Member Reviews
This was my first Jessica Ames book but definitely won’t be my last. If you like spicy, gritty MC book do yourself a favor and pick this one up.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I already love MC books and this is no different. This book was so good I didn't even realize how fast I was reading it until it was over. I also love that a woman is in charge!
New to me author Jessica Ames writes a gritty, dirty, raw, emotional, intense, complicated MC romance with a well-built plot with twists and turns that will keep you intrigued and entertained. Mouth and Genevieve's extremely sexual chemistry works on all levels. An excellent addition to Royal Bastards MC series.
#IntotheFlames #NetGalley
☆☆☆☆
Into the Flames was a gritty and intriguing read. This was my first read by Jessica Ames and I fell in love with her writing style.
This enemies to lovers, captive, MC romance told the story of Genevieve and Mouth. Mouth is the president of the Royal Bastards MC in Liverpool and Genevieve has stepped into her father’s shoes as leader of the Dockland Gang. No one knows that last part. When her father gets sick, she steps in to lead but she puts their gang at risk to feed her greed. This puts her on the RBMC’s radar. So, Mouth takes Genevieve hostage. The chemistry is overflowing between these two. They may be determined to stay in their respective lanes but that chemistry is undeniable. Some aspects of their connection felt lacking but I still enjoyed getting their story.
The twists and turns combined with action brimming with heat made for an enjoyable read. I won't hesitate to pick up this author’s work again. If you love mc romance, then I definitely recommend you give this one a chance. This is my honest opinion, freely given.
Thank you NetGalley & Victory Exiting for access to the eARC of Into the Flames by Jessica Ames! This is my honest review.
As the new head to her fathers Motorcycle Club, Genevieve must show her worth to proof she can take President. So she plans a sneak move, stealing an incoming load of drugs from their “rival” MC, the Royal Bastards, and their President Graham “Mouth” Green. When he takes her captive as punishment, sparks fly, and Mouth needs to decide whether his planned punishment is fit, or if Gen is worth more to him.
Rating: 3.75/5 (Rounded up) - This was a short (220’ish pages) book. So, everything happens quick, which is my only qualm. I wanted more of the prisoner banter because Mouth and Gen’s sass had so much potential to be hilarious, more details for the spice scenes, and more of the Inner workings of the MC’s with the two as the heads. Everything happened so fast that I’m just a tad underwhelmed.
It looks like this will be a series, which I’m excited about! This book is also available on Kindle Unlimited!
This was an exciting read about the incredibly complicated relationship between Mouth and Gen. If you like MC books with spice thus us for you.
This is my first book by this author and while this is part of a multi author series, it is not necessary to have read the other books.
Compared to other MC books I have read, this is a very gritty story. (The opening scene is pretty graphic and not for the faint of heart.) No do-gooder, ex-military members here. The Royal Bastards, lead by Mouth, is a savage group of men who participate in money laundering, murder and other shady shenanigans and are one of the biggest illicit drug importers in the city of Liverpool, UK. Genevieve is no blushing angel either. She is now head of The Dockland Gang who controls the docks where the Royal Bastards’ drugs arrive by ship.
While I liked that both Mouth and Genevieve were older (mid to late forties), I was disappointed in Genevieve. To me, she came across as entitled and clueless to her actions. She inherited the leadership of The Dockland Gang from her father but it seemed she never was fully involved with the organization. Never got her hands dirty. Yet she expected respect and compliance from the members under her leadership. At least Mouth was fully involved with the activities of his club even when his father was the leader.
I thought the pacing was uneven. The first half of the book was the back and forth between Mouth and Genevieve after she had been kidnapped. But it seemed the dialog revolved solely around “I want vengeance. I will break you.” And “I will fight for my life. Let me go.” Then, of course, there was the sexual tension. But I didn’t find the jump from sexual tension to insta-love believeable. The action in the last half of the story was when it got more exciting.
This was only an ok read for me.
I reviewed this book for NetGalley and I found it really easy to read.
This book was set in the UK (Liverpool) which as someone who lives in the UK we don't get anywhere near enough Biker series set here.
The main characters are Genevieve "Gen" and Gabriel "Mouth" both are heads of opposing gangs fighting for control of Liverpool. This books feature extremely adult themes, such as abduction, abuse and also spicy scenes.
