This had a lot of elements I typically like in a book - bikers, opposites attract, spice, intrigue, etc. but I am not a fan of shorter novels/novellas because they always feel unfinished to me and this one was not the exception to that. I want to be immersed in the story and this one felt incomplete to me, not fleshed out enough. It was a quick read, which has its benefits, but I found myself wanting more. Even 100 more pages would have added so much more depth to the storyline and characters (there is SO MUCH more to unpack with both Elena and Axle!) and it's a shame because Bianca Lee Ward is a talented writer. For those who prefer shorter reads, this might just be the book for you, it's a matter of personal preference.

**Thank you to the Author & Netgalley for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review**

For someone who this was their first biker romance, I enjoyed it. I wasn't really sure what to expect but I really loved Axle and Elena.

It was your classic bad boy, good girl trope with a modern day twist where they meet over an internet dating app. Elena has recently moved to town and doesn't really know many people and her work colleague signs her up to a dating app without her knowledge in the hopes she may be invited to one of the Biker Club's notorious parties.

Elena is very shy and anxious and just wants to succeed at her new job and live a quiet life. Meanwhile Axle a member of the towns Biker Club, being bored with life, agrees to a bet that he can make Elena, who for all intents and purposes looks like the most innocent girl in town with her Christian vibe, fall in love with Axle. Axle doesn't do dating so for him this is an easy bet right? Should he succeed he wins the bet.

Possessive MMC which I love. I love the fact that you got a dual POV with Axle and also you got to see relationships with the whole biker crew not just Axle and Elena. Elena was a strong independent FMC who stood up for herself which was also lovely. It was very fast paced, easy to read and you couldn't help but love Axle and the biker group crew. Really enjoyed the found family trope aswell.

I just wish it went a bit deeper than surface level. There wasn’t really much touched upon Axles army background or Elenas family background (apart from the fact of being lots of pressure on her). I also feel like the biker group was very tame and the spice scenes could have been spicier. Considering there’s lots of sex at the parties you’d think this would have been detailed more so just felt a little bit lacking.

One thing that put me off was how much Axle said "babe" but this might just be a me thing.

I enjoyed the book. I just wasn’t hooked or craved to know more. But still an enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This author knows how to get me to smile, and let me tell you thats a tuff task. I love the banter in her books and the sarcasm,. I smile and giggle like a teenage girl. these books are great! You're missing out if you havent started them yet!

I really enjoyed this one! I love MC romance and this book felt much lighter - sometimes the MC setting gets pretty dark.

If you’re in the mood for an MC romance but with a softer edge, Axle by Bianca Lee Ward might just be the book for you. The story follows Elena, an innocent yet determined heroine, as she moves to the coastal town of Crown Village, finding herself tangled with the local motorcycle club, the War Brothers. When she meets Axle, the club’s vice president with a mysterious military past, sparks fly in a slow-burn, opposites-attract romance.

While the chemistry between Elena and Axle is undeniably sweet, fans of darker MC romances may find this one missing the gritty undertones usually found in the genre. The MC elements are more of a backdrop than a central theme, and the club dynamics lean more toward personal drama than hardcore action. If you took out the MC aspect, this story could easily work in a different setting, like a college or small-town romance, without losing much of its core.

One unique touch was the dating app meet-cute—refreshingly different for the genre and a nice twist. Elena’s awkward, comical moments brought a genuine charm to her character, while Axle’s cocky, protective nature provided a nice contrast. Their banter felt organic, and each character grew through their relationship, with Elena finding her confidence and Axle discovering a softer side.

However, the book does leave a few storylines feeling a bit rushed and unresolved. Certain plot points, like the buildup of Elena's ex or the off-screen resolution of the final confrontation, felt like missed opportunities to delve deeper. And if you’re looking for a steamy romance, the spice level here might be on the lighter side compared to typical MC romances.

All in all, Axle is a fun, easy read with a lighter take on the MC world. Ward’s writing shines when it comes to capturing sweet, heartfelt moments, making this a great pick for readers who enjoy opposites-attract and a blend of romance with a dash of action. While it may not satisfy die-hard MC romance fans looking for darker elements, it’s a solid start to a promising series. If Ward ever pens a small-town romance, I’ll be the first in line!

