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Blood & Throttle

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The streets run red with blood in The Gauntlet—a brutal underground death race where the fastest and the deadliest battle for power, money, and survival. There are no rules. No second chances. And the only way out is to win… or die.

When Sienna "Sin" Vega is forced onto the starting grid, she knows she’s being set up to fail. Framed for a crime she didn’t commit, she’s given one shot at race. Survive. Kill if she has to. But the men in The Gauntlet don’t take kindly to a woman on the track—especially one who refuses to submit. Beaten, hunted, and marked for death, her only hope is to trust the devil on a bike.

Enter Riot Carter, a legend in the underground circuit. Unbeatable. Ruthless. He’s got the fastest bike, the deadliest reputation, and a past soaked in blood. He doesn’t trust anyone, and he sure as hell doesn’t save people. But when he sees Sienna fighting to survive, something in him snaps. She’s not just another racer. She’s something else—something dangerous. Something he’d kill for.

Forced into an uneasy alliance, Riot and Sienna tear through the city’s crime-infested underworld, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. But The Gauntlet isn’t just a race—it’s a bloodsport controlled by powerful men who play god. The deeper they go, the more they realize the real game isn’t about winning. It’s about who gets to live long enough to cross the finish line.

And when the world comes for his girl, Riot’s ready to remind them all why they should have left her the fuck alone.

490 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 12, 2025

48 people are currently reading
772 people want to read

About the author

Nova Kane

18 books886 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
Profile Image for ❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books.
2,622 reviews10.9k followers
October 24, 2025
ARC REVIEW ★ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ LITTLE STRAY STARS... 📚'𝙼𝚈 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂'📚 can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS

This was one of the most easiest five stars I've ever given to a book, everything was unique with sit on the edge of your seat thrills and spills.

☀︎ 𝙱𝙻𝙾𝙾𝙳 & 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙾𝚃𝚃𝙻𝙴 ☀︎ Is a full length dark romance book by author Nova Kane. Spoken in dual perspectives. (Sienna "Sin" Vega & Riot Carter)

ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ:
ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇs ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs
ʜɪɢʜ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ
ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ
ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏɴᴇ ʙɪᴋᴇ
ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ ʜᴇʀ & ☠️
ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ
ʙᴀᴅᴀss ғᴍᴄ
ᴘᴏssᴇssɪᴠᴇ ᴍᴍᴄ
ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ʀᴀᴄᴇ x ᴍᴀᴅ ᴍᴀx ʙᴜᴛ ʙɪᴋᴇs
sʟᴏᴡ ʙᴜʀɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʟᴏᴛs ᴏғ ᴀɴɢsᴛ

Normally it takes me a while to warm up to characters, or get into a storyline, but this book pulled me instantly, that pull tugged on my very being, the raw emotional high octane storyline had me sitting on the edge of my seat each time they were in danger of being eliminated. 'The Gauntlet' isn't just one race, this has six levels of pure evil.

An action packed storyline that threw out gut wrenching twists, characters used as pawns pitted against each other in a blood thirsty game to the death. Where loyalties are tested, blood is shed, but where love blossomed in the thrill of the hunt.

𝑹𝒊𝒐𝒕 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 '𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒕'𝒔' 𝒈𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒐𝒚, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒌, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆-𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒍 𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆.

These two were dynamite 🧨 where so many others underestimated her due to being a female, he saw her defiance, her strength, her will to live, the fire streaming in her veins. Together they were a force to be reckoned with. Death traps at the ready to take them out.

Ever see that series ‘death race’ with modified cars? Imagine that but with dirt bikes, moving targets, easy to eradicate..Blood and chaos, death is a fast ticket to hell...

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Profile Image for Lori Rivera.
207 reviews32 followers
July 3, 2025
This book and the characters are so addictive! This world pulls you in and holds you there until the high throttle ending! My heart was pounding the entire time.

The spice was extremely spicy!!! 🌶️ But it’s the action throughout the entire story that kept me going non stop! I need more of this world!
Profile Image for Rachel Startz.
136 reviews16 followers
November 2, 2025
Damn what a wild ride.

