In the ninth book of this motorcycle club series from Ali Lyda and Aiden Bates, it’s club member Nix and construction worker Dawson’s chance for love. Both men have their issues with substance abuse. Nix has been in recovery for six years, but Dawson is still in the midst of denying he has an alcohol addiction. Should Nix jeopardize his sobriety to pursue his attraction to Dawson? Will Dawson see that a relationship with Nix is more important than numbing his problems?
I’ve been reading this series nearly from the beginning. I read a few books out of order, but they are all stand-alones. In my opinion, it’s worth it to read them all to get the full effect of the motorcycle-club-as-family theme that threads throughout the books.
Due to Dawson’s extreme issues–one of which is a tendency to make false assumptions about people–this book is a more angsty read than the others. It takes Dawson a while to 1) admit he has an alcohol problem, 2) try to fix it, and most importantly, 3) trust that Nix will still be there for him after he’s sober.
And if that’s not enough angst, Nix is dealing with his confusion about his sexuality. He’s only ever been with one other person in his life and it was a woman. He’s figuring out what it means for him to now, many years later, be attracted to a man.
Along their journey, Nix and Dawson have a few cute scenes that I would call dates (although they don’t). The sexy times are nicely steamy. Overall, Bates and Lyda have written a wonderfully emotional story with a smile-worthy happy ending.
David Allen Vargo’s narration is great. I like his emotional delivery throughout the story.
I received this free review copy audiobook at my request and this is my voluntary opinion.
Recommended.