but I am leaning more 4 1/2. One thing that really surprised me was that this book ends at 92% just as a FYI but again since I have book two already it didn't bother me.
Smoke was given the job of watching Swan the president Beach's old ladies (Sarah) twin sister, what started as a chore soon became his obsession. Swan is what Smoke has always wanted ands never found. Watching and protecting her in the shadows is what gives him happiness and he wants nothing more than to eventually claim her. When Swan's Sister Sarah goes missing and the Russians start searching for both the girls and mother Smoke is determined to keep her safe.
When Swan saw Smoke at her job she was instantly attracted to him but talking and interacting with people has always been hard. When Smoke defends her against a handsy customer Swan decides to take a risk and ask for his number the next time she see's him. When Sarah calls Swan and asks to meet Swan reluctantly agrees only to be kidnapped. When Smoke finds out he sets out to get Swan back and once he does he is more determined than ever to keep her safe and by his side.
When Swan learns what happened to her sister her determination to get her sister safely home won't be swayed, but staying with Smoke the sexy biker is a temptation she has never experienced. As the attraction grows Smoke is more determined than ever to stake his claim but knows he has to take it slow especially when he intends to introduce Swan to all of his kinks. As Swan begins to open up a woman from Smokes past intends to tear them apart and the threat from the Russians begins to escalate. Now they need to get Sarah back and find their mom more now than ever to keep both girls safe, so that Smoke and Swan can make a life for themselves they never thought hey could have.
I really liked this book, some say it ends in a cliffhanger, personally I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger more that the story isn't finished and since I have book two already loaded on my kindle I plan to dig right in. I really liked this story, there are some aspects in this book that had this been the end of Smoke and Swan's story I would have been mad because they haven't been resolved but I am assuming they will be in book two their stories concussion.
This book is at times over the top everyone and I mean everyone wants Swan(all of the men) or hates Swan(all the woman within child bearing years), and as another reviewers states this book is FILLED with scenes of the oral fixation and their is a dreaded evil ex/not ex who doesn't want to let Smoke go even though she never had him(who I hope gets it huge in book two) but I still really enjoyed this book. The writing was really good and once I started reading this book I didn't want to put it down, and when I finally forced myself to hours had gone by.
Smoke was a great hero, yes he went through many woman before Swan but no one else would due after Swan and he was crazy possessive. There is one part with the ex/non ex that made me really mad but like I said I am assuming that she gets tarred and feathered after being brought to the town square to be publicly humiliated by the towns people in book two. Swan was diffenent but for the most part I really liked her. I am really hoping after book two we get other characters books because this book is filled with tons of potential for more books and great stories. Since I can't seem to decide lately I am not sure if I would give this book a 4 or a 4 1/2 but I am leaning more 4 1/2. One thing that really surprised me was that this book ends at 92% just as a FYI but again since I have book two already it didn't bother me.
February 4, 2016
2.5-3 stars
I wanted to really like this one! And I did until about 40-45% through then I started getting a tad annoyed.. Not enough to make me wanna throw the tablet on the wall but enough to :
and :
We get introduced to Smoke on the first chapter and don't read his POV again until the last chapter.
Everything in between is Swans POV. He comes across a tad stalkery but is forgiven when he shows genuine interest for Swan and not superficial obsession. Of course the badassness, alpha mannerisms and protectiveness help as well. Then he does some stupid shit throughout the book which annoyed but were not unforgivable.
On to Swan. Now here was where I didn't know how to feel. One page I liked her, next page she made wanna bang my head on the wall. Her story is where everything gets mixed up. Typically she's a gorgeous blonde, tall, virgin and has no idea how beautiful she is is. Adorably weird and oddly gutsy at the same time. Sigh.. Heard that before but didn't hold it against the girl I just kept reading.
She seemed like she had a good head on her shoulders but some things were inconsistent with her character.. Had a strange upbringing which is meant to explain some of her adorable weirdness but it's also where the inconsistency stems from.. Now where she made me cringe... Can't explain without minor spoilers so spoiler alert! In general she made me conflicted and more than once I was baffled with her.
The book had the usual mix of ex-military and bikers along with a super bad mother and a new element thrown in the mix with her kick ass dad.
There wasn't much action other than the beginning and I felt it was over drawn at points. The book ends with a cliffhanger regarding Swans safety which was the main issue in the plot as per the summary but settles things between Swan and Smoke.
Will I read the next one? Yes, because I'm too curious for my own good. But if I hadn't picked this book up I wouldn't consider it a great loss. So for me it was good but not awesome and I would probably never re-read it.
I wanted to really like this one! And I did until about 40-45% through then I started getting a tad annoyed.. Not enough to make me wanna throw the tablet on the wall but enough to :
and :
We get introduced to Smoke on the first chapter and don't read his POV again until the last chapter.
Everything in between is Swans POV. He comes across a tad stalkery but is forgiven when he shows genuine interest for Swan and not superficial obsession. Of course the badassness, alpha mannerisms and protectiveness help as well. Then he does some stupid shit throughout the book which annoyed but were not unforgivable.
On to Swan. Now here was where I didn't know how to feel. One page I liked her, next page she made wanna bang my head on the wall. Her story is where everything gets mixed up. Typically she's a gorgeous blonde, tall, virgin and has no idea how beautiful she is is. Adorably weird and oddly gutsy at the same time. Sigh.. Heard that before but didn't hold it against the girl I just kept reading.
She seemed like she had a good head on her shoulders but some things were inconsistent with her character.. Had a strange upbringing which is meant to explain some of her adorable weirdness but it's also where the inconsistency stems from.. Now where she made me cringe... Can't explain without minor spoilers so spoiler alert! In general she made me conflicted and more than once I was baffled with her.
