Havoc by Kindle Alexander

Havoc is the first book in the Tattoos and Ties Duet. It’s an M/M story about the rich, well-groomed attorney and the sexy AF tattooed biker and how they, against all odds, fall for each other.

It’s sounds pretty awesome doesn’t it? There is so much potential to this story. The biker – Keyes – a member of a motorcycle club and not always on the right side of the law meets Alec who happens to work for a District Attorney set on taking the motorcycle club down. And the attraction between Keyes and Alec can’t be denied even if both of them know that their respective worlds can never truly meet.

The blurb is simply great. But… that’s about the only thing great about this book. Oh no, wait. I did really enjoy the cover picture. To be honest, that ripped torso was definitely one of the reasons I decided to read Havoc in the first place. And I was in the mood for some M/M. 🙂

This is the first time I’ve read anything by Kindle Alexander (that has to be a pen name, right?) but Alexander has published several more novels. That’s not the impression you get when reading Havoc though. The beginning of the story has all the telltale signs of an unskilled writer. The characters are simplistic and rudimentary, their emotions are too forceful and without nuance which makes them more like caricatures than believable individuals. Also, Alexander tries to cram all background information into the first chapter which is truly the hallmark of bad writing. Forcing the backstory is always a bad idea. It’s always stilted and unnatural and instead of achieving what the author wants – namely all the info needed for the ”real” story to begin – the readers will notice and reflect on writing style instead of the content. So, yeah. Not a good beginning.

But then it should get better after that right? Yeah… no. It doesn’t. Because nothing happens. Sure, Keyes and Alec fight their attraction for a while before starting to bone. But nothing of what you’d assume could happen actually does. Keyes’ motorcycle buddies don’t find out about his DA lover, Alec’s stuck up family don’t get to learn that he has a trashy biker boyfriend. Alec’s boss doesn’t discover that he’s involved with a member of the gang that she so detests. There aren’t even a close call.

The only thing that happens is the emotional back and forth of both Keyes and Alec when they’re unsure of the other guy’s feelings and when halfheartedly trying to dissuade themselves from having a relationship with someone so unsuitable.

And there are some nudy scenes. Nothing to write home about though.

So I wont be picking up the sequel, I’m sure.