A taste of poison is deadly. A taste of me is a whole lot worse.
She found me on the side of the road. I would've bled to death if it wasn't for her. The bastards who tried to kill me had come real damn close. But she picked me up, carried me home, nursed me back to health.
Big mistake.
How could she miss it? How didn't she see? I'm a walking virus, a natural disaster. Death and violence follow me like a second shadow. The right thing to do would have been to leave me where I was. To let me die a dog's death — hell, I probably deserved it.
She didn't, though, and it's too late for regret. Already, my past has come roaring back with a vengeance. We don't have much time left.
I should send her packing. Run, silly girl! Get out while you still can. My enemies are coming…
But something deep inside won't let me. I had a taste of Sophia, and now, I can't get enough. I want to claim her, ravage her until her cries shatter windowpanes. And I won't take no for an answer.
I'm here, baby. I'm never leaving again. If you didn't want me — well, too bad. You should have left me for dead.
Left for Dead is a full-length, standalone romance novel with steamy hot sex, strong language, a happily every after ending, and NO CLIFFHANGERS. Contains dark and disturbing themes, and over-the-top sexiness that may be uncomfortable for some readers.
Perfect for fans of Sam Crescent, Jenika Snow, L Wilder, Sabrina Paige, Lauren Landish, Vanessa Waltz, Jordan Marie, and Nicole Snow.
I couldn't even make it to the 30% mark that I usually make myself get to. This book already had a few contradictions and questionable things that made me have a hard time not getting distracted by.
Here's a few examples of things that threw me off:
Those few things along with me just not getting a good feel for the H (mainly because of the first 2) made me DNF. Maybe some readers will still like this. I thought the premise sounded good :/
This book was a recommendation when I bought another story. I thought it sounded interesting and took a chance.
Fiona is trying to lead a quiet life with her young daughter Sophia after escaping her abusive husband. She has an ok job, a small apartment, a couple good friends and is just getting by. She happens upon a man severely beaten and left for dead one night on her way home from work. She knows she can't just leave him, and he doesn't want to go to the hospital. Little does she know that the man who she nurses back to health is the leader of the local MC. Jasper is tough, yet he is sweet and caring when it comes to fiona and Sophia. You can tell there is a struggle in him to want to be a better man. He knows he should get away from Fiona as fast as he can for both of their sakes. He is involved in illegal activities as club president and Fiona is just too sweet for him. He has fallen hard and fast but knows staying away would be what's best for her and Sophia. However, he doesn't get the chance because Fiona and Sophia now are facing danger and he vows to protect them with his life. They both have strong feelings from the get go, even if they don't express them right away. No cheating, there is no one else after they meet. There are a couple sexy scenes. There is some strong violence and illegal activity. HEA but it's not too far into the future. I wonder if Aaron or Alex will get their own story.
I am not sure how often I tried to read MC novels and failed because eventhough I read dark, darker and gritty or even twisted novels there is always something in me refusing to cooperate as soon as the word “MC” is involved.
But what can I say … “Left for Dead” by Lexi Cross was different – well I will be honest – not totally different but different enough for me to like it. I think when I take a look at the ratings of the book – that this is also one reason why the ratings are not as high as I feel they should be.
The reader is not directly thrown into the complicated world of the MC but instead the first part of the story fully focuses on the main characters and in the beginning the reader will not even notice the MC part. And real MC readers will have the feeling that there is something missing…(at least I assume that).
But I liked it for that specific reason even more. I still could not fully comprehend the MC parts and maybe I do not want to. I enjoyed the part without those references enough to give my rating to this well written story.