The book had the usual mix of ex-military and bikers along with a super bad mother and a new element thrown in the mix with her kick ass dad.
There wasn't much action other than the beginning and I felt it was over drawn at points. The book ends with a cliffhanger regarding Swans safety which was the main issue in the plot as per the summary but settles things between Swan and Smoke.
Will I read the next one? Yes, because I'm too curious for my own good. But if I hadn't picked this book up I wouldn't consider it a great loss. So for me it was good but not awesome and I would probably never re-read it.
December 2, 2014
Wow I was really surprised by this book. There are so many biker romance books out that I am alittle weary at picking one up. This book was so so good. Swan is very quiet and keeps to herself mostly. She doesn't like to be touched and is very scared of strangers. Her mother gets herself into trouble and leaves both her daughters in trouble. Swan has a twin Sarah that she doesn't really have a lot in common with. Sarah is the complete opposite from Swan she's completely reckless and aparently hooked up with a biker. The shit hits the fan and Swan is taken in my the Iron Horse MC. Smoke has been basically stalking Swan just making sure she's ok. He falls in love with her from afar. Man when they meet there is an instant connection. I loved how Smoke was to Swan he was so sweet even though he was an alpha asshole sometimes lol I really loved this book. I don't want to give that much away. And if you are looking for something HOT? This book will do just the trick. Let me just say Smoke is very good with his mouth! ;)
April 22, 2017
4/21/17 sale .99
I have no idea on how to rate this book.
positives- I completely loved Smoke the H. He is fantastic. Rough around the edges w/ a dominant personality. He completely adores/loves Swan the h.
There is no one else for him but her. Many j/p moments. He is accepting of h quirks. He wants her to be happy.
Swan- I liked her. She & Smoke have wonderful chemistry along w/ an emotional connection.
Sex & foreplay was hot. H was a yummy dirty talker.
Author knows how to write dialogue. Her writing is smooth.
No sex sharing or cheating.
Negatives:
More character development was needed but H/h were not one dimensional. Story at times was missing depth.Some scenes needed more explanation. Some responses by MC to events were unrealistic.
I was constantly told by H or others that h was beautiful or hot. I get it. h constantly talked about how H was hot & built. Too much of the book was about this.
Not enough H pov
----------
The narrators for the book are fantastic. A male narrates all the male parts not just Smokes pov.
I have no idea on how to rate this book.
positives- I completely loved Smoke the H. He is fantastic. Rough around the edges w/ a dominant personality. He completely adores/loves Swan the h.
There is no one else for him but her. Many j/p moments. He is accepting of h quirks. He wants her to be happy.
Swan- I liked her. She & Smoke have wonderful chemistry along w/ an emotional connection.
Sex & foreplay was hot. H was a yummy dirty talker.
Author knows how to write dialogue. Her writing is smooth.
No sex sharing or cheating.
Negatives:
More character development was needed but H/h were not one dimensional. Story at times was missing depth.Some scenes needed more explanation. Some responses by MC to events were unrealistic.
I was constantly told by H or others that h was beautiful or hot. I get it. h constantly talked about how H was hot & built. Too much of the book was about this.
Not enough H pov
----------
The narrators for the book are fantastic. A male narrates all the male parts not just Smokes pov.
February 14, 2016
Although this may be the first book in the series, for me, it comes better after reading the third one. In Exquisite Trouble, Swan, Sarah's twin sister is trying to live a life of her own. She is out from under her father and stepmother's influence. She loves them, but staying in a prepper's compound is a bit too isolated. Super smart, she is ready to take on the outside world. This dream to be independent is curtailed quickly when she is drawn into her birth mother's crazy schemes.
I really enjoyed this book and now I am becoming more of a motorcycle club fan. Granted this motorcycle club holds more honourable men than in reality, still, it is alluring. Swan is an interesting character. I thought she would be similar to her twin, Sarah. Swan is a little like Sarah but different enough to distinguish between the two women. Swan is less violently bloodthirsty and more diplomatic despite her social awkwardness. She is cute and adorable. She is pragmatic and like a fluffy bunny to be cuddled. Everything about her amuses me and makes me like her. I could easily see her as a friend. She is admirable.
Smoke is an curious match for her. I can definitely see he has a hero complex. It is easy to see why he wants Swan so badly. Although there seems to be two other men who catch Swan's attention and could potentially steal her away from Smoke. Thomas and Hustler are both rather dreamy men and seemingly good alternate choices. Honestly, the men in this series are all to die for sexy wet dreams. Is it realistic? No. Do I normally like it in a story? No. But for some reason, Ms. Mayburn turns up the charm and I'm easily swayed to like all these studly alpha men showing their sexual prowess.
The hints of sexual dominance is a constant tease. Ms. Mayburn is a queen of cocktease in this book because she keeps telling about these sexy D/s leanings and yet she never shows the readers the goods. *pouts* There are no hawt kinky sex scenes in this book. Okay, there are some hawt sex scenes but not kinky enough for me to get my BDSM desires satisfied. It isn't about the toys. It is all about the power exchange which never really happens in this story. Still, the sex between Swan and Smoke is a nice little fire to whet one's appetite.
The plot of this book makes more sense if one reads the third book in this series first. The story ends leaving a reader desperately wanting to read the very next book immediately. This well written book is highly recommended to erotica readers who enjoy bad boys and girls who can make them sweat.
*provided by NetGalley
I really enjoyed this book and now I am becoming more of a motorcycle club fan. Granted this motorcycle club holds more honourable men than in reality, still, it is alluring. Swan is an interesting character. I thought she would be similar to her twin, Sarah. Swan is a little like Sarah but different enough to distinguish between the two women. Swan is less violently bloodthirsty and more diplomatic despite her social awkwardness. She is cute and adorable. She is pragmatic and like a fluffy bunny to be cuddled. Everything about her amuses me and makes me like her. I could easily see her as a friend. She is admirable.