Riot is definition of touch her and die. He’s gritty, lethal, and calculated.
Sin is smart, mouthy, badass and takes no sh!t. I also loved that she played a big role in fixing up the bike and adding mods.
Together they are the epitome of ride or die. They are the ultimate couple and so so deadly.

This book reminds me of a mix of mad max and the maze runner. The apocalyptic and dystopian vibes made every part of this book action packed.

There were a ton of good tropes like:
Touch her/him and die
Forced proximity
Dark romance
Found family
Baddie FMC
Ruthless MMC

Def read this if you’re looking for a bloody entertaining read with dystopian vibes and a couple that would die for each other.
Profile Image for Tiffani.
74 reviews39 followers
November 13, 2025
I am still obsessed with this book & can’t stop thinking about it!😩

Sienna is pure chaos and Riot is absolute danger, and the way they clash?? literally had me breathless 😮‍💨

Every page had me gripping my kindle, heart racing, and the tension?? killing me slowly in the best way. 🤣

The pull between them is slow, fierce, and completely magnetic and I could not get enough.

I could rant forever but you seriously need to experience this yourself 🖤

If you love
⛓ enemies to lovers
🖤 death race x mad max vibes
💀 forced proximity
🔥 only one bike
💋 possessive MMC + badass FMC
⚙️ adrenaline, angst, and obsession
then this book will take over your thoughts
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ pure chaos, heat, and obsession
Profile Image for Ashley.
101 reviews3 followers
June 15, 2025
First things first, Sienna is probably one of my top FMCs of Nova's. She hits first and asks questions later. Just like my second favorite, Taz.

Sienna and Riot's chemistry was lightning from the get-go. Sparking and lighting up the track of a dystopian death-race, The Gauntlet. Nova's descriptions are always colorful and elaborate, painting each scene in vivid detail.

I love a good found family trope and there's plenty of that in Blood and Throttle. Along with violence, quick wit, banter, and a lot of devotion.

The easter eggs were wholesome and the ending has me itching for more!
Profile Image for Ashley Difonzo.
Author 1 book24 followers
June 16, 2025
This book was everything it was so good , honestly I have fallen inlove with riot

And the friend group ? Omg I love them already I love family found trope !!

And sin ? She is one bad ass girl which I love I love her attitude 🩷


Over all this book was amazing it is one of my favourites , once again Nova Kane slay other book 🖤
Profile Image for Bria  Boyd.
449 reviews
November 10, 2025
one of Nova's best works - HANDS DOWN 😭 I love this world that she has created and its just done so well!
Profile Image for Letty Howarth.
148 reviews7 followers
November 3, 2025
This book reminded me very much of the film Death Race with Jason Statham, except with motorbikes and romance. I love that film, so naturally I was hooked from the first page of this book. I really enjoyed the setting of the book, which was, like I said, dystopian vibes. I enjoyed the found family aspect, the banter and what is arguably one of my favourite tropes, the touch her and die. Nova's writing, as always, was phenomenal and had me hooked and immersed. I know nothing about motorbikes, but I felt like I did with how Nova writes about it. Such a good read, that will make you laugh, maybe make you cry (I had a lump in my throat), and maybe make you blush, the spice was pretty hot.

Tropes
✍🏼Enemies to lovers
✍🏼Touch her and die
✍🏼Forced Proximity
✍🏼Found Family
✍🏼Possessive MMC
✍🏼Badass FMC

Riot has essentially collected a group of strays, and they become a mismatched family, and the banter between them all is funny. It had me chuckling out loud. They are all their own person, but they also walk to the beat of Riot's drum. Not in a bad way, he leads and protects them, he carries the weight of the crew on his shoulders and would die for any of them. Likewise, they would die for him, and when he brings Sin on board, the same is said for her. They pull her into the fold immediately.

Riot Carter is a cocky, broody, anger-fueled MMC. He has painted the streets with plenty of blood and doesn't have any reservations about killing to protect those he cares about. Riot is quick, tough and a damn good rider. He is the reigning champ, on the fastest bike, and he is someone I would want protecting me.

