Road of No Return: Hounds of Valhalla MC

Sex & Mayhem #1

by K.A. Merikan

'--- Don't talk to strangers. ---

Zak. Tattoo artist. Independent. Doesn’t do relationships.

Stitch. Outlaw biker. Deep in the closet. Doesn’t share his property. On the day of Stitch’s divorce, lust personified enters the biker bar he’s celebrating at. Tattooed all over, pierced, confident, and hot as hellfire, Zak is the bone Stitch has waited for life to throw him. All Stitch wants is a sniff, a taste, a lick. What follows instead is gluttony of the most carnal sort, and nothing will ever be the same. Forced to hide his new love affair from the whole world, Stitch juggles family, club life, and crime, but it’s only a matter of time until it becomes too hard. Zak moves to Lake Valley in search of peace and quiet, but when he puts his hand into the jaws of a Hound of Valhalla, life gets all but simple. In order to be with Stitch, Zak’s biker wet dream, he has to crawl right back into the closet. As heated as the relationship is, the secrets, the hiding, the violence, jealousy, and conservative attitudes in the town rub Zak in all the wrong ways. When pretending he doesn't know what his man does becomes impossible, Zak needs to decide if life with an outlaw biker is really what he wants. As club life and the love affair collide, all that’s left in Zak and Stitch’s life is mayhem.

WARNING Contains adult content: a gritty storyline, sex, explicit language, violence and torture

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Themes: Outlaw Motorcycle Club, organized crime, homophobia, family issues, coming out, first gay relationship, tattoo, piercing

Genre: contemporary homoerotic romance

Length: ~ 100,000 words (Standalone novel, no cliffhanger.)

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Dark, Erotica, Abuse, Gay

238 pages, Paperback

First published July 17, 2014

About the author

(Goodreads profile run by Kat)

K. A. Merikan is a duo of queer writers who don’t believe in following the well-trodden path. In their books you can dip your toe into dangerous romance with mafiosi, outlaw bikers and bad boys, all from the safety of your sofa. They love the weird and wonderful, stepping out of the box, and bending stereotypes both in life and in fiction. Their stories don’t shy away from exploring the darker side of M/M romance, and feature a variety of anti-heroes, rebels, misfits, and underdogs who go against the grain.
Be prepared for shocking twists, dark humor, raw emotions, and sizzling hot scenes.

K.A. Merikan also writes steamy M/M romcoms as Devon Doe.

e-mail: kamerikan@gmail.com

More information about ongoing projects, works in progress and publishing at:
K.A. Merikan’s author page: http://kamerikan.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kamerikan

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars. DNF @70 %. Review posted July 15, 2014





For the first time Zak saw real confusion on Stitch's face. "But you're a--you're gay, you said it yourself."
Zak eyed him, startled. This guy had no idea how the world worked, apparently. "You might have noticed that I am also pretty hot. I don't need to settle on whatever someone throws my way. If you want me, you need to convince me why should I want you. There, I'm waiting," said Zak, feeling very twisted and cruel.



Road of No Return started off good. The MCs physical appearance was nothing to sneeze at and I enjoyed some of the dialogue (see above). At the same time, however, I had to wonder if the plot would keep up with the amount of man-on-man action. It is very unfortunate that the first half provided no plot to speak of and I came to a point where I completely lost interest. Neither the (practically) non-existend plot nor the shallow characters appealed to me. There's no getting around it to point out how much I hated Stitch. He's a mental asshole and I despised his stupid temper tantrums. Carrying a gun and going apeshit all the time don't make him badass at all. If anything, I wanted to punch him and tell him to shut the f@ck up. Geez…and speaking of badass biker dude: He threatens people on a regular basis and has an overinflated ego, yet when he had to take care of business he failed miserably. He could be glad to come out of it alive and the humiliation was perfect when the other baddies squirted ketchup all over him. I couldn't help and smile sardonically. And then to mix the badassery *cough* with some fluffy cheese, I had to witness a gush fest including a declaration of love when Stitchy boy bottomed for the very first time. I did not buy it. Well, at least I got a good eye-roll out of it. Fact is, the sappy pillow talk made me cringe and was in stark contrast to their "characterizations". It didn't feel authentic.



Like I mentioned there were a lot of temper tantrums, yelling, screaming etc.

@58 %
"Stop bullshitting me!" Crystal's voice turned into a scream. She kicked the chair to the floor, breathing hard and fast. "You made me feel so bad about myself when you didn't want to sleep with me, or when you couldn't get it up, and now it turns out it was all because you want a 'juicy ass'? It's been the best years of my life, and now I'm divorced and stuck with a kid!"

With all due respect but Crystal is a stupid cow. She's probably twenty-three-years-old and her life isn't over yet. Grow up already! And what about that crap "being stuck with a kid?" And then in the next breath more BS comes out of her immature mouth:

"Don't you dare!" hissed Crystal, her big eyes turning away with a deep shine. "I thought you were different than all the others in the club, but turns out you're just a faggot! You won't deceive me any longer. Holly doesn't deserve a father like you."

First she's annoyed to be stuck with a kid and then of course she will withhold the girl from her father. She should seriously reconsider why she didn't figure out why a very healthy stud didn't get it up for her! That's so obvious it's simply ridiculous. She shouldn't act so surprised.




His heart was trembling in his chest like a little caged bird.

How cute. Not. It doesn't figure.


@68 % more drama and angry outbursts….


Finally, at 70 % I decided to call it quits because I was extremely annoyed as well as bored. This was going nowhere…



If you like smut and don't mind the meager plot and you can deal with annoying characters, then you might as well give it a try. I hope you'll enjoy it more than I did!


**ARC courtesy of K.A. Merikan in exchange for an honest review**

[Eda** · Rating 3 out of 5]

** 2,5-3 “Can I at least rent you?” STARS **

“How badly do you want me?”

“I can’t afford you, so I guess I will have to steal you.”

#MyFirstMaleOnMaleRomance #SoFreakinProud #IAmAddicted

When I fell in love with Søren and King while reading The Prince and felt intoxicated by the sizzling chemistry between Determined to Obey's Felipe and Kid, I just knew I was a perfect candidate for M/M romances. Apparently, I was so f*cking right! This stuff is right up my alley and I can't stop now that I've started! You guys will be reading TONS OF gay romance reviews by me from now on. Just a fair warning.

“You’re my choise of poison. Gonna kill me, but I can’t stop.”
~ STITCH

Not satisfied by a husband that can’t “get it up” for her, Stitch Larsen’s wife cheats on him and finally divorces his sorry ass. You see, Stitch has a tough life: Being a closeted homosexual when you’re a member of the “Hounds of Valhalla” MC and not getting caught in bed with some dude is not exactly an easy job to pull off, after all. Everyone knows what happens to a “fag” biker in this town… And in order not to end up dead in a ditch somewhere, Stitch keeps his fantasies to himself and stays the hell away from all hot dudes.

Stitch's 27 years of denial will come to an end though. Because when a tall slim man with the darkest hair and the deepest blue eyes, all tattooed and pierced, walks into the club bar where Stitch is celebrating his divorce, all he can do is drool over this guy’s tight ass trapped inside the narrow pants hugging it.



Zak Richardson is a young tattoo artist who is new to the town. He comes to the local club bar in hopes of finding some customers for his new tattoo studio, finds a scary biker dude who wants to get rid of the name of his cheating ex-wife's name tattooed on his inner thigh and makes an appointment with him immediately. During their session though, ignoring the eager piece of meat between Stitch’s thighs that is demanding all kinds of attention from him becomes IMPOSSIBLE and Zak finds himself fallen into temptation…



So why only 2,5 stars?

#1 // STITCH!

He is a bossy caveman...and not in the good way! He is controlling. He is overly jealous. He is too demanding and rather clingy. He acts like a controlling and obsessive freak sometimes, and it's not sexy AT ALL.

But most importantly: HE IS A PHYSICAL ABUSER! He loses his temper easily, actually hits and hurts his partner a few times through the book and then tries to manipulate him with sweet-talk! I CAN NOT STAND THAT KIND OF BEHAVIOR. No. Just no.



