Whiskey Neat (The Uncertain Saints MC Book 1)

Another great read from Lani Lynn Vale. This book will pull you in from page one and hold you until the very end. It starts off with Griffin Storm a man who has a devastating loss and has nothing but retaliation in mind regardless of the outcome. One night while out he needs batteries and goes into a sex shop run by the sassy yet vulnerable Lenore. One look and he can't seem to get her out of his head and vice versa. The chemistry, plot and cast of characters in this new series from Lani definitely holds your attention and leave you begging for more. I love the fact that each member of this MC has they own personal demons to slay and with their brothers in arms behind them and hopefully a lady by their side each one will receive their HEA. I am happily invested in this series and can't wait for the next story!!!

*4.5 stars*

Rough and tumble bikers - how emotional could it be? Well, if you’ve read any title by this author than you already know the answer to that. Within the first few pages I was reaching for the Kleenex and sobbing along. When you have real people in real life situations, and an author that puts you right in the middle of it all, it’s impossible to stay at arm’s length for long. And while their reality is nothing like my own, including the above average percentage of beards, I can’t help but relate to the sympathetic characters and feel all the emotions. There is sadness and heat and much, much more.

Griffin Storm was hurting but he was also angry – heartbroken, grieving and to-the-bone angry. That didn’t bode well for those that caused his grief or even those that cared for and loved him. He had one focus and that was revenge. He and his brothers, his MC family, were righting the wrongs one bad guy at a time and this time it was personal. The badge and the club patch were going to help and hinder but the job was going to get done, whatever the cost.

Lenore Drew was dealing with crisis in her own life but she couldn’t help but be immediately drawn to Griffin. Bearded and brash he was sex on a stick in a gruff, protective and infuriating way.

“When the beard of your dream walks into the room.” –Beardgasm

I loved the way these two met – it set the tone for a relationship of sweet and heat and everything in between. Given they went from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye it’s not surprising there were growing pains between them. It takes time to open up and reveal your innermost thoughts. Misunderstandings and jealousy are sure to crop up. There was so much conflict but, surprisingly, nothing that went over the top. That was pretty hard to do considering all the plot twists and storylines at play. And the sex? All the wild and wonderful sex. Whew…

As usual, the start of each chapter offers a philosophical comment about life. Did I say philosophical? I should also say snort-laugh hilarious. The one in chapter eleven is one to not miss. Bring extra panties.

“Always love a woman for her personality. They have multiple, so you can chose.”

I loved this, my new favourite story by this author! I know, I know. I say that each time but each story offers all the things that I love. Side-splitting humour, heart-tugging emotion and panty-melting sex all blend together in a unique love story that I read in one marathon session.

A story with all the feels, I am back to haunting mode… I wish this author wrote even faster!

**Reviewed for Nerdy, Dirty & Flirty**

I love, love, loved this book...it was simply amazing. It's the first Lani Lynn Vale book for me and it was so much more than expected. It draws you in right from the beginning, but beware, you need to have Kleenex ready. The beginning of the book just broke my heart. Griffin is coping with an unimaginable loss and now he wants to find and get revenge on all those that caused it to happen.

He walks into Lenore's sex shop looking for batteries during a power outage and there is definitely instant attraction between the two. Griffin leaves and Lenore thinks he's gone from her life for good. But he's not having any of that. He does have some stalker tendencies though and I think it was a bit creepy in the beginning lol. But Lenore obviously didn't care very much about that...

We're taken on Griffin's journey for revenge and it is very intense. I didn't expect this much suspense and action in the book, but it was certainly not disappointing and kept me engaged.

I loved Griffin. He was a strong alpha male with a big heart. He was a bit hot-headed at times when his loved ones were concerned, but who wouldn't be? But when he loved, he loved fiercely, you just didn't want the opposite to occur if you were on the receiving end of his hate. He made a stupid decision to walk away from Lenore towards the end, and I understood why, but it was still cowardly.

Lenore was an interesting character. She was a sometimes shy and quirky redhead, yet owned a sex toy shop. She turned out to be an extremely dedicated woman to her man and wasn't willing to let him go, even if he decided it was in her best interest. She made me laugh in the end though when she went all out to get his attention and prove to him that she wasn't going to walk away.

Their families were certainly interesting as well. The father's were a hoot and their mother's were sweet as can be. I loved Lenore's dad's antics on the river and loved how protective Griffin's father was of her.

On a side note, the similarities between Griffin's mom and another celebrity chef were certainly obvious, almost a bit too much.

I'll definitely be reading more of this series!

Griffin Storm (very appropriate name) is fuelled purely by rage, his son has been taken from him and his only thought is revenge. He's not looking for a woman after all the last woman he gave his heart to brought him nothing but pain, well apart from his son Tanner. His ex-wife Noreen cheated on him and to top it off she was a poor mother to their Tanner.
Despite the fact that he's not looking for a woman one finds him anyway. Lenore is not the type of woman he normally goes for but there's something about her that he can't ignore or resist, regardless of how hard he tries.
His growing feelings for Lenore are one thing but he needs revenge like he needs to breathe and he can't let it go. His son's murder seems to be tied to something bigger and he's determined to get to the bottom of it but he's no idea who's pulling the strings but they know exactly who he is.
This book was fabulous, the story kept me glued to each page along with Griffin his brothers and Lenore.
The author (who's completely new to me) has assembled an amazing cast of interesting characters.
What makes them so amazing you might ask?
They feel real, they're troubled but dealing and Lenore is strong, incredibly strong, no TSTL moments for this girl. She's intelligent, brave, loyal with a huge heart, she knows how to listen and follow instructions all of which is something of a rarity these days when some book females are so stupid it's a wonder they can dress themselves.
This came so close to 5* which is rare for me but it was that good and I enjoyed it that much.

When Griffin's world comes crashing down there's only one thing that will even the score. Revenge. He's not worried about what lies in the future, only that he seeks vengeance for the pain he's going through. He never expected Lenore. Didn't expect the feelings that came with the quirky little store owner. Now he has to decide whether to let her into his crazy, dangerous world or walk away.
How is it possible for an author to have your heart pounding as soon as the book starts? I was floored just from reading the prologue and I just knew Lani Lynn Vale was about to put my through the wringer. Whiskey Neat is a story about heartache, loss and finding love where and when you least expect it. The pain that Griffin felt was palpable from the very beginning until the end. I could never imagine feeling that kind of hurt and for him to continue to stay strong and fight for his cause, no matter how many weak moments he had, was very admirable. I enjoyed how quirky yet independent Lenore was. As always the quotes above each chapter had me in tears. I can’t get enough of those things! I’m truly looking forward to book 2.

Whiskey Neat
Lani Lynn Vale
5 stars

Okey Dokey – lets talk about the cover first – anyone? Thoughts? I have numerous things running through my head but Im not sure they are something that need to be put on paper. The ones that can be put on paper are the ones that you have when you turn the last page and then revisit the cover. And yes, the cover says it all …. It tells a story right there of a shattered man named Griffin Storm.

Griffin has lost the one thing that meant the most to him. Tragedy took him into hell; into depths so deep its possible he may never find his way out – he doesn’t even want to. His brothers were trying their best to keep him straight. His ex disgusted him. Griffin would find out who took his light and he would make them pay. The brothers who stood beside him; The Uncertain Saints; they would help him. All of them had a story of grief that brought them together; Mig, Pee, Casten, Ridley and Wolf. (We meet Wolf in the KPD Swat series)Together they would help each other find some balance of peace through redemption and revenge. Being a Texas Ranger would not stop him from crossing lines to find out who was responsible for his greatest loss.

Lenore is running about life trying to soak it all in. Running her sex shop and finding all she needed in her dog Doogan she had come out on top. Lenore had never seen such a man before – the man standing before her in her shop asking for batteries was something sent from heaven. Mysterious and exquisite in every way she wanted to know more. But the man turned and walked away … now she had run into him again, two days later, and what she saw she knew he had a story. She should be terrified … but instead she finds herself handing him her keys and allowing him to escort she and Doogan home.

