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Bully Rescue
The Washed-Up Fighter Who Can’t Play Nice
Peter Gaffin can be downright vicious, even while using a wheelchair. For years the former back-alley boxer has not only been terrified men from his past would exact their vengeance, but also of his sexuality. After an incident with the cops, Peter is on his way to prison. Behind bars, he won’t be able to repress his fears by being a reclusive alcoholic—or hide himself from the men who once preyed on him.
The Protective Prison Guard
Drew Greene has been working at Trident Falls Correctional for one reason: to keep track of the facility’s most dangerous inmate. The day Peter arrives at the prison, Drew’s solitary mission becomes something more. Peter gradually charms him and he wants to keep Peter safe. When he learns they share a dark secret, one that has ruled and ruined both their lives, Drew’s horror makes him even more determined to protect Peter.
Targeted by Their Past
Things look up when Peter is released from prison. Drew takes Peter home and helps him finish his long physical recovery that alcoholism derailed. Stronger and happier, Peter is ready to move on with Drew and try to repair the damage he caused. There is only one problem—Peter and Drew aren’t able to outrun their past for long. Can they come together to withstand the fallout from the truths they reveal, or will they both end up in prison… or worse, dead?
Bully Rescue portrays a hate group that has been invented. The people in the hate group are not good and are not presented as such; however, Bully Rescue does explore some of the ways individuals might enter and leave those types of harmful associations. As the author, I do not condone or support the ideologies or activities of any hate-based organizations, and this book is in no way meant to romanticize them. Please do not read Bully Rescue if you’re sensitive to this type of material.
Peter Gaffin can be downright vicious, even while using a wheelchair. For years the former back-alley boxer has not only been terrified men from his past would exact their vengeance, but also of his sexuality. After an incident with the cops, Peter is on his way to prison. Behind bars, he won’t be able to repress his fears by being a reclusive alcoholic—or hide himself from the men who once preyed on him.
The Protective Prison Guard
Drew Greene has been working at Trident Falls Correctional for one reason: to keep track of the facility’s most dangerous inmate. The day Peter arrives at the prison, Drew’s solitary mission becomes something more. Peter gradually charms him and he wants to keep Peter safe. When he learns they share a dark secret, one that has ruled and ruined both their lives, Drew’s horror makes him even more determined to protect Peter.
Targeted by Their Past
Things look up when Peter is released from prison. Drew takes Peter home and helps him finish his long physical recovery that alcoholism derailed. Stronger and happier, Peter is ready to move on with Drew and try to repair the damage he caused. There is only one problem—Peter and Drew aren’t able to outrun their past for long. Can they come together to withstand the fallout from the truths they reveal, or will they both end up in prison… or worse, dead?
Bully Rescue portrays a hate group that has been invented. The people in the hate group are not good and are not presented as such; however, Bully Rescue does explore some of the ways individuals might enter and leave those types of harmful associations. As the author, I do not condone or support the ideologies or activities of any hate-based organizations, and this book is in no way meant to romanticize them. Please do not read Bully Rescue if you’re sensitive to this type of material.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2021
46 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
Ki Brightly
91 books716 followersI spend most of my days writing, editing, and perfecting the craft of storytelling.
A note to readers: I don't hang out on Goodreads or social media, so if you have any questions about my books, please check out my website, which I host with M.D. Gregory.
A note to readers: I don't hang out on Goodreads or social media, so if you have any questions about my books, please check out my website, which I host with M.D. Gregory.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
January 4, 2024
DNF @ 22%
I was very excited about this one. A dark romance featuring an MC who used to be in a white supremacy gang, then he has the rug pulled out from under him when he becomes a paraplegic, then an alcoholic and then goes to prison. The love interest is a prison guard who bonds with the inmate MC while he serves his sentence and helps him get his alcoholism under control, they work together to figure out how to deal with the wheelchair scenario and there's a redemption arc too. This was everything I wanted, but it turns out that I had made some assumptions that weren't correct. It's a shame because this was a highly anticipated read for me.
Not Dark Romance
I only read a quarter of it so I can't say for sure, but except for the prologue, I don't think the dark romance label is applicable. Just because somebody has a traumatic past and the story includes very evil villains doesn't make it a dark romance. Maybe some people consider very heavy, angsty books dark romance but that's not what my interpretation of the label is.
Missing Info
The author claims this is a standalone and that enough background info will be provided to make it easy to understand if you haven't read the previous book. That's not the case. We start the story with a prologue showing how Pete ended up in the white supremacy group (more on that later). Then we skip 20 years into the future to Pete arriving at the prison. It's not clear how/when/why the guy is in a wheelchair but signs indicate it's a temporary situation, which made me sad face anyway. Then we learn that the white supremacy group (the Aryan Society, I'll refer to them as the AS from now on) fell apart many years ago and Pete has been living in fear of his former buddies since. There's no explanation of how/when/why any of these things happened. Pete also has a son and apparently the son is involved in a massive age gap relationship with somebody Pete knows/knew/whatever and the whole thing is confusing.
THEN we learn that Drew isn't just a random do-gooder (more on that later) who works at the prison. No, he used to be in the AS too! But...Pete and none of the other AS members (the prison is filled with them) recognize him...? The former AS boss (Black) is also in prison but he also doesn't act like he knows Drew. And how the hell is it possible that somebody who was part of such a big, well known hate group ends up working as a guard in the prison system? These groups don't typically allow lurkers. You have to have the right look and behavior to join and that means your days of blending in at the neighborhood summer BBQ potluck are over, never mind passing a background check and becoming a prison guard.
Suffice it to say that I was very confused and I had no idea what was happening. In fairness to the author, I only read 22% and maybe these things do get explained but I'm not a reader who wants to stay confused for most of a book before things are fully explained.
Pete = Not A Badass Villain
Pete was supposed to be a badass but he's just a pitiful Sad Boy with a Tragic Past who spends way too much time crying and feeling sorry for himself. The blurb describes Pete like this:
Peter Gaffin can be downright vicious, even while using a wheelchair.
Combining that line with his past as a white supremacy group member creates a certain image in my head of what this character was supposed to be like. So having him spend lots of time crying into his pillow and lashing out like a moody teenager when Drew tries to help him move around wasn't what I wanted. Having Pete respond to Drew's offers of help with stubborn pride and lashing out with deeply embedded rage would have been realistic. But having the guy weakly push Drew out of the way and sit there like a sulky teenager didn't work for me.
The problem is that the author was clearly worried that readers wouldn't sympathize with a character like Pete so certain decisions were made in an effort to make him more likeable. But unlike in other dark romance books where a morally corrupt character is given characteristics or an arc that make him likeable (maybe not redeemable but a character doesn't have to be a good guy or redeemed to be likeable in my books), the author took the approach of making Pete a Good Guy who just happened to be in bad situations. I hate it when authors do this and I'll never stop complaining about it.
Instead of this being a story about a guy who went through the complex psychological journey of starting out being a normal kid and then becoming a fully committed member of a hate group in his teens, we learn that Pete wasn't only forced to join the AS but he was a victim from start to finish. In the prologue, we learn that he was befriended by a recruiter without knowing the guy was a recruiter or even part of the AS. When the recruiter invites him to watch an underground fight (Pete has been participating in such fights for years), Pete happily goes. The whole way there, he keeps hoping that his crush on his new friend might result in them getting together at one point. They arrive and he's told he won't be watching a fight but he has to participate in the fight. In fact, it's his initiation into the AS. Pete has no idea what's happening, he has no idea what the AS is and he has no desire to join them. But he's told he has to fight or be killed. So he's forced to join the group under duress and his services as an enforcer (I assume that's what he did) were also provided against his will. To make matters worse, the AS leader (Black), rapes Pete when they're alone together during initiation and he explains that Pete will basically be his sex slave from now on.
