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Dartmoor #1
Fearless
From the author of the Walker Series comes a family drama like no other, a sprawling character epic, a forbidden love story full of angst, adventure, heartbreak, and second chances. Welcome to the mother chapter of the Lean Dogs Motorcycle Club; meet the girl raised by outlaws, and the fearsome man who will always hold her heart.
Ava Teague left for college with a busted heart and a deeply ingrained love for her biker family. She returns home to Knoxville for grad school, just in time for her father to accept the burden of president…and for Mercy Lécuyer to roll back into town, looking to patch into the Tennessee chapter once more.
Felix Lécuyer left the swamps of Louisiana for a life as an outlaw biker named Mercy, but it was his family, and the retribution he dealt because of it, that made him famous within the club. Fourteen years ago he fled New Orleans for Knoxville, to become an extractor and bodyguard within the mother chapter, guarding Ghost Teague’s family, becoming a constant companion to little Ava. When she was seventeen, he finally crossed the line. Now she’s twenty-two, and he’s back in town as an old nemesis rears its ugly head, and puts the entire club in danger. The fate of the club is uncertain, but Mercy has no doubts about his heart; it still belongs to Ava.
Now available as a complete novel, 'Fearless' launches a thrilling new series about the Lean Dogs MC of Tennessee, and the women tough enough to love them.
Look for Book II, Price of Angels, coming March 2015.
Ava Teague left for college with a busted heart and a deeply ingrained love for her biker family. She returns home to Knoxville for grad school, just in time for her father to accept the burden of president…and for Mercy Lécuyer to roll back into town, looking to patch into the Tennessee chapter once more.
Felix Lécuyer left the swamps of Louisiana for a life as an outlaw biker named Mercy, but it was his family, and the retribution he dealt because of it, that made him famous within the club. Fourteen years ago he fled New Orleans for Knoxville, to become an extractor and bodyguard within the mother chapter, guarding Ghost Teague’s family, becoming a constant companion to little Ava. When she was seventeen, he finally crossed the line. Now she’s twenty-two, and he’s back in town as an old nemesis rears its ugly head, and puts the entire club in danger. The fate of the club is uncertain, but Mercy has no doubts about his heart; it still belongs to Ava.
Now available as a complete novel, 'Fearless' launches a thrilling new series about the Lean Dogs MC of Tennessee, and the women tough enough to love them.
Look for Book II, Price of Angels, coming March 2015.
738 pages, Paperback
First published January 12, 2015
398 people are currently reading
7927 people want to read
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June 24, 2022
6/23/22: Felt the need for yet another re-read after finishing The Wild Charge.
Re-read yet again...7/13/20
Original Review:
ALL THE STARS.
What an excellent read. Truly fucking excellent.
I am very late to the Dartmoor party and there are so many other detailed and amazing reviews on this; and I'm not pretentious enough to think that I have any original commentary or thoughts to add, so I will keep this short.
I LOVE books like this.
Books where the connection between the H and the h stand the test of time and (sometimes) distance....where the story has nuanced details that draw you in and make you feel like you are a thread that's part of a larger, multilayered tapestry.
Where you feel like Morgan Freeman is fucking narrating it from the bowels of some Hollywood sound booth.
This was like an MC Club War and Peace in terms of length and span.
In other words?
It was long as hell.
Could this thing have been a LOT shorter?
Sure.
Can I think if some scenes, moments, or descriptions of antique lamps that could have been taken out to make this behemoth more streamlined?
Absolutely.
Would I want that to happen?
FUCK no.
I would worry that editing out any perceived chaff from this book might result in the negation of some nuance or detail that added to the depth of the characters. The depth of the story.
And I just loved everything about it. The characters, the world, the club, the writing...
EVERYTHING.
Do yourself a favor and read it if you haven't already.
Re-read yet again...7/13/20
Original Review:
ALL THE STARS.
What an excellent read. Truly fucking excellent.
I am very late to the Dartmoor party and there are so many other detailed and amazing reviews on this; and I'm not pretentious enough to think that I have any original commentary or thoughts to add, so I will keep this short.
I LOVE books like this.
Books where the connection between the H and the h stand the test of time and (sometimes) distance....where the story has nuanced details that draw you in and make you feel like you are a thread that's part of a larger, multilayered tapestry.
Where you feel like Morgan Freeman is fucking narrating it from the bowels of some Hollywood sound booth.
This was like an MC Club War and Peace in terms of length and span.
In other words?
It was long as hell.
Could this thing have been a LOT shorter?
Sure.
Can I think if some scenes, moments, or descriptions of antique lamps that could have been taken out to make this behemoth more streamlined?
Absolutely.
Would I want that to happen?
FUCK no.
I would worry that editing out any perceived chaff from this book might result in the negation of some nuance or detail that added to the depth of the characters. The depth of the story.
And I just loved everything about it. The characters, the world, the club, the writing...
EVERYTHING.
Do yourself a favor and read it if you haven't already.
August 22, 2017
Wow! I can't believe that it took me so long to read this book, but I'm so glad that I finally did! This book was terrific!
I love MC romances, and 'Fearless' was one of the best that I've read. The characters were well developed and the story drew me in right from the start. Spanning over a decade, this story had an "epic" feel.
The story centers on Ava Teague, who grew up in the Lean Dogs MC. As a young girl, she is exposed to danger and violence. The biker subculture is what she lives and breathes, not knowing any different until she becomes the target of ridicule for pretentious classmates.
By her side through it all is Felix "Mercy" Lecuyer, the biker assigned to protect her. Years her senior, he is a father-figure to Ava for much of her youth. However, as Ava grows up those feelings turn into something more.
When Ava and Mercy begin a secret romance, it feels equal parts right and wrong. Ava has always viewed Mercy as something more. As she grew into womanhood, her girlish crush became undeniable. Despite having helped raise her, Mercy cannot deny his attraction to Ava or the changing dynamics of their relationship. This leaves him conflicted and ashamed, even as he's falling in love with her.
An attack on Ava brings their secret to light. Things get ugly and Mercy is sent to another chapter of the club. Ava is left brokenhearted.
Eventually, Ava goes off to college and tries to mend her broken heart. She remakes herself, becoming a responsible, conservative person completely unlike the girl she was before. She even begins dating a young man that is the epitome of a wealthy country club elite.
When Ava returns to her hometown after completing her undergraduate coursework, she is immediately thrust back into the past. With her preppy boyfriend in tow, she is confronted with the man that broke her heart. As she tries to merge her two worlds, Mercy is ever-present.
Some things refuse to be left in the past. Old enemies resurface and Ava is again in the middle of a biker war. Her feelings for Mercy cannot be denied, even as she tries to move on with her life.
From beginning to end, I was absorbed in the world of the Lean Dogs MC. The author took her time developing the characters and the storyline, feeding Ava and Mercy's story to readers bit by bit. At times, I didn't think I'd ever finish this book. It was incredibly long, but I savored every morsel.
This book had a little of everything. It was a slow burn romance, with a captivating back story. There was action and suspense, as well as mystery. Betrayals and deceptions were plentiful and kept me guessing.
When everything came together, I was blown away. I didn't guess any of the big twists until right when the author wanted them to be revealed. Then, I was left with a feeling of contentment.
Although the book did drag a little at some points, due to the length, I can't say that there is anything that I would have cut out. It all contributed to the development of the storyline and characters. It wasn't always non-stop action, but it was always purposeful.
If you're a fan of MC romances and like a robust story that isn't rushed, this is a terrific choice. 'Fearless' is one of the best biker romances that I've ever read. The love story between Ava and Mercy was only made more beautiful by their controversial past. Their HEA was hard-earned and well-deserved. This story is not to be missed!
Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com
I love MC romances, and 'Fearless' was one of the best that I've read. The characters were well developed and the story drew me in right from the start. Spanning over a decade, this story had an "epic" feel.
The story centers on Ava Teague, who grew up in the Lean Dogs MC. As a young girl, she is exposed to danger and violence. The biker subculture is what she lives and breathes, not knowing any different until she becomes the target of ridicule for pretentious classmates.
By her side through it all is Felix "Mercy" Lecuyer, the biker assigned to protect her. Years her senior, he is a father-figure to Ava for much of her youth. However, as Ava grows up those feelings turn into something more.
When Ava and Mercy begin a secret romance, it feels equal parts right and wrong. Ava has always viewed Mercy as something more. As she grew into womanhood, her girlish crush became undeniable. Despite having helped raise her, Mercy cannot deny his attraction to Ava or the changing dynamics of their relationship. This leaves him conflicted and ashamed, even as he's falling in love with her.
An attack on Ava brings their secret to light. Things get ugly and Mercy is sent to another chapter of the club. Ava is left brokenhearted.
Eventually, Ava goes off to college and tries to mend her broken heart. She remakes herself, becoming a responsible, conservative person completely unlike the girl she was before. She even begins dating a young man that is the epitome of a wealthy country club elite.
When Ava returns to her hometown after completing her undergraduate coursework, she is immediately thrust back into the past. With her preppy boyfriend in tow, she is confronted with the man that broke her heart. As she tries to merge her two worlds, Mercy is ever-present.
Some things refuse to be left in the past. Old enemies resurface and Ava is again in the middle of a biker war. Her feelings for Mercy cannot be denied, even as she tries to move on with her life.
From beginning to end, I was absorbed in the world of the Lean Dogs MC. The author took her time developing the characters and the storyline, feeding Ava and Mercy's story to readers bit by bit. At times, I didn't think I'd ever finish this book. It was incredibly long, but I savored every morsel.
This book had a little of everything. It was a slow burn romance, with a captivating back story. There was action and suspense, as well as mystery. Betrayals and deceptions were plentiful and kept me guessing.
When everything came together, I was blown away. I didn't guess any of the big twists until right when the author wanted them to be revealed. Then, I was left with a feeling of contentment.
Although the book did drag a little at some points, due to the length, I can't say that there is anything that I would have cut out. It all contributed to the development of the storyline and characters. It wasn't always non-stop action, but it was always purposeful.
If you're a fan of MC romances and like a robust story that isn't rushed, this is a terrific choice. 'Fearless' is one of the best biker romances that I've ever read. The love story between Ava and Mercy was only made more beautiful by their controversial past. Their HEA was hard-earned and well-deserved. This story is not to be missed!
Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com
August 3, 2020
4.5 Stars
I want to live in this EPIC book.
In the last few years I read a lot of MC books. Some of them were okay, some of them were terrible, a lot of them were meh. Very few of them were great. But I haven’t been able to find an epic one. Not since Madeline Sheehan's Undeniable series. And now, after so many years it finally happened. And I’m so happy right now I might burst into tears.
This book is amazing. It has pretty much consumed my life for the last few days. To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations. You see, I don't like long books. And I’m not too crazy about books in series, especially those involving the same characters. I get bored too easily and I’m always too restless, too eager to meet new fictional people. Once the characters get their HEA, I’m happy to tell them goodbye and move on.
But sometimes you just stumble upon an exceptional book with the characters so amazing and real that you can’t help but fall in love with them. You become part of their world and they become your best friends, your family.
A lot of readers would say this book is creepy. I know that by all laws of logic, ethics, biology, maths and other subjects I learned at school, the fact that a grown-up man falls in love with his friend’s daughter whom he has been looking after since she was eight should be wrong and disgusting. But it wasn't.
A lot of readers would say this book is too long, too detailed and too slow. I would say it is perfect.
A lot of readers would say it is too brutal. I would say it is perfect.
This is MC romance at its best. Don't miss on it if you read this genre.
Review of the whole series: MY REVIEW
I want to live in this EPIC book.
In the last few years I read a lot of MC books. Some of them were okay, some of them were terrible, a lot of them were meh. Very few of them were great. But I haven’t been able to find an epic one. Not since Madeline Sheehan's Undeniable series. And now, after so many years it finally happened. And I’m so happy right now I might burst into tears.