And then there are those occasional declarations of love and the TACKIEST, CORNIEST, MOST RIDICULOUS words coming out of his mouth, leaving you confused and thinking this guy might have Multiple Personality Disorder or something! Here are a few examples:

“You’re priceless to me.”
Ω
“I would never do that. I would care for you and keep your heart safe.”
Ω
“I want to be everything to you.”

Oh and Stitch can actually quote Beyoncé songs and sh*t!

A BIKER. QUOTING BEYONCÉ. YEAH.



#2 // UHHHH... Was this REALLY an MC book? And did this book REALLY have a plot?

Yeah, Stitch's a biker but we didn't actually see that much MC action in the book because Stitch was too busy having f*ck-a-thons with Zak. And the so-called “plot” was only Stitch trying to keep his sexuality a secret and coming to terms with being homosexual.

Oh no, poor Eda... How about the stuff that you liked?

ZAK.

Yes, he was an idiot sometimes, not leaving Stitch even after all his wrongdoings, but what I really liked about this guy was the way he refused to be insulted by his partner! He always stated firmly that he is not a “boy” or a “c*cksucker”, but a MAN. I admired that.

“You like to be f*cked like a little b*tch?”

“No, I like to be f*cked like a MAN. A man isn’t a b*tch. He’s CHOOSING to get f*cked up the ass and he’s PROUD of it.”

Does Eda recommend this book?

[Jenni Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

FUUUUUUUUCK!



What a kick-ass ride!

When I first heard of this book and read the blurb my exact words were “OHMYGAWD I WANNA READ THAT SOOOOOO BAD!!!!!!!!” It looked to have everything I could ever want in a book. Bikers, tattoos, piercings, bikers, sex, bikers, bad boys, bikers, did I mention bikers? When I got an ARC I thought I was gonna pee myself I was so excited. I was a bit nervous too as I hoped I didn’t get myself so worked up just to be disappointed.

Well, let me just tell you; it was everything I hoped it would be and more.

It was dirty and ugly and violent and rough and raw. And just fucking gorgeous.

Stitch is a rough and tumble member of the Hounds of Valhalla, the local motorcycle club. He’s tough and brash with a “take no prisoners” type of mentality. And he’s also got a secret that can never get out or his life may possibly be forfeit. You see, life in a motorcycle club does not allow one room to be gay. So he just goes on pretending to be straight and tries to push his urges to the back of his mind and not act upon them. That is, until he’s sitting at the bar celebrating the day his divorce is final and in walks sex on legs. Or Zak, if you want to be specific.

Zak, mmm… Zak. Zak is a tattoo artist who has just moved to town and set up shop in his home. He’s pretty much covered in tattoos and piercings from head to toe. That right there was a guarantee that I was going to love him. It flips all my switches and hits all my buttons when a character has tattoos AND piercings. Especially the nipple piercings… mmm… but I digress.

Their first encounter totally captured what I imagine it must really be like for a man who’s never been with another man. Stitch tries to treat Zak like he’s treated the women he’s been with; calling him ‘baby’ and going the caveman route, trying to own him.

“Lets fuck the chit-chat. You want to suck me, don’t you?”

He’s not misogynistic; it’s more that he’s ignorant. This is the only way he’s ever known how to be when he’s with a lover. But Zak’s not having it and reminds Stitch that he’s with a man and demands to be treated as such. It surprises Stitch and he’s not sure how to react at first. There’re a few stops and starts and it is uncomfortable and awkward at times but that just made it all the more real to me.

At first it may seem as if their “relationship” is toxic but as the story progresses it turns out these men are made for each other. What they each bring to the table complements the other. Oh, Stitch may resist but he can’t ignore the fact that Zak is what he needs. Because Zak...

Made him remember he was still human, not a man whose muscles were made out of violence and bones out of fury.

This book is dark. There is no fluff to be found here. What these men had to endure throughout the course of this book was heart wrenching and horrific. There was even a moment where a full body stop, along with a HOLY FUCK!, was required. It’s not pretty. Yet I was still left with a sense of relief by the end. I do wish we had just a little bit more at the end. It was a bit abrupt. But what there was of it was satisfying.

Do I think this book was awesome? Fuck yes! Do I think it will be for everyone? Definitely not. But for those who enjoy a dark, brutal realistic read, this is the one to pick. I was captivated throughout the entire story. I was barely able to put it down because I just had to know what happens next.

Bravo, K.A. Merikan. You now have a loyal fan in me.






ARC provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.

[Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp · Rating 4 out of 5]

|| 3.5 stars ||

Oh, this was such a pleasant surprise! It wasn’t what I expected it to be at all, but that actually turned out to be good thing.

This was about a romance between a motorcycle club member and a tattoo-artist, but their relationship was super gentle and sweet. Of course, their interactions could also get rough when they fought, but their relationship was extremely soft and delicate under normal circumstances. It was oddly endearing.

“I want to be everything to you.”

I also really liked both of the main characters. They were both strong and independent, but also surprisingly vulnerable. Both of them managed to stood their ground when it came to their boundaries, yet they were willing to change for the other as much as possible.

I do want to give a quick warning that this book was pretty smutty, which, if you know my tastes at all, is not something I enjoy reading, but it was actually not so bothersome to me in this case. I think it’s because all of their intimate scenes held a lot of emotion and depth; it wasn’t just sex, it was them opening up to each other in the most vulnerable way. These scenes were always very gentle and meaningful, which took the crassness out of it for me.

P.S. I wish everyone in that motorcycle club had died a fiery and painful death, and it actually makes me sick to my stomach that they got away with everything they did.


'SEX & MAYHEM' UNIVERSE:

Hounds of Valhalla MC:
1. Road of No Return - 3.5 stars

Coffin Nails MC:
2. The Devil's Ride - 4.0 stars
8. His Favorite Color Is Blood - 1.5 stars
9. Heart Ripper - 1.5 stars
13. Guardian Angel in Leather - 2.5 stars

Coffin Nails MC Louisiana:
6. One Step Too Close - 3.0 stars

Smoke Valley MC:
10. Outlaw Girls - 3.5 stars
12. Gutter Mind - 3.0 stars


Other K.A. Merikan books:
Mr. Jaguar - 3.0 stars
Not Like Other Boys - 4.5 stars
‘Guns n’ Boys’ series - var. ratings
The Cattery - 3.5 stars
Break My Shell - 3.5 stars
The Black Sheep and The Rotten Apple - 3.5 stars
‘Kings of Hell MC’ series - var. ratings
Wrong Way Home - 4.0 star
‘Wrong Side of the Tracks’ series - var. ratings

[Bitchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Now THIS is what an M/M biker book should be!

These were BAD boys. Stitch, in particular, was a bad guy. He's not a gushy marshmallow, he's not easy, in fact, there are times, several times, when he is a huge prick. But I always managed to cut him some slack, because it's really all he knows how to be, it's how he interacted with everyone around him. Stitch is secretly gay in a world where this would NOT be ok, would NOT be accepted, even a little bit. He has hidden and pushed that side of him down his whole life, so this book is about him finding someone to explore that side of himself with, and I loved how when he met Zak, he became free. It took a lot of shit for him to finally admit who he was, and even then, it wasn't until he had no other choice, and it did cause huge repercussions.

Zak is a tattoo artist, he's tatted and pierced and yummy. He also doesn't take any shit. When Stitch is out of line, Zak lets him know it. He doesn't sit around and cry and wring his hands. And once he finally understands just how Stitch is, and how Stitch sees things between them, Zak is all in.

There were several things, plot wise, that I did NOT expect. As I said, these are BAD guys, mayhem and destruction seems to follow them around. I wish there had been maybe one more chapter, or an epilogue, so we could see how our guys do after their life is forced into such a major change. I felt the ending was a bit too abrupt, with lots of loose ends for these guys.

This book did have a few minor little things- awkward sentences that I had to read a couple of times to understand, and the way some people talked didn't seem appropriate to who they were at times, for instance, a 5 year old saying "as well". On the whole though, this book was very well done, editing and all.