Sin has a big target painted on her back; she is framed for a crime she didn't commit, and they want her dead. The Gauntlet is just a way to broadcast it and make money through bets. In their eyes, she isn't going to survive, but one thing I loved about Sienna's character is that girl never stops swinging. Sin has a mouth on her, and it makes me laugh. She is a brat at times. She doesn't back down, she tells people what she thinks, and I just love her.

Quotes I liked

Riot's built like a brawl - broad chest, veined forearms, tattoos peeking past the edges of his rolled sleeves. He looks like the devil fucked a street fighter and dumped the result on a bike.


"You gonna bolt that thing on the bike?" he asks.

"Damn Right I am"

He smirks, "It's ugly"

"So are you"


You want romance, Stray? I'll survive tomorrow just so I can keep pissing you off for the rest of your life.


Profile Image for Kata.
526 reviews47 followers
June 11, 2025
This book… I’m truly speechless! 5 stars is not enough.

Riot climbed his way high up on my top book boyfriends list. And Sin was an amazing FMC, strong, sassy, defiant. She ended up in a horrible situation but she was willing to fight and never gave up. The chemistry between these two characters was sizzling and their banter made me laugh multiple times. They truly were perfect for each other! And the spice 🫠🔥

Bishop, Luca, Ghost, Doc, they were all amazing side characters with dark and difficult pasts but brought together by Riot (who of course loves collecting his strays). And of course the adorable pitbull, Taz. I loved the found family dynamic and how strong the bonds and friendships between the crew were.

The storyline was amazing. I loved the idea of the death race in a dystopian world. I was on the edge of my seat so many times. This book just keeps getting better and better every time I read it.

And the easter eggs! iykyk, I’m not going to spoil anything, but those made me cry like a baby. Nova is one of those authors that can genuinely make me both laugh out loud and cry while reading, and at times make me want to throw my Kindle across the room lol


Thank you Nova for letting me beta & ARC read this masterpiece! 🖤
Beta & ARC reading didn’t affect my opinion of the book and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.



“The Gauntlet isn’t just a sport—it’s a fucking spectacle. A high-stakes bloodbath disguised as entertainment.”
"You always this much of an asshole. Or is this just your way of flirting?"
"You wanna lie to them? Fine. You wanna act like you’re untouchable? Go ahead. But not with me. Never, with me. You hear me?"
“He doesn’t look at me like I’m his to take. He looks at me like I’m his to earn. And that? That’s the part that fucks me up.”
“This crew? We’re more than a pit crew. We’re a unit. A broken, patched-together mess of fucked-up survivors who’d throw fists and fire for one another.”
“Tomorrow, the world burns. But tonight, I’m his.”
Profile Image for Nootka Lenoir.
225 reviews1 follower
November 11, 2025
This book is nothing less than 5 stars!!!

I am speechless at a loss of words it was simply a masterpiece.
Nova just always knows how to entrance you with her words.

It’s not only touch her and die but also touch HIM and die!
Like how Riot and Sin would do ANYTHING for each other.
Just perfection.

The found family in this one made me want to wish I was one of them.
Ghost, Luca, Doc and Bishop all have earned a place in my heart.

And to see Sin be the boss ass bitch she is with Riot right along her aide but also watching her in awe.
Worshipping her and than the LITTLE STRAY!!! I think this might be my new favourite nickname.

Also enjoy me describing this book to my friends cause well IYKYK.

I can’t wait to take speeddemons off of my tbr. Cause yeah I got a need for this now.

Like i would say it’s like fourth wing
But the magic is in the keys.
The dragons are bikes
Its not flight or die but ride or die.
The gauntlet is the thing that could kill you.
Its dark its filled with tension
And every page has you holding on to your seat
So get that trottle hot and ready cause this will be the ride of your life.

Thanyou so much for the ARC Nova Kane.
It was an absolute blessing.
Receiving this arc didn’t affect my opinion of the book and I am leaving my review voluntarily
.
Profile Image for Brittany Torres.
309 reviews2 followers
October 26, 2025
Did you ever wish motorcycle clubs and distopian would have a baby?