Smoke is an curious match for her. I can definitely see he has a hero complex. It is easy to see why he wants Swan so badly. Although there seems to be two other men who catch Swan's attention and could potentially steal her away from Smoke. Thomas and Hustler are both rather dreamy men and seemingly good alternate choices. Honestly, the men in this series are all to die for sexy wet dreams. Is it realistic? No. Do I normally like it in a story? No. But for some reason, Ms. Mayburn turns up the charm and I'm easily swayed to like all these studly alpha men showing their sexual prowess.
The hints of sexual dominance is a constant tease. Ms. Mayburn is a queen of cocktease in this book because she keeps telling about these sexy D/s leanings and yet she never shows the readers the goods. *pouts* There are no hawt kinky sex scenes in this book. Okay, there are some hawt sex scenes but not kinky enough for me to get my BDSM desires satisfied. It isn't about the toys. It is all about the power exchange which never really happens in this story. Still, the sex between Swan and Smoke is a nice little fire to whet one's appetite.
The plot of this book makes more sense if one reads the third book in this series first. The story ends leaving a reader desperately wanting to read the very next book immediately. This well written book is highly recommended to erotica readers who enjoy bad boys and girls who can make them sweat.
*provided by NetGalley
dnf
October 3, 2018I've had this book a while and decided to try this new to me author today. The sweet virgin heroine and what I presumed to be the sexy obsessed,half in love with her biker hero had me engrossed from page 1........then Smoke's POV hit me with this
I was so fucking addicted to her natural aroma that I couldn’t stand the stink of other bitches now. They smelled spoiled to me, like rotten meat left out in the sun for too long. Yeah, I still had a few of the club sweet butts that I let suck my cock, but I hadn’t fucked a woman since a few months ago when I started spending most of my days sitting in that shitty-ass house nearby and watching over Swan. This whole celibacy thing was new to me, but that little girl had me so wrapped around her finger, all I wanted was her sweet pussy wrapped around my dick.
How is he claiming he's celibate but getting oral from women "he can't stand the stink of" Yo oral sex is sex douchebag!!!!!!!!
But instead of heeding my instinct to shy away from this I continued to read on, until I got to Swan's(😒) POV and the sweet naive heroine had a wild side that mostly her sister and Mom saw but that she couldn't help letting loose....yuh know sometimes 🤔
Stillllllll I continued until she was kidnapped in place of her twin sister because her skanky mom stole...........ugh it just isn't worth it. The cray cray is too real in this one so I'm leaving the survivalist badass alone!
I was so fucking addicted to her natural aroma that I couldn’t stand the stink of other bitches now. They smelled spoiled to me, like rotten meat left out in the sun for too long. Yeah, I still had a few of the club sweet butts that I let suck my cock, but I hadn’t fucked a woman since a few months ago when I started spending most of my days sitting in that shitty-ass house nearby and watching over Swan. This whole celibacy thing was new to me, but that little girl had me so wrapped around her finger, all I wanted was her sweet pussy wrapped around my dick.
How is he claiming he's celibate but getting oral from women "he can't stand the stink of" Yo oral sex is sex douchebag!!!!!!!!
But instead of heeding my instinct to shy away from this I continued to read on, until I got to Swan's(😒) POV and the sweet naive heroine had a wild side that mostly her sister and Mom saw but that she couldn't help letting loose....yuh know sometimes 🤔
Stillllllll I continued until she was kidnapped in place of her twin sister because her skanky mom stole...........ugh it just isn't worth it. The cray cray is too real in this one so I'm leaving the survivalist badass alone!
Read
November 20, 2014I can't believe I paid almost $5 for this.
It's like the author picked every thing that draws readers in and threw them in this book, who cares if it makes sense or belongs. Bikers? check. BDSM? check. Ex-military? check. Complaining readers? oooohhh that's me!
There's also the places in the book where there is just shit missing and I was all "huh?" so I go back and see if I missed stuff, but this was not the case.
The relationship between Smoke and Swan? "Hey girl, I've been sneaking into your house and spying on you˝ oh....that's cool. I just met you, and I'm crazy....here's my virginity..take it baby.
My brain hurts and I can't make myself finish. Maybe when I have a spare day and a scorecard I will revisit.
My advice? Get a good beta team and an editor.
It's like the author picked every thing that draws readers in and threw them in this book, who cares if it makes sense or belongs. Bikers? check. BDSM? check. Ex-military? check. Complaining readers? oooohhh that's me!
There's also the places in the book where there is just shit missing and I was all "huh?" so I go back and see if I missed stuff, but this was not the case.
The relationship between Smoke and Swan? "Hey girl, I've been sneaking into your house and spying on you˝ oh....that's cool. I just met you, and I'm crazy....here's my virginity..take it baby.
My brain hurts and I can't make myself finish. Maybe when I have a spare day and a scorecard I will revisit.
My advice? Get a good beta team and an editor.
July 23, 2015
3-3.5 stars
**warning, I had mixed feelings about this story so this review might be a tad spoilerish. I'll try to keep it to a limit**
This was a good story. To be honest, I had a lot of trouble rating this one. I liked both Swan and Smoke but there were a few things that bothered me that kept me from giving it a higher rating. Still, I got engaged in the story and will probably read the next book as this one ends in a HFN. Smoke and Swan seem solid relationship wise but the action plot still has a lot to be resolved.
