Review of Troubled Son (Savage Sons MC #1) by Jayna King

[Barbara Ann RS]

I haven’t read very many biker themed books, but I was attracted to this storyline about Max, an FBI agent who must infiltrate an outlaw MC and work undercover with Moses, a member of the gang who wants to bring down the Savage Sons and start a new life.  While I was pleased with the chemistry and character development, I was hoping for more danger and suspense before the book’s climax.

 

Max and Moses come from two vastly different social worlds, and one of Max’s biggest challenges is whether she can actually transform into a woman who can pass as a biker chick and most importantly, Moses’ “old lady.” Max is a down-to-earth woman who is calm, cool, and collected throughout the book. I admire her ability to adapt to this coarse lifestyle where women are treated as sex objects, the profanity is excessive, and criminal activity abounds. If the MC finds out who she really is, then not only is her life in jeopardy but Moses’ is as well. Leaving the club is not an option for its members unless it’s in a body bag.  King does a very good job of describing what goes on behind the doors of an outlaw gang heavily involved in prostitution and drug distribution. It’s a harsh, dangerous life for these characters, and the author doesn’t hold back in her depiction of this biker world.

 

Moses has grown up with the Savage Sons, since his father started the club. He has the dominating, tattooed, rough around the edges personality I expected for the book’s bad-boy hero. However, Moses is a mass of contradictions; there is so much more to this alpha male with a cocky swagger. Max is very attracted to the controlling, hardened biker side of Moses, but she finds herself falling for the tender side of Moses that he tries to keep hidden, the side that craves peace from the chaos that surrounds him and searches for a way to find redemption. The author narrates the story from both Max’s and Moses’ POVs, which worked well to help me connect with the characters.

 

Much of the book focuses on the burgeoning romance between Max and Moses, and King spends a great amount of time developing the chemistry between them and building sexual tension. They don’t actually act on their feelings until the latter part of the book and the love scenes are steamy and explicit. I liked the romantic angle of the book, but at times I thought Max was focused more on her emotions and less on the job she’s hired to do, especially toward the end. I also found other aspects of the plot that could have been stronger.

 

The story starts off very slowly and many of the scenes describe Max’s preparation to go undercover rather than her in deep covert mode, which was disappointing. The scenes where she has to prove herself are interesting but lacked the intensity and action I anticipated. Fortunately, there is a surprising twist in the book that adds an element of danger and leads to a suspenseful climax with an unexpected outcome. King warns readers beforehand not to expect a “Happy Ever AFTER ending…yet,” and it’s this promise that makes me curious to continue reading the series.

 Source: I won an e-copy of this book through an author giveaway.

Link to Review:

http://sunmountainreviews.wordpress.com/2014/05/06/review-of-troubl...