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The by-the-book detective and the badass bounty hunter: opposites attract as they’re forced to work together

CHARLIE

Hunting murderers is what I do, but this pair is different. A modern-day Bonnie and Clyde, they’ll kill again unless I stop them. I need help—and help in this case looks like bad-boy bondsman JoJo Marcone.

Good. Bad. Right. Wrong. Gray is dangerous, and Marcone is the most annoying shade of gray—the one that pushes me from merely turned on to totally insatiable.

JOJO

Tracking down a skip for Jericho Bail Bonds doesn’t usually involve partnering with a hot lady detective, but this is no ordinary case. Too much blood has been spilled on my watch, and with the mob after us, it’s getting harder to keep Charlie safe.

It would be easier if she’d stop stealing my bike.

I’m the last guy Charlie ever saw herself with, that much is clear. But I need to find her before our enemies do—and then convince her to follow her heart.

243 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 11, 2017

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About the author

Jade Chandler

8 books105 followers
From my youngest days, I have attempted to be an author writing stories about cartoon characters, which turned into stories of teens as I became a teen myself, and then romances.

A true-believer in happily ever after, romance has always held the number one place on my book shelf, and now my tablet. I enjoy escaping to new worlds and meeting all kinds of people who live in the imagination of others. Now that I have brought my imaginary world to life, I find I cannot write fast enough to bring those ideas to you.

For me, erotic romance offers a gritty, close intimacy that let's readers explore dark emotions and taboo desires, although today, I love that more and more diverse definitions of happily ever after are accepted in our world. It is the dark intimacy that draws me to read and now write erotic romance,

If you would like to know more about my upcoming book releases or anything else Jade-related, visit me on my website www.jadechandler.com. Or enjoy my social media ramblings at any of these sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JadeChandler...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JadeChandlerRom
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/14jadechand...

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5 stars
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15 (51%)
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Janet.
3,425 reviews24 followers
July 8, 2018
Another great book in this series! Jojo is the sexy hero of this one. He teams up with Charlie who works for the police department. She believes in always doing the right thing. Can Charlie tame this hot biker, or will they go their separate ways after the mission is over? Plenty of action and steam fill these pages.
Profile Image for Jackie.
3,971 reviews128 followers
November 27, 2017
Book Info
Kindle Edition, 1st edition
Expected publication: December 11th 2017 by Carina Press
ASIN B0769XB1LL
URL
Series Brotherhood Bonds #2
Other Editions None found
Source:Netgalley EARC

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BOOK BLURB


The by-the-book detective and the badass bounty hunter: opposites attract as they’re forced to work together

CHARLIE

Hunting murderers is what I do, but this pair is different. A modern-day Bonnie and Clyde, they’ll kill again unless I stop them. I need help—and help in this case looks like bad-boy bondsman JoJo Marcone.

Good. Bad. Right. Wrong. Gray is dangerous, and Marcone is the most annoying shade of gray—the one that pushes me from merely turned on to totally insatiable.

JOJO

Tracking down a skip for Jericho Bail Bonds doesn’t usually involve partnering with a hot lady detective, but this is no ordinary case. Too much blood has been spilled on my watch, and with the mob after us, it’s getting harder to keep Charlie safe.

It would be easier if she’d stop stealing my bike.

I’m the last guy Charlie ever saw herself with, that much is clear. But I need to find her before our enemies do—and then convince her to follow her heart.

This book is approximately 80,000 words.

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise : all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

Carina Press acknowledges the editorial services of Deborah Nemeth

My Thoughts


A definite opposites attract romance just like it is billed, however sometimes being opposites is a little more complicated for some couples than it is for others.

In the case of Detective Charlie and Bail Bondsman Joe Marcone it boils down to whether or not one can not only trust the other but also accept them for who they are both internally and externally. Joe/JoJo has had no problem with either of these from the very beginning but Charlie struggles pretty much all the way to the end with the acceptance part. Which of course is not helped by either her past upbringing or her own personality.

