Running Wild

Havoc #1

by S.E. Jakes, Dorian Bane (Narrator)

Listening Length: 7 hours and 15 minutes

Sean Rush is an adrenaline junkie. That’s why he was in the Army, why he steals and races classic muscle cars . . . and why he can’t stay away from bad boy Ryker, a Havoc Motorcycle Club lieutenant. Fortunately, Ryker can’t seem to stay away from Sean—he’s spent the last eight months breaking into Sean’s apartment and stealing into his bed, leaving Sean physically satisfied but increasingly restless.

Sean has always avoided relationships. He likes to come and go without being controlled. And Ryker is possibly the most controlling man he’s ever known. Still, he finds that he wants more from Ryker than their silent nighttime encounters.

Then one of Sean’s thefts goes bad, and Ryker’s protective instincts kick into overdrive. He takes Sean to the Havoc compound, determined to keep him safe. But Sean’s past threatens the safety of Havoc—and everything Ryker holds dear. Worse, Ryker’s hiding secrets of his own. Soon it’s obvious that the adrenaline rush can’t keep them together anymore. But maybe love can.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Military Fiction, LGBT, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance

8 pages, Audible Audio

First published June 28, 2014

About the author

SE Jakes writes m/m romance. She believes in happy endings and fighting for what you want.

You can contact her the following ways:

You can email her at authorsejakes@gmail.com

You can post to her Facebook page: Facebook.com/SEJakes

You can Twitter her: Twitter.com/authorsejakes

You can post on her Goodreads Group: Ask SE Jakes

You can follow her on Tumblr: http://sejakes.tumblr.com

You can ask her a question as part of the Ask The Author program on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/4595...

Truth be told, the best way to contact her is by email or in blog comments. She spends most of her time writing but she loves to hear from readers.

***
SE Jakes is the pen-name of New York Times Bestselling Author Stephanie Tyler (and half of Sydney Croft!)

Reviews

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars (because: tats and bikes)

They are tame. Oh so tame!
They have come here to play.
They will give you some fun
On this wet, wet, wet day.

fast boys
on
fast cars
and
fast bikes

Also James Dean.



Or not.

Does it matter?

Nothing really made sense in this book. Two chicks with dicks tough-as-shit dudes, Ryker, member of a motorcycle gang club, and Sean Rush, car thief fresh out of the Army, meet in a bar. Ryker starts stalking Sean breaking into Sean's house, fucking him, and leaving (super creepy romantic, right?).

He leaves roses, though! (Where the hell does he find fresh roses at 3 a.m.?)

Wait, lest I forget: TATS



Sex-on-legs alert!
(He probably doesn't look like Ryker. Doesn't matter. He's HOT, and I'm keeping him.)

I'm forgetting something. Oh, yes.




But even that wasn't particularly exciting. It always felt manic. Kudos for the creative places and positions, though.

Bottom line: lots of running around, stealing cars, deceiving, lying, switching sides, and too many secondary characters to shake a stick at.

And because THAT'S not enough angst, sprinkle in: PTSD, porn, abusive childhoods, rigged car racing, double-crossing, a fight with a rival gang, an informant (maybe; this was never clear to me), and a meddlesome police officer.

And dear god was Sean annoying. He was a total brat and just kept doing stupid, impulsive shit over and over again without rhyme or reason.

Sean and Ryker's blatantly sappy alpha male relationship went mostly like this:

-Ryker, stay away. I'm not good enough. I don't deserve the roses.
-Shut up, Sean. I fucking know what's best for you. I'm gonna fuck you now.
-Oh, fuck, Ryker, your cock in my ass. So good. God. Stay.
-Sean, you're mine. No reason. Just. You ARE. Also, I've been lying to you.
-I can't, Ryker. I'm a burden. And you fucking lied to me. I'm leaving.
-I've tracked you down again, Sean. You can't run. Gonna fuck you on this bike.
-Ryker, no. YES.
-Shut up, Sean, still fucking you. MINE.

Plot lines were left dangling. At one point, Sean sort of makes a deal with the police; he doesn't follow through, and it's never mentioned again (not even by the police).

I know I'm in the minority here. I know most of you loved this book, and to that I say, Vive la différence!

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @71 %. 2 weak stars. Review posted July 3, 2014







I never read her previous work because I’m not into PNR. Then when I saw she had a contemp biker romance coming out, I was like “Heck, count me in!” I love a good story that features a badass biker boy…or two for that matter. Right now, however, I feel like a deflated balloon. My excitement to give this author a try lessened fast. I have a feeling that Running Wild was my first and last read by S.E. Jakes.

