RIDE ROUGH

When Alexa Harmon gets spooked by her fiance’s increasingly abusive and controlling behavior, she turns to her ex-boyfriend Maverick for help, then gains additional help from his motorcycle club, the Raven Riders.

Alexa has convinced herself she has it all: in two weeks she’ll marry wealthy Grant Slater. But the closer the wedding gets, the more she realizes that something is very wrong and what she feels is dread: “Skin-crawling, stomach-dropping, run-while-you-can dread.” Telling herself it’s just pre-wedding jitters, she has to snap out of it when Grant becomes violent and verbally abusive. After he attacks her the first time, she runs to Maverick, the ex-boyfriend she broke up with after her brother died in a motorcycle accident. She’s never forgotten him or his protective instincts, and once she feels threatened, she turns to him again. Maverick is extremely worried about Alexa but also has some problems to deal with in the Raven Riders—some of which are caused by businessman Slater, who hates the club. As the Riders work to raise their positive profile in the community, it’s clear someone is working against them, and while they’re all certain Grant has a hand in some sabotage, there’s no proof. Meanwhile Alexa has to deal with her mother, a hoarder who is living in a property Grant owns, which makes it imperative to find her a safe new home, another challenge the Riders help her deal with. As Alexa rediscovers buried feelings for Maverick and accepts help from the club, Grant becomes more jealous, jeopardizing the club and the couple’s happiness. Author Kaye consistently delivers layered characters, sizzling love scenes, and smart, fresh plots; in this second-chance-at-love storyline she also lightly explores mental illness and domestic abuse. A word of warning, though: readers who dislike profanity should beware, since it’s set in a realistic motorcycle-club world.

A sexy, textured, and wholly satisfying romance.