Rating: 4 stars
Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
After four years in jail, Tank knows he is done with his old life. A job for his motorcycle club put him behind bars, and Tank has no interest in rejoining the club now that he is out. The only thing on Tank’s mind is CJ, his prison pen pal. Tank and CJ have been writing each other for a while now, and it is clear there is something special between them. They have built a relationship with one another, shared their deepest secrets and desires, and now that Tank is getting out, all he wants is to see CJ in person. So Tank heads to Michigan, hoping this will be the start of a new life for him and the man who has become his boy.
CJ hasn’t had it easy the last few years. His parents abandoned him when they found out he is gay, forcing him to drop out of college to support himself. CJ works two jobs in his small town and is always broke and exhausted. But somehow, CJ manages to keep in good spirits, and writing with Tank has definitely helped. CJ is a little worried, as he hasn’t heard from Tank in a while. So he is stunned when Tank shows up out of the blue to meet him.
The men quickly find themselves adjusting to their in-person relationship and getting settled into new lives together. While Tank doesn’t want to be in his old motorcycle club, he does join the Michigan chapter and is soon settling in with the group. Surprisingly, CJ finds himself fitting in as well, despite being so unfamiliar with MC life. And the spark that started between the two of them while Tank was in prison has definitely ignited now. The men share a love of lacy panties, a bit of exhibitionism, and some mild Daddy/boy dynamics. Now that the men are finally together, they have the rest of their lives to explore their love together.
Reckless is the first book in Kiki Clark’s new Leather and Chrome series. It is a fun and sexy story, without a lot of conflict or angst, that brings together two very different men into a sweet relationship. The story starts off with Tank getting out of jail and preparing to meet CJ in person for the first time. He is understandably nervous, worrying if their pen pal relationship will translate into the outside world. But at the same time, Tank is fully committed to CJ and ready to start a life together. For his part, CJ is understandably shocked when Tank shows up at his door, but also thrilled to finally meet the man he has fallen for. The story mostly focuses on the men transitioning that long-distance relationship into a life together. Like I said, there is minimal angst or conflict here. They are both pretty much all in for life the second they see each other in person and the story really focuses on showing them settling down together. It is super sexy and there is a mild Daddy/boy dynamic, as well as scenes of both Tank and CJ figuring out their next steps with regard to the club, a job, etc. I found the story engaging, despite not having a ton going on. I think the men are really interesting characters and Clark does a nice job developing them and the club (which I assume will be the setting for future books), so that kept the story moving well.
The book is told in present day, but also with a light epistolary style as we see the letters between CJ and Tank over the time they were pen pals. At first, I found the all in nature of their relationship felt kind of abrupt as the book started. The guys see each other in person and are basically in love and ready to build a life together, and it felt fast both for them both as characters and for me as a reader. They have this whole relationship that has been established before we meet them (and they meet each other). This is exacerbated by the fact that the early letters we see show the men just meeting and getting to know one another. So there is this juxtaposition between us getting to know them and them getting to know each other in the letters, when compared to the fact that they are basically already in love when we meet them on page. But it doesn’t take long for things to settle and I really enjoyed the letters documenting the growth of their relationship. The men are sweet together and so supportive of one another, as well as sexy and fun. So I enjoyed their dynamic and found that after a little bit of a shaky start, I could believe them together.
I found this one a nice introduction to the club and the assorted side characters. The hero for book two plays a large side role here and I am definitely intrigued for his story. I think there are some really interesting elements that come out about the club and the characters, so I think there is a lot of great potential here. I am definitely looking forward to more.
