REVIEW: WILD ONES by KRISTINE WYLLYS

Series: The Lane #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: 1/13/13
Format: eARC
Pages: 156
Source: Publisher
Rating: 3 stars

Bri Martin likes her skirts too short, her heels too high, and trouble close at hand. So when big, brooding underground boxer Luke Turner comes into the bar where she works and starts a fight before she brings his first drink, she can't help being intrigued. Luke is everything she never wanted and everything she can't resist.

Soon, Luke is showing up everywhere Bri is, and she can't break free of his hold on her, nor does she want to. When her best friend turns on her, it's Luke who is there. When Luke's opponent comes after her to send Luke a message, it's he who comes to her rescue.

Before Bri knows it, she's caught in the midst of a rivalry between her boyfriend and her boss, both of whom are not content to settle their scores inside the ring. She swore she'd never live this life, so like the one she once ran from. But only by confronting her past can she decide where her future lies…and whether Luke can be a part of it.

First Impression... I haven't had the best luck with books about fighters lately. But, I do really like the cover, and at 156 pages, it's worth a shot.

The Story... After a tumultuous upbringing, Bri left her home and started a new life far away. With a job at a club and her friends, Bri has all she wants. She doesn't want a relationship, even when she meets the brooding and mysterious Luke. Luke, a boxer, doesn't especially want to start things up with the smart mouthed, tough Bri. This means, obviously, the two cannot stay away from one another. Bri doesn't like Luke's tough guy boxer lifestyle; Luke won't give up, and he doesn't like her living with her co-worker/roommate Jax. Add in the fact Luke's vicious opponent will do whatever it takes to bring him down, and you have a fairly intense story.

The Characters... Bri is a character who will likely rub a lot of readers the wrong way. She had a tough mouth and personality, which, fine by me. Her decision-making skills kind of stunk, with her seeming to be bound and determined to get mugged and/or beat up by continually going down dark, rough streets at night by herself. I definitely liked the side of Bri that it seemed only Luke Turner could bring out.

Luke was an interesting guy. He was a real tough guy. He didn't take Bri's crap, but gave as good as he got it. He was reluctant to get into a relationship with her, but didn't fight it. And I liked that. I liked that he was protective, even though he could be pretty abrupt.

Jax and Rosie were Bri's friends, and I have to say, I liked them both. If I thought Bri was rough, then she had nothing on Rosie, but she was hilarious. Jax, I felt sorry for him, in a way. It's always hard to see the nice guy lose.

The Writing... had a very interesting quality to it, one I've had a hard time defining. There were these really tough, loud characters, and yet the prose could be very melodic and sweet at times.

Could I Put Wild Ones Down? Honestly, I could have throughout the first seventy-five percent. It's not that I wasn't into the story, just that I felt a detachment. I liked them well enough but the characters weren't especially endearing, which I think made the difference for me.

In the End... Wild Ones was an interesting read for me. And no, I'm not even sure what I mean by that. I didn't love it, but I did like it. I would be interested in checking out the next book in the series.


Favorite Quotes:

  "You're so adorable. Every time I wonder why I bother associating with you, I remember it's because you say the most adorable things. You're like a monkey using a fork or reading Shakespeare. Just precious."
  I made a face at her in the mirror and she snickered as she fluffed her hair behind me. "There you go again. Just don't start throwing your shit, please. This top is new and I don't want poop on it."


  It wasn't love, not quite, but it was almost there and it was desperate and I didn't know how to put it into words. It was the back and forth of him, the hot and cold, it made me crazy, made me feel crazy, and sanity never felt more pointless than when I was with him. He was poison and a cure and I wanted him all the time and hated him occasionally and sometimes it was all at once, which just made me want him more.

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About the authors

Kristine Wyllys, who usually answers to, “Hey, You! With the Hair!” was born in the north and now resides in the northern version of the Carolinas. She lives in a farmhouse older than she is, with a bunch of property that makes her spontaneously break out in Dixie Chicks songs every time she looks out the back door. She's got babies, books, a boy that she fell in love with at 15, and a dog that might be a lesbian. She spends her spare time naming chickens after Harry Potter characters, breaking smart phones, and blogging.

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