Readers who love books set in the MC world will find this one one of the more emotional reads to come out of the genre. With Random & Rare by Cat Porter, the second installment in the Lock & Key series, our heartstrings get especially pulled. Keep reading to get a glimpse of this book, along with my impressions of it, and then fill out the form for he chance to win a necklace inspired by the previous book in this series!
Once I loved Grace, really loved her.
And she loved me, and it was so fucking beautiful.
Once.
That pendulum swings to and fro.
We’re here, and then we’re—
No.
How can that rare beautiful be rendered irrelevant, intangible when I still feel so damn much?
Does all that energy, that glory, that significance simply dissolve?
Turn to smoke?
To nothing?
It can’t. It just can’t.
Are the moments that shape us absolutely random?
Is time not fluid?
I made promises to them, to her.
Especially to her.
Promises I still burn to keep.
EXCERPT:
“You want to come with us, Grace? Hang out. Just have some fun. ’Cause, to be honest, babe, looks like you could use it.” Sam squeezed my shoulder, and then his hand slid down and stroked my upper back. “Offer stands, Grace. We’ll be at the Bullock if you want to let off some steam. No obligations, no questions asked. You don’t feel like going home to that husband of yours, baby, you don’t have to.”
“The fuck you say.”
A sudden hush filled the bar. My eyelids slid closed at the raw anger in the deep voice I knew so well. Sam’s hand on me stilled.
Tania pivoted on her stool. “Now that’s gotta be your old man!”
Sam let out a choking noise from the back of his throat and removed his hand from me. From behind the bar, Randy fidgeted and swallowed.
“Yes, that’s him,” I said.
“That’s your cue to leave, Sammy,” Tania said in a sour voice.
I glanced up at him. “Bye, Sam.”
“Have a nice road trip,” Tania continued. “And I’d advise, you should find an alternate route on your way back to Texas, if you know what I mean. I’d watch it in Colorado, too. There are One-Eyed Jacks there as well.”
“One-Eyed who?”
Tania chuckled. “Best get going now.”
“Yeah.” Sam frowned, his eyes glued in the direction of the doorway.
I still faced the bar. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Sam’s friends gathering their jackets and shiny helmets and hustling toward the exit.
“Goodbye, Grace,” muttered Sam.
I raised my head and focused my strained vision on the reflection in the side mirror of the bar to see a towering and very wired Miller clad in ripped jeans and a white T-shirt smudged with oil. His large dark eyes looked fierce from behind a curtain of raven hair, the colored prisms of the late afternoon sunlight glaring around him, as he filled up the doorway, standing perfectly still.
Tania slid my phone down the bar to me. “I called your hubs on your cell, so you know.”
“I don’t like being thrown under a bus, so you know.”
“You were dragging this shit out. That is not the Grace I know.”
Miller’s gaze was drilling lasers into my back. I tucked my phone in my bag.
Tania strode over to Miller. “She needs to wake the fuck up.”
“You Tania?” he asked.
“Yes, I am. Spank her if you have to.” Tania marched out of Pete’s, the door swinging behind her.
I took in a breath and wiped a hand across my mouth. Heavy booted footsteps drew closer, and my breath caught. His chest rubbed against my back, fusing his body heat with mine, as his long arms framed me, his hands planted on the bar top. His warm breath was like steam on the side of my face.
“Babe, what are you doing?”
“Hanging out. Bumped into Tania.”
“Who was the dick hanging over you? Took everything I had not to bust in that pretty face of his.”
“Old boyfriend from Texas. Passing through with some of his friends.”
Miller picked up my beer glass and drained it before slamming it on the bar and pressing his chest into my back. “Oh, yeah? He didn’t know you were living here?”
“How would he know that?”
He tilted his head. “Long as he’s not passing through you on his way out of town.”
“The fuck you say.”
A sudden hush filled the bar. My eyelids slid closed at the raw anger in the deep voice I knew so well. Sam’s hand on me stilled.
Tania pivoted on her stool. “Now that’s gotta be your old man!”
Sam let out a choking noise from the back of his throat and removed his hand from me. From behind the bar, Randy fidgeted and swallowed.
“Yes, that’s him,” I said.
“That’s your cue to leave, Sammy,” Tania said in a sour voice.
I glanced up at him. “Bye, Sam.”
“Have a nice road trip,” Tania continued. “And I’d advise, you should find an alternate route on your way back to Texas, if you know what I mean. I’d watch it in Colorado, too. There are One-Eyed Jacks there as well.”
“One-Eyed who?”
Tania chuckled. “Best get going now.”
“Yeah.” Sam frowned, his eyes glued in the direction of the doorway.
I still faced the bar. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Sam’s friends gathering their jackets and shiny helmets and hustling toward the exit.
“Goodbye, Grace,” muttered Sam.
I raised my head and focused my strained vision on the reflection in the side mirror of the bar to see a towering and very wired Miller clad in ripped jeans and a white T-shirt smudged with oil. His large dark eyes looked fierce from behind a curtain of raven hair, the colored prisms of the late afternoon sunlight glaring around him, as he filled up the doorway, standing perfectly still.
Tania slid my phone down the bar to me. “I called your hubs on your cell, so you know.”
“I don’t like being thrown under a bus, so you know.”
“You were dragging this shit out. That is not the Grace I know.”
Miller’s gaze was drilling lasers into my back. I tucked my phone in my bag.
Tania strode over to Miller. “She needs to wake the fuck up.”
