Review: GREAT FOLLOW UP! CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK IN THE SERIES
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 8, 2013
“Years now , we’ve been keeping this town rolling by will power and devil’s bargains. A good friend and a wise man told me that after times of trouble, you look around and see who’s left. Those are the people you know will stand and fight. Well, we’re who’s left. Most of us sitting here live in the houses we were born in. Hell, some of you sleep in the beds you were born in. This is the only place we have that. It’s only here, and we give a s*** about keeping it. If we were going to fold, we’d have folded when everybody else did. I’m askin’ you to remember that and to keep fighting for what’s ours . Our birthright. Our legacy. And I’m tellin’ you that the Horde will fight for this town to the last man.”I was excited to read Behold the Stars because I loved the first book in the Signal Bend Series, Move the Sun, so much. It was one of my top reads for 2013! I was a little apprehensive as well because so many times follow up books just aren't as good as the first book in the series. I guess it all comes down to expectations. My expectations were high but I was nervous. Would Behold the Stars be as good as Move the Sun or would I be disappointed? I'm happy to say that Behold the Stars was a solid 4+ STAR read for me and I really enjoyed the story!Behold the Stars picks up where Move the Sun ends and focuses much more on the MC business and the threat to Signal Bend rather than just the romance between Isaac and Lilli. (If you haven't read Move the Sun, I strongly recommend reading that book first.) Isaac and Lilli still are the main characters in this story line and have plenty of issues they are working out in their relationship but much of the book deals with club business and the inner works of the MC. There is alot more violence in this book and Behold the Sun offers a much grittier portrayal of club life than the first book in the series. The problems facing the MC that started in book one related to the takeover attempt of Signal Bend really come to a head in this book. (Readers that were unhappy that not all aspects of the story were resolved at the end of Move the Sun and thought it ended in a cliffhanger, can rest easy. Behold the Stars has definite resolution of that storyline.)There's definite growth for Lilli and Isaac as they work through several issues in their relationship. Being in a relationship is new to both of them and both struggle with insecurities and boundaries. While Lilli normally gets angry and loses her temper, Isaac is almost desperate in his need to keep Lilli in his life, especially in the beginning. Both show a surprising amount of vulnerability. Some readers may think Isaac has lost his alpha ways but honestly I think he is just head over heels in love and trying to hold one thing outside the club that matters to him. I loved how open he was with her, no games, no bull ____. He just owns it all."It’s just—you made everything different for me, Lilli. I see everything different . What I want in my life is different . The thought of losing you undoes me. I’m not used to feeling like this. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I don’t know how to deal with the kind of fear I felt today, and that other day, and all the days in the hospital before you woke up. I know you’re not weak. I know you hate weakness. But Lilli, I’m weaker without you . Part of me wants to keep you in a little box where nothing bad can get to you, but I know that’s not you. That’s not the woman I love. I just— I want to do right by you. I want you safe.”We also come to learn alot more about the club's VP and Isaac's best friend, Show, in this book. I don't want to give too much away but Show suffers a tragedy during this book which changes his life greatly. I think this sets up the next book in this series, Into the Storm, which is scheduled for a January release. I'm hoping that book three will focus on Show. I can hardly wait to read his story, he definitely deserves to have something good in the cards for him!Move the Sun seemed to be filled to the brim with alot of sex. For me, it could almost be classfied as erotica. Not quite, but almost. It was totally hot and I loved every bit of it. Behold the Stars doesn't have as much sex in it. Isaac and Lilli are still seriously HOT together and they haven't lost any of their magic, this story just focuses more on action that takes place outside the bedroom than inside. There's also certain factors that come into play...I really liked the story just how it was written and didn't miss any between the sheets action. And like I said, Lilli and Isaac...they still got it!Her need for him was absolute. Sliding her fingers into his hair, she pulled his head up. His green eyes sparked at her. “____ me, Isaac. I need to feel you _______ me. I need it hard.”He said nothing; his rapt expression did not change. He simply shifted upward, the hand that had gripped her hip moving between them, and then he shoved inside her, his eyes still intent on hers. She cried out at the hot, thick, deep feel of his beautiful, bare ____ inside her. God, she never wanted to use a condom again. This felt like being part of him, like he was alive inside her. He shifted again, drawing her legs up in his arms, bringing them to her chest, opening her wide. Then he drove into her, heavy and hard, every grunting thrust on the slender edge of pain. Right where she liked it. Oh, God, it was good. The position had her pinned, though, and she needed to touch him. She could only reach his arms, so she grabbed hold of his forearms, above the leather cuffs he still wore, and closed her eyes, releasing herself to the pleasure.“Oh, ____, Isaac. Oh, yes. Yesyesyes. Oh, God. Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop.”Oh yeah, totally hot!I do have to mention one thing. Lilli is highly trained and skilled ex-military. She could qualify as an assasin with her skill set. If I were her and someone was messing with my town, with my club, and with my man, I'd blow their brains out with a long range rifle or whatever I had in my arsenal of toys and call it a day. Apparently that would have cut the story short so the author took a different route but I couldn't help but think, Lilli could have taken care of this problem in her sleep. Maybe she didn't want to show the boys out by being a total bad-___ =)Overall I really enjoyed the book. It was well written and the action was fast-paced. I really like this author's writing style and think she does a great job of mixing romance, action, and suspense. I absolutely cannot wait to get the next book in the series!The author has a teaser of Into the Storm (BOOK 3) at the below link. This teaser should not be read if you have not read Behold the Stars as it has major SPOILERS.[...]