And we are off and running friends! -- This is a bruised and batter your heart story friends. I have never felt such anguish for a character. Griffin is a emotional train wreck; rightly so but the way Lani lets us into his head torments you. Griffin and Lenore have some extremely large obstacles to face and the moment you think they have made it over the bulge, the mountain crumbles once again leaving them under the rubble. Griffin claws his way through the men who are trying to bring havoc to his town and in stopping them he may just find forgiveness of himself through Lenore.

There are numerous secondary characters that I need to know about. The introductions include Peek, the President of The Uncertain Saints; Wolf who we met in the KPD series, and Mig who is half Russian and retired from flying Migs in the Navy, Ridley who was a Sheriff’s Deputy for Harrison County (his story his going to be a gut wrencher), and Casten. I want each of their story …. I wont take no for an answer either Lani!

Im telling you we are in for one heck of a series. The greatest thing as well is Lani still is giving us the random thoughts at the beginning of each chapter which you all know I LOVE and second we are gifted the knowledge of upcoming books. Yes … look at the next new series coming to us .. Kilgore Fire … HECK YES! BOOM! I cannot wait as at least I know in April and May my heart will be happy – nose in a book all satisfied once again by the lovely Lani Lynn.

Thank you Lani for the ! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE …..

Review to post to Ramblings From Beneath The Sheets.

Up next:
Kilgore Fire -- Shock Advised (4-6-16)

Jack and Coke – (05-06-16) – The Uncertain Saints

If Whiskey Neat is any indication, Lani Lynn Vale’s new MC series, Uncertain Saints, will be on my auto-buy list. Let me re-phrase that; Uncertain Saints will be on my I-want-the-next-book-right-now! list. Ms. Vale’s compelling voice sucked me into Whiskey Neat hard and fast. She’s an awesome storyteller who pulls out all the stops as she throws action, suspense, emotion, funny dialogue, and hot sex at you like a ninja tossing Shuriken (aka throwing stars). This is a compact story that, at times, will have your head spinning with too much going on. Just go with it and enjoy. I certainly did!

Griffin Storm is bleeding out. His job as a Texas Ranger, working out of hole-in-the-wall Uncertain, Texas is the only thing holding him together. Griffin’s heart will never heal from the devastating loss he suffered six months ago. The only thing compelling him to get up every morning is revenge. The quicker the better, but no matter how long it takes, he’ll see it through to the end. His brothers in the Uncertain Saints MC have his back. Despite the fact, they were all in law enforcement...

"We solved and tried the cases that the ....... system wouldn’t take care of.
Lack of evidence didn’t matter to us.
What mattered was guilt and innocence."

Griffin is on autopilot until he walks into Lenore’s sex shop late one night for batteries. Which, btw, is a pretty fun scene. Suddenly life isn’t so black and white anymore. Which baffles the hell out of him because this woman is far from his “type”.

Lenore has lived her entire life in this tiny, busy body blip of a town. It’s home, and she likes it well enough. Never one to be a lemming, she opened a sex shop shortly after graduating from college and hasn’t regretted it one bit. The late shift is boring and full of pervs she could do without but if she can handle the crap life has been dealing her, what’s a few pervy individuals? And then, in walks a gorgeous man and proceeds to turn her life upside down.

Initially, I had a hard time believing Griffin’s attraction to quirky, plain Jane, Lenore. This guy is a jaded hard a** who seems to have given up on anything but revenge. He’s gorgeous and all tough cop, motorcycle man, who probably goes through women like Kleenex. But the more I got to know Lenore, the more I believed she was the perfect match for him. She’s quirky, hilarious, says exactly what she thinks, and doesn’t give a crap what people think of her. She’s no doormat. On the other hand, she’s such a caring and lovely person she’d do anything to help out whoever needed her. Griffin certainly needs Lenore in his life. Once he gets a taste he’s done for. He tries to convince himself he’s no good for her but in this case, he’s not strong enough to walk away.

