Review ~ Jack & Coke ~ Lani Lynn Vale #AudioChallenge #TakeControl

Jack & Coke by Lani Lynn Vale
Uncertain Saints #2
Narrated by: Mason Lloyd and Kendall Taylor
Release Date: October 11, 2016
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy from Tantor Audio. This did not affect my rating and my review is voluntarily provided. 
Rating: 3 Bookworms
Challenges: #AudioChallenge, #ShelfLove, #TakeControl
Goodreads

Synopsis
Lies

Mig's wife is a bitch.

How else do you describe a woman that lies, cheats and steals to get what she wants?

That's exactly what happens when she traps him into a marriage he wants nothing to do with, saddling him with a kid that he knows doesn't deserve to be in a world like his.

He's doing a pretty bang-up job at ignoring everything but his responsibilities as a DEA officer and a member of The Uncertain Saints MC.

Deceit

Annie teaches Mig that not every woman is out to get him.

Her love for Mig stretches past what's appropriate for two friends, and Annie soon straddles that invisible boundary between appropriate and inappropriate.

Annie's not a cheater, though.

When she tries to say goodbye, Mig won't let her leave, and soon the tiny town of Uncertain blows up with the news of Annie and Mig's innocent friendship.

Betrayal

Matters of the heart are foreign to Mig, and it takes Annie being gutted for him to see the wrong he's done.

He waits too long, though, and Annie's heart is broken.

She wants it all, or she wants nothing. She can't take anymore half-hearted attempts at being just friends.

The heart wants what it wants, and it doesn't take long for Mig to realize that.

But just when Mig finally has it all in the palm of his hand, his life is ripped to shreds by a new player in the game, and it takes all of Annie's love and devotion, as well as help from the men of The Uncertain Saints MC, to put Mig back together again.

Jack & Coke pulled me in a bit quicker than its predecessor and seemed to have resolved some of the editing issues that took away from my enjoyment of Whiskey Neat. While I still felt some of the plot threads were too over-the-top, and the storyline a bit formulaic, I did like Mig and Annie's story. There were elements that kept me engaged - mostly the suspense part because I wanted to know who was behind things and how it would work out. And I liked Mig and Annie - they were decent people who both worked to help others although through vastly different means. I liked meeting/spending more time with some of the other characters. However, as I was writing this review and thinking about the story I realized these things:

• the story is predictable - following a similar outline to the first book
• the characters were a bit morally questionable and suffered traumas and tragedies that were too far-fetched for me
• the plot had promise but also had quite a few elements that were too over-the-top

Does this all add up to a bad story? No. It had its moments. But I think the narrators are the best part. Mason Lloyd and Kendall Taylor do a stellar job with what they have to work with and that is admirable.

I have two more from this series in audio but I don't know if I'll continue. I'm definitely going to take a break though.

As an aside, I saw quite a few people were upset by a certain plot element...it is not described/detailed in the story, just stated. It didn't bother me and was explained in a way that made sense and developed another part of the plot. But just so you know - date rape drugs/date rape (perpetrated by a female) is a part of the story.

Audio Review ~ Whiskey Neat ~ Lani Lynn Vale #AudioChallenge #ShelfLove

Whiskey Neat by Lani Lynn Vale
Uncertain Saints #1
Narrated by: Mason Lloyd and Kendall Taylor
Release Date: September 13, 2016
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy from Tantor Audio. This did not affect my rating and my review is voluntarily provided. 
Rating: 3 Bookworms
Challenges: #AudioChallenge, #ShelfLove
Goodreads

Synopsis
Griffin Storm wasn't prone to violence, but when someone takes what Griffin holds dear, the world as he knows it is gone.

Retaliation, revenge and rage fuels him. His club, the Uncertain Saint's MC, do their best to offer support, but Griffin is beyond redemption. He'll do what he has to do. Kill who has has to kill.

He doesn't care if that means he dies. If it gets him what he wants, then it's worth it.

He fakes it all until the night he walks into a sex shop for batteries and lays eyes on a woman that will change his life.

Lenore makes him think past tomorrow. Makes him want to see just what the future might bring.

But his life's a dangerous one built around pain and deception, and not for the faint of heart.

He won't give up the past, not until he's done what he promised to do.

And if that means she's not there when the dust settles, he'll risk it.

Lenore, though, won't give up on him. She'll fix him, whether he wants her to or not.

Whiskey Neat served as the introduction to the Uncertain Saints series and while the story and characters have promise, the execution made for a bumpy ride.

What Worked:

• Griffin & Lenore
  These two had interesting backstories with Griffin searching for the person who took what mattered most to him and Lenore dealing with...well, several things. They're both good people but Griffin is treading a fine line and sometimes steps over in his quest for justice. And besides dealing with her issues on her own, Lenore also runs a sex toy shop. That part was a hoot!
• MC Brotherhood
  The camaraderie between Griffin and his brothers was strong and it allowed me to meet all the players in the series.
• Plot
  I liked how Lenore and Griffin were brought together and how determined Griffin was in his mission for justice. The way things began revealing themselves created suspense too which helped keep me engaged.

What Could Have Worked Better:

• Griffin & Lenore
  I liked these two characters but it seemed like they were dealing with too much - especially Lenore - so that their stories were a bit far-fetched.
• Plot
  Although I liked the story overall, some things were a little OTT for me...stretched my ability to suspend disbelief.
• Editing
  I think having listened to Whiskey Neat made the editing issues more glaring. Editing might have helped in tightening the plot and it would have helped with things like "These thoughts carried her to the door as she locked the door."

The real highlight was the narration! Mason Lloyd and Kendall Taylor were pretty phenomenal. They kept me engaged where I might have given up otherwise. Their voices for each character were distinct and they managed a nice pace for the story.

Whiskey Neat wasn't bad. It just could have been better. Since I have the series in audio, I'll give these guys and gals another go.