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Rough Riders #1
Artificial Moonlight
This edition is no longer available.
Diego Champagne, Sergeant in Arms for the Louisiana Banni motorcycle gang, has grown up tough—half French, half Creole, and all male. Diego loves men, but keeps his sex life on the down-low...until he meets Colby Young, that is.
Colby carries his own baggage. He has his own reasons for not believing in love—reasons he doesn't share—and he sure as the devil doesn't like it when he's forced to accept help from anyone.
When Diego intervenes in a bar brawl during a motorbike rally and saves Colby and his best friend, Spider McGraw, leader of the rival gang Death Proof, it begins to look as if Colby and Diego are going to be joined at the hip. Somebody puts a hit out on Colby, and Spider's up to his neck in mayhem. When the Banni offer their protection to advance their own game, Colby begins to wonder: is love like artificial moonlight, seductive yet false? Or is it powerful and true, something for which he might risk everything...maybe even his life?
Diego Champagne, Sergeant in Arms for the Louisiana Banni motorcycle gang, has grown up tough—half French, half Creole, and all male. Diego loves men, but keeps his sex life on the down-low...until he meets Colby Young, that is.
Colby carries his own baggage. He has his own reasons for not believing in love—reasons he doesn't share—and he sure as the devil doesn't like it when he's forced to accept help from anyone.
When Diego intervenes in a bar brawl during a motorbike rally and saves Colby and his best friend, Spider McGraw, leader of the rival gang Death Proof, it begins to look as if Colby and Diego are going to be joined at the hip. Somebody puts a hit out on Colby, and Spider's up to his neck in mayhem. When the Banni offer their protection to advance their own game, Colby begins to wonder: is love like artificial moonlight, seductive yet false? Or is it powerful and true, something for which he might risk everything...maybe even his life?
- GenresGayM M Romance
159 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2014
2 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Llewellyn
288 books452 followersA.J. Llewellyn lives in California, but dreams of living in Hawaii. Frequent trips to all the islands, bags of Kona coffee in the fridge and a healthy collection of Hawaiian records keep this writer refueled.
A.J’s passion for the islands led to writing a play about the last ruling monarch of Hawaii, Queen Lili’uokalani as well as a non-erotic novel about the overthrow of her kingdom written in diary form from her maid’s point of view.
A.J. never lacks inspiritation for male/male erotic romances and on the rare occasion this happens, pursues other passions such as collecting books on Hawaiiana, surfing and spending time with friends and animal companions.
A.J. Llewellyn believes that love is a song best sung out loud.
A.J’s passion for the islands led to writing a play about the last ruling monarch of Hawaii, Queen Lili’uokalani as well as a non-erotic novel about the overthrow of her kingdom written in diary form from her maid’s point of view.
A.J. never lacks inspiritation for male/male erotic romances and on the rare occasion this happens, pursues other passions such as collecting books on Hawaiiana, surfing and spending time with friends and animal companions.
A.J. Llewellyn believes that love is a song best sung out loud.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 14, 2017
Not sure I'm gonna be able to review this one. Just so... meh.
March 27, 2014
I don't know much about biker gangs or biker culture so I didn't really have to suspend my disbelief. Ok, the amount of man-on-man action is probably not typical... But the story line in this violent and sexy underground world is engaging and I'm on the hook for more. I would have preferred more resolution at the close to this chapter in the story rather than the abrupt ending. It gave me the impression (which may not be the case) that the book was chopped into parts after completion.
April 5, 2017
Once in a while you need a challenge to help you find a gem of a book. I don't often read biker books.
This story was a little gem. It wasn't long but had a lot of story to it and sets itself up nicely for the remaining books.
I liked Diego and Colby. I think they are going to be good together if they ever get officially together.
I like the back story of Colby's sister, I am also pleased that there isnt alot of violence in this book.
I am looking forward to reading the second book.
This story was a little gem. It wasn't long but had a lot of story to it and sets itself up nicely for the remaining books.
I liked Diego and Colby. I think they are going to be good together if they ever get officially together.
I like the back story of Colby's sister, I am also pleased that there isnt alot of violence in this book.
I am looking forward to reading the second book.
May 10, 2021
Just added 3 more books to my TBR
I picked up this book up thinking it would be a quick read for a challenge. I ended up finishing it in one sitting and added the rest of the series to my TBR because now I'm totally invested in this story. From the hot and cold nature of Diego and Colby's relationship to the dynamics of the two clubs to the secrets that get revealed along the way, this series has captured my attention and I need to know what happens next.
I picked up this book up thinking it would be a quick read for a challenge. I ended up finishing it in one sitting and added the rest of the series to my TBR because now I'm totally invested in this story. From the hot and cold nature of Diego and Colby's relationship to the dynamics of the two clubs to the secrets that get revealed along the way, this series has captured my attention and I need to know what happens next.
August 29, 2014
My three star rating is mainly based on the potential of the book and my expectations for the sequel(s).