I WAS TRULY ENTERTAINED !!! Title: Left For Dead Series: Crimson Hawks MC Designation: Book One, Full Length Standalone Novel, NO Cliffhanger Author: Lexi Cross Reading Platform: Kindle Edition My Rating: Three Hopeful Stars*** Left for Dead by Lexi Cross is a fast-paced, full-length, standalone contemporary romance and does NOT contain a cliffhanger. Before I begin, I would first like to preface my review by saying I purchased this book because I was intrigued by the cover and the blurb. I was in NO way solicited for my opinion but I read the book and would like to share my thoughts. This was my first time reading Lexi Cross and despite the problems with this novel, I will, most likely, try her work again. It's not often I have a problem writing a review. Usually, I know immediately after finishing a book how I want to rate it but in this case, I feel conflicted. It's obvious the author put a great deal of time, work and effort into this story, and despite the problems, I truly enjoyed it. I don't condone author bashing but I do believe in constructive criticism and being honest. Sadly, there were a plethora of grammatical and punctuation errors as well as misspellings and missing words that distracted me from the story. Unfortunately, that was only the tip of the iceberg. Parts of the story were unrealistic and obviously not well researched. There were also glaring plot holes that were just so obvious. For example, the female protagonist's child disappeared from the babysitter's yard. I don't want to give spoilers but the heroine knew the child had been kidnapped and even knew who had probably taken her. The police were called to investigate but while the police were there, she received a call from the kidnapper. She didn't tell the police. She left, without any sort of weapon or backup, to meet the kidnapper to 'hopefully' get her daughter back. Now that wasn't the problem. The problem was after that point, the police were NEVER mentioned again through the entire story....even after she got her daughter back. Really??? She never called them and said, "Hey, I found my daughter." And worse, the police never followed up on the investigation. Again, really??? Not follow up on a missing four-year-old child??? Another example, the kidnappers used adult handcuffs on a four-year-old child. How do I know they were adult handcuffs? Because the hero used the same handcuffs on the heroine in the final sex scene of the book. A four-year-old child's wrist would slip out of adult handcuffs. How do I know? My son-in-law is a police officer and I ask him. His handcuffs are too large for his eight-year-old daughter; her wrists slide right out. And speaking of the handcuffs, another example is when the hero tried to free the little girl. She was handcuffed to a water pipe under a sink. He had to rip the pipe away from the wall because he didn't have a handcuff key, yet a few short hours later he just happened to miraculously have a bobby pin in his pocket which he used to pick the lock. Again, really??? And another example: The hero's home was set on fire by a rival gang and one of his MC crew was trapped inside. The hero rescued him but he was in serious condition and rushed to the hospital. Again, no police in sight. Another one of his crew was shot and taken to the hospital where he had to have surgery. Now, all of us know that any gunshot wound must be reported, right? Again, no police in sight. No questions....no investigation...no nothing. Again....really??? But again, the story had real merit and I had to keep reading to find out what happened. Those are only a few of the problems I found in the story. There was entirely too much repetitive internal character dialogue where each of the protagonists repeated the same basic thoughts over and over, but I still couldn't stop reading. That tells me one thing...the story is basically good but needs work. The story was exciting and entertaining. The dialogue was well executed and flowed well. I also truly liked the characters. They were my favorite component of this story. I thought they were realistic, captivating and exceptionally engaging. I was instantly smitten with the sexy bad boy hero Jasper 'Jazz' Paulson and totally loved the long-suffering but plucky heroine, Fiona Mackintosh, but it was Fiona's four-year-old daughter, Sophia and her stuffed bunny Cuddles who completely stole my heart.
Now, I've spent a considerable amount of effort telling you what's wrong with the book but there was a whole lot right about this story as well. The premise was really good so here's a brief synopsis. Fiona Mackintosh spent 7 years in a physically and mentally abusive relationship with a man affiliated with a rough biker gang, but the final straw was when her husband also started using their daughter as a punching bag. She fled with her little girl and was finally free of the monster who had made their life hell. She'd found a friend and a job, all in one stroke of long overdue luck, in another town. It had been 6 months with no sign of her now ex-husband and life seemed to be going well...until late one night on her way home from work, she found a young man on the side of the road, badly beaten and in need of medical assistance. He refused to allow her to drive him to the hospital so she had no choice but to take him home with her, right? She just couldn't leave him to die. Any good samaritan would have done the same, right? Of course, it had nothing to do with the fact that he, despite the blood and bruises, was obviously a handsome, well-built specimen of a man to whom she felt an immediate attraction and not surprisingly, he felt the same. And wouldn't you just know it, he also was a rough and rowdy bad boy who was the leader of his own motorcycle club. Unfortunately, someone wanted him dead, which meant she could be in danger just by helping him. What's a girl to do? Well, she could start by falling in love with the bad boy who's not entirely bad, has a tender heart and obviously has a soft spot for her and her daughter. But Jasper must find a way to save himself as well as his crew before he can rescue Fiona and Sophia. Will he be able to rescue them in time? Will Jasper and Fiona find their happy ending despite all the forces working against them? We'll see!
