Review: A great first offering
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 17, 2013
My 3.5 star review from Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews dot com:I'm really excited to introduce you to new author Laramie Briscoe and her Heaven Hill Series.  This series centers on a motorcycle club and its participants.  There may be some aspects of this book that will disturb some people; it's not for the faint of heart. This is a romantic suspense and it's gutsy, sexy, real, and you will constantly question right from wrong.  Overall, this is a great first effort from this new author and I think she shows a lot of promise.To say Denise Cunningham's life has been a struggle is putting things mildly.  Pregnant at 16 by an abusive boyfriend and thrown out of her home, Denise has struggled to make a life for herself and her now 13 year old twins.  Unfortunately recent events have her feeling helpless once again and she finds herself desperate so when she's asked by a co-worker's brother to help out with an illegal activity she agrees seeing it as an end to her money problems.  Little does she realize that helping out once will put her in the middle of things with no way out.  First off let me say that I can sympathize with Denise and her plight very easily, however throughout the book I found myself questioning how readily she agreed to help without a thought as to how her choices would affect her thirteen year old son and daughter.  I had to keep reminding myself that despite having teenage children that she herself is very young. Even with that I still wondered how as a Mom she seemed to have no problem letting her children be around people who commit a wide range of crimes and have the power to influence them.  It was almost like after she became involved with the club, she disconnected from her children in some way and that saddened me greatly.As vice president of Heaven Hill, William Walker, Jr. (Liam) has a growing influence and popularity with the club members.  While he knows his place it's evident that he and his father (the club's president) don't always see eye to eye and involving the young single mother, Denise is one of those times.  Unfortunately Liam is undeniably taken with Denise and even her kids and finds himself almost immediately thrust into the role of protector and surrogate Dad.  It was really hard not to like Liam despite his illegal activities and his Mother issues.  He has this innate since of goodness in him and to be honest at times; he confused me because he doesn't act like I would imagine someone so high up in a club like this to act.  I often found myself wondering if there wasn't more to Liam than meets the eye and given this is a series, I suspect we'll see more of this intriguing man.I enjoyed watching the relationship between Denise and Liam grow throughout the book.  I liked that he was able to see her as more than just a downtrodden Mom and that he admired her for what she's gone through in her life.  Even though his upbringing was hardly typical, he shows a softer side with Denise.  That's not to say that their intimate scenes weren't satisfying because they are pretty damn combustible together and Denise has a lot of time to make up for and Liam has no problems accommodating her wants and needs.Being the first book in a series, we are introduced to a lot of characters who will no doubt at some point get their own stories which make me one happy girl.  I'm especially intrigued by Liam's friend, Tyler and his sister, Roni.  While the major threat in this book was handled, there were several storylines that are ongoing and no doubt will follow through into the next books.  Laramie Briscoe has done a great job of setting the stage for what promises to be an entertaining yet thought provoking series. Meant To Be You is well thought out and exciting and I look forward to seeing what happens next with the Heaven Hill Motorcycle Club.