Confession of a Book Junkie

This prequel to Satin and Steel is told from Dax's perspective. Earning the Cut reveals intimate details about Dax's past, including his rough childhood, his relationship with Trish, and of course, how he became the tough, alpha male vice president of The Phantoms motorcycle club. Just like Satin and Steel, this work is loosely inspired in part by the hit television show, Sons of Anarchy. While characters may appear similar to characters on the show, this is original work that does not infringe upon any copyright.

So, if you like tall, muscled, tattooed bikers and want to know how one troubled boy transcended his past to achieve status in an outlaw motorcycle crew, check out Earning the Cut! 

 

Available now on Amazon

Buy it HERE

"No bird flies a straight line, but I’ve landed here, and here is where I’m gonna stay.  I’m gonna live this life right.  Never forget where I came from. That’s all I can do.  That’s what earning this cut means to me." - Dax Earning the Cut

If you have read Satin and Steel, it may have crossed your mind on the how’s and why’s in Dax’s life. Well this novella will helpfully help you understand the beautifully conflicted hot alpha male and the way his mind somewhat works.  For those who had issues with Satin and Steel being closely influenced by SoA (Sons of Anarchy), hopefully this novella will put it in a different light. While the beginning is a tad slow, it is worth the whole read to get to the end.  The story is told entirely from Dax’s point of view.

From the beginning I have to say that it’s a little slow. There is a reason for this, and the reason is important. The beginning is told from a small child’s point of view. Keeping this in mind is important because when you are small, descriptive abilities and words are very limited. Dax’s childhood isn’t anything less than heartbreaking. To see what he went through is hard to take, especially if you are a mother. There were times I wanted to reach through the book and jack slap his mother.

As we move onto his teenage years and see how he views the world after growing up in the system. We also see how his love for Trish started and how it tentatively ended. Also while I disliked Trish in SS I have to say it may have helped my opinion of her, but didn’t totally alleviate the irritation I have with her for both her assumptions and expectations of Dax. You will either love or hate the relationship, but it is the type of young love that is almost destined for the end it received. I have to say that this seriously evoked some emotion from me, as I couldn’t agree with the decisions made by Trish in the end, although I understood the reasons behind it. 

When Dax joined the Phantoms and the feelings and longing behind it was interesting and touching. The way he earned his cut was pure heartbreak. It’s hard to describe the interactions without giving to much away, as it is with most of this book. 

Again I will state that this is worth the read. It will separate in your mind SoA and SS. The relationships in Dax’s personal life are so different than those in SoA, it’s like apples and oranges. All in all it’s a good standalone read that will compel you to read Satin and Steel if you haven’t already. After reading it, I reread SS just because it evoked that emotion in me. You can see where Dax would be conflicted about what his place is due to his upbringing, but that’s in the next story (and why you should get it). 

All in all I give this novella 4.5 bookmarks.  Read it, you’ll love it. J

*I was given an ARC for an honest and true review. But I bought it too anyway. ;)*

All Rhiannon Blake wanted was to find her little sister, Mickey. The last thing she expected when she walked into the seedy biker bar was to be assaulted. Luckily, Dax Jamison, the tall, muscled, vice president of The Phantoms motorcycle crew rescues her. At first, the innocent college girl clashes with the dominant biker. Then, a slow fire begins to burn between them, culminating in a fiery explosion of sex, drugs, and passion.
 

At first, Rhiannon is more than a little afraid of the sexy, tattooed biker. He’s arrogant, domineering, and dangerous. When her apartment is ransacked, Dax insists that The Phantoms provide protection for Rhiannon until he can figure out why she is being targeted by a rival crew. When an escaped drug cartel boss joins the mix, things start to get complicated. Loosely based on the hit television show, Sons of Anarchy, this work combines a strong plot with a scorching tale of danger, intrigue and romance. 

  Satin and Steel - Jayna Vixen

Want it? Buy it HERE

Version Read: Kindle

Rating: ★☆★☆

I will admit that I read a lot. I forsake the cause of sleep to find out where characters wind up in the movie that is running in my mind, restlessly fighting back the need to shut my eyes or get the recommended hours of sleep to cope with the next day. That being said there are few books or authors that I will actually write a review for. But sometimes I come across a book that refuses to let me push it into “I’ll write it tomorrow” pile. These books usually get reviews as soon as my mind has wrapped itself around the last word, leaving me with the deep seeded need to review while the story is still fresh in my mind.

