Holding On by AC Bextor

Holding On by AC BextorHolding On by A.C. Bextor
Narrator: Lidia Dornet, Aiden Snow
Series: Lights of Peril #1
Published by Tantor Audio on September 12, 2017
Genres: MC Romance, Romance
Length: 12h58m
Format: Audiobook
Purchase on: Amazon// Barnes & Noble// BookBub
Add to: Goodreads // StoryGraph


How does a person decide if their own life is worth sacrificing to save another?
Shame holds onto a past that haunts him. Damaged by the parents that should have taught him unconditional love; they imprisoned him with violence and disregard. Even now, Shame struggles to find both the independence and love he deserves.
Knowing the blood that runs through him is stained merely by reputation, Hem seeks acceptance while he searches for ways to redeem himself in the eyes of those that have judged him his entire life.
Together the two have committed themselves to one purpose; protecting those they love the most.
Mace Cash is Hem’s younger sister. Although they share the same mother, Mace’s father despises Hem and his position within the family.
Sadey Lyons has loved Hem all of her life. Swearing to save herself for him, she’s determined to wait for him for as long as it takes; wanting only for him to see her as the woman she has become and not the little girl he’s always cherished.
When Hem and Shame meet Doc, the President of Lights of Peril Motorcycle Club, their lives take a dramatic turn. Finally escaping from a past that has controlled them, they find themselves living free.
But neither of them have known peace for long...
This is their story of love, loyalty, and heartbreak.
This book is one of two and does not contain an exact HEA as the reader may expect, yet. Authors Note: This novel contains material that is not suitable for individuals under the age of 18. Content includes: drug use, explicit language, violence, rape, and other scenarios with content that readers may find offensive. Please use caution when deciding on this book, as every reader has the right to understand the product before purchase.

two-stars

review

So, this isn’t my typical romance but I was honestly just trying to tick boxes in a dark romance challenge. That’s the main reason I sought out Holding On by AC Bextor – it was a highly rated MC romance. Well, after reading this, I’m not sure I want to read more of that specific subgenre if this is the standard. This was just not my cup of tea and I’m going to be upfront about it.

The narrators did a good job. The writing wasn’t horrible. The pacing felt very stop and start. The romance is where I have such a huge problem. I cannot stand the way Shame and Hem treated the women they supposedly loved. It was worse than garbage. I wouldn’t treat a dog like that. Mace and Sadey were treated as commodities to be used as they wished and if they stepped out of line, then they’d find another hole to fill. And the women were okay with it! They just went on with it! Even when Mace is saying she’ll never forgive Shame for being with someone else after they had a disagreement, she does! With literally no groveling. It was the worst and I hated it! I hated how the women in the MC were spoken about by the female characters. This just – if this is the standard for MC romances, I cannot say I want to read more.

Storywise – this was okay. The plot felt a little dumb. I’d long figured out the bad guys and the endgame so for the group to be so shocked and confused, it felt idiotic. So did the ending. I think if you felt connected to the characters, the ending would leave you sad but I didn’t so I was just grateful it had ended. And the best part? It doesn’t end on a cliffhanger despite having a sequel, so once done, I was free.

I am not, obviously, going to continue this series. But, if you enjoy reading about women as commodities and men who do what they want without apologizing or groveling for their actions, then you might really like Holding On by AC Bextor.

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