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Defiance #4
Temperance
The reluctant truce between the Defiance MC and Keller's mafia is necessitated by shared hatred for the Lords of Vengeance—bloodthirsty thugs who pose a deadly threat to both Defiance's survival and Keller's people in the difficult post-apocalyptic world. For Rebel, this means more than just a secondary war—Declan, one of Keller's main assassins, has moved to the Defiance compound.
The problem is, he and Declan have a history, one that Rebel broke off months earlier when the relationship threatened to become more than just covert sex. Rebel’s charged with keeping Declan close, and the proximity makes it impossible for him to deny his feelings. Rebel’s been hiding his sexual preferences from his MC, among other secrets he hold close.
But Rebel realizes that the LoV isn’t the biggest enemy Defiance faces when Declan goes after a mysterious group called the Nomads. Most think the Nomads are little more than a myth, but Declan—and Keller—know the truth. And when one of Declan’s jobs threatens to put Defiance—and Rebel—in direct danger, Declan also reveals secrets that Rebel isn’t prepared for. One that makes him question everything he once thought about the relationship...and forces him to make a choice between his heart and his head…something no one in Defiance is ready for.
The problem is, he and Declan have a history, one that Rebel broke off months earlier when the relationship threatened to become more than just covert sex. Rebel’s charged with keeping Declan close, and the proximity makes it impossible for him to deny his feelings. Rebel’s been hiding his sexual preferences from his MC, among other secrets he hold close.
But Rebel realizes that the LoV isn’t the biggest enemy Defiance faces when Declan goes after a mysterious group called the Nomads. Most think the Nomads are little more than a myth, but Declan—and Keller—know the truth. And when one of Declan’s jobs threatens to put Defiance—and Rebel—in direct danger, Declan also reveals secrets that Rebel isn’t prepared for. One that makes him question everything he once thought about the relationship...and forces him to make a choice between his heart and his head…something no one in Defiance is ready for.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 29, 2015
7 people are currently reading
473 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Tyler
80 books1,280 followersNew York Times Bestselling author Stephanie Tyler writes what she loves to read - romantic suspense novels starring military heroes and paranormal romance novels novels starring warrior heroes, all complete with happy endings. She also writes as SE Jakes.
And because she's not busy enough, she also co-writes as Sydney Croft. She lives in New York with her husband, her kids and her crazy Weimaraner, Gus.
For more information on Stephanie, please visit www.stephanietyler.com or email her at stephanie@stephanietyler.com.
For more information on SE Jakes, please visit SEJakes.com.
For more information on Sydney, please visit www.sydneycroft.com or email Sydney at sydney@sydneycroft.com
And because she's not busy enough, she also co-writes as Sydney Croft. She lives in New York with her husband, her kids and her crazy Weimaraner, Gus.
For more information on Stephanie, please visit www.stephanietyler.com or email her at stephanie@stephanietyler.com.
For more information on SE Jakes, please visit SEJakes.com.
For more information on Sydney, please visit www.sydneycroft.com or email Sydney at sydney@sydneycroft.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 31, 2015
This was an average read for me. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. This is the 4th book in the series and should not be read as a stand alone. I love the world the author has created. It's post-apocalypse and the bad guys have pretty much taken over the world. This book focused on the growing relationship between Keller's mafia gang and Caspar's biker MC. Neither trusts the other, so while Keller keeps Bishop on their compound, he sends Deacon to stay with Defiance. This is a problem for both Deacon and Rebel as they broke up in the last book and they're now being forced to live together. Rebel continues to want Deacon but he also continues to want to keep their affair hidden.
The plot between the two groups and their rivals was pretty good and I enjoyed it a lot. There is also a really interesting set up for the next book (a girl who sees dead people and one of the younger biker guys).
The relationship between the two guys in this was pretty weak though imo. There is a lot of that back and forth, "We should be together. Oh no, we can't be together" bull malarky. The biggest problem for me was the "Oh, you've been sexually abused? Well let me screw you better." plot line. I hate this theme/plot line with the strength of a 1000 fiery suns. Stop this authors! Stop it!!! It's so insulting and so minimizing of the horror of real sexual abuse. The idea that a good dick will make all your problems go away just burns me up (& not in a good way).
