Olivia Masters grew up familiar with all of them. The daughter of the President of the Nordic Lords Motorcycle Club, Olivia always knew she wanted nothing to do with any of it. Her plans were made to leave the town she grew up in as soon as she and her boyfriend, Daemon Knight, turned eighteen.
But then Olivia was shot. Her mother killed in front of her. Fleeing became her reality.
Forced to return to her hometown of Jasper Bay five years later, events beyond Olivia’s control put her directly back into the life she swore she’d never return to.
Her dad wants her back in the family. Daemon wants her in his bed.
But just as Olivia begins to accept her destiny, history finds a way to repeat itself.
This time, will Olivia be strong enough to fight for the family she once turned her back on? Or will she once again flee from the only life that has ever felt like home?
teaser...excerpt
Daemon's POV
“C’mon, Liv,” I said, walking to her and standing right in between her legs. I looked down at her in amusement. She was almost right where I wanted her. “You’re too jaded for the straight life.”
I nudged the inside of her knee open a little wider with mine. She sat straight up and glared at me, but the heat was missing in her eyes.
“Well, whose fault is that?”
I wanted to ram my head into a wall. I was not having this same conversation again. “Already told you I wouldn’t change a thing about what I did, Liv. You might as well get over it now.”
“What if I can’t?”
I grinned and leaned over her so far she fell straight back onto my bed. Her hair fell from the ugly ass bird’s nest into a pile on my messy sheets. Best sight ever. “Can’t or won’t?”
She smirked and I leaned closer, my lips just inches from hers.
“You will. Because right now, Liv, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. And you’ve always known it. Now, you’re just done fightin’ it. And God, I want you here.”
My lips brushed against hers and she sucked in a quick breath. I wanted to push it but didn’t want to push her away. Not when I finally had her right where I wanted her. My hands on either side of her head, my body leaning over hers. All I’d have to do is crawl onto the bed, bend my knees and I could enter nirvana in seconds. I knew by her pulse and her breathing she was turned on.
She wanted me just as much as I wanted her. I could feel it seeping from her skin directly into mine. I flicked my tongue out, tasting her soft lips and when she moaned, I pressed against her further. My resolve to stay away completely flying out the damn window.
But then she stopped me. I felt her lips curl into a smile against mine, and I opened my eyes, staring directly into hers.
“What?”
“I pulled a gun on Finn today. And my dad.”
My head dropped to her neck as the laughter poured out of me. She really was coming back. I loved it. Fucking loved her own personal brand of craziness. The girl who wouldn’t kill a spider but had no problems pulling a gun on two men that scared the shit out of almost everyone they met. She had guts. “You’re fuckin’ crazy, princess.”
I am a wife, a mom, and a writer. I can often be found curled up on the couch with a good book, or obsessively eating Skittles in a very complicated and organized manner. No joke.
Eve could never have imagined that her trip to Australia, where she is set to be maid of honor for her best friend's wedding, could turn from exciting to deadly so quickly.
Her sheltered and boring vanilla life comes to a screeching halt when she arrives in Australia and witnesses a shocking MC murder putting her life in extreme danger. The Carnal MC are a dangerous and savage motorcycle gang who want Eve and will stop at nothing to seek their revenge.
Just when it seems her nightmare fate is sealed, Eve is rescued by the Severed MC and quickly falls for the club's Vice President Gabe aka "Angel". This could be just the diversion she needs. With her new protectors, Eve faces a whole new life she never could have imagined...
Gabe never wanted an old lady. One look at the beautiful Eve cowering at the hands of the enemy changes all that. Starting a war with the Carnal MC and having Eve in his bed is just the beginning.
When Gabe stakes his claim, he goes all in. War with Carnal MC is just the price of making Eve his, and only his. But love invites blood and tragedy in an MC's life.
Just when it's looking up for his MC and his new woman, a savage attack blows the lid off everything. Revenge possessed and determined can the hot tattooed biker save her from the danger that lies ahead?
Book one of a two part story.