Are there some flaws in Whiskey Neat? Sure. There’s so much going on that at times it was too much and a tad over the top. Did the good stuff outweigh the flaws? For me, a resounding YES. Lenore is refreshing! I loved that she dove head first into the relationship and spoke her mind. None of that girly holding back baloney that drives me batty. Griffin, despite feeling a lack of worth, manned up and didn’t hide from his feelings. I felt his despair, his anger, his need for revenge. I also felt his love and devotion to Lenore. Again, no big long drawn out games. All in all, I loved this book and I loved the characters, including the secondary ones as well. I’m kind of giddy that there are five more MC brothers and hope we get a story about each one.
****Reviewed for Xtreme Delusions****

3.5 Stars

Whiskey Neat sure started off with an emotional bang. Within the first few pages, Lani Lynn Vale had me on the verge of tears. What Griffin had to endure is not something I wish on my worst enemy. Sadly, after a great start, it didn’t continue the same way.

“She definitely didn’t need to know that I’d gone home afterwards, held a gun in my hand, and contemplated my life. Contemplated what it would be like without [him] in it. Contemplated whether or not I should use that gun on myself to go join him.” ~Griffin

Griffin is the typical alpha we expect to see in a LLV novel—overprotective, demanding, hot as hell, sweet, and broken. After having lost one of the most precious things in his life, he’s only going through the motions. He stopped caring about anything but extracting revenge on the people responsible for destroying his life. That is until he walks into a sex toy store to buy batteries and meets Lenore—the sweet, sexy owner.

“I didn’t get many second looks. It was the red hair. Match that with my pasty white skin, freckles on top of freckles, and a scar that ran down the center of my chest, and it was kind of obvious why men didn’t bother giving me a second look.” ~Lenore

As the sex toy shop owner of a quiet, small town in Texas, Lenore is used to getting strange looks and dealing with weird people. What she is not used to is dealing with the attention of someone as hot as Griffin. Lenore isn’t shy, but she’s feisty, smart, independent, strong-willed, and sweet. She leads a quiet but fulfilled life. She has a family and a best friend who love her, but she also has some pretty big secrets. What she didn’t see coming though, was Griffin walk into her life.

“I know exactly what it’ll say the moment we walk in there together. But the truth is that I’m tired of being away from you. Tired of fighting feelings that I’ve never had before. Tired of staying away from you.” ~ Griffin

Overall, I loved Griffin and Lenore. They make a great couple with smoking chemistry. The story is definitely captivating, and I enjoyed reading it. And the sex—holy s***. While LLV always has hot sex scenes in her books, with this one she takes it definitely up a notch though. Damn.

Unfortunately, there were quite a few things bothering me as well. While he plot and characters were very well-developed on the surface, some of the details were what brought the rating down for me. For one, while the story is multi-layered with many different threats, some of these threats that have been carried through some parts of the story, have all but been forgotten for the rest of the story, only to be picked up again when it was necessary for the story to be pushed forward, making them noting more than a contrived plot device. One example for this is Lenore’s dog, he’s only ever mentioned when he needs to move the story forward, but any other time Lenore conveniently forgets she has a dog, like when they unexpectedly leave for a day. There were quite a few of said instances.

Regardless of this, I did enjoy Whiskey Neat and I will definitely continue to keep reading LLV.

*Received ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This story had a lot of promise, just some failure-to-fully-execute that left me confused at times.

But let's start with the pros. This isn't your typical MC romance. We have six guys who (maybe?) formed the Uncertain Saints. They each have had something terrible happen to them, and found solace in this brotherhood. For this particular book, we have Griffin, and his something terrible? The death of his six year old son.

Now, the story progresses and essentially revolves around Tanner's death, but in the mix of all of that is also his growing relationship with Lenore, a feisty red head that isn't embarrassed about running a sex toy store, who has a best friend who is a guy, and who can most certainly hold her own when it comes to the nasty women 'in her life' -- namely her best friend's wife.

The whole Remy/Jenna debacle was one that had me squinty-eyed a bit, because why you would date your best friend's arch nemesis is beyond me, but whatevs. Remy was a good guy outside of that.

Other pros to this story -- the suspense line was actually written well. I was excited to see where everything was going to go next, and I was a bit surprised by some of the outcomes. The characterization, too, was pretty on point and consistent, as well.