Overall, this is a good MC romance with all the spice you're looking for. For me, I just couldn't fully get into the characters and some of the writing didn't land. It felt like some things were rushed and left unresolved. Read trigger warnings before reading and enjoy!

A shy book nerd, an outgoing sexy biker, and a secret bet only MC members know about…what could go wrong? A lot…betting on love might just lead to some broken hearts along the way.

This book is for you if you
love a good opposites attract storyline
are looking for a new motorcycle club series to binge
want to read a unique meet cute (I’ve read dozens of romance and rom-com, but this is the first dating app “meet cute” I’ve read)

Elena, innocent yet independent, moves to the small coastal town of Crown Village. With her new job at the local seafood restaurant and her new roommates who love a good party, Elena finds herself set up on a dating app matched with the notorious Axle, a member of the town's resident Motorcycle Club, the War Brothers.

Axle is flirtatious, overly confident and looking for a new challenge when a MC brother makes him a wager he can’t turn down - make an innocent girl fall in love with him and he wins the bet. With his charm, wit, and persistence Axle wears Elena down and their relationship grows slow and steady. As a reader, it was a very sweet story and Axle challenges the rough and rugged biker stereotype.

I’ve read several MC series and it took me a few chapters to get into the author’s writing style, but once I did I realized I loved all the little details added into the story that brought the characters and scenes to life. While Elena was awkward and dorky, she had such an endearing personality. There were scenes where I really wanted her to be more assertive and it was frustrating to read how she handled certain situations, but looking at the book as a whole it was just part of her growth into a more self-assured person.

Her awkwardness was also pretty comical throughout the book - both characters had no filter moments which made me laugh. They were each so unabashedly and unapologetically themselves which was refreshing.

The story is a true opposites attract storyline and they both evened each other out so well. Axle helped Elena grow in her confidence and Elena gave Axle emotional stability that I don’t even think Axle realized he needed.

My favorite quote in the book came early on…“I was tired of being comatose, living but not alive”…so true and while Elena was shy and introverted, she was brave enough to realize she wanted more out of life and did something about it!

I recommend this book because it was a fun read, easy to get into, and I loved meeting all the other MC brothers and can’t wait to pick up their books and see their stories unfold.

Bianca Lee Ward's Axle is a thrilling ride into the world of motorcycle clubs. It's a quick and easy read that'll keep you hooked from start to finish.
The story follows Elena, a regular girl who gets swept up in the dangerous and exciting world of the War Brothers MC. She falls for Axle, the club's vice president, who is tough, brooding, and undeniably sexy.
The book is full of sizzling chemistry, intense drama, and plenty of action. Ward does a great job of balancing the romance with the thrilling world of motorcycle clubs. It's a perfect blend of love and danger.
If you're looking for a fast-paced, heart-pounding romance, Axle is definitely worth checking out

AXLE is the first instalment in Bianca Lee Ward’s contemporary, adult WAR BROTHERS MC erotic, MC romance series. This is Jake ‘Axle’ Evans, and Elena’s story line.

NOTE: Although Axle is the first book in the series, all of the books (so far) have been released out of order, and therefore some of the situations and characters are already known.

Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Elena and Axle) AXLE follows the building relationship between our story line couple. Elena is new in Crown Village, having ‘escaped’ her judgemental family back home but having met her new roommates, Elena begins to question her decision including working at the local seafood restaurant, and the boss who is questionable at best. When a fellow employee sets Elena up on a dating app, our heroine never expected to come face to face with a member of the War Brothers MC, the man with whom Elena will fall in love but all is not as it appears to be, and Elena will discover she is a pawn in a bet between members of the War Brothers MC.

The world building focuses on the building romance and relationship between our story line couple, as well as Elena’s unsettling boss, the problematic women of the War Brothers MC; our heroine’s battle to break free from the past, and Elena’s struggle with Axle’s life as a member of the MC.