My Rating:
Ever since the hit television show Sons of Anarchy came roaring into my life, I have been fascinated with MC culture. Obviously, I'm not the only one. Suddenly, the image of what a biker used to look like has a new face. Not all bikers must have long grizzly beards, fat beer bellies, and smell as if they haven't bathed in days. SOA helped reinvent the biker image and has given many authors inspiration to write about motorcycle clubs. While these hardened men may have the tats and sport a beard, underneath the leather cut is hot, sculpted muscle. I recently took a break from reading MC romance, mainly because the genre had become oversaturated with the same old story lines. It almost seemed like authors were trying to purposely make their novels more edgy, more twisted as if that is the key to writing a successful romance now. Anyway, I found myself getting irritated, so I decided to turn my attentions to something else for a bit. Then I came across the yummy cover for Severed Angel by K.T. Fisher and Ava Manello. Was it a book about angels? Demons? Imagine my surprise when I read the blurb and realized it was going to be a book about an Australian MC. That caught my interest and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give this one a shot.
So here are some of the things I enjoyed about Severed Angel. As much as I wanted to give one whole star just for the drool worthy eye candy on the front cover, I was obviously looking for something different in the overall story and plot and thankfully the authors delivered the goods. First, you have Eve, a British girl who is traveling to Australia to visit her best friend, Teresa, who she hasn't seen in years and to participate in her wedding. Teresa's father is a member of the Severed MC, an Australian motorcycle club, and the man she is betrothed to, known as Prez, is the President. Angel (aka Gabe), our hero, is the VP of the club. But we will get to him later >=) Also, our heroine Eve has a 2 year old daughter. Since she will be visiting her best friend and helping her prepare for the wedding for a whole month, she decides it's best to let her mother watch little Elizabeth, as the travel alone may prove too much for a 2 year old. I like this unique twist. It's very rare to see a heroine with a child in novels like these, so I giveFisher and Manellocredit for trying to portray a realistic female character. My curiosity was piqued just by the set up of the story alone.
At a glance, the Severed MC is not that impressive, nor are the members terribly scary guys like in some of the other MC novels I've read. While this may sound like a negative thing, I kind of found it refreshing. Like I said before, it seems like authors are trying to purposely make their novels more violent, more over-the-top on purpose to get a reaction, create a buzz whether positive or negative. While the men in the Severed MC may look the part, with their tattoos and everything, they are relatively decent guys. This particular MC is pretty clean cut; they don't sell drugs and try to run a legal operation. This may sound boring, but what they lack in illegal activity they make up for in their sexual appetites. WHOA. These guys are HOT. Eve gets quite an eye full during her stay, such as when she walks in on a foursome (3 guys on one girl). Then she sees Dragon and his old lady Diane partaking in some light BDSM...and they don't mind being watched. So yeah, while the men of the Severed MC may like to live on the right side of the law, they sure do know how to have a good time between the sheets. Or on the pool table. Or against the wall. You get the point!
Then you have the complete opposite with the Carnal MC, whose Vice President is Angel's twin brother, Satan (gotta love these names!). The Severed MC and the Carnal MC also serve as a sort of metaphor for good vs. evil because as laid back as the Severed MC is, the Carnal MC couldn't be more corrupt. Not only do they rape women and kill people (which is what got Eve in trouble in the first place), they consort in all kinds of illegal activities. And Satan, Angel's brother, is the head of all the trouble. It's almost like a classic Cain and Abel tale. I'm not trying to get all biblical here or even suggest that authors Fisher and Manello were trying to go there, but it's an interesting connection. There is one little instant where I kinda felt bad for Satan, when his and Angel's childhood was discussed. But my flicker of compassion was snuffed out quickly. The man is just evil, or has let anger and jealousy eat away at any kind of humanity he may have had, especially when you learn some of the horrible things he has done.
Back to the Severed MC guys, I thought K.T. Fisher and Ava Manello did a great job with Angel's MC "brothers". Ink, Dragon, Disney, Cowboy, Prez-- I absolutely loved their names and enjoyed learning how they got them through Eve's perspective. Like most MC's, they were a true brotherhood and had each other's backs. I especially appreciated the way they treated Eve.