There were A LOT of editing errors. (ie at one point it said he was abused at age 8, then a bit later it said age 10). That kind of stuff isn't a huge deal to me but I know it bugs some people. I did stop a few times and do my Scooby Doo head tilt and "Ruh??" because names, ages. etc were all messed up. There were a few parts I had to read more than once because I got confused as to what was happening. Sometimes that's me being blonde but in this case it was because there was either no beta readers or they didn't do their jobs right. You could tell it made sense to the author but there wasn't enough detail to follow her train of thought. It seemed like entire paragraphs were missing. There were a few parts I re-read a few times trying to figure out how she got from point A to point B then decided "F it. Just take it on faith and move on".
So, overall....just an ok book. It was the book I was most looking forward to in this series but unfortunately it was the weakest imo and the one I disliked the most.
**this is the sole m/m in an otherwise m/f series**
The plot between the two groups and their rivals was pretty good and I enjoyed it a lot. There is also a really interesting set up for the next book (a girl who sees dead people and one of the younger biker guys).
The relationship between the two guys in this was pretty weak though imo. There is a lot of that back and forth, "We should be together. Oh no, we can't be together" bull malarky. The biggest problem for me was the "Oh, you've been sexually abused? Well let me screw you better." plot line. I hate this theme/plot line with the strength of a 1000 fiery suns. Stop this authors! Stop it!!! It's so insulting and so minimizing of the horror of real sexual abuse. The idea that a good dick will make all your problems go away just burns me up (& not in a good way).
There were A LOT of editing errors. (ie at one point it said he was abused at age 8, then a bit later it said age 10). That kind of stuff isn't a huge deal to me but I know it bugs some people. I did stop a few times and do my Scooby Doo head tilt and "Ruh??" because names, ages. etc were all messed up. There were a few parts I had to read more than once because I got confused as to what was happening. Sometimes that's me being blonde but in this case it was because there was either no beta readers or they didn't do their jobs right. You could tell it made sense to the author but there wasn't enough detail to follow her train of thought. It seemed like entire paragraphs were missing. There were a few parts I re-read a few times trying to figure out how she got from point A to point B then decided "F it. Just take it on faith and move on".
So, overall....just an ok book. It was the book I was most looking forward to in this series but unfortunately it was the weakest imo and the one I disliked the most.
**this is the sole m/m in an otherwise m/f series**
January 8, 2016
I liked that with this book we got more about how Chaos happened and how life was for our characters a little bit before and after. For so many of them the Chaos event seemed to make life better for them.
I liked Rebel and Declan together, but the drama of each wanting more but not able to ask for it drove me nuts. It was only towards the end when they started to share secrets about why it was hard for them to ask for more that things became more interesting.
better.
It seems like Defiance is going to have tighter ties with Keller, a good thing, because once Defiance realizes one of theirs is gone all hell will break loose and the more they have to rain down vengeance the better.
I liked Rebel and Declan together, but the drama of each wanting more but not able to ask for it drove me nuts. It was only towards the end when they started to share secrets about why it was hard for them to ask for more that things became more interesting.
better.
It seems like Defiance is going to have tighter ties with Keller, a good thing, because once Defiance realizes one of theirs is gone all hell will break loose and the more they have to rain down vengeance the better.
December 31, 2015
I really enjoy the world in this series, and I'm intrigued by where Tyler seems to be driving the action. I like the she seems to have a plan to keep building the stories out, and that there are seeds of that from the beginning in book one. I like that the world keeps growing, and the characters and the relationships changing. I like the previous characters appear but don't take over in the following titles. I always have a good time reading these books and rooting for the main couples. I wish the main characters had a bit more variance in their backgrounds; I get that they grew up in a rough world, and that the world now is rougher still for them, but how is it every one of these people has pretty horrific violence and/or abuse in their childhood? It's starting to blur them all together for me, though the issue is less pronounced in their presents for the main action of the stories.
The real problem for me, and this may be less distracting for others, is that the series is filled with continuity errors that end up really pulling me out of the action, and in this book, they're glaring at the start, even if the overall plot and most of the punctuation works. Hopefully with the rights reversions Tyler can fix some of the earlier ones now, too, such as Caspar's mom going from Susan to Cara in different portions of book one, or the fact that Rebel and Luna were supposedly abused by the same person, but in Luna's book he's Adam and here he's Frank, unless I have misunderstood the story line and multiple members of Defiance were abusing local children freely.