I'm a sucker for biker stories, maybe because they offer contemporary while at the same time being far from my every day reality. It's a shame they are so hard to pull off, since by nature members of the club should be violent or at least ready for violence (I'm talking about the kind of clubs taht are into illegal stuff) but at the same time readers usually need to like the main characters.
I thought in Artificial Moonlight that part of the story was actually handled well. Diego was violent, yes, but still a nice MC. The basic plot about the conflicts between the clubs and everyone being after the growths was good and plausible.
What got to me was the inconsistency of the characters, mainly Colby, who went from an incredible character to a little bitch. By the end of the book I hoped someone would just shoot him.
I get that there were many things yet to be told about his past, but I hope there's a better reason for his one night only rule that the fact that his mom's a nutjob.
And I know that all good MCs have depth and they don't always follow the same patterns, but how in the hell was the guy in the car the same guy who ended up being a gloomy brooder? The scene with Colby coming on to Diego at the beginning was one of the best I've ever read, and I was doing a little happy dance to read something fresh and original. I was disapointed when that was soon forgotten and we got the wounded hero that is always present in books about outlaws.
After finishing the book I couldn't help but wonder if the author's had come up with the story as they went along, because the characters simply didn't piece together in a logical way to me. I didn't mind so much that everyone seemed to be gay and fucking everybody, I just thought it offers many opportunities for sequels and future pairings.
The book was well written and extemely easy to read, the writing was the kind you can sort of forget about and really get into the story, and it takes talent to write like that.
Colby's sister's disappearance was a great little mystery and I'm looking forward to reading more about it and his mother seemed like a very interesting character.
I'm a sucker for biker stories, maybe because they offer contemporary while at the same time being far from my every day reality. It's a shame they are so hard to pull off, since by nature members of the club should be violent or at least ready for violence (I'm talking about the kind of clubs taht are into illegal stuff) but at the same time readers usually need to like the main characters.
I thought in Artificial Moonlight that part of the story was actually handled well. Diego was violent, yes, but still a nice MC. The basic plot about the conflicts between the clubs and everyone being after the growths was good and plausible.
What got to me was the inconsistency of the characters, mainly Colby, who went from an incredible character to a little bitch. By the end of the book I hoped someone would just shoot him.
I get that there were many things yet to be told about his past, but I hope there's a better reason for his one night only rule that the fact that his mom's a nutjob.
And I know that all good MCs have depth and they don't always follow the same patterns, but how in the hell was the guy in the car the same guy who ended up being a gloomy brooder? The scene with Colby coming on to Diego at the beginning was one of the best I've ever read, and I was doing a little happy dance to read something fresh and original. I was disapointed when that was soon forgotten and we got the wounded hero that is always present in books about outlaws.
After finishing the book I couldn't help but wonder if the author's had come up with the story as they went along, because the characters simply didn't piece together in a logical way to me. I didn't mind so much that everyone seemed to be gay and fucking everybody, I just thought it offers many opportunities for sequels and future pairings.
The book was well written and extemely easy to read, the writing was the kind you can sort of forget about and really get into the story, and it takes talent to write like that.
Colby's sister's disappearance was a great little mystery and I'm looking forward to reading more about it and his mother seemed like a very interesting character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2014
3-1/2 stars
This story had it’s ups and downs for me. The plot is intriguing and the characters are very interesting, some being very stereotypical and others quite the opposite. Diego and Colby are a perfect combination of both. Diego is very much the tough biker guy who stumbled into the lifestyle when he screwed up his chances at a football career trying to earn money for his mother. You could say Colby was born into the lifestyle and he can be a tough SOB but you wouldn’t know it to look at him. The fact that they both have to hide in the closet because of the biker “code” puts them outside the biker stereotype.
The writing style leaves you feeling a bit out of whack, in the fact that it reads as if the author was maybe a little short on deadline. Don’t get me wrong, my heart was definitely invested in the story and I never lost the need to know what happened next but I do think certain areas would have benefited with more time and details. And it’s those areas that kept me from giving it a full 4 or maybe even a 4½ rating. I will say that there was one historic error that really stuck with me and as a history buff it probably cost a whole ½ rating by itself.
Cherise was the great-great-granddaughter of a beautiful
African woman named Abena, who was brought to the shores of
the Mississippi on a slave ship in the late 1800s. She was sold to an
English steam ship magnate named Warren Hemley and worked in
his house as a maid.
It might just be a typo but it’s still something that stuck out as being wrong and something the editor should have spotted. It should be “the late 1700s” or “the early 1800s” or at the very least "the mid 1800s"since slavery was abolished in this country in 1862 with the Emancipation Proclamation and everything after the war ended in 1865 is most commonly referred to as the "late 1800s". It’s a minor detail to some but as a history buff, to me it’s a pretty major editing error that really stuck in my craw.
