I am a big Chantal Fernando fan. Her MC romance are well written and filled with interesting and unique characters. Custom Built slots right into that mold. Bronte and Crow are the perfect mesh of personalities. I will say one thing, Bronte is on heck of a strong heroine. This girl experiences so many life changing, world shifting and overall upheaval throughout this story. I kept finding myself asking, how much more can one girl take? Crow provides so much love and support to his girl. His dedication and loyalty to her is swoon worthy.

Now there is some MC focus, being the Crow is a member. However, the true standout in this story is the garage. I enjoyed the new scenery and storyline, that Custom Built provides. There is a wealth of side characters and appearances from past Chantal stories. Layer in the club dynamic and this is a winner.

Custom Built is a spin off the Knights of Fury series. This is Crow and Bronte's book. This book hooked me from the very beginning and I did not want to put it down. I you loved Chantal's MC series, you will definitely love this book.

Custom Built was a fast and fun read. It was a little bit different from the first book and worked well with the story. This story starts a bot after Abbie's story, and it was nice to read about the crew again. The book dives a little more into each and everyone's life. The main character is very interesting and I loved her relationship with Crow. She goes through so much in this book, but the support she finds helps her survive the overwhelming events that take place in her life.
To me, the previous book has faster pacing even if this book seems to have more going on, but it's spread out in the story, so I felt less on the edge of my seat in away. Overall, it was a nice story with quite the suspense.

Custom Built is book 1 in the new series: Fast and Fury by Chantal Fernando. The book tells the story of Bronte Pierce and her developing relationship with Crow. Bronte is looking for a new job after she has to be let go of her previous one due to the company struggling financially. Finding herself in a bind, her uncle helps her get a job with the Fast and Furious Custom Motorcycles, where she meets the very grumpy Crow. From there we see the development of her relationship with Crow as Bronte’s life starts to spiral out of control and she tries to find answers to a lot of things.

There is certainly a lot going on in this book, especially from Bronte’s point of view. For a person whose whole world is crumbling down, she is a pretty strong character and has some great friends who help her along the way. I really enjoyed reading the development between herself and Crow. I would have liked to have known a little bit more about Crow or at least to see things from his POV as he was a great character and definitely ticked my boxes for a great book boyfriend! I do love that he was a grumpy jerk to begin with and we slowly find out why he was that way to Bronte.

The sass and joking between the two characters were great to read too. I loved that although Bronte was going through a lot emotionally, Crow could still make her smile and would being her lunch. He really was pretty perfect as a boyfriend!
If you have read the previous MC book by this author, you will see some familiar faces in this book which add some camaraderie to Crow and Bronte’s relationship.

This was a really good start to a new series with a lot of emotional angst thrown in, a hunky book boyfriend and a woman whose strength knows no bounds. I can’t wait to see what else the author has in store for other characters.

ARC received for a fair, honest and sometimes long review. All opinions are my own. 😊

More of my reviews can be found on my blog: http://thehotmesslibrary.blogspot.com

I love Chantal Fernando’s bad ass bikers with their hearts of gold. Glad to see this is a spin off of the Knights of Fury series. Love Crow and Bronte together. Bronte took some knocks in this book, but Crow was able to hold her together. Would highly recommend any of this authors books.

Bronte has just lost her job in a private investigator firm. As a favour, her cousin gets her a new one as receptionist in a custom motorcycle shop.
She is eager to prove herself but Crow, her boss, is not making things easy. Although he is really handsome and a biker, he is not that nice to her.
But you can't fight attraction for a long time. And when Bronte is involved in some dangerous situations, Crow and his MC will be the first ones to help her.
The book is OK. Although the plot is rushed in some parts.

Custom Built is the first in Chantal Fernando's Fast & Fury series but does feature some familiar faces for anyone that's read the Knights of Fury series. This was a really easy story to get into and I both characters were easy to like. There was some tension between Crow and Bronte when the book opened up but that quickly went away when they got to know each other more and from there they had a fast relationship.

Not going to lie, there were some times that it felt a little too fast, especially with everything else going on and at times their relationship got pushed into the background. By the end though I was okay with that since it was still very clear that they had a connection. They were actually pretty sweet with each other and it was fun to read abut them together.

Overall, I would for sure recommend this book and I think it will suck people in to these characters and some of the craziness going on in their lives.

Completely loved it! From start to finish couldn't put it down until I finished it. The twists and turns made this book so entertaining!

Bronte is going through a rough patch when she loses her job, not because she was a bad employee or anything like that but because the employer wasn't making enough money to keep her on. So, on her journey to find a new job she applied everywhere then one afternoon when she went to her father's house to have a BBQ. In this BBQ she finds a job, and she also discovers she has a long lost cousin who also works at the shop that she is going to work at. Finding that job was probably the best thing to happen to her, she finds friends, a love interest and stability. Then the unthinkable happens,  her father passes away. While her father does have some secrets, his death is not as cut and dry as the police think it to have been. So, Bronte is on the road of discovery to find out what happened to her father as well as she finds love along the way!
This is a romance but it's a quick read and really good. I gave it 4/5 stars. I definitely recommend those who love romance stories but also like a little bit more to the story and did I mention a motorcycle gang? It's a quick, cute, sweet read.

This is a good story. It's sweet in most spots but you might need a tissue for a few others. Never in her life when Bronte lost her job did she ever dream of the moves that would set off.

Read this as she navigates personal health troubles, grief, having new family members and finding Crow.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Custom Built is the first in the Fast and Fury series. Although this is a new series, it is actually linked to another series of Chantal Fernando, The Knights of Fury. It reads fine as a standalone novel, but if you have read any of those books, then you will meet some familiar characters here. Rather than focusing on The Knights of Fury motorbike club, this time we're in one of their businesses, a custom bike garage called Fast and Fury. In this first book, our hero is a member of the bike club as well, but I don't know if that will be the case in future books and might well be the reason for the new series.
This story focuses on Bronte and Crow. Although this is a romance and about them getting together, in many ways that's not really what this book is. Unlike so many others in this genre, this isn't a book where the hero and heroine have lots of issues on their path to being together. Instead, they get together quite easily, it's all the other issues that Bronte faces that make the story.
This was a very enjoyable read and the change in style from the usual angst between lovers made a refreshing change. Crow is a complete sweetheart and it's not hard to see why Bronte falls so hard and fast for him. I'm looking forward to finding out what else Fast and Fury might have in store for us.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Heat Factor: It kind of felt closed door, but it’s not, it was just that I was that detached while reading
Character Chemistry: 180 degrees wouldn’t adequately describe the instant shift these protagonists have in their attitudes to each other
Plot: I don’t even know what to tell you. There’s more than one murder of characters we meet, and I was wondering why the epilogue was 1. Not called the epilogue and was 2. Four chapters long
Overall: SMH

I have enjoyed many books by Chantal Fernando, at least half of them never seeing the light of day on our blog. While her writing may not be technically superior, I typically have felt that she can tell an engaging story with a good voice, and I enjoy her heroes. Ergo, I must admit that I was surprised at the quality of the prose in this book, primarily because I was just sitting in my chair (or wherever I was) thinking to myself, “But I don’t understand why this is happening right now. Why is this happening right now? Why are these characters behaving in this way?” most of the time.

For example: Bronte is 24, and she’s been working as an assistant to a PI, but she’s not actually a PI, and she doesn’t have any special skills, and she’s been dating this biker guy for about a second. So why is she the one investigating her father’s murder when her uncle is the most powerful drug lord in town? Yes, she uses her PI friend and the MC as resources, but why does her uncle let her run the investigation? He’s just like, “Okay, you do you little niece. LMK if you need any help.” REALLY?!?!?!?! And the suspects are all other drug lords who want to take over when Bronte’s uncle and father retire. WHY WOULD THE DRUG LORDS WHO SEEK TO GAIN FROM THE RETIREMENT OF THE TOP DOG MURDER THE TOP DOG?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Shouldn’t they murder each other in the vacuum left by the absence of the top dog? Admittedly, I know absolutely nothing about the politics of underworld drug culture, but really. What a waste of resources when there’s almost certain to be a war among the remaining contenders to vie for the top. If that’s how it actually works, I’m disappointed in drug lords everywhere. Fernando kind of tried to explain the idea of this for a hot minute and I was just like, no. No. I am not buying what you’re selling.

I mean, that’s most of the plot, so everything just snowballs from there. Bronte is so fantastically immature but talks a big game in her head (it’s 1st present POV, so it’s aaaaall in her head), I was tempted to grind my teeth in frustration at times. And the 1st POV really detracted from this narrative, because there was a good bit of telling, not showing. Beefing up the dialog to demonstrate how the relationships were progressing would have done a lot for this book, but almost all of the story is told like: “this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened, and I had these feelings about it,” which does a grave disservice to the seriously meaty content in this book.

And I’m talking seriously meaty. Bronte is orphaned (her mother had died when she was young) very early on when her father is murdered. She learns that her irregular cells on her cervix constantly returning mean that she might need a hysterectomy. Another friend is murdered because of the sleuthing surrounding her father’s murder. And she finds out that her father was secretly dating a woman he never told her about, when he swore he’d never replace her mother who was the love of his life. That is some seriously heavy stuff. And we just breeze by it because it’s described to us in such a detached manner.

I’m just shaking my head right now.

So let’s talk romance, shall we? This is a romance blog, not a suspense/thriller blog, after all.

