Since I have the extreme pleasure of reviewing the second book in the Babylon series (by Victoria L. James and L.J. Stock) next Monday (DEFINITELY NEXT MONDAY), I thought I'd start off with the first one, Without Consequence.
There are two kinds of prison sentence that try to break us: the ones served behind iron bars and the ones served through a lifetime of guilt. Some people are handed just one. The unfortunate are given both.
Drew Tucker, despite his formidable reputation, was a man shrouded in darkness who had been dealt every kind of sentence known to man. His only path of survival was to fight and conquer. After five years of solitude, with nothing to keep him company but old ghosts and relentless demons, Drew was finally out, and he had a plan in mind to reign supreme once more.
But everything had changed since he’d left the small town of Babylon, Texas, and where he once fit into the world around him, he now felt misguided, misplaced and misunderstood. Freedom wasn’t free anymore and it sure as hell didn’t come cheap.
That only got worse when he crossed paths with Ayda Hanagan. Legal guardian of her teenage brother, over worked, underpaid and clinging onto sanity by the skin of her teeth, Ayda should have been easier for Drew to beat down and manipulate. She should have been easier to keep quiet. But, as with everything in his life since he got released, nothing seemed to make any damn sense, and the walls were caving in on Drew now more than ever before.
Determined to stay on the road he was born to travel, he was willing to fight whoever got in his way or blocked his path to the top. Even the blue-eyed blonde who seemed to have more mouth than sense. His actions were about to shake up the whole town again, and Drew didn’t care whether that came with or without consequences, or what the hell that meant for the likes of Ayda Hanagan.
Drew Tucker, despite his formidable reputation, was a man shrouded in darkness who had been dealt every kind of sentence known to man. His only path of survival was to fight and conquer. After five years of solitude, with nothing to keep him company but old ghosts and relentless demons, Drew was finally out, and he had a plan in mind to reign supreme once more.
But everything had changed since he’d left the small town of Babylon, Texas, and where he once fit into the world around him, he now felt misguided, misplaced and misunderstood. Freedom wasn’t free anymore and it sure as hell didn’t come cheap.
That only got worse when he crossed paths with Ayda Hanagan. Legal guardian of her teenage brother, over worked, underpaid and clinging onto sanity by the skin of her teeth, Ayda should have been easier for Drew to beat down and manipulate. She should have been easier to keep quiet. But, as with everything in his life since he got released, nothing seemed to make any damn sense, and the walls were caving in on Drew now more than ever before.
Determined to stay on the road he was born to travel, he was willing to fight whoever got in his way or blocked his path to the top. Even the blue-eyed blonde who seemed to have more mouth than sense. His actions were about to shake up the whole town again, and Drew didn’t care whether that came with or without consequences, or what the hell that meant for the likes of Ayda Hanagan.
How many ways can I say that I love this book? At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like it because Drew Tucker is kind of an (excuse my language) asshole. He's rude and crude, but then he does show his softer side around Ayda. The softer side is what it's all about. He's sweet and caring, if not a little possessive. But Ayda is independent and brave, because she goes toe to toe with Drew and comes out standing each time. She breaks him down and doesn't give upon what she wants, even if that means turning her entire life upside down.
I think the one part that I loved the most was that Ayda's financial troubles were always on her mind. Some books have financially strapped characters, but then those burdens seem to disappear at time. Ayda is constantly thinking about where her next paycheck is going to come from and how she's going to take care of her brother, and that made her seem all the more real. She also wasn't too proud to take handouts, like when Drew gives her $50 for nothing. I get that most female characters want to "do it on their own," but I get it. I've never had a teenage brother to take care of, but I get it. Sometimes someone giving you a little leg up isn't the worst thing in the world. It's hard to swallow, but sometimes you have to, and Ayda does. She does everything for her brother, and he's always at the forefront of her mind, which is another refreshing trait of hers. She never forgets about Tate, even when she's wrapped up in Drew.
Oh, and Drew is ridiculously hot, in case you think I'm talking about Ayda too much.
But it's not just those two. The entire MC that Drew is leader of is wonderful. Everyone in there takes care of Ayda, even if they think they're not. They appreciate her hard work and let her know whenever they can. I'm glad that this wasn't a stereotypical biker gang, where the guys are constantly drunk and rude things about women come out whenever they open their mouths. No, these guys have businesses they run and they understand that some women don't want to jump in their beds. They're polite to Ayda because she's polite to them. It's an awesome dynamic, because it feels like they're friends instead of waiting to get her alone.
I just started the second book and I'm already looking forward to Sunday where I have absolutely nothing to do and I can hopefully finish it (if not finished already). So I'm sure I'll have all the details on where to buy this book on Monday, so keep your eyes on this page.
See you Friday, when I think I might have my bulletin boards set up. If not, I'll at least have the notecards semi-done!
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