Katana Collins is a new author to me and I have to say she’s one to watch out for. Harrison Street Crew is filled with ex-cons, but the one that will catch your attention will be bad boy, Shane. He may be ruthless and hard to ignore, but this man, has a huge heart. When he loves, he goes all in. You just have to be brave. The Ex-Con series is like a rollercoaster, sometimes your going so fast that you can’t kept track of the words and other times it feel like your on the scenic route. You just have to be patient because the end is well worth the journey.



If your looking for a bad boy then you came to the right place. Let Shane and the Harrison Street Crew, show you how bad can feel so right.

PART ONE:
What a great start to this series! I was sucked in from the very beginning until the nail-biting cliffhanger at the end. I felt a strong connection to the characters and instantly fell in love with them. The chemistry between ex-con Shane and the gorgeous red-headed mechanic, Charlie, was off-the-charts smokin' hot! The tension between these two was enough to drive me mad and grip my kindle a little tighter.

I am loving everything about this series so far - the writing, the story, its characters. I didn't want to put it down!

Katana Collins is a new-to-me author and I'm very glad I took a chance on her!

PART TWO:
I could not wait to dive into this! We ended with a cliffy in part one that left my heart racing. I fell in love with these characters in part 1, falling even more in part 2. Even the "bad guys" are growing on me.

Shane is super sexy and so caring. A badass ex-con with a heart of gold? Yes please. And Charlie couldn't be more perfect for him - strong, sassy, and gorgeous.

With this story we get more flawless writing, more time to bond with the amazing cast of characters, and plenty of suspense to keep me on the edge of my seat. I am so hooked on this story!

PART THREE:
Loved, loved, loved! I couldn't be more happy and satisfied with this series and this author's fabulous writing. I never wanted to put this book down. So much action, plenty of thrills, suspense, and just the right amount of steam. I was never bored, always wanting to read "one more chapter".

What a fun ride this was! I loved everything about this book. What a perfect ending to this series. I highly recommend this!

The cast of this series is amazing and I look forward to Patrick's story.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this title. Unfortunately, I couldn't connect and couldn't continue. The third person POV was not a good fit for this series that should have been written in first person POV. I didn't finish the titles and won't be reviewing as we don't feature DNFs on the blog. Thank you so much.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this title. Unfortunately I didn't connect and couldn't continue - as I didn't finish the titles, I won't be reviewing as we don't review DNF's on the blog. Thank you so much.

This novel, although easy to read, fell short in the plot department. It really felt a little like any other romance novel you have read.

Ex-Con is the newest work from author Katana Collins and is broke up into three scorching, high octane parts. I was lucky enough to get all three at at the same time so I breezed right through them all and I loved every second!
From the very first chapter I was hooked on this story. Shane is the perfect anti-hero wrapped up in a sexy package with a hidden soft side I just adored. I was pulling for him for the very beginning to get his life together while keeping things on the straight and narrow. Of course that would prove a difficult task from the word go. I also loved Charlie; the sexy mechanic Shane ends up working with in her shop. She is a total bad ass without being too hard edged. She reminded me a bit of Angelina Jolie’s character in the movie Gone in 60 Seconds but with better hair lol! Together the attraction between them is instant and intense. Total off the charts heat factor!
This collection as a whole has so much to sink your teeth into… a crew of less than savory guys, illegal street racing, a psycho ex, tons of heat, ups and downs, two unforgettable main characters, and a fresh and exciting story line all well written and guaranteed to keep you glued to each page!
Thank you, Ms. Collins, for a fantastic trio of stories. I loved every second of Shane and Charlie’s story! If you haven’t picked up a Katana Collins book, you really must.

Ex Con Part One



Shane is released from prison after four long years. He’s tried to stay out of the HSC gang, but since they saved him in prison, he owes them. Charlie, a young, hot, chick who owns the garage in his neighborhood, is the only experienced mechanic able to handle classic cars. The two meet when he takes his beloved car in to be repaired and he talks his way into working for her as payment for the repairs to his car.

Ex Con, Part 1 is sexy, steamy, and all around HOT!! Not only is the sexual tension between Charlie and Shane hot, but the mention of the sexy, classic cars is a car lover’s wet dream! What makes Shane stand out from the rest of the crew is his heart of gold. He may be tough and dangerous, but deep down he cares first and takes care of those he cares about.

I found this story to be amazing and something I didn’t want to end! Thankfully, we get to experience more in Parts 2 and 3….something I plan on doing right away!

My Rating: 5 Stars



Ex Con, Part 2



In the Second Installment of the Harrison Street Crew (HSC for short), Katrina Collins delivers another sexy, steamy, well done, story!! This part picks up with more of Charlie and Shane’s story, bringing more danger, excitement, and intensity to the story. The street racing continues over from book one and plays a heavy part in their relationship. I can’t even begin to tell you how HOT this entire series is!!

Shane and Charlie deal with more conflict, more lust, more overall everything and Shane, being the anti-hero, proves just how sexy and seductive a bad boy can be. Charlie is kick ass and strong – something I absolutely ADORE in a good heroine! Their lust and interaction steams up the pages and pulled me in even more! I simply could not get enough of this story, this installment, and these amazing characters! I felt like I was living in South Boston and was a part of the action! Great job!

My Rating – 5 Stars



Ex Con, Part 3

The final installment in the Ex Con “series”, Part three continues after Parts one and two (and you must read them in order to understand this part), and picks up with more of Charlie and Shane and their amazing attraction to each other. In this part, Charlie’s ex is more prominent and he makes it his mission to “clean up” South Boston….no matter what the cost. I absolutely hated his character and how he treated Charlie like a prize instead of the sexy, smart, tough, woman she is. Shane gets caught up in the tension and though I won’t reveal what happens, I will mention the value of your time in reading this series! I can’t find one bad thing about this Ex Con installment, except that I want MORE! The author created an amazing, wonderful, sexy, dangerous, exciting, and action packed book full of amazing and well developed characters! I can’t recommend the Ex Con book enough and think every lover of this type of story should read it!

My Rating: 5 Stars

I continue to be pleasantly surprised by the depth of Collins' writing! Her characters are well developed and engaging, the plot is fast paced, and the relationships are steamy! Another great series!

Ex-Con Serial by Katana Collins contains: Ex-Con: The Harrison Street Crew Parts 1-3.
Part One:
Shane is a bad boy, ex-con and rugged, but one woman is his match.
The mechanic witha pin-up body and tomboy attitude.

Part Two:
Charlize- Charlie Wakeman fixes cars, races cars and doesn´t suffer fools.
But she can´t resist Shane McGill.

Part Three:
Gill knows, second chances - don´t mess them up. But danger looms.

Part three is my favorite part in this box set. I love Charlie and Shane and their story.
4 Stars and Thank you Katana Collins!

*ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*
“The moon can’t glow without the darkness. Let me be your darkness- take that darkness from you so that you can shine.”
These were my second set of novels that I read by Katana and I can’t get enough of her writing.
This story is a dual POV and it follows Shane, an ex-con who was just released from prison and Charlie, the new-ish mechanic in his town. They are both dealing with some unsavory demons from their pasts and it was bittersweet to see them come to light as they found reassurance in each other.
This serial made me tear up so much and the things these two told each other were like salt to an open wound, yet I wanted more. These were just the right amount of angsty and sexy.

I’m so in awe of Katana, her plot twists were spectacular and that ending was groundbreaking. I felt like I was bathed in adrenaline and didn’t know what to do with it so instead, I jumped right into read the next serial, Outlaw, to find out more about these characters.

4/5 stars!

Loved it! This was a super sexy serial with a great story and a sexy hero who deserves a second chance. I can't wait to read more by this author!

A blog I follow suggested that you should read this series and that you could get it and read it free with netgalley. I did not really had any expectations for the book, I just thought that it sound exciting, but I was happily surprised, because I really like this book. I loved it, it had me hooked right from the start, I did not want to put it down. Im a sucker for bad boy books and Shane did not disappoint.

