Reviewed by Amber
TITLE: King Cobra
SERIES: Hot Rods #1
AUTHOR: Jayne Rylon
PUBLISHER: Samhain
LENGTH: 144 pages
BLURB:
After Eli’s mother died, his father honored her life’s mission as a social worker by taking in several kids from the wrong side of the tracks. Not all of them stuck, but those who did became Eli’s quasi family.
Their bonds, forged in fires set by their personal demons, are unbreakable—or so Eli wants to believe. Especially since he and Alanso, his best friend and head mechanic, witnessed the overpowering allure of polyamory while visiting the Powertools crew.
Much as Eli would like to deepen the relationships among his foster brothers and sister in the Hot Rods Restoration Team, he’s hesitant to risk everything on a quick romp behind a stack of tires.
But when Eli catches Alanso exploring their mutual fantasy at a known hookup spot in a public park, all bets are off. And Eli must decide if it’s time to jump in full throttle—and trust his instincts to guide him through the night. If the pair of mechanics can dodge the potholes in their own relationship, maybe they can race together toward the unconventional arrangement with Mustang Sally they both desire.
REVIEW:
I stumbled upon this book from the recommended reads on Goodreads. I was immediately pulled in by the cover. It is perfection, without a doubt. Not immediately reading the blurb I found myself thinking what all these men would get up to in their own stories. Initially, I didn’t get that these would have any female element but on closer inspection I do so Mustang Sally in the background. I was taken aback at first because I’m strictly an m/m reader but the blurb sounded great and the reviews were even better. Overall, I didn’t love this book. I thought the writing was really good and the plot fairly solid. I got lost in the connection between the characters.
Eli and Alanso have been best friends for what feels like all their lives. Along with their chosen family they work at Eli’s shop, fixing cars. They are an incredibly tight nit group.
After they both witness an adventurous coupling between friends, they turn to each other when the passion is too much to bear. Since that encounter, Eli has been battling an attraction to Alanso that is anything but brotherly. He has a hard time because he doesn’t want to destroy their tight bond but he also hasn’t completely come to terms with his sexuality. While he realizes wanting Alanso blurs the lines a bit he knows he also is attracted to women.
What I had trouble with was their feelings for each other. I didn’t really feel the “in love” aspect of their relationship. I think because I kept going back to the best friend/brother love. Also, throwing in the circumstance involving the woman they decided to “play” with just sort of left me feeling cold.
I think fans of the previous series, fans that know the people in this world would absolutely love this book. While I wasn’t lost a lot throughout the story I found myself curious about certain characters so I was pulled out a few times.
Like I said earlier, I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. I can see how long time fans would adore it.
RATING: 
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