As for the cons? There were some instances that it felt that the scene progressed further in the author's head than what came across on paper. One scene in particular, Lenore and Griffin enter a room and the next description has them lying down and him rolling toward her. They never even got to the bed, but somehow they were in it. Also, the beginning descriptions of Uncertain Saints leads the reader to believe that these six founded the club, but then later states that Griffin's prospectorship was quick, as if he wasn't a founder. There's a Jack and Coke reference toward the end that leads up to Annie and Migs's book, and then shortly after a whiskey neat reference that had me remembering that this series must be titled the men's drink preferences. However, whiskey neat is only mentioned once up until the very end, and it's in the very beginning. When it's mentioned again, Lenore thinks, "Neat as always" -- leading this reader to believe that this was something that was supposed to happen more than once in the story.

So. I'm giving the book a four because I enjoyed the characters and felt there was a ton of promise in the story. There were many holes that if I hadn't been as connected as I was that would give this book a three-star, but with the promise and the pros, I'm giving this book a slightly higher rating. If those cons weren't there, this would have easily been a 5-star for me. I do hope, then, that the cons will be ironed out by the next book.

*received a copy of the title in exchange for an honest review

Griffin and Lenore's story is one filled with revenge, suspense, and redemption. From the beginning of the story, Griff only has one thing on his mind and that's payback, and he doesn't care how many laws he has to break to get it because his responsibility was to protect those he loved, and he feels like he failed, so he's going to do whatever it takes to destroy the men who took his heart away. Amidst the grief and guilt, Griff wasn’t looking for or expecting Lenore, but he soon realizes that he needs and wants her in his life and, although it's dangerous, he can't get enough of her.

Lenore can definitely hold her own against alpha men, and she gives Griffin a run for his money when it comes to him bossing her around and taking off on her without looking back. She's fighting her own battle, which reveals how tenacious of a woman she is and why Griffin never stood a chance once they met and he spent time with her because she’s an innocent light that he needs in order to get out of the dark.

I love the fact that Whiskey Neat takes place in a town called Uncertain and Griff’s motorcycle club is the Uncertain Saints because I see a deeper meaning present in those names. It makes it feel like the events that happen in the story can happen anywhere to anyone because there are flaws in the justice system everywhere and people do take the law into their own hands when they don’t feel like they’re getting anywhere through righteous means. Griffin and his brothers all know how it feels to lose something, so they band together, partly due to their professions and partly due to their loss, in order to create a network that can help in multiple ways.

Lani Lynn Vale always creates alpha male heroes who are a bit damaged and a whole lot of sexy and then she connects them to women who are independent and unwilling to be treated any differently than what they think they deserve – Griffin and Lenore fit those descriptions well and the push and pull that exists between them as well as the danger coming at them makes Whiskey Neat another great read from an author definitely knows how to keep her readers’ interest in every book she writes.

A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

4 Poison Apples

Almost 4 stars
This is the first of Lani’s books that I have been able to find exception with, the first of her guys that actually made me work to like him.
Griffin, oh man, what did you do to me, I thought I was going to fall head first in love but Nup…just didn’t happen, you were hard work man.
I will admit that I softened to him eventually as the book progressed and I suppose that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, he was a typical alpha male, he pulled no punches and Lani didn’t allow his personality to be curtailed as she brought him to life, so I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised, that my focus was solely on him, he refused to be side lined in any way, shape or form.
Griffin was one seriously, serious man he has an agenda that was so focused, so centred that understanding his drive was not a problem, he laid it all out, he was on his own quest for vengeance and that quest was one that he would not deviate from…it was what make him put one foot in front of the other each morning.
So adding Lenore into that madness might not have been the smartest of moves for the big guy but from the minute he wandered into her adult store, he knew where she would fit into his life and while in some respects I am all for that “mine” mentality, I did think that he was more than a little presumptuous and that wasn’t a particular trait that I liked.
Griffin is a Ranger and like all of Lani’s alpha’s he has a story that you really need to hear but when I read Lenore’s back story I was practically inhaling tissues!
But I loved the fight she had, the determination to stand on her own two feet and to forge a way ahead for her, despite the resistance that she seemed to be fielding form all aspects of the community, her adult store didn’t seem to go down well with the neighbours!
For me Lenore was the star of the show, she was so sharp, Griffin had his work cut out for him, but I think at times she gave in to him a little too easily.
Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the story and I can’t wait to get the next in the series, but Griffin was a little more demanding of me than I had anticipated and that knocked me off kilter!

