Review and Giveaway: Lay It Down

Lay It down (Desert Dogs - Book 1) by Cara McKenna

Publication Date: 08/05/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Signet Eclipse
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 336
ISBN-10: 0451471261
ISBN-13: 978-0451471260

(Received for an honest review from Signet Eclipse)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Cara McKenna on the WEB: website, blog, twitter, goodreads

Synopsis:

First in the exciting new Desert Dog series, starring hot and sexy bikers in the Southwest...

Backbreaking days, wild nights, and the hard hum of steel between your thighs...
 
That’s a life well lived, according to the Desert Dogs—four friends who call Fortuity, Nevada, their badlands home.
 
Vince Grossier is the self-crowned outlaw king around here. But when Fortuity’s slick new mayor invites a shady casino development to town, the invaders’ cutthroat takeover tactics quickly turn deadly. With police turning a blind eye, it’s up to the locals to fight back, and Vince is on the front line. The pretty photographer hired by the developers might be the key to infiltrating the enemy. And a temptation too good to pass up.
 
Finally free of a controlling ex, Kim Paget’s not looking to be taken for a ride—not on the back of some tattooed roughneck’s bike and definitely not in his bed. But when she finds evidence that her bosses are rattlesnake-dangerous, Kim must entrust her safety to the man who threatens danger of a whole different kind.

Thoughts:

Cara McKenna brings readers the first book in the new Desert Dogs series, Lay It Down. Murder and mayhem abound in this romantic suspense tale set in the small Nevada town of Fortuity. McKenna cashes in on the latest romantic craze featuring motorcycle clubs, but her take on it is not what readers might expect. With a strong focus on the suspense, the antics sometimes associated with these bad boys takes a backseat. Readers looking for something more than the average story will find this one gritty, emotional and full of possibilities for the series!

What I liked:

My first thought when I say this one and read the blurb was that McKenna must be a Son's of Anarachy fan, which I am myself. I was expecting a lot of motorcycle club drama, involving everyone's 'old ladies' and criminal activity. Though there was a little of that here, the focus of this book was totally on the suspense. The murder of the main characters best friend takes precedence over everything else, even the romance. That can be good and bad, but in this case it was amazing!

I love romance and there is certainly a strong connection between main characters Vince and Kim. Their relationship is dynamic and passionate, which is what readers would expect from a bad boy, like Vince. But there is a lot more to it than that. Their scenes in the bedroom are pretty steamy but it's the way they interact on a regular basis and how they try to help each other and those around them that will endear them to readers. 

Vince wants to protect his hometown, take care of his family and find out who killed his friend, Alex. The casino operation has threatened just about everything he loves and he is determined to see justice, in his own way. I loved that this story had a few elements of the paranormal in it and the way it was used. A good suspense tale is often a real page turner and Lay It Down was fast paced and hard nosed. It was certainly not at all what I expected.

McKenna uses this book as a lead in to the series and she accomplishes that well by making the secondary characters a big part in solving the mystery in Lay It Down. Readers get to meet a lot of characters that I hope get their own books. The town of Fortuity will also get under the readers skin, as well as, the Desert Dogs themselves. I look forward to reading more in this series.

What I didn't like:

I liked just about everything with this book. There weren't any elements that I felt were out of place. The pacing was good, the characters were memorable. I love a good romance and this one has that too. 

Bottom Line:

This is a great start to a new romantic suspense series. It may have nods to shows like Sons of Anarchy being set in a small town and having a motorcycle club, but that's where the similarities end. McKenna takes this series in her own direction and readers will follow!

Lay It Down is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Since she began writing in 2008, Cara McKenna has published more than thirty romances and erotic novels with a variety of publishers, sometimes under the pen name Meg Maguire. Her stories have been acclaimed for their smart, modern voice and defiance of convention. She was a 2010 Golden Heart Award finalist and a 2012 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award nominee. She lives with her husband, with their feet in New England but their hearts in the Pacific Northwest.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Lay It Down by Cara McKenna.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, August 19th.

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