Striker

Lords of Carnage MC, Book 11

De: Daphne Loveling

Narrado por: Troy Duran, Jillian Macie

Buttoned-up lawyer meets down-and-dirty biker . . .

What could possibly go wrong?

Ember

I've had enough trouble with men to last me a lifetime. All I want is to live my life, build my law practice, and focus on my career. Then everything changes when I'm hired to represent a member of the Lords of Carnage MC in a child custody case . . . and Striker Rossi is assigned as my bodyguard. The minute his eyes lock on mine, I know this man is damaged. Reckless. Trouble. The way he looks at me does things to me I don't want to feel. I get the feeling he knows a thousand ways to get down and dirty. And I don't want to like it as much as I do.

Striker

I traded a broken past for a brotherhood I could count on. The Lords are all the family I have. My oath to them is the most important thing in my life. But when my best friend and MC brother asks me to provide protection for a buttoned-up lawyer, the last thing I expect is Ember Wells. She's off limits. She's absolutely gorgeous. She makes me feel things I never thought I could feel. Ember is a spark. I'm playing with fire. Together, we're lightning in a bottle. And I'm determined to make her mine.

Contains mature themes.

©2020 Daphne Loveling (P)2022 Tantor

Striker & Ember

Another outstanding addition to this series. This is an intriguing, suspenseful, and heartfelt ride to go on with Striker and Ember. Their journey was not all roses but their destination left me with a grin. I absolutely loved everything about this book.
Narration is great.

Striker & Ember

Great love story with a twist. Engaging main characters and insights to the progression of previous characters. Sweet characters, no cheating and the brotherhood. HEA epilogue. Enjoying the narrators.

Striker

Love this series and I have to say Striker was one of my favorite characters

One of my favorite Lords of Carnage stories!

I loved Striker and (Dec)Ember’s story! It was full of personal growth, falling in love, the love of a dog, love of a child, suspenseful twists and turns, and new beginnings. It was heartfelt, steamy and romantic. There were some scary things that happened, but in the end the Lords of Carnage are a family. I can’t wait for Jude’s story!!

Striker and Ember!

An awesome book! Two totally different people from two completely different worlds come together to make each other complete!

I can’t wait for the next book! I’m starting it now!

Fairy tale

This was a simple fairytale of a story and an ending. A soap opera episode. It’s nice that all the women in the series are women who have there own lives or strong survival wills

Lawyer is dumb and cluless

Though the author has gotten somewhat better at developing her stories, sometimes she just makes the females completely dumb and incompetent. She makes Ember sound like a meek. incompetent lawyer who doesn't know basic law. At least no one really has a foreign. accent for the female narrator to butcher.

Predictable…

Sad that these people were so predictable including the “twist” ending. I would rather have smart characters who use the English language properly. ☹️

This book just kept upsetting me. Just...No.

Duel Narration. Not the narrators' fault!

**Slightly Spoilery rant**

1. Ember made one stupid decision after another. Constantly! They were VERY OBLIVIOUSLY stupid decisions. To the point where I had a hard time believing she would make good decisions as a lawyer.

** Side note: When a scary biker tells you that you should have protection... believe them! Also, don't keep that from your assistant! Who has a kid! That's so dangerous! **

** Also, maybe don't give your sketchy husband access to large accounts before a divorce... maybe hire a different lawyer. She clearly didn't know what she was doing. This is 101 stuff!

2. Custody battle for Wren. She deserved so much better! Also, the "twist" was unnecessary and made the book so messy.

Content warnings: toxic ex, animal abuse, death of a pet, addiction, custody battle, divorce battle, stalking, violence

My rating: 2/5

Spice: 2/5

Low T🛝

💔Not What I Expected – A Bit of a Letdown

As an avid reader of motorcycle club (MC) romances, I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to the hype. While it was full of strong characters and emotional moments, it lacked the action and romance that I was craving in an MC story, especially one that promised a central love story between Ember and Striker. To put it simply, this book was more about the adoption of Wren than the fiery romance I was hoping for.

💔The Characters: One thing I did truly enjoy was the characters. Ember, in particular, stood out as a woman who was strong, capable, and caring. I loved her backstory and the way she handled the challenges life threw at her. However, when it came to Striker, I just couldn’t connect. I was expecting a charming, brooding alpha like so many other MC heroes, but instead, I found Striker to be more of a burnout, a man whose rough edges seemed too jagged for me to even try to like him. His character felt a bit flat and unappealing—hard to root for in a romance. In fact, I found myself wishing Ember would have run in the opposite direction and found someone who treated her better. Striker didn’t seem to deserve her.

💔The Romance: This is where things get tricky. The book promises a romance, but it feels more like an afterthought. The connection between Ember and Striker took over 20 chapters to develop, and by the time they finally hooked up, I was left feeling like it came too late in the story. The two hot romance scenes were steamy, yes, but they were few and far between, and the rest of the book felt bland in comparison. For an MC story, I was expecting more of that adrenaline-fueled passion, but unfortunately, this just didn’t deliver on that front.

💔The Storyline: The story was more focused on the adoption of Wren rather than the relationship between Ember and Striker. While the adoption arc was touching, it overshadowed the love story that I was hoping to see developed. This shift in focus felt a bit jarring and left me disappointed. The ending, too, felt abrupt and unsatisfying, with little exploration of the true depth of Ember and Striker’s love.

❤️‍🔥Narration: As always, the narration was a highlight. Troy and Jillian did a fantastic job bringing the story to life, and their voices added an extra layer of magic to the listening experience. Daphne’s writing was solid, and while this book wasn’t for me, I still admire her talent as an author.

💔Final Thoughts: All in all, this book didn’t hit the mark for me. I adore the author and the narrators, but the story just didn’t deliver the action, romance, or character development I was hoping for. Striker’s character was a major letdown, and the book’s focus on the adoption storyline rather than the romance made it feel more like a family drama than an MC romance. While it may appeal to readers who prefer a slower burn or who are more invested in emotional depth than action, this just wasn’t the book for me.

❤️‍🔥I’m definitely looking forward to my next MC adventure, though. Here’s hoping the next one brings the heat!

Rating: 2.5/5

Until next time, MC lovers! 🍷