Reviewed for I'm A Sweet And Sassy Book Whore

Actual rating 4.5 stars

*ARC*

With each series that Lani Lynn Vale writes, even though there may be some overlap between them all, each are unique in their very own way. Whiskey Neat is the first book in the Uncertain Saint’s MC series and it was an emotional and kick @$$ way to start off a series that I feel will be a little more darker emotional wise than her other series if Whiskey Neat is any indication of the emotional level this series will have.

The loss of a family member is devastating, the loss of a family member because of a shooting is even more so; but losing what Griffin loses, that will make even the most easy going loving person turn to violence. I know it would me. So when he walks into Lenore’s sex shop little did he know that she would be the one who not only begins to heal his broken heart but is the light that takes away some of the darkness surrounding his soul. She is feisty, funny and sweet; but she also has some pains and fears of her own, some she may need to overcome if she is going to fight for her man when he of course acts like a man and does something that will make you want to grab him by his ear and smack him upside the back of his head.

I am really looking forward to reading more about the members of the Uncertain Saint MC’s. I have a feeling that the stories these guys will have will shred a little piece of your heart with each one you read, I know Griffin’s did. There is a reason why I continue to read this author’s books and that is because even when some may not be my favorites they are still really good books that draw you in, make you love the hero, want to be the sassy heroine that wins their hearts and be a part of the family that each of these series have. If you haven’t ever read anything by Lani Lynn Vale make sure you give her a try I think you all will love her like I do.

Kindle Edition (edit)
Review Whiskey Neat
ARC provided for an honest review

I was excited to read this book. The description had me hooked. This was my first book from this author so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Griffin is a dark character, bent on an agenda of his own that revolves around revenge. Lenore is more timid, easy going, and almost introverted. They seem an odd match, but you can almost see why Lenore brings out the protective side of Griffin.

The flow of the story was hard to follow. There were parts where things were repeated, but changed slightly, almost as if one of the segments was meant to be deleted. It seemed choppy and disconnected. It seemed to lack any oomph or luster to the story. I think the plot had potential if it had been fleshed out a little better, and flowed with a little more connected transitions. Overall, I gave the book 3.5 stars.

This was my first time reading anything by Lani Lynn Vale and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this touching story ."OMG" This story starts off with a such a big bang that will draw you in and holds you there from start to finish and will leave you wanting more. The emotions that I felt well reading this story had me laughing out loud and crying other times,and it contains drama and some really hot sex and a hot and sexy alpha male. This is Griffin's and Lenore touching story. Griffin has stuffed an terrible loss that no one should ever have to go through and all he cares about is causing horrible hurt on whom ever shattered his world. But Griffin is a ranger and also a member of the uncertain MC, boy he has the means to do just that and he won't stop until he gets justice. And then there's Lenore who's the owner of a very popular sex toy shop,and then one day a very sexy biker walks in and asks for batteries. And then she's lost for words and some panties "hers" that is. But in her head she's telling herself that he wouldn't be seen with a girl like her, But he took one look at Lenore on though she was beautiful and he wanted her "BAD" Ms Vale has written such an excellent story with some great characters that balanced the whole storyline smoothly ,and she introduced us to the rest of the MC. Which I hope we get to read more about in up come story's. I could go on and tell you more about this touching story ,but that would spoil it for you .I highly recommend that you read this touching story ,you won't be disappointed.

Another great from LLV.
Love the cover - great eye candy and visuals for the read as usual !!

Griffin's story is heartbreaking , I can't imagine the pain and suffering. He is now on a mission and his attitude goes from one extreme to the other. He really doesn't have time or patience for a woman and the unknown danger he is walking into is obviously not something anyone wants. BUT when he is in need of batteries and the only place he can get them is from Lenore's sex toy store by buying an actual toy - well things change !! OMG it is the funniest first meeting for these two , I laughed so much reading it !! Between having to buy a toy , finding the people in the bathroom and what he leaves on the car OMG Griffin had won me over !! Their second encounter funny as well yet when they have their third encounter I was a little just ok with it. It was odd - definitely HOT but I was a little put off by the execution of it. If Lenore was ok with it then who am I to judge !!

