REVIEW: Riding Dirty by Jill Sorenson

In Riding Dirty (Dirty Eleven #1) by Jill Sorenson, As the victim of a home invasion which turned into the murder of her husband, Mia Richards has had to give up her entire previous lifestyle. Waiting for the police to bring justice against the perpetrators while she’s in witness protection is proving to driving her insane. So Mia forms a plan to exact revenge with the help of an informant who has ties to the world the robbers come from. Mia was questioning her ability to seduce Cole “Shank” Shepherd until she sees him in her office. They have an instant physical attraction that soon clouds her thoughts and makes her do unprofessional things she would never have thought of before. When Mia starts to dream of forever with Cole, she wonders how she’s going to put on the brakes and fix the mess they’ve created.

‘If she had any common sense, she wouldn’t see him again. He was going to break her heart without even trying. They were both headed for disaster, individually. Together, they’d get there even faster.’

Cole didn’t have many options to stay alive when the D.A. offered him a chance to get out of prison early if he would become an informant. He can’t imagine giving up secrets about his family, the Dirty Eleven Motorcycle Club here in California. But it turns out while he was locked up a lot has changed. Worried about his uncle, the president of the club, possibly working together with a rival gang who are notorious for their seedy dealings, Cole may have to feed the cops half-truths to stay out of trouble. But then he meets Mia, his court-appointed therapist, and everything get skewed even further. His lust for Mia seems to be more than just him being fresh out of jail. He can’t think of anyone else, yet knows she’s way out of his league. Then they begin to give in to their desires, slowly at first, until they are nearly inseparable. How is a gruff ex-con biker ever going to provide the life someone so perfect, so good such as Mia deserves?

‘He wasn’t a criminal with a heart of gold or a victim of the system. There were no sad stories to share, no terrible secrets. He was just dirty to the bone. It was in his blood.’

Riding Dirty proved to be much more than just a typical novel about a motorcycle club. It had an intriguing combination of suspense, romance, erotica with some BDSM, and elements of crime fiction.

This is the first book in the Dirty Eleven series about a motorcycle club of outlaws in California. Author Jill Sorenson used a gritty, no nonsense style of writing for this story which worked very well, I thought. The subject matter may not be for everyone, with a home invasion scene, all-out brawls, and even very intense and erotic love scenes. But, I appreciated that sharp edge while reading because it seemed more realistic and not sugar-coated. The only part that I had a little trouble wrapping my head around was that witness protection would allow Mia to stay in the same area, let alone the same state, as where the crime had taken place. But it became part of the storyline when Cole also questioned the motives behind those in charge of her case allowing her so close to danger.

Mia and Cole’s relationship was a complicated mess, to say the least. Not only did they break the rules entering into a physical relationship while she was his therapist, but their lives became entangled when they found out more details about who was involved in her husband’s death. This was also a sort of sexual journey for Mia while she gave in to her desires with Cole. There was an edginess to their scenes that could have been sleazy had it not been for Ms. Sorenson’s use of emotions, highlighting the connection Mia and Cole had. I liked that both characters were at a turning point in their lives and were able to help each other figure out what they truly wanted to do, who they wanted to become. By the ending, they both had changed considerably, for the better, with a nice happy ending that befitted their situation.

If you’re looking for a different kind of romance, one that tells it like it is in a rough, tough but deeply emotional way, Riding Dirty might just fit the bill.

Book Info:

Published October 1st 2014 by Harlequin HQN | (Dirty Eleven #1)

He’s her weapon of choice…

Psychologist Mia Richards wants revenge. Her new client, tattooed Cole “Shank” Shepherd, provides the perfect means. She just has to manipulate the felon-turned-informant into eliminating her husband’s killers—members of Cole’s rival motorcycle club. The first step, seducing Cole, is simple. As for walking away before she falls hard—it’s already too late.

Dirty Eleven practically raised Cole, and he plans to double-cross the cops rather than sell them out. But smart, sexy Mia is an irresistible distraction. While she’s evaluating his mind, all he can think about is her body until he discovers her true intentions. Walking a fine line between desire and betrayal, they’ll have to outrun her past, his enemies and the law for a love that’s dangerously real.