January 29, 2015

ARC REVIEW: Rough Justice (Sinner's Tribe Motorcycle Club #1)


Rough Justice (Sinner's Tribe Motorcycle Club #1), by Sarah Castille
To Be Published February 3, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's
Format: e-ARC, provided by NetGalley
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 

Rating: 4 STARS

(From Goodreads) IT TAKES A GOOD, STRONG WOMAN

Raised in a motorcycle gang, tough, beautiful Arianne Hunter has always dreamed of a normal life. But no sooner does she escape her father’s domineering grasp than she wakes up to find herself in a rival gang’s clubhouse—at the mercy of the dangerously sexy Jagger Knight.

TO TAME A MAN WHO’S HELL ON WHEELS.

The alpha leader of the notorious Sinner’s Tribe, Jagger Knight is all muscle, all biker, and all man. But somewhere inside this hard tattooed outlaw, Arianne senses a kindred spirit—and she can’t ignore their tempestuous attraction. Can she beat him at his own game in a revved-up blaze of glory? Or will their passion spark a war that’s the end of the road for them both?
No matter how many times I hear a Romeo & Juliet story about star-crossed lovers from opposite sides of the line, it never gets old. I really think it's one of my favorite types of love stories. It's awesome when you're reading, and the HEA seems so far out of reach. Yet, there's this glimmer of hope that drives you forward. Rough Justice was a book like that. Add in the fact that instead of wearing tights and a tunic, Jagger wears leathers and a cut. Instead of swooning and fawning, Arianne can shoot better and play pool better than a pack of leather-clad scary bikers. And, now you can see how Rough Justice is like Romeo & Juliet on steroids. 

The night of a rival club's brutal attack on a Sinner's Tribe property, Jagger, who is the Sinners' leader, and his club mates nab one of the attackers. They are all surprised to find out it's a woman - a pretty one with lots of experience in dealing with bikers. Turns out, she's the rival club's president's daughter. And, those first few moments with Jagger were all both of them needed to know they were meant to be in each others' lives. But, her dad isn't going to allow that to happen, and members of Jagger's club aren't too happy about him sleeping with the enemy either. Their affair may ignite a war that no one can survive.

I'm a big fan of MC books. These guys are hardened and wild and dangerous. When they do something, they go big. They are fierce in every way. Jagger is the epitome of all these things. he's a former military guy, as are many in the Sinner's Tribe. They are as manly as men come. He tries not to get too close to women - he learned that lesson the hard way. Plus, it's hard for him to find just the right one. She has to be tough enough to survive the MC life, soft enough to care for him and the other members of the club, and smart enough to navigate the political waters both within her own club and in interactions with other clubs. 

Arianne was raised in the MC life, so she knows it inside and out. Her father, although also an MC president, is as far from Jagger as you can get. He's ruthless and cunning and evil. He has no trouble beating down or killing people who get in his way, no matter if they're family or not. He put Ari in harm's way time and time again, and eventually, she grew to hate the MC life. And, who could blame her? She's got the skills to live the life, but after the abuse her father put her through, and the abuse she saw many others in her club go through, including her own brother, she was determined to eventually escape the life. 

I imagine it's hard to change plans you've worked so long and hard to implement. Ari had been working for so long to line everything up to get her and her brother out. And then came Jagger at the worst possible time. What does she listen to - her head that tells her the MC life is dangerous and she needs to get away? Or, her heart that tells her that the life is in her blood and all she needs is the right man to share it with? 

Jagger is continually impressed by her. I loved how he was equally at war with himself over Ari, although, for different reasons. On one hand she was the perfect woman. She challenged him, but not in public. She was passionate and intelligent and so brave. She has all the skills needed to be an MC president's Old Lady. And, yet, she's a member of the rival club. The club ALWAYS comes first. So, how could he ever trust her? I admit - I'm glad I wasn't in Jagger's shoes. This guy doesn't think with his heart. He can't afford to. But, he couldn't deny that he wanted her so badly. 

Rough Justice is told in dual POV. It's a brutal look at the outlaw MC life, too. There's danger and death. But, there's also light moments too. Ari and Jagger are great together. They have a lot of intensity and passion in their relationship, and that shows on the page. I look forward to more stories from the Sinner's Tribe guys.
 

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