I am assuming everyone wants to know about our hero and heroine, so I will get right to it. The chemistry and sexy time between Eve and Angel was SMOKIN' hot. There were quite a few hot scenes, like when Angel walks in on Eve pleasuring herself. WOW. And you gotta love his reaction:
He takes the vibrator from me, tossing it aside. "You won't be needing this anymore," he smirks.
Sweet Mary mother of God, Angel is one sexy alpha male! I loved the flirting between Ink and Eve and how it made Angel jealous. Sometimes adding in the third wheel or the "competition" can be annoying, but there is something really sensuous and sweet about Ink that sets him apart from the other guys. I definitely would like to see him get his own novel later down the road, but considering this is a 2 book series, I'm not sure if that is going to happen. We will just have to see.
Last, but not least, the cliffhanger ending. I promise to keep this spoiler free, but I do have to make a quick comment on it. First, I understand readers' frustrations at cliffhanger endings, especially authors that get in the habit of writing books that are under 200 pages. Sometimes readers feel strung along and it can get annoying. But I think the ending of this book is a perfect example of when a cliffhanger ending works. To be quite honest, I was at a solid 3 stars before I reached the last stretch of the story. But once I got there...the twist at the end was what made me give Severed Angel that extra half a star in my rating. I won't say any more then that, but if I could give Fisher and Manello a fist bump, I so would right now!
So here is what I struggled with. While there is definite chemistry between Eve and Angel and I do find them to be an interesting pairing, the story suffers from lack of character development as a couple. I originally thought this could be because of the length of the novel, that perhaps if they had made it longer, they could have added more. But then I remembered Eve was supposed to stay for a month in Australia and to be quite honest, the way her time there was described, it felt more like days, maybe a week or two at the most had passed. So the timing definitely felt off. Anyway, what bothered me the most was that not once, other than Eve telling Angel she misses her daughter, do you get a conversation where they talk about their pasts, to really get to know each other. All the hang-ups Eve has about her ex? I was waiting for her to open up and tell Angel about what an asshole her ex was, how she never had an orgasm with him. How he walked out on her and their daughter. She tells more to Ink then she does to Angel. Actually, it's sad that I can remember the scene where Eve talks to Ink about her horrible ex, yet I can't think of one conversation between her and Angel in those regards. Maybe there was an unspoken conversation that the authors decided not to add, but it was sorely needed. For example, Eve got mad on several occasions because Angel would leave in the middle of the night while she was asleep, leaving her to wake up alone in bed the next morning. Maybe if she explained to him about her hang-ups in regards to her ex, Angel would understand and not make those mistakes. Also, when things start to get serious, I was waiting for "the speech". You know, how her and her baby girl are a package deal. Does Angel even like kids? Yeah, he thinks to himself at one point that Eve should get her daughter and move permanently to Australia, but it's never a spoken conversation. They never had the kid talk. It felt like it was a lot of hot sex, but not enough was spent on building their emotional relationship to make it feel more believable.
I also was not thoroughly convinced or thrilled with the plan the Severed MC comes up with to take down the Carnal MC. I really can't say any more for fear of spoilers, but it was a weak part in the plot. Enough said about that.
I know this is kind of a trivial thing to complain about but there was one paragraph that irritated the hell out of me because of the repetitive use of the phrase "I don't think":
"I don't think she's really given Sue a chance. Whenever we've talked on the phone, she's always dropped in a complaint or a moan. I don't think she's fully gotten over her mother's death, and until she does, I don't think she'll be able to accept Sue in her life or her dad's."
Lastly, Eve's best friend Teresa really pissed me off. Again, I am refraining from spoilers, but something happens and she blames Eve for their misfortunate circumstances. I get what the authors were trying to do and the reason behind Teresa's behavior, but it was just wrong. First of all, Teresa is the one who has lived in the MC world and decided to marry the Prez of Severed. Yes, they are a relatively laid back MC compared to others, but still. You will always have a rival. What ticked me off more is the fact that SHE was the one who just HAD to throw a fit and whine to get her way to go out shopping when the whole compound was on lockdown. If anyone should be blamed, it should be her, not Eve. And I don't care if she was my best friend or not, it would take a lot more than an apology to get me to forgive her for the accusations and cold shoulder.
Severed Angel by K.T. Fisher and Ava Manello was a pleasant surprise. It has some refreshing qualities that will help make it stand out from other MC romances. This is a perfect example of a story that didn't need all the extra bells and whistles in order to achieve what it was set out to do. Although, I'm not gonna lie. The cover did serve its purpose. It definitely caught my attention and gave me something to drool over for awhile. This book could have been the full package if the authors would have found an equal balance between the physical side of Eve and Angel's relationship and the emotional one. But they still have time to redeem themselves as they are busy writing book 2 in the series, titled Carnal Desire. And thankfully it doesn't look like we have a long wait as the tentative release date is May 31st.
best wishes,mia
Book Trailer
All credit goes toJaneDramaQueenfor making this lovely fan made trailer.
Teasers
Giveaway
K.T. Fisher and Ava Manello are giving away one $10 Amazon GIft Card and one $5 Amazon Gift Card. 2 runners up will receive signed Severed Angel postcards. Giveaway ends 4/13.
In a town called Nowhere, Colorado angels and demons battle for salvation. Who will win? And what will be the cost?
Killing isn’t exactly on Rosalie Lockwood’s list of things to do when she runs away from home. But despite her search for peace, guns and motorcycles become her latest fashion accessories as Divine interference leads her to Steele, co-leader of the Fallen Paladins motorcycle club.
Leathered and tattooed, Steele’s presence scares off most people he comes in contact with — but not Rosalie. She’s immediately drawn into the dangers of his biker world—and into his heart.
But Steele guards a secret that if Rosalie knew, could shatter their new love — along with destroy the human race. And the truth comes at a price.
Will Rosalie risks her soul to prove her loyalty to Steele?
The Dark and Light Realms collide as Rosalie chooses between life, death, and the ever-after to become that which she is fated to destroy.
My Rating:
My Review: We've read about angels. We've read about demons. We've read about angels vs. demons. But how about angels vs. demons and Motorcycle Clubs?The Devil's Flower by Lisa Collicutt is what I like to think of as a wildcard. The cover art is eye catching and sexy. The synopsis gives you the illusion that you are treading into familiar territory but you can't deny there is a sense of mysteriousness. You decide to give it a whirl out of sheer curiosity, albeit very skeptical and find yourself in a bit of shock by the time you come to the last page. These type of novels, these "wildcards", tend to be my favorite kind. On a side note and I'm not sure why, but The Devil's Flower reminds me of the cult classic movie The Lost Boys. Even though this book has nothing to do with vampires, I think it shares the concept of innocence and perception. Both have a young, naïve person in a unfamiliar town that is drawn to a group of strangers. Instincts scream for them to stay away, but there is one in the group that they can't seem to stay away from and will eventually risk their very own life for. Definitely an interesting connection between the two.
Here is what I liked. The Devil's Floweris a refreshingly original novel. I know that may be hard to believe, considering there are very familiar elements on the surface. But what makes this story unique is how the author blends all of these pieces together. In the beginning, the story reads like a contemporary romance. Then somewhere around the 100 page mark, the paranormal element is introduced. This is an absolutely brilliant technique and here's why. Before even adding in the paranormal component, readers that are fans of contemporary romance, New Adult, MC (motorcycle club), even Young Adult, will find The Devil's Flower appealing. Not a fan of paranormal romance or new to the genre? This is the perfect novel to start and try because the transition from contemporary to paranormal is smooth and natural as strange as that may sound. The only complaints I've read are from hardcore paranormal readers that felt there wasn't enough of that particular element in the story. But I am confident this novel will appeal to paranormal enthusiasts who grow weary of reading the same type of story over and over again and are looking for something fresh and different.
