Heart Ripper: Coffin Nails MC

Sex & Mayhem #9

by K.A. Merikan, Wyatt Baker (Narrator)

Listening Length: 10 hours and 26 minutes.
Stand-alone M/M romance with HEA.

--- You always want what you can’t have. ---

David. Catholic. Gay. Set on keeping his purity ring.
Raja. Biker. Manwhore. Never refuses a bet.

David has always tried to be the best son his parents could dream of.
Always at church on Sunday.
Always eager to help with the garden.
Always trying his best at school.
Prim, proper, innocent, and kind.
But deep inside of him, there is a yearning planted by the devil himself, and when a cocky, foul-mouthed biker pulls him a step too far, David doesn’t fall into the abyss. He leaps.
Raja is all he’s ever dreamed of, yet didn’t dare voice. Older, dangerous, a wall of muscle with a grip so strong David can’t resist him no matter how hard he tries.

As a freshly appointed president of a motorcycle club on the verge of ruin, Raja has a lot to live up to. Being gay doesn’t do him any favors in terms of commanding the respect of his men. He has his way of compensating though.
Always first in a fight.
Always bragging about his sexual conquests.
Always up for a bet.
Daring, tattooed, sexy, and unapologetic.
After he boasts he can have any man he wants, he gets challenged to hook up with the preppy guy wallflowering at a party. Raja can’t wait to pop the innocent cutie’s cherry. But when he finds out the guy is his friend’s younger brother, life gets a whole lot messier.

Why is the one guy who should be off-limits always the most tempting?


POSSIBLE SPOILERS:

Themes: Outlaw motorcycle club, organized crime, religion, homophobia, bet, good boy meets bad boy, coming out
Genre: M/M romance, suspense
Length: ~100,000 words

WARNING: This book contains steamy sexual content and graphic violence.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Dark, LGBT, Crime, Erotica

11 pages, Audible Audio

First published June 15, 2016

About the author

(Goodreads profile run by Kat)

K. A. Merikan is a duo of queer writers who don’t believe in following the well-trodden path. In their books you can dip your toe into dangerous romance with mafiosi, outlaw bikers and bad boys, all from the safety of your sofa. They love the weird and wonderful, stepping out of the box, and bending stereotypes both in life and in fiction. Their stories don’t shy away from exploring the darker side of M/M romance, and feature a variety of anti-heroes, rebels, misfits, and underdogs who go against the grain.
Be prepared for shocking twists, dark humor, raw emotions, and sizzling hot scenes.

K.A. Merikan also writes steamy M/M romcoms as Devon Doe.

e-mail: kamerikan@gmail.com

More information about ongoing projects, works in progress and publishing at:
K.A. Merikan’s author page: http://kamerikan.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kamerikan

Reviews

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars.

A bet,that would change both their lives...

David...Catholic,Gay,Virgin.






Raja...Biker,Manwhore.








Well,this is totally my thing.If there's one thing I love in M/M books it's when one is innocent and one is experienced.....very experienced..
Oh,the possibilities,and this definitely delivered.

Raja is the newly appointed President of the Coffin Nails MC chapter in Toledo.He's a total Manwhore and is unapologetic about it,always up for a challenge.So when a club member puts a bet his way,he can't resist.

David is 18,a good Catholic boy....a virgin.
He tries so hard to be the good son his religious parents want him to be.

What happens when the dirty biker and the good boy get it on??
And what happens when Raja finds out David is his best friends young brother??

This is just delicious.Not as dark as some of the books in this series,consentrating more on David and Raja's relationship.

It's no secret I love these Authors and I cannot recommend their books enough....

*** Arc from Author***

[nark · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars.

⚡️ this had the good boy/bad boy trope.
⚡️ age-gap (~10 years).
⚡️ Raja is the president of a motorcycle club, while David is an innocent, church loving, virgin boy, who’s barely out of high school.
⚡️ the mc Raja was a little bit of a dick at times tbh.
⚡️ the other mc David was too child-like and naive for my liking.
⚡️ basically i couldn’t connect with either of the mcs. their relationship was just eurghhhh too…
⚡️ there was also so much unnecessary drama here. that first big conflict between the mcs was enough in my opinion, there wasn’t any need for extra shit stirring towards the end.
⚡️ the multiple conflicts at the end made this book drag for sure.

[K.A. Merikan]

Are you ready for the fluffiest Sex&Mayhem book? :) <3 <3 <3
Heart Ripper! Book 9 in the series is coming June 15th!

PRE-ORDER!!! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GBO228Q/ ***

CHECK OUT CHAPTER 1! - http://kamerikan.com/heart-ripper-cha...















This song makes me think of the couple in there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdneK...

"He's so tall and handsome as hell
He's so bad but he does it so well"

Pinterest :D https://www.pinterest.com/KAMerikan/h...