Thats blood and throttle. Its gritty, its dark, its survival of the fittest when the world has collapsed from what we knew.

Set in 2037 and the world is ruins as the collapse of the government cause nothing but chaos, ruin and the rise of The Syndicate. In turn they created the gauntlet. A way of giving the masses entertainment while taking out the convicts. The gauntlet is a live stream of a race but theres no rules and no regulations just literal blood, sweat and tears.

Riot Carter has won the gauntlet more times than anyone can count but what happens when they drop Sienna Vega in the gauntlet? A girl framed for a murder she didn’t committ, an under dog, a survivor?

This had me turning pages and holding my breath while waiting for what was coming next and that epilogue? I am so ready fore more!

What you can expect:

🏍️ Only One Bed
🖤 Only One Bike
🏍️ Competitive Racing
🖤 Forced Proximity
🏍️ Dog Dad
🖤 Found Family
🏍️ Touch Her and ☠️
🖤 Touch Him and ☠️
🏍️ She’s Mind
🖤 Biting/Marking
Profile Image for Abby.
47 reviews7 followers
November 8, 2025
arc review 📚
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 🌶️🌶️🌶️
essentially, if the hunger games had motorcycles, guns, and sex, it would be blood and throttle 🔥🏍️

leave your expectations for a sweet and cozy romance at the door, because this is VERY dark and gritty. It’s all about survival through the worst of what life throws at you and the main characters are quite literally forged from the ruin and destruction around them.

The Gauntlet has no mercy. The Gauntlet doesn’t play by any rules. There are no winners, only survivors. Riot Carter is the champion of the Gauntlet, a series of death defying races where the odds of making it out alive are incredibly slim. Sienna Vega is a pawn that gets throw into the game with the expectation of dying quickly and brutally before the audience, but Riot has other plans. There were several times where I was on the edge of my seat reading the racing scenes, and cringing internally over the very graphic descriptions of how many of the contestants die (OUCH). It was one bad thing after another for our characters, but the small moments where all the horror seemed to fade to the background felt rewarding. I really enjoyed the found family dynamic of Riot’s race crew and how they become so protective of Sienna (Sin). Sienna is wild, strong, and takes absolutely no BS whatsoever. She isn’t afraid to literally beat the 💩 out of someone twice her size with a smile. And Riot? Riot is INSANE. Picture an over the top possessive and obsessive man and times him by 100. It was wild. It was hot. Literally nobody was safe from his fists flying lol. The spice was hot and explosive and felt like a nice bonus after all the suspense.

The post apocalyptic world was a really cool concept that I wish we got to learn more about. How did the world get to this point? It was only ever really mentioned that “it all went sideways” at one point but we never learn why or how. The one thing that did bother me was the repeated use of descriptive words and phrases such as smoke, blood, fire, burning, oil, sweat, etc. which felt a bit redundant to read after awhile, but it didn’t take away from the story. The ending was a bit abrupt though and I was hoping the epilogue would follow up with where Riot and Sin end up after everything instead of giving us a POV for the next book mmc.

Overall a very good dark motorcycle story that’ll leave you wanting more! excited to see what’s next 👻
Profile Image for Shelby Speight.
86 reviews3 followers
June 17, 2025
I was hooked completely! Riot and Sienna truly kept me locked in here. The story itself was such a breath of fresh air and a twist to dark romance. I loved the death race/mad max vibes of this book and it was so entertaining. I felt like I was right there at the races. The heat between these two 🥵 The little nod to other Nova Kane novels pulled at my heart strings as well. 🖤


