Review: In Rides Trouble by Julie Ann Walker

Title: In Rides Trouble

Author: Julie Ann Walker

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Published: September 4, 2012

Purchase: BookDepository

Rebel with a Cause

Becky "Rebel" Reichert never actually goes looking for trouble. It just has a tendency to find her. Like the day Frank Knight showed up at her door, wanting to use her motorcycle shop as a cover for his elite special ops team. But Becky prides herself on being able to hang with the big boys-she can weld, drive, and shoot just as well as any of them.

Man with a Mission

Munitions, missiles, and mayhem are Frank's way of life. The last thing the ex-SEAL wants is for one brash blonde to come within fifty feet of anything that goes boom. Yet it's just his rotten luck when she ends up in a hostage situation at sea. Come hell or high water, he will get her back-whether she says she needs him or not.

Series: Black Knights Inc. Book 2

The second installment in the Black Knights Inc series, In Rides Trouble was everything fun and entertaining. Julie Ann Walker definitely didn’t hold back this time around delivering heart-pounding action, knuckle-biting suspense, witty dialogue and hot romance. It was another thrilling ride, with much improvement in developing strong, believable characters and a consistent plot line – overall it did not disappoint. I was sucked in from word one and from there it just got better and better. An impressive follow up to Hell on Wheels.

With In Rides Trouble, the one thing I appreciated above all else is the roller-coaster like, yet easy to follow, plot. It had everything I enjoy in romantic suspense novels, and just a little bit more. Albeit it’s predictability, there is plenty of action and twists & turns in the story to constantly keep readers at the edge of their seats and guessing what’s going to happen next, but not so overly done to make the story crowded. The fast pace that Ms. Walker seems to prefer with her novels is done perfectly in progressing the story further. However, despite the many ups of the plot, it also had it’s downs. More specifically, the multiple point-of-views. I’m still not a fan of the alternating POV’s as they do nothing more than confuse and hinder the flow of the story. It’s not likely that this aspect is going to change, but hopefully it becomes less distracting in the books to come.

As this book starts off where the first left off, we already know a little about the relationship between Frank and Becky, and about the intense chemistry they share. In Rides Trouble takes that and goes into full depth with it, really showing us the personalities lying beneath such tough characters. Frank, for the most part, is your typical sexy, alpha male, with the tough exterior. In truth, he is a sweet and lovable guy when it comes Becky, but is just stubborn to admit it. His many insecurities continually keep him fighting his feelings for her and while his stubbornness is maddening, – and at times very tiresome – it’s also the perfect anchor that keeps their relationship from getting “stupid” or cliche. In fact, it’s the very thing that makes the romance so realistic.

Becky is a basket full of brave, strong and fun. I really enjoyed her charming character, her insecurities and her love for Frank. It was very easy to like her and get caught up in her life. Above all, my favourite part about her is that she is opinionated and never fails to deliver snarky remarks to everything Frank does or says, which made the story engaging and full of laughter, on my part. Even though the buildup of the romance is non-existing (I know we all love those!), the sizzling passion that ensues is hot enough to warrant a cold shower...or two. In other words, with just the right touch of  sweet and sexy, the romance is definitely worth the read. Ms. Walker definitely hit it on the mark in creating these noteworthy characters and watching them work out their problems in order to have a future together was nothing short of memorable.

The ending was not a cliche (thank Lord!) and was very nicely done. A perfect balance between romance and suspense, this book was well written and very enjoyable. And, now that I think about it, it met all the criteria of what a sequel should have, despite the few bumps here and there. Having said that, if the author keeps this up in the next books, this series could easily become a favourite. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Walker has in store in Rev It Up.

My Rating: