Fearless was my first biker romance and woah did Lauren Gilley bring the heat! The cast of characters was phenomenal and I fell head over heels for Ava and Mercy. I really appreciated that Ava was such a strong and intelligent heroine who didn’t conform to the trope-y mold of special snowflake or wilting daisy. Having grown up amongst the Lean Dogs Motorcycle Club, she is snarky and down-to-earth with a tough-as-nails ferocity to match her man.
I was equally smitten with Mercy, the formidable and powerfully-built ‘fixer’ with a sensitive heart who can make men quake in their boots. He is willing to protect Ava at all costs, while still respecting her independence. These two are drawn to each other like magnets and despite their complicated history (and baggage) it’s impossible to deny the crackling frisson between them- their souls are made of the same stuff.
The story pulled me in from page 1. Ava, freshly graduated from UT, returns home for the first time with her suave and rich prepster boyfriend Ronnie by her side. She is desperate to maintain her new, more polished identity after leaving her biker roots behind. But try as she might, Ava can’t seem to resist the siren song of her old life or the sexual tension she feels in the presence of her former flame. Ava is swiftly caught up in the drama of her hometown and her very life may be in peril as the Lean Dogs teeter on the brink of war with their ruthless rivals, the Carpathians.
Fearless is a sexy, thrilling and dramatic novel that isn’t afraid to ‘go there.’ It even brought me unashamedly to tears during an especially poignant moment and I haven’t cried over a book in years. There are parts so raw it hurts, so if you’re sensitive you may want to tread lightly. This book is absolutely heart wrenching, but it never feels gratuitous. Lauren Gilley sure knows how to write a romance! Her passionate and detail-oriented style is reminiscent of Kristen Ashley, but with less ‘honeys’ and ‘darlin’s.’
I will mirror the sentiment of other reviewers by admitting that unfortunately this behemoth of a story was about 200 pages too long in my humble opinion. It negatively impacted my ability to feel completely connected and riveted the whole way through, especially around the 3/4 mark. And while switching POV’s is not generally my cup of tea, it mostly worked here even if it was somewhat abrupt at times. The flashbacks could be frustrating at pivotal points in the story where you are held in agonizing suspense.
All in all, Fearless was emotional, breathtaking and a little bit taboo, a stellar introduction to the Dartmoor series.
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Click here to pick up your very own copy of Fearless (Dartmoor #1).