So no, this wasn't a guy who ended up on the wrong path in life and slowly questions his beliefs and allegiances when he's exposed to things outside of his bubble and then tries to make up for his past wrongs. No, Pete is a Victim. The author bent over backwards to make Pete sit in the Victim category instead of the Villain category, and that means this isn't a redemption arc. The story focuses on the enormous amounts of trauma that Pete has lived through and based on what reviewers have said, the story is essentially trauma porn. There's an audience for books like that - ones which wallow in never ending angst and sadness - but they're not my thing. In addition, I'm too annoyed at the discovery that Pete isn't the type of character I'm interested in reading in.
Drew = Good Guy Caricature
Maybe fearing that readers who believe 'all prison guards are evil' won't like Drew from the start, the author decided to make Drew a saintly caricature. He's liked by all of 'his cons' (an expression used frequently by Drew that I didn't like for various reasons) and he claims they respond to his kindness and friendly manner by returning it. Uh huh. Yeah, I'm sure they're all kind hearted teddy bears. He also doesn't carry a weapon because according to Drew, weapons mean violence and that's a no-no. Drew also regularly comes within grabbing distance of 'his cons' because he wants to be more personable with them or some nonsense. He acknowledges that it's not safe and the inmates could easily grab his radio, phone, keys or many other things that guards walk around with but he still does it because he's a Nice Guy and those prison guards who always stay at least arms length away are all Meanies. *sigh*
And of course, to ensure readers really understand what a Good Guy Drew is, the author makes sure that his co-workers are mostly rude assholes with god complexes who bully inmates just because they can. Of course prison guards like that do exist, but having the most frequently recurring guard side characters be depicted like that was annoying. The whole thing felt very YA to me and I hate it when complex things are simplified like this.
Unrealistic Depiction Of Prison Life
The author did do a bit of research into life in US prisons, but I happened to have spent a lot of my free time watching documentaries about life in US prisons (and I'm not even American) and the many inaccuracies bothered me to the point where I couldn't take the story seriously. Some examples:
Black is a very violent man who is in prison because a) he was the leader of a large white supremacy group and b) he committed multiple violent murders (he did other things too but I assume he was convicted because of the murders). But Drew explains the reason Black is in a medium security facility is because max facilities didn't have the room. That's...not how these things work. At all. Black is what the prison system would label a very high security risk (I believe they use a complicated numbering system that assigns numbers based on various factors and then spits out a total). If there wasn't room at a max facility, they would look for a lower security risk inmate who's at max due to the length of their sentence. Their choice would be somebody with a clean(ish) prison record (minor infractions only) and a criminal record containing non-violent offences, like drug crimes and they would transfer that person down to medium and Black would go to max. There's no way - NO WAY - a person like Black would end up in a medium facility.
Next problem - Black is serving time in the SAME PRISON as many of his former gang members. This also doesn't happen. Gang leaders are automatically sent to separate prisons and not allowed any contact with former gang members. There are even specific gang-unit staff members at prisons whose jobs involve studying gangs and coordinating with each other to figure out where to put who. It's actually a very complicated process, especially when you add in the complexities of rivalries between different gangs, including ethnic divisions. Obviously there are still tons of gang related issues in prisons but making sure leaders don't get to hang out with their former subordinates is the bare minimum.
There are so many other problems with the way Black is treated in the book. He's rude to guards and threatens Drew with violence when he's released from solitary, which would automatically send him back to the hole. But Drew is so loving and kind that he ignores the threats. Black also makes a fuss that he doesn't want Drew handcuffing him as they walk back to Black's block because it won't look good to his guys. That's ridiculous. Somebody in Black's position would have spent so much of his prison life being handcuffed while being transported from point A to point B that he wouldn't even notice or care when it's happening and he wouldn't bother questioning such a basic, non-negotiable part of prison procedure. And none of his guys would think anything of it either because it's so normal. But then the author increases the stupidity of the situation by having Drew handcuff Black with his hands in front of him. That's the part where I DNF'd because there's stupidity and then there's that. Sure, if an inmate is a low security risk with a clean prison record, I've seen guards handcuff their hands in front or even leave off the handcuffs entirely (the inmates have to keep their hands in 'cuffed' position when walking). But that privilege has to be earned and Black isn't somebody who would ever get there.
There are also multiple instances of Pete being rude to Drew and shoving him. Drew ignores these incidents each time and when Pete does it to another guard, Drew and the guard get into an argument in front of Pete over whether to ignore it or punish Pete. None of these things are how things are done and for good reason.
Black = Bad Guy Caricature
I wasn't impressed when the author described Black as having a mouth full of rotting teeth and being covered in tattoos of dead bodies depicting the people he'd killed. It felt like the author was going overboard in an attempt to illustrate that Black is a Very Evil Man. Having a mouth full of rotting teeth only happens in very specific situations and none of them apply to Black. As for his tattoos - I don't believe he'd choose such simplistic yet OTT gory imagery. The types of tattoos white supremacists have are specific and come with certain rules and meanings. Sure, they can also mix in some personal tattoos but having the author specify that Black only has these childishly gory personal tattoos made me lose faith that the author had done sufficient research into the subject matter. It basically boils down to: if you're not comfortable doing research about a specific topic then don't write a book centered around that topic and claim it's an accurate depiction. Maybe the author was worried readers would be put off by the description of real white supremacy tattoos but I think it was a lost chance to educate readers who might come across that imagery in other spaces but won't know their meaning and the dangers they represent.
Conclusion
This book didn't meet any of my expectations. It basically boils down to me being disappointed by the misleading marketing of the book, the YA-like characterization of the MCs, the sanitized portrayal of the difficult topics involved and the blatant inaccuracies that simple research could have avoided.
I was very excited about this one. A dark romance featuring an MC who used to be in a white supremacy gang, then he has the rug pulled out from under him when he becomes a paraplegic, then an alcoholic and then goes to prison. The love interest is a prison guard who bonds with the inmate MC while he serves his sentence and helps him get his alcoholism under control, they work together to figure out how to deal with the wheelchair scenario and there's a redemption arc too. This was everything I wanted, but it turns out that I had made some assumptions that weren't correct. It's a shame because this was a highly anticipated read for me.
Not Dark Romance
I only read a quarter of it so I can't say for sure, but except for the prologue, I don't think the dark romance label is applicable. Just because somebody has a traumatic past and the story includes very evil villains doesn't make it a dark romance. Maybe some people consider very heavy, angsty books dark romance but that's not what my interpretation of the label is.
Missing Info
The author claims this is a standalone and that enough background info will be provided to make it easy to understand if you haven't read the previous book. That's not the case. We start the story with a prologue showing how Pete ended up in the white supremacy group (more on that later). Then we skip 20 years into the future to Pete arriving at the prison. It's not clear how/when/why the guy is in a wheelchair but signs indicate it's a temporary situation, which made me sad face anyway. Then we learn that the white supremacy group (the Aryan Society, I'll refer to them as the AS from now on) fell apart many years ago and Pete has been living in fear of his former buddies since. There's no explanation of how/when/why any of these things happened. Pete also has a son and apparently the son is involved in a massive age gap relationship with somebody Pete knows/knew/whatever and the whole thing is confusing.
THEN we learn that Drew isn't just a random do-gooder (more on that later) who works at the prison. No, he used to be in the AS too! But...Pete and none of the other AS members (the prison is filled with them) recognize him...? The former AS boss (Black) is also in prison but he also doesn't act like he knows Drew. And how the hell is it possible that somebody who was part of such a big, well known hate group ends up working as a guard in the prison system? These groups don't typically allow lurkers. You have to have the right look and behavior to join and that means your days of blending in at the neighborhood summer BBQ potluck are over, never mind passing a background check and becoming a prison guard.
Suffice it to say that I was very confused and I had no idea what was happening. In fairness to the author, I only read 22% and maybe these things do get explained but I'm not a reader who wants to stay confused for most of a book before things are fully explained.
Pete = Not A Badass Villain
Pete was supposed to be a badass but he's just a pitiful Sad Boy with a Tragic Past who spends way too much time crying and feeling sorry for himself. The blurb describes Pete like this:
Peter Gaffin can be downright vicious, even while using a wheelchair.