During the first 20 % of the story I hardly ever saw Ryker. Sean and Ryker did have one scene together and it was pretty much forgettable: one quick and extremely underwhelming f@ck, that’s it. And then around the 21 % mark, the accident happened off page; how convenient was that? The writing as well as the characters came off as overly gruff, hypothermic and clinical and the narrative was extremely monotonous. In fact, the first person narrative was odd, probably due to the writing style as well as Sean whom I found very pale. BTW, I don't mind gruff when it's interspersed with emotions but I sure don't enjoy clinical gruff. And what (allegedly) emotion was there, came off as construed and stilted. When an author doesn’t succeed to draw me in emotionally, then I neither connect with the storyline nor the MCs. Also, in the beginning both main protagonists did sound alike, IMO, but it got better after a while. Running Wild is one of those stories where the MCs have been f@ck buddies before the story begins and that’s not easy to pull off. Where was the chemistry?? I think this story also failed because I found them a mismatched couple that never complemented each other.

The action wasn’t even lukewarm, which for a biker book, is an extremely disappointing fact. When I gave up at 71 % I couldn’t have cared less what would happen during the last third of the plot.



Diamond hard? Uh-huh...

At 68 %: There was the car accident and then…

Just lifting my head to take the sip nearly fucking blinded me with pain.

But wonders never cease, right? A few hours after his car accident Sean was hot and his c@ck was hard and he needed to be f@cked. He took a hard hit to the head and 'kissed' the windshield, for f@ck’s sake! Realistic, much??

How many friggin’ times did he got hard when Ryker said “peep”, granted it wasn’t a peep but still? You've got a problem, Sean.
And I was hard from the second he used the words owned and mine, so yeah…

So, yeah…that's it.

Running Wild was a failure all along the line. The writing didn’t appeal to me, the bland characters couldn’t hold my interest and the dull smexin’ was a total let down.

Onwards…

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus]

Audiobook - stars

Story - No rating

Time of death - somewhere along the way when jets of hot cum spurt out while the MC was being drilled.



Look like GR and Scribd are reading from the same script. After finishing Unfit to Print, scribd recommended to me this book. "Similar to." Hmm! I should have passed.



The beginning felt like I was dropped in the middle of a scene.

Then there was a sex scene and I just couldn't do it anymore.

Dicks were twitching....... Glands were singing when being hit, I don't have a prostate but I do believe they don't sing. The sex was wheeling, things got strummed, engines were rumbling.
Ummm!!

I was helpless against him, impaled on him, my ass filled and my gland singing every time he hit it.



Apparently bad boy Ryker was so goood at fucking that he fucked Rush blind, deaf and dumb, until he was experiencing multiple orgasms with hot cum jets spurting out of him.



For real, I am not kidding.

He retaliated by fucking me blind, deaf, and dumb, so much so that I became the poster child for the expression rode hard and put away wet, my orgasm ripping from me without anything touching my cock, the cum spurting in hard, hot jets along my stomach and chest.



This was published back in 2014, maybe it could have worked out for me back then. For now, I am past this kind of dirty wattpad Fifty Shades kind of writing.

[Erth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book just didn't do it for me. I felt like I was being pulled in too many directions and it was long and took awhile to get where it needed.

[Lisa Arbitrary - AttentionIsArbitrary M/M Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

-5 Stars-

Review:

If you’re already a Jakes fan then you’re going to love this one. It’s just more of everything that Jakes delivers.

If you’re new to S.E. Jakes, climb on the bitch seat ‘cus this one’s gonna own you.

I didn’t know. I mean I just expected a straightforward MC story. I should’ve known it’d be so much more. SE Jakes has been taking her writing to the next level for a while now and her latest work is involved, complex and thrilling. Add in the broken, bent, hurting and sexy-as-all-hell men, a hint of the paranormal and well, you have an SE Jakes book. Just the way a new series should start.

THE CHARACTERS

My cock had zero problems with memory, though. Like a heat-seeking missile . . .

Sean Rush (Rush) - Mouthy, bratty, wiseassed, horny, pretty and pretty tough. He’s got miles to ride before he figures things out, but hey, what a thrill it is to ride along.

Conventional wisdom stated that the bottom was the one in control. Whoever made that shit up hadn’t been fucked by Ryker. Because I was on top, riding him, setting the pace and the only one orchestrating this thing? The dark-haired, dark-eyed man who undid me with a look, never mind his cock.

Ryker- Jeezus, yes please! I’ll take two. Ryker is a man of very few words, but he has no trouble driving his point home. Not that Sean doesn’t challenge him every step of the way.

Gotta-have-more-right-NOW-side-characters - Noah, Linc, Casey, Sweet, Greta and others that have to be redacted…because reasons.

THE STORY

I didn’t need to be rational when a hot, tattooed biker was breaking in to my place and fucking me senseless.

Sean Rush, a bad-boy car thief is fighting his wild side, but he’s seduced by trouble with every move he makes. Speaking of seduced? Meet Ryker. Holy hell. The sexy, biker-man-of-mystery has been sliding into Sean’s bed for months, but does he have ulterior motives? Or is it just sex. Sean’s happy with the easy hookup, he’s used to them, so why does he want more? Or does he?