Swan is a very tough but innocent young woman. She's 20 years old but already has a double masters in Math and Accounting (having finished homeschooling high school at the ages of 13). She was raised in a survivalist community with her father and stepmother. She was raised to be able to get through any hardship but it left her with a childhood that was bad at times. Swan has an identical twin sister, Sarah, who was raised by their mother. Sarah has basically spent their lives doing bad things and blaming Swan for them so after Sarah's most recent betrayal, Swan started avoiding Sarah and they haven't seen each other for a couple years.
Smoke is a member of the Iron Horse MC. Used to be in the service and when he got out he became involved with the MC. He also started up a security business that's done very well. Smoke has been a man-whore most of his life, having only been in 2 relationships in his life, and the last one was when he was 20 (he's 30 now). All this changed when the MC president, Beach, asked him to watch over his woman's sister. The longer Smoke watches Swan the deeper he falls.
Swan and Sarah's mother is a crazy woman. She decided to get some gambling debts going (big ones) and then makes some large thefts to try to make the money to pay it back. She gets in deep and people get killed and she's on the hook for everything. The bad guys know about Sarah and Swan and Sarah knows what's going on but Swan doesn't know a thing and is just trying to live her life. Swan works as a waitress at a strip club. She just finished her degrees using this job to pay her way through school. She's got some social limitations (she has trouble reading emotions and can sometimes be too blunt and honest) and sensory issues (if someone she doesn't know or trust touches her she feels like bugs are walking all over her) that has caused Swan to close herself off from most people, living her life but in a rather limited fashion. By the end it's revealed that Swan may have high-functioning autism that causes her difficulties. When Swan and Smoke meet, it's when he's been watching her for quite a while but she's just met him as a customer. He comes in 3 nights in a row and on the 3rd night he steps in to protect her when some guy slaps her ass. Swan is basically thinking that Smoke is majorly hot but thinks he'd never be interested in her because apparently her social issues keep her from recognizing compliments as true and she can't see herself as pretty for some reason. Swan ends up getting a call from Sarah to meet her and instead of her sister, Swan runs in to trouble.
Swan is saved from her trouble by Smoke and his brothers. He doesn't tell her much at first and basically does the "come with me if you want to live" type thing. Swan goes along even though she doesn't know Smoke and it seemed like she does this was mostly because she's hot for him and likes that he can touch her with no issues. They end up heading to Austin to stay at his place while she's being kept safe. She starts to find out more info about the trouble with her mother and that her sister is involved with Beach and left to track down their mother. While this happens, Swan is submerged in club life and it's a little more than she's used to. There's rough men but she's not the fearful type...the thing that gets to her is all the blatant sex that's all over the club. Especially when it comes to the skanks that seems to think they can get all over Smoke. There are multiple encounters with multiple women that Smoke used to be with. Swan isn't sure of his intentions towards her and thinks he doesn't do relationships and she doesn't want to get involved with someone there's no chance for a future with. Regardless of her misgivings, Swan takes every opportunity to rub all up on Smoke and they have a lot of physical encounters but not actual intercourse at first. This part is what bothered me the most. There were multiple times when Smoke said or did things that pissed Swan off but she'd pretty much forgive him as soon as he touched her. A few different times I felt that there were important things that should have been talked out that weren't. Swan has emotional issues and I get that but her emotions changed at the drop of a hat and she's supposed to be really smart so I found it straining my credulity. The story ends with the action plot still very much up in the air. Swan and Smoke are together and seem solid relationship wise so I guess it would be a HFN.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. There were a few plot points that I didn't think completely worked but the story was still good. Smoke was a good hero and I didn't have any major complaints about him. Swan I liked but yet didn't. She has the ability to be such a cool heroine but I didn't like her wishy washyness in this story and it seemed that with her background and experiences she would be anything but wishy washy. So in one part I loved her and in another part I found her annoying at times. I think I'll read the next book in the series...with the emotional issues resolved between Smoke and Swan maybe things will be more enjoyable and leave me with less mixed feelings. :D
7/21/15 - This was a reread before trying part #2. I still felt basically the same way about it the second time around.
* note - I listened to the audio version of the story. There were actually 2 narrators. The female narrated most of the story (anything from Swan's PoV, which was most of the story) and the male did the parts from Smoke's PoV and the male voices in the parts from Swan's PoV. Overall it was alright but it didn't seem like the male narrator did much to differentiate the voices for the different men in the story.
**warning, I had mixed feelings about this story so this review might be a tad spoilerish. I'll try to keep it to a limit**
This was a good story. To be honest, I had a lot of trouble rating this one. I liked both Swan and Smoke but there were a few things that bothered me that kept me from giving it a higher rating. Still, I got engaged in the story and will probably read the next book as this one ends in a HFN. Smoke and Swan seem solid relationship wise but the action plot still has a lot to be resolved.
Swan is a very tough but innocent young woman. She's 20 years old but already has a double masters in Math and Accounting (having finished homeschooling high school at the ages of 13). She was raised in a survivalist community with her father and stepmother. She was raised to be able to get through any hardship but it left her with a childhood that was bad at times. Swan has an identical twin sister, Sarah, who was raised by their mother. Sarah has basically spent their lives doing bad things and blaming Swan for them so after Sarah's most recent betrayal, Swan started avoiding Sarah and they haven't seen each other for a couple years.
Smoke is a member of the Iron Horse MC. Used to be in the service and when he got out he became involved with the MC. He also started up a security business that's done very well. Smoke has been a man-whore most of his life, having only been in 2 relationships in his life, and the last one was when he was 20 (he's 30 now). All this changed when the MC president, Beach, asked him to watch over his woman's sister. The longer Smoke watches Swan the deeper he falls.
