Review: Inciting a Riot by Karen Renee @karenreneewrites

Title: Inciting a Riot

Author: Karen Renee

Series: Riot MC #2

Publication date: August 7th, 2018

Pages: 329

Synopsis (according to Goodreads):

Cary "Vamp" Sullivan earned his Riot MC patch and shoved Lorraine Francis Ingram out of his life six years ago by cheating on her. He's regretted it ever since because he knew she was a top-notch woman. After mentioning his regret to his brother, Cal, Vamp suddenly finds himself faced with an opportunity to win Lorraine back. When he runs into her unexpectedly and finds out she has been beaten at the hand of a man, Vamp and his Riot MC Brothers are determined to protect her. Vamp is determined to get her back in his life, and he knows it's going to be an uphill battle.

Lorraine insists that if any Riot MC Brother is going to protect her, it cannot be Vamp. She gets no promises from the Riot MC, and she finds herself with Vamp at her doorstep. She's determined there will be no second chances, but her resolve is weakened because Vamp isn't playing fair, he's fighting... fighting to win her over.

Once she and Vamp are reunited again, they realize there is a very real threat to them both. Lorraine and Vamp are put to the test to rekindle their long lost love and stay alive.

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Review:

After the first book in the series being such a mammoth of literary elegance I had to continue the series. If for no other reason but to see how my girl, Mallory, and my book crush, Cal, were getting on. In the first book, Vamp was made out to be a lecherous creeper and I didn't know if I even wanted to see him find his happily ever after. I even went so far as to suspect that in the first book he had played a hand in Mallory's strife. However, my desire to see if Renee could continue with her streak of great books overrode my distaste for Vamp. So I dove in.

Lorraine "Frankie" Ingram has had a running tally of cheaters that have darkened her doorstep. So finding out her current beau was yet another one of them gave Frankie more of an eyeroll than a heartbreak. After putting the most recent cheater in his place, the cheater who broke her heart so thoroughly is the first face she sees grinning devilishly at her. Frankie had changed everything about herself to distance herself from the pain that this pierced demon of  a man had put her through but the pull to slide onto his motorcycle and cling to his back was beating down her resolve to stay away from him. In an attempt to thrust him from her mind she starts up with a new guy. This one not only breaks her heart by also breaks her face. 

Vamp went into full protector mode when he saw Frankie's beauty marred by bruises and broken bones. His determination to protect her and prove that he deserved a second chance at her heart is enough to drive any sane woman mad. And Vamp plays dirty. Vamp, with his copious piercings and tattoos is any father's nightmare and any girl's fantasy and he only has eyes for Frankie. But can this hellbent biker god prove that Frankie's place is in his arms and in his heart?

As I said, Vamp was not an overly desirable protagonist for finding his happily ever after with me. I detest cheaters and don't see them as redeemable in any fashion. Once a cheater, always a cheater. But what I didn't take into account is, much like an addict, Vamp found his rock bottom which changed his ways. He became a sexy demon capable of redemption for me. Frankie was the angelic creature with a sharp tongue who could save him and delight readers with her wit and determination of independence. Vamp and Frankie as a couple were the fire and ice of the written word that made one hell of a steamy read.

Unlike the first book, though, I found a few more issues with the plotting of the story. Frankie's psychological issues after the attack should have been touched on a bit more. After that vicious an attack, anyone would be scarred more than just physically. That coupled with the feeling that the enemies they were trying to escape gave up exceptionally easily and didn't cause as much strife for them as should have been for the level of protection they enacted. At the end it seemed to wrap up quickly as far as the overall controversy. I am not above having a book be focused completely on the romantic aspect but this felt like the antagonists were an afterthought. 

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed Vamp and Frankie's journey but I had hoped the bumps along the way had been more rocks and less pebbles.