[Saimi Vasquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zak esta iniciando su vida de nuevo en el pequeño pueblo de California, reiniciando su negocio de tatuaje en su propia casa, así que decide conocer a los grupos locales que puedan estar interesados en su negocio. Así llega al Club de Motorizados los Sabuesos del Valhalla, un club de motorizados "fuera de la ley", donde los gay no son soportados y todo el mundo debe hacer lo que quiere su presidente. Pero dentro de este club también conoce a un hombre (totalmente dentro del closet) al que se siente totalmente atraído y por el que es capaz de hacer casi cualquier cosa. Pero cuando la sexualidad de su amante es descubierta y el club entra en una guerra con otro club, Zak ve que ya no es bienvenido, pero podrá irse sin su amante? Podrá este salir del Club sin sufrir daños?

Comencé este libro pensando que era un dark-romance, pero resulto no ser completamente dark al final. Si, las situaciones que viven los protas son bastante fuertes, si la cantidad de violentos homofóbicos es demasiada, y si, tiene un final de HFN (Felices por Ahora), totalmente abierto y que nos da la oportunidad de entrar en un universo de Club MC donde no hay ningún tipo de inclusión.
Los protas son consistentes, aunque a veces siento que Zak es demasiado "comprensivo" para la cantidad de agresividad que desata Sticht, y que la paciencia de Sticht es demasiado corta, además de ser demasiado posesivo con Zak. Pero todo esto resulta en una relación fuerte contra todos, no hay un hombre débil entre ellos dos, no hay una personalidad "pasiva", ni un "macho alfa", lo que resulta en una relación bastante creíble entre dos personas con fuertes personalidades.
En fin, este fue un buen inicio de serie, y estoy esperando conocer mas de lo que paso con estos personajes en el resto de los libros, así que seguiré leyendola.

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5--Stitch is an Ass--Stars!!!



This book was....I don't even know. Did I like it? Eh...I don't think so. I mean maybe there was a few things I liked. Hmm...let me think about it. Nothing's coming to me. I guess I liked Zak. And there was plenty of sex. See there....



Sadly I think Stitch ruined this one for me.

Stitch was an ass. And not in that hot way....where you're like rawr! But in that....ugh, why on earth would anyone want to be with you way. But here's the weird thing...there was this flip side to Stitch and I kid you not, he said some of the lamest, cheesiest stuff to Zak.



Some of it, for real, made me cringe.

So Stitch is part of the Hounds MC. He is in the closet. Buried under piles and piles of shit. He meets Zak at the local MC bar. Zak who is new to town and a tattoo artist.

I know what you're thinking....hot MC biker dude + hot tattoo artist = what could get better than that???



These two were TOXIC! Britney Spears toxic. Stitch was jealous, rude, hotheaded, ugh....I don't think there was a time where I ever liked him.

Zak...I did like him for the most part. But there comes a point where you're like dude...



Your "lover" choked you, slapped you, and hit you upside the head....what are you thinking?

I just couldn't find anything too redeemable with Stitch.

The plot....eh, was there one? I mean it had the typical guts and gore of an MC book. This was no fluff read.

Stitch dealt with the issues of keeping his sexuality a secret....not wanting to be a part of the biker lifestyle now that he's in love...



Still....things didn't work for me. I didn't understand how Crystal "flipped" so easily. Going from hating the fact that Stitch was gay to being all on board. I can't tell if this is more HFN or what. Seemed so...it had a bit of an abrupt ending.

So yeah, there you go. My thoughts in a nutshell!

Read on....

[Tanu Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was simply adorable and fantastic.

When the story started, Stitch came across as a pampered little kid, whining about not getting his demands fulfilled right when he made them.

But thankfully, Zak helped me understand that because Stitch was experiencing what he deeply desired for the first time, the newness of it and the fear of being discovered is what was making him desperate and eager to grasp it all.

From start to end, I did not take a full breath while reading. It was like sitting on a ride in an amusement park, waiting for it to stop so that you could swallow a deep breath and bring your heartrate to normal. All the events, little and big, were so captivating and breathtaking, I just hung on for dear life and didn't let go of the safety rope (the eventual HEA that the authors always present with a flourish). I loved Zak, Stitch and Versay; I hated Stitch's MC members; I loved the romance development, the constant arguments and cute dialogues by Stitch that just turned my heart into a gooey chocolate lava.

The whole journey is bloody enjoyable, irritating you, making you laugh, making you cry, shocking you, but always keeping your emotions engaged. Not one moment dry.

An amazing takeoff to the series. ❤️

[Lilly [Hiatus due to School] · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I knew I shouldn't have talked to strangers."

Stitch is a member of the Hounds of Valhalla and is deep in the closet. He's out celebrating his newly divorced status after his wife cheated on him when he meets newcomer Zak. Zak, a Tattoo artist, instantly captures his attention; he is now presented with the chance to explore and have sex with a man. However, things need to be kept on the down low because not only is it unacceptable as a Hound to be gay, but your life could also be in danger if outed.

Zak moves to Lake Valley after a betrayal by a business partner. He's inherited his great aunt's home and is trying to start his tattoo business when Stitch comes into his life.

Goodness, this book was pretty wild. Stitch was crazy. He has a fair amount of internalized homophobia, and I honestly felt bad for Zak at points. When you add in the crazy level of jealousy and possessiveness, Stitch reminded me of a grizzly bear. Large, dangerous, unpredictable, and difficult to escape if cornered by one. He did grow on me though, he was oddly endearing at points.

"She said I'm disgusting, but I tried to be something else than I am, and I can't do it." Zak pressed closer to him and slid his hands to the sides of Stitch's face, making their eyes meet. "You are not disgusting. You are a real man. You are beautiful. Don't ever forget that,"

"You don't know what you're talking about. When you fall in love, even a kiss is mind-blowing. You don't fuck other people because there's only one person you want to be close to. When he fucks me, it's like I give him a part of my soul,"

There were some really tough moments in the story, especially towards the end. The homophobia is pretty extreme, as is the violence in the story. It was lovely seeing Dom and Seth! I was surprised by their cameo.

Their road to their HEA was rough, violent and sometimes seemed impossible but happy how things worked out for them. Overall I enjoyed it! I can't wait to start the next book.

Please check TWs as this story is not for everyone.

[Cory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book solidified the fact that I could never be involved with a biker. Sure they are all hot and sexy and scary and badass blah blah blah blah....but as soon as he interrupted my reading with something trivial like hiding his guns or riding on the back of his motorcycle it would be all she wrote.

This brings me to how I feel about Zak. If I was him, I would have really been asking myself if Stitch was worth the trouble. I'm not talking about trouble like 'that darn Stitch didn't put the toilet seat down again' or 'Shoot, Stitch forgot the milk again.' I'm talking about the type of things that you don't want to have any association with AT ALL. Things you can't come back from if you go along with them. Things that make you start to lose your humanity.

I really like Zak for MOST of the book until it got close to the ending. There was definitely something that happened to change my feelings and anyone who reads the book will know what I'm writing about.

Stitch's most redeeming quality is that he is hot. Other than that he was pretty much an ass. Closeted his whole life, used to getting his way, and extremely jealous. Not such a great combination when trying to win over a fuck buddy.

The answer is 'Zak and Stitch'...the question is 'What two people have no business being a couple?'.

So......with all that being said, I keep thinking about parts of the book and why they happened and that's why I'm giving it a 4 start rating. At no time in the book did I think 'this is really boring, I'm going to go watch some ants.' I thought things were fucked up and messy, but in no way did I want to stop even though I didn't particularly care for all of the people that I was reading about. To me...that's a great book! So 4 stars from me and I will definitely read the next one as I want to see where life takes Zak and Stitch even though I might have to read it while peeking through my fingers :)

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars



I want to start my review with a warning, a warning you should be taking seriously. Road of No Return isn’t a sweet and fluffy romance, and it’s definitely not the typical biker book we’re used to in this genre. It’s a violent book, it’s raunchy, gritty, and pure torture. If you can’t deal with tougher themes and would rather read about sugar-sweet love and butterflies, you should stay away from this one. Of course THAT was exactly the reason I had to read the book, warnings like the one in the blurb don’t scare me off, in fact they have more of a reverse effect because I’m drawn to dark and dangerous like a moth to a flame.