When Sean’s best friend gets into deeper than he can handle with a car theft ring Sean doesn’t hesitate to help, but this just sets up a tangled web of fubar that slowly unravels throughout the story. I thought I knew things, then I didn’t. There’s doubt and insecurity and PTSD and a whole Havoc MC compound to conquer. But mostly it’s about Sean Rush learning to love, to be loved and to just melt under Ryker’s very, very capable hands.

THE WRITING

Another vision flashed in front of me—that cherry-red Ferrari, me helpless and spread across the hood, and Ryker fucking the hell out of me. Holding my hips as he filled me. Like he was claiming me, punishing me . . . for stealing, for racing, for talking to the other guys while he was there.

If this book was just about the hot, steamy, gorgeous sexy scenes that’d probably be enough with the way that SE write’s ‘em. But there so much more. She successfully sets up the series with this first book in a way that makes the reader want to know more about life inside Havoc and the men that are, or are to become, involved.

In this semi-contained world, Havoc is facing challenges and I, for one, can’t wait to get even more involved. There’s mystery, spy games, intrigue and something a little spooky going on here and that just makes it all the more thrilling.

Stealing was freedom. Being forced to steal, not so much.

I would like to thank Riptide Publishing for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

~ ~ ~

Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:


http://www.attentionisarbitrary.blogspot.com

[Ingie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written July 2, 2014

3.7 Stars - cozy hot alpha romantic, but much back and forth - addictive first part

Wow, woot!! My feelings was all over. A new series by one of my favorite authors S.E. Jakes and it's about MC (biker) guys. ~ I pre-ordered and started as soon as I got it. ~ It can't but be good, right?



It was good, it maybe wasn't amazing great, but it was a solid very good Ms Jakes read for me. I like the main characters, the plot, the love-stuff, the tough style, these manly men, the heat and anxiety...but maybe not that they are a bunch of criminals - but I accepted it.

“You werent ready. You were too wild.”
“I thought Havoc liked wild?”

***********************************************************

Sean Rush is since eight months addictive to a nightly visitor, he can’t stay away from bad boy Ryker, a Havoc Motorcycle Club lieutenant. Sean is an adrenaline junkie, that’s why he was in the Army, why he steals and races classic muscle cars.

Ryker can’t seem to stay away from Sean—he’s spent the last eight months breaking into Sean’s apartment and stealing into his bed, leaving Sean physically satisfied but increasingly restless.

“...That's taking care of you.” The shudder went from the bottom of my spine and spread everywhere. And he noticed. Nodded slowly. “Yeah, my baby liked that.”
“I'm going to lose my mind with you.”
“Gonna like it though.”
I had. I did. “What's in it for you?”
“You, Sean,” he said, and I got that tight feeling in my throat again, because fuck, he really meant that.

***********************************************************

This will be short and concise...

I must add that I read this book during a vacation trip (Mallorca) and sometimes that can mean that my commitment, and later review, to a book becomes a bit fragmented because there are so much other fun stuff that happens.
...And of course; the ever-hot and scorching sun makes you slightly dizzy and lazy.

There is so much good with this story (the beginning of a new motorbike gang series), so much hope for even more in future books (two more planned in 2015) and it is hot and well done in the very best Ms. Jakes style.

Maybe I missed that very extra special. I was never true breathless and completely in love with these two characters. Don't missunderstand; I liked them but maybe I didn't love them.

The love, crime -and suspense story —and the feeling— in Running Wild slips slightly forward on a very crisp and exciting surface. BUT I wanted more close contact with these interesting men. At times was it heartbreaking intense, close and hot. But I'm sorry to say; I losed that awesome good, and intense, SEJ reader feeling sometimes. Maybe it was too much back and forth?

...‘Owned by Ryker. Like I was his...something, no, someone special to him. And hell, I really liked that feeling. “I'm not exacly the damsel-in-distress type, in case you didn't notice.”
“I notice everything about you, Sean.”
There was such a promice, a sweetness to that, despite the fact that it was growled.’

...Nevertheless; very promising for the future.

***********************************************************

As always, with a S.E. Jakes M/M romance — well worth reading.

If you like this partially criminal biker world, with tough, rock-hard, but romantic masculine men, this is for you. Moreover, is the dominant (sweet, tender and caring) alpha male your thing, it's even better. ~ I'm happy and looking forward to part two.

I LIKE - ..who can resist tough alpha bikers?


*******
~ Havoc series by S.E. Jakes:

Book 2: Running Blind (2015)
Book 3: Running on Empty (2015)

[Otila · Rating 3 out of 5]

***3.5***

Take the plot from Gone in 60 Seconds,


add a little Fast and Furious,


lots of luxury and muscle cars,


some of this,


and lots of this,


and you get this .


This was a really fun read. I love stories like these. It had action, stealing cars, racing cars, gun fights, and hot bikers. And Ryker was seriously all kinds of hot. But I sometimes felt like I was reading M/F and that bugged me. Still there was sex on a bike and sex on the hood of a car, so I’m good (and apparently easy).

[Rosa, really · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryker = Hot, naturally. I believe it goes without saying that he may break into my abode and hold me against whatever wall whenever he likes.