LLV has a knack for writing these easy reads that although fast paced still give you a bit of all the things you love - heartache , drama , great sex and in the end love and happiness. Once Griffin figures out who it is he is looking for the wild ride begins and drama and danger pop up everywhere. Should he leave Lenore , should he be her protector ?? What is the right thing to do ?? Will Lenore and Griffin come to a decision before it is too late ?? Suspense and wonder and did I already say hot sex ?? LOL

Whiskey Neat

4.5 Stars

I always get excited when I see Lani Lynn Vale had a new release coming out. I picked up her books a few months ago and read all of them in one fell swoop! I was addicted and got so caught up in the stories that I refused to do much of anything else while I was reading them.

This book was no different. I have been dying to get my hands on it since I read the first chapter in The Right To My Wrong a month ago and when I finally did get it I loved it instantly.

Griffin just went through a severe tragedy and my heart broke for him, I couldn't imagine the pain he was living with.

Lenore was a great heroine for me, I loved her attitude, she was funny and completely understanding. She was going through her own personal problems and i couldn't believe how strong she was. She didn't depend on anyone else.

I love Lani Lynn Vale's writing, there is just something about it that draws me into the story and keeps me captivated throughout. This book was quite emotional at times, I have to say I shed a few tears more than once, in saying that I also had quite a few laughs. Lani brings every emotion the characters are feeling into the story so that you feel it also, to me that is a gift and I can’t wait to get Mig’s story to see where she takes us next.

Griffin has suffered a loss that no parent should ever have to go through and it has affected everything about him. The only good thing is the fact that since he is a Texas Ranger and a member of the Uncertain MC he has the means and connections to bring those responsible to justice. It is what drives him each and every day. Lenore is the owner of a sex shop and has her own demons that follow her around. I really love their first meeting in Lenore's shop and then later when she sees him near her shop.

Griffin wants Lenore from that very first moment and there is nothing that could stop him from having her once he sees her again. Of course there are things that are working towards keeping them apart and there are moments when I really wanted to slap both Griffin and Lenore. I fell in love with the other members of the Uncertain Saint's and can't wait for their books as they come out. As always Lani Lynn Vale did an excellent job of creating not only main characters that you easily fall in love with but also secondary characters that make you want to know their stories as well.

This review is the copyrighted property of Blushing Reads where it was first posted. A copy of the book was provided in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

This is very different from your usual MC reads. I am a huge fan of the author's work, but I am having a few issues with this one.
But first to the story. Griffin is a Texas Ranger but also a member of the Uncertain Saints MC. He has lost his son in a hit and run accident and he is still seeking revenge. Divorced and bitter, he doens't expect his life to change when he walks into a sex shop for batteries.

Lenore is reserved, dealing with several difficulties but she is also the owner of the town's sex shop.
When handsome Griffin walks into her shop late one night, her life will change. The woman who is usually invisible, suddenly captures Griffin's interest. Lust brings them together but both heroes have a lot going on.
Griffin's hot and cold behavior confuses Lenore, but she cannot stay away from him.
Griffin is confused by his own attraction towards Lenore, but he can't help himself.
I like the plot, the storyline but something in the story has me a bit put off. Maybe it's Lenore's character. I expected her to be much more kickass given the job she does. The couple has chemistry but I think that everything about their relationship happened too quickly while I felt like the story was moving too slow. Does that make any sense? Maybe it was my mood...
BUT the book is very well written and I couldn't put it down. I had to know how everything played out! The author has a fan in me despite everything that didn't work for me. She sure knows how to create explosive couples and chemistry. If you want something fun, emotional, steamy & entertaining do not miss this!

4 stars

This was a great, quick story that I enjoyed for the most part. There is a Texas Ranger who can satisfy your hot cowboy fantasies while he's at work and your MC fantasies in his off time. He meets Lenore in the first chapter. All he needs is batteries. He ends up leaving with so much more. That chapter for me, was my favorite. It was hilarious. We got a good dose of Lenore and her personality along with a dose of the alpha that Griffin really is. They both have events in their past that holds them back in aspects of their life. Together, they can help strengthen each other and move forward.
I've liked every book of Lani Lynn Vale's that I've read so far. There were some holes in the plot that I felt really hindered my attachment to the story. I found myself having to re-read some scenes because it seemed like parts of it were missing, and therefore I was left feeling confused at times.
In the end though, I liked getting to know Griffin, Lenore, and those close to them. This is the first book in a new series, so hopefully we'll become better acquainted with more of them throughout the next books.