The story itself was well written; great description, distinct character voices (and names), and had no issues with the pacing-- all topics that sometimes writers struggle with when writing the first novel in a series. I liked the third person narration and the switch in perspectives. The formatting and paragraph breaks signaled that a change in POV was coming, therefore eliminating any kind of confusion which sometimes happens. Speaking of the format, the layout, font, and overall style of the book (including the chapter titles) created a very aesthetically pleasing reading experience.
I really enjoyed the romance between Rosalie and Steele. There definitely was an instant attraction, but a good portion of the novel was about Steele trying extremely hard to fight it. Part of it was to protect Rosalie from himself and the unsavory kind he surrounds himself with. He also feels that he is undeserving of her love and acceptance. The other part of his struggle to hide his growing feelings for her is to show no signs of weakness since he is the leader of the Fallen Paladins MC. There is also another reason he tries to hide his feelings, but I want to leave some mystery! There is some good sexual tension building between Steele and Rosalie, although the sex scenes themselves are more alluded to then explicitly shown which surprisingly works in this novel.
I found the angel/demon mythology inThe Devil's Flower interesting and original. For example, in order for a half demon to become immortal, it would need 3 things: a) tear of an angel, b) blood of an angel, and c) death of an angel. Also, angels have souls but demons and half demons do not. If a half demon should mate with an angel, the angel would lose its soul to the demon. The use of the drug heroin plays a very creepy, yet important part in the story as well. These mythological elements add up to create some very tense, suspenseful moments in the novel.
Overall,Lisa Collicutt has spawned some very interesting characters, but I will admit, there were 2 that I struggled (won't reveal their names to avoid spoilers) with until I had a light bulb moment. These characters took Rosalie under their wing, taught her some survival tactics and how to fit within the MC. But then, out of nowhere, Steele starts thinking to himself that he has to protect Rose from them. At first I just didn't get the sudden wariness from Steele towards these particular characters when they did nothing to warrant his suspicious behavior. But then it dawned on me. The devil comes in many disguises and is a master of manipulation, seduction, and lies. It's this attention to detail that elicited my admiration for the author to grow even more.
I only had a few issues with The Devil's Flower, most of which were a bunch of small things that added up to annoyances rather than huge problems, so I will be going through them rather quickly.
First, I found Rose's statement here a bit startling: "...the fact that she was actually in a relationship with this person, a near stranger, hit her." She is obviously talking about her and Steele, but what bothered me is the fact that they have never talked about being together or being in a relationship. It's like the statement came out of nowhere. No declarations of love, other then Steele saying she can trust him and he wouldn't let anything happen to her as long as she is with him. And once you read that part, you will see why he says that. I'm also curious as to why Steele is so adamant about calling Rosalie "Rose" since the very beginning of the story. I get why Lithium calls her "Rosebud", but Steele is quick to correct people that she is to be called Rose instead of Rosalie, at least in the beginning. It's never revealed why and I am probably just looking too deeply into it, but it definitely left me pondering.
Second,I felt that Rosalie's stay with her grandmother was rushed and glossed over when in fact we learn the time she spends there plays a pivotal part in the story. This is where she discovers who and what she really is, what she is capable of and what is expected of her. When she meets back up with Steele, she is a wiser, stronger version of herself that apparently can now kick some ass. But we never get to see her training. We just hear about it in a sentence here and there when she is filling Steele in on her time away. I also didn't understand why she started college while at her grandmother's. I'm not sure if she was biding her time, waiting for divine intervention, but the college thing bothered me since she ended up leaving to go back to Nowhere, Colorado. It just felt like an unnecessary detail.
Lastly, while I enjoyed the assortment of characters as I stated above, I did find Rosalie to be quite infuriating at times. I get that she is innocent and naïve (for more reasons that one) but I can only take the damsel in distress syndrome so much. Don't get me wrong, I love a strong alpha hero that comes to his woman's rescue-- it's sexy and it shows that Steele loves her and feels fiercely protective of her. But Rosalie puts herself in some really stupid and dangerous situations, especially with the drinking. Even when she knows the drinking got her into trouble before and she swears she will never drink again-- she still drinks AGAIN. Yeah, that's when my eyes start to roll and irritation sets in.