Sean Rush = Dude, get your head out of your ass. I have nothing else to say. Well, except one little....WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU ARGUING?

Plot + Cars/motorcycles =




For some reason I had the awesome 1991 Paula Abdul hit "Rush Rush" stuck in my head the entire time I was reading this book.



YOU GIVE LOVE, YOU GET LOVE AND MORE THAN HEAVEN KNOWS
YOU'RE GONNA SEE
I'M GONNA RUN, I'M GONNA TRY
I'M GONNA TAKE THIS LOVE
RIGHT TO YA
ALL MY HEART, ALL THE JOY
OH BABY, BABY PLEASE

Just me then? Typical.

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stopped reading m/f biker stories because apart from the over the top soap opera type drama I also go a lot of this:

HAIR


and this

HEELS

Hair and heels everywhere you look, nah could not take it any longer.

So when I encountered this, my first Jakes, I was curious, how was Ms Jakes, going to be able to write a decent biker story without hair and heels, this being an m/m. Was it even possible?

Happy to report that, yes Ms Jakes was able to write a story without H & H. The over the top drama, the angst, the hotness, those are all here, you can feed on them until your burst, but thankfully no hair and no heels. Although a bit disjointed in writing style there were things that I liked such as the slow unfolding of the relationship between Sean and Ryker over the whole book. We kept getting bits and pieces almost at the same time as Sean realised them, liked that. I did wonder sometimes whether Sean could have been replaced by a kickass heroine without the ‘Hair & Heels’ and the answer to that I think is yes.

So would I give the next one in the series a read, hmmm, yes, most probably yes.

[Gigi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, I do love love love SE Jakes' military boys! Her boys are all alpha and sexy and bold and wonderful, and always one of the Good Guys. In Running Wild she switches things up and gives us two Bad Boys on the wrong side of the law. Their hearts might be in the right place, but they steal, cheat and lie to get what they want and need. I hope I don't come off all goodie-two-shoes, but one of the pulls of a first class M/M romance MC hero for me is an all around GOOD guy. Our MCs here, Ryker and Rush, get knocked down a peg in my book for that alone.

The sexual dynamic between Ryker and Rush during the first 85% of the book worked great for me. For the first 8 months of their "relationship" Ryker would break into Rush's house and fuck him into submission, leaving him happy and sated. Then, after a car accident, Ryker turns on the healing/comfort and these two get to know one another a bit better. I loved that too! The sex was equally as hot! But at about 85% an event happens that changed my perception of their relationship Rush finds out Ryker has taken so much interest in him because of a job obligation and has been lying to him all along. and I lost that dreamy-eyed romantic feeling for the two. I kind of got it back by the end, but I was still pretty let down by the turn of events.

During all the hot and sexy romance and passion, there is a storyline going on about stealing cars and two rival motorcycle gangs. I tried really hard to follow the plot, but just fucking gave up at about 80%. I got the gist of it, but kind of stopped caring.

I liked this book, didn't love it, liked the MCs, didn't love them, and was very let down by the events towards the end. Yes, they did get their HEA, but with their criminal past, I had a hard time buying into it.

I'm only going to recommend this one to fans of SE Jakes' work or those with a real interest in motorcycle gangs. I recommend all others pass for other wonderful reads currently available.

[Marte - Thunderella · Rating 3 out of 5]

**** 4 please-ride-me stars ****

July 4, 2014.
*** 3 please-ride-me stars-but-what-a-mess stars ***
(I've downrated to three stars instead of four. Why? Because I slept on it and feel it's more right with tree..)

I liked it. I mean, hot biker man on man action? Come on! Although it was more biker man on car man action. It sure got my motor running. ;) But, I think it could have been more fucking than driving IMO. There, I said it out loud.

It was a bit back and forth, though. Sean sure did have a lot of issues, and some of the who's stealing what for whom, cars and clubs and buyers and Albanians, was a bit confusing at times.

Ryker was a bit difficult to get a hold on, but the way he was with Sean? *melts* And the roses? *double melt*

--------
"Dammit, I like it when you take control."
"Babe, I could've told you that from the first night we met."
--------

And since I've already mention there's cars involved, I take the liberty to add this pic and let your imagination do the rest. Or read the book. Heh!

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*It wasn't all that bad*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱

The book centers around adrenaline junkie Sean Rush (24) and lieutenant for the Havoc Motorcycle Club and bad boy Ryker (35?). Ryker has been breaking in to Rush's apartment for over 8 months now, and Rush's addicted. He can't get enough. Unfortunately, he only sees Ryker at night and he comes randomly. Now though, Rush wants more but he's still refuses to be tied down, even if he craves Ryker with everything he's got. There's also the part that Ryker refuses to let Rush run from him, specially now that Rush needs his protection.

