Shakedown by Lani Lynn Vale
Series: Souls Chapel Revenants MC #8
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Wanted: someone to hand feed me Doritos so my hands don’t get orange. No weirdos.
Belle Pena was an editor. Not a writer.
When her brothers challenge her to create a dating profile, she makes up the most random biography she can think of. She never, not ever, thought she’d find anybody to respond. But she was sorely mistaken.
Sadly, she finds that she has way more interest than she ever could’ve imagined.
But only one profile catches her eye.
Bruno never meant to take the dating app seriously. Being the last single man in his band of misfits, he’s happy being the odd man out. Women spelled trouble, and he had enough trouble in his life to last him through the next decade.
Only his newfound family doesn’t feel the same. One innocent ‘sure’ has the women of the Souls Chapel Revenants MC creating him a dating profile that is too spot on to be comfortable. And just when he decides to delete the app entirely, a particular face catches his eye.
One innocent question of ‘Belle is that you? Do you remember punching me in the throat in high school?’ has him stepping into trouble neck deep, and he doesn’t even realize it until it’s too late.
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Review
It is time to say good-bye to the Souls Chapel Revenants MC and let me tell you this is how you end a series! Bruno and Belle were so awesome together and let me tell you their book is action packed. everything seems to happen at war speed but I loved this book because of it.
Bruno knew Belle years ago in school so when he sees her on his new dating app he decides to message her. She says no, not just no but no way. Both Bruno and Belle are on the app because other people in life felt as though they needed someone. Both are pretty happy in the way their lives are going at the moment.
Brun is working for Lynn and taking care of his pigs on his farm. his farm that no one in his MC has ever been to or seen. Not eve six, his best friend from school. Bruno is a loner and he like is personal space away from every one else.
Belle is quirky, ocd, and just set in the way she does things. She is also super smart and a book editor which means she reads a lot. In fact, she would rather be reading all the time. She doesn’t feel like she needs just anyone in her life.
When these two meet face to face again they just click. Click in a way neither expected an they begin to move rather rapidly. I mean one minute Belle is ditching her loser of a date and the next she is lying to the police after Bruno’s whereabouts.
There is a rather GOOD LORD moment in this book with the pigs. It was so awesome and you have to read it to find out what I am talking about. We also get to some of Belle’s family in this book which is something I always love. Now i am ready for the net series which starts in January.
Family Connections
Hero’s Family: Bruno is connected to Six, from Repeat Offender, because they were friends in school. We don’t really know much about the rest of Bruno’s family except they weren’t good.
Heroine’s Family: Belle is the daughter of Nico and Georgia from and the sister of Booth and Bourne from Jokes on You and Join the Club respectively. The Pena family is pretty large. Her uncle’s are the Valentine Boys while her aunt is Niki from Coup De Grace.
Read An Excerpt
Bruno
“Why Farmers Only?” I asked, wincing when I read the website’s name.
“Bruno, you have pigs. You’re a farmer. This is perfect,” Six assured me. “It’ll work out great. You can invite your date out to meet you at your farm. Y’all can go feed all of the animals. Then you can cook her dinner.”
I looked at Six.
“I don’t want to do this,” I told her bluntly.
“If you do this, I’ll never bring up you leaving me behind again,” Six declared.
I stared at her, wondering if her words were true.
I’d do just about anything for her to never bring that up again.
A long time ago, when we were in high school, her father had given me an ultimatum.
Leave Six alone, and never contact her again, or he’d make Six’s life a living hell.
The bad thing was, I knew that he could do it.
So like any dumbass seventeen-year-old, I’d done it.
I’d left her behind, gone my own way, and had never looked back.
At least, for appearance’s sake anyway, that was what I did.
In reality, I kept an eye on her from a distance, making sure that she was always okay.
At least, until Lynn, the man that might as well be my very own father, had taken a liking to her.
Then Six had come back into my life with a vengeance, and ever since she and Lynn had married, I’d found it almost impossible to get back into her good graces.
Which, might I add, was bullshit.
I’d done it for her.
Sure, once I’d ‘grown up’ I could’ve come back into her life, but who the hell would want an ex-con in their life?
I knew that I wouldn’t want anyone like me in Six’s life.
Hell, it was bad enough that I had to allow her husband, Lynn, to have a part of her life. If anything, Lynn was worse than I was.
But at least he loved her and would protect her.
That was more than I’d done for her.
“That’s not going to matter to him, honey,” Lynn said. “He believes that he deserves your ire, so he won’t care if you stop.”
That was true.
I did deserve her ire.
I’d left her, like she’d said.
Then again, I’d left a lot of people behind in my thirty-two years. Six was just one of many.
“Fine,” she said. “Then just do it because I want you to be happy.”
My eye started to twitch.
“I’m an ex-con, Six,” I said. “No woman’s going to want anything to do with me on Farmers Only. Or any website for that matter.”
Six rolled her eyes. “Bruno, you’re hot, successful, and you’re unattached. Trust me when I say that any woman is going to go for you, ex-con status or not.”
I sighed.
“I shot and killed someone. On purpose. There was no ‘oh, I might or might not have been high on adrenaline because he beat up my sister.’ I shot and killed someone. On. Purpose. People don’t just get over that because I’m hot,” I argued.
“You shot someone because you had to.” She waved my worry away. “And trust me when I say, someone out there will understand.”
Hell, I didn’t even understand.
And I’d been the one to do the shooting.
Granted, the guy had been a piece of shit.
He’d raped three women. He’d beat up his own mother. And he’d all but maimed a two-year-old with his careless actions.
But that wasn’t my reasoning for killing the piece of shit.
Hell, I hadn’t even known about all of that other stuff.
I’d known that the motherfucker had tried to kill me because of some suspected slight, and I’d had no other choice but to shoot him and suffer the consequences. That was it. Me or him.
I’d chosen me.
And then I’d spent the next eighteen months behind bars until the parole board had learned of all the other shit that the man had done in his life. Then they’d been all, ‘Oh, no. We need heroes like you on the outside.’ Which was a bunch of shit.
I was no hero.
“Are you even listening to me?” Six snapped.
“You know he’s not listening to you.” Catori, one of my brothers’ wives, chuckled.
“Where is your cut?” another woman asked. “You can’t take a picture like that. You have to have your cut on.”
I looked over to find Swayze, Trick’s wife, staring at me with her phone in her hand.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because leather and bikers go hand in hand,” she said. “If you don’t have your cut on, nobody will know that you’re in a club. And being in a club automatically ratchets up the hotness factor.”
I rolled my eyes. “It got dirty. Had to have it dry-cleaned.”
In all honesty, it got blood on it, and I’d had to douse it down with the water hose before taking it to the dry cleaners to see if they could salvage it.
If not, I might or might not need to find a new one.
I was hoping that it came out, though.
Or, at least, when I wore it, it didn’t look like I’d tie-dyed it in blood.
“Well that’s just stupid,” Swayze grumbled as she put her phone down.
“I have one from last week,” Blaise called out, pumping her fist into the air as if she’d hit the jackpot. “And he looks good in it. He’s not even scowling!”
I rolled my eyes.
“Oh, that one’s perfect. Send it to me.” Six was still typing away at the computer. “What do you think of this biography for a profile? Hobby pig farmer by day, Souls Chapel Revenant MC by night. Thirty-two-year-old man looking for a woman that isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Anybody that can’t manage that need not reply.”
“I think we should add this…” Wyett suggested as she rattled off her idea of edits.
I sighed and sipped my beer, wondering idly how long it would take to get dinner figured out.
I was ready to go home.
Today had been long, and my fucking knuckles were aching.
Even worse, I think my back was acting up again.
I’d have to make another appointment at the chiropractor. The one that was scared of me.
Yay.
“Ohhh.” One of the ladies laughed, catching my attention.
“Oh, here’s one for you.” Six dissolved into laughter, turning the computer screen my way.
Wanted: Man to feed me Doritos so my fingers don’t get orange. No weirdos.
My ideal match: No animals, no kids, no annoying voices, doesn’t like beaches, can deal with me not talking, and doesn’t mind when I talk down to you or that I’m smarter than you. Also, it’d be ideal if you don’t like to cuddle, because my body temperature runs hot, and I don’t generally like people touching me skin to skin. Is blunt and doesn’t try to use sarcasm. Won’t try to get me to go out to places where there is a large group setting.
Again, no weirdos.
“This chick sounds like she’s perfect for you.” Six clicked on the photo, but she didn’t need to.
I’d seen the photo.
The woman was gorgeous.
Though I couldn’t see her height, I could make out other things.
She was curled up in a chair that looked like a cocoon of sorts. One with really tall sides, big, poofy cushions, and it was all hanging from a contraption from the ceiling.
She had her knees crisscrossed in front of her, and she was wearing a baggy white t-shirt, black horn-rimmed glasses, and had a book partially in front of her face.
That book happened to be one of my favorites.
Captain’s Fury by Jim Butcher.
