Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Gutter Mind: Smoke Valley MC
AUTHOR: K.A. Merikan
SERIES: Sex and Mayhem #12
PUBLISHER: Acerbi & Villani Ltd
LENGTH: 297 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2020
BLURB:
Face of an angel. Mind in the gutter.
Mike. Macho Biker. Scarred. Will never love again.
Arden. Femme boy. Jaded. Will never succumb to lust again.
Mike is always on the lookout for a fresh fling, and there are more than enough chicks for a stud like him at the Smoke Valley MC clubhouse. But the pretty little thing he spots at the gas station turns out to be a boy, and that triggers all sorts of confusion.
Mike loves a challenge, so when he’s given the cold shoulder, his predator senses are set aflame! Straight or not, Mike makes a bet with his cousin and won’t settle for anything other than a total seduction of Arden.
Arden has bigger fish to fry than some biker’s petty insecurities. His last relationship has left him jaded and hurt, so he will never again succumb to the charms of a bad boy. Especially since Mike isn’t just hot, he’s freaking irresistible. Older, dangerous, and cocky, Mike will be Arden’s downfall if he isn’t careful.
But when a monster from Arden’s past reaches out his claws, the only deterrent Arden can think of is claiming Mike is his new boyfriend. So now he’s stuck in a fake relationship with a straight guy.
For Mike, what starts as a game turns out to be an awakening he’d never expected. The ice prince in lace is actually hot as hellfire, with a gutter mind to match Mike’s, and all of a sudden, his scarred heart is not as safe as he’d thought it was.
REVIEW:
Gutter Mind is a play on the bad boy/damsel in distress trope, only this time the damsel is Arden, an almost nineteen-year-old, ultra-femme, panties and makeup wearing man/boy. He’s half the age of the straight, tatted up, biker badass, Mike. Arden is running from something and is paying the motorcycle club for protection from a past lover who turned violent. Mike takes it upon himself to be Arden’s personal protector.
When they first meet, Mike thinks Arden is a girl. Even though he has always identified as straight – and has quite the reputation as a hit-it and quit-it kind of guy – he finds himself attracted to Arden. Mike takes plenty of ribbing and outright disbelief from his large family and the MC members who all think it’s a joke. The chemistry between these two is nearly immediate and Mike jokes about it for quite some time while he comes to terms with his attraction. He’s not gay, he insists, and never seems to realize there’s a thing called bisexuality. The UST is strong, and once they sleep together, the sexual tension remains strong.
The complication is that Arden doesn’t want to be used again so he wants a commitment, while Mike has been burned by being in a serious relationship in the past and won’t do it again. Neither will give, and that serves as the main conflict of the book, along with Arden escaping his past.
I liked Gutter Mind more than I thought I would when I began the book. Mike is crude and vulgar, but I was quick to get past that because he’s actually very sweet and caring and would do anything for his family or Arden. Arden is a doll; I think it would be impossible to dislike his character. He’s so brave in that he doesn’t care what people think of him presenting as a young woman, and he’s endured bullying his whole life. His vulnerability is what calls to the protector in Mike.
One complaint is that the dirty talk wasn’t sexy to me and the descriptions by the author became ridiculous at times:
“…love juice…”
“…his gun popped into the tight, warm holster…”
“I want us to steam up the windows like it’s the fucking Titanic…”
The book moves along briskly and I went through its nearly 300 page quickly. It’s the twelfth book in the Sex and Mayhem series but I was perfectly comfortable with it as a standalone. This is the first book I’ve read by K.A. Merikan, and as such, was not familiar with the series, but I’m glad I gave it a try. Fans of the author and biker stories should enjoy it.
RATING: 
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