I’d been trying to tell myself that I wanted Ryker there because I’d started to feel slightly used when I woke up alone, but that wasn’t it at all. I didn’t feel used. I was lonely. And I’d been coming home earlier, staying in more, hoping for him to sneak in. This past week, he’d visited twice, and that had solidified my feelings.
But it’d also proven that the guy on other end of the roses only wanted sex. Because eight months of nothing else? How could I justify it otherwise? “Maybe I do feel something.” I picked up one of the roses out of the box, rolled the stem along the pads of my fingers, balancing the sharpness so it had just the right amount of sting. “But he doesn’t.”

Overall, I liked it. It wasn't great, but yeah, it wasn't bad at all. I liked the alpha maleness that Ryker got going, I like that though Rush loved to be commanded and controlled in bed, he wasn't submissive outside of it. He stood his ground, but he wasn't reckless just to be it, which I liked. Though I didn't quite like the back and forth that Rush kept doing; I didn't understand the meaning of it. The book, the characters actually reminded me of Kristen Ashley, but without my dislike of her woman. This is good sign. Not sure if I'll continue the series though as I believe it has new main characters.

And I was helpless against him, impaled on him, my ass filled and my gland singing every time he hit it. He held my hips still so the only motion was his, the only friction, my ass on the blanket, and I groaned when he sped up.
The guy strummed every fucking nerve of mine without trying, like he was a goddamned to-be-feared ’68 Dodge Charger R/T with its big engine rumbling through me, fucking me smoothly, the same way it would the streets. I was his gearshift, steering column, and he infused me with power I didn’t think I had.
There were no brakes. I didn’t fucking need them.
He was everything I could want. Hell, everything I didn’t know I’d wanted.

OTHER CHARACTERS:
→ Noah Carson (24), Rush's best friend since juvie. He also steals cars.
→ Casey, President of the Hangmen Motorcycle Club.
→ Jethro Holmes, a ATF (police?).
→ Samuel ‘Sweet’ Sweeting, the president of Havoc.
→ Linc, a friend of Noah and Rush. He’d been in Basic with all of them (Billy, Noah and Rush), and he’d left the Army the same time as Rush and Noah.
→ Greta, a part of Havoc. Runs Bertha, a bar of Havoc?

“Fine. Aren’t you afraid that if I let that go . . . if I let it all go, that I won’t need you as much?”
In case I wasn’t sure, in case Ryker hadn’t yet been convinced I was definitely in the running for the Most Fucked-up Guy Ever award, I’d just solidified my spot in the winner’s circle.
But Ryker’s expression softened. “No, baby. Whatever happens, you being happy is what I want. “
“What makes you happy, Ryker?”
“You.”

Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance (M/M).
Series: - Series (Standalone?), Book One.
Love triangle? - No.
Cheating? - No.
HEA? - Yes.
Favorite character? - Ryker.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Probably not.
Rating - 3 stars.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sons of Anarchy meets Fast and Furious… SE Jakes style, meaning you get the full alpha male testosterone infused ride of your life! A high octane, adrenaline rush, emotionally and sexually charged, with strong characters, pulling on your heart strings and getting your blood racing. It’s engaging, captivating and steeped in emotion, not the kissy face kind, it’s subtle, yet raw and the sex! Oh. My. God… it’s just downright dirty, kinky and hot! Tummy tingling perfection that left me weak at the knees! What more could a girl ask for…I loved this book!

You can find the rest of my review over at Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews

[Cory · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I pretty much stayed up half of the night to finish this because I just couldn't put it down. I seriously need a Ryker of my own so I can get mouthy with him and he can pin me to a wall and get all growly and stuff. As my dear friend Mishyjo indicated, I will leave my doors and windows unlocked to make it easier for him to get in. Who knows, maybe my own Ryker is watching me right now and just thinks I'm not ready for him yet ;) Plus, I don't know jack about stealing cars.

That being said, I totally loved it! There will be what some would consider SPOILERS ahead so please know that in advance if you choose to read on.

I loved the friendship between Noah and Sean. I loved that Sean talked out loud without realizing he was doing so. I loved how Ryker called Sean by his first name when everyone else called him Rush. I loved how Ryker was big and scary, but left roses and knew Sean's favorite foods. I loved what Havoc was doing for kids in need (even though they needed to do some not so good stuff as well). I loved when Sean woke up and Ryker was still there. I loved when Sean finally told Ryker that he was in loved with him (even though I was sleep deprived when I read it).

I'm really, really, starting to love everything that I'm reading from S.E. Jakes and I'm really loving the fact that she started this series.

When reading this you might think I'm in love with love lol....that just might be the case.

[Alona · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.
The problem I had with this book? It was not what it made me think I was about to read!
I am not at all against, or put off by, a fluffy story and sweet characters, but this book made you think you are going to read a story about two badasses, tough, criminal bikers, and because they are SO not, it made me roll my eyes a lot and feel embarrassed at how ridicules some scenes were.

Sean is a 24 years old, ex military, ex convict, from a bad family and a rough childhood. Well, the author try to convince you that he is, but it was not delivered.
He was basicly a nice guy, that his rough childhood made him a good-hearted car stealer.
Now, he is desperetly in love with Ryker.