This book is amazing. It has pretty much consumed my life for the last few days. To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations. You see, I don't like long books. And I’m not too crazy about books in series, especially those involving the same characters. I get bored too easily and I’m always too restless, too eager to meet new fictional people. Once the characters get their HEA, I’m happy to tell them goodbye and move on.
But sometimes you just stumble upon an exceptional book with the characters so amazing and real that you can’t help but fall in love with them. You become part of their world and they become your best friends, your family.
A lot of readers would say this book is creepy. I know that by all laws of logic, ethics, biology, maths and other subjects I learned at school, the fact that a grown-up man falls in love with his friend’s daughter whom he has been looking after since she was eight should be wrong and disgusting. But it wasn't.
A lot of readers would say this book is too long, too detailed and too slow. I would say it is perfect.
A lot of readers would say it is too brutal. I would say it is perfect.
This is MC romance at its best. Don't miss on it if you read this genre.
Review of the whole series: MY REVIEW
September 3, 2020
5+ "It won't hurt forever." Stars
I love stories about MC's. It's without a doubt my favorite kind of book to read thanks to the dynamics of the clubs, the romances within them, the danger always lurking, the secrets, the bone deep loyalty; a skirting-the-edge, free lifestyle that just completely fascinates me. Well, Lauren Gilley blew me away with her interpretation of this life with her characters, and her gorgeous writing in Fearless catapulting her to a new favorite of mine. Fearless in just one word - EPIC!
Written just brilliantly in 3rd person POV giving readers a 360 degree view of the entire club, toggling between past and present, this author transported me into the thick of the Lean Dogs MC and introduced me to people I couldn't wait to hear from more. This book doesn't conform to any standards I've read in the MC book world making the reading experience totally unique.
So, welcome to the Lean Dogs MC of Knoxville, Tennessee. Settle in for a long ride with these men and women to explore the intriguing dynamic of this club and this family. Completely character driven Fearless delves deep into the hearts of these people with a great flair of drama and unrequited intelligence while pacing and quite carefully constructing the plot.
A slow-burning, once-in-a-lifetime love sets the stage for this story which soars through incredible highs and sinks to incredible lows. Each and every step of the way, through this good, bad, and downright ugly you'll feel so much in your reading soul. I can't comment enough on the depth and intelligence of Gilley's writing. Her style isn't flamboyant or showy but rather elegant and engaging. The tone of the writing always parallel to the characters moods or actions. The witty dialogue and complex inner thoughts of these people welded together quite perfectly. Just as an example, her descriptions of inanimate objects bring those objects to life around you (and I say around you because you feel it like you're there). Some thing/object isn't just there in the story, that thing/object becomes a motion/an action to draw you further into the colorful world this author created. It's simply as though you're part of the story. And with her characters Gilley is truly gifted in absorbing her readers into their minds. Her prose is so smart and thoughtful, so beautifully descriptive and telling.
The romance in Fearless is like living a perfect fantasy in the middle of a nightmare. So well done without being the main focus of the book. While Mercy Lecuyer and Ava Teague provide the main romance, the story of Ava's MC King & Queen parents proved to be triumphant for me as well in a big, major way. Ghost and Maggie Teague, another lifetime love that's anything but ordinary, in this book are just amazing and brutally honest never straying from exactly who they are, making them admirable in an deeply honest way.
But the real magic of Gilley's writing? It's that it IS actually quite ordinary. It's a way of life that may be vague for the majority of people. It's a calling not many have. But to the people who live it, it's just that - ordinary and normal. And the belief they have in that feeling of solidarity with each other and with the family, both blood and club, well it's a sense of loyalty and acceptance most people will never know. Gilley's brilliant story-telling turns it extraordinary. That's what makes it phenomenal. The feeling and deep seated knowing that you belong and people love you just the way you are, they relish you for it. The understanding of something beyond you, out of your comfort zone.
This book is magical for me. It's one I want to start over again because of the impression it left on my book soul. The writing is exactly what I love. The characters the kind of people I want to read about with the sort of histories and futures that excite me. The present bathed in betrayal, learning, acceptance, and unmatched. There's much more I want to say but don't really know how. If you like MC's with deep, intelligent writing I highly suggest you start the Dartmoor series, meet the people of the Lean Dogs MC, and become part of the family. Get lost in Fearless. I can't wait to move on with the series. Our excitement level is through the roof.
Thank you to my MC reading buddy for life, Irene, for making me read this book straight away.
First Read: January 2016
Second Read: January 2017
Third Read: September 2020 - Diving headfirst back into Dartmoor. I was reminded of the brilliance of Gilley's storytelling and character development. I love Mercy and Ava and the rest of the Dartmoor crew in this book.
November 17, 2021
7++++++ fillette stars
Gushing and Long Quotes ahead.
Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same
GAAAAAHHH!!!!! This one is AMAZING!!
The Writing is flawless. Butterflies, butter-freaking-flies. GAAAAAAHHH!!!!
800+ pages of pure gold. I loved the descriptions, Lauren paints a clear picture with her writing. It sucked me in from the first chapter.
Others: This is the bayou at night, so beautiful and I can see a gator.
Lauren: It was a gorgeous night on the bayou. The sun fell in hazy shafts through the cypress trunks, glimmered on the dark surface of the water, bold stripes that rippled as the spreading wake of the boat lapped toward the banks. Moss hung in thick drifts. Amongst the knobby knees of cypress roots, a white egret was startled and took flight, winging silently above them. Turtles sunned themselves on half-submerged logs. And…there, there was one. A gator at ten o’clock, its eyes and tip of its snout all that were visible above the water. To a tourist, it would go unnoticed; Mercy could spot a gator like it was glowing neon.
I felt like I was there with these characters, I have a clear picture of everyone and every place in this book. The club, the school, the shops, the bikes, the library. GAAAAAHHH!!! I could go on and on. I am one of those people who likes descriptions, I love to be painted a picture and to feel I am there. Lauren's writing made me feel the way Greg’s writing makes me feel. I love prose, prose that are actually PROSE. GAAAAAAHH!! Lauren! you got a fan, possibly a future stan. I hope the writing doesn’t change. Pretty please, it may appear to be too wordy as other readers have stated but I think that is the spark, it feels so good to read.
The Characters
Main MCs – Ava and Mercy – Lawd! What amazing characters. These two practically grew up together, Mercy the protector of Ava and Ava the friend that Mercy needed. The character development so good. Ava and Mercy evolve as the book progresses. Their love is the forbidden kind and that added to my enjoyment. I love me some taboo but it didn't dwell on it. They had so many swoon moments. Their chemistry is off the charts, the cozy moments, their long talks about books and poetry and the sex scenes. Lawd!!!! Phantom Orgasms…….
I love Ava, what a strong amazing Heroine. She is no pushover, I loved that she spoke her mind. What an amazing non- damsel in distress female lead. She was mature and felt that way, no big baby here considering she was raised at/by the clubhouse and with a mother like Maggie, I wouldn’t expect anything less. Lawd this woman rocks.
“Didn’t anyone ever teach you how to be a girl?”
She twitched a thin smile.
“No. I was raised by Dogs and the women who take care of them.”
I love, love Felix/Mercy, my Cajun king. This guy is everything I love in my book boyfriends, loyal, a dangerous monster killer and he loves with all his heart. GAAHH!! A drunk Mercy is the best. What’s not to love.
His nose was a little too large and sharp, his jaw narrow, his lips thin. His eyes were dark and deep-set, staring at her with rapt attention from beneath straight, black brows. His hair was black and fell in silky, straight hanks across his ears and forehead. His eyelashes, she noted when he blinked, were long and black and curled.
He was beautiful, in the way that a Doberman was beautiful: better looked at through a fence
Maggie and Ghost!!! GAAHH!! I wish I could dive straight into their book. Their way of parenting is so unconventional and interesting, they love to the sun and back and are loyal to each other and the club. I value loyalty so much. Maggie is the rock of this family. What an amazing woman.
The other supporting characters fit so well into the story, I feel like they are family now and I am so invested in knowing all their stories.
The violence – This one is bloody! It is gritty, unapologetic and to my surprise there were so many laugh out loud moments. Clearly Lauren got the memo.
Overall, It was bloody fucking amazing. Thanks so much Jan for the rec and for holding my hand. See you in the next one.
This is one of my favorite scene description.
Daisy was a tiny rectangular shop, the center packed with displays of vases, balloons, baskets, grapevine wreaths, florist foam, glass jars, and wooden boxes: things to put your flowers in. There were big bins of glass beads of every color, smooth river stones, bright rough gravel; tubs of faux Spanish moss, green moss, yellow moss. Spools and spools of ribbon, the ends lolling like tongues, fluttering in the drafts of AC. The cut flowers were in the coolers that lined the side and back walls. And the desk sat dead center, the shop’s proprietress standing behind it, arranging calla lilies in a narrow, fluted vase trimmed in blue ribbon.
GAAHH!! I was there at the shop with Maggie.
GAAAAAAAAAHHH!!! I am so high on this book.
Gushing and Long Quotes ahead.
Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same
GAAAAAHHH!!!!! This one is AMAZING!!
The Writing is flawless. Butterflies, butter-freaking-flies. GAAAAAAHHH!!!!
800+ pages of pure gold. I loved the descriptions, Lauren paints a clear picture with her writing. It sucked me in from the first chapter.
Others: This is the bayou at night, so beautiful and I can see a gator.
Lauren: It was a gorgeous night on the bayou. The sun fell in hazy shafts through the cypress trunks, glimmered on the dark surface of the water, bold stripes that rippled as the spreading wake of the boat lapped toward the banks. Moss hung in thick drifts. Amongst the knobby knees of cypress roots, a white egret was startled and took flight, winging silently above them. Turtles sunned themselves on half-submerged logs. And…there, there was one. A gator at ten o’clock, its eyes and tip of its snout all that were visible above the water. To a tourist, it would go unnoticed; Mercy could spot a gator like it was glowing neon.
I felt like I was there with these characters, I have a clear picture of everyone and every place in this book. The club, the school, the shops, the bikes, the library. GAAAAAHHH!!! I could go on and on. I am one of those people who likes descriptions, I love to be painted a picture and to feel I am there. Lauren's writing made me feel the way Greg’s writing makes me feel. I love prose, prose that are actually PROSE. GAAAAAAHH!! Lauren! you got a fan, possibly a future stan. I hope the writing doesn’t change. Pretty please, it may appear to be too wordy as other readers have stated but I think that is the spark, it feels so good to read.
The Characters
Main MCs – Ava and Mercy – Lawd! What amazing characters. These two practically grew up together, Mercy the protector of Ava and Ava the friend that Mercy needed. The character development so good. Ava and Mercy evolve as the book progresses. Their love is the forbidden kind and that added to my enjoyment. I love me some taboo but it didn't dwell on it. They had so many swoon moments. Their chemistry is off the charts, the cozy moments, their long talks about books and poetry and the sex scenes. Lawd!!!! Phantom Orgasms…….
I love Ava, what a strong amazing Heroine. She is no pushover, I loved that she spoke her mind. What an amazing non- damsel in distress female lead. She was mature and felt that way, no big baby here considering she was raised at/by the clubhouse and with a mother like Maggie, I wouldn’t expect anything less. Lawd this woman rocks.
“Didn’t anyone ever teach you how to be a girl?”
She twitched a thin smile.
“No. I was raised by Dogs and the women who take care of them.”
I love, love Felix/Mercy, my Cajun king. This guy is everything I love in my book boyfriends, loyal, a dangerous monster killer and he loves with all his heart. GAAHH!! A drunk Mercy is the best. What’s not to love.
His nose was a little too large and sharp, his jaw narrow, his lips thin. His eyes were dark and deep-set, staring at her with rapt attention from beneath straight, black brows. His hair was black and fell in silky, straight hanks across his ears and forehead. His eyelashes, she noted when he blinked, were long and black and curled.
He was beautiful, in the way that a Doberman was beautiful: better looked at through a fence
Maggie and Ghost!!! GAAHH!! I wish I could dive straight into their book. Their way of parenting is so unconventional and interesting, they love to the sun and back and are loyal to each other and the club. I value loyalty so much. Maggie is the rock of this family. What an amazing woman.
