Title: Sons of Mayhem #1: The First Novel
Author: Nikki Pink
Date Published: June 8th 2014 (first published November 24th 2013)
Publisher: NA
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: ebook

This review arrived much later than I wanted to as I got caught up reading Scott Westerfeld's Afterworlds (which I recommend even without a review that everyone should go out and get it). In addition to this third part, readers can expect most likely one more part to this review as I have less complaints and actually, more compliments the further I read. (Which means that there are less screenshots of atrocious writing to go through and more talking about the novel as a whole) If you haven't read Parts 1 and 2, here and here you go.

I am going to introduce a TL;DR section for those who don't want to go through my long rambles.

TL;DR Review:

Although the first two parts of this review pretty much displayed my hatred for this disastrous novel, this review finds that as the novel progressed to more than half of it's chapters, the action and a real plot starts to kick in, finally veering away from the horrifying and lackluster romance of Jase and Nicole and delving into the criminal underworld and the darker side of biker gangs. Also, while readers have previously been assaulted by boring and senseless sex scenes, in this third half, there was a beautiful sex scene that was raw and revealing and represented the sort of sex that should be written about.

Full Review:

We begin with Chapter Thirteen where a prospective looking to join the Sons of Mayhem calls Nicole and Lucy sluts. "Less talking, more kissing sluts." What an atrocious man to call women sluts but when you consider that Nicole and Lucy thought of themselves as the very same in the beginning of the novel, it makes one wonder if they're being hypocritical. So, they are allowed to call themselves sluts but someone else can't? Why use "slut" in the first place when it is a derogatory term? It makes no difference if you're calling yourself a slut or calling someone else a slut. It's a term designed by the patriarchy for the patriarchy to control the behaviour and conduct of women. Then again, the two girls beat up the prospective because he was forcing them to do something they didn't want to, eg. kiss each other. You go, Glen Coco. And then the next page, we're back to derogatory slut-name calling, "...the only person I like fucking me are slutty young bitches."

I cannot understand what's the point of calling the girls who sleep with the Sons of Mayhem sluts. Is it some sort of identity for them, especially when you put this into reality and you think of the girls who do become the arm candy for real biker gangs? (Are there any? I don't know) Is it some sort of slut-shaming on the part of Pink because Lucy and Nicole are set apart as exclusive for both their men, Brodie and Jase, respectively? Is it slut-shaming real women who sleep with bikers? Is it a reinforcement of a stereotype? Is it critical commentary? I cannot fathom but it makes the book much less enjoyable in my eyes, especially when I am constantly assaulted by the words "slut". My same discomfort applies to "bitches" which is used much too liberally throughout the novel.

I think it's very noble that Jase has been sex-free for a long time and Nicole is his return to it but when Nicole thinks, "Where's this going? I don't want to hear about all the women you've been with", I find her pretty ignorant. As we've been able to see throughout the novel, having sex freely is apparently biker lifestyle and even if she likes it or not, she's going to hear about Jase's feminine conquests, if not from him, then from someone else. I'd rather hear it from Jase than to have someone else tell me. It would feel like he was hiding something from me.

At this point, everything is still Jase and Nicole. Here is a wonderful thought Nicole had when Jase took her on the sweetest and most romantic "date" by the river: "Take off my panties. I haven't needed it like I need it now in forever. Ever." I got a little confused. Is she using Jase for the sex? Does she not know self-pleasure? I can assure you, women have better orgasms with self-pleasure than penetrative sex. Okay, I can't assure you but I think it's pretty much true. This obsession must be a product of Nicole being unsatisfied by her "gay" boyfriend. Oh, and her eyes glowed. I thought you couldn't see you own eyes unless looking in a mirror. How very peculiar.

Here's a quote I rather like from Jase: "There's a time for peace and a time for war. There's a time to forgive and forget, to negotiate and make amends, to make agreements and agree to let sleeping dogs lie. And then there are times when you have to gather your crew, grab your weapons and kick some serious fucking ass." After this moment is when the novel really picks up. Of course, there is about one more sex scene featuring very rough sex and I think, perhaps, the most raw and real sex that this book has ever written. Although when I first read it, I found that scene rather unnecessary and atrocious but looking at it again, it as raw, real and it was beautiful. Congratulations, Pink, you finally did not make me want to throw up. Here's another gold quote from Jase: "Silence surrounded them. A dark, brooding silence; the kind of silence you can almost grab and hold, the kind of silence that forebodes unspeakable violence."