Ryker, the second MC, was suppose to be the- 'even tougher' biker, that is a part of the local motorcycle club.
He WAS more dominant, but not a badass biker by any standard. There was no biker talk AT ALL, his all "gang" was full with "bad-nice" guys! even the head of the RIVAL motorcycle club was nice!

So, to put it more clearly, I was expecting this:






But I got this:

[♣ Irish Smurfétté ♣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting read. To me, it feels like Ms. Jakes trying something different. A different tone, a slower, more focused pace. Focused in that Sean and Ryker are the main players, sharing limited time with supporting characters. There are many but they themselves are focused, all inhabiting important roles. Additionally, the story is told from Sean Rush’s point of view and it aided in my understanding of him, which is necessary because he’s a rather complicated guy. I think Jakes understands him very well, his voice being clear, humorous, stubborn and struggling. It means his colloquialisms and his way of thinking are spilled upon the page unapologetically and undoubtedly.

Actually, the entire story felt brave to me. It was slow to develop, slow to reveal its secrets, slow to let us all see – most of all Sean – just how much love and caring were up for grabs between Sean and Ryker. In other words, it snuck up on me. Once again, Jakes showed me why I can trust her as a storyteller. The twists, the small but powerful payoffs, the depth of emotion that can be displayed by characters living in a morally liquid world.

Noah softened. “I get it. You want to spend time with him. But dude, he ever going to come see you in the day?”

“I thought you said that didn’t matter.” (Sean speaking)

Noah stared at me steadily. “You matter. So I want you to matter to him.”

Noah, y’all, Noah. He’s a longtime friend of Sean’s, going on more than ten years now. They met each other in juvenile hall as young teenagers and ended up in the military, both serving in Iraq. Noah cares but manages to often get in in his own way, let alone everyone else’s. He’s painted as someone who maybe has shifting loyalties but that’s not the case. He’s rather deeply woven throughout the entire story.

Continuing on the supporting character track for a moment, this all takes place in and around Sean’s hometown essentially. This means a lot of people know him, or think they know him, including coppers, MC members and ghosts from the past. Jakes does a good job in using both the setting and the characters to help paint the “why” of how Sean is the man he is and the man he maybe could become.
The path is not always clear.

There are some unexpected mysterious elements in this story. Some come from outside sources and some come from Sean himself. He doesn’t always know what’s going on, doesn’t have the whole picture, and we’re taking that journey along with him. It’s difficult to do this sort of first person presentation and it felt real to me, consistent, I could understand Sean’s emotions, reactions and frustrations. Like the entire story itself, the unfurling of Sean’s character was just as slow. The result? The payoffs are even more meaningful. And believe me, there are payoffs.

Before you think me remiss, I will touch on the following: yes, the sex is hot. It’s complicated. It’s sometimes emotional. It’s angry and gentle and needful and unique to Sean and Ryker. It’s even exploratory on some levels. But yeah, it’s hot.

Here’s something else: to me, this didn’t feel strictly like two “alphas” going at it. Both Sean and Ryker are made of many layers, complicated and simple all at once, just like most of us. This didn’t feel like what can be a typical squaring off of two equally matched guys battling to a draw. No, this is much more than that. Neither character is all that subtle in most of their actions and words, but just when you think it’s safe to sit back and watch the testosterone fly, one of them does or says something that’s like a gut punch right to your emotional center. This is something that Jakes does so well with her characters about whom she’s intimately knowledgeable and my emotional center still has bruises to prove it. She allowed these guys to become what they wanted in this story, in that moment. They’re messy, imperfect, influenced by the choices the adults in their lives made when they were kids, and are now having to live with their own decisions and the aftermath of those choices.

As I mentioned above, the pace of this story felt calm, but it’s filled with undercurrents of energy just waiting to be released. When they are? They’re actually lovely and almost understated. The criminal activity takes a backseat to the exploration of self-forgiveness and allowing oneself to be loved. These are two things a lot of us can understand and identify with. I think that’s why I felt like I could set aside their chosen professions and focus on just them. I settled in and witnessed a difficult journey filled with constant questions, realizations and a high level of determination that made them both worthy of what they found.

I love that I was surprised by the way this story unfolded. I love that it took me time to find the groove because, once I arrived, it was like a painting becoming brighter and brighter as each candle of connection was lit. I get it. I got it. And I loved it.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first read by S.E. Jakes and I freakin’ loved it! Granted, MC/biker books are my favorite and the M/M genre seems to be lacking in them, but I seriously fell hard for Ryker. Totally alpha male. Tall and muscled, heavily tatted, nipples pierced bad boy. Possessive, growly, bossy, always in control. With eyes that softened when they looked at Sean. Sean was a bit of a hot mess. A former soldier with some PTSD issues and an affinity for stealing cars, he had some moments where I wanted to shake some sense in to him. But in the end, they were good together and I enjoyed their story! Can’t wait to read more from this author!