The other supporting characters fit so well into the story, I feel like they are family now and I am so invested in knowing all their stories.
The violence – This one is bloody! It is gritty, unapologetic and to my surprise there were so many laugh out loud moments. Clearly Lauren got the memo.
Overall, It was bloody fucking amazing. Thanks so much Jan for the rec and for holding my hand. See you in the next one.
This is one of my favorite scene description.
Daisy was a tiny rectangular shop, the center packed with displays of vases, balloons, baskets, grapevine wreaths, florist foam, glass jars, and wooden boxes: things to put your flowers in. There were big bins of glass beads of every color, smooth river stones, bright rough gravel; tubs of faux Spanish moss, green moss, yellow moss. Spools and spools of ribbon, the ends lolling like tongues, fluttering in the drafts of AC. The cut flowers were in the coolers that lined the side and back walls. And the desk sat dead center, the shop’s proprietress standing behind it, arranging calla lilies in a narrow, fluted vase trimmed in blue ribbon.
GAAHH!! I was there at the shop with Maggie.
GAAAAAAAAAHHH!!! I am so high on this book.
July 5, 2022
Re-read 29th June - 5 th July 2022
Yes another re-read. I know I know but you can’t have too much Mercy. And this book is amazing. But there’s a new one out hence the re-read.
Re-read 16th - 19th February 2020.
I’ve read some very mediocre (at best) books lately. Fearless has been popping up on my feed so I decided it was time for yet another re-read. It’s fabulous. Now I really do need to branch out and read her other series.
Re-read 8th March to 10th March 2018
If possible I loved this even more the second time round.
Original review.
This is the first book I've read by this author, in fact it's the first time I've even heard of this author.
It's nearly 900 pages long so yes I paused a minute before starting but once I'd started I was completely captivated by this.
Now there's already so many incredible reviews so I'll keep mine brief.
The advantage with this being so long means it can take its time to slowly introduce the characters, to develop them and therefore after a while we feel as if we really know them, there's no rush and while I had an adjustment period at first since I'm used to much shorter books and it seemed to be moving too slowly but once I'd settled in I really appreciated the time taken.
This is an MC book unlike any other, it has great characters, the men obviously like most MC books are good but here we also get strong women and this for me is the part where a lot of female authors fail.
Maggie is the MC queen and a brilliant character, her daughter Ava is a case of like mother like daughter but it was Mercy, Felix Lècuyer who stole the book and my heart, he's just the most amazing man and the more I read the more I loved him, I'd go as far as to say he's my favourite ever, sorry Dante, Darcy and the rest but Mercy is the real deal.
If I'm being totally honest I have to say I struggled a little at first with the POV changes, they're constant and there's no warning at all, it's certainly not a book you can skim, not that you'd want to.
I can't remember the last time I read a book which was long enough and good enough for it to completely consume me.
Yes another re-read. I know I know but you can’t have too much Mercy. And this book is amazing. But there’s a new one out hence the re-read.
Re-read 16th - 19th February 2020.
I’ve read some very mediocre (at best) books lately. Fearless has been popping up on my feed so I decided it was time for yet another re-read. It’s fabulous. Now I really do need to branch out and read her other series.
Re-read 8th March to 10th March 2018
If possible I loved this even more the second time round.
Original review.
This is the first book I've read by this author, in fact it's the first time I've even heard of this author.
It's nearly 900 pages long so yes I paused a minute before starting but once I'd started I was completely captivated by this.
Now there's already so many incredible reviews so I'll keep mine brief.
The advantage with this being so long means it can take its time to slowly introduce the characters, to develop them and therefore after a while we feel as if we really know them, there's no rush and while I had an adjustment period at first since I'm used to much shorter books and it seemed to be moving too slowly but once I'd settled in I really appreciated the time taken.
This is an MC book unlike any other, it has great characters, the men obviously like most MC books are good but here we also get strong women and this for me is the part where a lot of female authors fail.
Maggie is the MC queen and a brilliant character, her daughter Ava is a case of like mother like daughter but it was Mercy, Felix Lècuyer who stole the book and my heart, he's just the most amazing man and the more I read the more I loved him, I'd go as far as to say he's my favourite ever, sorry Dante, Darcy and the rest but Mercy is the real deal.
If I'm being totally honest I have to say I struggled a little at first with the POV changes, they're constant and there's no warning at all, it's certainly not a book you can skim, not that you'd want to.
I can't remember the last time I read a book which was long enough and good enough for it to completely consume me.
February 3, 2016
I finished FEARLESS yesterday and, to be quite honest, I am lost for words. How does one review perfection??
I was lost in this glorious book for almost SEVEN days! 1. because it's 860+ pages long (as per Amazon) and 2. because I was trying to savor the story as much as I wanted to get to the end. Does this make any sense?? Probably not but I think if/when you decide to give this a go, you'll know exactly what I mean.
This book is perfection. From start to finish. P.E.R.F.E.C.T.I.O.N! As soon as it landed on my Kindle (after a friend suggested it) and I read the first three pages, I was a goner. I don't read AS much as some of my friends but I recognize superb writing skills when I see them! I have NEVER read anything like this before. TeriLyn and I were highlighting stuff and exchanging texts like mad women, completely in AWE of Lauren's ability to describe something as simple as main characters ending conversation with
The book is so beautifully written it made me weep.
I am not going to recap the story because one simply hast to experience it to fully appreciate it but the elements of MC, family (of blood relations and the kind you make for yourself), suspense, forbidden factor, heartbreak and everything else that makes an awesome read are all there to make FEARLESS one of THE best books I've read to date, if not EVER.
Lauren Gilley is a Shakespeare of MC Romance genre. Truly.
English isn't my first language so I am not able to express ALL my love for this story to the best of my ability so please take a few minutes to read my reading sidekick's review of this amazing story here: TeriLyn's Review of FEARLESS . Her review is spoiler free and does this fantastic saga the justice it deserves.
Cheers for now!
September 14, 2016
Honestly, if this book was about 200 pages shorter, it would have been a solid 5 star. It just dragged towards the end... I nearly skimmed. But I didn't.
The subject matter in a way should have had me running for the hills. They meet when she is eight and he is 21 I think. Nothing happens. Don't worry. I don't mind an age gap. I married a younger man myself (six months younger!!! LOL - But Bruce is 16 years older than me so when he dumps Patti, I will have no problem being with him!)
Beautiful prose, wonderful characters and story. I just felt my eyes glazing over a bit for the last 20%.
I thought Ava was very mature. Probably because of the environment she grew up in ... and her Mom. Maggie. I want to be Maggie. I loved her. I would love her story. Ghost!
YES PLEASE!!
Don't even think that is how is described in the book, but who fucking cares?
Dear Lord, the language my kids hear coming out of my mouth!!
I will definitely be reading the rest of this series.
Whatever our souls are made of,
his and mine are the same.
The subject matter in a way should have had me running for the hills. They meet when she is eight and he is 21 I think. Nothing happens. Don't worry. I don't mind an age gap. I married a younger man myself (six months younger!!! LOL - But Bruce is 16 years older than me so when he dumps Patti, I will have no problem being with him!)
Beautiful prose, wonderful characters and story. I just felt my eyes glazing over a bit for the last 20%.
They passed a clump of rangy pine trees, their bases tangled with honeysuckle.
I thought Ava was very mature. Probably because of the environment she grew up in ... and her Mom. Maggie. I want to be Maggie. I loved her. I would love her story. Ghost!
Ghost was dressed, his salt-and-pepper hair damp from the shower, his cut in his hands. At fifty, his pecs and biceps still filled out his black muscle shirt in a way that left Maggie's pulse skipping ...
YES PLEASE!!
She was the reason he left Knoxville, and the reason he almost hadn't come back.
Don't even think that is how is described in the book, but who fucking cares?
Ava loved the way her parents didn't baby her; they cursed and looked her straight in the eye and treated her like an adult ...
Dear Lord, the language my kids hear coming out of my mouth!!
She heard the music fire up as she let the door to the shop swing shut behind her" Metallica, "Master of Puppets." Heavy metal to cover the screams.
I will definitely be reading the rest of this series.
August 27, 2021
Re-read
Oh, the ugliness. 🖤🖤🖤🖤
so hauntingly beautiful!!
Freaking loved it!
I actually haven't enjoyed reading a biker book this much since "Move the Sun" by S Fanetti 2 years ago.
Lazy me is copying and past a comm:
Anna ☘ wrote: "Glad it was a winner. If it's as great as Move the Sun then I'm starting it asap :)"
Anna, if I have to choose between them, I would go with Fearless.
I think it has a massive potential to become a movie or a TV series without being a copy of SOA.
The author is so talented. She has a gifted way of telling a story, rich in details, without being boring. I never thought I could find a Swamp with crocodiles beautiful, but I did and I know it was all because of her. xx
Oh, the ugliness. 🖤🖤🖤🖤
so hauntingly beautiful!!
Freaking loved it!
I actually haven't enjoyed reading a biker book this much since "Move the Sun" by S Fanetti 2 years ago.
Lazy me is copying and past a comm:
Anna ☘ wrote: "Glad it was a winner. If it's as great as Move the Sun then I'm starting it asap :)"
Anna, if I have to choose between them, I would go with Fearless.
I think it has a massive potential to become a movie or a TV series without being a copy of SOA.
The author is so talented. She has a gifted way of telling a story, rich in details, without being boring. I never thought I could find a Swamp with crocodiles beautiful, but I did and I know it was all because of her. xx
July 3, 2017
3.5 Stars
Overall Opinion: I know I went in expecting a lot out of this book. Why? Because everyone and their dog seemed to love it! At first I was hesitant because of the size of it, because it is so long. But then I just jumped right in. Sadly, I set myself up for failure...yet again. I wouldn't say I hated it or anything -- I just didn't love it.
Mercy was an awesome H! He was a great mixture of scary, sweet, and sexy. Ava? Well...I had my moments with her. I liked young Ava and the Ava at the end, but the Ava in the middle? Not so much. She was wishy-washy and was !
I also had major issues with the pacing. I truly believe a lot of the book could've been edited down, because in looking back at it some of the things weren't all that needed in the big picture. It was so long, and the descriptions at time were so much that I skimmed a lot. It felt like at least double KA descriptions (that lots of people have issues with) -- and that says something!! I really don't need to hear about the decor and the blueprint of every building in page long descriptions! It wasn't just that though either. Some of the character history went on too much, especially for those that didn't seem like they were all that relative to the storyline. Maybe because it was the first book in the series the author felt the need to elaborate on the side characters...?
The ending too! It seriously just felt like it hit a certain page number and the author shrugged and said ok that's enough! I didn't get nearly enough closure for the couple. The only thing I can think of is that there must be some more of these characters in the next books in the series, because I don't understand going through all of the stuff we did with this couple to just have it abruptly end the way it did.
All in all when I think of just Ava and Mercy's story, I was happy with it and enjoyed myself reading it. I just don't think I can justify a higher rating because of my other issues with it.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Ava and Mercy's story. Mercy was transferred to the Knoxville chapter of his mc and is assigned to protect the Vice President's wife and daughter from a threat. The daughter, Ava, and Mercy bond instantly and form a strong connection. As time goes by and Ava starts growing up, their relationship turns into something different. Some tragic events occur that separate the couple, and Mercy goes back to NOLA and Ava goes off to college. About 5 years later Ava returns for her father to be patched in as the new president, and she is shocked to find out that Mercy is back as well. There is a lot of mc drama, some family drama as well, sexy times, and some sad and also some sweet moments...and they get a HEA
POV: This alternated between focusing mainly on Ava and Mercy in 3rd person narrative, but did go to some other side characters as well.
Overall Pace of Story: Slow for a lot of it. Too slow for me at times. I definitely skimmed through a good bit of the beginning, and especially the overdone descriptions (decor, scenery, side characters, etc.). When we were in the middle of the flashback scenes for the couple and some of the present it flowed really well, and I read those parts fast and never skimmed.
