Review: Love Grudge

Love Grudge by Chantal Fernando
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What was going through the mind of Julianna? Listen, I'm all for "I am woman, hear me roar."  I believe women shouldn't be limited in what they want to do with their life.  If they want to run a company, go for it!  If they want to be a housewife, go for it!  If they want to be a mom, go for it! If they want to be president, go for it!  But why would a motorcycle club with patched men only in the club . . . be a possibility for a woman to be the president of it?  Why?  I have to say I'm baffled by this story in some ways.

For Julianna, she will be third generation "running" of this motorcycle club.  Her grandparents started the Angels and the president is hereditary through the either the male child or the husband of the female child.  What kind of f-ed up rule is this?  Apparently one that is prevalent throughout history.  And how did that go?  Swimmingly if we look at the European royalty or the Asian dynasties. Still, I have to give Julianna props for thinking she can take it over.  *climbs onto my soap box*  This plot device is so far out there and difficult for me to swallow.  I'm not a fan of motorcycle club books.  Yes, yes, then why do I read them?  I don't know either.  However, I do know that there are only about 4 to 5 authors who write motorcycle club series that I will read.  Ms. Fernando is one of them.  The reason being is that they sugarcoat and romanticize it to the point that it isn't realistic to how motorcycle clubs normally run.  And I'm okay with it.  I like it this way.  Even so, this one is way out there for me that I wore a stupefied look on my face the entire time I read it. *climbs off soap box* 

Back to the erotic romance at hand.  Julianna and Romeo cross paths and sparks fly.  Their grandparents have history and it isn't good.  Once the skeletons come out of the closet it becomes drama central.  Before Romeo and Julianna are willing to bring everything out into the open, their sneaking around makes their illicit love affair steamy hot.  They get it on and burn the sheets up.  They are a match sexually and personality wise.  I like how Romeo is supportive of Julianna.  Even though Julianna wants to be the number 1 in her MC, she still understands how the MC culture works and tries her best to follow and respect it for Romeo's sake.  Still, this MC isn't like the Boy Scouts deciding to let girls in.  It is much more change than I think the MC can tolerate.  Whilst this is a happily ever after at the end of this book, I'm not seeing the best of things unfolding in the future.  I am kind of on the side that let men keep their own motorcycle clubs as their "boys club".  What I don't agree with in this story is how the Angels wanted to just use Julianna's skills in earning legit money yet give her nothing in return.  That is completely unacceptable.  Plus the guy she is to marry is a total dud.  

There are a few surprises in this story that made it interesting.  A couple of them I guessed and one that completely blindsided me.  I like when authors can blindside me.  This erotic romance is recommended to progressive MC readers who love star crossed lover themes.

 *provided by https://www.netgalley.com