[* A Reader Obsessed * · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't quite put my finger on what didn't work for me. At times, I personally have a bit of difficulty reading SE Jakes' books because of the rapidly changing POV in her narratives throws me off a bit - however this one was all first person. The concept and background world building were intriguing enough and I'm sure I'll read the rest of the series but I felt the MC's thoughts/voice just didn't quite match that of a masculine, badass, bisexual, ex-army car thief.

[Mare SLiTsReaD Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Riptide Publishing and SE Jakes for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

It is no secret, well if it is, it should be well known that I (Mare) love me some SE Jakes. Personally I think she is one hell of an author and also an amazing person to get to know. So when SE let out the bomb that she was writing a M/M biker book I for one couldn't wait. And I blabbed and blabbed about it to my co-bloggers.

When it was time, when we had the books in our hand, my co-blogger Silvana and I decided we would do a BR. BR's are so fun cause you get to talk about the book step by step and bit by bit.

So it kinda went like this:

Mare:" I haven't started it yet Silly, I've been busy all day. I should start it later this evening. Have you started it?"
Silvana: "OMG YES Mare! Mare! IT's A GAY HAWK."
Mare: "STFU. Are you serious. OMG. I am so going to kick out my company and get on it."

(time difference btwn us is something like 15 hours. She's WAY ahead of me. Like a day ahead)

So I stayed up, way past my bed time to read. And then woke up early and read some more. Silvana had 10% left to go so I waited.
Then it went a little like this:

Silvana: "I finished Mare. What did you think of it? "
Mare: "I gave it 5 stars in GR. But I think the story was more 4 stars."
Silvana: "Yes 4 stars is what I give it."
Mare: "But I gave .5 stars cause he really was HAWK."
Silvana: "YES!"
Mare: "And another .5 cause Sean was such a bad boy. And he stole cars. And drag raced them. And you know how I feel about bad boys."
Silvana: "Lol Mare I do. I loved Ryker. He was awesome. "

And our convo went on some more to talk about the story line at times being busy. Almost like ADD on the pages.
But it's so SE and what I truly love about her.
About Sean and Ryker and the chemistry btwn the 2 of them.
About sex on the car and how hot that scene was. Then I threw in about another book of SE's and the "hurricane scene"
Silvana popped her SE Jakes cherry with this book.
But I'm pretty sure she's going to go read Prophet now :) Just remember Silvana he is mine!!!!
So all in all SE Jakes, you did it again. Another bomb diggity bomb read. Another man I fell for (Sean). another story I/we devoured, another Wild fucking Ride. So thanks lady!!!!

[Bitchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm waffling between 3 and 4 stars for this one. I really enjoyed it, but I also had several issues with it.

The first chapter (and thus, the relationship between Sean and Ryker) starts out just like a certain Kristen Ashley book- guy breaks into other guy's house and fucks him, continues to do this for months, but they don't see each other at any other time. Throw in some Gone in 60 Seconds boosting and some Fast and Furious street racing with some PTSD and childhood angst, and we've got one heckuva book. Ironically enough, the one thing I didn't see that I expected to see in a MC book was anything that brought to mind Sons of Anarchy.

I really liked both Sean and Ryker. Sean frustrated me a lot, with how he'd go back and forth on wanting more from Ryker and wanting nothing to do with him, but then I'd remember that the guy was only 24, and had had a fairly fucked up childhood.

I think Jakes might have tried to cram just a bit TOO much into this story. Bikers and car stealing and rescuing children and racing and PTSD and possible betrayal by a childhood friend and sexual abuse. The story also felt a bit all over the place, especially at the beginning. Details about a lot of things trickled out in an odd, slow way, for instance, the thing with Ryker had been going on since before Sean got out of the Army. Sean stealing the Chevelle, realizing there were no breaks, and then picking up hours later after Sean left the hospital really threw me, I thought I missed a scene there. Sean kept talking about telling Edmond he was out, but he was never really in, at least not at this point- he'd helped Noah steal ONE car at that point, but it was made to seem like he had done it a lot more, at least IMO. It threw me a bit.

This book was fun and hot as hell though. Sean and Ryker were combustible together, and there were enough gay or bi characters to see sequels on the horizon. I have to wonder if Noah won't get the GFY treatment, with the way Sean yelled out that Noah wasn't gay or bi to Casey. Here's hoping!

[Trio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad I took the time to listen to it again, there were actually a bunch of little things I missed the first time through and Dorian Bane's narration was out of this world, one of his best. Good prep for Running Blind which is promised to be out shortly, according to the author (fingers crossed).

[Glass · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am I seeing this right? MM biker romance??? Oh my God, yes!!!!

***After reading...

That last 25% ruined it for me. :/

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was no way I was not going to read this book—HELLO! Hot, bad-boy bikers. Leather. Power. Action. And sex! I may have drooled all over it actually. Haha…Running Wild was a fun, but bumpy ride though. There was just too much running and drama for me.