I believe in supporting indie authors and helping them to fulfill their dreams but if you're going to publish and expect people to pay for the privilege of reading your work, you have to make the effort to publish the best product possible. It's obvious to me that Lexi Cross has a great deal of talent and shows great promise but needs some experience under her belt, some people willing to give her sincere constructive criticism and a good editor. In order to arrive at a rating, there are several questions I always ask myself. First, did I like the story ? Yes, and I did honestly enjoy it. Second, was there anything I didn't like about the book? Obviously, there were a few things which I've already mentioned. Third, would I recommend this book? Well, that's a tough question but despite the problems, the overall story was good and again I enjoyed it. So....I would have to say, as long as you don't expect perfection and you enjoy a sweet, sexy bad boy romance that will tickle your funny bone as well as tug at your heartstrings, then give it a whirl. But I would only recommend this book for adult readers since it does contain graphic violence, some steamy sex scenes, and a little explicit language. Fourth, will I read this author again? Most likely! And finally, was I entertained? Most definitely! Great story and great effort, Lexi Cross! It just needs a love more editing love!
It could have been a great book, but it left so many things hanging in the air, that I felt like I had an incomplete book. It's a good love story, with ups and downs, mostly good, but some things were not explained or were left in the air and I don't like that kind of thing.
For some people it doesn't matter if things are left unexplained or if some things don't make sense, they just go with the flow. I need my books to make sense, to be congruent, this one wasn't.
This is the first book I've read by this author. And while it wasn't bad it was different then I'm used to and the Motorcycle Club world. I found it a little bit hard to swallow at how easy the leader of a motorcycle would plan to change and give up so much. It almost seemed he struggled with being a take-charge alpha type malet to a sort of normal everyday guy that's interested in a girl. I gave this book 3 stars because my take on the motorcycle club world is tough with some illegal activity but allows no one to hurt anyone under their protection and also make it hard for those in the club that are considered Brothers to leave especially if you were in the role of any kind of leadership.
This story has suspense, danger and romance. Jasper was set up and left for dead on the side of the road. He was saved by an angel names Fiona. Fiona and her daughter Sophia escaped Fionas' abusive ex. Living life looking over your shoulder is not a way to live. Things change when Fiona comes across a badly beaten Jasper on the side of the road. Jasper and Fiona have both seen and survived the dark side of life. When they are together they bring out the best in each other.
Let's just say I didn't put this book down til it was done in one day ... I love the MC books . But this one Left for Dead was a book that just keep you on pins and needles wanting to know what was going to happen with Jasper and Fiona . When Fiona found Jasper on the side of the road left for dead with her background she should have just drove on past but she couldn't do it ... Even it brought danger to her door she had to help him... Love this book and little Sophia made it all the better
This book was REALLY GOOD!! I loved the relationship of Fiona and her daughter Sophia, and the way Jasper melded into their lives in a very fluid way. Jasper is hot and a bad boy MC man, but is ethical, treats women well and keeps his MC group at a higher standard of behavior. After leaving her abusive husband who was in an MC group, Fiona and Sophia are starting out on their own hoping her husband won't find them. Fiona finds Jasper almost beaten to death on the side of the road one night and takes him home to help him as best as she can. From there they start to overcome their past hurts and forge a relationship of love and trust. Really good book!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I didn't finish this yet, and I'm questioning if I ever will, but I just have one question: how does Sophia's safety play into her seeing Jasper.
I know he isn't a "typical bad-boy" (or so she keeps saying/hoping because at this point in the book, she's only known him for like two days) with a horrid temper and who is prone to beating women and kids (even though HE said HIMSELF the best way to hurt a man is to target his loved ones and went further to admit that to hurt his enemies he ALWAYS goes for the kids wife/gf and mother which brings his morals into question and makes the reader wry of his convictions about non-violence against women and kids) but he is still the leader of a Motorcycle GANG, deals COCAINE, and has hinted towards MURDERING people since his first POV. He carries a gun on his person for his own protection (which I'll admit average people do too) and has people to conspire murder with!! Like...no. He might very well be an alright person, a bad boy with a golden heart, but he's still dangerous!! He has enemies who've come for you btw, with your kid like two feet away!!! Why would you want your kid around that? I was so proud of her for telling him she couldn't be with him because she'd already had been through it and she had a child to think of--because that's true, when you have a kid, what you want doesn't matter if what you want will potentially get you or possible your child killed. But i should've known better. Six pages later, she felt guilty for being a good parent. WHY???????!!!!!!!! Sophia comes first above all else!!! No matter how hot he is! No matter how cool he looks on his bike! No matter how non-violent cocaine selling is! No matter what bull he feeds you in all of the TWO FRICKIN DAYS you've known him. It doesn't matter. Sophia comes first and she should've just let Jasper stay where Jasper was---NOT AT YOUR HOUSE THREATENING YOUR DAUGHTER'S SAFETY!!!! Idk. I might be the only one questioning this, but I thought it was ridiculous.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I normally don't like MC stories but I might be changing my tune. I was impressed with this. Fiona after escaping her abusive husband and settling down in a new town is on her way home one night when she happens to drive by an injured man. She slams on her breaks and jumps out to help him. Not sure of what to do she brings him back to her home to heal.
Jasper can't believe he was rescued and by an angel no less. He doesn't want to disturb her life too much so he pushes himself to heal faster and be able to walk on his own. He can't help but to feel protective of Fiona so he wants to make sure he doesn't bring trouble to her door.
Wow, this seemed to speed along a twisting path. Full of action and suspense. I enjoyed it a lot. Sometimes you don't get enough of an epilogue or even one at all but this one seemed like a lot. Most books, right after the action it ends but this went into way more and really rounded out Fiona and Jasper's story. Cross did an amazing job of keeping me interested and wanting more.
Ok.. no me convenció... Los protagonistas más inseguros que nada,,, cambian de opinión cada 30 segundos y al final no hacen nada de lo que acordaron, salvalble solo Jasper .... Fiona .. definitivamente no... Me quedaron demasiadas dudas y me atrevo a decir que el 50% del libro son diálogos internos de Fiona convenciendose de darle una oportunidad a Jasper... Me quedo con la primera opinión de Jasper sobre Fiona en su primera pelea... una prejuiciosa, que le encanta juzgar y no recuerdo que mas dijo pero totalmente concuerdo.
What can I say. You have done a wonderful job with this book, the words just leaped right from the pages of this book straight to my heart. Couldn't ask for anything better, lots of action,great love scenes,a HEA and a truly amazing love between 3 extraordinary people you keep writing and I will keep reading and tell any and everyone I know how great your book is.
Got a teaser for free... I didn't realize it was only a part of the book. So I ended up buying it so I could finish it. Sneaky...
It was alright. I didn't buy into Jasper's character... Not sure exactly what was missing, but something was.
It entertained me, which is why I read... but I wasn't moved or felt anything from this book. The story had potential, but I felt there there wasn't any depth.
When reading the blurb for this book I felt it was missing something, but read it anyway in hopes that the story would feel different; but unfortunately this book just didn't click for me. Too much detail in some part, too focused on only the couple, the feelings seemingly forced down our throats. This book just felt as if it got all the over used romance cliches and used them all at once in hopes of being an epic live story but coming out as a swing and a miss.
There is nothing better than a rough, alpha type bad boy. But when you take said bad boy and turn him into a little b@%# by the end of the book, well it is just wrong. This book started off so strong but by the end it had just become boring.
A sweet story with plenty of action and interesting back stories that brought them together. I loved all of the characters. Could have been closer to 5 stars but for the editing.
My favorite book by Lexi Cross thus far. She has a way with creating such a detailed and complex story that hooks me from beginning to end. I wished there were more to it to spread the story out so I could enjoy it and get even more complexity from it.
I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it was just a little too unbelievable for me. I'm not going to give any of the plot away here in my review, but this seemed like a very weak H and a weak MC for my taste. I like my men as well as my motorcycle clubs a bit rough.
When he is left for dead on the side of the road she tries to help him as much as she can. He doesn't want a hospital so she takes him home. But will the people who tried to kill him try to get to her next? Will her ex find her after she had run away
Hot biker guy. Damsel in distress. Cute kid. Love. Romance. Hot moments and Oh no moments. What more can you ask for in a book. Well this book has all that and more. I loved it and will definitely be reading more by Lexington Cross. X