Book Review: Wild Ones by Kristine Wyllys

Title: Wild Ones
Series: The Lane, Book 1
Author: Kristine Wyllys
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Sensuality Rating: Sensual
Source: review copy provided via NetGalley
Published: January 13, 2014 by Carina Press

Bri Martin likes her skirts too short, her heels too high, and trouble close at hand. So when big, brooding underground boxer Luke Turner comes into the bar where she works and starts a fight before she brings his first drink, she can't help being intrigued. Luke is everything she never wanted and everything she can't resist.

Soon, Luke is showing up everywhere Bri is, and she can't break free of his hold on her, nor does she want to. When her best friend turns on her, it's Luke who is there. When Luke's opponent comes after her to send Luke a message, it's he who comes to her rescue.

Before Bri knows it, she's caught in the midst of a rivalry between her boyfriend and her boss, both of whom are not content to settle their scores inside the ring. She swore she'd never live this life, so like the one she once ran from. But only by confronting her past can she decide where her future lies…and whether Luke can be a part of it.

Why I Read this Book: I saw Nicole recommend this book and from how she described it – “dark and gritty” – it caught my interest.

What I Liked: It’s a good thing I had an idea of what to expect ahead of time. If I had not seen Wild Ones described as “dark” and “gritty”, I may not have been able to enjoy the story as much as I did. It was very much dark and gritty. It’s not a ‘lovey dovey’ type romance at all. Bri had an abusive childhood, not only physically and mentally but sexually as well. I questioned Bri’s judgment quite a bit. She made the most unwise decisions without any concern. It gave me the sense that she felt she doesn’t have anything to live for. So with all that, it was good that I was in the mood for a dark romance. But as much as the story was raw and dark, it was written in a way that held my attention.

Bri and Luke’s relationship was an erratic one. It was full of intensity all of the time. Intensely good, intensely bad. At first it felt like they were together for the sex but the more I read and saw how equally messed up these two characters were, it was like they were perfect for each other.

Jax was a great character. At first I wasn’t sure where his character exactly fit in this story. He’s Bri’s best friend and co-worker. He really cares for her safety and well-being, more so than she ever will for herself. But best of all, he was hilariously, laugh out loud funny. I definitely want to read more of his character.

What I Didn’t Like: Luke didn’t where a condom any of the times he had sex with Bri and they never once talked about protection – one of my biggest reading pet peeves. I will say, though, that this lack of concern for personal well-being fits with theses characters. Bri dances around the line between safety and danger quite often.

Overall Impression: If you’re looking for a sweet, tender, swoon-worthy romance, Wild Ones is not it. But if you are looking for an intense, volatile romance with hardy characters, this is the book for you. This is the first book in a series and I’m curious to see whose book is next. I’m hoping it’s Jax’s.

Brianna’s Rating:

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