Combining that line with his past as a white supremacy group member creates a certain image in my head of what this character was supposed to be like. So having him spend lots of time crying into his pillow and lashing out like a moody teenager when Drew tries to help him move around wasn't what I wanted. Having Pete respond to Drew's offers of help with stubborn pride and lashing out with deeply embedded rage would have been realistic. But having the guy weakly push Drew out of the way and sit there like a sulky teenager didn't work for me.
The problem is that the author was clearly worried that readers wouldn't sympathize with a character like Pete so certain decisions were made in an effort to make him more likeable. But unlike in other dark romance books where a morally corrupt character is given characteristics or an arc that make him likeable (maybe not redeemable but a character doesn't have to be a good guy or redeemed to be likeable in my books), the author took the approach of making Pete a Good Guy who just happened to be in bad situations. I hate it when authors do this and I'll never stop complaining about it.
Instead of this being a story about a guy who went through the complex psychological journey of starting out being a normal kid and then becoming a fully committed member of a hate group in his teens, we learn that Pete wasn't only forced to join the AS but he was a victim from start to finish. In the prologue, we learn that he was befriended by a recruiter without knowing the guy was a recruiter or even part of the AS. When the recruiter invites him to watch an underground fight (Pete has been participating in such fights for years), Pete happily goes. The whole way there, he keeps hoping that his crush on his new friend might result in them getting together at one point. They arrive and he's told he won't be watching a fight but he has to participate in the fight. In fact, it's his initiation into the AS. Pete has no idea what's happening, he has no idea what the AS is and he has no desire to join them. But he's told he has to fight or be killed. So he's forced to join the group under duress and his services as an enforcer (I assume that's what he did) were also provided against his will. To make matters worse, the AS leader (Black), rapes Pete when they're alone together during initiation and he explains that Pete will basically be his sex slave from now on.
So no, this wasn't a guy who ended up on the wrong path in life and slowly questions his beliefs and allegiances when he's exposed to things outside of his bubble and then tries to make up for his past wrongs. No, Pete is a Victim. The author bent over backwards to make Pete sit in the Victim category instead of the Villain category, and that means this isn't a redemption arc. The story focuses on the enormous amounts of trauma that Pete has lived through and based on what reviewers have said, the story is essentially trauma porn. There's an audience for books like that - ones which wallow in never ending angst and sadness - but they're not my thing. In addition, I'm too annoyed at the discovery that Pete isn't the type of character I'm interested in reading in.
Drew = Good Guy Caricature
Maybe fearing that readers who believe 'all prison guards are evil' won't like Drew from the start, the author decided to make Drew a saintly caricature. He's liked by all of 'his cons' (an expression used frequently by Drew that I didn't like for various reasons) and he claims they respond to his kindness and friendly manner by returning it. Uh huh. Yeah, I'm sure they're all kind hearted teddy bears. He also doesn't carry a weapon because according to Drew, weapons mean violence and that's a no-no. Drew also regularly comes within grabbing distance of 'his cons' because he wants to be more personable with them or some nonsense. He acknowledges that it's not safe and the inmates could easily grab his radio, phone, keys or many other things that guards walk around with but he still does it because he's a Nice Guy and those prison guards who always stay at least arms length away are all Meanies. *sigh*
And of course, to ensure readers really understand what a Good Guy Drew is, the author makes sure that his co-workers are mostly rude assholes with god complexes who bully inmates just because they can. Of course prison guards like that do exist, but having the most frequently recurring guard side characters be depicted like that was annoying. The whole thing felt very YA to me and I hate it when complex things are simplified like this.
Unrealistic Depiction Of Prison Life
The author did do a bit of research into life in US prisons, but I happened to have spent a lot of my free time watching documentaries about life in US prisons (and I'm not even American) and the many inaccuracies bothered me to the point where I couldn't take the story seriously. Some examples:
Black is a very violent man who is in prison because a) he was the leader of a large white supremacy group and b) he committed multiple violent murders (he did other things too but I assume he was convicted because of the murders). But Drew explains the reason Black is in a medium security facility is because max facilities didn't have the room. That's...not how these things work. At all. Black is what the prison system would label a very high security risk (I believe they use a complicated numbering system that assigns numbers based on various factors and then spits out a total). If there wasn't room at a max facility, they would look for a lower security risk inmate who's at max due to the length of their sentence. Their choice would be somebody with a clean(ish) prison record (minor infractions only) and a criminal record containing non-violent offences, like drug crimes and they would transfer that person down to medium and Black would go to max. There's no way - NO WAY - a person like Black would end up in a medium facility.
Next problem - Black is serving time in the SAME PRISON as many of his former gang members. This also doesn't happen. Gang leaders are automatically sent to separate prisons and not allowed any contact with former gang members. There are even specific gang-unit staff members at prisons whose jobs involve studying gangs and coordinating with each other to figure out where to put who. It's actually a very complicated process, especially when you add in the complexities of rivalries between different gangs, including ethnic divisions. Obviously there are still tons of gang related issues in prisons but making sure leaders don't get to hang out with their former subordinates is the bare minimum.
There are so many other problems with the way Black is treated in the book. He's rude to guards and threatens Drew with violence when he's released from solitary, which would automatically send him back to the hole. But Drew is so loving and kind that he ignores the threats. Black also makes a fuss that he doesn't want Drew handcuffing him as they walk back to Black's block because it won't look good to his guys. That's ridiculous. Somebody in Black's position would have spent so much of his prison life being handcuffed while being transported from point A to point B that he wouldn't even notice or care when it's happening and he wouldn't bother questioning such a basic, non-negotiable part of prison procedure. And none of his guys would think anything of it either because it's so normal. But then the author increases the stupidity of the situation by having Drew handcuff Black with his hands in front of him. That's the part where I DNF'd because there's stupidity and then there's that. Sure, if an inmate is a low security risk with a clean prison record, I've seen guards handcuff their hands in front or even leave off the handcuffs entirely (the inmates have to keep their hands in 'cuffed' position when walking). But that privilege has to be earned and Black isn't somebody who would ever get there.
There are also multiple instances of Pete being rude to Drew and shoving him. Drew ignores these incidents each time and when Pete does it to another guard, Drew and the guard get into an argument in front of Pete over whether to ignore it or punish Pete. None of these things are how things are done and for good reason.
Black = Bad Guy Caricature
I wasn't impressed when the author described Black as having a mouth full of rotting teeth and being covered in tattoos of dead bodies depicting the people he'd killed. It felt like the author was going overboard in an attempt to illustrate that Black is a Very Evil Man. Having a mouth full of rotting teeth only happens in very specific situations and none of them apply to Black. As for his tattoos - I don't believe he'd choose such simplistic yet OTT gory imagery. The types of tattoos white supremacists have are specific and come with certain rules and meanings. Sure, they can also mix in some personal tattoos but having the author specify that Black only has these childishly gory personal tattoos made me lose faith that the author had done sufficient research into the subject matter. It basically boils down to: if you're not comfortable doing research about a specific topic then don't write a book centered around that topic and claim it's an accurate depiction. Maybe the author was worried readers would be put off by the description of real white supremacy tattoos but I think it was a lost chance to educate readers who might come across that imagery in other spaces but won't know their meaning and the dangers they represent.
Conclusion
This book didn't meet any of my expectations. It basically boils down to me being disappointed by the misleading marketing of the book, the YA-like characterization of the MCs, the sanitized portrayal of the difficult topics involved and the blatant inaccuracies that simple research could have avoided.
Read
August 15, 2021Thank you for reading stories from New Gothenburg!
Writing Peter’s book wasn’t easy for me. When I initially started writing Bully Rescue, I thought it would be a redemption arc, and in many ways it is, but at the same time this story also became an exploration of a man learning to allow himself to be loved. I don’t want to give too much away about the book, so I’ll just leave it at that. I hope you like it!
As always, thank you for allowing me to continue this writing adventure. The support of the people who read my books means everything. Thanks again! I can never say it enough.
If you would like to join me and my cowriter Meg, we have a FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/compa...
All the best and happy reading,
Ki
Bully Rescue was written so it could be read as a stand alone, so never fear if you want to pick it up by itself. If you would like to learn more about Peter’s son, Angel, and Angel’s Casey Bear, you might also want to read Bully Beatdown.
Writing Peter’s book wasn’t easy for me. When I initially started writing Bully Rescue, I thought it would be a redemption arc, and in many ways it is, but at the same time this story also became an exploration of a man learning to allow himself to be loved. I don’t want to give too much away about the book, so I’ll just leave it at that. I hope you like it!
As always, thank you for allowing me to continue this writing adventure. The support of the people who read my books means everything. Thanks again! I can never say it enough.
If you would like to join me and my cowriter Meg, we have a FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/compa...
All the best and happy reading,
Ki
Bully Rescue was written so it could be read as a stand alone, so never fear if you want to pick it up by itself. If you would like to learn more about Peter’s son, Angel, and Angel’s Casey Bear, you might also want to read Bully Beatdown.
August 27, 2021
4.25 An extraordinary story about surviving and redemption, behind both sides of the bars.
The prologue is rough and anxious The story starts in 2002 where Peter was forced to fight, he’s known for streetfighting and he’s vicious, here the crowd yells for blood.
Prison guard Drew works at the Trident Falls Correctional Facility. Peter arrives at Trident Falls in a wheelchair, Drew wants to keep him safe. Drew isn’t at all like the other guards, he’s big and strong with a kind heart.
Keeping Peter safe is a hard job with some of his enemies nearby. Peter is the prey and there are a lot of hunters, they want him not only because of his violent past but also because of his sexuality. It’s all quite hopeless.
The story feels a lot of times depressing, both Peter and Drew have a dark past, there’s a lot of story about both men and what they have been through.
At some point, after a lot of events, Peter and Drew are both outside the Trident Falls walls, a new chapter could start in their lives, there’s a lot of damage to fix. Drew gives Peter all his strength and help.
There aren’t heroes in this story like good guys with no record, it’s rough and tough. We meet a lot of scum, lowlifes, guys who aren’t afraid to kill. We also meet some opposites, the ones who want to do good.
The characters felt real, complex, fighting to hold their head above the surface.
It’s not a romance certainly not in the first half, but there are romantic parts, even some sweet and it’s getting better the further in the story.
The main here is about redemption, try to do good, fix what is broken. Somehow both men raised above themselves, it was everything! There are highly emotional moments, all stunningly pictured.
The author did an extraordinary job writing this exceptional journey.
What a journey this was, unbelievable harsh at times, and thank goodness for the counterbalance, some intense moments with love.
Read and reviewed for LoveBytes LGBTQ bookreviews
The prologue is rough and anxious The story starts in 2002 where Peter was forced to fight, he’s known for streetfighting and he’s vicious, here the crowd yells for blood.
Prison guard Drew works at the Trident Falls Correctional Facility. Peter arrives at Trident Falls in a wheelchair, Drew wants to keep him safe. Drew isn’t at all like the other guards, he’s big and strong with a kind heart.
Keeping Peter safe is a hard job with some of his enemies nearby. Peter is the prey and there are a lot of hunters, they want him not only because of his violent past but also because of his sexuality. It’s all quite hopeless.
The story feels a lot of times depressing, both Peter and Drew have a dark past, there’s a lot of story about both men and what they have been through.
At some point, after a lot of events, Peter and Drew are both outside the Trident Falls walls, a new chapter could start in their lives, there’s a lot of damage to fix. Drew gives Peter all his strength and help.
There aren’t heroes in this story like good guys with no record, it’s rough and tough. We meet a lot of scum, lowlifes, guys who aren’t afraid to kill. We also meet some opposites, the ones who want to do good.
The characters felt real, complex, fighting to hold their head above the surface.
It’s not a romance certainly not in the first half, but there are romantic parts, even some sweet and it’s getting better the further in the story.
The main here is about redemption, try to do good, fix what is broken. Somehow both men raised above themselves, it was everything! There are highly emotional moments, all stunningly pictured.
The author did an extraordinary job writing this exceptional journey.
What a journey this was, unbelievable harsh at times, and thank goodness for the counterbalance, some intense moments with love.
Read and reviewed for LoveBytes LGBTQ bookreviews
August 23, 2021
This book started pretty rough and, once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. It was violent, gripping and full of emotions, an intense ride that's had me cringing and worried because of the brutal reality of Peter and Drew's lives.
There was something so raw and authentic between Drew and Peter. Their relationship started slow, which made total sense considering their circumstances. I loved how the trust built up, how honest, strong feelings developed between them and how far they would have gone for each other.
These two men together took my breath away and the book as a whole was a thrilling page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to the end. Recommended.
There was something so raw and authentic between Drew and Peter. Their relationship started slow, which made total sense considering their circumstances. I loved how the trust built up, how honest, strong feelings developed between them and how far they would have gone for each other.
These two men together took my breath away and the book as a whole was a thrilling page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to the end. Recommended.
January 20, 2022
Dark and emotional!
August 18, 2021
While this book tackles some hefty topics, the author handled them expertly in creating an engaging story about a man who got off-track with his life when he was young, and a man who recognizes there’s so much more than meets the eye.
The book actually felt like 2 books that were combined. The first half of the book, where we explore the past and get to know the characters, didn’t contain much of the romance – just the seeds that will flourish later. But it’s also such an engrossing part of the story! The heavier topics are handled here and were so interesting to read. The prologue was in-your-face as are parts of some of the initial chapters, but you really get to know Peter and Drew.
The second part of the story is more the romance, settling into life, and overcoming the past. It definitely had a different feeling to it, given the change in focus, but was just as engaging as we watched these two men make their HEA by healing old wounds and finding new ways forward.
Definitely instant attraction, but felt slow-burn as well, because of the level of detail in the content in the first half of the book. Turned out as a well-paced, really well crafted story.
The book actually felt like 2 books that were combined. The first half of the book, where we explore the past and get to know the characters, didn’t contain much of the romance – just the seeds that will flourish later. But it’s also such an engrossing part of the story! The heavier topics are handled here and were so interesting to read. The prologue was in-your-face as are parts of some of the initial chapters, but you really get to know Peter and Drew.
The second part of the story is more the romance, settling into life, and overcoming the past. It definitely had a different feeling to it, given the change in focus, but was just as engaging as we watched these two men make their HEA by healing old wounds and finding new ways forward.
Definitely instant attraction, but felt slow-burn as well, because of the level of detail in the content in the first half of the book. Turned out as a well-paced, really well crafted story.
September 27, 2021
Interesting second book in series
I don’t usually like “bully” books but I love Ki Brightly’s writing so I gave this series a try and have been really enjoying it. This book is more about psychology than revenge. As the title says it is about a rescue as Peter ends up in the prison that Drew is a guard at and as they get to know each other Drew looks out for Peter. As the story unfolds you come to find out what has lead both men from similar backgrounds to end up in very different places. I feel like I want to write more but I don’t want to give anything away so I will just say that I recommend this book and this series highly.
I don’t usually like “bully” books but I love Ki Brightly’s writing so I gave this series a try and have been really enjoying it. This book is more about psychology than revenge. As the title says it is about a rescue as Peter ends up in the prison that Drew is a guard at and as they get to know each other Drew looks out for Peter. As the story unfolds you come to find out what has lead both men from similar backgrounds to end up in very different places. I feel like I want to write more but I don’t want to give anything away so I will just say that I recommend this book and this series highly.
August 20, 2021
I’m a huge fan of the world Ki Brightly has helped bring to life and this book is one of the reasons why. I love the flawed characters who are worth loving in their own way. I wondered if I could like Peter Gaffin after reading about him, and the way that he was written, yes. Yes I can.
What I loved about this book and the MC is that his failures weren’t explained away, they were owned and he made them right. He finally took ownership for them and how they hurt him and his son. The best thing about this? It wasn’t a straight path and both Peter and Drew paid for the sins of their past. I can’t wait to read more about the people in this city.
What I loved about this book and the MC is that his failures weren’t explained away, they were owned and he made them right. He finally took ownership for them and how they hurt him and his son. The best thing about this? It wasn’t a straight path and both Peter and Drew paid for the sins of their past. I can’t wait to read more about the people in this city.
August 18, 2021
I'm still unsure how I felt about this, I may need to re-score. I was hoping to like this more than I did.
I did enjoy it but I really never warmed to Peter although sympathetic to what he's been through. I think after book one I would have felt more satisfied if I had page time with Angel and Peter with Peter going into more details about what he went through. I think Angel deserved to know why he was punished for Peter's failings for so long. I also think Peter should have apologised to Casey and his friends.
Overall, I think the main issue was Peter didn't really come across as remorseful to me, just sorry for himself. I didn't want him to change I just wanted to believe he truly regretted the past but I never felt it and therefore never fully invested with him getting a HEA and a second chance with Angel.
I did enjoy it but I really never warmed to Peter although sympathetic to what he's been through. I think after book one I would have felt more satisfied if I had page time with Angel and Peter with Peter going into more details about what he went through. I think Angel deserved to know why he was punished for Peter's failings for so long. I also think Peter should have apologised to Casey and his friends.
Overall, I think the main issue was Peter didn't really come across as remorseful to me, just sorry for himself. I didn't want him to change I just wanted to believe he truly regretted the past but I never felt it and therefore never fully invested with him getting a HEA and a second chance with Angel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2021
Loved this story. A man who’s soul was as defeated and broken as his body, learning to make better choices (towards himself and others) and improve his life.
As opposed to the first story, where the man who crippled him and is just as bad a man, pretends that he’s not a bad man, justifies his actions, everyone else treats him like the better man, fucks Peter’s son, Angel, and won’t tell Angel what he did to his father (Literally taking a bat out of hatred, breaking Peter’s spine, while his friend took a bat to Peter’s head, then running off bc they didn’t want to go to jail for what they did and Peter “deserved it anyway”—as if you get to paralyze a man out of hatred and still get to talk about what that man “deserves” because he’s “not a good man”. ) and the entire world doesn’t know what he did, so he never has to pay the consequences, gets to keep his man (and it’s honestly disgusting, if you’re going to let the man who crippled your father fuck you, you should at least be given the respect to know WHAT he did so you can truly chose if you want to be intimate with him knowing all the facts, not have that choice unknowingly taken away from you) and never had the fortitude or courage to be broken into a million pieces and stitch yourself back together like Peter did. only a truly bad man is a coward who never has to pay for his crimes. that is Casey. Casey will never grow the way Peter has and he will never be forced to because he will never be held accountable for his actions.
I much prefer Peter, and while he did bad things (abused his son) he deserved this happiness he is carving out. He has paid enough. (Broken spine, rape/dub con, jail). Casey will never get what he deserves. Casey had it easy. between the two, I think Peter is the better man, and I loved reading him healing physically and emotionally, and also capturing a better relationship with his son. Peter deserves Drew. Peter deserves the chance to mend his relationship with his son. Peter deserves to heal.
The author acts like Peter needed a redemption arc but then it became a healing arc-no, Peter needed a healing arc from the beginning. Casey is the son of a bitch, Peter is just another victim, making bad choices and hurting others out of unimaginable emotional pain, until he finally gets his well deserved door opening to start healing, and takes it. Casey doesn’t have that excuse. Casey is motivated by hatred not pain, faces no consequences and actively cowers from them to maintain his comfortable life, putting his wants first and yet the books frame Casey as the better man. I hated book 1 and I don’t recommend wasting your time on it. You don’t need to read it to understand this book anyway-I did just fine reading this one first.
I do recommend this book. I thought Peter’s healing was beautifully done and I’m glad he had Drew and I’m glad Angel still loved him enough to give him the chance to heal their relationship. This man has paid enough (Casey never had to pay at all). Casey is the one who needs the redemption arc, it was never Peter.
As opposed to the first story, where the man who crippled him and is just as bad a man, pretends that he’s not a bad man, justifies his actions, everyone else treats him like the better man, fucks Peter’s son, Angel, and won’t tell Angel what he did to his father (Literally taking a bat out of hatred, breaking Peter’s spine, while his friend took a bat to Peter’s head, then running off bc they didn’t want to go to jail for what they did and Peter “deserved it anyway”—as if you get to paralyze a man out of hatred and still get to talk about what that man “deserves” because he’s “not a good man”. ) and the entire world doesn’t know what he did, so he never has to pay the consequences, gets to keep his man (and it’s honestly disgusting, if you’re going to let the man who crippled your father fuck you, you should at least be given the respect to know WHAT he did so you can truly chose if you want to be intimate with him knowing all the facts, not have that choice unknowingly taken away from you) and never had the fortitude or courage to be broken into a million pieces and stitch yourself back together like Peter did. only a truly bad man is a coward who never has to pay for his crimes. that is Casey. Casey will never grow the way Peter has and he will never be forced to because he will never be held accountable for his actions.
I much prefer Peter, and while he did bad things (abused his son) he deserved this happiness he is carving out. He has paid enough. (Broken spine, rape/dub con, jail). Casey will never get what he deserves. Casey had it easy. between the two, I think Peter is the better man, and I loved reading him healing physically and emotionally, and also capturing a better relationship with his son. Peter deserves Drew. Peter deserves the chance to mend his relationship with his son. Peter deserves to heal.
The author acts like Peter needed a redemption arc but then it became a healing arc-no, Peter needed a healing arc from the beginning. Casey is the son of a bitch, Peter is just another victim, making bad choices and hurting others out of unimaginable emotional pain, until he finally gets his well deserved door opening to start healing, and takes it. Casey doesn’t have that excuse. Casey is motivated by hatred not pain, faces no consequences and actively cowers from them to maintain his comfortable life, putting his wants first and yet the books frame Casey as the better man. I hated book 1 and I don’t recommend wasting your time on it. You don’t need to read it to understand this book anyway-I did just fine reading this one first.
I do recommend this book. I thought Peter’s healing was beautifully done and I’m glad he had Drew and I’m glad Angel still loved him enough to give him the chance to heal their relationship. This man has paid enough (Casey never had to pay at all). Casey is the one who needs the redemption arc, it was never Peter.
August 23, 2021
I have one word for this book: intense!
This is not a light or fluffy read by any stretch of the imagination. I had not previously read any of the stories in the series. I was glad to discover that Peter’s son Angel has his own book already.
Peter was so damaged from his time in the Arian Supremacy it was a steep uphill battle for him to find some small modicum of normalcy.
The love and dedication that Drew shows him even as his guard while he’s in prison is beautifully written. I am somewhat familiar with the struggles of the US prison system from the news stories and the way this book is written really highlights so many of the shortfalls.
If you’re in the mood for a light and fluffy read this one definitely is not for you. It is definitely worth reading. I had to take a few reading breaks from it when the storyline got intense in places, but overall it was quite the story.
MC development: 10/10 (well developed and left me wanting more)
Heat: 7/10 (it’s slow burn in the beginning when Peter Andrew meet each other in the prison, Peter as a prisoner and drew as a guard. But once they get out all bets are off)
Length: 10/10 (it’s a pretty long story but I’m not sure what could have been cut to make it any shorter and still cover all of the necessary points)
Editing: 10/10 (I didn’t notice any mistakes or typos, which is unusual)
Meet cute: 9/10 (I’d call this a meet sad, not meet cute. When you meet as an inmate, it definitely makes things complicated)
Tissues needed: 7/10 (I didn’t actually cry while reading, but this one is definitely a painful, hit you in the feels kind of story)
Overall: 10/10 (would highly recommend)
This is not a light or fluffy read by any stretch of the imagination. I had not previously read any of the stories in the series. I was glad to discover that Peter’s son Angel has his own book already.
Peter was so damaged from his time in the Arian Supremacy it was a steep uphill battle for him to find some small modicum of normalcy.
The love and dedication that Drew shows him even as his guard while he’s in prison is beautifully written. I am somewhat familiar with the struggles of the US prison system from the news stories and the way this book is written really highlights so many of the shortfalls.
If you’re in the mood for a light and fluffy read this one definitely is not for you. It is definitely worth reading. I had to take a few reading breaks from it when the storyline got intense in places, but overall it was quite the story.
MC development: 10/10 (well developed and left me wanting more)
Heat: 7/10 (it’s slow burn in the beginning when Peter Andrew meet each other in the prison, Peter as a prisoner and drew as a guard. But once they get out all bets are off)
Length: 10/10 (it’s a pretty long story but I’m not sure what could have been cut to make it any shorter and still cover all of the necessary points)
Editing: 10/10 (I didn’t notice any mistakes or typos, which is unusual)
Meet cute: 9/10 (I’d call this a meet sad, not meet cute. When you meet as an inmate, it definitely makes things complicated)
Tissues needed: 7/10 (I didn’t actually cry while reading, but this one is definitely a painful, hit you in the feels kind of story)
Overall: 10/10 (would highly recommend)
August 26, 2021
The book was better than I expected. I really enjoyed it even though it was kinda insta love.
Unfortunately, I felt a little lost while reading it. It didn't feel like a standalone. It felt like I should have known what happened in the past. I don't know whether they were mentioned in the first book (Angel's story -which I didn't know about when I started to read this book).
And it has some loose ends. I guess some loose ends will be tied up in the next book.
And at the end
If it included the past and the future of the story without mystery and loose ends, it could have been a 5 star read for me. I understand the first book has some kink which is not my cup of tea, so I'll never know the missing parts I felt in this book.
Recommended if you're gonna read the other books in the series.
Unfortunately, I felt a little lost while reading it. It didn't feel like a standalone. It felt like I should have known what happened in the past. I don't know whether they were mentioned in the first book (Angel's story -which I didn't know about when I started to read this book).
And it has some loose ends. I guess some loose ends will be tied up in the next book.
And at the end
If it included the past and the future of the story without mystery and loose ends, it could have been a 5 star read for me. I understand the first book has some kink which is not my cup of tea, so I'll never know the missing parts I felt in this book.
Recommended if you're gonna read the other books in the series.
September 1, 2021
This book came with a ton of disclaimers (pls do read them!!), but I'm a fan of Ki Brightly so I hopped in despite some trepidation!
Peter was an angry high schooler, scraping by in underground fights, trying to find his place in the world when a crush on the wrong guy very quickly got him sucked into a white supremacy group. He suffered trauma after trauma at the hands of its leader. After an accident takes away most of his lower mobility, Peter let alcohol and pills drown his feelings until he finds himself sentenced to 2 months in prison.
Drew is a man with a past he's not proud of. He works as a corrections officer trying to right his wrongs. When he meets Peter at the start of Peter's prison sentence, the connection is undeniable as the two men figure out that the best way to outrun their pasts and build their future is together.
This is a super hard book to review because it's not an easy book. The first 3rd is grey and depressing as we learn how people can get sucked into hate groups, preyed upon and turned into monsters. Peter is *not* a good man and while his past explains a lot of his behavior, it's hard to look beyond initially. Drew is just as complicated, just a lot less dark. Peter needs Drew's sunshine to drag him into the light and into a life that was always there if he wanted it badly enough. This book deals a lot with Peter's past trauma and it's not an easy thing to read about even as your heart hurts for him.
Ultimately this book is about hope - hope that you can find someone who loves you despite your flaws. Hope that your past misdeeds don't make up the sum of who you are. Hope that you can make a better life with people you love.
Peter was an angry high schooler, scraping by in underground fights, trying to find his place in the world when a crush on the wrong guy very quickly got him sucked into a white supremacy group. He suffered trauma after trauma at the hands of its leader. After an accident takes away most of his lower mobility, Peter let alcohol and pills drown his feelings until he finds himself sentenced to 2 months in prison.
Drew is a man with a past he's not proud of. He works as a corrections officer trying to right his wrongs. When he meets Peter at the start of Peter's prison sentence, the connection is undeniable as the two men figure out that the best way to outrun their pasts and build their future is together.
This is a super hard book to review because it's not an easy book. The first 3rd is grey and depressing as we learn how people can get sucked into hate groups, preyed upon and turned into monsters. Peter is *not* a good man and while his past explains a lot of his behavior, it's hard to look beyond initially. Drew is just as complicated, just a lot less dark. Peter needs Drew's sunshine to drag him into the light and into a life that was always there if he wanted it badly enough. This book deals a lot with Peter's past trauma and it's not an easy thing to read about even as your heart hurts for him.
Ultimately this book is about hope - hope that you can find someone who loves you despite your flaws. Hope that your past misdeeds don't make up the sum of who you are. Hope that you can make a better life with people you love.
August 18, 2021
Wow wow wow!!! What a hell of a ride was this! The tension and danger made it into a nerve-wracking read at times, but I loved every second of it. Peter is a far cry from the typical romance hero, a fascinating blend of threatening and vulnerable. He has been through so much and has the scars, mental and physical, to prove it. I about melted every time Drew was gentle and patient with him. I reveled in those scenes. The hurt/comfort moments in this otherwise quite gritty romance were very moving and truthfully what gave me the mental fortitude to read on. Because I’m a scaredy-cat and this book isn’t for the faint of heart. Both MCs are flawed and have secrets, though Peter more glaringly so, and he is also still struggling the most with the aftermath of his past. What happened to him broke my heart. I worried for him so much when he was in prison. It was such a relief when he finally got out, if not unscathed. One of the things that made Peter so beautifully complex are his feelings for his son. I loved how that played out in the end. Peter’s unlikely friendship with Laken was also a wonderful touch, incredibly endearing.
Original and enthralling love story with gripping pacing, great worldbuilding and fascinating, well-rounded characters, main & secondary.
Original and enthralling love story with gripping pacing, great worldbuilding and fascinating, well-rounded characters, main & secondary.
August 17, 2021
Thank you for the ARC read, I voluntarily give this book an honest review. Author Ki Brightly can capture the reader's attention right from page one, which I just love! Turning words into an amazing land of dramatic and thrilling with surprises that have characters the that move you.
Here you will find a thrilling drama of the darker side of life, as Peter is recruited into a AS setting at a young age. Fear has strange hold on him through out his life to where his pushes people away until one correction officer. Drew was serving time just like the inmates he watched over, never getting to close to them until the newest intake. Why was the offier being nice..what was his end game? Nothing was for free he had learnt that the hard why only this time the man was in the same walls he was trapped behind. For some reasons or other, it was like watching it slipped through his fingers as to why, Drew was drawled to the newest inmate. Both men have a time a due date was called that is about to be called in. Drew may have been free to leave, only can he? With each other's help maybe they both can learn to live again.
Here you will find a thrilling drama of the darker side of life, as Peter is recruited into a AS setting at a young age. Fear has strange hold on him through out his life to where his pushes people away until one correction officer. Drew was serving time just like the inmates he watched over, never getting to close to them until the newest intake. Why was the offier being nice..what was his end game? Nothing was for free he had learnt that the hard why only this time the man was in the same walls he was trapped behind. For some reasons or other, it was like watching it slipped through his fingers as to why, Drew was drawled to the newest inmate. Both men have a time a due date was called that is about to be called in. Drew may have been free to leave, only can he? With each other's help maybe they both can learn to live again.
August 18, 2021
PLEASE READ BULLY BEATDOWN first, if possible, to get the full story. While you don't have to in order to understand this one, I think you'll appreciate it even more if you do.
I love this book. Peter is a tortured soul, from his own actions in the past as well as from the people in his past. Reading Bully Beatdown, I would have never thought I could fall in love with his character. Could he be redeemable? I think only Ki Brightly could do Peter's story justice, and they did it here, in Bully Rescue.