I found myself identifying quite a bit with Detective Charlie Pine at times as I grew up within a pretty opinionated household my own self. However not able to actually totally connect or even really empathize with her on a deeper level. This actually did not surprise me as she is quite hard to work up a lot of sympathy for when she comes across as pretty narrow minded when faced with situations that make her uncomfortable.

Rather than trying to get all the facts from JoJo, instead Charlie instead jumps to the wrong conclusions which of course leads to conflict between the pair and in turn puts her in more needlessly dire situations.

The upshot of it is that her own actions are more dangerous in the long run to not only Charlie but to JoJo, his best friend and the members of the Jericho Brotherhood as well.

Once again we are immersed in 2 very different worlds as the main characters find themselves challenged by one another despite their conflicting backgrounds.

For me it was a treat to meet JoJo and not quite as much so for Charlie but together they provide as much of a kick as did Rebel and Elle.

[EArc from Netgalley]
Profile Image for Kris.
844 reviews8 followers
December 8, 2017
I received a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads

I've read all the Jericho brotherhood series to date and have really enjoyed them, so when a spin off happened I got on board. The first brotherhood bonds was pretty good, I liked both of the main characters in that story but I'm feeling sorta on the fence about #2. I'm not sure I liked Charlie, although i really liked JoJo! Jojo is a biker and the brotherhood are his family. Charlie is a cop, from a long line of cops in her family. Never the two shall meet? Kind of. Charlie has all these preconceived notions about bikers with their illegal activity and Jojo is almost constantly needing to defend himself and his brothers. I found Joe's character pretty selfless and likable but Charlie not so much. There's some intermingling of our beloved Jericho brotherhood characters when the two are forced into hiding in the brotherhood compound that I enjoyed quite a bit. But, I found this book a little slow going at times.
Profile Image for Megan.
668 reviews60 followers
December 5, 2017
I enjoyed this story quite a bit. I really liked the characters, though sometimes I wanted to knock some sense into the heroine. I love a hero who is all in, and he was here, which was great! 3.5 Stars.

Charlie is a homicide detective, and she and her partner have been chasing a Bonnie and Clyde type married couple, who are bank robbers-turned-killers. She comes from a family of (male) cops, so there was never really any other plan for her life once she grew up. She's very close to her family. Also, she was engaged to a fellow officer, when he was killed 3 years before, in the line of duty. She still hasn't quite gotten over it, and she definitely hasn't really attempted to move on. Sexually, or otherwise. When she draws the short straw, and has to contact the bounty hunter who put down the most recent bond on one of the fugitives, she has no idea what she's in for.

Jojo is part of a motorcycle club, that has become more of a family to him than his actual family ever will be again. He also works for the MC's own bail bonds business, Jericho Bail Bonds. He is great at his job. As a former Marine, he knows everything he needs to know about protecting himself, investigating people, and tracking them down. He loves everything about it, and he loves even more when he makes good bonding decisions, and doesn't lose money from his club. He really screwed up this time though, bonding out a guy who later turned spree bank robber, and killer, and is now in the wind. He will do whatever he can to track the guy down, regardless of cops or anyone else trying to get in his way. But, he never saw Charlie coming.

Jojo and Charlie's chemistry was strong, but she was determined to fight it. Even when her life is in danger from an unexpected threat, and Jojo offers his help and protection, she wants to fight their connection. She's convinced they don't have any common ground, and doesn't see how it could ever really turn into anything. Jojo is very determined to get her to see what they could have together, and I loved his dedication and care for her. She however, pushed my buttons at every turn. She was very judgmental of Jojo and his MC, even though she didn't know much about them, especially at first. She also was mistrustful of his reasons for helping her, and she was worried of what others, especially other cops, would think of her if she got involved with a biker, or a bounty hunter for that matter. I get that as a female cop, she has to worry about such things regarding her reputation that no male cop would ever encounter, but it was so frustrating to watch her let it rule all of her decisions.