I also spent more time than I want to admit flipping back and forth because in book four, the Chaos was supposedly 7 years ago, but only a couple years have passed since book one, as I understand it, and there the Chaos is said to have been almost two years ago. This also causes age errors, even if the seven years number makes some of the characters make more sense-- Declan was supposedly kidnapped at 16, but 7 years later the story says he's 21 (and clearly stated as 20 in book 3). Ditto Rebel-- he's 17 in the intro, and the references just never come together. This actually caused me a few minutes of major issues with this one, because I started Temperance and got no further than chapter one before I quit reading it to go and check my memory.The math on Kammy-Keller-Declan between books 3 and 4 confused me, as well, but I decided there's just more to that story I don't know and appeased myself that way. I even think that Mathias and Bishop trade coloring descriptions over which is the blonde and which one is darker, which briefly made them difficult to tell apart for me in places.
I admit this may seem nitpicky, but I get caught in details like this and end up having to go double check my memory instead of enjoying the story, so I couldn't leave it out and feel like I'd given an honest review. It is just how my mind works; those sorts of problems send me straight out of the story and into research mode. All in all, though, I enjoyed this addition to the series. The ending felt a bit abrupt and unfinished for me under the circumstances, but I assume too that's because further details on what happens to Rebel and Declan after the concluding scene would include spoilers for book 5.
The real problem for me, and this may be less distracting for others, is that the series is filled with continuity errors that end up really pulling me out of the action, and in this book, they're glaring at the start, even if the overall plot and most of the punctuation works. Hopefully with the rights reversions Tyler can fix some of the earlier ones now, too, such as Caspar's mom going from Susan to Cara in different portions of book one, or the fact that Rebel and Luna were supposedly abused by the same person, but in Luna's book he's Adam and here he's Frank, unless I have misunderstood the story line and multiple members of Defiance were abusing local children freely.
I also spent more time than I want to admit flipping back and forth because in book four, the Chaos was supposedly 7 years ago, but only a couple years have passed since book one, as I understand it, and there the Chaos is said to have been almost two years ago. This also causes age errors, even if the seven years number makes some of the characters make more sense-- Declan was supposedly kidnapped at 16, but 7 years later the story says he's 21 (and clearly stated as 20 in book 3). Ditto Rebel-- he's 17 in the intro, and the references just never come together. This actually caused me a few minutes of major issues with this one, because I started Temperance and got no further than chapter one before I quit reading it to go and check my memory.The math on Kammy-Keller-Declan between books 3 and 4 confused me, as well, but I decided there's just more to that story I don't know and appeased myself that way. I even think that Mathias and Bishop trade coloring descriptions over which is the blonde and which one is darker, which briefly made them difficult to tell apart for me in places.
I admit this may seem nitpicky, but I get caught in details like this and end up having to go double check my memory instead of enjoying the story, so I couldn't leave it out and feel like I'd given an honest review. It is just how my mind works; those sorts of problems send me straight out of the story and into research mode. All in all, though, I enjoyed this addition to the series. The ending felt a bit abrupt and unfinished for me under the circumstances, but I assume too that's because further details on what happens to Rebel and Declan after the concluding scene would include spoilers for book 5.
August 27, 2016
Those who survived called it the Chaos. Earth’s atmosphere was crippled, volcanos erupted, and the land barely limped along. A thick layer of ash covered the skies and torrential, deadly rain storms seemed endless. In the end those who had underground hideaways were the strongest.
In post apocalyptic Chaos the Defiance Motorcycle Club and Keller’s mafia compound were able to thrive. Other groups survived as well, like the Lords of Vengeance Motorcycle Club who recently attempted to decimate Keller’s compound and caused great loss of life before they were driven off. Retaliation, however, was brutal. Whispers of another group called the Nomads were reported to have psychic talents, though no one ever lived to verify their existence.
To strengthen their home bases Defiance and Keller call a truce, an alliance against all others. Willing hostages are exchanged between them. Keller sends one of his top men, the assassin Declan to Defiance. The club is unaware that Declan and Rebel, one of the MC’s ranking members, are engaged in a secret relationship. Rebel is adamant that no one can know. His life could be in danger within the club if anyone found out. At first they were scratching an itch, but now it’s different. Neither will admit to love yet… Declan will be with Rebel every day, within reach. Talk about Chaos.