I'm not one to rehash storylines and plot in my reviews, so I won't give many details, but just know that Peter will make your heart break for him, especially as you realize all the trauma he's carried around through his entire adult life. Now we find out why he's treated his son, Angel, the way he has. It isn't because he's a homophobic, alcoholic @$$hole.
I loved getting to know more about Drew, the love interest here, and I'm excited for future books in the series. The secondary characters here will draw you in as much as Peter and Drew will.
All in all, another wonderful book by Ki.
I love this book. Peter is a tortured soul, from his own actions in the past as well as from the people in his past. Reading Bully Beatdown, I would have never thought I could fall in love with his character. Could he be redeemable? I think only Ki Brightly could do Peter's story justice, and they did it here, in Bully Rescue.
I'm not one to rehash storylines and plot in my reviews, so I won't give many details, but just know that Peter will make your heart break for him, especially as you realize all the trauma he's carried around through his entire adult life. Now we find out why he's treated his son, Angel, the way he has. It isn't because he's a homophobic, alcoholic @$$hole.
I loved getting to know more about Drew, the love interest here, and I'm excited for future books in the series. The secondary characters here will draw you in as much as Peter and Drew will.
All in all, another wonderful book by Ki.
September 5, 2021
Bully Rescue deals with heavy topics and is about redemption and surviving.
The book starts with Peter, who was lured into a Nazi gang at a young age and is forced to fight and endure horrific things. Years after this, he is sent to prison while sitting in a wheelchair because of an injury. But the prison is not equipped to accommodate someone in a wheelchair. It doesn't help that he meets some old acquaintances from his time in the gang.
Drew works as a prison guard in the prison Peter got sent. He takes a liking to Peter and wants to keep him safe. But that is not easy.
This book portrays all shades of people. There are the low lives, the ones who have a dark past and want to put it behind them, redeem themself, and the ones who are just good. The author did an amazing job portraying that all.
The characters feel real.
This book is extraordinarily written, highly emotional, and at the same time portrays the worst parts of humanity. I loved it!
*I received this book as an ARC. I chose to leave an honest review.*
The book starts with Peter, who was lured into a Nazi gang at a young age and is forced to fight and endure horrific things. Years after this, he is sent to prison while sitting in a wheelchair because of an injury. But the prison is not equipped to accommodate someone in a wheelchair. It doesn't help that he meets some old acquaintances from his time in the gang.
Drew works as a prison guard in the prison Peter got sent. He takes a liking to Peter and wants to keep him safe. But that is not easy.
This book portrays all shades of people. There are the low lives, the ones who have a dark past and want to put it behind them, redeem themself, and the ones who are just good. The author did an amazing job portraying that all.
The characters feel real.
This book is extraordinarily written, highly emotional, and at the same time portrays the worst parts of humanity. I loved it!
*I received this book as an ARC. I chose to leave an honest review.*
September 6, 2021
I really love Ki’s books and this one was no exception. It took me a little while to get into the story, but once I did it was phenomenal.
I hated Peter in the first book and had no idea how Ki could turn him into a leading man for a romance. But, my goodness , she did! I really hurt for Peter seeing how he was forced to join the AS (a KKK-like organization) and the pain and suffering afflicted on him. It was easy to see how he let that bitterness and anger affect him. Peter was a prickly SOB, but I wanted to see someone care about him.
Drew was amazing. I know he was trying to make up for things that he felt guilty for, but his love and concern for Peter bled through everything he did. I was really glad that Peter didn’t instantly become this sweet hero. He still lashed out, he still pushed people away, he still relapsed. It felt real.
I was also really glad to see Peter and Angel begin to rebuild their relationship. It will take awhile, and Angel even said they weren’t okay at the end, but there was a beginning.
I’m really looking forward to Laken and Rowdy’s story.
I hated Peter in the first book and had no idea how Ki could turn him into a leading man for a romance. But, my goodness , she did! I really hurt for Peter seeing how he was forced to join the AS (a KKK-like organization) and the pain and suffering afflicted on him. It was easy to see how he let that bitterness and anger affect him. Peter was a prickly SOB, but I wanted to see someone care about him.
Drew was amazing. I know he was trying to make up for things that he felt guilty for, but his love and concern for Peter bled through everything he did. I was really glad that Peter didn’t instantly become this sweet hero. He still lashed out, he still pushed people away, he still relapsed. It felt real.
I was also really glad to see Peter and Angel begin to rebuild their relationship. It will take awhile, and Angel even said they weren’t okay at the end, but there was a beginning.
I’m really looking forward to Laken and Rowdy’s story.
August 17, 2021
This is both beautiful and heartbreaking. I found parts hard to read as the reality of the story was brutal. I love this author’s writing though so I knew if I hung on I’d be led along a better road. It’s very well written and certainly took me on an emotional journey,
After Angel’s book (Bully Beatdown) I wasn’t sure how Peter could be excused or redeemed, but this goes to show there’s two sides to every story.
The characters are well developed and I really felt their emotions as they were feeling them. I was totally gripped by the story and pulled into the book. I thought it was totally worth the discomfort that I felt at times because the beautiful moments were well worth it.
I think it could be read as a stand-alone but you would benefit from reading Angel’s story and some of the other characters pop up elsewhere in the New Gothenburg universe. (I recommend all the books in this universe).
I received an arc of this book but I am leaving my review voluntarily.
After Angel’s book (Bully Beatdown) I wasn’t sure how Peter could be excused or redeemed, but this goes to show there’s two sides to every story.
The characters are well developed and I really felt their emotions as they were feeling them. I was totally gripped by the story and pulled into the book. I thought it was totally worth the discomfort that I felt at times because the beautiful moments were well worth it.
I think it could be read as a stand-alone but you would benefit from reading Angel’s story and some of the other characters pop up elsewhere in the New Gothenburg universe. (I recommend all the books in this universe).
I received an arc of this book but I am leaving my review voluntarily.
September 12, 2021
Peter and Drew ❤️🔥❤️
Wow! this was a dark one....however, this story was phenomenal!! It was painful, it was riveting, and it was intense....and it was also about redemption, comfort and love!! These two guys absolutely tore me apart...Peter's back story broke my heart, with the pain and torture he endured it was understandable why he became the man he was at the beginning of this story, slowly but surely clawing his was to redemption with the help of the beautiful character that was Drew ❤️ Drew's patience, love and understanding we're just what Peter needed and deserved, to love and be loved, scars and all... was so beautifully healing for this broken man. Parts of this story were horrible to read, but they were a necessary evil IMO for the author to tell this story, I cringed at parts of this story but in the end I fell in love with Peter and Drew and I adored their love story. I highly recommend this book.
* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *
Wow! this was a dark one....however, this story was phenomenal!! It was painful, it was riveting, and it was intense....and it was also about redemption, comfort and love!! These two guys absolutely tore me apart...Peter's back story broke my heart, with the pain and torture he endured it was understandable why he became the man he was at the beginning of this story, slowly but surely clawing his was to redemption with the help of the beautiful character that was Drew ❤️ Drew's patience, love and understanding we're just what Peter needed and deserved, to love and be loved, scars and all... was so beautifully healing for this broken man. Parts of this story were horrible to read, but they were a necessary evil IMO for the author to tell this story, I cringed at parts of this story but in the end I fell in love with Peter and Drew and I adored their love story. I highly recommend this book.
* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *
December 13, 2021
How to make a horrible into a fantastic person
First of wow Drew everyone needs a Drew at your side, manly, honourable, patient, caring, understanding, everything he was just everything, need one of him beside me.
The start of the book was great interesting and you fell in love with Peter after hating with everything you have from the first book. It shows never judge anyone and also people can change. Towards the end it got a bit boring as it was pretty much only about Peter and Peters feelings and how Peter is doing, Drew was just the background that made Peters life better. Loved how Peter and Angel are trying, didnt get why Peter hated Casey so much, since technically when Casey hurt Peter many moons ago he got him away from Black. I liked how side characters related to other books in these series and surely Brandon gets his own story, you cannot leave us hanging.
I really liked this book and there was not some weird kink thrown in for the sake of it.