Having said that, this is not a stand-alone and it’s a great beginning to the Rough Riders series and I am eager to read on with book 2.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
This story had it’s ups and downs for me. The plot is intriguing and the characters are very interesting, some being very stereotypical and others quite the opposite. Diego and Colby are a perfect combination of both. Diego is very much the tough biker guy who stumbled into the lifestyle when he screwed up his chances at a football career trying to earn money for his mother. You could say Colby was born into the lifestyle and he can be a tough SOB but you wouldn’t know it to look at him. The fact that they both have to hide in the closet because of the biker “code” puts them outside the biker stereotype.
The writing style leaves you feeling a bit out of whack, in the fact that it reads as if the author was maybe a little short on deadline. Don’t get me wrong, my heart was definitely invested in the story and I never lost the need to know what happened next but I do think certain areas would have benefited with more time and details. And it’s those areas that kept me from giving it a full 4 or maybe even a 4½ rating. I will say that there was one historic error that really stuck with me and as a history buff it probably cost a whole ½ rating by itself.
Cherise was the great-great-granddaughter of a beautiful
African woman named Abena, who was brought to the shores of
the Mississippi on a slave ship in the late 1800s. She was sold to an
English steam ship magnate named Warren Hemley and worked in
his house as a maid.
It might just be a typo but it’s still something that stuck out as being wrong and something the editor should have spotted. It should be “the late 1700s” or “the early 1800s” or at the very least "the mid 1800s"since slavery was abolished in this country in 1862 with the Emancipation Proclamation and everything after the war ended in 1865 is most commonly referred to as the "late 1800s". It’s a minor detail to some but as a history buff, to me it’s a pretty major editing error that really stuck in my craw.
Having said that, this is not a stand-alone and it’s a great beginning to the Rough Riders series and I am eager to read on with book 2.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
March 8, 2014
I loved the Orgasmic Texas Dawns so I couldn't wait to read another series by AJ Llewellyn and Dj Manly. Diego is my favorite character so far and a close second is Colby or maybe they're even... I loved them either way. They each have mysterious backgrounds and secrets galore and felt this was a good start to this series. Diego is a tough mother and so freakin sexy and when he and Colby get together totally freakin hot, very sexy. But Colby only sleeps with guys once or that's what he's allowing Diego to think. I thought the story was intriguing and introduced some great characters, I just felt the Death Proof guys were a little too wimpy or not tough at all, they seemed almost push overs. I thought it somewhat not a MC club but they got a lot going on that's for sure. I felt for Colby and his family and hope soon he gets some closure. Very interesting story can't wait to read more of this series. 4 stars review by Nanee at upallnightreadallday.blogspot.com
Merged review:
I loved the Orgasmic Texas Dawns so I couldn't wait to read another series by AJ Llewellyn and Dj Manly. Diego is my favorite character so far and a close second is Colby or maybe they're even... I loved them either way. They each have mysterious backgrounds and secrets galore and felt this was a good start to this series. Diego is a tough mother and so freakin sexy and when he and Colby get together totally freakin hot, very sexy. But Colby only sleeps with guys once or that's what he's allowing Diego to think. I thought the story was intriguing and introduced some great characters, I just felt the Death Proof guys were a little too wimpy or not tough at all, they seemed almost push overs. I thought it somewhat not a MC club but they got a lot going on that's for sure. I felt for Colby and his family and hope soon he gets some closure. Very interesting story can't wait to read more of this series. 4 stars review by Nanee at upallnightreadallday.blogspot.com
Merged review:
I loved the Orgasmic Texas Dawns so I couldn't wait to read another series by AJ Llewellyn and Dj Manly. Diego is my favorite character so far and a close second is Colby or maybe they're even... I loved them either way. They each have mysterious backgrounds and secrets galore and felt this was a good start to this series. Diego is a tough mother and so freakin sexy and when he and Colby get together totally freakin hot, very sexy. But Colby only sleeps with guys once or that's what he's allowing Diego to think. I thought the story was intriguing and introduced some great characters, I just felt the Death Proof guys were a little too wimpy or not tough at all, they seemed almost push overs. I thought it somewhat not a MC club but they got a lot going on that's for sure. I felt for Colby and his family and hope soon he gets some closure. Very interesting story can't wait to read more of this series. 4 stars review by Nanee at upallnightreadallday.blogspot.com
April 13, 2019
This is the beginning of what looks like an action-packed and exciting series about two men with secrets, different but equally dark pasts, and while both of them are gay, one of them is deeply in the closet and the other is a player. Even though both are members of a biker gang, they do not, at first or even second glance, look like a good match. But Diego and Colby are a better fit than they would ever admit. Coincidence brings them together and the action practically explodes as events push them closer than they’re comfortable with.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
September 22, 2014
3.5 stars
December 5, 2015
I need more...ADDICTED!
March 7, 2014
I can't wait to read the next book, there's still a lot to read about.
December 4, 2015
Cliffhanger.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews