This began as a review of Slow Burn (Lost Kings MC #1) by Autumn Jones Lake, but quickly evolved into something else entirely as I struggled to adequately express my feelings about the novel. Please be patient with me this time around. I find myself having a surprisingly strong reaction to a book which I was “eh” about.
I came across Slow Burn when it was recommended to me by Kindle. Strike that. I came across SB when Kindle recommended the NINETEENTH book in the Lost Kings series to me and I noticed that it was rated close to five stars with almost 500 reviews. That seemed pretty encouraging, so I decided to start at the beginning. SB was that book.
I guess I should have known what the dealio is when SB was free, not as part of KU, but actually free. Here’s the thing, though: it’s not identified as a cliffhanger. It just kind of ends as they walk of together to go get some coffee. Unusual, sure, but maybe more true to life? I was willing to take that at face value.
When I went to purchase book two, the blurb made it very clear that it was part 2. I cannot tell you how much I LOATHE when authors do this. It feels like a bait and switch with my emotions. Just charge for your damn work, okay? I don’t mind paying, especially if it’s decent. I was enough interested in Slow Burn that I was going to spend the $4 on book two. Then I realized that there are at least five more installments about these two characters. Y’all, they were fine, their meet cute kind of interesting and off putting at the same time, but they didn’t inspire that level of commitment.
It’s probably worth noting that Rock, one of the protagonists, is the president of his motorcycle club, and seems to have surprisingly feminist views. On occasion. And not for every woman. So maybe not as feminist after all. Hope, the other lead, is a lawyer and first meets Rock as a client when he is assigned to her at the last minute after his attorney failed to show up for his bail hearing. The connection between the two is described as instant and electric, even though Rock is a client currently dressed in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs. Hope also happens to be mostly happily married, if maybe a tad unfulfilled.
The first 40% of the book is spent resolving those barriers, but we barely even register Hope’s husband as an actual character. I’m not even sure that have a conversation. He’s really just kind of mentioned in passing.
I don’t know with this one, y’all. I know I said I was “eh” about it, but it obviously inspired more of a reaction than that mild of a response. They obviously expect you to be so emotionally involved with these characters that you’ll continue to invest in the series. And I probably would’ve purchased a second book without thought, but five? In a series that is still going after 19 books? Who does the author think she is, Diana Gabaldon? Cuz she ain’t. She’s not even at the Ashley standard. And we all know how I feel about that.