First of wow Drew everyone needs a Drew at your side, manly, honourable, patient, caring, understanding, everything he was just everything, need one of him beside me.
The start of the book was great interesting and you fell in love with Peter after hating with everything you have from the first book. It shows never judge anyone and also people can change. Towards the end it got a bit boring as it was pretty much only about Peter and Peters feelings and how Peter is doing, Drew was just the background that made Peters life better. Loved how Peter and Angel are trying, didnt get why Peter hated Casey so much, since technically when Casey hurt Peter many moons ago he got him away from Black. I liked how side characters related to other books in these series and surely Brandon gets his own story, you cannot leave us hanging.
I really liked this book and there was not some weird kink thrown in for the sake of it.
August 18, 2021
After reading Angels book, I really wondered how the author was going to show Peter in a positive light.
But, this was more of a redemption of Peter as he comes to terms with the effects of his past and learns to love forward with the support of the right partner.
Facing jail time as a consequence of his behaviour, Peter crosses paths with Drew.
Drew who becomes a steadying, claiming and patient presence in his life and allows Peter to ultimately face what he had buried so deeply inside of him.
But, Drew has his secrets as well and they will need to work together to achieve their happiness.
A story that is not for everyone as the author does touch on darker, gritty themes but the writing is so well done that one can’t help but be engrossed in the lives of the characters and the outcome of their journey to happiness. An absolutely entertaining, engaging read.
But, this was more of a redemption of Peter as he comes to terms with the effects of his past and learns to love forward with the support of the right partner.
Facing jail time as a consequence of his behaviour, Peter crosses paths with Drew.
Drew who becomes a steadying, claiming and patient presence in his life and allows Peter to ultimately face what he had buried so deeply inside of him.
But, Drew has his secrets as well and they will need to work together to achieve their happiness.
A story that is not for everyone as the author does touch on darker, gritty themes but the writing is so well done that one can’t help but be engrossed in the lives of the characters and the outcome of their journey to happiness. An absolutely entertaining, engaging read.
September 15, 2021
This book starts off with a bang. Peter has dealt with a lot in his life, and it all started with one mistake. When Peter arrives at the jail in a wheelchair Drew is determined to keep him safe. At the jail they are guard and prisoner but once they are out of that situation all bets are off. Can the two men find peace and what they truly long for?
Peter and Drew’s book is an intense read. The two men have a lot to work through. Each man has his own past and demons. I loved seeing the two work together and lean on each other when they needed help. I enjoyed watching the trust grow between the two and their relationship take shape. There is a lot to take in and emotions run high in this book. Peter and Drew are strong characters who fight hard to grab their happiness. This is an interesting addition to this series, and I am eager to see where everything goes from here.
Peter and Drew’s book is an intense read. The two men have a lot to work through. Each man has his own past and demons. I loved seeing the two work together and lean on each other when they needed help. I enjoyed watching the trust grow between the two and their relationship take shape. There is a lot to take in and emotions run high in this book. Peter and Drew are strong characters who fight hard to grab their happiness. This is an interesting addition to this series, and I am eager to see where everything goes from here.
December 24, 2024
It was... okay. Ignore the "dark romance" tag, this is not dark romance, it is more on the side of whump hurt/comfort, ex-criminal with a heart of gold and afraid is rescued and taken care of by prison guard and the two insta-fall in love. To be honest, there is nothing wrong with this plot and that is actually what I enjoyed about the story, even if I wished we would have had a bit more time with the characters (I did not really understand why the two fell in love at all?).
Still, the rest of the novel sometimes confused me. A lot. There were a lot of passages that left me baffled and I could not fully understand what was going on, so much I thought this was the second book in a series.
I wish the story had been more streamlined or maybe that we had discovered about Peter's past alongside Drew to at least give the readers something to look forward to.
Still, the rest of the novel sometimes confused me. A lot. There were a lot of passages that left me baffled and I could not fully understand what was going on, so much I thought this was the second book in a series.
I wish the story had been more streamlined or maybe that we had discovered about Peter's past alongside Drew to at least give the readers something to look forward to.
August 29, 2021
4.5 stars
This is a story about a lot of heavy things, and you definitely feel the weight while reading (look through the content warnings to make sure you’re comfortable before diving in). I appreciated how deeply this story made me feel: for Peter, for Drew, for the world of flawed people, flawed choices, and dark pasts they’re both struggling to survive in. Redemption is a guiding thread here, as is the chance to find something better, in part by trusting that you deserve it. To say there’s baggage to overcome is to understate it, but that just makes the process feel more important, and worthwhile. I loved where this ended up, and it was worth all of the turmoil and intensity to get there.
*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a story about a lot of heavy things, and you definitely feel the weight while reading (look through the content warnings to make sure you’re comfortable before diving in). I appreciated how deeply this story made me feel: for Peter, for Drew, for the world of flawed people, flawed choices, and dark pasts they’re both struggling to survive in. Redemption is a guiding thread here, as is the chance to find something better, in part by trusting that you deserve it. To say there’s baggage to overcome is to understate it, but that just makes the process feel more important, and worthwhile. I loved where this ended up, and it was worth all of the turmoil and intensity to get there.
*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 20, 2023
The bullies from New Gothenburg is even more powerful than the Kings series. In book 1 we meet Angel who struggles with his life and his drunk and abusive father. He finds love with the one person his father used to bully. In book 2 we read everything about Angel's father and it becomes clear why he became the man he is today. But when he finds someone who cares about him he finds the will to change and make up for his past in the hope it's not too late. Everyone deserves a second chance and I was very proud of him at the end. The story isn't finished and can't wait to read more about these men and whether the ones that caused all the trauma in the first place will finally be caught and put behind bars.
August 21, 2021
If you think you've read some redemption stories before, hold on to your hat because this is one of the best I've read. The author makes no attempt to sweeten or sugarcoat who Peter has been. There aren't any sneaky hints or winks that he really hasn't been all that bad, etc. This guy meant business. He ends up in prison as these guys tend to do if they don't get killed first. Then, he meets Drew. Drew and Peter form a bond and the humanising of Peter begins. This relationship is never smooth or easy, but it is intense and totally absorbing. You'll feel it all - anger, frustration, despair, and hope.
April 19, 2023
I’m reviewing the audio edition. This story starts with a young guy hoping for a relationship and finds himself not only used but forced into a life he never would have chosen. After awhile he becomes part of that life until situations change and he is forced to examine his choices. There is so much to this story. There is Peter and his son Angel. There is his relationships and his scares and decisions. This is a story I became invested in from the beginning till the end. This is a heartbreaker looking at Peter’s life. The narration by Chris Boykin made the characters visible and human and added to the story.
August 20, 2021
Excellent!
A story of a seemingly irredeemable man finding his path to redemption.
Peter didn’t seem like a great man in the previous book, Bully Beatdown, and it was hard to see how he could ever be one. His story though is one of heartbreak and pain and abuse and I loved how Drew was always there to counteract Peter’s negative emotions/thoughts. Both men have dark pasts but together they help each other overcome them. Peter starts to make things right with his son, Angel, and that was a tear-jerker.
Such an amazing story!!
A story of a seemingly irredeemable man finding his path to redemption.
Peter didn’t seem like a great man in the previous book, Bully Beatdown, and it was hard to see how he could ever be one. His story though is one of heartbreak and pain and abuse and I loved how Drew was always there to counteract Peter’s negative emotions/thoughts. Both men have dark pasts but together they help each other overcome them. Peter starts to make things right with his son, Angel, and that was a tear-jerker.
Such an amazing story!!
September 17, 2021
Drew is a prison guard at the facility that Peter is sent to in a wheelchair due to a injury. Drew is wanting to help Peter not only get around but also to keep him safe. Drew isn’t like the other guards, he’s big and strong with a kind heart. The cons in his cell block like him because of how he treats them. Keeping Peter safe is a hard job with some of his enemies nearby. After Drew gets attacked by Beast’s boys Peter decides to come clean to help put Beast away so he can’t hurt anyone else. I received an ARC of this book for my honest review.
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