**Read and reviewed for FMR Book Grind**

4 out of 5 stars

Lenore & Griffin...Oh how they were great together. I loved Griffin’s protective nature and no-nonsense attitude. I loved Lenore’s strength and innocence.

Their chance encounter when Griffin needed some batteries during a storm and had to buy a special toy from Lenore’s special shop was the perfect beginning for them. Their first time together made me laugh and cheer. I loved Lenore’s response to the condom wrapper being opened:

But I couldn’t find it in myself to care.
Not when I heard the crinkle of a wrapper opening.
A condom wrapper, not a candy wrapper.
Although both were exciting options, one was definitely better than the other. At least at this moment in time.

She was so young and innocent and I couldn’t help but cheer for her. Griffin is battling some pretty ugly scars - not physical, but mental. He goes back and forth in wanting to be with Lenore and protecting her. He made me crazy.

This book was great, but I couldn’t find myself as wrapped up in the story as I have been with the others I’ve read by Ms Vale. I still enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite from her.

Whiskey Neat has topped my most favorite reads of the year so far. Griffin & Lenore's story is pretty freaking amazing. Right from the beginning their story had me immediately entrapped. The chemistry between the two of them was off the charts!! At times I had to turn my fan on just to cool off from some of the hot, sexy, love scenes. One in particular will always stay with me, let’s just say it involves a sex toy and a sexy man knowing said toy had been used recently. Moving on I completely loved how the story progressed, Griffin and Lenore's love seem to just grow stronger throughout the book. Lenore was my favorite character through the whole book. I really enjoyed how she owned the local sex shop. That would totally be a dream job off mine! I loved all the different supporting characters and getting to meet some of Griffin's fellow Uncertain Saint MC members was very interesting, also catching a glimpse at a new lady friend of Lenore's. As I said earlier this book is on my top 10 and holding a place high on that list. It has a great story and an even better supporting cast throughout it. This book is a definite TBR book, so add it ASAP to your list or better yet just one-click it now.

MUST READ 2 person POV story, the laughs, love, rides, and all out alphaness is worth every word read and every page turned. As much as the characters gave you whiplash it was worth it in the end, my jaw dropped, nails were bitten and I couldn't stop reading for anything. This is nothing like Lani's other stories that's for sure it's more raw with you emotions and really sticks it to you, like her other stories where you have emotion but it's more on the romance side of things with maybe a tad of a twist this one had a full blown what the hell twist every few chapters which made reading about the characters going through it that much more enjoyable. The story had surprises on every page not just a few but many, the ending had one hell of a surprise that left me shocked to my core. The pace was great and fast, the details helped make the story go that much more faster. Above all this is one that should be on everyone TBR list or read!!!

***I received this story for free in exchange for an honest review, see more of my review @ [...] on 3/16/16 ***

Reviewed for A Wanton Book Lover Blog

In Whiskey Neat, Lenore owns a sex-toy shop in small town. One night a sexy Texas Ranger comes into to get batteries. After Lenore sells him more than just batteries, Griffin becomes intrigued with her. Know he should stay away but can’t Griffin and Lenore begin a relationship that’s shaky at best. Griffin is on a mission to get revenge with his specifically trained elite MC and decides that he can’t bring Lenore down with him so he ends their relationship but still conveniently pops-up wherever Lenore is at. Lenore decides that she can’t live without Griffin regardless of what side of the law he is walking on and launches “Operation Get Griffin Back.”

Whiskey Neat was a hot book with an even hotter alpha-male as Griffin. I did feel somewhat sorry for Lenore as Griffin kept jerking her around-no, didn’t want her; yes, he did want her. The story was solid as was the writing. Lenore was a spunky, business savvy woman. Hopefully, this series continues on with the other men that were in Griffin’s MC.