[Ele · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I bet you a bike wash you can't get a blowjob out of him. He's got virgin-forever painted all over his face."

And that's how the sweetest installment in the Sex & Mayhem series starts. With a bet. Don't let the title fool you. Heart Ripper is sweet and romantic, but it maintains the authors' gritty style. There is fluff, but there's also raw passion and tension.

We only took a glimpse of David in Split but I knew! I knew that the preppy, clean cut young man was going to have a story and it would be spectacular. David is a good boy. On the outside. Because on the inside, he feels all kinds of bad. He tries and tries and tries to keep everyone happy, and be what his family and the church want from him. But he can't supress who he is anymore. And after his first blowjob encounter with Raja, the purity ring on his finger starts to lose its meaning.



There's something truly genuine about David's story, and I absolutely loved how the authors handled it. He came a long, long way in this book. He does a lot of self-searching, he questions things, he's morphing into his true self. All this without losing his faith, but finding what it really means for him instead. And that journey to self-discovery and self-acceptance was a beautiful thing to watch.

It's interesting what K.A.Merikan did here. David and Hunter (from Split) are products of the same environment, yet they turned out to be so different. They both became amazing men, but by following so different paths.



Raja is....well he is the big bad wolf here who succesfully proceeds to debauche David. It might have started as a bet, but it ended up being everything. When Raja's homophobic, racist club, the Rabid Hogs, came to an end, and transformed into a chapter of Coffin Nails MC, Raja becomes the president. Being openly gay and having to make the club that counts only a few members, successful, is a lot. Last thing he needs is the All-American looking twink in his way.

I loved the romance in this book. These two might be completely different, but they really clicked. Raja might claim to be a shallow manwhore, but you can tell that he is a man of integrity in his own way. Plus, he is possessive and protective towards David and I loved it.

And David. David might be young but he loves Raja in a very mature, irrevocable, and desperate way. Raja is it for him, period.

"This man would be the center of his universe now, and everything would be fine. He had the right to make that choice."

The sex is very dirty here, with an extra dose of dirty talk. David likes to be a little humiliated during sex, and Raja is there to please.

“You are a dirty little boy who will tell me what exactly should go where...”

Yup. That dirty.

There is a swoon worthy scene towards the end, a lot of sexting, and Lucky that messes things up for everyone. Or maybe not?

And fine, someone dies. But don't worry, he had it coming. Like I said, it is a sweet book, but for Merikan standards. I don't think that the authors are capable for pure fluff. And that's a very good thing.

Bottom line, I absolutely loved David and Raja's story. Highly recommended!

*Review cross-posted on Gay Book Reviews.*

[Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp · Rating 2 out of 5]

|| 1.5 stars ||

Oh my god, this was so boring. The writing was incredibly drawn-out, and I didn't care about anything that happened. I was so detached from the story, and I am honestly surprised I even managed to finish this book. I guess I was hoping it would get a lot better? But, unfortunately, that hope was idle.

And, seriously, do not even get me started on the relationship between Raja and David.
It was quite obvious from the beginning until the very end that Raja did not care about David. And it truly pissed me off, because David was so sweet, caring, innocent, and loving: he deserved so much better than Raja. He gave this guy all of his affections, but really did not get anything in return. The only thing David seemed to get from Raja was sex, sex, and even more sex.
I really needed David to stop being such a doormat, and actually stand up for himself, demanding to be treated with the adoration he deserves.
How such a cutie can end up with such a boring, arrogant and selfish manwhore: it's a tragedy.


'SEX & MAYHEM' UNIVERSE:

Hounds of Valhalla MC:
1. Road of No Return - 3.5 stars

Coffin Nails MC:
2. The Devil's Ride - 4.0 stars
8. His Favorite Color Is Blood - 1.5 stars
9. Heart Ripper - 1.5 stars
13. Guardian Angel in Leather - 2.5 stars

Coffin Nails MC Louisiana:
6. One Step Too Close - 3.0 stars

Smoke Valley MC:
10. Outlaw Girls - 3.5 stars
12. Gutter Mind - 3.0 stars


Other K.A. Merikan books:
Mr. Jaguar - 3.0 stars
Not Like Other Boys - 4.5 stars
‘Guns n’ Boys’ series - var. ratings
The Cattery - 3.5 stars
Break My Shell - 3.5 stars
The Black Sheep and The Rotten Apple - 3.5 stars
‘Kings of Hell MC’ series - var. ratings
Wrong Way Home - 4.0 star
‘Wrong Side of the Tracks’ series - var. ratings

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am simply blown away by this story. I already fell in love with another standalone instalment in KA Merikan's 'Sex & Mayhem' series: Straight as a Wheel

This book is equally epic and caters to my taste for 'darker' romances.



Tattooed muscle biker Raja is the head (president) of a small motorcycle gang trying to network with other, larger MC clubs. To be honest, their business model went over my head, something about dealing with medication instead of drugs and guns. Like doctors without borders, but with lots of tattoos and motorbikes?!

Whatever, we're not reading this for their business plan, right?

At a biker baby party (I know, eyeroll), Raja runs into the younger brother of another MC president. David was raised by super strict catholic parents and silently enjoys the wild biker gathering - a world he doesn't know at all so far, since his mother makes sure to keep him away from his 'evil, satanistic' brother who is a lost cause to her.

As Raja isn't shy to hook up with a pretty face, he follows David to a toilet and... makes his acquaintance.

David's feelings are so deliciously conservative and I absolutely love the way he torments himself over his moral values and his (presumed) need for celibacy - and the insanely strong pull Raja has over the younger man.

Despite their initial encounter being a one time thing, both guys somehow stay losely in contact and being the bad boy he is, Raja returns to David as a lover for a pretty shady reason, manipulating not only the poor religious boy, but also his gang members.

Of course, David does touch Raja on a very intimate level too - and it's not long before Raja realizes that maybe using the boy isn't really what he should do.

Raja is an amazing character. My favorite type of romance hero: Dark, strong, confident, shady and morally ambiguous. I love seeing such a character develop romantic feelings and shedding his manwhoring ways to be a partner for a man he starts to care about.

So frigging delicious :-)))

A 5 star favorite!

[Tanu Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good one, after a lot of misses for me. I liked the shy David, and I quite liked the cocky Raja, and he was Indian! Though only by ethnicity, not by nature. ;)

The plot was interesting enough, if not so driving to make me sit on the edge of my seat, like the first two books did, but good nonetheless.

[Dia · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 HOT stars - I loved this story! Another great book by K.A. Merikan

Raja - sexy dark haired president of his motorcycle club in Toledo.


David: - a 18 years old sweet man, about to get into priesthood. He's so attracted to Raja that he falls for him HARD and FAST!


After reading its presentation, I couldn't wait to read this story! It has all the things I love in MM stories: virgin catholic boy ready to become a priest AND a motorcycle manwhore with a dirty mind! Plus a BET that's going to spice things up!

I must admit this story was hotter than I expected. From the beginning I was glued to the pages, as Raja tossed with the young and inexperienced sweet boy. And what a game it was! Their messages made me chuckle and the sex was electric!

Things got so far pretty fast and neither expected the HUGE attraction nor the consequences of their fling. I was sorry for David's broken heart and also for Raja's attempts to make himself trusted again. The betrayal and the chase kept me up at night turning the pages so fast!

Overall it was a hot book, with a lot of action, suspense and a VERY sweet epilogue. I can't believe how much I loved these characters! Oh, and I think the cover suits the story perfectly!

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my third Sex & Mayhem book and my favorite.

David is such a dirty boy. I loved his innocence and the way he was virgin putty in Raja's capable hands.

And Raja. That bastard is all tats and beard and muscle. He oozes raw masculinity and confidence. Raja takes David apart. And David wants to be taken.

Raja's a serious fuckwatt at the end, and I wanted to kill him. Then lick him. Because the fucker is infuriating but so very HOT.



Heart Ripper is not really romantic in the traditional sense, but I don't expect hearts & candy from this series. What I expect is edge, heat, and sex, and that's what I got.

This book is ridiculously SEXY. It's SEXY(infinity)^2.

Despite the drama in the last chapter, I loved what came of it. Raja needed a wake-up call.

I liked seeing Lucky & Tooth again, but the epilogue was kind of a let down (in spite of the HEA).

Closer to 3.75 stars, rounded up because reasons (see image above).

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread - August 2017, December 2021 - possibly a little slower for me this time around but I still enjoyed it a lot. The dirty talk is delicious!


4.5 absolute adoring hearts!

Buddy Read with Breann and Fantasy! We had a lot of fun fawning over David, getting hot under the collar with Raja's dirty talk, and cheering loudly when certain people got punched in the face!

This was truly a sweet and fluffy Merikan book. However that being said there's still some dismemberment, but it wouldn't be a ‘sex and mayhem’ book otherwise ;-)

So first off let me introduce you to David and Raja:

Everyone meet David,



David is an eighteen year old boy who has been raised in a conservative catholic family. His brother is Hunter (who was the hero in ‘Split’), a member of the Coffin Nails MC (‘CNMC’) Detroit chapter. David goes along to Hunter’s new sons baby shower, along with all of these CNMC members. Here he meets Raja and ends up doing dirty dirty things!1

"I’m a dirty boy, I want it."

Yea you do! Seriously though, David was such a cutie.



He is naive, but honest with himself once he learnt to overlook the restrictions his parents had placed on him. Obviously he annoyed the shit out of me when he was clouded by all the opinions he’d been led to believe, but more on that later. I loved seeing David come out of his shell and make a version of himself that was just for him. It was very well done.


Everyone meet Raja,



Raja is the newly appointed president of the Coffin Nails MC Toledo chapter. He’s struggling to get his small chapter of 5 men up and running while trying to prove his worth as a gay president. He is a self-proclaimed manwhore and loves it! When he’s at Hunter's baby shower, Raja feels the need to prove he’s still a ‘man’ even though he’s gay (queue eye roll) and makes a bet with one of his men that he could get any man to suck his cock. Here enters David.

Raja is one sexy Mo-fo, every sex had me in overdrive and his dirty talk… grunts...so good!

Raja moaned and grasped David’s hair tighter. His muscled stomach flexed so beautifully that David couldn’t help but gasp against the thick shaft. “It’s gonna plow both your holes today. Can you imagine it pushing your ass apart?”

I really like how Raja wants to protect David, but not smother him. He wants David to explore what it means to be himself. Once they decide to be together though, Raja brings out that possessiveness, which had my toes curling in delight.

Even though I liked Raja, it was definitely because he grew on me. Being an out and proud manwhore, he doesn't treat David extremely well in the beginning, and I felt nervous about the inevitable fallout his actions would cause. I like how things resolved though. Good for David!

One reason I was hesitant to read this book was the religious themes involved. Hearing about gay boys (and girls) hating themselves and being hated on makes me so angry, especially when it's disguised under the banner of ‘love’ and what's ‘best for you’. Now don't get me wrong, I think spirituality is an important part of many people's lives, but religion is organised by people, and people can be judgmental ignorant pricks who should not enforce their opinions where it's not welcomed. It feels a lot like brainwashing, which was why is was so interesting to see David start to question his opinions and beliefs when faced with a world away from his parents influence. Poor David and his inner conflict…. It hurt to read.

“There are facilities where I can be helped with my… feelings. I’m just not ready to go, but it looks like I’ll have to, because it’s spinning out of control.”
Raja’s jaw clenched.
“What facilities?”
“There’s even something like a summer camp where I would go for a few months , do therapy, and not be a pervert anymore. There’s lots of people who have succeeded.”

This book had some great moments that had me jumping up and down in my seat. I was literally grinning like a loon when Raja comes help David out with a certain situation gone wrong at church, it was ah-mazing!!

Some people may think this book was too long, I didn't notice the length but I can understand their thoughts. I could've kept on reading for the delicious sex alone! It takes a great book to make you invest and physically feel all the emotions the characters are feeling. It might be because the religion issue is close to my heart, but I was definitely invested! This book was ridiculously fun, ridiculously sexy and ridiculously infuriating. Highly recommend!!!



See Breann and Fantasy's review here on the blog.

[Jewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

So...KA Merikan can do sweet & fluffy in a gritty MC series. Who knew?! Don't worry, there's still plenty of blood and violence, so fans of this series won't be disappointed -- and someone dies (and no I am not going to tell you who)! This is how you know this is a KA Merikan novel, after all!

Raja -- bad boy and manwhore of a gay biker. He takes shit from no one. He fucks who he wants and prefers Grindr to actual dates. Raja found himself president of his motorcycle club chapter after their former president and VP were killed. But not everyone is overjoyed to have a gay president, so most of their members left and Raja needs to bring it back from the brink. He has a lot of pressure on him to expand and make his club a real club again. But not everyone is overjoyed to have a gay president, so Raja has his work cut out for him. After making a stupid bet with one of his friends, that he could fuck any guy he wanted, his friend picks the timid looking geeky boy across the room. No problem, right? Right.

And David...a very young 18 years old. He's been not just sheltered, but shackled (in every way but physically) by his very conservative, very religious, very overbearing Catholic parents. After figuring out that he's not ever going to be what his parents want, he decides to move in with his older brother Hunter and his fiance Asty to help care for their newborn son (and they named their son after Asty's deceased brother, Bell, which made my heart melt a little). Meeting Raja was like sending a nuclear bomb into a volcano and David just can't imagine ever getting enough.

I liked Heart Ripper, I did. I thought it was sweet and I loved visiting with Lucky and Tooth, again. But there were a couple things that kinda bugged me.

Raja came out to his club when he was nominated for president. He wanted to make sure no one had a problem with it. That's fair. But most did, so instead of electing someone else, they all left. That made little sense to me. It would have made more sense for Spin to be president and Raja either VP, or maybe, Raja should have joined the Detroit chapter of Coffin Nails, with Hunter, since they are more gay tolerant.

The other thing that bugged me was David seemed so young! He was 18, but his lack of life experience made him seem younger. So I had some issues, at first, with his his relationship with Raja, who is not only ten years older, but loads more experienced in everything. But David does grow up rather fast, once he gets away from his parents, so later in the book I had many fewer issues. He did seem to come into his own. So I was only creeped out for a little while.

That said, I loved Raja. He comes off as superficial, at first, but this man has layers. He has depth and a caring soul. David brought out his possessiveness, and Raja really opened up to him. And he'd never trusted anyone that much before. It was the same for David, too. He was innocent, but once he got a taste he quickly figured out what he wanted. He starts out very naive, but he does find some backbone later that made me very proud of him. He made Raja work for his affections and made sure Raja knew that he had some self respect.

All in all, Heart Ripper is a fine addition to the Sex & Mayhem series!

-------
ARC of Heart Ripper was generously provided by the authors, in exchange for an honest review.

[Oscar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decided to give this 5 stars because I just loved it from start to finish. Started early morning and now feel content with all of that happened in this. I must say that the romance and the overall story weren't clearly on the same level with the previous books but halfway through I made my peace with it. I just can't help myself from falling in love with Merikan's characters!

I was reading this the whole day while blasting Lana Del Rey's Ride while the weather is just so gloomy. It was heaven.

[Denise H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

* The Coffin Nails Motorcycle Club men are back ! * Yes ! *
We met the Toledo's club Prez. Raja previously, and now he's visiting Detroit's members, where Hunter's brother, 18 yr. old David, has graduated high school.

David is a good Catholic boy, wears a purity ring, and is beautiful.
Lately his feelings are at war within himself, plus he's attracted to
older, exotic, bearded, super gorgeous, openly gay, Raja.


We have amazing characters, a study of opposites attracting, and this book has some serious dirty-talk, hot sexiness and fabulous first times for David.

Raja's reputation as a one-niter is well earned, but once he is with David, no one else appeals to him. Each man fights his inner struggles; questions his own long held beliefs and each wants to explore new possibilities.


Did I tell you the sex is hot ?? Oh yeah, baby, it is !

We get what we want form these authors every time - great stories - dirty words - action - graphic violence - and sizzling sex - all of which are essential in a biker tale. David and Raja simply "fit", they are totally made for each other. David evolves over the next months, as he gains strength and independence.
We see them deal with parents, a sleazy priest, and a bitter club member.
I highly recommend this terrific story of unlikely lovers ! ENJOY !
=========================================
I've read the whole series, but each book can stand alone.
Thanks Judith for the Rec !
==============================================

[Christelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm gonna be in the minority here, but what can I say...I struggled to finish this book.
Bikers and MC s'stories are not something I usually go for (must be a cultural thing and tbh, I don't really like main characters being drug or arm traffickers), so that must explains a bit why I couldn't relate to the story (even though it's not about the club).
I also struggled with these bets and I didn't find Raja and David's relationship believable.
It had good moments for me, but they were spoiled by all the times I wanted to DFN :-( Sorry for all the fans of this series !

[Nemo ☠️ (pagesandprozac) · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg guys i 5-starred a contemporary, it's a christmas miracle

[Ninni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obviously I can't get enough of this book, read it so many times 😅 (for the record I can't get enough of the cover either). The story begins with a bet leding to a hot encounter between hot biker Raja and sweet innocent David. One of my comfort reads and still a favourit of mine, 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Sybil aka Lala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bet you…

I bet you that you will find it extremely difficult not to fall for these two guys together. David is all innocence and good intentions while Raja is all jaded cynicism and very dirty intentions. Together they are all delicious sexual tension and cuteness.



I bet you that you won’t be able to keep from saying: Fuck yeah! There was no question that I would adore Raja – K.A. Merikan have a talent for writing gruff alphas who can also be incredibly sweet and vulnerable without losing an ounce of their masculinity. It was David I thought I’d be having issues with. I thought that all his hellfire and damnation ways would become annoying but instead David showed a lot of strength and backbone.



I bet you that you won’t be able to keep from biting your lip and fanning yourself. I’ve come to expect a certain level of weirdness from K.A. Merikan and their character’s bedtime shenaningans but this book didn’t have that. Instead they brought the angst and frustration that only this kind of taboo, secret can affair can provide. Watching David be coaxed out of his shell by Raja and his filthy words was as erotic as it was hot as it was exciting.





I bet you won’t be able to keep that big ole’ stupid grin off your face. This book wasn’t as violent or gritty as I’ve come to expect from these authors and in this case I didn’t mind going without it. I was perfectly content just to be pulled into Raja and David’s story and all the supporting characters with their humour and support and banter. I had my moments of righteous indignation and eye rolling and wanting to pimp slap certain characters into another religion but mostly this book had me wrapped up in the warm fuzzies.



This was yet another extremely entertaining read from K.A. Merikan that comes highly recommended!

(ARC provided by authors in exchange for an honest review)

[Trio · Rating 5 out of 5]

The hot and seductive bad boy, and the sweet and innocent virgin... I'll never get enough!

In the 9th episode of the Sex & Mayhem series, K.A. Merikan puts their spin on this classic with some first rate despoiling. The way incredibly sexy Raja, he lures David over to the dark side is so freaking hot. Not too angsty, but great family drama, and a fantastic story.

Performed by the marvelous Wyatt Baker, whose voices are absolutely perfect for these characters. Especially his gruff and growly Raja - his seductions are irresistible.

an audiobook copy of Heart Ripper: Coffin Nails MC (Sex & Mayhem #9) was provided for my honest review

[The Reading's Love Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

RECENSIONE QUI: https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/...

4.5 stelle


Ogni storia che esce dalla penna delle Merikan è una sorpresa e nessuna è uguale all'altra; questa in special modo mi ha stupito sia per i protagonisti così diametralmente opposti ma perfetti insieme, sia per la mancanza di violenza fisica e verbale a cui ero abituata nei libri precedenti. "Spaccacuori" è una storia di cambiamento, di crescita e sì, di amore tutto condito da sesso favoloso, il dirty talking impregna ogni discorso ed è talmente scritto e tradotto bene da rendere la lettura eccitante e mai fastidiosa. Come ho anticipato, i protagonisti sono agli antipodi. David è un ragazzo che ha appena finito le superiori, devoto alla chiesa cattolica, timorato di Dio, un ragazzo vergine che indossa con orgoglio e convinzione il suo anello della purezza. Raja è il presidente di club di motociclisti, è audace, sboccato ed è un uomo a cui piace il sesso occasionale, niente sentimenti o gentilezza, solo sesso di cui vantarsi. Immaginate cosa succede nel momento in cui Raja sbatte letteralmente in faccia le sue convinzioni a David. Viviamo lo sconvolgimento interiore di David e l'attrazione magnetica a cui non riesce a resistere, la paura di deludere la sua famiglia bigotta, omofoba e razzista, la fede verso una Chiesa che inizia a vacillare quando comincia a respirare davvero e a sentirsi libero. Viviamo la crescita di un ragazzo prigioniero che una volta libero di essere ciò che vuole, inizia a volare in modo impacciato e sgraziato ma con determinazione va avanti. David è gay e vuole quel motociclista sexy e forte, vuole il sesso sporco e irresistibile ma vuole anche essere importante per lui. Raja pensa solo al sesso promiscuo e a far crescere il suo club, devo dire che per un bel po' non sono riuscita a entrare in empatia con lui, la sua superficialità nei confronti del rapporto con David non ha giocato a suo favore fino a quando non ha cominciato ad aprirsi con David, da lì tante cose sono state chiare e anche se rimane non propriamente una persona profonda, è perfetto per David e i due insieme sono una vera bomba. Le interazioni tra i due, il sesso bollente e senza filtri, le confidenze ed il legame che cresce è veramente molto bello ma la cosa che più mi ha affascinata è stato il percorso di David, il suo mettersi in gioco, il rapportarsi con un mondo a lui sconosciuto come la famiglia "satanista" di suo fratello che lo accoglie e lo aiuta, il negozio di fiori gay friendly dove lavora, i nuovi amici gay, tutto l'opposto del suo passato cattolico…

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[⚣Michaelle⚣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite having read 7+ of the books in this series, I am not really a fan of the MC-theme. I tried for a while with SoA and then they went and killed Opie like that and I was out. And yet I keep coming back for these. Maybe I'm a masochist because the stories, no matter the actual plot, make me think of Opie and it breaks my heart all over again. Anywhoooooo...So, yeah. Not my genre.

But.

Grim will always be my favorite character in this series, but I think Raja is a close second. I love that he took what was supposed to be a slight, a racial slur (of sorts) and claimed it as his name. (Because OMG, yeah, no his real name just doesn't fit.) And I love the mental image of Raja and David together; big, burly, hairy biker and skinny preppy twink. *shrug* IDKY. It works for me.

And I liked that KAM didn't turn these outlaws into do-gooders. I could see the impulse was there, and while there was some "good" in their new business venture - sketchy and dangerous as it could be, both to them and potential customers - it was still illegal. I mean, if you're gonna have Bikers why water down what makes them (somewhat) appealing, amirite?

Now, to ponder whether to put the next one on the TBR. I haven't read #3 or 7 and honestly I don't think - even with Asty and Hunter having relatively big roles here as side characters - that I need to go back and read them. But I might. Maybe. Honestly, I'm more likely to just put 10 and 11 on the TBR and call it a day but you never know. Could need one of the others for a future challenge...

[Amarilli 73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 - Tra questo e CUORE FOSSILE, ho iniziato il 2019 con il botto per quanto riguarda gli MM :)

Ogni volta che inizio un libro delle Merikan mi dico sempre che troverò la solita coppia kink + sexy cattivo, e invece ogni volta il duo mi sorprende, riuscendo creare due personaggi pazzeschi, diversi e particolari, che ti entrano sottopelle e di cui ti ricordi a lungo (anche all'interno della serie).
Qui poi è ancora più bello perché, accanto a loro, ritrovi anche Denti e Lucky, la sorella goth e Hunter, più tutte le vecchie conoscenze del club dei motociclisti.
Insomma, è un po' un ritorno in famiglia gradito, dove irrompe la nuova favolosa coppia, ovvero: David, il timido virgineo fiorista, e Raja, aspetto indiano e stropicciato, che è anche il bad boy donnaiolo (quindi l'elemento forte).

L'inizio del romanzo, con seduzione concupiscente del povero David rintanato in bagno, è da cardiopalmo.
Poi è tutto in crescendo, con contorno di tutto, compresi i genitori omofobi, le incomprensioni d'amore, la gelosia degli altri motociclisti, e Raja che si trasforma in eroe su motocicletta.
Bellissimo episodio da non perdere.

[Nichole (DirrtyH) · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I guess I'm in the minority here.

The premise sounded like something I would love. I love "the virgin and the whore" type of stories. The straight-laced Catholic boy with the big bad biker dude? Sign me up.

But I was probably never going to love this book. The anti-Christian sentiments in it made me uncomfortable. David's brother and his wife are Satanists and they name their baby Beelzebub. I try to be open minded and this alone wouldn't have ruined a book for me, but I admit to not enjoying those characters very much. It also bugged me a little that David was so straight-laced he wore a purity ring, but then he would go home and jerk off. That's not how chastity works, guys. (Not saying David wouldn't jerk off, just that he should have felt guilty about it because you're definitely not supposed to.) This book was also a little on the dirty side for my tastes. Some of you love books with tons of raunchy sex, but I kind of got over that after the first couple of years reading this genre. It doesn't really do much for me anymore.

So for those reasons, this book probably wasn't for me anyway.

But the reason I DNF'd is not because of the story or the characters. It was because of the writing.

It's not good, you guys. I hate to say that because I know there are a lot of K.A. Merikan fans out there, but the dialogue reads like it was written by someone who is not a native English speaker.* And the writing itself is sloppy. Lots of run-on sentences, things that needed to be cut, tightened up, re-worded. Formatting problems. There were lots of scenes were David and Raja text, and sometimes the texts were italicized and sometimes they weren't, no rhyme or reason to it at all.

I think self-publishing is a viable route. I don't automatically dismiss a book because it's self-published. But a lot of self-pubbing authors are cutting corners and I think that's a disservice to the genre. Even worse is the legions of fans who either don't notice or don't care. If we as readers don't demand a minimum standard of quality, then we're going to continue to get subpar books. I mean, if you can get away with writing a story that's less than your best, and you can sell hundreds of copies without ever paying for an editor or a proof-reader, then why wouldn't you?

I'm not cool with that. If you expect people to pay for your work, then you should make sure that work is the best you can possibly give them. And I'm not even necessarily saying that paying for a professional editor is essential. But if you're not going to do that, then you better have several alpha and beta readers helping you to polish it. You can't just scribble out a book and then say "ta-da!" (Except that you can, because like I said, most readers apparently don't care.)**

DNF at 60%.

*I see now that this writing team are Polish. I'm not saying that ESL speakers shouldn't write in English, or set their stories in English speaking countries. Just that if you're going to write in your non-native language, then get a native speaker to go over it for you and help you with the dialogue.

**Please note that this review is not directed at any one particular author. This is a trend I'm noticing and this is the venue I chose to air my frustration. I do not intend this review to be in any way disrespectful toward the authors of this particular book. It is not directed specifically at them.

[mich ⚘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was craving a sexy and rough read so I instantly turned to this series and somehow decided on David and Raja’s story. I can’t say it was my favorite in the series but it was good either way.

Raja is a bit of a manwhore. He knows it and he loves it. While at a party to celebrate the birth of a new baby Raja makes a bet he can make the straight laced, catholic boy to his knees.

David has led a life where the things he craves most are sins. He’s always done the good catholic boy thing and prayed away the temptations. That is until the bearded man whose caught his eye all night follows him into a bathroom and makes all his reservations melt away.

From there is a whirlwind of rights and wrongs. And, of course plenty of drama. This is by no means a romance story. There’s some softness there between the two MCS but that’s about it. Regardless I enjoyed it. It was sexy and exactly what I needed.