Infamous car thief, Sean Rush, has been in a sort-of relationship with bad-boy Havoc biker, Ryker, for months. Ryker sneaks into Sean’s bed at night to have his ooolala way with him. But is it more than hot sex? Sean is not sure. So we are already 8 months into a relationship that we know nothing about. Hell…a relationship that one of the participates isn’t even sure is real. I felt like I was constantly trying to catch up. Running after every detail. And I couldn’t catch up. Just when I thought I had a picture or personality nailed down, these guys would say or do something that shattered it all for me. I couldn’t see or feel Sean or Ryker.

Now that’s not to say this wasn’t HOT. It threw off some very sexy heat! There was a lot to like actually. Plenty of side characters to keep you busy, sex, bikes, action and did I mention the sex? ;) I loved how Sean talked about the cars he stole—the revs, vrooms, and purrs. Very sexy! And the way he did that talk out loud thing whenever Ryker was around made me giggle.

This book definitely entertained me from beginning to end, but none of it went deep enough to hit my heart.

[BevS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryker, oh Ryker. How do I love thee, let me count the ways....5 stars for this hot, sexy...well duh!! start to a new series from SE.

Sean...well, it took a while for him to grow on me and for him to get his head out of his arse, but eventually he got with the programme and roses, oh my God, roses!! A tattooed biker who left roses...will wonders never cease!!


Ryker, oh my giddy aunt!! I was hooked right from the get go, sighs.....sooo romantic!!

[Rachel L · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 64%

Boring, skimming, boring, skimming.

No bueno. Not worth the $5.99 paid for it.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminds me of a movie and another book, but I enjoyed it anyway!

It's not easy to find a good bikers book, but this story is credible, exciting and I am very happy to have read it.

I hope for more soon!

[Kristie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bikers. How can you not love them? The gruff ways, their inability to communicate clearly, the hard lives they lead, the leather, the vibrations of their bikes... You get the picture. Ryker is all of these things, and I'd let him have his way, no questions asked. Why? Because when he does tell you what he's feeling, he mostly just shows you... Or, shows Sean, in this case. And boy-o-boy, does he show Sean. While the smexy times are not graphic, Sean's narration of their story provides you, the reader, with that feeling that you're there, in the room, in the bed, and in Sean's body, feeling all that love.

Sean's a little fucked up, ya know? He's got some serious issues. Those, along with all the complexities of Ryker's life in an MC, are a huge strain on their lives. It's not easy, and I'm not thinking they are really 100% solid, but the journey to the place they are is a great emotional ride. What I enjoyed most is that it isn't happy or easy. Nothing is simple. Nothing is perfect and everything felt so real. For most of the book, if I wasn't swooning over Ryker, or feeling sweet on Sean, I was so sad for the situation. While these guys care for each other, they're not overly emotional. These are tough guys that do not show emotion all that much. Their individual lives are not easily entertwined. The difficulties are all there, every day. In their face. The supporting cast of characters are all very interesting, and some are assholes that I wanted to strangle. I love that!

I enjoyed this so much, and it left me wanting more. The wait for the next book will be hard.

[Ula'ndi Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall book rating: 2.5
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 4

Let me start by saying, I AM a big fan of SE Jakes.

And then let me say this... I’m confused about this one.



I felt like I was all over the place with this book.

So I’m not entirely sure what I should or want to say in this review for that matter.

Ryker is hot. He’s a badass, self assured biker who’s been keeping an eye out for Sean and learning to read him while at it.

Sean. He had so much potential! But to me he didn’t reach it.

There were things I loved about him, but man he was worse than a bouncy ball in a kindergarten party!!

I have the perfect song lyrics to describe him actually.

'Cause you're hot then you're cold
You're yes then you're no
You're in then you're out
You're up then you're down
You're wrong when it's right
It's black and it's white
We fight, we break up
We kiss, we make up
You don't really want to stay, no
But you don't really want to go

Every time I thought I had it figured out something ridiculous happened and Sean went all out overboard once again.

I didn’t get most of the things. Or rather, I got it, but it felt so unnecessary.

This is unfortunately for that reasons, not the best SE Jakes I’ve had the pleasure to read.

It did however tick my boxes for dominant MC guys riding cool Harley’s.
Can someone recommend me something good without the “we have to hide the fact that we’re gay” factor?

I did like that in this book I have to mention. The fact that everyone’s cool with loving who you love.

[*P*u*r*p*l*e* Masochist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Military + Bikers= MM book written by S.E. Jakes *Q*!!!

YES, YES & YES!!!




~UPTADE~

This story was an addictive and thrilling combination of Fast & Furious + Never Back Down movies.

I swore I won't read anything else for the next few days except the never ending pile of Arcs, but damn, the temptation was just too high and I'm not even sorry. I liked the story very much. It would have been 4 stars if Sean a.k.a Rush wasn't such a drama queen from time to time, BUT I'm so looking forward to the next books. More hot bikers? Yes, please.

[SheReadsALot]

All of this.

And now I have it...

Oh man!