I felt like this book could have been much more, it was quite short and sweet (or should I say spicy) and in some cases a little predictable if you are a fan of the Enemies to Lovers trope.
That said I am totally up for reading more of the series and more from this author.
3.75 stars--INTO THE FLAMES is the first instalment in Jessica Ames’ contemporay, adult ROYAL BASTARDS MC: LIVERPOOL ENGLAND dark, erotic, MC series, a part of the multi-authored Royal B*stards MC. This is forty-two year old, RBMC president Gabriel ‘Mouth’ Green, and forty year old Genevieve Fletcher’s story line.
WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers including strong language and graphic violence.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Genevieve and Mouth) INTO THE FLAMES follows in the wake of a betrayal against the Royal B*astards MC. The Dockland Gang controlled the ports, and in this, the Royal B*astards MC had contracted a deal but a missing shipment of drugs worth millions of dollars is sold to a higher bidder, and Gabriel’ Mouth’ Green is determined to make the Dockland Gang pay. Abducting their president’s daughter Genevieve Fletcher means the potential for war but when nothing and no one makes any attempt to rescue the girl, Mouth begins to suspect that all is not well at the top of the order. What ensues is the abduction and captivity of Genevieve Fletcher, and the potential fall –out as the Royal B*astards MC take aim at the Dockland Gang, a gang whose loyalties have splintered in the wake of a shake up at the top.
Genevieve Fletcher is the one in control but as a prisoner of the Royal B*stards MC, Genevieve knows there will be no on looking for her safe return. Unable to reveal the truth about her ascension into power, Genevieve finds herself at the mercy of a man who control her life.
The relationship between Genevieve and Mouth begins as prisoner and Jailer in the wake of betrayal between two rival clubs. Mouth demands vengeance, and Genevieve is the perfect foil against the Dockland Gang but Mouth never expected to fall for his prisoner, a woman whom he will claim as his very own. The $ex scenes are erotic and intense.
We are introduced to the members of the Royal B*stards MC: Liverpool, as well as Genevieve’s father Desmond, and his right hand man Gus.
INTO THE FLAMES is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, family and loss, desperation and love. The premise is gritty and raw; the relationship is aggressive and demanding; the characters are powerful, energetic and determined.
My only concern is the power and position accorded to our heroine. In the world of the MC, a woman taking control would never be tolerated, respected or approved.
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4377999020
AMAZON COM: https://www.amazon.com/review/R3TDJ1JYUCXZM9/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B094482R3R
BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1431412734
Even though I love Jessica's MC world and writing, I have to admit that I didn't love this story as much as her Untamed Sons series. The characters didn't feel as familiar or unique as Rav, Nox, and the rest of the Untamed crew, and I didn't feel as connected to the Royal Bastards. However, the story was filled with Jessica's signature angst, romance, and danger, and I ultimately enjoyed this new story!
This book was hot it was dark and broody and romance and absolutely amazing as everything I wanted it to be a more I was absolutely fascinated by this book and I will definitely definitely be reading more work from this author the scenes were detailed enough to be in the scene but was an over detailed that pulls you out it was great paste the characters were detail they had the flaws absolutely amazing
For some reason I like MC books. I’m generally shaking my head at how soft the bikers are though. They’re always no longer outlaws or working on changing their businesses to something legit if maybe just a little shady. I had no such complaint with Into the Flames by Jessica Ames. If anything, our introduction to Mouth is almost too graphic. The reason for his nickname is dark. He’s dark. He’s not an easy man to love. Maybe that’s what makes it so special when these two find their happily ever after.
Genevieve isn’t nearly as adverse to Mouth and his reputation as I would be (in real life). She grew up in this life and is willing to do what it takes to became the rare, maybe first and only, woman running an MC. Genevieve, however, makes a huge mistake in her naïveté and brashness that could cost her everything, even her life and those.of her gang. Mouth is not the person to cross and she’s planted herself in the center of his radar. So many lies swirl, so many chess pieces to move. But with all great romances (at least in books 🙂), the attraction between our two lead characters is instant and strong. Mouth finds himself protecting the very person he should have already eliminated. How will they resolve their monumental problems? How can both their groups move on? Who’s loyal to whom? So many variables to make the book interesting and gripping.
This book is gritty. Like I said, it’s not your feel good MC tale. But I like that Ames doesn’t sugar coat the hard life of a MC. I enjoyed the story even when I cringed and gasped! Don’t read that to mean it’s even darker than I mentioned. The cringe worthy parts are few.
Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC.
Into the flames by Jessica Ames.
Royal Bastards MC: Liverpool, England Book 1.
I've never played by the rules. Women don't run gangs, yet I'm the leader of the biggest one in Liverpool. No one knows I've stepped into my father's shoes and that I'm making changes. Taking on the Royal Bastards MC is not a good idea, but I want the wealth and power they have. I want my family's legacy to live on long after I'm gone. Doing that means making difficult decisions. I didn't expect the Royal Bastards to retaliate so savagely.
Now, I'm prisoner of their President, a man who goes by the name of Mouth. He's dangerous, vicious and he wants to make my father pay for crimes I've committed. Can I survive his wrath?
A very good read with some good characters. I liked GENEVIEVE and MOUTH. How they were together. I'm looking forward to the next book. 5*.
***This novel has some triggering content within the form of graphic violence and dark emotional scenes that can be triggering for some people.***
I have recently started getting more and more intrigued by MC romance novels, and this one was incredible. I never wanted to put it down. It's quite dark in a lot of areas of the story, but it doesn't take away from the steamy and hot romance that forms between Genevieve and Mouth.
Genevieve is a head strong woman that would stomp on anyone that gets in her way of getting what she wants which is the wealth and power that the Royal Bastards holds. But no matter how powerful she is right now as a leader of the Dockland gang, a dangerous decision makes an entire force she wasn't anticipating to come crashing down and taking her hostage.
The President of the Royal Bastards motorcycle club. A dangerous and vicious man who goes by Mouth, will stop at nothing to get revenge and Genevieve is the only way to exact it.
I honestly loved how their relationship grew, and how heated things could get between them and not just in a physical manner. I hadn't read an of the other Royal Bastards novels by other authors, and the way this is written allowed me to understand everything going on without having to have read them. This can definitely be read as a standalone and be thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this novel.
Gritty, raw and consuming! With the first book in her Royal Bastards MC: Liverpool, England series Jessica Ames delivers an MC romance with a twist. In INTO THE FLAMES we have an MC President taking on the gutsy new female head of a deadly street gang who is out to take over his territory. It's unorthodox and I wanted a bit more development to take me into the heart of their worlds, but I enjoyed the two characters together very much. I'm looking forward to more to come in the series.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good group of MC guys who are loyal to a fault and don't take any gruff off of anyone.
Into the Flames is book one in the Royal Bastards MC series. It was my first read by this author and I was definitely pleasantly surprised.
Genevieve takes over running The Dockland Gang when her father, who had been in charge for years, falls ill. This move has been met with mixed reactions as does the direction she has taken it in, which ultimately places her and the club in danger.
Mouth is the president of the Royal Bastards MC. When a business deal goes wrong, he takes Genevieve as leverage against The Dockland Gang. As more time passes and no one comes for her, it raises more questions about the club and it also creates more of a connection between Genevieve and Mouth causing even more of a complication for two people from opposing clubs.
This read had a lot of action, drama, and betrayal. It was definitely engaging and I found myself not wanting to put it down. I love how much Mouth struggled with his polar opposite feelings for Genevieve. I definitely look forward to continuing the series.
This is the first instalment in the Royal Bastards MC Liverpool series, and does it ever start with a bang!
Right off the bat, this book is different from other MC books I’ve read. The heroine, Genevieve, is in her late thirties, and she’s the leader of a “gang” (which really has more mob-family vibes). Her father was the previous leader, and unlike other sexist leaders, he treated her as his heir. He spent years grooming her and teaching her the ways of the dark and gritty criminal underworld. When he develops dementia, she takes over for him.
Of course, his underlings don’t quite respect her, and she has to go out of her way to make an impression on them. So what does she do? She betrays the Royal Bastards. And Mouth, the President of that notorious MC, is not pleased. And he is not someone that you want to piss off (He got his name by carving smiles into his enemies before killing them! Why so serious, anyone?) Mouth abducts Genevieve because he wants to get back at her father, but he doesn’t realize that it’s her who’s now calling the shots…
This book has a fantastic criminal plotline, but there’s also (obviously) a lot of chemistry between Mouth and Genevieve. There’s a little bit of a cat and mouse theme, where he’s trying to get information out of her, but she’s a lot tougher than he thought she would be. He’s torn between trying to break her for information about her father’s organization and trying to protect her.
While Mouth is an interesting hero, Genevieve really steals the show. I love her strength and ambition. She can be very sarcastic, which I also love in a heroine. At one point, Mouth brings her in from the “Kill room”/shed into the MC’s clubhouse, and she says something like “I guess this is an upgrade” while turning her nose. I died laughing, and I can’t help but love her courage. However, she does make some poor decisions and I can’t help but think that she wasn’t the greatest strategist by ripping off the Royal Bastards in the first place. However, all this is made up for with the way that the story wraps itself up, and I was back to thinking she’s a bada$$.
While this is the first book in the Royal Bastards MC Liverpool series, I’m pretty sure that the other books will be written by other authors. I have already read the books in her Untamed Sons MC series, which is another fabulously dark MC series!
I recommend this book to those who want to read an MC book with a strong, ambitious heroine.
I actually really enjoyed this book. I haven't read an MC/ Gang romance in a while and this book just reminded me why I like them so much!
Genevieve was such a great character - she was headstrong and confident and times I thought she was a bit naive but every time the thought came into mind something happened that reminded me that she was actually very strong in the situation she was in. The only thing I would say is that once she started to get to know Mouth I thought she was becoming way to complacent and wasn't fighting Mouth in things she should be, but don't worry her badass attitude came right back in full force just when I needed it to 🤣
Not gonna lie - Mouth was absolutely crazy...... but somehow I managed to like him just as much as Genevieve did 🤭
I absolutely loved the plot of this story, the only thing I would say is that I felt the romance aspect of the story could have been embedded a bit more in the story! For the most part of the book I did feel like it was more lust the pair were feeling rather than love, but don't get me wrong by the end of the book you could definitely tell they were 100% in love, I just wish it didn't feel as sudden.
Nonetheless, this was such a great book and I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an MC read with a strong female protagonist! Can't wait to read more from this author 🥰
Side Note for author/editor - At the start of every chapter the big capital letters would overlap the starting sentence. It may have just been my kindle but just thought i should include this here!
Loved this gritty and dark read for this series. We find Genevieve, who has secretly taken over her father's business, but no one knows that and she's pulled off quite the heist of epic proportions, but she's ticked off the wrong people, The Royal Bastards. Mouth, the President, takes her, not knowing what he really has. Her description of him "he's sin wrapped up in trouble", is spot on, and now she's dealing with him directly. They are the perfect King and Queen of Liverpool. Just a man and a woman. Loved this intense and gritty story right from the first page til the very end.
I voluntarily reviewed this book.
This is a the first in the Royal Bastards Liverpool Chapter series which is apparently a spin off from other related Ruthless Bastards books. You know you're right into a dark motorcycle club book within the first chapter the 16 year old male main character Gabriel (from then on known as Mouth) is goaded by his father into torturing a man the Royal Bastards are holding captive. In essence this book is about the power struggle between two rival gangs - the Royal Bastards and the Dockland Gang. Historically the Dockland Gang have controlled the port under Desmond Fletcher and the Royal Bastards have have moved their drugs through the port. When Desmond Fletcher's daughter Genevieve takes over from her father, she runs the Docklands gang and Mouth is President of the Royal Bastards. When Genevieve brokers a deal that cuts the Royal Bastards out of millions of dollars, she is held hostage by Mouth and the gang - they believe Desmond still runs the Docklands. We see Genevieve fighting to escape, and gain the upper hand and Mouth remaining mean, angry, but developing a protective streak for her.
This is an edgy and gritty MC book. There's no premise of the MC trying to make good. It's drugs, crime, violence and money laundering. It's a thirst for power and lots of talk about loyalty, that seems to come and go depending on the who and when. Genevieve talks the talk but she doesn't really stay ahead of the game, and still seems a little naive in playing with the big boys. You get the sense she's gotten in over her head. And Mouth is a real tough guy who really falls astoundingly quickly - precipitated by one of his gang members beating Genevieve. I tend to find it a challenge to "love" books where women are objectified, held captive and beaten - so these books ask you to put those notions aside and ride out the feelings in the relationships. In that vein Genevieve and Mouth have a simmering tension and a push and pull to be equals. There's a reasonable amount of steam but probably not quite what I expected (given the rest of the books violence and intensity the romance was pretty gentle).
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and provide a review.