Series: The Fallen Men #1
Publication date: December 1st, 2017
Pages: 378
Synopsis:
From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Giana Darling comes a forbidden student/teacher relationship between the son of notorious MC President and his prim and proper teacher...
He was eighteen.
The heir to a notorious, criminal MC.
And my student.
There was no way I could get involved.
No way I could stay involved.
Then, no way I could get out alive.
Book One in The Fallen Men series. A standalone.
Available at:
Review:
A few of my favorite BookTokkers recommended this book as one of the Kindle Unlimited must reads. I was a little skeptical because the whole cougar trope isn't my cup of tea especially when it dances the lines of legality. The whole teacher/student dynamic in romantic smut is preferable for me when its an older man and a student, but I was willing to give the book a shot because none of my BookTok friends have led me astray yet!
After leaving a loveless marriage, Cressida is not looking for any sort of relationship. Having just moved to a smaller town and taken a teaching position at a prestigious high school, she thought she was on the pathway to a happier life. When she came in contact with an attractive younger man at a bar and was taken on a whirlwind impromptu motorcycle ride, all she can think about is her mystery man. But when the same man she was swooning over turned out to be one of her students named King, she thought life truly was out to get her. In addition, King is also the heir to the local motorcycle club with a less than reputable reputation. Can Cressida resist her attraction to her dangerous younger man or will she tuck tail and return to her demanding ex-husband who is bent on winning her back?
When I read a story I like to keep it as close to realistic as possible. The whole point is to suck the reader in and make it feel like they're the ones involved in the plot. This book didn't have that realism that made it believable. For one, I have read enough motorcycle club books to know that the men in their ranks are usually pretty hardcore and brusk. King seemed like a marshmallow version of what a biker would be. Add to that the fact that he was the heir to the club and potentially the President once his father stepped down, that badass biker vibe should have been dripping off the pages. It just wasn't there. King's sister seemed more badass than he was honestly. I was not able to find myself entrenched in the world the author created.
That being said, I can see there is potential for the story. The bare bones are there but the meat is too thin to make it truly a delectable read. I think if King was hardened and Cressida was developed one way or the other a bit more it could be an easier sell. Cressida felt forced. There was no personality there and no appeal for me. I just truly did not like her as the main female protagonist. It's like the author couldn't decide whether to make her a strong female lead or a damsel in distress so she fell somewhere between which didn't really work. It didn't fit the overall plot.
I am not one to write off an entire series because the first book was lackluster. I will probably delve into the rest of the series to see if the author grew in the space of time between books, but... it's a bit further down my TBR list than others may be.
