Knights of Fury, Book #3
Heat Factor: explicit but not lengthy
Character Chemistry: I bought it while reading but now that I’m done I’m wondering where it came from?
Plot: Biker asks bartender on a date every year for four years and when she finally accepts on year five, she witnesses a murder and is kidnapped…by the biker
Overall: This was really fun and also, like, WUT
Considering their histories, these are some well-adjusted adults. All of the characters, not just the protagonists. It’s kind of a miracle. Or, like, a work of fiction. There’s also a ridiculous amount of smirking that got in the way.
I very much enjoyed the read, but as I was reading, I wasn’t entirely sure I agreed with Abbie regarding her feelings about her situation (it’s 1st person POV). And after I read, I realized that Temper was not especially developed or well-rounded. He’d wanted her and only her since he met her in her family’s bar, but once she finally says “yes” to his date, we don’t really get any further insight into why he’s so in love with her. And, all things considered (all things being a kidnapping), it’s pretty shocking that Abbie forgives Temper and decides to renew their relationship after, like, a day and a half.
Okay, let me back up.
Temper is the president of the Knights of Fury MC. He’s an intimidating biker dude with a shaved head. And he wears a lot of black. He’s a paternalistic character, and although his road name is Temper, we don’t really get to see why. He does lay into a prospect for failing to keep someone safe, but other than that he seems pretty even-tempered. He does issue the order to kidnap Abbie after she witnesses one of the MC shooting a mercenary in self-defense. In the event you’re side-eyeing the kidnapping thing (which is right and proper), Temper is both concerned about Abbie telling people what she saw AND concerned about Abbie’s safety because the mercenaries also saw her.
For her part, Abbie is running her family bar because her mother is recovering from a stroke. She had to drop out of school to do it, and she’s got a history of putting her family before herself. By the time year five of Temper asking her on a date rolls around, she’s feeling trapped in a small town with no escape on the horizon. She’s never even left Nevada! So when Temper rolls into town once more, she decides to live a little. She does not extend “living a little” to include “enjoying being kidnapped and removed to a MC clubhouse in California”. But that’s what happens.
Aside from my wondering about what Temper’s all about and how they’re so completely meant for each other, I had to wrap my head around this kidnapping thing. The question here is: do I believe that the woman kidnapped would fall in love with her kidnapper?
Because Abbie has been in contact with Temper for five years and has a read on his character going into their date, and because she trusts him before he decides to kidnap her, and because it was just easier to do so, I generally bought in to Abbie’s line of reasoning. I thought the timeline for her forgiving him was a little bananas, but it’s not like she can be away from home for six months without people asking questions, so okay fine.
Even if I didn’t necessarily always agree with Abbie, I appreciated that she thought things through before executing. For example, when Temper returns Abbie’s phone after telling her why he abducted her, she pauses and thinks about the possible risks of going home, deciding to err on the side of caution. In California, she meets another of the MC girlfriends and feels a bit safer, so she decides not to be a jerk to Temper for the sake of peacefully coexisting. And she doesn’t wilt before Temper when she’s mad at him. But, um, he kidnaps her and they’re sleeping together days later. So there’s that. OH AND ALSO they have sex and Temper asks, “Are you on the pill?” and Abbie says YES. … Does she carry her pills around in her purse on a date? She’s been in California for several days.
The whole crime/suspense plot is a bit bananas. In a good way. There are a number of things that play in to make it extra that I’m not even going to mention here. Temper is generally reasonable and thoughtful. Abbie has a backbone and knows what she wants. If not for all the drama, I’d say this is a fluffy read. It’s definitely got a good drama-to-light ratio such that I would recommend for a time when you might want a little fluff, but maybe a little tension, too. I’d definitely read the rest of the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.
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