The motor club The Hounds of Valhalla are homophobic outlaws; trafficking, drugs, mayhem and destruction rule their lives. Stitch, a member of said club is a tough biker who just got divorced, he’s deep in the closet and has never been with a guy before. When tattoo artist Zak walks into the biker bar, Stitch knows immediately he has to have the hot tattooed, pierced man.

Zak is a laid back, carefree guy who’s been out for several years. When he spots the alpha male hard ass biker for the very first time, his dreams come true. I instantly fell in love with the emotional but tough guy who doesn't take any shit from Stitch. He grabs the bull by the horns and gives him the low-down! I loved that Zak stands up to Stitch and isn’t intimidated by his size and reputation.

Those two just collide, they can’t fight off the mix of magnetic attraction, lust and anger they feel for each other. When this explosive combination combusts... Holy Smoking Hot Biker! Do these two guys burn up the sheets! The sex scenes… and there are many… are amazing written, they are dirty and messy, rough and steamy, filled with passion and emotion, and they are scorching hot.

Nothing is sugar coated. Stitch is a huge prick, a bad guy, and he drove me to the verge of lunacy more than a few times. At the beginning I hated the bastard. I hated him for all his worth and it took me a while to see his vulnerability behind the mask of violence and homophobia. But then the motherfucker got under my skin and I started to like him, even though I hated some of the things he did.

The romance part is far from conventional, it’s emotional and ruled by unfortunate circumstances. Stitch’s secrets and the life of crime he wants to shield Zak from are taking their toll; it’s impossible to keep it out of Zak’s life and when Stitch is trying to back off from the criminal affairs The Hounds of Valhalla are in, everything comes crashing down. Their love is tested to the extreme, they are threatened, beaten, involved in murder and forced to endure the worst pain, just for being gay.

“No, please, be close to me,” Stitch whispered, feeling the wetness under his eyelids. He lived in a culture where being tough was the only currency. He didn’t even cry when he was alone. Being able to let it out made him just as relieved as having the amazing hot body on top of him. Made him remember he was still human, not a man whose muscles were made out of violence and bones out of fury.

The writing is gripping and entertaining and I was sucked in from the start. I was literally on pins and needles wondering where it would lead and I couldn’t put the book down. There were some twists and turns and some horrible events that I did not see coming, at one point my mouth literally dropped open.

Overall, Road Of No Return is a book that is not for the faint of heart, it’s action-packed and violent. Yes, I wanted a bad ass biker book, a book that doesn't glorify the lifestyle, and I got it with this. Now I want more of this series. Count me in, girls!

[Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m on BookTube now! =)

”You not afraid to talk to a devil?" Stitch looked into Zak's eyes.
"Nah, the devil's fair. It's the people around you who grasp you at the throat and don't want you to overstep some preset boundaries."

Trigger warnings:homophobia, internalized homophobia, torture, mutilation (on page), arson, drugs & weapons, violence, domestic violence, toxic relationship, abuse, use of homophobic slurs, crime, betrayal, murder (on page)

Okay, I’m going to be real here: I think I should have paid more attention to the teaser of this book before I agreed to buddy read it with Caroline because it legit said: ”When a closeted biker collides with a seductive tattoo artist, their desires spark a dangerous game of forbidden love, secrecy, and absolute mayhem.” In my defence: I had no idea they’d take the “mayhem” part THAT seriously, because wow, the ending of this story was all over the place, went completely off the rails and well, yeah, was pretty much the aforementioned “absolute mayhem”. It was wild, my friends, WILD! And I can only speak for myself here, but for me it was wild in a “WTH?!” kinda way, so not the good “Oh, this is wild!”, but rather the bad sort. But I’m getting ahead of myself here and probably should try to explain the plot first.

"Why do you think I'd want that after what you did earlier? Are you mad?"
For the first time Zak saw real confusion on Stitch's face. "But you're a - you're gay, you said it yourself." Zak eyed him, startled. This guy had no idea how the world worked, apparently.

Zak is an openly gay tattoo artist that moved away from the big city because his aunt Virginia died and left him her house in a small town including her poodle Versailles. Zak was looking for peace and quiet in Lake Valley, but after crossing paths with Stitch, a closeted biker; it becomes pretty clear that calm and peaceful isn’t exactly in his cards. Stitch is freshly divorced and the moment he sees Zak all the desires he suppressed for so long rise to the surface. In short: The two start a secret affair because being with Stitch ultimately shoves Zak back into the closet. Well, that’s basically the gist of the story, but of course there’s so much more to talk about and I honestly need to get all those thoughts off my chest. Because reasons!

Cox sighed. “He is trouble, Zak. I don’t want you to get hurt, or entangled in their shady business. I know you’re a nice guy under all that ink, but a lot of people don’t and it could make you a target if you hang around the Hounds too much.”

Puh, well, here goes nothing, let’s talk about why this book only got 2,5 stars from me. I mean, what clearly worked for the story, was the fact that it kept me engaged enough to actually finish it. So not all was bad and I didn’t DNF, which is a good thing. The writing style was easy to read and the smut was well done, even though I’ve to say that there was just too much of it! Yes, I know, I just said there was too much smut, something I rarely say about the books I read, even if they are very smutty. But hear me out: This time around the plot suffered because of it.

I mean there wasn’t a lot of plot to begin with anyway, but the little we got was drowned between all the sexy scenes. I mean Stitch is legit a member of a biker gang that earns its money by stealing stuff and selling it again. It’s the reason he landed on the radar of Cox, one of the police officers of the town. And of course his friend Captain and the rest of the Hounds get greedy and want to expand their business and start with selling drugs as well. Stitch kinda wants to get out of the shady business but he doesn’t want to leave his gang even though they are all homophopic af and would kill him if they ever found out that he’s gay.

"You can't just fucking disrespect me!" Stitch's face got red from rage.
Zak let out a snort. "If you want respect, then you should be respectful in the first place. I'll not accept you trying to control what I do. What did even give you that idea?"

Truth be told, the blatant homophobia of literally everyone in Stitch’s vicinity (even his ex-wife and mother of his kid!) and the internalized homophobia of Stitch were two of the main reasons I couldn’t enjoy this book. The other reason was Stitch himself and to some extent even Zak. I think I need to explain this a little so please bear with me. I think the short version would be that Stitch is a walking and talking red flag! He’s controlling, a jealous piece of shit, actually calls Zak “his stuff” in a scene right at the beginning of the book, never respects Zak’s boundaries (and he is VERY clear about them and calls Stitch out on his stupid caveman behaviour a couple of times throughout the story) and even resorts to violence when he doesn’t get his way! Yes, that piece of … actually hit Zak because he didn’t do as our little caveman wanted him to and refused to hide his weapons and drugs in his house. Which every reasonable and normal person would refuse to do! Stitch is like a little kid and throws a tantrum whenever he doesn’t get his way, even worse he has absolutely no grasp on reality and thinks that he’s always right. He never sees the error of his ways and I just couldn’t with him!

I honestly don’t know who of those two was worse because Zak was so stupid as well. It was like watching dumb and dumber getting in more and more trouble until the pile was so huge it toppled on their heads. We’re supposed to think that Zak is the sophisticated one of those two, the clever tattoo artist who knows what’s wrong and right, but the moment Stitch appears all his intelligence deserts him and all he listens to are his nether regions. Or to be more exact: Horniness made him stupid! It’s like: “Stitch did something totally stupid and disrespectful that wasn’t okay and hurt me, I’m gonna call him out on his bullshit! Oh, he’s wearing his leather… it got hot in here, no self-control, gotta jump him immediately.” Literally every conflict and confrontation is resolved by them ending up in bed together. It didn’t just subdue the characters arc and chance for development but also caused my eyes to almost roll out of my sockets. Every time I thought Zak was going to change something about their destructive and toxic relationship, everything started all over again and we were back at the start. That’s not what I call character growth and the book ended with the same issues they had a the start. And nope: I don’t count that ending as change because it were just their external circumstances that shifted but real change has to come from within!

