Better Than Good

Cade Creek #6

by Stormy Glenn

[Siren Everlasting Classic Erotic Alternative Romance, M/M, HEA] Harvey James was as bad-ass as they came. A former enforcer for biker gang, he now owns the Rusty Nail Bar and Grill. He has firm rules about the kind of people he allows into his bar. So, when several of members of his former gang show up, he's wary. His apprehension turns to outrage when he's offered a beaten down man in exchange for free drinks on the house. Knowing he needs to rescue the young man, he accepts the deal, starting a series of events that tests his strength and strips him of his fine-honed control. Because Joey Baker isn't just a man to be bartered, he's a man Harvey wants to keep. The last year of Joey's life has been pure hell. Kidnapped and held captive by a man that derives pleasure out of torturing others, he finds himself being traded for a round of drinks. Rendered unable to speak due to the abuse he has suffered, Joey has no way to protest or ask for help, so when it comes, Joey doesn't trust the help that is offered, or the man that offers it. When Harvey and Joey are faced with an impossible situation, finding common ground may prove to be harder than they thought. The lack of communication combined with the growing desire between them adds tension to an already dangerous situation. When the man that took Joey comes back for him, learning to trust each other may be the only way to save them both. ** A Siren Erotic Romance

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Abuse, Gay, M M Contemporary, Westerns

133 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 25, 2015

About the author

About Me
I believes the only thing sexier than a man in cowboy boots is two, or three men in cowboy boots. I also believes in love at first sight, soul mates, true love, and happy endings.

I live in the great Northwest region of the USA, with my gorgeous husband and soul mate, two boxer/collie puppies, one old biddy cats, and three fish. When I'm not being a mother to my six teenagers or cleaning up after my two 70 pound lap puppies, you can usually find me cuddled in bed with a book in my hand and a puppy in my lap. Or on my laptop, creating the next sexy man for one of my stories.

I welcomes comments from readers, so drop me a line. stormyglenn@hotmail.com

What do I do ?
I'm a writer of erotic, paranormal, werewolf, futuristic, contemporary, gay, and Ménage a Trois romances. I'm currently published with Siren Publishing, Torquere Press, and Noble Ellora's Cave.

Reviews

[Barbara➰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread October 2023

The miscommunication annoyed me but it’s still cheesy goodness 😏

Originally read April 2019

Read backwards again lol. Totally OTT and unbelievable but sweet. Typical SG. Poor Joey. I knew his story was going to be bad. But good old alpha Harvey saved him. Little bit of a magical dick cure there for Joey but, oh well. I don't read these for believability.

But oh...I can see the one model on the cover and he makes a good Harvey. But the other one doesn't look a thing like I would picture Joey at all. I hate when that happens...

[Serena Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the mention of a “ruckus” at the Rusty Nail Bar and Grill toward the end of the previous book, I was hoping to find out what that was all about in this volume. And indeed, this is the story of bar owner and ex-biker Harvey and Joey, the man he ends up rescuing from his former motorcycle club—even though he’d sworn never to have any dealings with them ever again. This is a story about physical and mental abuse and its consequences, and not for the faint of heart. While the brutality on-page is fairly limited, I found the things that were mentioned just as tough to deal with. At one point in the story Joey says he is surprised he survived, and I have to agree. He is a very lucky guy to have ended up in Cade Creek!

Harvey is a pretty tough guy. He used to be an enforcer for a biker gang, and that pretty much says it all. He is also a decent man with a conscience though, and that is one of the reasons he left. When he is suddenly confronted with members of his ex-MC appearing in his bar, he is ready to kick them out. There is only one problem: the bruised and beaten man they offer him as “payment” for a round of drinks. Harvey cannot sit by and let them mistreat him, so he gets involved. One thing leads to another, and Harvey ends up taking responsibility for Joey. There is only one problem: Harvey is insanely attracted to Joey and fears losing control—and that is the last thing Joey needs. Or so Harvey thinks.

Joey has barely survived the last year, and he has lost all faith in humanity. As far as he knows, nobody gives anything away for free, so when Harvey offers his help and asks for nothing in return, Joey is hesitant to believe he is serious. And just when he has begun to trust Harvey, and opens up to show him how he feels, Harvey pushes him away. He may say it’s for Joey’s own good, but Joey disagrees. Not that he can do anything about it, other than walk away. And when that ends up being an even worse disaster, Joey is ready to give up. Luckily Harvey gets his sh*t together just in time.

If you like stories about big, badass men riding to the rescue of the abused and mistreated, if you want to know more about two men from very different backgrounds who both need to learn how to trust themselves and their partner, and if you’re looking for an emotional read that is as suspenseful as it is hot, then you will probably like this novella. It shows the inhabitants of Cade Creek at their best!