Swan and Sarah's mother is a crazy woman. She decided to get some gambling debts going (big ones) and then makes some large thefts to try to make the money to pay it back. She gets in deep and people get killed and she's on the hook for everything. The bad guys know about Sarah and Swan and Sarah knows what's going on but Swan doesn't know a thing and is just trying to live her life. Swan works as a waitress at a strip club. She just finished her degrees using this job to pay her way through school. She's got some social limitations (she has trouble reading emotions and can sometimes be too blunt and honest) and sensory issues (if someone she doesn't know or trust touches her she feels like bugs are walking all over her) that has caused Swan to close herself off from most people, living her life but in a rather limited fashion. By the end it's revealed that Swan may have high-functioning autism that causes her difficulties. When Swan and Smoke meet, it's when he's been watching her for quite a while but she's just met him as a customer. He comes in 3 nights in a row and on the 3rd night he steps in to protect her when some guy slaps her ass. Swan is basically thinking that Smoke is majorly hot but thinks he'd never be interested in her because apparently her social issues keep her from recognizing compliments as true and she can't see herself as pretty for some reason. Swan ends up getting a call from Sarah to meet her and instead of her sister, Swan runs in to trouble.
Swan is saved from her trouble by Smoke and his brothers. He doesn't tell her much at first and basically does the "come with me if you want to live" type thing. Swan goes along even though she doesn't know Smoke and it seemed like she does this was mostly because she's hot for him and likes that he can touch her with no issues. They end up heading to Austin to stay at his place while she's being kept safe. She starts to find out more info about the trouble with her mother and that her sister is involved with Beach and left to track down their mother. While this happens, Swan is submerged in club life and it's a little more than she's used to. There's rough men but she's not the fearful type...the thing that gets to her is all the blatant sex that's all over the club. Especially when it comes to the skanks that seems to think they can get all over Smoke. There are multiple encounters with multiple women that Smoke used to be with. Swan isn't sure of his intentions towards her and thinks he doesn't do relationships and she doesn't want to get involved with someone there's no chance for a future with. Regardless of her misgivings, Swan takes every opportunity to rub all up on Smoke and they have a lot of physical encounters but not actual intercourse at first. This part is what bothered me the most. There were multiple times when Smoke said or did things that pissed Swan off but she'd pretty much forgive him as soon as he touched her. A few different times I felt that there were important things that should have been talked out that weren't. Swan has emotional issues and I get that but her emotions changed at the drop of a hat and she's supposed to be really smart so I found it straining my credulity. The story ends with the action plot still very much up in the air. Swan and Smoke are together and seem solid relationship wise so I guess it would be a HFN.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. There were a few plot points that I didn't think completely worked but the story was still good. Smoke was a good hero and I didn't have any major complaints about him. Swan I liked but yet didn't. She has the ability to be such a cool heroine but I didn't like her wishy washyness in this story and it seemed that with her background and experiences she would be anything but wishy washy. So in one part I loved her and in another part I found her annoying at times. I think I'll read the next book in the series...with the emotional issues resolved between Smoke and Swan maybe things will be more enjoyable and leave me with less mixed feelings. :D
7/21/15 - This was a reread before trying part #2. I still felt basically the same way about it the second time around.
* note - I listened to the audio version of the story. There were actually 2 narrators. The female narrated most of the story (anything from Swan's PoV, which was most of the story) and the male did the parts from Smoke's PoV and the male voices in the parts from Swan's PoV. Overall it was alright but it didn't seem like the male narrator did much to differentiate the voices for the different men in the story.
September 1, 2014
4.5 stars
Hotness Rating 4 out of 5
Exquisite Trouble is the first book of the Iron Horse MC series by Ann Mayburn and I can not wait for the second book to be released. MC books are all the rage right now and this book comes through in a big way. Ms. Mayburn can write a hot and sexy, badass biker, that's for sure.
Swan is the good sister. Her twin has always been the over-the-top troublemaker. Of course, it's not surprising considering they were split up as toddlers. Swan was raised by their slightly paranoid, "Armegeddon is upon us" father while her sister was raised by their irresponsible, original "wild child" mother. None of that matters now. Even though she has had little to do with her mother or sister she has been swept up in their troubles and the only person that can help her is a biker that just happens to be in the motorcycle club that is run by her sister's boyfriend. All she wants to do is earn her degree and live a quiet boring life, but fate has different plans in store for her.
Smoke is falling in love with a woman he's never actually met. Ever since the clubs president's girlfriend has been missing Smoke has been tasked with the job of watching over her twin to keep her safe and see if any clues to her whereabouts are there. Swan is pure innocence and he knows he's not right for her, but that doesn't stop him from wanting her like he's never wanted another woman, ever.
Smoke is not only a hot biker, but he's also a dominant in all the best ways. I loved how he tried to fight his feelings for Swan, but in the end accepted it as fate and went with it. Swan's innocence was there, but she wasn't so naive as to be annoying. And I loved that she was willing to experience life even when it was outside of her comfort zone. I need more Smoke and can't wait for the next book in this series.
You can find this review and others at www.riverinaromantics.com
Hotness Rating 4 out of 5
Exquisite Trouble is the first book of the Iron Horse MC series by Ann Mayburn and I can not wait for the second book to be released. MC books are all the rage right now and this book comes through in a big way. Ms. Mayburn can write a hot and sexy, badass biker, that's for sure.
Swan is the good sister. Her twin has always been the over-the-top troublemaker. Of course, it's not surprising considering they were split up as toddlers. Swan was raised by their slightly paranoid, "Armegeddon is upon us" father while her sister was raised by their irresponsible, original "wild child" mother. None of that matters now. Even though she has had little to do with her mother or sister she has been swept up in their troubles and the only person that can help her is a biker that just happens to be in the motorcycle club that is run by her sister's boyfriend. All she wants to do is earn her degree and live a quiet boring life, but fate has different plans in store for her.