⛓️Enemies to Lovers
🩸"Tell me to stop." (She doesn’t)
⛓️Touch Her and Die
🩸Forced Proximity
⛓️Possessive MMC
🩸"Only I Can Hurt You"
⛓️Underground Death Games
🩸Fucked Up Version Of Found Family
⛓️"You’re mine. Say it."
🩸Grabbing her chin to make her look at him
Profile Image for Catarina Duran.
174 reviews14 followers
June 21, 2025
I don’t know who I’m more in love with Sienna or Riot. 🤭
Sienna was EVERYTHING. Such a badass and her sass was perfect.
And my baby, Riot, screaming. True Reaper vibes. The lengths he went to, to make sure Sienna not only was safe but got her revenge was perfect. Death Race was one of my favorite movies and Nova did such an incredible job translating a similar race but with the perfect twists to make it her own. The gore, the revenge, the world building, perfection. I was truly captivated in this race and had such a hard time putting it down. One of my new faves. And dare I say the spice was perfection too, I mean these two broke bed 🤭🥵😮‍💨
284 reviews17 followers
November 11, 2025
Blood and throttle gives of that distortion feel. I got maze runner vibes but on motorbike designed to kill.

Roit had me hooked from the start. He was the golden boy until he caught her in his sights. Hes obsessed. Roit is the definition of touch her and die.

Sienna (Sin) is a smart mouthed badass, toughened up by life.

I loved the tension between the 2. How the attraction was there but there was a slow burn to them jumping in bed but boy was it hot when they finally did.

Blood and throttle was a fun ride for sure and im excited to see what the next book brings.
Profile Image for Allison Kester.
53 reviews7 followers
July 13, 2025
- I was obsessed with dystopian books back in school and this brings that nostalgic feeling back but make it more spicy
- I love the found family feeling
- The angst and the build up is chefs kiss
- I love the games and the fight to survive feel, I like how there’s multiple challenges and they aren’t in the same place so it’s a new battleground
- This is now my #1 book from Nova, I can’t get over the nostalgic feeling of reading a good dystopian book again
Profile Image for Angel.
428 reviews19 followers
July 14, 2025
If you liked the hunger games but wanted it more blood and gore with a found family aspect then this is for you!

Riot Carter has found himself a stray and he’s not gonna let her go. She’s a black cat who doesn’t want anyone’s help but once he set his eyes on her he knew right away she will be his. She just needs to except that
Profile Image for notriggersjustvibes.
15 reviews2 followers
November 19, 2025
Wow!!!
The love I have for Sienna and Riot!
This was my first “death race” motorcycle type book and I’m hooked! The adrenaline that was running through my body had me at the edge of my seat! The tension, the banter all while trying to survive! I ate that up!

The romance between the two is unmatched bc they both are the “touch her/him and 💀” and I’m here for it!

Profile Image for Breanna.
170 reviews3 followers
November 15, 2025
This book has so much detail I swear I felt like I was apart of it! It started off with such a bang that gripped you so tight you had to hold on for the ride. It did however get a little repetitive in the middle but it never took away from the trill of the book! I couldn’t get enough.
Profile Image for Hayley.
120 reviews30 followers
November 14, 2025
Bottle & Throttle by Nova Kane was action packed! I really enjoyed reading about Riot and Sin. I love a strong FMC and protective MMC. I loved the chemistry they have and immediately fell for Riot. I love a good biker book and this was definitely it. Nova Kane’s is one of my favorite authors. I really enjoy her writing style and always look forward to reading more of her books.
Profile Image for Jenn (myspookybookishlife).
515 reviews22 followers
November 10, 2025
5⭐️
4.5🌶️

Holy freaking crap Sin and Riot are amazing! This book was amazingly written and beautifully intense. I got Borderland vibes from this book and made me love it so much more!! I loved Sin’s sassy mouth and how much she egged Riot on and how she did not want to give into him when he was trying to save her. But seeing the two of them finally clash and finally realize they both wanted to be with each other was absolute spicy fire and explosive. Both of these characters had sad and emotionally painful backgrounds and seeing them share that part of themselves with each and coming out strong was beautiful. And the games each level was more deadly than the next, but seeing them fight through was perfect. The twist and turns kept me on the edge of my seat and seeing two independently strong people find family in each other and the crew was lovely. Obsessed with this book and it’s definitely one of my favorite reads of this year.
Profile Image for Michelle.
156 reviews7 followers
November 12, 2025
Sin and Riot are the it couple for me right now. Sin herself is the FMC that I would love to be. She’s sassy and strong but when paired with Riot she’s a force to be reckoned with. Their found family is amazing and I cried during that chapter (Nova you know which one!) The action and spice in here was *chef’s kiss*. I cannot wait for the next one and seeing what Ghost is up to.
Profile Image for Robyn.
37 reviews1 follower
December 6, 2025
4.75⭐
2.5🌶️
3🖤