NOTE: This book was provided by Siren Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Denise H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read Sept. 11, 2024

"Better Than Good" is a great M/M action/romance !!

Former Biker gang enforcer, Harvey runs a bar and is hoping for a quieter life. In walks Razor and his men who are there to cause trouble. Razor wants to trade his "slave" for rounds of drinks, and Harvey sees red. The poor guy who is on his knees, dirty, beaten and mute, is in agony.

Harvey agrees to the deal in order to get "Joey" away from the bad guys. He takes him up to his apartment and gets him cleaned and fed. Joey doesn't know what to do, he's been traded before with very awful results. But Harvey is proving to be different. Joey can't talk because he's been choked by Razor so often the swollen tissues never get to heal. Harvey works with the sheriff and keeps Joey safe.

Feelings for him are coming fast and Harvey is ashamed of himself for his feelings, when he is the protector. Joey likes the emotions they feel.

Kidnapped again, Joey is saved by Harvey and company, returned to his Dad, and after a year is finally healed. Will Joey go back and get Harvey to see if their deep emotions are still good?

Well written and interesting, with hot M/M sex, and wonderful characters, this story will make you happy.

Highly recommend. ENJOY !!!

====

[Arzu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Interesting. I liked this one. Badass ex-biker Harvey was yummy. Joey was sweet. Good addition to the series. Looking forward to more.

[Cocktails and Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books

I enjoyed this book. I don't think I've ever NOT enjoyed a Stormy Glenn story. She writes with such detail. Even though the books aren't very long, aLOT of stuff is packed in there.

"Better Than Good" is the sixth installment of the "Cade Creek" series...which I LOVE. The characters are beautifully written and have depth. They're fleshed out. Lots of books in series' have quickie characters who, while likable, seem kind of shallow because there's not much time to give them "life". Not here. The men of Cade Creek are special.

Ok...I got off topic. Let me get back to "Better Than Good". Here's a quick rundown. Harvey is a former biker who now owns a bar and grill in Cade Creek. Things are going great for him. One night, a table full of bikers are causing trouble, and when he goes to see what is going on, he finds a high ranking member of his former MC. This man is keeping a young man named Joey captive as his "boy". He abuses him, passes him around to the other men, and they do terrible things to him. He means so little to them that the man offers Joey to him in exchange for a round of free drinks. Harvey takes the deal so he can save Joey from more torture.

That's it. The rest, you have to read yourself. Harvey is incredible...one of my favorites. He feels such an intense attraction to Joey, but not just in a romantic way. He wants to save him and protect him. He literally wraps his arms around him and holds him as he sobs. I felt like I was in the room watching these events unfold. Joey is confused about the situation. He's been treated so badly for the past year that he isn't sure if he could trust Harvey.

This is a love story above all, but I should mention that it's also very sexy. The first time Harvey called Joey "Baby", my heart started beating a little faster, and it continued to pound the first time they make love. It WAS lovemaking...not just f*&%ing. It began tentatively, but it grew into passion that neither man could deny.

"Better Than Good" has lot of excitement and a bit of violence. It's not in your face, and it is an important part of the story, and there is a twist that I honestly didn't see coming. THAT really impressed me because I'm usually very good at guessing the twist. Bravo, Ms. Glenn!!

As I mentioned above, this is the sixth book in the series, but it can be read as stand alone. There are crossover characters, but you won't be confused. Please consider reading all of the books, though. It's a great series. I recommend it to all of my friends who are into MM, drama, excitement, and well...hot sex. Go get them!!

Reviewer information can be found under the Tags section of the post on our site.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is part of a series and should be read in order. Also this is a spin-off of the Blaecleah Brothers series and takes place in the same town with characters from that series showing up.

A badass former biker with a heart of gold. Please, who wouldn’t want that fantasy? I have to say I did enjoy this story a good deal. Harvey is hot, sexy, and just plain yummy. He comes to the rescue of Joey, a young man who was kidnapped and has been a prisoner for almost a year.

Joey was so damn sweet, and once he gets past his fear with Harvey he has a bit of sass to keep Harvey on his toes. Harvey also makes Joey feel safe. That allows him to get back pieces of himself that he lost during his captivity.

Now yes, the realism needs to be put to the side for this story. I really don’t believe a young man who has been abused the way Joey has would be so willing to jump into a sexually relationship with Harvey that fast. But seriously I don’t read these type of books for realism anyway.

This was fast paced and well written. And it had all that I wanted. There were pretty good sex scenes, some nice badassery, the villain getting what he deserved, and a happy ending.

It was a good, fast, and enjoyable read.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com*

[Hc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly......this turned out good. I have questions of course.