Smoke is falling in love with a woman he's never actually met. Ever since the clubs president's girlfriend has been missing Smoke has been tasked with the job of watching over her twin to keep her safe and see if any clues to her whereabouts are there. Swan is pure innocence and he knows he's not right for her, but that doesn't stop him from wanting her like he's never wanted another woman, ever.
Smoke is not only a hot biker, but he's also a dominant in all the best ways. I loved how he tried to fight his feelings for Swan, but in the end accepted it as fate and went with it. Swan's innocence was there, but she wasn't so naive as to be annoying. And I loved that she was willing to experience life even when it was outside of her comfort zone. I need more Smoke and can't wait for the next book in this series.
You can find this review and others at www.riverinaromantics.com
September 9, 2014
This book is really part 1 of a 2 part story. The book ends with the H/h committing to a relationship but it stops in the middle of the whole action plot. So to get the story you will have to read book 1. We have a little bit of everything in the book: an ex-military, alpha-possessive, dominant H; a younger h who the H believes is autistic to some degree; OTT para-military, survivalist father of the h; h’s druggie mother who killed 9 men to steal weapons; and some sultry sex with a little BDSM on the side. The h is looking for her sister who has disappeared. The sister is the old lady of the MC president and we really don’t know all of the details of the sister taking off, other than it had to do with her crazy mother stealing the guns from the MC. So the missing sister is chasing her mother and the other sister is looking for the missing sister. The club’s president put the younger sister under surveillance to protect her and now the H has fallen completely for the h after watching over her for about a year. The story is intriguing and I will most likely read book 2 since I was interested in the plot line. But there’s something about this book that I can’t catalogue. I almost stopped reading at 10% because the dialogue was a little corny to me but I hate to put a book in the DNF folder. So I kept reading and then got all involved in the story but then towards the end I started lagging again. The book does have a HEA for the main couple at the end of book 1.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2014
Whoever decided this was "new adult biker romance" deserves to be punched in the throat.
Ends on a cliffhanger. Did not live up to hype. Still an okay read.
I'd really been looking forward to Exquisite Trouble. Something about it didn't sit well with me though as I read it. Let's start with the fact that someone at Fated Desires Publishing tried to jam this book in the "New Adult" category because that's what is hot right now. Except Smoke is 30 fucking years old. Not a "new adult" in any way.
There's also the fact that Smoke is referred to as being "Spanish" multiple times, but is in fact, I think, Mexican. Latino or Hispanic would have been more appropriate. In hyping this book we were told Smoke would be the kind of biker hero who treated his woman well. If being a bossy, obnoxious a-hole is considered chivilary, then I guess so.
Swan, is a 20 year old virgin, but for some reason she shaves her pussy bare, knows all about BDSM and is on the pill. Oh, and she's apparently a high-functioning autistic girl who has her Master's degree and is an expert in doomsday prepping.
There's just WAY, WAY too much going on in Exquisite Trouble.
Instead of being the exquisite read I expected, it was merely okay. I may or may not be interested in the sequel.
Ends on a cliffhanger. Did not live up to hype. Still an okay read.
I'd really been looking forward to Exquisite Trouble. Something about it didn't sit well with me though as I read it. Let's start with the fact that someone at Fated Desires Publishing tried to jam this book in the "New Adult" category because that's what is hot right now. Except Smoke is 30 fucking years old. Not a "new adult" in any way.
There's also the fact that Smoke is referred to as being "Spanish" multiple times, but is in fact, I think, Mexican. Latino or Hispanic would have been more appropriate. In hyping this book we were told Smoke would be the kind of biker hero who treated his woman well. If being a bossy, obnoxious a-hole is considered chivilary, then I guess so.
Swan, is a 20 year old virgin, but for some reason she shaves her pussy bare, knows all about BDSM and is on the pill. Oh, and she's apparently a high-functioning autistic girl who has her Master's degree and is an expert in doomsday prepping.
There's just WAY, WAY too much going on in Exquisite Trouble.
Instead of being the exquisite read I expected, it was merely okay. I may or may not be interested in the sequel.
August 17, 2023
Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK
This was pretty good and I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters. I will say, I'm not sure if this series is a spin off of another or if Swan's sister was featured in any other book but it was a little confusing in the beginning. It felt like I was dropped into the middle of an ongoing story with the sister and mother drama that was explained in a way that made it feel like I should already know it. I actually started thinking that Sarah and Beach's story came first, only to find out it's the next story.
Overall, I liked it and will maybe one day come back to finish the next book which is the conclusion to the duet. I'm interested to see how it ends but since this isn't a KU book I just don't think I'm invested enough to use the last of my Amazon Credits to buy the next one.
Amazon US * Amazon UK
This was pretty good and I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters. I will say, I'm not sure if this series is a spin off of another or if Swan's sister was featured in any other book but it was a little confusing in the beginning. It felt like I was dropped into the middle of an ongoing story with the sister and mother drama that was explained in a way that made it feel like I should already know it. I actually started thinking that Sarah and Beach's story came first, only to find out it's the next story.
Overall, I liked it and will maybe one day come back to finish the next book which is the conclusion to the duet. I'm interested to see how it ends but since this isn't a KU book I just don't think I'm invested enough to use the last of my Amazon Credits to buy the next one.
September 28, 2017
It’s been a long time since I read Exquisite Trouble and it’s companion book, Exquisite Danger but I devoured the next two books in the Iron Horse MC series before realizing I never wrote reviews on the first two. Re-reading the books was not a hardship since I enjoyed Smoke and Swan’s story and already knew their history spans over both books.
