Worth The Pain by J.L. Leslie

Original post from my IG @booksofthemuggleborn

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• BLURB •

Allie…

I let him break me. Shatter my heart into a million pieces. And I took the coward’s way out. Only the drugs didn’t help. Didn’t make me forget him. I still remember every thing about him. The way his piercing blue eyes looked right through me. The way his perfect lips danced over my skin.

The way he rejected me so cruelly.

And now I can’t escape him. Couldn’t pretend he doesn’t exist even if I tried. Because every single day I wake up to a beautiful reminder of the devastating pain he caused.

Hunter…

My club thinks I’m losing my mind. My sister prays the old me will return. And my best friend…well…I’ve cut ties with him.

I’m on a path of self-destruction and I have no intention of changing direction. Not until I find out the truth. Not until I find the missing girls.

I thought she was one of them. Thought she’d been taken. But she was simply hiding away from me.

I don’t blame her. I was cruel to her. Caused her undeniable pain.

But she’s hiding more than herself. She’s hiding a kid. A kid who has piercing blue eyes exactly like mine.

And after everything I’ve put her through, I need to prove that I’m worth the pain.

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• MY REVIEW •

I know this is only the second book in Leslie’s RBMC series but it felt like I’d been waiting for Hunter’s story for—ever! He was the secondary character from Worth The Risk (book one) that I was most eager to read more about, and now that his story is here, I have to admit it’s not at all what I had expected. 🤔

It’s a relatively quick story for a full-length novel and I was able to finish it in one sitting. The storytelling is fast-paced with constant developments coming one after the other. It’s emotion-based, told from dual points of view with both Hunter and Allie being of second mind for the majority of the story. With all the craziness and the push-and-pull within their complicated relationship, you’ll question whether or not they’re truly suited for one another.

The premise is what initially intrigued me but the flow felt a little choppy for my liking, and the development in their relationship didn’t feel as in-depth or come off as authentic as I was hoping to see. They had a one-night stand and prior to their reconnection had spent time apart so I was expecting plenty of character growth and maturity from both protagonists but it seemed like time hadn’t altered their mindset and they’re stuck in this repetitiveness with their feelings, never quite moving forward. I am relieved to say it eventually improves and they do finally get their act together but I’m contemplating if it happened just a smidge too late in the story.

Hunter is not at all how I remembered him from the first book. From that time to the present his character has clearly shifted because he’s become a hard man to love. The only redeemable quality I could see in him within this book is that he eventually saw the light and wanted something more out of life, and knowing Allie had to be a part of it started to make amends. (I would’ve loved to have seen some more groveling from him though).

Allie is a likable character but she doesn’t necessarily make the best choices. She’s the type of heroine that I think readers would either love or loath. Although some readers may find her and what she’s been through relatable. She’s indecisive and uncertain about a lot of things but she also knows what she wants for her future, and I think it’s easy to identify with that.

Similar to the first book I was left with some unanswered questions that I’m guessing will either be left unsettled or will hopefully be addressed later down the track in future books. There are quite a few different plots happening at once and if you haven’t read the first book, you may find it a little difficult to understand the history amongst these characters. Although you can technically read this one as a standalone, I highly recommend you read Worth The Risk first.

For the most part a grey atmosphere but with this being the second book in the series, the world-building is gradually evolving. I do like that there’s a nice amount of both romance and MC elements. It has plenty of suspense and unpredictability. The violence is detailed but not overly graphic, and I thought there was enough lightheartedness brought on by the MC and the friendships to keep things from getting too gritty.

The storyline touches on drug abuse/addiction that some readers may find triggering. Including adult themes such as violence and strong sexual content, be advised this story is intended for readers 18+ only.