Saying this is one of my most anticipated reads and how happy it makes me to read it, is the short way to tell about the feelings about that book and how amazing it is and read it.

The book starts with the introduction of Sienna - Sin - taking the challenge of riding a bike on the most dangerous racing organize by The Gauntlet, powerful people that dominate the world after this get ducked up. She gets accused about a crime. She says she didn't do. Then appears Riot in the scene making the game change taking Sienna for him and now the things take more dangerous and risky than before, so the only thing is press the accelerator and win that racing for their lives.

As I said, first starting this book is one of my anticipated and unexpected to have it too, so I devour it so easily that I can't stop reading. Being my second book of Nova, need to say makes me want more of her, and I need to read her other books because her style is amazing! The way that world is portrayed, how we get into that so easily and how without a lot of things you can imagine the scene and the rest of the world is amazing. The other thing is how the characters are portrayed making me love more about it, is so how one of them, even the most villain makes you feel something, the way how slowly see their growth page by page and see more layers of them makes really awesome make you not only connect with the main also how good the side character are that you want to them being on scene.

Riot and Sienna are freaking amazing, I'm in love with that couple, their interaction is on fire and their chemistry can burn like gasoline. Sienna is awesome, gosh love how sharp tongue and sassy attitude she has, really in love with her and every dialogue of her is gold, truly said she's one of my favorite FMC. Then is Riot, oh lord, that man is just blowing my mind the way is intense making things deeper even sometimes looks like a stone but is only the type of stone you can relieve on it. How he protect all of them, knowing how every person is only looking at them, because it can see through them is genuinely awesome. Apart is a racer and tattoo all over it and gonna take everyone and everything on fire to protect his team and her. I'm like Sienna, want to pinch him and then kiss him.

As I said, the said characters, gosh... I need more of them truly need them because they are like diamonds, and as always they appear and how slowly you know their stories and how connected making see another type of Riot's persona, but making so unique all the characters so individual not as a decoration as other is something unique. I enjoy a lot of scenes together, making feel more the tension for them, praying for all to get the line. Also makes me crying of laugh and crying, get furious and makes them in my heart.
Profile Image for Em Yardy.
309 reviews20 followers
June 20, 2025
Blood, Brakes, and Bad Decisions (Also Feelings??) by someone who now thinks street racing should come with more emotional trauma and fewer traffic laws.

Listen. I picked up Blood & Throttle expecting Fast & Furious meets a chainsaw... and somehow Nova Kane gave me Fast & Furious meets emotional devastation meets enemies-to-lovers but make it horny gladiators on motorcycles. And I am not okay.

The Gauntlet? A literal death race with more explosions than my mental state after reading this. No rules. No mercy. No seatbelts. Just Sienna "Sin" Vega, one bad decision away from a rage-induced felony, and Riot Carter, the human embodiment of a smoldering dumpster fire with a motorcycle and control issues. Perfection!!

Let’s talk Sin. She’s got a mouth like a sailor, the survival instincts of a caffeinated raccoon, and the stubbornness of someone who would absolutely yell at Death and then steal his bike. When Riot (the devil on a bike with cheekbones sharp enough to commit crimes) tries to help, she responds like a feral cat being offered affection. Iconic behavior.

Together, they’re chaos on wheels. And when they finally give in to all that I-hate-you-but-let’s-make-out-on-this-burning-car energy? Whew. 🔥 “What’s it gonna be then, Reaper?” she murmurs. “You gonna kill me, or fuck me till I scream?” LADY PLEASE, I’M IN A PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Also shoutout to Riot’s trauma-adopted biker crew: Bishop, Luca, Ghost, and Doc. Menaces. Icons. 100% would die for them. Probably already did. And let’s not forget Taz, the pitbull who is somehow the only emotionally stable member of this entire squad.

