Kyle Matthews might have the music world by the horns, but when he loses out in love to his most famous client and best friend, he escapes into the wilds of the desert southwest on a restorative motorcycle trip. Will the hard driving, salty tongued gorgeous mechanic he relies upon to fix his Harley be able to mend his heart, as well?
A love story that starts on route from painful Los Angeles memories and continues to the stark beauty of the desert southwest. A head strong woman and a lost man vie for position under layers of twisted emotion & hot metal.
A follow up of critically acclaimed, Shadows Steal The Light. Will Kyle be able to win at love this time?
Excerpt
The unique calming vibration of the Heritage Classic under him rumbled through his body in comforting
familiarity, a quarter ton of throbbing Harley between his legs. The only soul on the road for as far as the horizon extended, he still felt the disquieting rupture in his psyche. He couldn’t get far enough away from his everyday life to escape the disappointment and pain of having lost out to his best mate. The gentle sloping arrow of blistering pavement beneath his tires stretched out before him like some metaphorical bookmark pointing the way to his future.
Not even the otherworldly stark grandeur of the wind carved monolithic edifices haunting the American
Southwest’s mystical Monument Valley could distract him from his mission. Every mile he put between himself and Los Angeles was that much further from her; the woman he couldn’t have.
Torrid fingers of dry air ripped at the wisps of hair protruding from beneath his helmet, lashing wildly about his neck. The muffled sound of its relentless assault droned in his ears, providing meditative background noise as accompaniment to his interminable self lecturing. The rumble of the engine vibrated in his hands as they grasped the accelerator on each end of the handlebars.
“Those motorbikes are nothing but glamorized deathtraps…organ donor makers, dear.” His mother’s voice played like a bad tape recording in his head. “Don’t ever even consider one, son.”
He grumbled low in his chest. The ache of loss still made his lungs feel like they’d been scraped with steel wool and set out to dry in the desert sun. Shooting onto the verge of the road, a red cloud of dust spun up from his rear wheel as he felt the drag of the softer surface easily eaten by the power of the bike beneath him.
Change. He needed change. Anything to tempt fate, to stop the feelings that scaulded his gut like acid spilled from a lab beaker. That’s why he’d rented the hog, as American blokes called it. Top of the line Harley cruiser, speed and hot metal all under his control. Open country, no people, no committments, no
fucking loud rock music, just the elements and the man. Medicinal…right?
So why couldn’t he get her beautiful lavendar eyes out of his head, those sad eyes laced with a tinge of pity. That had been the hardest thing to take. Miss Jenna Lindstrom felt for him. He knew she cared, but she loved Colin. And so did he, God damn it. Colin Dunlow was his best friend and top client as manager
and agent of the world renowned rock group, Dumbarton. Yes, Kyle Matthews was the best music agent in the business. Alot of good that did him now as he rocketed across the desert southwest in a cloud of pain and regret.
Professional Reviews
Hog Wild - One Hundred (Best) Romances
The first thing I notices about Hog Wild was that an excerpt of my review for the book that preceded this one was included on the title page. Talk about a compliment! Thanks for that! As the excerpt implied, I really loved the previous book. Because of that, I had some pretty high expectations for this one.
Hog Wild picks up where Shadows Steal the Light leaves off – Kyle Matthews, music agent extraordinaire, has fled Los Angeles and the memories/presence of Jenna, who is now practically engaged to his best friend. In an attempt to put Jenna and Colin out of his head and to move on with his own life, Kyle decides to rent a motorcycle and to take a short vacation to the Southwest.
Just as Kyle rolls into a town in the middle of nowhere, his bike breaks down. He heads to the only shop in town for some repairs. Sassy garage owner, Sinclair McTavish, initially gets under Kyle’s skin. And the feeling is mutual. Sin has absolutely no use for Kyle. Until they actually spend some time together. Then they realize exactly how much they mean to each other.
There were quite a few good things about this book – Kyle and Sin are both fabulous characters. I love when the hero and heroine of a story can poke fun at each other, but not in a malicious way. As the book takes place in New Mexico (and since Sin essentially grew up on an Indian reservation), there were a lot of Navajo customs woven into the story. The supporting cast of characters was varied and unique. But despite all of the good things, there were a few things that just didn’t do it for me. To start, Kyle & Sinclair’s relationship lasts for less than a week before he has to leave, but that doesn’t stop either one from falling hard for the other. There were also a couple points that just seemed a little out of place or disjointed. For example, there’s an escaped convict on the loose, and he has chosen to target Kyle. It’s never explained why, nor is the outcome ever really discussed. It just didn’t quite fit for me. I guess I just would have liked to see the story fleshed out a little bit. I really liked Kyle in Shadows Steal the Light, but if you haven’t read that book, you may not understand why Kyle is actually such a good guy.
Bottom line? Read Shadows Steal the Light first, and then read Hog Wild. Christine London has a remarkable way with language, and her descriptions are just breathtaking. She has crafted a great story in a mere 125 pages.
Hot Times in Navajo Nation
Not too many modern romantic tales are set against such an incredible backdrop. When British music agent, Kyle Matthews rides into the desert southwest he has little more on his mind than a restorative Harley ride. He's just lost out in love to his top client, and needs some serious wound licking. His Heritage Classic Harley (gorgeous bike) breaks down just outside of the small Navajo town of Kayenta where he attempts to get it fixed. Little does he know his mechanic is not only a sexy woman, but a tough minded British ex-pat that unfortunately seems to think him an idiot.
A surprising twist throws the two into danger and isolation in the Arizona outback Keet Steel Anasazi ruins. Rich desert scenery, Navajo culture and lore paint this tale of redemption with interesting and intriguing brush strokes.
The couple have amazing chemistry, both sexual and intellectual. I enjoyed the entertaining banter as much as the Native American flavor. I highly recommend this. Escape to a very spiritual land few have seen. But wait--the hot relationship keeps this a very modern kick ass read.
Dive into an enchanting adventure! This light-hearted romance will transport you to 17th-century Scotland, where a free-spirited 21st-century heroine brings love & laughter to a stressed-out laird's life - with a little help from the Fae!