Charlie's best friend and partner, Brie, was a great side character, as were her police captain (also a good friend of Jojo's), and each of Charlie's big and boisterous family. I enjoyed getting to know them, and I loved when they told Charlie the truth at all times, even when she didn't want to hear it. Especially then. Some of Jojo's MC brothers were also great side characters, and we got to revisit the main characters from book 1 in this series, Rebel and Elle, as well. I loved the banter between all the brothers, and how they're constantly ripping on each other, as brothers do.

My only real issue was Charlie, who at several points along the way, made it hard for me to like her and pull for her happiness. I try not to be overly hard on heroines over heroes in general, but in this case, it feels warranted. Jojo went out of his way and put his life on the line for her, over and over. He cared for her, and took care of her, all while giving no care to himself or his own feelings. She not only seemed to sometimes take that for granted, but constantly made him feel, purposefully or not, that he wasn't good enough for her, and that there was no chance of a future for them. I understood many of her hesitations, but I didn't understand some of her decisions, and they were often hard for me to swallow.

Overall I liked this story, and I'm definitely interested in reading book 3, which will be about Jojo's best friend and roommate.

ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Megan from Alpha Book Club
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Profile Image for Amber.
1,395 reviews10 followers
January 10, 2020
Shake Down is the 2nd book in the Brotherhood Bonds series. This book is JoJo's story. He is a bondsman and meets a cop named Charlie who he instantly falls for. She gets mixed up in a bad situation after arresting someone with mob ties. JoJo becomes hellbent on protecting her from everything they throw her way.

I absolutely loved JoJo! He was intense, protective, and sexy. Charlie got on my nerves at times because she was too concerned with letting people down and ruining her reputation as a cop. Even though, Charlie got on my nerves I still had to give the book a 5 just because of JoJo. He was the reason I couldn't put the book down. This one was not as good as book 1 but still a great read.
Profile Image for Bette Hansen.
5,073 reviews40 followers
December 8, 2017
Fantastic!! I really enjoyed this one. Lots of action, suspense, and steamy sexy times. It's a very well written book with characters that are intriguing. I loved Jojo. The sexy biker bounty hunter makes this story. Charlie, a detective and use to working in a man's world, was a bit annoying to me. She was always pointing out how capable she was rather than just letting her actions prove it. Luckily, Jojo made up for it! As these two find themselves working together to stop a couple of Bonnie & Clyde wannabe's the spark between them flares to life but can Charlie accept Jojo and his world as they are??

Don't miss this one. I definitely recommend it.
Profile Image for Tabs.
917 reviews39 followers
December 27, 2017
Jade Chandler's Bail Out is easily my favorite action romance of the year. This sequel pairs a bail bondsman and a cop but ultimately fails to deliver the fun and chemistry that made the first book a standout. Detective Charlie Pine and biker bail bondsman JoJo Marcone cross paths at Charlie's precinct and exchange sexy looks but nothing else. Though they instantly lust after each other, Charlie's put off by the whole biker thing. Eventually, a case they're both working on and a perilous situation get them thrown together and the inevitable sexy times throw a kink in Charlie's plans to not get involved.

The conflict in this book comes from two fronts. The first front is external - Charlie and her partner get into the mob's crosshairs and JoJo takes on the job of keeping them from being assassinated. There are lots of shootouts and bombings and bad guys everywhere they turn. The action scenes are pretty exhilarating, overall.

The second front has to do with Charlie being rather less than enthusiastic about the biker lifestyle. Her career, and coming from a family of  cops going back multiple generations, means that she's not tolerant at all of illegal activities and makes assumption based on her previous knowledge of motorcycle clubs. Charlie is rather sheltered and a tad judgmental and being thrown into the deep end without a life preserver doesn't help the situation. She doesn't know the lay of the land, Jojo fails to explain pretty much anything to her in a timely fashion (this is an unfortunate recurring theme), and all of the bikers and old ladies she meets are straight-up confrontational jerks to her.

The confrontational club members drove me up a wall. It's come up in various degrees in the last couple of books but it really makes no sense here. I'm really freaking over the other women in the motorcycle club being assholes to new love interests. They've all been on the outside looking in themselves but suddenly they become old ladies and they are instantly incapable of having any kind of empathy? Eff that noise. Eff it to hell.

