I don't have words to start this one out with, I just loved this book. Let the review, and the awesome images courtesy of Brandace and Justin Morrow, do the talking.
Rating: 4 Stars
Published: November 2015
Many thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Grace belongs to a religious family, she wears her hair long, her skirts past her knees, and modest tops. She doesn't have experiencing with kissing, or dating at all, yet she has an arranged marriage just waiting for her. On the day of her wedding, Grace realizes she just can't do it, and with no planning at all she runs. After a while on the road, with no job success, Grace's vehicle breaks down and she finds herself in the company of some caring women and the Motorcycle Club they call family.
Tread is the son of one of the late MC Founders, Ronin is his family, it's in his DNA. He served in the military, as is required by all Ronin, and now he's serving his time until it's his turn to take a seat at the table. In the night, the MC helps smuggle soft felons over the border into Mexico, but things get more serious as drug smugglers try to enter the border into Arizona. The unfamiliar Grace throws a wrench in things, because instead of his mind focused on the tasks at hand, it goes to the soft, innocent Grace.
What a book! Written by authors Brandace and Justin Morrow, Tread is told from the alternating POV's of our hero and heroine, Grace and Tread. It is easy to tell the difference in writing styles between the husband and wife duo, but I ended up appreciating it. I liked having drastic character voices, different inner monologues, and views on situations. It made every scene in the book come to life for me. As for characters, I really liked them both. Grace is so eager to break the mold she's grown up in her whole life and she approaches everything with both apprehension and childlike curiosity. Sure, some of the situations seemed over the top, but her way of handling it was quite entertaining. I almost don't want to get started on Tread, because I loved him. He's a hard ass with a soft side and if you're anything like me, you're picturing a tan Jaxson Teller while you read this. I can't help it! I really enjoyed reading his perspective the most and the detail into his flashbacks, the Ronin lifestyle, and even his thoughts on Grace really provided a clear visual. I got a lot of understanding from Tread as a character and felt like I understood the other minor characters he interacted with really well thanks to the running inner monologue. Hands down some of the best descriptive writing I've read in a while.
The situation is definitely not all rainbow and butterflies, let's be honest, you knew that from the moment you read the synopsis. As the reader, you're in the midst of Ronin MC and some of their less than legal activities. Viewing it from an innocent perspective and then a very involved perspective makes you really look at everything taking place in this book from all sides. While I question how believable some parts are, it's easy to get an image of your mind. There is a lot of politics within the MC, so for me that kind of took the book down a bit. There is also an awful lot of reality when it comes to military and PTSD, if that is not for you I suggest you walk away. It will break your heart at times, but it makes you understand the MC and the hero. What I really enjoyed a lot was Grace's slow growth within the MC, her friendship with the girls and the old women, as well as her blossoming relationship with Tread. They both help each other face some of their demons and grow as individuals. While the smut scenes are sexy, they are slow moving, a gradual shift in the relationship between the two main characters, and I really appreciated that.
If the cover and the synopsis didn't already have your attention, hopefully this review now has you convinced. Tread is a great addition to the MC novels that have been released lately. It's realistic, detailed, well written, and has a great mix of romance and MC lifestyle. I really enjoyed this book, it is a standalone so if you're looking for just one book to read, I suggest it. I will be adding Brandace Morrow to the list of authors I need to read more from and I have my fingers crossed she and her husband write together some more, I really can't wait to see more novels in the Ronin MC series.
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