Ex-Con is told in a dual point of view of Shane and Charlie. Shane has been serving fours years in prison for killing a man. While in prison he is protected by a gang/crew he's tried to stay away from, but inside its survival that has him excepting help from the Harrison Street Crew. When he's on the out side he just wants to keep his head down and move forward with his life.

Charlie is a female mechanic trying to run her own business. She wants to be taken seriously within the car world, a world dominated by men.

Shane and Charlie's paths cross a few times and the chemistry is instant. They can't stay away form each other.

Katana Collins has caught my interest with her story and i'm looking forward to reading Outlaw the next in the series of the Harrison Street Crew.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

PLEASE NOTE: I received the Ex-Con Serial for review (all three parts) for review. I am going to post my review of all three parts combined, since the serial did not separate each part (so I have no way of knowing where each part ends. I'll try to be as spoiler-free as possible. Receiving the serial for review from the publisher in no way affected my review and thoughts on the book.

Ex-Con by Katana Collins
Book One of the Harrison Street Crew series
Publisher: Swerve
Publication Date: January 31st, February 7th, February 14th

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary:

Worse than bad. Hotter than hot. These are the bad boys of the Harrison Street Crew, and they answer to no one. They take what they want. And what they want is you.

What I Liked:

This is a review of all the combined serial version. I received the Ex-Con Serial for review, and the serial combined all three parts of the book into one seamless story. I do not know where each part ended and the other began, so I cannot do a separate review for each part of the serial.

I read an excerpt from Part I of the serial, and I was hooked. I haven't read too many books featuring ex-cons - the exceptions being Julianna Keyes' Time Served, and Sophie Jordan's amazing Devil's Rock series (All Chained Up, Hell Breaks Loose, and Fury on Fire - so far). I love Time Served and the Devil's Rock series, and after reading those books, I've been less leery of ex-con stories. The excerpt of Part I of Ex-Con that I read was phenomenal and so intriguing, and I'm really glad I stumbled upon it by chance, because I ended up loving this serial novel!

Shane McGill has been released on parole, after serving four years in prison for a crime that isn't quite revealed until close to the end of the serial (probably in Part III, if I had to guess - again, I don't know where each part starts and stops). His beloved car has been sitting untouched for four years, and he needs work done on it. He makes a deal with Charlie Wakeman, a sexy mechanic: he'll work at her garage for free and she'll fix up his car. Neither of them expect the intense chemistry between them to boil over. Neither of them expect the other to be involved with one of the city's dangerous gangs. Neither of them expect the other to discover all of each other's painful secrets, and still fall for each other.

I read the book as one cohesive story (and not by parts), and I absolutely love how the story was told. The progression and pacing of the story is beautifully written. I wasn't quite expecting that, since the story is split into parts, but I loved how well each part fit into the other, and how much happened in this book.

Both characters are so complex and unique. Shane has just completed his time in prison, and wants a fresh start. He has been denying it to himself, but he knows he can never truly escape from HSC (the gang he is involved with). He agrees to do street races with them, which is how he gets involved with them again, after being in prison. Shane has to repair his car, his life, his problems with HSC, his relationship with his little sister... I really felt for the guy. He is so good and so noble, a true white knight in shining armor, even though he's an ex-con and a criminal. He is also super hot (like steam coming off the pages). I didn't think I would like him this much, but I did. He is such a good guy and a decent person. He's an alpha male with a brain and a good head on his shoulders.

Charlie is a feisty, independent, take-no-crap kind of girl. She likes fixing cars and having her own garage, but she owes a lot of money on the garage, which is how she started street racing for HSC. That, and she loved the thrill of it. Charlie got out of an abusive relationship and sought out the thrill of street racing. The topic of the abusive ex-boyfriend (ex-fiance, really) comes up a lot in the book, and it becomes a huge part of the story. Her ex is her best friend's brother, and the best friend (Michelle) is a really important person in Charlie's life. I liked Charlie, though occasionally her "you-can't-tell-me-what-to-do!" rants got annoying. Sometimes she wouldn't see reason because her head was so far stuck up her butt, trying to be Ms. Independent.