Overall, it was a bit of a mixed bag. Whilst I was already hooked from the opening scene and invested in seeing their story unfold, it did take a while to grow into liking Hunter’s and Allie’s relationship. But I can’t deny that it was the little moments they had throughout that ultimately kept me engaged. With the addition of the brothers from the MC and their comradery, I thought this was a pretty decent read.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐¾

Thank you J.L. Leslie and the RBMC team for the opportunity to read an advanced copy! 💙

🔔 Interested in reading Worth The Pain? Grab your copy here: Universal Link

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👑💀 Read my review for Worth The Risk!

Original post from my IG @booksoftheluggleborn

📒 Book One: Worth The Risk by J.L. Leslie

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Happy reading, guys! Catch you in my next one! Xo

Worth The Risk by J.L. Leslie

Original post from my IG @booksoftheluggleborn

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• BLURB •

Skylar…

When I was seventeen, I fell in love. It was incredible, earth shattering, but most of all, it was heartbreaking. He walked away without an explanation. Without saying goodbye.

He was simply gone.

But five years later, I walk into a room and he’s there. He had been only hours away from me all these years. I often imagined how a reunion between us would be. Would I run into his arms, kiss him and tell him I still love him?

No, I slugged him.

Jake…

I knew the day would come when I’d have to face Skylar. I made a decision years ago that I’ve always questioned. Always wondered if it was the right choice. I was torn between the woman lying in my bed and the best friend who was giving me the opportunity for a better life.

Skylar deserved better than me. I chose the Royal Bastards MC.

Now, she’s here, having been brought to the club for protection. Our reunion didn’t go as I imagined it would. There was no sweet embrace, no words even exchanged. She marched right up to me and punched me in the face.

I knew right then and there, I never stopped loving her. Thing is, the Royal Bastards have rules. I live and die by them. If I break them, I’m out. I’ll lose my patch and lose the family I have.

Is Skylar worth the risk?

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• MY REVIEW •

Oooo-wee! Drama. Drama. Drama.

And I loved. every. damn. minute. of. it! 🤤🤭

Skylar has this steamy one-nighter with her brother’s best friend Jake (who she’s had a crush on since she first met the guy), only for both her brother Hunter and Jake to leave, never to return. No note. No goodbyes. Just radio silence.

Fast forward five years later to the present, where Skylar is unexpectedly thrown into a world of bikers, life and death situations, and losing what little independence she had. All because of secrets and lies that have been kept from her all these years.

This story starts you right off with intrigue, and immediately wanting to get to the bottom of where, why, and how Hunter and Jake could (and did) leave Skylar. Relatively well-paced story-telling all throughout, and told from dual perspectives. Despite the never ending drama, it was a cushy, enjoyable read that left me wanting the next installment really, really badly.. 

*exhales…*

WHERE’S THE NEXT BOOK, DAMMIT!?!?!

*Calm, blue ocean… Calm, blue ocean…*      

As much as I enjoyed reading this, there was also so many things I wanted more of, and questions I need answered. The ending left me feeling like a lost puppy. Like dude, really?! 🙈 All I can say without giving any spoilers away is…. there better be a book two in this Royal Bastards MC: Birmingham Chapter. Because… ugh. Answers, people!! 🥺

Like so many good MC romances I’ve read, this one has a nice balance of MC and romance. We have a club, club members — which are our secondary characters we want and need more of! I already have a few from this club I want to see have their own books. Hunter being numero uno! ☝

There’s a seriously complicated relationship going on between Hunter, Skylar and Jake, that had me really grasping at needing to see more. These guys have history. Hunter and Jake have been friends since they were teenagers… and Skylar being Hunter’s younger sister, was someone who always wanted to hang with them.

I know this story revolves around Skylar and Jake’s romance, but I couldn’t help it whilst I was reading this book, Hunter had my attention a smidge more. He has sacrificed so much of his life into protecting his family and has not once given up despite having one problem after another popping up. I think he deserves so much credit, definitely a lot more love, and to be honest… I think deserves a whole lot better, especially considering how this entire story unraveled. Now. I don’t agree with all his actions.. *cough* especially with a certain woman *cough* .. but that’s why I desperately need a sequel! 🙏

But moving on, moving on.

Let’s cut to the chase! Get down to the nitty-gritty, shall we?

The story line itself was engaging. There’s a lot of different things happening but it was easy enough to follow. It didn’t feel overly done with too many issues going on at once, so that’s good. Oh, and there was something that did catch me off-guard, something I didn’t see coming — so points for unpredictability!

And secondary characters were definitely in attendance. There’s a good amount of club brothers, all with individual personality traits, with some a little more charming than others.. 😉😉

Although Skylar was uprooted from her life to be watched over by her brother and a half dozen or so MC members, it’s always cool to see another woman in the scene and befriending Skylar. I love me a good bromance and brotherhood, but I never wanna see a chick left to fend for herself… especially when there needs to be girl talk, giggles, and eye-candy to be drooled over, right??

There’s lots of potential for more stories to be told and for the world-building to expand if and when the author wants to.

I love the obvious chemistry the author has excellently written between Skylar and Jake, despite not having seen each other in years. There’s hate and regret there, but a very obvious heat still lingering between them that they can’t deny either. Always nice to see protectiveness, alpha-ism in MC romances (it’s always entertaining) and this one had it in bucket loads!

There’s some unresolved family issues between Skylar and Hunter and an obvious strain in their relationship from being apart for so many years with no contact. But their family dynamics is one of the things I liked about this book. Skylar can be the stereotypical bratty younger sister who doesn’t want to be bossed around by her big brother, yet stills sees him as someone to look up to. Hunter is fairly closed-off and keeps his true feelings to himself, but he’s very much an overprotective brother. There’s so much mystery surrounding him that I couldn’t get enough of the guy.

And let’s not forget Hunter and Jake’s friendship. Never been a fan of a chick getting in between guys’ brotherhood/ friendship.. even if she is family. Not gonna lie, I have mixed feelings about the things that were said and done, but it didn’t interfere with my liking of it overall so that’s a relief. Plus my need for the next book is strong, so… *shrugs* 🤗

As I said earlier, it ended with such a gaping hole of unanswered questions. Even if Leslie, decides to continue with more books, I would still liked to have seen an epilogue included in this one. I know with the majority of the MC romance books I’ve come across, characters still make appearances in sequels and relatively give the reader an update of how life has been like since their book, but Worth The Risk seemed like Skylar and Jake’s story was far from being sorted out completely. I can accept a HFN (aka Happy For Now) ending but it didn’t quite feel that way with this book either. It felt a little more up in the air… like there’s still things to overcome first before they get their true HEA. You know what I mean?

Nevertheless, it’s a very convincing start to a potentially juicy MC series. There’s already a decent amount of world-building introduced with the Royal Bastards MC: Birmingham Chapter. An atmosphere between the brothers has been placed and intriguing enough to want to see develop further. There are possible future plot lines that I would look forward to see play out. As far as MC romances go, this one although contains violence, was a little less suspenseful than most, less graphic and in my opinion mild in the dark, gritty romance factor. It’ll be a good one to start off with for a first timer of MC books.

All in all, if you’re looking for your next MC romance, or like your alpha males tatted and with bikes, then you’ll find this one satisfying! Lots of feels. There’s a couple of moments you’ll find yourself giggling over, and times that make you genuinely sad for these characters, and then there’s times you wanna rip some heads off from frustration. But hey, all in a good book, am I right?! 😜

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you J.L. Leslie and the entire Royal Bastards MC team for the opportunity to read an advanced copy! 🧡

🔔 Interested in reading Worth The Risk? Grab your copy here: Universal Link  |  Amazon US  | Amazon CA  |  Amazon UK  |  Amazon AU |  Amazon IN

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MC romance lovers, make sure to add this one to your reading list!

Happy reading, guys! Catch you in my next one! Xo