Smoke, the Sergeant of Arms for the Iron Horse MC, was tasked with protecting Swan, the soon to be sister in law of the Iron Horse MC’s National President. While watching over her from afar, the quirky, unbelievably smart young woman with extreme social issues slowly stole his heart. At first, his behavior came off as stalkerish, but then you realize that the rough, gruff biker was doing everything possible to keep Swan safe from a threat she didn’t even know about.
As much as I adored Smoke, it was Swan who won my heart. With a retired special forces isolationist prepper father and a mob princess/assassin step-mother, her education consisted of homeschooling and survival training. This resulted in her being a strange mixture of extremely naive but also unbelievably deadly. As a high functioning autistic, she suffered from social anxiety and sensory issues such that being touched by people she didn’t trust could make her physically ill. Despite her issues, she was determined to make her way in the real world.
Due to a threat to Swan, Smoke was forced to make his presence known. Determined to make her his, he tried to go softly since she was so innocent but being the alpha biker he is, treading lightly wasn’t exactly his strong suit. Where he has had the advantage of a long time to fall in love with his woman, Swan doesn’t know him at all. Confused that he can actually touch her without issues, overwhelmed by new to her feelings, and clueless to MC life, Smoke has his work cut out for him getting her to give him a chance. At times, her not seeing what was right in front of her did get on my nerves.
Swan and Sarah’s (her identical twin sister) mother is one nasty piece of work. When she puts both her daughters in danger from more than one mob faction, Sarah takes off to find her and then disappears. As Smoke and Swan work together to find Sarah, it takes all of Smoke’s resources to find a way to keep Swan safe because of the huge target her mother has put on her.
During their search for Sarah, we get to meet several other characters who I hope to read more about in future books. Hustler’s antics had me smiling and Beach (Sarah’s fiancee and the MC President) made me want to reach into the iPad and hug him, such was his concern and worry over his woman. Tom, aka Mr. Sokolov, had me so interested I actually checked out Ms. Mayburn’s other books to see if he had a story of his own since he’s not really a member of the Iron Horse MC.
The two books have a definite HFN ending, but the trouble is far from over for the Iron Horse MC. This series has the rich characters, grit and action that I love in a good MC series, so I look forward to future installments.
What I Struggled With:
1. Swan’s upbringing broke my heart.
2. Veronica–the whole story line felted like unneeded angst, plus it made me want to throttle Smoke.
3. I wanted to know more of Smoke’s past.
4. At times Swan’s immaturity, especially in Exquisite Danger, got on my last nerve even though I understood how her sheltered upbringing contributed to this.
What I Loved:
1. Almost everything about Swan including all her quirks.
2. Smoke and how hard he tried to take care of all of Swan’s needs.
3. Beach– His love and concern for Sarah showed were front and center with him.
Rating: 4 Smoke Is A Great Name For A Book Boyfriend Stars
For this review and more, check out EDGy Reviews
Smoke, the Sergeant of Arms for the Iron Horse MC, was tasked with protecting Swan, the soon to be sister in law of the Iron Horse MC’s National President. While watching over her from afar, the quirky, unbelievably smart young woman with extreme social issues slowly stole his heart. At first, his behavior came off as stalkerish, but then you realize that the rough, gruff biker was doing everything possible to keep Swan safe from a threat she didn’t even know about.
As much as I adored Smoke, it was Swan who won my heart. With a retired special forces isolationist prepper father and a mob princess/assassin step-mother, her education consisted of homeschooling and survival training. This resulted in her being a strange mixture of extremely naive but also unbelievably deadly. As a high functioning autistic, she suffered from social anxiety and sensory issues such that being touched by people she didn’t trust could make her physically ill. Despite her issues, she was determined to make her way in the real world.
Due to a threat to Swan, Smoke was forced to make his presence known. Determined to make her his, he tried to go softly since she was so innocent but being the alpha biker he is, treading lightly wasn’t exactly his strong suit. Where he has had the advantage of a long time to fall in love with his woman, Swan doesn’t know him at all. Confused that he can actually touch her without issues, overwhelmed by new to her feelings, and clueless to MC life, Smoke has his work cut out for him getting her to give him a chance. At times, her not seeing what was right in front of her did get on my nerves.
Swan and Sarah’s (her identical twin sister) mother is one nasty piece of work. When she puts both her daughters in danger from more than one mob faction, Sarah takes off to find her and then disappears. As Smoke and Swan work together to find Sarah, it takes all of Smoke’s resources to find a way to keep Swan safe because of the huge target her mother has put on her.
During their search for Sarah, we get to meet several other characters who I hope to read more about in future books. Hustler’s antics had me smiling and Beach (Sarah’s fiancee and the MC President) made me want to reach into the iPad and hug him, such was his concern and worry over his woman. Tom, aka Mr. Sokolov, had me so interested I actually checked out Ms. Mayburn’s other books to see if he had a story of his own since he’s not really a member of the Iron Horse MC.
The two books have a definite HFN ending, but the trouble is far from over for the Iron Horse MC. This series has the rich characters, grit and action that I love in a good MC series, so I look forward to future installments.
What I Struggled With:
1. Swan’s upbringing broke my heart.
2. Veronica–the whole story line felted like unneeded angst, plus it made me want to throttle Smoke.
3. I wanted to know more of Smoke’s past.
4. At times Swan’s immaturity, especially in Exquisite Danger, got on my last nerve even though I understood how her sheltered upbringing contributed to this.
What I Loved:
1. Almost everything about Swan including all her quirks.
2. Smoke and how hard he tried to take care of all of Swan’s needs.
3. Beach– His love and concern for Sarah showed were front and center with him.
Rating: 4 Smoke Is A Great Name For A Book Boyfriend Stars
For this review and more, check out EDGy Reviews
July 2, 2014
Most of what I know about motorcycle clubs (and it isn't a great deal) has been gleaned from American films and the occasional sensationalised newspaper article so I didn't know what to expect when I started this book.