The female friendship in this book is wonderful! I love how Michelle and Charlie always have each other's back, but they also tell each other how it is. Michelle never holds back, which Charlie definitely needed sometimes. These two ladies have been through a lot together, and I love how powerful and strong their friendship is.

Okay, okay, the romance. I absolutely loved the romance. Things started off steamy and progressed into inferno-like fiery pretty quickly. Which I didn't mind at all! The emotional side of things also progressed rather quickly, but I didn't mind and I thought this work well in the story. The chemistry between Shane and Charlie is on fire! The pair were liable to start burning up, every time they were in the same room. And yet, things weren't all physical between them. I love how sweet Shane is with Charlie, and how Charlie doesn't take crap from him BUT also isn't quick to judge him. They are a wonderful (HOT) pair, and I loved watching them fall for each other.

The "other" plot besides the romance is interesting because it involves both characters, though they aren't aware of this at first. Both Shane and Charlie are involved in street racing, and Shane cuts a deal with HSC to get Charlie out (which puts him back in, unfortunately). Shane works through issues relating to the reason he went to prison, and his relationship with his sister. Charlie works through her own issues, involving her keeping silent about her abusive ex. Meanwhile, someone is trying to frame Shane for something... it all comes together, at the end of the book (which is the end of Part III).

Overall, I am highly satisfied with this serial! I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it as a cohesive novel, though releasing it in parts is an interesting idea. I enjoyed this book a lot - it's a wonderful and steamy story about an ex-con who is a decent guy on the wrong side of the tracks, and a mechanic who wants a little independence after a horrible relationship. It was the first book I read by Collins, and I liked what I read!

What I Did Not Like:

Not a big deal, but sometimes Charlie got on my nerves a little. I understood her need for independence, after being in an abusive relationship for so long. But sometimes she shut down others (Michelle and Shane, specifically) and dismissed their advice and concern because she was so focused on being independent. I feel like she threw tantrums and stomped her feet too many times, yelling about how she didn't want anyone to tell her what to do. I understood where she was coming from, but she acted really stupid sometimes. No one was trying to control her - they were trying to give her solid, unbiased advice, but she acted like everyone was trying to tell her what to do. Girl, calm down!

Again, not a big deal - this happened maybe two or three times, and I understood where she was coming from. But it was a little annoying to read!

Would I Recommend It:

I personally recommend this series, if you like adult contemporary romance. This story is very different and unique and it challenges the way one might view an ex-con. Both characters have dark secrets and both have a lot of emotional healing to pursue. I dare you to read this book and NOT fall in love with these two - it's impossible, I promise! Their chemistry is hot and their romance is hard-fought and heartwarming, in the end.

Rating:

4 stars (for each part, and the book overall). I cannot wait to read the Outlaw serial! Patrick and Michelle had some serious chemistry in this book, and the sneak peek at the end was so hot... I need all of the parts of Outlaw as soon as possible!

It started out as a serial, I somehow thought I would be reading the stories of several Harrison Street Crew members, but it started, continued and ended all with ex-con, Southie bad boy, Shane.

I read all three parts of this serial so I'll be careful not to spoil, but fair warning. It starts slow and unsure. You may be tempted to put it down, but don't. Like an un-driven car, sometimes you have to rev the engine a bit before things get going.

Sexy and action driven. If you like a strong but flawed heroine- paired with a wrong side of the tracks, sexy bad boy- compounded with sexual tension- this serial just my be for you.

When I first heard about the Ex con By Katana Collins I was really intrigued to see what this book had in store so when I got a copy of this book to review I was thrilled and I dived into this story as soon as I could and I thoroughly enjoyed it ! this book was so so so !! good!

In this book we follow Shane and Charlie and OMG did I love these two together I mean when you get to know about there backgrounds ,I first thought these two are opposite and from two different worlds almost , but when you get to know them both you realize they have so much more in common than you think and they are absolutely perfect for each other. I felt that Shane and Charlies's story was sexy , thrilling and hear pounding I felt that Katana Collins wrote the perfect story for these two and I loved every minute of it.There was never a dull moment between the romance , the racing , the cars , the drama .There was just so much that kept me at the edge of my seat .

