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I am Lover of romance, who indulges in the romantic adventures of literature

My name is Renee, and I am the host of this site. I am a 34 year old woman, on the prowl for her mate, searching out the best of books, exploring the wilds of the imagination and delving into the heart of a beautiful love story.

 

Book Review-Under Locke by Mariana Zapata

by | Feb 25, 2018 | Book Reviews | 0 comments

Book Review-Under Locke by Mariana Zapata

Book Review-Under Locke by Mariana ZapataUnder Locke by Mariana Zapata
Published by Self Published By Author on January 19th 2014
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Motorcycle Clubs
Narrator: Callie Dalton
Length: 16 Hours and 5 Mins
Pages: 497
Format: Audiobook
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four-half-stars

He was my boss, my brother’s friend, a Widower, an ex-felon, and a man I’d seen casually with a handful of women. But he was everything that gripped me, both the good and the bad. Worst case scenario if things turned awkward between us, I could go somewhere else. I’d gotten over epic heartbreak before, one more wouldn’t kill me.

After moving to Austin following six months of unemployment back home, Iris Taylor knows she should be glad to have landed a job so quickly... even if the business is owned by a member of the same motorcycle club her estranged father used to belong to. Except Dex Locke might just be the biggest jerk she’s ever met. He’s rude, impatient and doesn’t know how to tell time.

And the last thing they ever expected was each other.

But it was either the strip club or the tattoo shop.

… she should have chosen the strip club.

I was just browsing Audible’s library when I saw this title pop up and since it had been a little while since I have read a MC romance, I knew that I needed to grab this one up here. Especially with it being a 16 hours in length, which means it would take me a few days. And boy I fell hard for this story and I have to say that this author found a new devoted fan!!! Because even though this is a MC romance, the club isn’t the focus of the story, its more in the background and the focus is the characters and their powerful love story.

So Under Locke begins when our heroine, has lost her job and needs a place to stay and when her brother convinces her to stay with him and that he has a job for her, she is all for it even if it means coming back to her roots and facing the demons of her past. So Iris Taylor has moved back to Austin, and after six months of not having a job, she is relieved to finally have one again and not relying on her savings. She adores her step brother, who is her closest friend. She gets a job with her brother’s friend from the club, who is a jerk and arrogant but pays well and its a decent job and the only other job available would to work as a stripper and that is so NOT Iris. So she tries to tough it out while trying to tough it out with her boss who may be sexy as sin but as the personality of a termite.

I found that I adored this book so much and yeah the hero is a jerk in the beginning, but what really changes is when Iris starts to stand up to him. Now she isn’t this passive doormat, but she tends to get tongue tied around him (probably due to the fact that she likes how he looks) but when she finally finds her voice that is where it really gets interesting and the jerk persona goes away and we see the real hero.

Now I have to say that I LOVED both characters in different ways. But our heroine is really the voice of the story and such a powerful one at that. Iris has gone through so much in her life. Her father abandoned her family when she  and her mother got cancer. Iris survived but her mother didn’t and ended up being raised by her grandmother but in reality protected her younger brother, who now barely speaks to her. But when she found her step brother, they became as close as two peas in a pod. Iris is a bit focused on the scars that she gained from her battle with cancer when she was just a child and is more than a bit self concious about it.

As Iris and Dex begin to build a relationship slowly together, there is a danger coming due to her father’s irresponsiblity with money and dealing with bad people. Now she and her brother have both a enemy biker club and a gang after them. And only by finding their father will they both be safe.

I will say that this book was like a breath of fresh air and I honestly never wanted it to end. Both Iris and Dex are complex characters and we see so much depth and true strength from both of them. I did like that this book wasn’t your typical MC romance, it was so unique in so many ways that I felt gravitated towards this story even more. It is a bit “soft” not the tough and gritty MC romances that are normally in this genre which was nice actually since I was in the mood for this style of a read. Those that don’t care for MC romance would probably enjoy this one. 🙂 The club that Dex is a part of is actually one of the more ‘honorable’ ones with their Prez making his members have clean businesses and helping them out when he can. I really liked seeing out the Prez changes how they do things once he takes over. Now Dex is part of one the original lines of families that started the club. He is devoted to his family and true to his own values which I just respected so much. I love how loyal he is to his mother and sisters. He is very protective but its so sweet not overbearing or frustrating. Once you get past his tough exterior, his character really grows on you by A TON!!

There it was. That fierce loyalty. He didn’t have a clue how that was the most attractive thing about him. It trumped his face, his ink, his body, everything. Dex Locke was true. He was grounded.

The romance that builds between Dex and Irish is full of angst in the beginning. Dex is trying to protect his club and has trust issues with outsiders. Iris just wants a good and safe environment to work in, and once they deal with their issues, then their relationship takes a new turn and boy was it fun seeing the fireworks of their dynamics work themselves out and their relationship was simply pure delight!! The dangers that surround them only strengthen their bond as they fight together.

You’ve gotta be the best thing I never knew I wanted

A story that will give you curveballs of emotion, sensual sexiness and a story that is a rollercoaster you won’t want to get off of…..A DELICIOUS TALE!!

 

About Mariana Zapata

began writing love stories soon after she learned how to spell. She probably shouldn’t admit that she started sneaking romance novels from her aunt’s bookshelves way before she was old enough to even understand what it meant when a man flipped up a woman’s skirt… don’t tell her mom. Luckily, she stuck to stories about princesses and princes for a while.
In her teens, she wrote boy band fanfiction (there’s still a website up somewhere on the internet with those masterpieces), and in her early twenties, she picked it back up again with Sookie Stackhouse and Twilight. Eventually, her significant other finally told her to do what she wanted to do and she began working on her original work. Her novels tend to include potty humor, bodily functions, and bad words.
Mariana lives in a small town called Pagosa Springs, Colorado with her husband/best friend, Chris Letchford, and their two well-beloved (and emotionally manipulative) Great Dane children, Dorian and Kaiser. When she’s not pretending to write, she’s reading sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk or historical romance novels. You can usually find her harassing her dogs, being a hermit at home or cracking jokes at the expense of her family members.

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