”When you fall in love, even a kiss is mind-blowing. You don’t fuck other people, because there’s only one person you want to be close to. When he fucks me , it’s like I give him a part of my soul,” his words became quieter. “I’m not looking for other guys, and I don’t wanna do it with anyone else.”

Oh yeah, and sometimes in between Stitch throws out those corny lines and no one knows where they came from?! I honestly have no idea why Zak was with Stitch, because aside of their sexy moments they legit had nothing in common. And the ending. Oh boy, that ending. It totally went off the rails and got extremely bloody and nothing was resolved. Let me just rant a little, okay?
I mean WTH was this ending?! Stitch killed Cox because he was a stupid jealous ass and Zak and Captain helped him to get rid of the body?! Nothing as romantic as dumping a body for the alligators with your homophobic af bestie and your secret affair. And a couple of minutes later Captain snitches on Stitch and Zak and they take Stitch away to mutilate his back and to get in a couple of good punches?! And to add insult to injury Crystal his ex-wife of ALL people decides she’s going to try not to be homophobic af when she visits him in hospital?! Was this supposed to be an attempt at a HEA?!

I’m sorry, but this book was so NOT for me and typing it all down I realized all the issues I had with it. I’ve been told that K.A. Merikan wrote a couple of other books and that they are better than this one, so I’ll definitely give the author another try one day. I’ll just make sure to pay more attention to what is written in the book teaser, though I honestly could have never guessed things would go into this kind of direction. XD

Conclusion:

“Road of No Return” unfortunately ended up being one of those books that just weren’t for me. I started it as a buddy read with Caroline and she DNF’d pretty early on so I guess the fact I continued to read and actually made it to the ending is something positive at least. Still, I had so many issues with the story and the blatant homophobia as well as the actions of the two MCs caused me to give this a lower rating. I’m sure there is the right audience for this book, it wasn’t me, though. For me there were too many stereotypes, too much homophobia, too little plot, too much violence and two MCs I just couldn’t seem to be able to ship. Well, and then the ending went completely off the rails and only reinforced my opinion, so 2,5 stars it is. If everything I just wrote and said still sounded intriguing to you, you’re most likely the right audience for this story and I wish you a good time! ;-) As for me: I’ll leave it at that and pick up another book that hopefully will be better suited for my tastes!
_________________________

Oookay. This was … quite an experience.
And the ending was… wild.
I mean, that is the ending?!
I’ll try my best to put my thoughts into words but suffice it to say that this wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. >_<

Full RTC soon, cause I don’t even know where to start.
_________________________

This is a buddy read with the lovely Caroline! =)
It’s been ages I last read a dark romance so you’ll have to hold my hand through this. *lol*
The story sounds interesting, though, so I’m curious to see if we’ll end up enjoying it or not. XD

Let’s do this!

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[Denise H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very adult content here with a gritty tale of a Motorcycle Club full of bad ass evil men. The club's men are homophobes, criminals, drug dealers, thieves, and murderers who have no boundaries, and are abusive and vicious. Stitch wants out of the club, because he's found love, and has a daughter.
Bad language and behavior, lots of violence, crime, betrayal, and life changing events. Zak is new in town to see if he can be successful with his tattoo business. He's covered in tats and piercings, is hot as can be, and Stitch is a closeted man who wants Zak, only Zak.

Major twists and turns with erotic, rough, and sizzling M/M sex. Zak is a great character, and Stitch is a hot tempered fool at times, but falls hard for Zak. This fast paced tale will keep you on the edge and is hard to put down.

No fluff here. Strictly hardcore all the way. See what you think !!
ENJOY !

===========

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** 3.5 What a Fucking Wild Ride Stars ***

This book swung pretty wildly back and forth between a 2.5 Star and a 4.5 Star rating for me, so I'm going to leave it as a 3.5 stars for now and meditate on this a little.

All I'm gonna say for now is that this was definitely not S.E. Jakes' Disneyfied version of bikers, you guys. Stitch and his ilk are bad dudes. Like, really, really bad dudes, and they drag our other MC, Zak, right into the muck with them.

Hopefully I can scrape together a more coherent review when my heart rate returns to normal.

Also, you should know it pains me to say this (given that Natasha Snow is responsible for ALL of my favourite cover art in 2014) but I hate this cover. I get the dark, raw vibe that she was going for, but there's just too much going on here. Combined, all of the elements compete with each other and cause the cover to read as a muddled mess rather than a single clear image. I will say that the font choice for the main title is spot on, though.

[Laurie (barksbooks)]

Life is too short to read books that are doing nothing but pissing me off. When the sex scenes start making my eyes glaze over in tedium it's time to DNF. 45% complete before calling it quits.



Zak is a tattoo artist and new to town. Stitch is a crusty biker soured on women, men and apparently life. As Stitch is drinking his recent divorce woes away in a local bar, Zak walks in and feelings that Stitch can’t outwardly express start a-stirring. He’s secretly in the closet, probably the reason his wife had had enough (well, there’s also his not-at-all charming personality). The two strike up a conversation, as you will, and Zak offers to cover up Stitch’s misguided tattoo of his ex-wife's name. It’s waaaaay up on his inner thigh but Zak decides to take a look right there anyway, as you will, and agrees to take on the job.

After he fixes the tat, well, things happen and then Stitch acts like an a-hole because he chooses to remain in complete denial about his sexuality. Well, there’s that and the fact that he’d probably be murdered by his MC if they knew. But basically he's just a drug running, jealous, violent a-hole and I won't be swayed into thinking otherwise. So don't bother trying to change my mind in the comments.



Stitch comes across as a pushy jerk and worse and there isn’t much character development, if that’s what you’re looking for, but there’s plenty of action – if you know what I mean.

[K.A. Merikan]

And it's out! Oh my :D!



AMAZON - http://www.amazon.com/Return-biker-er...

All Romance - https://www.allromanceebooks.com/prod...

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

RoNR Pinterest :D http://www.pinterest.com/KAMerikan/ro...

Just as a note to people who aren't into GFY, because I've seen this come up: "Road of No Return" is NOT 'Gay for you' ;) Stitch is most definitely not straight.

And it's here. The brilliant cover by Natasha Snow and a lot more info about the series PLUS the first chapter! :D
http://boymeetsboyreviews.blogspot.co...

[Emma Sea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phew. A great erotica+story, and long, with vivid characters (10 extra points for the well-written, multi-faceted and believable ex-wife), and so much hot sex. It wasn't just sex though: it was something more. I felt like a voyeur with an illicit view into Stitch and Zak's growing relationship. The emotional connection that stretches between them is so strong, so tender, so volatile, that I felt dirty for watching as they shared their souls. The ending was tough, but also cathartic: a price that Stitch needed to pay to be free to start over with Zak.

This is my new favorite by Merikan. It's hard to beat a clown gang bang, but this did it. 4.5 stars.

[Shelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thhhssskkk ...what to say, what to say...

Probably best to say nothing but dammit all, I just can't help myself. This was so corny I could have died from the full body cringing shudders I endured while reading it. The biker dialogue is just so, so bad ...

“Come on, I just want that cocksucking mouth… sucking cock.”

Loads of things like this really bugged me: "Stitch needed to get a new phone for communicating with Zak, in case Zak decided to send him some dirty texts." So uhm ... he couldn't send a text on his old phone? I don't think there has ever been a mobile phone that you couldn't text on :/

The gay-for-you, if that was what it was, was so instantaneous it was incredible, especially when the authors allow us to think him heterosexual without a hint of his aversion to women for so long. It's like an after thought that he actually was gay all along.

The plot: Has been done before, only better. The violence is over the top and the death of a certain character WAY too contrived, unnecessary and quite frankly turned me even further away from any feeling of respect I might have had for the MC's he was a great guy and I fancied him to get his own book. So wtf?! They killed off the most genuine character going?! Pffft...

I much preferred the Special Needs books by these authors than this.

