Riding Dirty by Jill Sorenson (Dirty Eleven #1)
Released: October 1, 2014
Romantic Suspense
Harlequin

Reviewed by Mandi

I’ve read and enjoyed many Jill Sorenson books, but I think Riding Dirty is by far her best book. Maybe because it’s dark and gritty and the sex is ramped up – one of my favorite combinations. Oh! And the hero has served multiple sentences in prison. Excuse me while I swoon. (seriously, I love a prison hero)

Cole is a member of the Dirty Eleven motorcycle club. His uncle is the president, and after growing up quite poor and watching his parents turn to drugs, he craves the family aspect of the club, even if they aren’t always warm and loving. While the Dirty Eleven have strict rules about treating women well, they aren’t saints. They dabble in drugs and are quite violent. Their rival club is called White Lightening and there has been bad blood between them for a long time. Cole has landed himself in prison twice, both times he fully accepted the blame, but he was assaulting and starting fires aimed towards bad men and on the instruction of his uncle.

Now Cole is recently out of prison, but he isn’t quite free. Besides the ankle bracelet he has to wear, he got out because he promised to be an informant to the police against his uncle. Due to being targeted in prison, this was his only option. His contact is a dirty detective named Vargas. Vargas’s sole mission in life is to bring down criminal motorcycle club members. He will use any tactic, legal or not to get this done. So let’s just say his treatment of Cole isn’t necessarily morally correct.

On to our heroine – years ago, two masked men invaded her home, murdered her husband and seriously injured Mia Richards. Faking her death, Mia goes into witness protection. Having only seen her attackers eyes and some tattoos on their wrist, she slowly gathers the facts and thinks they come from the White Lightening motorcycle club. Working as a psychologist, Vargas recruits her to become Cole’s therapist/life coach. Mia plan is to seduce Cole, and then convince him to go after the men that killed her husband (since they belong to his rival MC). Mia didn’t count on the fact that she would have such strong feelings towards Cole though.

There are so many things I enjoyed about this story. The romance and suspense are nicely balanced. The suspense is violent and gritty and the intensity of it matches the strong romance. While at times it felt like Mia is the only pure and innocent character in the book and she may have looked down upon others, overall I came to like her. The innocent girl falls for the thug isn’t new in romance books, but what I liked here is that Mia is sexually forward. At first she is conflicted, having not been with anyone since her husband’s death and feeling professionally guilty for starting something with her client…

He must have been able to read the desire in her eyes, because he gripped her upper arms and leaned closer. Before he touched his mouth to hers, she braced her palms on his chest and turned her head to the side.

“No,” she said, breaking free from his grasp. Pulse racing, she pointed at the chair. “Go over there,”

He flinched at the order, reluctant to comply. After a short hesitation, he strode away from her and sat back down with the same surly expression he’d worn earlier. The same insouciant sprawl. Only now he had a huge erection.

She forced herself not to examine his body with hungry interest. Good thing she hadn’t invited him to jackhammer her against the wall. That equipment wasn’t quickie material. She approached her desk and poured two cups of water with shaking hands, spilling some. Bringing the cups, she returned to her set.

he downed his in three gulps. “I need a refill to pour on my dick.”

But once she realizes just how much she likes Cole, she fights for him and doesn’t back down.

Cole has had a hard life, and doesn’t make excuses for his behavior. He has a very quick temper which he has a very hard time controlling. He is rough and has jealousy issues. He doesn’t always trust easily. Oh – and he is super hot in bed. What? I enjoyed that. *wink*

“Cole–”

“Just give me one session between your legs,” he said, leaning in closer. His breath fanned the side of her neck. “I’ll keep my cut on. You can come with my leather under your fingertips, and forget about theirs.”

The sex in this book is very dirty. There is even a very well don M/F/F scene that added even more smoking hot sex to this book.

The action never lets up and the romance just gets stronger as the book goes on. Let me also note, this is definitely a  motorcycle club book, but we don’t see a ton of action inside the club. There is also a supporting character named Ace, (his book is next) who has me quite intrigued.

Rating: B+

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