Rating: 5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Dex is well aware that everyone treats him like a royal screw up. And to be fair, he has dropped the ball a time or ten. But it’s never intentional. Dex does try. He tries hard. Sometimes, though, he just can’t help himself. Just like he can’t help himself when it comes to sexual partners. So much dick and so little time…thank god for Grindr. Honestly, though, Dex has also been harboring a little crush ever since he saw the Demon Brethren’s enforcer put his sledgehammer to use on a wayward club member. No one knows Dex is carrying this torch, just like no one knows that Dex is not put off by gore and violence. So when that same man of violence and retribution ends up a prisoner at the junkyard where Dex lives with his uncle? Well, that’s just a chance for Dex to finally get to know the man he’s been crushing on.
Hammer has a long string of casual romantic partners behind him. None of the women he’s tried dating have been able to keep up with him or his appetites, much less agree to wear his “Property of Hammer” patch. He’s licking his wounds over his most recent fizzled relationship when he gets sent on an errand by the president of his motorcycle club. Grudgingly, Hammer pays a visit to the president’s little brother only to discover the guy having a fap session over kiddie porn. Hammer gives the club’s second in command the benefit of the doubt about it being an accident. Too bad the VP is eager to shift any potential blame elsewhere and then he finds Hammer’s idea journal. That journal is full of gory, violent ideas Hammer uses as inspiration for his long-running online story journal—which he has absolutely kept secret from everyone in the club. Hammer suddenly finds himself locked up at the junkyard while his club tries to figure out what to do. Lucky for Hammer, he’s left under the watchful eye of the horniest guy on the planet, Dex. Even better, Hammer realizes that Dex is as gullible as they come. Capitalizing on the barely restrained sexual interest Dex shows in Hammer, Hammer manages to escape the junkyard and take Dex as a hostage. But it’s not long before Hammer realizes Dex is only all too willing to follow his lead, defend his literal manhood, and pick off his would-be assassins with a single shot. Hammer begins to realize there’s so much more to Dex than a big mouth and inability to follow most orders. But first, Hammer needs to come to terms with his sexuality and what it means as a member of a motorcycle club.
D!ckhead is the third book in K.A. Merikan’s Wrong Side of the Tracks series. Friends, let me tell you how wildly enjoyable this story was. Of course, I think part of the fun stems from how familiar this world has become. But more than that, the authors push a lot of envelopes with Dex and Hammer in a way that I just couldn’t get enough of. I was enamored of how exceptionally well paired Dex and Hammer are and loved that there was this flagrant, frustrating slow burn before they started figuring things out. Personality-wise, Dex and Hammer could not be better matches. They both enjoy things society generally considers taboo… gore, violence, and death for example. Maybe it’s an odd thing for people to bond over, but holy smokes did Dex and Hammer ever bond over this! As a reader, I loved the tacit tension such—let’s say interests—conveyed. It’s one thing to view the MCs through the lens of “well, they’re like harbingers of doom to people who have grossly wronged.” And all evidence on page reinforces the idea that Dex and Hammer enjoy meeting out gore, violence, and death when it’s deserved. But personally, I felt like there was just a little risk of one or both of them maybe expanding the definition of who is worthy of such punishment…and maybe one day, it would be each other. That, however, was an increasingly unlikely outcome the closer Dex and Hammer get. The bonding between Dex and Hammer is just amazing. For me, the diner scene was probably my favorite. It really showcased their unique dynamic and growing bond, combining a mundane meal at a diner with their patented banter, humor, and (oddly enough) wonder. But that’s putting the cart a bit ahead of the horse.
From the moment these two meet, Hammer isn’t above using his body to get what he wants out of Dex…namely the key to his cell. That starts a long running pair of themes. One was how Dex is very self deprecating despite all his bravado. Another is how clearly and unambiguously Dex expresses himself; this most often takes the form of him singing Hammer’s various praises. In contrast, Hammer has to learn to work with a so-called hostage who often gets into dangerous situations. He also has to come to terms with how good it feels for someone to stroke his ego like he’s always wanted it stroked…and the fact that it’s a man stroking instead of a woman. Honestly, the sexual tension that develops between these two is so thick, you’d need a hydraulic press to break it. Things come to something of a head where Dex and Hammer attend a sex party. It shows that there is clearly potential for them and they clearly want to explore it. And the dynamic in their relationship fits their sexual appetites so perfectly…namely that Dex is down to fuck any one, any time, and that Hammer likes to call all the shots, even if he’s not the one taking them. I was not expecting such a thorough exploration of an alternative sex life but wow, was it fun to watch these two discover what they liked.
Finally, I thought the pacing of this book was great. I think the sex party where Dex and Hammer start to fall out of “stuck with you” territory and venture towards “stuck on you” territory is only halfway through. That meant that I got to see these two move well beyond the “I’m so into you” phase and I liked that a whole bunch. The bulk of the first part of the book takes place while Hammer has run across state lines to avoid his MC. Away from the club and the junkyard, it was easy for Hammer and Dex to explore a sexual connection. The second chunk of the book forcibly moves them back to their old stomping grounds. Once they’re back, there’s a lot of baggage. I liked knowing that Dex and Hammer had forged a real connection, so having to redefine that connection back home was a delicious kind of unexpected angst. For example, Hammer may have few qualms about offing a sexual predator, but he’s also hurt that his boyfriend isn’t lavishing him with the same level of attention. Similarly, Dex is in agony over waiting for Hammer to decide if they’re on a break (after a monumental screw of Dex’s) or if they’re broken up; he’s so distraught, not even Grindr cheers him up. So…yes, there’s a lot that happens and I thought the pacing of the book helped keep everything rolling.
Overall, I just could not get enough of these two. They’re a wild opposites-attract pairing and together, they just so completely complement one another. If you’ve liked this series so far, I think you’re in for a real treat with this installment. All the books in this series have been great so far, but this one just hit all the right buttons.