And that found family vibe? Chef’s kiss.

“This crew? These sarcastic, violent, brilliant bastards? They’re mine.” Yes. Yes they are. And now they’re mine too. I’d die for these sarcastic, violent bastards and I’ve only known them for 400 pages.

The plot? Explosive. The stakes? Higher than Riot's body count. The romance? Savage and spicy with a side of you’re bleeding but make it sexy. The vibes? Mad Max meets emotional support therapy. Honestly, if your idea of a good time is murder, motor oil, and unresolved trauma wrapped in leather this book is your soulmate.

I highlighted half the damn book, but my favorites?

“You hear me, Little Stray? No matter what happens next... you’re fucking mine.” (please, I just got over my last fictional attachment disorder).

“We fight together. That’s how it’s always been. That’s how it ends.” (cue me ugly sobbing into a helmet I don't own).

All in all…….

If you like your heroines mouthy, your heroes morally questionable, your romance aggressively passionate, and your plot running on nitro-fueled adrenaline and heartbreak... grab Blood & Throttle. Just maybe wear a helmet.
Profile Image for Jenifer Recinos.
124 reviews5 followers
November 21, 2025
First and Foremost - Thank you Nova Kane for the gifted e-ARC of Blood and Throttle.

I didn't realize it was even possible for a book to give me heart palpitations! I felt like I was on the edge of my seat for the entire story!

If I wasn't biting my lip trying to decide if Riot was going to Kill Sienna or fuck her, I was biting it while following along as they raced against death and survival. The races felt so fast and full of action but with so much detail! And the world building!

This was my first book by Nova Kane and I was absolutely blown away by the world building and much detail there was! They wrote such an immersive world set in a distopian future ran and operated by the highest bidder. Your choice is either kill or be killed.

What I loved the most though was the fact that both Riot and Sienna were broken creatures, and neither of them tried to fix the other they just found a way to fit their own jagged pieces together until they fit together, And it made for some truely explosive scenes and an extremely spicy read.

Riot Carter isn't your average "sweet for you" MMC And Sienna isn't a "wrong place at the wrong time" FMC. These two are Broken and Damaged creatures who take what life has given them, spit in its face and just make due. Together they are definitely a force to be reckoned with and the Syndicate doesn't know what's coming!

Favorite Quotes:

"For the first time, I see Riot the way they all do. Not just the savage behind the wheel. Not just the beast behind the scowl. But the one who stands between the fire and the rest of us."

"Two fucked-up people trying to find peace in a world that never gave them any, and for the first time... maybe we do.

Even if it’s just for a moment."

"You hear me little Stray? “No matter what happens next... you’re fucking mine.”
Profile Image for Nika Ilona Williams.
72 reviews3 followers
November 23, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥🔥🔥
Cause A Riot

Blood & Throttle, Nova Kane’s recent release, is a new obsession. (Hopefully) the first book in a new dystopian world, Blood & Throttle lives up to its title & all that one has come to expect in a Nova Kane book. An adrenaline pumping, savagely cruel, beautifully written book, that transports the reader into the post apocalyptic hellscape that is The Gauntlet.

The world we are tossed into is completely controlled, monitored, & divided into districts by The Syndicate. A network of criminals rich & powerful enough to be all that’s left standing after the world fell apart.

Punishment & entertainment collide in The Gauntlet which is where we meet both the MMC, Riot Carter, & the FMC, Sienna Vega. Riot aka The Reaper, has the most Gauntlet wins, (& highest body count) of any racer in the nightmare. Sienna Vega on the other hand, has been tossed into The Gauntlet as punishment for a crime that she’s been framed for. Sienna is beaten, bloody, & bruised… & still spitting venom at every other racer & syndicate handler near her. One look at this “Little Stray”, (who’s only purpose is a soon to be televised, gruesome execution) & Riot throws it all on the line. He bets for Sin (Sienna) to win it all, thereby betting against himself.