Instalove: No, they've known each other for years and their relationship progressed from friendship to romantic with time.
H rating: 4.5 stars. Mercy. I really liked him! I appreciated how deeply he cared for the h and tha he had no issues in telling her. His past broke my heart.
h rating: 3 stars. Ava. I was torn about her. There were times that I was definitely irritated with her, but I also appreciated how she cared for the H and was strong (for the most part).
Sadness level: Moderate. I teared up a few times, but I never needed any tissues.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: No
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Yes
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had a really abrupt ending (see overall opinion section above). I would call this a HEA though .
How I got it: I paid the $3.99 on Amazon for it.
Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers.
Overall Opinion: I know I went in expecting a lot out of this book. Why? Because everyone and their dog seemed to love it! At first I was hesitant because of the size of it, because it is so long. But then I just jumped right in. Sadly, I set myself up for failure...yet again. I wouldn't say I hated it or anything -- I just didn't love it.
Mercy was an awesome H! He was a great mixture of scary, sweet, and sexy. Ava? Well...I had my moments with her. I liked young Ava and the Ava at the end, but the Ava in the middle? Not so much. She was wishy-washy and was !
I also had major issues with the pacing. I truly believe a lot of the book could've been edited down, because in looking back at it some of the things weren't all that needed in the big picture. It was so long, and the descriptions at time were so much that I skimmed a lot. It felt like at least double KA descriptions (that lots of people have issues with) -- and that says something!! I really don't need to hear about the decor and the blueprint of every building in page long descriptions! It wasn't just that though either. Some of the character history went on too much, especially for those that didn't seem like they were all that relative to the storyline. Maybe because it was the first book in the series the author felt the need to elaborate on the side characters...?
The ending too! It seriously just felt like it hit a certain page number and the author shrugged and said ok that's enough! I didn't get nearly enough closure for the couple. The only thing I can think of is that there must be some more of these characters in the next books in the series, because I don't understand going through all of the stuff we did with this couple to just have it abruptly end the way it did.
All in all when I think of just Ava and Mercy's story, I was happy with it and enjoyed myself reading it. I just don't think I can justify a higher rating because of my other issues with it.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Ava and Mercy's story. Mercy was transferred to the Knoxville chapter of his mc and is assigned to protect the Vice President's wife and daughter from a threat. The daughter, Ava, and Mercy bond instantly and form a strong connection. As time goes by and Ava starts growing up, their relationship turns into something different. Some tragic events occur that separate the couple, and Mercy goes back to NOLA and Ava goes off to college. About 5 years later Ava returns for her father to be patched in as the new president, and she is shocked to find out that Mercy is back as well. There is a lot of mc drama, some family drama as well, sexy times, and some sad and also some sweet moments...and they get a HEA
POV: This alternated between focusing mainly on Ava and Mercy in 3rd person narrative, but did go to some other side characters as well.
Overall Pace of Story: Slow for a lot of it. Too slow for me at times. I definitely skimmed through a good bit of the beginning, and especially the overdone descriptions (decor, scenery, side characters, etc.). When we were in the middle of the flashback scenes for the couple and some of the present it flowed really well, and I read those parts fast and never skimmed.
Instalove: No, they've known each other for years and their relationship progressed from friendship to romantic with time.
H rating: 4.5 stars. Mercy. I really liked him! I appreciated how deeply he cared for the h and tha he had no issues in telling her. His past broke my heart.
h rating: 3 stars. Ava. I was torn about her. There were times that I was definitely irritated with her, but I also appreciated how she cared for the H and was strong (for the most part).
Sadness level: Moderate. I teared up a few times, but I never needed any tissues.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: No
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Yes
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had a really abrupt ending (see overall opinion section above). I would call this a HEA though .
How I got it: I paid the $3.99 on Amazon for it.
Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers.
February 5, 2020
I really don’t know what I read the first time around because my review of that read is a whole load of hokey. How could I not have loved this book the first time round? Just HOW?? Yes, I liked it but going on the ramblings of a mad woman that would be my review below, I almost DNF’d it a few times. WTAF?
I’m so glad I decided to do a re-read, it was fan-freaking-tastic from word one right to the very end, and given that this is a long book, that’s some dazzling this author managed to achieve. The writing, the story, the characters, just everything is on point and pure magic.
So, I’m upgrading my rating to all the stars for this book. All. of. them.
*** Original review/ramblings of a mad woman***
Hmm, yet another book that's left me conflicted. See, my DNF finger twitched constantly the first third of the book, it just didn't hold my interest. Don't get me wrong, the writing is brilliant, but for me it was a tad bit on the word heavy side. I put it aside several times before knuckling down to get it done. That there already had my alarm bells ringing. Why, when I read for pleasure, should I "get it done"? I really did struggle with the pacing until things kicked off around the 35% mark, so much so that I don't think it's ever taken me 6 days to read a book.
Not only did I struggle to stay interested the first third, I also found the rapid POV changes with no warning whatsoever very confusing. Throw in the constant back and forth over three different time frames and a fair bit that wasn't very clear to me as a reader, for example - why did Collier do what he did? Same with Jace, Ronnie, etc. This needed to be fleshed out more instead of being rather vague. The biggest thing for me was this lifetime love affair Ava and Mercy had, yet What the hell?!?! This so needed fleshing out a lot more.
It's coming across that I hated the book, in fact I absolutely loved the rest of it once I got past the boredom and the story kicked up a notch. I was hooked and couldn't put it down. I loved the characters, LG sure has a wonderful way of adding such rich layers to not only the story but the characters as well.
So, my rating. 1 star for the beginning, 5 stars for the rest. I'll call it 3.5 stars.
I’m so glad I decided to do a re-read, it was fan-freaking-tastic from word one right to the very end, and given that this is a long book, that’s some dazzling this author managed to achieve. The writing, the story, the characters, just everything is on point and pure magic.
So, I’m upgrading my rating to all the stars for this book. All. of. them.
*** Original review/ramblings of a mad woman***
Hmm, yet another book that's left me conflicted. See, my DNF finger twitched constantly the first third of the book, it just didn't hold my interest. Don't get me wrong, the writing is brilliant, but for me it was a tad bit on the word heavy side. I put it aside several times before knuckling down to get it done. That there already had my alarm bells ringing. Why, when I read for pleasure, should I "get it done"? I really did struggle with the pacing until things kicked off around the 35% mark, so much so that I don't think it's ever taken me 6 days to read a book.
Not only did I struggle to stay interested the first third, I also found the rapid POV changes with no warning whatsoever very confusing. Throw in the constant back and forth over three different time frames and a fair bit that wasn't very clear to me as a reader, for example - why did Collier do what he did? Same with Jace, Ronnie, etc. This needed to be fleshed out more instead of being rather vague. The biggest thing for me was this lifetime love affair Ava and Mercy had, yet What the hell?!?! This so needed fleshing out a lot more.
It's coming across that I hated the book, in fact I absolutely loved the rest of it once I got past the boredom and the story kicked up a notch. I was hooked and couldn't put it down. I loved the characters, LG sure has a wonderful way of adding such rich layers to not only the story but the characters as well.
So, my rating. 1 star for the beginning, 5 stars for the rest. I'll call it 3.5 stars.
July 2, 2016
This author is truly brilliant. With Fearless, she created a MC Club book that was about so much more than a MC Club. Suffice it to say that this book had me awed, enthralled, captivated, enamored, and consumed.
This book was quite lengthy, which may be an issue for readers who enjoy a quick read, however, the quantity of words and pages was absolutely necessary. Taking the additional time to read this is most certainly worth the effort.
I can't even being to imagine how the author could have shortened the story of these characters because IMO it was a stellar introduction to all of them. Although the story is primarily focused on Ava and Mercy, we got POVs from the entire Teague clan as well. Each perspective gave each character depth, explained the nuances of each scene, and despite adding complications to already complicated situations, they showcased how profound the history, relationship and love was between Ava and Mercy.
Yes, the book was long, but it was incredibly fast-paced. There was never a dull moment and I didn't have to skip ahead once. There is love and trust and loyalty mixed in with betrayal, conspiracy, murder, torture, politics, friendship, family, brotherhood, and redemption.
In a nutshell, this book was awesome!!
Mmmmmmmmm... Mercy... Jason... mmmmmmmmm
XO
March 14, 2016
Five brass knuckles for Lauren Gilley’s incredible MC read! This was my first from this amazing author. Her tone is dark, intense, telling a story within a story, and branching out to each of the characters! The adrenaline rush had me glued as the sense of danger lurked within each page.
Mercy Lécuyer had been been Ava Teague personal protector, bodyguard and friend from the time she was eight. Some lines should never be crossed, and to do so is not only betraying the Lean Dogs Motorcycle Club but to the very man who had saved him.
Ghost nodded, his trust immediate and complete. Go take care of it. You look after my girl. He didn’t for a second suspect…He didn’t ever wonder…That trust should have been flattering, but in the moment, it just pissed Mercy off. You don’t have a fucking clue, he thought, conjuring the first ever bitter resentment of his vice president.
Moving back to Knoxville after being gone for five years, brings up a new set of growing pains. The kind you don’t forget no matter how much you’d wished they’d remained in the past.
Her deep purple and gray eye shadow – a soft touch in the sunlight – made her look like she’d been punched in the face. Her cheeks were thin, sunken, sallow, her skin waxy and obviously pored. Her hair hung, two limp sheets, in front of her shoulders. She wanted to blame the lighting, but she knew the truth: this is what two-point-three seconds in front of Mercy did to her.
With the town's folks turning on the outlaws and a power hungry mayor, trying to force them out. A new war is waged, the winner takes all in blood!
April 12, 2024
Bit like fan fiction of the TV show Sons of Anarchy. This is a solid MC story, well-written, unrushed, with deep characterizations not only of the protagonists but a lengthy cast of supporting characters and villains. It is epic not only in terms of the length of the novel (861 pages) but in terms of the wealth of characters, plot and subplots. The action moves from the town of Knoxville, Tennessee to the layered cake of New Orleans, down to Louisiana's eerie swamps, where Big Son, an almost mythical creature, serves as trash compactor for the motorcycle club's enemies.
Time-wise, it also stretches on, for almost two decades. I did not really like the device of doing flashbacks constantly throughout the story, especially because the transitions were abrupt and disconcerting. Overall however, I liked Fearless and I would definitely recommend it for fans of the biker-romance-suspense genre. It is not easy to find a really well-written, literary fiction in a genre that has been exploited to the silliest extremes by every pulp fiction "writer" out there with easy access to self-publishing.
Time-wise, it also stretches on, for almost two decades. I did not really like the device of doing flashbacks constantly throughout the story, especially because the transitions were abrupt and disconcerting. Overall however, I liked Fearless and I would definitely recommend it for fans of the biker-romance-suspense genre. It is not easy to find a really well-written, literary fiction in a genre that has been exploited to the silliest extremes by every pulp fiction "writer" out there with easy access to self-publishing.
July 9, 2016
Utterly speechless! Irene raved about and recommended this author/series and I was pretty sure I'd love this because Irene's never steered me wrong...well, love is an understatement. This blew me away. I've spent the past five days wrapped up in the Lean Dogs MC of Knoxville, Tennessee and I want to go back NOW! This was one magnificent read.
Full review to come! I'm diving into book 2 now.
**Won this in a giveaway by Literary Gossip Girls!**
Full review to come! I'm diving into book 2 now.
**Won this in a giveaway by Literary Gossip Girls!**
October 22, 2018
Wow this book was long...but it was also awesome !!! I loved it. Thanks to the many wonderful and raving reviews, I wanted to give this one a try and I am so glad I did.
It took me some time to get into it, but once I was in, there was no stopping !!
Ava has always been a biker
Her mom (Maggie) was only 17, when she was born and her father was 27. He also had a 8-year-old son (Aiden) already, whom her mother raised. Ava's mother was the absolute perfect "old lady".
