The Darkest Flame

Roadmap to Your Heart Series, Book 1

By: Christina Lee

Narrated by: Tristan James, Iggy Toma

Vaughn O'Keefe has been part owner of the Hog's Den for years. Privy to plenty of Disciples of the Road business, he's never been more ruffled as when a new recruit named "Smoke" walks through the door. Something about the man gets his blood pumping, but he knows to keep his preferences under wraps around the club.

"Smoke" Callahan has done a couple of rehab stints and is finally clean, thanks to help from the Disciples. He's on the right path and isn't about to get sidetracked, no matter how much the guy who manages the bar gets beneath his skin. Besides, his last relationship with a man left him scared, alone, and with a nightmare of an addiction. When the Hog's Den becomes shorthanded, and Smoke is ordered to help out the one man he can't have, his longing for the bartender reaches blistering proportions.

As Smoke's past unravels and the one person he hopes never to lay eyes on again messes with all he holds sacred, it's time to involve the Disciples. Problem is, he'll have to risk his membership, his heart, and his own hide to keep everyone he cares about safe.

Contains mature themes.

©2015 Christina Lee (P)2020 Tantor

Great book!

I loved how this book was put together. The connection that grew between the guys. The love they figured out and found together. Great book.

Somber

This was my second read of this story- I first read it in 2019, but actually forgot I had! I guess that's what happens when you've read 1000+ books in between.
Here's my original review, which still holds true after listening to the audiobook. I enjoyed both narrators, I thought they captured the characters personalities quite well.

I enjoyed Smoke and Vaughn's story. It had a pretty somber feeling to it, as both characters were hiding parts of themselves from the outside world. It always makes me sad when someone feels like they can't truly show the world who they really are. For these 2 guys it was doubly hard, considering they were both involved, directly for Smoke and indirectly for Vaughn, with a motorcycle club- which might not be the most accepting group.
But sometimes you're pleasantly surprised by the reactions of others, and I liked how this story turned out.

Ok

Not my favorite story by this author, but it was alright. Iggy Toma did a good job narrating, but some of the voices that the other narrator used sounded like impressions of either Trump or some old fashioned mafioso. I also found it hard to believe that people were so stunned to hear that bi people actually exist.—They couldn’t wrap their heads around being attracted to more than one gender? Really????

The Darkest Flame is one of slef-loathing

This is a new author for me and I bought the audiobook and borrowed the book based on the fact that I like Tristan James and Iggy Toma as narrators. They did their usual superlative job as narrators; however, they could not make up for the weakness in the writing.

My major reason for dinging the book and lowering my rating is that sense of shame and fear forcing the characters to hide who they are. The Disciples motorcycle club and other associated clubs are suggested to be universally homophobic. Only in the end do the Disciples’ members prove otherwise by voting to support their President and the characters right to love one another.

What would induce two gay men to want to join and maintain a membership in such clubs? There are other options then to join up and project an image that leaves one to feel a bit self-loathing, shame, or fearful. Any protection one feels from the group is not worth that sacrifice of conscience or identity. That is why I found the book hard to enjoy. It is not bad, but not, a home run either; at best, it is third base hit. The book will be good for those who like bikers clubs like they are coo coo for cocoa puffs.

Other weaknesses are the plot line with Smoke’s Uncle is poorly developed. For such a key event he played in Smokes life there should be more back story. There is no explanation as to what happened to Vaughn's real mother.

In the end the darkest flame is one of self-loathing. It is too damaging to the human spiret.

Great book!!!!!!

I was so excited for this book. Smoke and Von absolutely deserved their own story it definitely did not disappoint. I love how the relationship progressed. I loved how Malakai accepted the relationship and said he'd already guessed at about it. This was wonderful to listen to. I loved the narrators and the story.

Loved!

Vaughn and Smoke were awesome. I love the thought of two tough men beating the odds and falling in love. They were both such distinctive characters, and I loved them both. Tristan and Iggy did amazing narration, as always.

Good story

Iggy Toma is fantastic as always. Tristan James lacks emotion. His work is flat and monotonous

is Tristan James the WB frog in drag?

i adore Iggy Toma. To the point that I seek out books that he has narrated And can pretty much always be assured that I will enjoy the listen without even reading the summary in advance, just because I love him. This series would have been so much better if he had just done all of the characters himself rather than being paired with Tristan James. I'm not trying to be an asshole, but I feel as thoughTristan James Whenever he would do other characters voices, I cringed especially when he did Smoke's voice. He basically sounds half asleep. And has anyone else noticed that he occasionally randomly slips into this very weird old Timey cadence/accent? Where he sounds like the WB frog when he sings that song "hello my baby hello my baby, hello my honey, Hello my ragtime gal..."? So weird cadence I'm referring to reminds me either that or like a really cheesy gangster accent in a crappy old D movie. Am I on glue or does anyone else notice this? Whatever it is whenever he falls into that accent, I find it very jarring and it takes me out of the story and it's totally bothersome because when I get home or reads I'm completely engrossed.

Another entertaining gay MC series.

I liked the story for the most part. The characters were well thought out, their backstories were believable, The supporting cast was fine, and the overall story was entertaining, especially the way the author took a hard lump of lust and dressed it up as slow burn - entertaining. However, the ending felt extremely rushed, like, the bad guy was dealt with, everybody came clean, it was a happily ever after, and then everybody stood up and clapped - the end, all done in like one chapter. I got whip lash. One of the narrators was really good, but the other I wasn't too fond of. he had this weird way of breathing out words, like each sentence ended in an exhaled push that I didn't care for. Overall however, this was a fun ride and I'm still gonna check out more books in the series.

80% porn, excellent narration

I love this genre but not when the entire story is about sex like this one. First and last I'll get by this author. The main reason I purchased this was because of the narrators. Two of my top favorites and they didn't disappoint.