“You Tania?” he asked.
“Yes, I am. Spank her if you have to.” Tania marched out of Pete’s, the door swinging behind her.
I took in a breath and wiped a hand across my mouth. Heavy booted footsteps drew closer, and my breath caught. His chest rubbed against my back, fusing his body heat with mine, as his long arms framed me, his hands planted on the bar top. His warm breath was like steam on the side of my face.
“Babe, what are you doing?”
“Hanging out. Bumped into Tania.”
“Who was the dick hanging over you? Took everything I had not to bust in that pretty face of his.”
“Old boyfriend from Texas. Passing through with some of his friends.”
Miller picked up my beer glass and drained it before slamming it on the bar and pressing his chest into my back. “Oh, yeah? He didn’t know you were living here?”
“How would he know that?”
He tilted his head. “Long as he’s not passing through you on his way out of town.”
FIND AT GOODREADS here.
BUY AT AMAZON here.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
From what others have told me, I knew that not having read the previous book in this series would leave me feeling a bit cheated. But my love for books set in the MC world, and those full of angst, had me eagerly turning the first page. By the time I was done I was completely captivated by this emotionally intense read and its theme of the choices we make and the ability to move on from the past. From the unforgettable character of Dig to his forever love Grace to her new love Miller this is a story that puts you through a rainbow of emotions with its unique viewpoint and it now has me wanting to get my hands on the previous book while hoping for another installment in the future.
Dig's ending was clear in the previous installment, and in the prologue here, but in this book we dig deeper to see how his actions affected the story then and now. We fall further in love with a man who loved Grace with his whole being. We discover his rough early years that made him the man Grace loved and the reasons behind the choices he made. It's a sensual journey too as he laid claim to Grace through much-needed moments of joy and happiness. Their love was clearly destined to be, but with so many events coming to a head, it was clear that their love would burn out just as brightly. His love for Grace warred with his love for his Brothers and left him pulled in many directions. Ultimately Dig's an admirable man that tried to do right by everyone he cared about and bring happiness to Grace. His ending was an emotional blaze of glory that brought tears to my eyes and left my heart broken. He may be gone but he's definitely not forgotten!
Grace returns to helm the latter half of the story and reminds us of how much Dig meant to so many people. She may have moved on but she owes much to the decisions Dig made and he'd be happy to see how she and her family are doing. Though club business and a face from the past are putting a damper on Grace and Miller's happiness, life with Miller is a bit calmer but just as intense. Throughout it all Grace is a lucky woman to have found two such compelling and powerful men to love. I liked Grace for the most part and her final words put a bow on the love story of Dig/Grace/Miller, a story that was gutwrenching but well-worth every tear I shed. I hope this isn't the end though. Yes, Grace and Miller have earned their ride into the sunset but there's the remaining One-Eyed Jacks who I'd love to see more of. They too were affected by Dig's choices and I'd love to see more in-depth how it's affected them throughout the years. From start to finish this story affected me like no other! Its uniqueness caught me off guard, as did the plethora of emotions it engendered, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Just make sure you have a tissue nearby....
My rating for this is an A+
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
HERE'S A GLIMPSE AT THE PREVIOUS BOOK IN THIS SERIES.....
LOCK & KEY
I suppose some of us have to get really dirty before we can become truly clean.
I was allegedly South Dakota’s most famous old lady.
Sixteen years ago I survived my old man’s murder
Never again.
Never again will I surrender my heart.
Never again will I sacrifice to the Club.
But that all changed in one night.
I came home and crashed into him,
and my past and present blew up in my face.
Both of us lonely, running on empty, and unwilling to admit it.
Until now.
Now I feel things I’d forgotten about, want things I’d cut out of my insides.
Love not only stings when you lose it, when it’s ripped away from you.
When it first sinks its teeth in you, it can cut just as raw and sting just as deep.
I’d forgotten that.
Who holds the keys to betrayal? To suspicion? To trust?
To brotherhood? To family?
To redemption and a bleeding heart?
Right now, I just might.
Sixteen years ago I survived my old man’s murder
Never again.
Never again will I surrender my heart.
Never again will I sacrifice to the Club.
But that all changed in one night.
I came home and crashed into him,
and my past and present blew up in my face.
Both of us lonely, running on empty, and unwilling to admit it.
Until now.
Now I feel things I’d forgotten about, want things I’d cut out of my insides.
Love not only stings when you lose it, when it’s ripped away from you.
When it first sinks its teeth in you, it can cut just as raw and sting just as deep.
I’d forgotten that.
Who holds the keys to betrayal? To suspicion? To trust?
To brotherhood? To family?
To redemption and a bleeding heart?
Right now, I just might.
FIND AT GOODREADS here.
AUTHOR INFO:
Cat Porter was born and raised in New York City, but also spent a few years in Europe and Texas along the way. As an introverted, only child, she had very big, but very secret dreams for herself. She graduated from Vassar College, was a struggling actress, an art gallery girl, special events planner, freelance writer, restaurant hostess and had all sorts of other crazy jobs all hours of the day and night to help make her dreams come true. She has two children’s books traditionally published under her maiden name. She now lives in Athens, Greece with her husband and three children, and freaks out regularly and still daydreams way too much. She is addicted to the History Channel, her iPad, her husband’s homemade red wine, really dark chocolate, and her Nespresso coffee machine. Writing keeps her somewhat sane, extremely happy, and a productive member of society.
WEBSITE: http://www.catporter.eu/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/
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