Devil’s Mark by Megan Crane
Devil’s Keepers #2

Wow! The momentum begun in book one of this series was maintained throughout book two and left me hungering for book three. Can’t wait to find out who will have their story told next.

Holly Chambless has always been a “good girl” doing her best to live up to the expectations of her demanding father. When her father, the mayor, is picked up by the police for a number of felonies she is bent on making changes in her life as a wee bit of rebellion. So one evening she stops by a notorious biker bar to begin her makeover not realizing just where that first step will ultimately lead her. Killian “Uptown” Chenier, member of the Devil’s Keeper MC, finds himself drawn to Holly for a number of reasons but the main one is to get revenge against her father. Little does he realize that his first encounter with Holly in Dumb Gator bar will change his life forever.

I loved the characters, the story and the way this book ended. The dialogue, unfolding backstories and surprises that cropped up were well plotted and appeared at just the right moment. Holly and Uptown were so well matched and their love story so delicious that I could not put this book down once I began reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing Group – Loveswept for the copy of this book. This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This book was just ok for me.

I liked the idea of the book and the opposites attract idea more than I enjoyed the execution of the book. Both Uptown and Holly felt somewhat two dimensional to me. I'm not entirely sure why they were insta-love and an HEA to be honest. I found Uptown borderline creepy at times and Holly seemed like she was so far in denial about her entire life that she couldn't really absorb what was happening in the present.

Also, the bar where Holly got a job sounded completely gross and unsanitary to the extreme. Outside of being raised in a cult or by wolves I don't understand why anyone would keep going back to that dive. It's great not to be judgmental about how other people choose to live their lives, but there are times you have to have enough judgement about situations to keep yourself safe and healthy, and that pit was not a safe or healthy place to be.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoyed Devil's Honor and intend to read the entire Devil's Keepers series.

4 of 5
Adult Romance/Motorcycle Club Romance

ARC provided for an honest review through NetGalley.

Holly Chambless is the squeaky clean and absolutely beautiful town “princess”. She is the daughter to the stuck up, arrogant mayor. When her father is charged with corruption, everything she knew or thought she knew falls apart. Her life has been manipulated and she has been lied to over and over again. Deciding to take a chance and make her own decisions, she looks for a job at a well known biker bar. Her world is turned upside down when she runs into the sexy as hell biker, Killian “Uptown” Chenier…again.

Uptown doesn’t have time for women, especially the sweet “princess”, Holly. She’s everything he knows he shouldn’t want and he knows he should stay away…but he can’t. Holly’s father has stolen from the Devil’s Keepers and must pay for his transgressions. Holly could be very useful in making the mayor pay, now if only he can keep his distance and not fall for her.

I really enjoyed this book!

It was a very quick read because the story is fast paced and thrilling! The dynamic between Uptown and Holly was on point. Squeaky clean “princess” and dirty and handsome biker…yes please! I really enjoyed Uptown and felt that I connected with him more than Holly. Holly has to grow up in this story and she does but I didn’t like all of her reactions and choices. I wanted her to be more angered at the situations and with Uptown. I really wanted to stand up for herself and be a strong, independent woman. Although she didn’t react the way I wanted her too, I still found her interesting and intriguing. I get it too. She is young, immature and still learning about herself.

If you are looking for a HOT biker romance book. Check this one out! Releases tomorrow, January 3rd. Pre Order on Amazon HERE.

Check out Megan Cranes other biker Romance, Devil’s Honor. I gave it 4 stars. My review HERE.

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The good girl and the bad boy. The rich girl and the boy from the wrong side of town. The virgin princess and the outlaw. Two people from very different backgrounds, with nothing in common, or so it seems. With the sultry and mysterious bayou as a backdrop, spicy-hot passion will breach every barrier between these two.

Holly Chambless is the pampered and indulged princess of Lagrange who seems to be above all the dark and seedy going-ons in the small town her father is mayor of. That is until he gets arrested for corruption and her carefully constructed life comes tumbling down, revealed for the lie it was. No longer obliged to play the role she's been stuck with all her life, Holly is determined to live for herself and what other way can she get rid of her good-girl image than by working at the local biker bar?

With the pompous and backstabbing mayor brought low, Holly is now fair game for all the lowlifes and scumbags, if they can get through Killian “Uptown” Chenier. From the first moment she walked through the doors of their hangout, he staked his claim as the one to take the stuck-up princess for a ride on the wild side. But for some reason, he can't seem to close that deal and for a man who loves his women in large quantities and easily forgettable, he can't get it up for any other woman nor can he get her out of his mind.

Holly initially came across as an air-headed debutante, but she was not exactly that. She was sheltered and innocent, but she wasn't clueless about the kind of man her father was, even if she pretended not to know. She was a sweet southern girl, easy to like, with a well-hidden wild streak that only Uptown seemed to bring to life.
Uptown was a bad boy in every sense of the word. Or should I say nasty? He reveled in his lifestyle and its excesses, but he also had an ax to grind with the mayor and what better way than to defile his daughter and her priceless virtue? By the way, that virtue was the most talked about thing in this town and the value placed on it by all and sundry was ludicrous. What year are we in again? Just checking.

Like I said, Ms. Crane knows how to bring the heat. The chemistry between Holly and Uptown was hot! I like that she held her own so well with Uptown and didn't pretend with him about her needs.

The club drama is revving up and all the revelations in this book have me wildly speculating on the future of the club and I'm so eager for the next book, so I can get more on that. I enjoyed reading DEVIL'S MARK which was surprisingly sweet in some places and would definitely recommend the series as a whole, but if you like your characters to color within the lines and be good, then this is definitely not the series for you.

So, I like this book better than the first. In many ways, this book had what Devil’s Honor didn’t…romance. Devil’s Mark is book #2 in The Devil’s Keepers Series. it was still hard to connect with the characters. The storyline had a steady pace, but the characters needed more development than what the length of the book provided. Other than the lack of character development the story was engaging.

Megan Crane has continued to entice me with her gritty, no holds barred characters and the intensity only a bad boy romance can ultimately provide.
My compulsive attraction to these stories is not only the forbidden bad boy, but the easy ebb and flow of the author’s writing style, her gutsy world building and the edgy rawness of the genre and the complexity of the cast.

I’m a huge fan of this author who is definitely on my ‘MUST READ’ list.