One of my favorite things about the previous book was the heroine's extreme competence at her job and the hero's genuine and sincere appreciation for her skills. That's not really a thing here. Charlie feels rather green but I didn't get the impression she was a rookie cop learning the ropes. Part of the problem is JoJo getting high handed and not giving her the information she needs but it's irritating nonetheless. JoJo is the one who gets to be super competent. Charlie not so much.

This was a disappointment for me. The whole thing felt disjointed and rushed and sloppy in places. The central romance was okay but there wasn't a lot of meat to it and pretty much everything else was a hot mess. I generally really enjoy Chandler's writing and I hope the next book turns things around.
Profile Image for Meg H.
78 reviews67 followers
November 25, 2021
I like the storyline and the characters- I wish the names were different due to confusion within the series but I’ll get over it. Lots of steamy scenes! A bit predictable - but I don’t read romance for mystery/surprise.
Profile Image for Michelle Austin.
2,843 reviews45 followers
December 11, 2017
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Shake down was a good 4 star read.

Charlie is a homicide detective who is trying to catch a Bonnie and Clyde type couple (Archer & Deidre Logan). She comes from a history of police officers in her family, including her fiance who was killed. Because of the tragic loss of her fiance Charlie has not been able to move forward with any type of a relationship.


Jojo is a former Marine and an MC member who works at a bail bonds business. When he goes to the police station to talk to Charlie he finds out that one of his bonds is the Bonnie and Clyde duo, now he needs to find them so he’s not out on his money.

Charlie was hot and just my kind of girl with those round hips and sassy blue eyes. I’d liked her just fine but she gave me the cold shoulder-some cops just didn’t like bikers or bounty hunters.

When Charlie meets Jojo there is something about him that pulls her in. The chemistry between them comes off the pages. She tries to be crabby with him but yet he gives it right back to her. And things take an interesting twist when they both end up on the same poker run for charity. They eventually end up working together to find the fugitives and even though she has issues with him being a biker, they seem to get past that as well.

The secondary characters were great and added a fun element to the story. The bantering had me lol several times, loved Brie and her family. There are some steamy scenes and I was very happy with the ending. This is my first read from Jade Chandler and I really enjoyed it, I look forward to reading more from her.

Alpha Book Club
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. Reviewed by MAustin from Alpha Book Club
Profile Image for Debbie.
944 reviews79 followers
Read
November 24, 2017
I reviewed this for RT Book Reviews be sure to check out my review there
Profile Image for WycEd Reader.
2,384 reviews40 followers
January 4, 2018
Check out our Shake Down post on Wicked Reads.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Kris – ☆☆☆☆
I've read all the Jericho Brotherhood series to date and have really enjoyed them, so when a spinoff happened, I got on board. The first Brotherhood Bonds book was pretty good; I liked both of the main characters in that story, but I'm feeling sorta on the fence about #2. I'm not sure I liked Charlie, although I really liked JoJo! JoJo is a biker and the brotherhood is his family. Charlie is a cop, from a long line of cops in her family. Never the two shall meet. Kind of. Charlie has all these preconceived notions about bikers with their illegal activity and JoJo is almost constantly needing to defend himself and his brothers. I found JoJo's character pretty selfless and likable, but Charlie not so much. There's some intermingling of our beloved Jericho Brotherhood characters when the two are forced into hiding in the brotherhood compound that I enjoyed quite a bit. But, I found this book a little slow going at times.

Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

Wicked Reads Review Team
Profile Image for Angela.
1,718 reviews42 followers
January 30, 2018
I'm kinda on the fence with this book. I loved the all the bail bondsman books, but felt a little let down with this one. The whole problem for me was Charlie. I'm still not sure if I liked her. She was very judgmental at times. JoJo was great. I liked the big bad biker. I did have a problem with the wives and girlfriends (or old ladies) attitude towards Charlie. They were pretty shitty to hear. I didn't understand that; I mean come on, they were once in her position. Oh well, I still liked reading it and will keep reading them as long as they keep coming.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews