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Review

3.5 stars

The final in the Chaos series, this book was always going to be a big one, with a lot of loose ends to tie up and a (hopefully) kickass romance for Rush to go with it. Well, KA certainly put a lot into this story – not aimed entirely in the direction I was hoping and I have a lot of thoughts about that – but I did enjoy it, and I was happy to finally see the Chaos boys get the happy ending they have fought to hard for.

“It’ll be okay,” she whispered.
“How do you know?” he whispered back.
“Because it’s time for you all to be free.”

Rush Allen is the son of Chaos MC President, Tack (the hero from Motorcycle Man). He has grown up Chaos, standing proudly by his Dad’s side and knowing that one day he would be expected to step up and lead the club that has been his whole life. And to that end, he is committed to working with his brothers to get the club out of the drama that they are in and fighting their way to being free.

Rebel Stapleton was shattered when her best friend was murdered. She spent years trying to get her friend help, and when she lost her in such a tragic way she decided to go undercover into the shady lifestyle where her friend ended up and find out what happened. So now she is working for Benito Valenzuela directing porn movies. Not the career she wanted when she decided she wanted to make movies, but it gets her up close and personal with the bad guy while she gathers information. And it also puts her right in the middle of the danger that has gripped Denver, and she has no idea of the full extent of it. That’s when Chaos comes in.

It’s Rush who is tasked with bringing Rebel into Chaos’ protection, and from that first meeting, an attraction sparks that sets the tone for this love story – fast and intense. It’s full on from the beginning, which it needs to be because with so much else going on, they don’t have time to mess around.

“I’m keeping you,” he said against my lips. He was keeping me. I was going to belong to somebody. And that somebody was Rush Allen.

Rush and Rebel’s chemistry is insane! Their attraction is immediate, and they hold nothing back, going all-in from the very beginning and exploring all that is between them. They are up-front and matter-of-fact with it all, and the angst and drama that they go through is all external to their relationship – which is just as well given everything else that is going on in the story.

From the very beginning they are completely functional and a pillar of strength in the middle of all of the madness, which was really gorgeous to see. And true to form, it’s passionate, sexy and intense, with lots of straight-talking, having each other’s backs, silly arguments that aren’t really arguments, and a whole lot of “babe” and forever declarations. Rush and Rebel are it for each other, and I love that.

“So, you love me?”
At her question, Rush focussed on her beautiful face.
“No, I fucking love you.”

It’s a great love story, and I loved seeing Rush and Rebel together, but my main complaint with this book is that it feels pushed to the side with everything else that is going on.

It took me a while to get invested in this story in the first place, mostly because the beginning of the book is pretty much everybody’s POV except the ones I wanted. KA does a thorough job of setting up multiple storylines and setting the stage for the unfolding drama to come, but it takes a while for Rush and Rebel to get on the same page, and then once they do, we still have to wade through all of those other storylines. I was desperate for the love story, and though we do eventually get it, it’s overshadowed somewhat by everything else going on, which was disappointing. I knew there would be external drama in this book, the whole series has been building to it, it’s just a shame that it came at the expense of the in-depth love stories that we’re used to from KA.

And poor Rush also gets shafted a bit. Rush has been a bit blah in the background of the previous books. He’s there, but we never really got a good feel for him. Nevertheless, I was excited for his book, keen to get to know him, and dove in with high hopes. And while I loved him as a hero, I still don’t feel like I know him as well as I know the other brothers we have met throughout the series. He just didn’t get the page time to allow it. I did love the scenes with Rush and his dad though. The bond the two of them have is absolutely gorgeous, and it melted my heart seeing how close they are.

“You’re a good son. You’re a good man,” his dad whispered. “I have no idea how, through all the shit you had to wade through that was not in my power to protect you from, you turned into the man you are.
But you did and I’m damned proud, Rush. You’re the man I wanted to be.”

Awwwww! I love that Tack was still such a huge part of this story. And if you’re a KA fan, then you’ll be in heaven with the cameos in this book as we get to see the Dream Man, Unfinished Heroes and Rock Chick crew, as well as a significant tie-in with the Honey series. But as much as I love the cameos, there was so much other going on in this book, and a lot of it we didn’t need to see.

The Honey tie-in was clever. Rebel’s brother is Diesel, who is in a committed ménage relationship with a man and a woman, and who was introduced in The Greatest Risk, and then later continued in Loose Ends: Volume One. I loved seeing the relationship that Rebel had with all her brother and his loves, what I didn’t need was to see was so much detail about Diesel’s relationship and the sex wars that went on in the house when Diesel and Maddox came to stay and the two couples kept interrupting each other throughout the night with their sex noises and dirty talk – and then try to outdo each other! Ewww.

There was also an added storyline about Beck and the Bounty club who were so violent with Rosalie in Rough Ride. Again, an interesting little side story, but not one that we needed to see unfold during this book. And would the Chaos boys really have been that forgiving of a bunch of bikers who so viciously beat a woman under their protection? Hmmmmm.

And after everything, Valenzuela got off way too easy for everything that he has done in the series so far. That storyline completely fizzled when he left town with his tail between his legs, only for him to reappear later and then just… end. And that’s after we get to witness him discover his bisexuality and love for kink as a sexual submissive…. So weird.

Chew was built up to be the biggest, baddest, bad guy of them all. And yeah, he’s pretty freaking evil. I was waiting for the big showdown, for the big thing that KA usually throws into her books, but this one fizzled. And it wasn’t even Chaos who dealt the blow!

And then Naomi… ugggghhhhhh. After making her pretty much unredeemable, KA went and tried to redeem her. I’m still bitter and definitely not a fan – of her or the way that particular storyline ended – and I think she should have just been left out of it all together and forgotten about the way she deserved.

And as much detail as was thrown in, this one did fizzle towards the end. It was all talk and no real action. And when you have the Chaos boys, Hawk, Lee, Knight, Raid and Deacon on board, you expect something! The only real action we got was disturbing sexual assaults committed by or on side characters. And with the whole book – and most of the series – building towards a big conclusion, it all seemed a bit ‘blah’. Where did my badass Chaos boys go? I love, love, loved checking in on them and seeing them all still happy with their girls and together as a club, but for a series that belonged to them, they seemed to be notably absent from the action. Was this so that they didn’t have to get their hands dirty? I don’t know, but it all seemed a bit anti-climactic.

So yeah…. not what I was hoping for for the big finale. It was great to check in with the boys and see them get the freedom they wanted so badly, and I did love Rush and Rebel, I just wanted more of them. Despite my issues though, I’m really glad I read it, and that final scene made me smile.

3.5 stars.