Ava has always loved her biker family, but when she is 8 years old, there are some serious threats from another club and Ava gets her own bodyguard...Mercy.
Mercy is a "brother" from a sister club and has recently been patched in with the Lean Dogs. He is 21 and he is a beast of a man. He got his nickname, because when he was working over his victims, they asked him for mercy.... He is also the man assigned to keep Ghost's family safe. His daughter specifically.
Mercy never treats Ava as a stupid kid and the two of them form a strong bond, with Mercy actually saving Ava's life more than once.... He is there for her every step of the way, while she grows up.
However, when Ava is 17, they get bit too close. Feelings change from just love, to being in love. They try to keep things a secret, because of their age difference, but as you know....secrets always have a way of coming out. The way this secret came out, was also very heartbreaking....
I myself had no problems with their age difference. To me, it just seemed as they were meant to be.... Mercy stole my heart right from the beginning and even though their first time together had me cringing a bit.... it was very clear that he loved Ava, and would do anything for her.
After their relationship comes out, things go downhill fast. Mercy leaves and Ava breaks down and eventually moves to college....away from her biker family.
Fast forward 5 years, and Ava is bringing her college boyfriend to meet her family for the first time. She is finishing her grad year in her hometown and so is her boyfriend. Ava is not the same girl she used to be and she has tried to distance herself from the club. But being back brings back a lot memories and feelings, and she can feel the pull of the club.
Things are also changes within the MC. Ghost is taking over as the new president and because of various outside threats to the club, Mercy is requested back to stay. Mercy also knows, he doesn't want to be without Ava anymore... enough is enough.
Will Ava be able to resist her one true love, will she be able to forgive him. A lot of secrets are about to be revealed and a war is right on the MC's doorstep.....
Damn this was such a good MC book. It was very long though, and the author seems to be in the habit of describing every detail very thoroughly. I could have done with a bit less descriptions. Still this is one of the best MC books I have ever read. It has true love, suspense, steam, secrets, threats, violence and an awesome MC family.
Extra points for Ava's mom Maggie, who was the bomb !!
This book was long, but besides the overly done descriptions, I wasn't bored for a second. I will definitely read more in this series....!! Ps...for those who want to know....there is cheating in this book, but not between the hero and heroine.
September 8, 2023
So a long time ago my pal Val told me I haaaaaaaaaaad to read this book, but I just wasn’t in the mood so I failed her. But then I heard Chris Stapleton singing “White Horse” and, well . . . .
That song really got my engine revving for some sort of alpha male, maybe in the form of a motorcycle gang member, type of read and I remembered I had this loaded on the Kindle.
Now I’m going to tell you that my pal Val told me this wasn’t actually eleventy trillion pages long because porno pages aren’t the same as regular pages, but she LIED. Oh this was incredibly too long and I most definitely was ready for it to be over as the ending drug on and on (and on). The good news is, there actually was a plot unlike most smut I pick up. The bad news is this features a very taboo May/December romance so please save your breath if you’re even thinking about threatening to send Chris Hansen to my house (even I found it cringey when the male lead started referring to the female lead as “little girl” at the end of the book).
Oh, and as far as Chris Stapleton goes? There’s one thing I think is probably pretty accurate . . .
3.5 Stars and rounding up so my friend doesn’t defriend me.
That song really got my engine revving for some sort of alpha male, maybe in the form of a motorcycle gang member, type of read and I remembered I had this loaded on the Kindle.
Now I’m going to tell you that my pal Val told me this wasn’t actually eleventy trillion pages long because porno pages aren’t the same as regular pages, but she LIED. Oh this was incredibly too long and I most definitely was ready for it to be over as the ending drug on and on (and on). The good news is, there actually was a plot unlike most smut I pick up. The bad news is this features a very taboo May/December romance so please save your breath if you’re even thinking about threatening to send Chris Hansen to my house (even I found it cringey when the male lead started referring to the female lead as “little girl” at the end of the book).
Oh, and as far as Chris Stapleton goes? There’s one thing I think is probably pretty accurate . . .
3.5 Stars and rounding up so my friend doesn’t defriend me.
January 9, 2017
Gave up at 69%. It was just too long!
July 20, 2018
I've been contemplating reading this book for the last couple of years but the sheer size of it had me overwhelmed. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the fastest and 1 representing the slowest, of how fast a person can read I'd give myself a score of 4.5. So, a 700+ page book had me thinking of how many hours it would take me to read it. I decided to stop letting the size of the book scare me and to read it. I'm glad I did because now I have a new-to-me author’s books to add to my TBR list.
Ms. Gilley's writing was the first thing that stood out to me as I started reading Fearless. I was impressed by her style and her way with words and descriptions. This isn't a fluffy mc romance but one that feels realistic. The world she's created is a dangerous one and the story doesn't shy away from the fact that these men and women are living as outlaws.
Fans of the tv show SOA will be prepared for the gritty world of the mc. The story pulls no punches or sugar coats the way of life for these 1%-ers.
The story is told in 3rd person which allows the reader to get many perspectives on what is happening. The story revolves around Ava & Mercy. Ava is the daughter of the VP, Ghost, and his wife, Maggie. The story takes us back to when Ava is a little girl and then goes through the current time when she's now 22 years old. Their story takes place in a couple of states too. One of my favorite parts of the book is when the story travels to where Mercy grew up. Seeing what made Mercy the man he is today added a lot of perspective to his character.
FEARLESS is the first book in the Dartmoor series. This series is about the mc world and the stories center around the lives of the men/women of an outlaw motorcycle club. At times the story will have the reader on the edge of their seat. I even gasped at one of the many twists the story takes. The story will push the readers moral and social boundaries. In the end, the author takes no shortcuts when offering the reader a journey into this dark world. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.
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Ms. Gilley's writing was the first thing that stood out to me as I started reading Fearless. I was impressed by her style and her way with words and descriptions. This isn't a fluffy mc romance but one that feels realistic. The world she's created is a dangerous one and the story doesn't shy away from the fact that these men and women are living as outlaws.
Fans of the tv show SOA will be prepared for the gritty world of the mc. The story pulls no punches or sugar coats the way of life for these 1%-ers.
The story is told in 3rd person which allows the reader to get many perspectives on what is happening. The story revolves around Ava & Mercy. Ava is the daughter of the VP, Ghost, and his wife, Maggie. The story takes us back to when Ava is a little girl and then goes through the current time when she's now 22 years old. Their story takes place in a couple of states too. One of my favorite parts of the book is when the story travels to where Mercy grew up. Seeing what made Mercy the man he is today added a lot of perspective to his character.
FEARLESS is the first book in the Dartmoor series. This series is about the mc world and the stories center around the lives of the men/women of an outlaw motorcycle club. At times the story will have the reader on the edge of their seat. I even gasped at one of the many twists the story takes. The story will push the readers moral and social boundaries. In the end, the author takes no shortcuts when offering the reader a journey into this dark world. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.
Follow Foxy Blogs at: Blog ♥ Twitter ♥ Instagram ♥ Facebook
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February 16, 2020
September 2017
09/21/2016 -- Look at me! I read it again. Reading the whole series again. Just love it and can't find anything else right now that takes me so deep and so well out of my own head and into another place. Really love this series.
02/21/2016 -- Twice in less than 6 months. I LOVE .. LOVE .. LOVE this story. I've read many by this author and feel she is one of the best out there. She is an auto-buy for me. I get giddy when I know I have a new one of her books to read. Don't you love when you find an author that you love? The only thing that makes it so much nicer .. when they have a whole host of books you don't know about that you now get to devour. Well .. GET to it!!
09/07/2015 --
ABSOLUTELY Anything. I will at least try absolutely anything this author writes. I just finished my first read by Lauren Gilley and am amazed I've not read her before. I enjoyed this book immensely. I've found a new favorite author!!!
What stands out for me with this one?
1 -- The characters. Mercy and Ava are so enjoyable. Immersing myself in their story took me away. I found it truly extraordinary. If you take the time to read without judging, you'll find that who they are makes sense. How they came to each other, found their love, AND had the courage to go with it .. given all the odds, pure escapism! Definitely the perfect read for me. Each of these characters are interesting by themselves, but put them together and you have amazing.
The secondary characters are just as excellent and well written. She doesn't scrimp on character development. Enough detail so you know who they are. You get to know them and are then invested in them, but nothing appears tedious. Very well put together.
2 -- This is a long story. My FAVORITE kind. When they work well, I NEVER want them to end. This one started as a serial story [written in installments with different release dates]. I'm so glad I didn't read it then. I would have been so strung out waiting for the next and then the next. If I'd have known, I would have waited. Fortunately I didn't even know about this author or book until this book [the first in this series] was all put together into on book. Perfect for me. I love a long, absorbing tale. On reflection -- having just finished this one, nothing about this seemed too long. The plot developed and flowed very nicely. No loose ends left. Just a very well developed creation. It made sense and I hated for it to end. I'm fighting myself right now .. I'm wanting to start it all over again. Why don't I then? Because that is just a bit cray cray and I have others in the series to read [yay!!]. Maybe I'll make this my Holiday re-read so I can read it again as the new year starts? I seriously really enjoyed this book.
3 -- Love isn't always simple. It doesn't always conform to the restrictions we [society] try to put on it. This is that story. We have two people who care about each other tremendously. They can't remember a time they didn't love each other. It started out as one type of love, but slowly, over time, evolved into another love. Whatever it is, it is consuming. They fought it with all they had because ... society tells them something may not be right about it. There is a 13 year age gap between our H and h. If they were in their 30's and late 40's, it wouldn't be such a tough sell, but being that one party is barely 18, it makes it tough. Saying this, to anyone having reservations about reading this book, I'll say this one works. Please, you owe it to yourself to give this one a chance. I bet you won't be sorry. You don't really have a uggy feeling reading this one. Love doesn't always fit in a nice, neat box. I'm so glad the author gave us these two incredible characters and that they followed their hearts.
4 -- Very polished. Normally, these MC books are just crap on a page [not trying to be offensive .. my opinion only]. You have to wade through poor grammar, terrible spelling and awful sentence structure. Sometimes you end the book with a good story in spite of these issues, but most of the time you are just glad you could shut the book and move to the next one. I keep trying them because when they work, I enjoy the experience. For me, this is outstanding given its competition in this story-line; one of my top MC reads of all time. I'm also going to say, Fearless ranks as one of my top reads of 2015.
So, what didn't work for me?
1 -- There were a few [very few] minor spelling issues.
2 -- A few [again, very few] places the length seems too long. The next sentence had you hating the book was ending too soon though, so not sure this even is a consideration.
I'm pretty tough. I rarely give 5 Stars. I just can't talk myself out of it here. Sure, like I said above, there were a few spelling issues and a few places where the book seemed a bit long, but in the next sentence, I was worrying about it not being long enough. I was watching the page count go down and down and wanting to start all over again. When I think about my overall enjoyment and the anticipation I have for reading the next book in the series or just ANY other book by this author, how could I not give this book 5 Stars? So, there you have it. One of my few 5 Star reads of the year. Ta Da!! Great job Ms. Gilley!!!
++++++++++++++++++
Overall Rating = 5 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 3 / 4 / 5 = 4 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 10 Stars
Character / Secondary Character Development = 5 / 5 = 5 Stars
“Did I like” Hero / Heroine = 5 / 5 = 5 Stars
Story / Background Story Development = 5 / 5 = 5 Stars
“Did I like the Damned Thing” = 10 Stars
Ending = 5 Stars
Worth the Chili = 5 Stars -- [$3.99 on Amazon]
Smexy [HEAT] Rating = Mild to Steamy
738 pages
First sentence: "There are no facts, only interpretations." Friedrich Nietzsche had said that.
Last sentence: He kissed her again, in their room full of sunlight, and treasured memories, and possibilities.
09/21/2016 -- Look at me! I read it again. Reading the whole series again. Just love it and can't find anything else right now that takes me so deep and so well out of my own head and into another place. Really love this series.