In all fairness this usually happens with indie authors that I think may need a little more recognition than they are receiving. That’s what happened with the book Satin and Steel.  Now before you ask were there minor issues with the book. Of course. But as I have stated before I am extremely forgiving if the story captures me and catapults into the story. As always I will list them after. Also this seems to be being referred to as "erotica", I believe that that is a bit misleading. There is one sex scene, tastefully done, there wasn't enough erotic to classify it that way in my opinion. BUT it's a good thing as the story doesn't rely on that to hold your attention.

Satin and Steel is the debut novel from a new indie author Jayna Vixen. The story is of Rhiannon (Rhee) and Dax. Being a Sons of Anarchy fan myself, the story read as if it was an alt universe version of the story, but unique enough to hold its own. SoA fans won’t be disappointed thinking it’s a simple rehashing of the story, but simply contains some elements that seemed to be inspired by it.

The story starts off very quickly with Rhee looking for her missing sister and finding herself in some trouble. Luckily due to circumstances Dax finds her in a sense. The story progresses with Rhee needing protection from a situation unknown, looking for her sister and fighting her growing feelings for Dax. Dax sees Rhee as a innocent young girl in the wrong place at the wrong time. He stirs emotions in him that he doesn’t want to admit and can’t due to the fact that he has a girlfriend. Instead he offers the clubs protection and eventually the club looks to her as a younger sister/daughter.

Much more happens here with the situation, but it quietly runs in the background as Dax and Rhee’s relationship develops. NOW I want to say that yes Dax has a girlfriend BUT he doesn’t spend every waking moment in the book trying to get down her pants. In fact he was so good at pushing away his feelings and turning to his girlfriend I caught myself growling a couple of times. (**On a personal note: I HATE CHEATERS. In a book it’s a trigger for me. It takes everything I have to finish a book if it’s something that happens. With that being said, Dax isn’t a cheater in the most thought of use of the word.) He fights tooth and nail, floating the ship named I’m taken on the river of denial. At points I felt sorry for him. I felt that he was trapped between his own hang-ups/comfort zone and trying to grasp what he really wants. He does express a need/want to leave the MC and in a sense sees his girlfriend as his out. But again their relationship is tied up in history as well as some genuine feelings for the most part. Sometimes he can be so bull headed and stubborn you just want to reach in and smack him. Like many men, his logic isn’t really logic but rather a derp moment you can’t see why he didn’t get why it was the wrong decision.  He’s protective, gentle, thoughtful, but conflicted, quick to temper and somewhat rash. (Some may disagree with his use of his girlfriend Trish as an outlet for his lust for Rhee,  but remember that he’s a biker and well that just will explain his mentality.)

Rhee is a young woman who has been damaged by her past. At first she seems timid with flashes of an inner core of steel that makes you feel for her. You don’t really understand how damaged she is until almost half way through the book. (Jayna does mention the past with Marco a lot in this book, I am hoping that with the continuation this will be delved more into and explored, not pushed to the way side as “wait…what? What about?” as so many stories seem tend to do. This thought also goes to the side character of Wince. Hopefully his being mentioned throughout the book as a major side character solidifies his place as a strong force in the second book as well. *fingers crossed*) She falls fast for Dax, but her naïveté shows when she doesn’t recognize the desire that courses through her body every time she sees him. While this may seem ridiculous, it came off as somewhat believable when the background for Rhee is revealed. There were times that it could get a little silly, but I think it really just projected how withdrawn and clueless (not in a bad way) that Rhee was. There were times that she did try to display her independence, but it was a new concept for her and sometimes the past is harder to shake off than you think. Their relationship progresses and just as you think YES! You’re denied. But it’s actually what keeps the story moving along. Again Dax isn’t a cheater and Rhee has never been a healthy relationship. Both are very naïve and innocent in different but the same ways.

Now I would be a honest bookworm if I didn’t mention the flaws in this story. Transitions…transitions.…transitions. Again this author needs some editing done. Not a ton, but she does need someone to tell her where to put a scene separator. (This actually is becoming more a common place thing.) The simple use of some kind of breaker would help her transitions, as well as helping the story flow smoother. An example would be at one point toward the end Dax is at his house thinking about Rhee and then he is walking into the club. No separator which confused me for a few minutes.  Several things were mentioned at the end of the book, but not explained well. I can’t exactly explain without giving spoilers, but again I’m hoping they were more hints as to what is going on in the next book.

All in all I really liked this book, and for a debut it’s good. I enjoyed the story a lot. So much in fact that it reminded me why I don’t usually read series books until at least the second one is out. The ending is actually that good where I want to read the next one NOW. I will read it again and the favorite parts are still running through my mind. This author has a ton of potential and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.