The relationship between Elena and Axle begins as a dating app match, a match in which Axle is manipulating their ‘affair’. Elena is naïve to the MC lifestyle, and in this, she is gullible to the comments and rhetoric, as well as the manipulation of her roommates and fellow employees. As Axle continues his ‘seduction’ of our story line heroine, Elena begins to fall for a man who may not be as honest as she thought. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top,sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include Elena’s numerous roommates and their ever present friends; her questionable boss Cameron, and co-worker Mel. We are (re) introduced to several members of the War Brothers MC including Reaper (Ava), Viper, Demon, Bomber, and Twitch.

AXLE is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and heart break, family and relationships, forgiveness and love. The fast paced premise is engaging and edgy ; the characters are animated and sensitive; the romance is flawed and spirited.



THE READING CAFÉ: https://www.thereadingcafe.com/viper-axle-war-brothers-mc-by-bianca-lee-ward-reviews/


GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6463583966


BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/33879562

*A very big thank you to the author and her publishers for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review via netgalley*

I wanted to love this because I am a huge MC romance fan, but personally this wasn't dark enough for me. Not even dark per say, but it just had nothing MC about it in the book. He shares nothing about his life in the MC with the main girl, we don't see them go to do any deals or any fights with rival gangs etc. They mention they have church but it's more to discuss their love lives than anything actually MC related. If you took out the MC plot line and made them frat boys at university, nothing about the plot would change. Axle would still be a protective guy with a military backstory, and Elena would still be a naive good girl. And their opposites attract, and his bet to get with her plot line would still be a thing. And because the author didn't take it dark, as you would expect of an MC, the plots just kind of fell a bit flat. Even the retribution at the end, happened off screen for a plot point that also didn't happen, just threatened to happen. It just felt like it missed the mark of an MC
I wasn't against the characters, they were decent, occasionally funny and had a nice dynamic that didn't feel too forced. But their backstories didn't feel developed. They built up Elena's Ex so much all for that plot line to come to nothing.
Lastly, this is a personal preference that I don't hold against the book - but not enough spice for me. If I sign up for an MC romance, with a self-professed slut for a MMC, I want spice to accompany that and this just didn't have it. They kissed a lot but that's it. I felt he gave up a lot of his personality for her, while she gave up nothing.
I did enjoy reading this, but it isn't MC and so I don't think I'd recommend it.
I liked the writing, so if the author decides to write a cute small town romance, I am so there for that cause she has the sweet falling in love stuff down, just not the depravity for MC romance.

Axle, a tough biker, never expected his swipe on sweet, innocent Elena’s dating profile to lead to anything serious—especially when there’s a thousand-dollar bet at stake. But as sparks fly and their fling turns into something real, Axle faces a tough choice: keep his secret or risk losing the one woman who could be more than just a game. This steamy romance is packed with charm, secrets, and chemistry that will keep you hooked until the last page.

At the beginning of the book, I wasn’t sure… innocent girl, bad boy biker… here we go again…

BUT

I was wrong, Axle quickly draws you in, and Elena makes it hard not to like her. Their relationship is a little insta-love but there’s so much going against them, they’re complete opposites, Elena’s striving for independence and Axle is trying to lock her down to win a bet… but inevitably they fall, and they fall hard.

I *hated* the confrontation with Grace and Axle, how the girls set Elena up to witness the bet conversation, it was so painful, and the circumstances that follow were hard to read, but Axle is her knight in tin foil striding in to save the day, and we all breathed a sigh of relief at that, am I right?!

A really sweet, quick read that grips you from the beginning.

I could not put this book down. I had to know more about Elena and Axle.

Elena moves to a coastal town to escape her strict parents and be more independent. She gets a job at a restaurant where her friend signs her up for a dating app so she can "meet more people" - she matches with Axle who in his profile picture is very attractive and is a huge flirt. Little does she know that he's a member of the War Brothers Motorcycle Club.

This opposites attract book is so satisfying to read. It made me interested in reading more in the series, let's see what these other MC brothers have to offer!


This review is currently on Goodreads and will post to Instagram on Thursday, Nov. 7.

Total opposites, worlds apart, obstacles at every turn - yet they battle forward, starting from a bet, they beat the odds and the simmer boils over. Some common tropes are predictable, but done so well they add to the enjoyment. Looking forward to more.

I fell for this story quickly. The characters are interesting and the way Ward wrote the book was excellent. I felt like I was part of the action! I can't wait to read more from this series. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I was entertained the entire time.