02/21/2016 -- Twice in less than 6 months. I LOVE .. LOVE .. LOVE this story. I've read many by this author and feel she is one of the best out there. She is an auto-buy for me. I get giddy when I know I have a new one of her books to read. Don't you love when you find an author that you love? The only thing that makes it so much nicer .. when they have a whole host of books you don't know about that you now get to devour. Well .. GET to it!!
09/07/2015 --
ABSOLUTELY Anything. I will at least try absolutely anything this author writes. I just finished my first read by Lauren Gilley and am amazed I've not read her before. I enjoyed this book immensely. I've found a new favorite author!!!
What stands out for me with this one?
1 -- The characters. Mercy and Ava are so enjoyable. Immersing myself in their story took me away. I found it truly extraordinary. If you take the time to read without judging, you'll find that who they are makes sense. How they came to each other, found their love, AND had the courage to go with it .. given all the odds, pure escapism! Definitely the perfect read for me. Each of these characters are interesting by themselves, but put them together and you have amazing.
The secondary characters are just as excellent and well written. She doesn't scrimp on character development. Enough detail so you know who they are. You get to know them and are then invested in them, but nothing appears tedious. Very well put together.
2 -- This is a long story. My FAVORITE kind. When they work well, I NEVER want them to end. This one started as a serial story [written in installments with different release dates]. I'm so glad I didn't read it then. I would have been so strung out waiting for the next and then the next. If I'd have known, I would have waited. Fortunately I didn't even know about this author or book until this book [the first in this series] was all put together into on book. Perfect for me. I love a long, absorbing tale. On reflection -- having just finished this one, nothing about this seemed too long. The plot developed and flowed very nicely. No loose ends left. Just a very well developed creation. It made sense and I hated for it to end. I'm fighting myself right now .. I'm wanting to start it all over again. Why don't I then? Because that is just a bit cray cray and I have others in the series to read [yay!!]. Maybe I'll make this my Holiday re-read so I can read it again as the new year starts? I seriously really enjoyed this book.
3 -- Love isn't always simple. It doesn't always conform to the restrictions we [society] try to put on it. This is that story. We have two people who care about each other tremendously. They can't remember a time they didn't love each other. It started out as one type of love, but slowly, over time, evolved into another love. Whatever it is, it is consuming. They fought it with all they had because ... society tells them something may not be right about it. There is a 13 year age gap between our H and h. If they were in their 30's and late 40's, it wouldn't be such a tough sell, but being that one party is barely 18, it makes it tough. Saying this, to anyone having reservations about reading this book, I'll say this one works. Please, you owe it to yourself to give this one a chance. I bet you won't be sorry. You don't really have a uggy feeling reading this one. Love doesn't always fit in a nice, neat box. I'm so glad the author gave us these two incredible characters and that they followed their hearts.
4 -- Very polished. Normally, these MC books are just crap on a page [not trying to be offensive .. my opinion only]. You have to wade through poor grammar, terrible spelling and awful sentence structure. Sometimes you end the book with a good story in spite of these issues, but most of the time you are just glad you could shut the book and move to the next one. I keep trying them because when they work, I enjoy the experience. For me, this is outstanding given its competition in this story-line; one of my top MC reads of all time. I'm also going to say, Fearless ranks as one of my top reads of 2015.
So, what didn't work for me?
1 -- There were a few [very few] minor spelling issues.
2 -- A few [again, very few] places the length seems too long. The next sentence had you hating the book was ending too soon though, so not sure this even is a consideration.
I'm pretty tough. I rarely give 5 Stars. I just can't talk myself out of it here. Sure, like I said above, there were a few spelling issues and a few places where the book seemed a bit long, but in the next sentence, I was worrying about it not being long enough. I was watching the page count go down and down and wanting to start all over again. When I think about my overall enjoyment and the anticipation I have for reading the next book in the series or just ANY other book by this author, how could I not give this book 5 Stars? So, there you have it. One of my few 5 Star reads of the year. Ta Da!! Great job Ms. Gilley!!!
++++++++++++++++++
Overall Rating = 5 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 3 / 4 / 5 = 4 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 10 Stars
Character / Secondary Character Development = 5 / 5 = 5 Stars
“Did I like” Hero / Heroine = 5 / 5 = 5 Stars
Story / Background Story Development = 5 / 5 = 5 Stars
“Did I like the Damned Thing” = 10 Stars
Ending = 5 Stars
Worth the Chili = 5 Stars -- [$3.99 on Amazon]
Smexy [HEAT] Rating = Mild to Steamy
738 pages
First sentence: "There are no facts, only interpretations." Friedrich Nietzsche had said that.
Last sentence: He kissed her again, in their room full of sunlight, and treasured memories, and possibilities.
September 19, 2024
5☆ Comfort reread success. 😎 It was so good to be back with my beloved Byronic hero, Mercy, and his beautifully resilient Ava as they navigate the crazy Dartmoor MC family, go on the lam for a swampy honeymoon, and kick villainous politician ass. 🥰 LG is an incredible writer, just wow. 700 pages and I was still trying to space it out in order to savor it. Yeah, it’s like that. Going to have to revisit Maggie & Ghost’s story soon and check out some other series by this super underrated author!
***
5☆ The first word that comes to mind is EPIC. The second, third, and hundredth: Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. 🙌
This is, without a doubt, one of the most beautifully-written books and couples that I’ve ever read. Lauren Gilley is an astonishingly gifted writer of dangerously lyrical prose and she deserves every single star we have to give.
❦➳ “This was the lethal cocktail of Mercy Lécuyer: his baffling good humor, and his veiled fury. A wolf who chose to domesticate himself amongst Labradors, who pretended to be one, most of the time.”
I don’t reread books much, but I’ve come back to this one a few times already. I’m baffled that it doesn’t have an even wider readership, though I know those who love it really LOVE it. It's unlike any biker book I've ever come across, and is more like literary fiction with (hot, epic) romantic elements. Or maybe folks are turned off by the taboo age gap between Mercy and Ava, but honestly there was nothing gratuitous. The whole epic vibe just overwhelmed everything else so it just doesn’t fucking matter. They are simply meant to be and perfectly matched without a single doubt. If Mercy, the charming, haunted, sexy gator-and-man-hunting Cajun prince were a couple of years younger, and Ava had waited even 1 more year, it would have been more palatable, sure. This book pushes that edge, since he's been her gentle monstrous bodyguard since she was 8. But their deep, forbidden love came off as the sweetest, most natural and inevitable progression. And they are just EPIC FIRE together, both before and after the 5 year separation enforced by Ghost.
❦➳ “It was all so spectacularly new for her: the roughness of the hair on his legs, the thick satin of his skin, the sense of absolute surrender as all six-feet-five-inches of his grand height covered her with the elegance and savagery of a panther.”
So back to Mercy, my #1 Book Husband of all time.
❦➳ "Then take a good look, fillette." Mercy’s eyes lifted to hers, and their intensity was unfathomable. "Because this is what it looks like when a man wants to be inside you.” 🥵
Did I mention his dirty talk is on point? Oh, and that he’s a beastly hot protective badass who is also fucking hilarious? He's so Jason Mamoa coded.
❦➳ “What the hell’s wrong with this generation?"
"Participation trophies," Mercy said. "And Adderall.”
It’s rare that both the H and h are such rockstar characters. I fell completely for both of them; well, maybe I melted into the floor for the Cajun loverboy and just want to be BFF 4ava with his Fillette (who is so Nina Dobrev coded). 😉 Ava is such a strong, feisty, compassionate, brilliant and beautiful soul, and such a seamless match for the equally beautiful soul belonging to her forbidden “darling monster.” What she went through…heartbreaking in more ways than one. But I had to smile at some of her thoughts about various coming-of-age discoveries, be it a first kiss or encountering an obnoxiously pretentious lit professor 😉
❦➳ “She’d never kissed anyone before. It was so much messier than she’d always thought it would be. It was so undignified and basic and unrefined. It was glorious.”
I loved Ava's fierceness as much as her soft heart, something she has in common with with her incredible mom, Maggie.
❦➳ “Call me a princess again," she said, "and the only place for you will be the bottom of that lake out there." Unperturbed, he said, "Technically, that’s a bayou."
"Technically, I don’t care.”
Contributing to the suspenseful elements of the plot, the found family of badass bikers is so full of uniquely appealing antiheroes you cannot help but root for. The Lean Dog world building is strong. But I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever forgive Ghost for what he put Ava and Mercy through. He needs a longer TIME. OUT. Maggie, I love you so much but your husband acts like a dumb asshole sometimes. That said, part of Lauren Gilley’s talent is creating perfectly imperfect characters with absolute purpose, clarity, and a messy, poetic sort of beauty that doesn’t allow you to forget them, ever.
Reading American Hellhound did make me understand Ghost a lot more, in fact it’s one of my favorites from this series without a doubt. I just haven’t seen writing that quite compares to Lauren Gilley’s in this genre. I understand now why she sees this as literary fiction with romantic elements, as opposed to straight up romance. I don’t really care what it’s called as long as it exists and she never, ever stops writing it.
If this will be your first time at Dartmoor, I am unbelievably jealous. Wait, what are you even still doing here? 🫵 🏃🏻♀️➡️
***
5☆ The first word that comes to mind is EPIC. The second, third, and hundredth: Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. 🙌
This is, without a doubt, one of the most beautifully-written books and couples that I’ve ever read. Lauren Gilley is an astonishingly gifted writer of dangerously lyrical prose and she deserves every single star we have to give.
❦➳ “This was the lethal cocktail of Mercy Lécuyer: his baffling good humor, and his veiled fury. A wolf who chose to domesticate himself amongst Labradors, who pretended to be one, most of the time.”
I don’t reread books much, but I’ve come back to this one a few times already. I’m baffled that it doesn’t have an even wider readership, though I know those who love it really LOVE it. It's unlike any biker book I've ever come across, and is more like literary fiction with (hot, epic) romantic elements. Or maybe folks are turned off by the taboo age gap between Mercy and Ava, but honestly there was nothing gratuitous. The whole epic vibe just overwhelmed everything else so it just doesn’t fucking matter. They are simply meant to be and perfectly matched without a single doubt. If Mercy, the charming, haunted, sexy gator-and-man-hunting Cajun prince were a couple of years younger, and Ava had waited even 1 more year, it would have been more palatable, sure. This book pushes that edge, since he's been her gentle monstrous bodyguard since she was 8. But their deep, forbidden love came off as the sweetest, most natural and inevitable progression. And they are just EPIC FIRE together, both before and after the 5 year separation enforced by Ghost.
❦➳ “It was all so spectacularly new for her: the roughness of the hair on his legs, the thick satin of his skin, the sense of absolute surrender as all six-feet-five-inches of his grand height covered her with the elegance and savagery of a panther.”
So back to Mercy, my #1 Book Husband of all time.
❦➳ "Then take a good look, fillette." Mercy’s eyes lifted to hers, and their intensity was unfathomable. "Because this is what it looks like when a man wants to be inside you.” 🥵
Did I mention his dirty talk is on point? Oh, and that he’s a beastly hot protective badass who is also fucking hilarious? He's so Jason Mamoa coded.
❦➳ “What the hell’s wrong with this generation?"
"Participation trophies," Mercy said. "And Adderall.”
It’s rare that both the H and h are such rockstar characters. I fell completely for both of them; well, maybe I melted into the floor for the Cajun loverboy and just want to be BFF 4ava with his Fillette (who is so Nina Dobrev coded). 😉 Ava is such a strong, feisty, compassionate, brilliant and beautiful soul, and such a seamless match for the equally beautiful soul belonging to her forbidden “darling monster.” What she went through…heartbreaking in more ways than one. But I had to smile at some of her thoughts about various coming-of-age discoveries, be it a first kiss or encountering an obnoxiously pretentious lit professor 😉
❦➳ “She’d never kissed anyone before. It was so much messier than she’d always thought it would be. It was so undignified and basic and unrefined. It was glorious.”
I loved Ava's fierceness as much as her soft heart, something she has in common with with her incredible mom, Maggie.