After this, I was practically glued to the novel, rarely putting it down because damn, Pink is absolutely amazing at writing crimes and the criminal world of gangs. That's one thing she has done right with this novel so far. But, there is a moment of racial insensitivity that really irks me. One of the Sons of Mayhem make a deal with a Korean gang and he offers the Son a "present" in the form of a massage and he thinks this, "What the fuck? I don't want you fried rice fingers on me." I was so appalled. First, it was so racist that I couldn't believe what I was reading. Secondly, Koreans aren't famous for fried rice. The Chinese are. I should know. I am Chinese.

And then, there's a lovely moment (after a senseless tragedy) where Lucy has an epiphany that she did not belong with biker gangs and being their sex toys. But Nicole seems convinced that they do belong with Brodie and Jase and the Sons of Mayhem. At this point, I am torn between cheering for Lucy's sensibility and siding with Nicole because for some odd reason, I am feeling a little soft spot for Jase. He has grown on me, much to my fervent hatred for him in the beginning.

Although, we had another mention of vibrations once more. And some more outdoor sex. Not as nice as the rough sex though. It was just another filler sex scene. My least favourite kind.

And then, there was a rape. I can't say that rape was glamourised in this novel because Jase expressed some qualms over hearing how the Son was recounting his experience with the Asian masseuse but it certainly was treated very, very poorly. Again, giving biker gangs a bad name. Then again, only to readers it was revealed that it was explicitly a rape. To the other characters, it was just sex with a girl.

There was considerably a lot more action and decent writing in this sections of the novel, keeping me glued to my phone screen and wanting to know what happened next. It makes me think that this is perhaps the third series in the serialisation where the story really has picked up and developed. The focus on the biker gang and the criminal underworld in this section of the novel shifts the story from Jase and Nicole's lackluster romance to the action-packed world that I expected when I first downloaded this novel. I read so quickly and so intensely that I didn't even realise how fast I was going through the novel as compared to earlier when it was so difficult for me to get through it. Which changed my whole point of view of the novel. Now, if only the action-packed segments were intertwined perfectly with Jase and Nicole's romance, then this book would be a definite read.

Would I recommend it: I would only recommend it if one can bear the horrible Jase and Nicole romance to get to the good action bits.
Rating: 2/5 (Taking into account the great action writing)

Part 1 | Part 2 |

Title: Sons of Mayhem #1: The First Novel
Author: Nikki Pink
Date Published: June 8th 2014 (first published November 24th 2013)
Publisher: NA
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: ebook

If you haven't read Part 1, read it here. I've split this review up into a few parts. I don't know how many yet but it is split. I've finally finished with all my exams and hence begins my summer break. So, I can't wait to bring you lovely readers more reviews and more narcissistic opinion pieces (if you've followed my opinion pieces so far, thank you). I recently bought Scott Westerfeld's Afterworlds (and so far, I am in love with it. Yes, I read more than one book at a time) so expect a review on that pretty soon. Onwards, my lovely bookworms.

Review:

In the last review, I left off at Chapter 4 where a couple of goons had just bust into the room where our lovely lead characters, Nicole and Jase were just wrapping up some steamy time. And Nicole had been complaining about getting down on a dirty floor. Immediately after this, Pink switches from first person to third person as Chapter Five begins with the subheading "Jase". While I'm pretty used to reading novels with switching point-of-views, I had never expected it to jump from first person to third person. It is so tough to just write it from Jase's point-of-view rather than third person?! But, I read on because, well, I wanted to write a complete review. A couple of lines into the chapter and I am confronted with this, "Goddamn she tastes sweet. Why'd we have to get interrupted? She's gonna be so pissed off at all this." Hi, there, Jase. If you're done sexualising Nicole, I'd just like to tell you that when a girl's life is being threatened, she won't be pissed about having sexual intercourse interrupted. She will be happy. Thank you.

Chapter six opens with this, "I should have stayed in the dorm. Damn Lucy for letting me come with her!" For starters, yes, Nicole, you should have stayed in the dorm. You're an immature twenty-year old. Plus, don't blame Lucy for your shortcomings. You make your own decisions, it's got nothing to do with Lucy. And just as she's wishing that she should have stayed in the dorm, Nicole says this, "There was something about that; a sexy tatted guy in a while tee shoving twin handguns into the back of his pants, just above his deliciously firm and rounded ass, that did something to me. Well, what girl wouldn't get at least a little flustered?" I'm all for male objectification (it goes on in my head every day when I stare at the likes of Ryan Reynolds and Josh Hutcherson) but isn't this being a little too specific? To each his own. Anyway, newsflash Nicole, even if he's the protector in this situation, no girl would get flustered. Even if they were just riot bullets/rubber pellets. They'd be frightened, not wanting to jump his pants. Nicole needs to make up her mind if she wants to be scared shitless, pissed or hot and flustered.