The writing is pacy and fluent....with touches of humour as I've come to expect from Ann Mayburn.
The main protagonists, Smoke and Swan, are engaging and I was cheering them on in their relationship.
The secondary characters are well written and quirky and the background details of what it means to belong to a club like Iron Horse are authentic. There is some violence but it isn't excessive.
The most chilling aspect of the book is how Miguel came to be known as Smoke....this is revealed to the reader almost at the end of the book .
Swan, whose nickname has much more innocent origins, is unaware of the details. We can only guess as to her reaction and what it means long term for their relationship.
And here we come to the only fault I found with the book (and the reason for 4* not 5)..the ending was abrupt...so much so that I was convinced there was a chapter missing.
I'm hoping we don't have to wait too long for #2 as there is so much unfinished business.....and I so need to know what happens next!
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
The writing is pacy and fluent....with touches of humour as I've come to expect from Ann Mayburn.
The main protagonists, Smoke and Swan, are engaging and I was cheering them on in their relationship.
The secondary characters are well written and quirky and the background details of what it means to belong to a club like Iron Horse are authentic. There is some violence but it isn't excessive.
The most chilling aspect of the book is how Miguel came to be known as Smoke....this is revealed to the reader almost at the end of the book .
Swan, whose nickname has much more innocent origins, is unaware of the details. We can only guess as to her reaction and what it means long term for their relationship.
And here we come to the only fault I found with the book (and the reason for 4* not 5)..the ending was abrupt...so much so that I was convinced there was a chapter missing.
I'm hoping we don't have to wait too long for #2 as there is so much unfinished business.....and I so need to know what happens next!
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
March 5, 2016
Meh, not sure how I feel about this. It felt like it had more sex then anything else. I get upset when the female lead has valid points to be upset or get some separation from the male lead and he just sexs her up and she forgets and forgives everything. That just makes her entirely weak and I don't have any respect for her at all. I got to the point there was soon much sex I skipped hoping to get a story in there some where. I just felt he disrespected her in so many ways I got to the point where I really didn't like him at all.
What an F-ed up family she belongs to and what a weak reason to abuse her the way they did. WEAK! I am also confused how this is the first book, but the others are already published. The book started off great thus the 3 stars instead of two, but then YUK. Then the author just had to randomly put in D/s stuff that just didn't fit in so she can keep up with the fad of having it in a book now a days. And then the autistic crap...REALLY!? Ok just not buying it. Why not hit all the buzz topics!?
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. Glad I did because I would have felt like crap if I bought it!
What an F-ed up family she belongs to and what a weak reason to abuse her the way they did. WEAK! I am also confused how this is the first book, but the others are already published. The book started off great thus the 3 stars instead of two, but then YUK. Then the author just had to randomly put in D/s stuff that just didn't fit in so she can keep up with the fad of having it in a book now a days. And then the autistic crap...REALLY!? Ok just not buying it. Why not hit all the buzz topics!?
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. Glad I did because I would have felt like crap if I bought it!
July 28, 2014
I am so conflicted with this story. Some parts I really liked and some parts I hated.
There were so many times in this book that I wondered if I had missed reading a previous story. There was so much discussion about Sarah, Beach and the MC that I was a little lost.
Again, at times I liked Swan and Smoke and times I couldn't stand them.
Swan was supposed to be trained as a survivalist but she gets kidnapped? She watches porn, cusses like a sailor,and works at a strip joint but is a virgin, blushes over everything and has to be forced to use words like pussy and cock. Really?
Smoke is supposed to be a bad-ass biker who does unspeakable things to his enemy but when it comes to swan, he is a complete wuss. He was one hell of a dirty talker AND had a pierced penis ; )) so I could forgive him for being a dumb-ass at times.
Too many things just didn't make sense however, I still basically liked the story and want to read the next one so it wasn't THAT bad.
There were so many times in this book that I wondered if I had missed reading a previous story. There was so much discussion about Sarah, Beach and the MC that I was a little lost.
Again, at times I liked Swan and Smoke and times I couldn't stand them.
Swan was supposed to be trained as a survivalist but she gets kidnapped? She watches porn, cusses like a sailor,and works at a strip joint but is a virgin, blushes over everything and has to be forced to use words like pussy and cock. Really?
Smoke is supposed to be a bad-ass biker who does unspeakable things to his enemy but when it comes to swan, he is a complete wuss. He was one hell of a dirty talker AND had a pierced penis ; )) so I could forgive him for being a dumb-ass at times.
Too many things just didn't make sense however, I still basically liked the story and want to read the next one so it wasn't THAT bad.
December 11, 2014
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but it did combine two of my favorites, bikers and bdsm. That was enough to get me to buy the book. Smoke is an amazing hero though I didn't like learning how we got his name. Swan is not the usual heroine with bad childhood / abusive past. Her childhood might be interpreted that way but it definitely isn't the norm. She also has some special issues with sensory things in particular. The book has a HFN ending which surprised me. I was hoping for a HEA. Now I'll just have to wait for the next book to get that. I think this is going to be a great series and there are already several stories waiting to be told.
July 14, 2014
This is the first book in Ann Mayburns new Iron Horse MC series. The h, Swan is complex character, innocent yet kick ass when she needs to be. Smoke, our H, when that man falls in love there is no stopping him from what he wants or protecting what's his. Some may not like that this is part one of Swan & Smokes story. But I look at it this way, I'm dying over here anticipating part two wondering what amazing things Ann has come up with for Book two.
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