Temperance sets the stage for madness in a world few are equipped to handle. Life is cheap and love can be deadly in the fourth Defiance story. Brutal times, intense characters, and excruciating emotional baggage Temperance delivers a dynamic tale. Author S.E. Jakes, otherwise known as Stephanie Tyler, pens a terrific story set in a cruel future with potent characters, driving dialogue, and deadly rivals. This complex book will keep you up reading long past bedtime. I Joyfully recommend Temperance for her passionate cast, incredible sexuality, and a story not to be missed.
Reviewed by Lisa for Joyfully Reviewed
Link: http://bit.ly/296r0Gv
In post apocalyptic Chaos the Defiance Motorcycle Club and Keller’s mafia compound were able to thrive. Other groups survived as well, like the Lords of Vengeance Motorcycle Club who recently attempted to decimate Keller’s compound and caused great loss of life before they were driven off. Retaliation, however, was brutal. Whispers of another group called the Nomads were reported to have psychic talents, though no one ever lived to verify their existence.
To strengthen their home bases Defiance and Keller call a truce, an alliance against all others. Willing hostages are exchanged between them. Keller sends one of his top men, the assassin Declan to Defiance. The club is unaware that Declan and Rebel, one of the MC’s ranking members, are engaged in a secret relationship. Rebel is adamant that no one can know. His life could be in danger within the club if anyone found out. At first they were scratching an itch, but now it’s different. Neither will admit to love yet… Declan will be with Rebel every day, within reach. Talk about Chaos.
Temperance sets the stage for madness in a world few are equipped to handle. Life is cheap and love can be deadly in the fourth Defiance story. Brutal times, intense characters, and excruciating emotional baggage Temperance delivers a dynamic tale. Author S.E. Jakes, otherwise known as Stephanie Tyler, pens a terrific story set in a cruel future with potent characters, driving dialogue, and deadly rivals. This complex book will keep you up reading long past bedtime. I Joyfully recommend Temperance for her passionate cast, incredible sexuality, and a story not to be missed.
Reviewed by Lisa for Joyfully Reviewed
Link: http://bit.ly/296r0Gv
January 8, 2016
M/M with Rebel and Declan - Rebel from the MC and Declan from the Irish mafia - their relationship is intense, their back stories tragic and complex. I liked this one a lot - Rebel and Declan are great heroes, if also two very stubborn alpha guys.
All of a sudden, this series has taken a paranormal "I see dead people" turn, and we're left with one of the biggest cliff hangers I've ever been on. The cliff hanger is about the next couple, but Rebel and Declan's storyline is definitely not finished since the series is just getting into the Nomads arc. (Don't know if I'm going to continue but may - the futuristic biker stories that I was expecting as part of this series have kind of morphed into something else.)
But definitely a worthwhile series...and I'll also try next one of Stephanie Tyler's m/m books where she writes as S E Jakes.
Thanks for reading.
All of a sudden, this series has taken a paranormal "I see dead people" turn, and we're left with one of the biggest cliff hangers I've ever been on. The cliff hanger is about the next couple, but Rebel and Declan's storyline is definitely not finished since the series is just getting into the Nomads arc. (Don't know if I'm going to continue but may - the futuristic biker stories that I was expecting as part of this series have kind of morphed into something else.)
But definitely a worthwhile series...and I'll also try next one of Stephanie Tyler's m/m books where she writes as S E Jakes.
Thanks for reading.
January 8, 2016
Full review coming soon but here's a sneak peek.
The Defiance series gets better and better with every book! You really need to read them from the beginning. Temperance is book four, so you only need to read 3 before you get to this one and it will totally blow you away!
Stephanie Tyler, you are an amazing story teller. Do not ever stop writing!
If you like a great Motorcycle Club type book, with so much more then just an MC feel to it, then start this series. You will not be disappointed!
The Defiance series gets better and better with every book! You really need to read them from the beginning. Temperance is book four, so you only need to read 3 before you get to this one and it will totally blow you away!
Stephanie Tyler, you are an amazing story teller. Do not ever stop writing!
