So the day has come, when I'm not howling with laughter or giddy and excited after reading one of Tracey Ward's books. While I think it's to be expected, when one reads more than one book from the same author, I'm still a bit sad about it.
So far I've pretty much loved every other book that I've read from this author, and while tend to appreciate it when people try new things and branch out, Cut just wasn't for me. I'm interested in biker stories, I absolutely love Madeline Sheehan's UnDeniable series and Cat Porter's Lock & Key series and have so far enjoyed Kristen Ashley's biker books immensely as well, I'm the first to admit that I'm very particular in what I look for in biker stories. I love the idea of freedom of the road, the loyalty and brotherhood, and while I'm sure I wouldn't get along with any or most of the characters of the books that I love if I met them in real life, I still love Deuce and Eva, Shy and Tabby, Hop and Laney, Grace and Dig. I can't really say if there's one thing in those books and stories that makes me love them, or if it's just a combination of many. I just know it when I come across it.
In Cut, I didn't find it. I get, that Cut is different, and not every story has to be the same. And by any means, it's not like Tracey Ward can write a bad book. Cut wasn't bad, it just wasn't for me. The writing is on par with the author's earlier books, the premise is interesting but unless Josh and Harlow will be the main thing in the next book as well, I've got too many unanswered questions. What exactly happened to Harlow? What would happen if she actually met with her father again? Who are Josh's parents and what exactly happened to them? What happened to Pops? Or Harrison? What kind of people are the Devil's Due personally? Not just their names but each character just felt a bit too empty. The broad strokes were there, but if they're all going to get their own books, I'm not sure I'm that interested just by reading Cut.
All in all the whole biker aspect of the club felt empty. First, it was always a "gang", not an MC. Second, the short background given on the club didn't make them feel like bikers really. Third, I got the impression that most of guys were young, but that the club had been around for years, and that they had other chapters as well, but none of those were actually mentioned by name(?).
There were multiple occasions where I got confused when the chars said or did something that didn't fit with my earlier knowledge/thoughts of bikers – not that I'm an expert by any means, just curious and intrigued enough to read up on the biker culture. I sort of got the feeling that the author wanted to write about characters that aren't particularly good people in the eyes of the society, but in the end couldn't stomach the idea of really making them bad. They felt more uncaring and even selfish than bad in a way that I've come across in other biker books that I've read.
That's the thing though, I think I got confused with Josh and Harlow and the rest: in many ways they were loyal and nice people, but in other ways they really weren't. I'm not sure what to think about that.
All in all, I'll give Cut 2.5-3 stars. I've read so many biker books that are worse in so many levels, that it's impossible not to like certain aspects of this book. I've also read biker books that have blown me away by all the feelings and messed-upness, and Cut didn't really evoke those kind of feelings in me. So in within the Goodreads rating range Cut falls somewhere in between "okay" and "liked it".