❦➳ “Call me a princess again," she said, "and the only place for you will be the bottom of that lake out there." Unperturbed, he said, "Technically, that’s a bayou."
"Technically, I don’t care.”
Contributing to the suspenseful elements of the plot, the found family of badass bikers is so full of uniquely appealing antiheroes you cannot help but root for. The Lean Dog world building is strong. But I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever forgive Ghost for what he put Ava and Mercy through. He needs a longer TIME. OUT. Maggie, I love you so much but your husband acts like a dumb asshole sometimes. That said, part of Lauren Gilley’s talent is creating perfectly imperfect characters with absolute purpose, clarity, and a messy, poetic sort of beauty that doesn’t allow you to forget them, ever.
Reading American Hellhound did make me understand Ghost a lot more, in fact it’s one of my favorites from this series without a doubt. I just haven’t seen writing that quite compares to Lauren Gilley’s in this genre. I understand now why she sees this as literary fiction with romantic elements, as opposed to straight up romance. I don’t really care what it’s called as long as it exists and she never, ever stops writing it.
If this will be your first time at Dartmoor, I am unbelievably jealous. Wait, what are you even still doing here? 🫵 🏃🏻♀️➡️
October 26, 2022
5 STARS!
Hah! Jokes on me because this was amazing. There was so much depth to the story and I didn't want it to end . . . which was good because it was LONG.😂 And it wasn't bogged down by all the things I usually hate about MC reads.
So Mercy and Ava and their twisted little tale . . .
"Most of the time, a hero like that doesn't get the girl."I FINALLY read this! Over the years, I think it's the book that's been recommended to me the most, but I was always put off by the MC angle.
Hah! Jokes on me because this was amazing. There was so much depth to the story and I didn't want it to end . . . which was good because it was LONG.😂 And it wasn't bogged down by all the things I usually hate about MC reads.
So Mercy and Ava and their twisted little tale . . .
It was so perfect, and it was so disastrous.. . . get a huge thumbs up from me. Mercy has officially been added to my very select list of book boyfriends. Holy swoon factor!😍
April 18, 2022
This book isn’t perfect. It’s too long, and Ava isn’t a bad heroine, but she’s not one of my favorites. But Felix Lécuyer, aka Mercy, is a fantastic hero, and his relationship with Ava is everything I love in fiction: interesting, angsty, hot, slightly disturbing, messy, emotional, raw, and epic. It gets this book to a place where it hits on an emotional level, and so I don’t care about its (very few!) flaws.
Ava’s dad is in an MC. When she was 8, the club was under attack from a rival. So, her dad got Mercy, a 21 year old member of his club, to be her protector. Their relationship is platonic for years. Attraction sparks when she's 17 and he's 30. He resists it for a bit before he caves.
Mercy has a mix of dark / violent and warm / cheerful qualities that are rarely combined in the same character. He’s the whole package: he’s mildly unhinged and scary, thoughtful, and also funny, all at once. Even though he IS fiction, he feels like a larger than life, “truth is stranger than fiction” type of guy, who you’d meet and still be telling your friends about years later. In an unskilled author’s hands, he could easily not work. He could feel TOO fictional. Instead, we’ve all met guys in real life who would almost seem too fake if you tried to capture them in a novel. He feels like one of those guys. Everything about him is improbable, but somehow, through the writing magic of this story, it makes him feel more realistic instead of less.
The story does a great job of showing how Mercy and Ava’s connection transcends their age gap, but it also doesn’t shy away from…undertones. At one point, it’s said that she’s “his little girl” and there’s something “paternal” in certain gestures he does to her (but, it’s not a daddy kink book). He tells Ava that the first time he felt attracted to her (“all of a sudden, I wanted to bend you over and see what you tasted like,”) he was startled by this urge because, ���I loved you like you were my very own.” In a moment when he’s proud of her, it’s said that his roles as her lover and pseudo father figure get “all mixed up again” and, “She didn’t care; secretly, she liked it, if she was honest with herself.”
Whether that makes you say, “Wow, yes, inject that into my veins,” or whether it makes you go, “Yuck,” this story doesn’t give a damn. It just shows this relationship, and we can make of it what we will. I like that it doesn’t sand down the edges to be more palatable. It doesn’t go out of its way to TRY be taboo. But, it also doesn’t sugar-coat the parts of their relationship that might make some people uncomfortable. Age gap has some inherent weirdness, and most age gap books gloss over it! This one feels more emotionally truthful than others.
For Plot Reasons, Mercy and Ava get separated for 5 years. The book starts when she’s 22 and he’s 35. The middle is a LONG flashback to when she was 17 and he was 30. After that flashback ended, I had to skip back to remind myself what was even happening in the present-day plot. The structure is weird. But, it also works for this story, to get immersed in their past all at once, rather than get that story in fragments, if it had jumped between present and past in alternating chapters. (Also, this review is coming from a re-read, and the odd structure works GREAT for re-reads).
Although this book has fans and isn’t totally obscure, it’s way too underrated. No shade to Undeniable or Welcome to the Dark Side, I like them fine! But this book is on another level. No offense to Zeus and full offense to Deus, but it’s insulting to all of us that those get the most hype as the definitive MC age gap reads, when Mercy exists. Both of those books have THOUSANDS more reviews than this one, which feels like a crime. When I first read this book after several years of reading the MC genre, and hearing other books get talked about more than this one, I felt confused and a bit tricked. Like, most MC readers have been talking up fast food — meanwhile, this gourmet meal was sitting right here, hardly getting mentioned. Don’t people want nice things?
I do understand why this gets less hype. It’s VERY long, some readers get weird about 3rd person POV, and the writing is lovely but requires you to be in the mood to stop and smell the roses. It’s not slow, but it’s a book to sink into, not sprint through. But this is – or, it should be – THE definitive MC age gap read. And it’s my barometer for whether or not an MC reader has Taste.
Ava’s dad is in an MC. When she was 8, the club was under attack from a rival. So, her dad got Mercy, a 21 year old member of his club, to be her protector. Their relationship is platonic for years. Attraction sparks when she's 17 and he's 30. He resists it for a bit before he caves.
Mercy has a mix of dark / violent and warm / cheerful qualities that are rarely combined in the same character. He’s the whole package: he’s mildly unhinged and scary, thoughtful, and also funny, all at once. Even though he IS fiction, he feels like a larger than life, “truth is stranger than fiction” type of guy, who you’d meet and still be telling your friends about years later. In an unskilled author’s hands, he could easily not work. He could feel TOO fictional. Instead, we’ve all met guys in real life who would almost seem too fake if you tried to capture them in a novel. He feels like one of those guys. Everything about him is improbable, but somehow, through the writing magic of this story, it makes him feel more realistic instead of less.
The story does a great job of showing how Mercy and Ava’s connection transcends their age gap, but it also doesn’t shy away from…undertones. At one point, it’s said that she’s “his little girl” and there’s something “paternal” in certain gestures he does to her (but, it’s not a daddy kink book). He tells Ava that the first time he felt attracted to her (“all of a sudden, I wanted to bend you over and see what you tasted like,”) he was startled by this urge because, ���I loved you like you were my very own.” In a moment when he’s proud of her, it’s said that his roles as her lover and pseudo father figure get “all mixed up again” and, “She didn’t care; secretly, she liked it, if she was honest with herself.”
Whether that makes you say, “Wow, yes, inject that into my veins,” or whether it makes you go, “Yuck,” this story doesn’t give a damn. It just shows this relationship, and we can make of it what we will. I like that it doesn’t sand down the edges to be more palatable. It doesn’t go out of its way to TRY be taboo. But, it also doesn’t sugar-coat the parts of their relationship that might make some people uncomfortable. Age gap has some inherent weirdness, and most age gap books gloss over it! This one feels more emotionally truthful than others.
For Plot Reasons, Mercy and Ava get separated for 5 years. The book starts when she’s 22 and he’s 35. The middle is a LONG flashback to when she was 17 and he was 30. After that flashback ended, I had to skip back to remind myself what was even happening in the present-day plot. The structure is weird. But, it also works for this story, to get immersed in their past all at once, rather than get that story in fragments, if it had jumped between present and past in alternating chapters. (Also, this review is coming from a re-read, and the odd structure works GREAT for re-reads).
Although this book has fans and isn’t totally obscure, it’s way too underrated. No shade to Undeniable or Welcome to the Dark Side, I like them fine! But this book is on another level. No offense to Zeus and full offense to Deus, but it’s insulting to all of us that those get the most hype as the definitive MC age gap reads, when Mercy exists. Both of those books have THOUSANDS more reviews than this one, which feels like a crime. When I first read this book after several years of reading the MC genre, and hearing other books get talked about more than this one, I felt confused and a bit tricked. Like, most MC readers have been talking up fast food — meanwhile, this gourmet meal was sitting right here, hardly getting mentioned. Don’t people want nice things?
I do understand why this gets less hype. It’s VERY long, some readers get weird about 3rd person POV, and the writing is lovely but requires you to be in the mood to stop and smell the roses. It’s not slow, but it’s a book to sink into, not sprint through. But this is – or, it should be – THE definitive MC age gap read. And it’s my barometer for whether or not an MC reader has Taste.
July 17, 2020
Okay so update, i made it till about 25% and i can now say without a doubt that i don’t like anything about this book!
Before i get into why this book didn’t work for me, i just wanna prelude this by saying that i know I’m in the minority in this, as i saw that the book has a lot of rave reviews, and a lot of my friends love it, so if you want to read this book, just ignore my review and read it because you might like it.
Okay now that i got that out of the way, let’s get into why i absolutely hated this book.
First I will admit that i got into this book with super high expectations, because i had read a lot of people raving about how mind blowing it is and so on.
But as soon as i started reading i immediately noticed the super annoying writing style, i don’t really mind super long books, in fact some of my favorite books are extremely long, and super slow burn, namely “The Wall of Winnipeg and Me”,“Kulti” and “Wait for It” by Mariana Zapata.
But my problem here is that not only is this book 700+ pages long, but i feel like 50% of the book is just descriptions of things i couldn’t care less about. I literally only read 25 % and i found myself just skimming through the long boring PAGES of descriptions just to get to some dialogue. I do love me some details but these endless pages of unnecessary, useless descriptions were just excruciatingly hard to read.
Okay next when there was finally some dialogue, i almost wished we could go back to the boring descriptions since i absolutely hated both the heroine and the hero which has never happened to me before( i usually either hate the male OR female lead, not both).
The heroine Ava was just so weak, whiny, irrational, annoying and overall pathetic. The hero Mercy was so arrogant, annoying and just the biggest dick. (They do make quite a pair huh 🤔)
So i was already annoyed by all of these things when THE most annoying thing happened at 9% in the book.
Ava is back home with her new rich boyfriend, after five years of being away. We obviously know that the reason she left in the first place was because some shit went down with Mercy (although we don’t know what exactly happened).
Anyways, Mercy walks on Ava when she’s changing her shirt in the bathroom at a party.
He starts grabbing her boobs and kissing her because in his messed up head, he thought, (and I’ll let him say it) “And tonight, seeing her little douchebag boyfriend with his shiny hair and shinier shoes – he’d had to prove, to the both of them, that she would still come alive at his touch, that it was him she loved, no matter who she allowed to pray at her altar.”
And then he fucking kisses her, AND she fucking lets him.
So right here i was obviously thinking what a weak ass hoe(Ava), and what an asshole(Mercy).
And then (cuz it obviously just had to get worse), instead of breaking up with her boyfriend, because she cheated on him and that would be the logical and reasonable thing to do. She instead continues to not only treat him like shit but she also allows her parents to treat him like shit. And she doesn’t even feel guilty about that or the cheating!!!
And because the reason i read the book in the first place is because of my friend Val’s review, and she loved it so much, i decided to give it one more chance.
So i gave it another chance, got till about 25% in and i just can’t keep going, i have never disliked a book as much as i disliked this one!
It’s not just the length that put me off, cuz mind you i would’ve kept going if it caught my interest but it just wasn’t doing it.
