Review: Necessary Journey in the Signal Bend Series
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 1, 2014
Having the honor of receiving an ARC of this book, I wanted to get my review up as soon as it was released.  As a reader who appreciated the age of the starring characters in Ms. Fanetti's previous 3 installments (Isaac and Showdown) I thought it would be difficult for me to connect to Bart, who is much younger, though no club slouch due to his Intelligence Officer status.  However, I want to challenge readers to keep in mind that this is a Signal Bend Series, not the Night Horde MC Series.  It's about the town which revolves around it's local MC and residents and not the other way around.  It's about the town's metamorphasis and it's effect on the people living in it.  The town of Signal Bend went through devestation in Behold The Stars and the only financial way to get it back on it's feet is for the people of that town to capitalize on the media attention which resulted from it in the form of a movie about the events.  Into The Storm introduced a good part of it.  Alone On Earth digs deeper into it.  And along the way, the people of the town are coming to terms dealing with it, especially those affected the most by it.Not so much Bart Elstad.  As Intelligence Officer, his job is to live and breathe data, facts and any intel which may affect his club -  especially this movie that's being made and any chatter resulting from it.  There are club allies who want to keep their involvement in that shootout out of it and it's Bart's job to be sure Hollywood keeps a tight lid on too many facts leaking out.  His focus on this movie includes those involved - right down to the actors cast for the roles.  Especially one Riley Chase.A television star in her own right, Riley's lives the typical celebrity life complete with housekeepers, personal assistant and personal trainer who plan and orchestrate her every move as well as a domineering mother.  In Hollywood,she's 'Riley Chase - celebrity', but once she arrives in Signal Bend to research her role she's.......no one.  Out of the shadow of paparazzi and gossip, she's able to relax in a town where she doesn't have to say the right thing, eat the right foods and be photo-op ready.  Everyone in the club treats her normally - all except Bart who is an awe of the actress being here.The course of the story centers on Riley's purpose for being in Signal Bend, which is to spend time with Lilli in order to portray her onscreen.  Accompanying her are several other actors to portray some of the other Horde and while they gain some interesting screen time with Isaac and Showdown, Riley and Bart slowly begin to connect.  Because of this, the reader might begin to wonder how this will all end - will Riley give it all up to stay in Signal Bend with Bart or will she eventually go back to her real life?  But before that unfolds, real club action hits as a result of this movie - a move that could turn allies into enemies.There is betrayal of the worst kind within an MC and several tragedies result because of it.  One may come as an absolute shock, but for any of you who have followed this series knows that Ms. Fanetti does not toss something in just for 'shock' or 'dramatic' reasons.  There is always a purpose and all I can say without spoiling is.....trust me.  There is a purpose to this.The healing of this betrayal eventually results in a different kind of sacrifice, one which faces Bart with a difficult choice.  He was the only member of the Horde not born and bred in Signal Bend which left to him always feel as if he never found his 'place' there.  The future of the club and it's safety will hinge upon this choice and will give the reader a new look at this young man and who he truly is.I understand some readers may have wondered how this Hollywood thing would pan out for an outlaw motorcycle club at the end of Into The Storm.  But as I stated above, this is about Signal Bend more than the Night Horde and I understand Ms Fanetti having to take the town through this 'hollywood' journey to bring the storyline full circle and to a close.  This story was necessary to do that and, along the way, we learned more about the after effects this movie has had and the potential danger the club must deal with in order to keep the private details of what 'really' happened during that shootout under wraps.  It also sets up an intermediate story to follow as well as the next member of the Horde (Havoc) to be featured.  Setting this necessary installment aside, the club eventually gets back into outlaw mode as their brief respite of peace following the shootout has faded, putting them - and Signal Bend - back into survival mode.Four books in, that is what Signal Bend, and the Night Horde who inhabit it, is about - survival, preserverence, never giving up, bonding together and loving strong.  This is an absolutely fantastic series in which the town reflects the people, and vice versa.  Impeccably written, paced and plotted from the world Ms. Fanetti has created to characters who seem like real people.