Positive point: Yes! I have one, It's really very, very HOT! I have booked marked certain ...situations and mentally filed them away for special treat time :)

[Erth · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have got to read this book, it really got to me, it has a brilliant plot, great characters and some smoking hot scenes. Stitch is part of a biker club, father to a little girl and has just split from his wife. Zak is tattoo artist who has just arrived in town and set up shop. He drops in to the bikers club to hand out leaflets, hoping to gain some customers for his business. Stitch is extremely closeted gay and due to his biker lifestyle daren't even think of coming out, which would surely result in chaos or even his death. When he sees Zak walk into the club, he can't keep his eyes off him. Very slowly their develop as neither can stay away from the other, but keeping everything well and truly hidden, knowing what will happen if any of the bikers find out. My heart went out to Stitch, who's trying to support his wife, daughter and also please Zak and the bikers. He has such a good heart, I couldn't help loving him.

[JustJen "Miss Conduct" · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 star review by The Blogger Girls.

I could not wait to get my hands on this one. Right off the bat, I knew it was going to be a good ride.

Zak is awesome. Tatted all over, pierced and sexy as sin. I loved his confidence and comfortableness with himself and how he made no excuses for any of it. He falls for Stitch, a bad ass biker, who is deeply closeted (mainly due to the MC) and recently divorced. He knows he is gay but is in such a situation there isn’t anything he can really do about it. He thinks he has the perfect solution in Zak, so long as he can convince him their mutual gratification is worth continuing in secret.

Zak is drawn to Stitch, even though Stitch is quite the bastard at times. At others, he is beyond sexy and hot as hell. When Stitch gets out of hand with Zak, Zak makes it clear he won’t stand for it. He doesn’t let Stitch run over him…too much. Unfortunately, he can’t seem to stay away from Stitch, no matter what he does.

Stitch’s main issue is the MC, who are homophobes to the extreme. He has aspirations of removing himself from the Club, but that isn’t as easy as it sounds. He gets drawn in deeper the more he tries to get out. Stitch is also dealing with his ex-wife who has custody of their daughter. She’s pretty unhappy with him most of the time, and even more so when she finds out the reason why their relationship didn’t work.

Things get out of hand as Club activities increase and the guys are found out. Violence heats up both in regards to the Club, as well as towards Zak. Over time though, Stitch has realized that Zak is way more important to him than he ever thought possible. They go over a few really big bumps before they are able to finally be together.

This was gritty and violent at times, but also sexy and heartwarming at others. There is a lot of dirty talking and almost no fluff. I found this completely refreshing for a change, and it had me turning pages very quickly. This definitely won’t be for everyone, but if you like things darker and a bit edgier, you’ll be adding this series to your list as quickly as I did. I know I’m more than ready and looking forward to the next one

[Ele · Rating 4 out of 5]

~4.5 stars~




"Don't talk to strangers" . Zak has that phrase, from Master and Margarita (that happens to be one of my all time favorite books), tattooed over his collarbone. Little does he know that Stitch is not just a stranger, but the devil himself.

This was the very first K.A.Merikan book I 've read. Although I hardly ever do re-reads, I wanted to come back to this, because I was too shocked to appreciate it the first time. I do remember, though, that it left me book hungovered and thoroughly mindfucked for days. But most importantly, it taught me something about my reading tastes; that no matter how much I like sweet and fluffy, that's not ALL I want to read. Sometimes I want my boundaries pushed. I need gritty, brutal, unconventional, and raw. Which pretty much describes the majority of the authors' books.

If you 're looking for a MC fairy tale, where the characters have sex, give roses to each other and the club doesn't bat an eyelid (you know what I'm referrring to, don't you?), look elsewhere. This story is very authentic to the motorcycle subculture, meaning that bikes and brotherhood aside, there is violence, crime, blood, and homophobia. Did I mention homophobia? Think about it before you judge Stitch too hard.

"[Zak] Made him remember he was still human, not a man whose muscles were made out of violence and bones out of fury."

Stitch and Zak are toxic together. To say that the "relationship" they form at first is unhealthy, is an understatement (although I loved the irrationally jealous Stitch, who reminded me of Domenico Acerbi). But just when you think that the grittiness went too far....

"When you fall in love, even a kiss is mind-blowing. You don’t fuck other people, because there’s only one person you want to be close to. When he fucks me, it’s like I give him a part of my soul”
..............................................................................................................
"He didn’t owe anything to the people who’d call this love wrong, not when it felt so right, so fulfilling."

I think my reaction regarding that big -WTF just happened- scene at 85% is indicative of how much I have grown as a K.A.Merikan reader. I feel proud of myself. Because back when I first read it, I was like...



and now...

Good riddance. Fucker needed to go anyway.

Bottom line, this is a good, good story. NOT for everyone, but definately for me.

*Cross-posted on Gay Book Reviews*

[Megan [At The Cottage] · Rating 2 out of 5]

MM Romance
Secret Relationship/Bikers
2.5 stars ⭐️


I want to like KA Merikan’s books so much but the only series I like is Jack Addison and it’s completely different from everything else they write. Oh and I liked Dickhead too 😂 I got this for free last week and it’s most likely me and not the book but I became so bored with this. The best part was the hot AF sex scenes but they also started to bore me after awhile because there were so many and they were quite repetitive. I did appreciate the fact Stitch was verse though because usually in biker books they are always tops.

Saying that though, I really disliked Stitch and thought Zak could do better. Stitch was real deep in the closet, in denial, had married a woman & they had a daughter, and he belonged to a really bigoted MC club so he had no choice but to hide himself until he meets Zak and can’t stay away. Zak is the new tattooist in town and he’s equally drawn to Stitch but never expects it to get serious with Stitch so closed off. I didn’t mind Stitch at the start even though I hated his internalized homophobia but as time went on I liked him less and less. Yes, he eventually gets outed and claims his man blah blah but late into the book he’s still hitting Zak in the face and treating him like property. He just really annoyed me and the book dragged in the middle but then went berserk near the end until it just abruptly ended. Zak became a total doormat too and I wanted to smack him myself.

I dont know why I keep trying to read outlaw biker books because I’m so not into this trope at all. I hate all the homophobic assholes and while I don’t mind the violence, I just hate their shitty attitudes towards anyone who isn’t white straight men. So, instead of torturing myself with more of these trying to like more of these authors books, I am going to read their folklore and rock star books. Maybe I’ll find a winner, maybe not but it would probably help if I liked the trope.

[Tamika♥RBF MOOD♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what I want to do to Stitch, I don't think I've hated a man in any book more than this bastard. Trust me I hate VOLDEMORT. I wanted to set his ass on fire the entire book. Review to come when I'm less angry.

Less Angry but the picture fits how I still want to eviscerate Stitch


Okay, as far as biker books go it's typical. They usually do low life things, and drugs, sex and crime go together like white on rice!
I generally liked Zak, yeah he could have stuck up for himself a little bit more, but being in love makes you do dumb things. I know. Stitch you mf'er. I'm probably going to be ranting about you for another month or so, because you impacted me so much. I started off disliking you, then you handsy, and then you were plain stupid. Am I suppose to cut you slack because you were a closeted gay man, and for the first time it felt right! Naw, not on my my watch, in which dimension is it ever okay to place your hands on your significant other, no dimensions dumbass! I liked the story alot, it was entertaining. I enjoyed Officer Cox, and was shocked at his demise! Like damn, where did that come from. Now on to the sexy stuff, I enjoyed their sex, it was a bit rough, but hey Zak never complained and I'm okay with that. I will continue on with the series, just because it's new and enjoyable to me!

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

--- Don't talk to strangers. ---

Zak. Tattoo artist. Independent. Doesn’t do relationships.

Stitch. Outlaw biker. Deep in the closet. Doesn’t share his property.

This book has good moments and not so good ones. For me, unfortunately it wasn't a hit. Something just didn't work.
It took me a week to read and I'm a fast reader... so it says it all - not captivating.

BR with lovely friends Elsbeth, Barbara, Susan and Isabel here . Thank you, ladies, for reading this book with me.

[Nile Princess · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 * Sigh. Where do I start with this book? This may be a bit of a ramble, sorry.

First, the good.
It seems from the authors' notes that English is not their first language, so high commendations to them because the English here is flawless. You really wouldn't be able to tell that English isn't their mother tongue. I DID think that it was a British author writing a supposedly American novel due to the 'yeah?' at the end of certain sentences, but outside of that it was really well done.