Bastard brother Noah may turn into an enigma.. what's the real story cus I'm thinking there is possibly more going on..

Dorian and Harvey's unique relationship... get some clarification at the end but that just raised a few more questions for me. Perhaps that will be summed up at a future time.

Into the meat of traumatized rescue...Seeing as all of these move pretty darn quick no surprise that things progress fast. In light of the storyline, its a bit fast in my opinion for kidnapping, rape, and torture. And another bold move is Joey being the one making the first move. Of course ripe opportunity for misunderstanding.

And that, folks is all she wrote....hahaha

[Manon Lavoie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say, I am really tired of books who are so full of stereotypes !!
Let's say you have been kidnapped, raped and beaten repeatedly for the last 10 months ! Would you have sex a couple of days after been rescued ? Would you bottomed ? Come on !!!! Joey should have been traumatised for a very long time !! It pisses me off so much !!! It would have been more plausible if Joey would have ask to top ! And a long time before he feels open for sex !! Sorry but it does not work for me !!

[Jenny Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sigh…. I’m such a sucker for a wounded bird.

Harvey, we only got glimpses of here and there thus far, but he’s the owner of the Rusty Nail. Once an enforcer for a biker gang, he’s happy and settled in his life in Cade Creek. Who wouldn’t be though, honestly… I’d love to go there, if only to see all these hot boys and their men!! ANYWAY…. All is fine and good until a blast from the past in the form of an evil ex-brother from the club and his “pet”… When Harvey see’s the guy is badly beaten, severely malnourished, dirty and scared, he barters a free round on the house for an hour with the guys’ “pet.

Joey got nabbed outside a bar ten months ago and has been living with the club and the sadistic man who’s tortured him and passed him around to trade for things he wanted. He’d been badly beaten and used, and although terrified to breathe most of the time, he couldn’t speak at all from damage to his voice box after being strangled until he passed out too many times.

You WILL NOT like him… I’m warning you now. The way he treated Joey and seemingly got away with it made me sick to my stomach. Luckily, once Harvey gets ahold of Joey, he keeps him safe, and Harvey is the safe space that Joey needed. I loved how he turned to him when he needed him. It was understandable. He’d gone through so much, he needed a safe place.

I did think that he just seemed to get over everything rather quickly….. like, I would think with all the unwilling sex he was forced into and the months of actual torture, that it would mess with him more than it did. I mean, even the time he escaped and was forced by the sheriff to go back to the man holding him captive (by the way, how was that allowed? I didn’t like that he got away with it too), but the psychological trauma would be just as worse as the physical and emotional, I would think…. Still, it seemed like once Joey’s bruises were healed, he was just kind of over it all…. After he’d been so scared and seemingly traumatized there in the beginning… I dunno, maybe I’m nitpicking.

And of course, we have more conflict that could’ve and should’ve been solved with just a simple conversation. One assumes what the other feels and instead of asking, just leaves, or the other assumes and pulls away and instead of just asking, leaves… and it’s just like…. JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER FOR THREE SECONDS!!! ….. I guess there wouldn’t be much of a story then, eh? But still… it’s frustrating

I’m really hoping we get a story about Dorian, that kind of threw me for a loop there at the end (which was very abrupt, in my opinion), but I didn’t think I was going to like him… I was mad that he too, seemed to get away with just letting Joey be held against his will and bartered with sex and abuse… but, there in that last chapter, I found myself hoping for him. So, fingers crossed… I’m jumping into the next book now. Love seeing all the other guys that pop up here and there and can’t wait for more!

On to the next! 4 stars from me!

[Love Bytes Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Heart Review by Kimberley

This part in the series has a bit more violence due to the fact that one of the MCs was kidnapped. Joey was kidnapped almost a year ago by a former member of Harvey’s biker gang. The rag tag gang shows up at Harvey’s bar demanding free drinks and uses Joey as payment.

Harvey is disgusted that Joey was being forced against his will and agrees to accept Joey as payment just to secure the young man’s safety. Joey didn’t trust that the big biker is going to help him. The few times he was able to escape, he was recaptured and returns to the bikers by corrupt LEOs from neighboring towns.

This story was a bit hard to read because of the violence. The level of physical and sexual abuse Joey endured while in the hands of a maniac was sickening. I love Harvey. He’s this rough and tumble badass biker but a total good guy. He was so gentle and patient with Joey. I liked the supporting characters—Dixie the bartender is something serious; she’s a tough old broad and Joey’s father was so loving. He was so grateful to have his son back.

The storylines in these stories are pretty good. You get these stories from the new town residents while keeping in touch with the old characters.

The books in this series have mild-to mid- level violence and may deal with issues such as domestic/family violence, physical and or mental abuse so if those are your triggers, I would recommend you skip those parts.