In all honesty, that was the very first thing to catch my eye.
Her hair, which was so fuckin’ curly that I knew if I tried to run my fingers through it, they’d get caught at least a dozen times.
“She’s perfect,” Crockett declared. “Message her. But don’t make it weird. Make it… sweet.”
“Bruno’s not sweet,” one of the boys, likely Sin, called out. “Don’t make him come off as sweet. The chick will definitely know that it wasn’t him that wrote it.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Messaged her. Let’s see what she says.” Six squealed, clapping her hands.
I sighed.
“Oh, she already messaged back. Oh my God. She said, ‘Hell no.’”
My brows lifted at that.
“Oh, she’s perfect. I just know it.” Six snickered.
“Oh my God. I knew she looked familiar! That’s Belle Pena! One of my good friends! Sorry, Bruno. But there’s no way in hell that she’s going to agree to date you. She has a type,” Beckham said as she settled her son, Hiro, more firmly on her shoulder.
She looked like she was lagging, though.
I bent forward and caught the kid before Beckham, who really was interested in this whole mess, dropped her own kid.
Beckham didn’t even notice that she was giving him away to me before she was insinuating herself into the bullshit.
I tipped back the beer and settled the kid more solidly on my shoulder.
He snuggled in deep, buried his face in my neck, and promptly sneezed all down my neck.
Gross.
Rita Wray says
Sounds like a good book.
Rita says
It was so good!
Phyllis Huebbe says
Sounds like my kind of book!
Rita says
I think you would enjoy it. I love all of Lani Lynn Vale’s books.
Shirley O says
Sounds like a great read.
Rita says
It really was.
Sara Zielinski says
This sounds like an amazing book.
Rita says
It was a good read and one I have reread several times already.
Kelly Kimmell says
Sounds like an interesting storyline, good excerpt.
Rita says
The excerpt really got me when I first read it. I just needed to know more.
Adriane says
The big question – DOES he feed ger Doritos?
Rita says
Sadly, no but everything else he does more than makes up for it! Trust me it is one you will have to read about. He is super intense in this book.
bn100 says
looks interesting
Barrie says
Sounds like a great read but I need to go back and read the other books first. I prefer to read in order to know the secondary characters.
Sandra Dufoe says
Love her books this one sounds great just like the others.
Nerlande says
This sounds interesting and a great book.
Hannah G says
This sounds interesting, but it’s not really the kind of book I read.
heather says
This sounds like another one that I will have to add to my must read pile sounds super good.
Dorothea M says
on my list !!!
Debbie P says
This sounds like an excellent read.
Deb Pelletier says
Sexy book cover and the book sounds interesting.
Judy Thomas says
It sounds like a great series! I love those covers!
LeonieT says
Sounds like my kind of book!
Jenny Ham says
I think I would enjoy this book I hope to read it soon thanks for the review.
Christy Peeples DuBois says
It amazes me how many books she had written, and good books at that. This is another of her books that sounds good. I am not surprised by that fact.
Jeanna Massman says
I like the cover. It sets the tone for the book.
Bea LaRocca says
Thank you for sharing your review of this book, I love the cover, synopsis and excerpt, this sounds like a must read for me
Sherry says
Looks like a very interesting book.
Phyllis Huebbe says
I like the cover of this book!
Antoinette M says
Thanks for the review & excerpt. Sounds good.
Phyllis Huebbe says
This cover is amazing, so hot!
Anita C says
Thank you for the review & excerpt. Sounds like a really good read
Laurie Nykaza says
Interesting plot line love to see where the relationship takes them on this journey. So many have OCD to contend with to interesting people in the story.
Eva Millien says
I enjoyed the excerpt and Shakedown sounds like a great book! Thanks for shairng your review!
Sandy C. says
A “Good Lord” moment….concerning the pigs?? Now I am really intrigued..what could it be? I’m gonna have to read this now, it’ll be on my mind!
Vesta Mason says
I laughed so hard at both Bruno & Belle’s dating app profiles. Finding out that they knew each other years ago has me wanting to find out what happens when they reconnect. Thank you for your review.
Chelsea B says
Okay, now I really want to find out what goes on with those pigs…
Marisela Zuniga says
Sounds like this is a great series!
Megan Allen says
This author has not disappointed in the past. I cant wait to dive in! These covers are amazing!
Phyllis Huebbe says
Sounds interesting, love the cover!
Phyllis Huebbe says
I bookmarked it so I can find it later
Brittany Gilley says
Just finished this book, loved it!
Phyllis Huebbe says
I kind of like the sound of this book.