If you like a great Motorcycle Club type book, with so much more then just an MC feel to it, then start this series. You will not be disappointed!
May 21, 2016
Brilliant
I was so excited when I knew this book had been released , I love this series ,can't wait for the next one let's hope it's not to long x
I was so excited when I knew this book had been released , I love this series ,can't wait for the next one let's hope it's not to long x
April 21, 2016
2.5 stars
December 9, 2017
Wow!
In in love with this series. Watching their story progress and how everything grows and changes is awesome. Every time I get more information of another character I'm sucked in deeper into their world. Love the story and all the characters
In in love with this series. Watching their story progress and how everything grows and changes is awesome. Every time I get more information of another character I'm sucked in deeper into their world. Love the story and all the characters
May 5, 2017
Temperance: A Defiance Novel (The Defiance Series Book 4)
Solid effort.
Couldn't get into the new world created here though.
Also, too many cooks.
My fault really i think. I assumed this'd be a standalone story within the series. Wasn't. I felt like i was force-fed information into the lives of all this ppl when all i wanted was Declan and Rebel story. Only their POV and not everyone's involved.
This a one-off for me. Rare case with a SE Jakes book cause i usually read them again and again to the point of stupid ^^
Gotta remember not to mess around with series i'm not invested on!
Solid effort.
Couldn't get into the new world created here though.
Also, too many cooks.
My fault really i think. I assumed this'd be a standalone story within the series. Wasn't. I felt like i was force-fed information into the lives of all this ppl when all i wanted was Declan and Rebel story. Only their POV and not everyone's involved.
This a one-off for me. Rare case with a SE Jakes book cause i usually read them again and again to the point of stupid ^^
Gotta remember not to mess around with series i'm not invested on!
July 24, 2016
Rebel
Declan
3 stars
Read January 2016
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The reluctant truce between the Defiance MC and Keller's mafia was borne out of a shared hatred for the Lords of Vengeance—bloodthirsty thugs who pose a deadly threat to both Defiance's survival and Keller's people. For Rebel, a legacy member of Defiance, this means more than just a secondary war in an already brutal postapocalyptic world: Declan, one of Keller's main assassins, has moved to the Defiance compound.
He and Declan have a history, one that Rebel walked away from when the relationship threatened to become more than just covert sex. Now Rebel's charged with keeping Declan close, and the proximity means more than being faced with his mistake—Rebel's been hiding his preference for men from his MC. Is he willing to lose Declan…or Defiance?
When Declan goes after a mysterious group called the Nomads, Rebel realizes that the LoV isn't the biggest enemy Defiance faces. But when one of Declan's jobs threatens to put the MC—and Rebel—in direct danger, Declan's deepest secret is revealed. A secret no one in Defiance is prepared for, and one that will force Rebel to choose between his head and his heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Declan
3 stars
Read January 2016
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The reluctant truce between the Defiance MC and Keller's mafia was borne out of a shared hatred for the Lords of Vengeance—bloodthirsty thugs who pose a deadly threat to both Defiance's survival and Keller's people. For Rebel, a legacy member of Defiance, this means more than just a secondary war in an already brutal postapocalyptic world: Declan, one of Keller's main assassins, has moved to the Defiance compound.
He and Declan have a history, one that Rebel walked away from when the relationship threatened to become more than just covert sex. Now Rebel's charged with keeping Declan close, and the proximity means more than being faced with his mistake—Rebel's been hiding his preference for men from his MC. Is he willing to lose Declan…or Defiance?
When Declan goes after a mysterious group called the Nomads, Rebel realizes that the LoV isn't the biggest enemy Defiance faces. But when one of Declan's jobs threatens to put the MC—and Rebel—in direct danger, Declan's deepest secret is revealed. A secret no one in Defiance is prepared for, and one that will force Rebel to choose between his head and his heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 5, 2016
I only read this book because I'm an SE Jakes fan and she hasn't come out with anything else. I was disappointed greatly with this book. There were many editing errors that it was distracting from the book. There were also many POVs which I don't like it any book.
January 3, 2016
4.25 stars
February 28, 2016
3.5 Stars
Confusing....
Confusing....
April 10, 2016
Least favourite so far but if you are reading this series it should be done!
March 2, 2016
yummy
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews