Thursday, July 21, 2011

Review: Hog Wild


Publisher submission in exchange for an honest review.


Title: 
Hog Wild
Author: 
Christine London
Release Date:
Publisher:
MuseItHot Publishing
Word Count:
approx. 45,000
Purchase Links: 
Author's Website:




Description:  

Kyle Matthews might have the music world by the horns, but when he loses out in love to his most famous client and best friend, he escapes into the wilds of the desert southwest on a restorative motorcycle trip. Will the hard driving, salty tongued gorgeous mechanic he relies upon to fix his Harley be able to mend his heart, as well?

Laura’s Review:
 
The first thing I notices about Hog Wild was that an excerpt of my review for the book that preceded this one was included on the title page.  Talk about a compliment!  Thanks for that!  As the excerpt implied, I really loved the previous book.  Because of that, I had some pretty high expectations for this one.

Hog Wild picks up where Shadows Steal the Light leaves off – Kyle Matthews, music agent extraordinaire, has fled Los Angeles and the memories/presence of Jenna, who is now practically engaged to his best friend.  In an attempt to put Jenna and Colin out of his head and to move on with his own life, Kyle decides to rent a motorcycle and to take a short vacation to the Southwest. 

Just as Kyle rolls into a town in the middle of nowhere, his bike breaks down.  He heads to the only shop in town for some repairs.  Sassy garage owner, Sinclair McTavish, initially gets under Kyle’s skin.  And the feeling is mutual.  Sin has absolutely no use for Kyle.  Until they actually spend some time together.  Then they realize exactly how much they mean to each other.

There were quite a few good things about this book – Kyle and Sin are both fabulous characters.  I love when the hero and heroine of a story can poke fun at each other, but not in a malicious way.  As the book takes place in New Mexico (and since Sin essentially grew up on an Indian reservation), there were a lot of Navajo customs woven into the story.  The supporting cast of characters was varied and unique.  But despite all of the good things, there were a few things that just didn’t do it for me.  To start, Kyle & Sinclair’s relationship lasts for less than a week before he has to leave, but that doesn’t stop either one from falling hard for the other.  There were also a couple points that just seemed a little out of place or disjointed.  For example, there’s an escaped convict on the loose, and he has chosen to target Kyle.  It’s never explained why, nor is the outcome ever really discussed.  It just didn’t quite fit for me.  I guess I just would have liked to see the story fleshed out a little bit.  I really liked Kyle in Shadows Steal the Light, but if you haven’t read that book, you may not understand why Kyle is actually such a good guy.

Bottom line?  Read Shadows Steal the Light first, and then read Hog Wild.  Christine London has a remarkable way with language, and her descriptions are just breathtaking.  She has crafted a great story in a mere 125 pages. 

Laura's Rating:


1 comment:

  1. Nice review for Chris. And, as her critique partner, I can attest to her inspiring way with words. Quite puts me to shame.

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