Ex - Con was a sexy , gritty , addicting story . I cannot wait to see what Katana Collins writes next I know after reading this book it going to be amazing !. If you want a smoking hot read you should definitely pick up a copy of Ex Con as soon as you can .

I love Katana's books and I was excited to dive into this series! And I have a love/hate relationship with books that end in a cliffhanger, making you salivate for more. THESE BOOKS YOU GUYS! Gah! I was completely sucked into Shane and Charlie's world. She's a tough, independent gal, whose making it running a garage. So, she's having a little trouble staying afloat but she's honest and she does good work. She knows word will get around that her garage is the place to be in Southie. She was once in an abusive relationship and vows to never be that girl again. Shane has been in prison for the last four years. He's trying to find a good balance of being free and doing right. He doesn't want to bring his sister down or, now that he knows Charlie, her. His past is staring at him in the face because the crew saved him in prison. He wants to live right and knows he can't get caught doing anything illegal. These books were a rush! Think Fast and the Furious meets gangs and good guys. Charlie's dad is one of the good guys but Shane thinks of himself the bad guy. Charlie fights the chemistry between them for so long, then when they can't take it anymore, things heat up! I don't want to give anything away about these books but trust me, YOU NEED THEM IN YOUR LIFE! Go one-click now! You won't be disappointed!

This was more than just a love story. I felt the love story was a bonus! I loved that it was a story about two people trying to better themselves, Their stories alone would have been a great read, but putting them together made it great. The two of them coming together just helped them to become who they wanted to be. And the details this author puts into the story...she painted such a great picture with her words that I was sucked into the scenes. Can't wait for the next three books!

Part 1 Review: 3 Stars

Ex-con stories are a bit of a draw for me. I'm a fan of the anti-hero's. This is book 1 in a 3 part series all focusing on Shane and Charlie. It starts off good showing a bit with Shane going to prison and then his release 4 years later. Shane soon meets Charlie, the sexy mechanic. We have both POV's and it's keeping my interest but I'll admit, I'm not enjoying the gang related part. I'm just not a fan of gangs. The way they talk and treat people seems juvenile for me. Shane isn't exactly thrilled to be beholden to this gang so I'm gonna stick it out and see where this author takes it. You get a bit of the "Fast and Furious" feel in this book since we have street racing as well. I do really like both MC's so I'm hoping it well be more about them and less about the Crew as we get go parts 2 and 3.

Part 2 Review: 4 Stars

Part two is the continuation of Shane and Charlie's story. You will need to read book 1 first.

I still get the "Fast and The Furious" vibe with this story. More street racing and group of guys doing illegal things but ultimately are good guys. I don't envision Vin Diesel as Shane though. For some reason I keep picturing Kellan Lutz.

In the first book, I didn't think I would like the gang action in this story but it's looking like these guys are not as bad as I thought. Part three will determine one way or another.

The writing is very good. The story is interesting and I'm intrigued to find out what will go down with Charlie's ex. Charlie and Shane have hooked up at this point but they aren't together yet. I'm really not sure what will happen to bring these two together. Right now there seems to be a lot standing in their way.

Part 3: 4 Stars

This is not a standalone. You will want to start with Part 1.

This series ended up being a pleasant surprise. The first part had me unsure how I felt. We got introduced to a gang life that isn't normally something I want to read about. The gang turned out to be nothing like I thought it was. I mentioned in the previous books that this had the "Fast and The Furious" vibe and that's what this gang was like. They are good guys who do some bad things for the greater good.

I loved Charlie and Shane. The situation with her ex isn't completely resolved so I think the overall story continues on to the next series that will focus on Patrick and Michelle. We also saw hints of a possible relationship with Keli and Jimmy.

Overall, a really good story and I'm interested in reading about the next couple. ARC provided by NetGalley.

Great book! Charlie was such a stubborn, tough, badass. I loved that she was a mechanic that worked on muscle cars. Shane....Oh, Shane...There could not be a sweeter hero. I loved that he didn't make excuses for his mistakes and he never gave up. Can't wait for more from the gang....oops, I mean club.

accidentally clicked on link and got approved by mistake. I do not read serials. Sorry