4 stars

[♣️ Lynda ♣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

What a great installment in the Sex and Mayhem series. This book was not as dark as previous books. There was still lots of hot sex and romance.

I can hardly think about anything else but you

David is so sweet. He is a natural pleaser but has grown up in such a strict Christian environment he's scared of what he's feeling and thinks something is terribly wrong with him. His parents, which we met in Split are still the same assholes they were before. I cried for David when he tried to confide in a Priest for help and it was thrown back in his face.

So greedy...as a cocksucker should be

Raja is sexy, has no qualms about being a total manwhore, and his Grindr account gets used regularly. David has thrown him off his game. He's not expecting to become attached to the virginal Christian boy.

This is a great story!! We get a look at most of the Detroit Chapter men. Lucky is still such a little shit and Milk still comes across as bi but in denial.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a blast! Funky, dirty and oh so sweet. I had fun reading this book. Raja and David, hot, hot, hot! Sweet lovin. A thoroughly enjoyable reading experience.

Jesus. I really was tired last night. Everything I said is the honest to God truth. I'll elaborate a teeny bit. This book deserves that much.

Raja oozed sex appeal. David, sweetness and light. Raja is a little older and David is unexperienced. Now imagine putting these two together in a well written tale of finding your soul mate in the mad mad world of KA Merikan. It will blow your socks off! It's one of those books that you hate to put down. Boring? Hardly. Sexy? Hell yes! Smutty? Not at all. That's the difference here and it's a big one, hence the 5+ superb rating which I rarely give.

Okay, that's a little better.

[Eugenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

OTT, Ok plot, GREAT DIRTY TALK!

This installment of the Coffin Nails MC, was just OK for me.

I found the story wanting reality somewhat, but this is KA Merikan we are talking about & I know that OTT is what I’m getting.

I listened to the audiobook for this...perhaps that was why this was just an OK listen for me. I’ve enjoyed Wyatt Baker in the past, but his performance here isn’t one of his best.

Good points:
Virgin
Eager virgin
Christian eager virgin
DIRTY TALK
Age gap
Cameos from previous books

Could be better:
Lots of Christian talk
Narration

My rec? If you’re this deep in the series, sure.

***CAN BE READ AS A STAND-ALONE ***

[River · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
For some reason I ended up reading most books in this series even though I don't like dark books.
This book is different though. It doesn't have a dark theme.

I liked both characters and enjoyed their story.
My only complaint is that I didn't see much character development.
David started the story like a naive boy and it ended the same. Just different clothes.
Raja talked and talked about teaching him stuff but it never happened.

Overall it was an enjoyable read and a good addition to the series. It was great to catch up with couples from previous books and see them happy.

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book as a whole is a big fat NOOOOOOOOO.

However, David's character was very well done. It was realistic and true for his experience.

Everything else, and I mean EVERYTHING, was either a ridiculous cliche with no new feel or a Porn-like scene filmed in someone's basement with bad lighting and even worse acting.....

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well not what I expected. Not really a coherent story. For me not enough convincing. The personalities are not enough explored
Others may really like this one. I..... I didn't connect

[Caia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 to 5
This was such a wholesome story!!
I love how K.A. Merikan is always able to write something dark and still give me all the fluffy wholesome funny love I need in my life.

!! The homophobia is real, there are a lot of moments during the plot where side characters act harmful, voice homophobic believes and one of the MCs is in fact raised to think of himself sometimes in homophobic ways.

This is also something I admire in the series, it's so authentic!
There isn't always everything lovey dovey, and not everyone is suddenly accepting to the max. So the MCs have to handle with relationship and real world (in the MC-environment and this time with the church-thingy too)

!! There's also some racism depicted in this book against one of the MCs, classic "those ppl sentences" and going full on assumptions.

I loved how both MCs talk about those topics, how they're able to help and heal through each other and even if there were some secrets and hurt this story gave me all the comfort to cope with it.

I'm so smitten with David. Especially how David was this innocent but kinda brazen little catholic virgin, getting all overwhelmed but also overwhelm this badass biker Raja and make him his own and making one big step into independency after another <3

The sexting was so hot and fun! And all their smutty encounters were hot AF!

The support and side characters were amazing, I loved them all so much. Especially the cameos from previous couples made me super happy and Lucky (my personal favorite) slayed :D
such a nosy brat hehe

The main story ended a bit fast in my opinion but gave me a satisfying epilogue.
But since David and Raja were the cutest, I could definitely read a lot more about them.

I buddy read this again with my bestie Anne and I had such a good time commenting all my notes while reading this haha...
her review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CiXY4ewryfP/

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Wyatt Baker narrated the story and I loved how he performed this, especially the sexting -omnomnom- hehe