Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Reluctant Renegade
SERIES: Rebel Kings MC, Book 5
AUTHOR: Garrett Leigh
NARRATOR: Dan Calley
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
LENGTH: 10 hours and 25 minutes
RELEASE DATE: February 20, 2024
BLURB:
“I was never scared of dying until I loved you.”
Decoy
I met a dude in a bar once. Tall and strong, he had moon-blue eyes and tawny hair, and he moved with the grace of a lion. It didn’t pan out, but that’s a theme in my life, and I’ve spent the last five years knowing that kind stranger dodged a bullet.
Divorced and miserable, I’m not exactly a catch. But the thing is, that man . . . he’s not a stranger anymore. And he’s as beautiful as I remember. Everything you want in a fake boyfriend, right?
Don’t ask me to explain that one. But let me tell you this: I thought my biggest fear was losing my daughter. Then Folk came home, and I realized you can give your heart to more than one person.
We have a second chance. Goddamn, we deserve it. But this life, man. It’s a journey. And there’s no guarantees we’ll both make it to the end.
Contains mature themes.
REVIEW:
In Reluctant Renegade, Garrett Leigh shifts the focus of her riveting MC biker series, Rebel Kings MC, back to the Rebel Kings’ compound, but gives us the romance of two men who so far have been ancillary characters. Decoy and Folk have consistently occupied the periphery of the earlier stories that were rooted in the central MC crew (Cam, Alexei, Saint, Mateo, Embry, and Rubi). Admittedly, I harbored some skepticism about Reluctant Renegade for this reason. After all, the earlier books, particularly the first three, are so spellbinding, how could Leigh possibly keep that energy going especially with side characters now moved to the fore?
Well, I am here to tell you I was shocked in the best way because Reluctant Renegade is the best of the Rebel Kings books, save Devil’s Dance. Decoy and Folk are fascinating in their own right, each with burdens they carry but who find their match in each other. They are dynamic, sexy, and completely endearing. While Cam and Saint don’t feature prominently, we get to see Alexei bonding with others. Leigh gives us plenty of glimpses into what life is like for the men of the previous books, and the camaraderie between them is particularly humorous at times while also deeply connected.
Dan Calley’s narration of this mesmerizing story on the audiobook is absolutely superb. I cannot emphasize enough how much more you engage with and understand these fascinating characters when Calley breathes life into them. Calley is full invested and pitch-perfect and his accent work is fantastic. Calley consistently delivers and differentiates between the myriad voices of the Rebel Kings, even in crowded active scenes and accurately, authentically translates the emotions of the scenes as the plot unfolds.
When I reviewed the audiobook for the first book in this series, Devil’s Dance, I commented: “The hallmark of an exceptional audiobook lies not just in the production quality and the superb source material, but in a vocal performance that transcends the story itself. Its vibrant characters are made real – the sounds in your ears conjure images behind your eyes, like experiencing a play with your eyes closed. An exceptional audiobook creates a different experience. Calley undoubtedly achieves that here.” That sentiment 100% applies to Calley’s narration of Reluctant Renegade.
This is a not an audiobook to be missed – I give it my highest recommendation. Make sure you’ve read the series in order – or ideally listened to them – so you have full context. Rebel Kings is one of my favorite series – don’t miss out on this gem.
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