Two pages later, I am confronted with this, "I want to spit on them. Scum. Should I spit on them? What the hell am I thinking. I'd never been in a situation to watch a man in such a position of power before." Oh, there's definitely some psuedo-BDSM elements going on here. Just wait for the whips, chains and leather. Oh wait, there already is leather. Okay, whips and chains then. Nicole goes from scared, hot and flustered to wanting to spit on someone. If someone threatened my life, I'd want to kill them, not spit them. Her emotions/personalities are all over the place. I am unable to find myself connecting with Nicole. At this point of the novel, she's just some stupid little college girl with a leather and biker and rough sex fetish. Jase appears to have more personality than she does. And this story is supposed to be Nicole's.

Two pages more later, "I could see the anger and confusion on his face...Despite only having known him a couple of hours I didn't want him to feel like that, I didn't want him angry and perplexed. If only I could help." No, hunny. You don't want him angry and perplexed because you barely know this guy and he might turn around and kill you. You DON'T want to be the first to die in a horror movie, do you? "I wonder what it'd be like to step on them. I imagined stamping the sharp heel in to one of them, maybe a bruised stomach or their balls." Tell me there isn't some form of twisted BDSM going on here. Maybe I'll believe you. "It was only a moment, but standing over the druggie scum with his arm around me I felt like a queen. His queen." I just threw up in my mouth.

And we're still in Chapter Six. Damn, Pink. Are you trying to make me work to write my reviews?

Chapter Seven begins: Two Days Earlier. And finally does the novel not focus on the hypersexualised relationship between biker and college girl. Six chapters of that and I'm tired. Some bites from Chapter Seven, "The lifeless corpse stained the body-drawer red, alone and unloved as the man left." So, far, it's the only line that I love. Chapter Eight, returns to Nicole's POV and three pages in, I see this, "When Jase hopped on the front, I yelled, "Let's just ride right over them!" Them, being in reference to the two goons from earlier. Now, Nicole has added batshit insane to her repertoire of ever shifting personalities.

With Chapter Nine, an anonymous chapter with killing involved, I get the feeling that the plot is finally moving and I can rest easy that I will see less of Jase and Nicole being in an unbelievable relationship where Nicole deems herself in love with him and Jase, well, Jase just wants in her pants.

Chapter Ten opens, "I'd know to bring something warmer to wear next time." Yes, yes you should. You should not be riding motorcycles with cut-off-jean panties and a hole-y top. You'd be an icicle. There's a reason bikers wear jackets and gloves, y'know. (Probably not so much to protect them from the cold but there's an idea.) Second page in, "I'd only known the tattooed man with his arm wrapped around me for a few hours, but I already felt like I belonged to him." Mhm, belonged to him. Nicole, we are not in the 16th/17th century where a woman belongs to a man. What a backward novel for this age of feminism.

Three pages into Chapter Eleven, "He didn't seem interested in the slightest. Well fuck you buddy." When a guy isn't interested in you, you don't tell him fuck you buddy. That's just rude and uncalled for. He didn't do anything to you. He just wasn't interested.

Chapter Twelve. Ah, Chapter Twelve brings all the steamy sex which is probably why the book gets good reviews and ratings. That, and probably tons of women out there are trying to live their "rough and dirty biker" fantasy. Here's another BDSM snippet for you, "You want to push my head on to you, don't you? Can you wait? Are you going to push my head down on to you anyway? I don't mind if you do." Ladies and gentlemen, if you are going to be rough or engage in BDSM, please discuss things and set limits beforehand. Pushing someone's head onto your prick without consent is going to make for a ruined relationship and discomfort. Of course, apparently, Nicole's consent here is non-verbal and only in her head. "Give it all to me Jase. I'll take it all for you." It's like Pink read some crappy BDSM novel (50 Shades of Grey, anyone?) and then wrote these mildly BDSM sex scenes.

Only Chapter Twelve and although the novel hasn't gotten any better, it's gotten less tedious. Of course, with two very intriguing chapters about heinous crimes being committed, it's enough to keep me reading, to keep me wanting to know what happens next. With these crimes, of course. Jase and Nicole? I can already guess where the novel is heading. No need to tell/describe to me in awful, cheesy terms as to how their relationship will end.

Would I recommend it: I'm a little on the fence at the moment, considering the two crime-related chapters. But, then, you'd have to get through all the awful Jase/Nicole dialogue. And the slut-shaming. Always with the slut-shaming.
Rating: 1/5 (Taking into account the two chapters)

Part 1 | Part 3

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