Title: The Viper (Untamed Hearts, #1)
Author: Kele Moon
Genre: Erotic / Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 19, 2014
Publisher: Loose Id
Tour Organized by: As the Pages Turn
Synopsis
Marcos Rivera is a fighter. A gang member. Someone who has seen the dark side of humankind and survived. He has lost family and gained enemies. He has stolen cars and destroyed hearts, stripping one for money and the other for pleasure. His past is haunted and his future is bleak.
Until her.
Katie Foster is a high school history teacher. Smart, strong, and sexy. She is a woman Marcos shouldn’t want. Shouldn’t touch. Shouldn’t love. He met her in Garnet, a backwards, hick town that’s the last place in the world he wants to be, but he finds himself going back for a taste of the forbidden.
Katie represents all that is good in the world, and Marcos knows he’s nothing but trouble for her perfect life. He fights and he screws. He commits crimes and he breaks the rules. He will never change and he will never escape his gang lifestyle.
Or can he?
What happens when two different people from two very different walks of life risk it all by giving into the passion that threatens to consume both of them? Can a woman who only knows how to play it safe give her heart to a man who lives hard and loves harder?
Will she survive The Viper?
“You’re not exactly a ten, Katie.” Grayson laughed cruelly, reminding Katie why she left to begin with. “No one is going to love you for your mind like I do, not in this town. I’m your best option, and I don’t understand why you did this to us.”
“I think she’s a ten,” a man called from behind them.
Goose bumps danced over Katie’s skin, and she wasn’t sure why until she craned her neck to look toward the direction of the low, male voice. Her body
must have recognized what her mind hadn’t caught up with, because walking over to them was Marcos Rivera. He was wearing sunglasses and a baseball hat, but it was undeniably him. She could see the snake tattoo on his arm from there.
He looked larger than life in the late afternoon sun with those impossibly broad shoulders and large, bunched biceps covered in tribal tattoos. She couldn’t help but notice that every inch of him seemed wound tight and ready to jump—like a tiger stalking prey. She blinked, understanding for the first time all those warnings Jules had been leveling at her in regards to Marcos.
This wasn’t the kind, handsome angel from the crash site.
This Marcos looked deadly.
He took off his sunglasses when he stopped in front of them. His light gaze rested on the steely grasp Grayson still had on her arm. “This is the part where you let her go.”
“Excuse me?” Grayson huffed in that annoying superior voice of his that had always embarrassed Katie when he used it in public, usually toward someone parking their car or waiting on them at a restaurant. “This is my wife and—”
He took off his sunglasses when he stopped in front of them. His light gaze rested on the steely grasp Grayson still had on her arm. “This is the part where you let her go.”
“Excuse me?” Grayson huffed in that annoying superior voice of his that had always embarrassed Katie when he used it in public, usually toward someone parking their car or waiting on them at a restaurant. “This is my wife and—”
“Ex-wife,” Katie corrected before Grayson could finish. She was still staring at Marcos in shock, unable to believe he was really standing there in front of her.
“What are you doing here?”
Marcos broke the dangerous staring contest he was having with Grayson. He let his gaze run over her hotly for one long moment, making more goose bumps dance over her arms. A small bit of the tension eased out of his powerful frame, and the look in his beautiful eyes became warm just like she remembered. “I got
your messages.”
“My messa—” Katie cheeks heated when she realized what he was talking about and her voice was a squeak of acknowledgement.
“Oh.”
There was a quiet moment between them, one charged enough that Katie was actually breathless to be in his presence again after so long. Strangely enough, she could feel it off Marcos too. That electric fission of need so overwhelming it actually showed on his face and translated into something tangible enough that even someone as romantically challenged as Katie could sense it. As if remembering they weren’t alone, Marcos cleared his throat and turned back to Grayson, his eyes narrowed in warning once more.
“Yeah, I’m gonna have to insist you get your hands off her.” He eyed Grayson’s hold on her arm pointedly.
“Now.”
“What are you doing here?”
Marcos broke the dangerous staring contest he was having with Grayson. He let his gaze run over her hotly for one long moment, making more goose bumps dance over her arms. A small bit of the tension eased out of his powerful frame, and the look in his beautiful eyes became warm just like she remembered. “I got
your messages.”
