Release Date: November 23, 2018

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5+ Thorny Rose CROWNS

You know when you finish a book and you just have all these emotions swirling around inside. You can’t seem to grasp any single one because you were just on the ride of your life. You are sad it is over, elated with the ending, stressed from the tension and unknown throughout the story. That is how I feel. Giana Darling put me through the wringer with Harleigh and Danner, but, oh, their love is worth the ride.

Danner is, like the other men in the series, a mix of good and bad. He is on the side of good, wearing a badge and promising to protect his city, but he also isn’t afraid to keep them safe by acting criminally if needed. He earns his nickname of Lion for the honor and courage and pride he has. This man is ferocious in the way he loves and protects, and none more so than Rosie. The way he loves her, breaks her, lets her be wild and tames her all at the same time is beautiful. It is them. It is him. It is perfect.

Harleigh Rose is just EVERYTHING. She is a rebel, comfortable in her own skin, proud of her name and her MC. She is her father’s daughter. Like Danner, though, there is a dichotomy to her character. There is a desire to be loved, a need, at times, to be reckless, and a compulsion to rebel. As her name implies, there are thorns and petals to this multi-layered complex heroine, but at her heart, she is a girl who just wants to save the world and her family, to grab her HEA and live it with those she loves in her own way. Damn what anyone else says, and I wholeheartedly love her for it.

The chemistry between these two is electric. It permeates the air, electrifying it, and then combusts in the bedroom. Not only do readers get the hot, dominating intimacy, but we also get the forbidden aspect of their relationship as she is the princess of The Fallen MC and he is a cop. Add to that the danger and drama from the secondary plot of taking down the Beserker MC, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Giana’s beautifully written prose ensnared me and I didn’t want to break free. Even when it was all over, I wanted more pages to magically appear. I wanted more Lion and Rosie, more family moments with the Fallen, more of the good as Giana worked them over hard in this one. But it is worth it. Every moment, every fight, every victory, hard fought, is worth it.

I would be remiss not to mention Giana’s writing. There are just some authors who are artists, and she is one. The way she composes her stories, her use of syntax and diction, forces me to live these stories. When her characters hurt, I hurt, when they have success, I feel overwhelmed with joy, when they get down and dirty…well, you get what I’m saying. You LIVE her stories. Her writing alone will always make me one-click, but I hope we stay in this world for a very long time.

Good Gone Bad is not just a super steamy romance, it is not just a suspenseful story about taking down a corrupt MC, it is a reflection of how humans aren’t just good or bad. It is a look at how we are both, how we can find our match in another, someone who just inherently gets you. It is about living wild and free while still having limits and being able to surrender and submit for those you love. It is an epic ride I implore you to take. Giana and Danner and Rosie won’t let you down.

5 CROWNS

From first to last, this book doesn’t pull its punches. Ms Darling has created such wonderfully complex characters, some of whom are savage and sadistic, others who are deep thinkers, loyal and loving, in their own rough and ready, foul mouthed way, and I absolutely loved it. I had so many conflicting emotions and heart stopping moments as the shocks and surprises just kept coming.

Harleigh Rose, MC princess, is all grown up. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about her based on her previous behaviour, but I shouldn’t have worried. Beneath the tough biker babe exterior there’s a certain vulnerability which, together with her fighting spirit, her loyalty and love for her family, totally endeared her to me. She’s got real grit and determination and I loved her for it.

Lionel Danner is the good guy but, as the title suggests, he knows how to cross that line into bad boy territory when necessary. His relationship with HR is a long and complicated one. It’s intense and passionate and forbidden. This author does a fantastic job of prolonging the sexual tension and the tease between these two. You can feel the agony of not being able to act on their desires, the strain of trying to hide their feelings. The need, the wanting, the longing is agonising and when it all becomes too much to resist any longer, Rosie and her Lion light the world, and the pages, on fire. They, like the gripping plot, will leave you breathless and panting for more.

Action packed and heartbreaking at times, Good Gone Bad is going to smack you right between the eyes and you won’t know what’s hit you!

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.