The Devil's Flower is a unique blend of contemporary and paranormal romance that doesn't fit into one specific genre. For this reason, it broadens its allure and I can see just about anyone picking this novel up and finding it an enjoyable read. This may also appeal to the YA crowd, since the female main character is 18. However, I would caution and recommend The Devil's Flower to mature YA readers (16+) since there are some disturbing scenes including, drinking, drugs, and sexual situations (although not terribly explicit). Lisa Collicutt has given us a gem and I absolutely cannot wait to see the continuation of this story in book 2, The Demon's Wrath.
best wishes,mia
AUTHOR Q&A With Lisa Collicutt
1. Angels. Demons. Motorcycle Clubs? What inspired you to merge
these very different elements together to create The Devil's Flower?
This is a great question I love to answer. Up until
I wrote The Devil's Flower, all my books were about witches (my favorite supernatural
beings). Then one day I had a vision of demons wearing leather riding
motorcycles in the sky. Okay, so I didn’t put my leather-wearing, motorcycle-riding
demons in the sky; I kept them on the roads where they belong. But the vision
gave me the idea of writing a story about angels and demons. And at the same
time, my husband suggested I write about an all female motorcycle club, because
he thought it had probably not been done. So, I put his motorcycle idea
together with my angel/demon one, and came up with The Devil's Flower.
2. One of the things I enjoyed the most about The Devil's Flower
is the angel/demon mythology. I'm also fascinated with the MC culture
which plays a pivotal part in your novel. What kind of research
(if at all) did you do in order to write this story?
As with all things I write, I did loads of Google research.
In fact, I swear I spent more time researching than actually writing. Having
been around bikes since I was a teen, (my husband rides, I sit on back and
think up story scenes) I had the biker thing down, but picked his brain on
throttles, and clutches. Not belonging to an MC, made for a lot of patch
research. And thanks to—I won't mention the name of the MC who displayed the
different patches and rankings on their website—I became well informed. Because
I've never been to Colorado or Texas, I did loads of
research on them, but I chose to set the story in the fictional town of
Nowhere. That way I could do what I want with the town and not offend anyone. But
I still had to pinpoint Nowhere on the map and know roughly how many miles from
there to Amaretto, Denver, and certain other places, even if they never show up
in the story. Angels and demons are the paranormal aspect of the story, so you
would think I could do what ever I want with them, and I can, but I still have
to make them seem "real"; so a lot of research went into them as
well. I wanted angel and demon names that were unique, and certain ethereal
markings that made sense. And now I have to share; the weirdest thing I
researched for this story—probably any story to date—was how to use heroin. I
literally spent an entire weekend watching You Tube videos and reading case
studies, along with forum posts of actual users. I can't say it was fun, in
fact, some of it was downright disturbing, and all for a few lines in a book, but
it shed some light on the subject, of which I otherwise knew nothing about.
3. The Devil's Flower is the first in a planned series and I am
very excited and anxious to see how this new angel/demon/MC world and
characters develop. Have you started writing book 2? Is there
anything you can tell us about it? Tease us with?
I'm about a third into book two
(The Demon's Wrath), and hoping for an autumn release, but have temporarily put
it aside to finish the last book in The Serendipitous Curse series. Budding relationship over and fully into the MC
life for Rose—book two gets darker in all aspects. You'll find more graphic
intimate scenes, as well as more violence, all in keeping with the paranormal
theme, which doesn't overwhelm the story. There are new and interesting
characters as well.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lisa likes to write dark and twisted tales of magic and romance. She has a passion for Young Adult and New Adult Paranormal. When she's not conjuring tales about witches, demons, and other magical beings, she can be found leathered, and bound to the back of her husband's Harley, touring her homeland of Nova Scotia, Canada.
Enter Lisa's imagination where light ends and fantasy begins. But heed these warnings . . . it's dark, it's magical, you may experience tingles.