This book is part of a series and as such should be read in sequential order. It is recommended that your read the Blaecleah Brothers Cowboy series as their characters cross over into this series.

This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know there are times when you pick up a book in the middle of a series, and you're frustrated to no end because you have absolutely no idea what the heck is going on. Then, there's Better Than Good. Stormy Glenn is adept at giving you just the right amount of backstory to lure you in, rather than choke you with details that take away from your enjoyment. This is the sixth installment in the Cade Creek series, and I was absolutely fine, having only read this story.

This author is also crafty in the way she creates characters that suck you in. While the plot itself might not have been terribly unique, the fact that I found Harvey and Joey so darn likable, made sure it wasn't an issue for me. One of the things I got a charge out of, is how Joey seemed to defy the archetypal think norm, and surprise me a time or two. Definitely caused me to snicker.

This book even has one of my favorite qualities – an engaging secondary character. Dorian is misunderstood, more than a little on the bad side of the law, and sexy as heck – everything you want in a anti-hero. Pick up Better Than Good if you're looking for a fairly quick, enjoyable read that will tug on your heart and make you wish for a knight with slightly dented armor of your very own.



Four Twinkling Stars

[Phaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s hardly news that I am a sucker for a decent hurt/comfort story. And this one worked pretty well for me during the first forty-five or so pages.

But when the sex happens it just seems way too soon for it to be that way - much too soon after the prolonged abuse Joey had been through.
And people start to be seriously stupid as well. Could be (and has been) worse, but that drift towards idiotic reasoning and decisions is there, at least on Joey’s end, who may have the vague excuse of being traumatized. But simply everything just happens too fast in that second half.

In fact, the timing here makes seriously no sense with the previous book either, since the event mentioned there is related to Hank long before he gets back together with Sammy. Yet here it’s been nine days and Sammy’s brother is already on his way to look for Sammy and Hank to apologize – something that does not happen even for weeks after Sammy and Hank have been together. On that note, I wish to learn how “a week” morphs into “nine days” and then into “less than a month” within the span of a few hours?

So… Pretty nice beginning, if you don’t mind the overdone style, but eventually too rushed for me to believe even in completely unrealistic fluff fiction. Still, for this series I’ll count it as a success.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

These little books are so entertaining. I just can't stop reading them. Poor Joey, the guy can seem to catch a break and he's already been so abused. Harvey was just a big ole bad-ass pussycat. He just has to rescue Joey from his former MC club and then all hell breaks loose. These stories would be so much better as full length novels because at some point everything gets really rushed. Still fun.

[Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Loved the storyline and the characters. It was a very emotional but very enjoyable read for me. However, I did find that the story seemed a bit rushed in places, things moved a little too quickly at times but either than that the book was amazing!

[Lisa Falzone · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was better than good

Glad I came across this author. Her stories are very character driven and well developed. You can become invested in their feelings and emotions. Loved Harvey and Joey. You will too

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor joey, the hell he went through. And big bad ex biker now bar owner Harvey. Love at first sight for this big sexy man. I loved how he put Joeys needs before his own wants. Loved this story
Love this town
Love this series.....,Fantastic

[Riayl · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the best stories of this series. As far as I can remember this one did not, at any point, totally irritate me, which I am not sure I can say about any of the others (I'd have to check, senility is setting in early.) Made me glad I hadn't written the whole series off yet.

[Isha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joey, kidnapped and abused, has been bought by Harvey, after Harvey witnessed Joey being abused. And that starts the beginning of something beautiful. I do wish the book was longer. Very enjoyable.

[Addison · Rating 3 out of 5]

For someone who is abbused and raped for almoust a year, i think sex will be the last thing he wanned. For him is just almost a week and is ready for sex.
A trauma like that take years or never, sometimes to recover. But definitly not a week.

[Omega696 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Harvey and Joey, again they prefered to assume they know what the other person thinks and wants from life, but for the most part they were alive and fun to read about.
As with whole series we have a traumatized little man who's saved by badass bigger man and they live happily ever after.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored Joey. He went through hell and he might’ve thought he’d lost himself but his strong, stubborn self was still there. Harvey is a gentle giant and so besotted over Joey.
I liked the MC storyline and it’d be nice to see some more of Dorian, if possible.

[Lizzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Familiar and enjoyable hurt/comfort fluff.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Julie scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better Than Good [Cade Creek 6]

This was totally awesome I Loved it can't wait to read more of this series it just keeps beeping great ....

[~SexyBookWorm~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good.. there was mention of a motorcycle club and DEA agents so im hoping there's an awesome spin off of the spin off in our future lol

[Shawnie Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite book so far