Editing - superb. It's been so long since I've read an independently published book that wasn't riddled with errors, that I almost had a mini-gasm just from that.

The characters were HAWT. Yes, lawd. Muscles and tattoos. You can't go wrong.

The sex was HAWT, AWESOME and AWESOMELY HAWT. I read a few reviews that said there was too much sex. Umm, what?? No, no, no. I didn't skip a single word. Lots of the scenes were both raunchy and touching. So great job there.

I liked that both men were kept manly, for the most part, and that the biker group was kept true to form. So, good job there.

Still, there were things that made me want to strangle both characters, and myself, with a zip cord.

This brings us to the bad:

There seems to be a slightly alarming trend (post Fifty Shades?...or maybe I'm just noticing it now) of dressing psycho, dsyfunctional, controlling stalkers, that everyone in their right mind would tell the love interest to run from, as sexy. The MC (main character) has tattoos or muscles or is an 'alpha' so that excuses him. Yeahhh, noooo. Understand, I LOVE Alpha males. I LOVE men that are rough around the edges. I have fallen in love with, and staunchly defended (fictional) male characters who would correctly be labeled as sociopaths and sadists, and who were definite assholes/emotional wrecks. One was a killer and rapist and, still, my womb was open to receive his fictional babies. When people said 'But look at what he did to *insert female character*' my response was 'Look, all I'm saying is who are we to judge?' *Raises palm to ward off comments*. I know. I know. :-) The reason that you can still empathize with, or love, a character who is cruel and/or a menace to the world around him lies solely with the author's ability to create a compelling, three-dimensional character. You don't make excuses for his behavior but, behind every stupid, self-destructive action, you can see the reason. Another important factor is that the author doesn't make attempts to dress his asshole-ness up as sexy! He just is who he is, and it's up to you to say OMG, he's an asshole but his conviction of his beliefs is hawt as hell.

This was the main problem with this book. It's like all of Stitch's horrible traits are supposed to be fangirl worthy. He has sex with someone and then throws a bitch fit about not being gay. Awww, he just doesn't know how to handle his emotions. He throws a rock through Zak's window and kicks the door off the doorjamb. Swooonnn. He's suchhhh an alpha. Sorry. No. And get the eff outta here. There was absolutely nothing healthy about this relationship and I am yet to understand why Zak would think this was a good idea. I kept reading it like you cannot be serious. Is Zak a complete idiot??

Stitch is NOT an alpha male. I repeat. NOT an alpha. Being a huge guy with muscles does not make you an alpha male. Being an asshole doesn't make you one either. What I like about MY asshole alphas is that there is a level of control to their actions. They'll punch your face in, slit your throat or make your life a living hell but they are in complete control doing it. More importantly, the people upon whom they're inflicting pain are rightfully scared sh*tless. This foolishness about someone breaking into your house 'but there was something alluring about him' makes me want to punch something, HARD. Stitch threw tantrum after tantrum. He had no self control whatsoever. He was like a kid in a grown man's body. I didn't hate him, but did I root for him? Not really. Did I even find him likeable? Not particularly. I had no vested interest in him whatsoever.

Let's talk about Zak. The love interest of an asshole that we're supposed to like, has to have his/her own redeeming qualities. First, they have to KNOW their man is an asshole, but they have to see a different side of him. Every time Zak thought that he was different and Stitch was different with him, Stitch smacked him back to reality (sometimes literally) to show him he wasn't. There also has to be the push and pull of the attraction vs the danger. Zak started off well enough, calling Stitch on stuff he didn't like, but he would turn right around and allow him to do whatever, relationship-wise. The entire book, I felt like Zak was stuck on stupid. It's like he had no idea who Stitch was.

'You thought we were were an item?' Umm, did you miss the tantrum he threw when you just wanted to visit a friend?? And why exactly did Zak not exit stage left when THAT foolishness happened??

'He would never hurt me' right before Stitch popped him in the forehead.

'What did I get myself into?' when Stitch acted completely in character with the way he's been acting since Day 1.

Hello Zak, did you sleep walk through the last 150 pages???

'Don't come back until you can apologize' then Stitch would do something sexy and Zak would accept that as some kind of non existent apology. Foolishness!! Stitch would do and say the most infuriating things - "This is OUR house." Really, when did that happen? - and Zak would balk about it and then...nada. Are there people in real life, friends/family members, that are with effed up people, who do these things? Yes! But I can ignore their calls, turn a blind eye to their texts. An author has to give me a reason to stick with the characters to the end of the book!

Let's talk plot.

There were parts of the book that I liked. Parts of the dialogue (especially the early sex scenes) made me weak in the knees.
I read a few reviews that said that there was no plot and it was basically all sex. I disagree with that. I'm not really sure where they're getting that from; there was definitely a storyline, and I actually really enjoyed it in beginning. Then, it started to go pearshaped.

I really, really, REALLY hate storylines that make no kind of damn sense, especially ones that are blatantly transparent plot devices.

Stitch lives in a small town, yet he and Zak move in together, for months, and no one questions it. Yes, the club knows that he and his wife broke up but since one of the bikers had warned Stitch about Zak the first night he got 'vibes' off of him, this doesn't make sense. Also, no one comes by at any point? Nothing? They're just playing house, living in damn near wedded bliss? Really?

Stitch is a closeted biker, in an MC (which is, of course, notorious for homophobia) yet he thinks it's a good idea to pull Zak into a room in the club for sex. TWICE Raise your hand if you didn't know that a) that was a death wish/ ass whooping waiting to happen and b) they would get caught. Anyone? Didn't think so. There were so many other ways the club could have found out. See the paragraph above.

Stitch's ex wife finds out about them (that was a whole other fiasco) and Stitch thinks it's a good idea to take Zak with him to get his clothes from the house, knowing the ex wife was home. This made me so mad I couldn't see straight. No, really. Who does that?? And then when she flips her sh*t, he's like, Sorry, I didn't know she'd act like that. Head.desk.HARD! Moreover, the wife is like You think I don't know who you are, Zak? Or as it says on the phone, Sexy Tattoo Zak? *lifts eyebrow. Sexy,Tattoo Zak? Really? Cause that's not conspicuous at all. *Rolls eyes.*

Stitch going from 'I'm not a f*g, I'm not a f*g' to telling anyone who would listen how much he likes taking it up the ass was a stretch *no pun intended*. The super corny lines about his love for Zak, as relayed to Captain had me cringing. Totally out of character. And it might have been nice to have some introspection on his part if he wanted to be busting out the revelations.

That was what was so weird to me. It's not like we weren't privy to Stitch's thoughts, we were, but they didn't give his character any real depth.

As to the ending, people say it was abrupt and they needed more. It was A-ok for me because I just wanted it to be over. The whole Cox situation took this way off the deep end, with Stitch once again losing control and Zak being weirdly complicit. I was just done.

The authors asked about interest in a sequel? No, gracias. Not for me, anyway. The search continues for a biker book (M/F or M/M) where I don't want to beat the main characters about their heads with the biker's cut. I had to create two new GR shelves, just for this book.


I agreed with a lot of this review AND...pretty pictures!

[Mandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh the M/M Motorcycle Club book. A theme that I yearn for, but I have yet to find one that satisfies me. Road of No Return starts out okay. Stitch is finalizing his divorce. He knows he is gay, but has been married for many years to a woman, as he can't really come out as part of his motorcycle club. Violence would most likely erupt if the other members knew he was gay. So he got married and had a kid - but after years of not being able to satisfy his wife in bed, they divorce. That night a new guy walks into the bar that Stitch is drowning his sorrows in. Zak is a tattoo artist, who has just inherited a house. He is thinking of setting up shop in this new town but isn't sure if he likes it here yet.

Stitch is immediately drawn to Zak's tattooed body, and asks him if he could look over a tattoo that Stitch has on his inner hip of his ex-wife's name. When Stitch goes to his house and has to pull down his pants for Zak to do the new tattoo, a certain body part comes to attention. A hot and heavy make-out session starts, which leads to a secret relationship.