It’s clear from the start, that these enemies are bound to be lovers. The tension, chemistry & banter between Riot & Sin is top tier, with sensually explosive results. Riot is a “touch her & it’s over” MMC & proves it repeatedly. Sin is a “take no prisoners, slash & burn” FMC, that doesn’t need protection. But when it comes down to it, Sin can’t resist the pull to the Reaper who is all too eager to take a bullet for her, while burning the world (again) in the process.

Nova Kane has outdone herself with Blood & Throttle. Incredible world building & artfully composed all with a riveting pace perfectly tailored to keep the reader entranced.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kristen (IG: books.n.snakes).
294 reviews13 followers
August 4, 2025
🏍️ 𝔹𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕕 & 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 🏍️

𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬’𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙚? 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙠, 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩.

📖 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 & 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲
✍🏼 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗮 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝗲
🗓️ 𝗧𝗕𝗗
#️⃣ 𝟰𝟭𝟭 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀

“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚, 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙮. 𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙩.”

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦
🛠️ꜱᴛʀᴇᴇᴛ ʙɪᴋᴇꜱ
🛠️ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ʀᴀᴄᴇ
🛠️ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ ʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪᴇ
🛠️ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ɴᴏ ꜱʜɪᴛ ꜰᴍᴄ
🛠️ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ
🛠️ᴅʏꜱᴛᴏᴘɪᴀɴ

“𝙄’𝙙 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙩 𝙖 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙇𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙮. 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙝𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙄’𝙢 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜.”

📖𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WHERE THE HECK DO I START?!

This book was everything. This was hunger games meets death race meets Mario kart (𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘓𝘔𝘈𝘖)

This action packed street bike racing story was set in a dystopian/end of the world (as we know it) times.

Riot is the king of the track, and Sin has been brought in to pay for a crime she didn’t commit. She catches the eye of Riot, and she’s stuck with him ever since.

Riot is everything, I love love loved his character. Sin said in the book “𝙃𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙡 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙖 𝙗𝙞𝙠𝙚” and this was the truest story ever told 🤣. Good lord, the best red flag ever.

Sin— Well she’s my spirit animal. Her sense of humor in any situation had me dying this whole read. But her strength is where she outshines everything she does. The pure will and determination she exudes is perfection, and the fact that she knows her way around the shop and a bike makes her even hotter.

Taz is the best little baby, and I fell in love with not only her but all or the other wonderful side characters in this story.

This was perfection.

PS: Jace is a 🐱

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘
📖 ᴘʜʏꜱɪᴄᴀʟ
🎧 ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏ
📱 ᴇʀᴇᴀᴅ ✔️
Profile Image for Jen ⌇ jens.liiibrary.
74 reviews3 followers
November 1, 2025
Nova absolutely blew me away with Blood & Throttle. This book was phenomenal, and it's definitely one of my all time favorite reads!

Riot Carter, the man that you are. Riot is unbelievably drool-worthy in every way. I am obsessed with him. Sin is such a strong fmc. She has so much sass and I love her personality. I could feel the chemistry between Riot and Sin through the pages. The banter between the two is so hot and the spice will make you burn up!

Nova always has such amazing ideas for her books. The underground death games set in this dystopian world is unlike anything I have ever read before. Blood & Throttle is a thrilling, gritty, and brutal story that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Our side characters - Doc, Luca, Ghost, and Bishop, are all so lovable for their own unique reason. I just adore the way Nova writes such strong and important side characters that you always fall in love with.

Found family is one of my favorite tropes in a book and the found family dynamic in Blood & Throttle was just perfect. The strength of the bond that this group has, a group that's together because of Riot, was so beautiful. Sin finds herself in an unfortunate situation, forcing her to participate and race in the Gauntlet. Riot is a legend in the Gauntlet and decides Sin is his, leaving her no choice but to join the crew, and become part of the family.

This romance is dangerous, dark, and raw, filled with so much emotion. Riot and Sin are everything to me!
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