“My messa—” Katie cheeks heated when she realized what he was talking about and her voice was a squeak of acknowledgement.
“Oh.”
There was a quiet moment between them, one charged enough that Katie was actually breathless to be in his presence again after so long. Strangely enough, she could feel it off Marcos too. That electric fission of need so overwhelming it actually showed on his face and translated into something tangible enough that even someone as romantically challenged as Katie could sense it. As if remembering they weren’t alone, Marcos cleared his throat and turned back to Grayson, his eyes narrowed in warning once more.
“Yeah, I’m gonna have to insist you get your hands off her.” He eyed Grayson’s hold on her arm pointedly.
“Now.”
About Kele Moon
A freckle faced, redhead born and raised in Hawaii, Kele Moon has always been a bit of a sore thumb and has come to enjoy the novelty of it. She thrives off pushing the envelope and finding ways to make the impossible work in her story telling. With a mad passion for romance, she adores the art of falling in love. The only rules she believes in is that, in love there are no rules and true love knows no bounds.
So obsessed is she with the beauty of romance and the novelty of creating it she’s lost in her own wonder world most of the time. Thankfully she married her own dark, handsome, brooding hero who had infinite patience for her airy ways and attempts to keep her grounded. When she leaves her keys in the refrigerator or her cell phone in the oven he’s usually there to save her from herself. The two of them now reside in Florida with their three beautiful children who make their lives both fun and challenging in equal parts–They wouldn’t have it any other way.
Review:
This is a good book, but if you haven't read the Battered Hearts series, you might want to start there, because there are characters from those books in this one and it makes it a bit harder to piece together some of the background if you haven't read any of them.
I thought the author did a fantastic job with character development, especially Marcos' character. I found it very easy to empathize with his thoughts and feelings; his anger at being denied the chance to turn his life around, the despair over what happened to his mother and young cousin, the frustration knowing that he missed the opportunity to become a champion MMA fighter, the feelings he has for Katie, and the knowledge that he can't offer her any chance at a relationship with being in a gang.
Katie on the other hand, knows what she wants and that's Marcos; plain and simple. When he attempts to tell her that it's best if they not get involved, she calls him on the b.s. and convinces him to stay with her for a week, where plenty of hot, hot sexy times happen. Katie doesn't harbor any illusions about Marcos, but she truly has no idea of what ganglife is like. All she knows is that she fell in love with him and truly wants to be with him.
The only thing I wish that was explained in this story is exactly what happened when Chuito dealt with Angel, there were no specifics given. But overall this is a great story and I'm looking forward to reading the rest in the series as they come out.
This is a good book, but if you haven't read the Battered Hearts series, you might want to start there, because there are characters from those books in this one and it makes it a bit harder to piece together some of the background if you haven't read any of them.
I thought the author did a fantastic job with character development, especially Marcos' character. I found it very easy to empathize with his thoughts and feelings; his anger at being denied the chance to turn his life around, the despair over what happened to his mother and young cousin, the frustration knowing that he missed the opportunity to become a champion MMA fighter, the feelings he has for Katie, and the knowledge that he can't offer her any chance at a relationship with being in a gang.
Katie on the other hand, knows what she wants and that's Marcos; plain and simple. When he attempts to tell her that it's best if they not get involved, she calls him on the b.s. and convinces him to stay with her for a week, where plenty of hot, hot sexy times happen. Katie doesn't harbor any illusions about Marcos, but she truly has no idea of what ganglife is like. All she knows is that she fell in love with him and truly wants to be with him.
The only thing I wish that was explained in this story is exactly what happened when Chuito dealt with Angel, there were no specifics given. But overall this is a great story and I'm looking forward to reading the rest in the series as they come out.
Rating
ARC provided in exchange for honest review.
Giveaway
I've nominated you for the Liebster Award - follow the directions on this link to learn more http://followtheyellowbookrd.blogspot.com/2014/08/liebster-award-2.html
ReplyDeleteThank you so so much!
DeleteThank you so much for being part of the tour!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!
ReplyDeleteKele
P.S. The story with Angel isn't over :D Chu's book is next!
You did a fab job with Marcos, he's extra yummy :)
DeleteAnd I will be stalking you, I mean, following so I can grab Chu's book when it comes out!