All this sounds sexy, and the first 10-15% really is. I don't have a problem with gay for you stories, although I'm not sure this is really that trope. Stitch has never been with a man, but he already knows he is gay. The fact that he is a gay virgin though interested me. And while the sex in this book is really hot, it felt like Stitch never struggled with being with a man. There was no transition period. From the get go, Stitch knows exactly what to do to make the sex good between him and Zak. There was no awkwardness.

And also, the sex is plentiful. I got bored with it after a while. At times I felt the scenes between the sex scenes were just that - just filler. These two were hot and heavy for each other, but not romantic. It felt like Stitch was a straight guy having sex with a man if that makes sense. I thought Zak was actually a more intriguing character. He had a strong personality and was very likable. But - I kept asking myself why he falls for Stitch? He doesn't get treated all that well by him so why did he stay? I wish that had been explained more.

I was also disappointed with actions taken at the end. I felt like violent things happened in this book just to make it grittier because it's a motorcycle club book, not because it fit in this world.

If you want a book full of erotic m/m sex scenes, you would probably like this one. I needed more depth.

Rating: C-

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read Jenni Lea review I wanted to read this book at once... so, better sooner than later, we're gonna have a great BR starting August 4th!

Dark, violent... but I couldn't stop reading it... and that's a little disturbing!

I really loved Zak, but if someone treat me the way Stitch treated him in the beginning of the book, I wouldn't want that person, not even covered with gold... The physical attraction, even so strong as was theirs, should not be enough to develop a relationship like theirs.

However, as the story went by, I started to understand better Stitch personality, and why he behave the way he did... nonetheless I wouldn't ever forgive him!

But Zak forgave him, they had super hot sex, and they fell in love!

I don't know if I want to read more of this series... as I said before, is very dark and violent, and despite the fact that I enjoyed very much their chemistry, that won't erase the fact that Stitch crossed many lines and limits...

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was bloody brilliant!!

I don't even know where to start. I read this book from start to finish today, I just could not put it down. My lovely friend Em invited me to read it when I spend forever trying to decide what to read next and nothing was appealing to me at all. It was exactly what I needed. Fucking loved it!

Awesome Quotes:

* 'If Satan drove a car, this would be it.'

* 'Stitch was a different kind of animal, rough, uncultured,
demanding, but so hot Zak never once considered pulling
away.'

* "Yeah, and then you'll break my heart, you bastard"
..."I would never do that. I would care for you and keep your
heart safe," Stitch whispered.'

* "But do you want to be mine?" Zak's mouth stretched
against his.
"You know I do, you greedy pup." Stitch grinned and lapped at
Zak's face. "Woof."

This was my first book by these amazing authors but it sure as hell won't be the last... I already bought book 2. Haha

[Purplegirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know anyone in a motorcycle gang or don't know how they function but if I did know something about them, I would think that it would be like the Hounds. I liked that the authors kept the story gritty and didn't turn everything to flowers and sunshine. Two men that had to keep themselves hidden and understood that. They loved each other but did not spend half the book forcing each other to change who they were.

The main and supporting characters reacted to situations just as I would expect them to. The Hounds stayed true to form. They were outlaws, they made mistakes as they tried to grow, they weren't perfect, they didn't understand and didn't want to.

My only issue with the story is that it seemed to need an epilogue. The ending is not a cliffhanger but it just made me want to know more. Not want to know more as in I couldn't get enough of the characters, it was more of there needed to be more completion between Stitch and Zak. The last few chapters of the book had so much going on that when it was over I needed more of an ending.

Overall, a great book. Good story, great characters, good plot, good action. 4.5 because of the little feeling of the ending.

[Jenny - TotallybookedBlog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gitte: This was our first time spent with the two Authors writing together as K.A Merikan. Also, it was our first M/M biker book. We’ve done sexy biker; fluffy glamourized biker and filthy ‘organised crime’ biker. But I have to say this is the first time we’ve come across ugly gritty biker with a conscience where we’ve actually hated one of the heroes through half the story. It wasn’t pretty nor was it anything like the typical biker books we’ve read. Was this a good thing or not? Well I’d say yes it was in some respects because it felt original and also no in some ways as it took some getting used to.

‘He lived in a culture where tough was the only currency. He didn’t even cry when he was alone. Being able to let it out made him just as relieved as having the amazing hot body on top of him. Made him remember he was still human, not a man whose muscles were made out of violence and bones out of fury.’ – Stitch

I think we hit about 50% before we truly inhaled every word and formed an emotional attachment to Stitch; our fucked up closet gay biker and Zak our sexy up front tattooist. At no stage did I feel like I wanted to stop reading but up until then it just wasn’t wow-ing me at all. Then, all of a sudden, it was as if the Authors hit their stride and the story of Stitch and Zak became very emotional and dramatically thrilling. I actually shed a few tears and my heart pounded in angst and worry. I would have LOVED an epilogue, I have to say. Once I actually got invested it seemed over so quickly and I was left feeling like I wanted more ‘afters’. Your thoughts pretty much matched mine didn’t they, Jenny?

Jenny: Absolutely Gitte. I agree with you wholeheartedly. Well, we didn’t have to think twice when we received a review request for this MM Biker book that’s for sure! While it did take a while to settle into the story, like you I never once considered putting it aside. I had to keep going and I’m glad I did because I did end up enjoying Road of No Return. It was definitely a grittier biker world that we’re used to and at first it was a little off putting but again, I settled into the scene and Stitch and Zak’s story took flight. And what a story it was. Wow! Talk about some things coming out of left field.

As you said, there was a time or two I welled up, times my heart was in my mouth and I believe there was one time I texted you with a WTF?? Didn’t see that coming! There were definitely an abundance of sex scenes in Stitch and Zak’s story and sometimes this can overwhelm the emotional and the guts of the story but I didn’t feel that was with Road of No Return. I felt the frustration leave Stitch when he could just ‘be’ around Zak and years of hiding who he was and how he felt were dispersed when he felt that passion and closeness to Zak.

“I want to be everything to you.”

An epilogue would have finished their story off perfectly and I’m kind of bummed there wasn’t one.

Gitte: I fell in love with Zak straight away. He was such a gorgeous man. He had a heart of gold, a great attitude and convictions. He was quite comical at times but incredibly sweet, sexy and straight up which came across believable and real.

“If you want us to be good, you can’t spy on me, or trash my stuff.” – Zak

Now, Stitch, well I thought he was a complete arsehole to begin with and I didn’t like him at all. He was rude, crude and abrasive – he was really a caveman in many respects. Then….I fell in love with his character, flaws and all. I started to understand this conflicted biker who just wanted a peaceful life being free to love whom he wanted. This wild aggressive beast of a man had a vulnerability that shone like a beacon when he was completely relaxed with Zak.

“I had a bad night. All I wanted was to come home to you.” – Stitch

In the end Stitch is who broke my heart and made me cry! He really got to us after rubbing us up the wrong way didn’t he, Jenny?!

Jenny: These guys were like night and day. I thought I was never going to warm to Stitch, Gitte. He definitely started off on my bad side when he’d be quite cruel to Zak. Who knew Stitch would end up being the vulnerable romantic? There were even times he could be very chessy! I wouldn’t have guessed I’d utter those words when I first met him. Gee I felt for him, for the lie of a life he had to lead and my heart raced in fear of his club finding out his secret!

“I was a perfectly miserable closeted guy, and then you just walking in and…and….”

Zak was such a beautiful man and if anyone could look after Stitch and see him through his conflicted emotions it was this guy. He gave Stitch the confidence to be who he wanted to be.

“You are not disgusting. You are a real man. You are beautiful. Don’t ever forget that.”

G&J: The Hounds of Valhalla are a fucked up and nasty homophobic lot of bikers. There’s nothing nice or redeeming about them. This story depicts the reality of what’s ugly, about having to make sacrifices for who you truly are and what you believe in. It’s a story of survival and following your heart in the face of conflict. It’s beautiful in its ugliness and has a few twists that we did not see coming. Whilst we struggled to begin with, we ended up falling in love with this atypical biker story and a passionate couple who defied what they believed they wanted only to follow their hearts.

**Reviewed off an ARC copy provided by the author**

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