Lou: I was really excited for Reaper’s Fall as it’s Painter’s book! This book definitely lived up to my excited expectations. A sexy and very glommable read with lots of angst. I did have some issues with the pacing towards the end because I felt it lost momentum, but all the good stuff first!
I really loved Mel and Painter together. It all starts off when Painter is in jail and he’s exchanging letters with Mel. Mel is what keeps Painter going and they both fall for each other through their letters but it’s not until after he’s released (quite a while after, in fact) that they become involved. The story switches back and forth between present day and past but I found it flowed pretty good. Their friendship is really solid and Painter is there for Mel, despite some of the club business he has to do, which results in a big thing (sorry, trying to avoid spoilers) later on in the book.
MinnChica: This series is my favorite of all the motorcycle club books out there, and Wylde has this amazing way of telling a story, pulling you in, and keeping you engaged to the very last word. I couldn’t wait to read more about Painter and Mel, and I absolutely LOVED them together. I’m not a huge fan of books that skip timelines, because I find that I’m more of a linear reader. However, this worked for me up until the end. The flip flop back and forth was done in a way that was best for the flow of the story, and I really enjoyed it.
Lou: Mel and Painter’s romance was sexy, hot, and did I mention sexy? There was some really lovely moments building up between them in their friendship before their awesome lusting took over. I adored the body painting scene where Painter taught Mel because the tension between them was smoking. There was also some great humour with Em and Kim and Jessica. The four of them really hit it off.
It does take Painter and Mel a while before they become involved but I could understand why Painter tried so hard NOT to get intimately involved with Mel. She’s not really a part of the biker world and later in the novel it becomes a serious issue.
MinnChica: I loved the chemistry in Painter and Mel’s relationship. These two scorched the earth, and then kept coming back for more. They had some pretty incredible hate sex, some amazing passionate sex, and everything in between. These two were HOT HOT HOT! But I also liked that these two had a really strong emotional bond as well. Mel was the only one who got to see the softer side of Painter, and she really settled him in ways that no one else could. They were the perfect example of opposites attract, who were made for each other.
Lou: Yes to the hate sex! And yes to the emotional stuff! I thought this book was in some ways softer than others in how Painter treated Mel, which was lovely. My issue with the latter stages of the book is when Mel and Painter are separated for a long time afterwards and the story was building up and up and it seemed to lose that momentum it had and it kinda fell a little flat. Years passed and I didn’t like there was such a huge time transition gap. It just didn’t work for me as well as the rest of the novel and I didn’t really understand why Mel went back to Painter after she was so firm in not going back to him after all the years.
MinnChica: I agree in every aspect. I really struggled with the end time transition for all the same reasons. It felt a little out of left field when years had passed without incident, and suddenly they are falling back in each other’s arms. It seemed like an odd timeline choice.
Lou: It did seem odd and it didn’t gel in tone with the rest of the book. The scenes were very quick and short and glossed over the years that fell between Painter and Mel. But despite the ending, I really enjoyed Reaper’s Fall. It had friendship, sexy and dirty romancing, and a little suspense that kept me entertained. It was great seeing Jess all grown up, while keeping her edge, and I hope she’ll get a story of her own.
I give Reaper’s Fall a B.
MinnChica: All in all, I really enjoyed this book as well. Wylde told another fabulous story centering around two amazing characters that pulled me in and kept me engaged from the very beginning. I can’t wait to see where Wylde goes next, and am desperately wishing for a Jessica story!
I give Reaper’s Fall a B