Title:  Ruthless
Series:  True Brothers MC #1
Author:  Gillian Archer
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, MC Romance
Published:  April 12, 2016
Publisher:  Random House Publishing – Loveswept
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

After dinner with the most arrogant man in the world, Jessica Miller is shocked when her blind date tries to maul her in the parking lot. Enter “Zag”: the brooding, bruising alpha male who jumps off his motorcycle and teaches the jerk a lesson he won’t forget. After getting one taste of a bad boy who lives on the edge, Jessica’s hooked. Zag’s willing to give her the ride of her life. But she needs to wrap her arms around his powerful chest and hold on—tight.
 
Zag knows firsthand that the True Brothers MC isn’t for the faint of heart. He only intends to show beautiful, innocent Jessica a few cheap thrills to satisfy her curiosity. But the more he lets her in, the more Zag comes to depend on her gentle touch to help heal the wounds that he’s been denying for so long. Now, a rival gang has set its sights on Jessica, and Zag must step up once again. He just hopes he can go the distance to protect the woman he loves.

Series Includes:  Ruthless, Rebellious, more to come

Every author who writes a Motorcycle Club Romance series is going to have a slightly different approach, a unique style that they envision for their MC.  I happen to be a reader who enjoys diversity.  There are some people who may find Ruthless to be a somewhat softer MC.  And that might be true, yet everyone reads with a different eye so I don’t honestly know if it’s softer – but it does focus more on the emotions of Zag and Jessica… and for me that worked out perfectly.

Once again Jessica gave in to her mother’s matchmaking meddling and went out on this blind date from the pits of hell.  Matters only got worse when the jerk would not take no as an answer and in the parking lot attacked her.  Fortunately Jessica’s guardian angel rides a motorcycle and quickly stepped in and gave the jerk a taste of a biker ‘s version of “Hey Jerkface you don’t treat a woman like that”… or fists to that effect.  Let’s just say that Jerk learned a valuable lesson.

One drink, a moment to settle down and thank the man who came to her rescue is really all Jessica thought she was doing at first.  But the attraction is obvious between them and this really good girl is about to take a walk on the wild side.  Zag knows full well he shouldn’t even be thinking about her like this but she’s hits the right spots and he’s willing to take a risk for one night, at least.  But one night is not going to be enough for either of them, not by a long shot.  There’s danger ahead and it’s up to this very bad boy and very good girl to make their own road… together.

I enjoyed Ruthless for what it is – a romance between two opposites, an emotional ride with a biker background.  It’s not gritty.  The MC doesn’t have that truly dangerous feel to it.  And there are some things that I have trouble imagining happening within a real life MC.  But, having said that – I still enjoyed this romance that pits a good girl against the past of a bad boy biker.  A man who has a past that can get her in deep trouble, and a need to keep his woman safe above everything else.

*I received an e-ARC of Ruthless from the publisher, Random House Publishing – Loveswept and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

Available for the Kindle