Heather’s Bookshelf: Donnie: A Brotherhood MC Novel
Author: Jennifer Marcia
Released: 02/14/23
Genre: Spicy Romance
“I tried not to breathe in his scent as I walked away. Something about this felt incredibly final. I held the tears in until I got a block from his shop, head held high and shoulders back. I loved him and hated him in equal measure that day. My heart was broken, and I was sure this pain would break me. It didn’t.”
“Donnie: A Brotherhood MC Novel” introduces Aurora Dewitt, the head of a criminal enterprise, Queenpin of a gambling enterprise and a skilled fighter. She’s a woman in control of everything in her life. Well, everything except for when it comes to Donnie Lowe.
Donnie Lowe is the President of a motorcycle club. He’s got a reputation as a dangerous man. He’s never had a weakness- except for when it comes to Aurora.
Ten years ago, Donnie and Aurora loved each other, but their love was kept a secret. Donnie was scared of how he was influencing the seemingly young and innocent Aurora, and so he broke things off with her- leaving them both heartbroken. When Aurora’s sister is killed by a hit-and-run, she turns to Donnie for help, but he refuses.
For 10 years, Aurora moved on with her life, setting herself up as the queen pin in the neighborhood- all without Donnie Lowe. But when the Cartel tries to move in, threatening to bring in human trafficking, Donnie and Aurora must work together. Their chemistry is immediate, but will their pasts and the dangers of the present be too much to overcome for both of them?
Trigger Warning: violence, sexual situations, adult language, reference to rape, murder, reference to human trafficking
Overall, I was a bit torn by this one. The story is mostly told through two POV’s- Aurora’s and Donnie’s. And while Donnie’s the title character, Aurora dominates the pages. I loved her as a character. She’s unapologetically badass and while she has broken pieces of her, she’s more raw than broken. She owns her past, her choices, and who she is. The duration of the story really covers her development from a relatively naïve young woman to a full-fledged boss. The tragedy involves her sister and spurs her evolution. Her reactions to what she had to do seemed natural and believable. I completely understood her motivations and emotions. Donnie, I felt pretty much the exact opposite. He continually states that he’s a dangerous man, but there’s really nothing that he does in the story to back that up. If fact, most of his choices and decisions are to support her. The sex scenes are steamy, but there’s a little taken away from them due to cringeworthy interactions that utilize similar language later in the story. There’s also a period of the story that is much more about the sexual interactions than the story arch. It goes from one encounter to the next and it loses some of the tension in between. There were a lot of characters in this one, but I felt that I had a good grasp on the main ancillary characters including Luca, Hawk, and Honor. I could see how this cast could have several spin offs, but would love to see a little more storyline and a lot more tension buildup or change in pacing.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A strong female protagonist outshines the title character. Difficulty with pacing takes away from the steamier scenes.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Jennifer Marcia
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Find it for purchase here or Kindle Unlimited
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