I might give it another chance in the future, and maybe my opinion would change with a second read, who knows, but for now I’m done, and I’m ready to move on to another book!
Anyways, If you got this far and read all of my ramblings and messy thoughts, here’s a cookie for you 🍪( and an extra cupcake cuz you deserve it🧁) 💕
February 5, 2020
5+++++++ stars
I don't know how many times I have recommened this story and urged my book buddies to read it.
It is one of the best-written books (and series) I have read in a while.
861 pages-turned later and crossed eyes, Lauren Gilley is on my list of favourite authors.
What a great introduction to the Lean Dogs MC club. I absolutely loved everything about this book, characters, writing and 861 pages of sublime reading :)
Raw, real, romantic and realistic. An MC series with a difference.
Straight onto book 2.
I don't know how many times I have recommened this story and urged my book buddies to read it.
It is one of the best-written books (and series) I have read in a while.
861 pages-turned later and crossed eyes, Lauren Gilley is on my list of favourite authors.
What a great introduction to the Lean Dogs MC club. I absolutely loved everything about this book, characters, writing and 861 pages of sublime reading :)
Raw, real, romantic and realistic. An MC series with a difference.
Straight onto book 2.
August 22, 2015
I enjoyed this biker romance, the author does a great job of creating a very full, detailed world with many fleshed out characters. I plan on reading the rest of the books in the series as I enjoyed the story and and the author's writing style.
The book lost a star for a couple reasons. The book was LONG. I am glad for a nice fleshed out story but some of the descriptions and details were a bit unnecessary. There were also a ton of flashbacks, I felt like they took up half the story. The last issue is the creep factor about the main couple's relationship that seemed pushed in our face the entire book - that the hero was 13 years older than the heroine, they had a father/daughter relationship than morphed into love when she was around 17. It was kind of skeezy but I could have gotten over it more if it wasn't brought up so often. Overall I still enjoyed the romance and story though, I felt like the couple belonged together.
The book lost a star for a couple reasons. The book was LONG. I am glad for a nice fleshed out story but some of the descriptions and details were a bit unnecessary. There were also a ton of flashbacks, I felt like they took up half the story. The last issue is the creep factor about the main couple's relationship that seemed pushed in our face the entire book - that the hero was 13 years older than the heroine, they had a father/daughter relationship than morphed into love when she was around 17. It was kind of skeezy but I could have gotten over it more if it wasn't brought up so often. Overall I still enjoyed the romance and story though, I felt like the couple belonged together.
July 5, 2021
Ugh! Fucking read this book already, or I swear I'm gonna haunt y'all in your dreams.
August 16, 2017
10 STARS**********
Nothing better than finding a well written, and electric MC book. And this one was hella good!!!!!
Very character driven, fast paced and each page bleeding with passion. The kind of book and that hooks you from the first page on and leaves a trail on your heart forever.
Mercy the sexy Cajun hero took my breath away at every turn. And the heroine Ava, was badass too. Actually every character made an impression on me, and now I'm on a roll to read every single book in this series. Like Kanye says; "who gon stop me."
Loved! Loved! Loved this book and I HIGHLY recommended it!!!
Nothing better than finding a well written, and electric MC book. And this one was hella good!!!!!
Very character driven, fast paced and each page bleeding with passion. The kind of book and that hooks you from the first page on and leaves a trail on your heart forever.
Mercy the sexy Cajun hero took my breath away at every turn. And the heroine Ava, was badass too. Actually every character made an impression on me, and now I'm on a roll to read every single book in this series. Like Kanye says; "who gon stop me."
Loved! Loved! Loved this book and I HIGHLY recommended it!!!
November 1, 2015
I hate serials, and refuse to read them until the series is complete and they are offered in one complete set. Such was the case with Fearless. The last part was published in December and the complete novel was published in January so I thought I would give it a go. I ended up with mixed feelings about it.
I ran a gamut of emotions while reading this, from horrified, to sad, to happy, to totally cracking up, to kinda bored. An MC novel that was full of violence, torture, betrayal, tragedy (trigger alert ), romance, and of course brotherhood, but it didn’t really have that biker book feel to it. At times, the writing was something you’d find in a chick lit novel. Definitely not a bad thing, just unexpected.
Part of the book is set in New Orleans, and it definitely has that hot, humid and languid New Orleans feel to it. Unfortunately at times, it’s too slow. I was easily distracted several times, even managing a re-read of a Sheehan book. It did draw me back though.
This was yet another novel that had lots and lots of vagueness going on. I even checked to see if I was missing a book, or if it was a spinoff. At first I didn’t think so, but later figured out it kind of was (look for the author’s Russells Series). Lots of flashbacks, plus POV changes with no notice other than a new paragraph. It’s confusing and sloppy, not mysterious which I guess is what the author’s who do this are going for, but’s it’s really just annoying and frustrating. I’m seeing more and more of this in new books and I hope it’s a trend that dies out quickly.
Let’s get to the actual book now. Ava Teague was the Princess of her father’s MC. Raised during a bloody MC war where she had a target squarely on her back, she was guarded by Mercy Lécuyer who became her friend, her confidant, the person who practically raised her, and eventually her lover. He became her guard when she was 8 and he was 21, and they became lovers when she was 17. Tragedy strikes and they are found out so Mercy is sent away leaving Ava heartbroken. She leaves for college and is gone for 5 years. When she comes back she is changed, and has a yuppy boyfriend in tow.
I liked Ava. This isn’t a case of a MC Princess trying to get away from her upbringing and her family.
She loves the MC Princess part of herself. Sure, she dresses differently, but that is more because of her circumstances not because she is trying to pretend she’s someone she’s not. She’s definitely still broken, but trying to make the best out of the hand she’s been dealt mainly by moving on. Unfortunately the MC needs Mercy to come home at the same time she does and all bets are off.
Surprisingly, I liked Mercy too, despite his bad judgement when Ava was 17. He loved her then, and he loves her still. He was a dangerous man who the club relied on to do the dirty work.
I wanted to dislike him because of his choices, but I didn’t. He redeemed himself, not only because of his self loathing, but because of his true feelings for Ava. He took on his President, his brother’s, and even Ava herself to win her back. When another biker war threatens, with specific threats to Ava herself, he’s right back where he started, as Ava’s protector, and he was going to do everything he could to keep her from getting hurt again.
There were lots of great characters besides Ava and Mercy. Ava’s parents were especially interesting. I wanted to hate her Dad, but I couldn’t and her Mom was amazing. Kind of a cross between a loving Mom and a pit bull. The rest of the Lean Dogs MC were fun and interesting and scary.
I liked this book, I really did but it just felt kind of bloated in places. This is probably because it started life as a serial. I am going to read the next one when it comes out, and I’ll probably take a look at the other series this author has, especially the Russells Series. Hopefully, they won’t have as many “skim-worthy” places in it.
Spice’s Rating: 3.5 Stars
I ran a gamut of emotions while reading this, from horrified, to sad, to happy, to totally cracking up, to kinda bored. An MC novel that was full of violence, torture, betrayal, tragedy (trigger alert ), romance, and of course brotherhood, but it didn’t really have that biker book feel to it. At times, the writing was something you’d find in a chick lit novel. Definitely not a bad thing, just unexpected.
So into the teeth of autumn they rode back into the city. He relished the bite of the wind, the unfiltered blue of the sky, the growl of their four bikes as they hugged the corners and opened the throttle on the long stretches of empty road.
Part of the book is set in New Orleans, and it definitely has that hot, humid and languid New Orleans feel to it. Unfortunately at times, it’s too slow. I was easily distracted several times, even managing a re-read of a Sheehan book. It did draw me back though.
This was yet another novel that had lots and lots of vagueness going on. I even checked to see if I was missing a book, or if it was a spinoff. At first I didn’t think so, but later figured out it kind of was (look for the author’s Russells Series). Lots of flashbacks, plus POV changes with no notice other than a new paragraph. It’s confusing and sloppy, not mysterious which I guess is what the author’s who do this are going for, but’s it’s really just annoying and frustrating. I’m seeing more and more of this in new books and I hope it’s a trend that dies out quickly.
Heartbreak was never cured; it just went into remission.
Let’s get to the actual book now. Ava Teague was the Princess of her father’s MC. Raised during a bloody MC war where she had a target squarely on her back, she was guarded by Mercy Lécuyer who became her friend, her confidant, the person who practically raised her, and eventually her lover. He became her guard when she was 8 and he was 21, and they became lovers when she was 17. Tragedy strikes and they are found out so Mercy is sent away leaving Ava heartbroken. She leaves for college and is gone for 5 years. When she comes back she is changed, and has a yuppy boyfriend in tow.
I liked Ava. This isn’t a case of a MC Princess trying to get away from her upbringing and her family.
“They’re a part of me,” she said. “If you can love me, then the people who raised me can’t be so awful, can they?”
She loves the MC Princess part of herself. Sure, she dresses differently, but that is more because of her circumstances not because she is trying to pretend she’s someone she’s not. She’s definitely still broken, but trying to make the best out of the hand she’s been dealt mainly by moving on. Unfortunately the MC needs Mercy to come home at the same time she does and all bets are off.
She needed a drink; she needed ten drinks. How in the hell was she supposed to face everyone in this clubhouse when her wicked lover was just across the room, and every soul between them knew all the sordid details of the past?
Surprisingly, I liked Mercy too, despite his bad judgement when Ava was 17. He loved her then, and he loves her still. He was a dangerous man who the club relied on to do the dirty work.
This was the lethal cocktail of Mercy Lécuyer; his baffling good humor, and his veiled fury. A wolf who chose to domesticate himself amongst labradors, who pretended to be one, most of the time.
I wanted to dislike him because of his choices, but I didn’t. He redeemed himself, not only because of his self loathing, but because of his true feelings for Ava. He took on his President, his brother’s, and even Ava herself to win her back. When another biker war threatens, with specific threats to Ava herself, he’s right back where he started, as Ava’s protector, and he was going to do everything he could to keep her from getting hurt again.
There were lots of great characters besides Ava and Mercy. Ava’s parents were especially interesting. I wanted to hate her Dad, but I couldn’t and her Mom was amazing. Kind of a cross between a loving Mom and a pit bull. The rest of the Lean Dogs MC were fun and interesting and scary.
I liked this book, I really did but it just felt kind of bloated in places. This is probably because it started life as a serial. I am going to read the next one when it comes out, and I’ll probably take a look at the other series this author has, especially the Russells Series. Hopefully, they won’t have as many “skim-worthy” places in it.
Spice’s Rating: 3.5 Stars
August 27, 2021
Re-read
Oh, the ugliness. 🖤🖤🖤🖤
so hauntingly beautiful!!
*******************************
First read
Freaking loved it!
I actually haven't enjoyed reading a biker book this much since "Move the Sun" by S Fanetti 2 years ago.
Lazy me is copying and past a comm:
Anna ☘ wrote: "Glad it was a winner. If it's as great as Move the Sun then I'm starting it asap :)"
Anna, if I have to choose between them, I would go with Fearless.
I think it has a massive potential to become a movie or a TV series without being a copy of SOA.
The author is so talented. She has a gifted way of telling a story, rich in details, without being boring. I never thought I could find a Swamp with crocodiles beautiful, but I did and I know it was all because of her. xx
Oh, the ugliness. 🖤🖤🖤🖤
so hauntingly beautiful!!
*******************************
First read
Freaking loved it!
I actually haven't enjoyed reading a biker book this much since "Move the Sun" by S Fanetti 2 years ago.
Lazy me is copying and past a comm:
Anna ☘ wrote: "Glad it was a winner. If it's as great as Move the Sun then I'm starting it asap :)"
Anna, if I have to choose between them, I would go with Fearless.
I think it has a massive potential to become a movie or a TV series without being a copy of SOA.
The author is so talented. She has a gifted way of telling a story, rich in details, without being boring. I never thought I could find a Swamp with crocodiles beautiful, but I did and I know it was all because of her. xx
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