This was also - to a lesser extent, but only because I brushed it off to get on with the story - a WUT situation for me. Because: Bronte gets laid off from her PI assistant job because the PI isn’t making enough money, so her uncle gets her a job working at this custom bike shop (Fast & Fury...hello series title) that his newfound daughter is associated with because, yes, this is a spinoff series from the Knights of Fury series, and Abbie from Temper is, in fact, Bronte’s cousin. Anyway, Bronte starts working at this shop, which is owned by the Knights of Fury MC, so naturally it is run by one of the MC brothers - Crow - and Crow is both super hot and super standoffish/rude when he first talks to Bronte.

So we have this whole setup for resisting the pull of the romance, and….nothing. Nothing, because they have about three grumpy interactions in the shop and then Bronte and her bestie go out to a club - a club also owned by the MC, because of course it is - and Crow is there. So they dance, and JUST LIKE THAT it flips a switch from “this can’t happen” to a fully committed relationship. And I say this because the next plot point that happens is that Bronte’s father is murdered and suddenly she’s got all this support and people who care about her that we didn’t know about 30 pages earlier, including Crow practically living with her. I just. I can’t.

Furthermore, Crow is completely 2-dimensional. Why does he care about Bronte at all? I honestly could not tell you, except that she walks into his shop and he has the hots for her and he’s not a total jerk. I guess. He is there to prop up Bronte’s character and for no other reason.

There is so much here that could be a really, truly interesting story, and it just does not pull together. I’m super bummed about it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Bronte has been let go from her job as an assistant to a private investigator. The PI is one of her good friends so she understands, but it still hurts. She’s cautiously excited when she gets a job at a custom bike shop (through her uncle and cousin). There she meets Crow. She thinks he’s hot but he’s not very nice to her. He seems to like everyone else but her, which sucks.
Crow is part of the Knights of Fury MC, which owns the shop and he pretty much runs the place. He is attracted to Bronte from day one but knows that he shouldn’t get involved with an employee.
When Bronte’s dad dies she is devastated, and Crow is there to take care of her. This strengthens the ties between them that have started to grow, and they finally come together. When Bronte decides that her dad’s death wasn’t an accident and decides to look into it, Crow and the rest of the MC back her in any way they can. They are determined to get to the bottom of it and Bronte and the MC are all in.
This was a good story, though pretty simple. It was definitely a fast and easy read.
Bronte and Crow were pretty darned cute in this story. They started off not exactly enemies, but definitely not friends. I loved how he came to take care of her after her dad died. He was sweet, caring and I loved him. Bronte wasn’t a bad character, but I just didn’t like her as much. They were adorable together though, so that saved it for me.
I’ve read Fernando previously (the Cursed Ravens MC series) and while I liked the story, I wasn’t a big fan of the writing in this book. Especially toward the end of the book there were scenes that I thought were superfluous for the overall story. Very everyday kind of things that while mildly interesting, but didn’t further the story at all. I kept thinking the story had ended but it kept going and added even more of Bronte in distress. It was bit OTT for my liking, but that’s just my opinion.
In the end a decent read. I’ll probably read the next book in the series because I liked the other secondary characters.
Rating: 3 out of 5

What blows me away about these books is how innocent the heroines are - despite what is happening all around them. I don't mean sexually - I really mean - in terms of naivete about what a motorcycle club is and does - and the multiple facets of the personalities of those around them. These books have truly embraced the fact that people aren't one dimensional. The badass biker who runs guns and will beat the crap out of people who cross him - can also clean, cook, and care deeply for the woman in his life.

This book begins with Bronte entering a really bad time in her life - she has had a second abnormal pap smear and is facing the possibility of having a hysterectomy and has just been laid off from her job. Her family connections get her a job at a custom motorcycle shop as an office manager/shopgirl. That job comes with meeting her sexy new boss - Crow (real name Xeno Crow - which really is a super cool name). She and Crow clash at first -but it is mainly due to serious chemistry, and Crow wanting to not mess up their working relationship. They go from 0-almost living together FAST. Which is a good thing - because Julia needs his support through the life events that quickly throw her on her ass.

The bulk of the book focuses on Julia coming to terms with what her father and uncle do for a living - as well as understanding how that effects her. We see a lot of familiar faces from the motorcycle club and a lot of the pieces that connect them get more deeply into place. And just when you think the danger is over - more happens.

I like this series - but it sometimes feels very choppy to me - and there were a lot of things that felt a little unresolved and some extraneous plot points I wasn't sure were needed. I also think its impressive that these girls so seamlessly fit into the club and its lifestyle. Their level of acceptance is very very very high. Especially when most of them come from a background that isn't at all connected to the MC world.

If you like MC romances - I recommend this book and this series!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

Whats started off as a book I really liked, quickly turned into something I didnt. Then it went off the rails for me. There was so much going on, and it was so hard to make sense of it.

Bronte is definitely not having the best time of her life right now. She might to have a hysterectomy, and she just lost her job. Things could definitely be better. She still has her dad though. He’s her rock. Things start to look up when her uncle gets her a job at a motorcycle shop. Only problem is the boss is a total jerk, oh and it’s part of a MC. Nothing is as it seems. Especially not her family.

MCs has always been one of my favorite tropes. And this book did not disappoint. But I do wish that we got to see more of the actual MC and what happened in it. I didn’t know that this was a spin-off series, but I was able to follow along just fine. I do want to go back and read the others though. So I can see how Abbie and Temper meet!

Poor Bronte. She was pretty much beaten down through out the entire book. She didn’t let the lose keep her down though, and I really admire her for that. Her relationship with her dad was incredible. It was so sad to see him go.

I feel like there was a lot more to Crow than was seen in this book. It’s probably in the others. I really want to know what he was like! I don’t get why he was so mean to Bronte at first. It’s not like the shop was exactly strictly professional.

Overall this was an amazing book. I definitely recommend it!

Custom Built is the first book in a series by Chantal Fernando and a spin-off of her Knights of Fury series. This was a pretty quick read and I enjoyed it. I really liked all the characters and how they interacted. Thanks to Netgalley for my Arc.

Custom Built is the first of a series, but is also connected to the "Knights of Fury" series so if you are a fan of that series, which has been recently released, than you definitely will want to grab up Custom Built. To be honest I had no clue these two series were connected, and I grabbed it from Netgalley on the cover alone. Yep I am vain but sometimes I get a nice reward and this book was a solid read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I was a bit nervous as it starts out with a "enemies to lovers" type of theme. But it proved to be a wonderful beginning to what I imagine will be an entertaining series here. Crow and Bronte don't really like each other. More Crow is strongly drawn to Bronte and he doesn't understand it, and is the opposite of his easy going nature as she is working for him. But soon something more builds between them. But Bronte's life is in danger but she is about to see the bond these brothers have when their outreach extends to her. I actually had a blast with this book, especially the sexual tension that builds between Bronte and Crow. It proved to be an engaging read that captivates from beginning to end.

This is about the sweetest MC lite story I have ever read. It's so sweet my teeth hurt, lol (not that that is a necessarily a bad thing.) I was excited to hear that this author was starting a new series and one that combined MC club and mechanics because they work so well together. I enjoyed getting to know new club members and get to see old favorites as well. As this is a spin-off series, we get a lot of time with the Knights of Fury members from precious books. The world building was nice and the individual personalities were fun as well.

I enjoyed the romance in this story, though it was way too sweet for my tastes (I like a bit of grit and dirt, especially in a MC story). These two were definitely made for each other. There is quite a lot that happens in this story and as such is fast paced. I did think the flow was a bit off starting at the 50% mark, it was repetitive and the main action was wrapped up by 75% but also too much was added at the end that just drew out the story without really adding anything to it. .I also felt that this story was too clean and simple. There also was not much MC about this story other then the very basics (had patches, rode motorcycles and had a clubhouse).

The emotions, heart, kindness and respect was a major theme throughout this entire story and it leaves me with a nice warm fuzzy feeling. I enjoyed reading this story, it wasn't my favorite from this author but I am still excited to have read it. I think others looking for safe, wholehearted warm stories will enjoy this one. I received an ARC via NetGalley, Carina Press and the author and I am leaving my honest review.

Custom Built is the first book in the all new Fast & Fury Series by Chantal Fernando and it follows the story of Bronte and Crow. Bronte has been having the toughest year. Her health hasn’t been doing well and she’s just lost her job. She could really use some good news. So, when her uncle has the in on a new job for her, she can’t help but jump on it. Little did she know that this opportunity was going to turn her whole world upside down….

Overall, I thought this book was a solid read. I thought the plot was entertaining and I enjoyed getting to know the characters. I really liked Bronte and Crow together. Their banter was fun and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. While they might have butted heads in the beginning, it quickly changed into something more. The chemistry was instant and just oozed off the pages.

I did have some issues with this story. At times, it felt like there was a lot going on. While there certainly wasn’t a dull moment, it felt like it was too much. Also, I feel like I need to mention the drama. Now, I like drama as much as the next person, but in this book, I’m sorry to say it was over the top. Some of it made sense, but the other instances were just drama for the sake of dram and it just didn’t work for me.

Custom Built is fast-paced and entertaining read. The characters draw you into their story and leave readers wanting to know what will happen next. There were some things that I didn’t like about this story, but in the end, I think this was a solid read and I’m glad to have checked it out.