“I’d fallen in love with the man I’d once hoped to expose as a criminal.
Technically, he was a criminal — or a former criminal.
Mostly, he was mine. Flawed and mine.
If you’re a fan of enemies-to-lovers romance and you love biker heroes, you have to read this book!!!
Most of you already know that Devney Perry is my favorite author. The books she writes just happen to be the type I most love to read so when I heard that she was starting a new series, I couldn’t have been more excited!
I absolutely loved Gypsy King and it’s the first book in a new series called “Tin Gypsy” focusing on biker-centric romance with suspenseful undertones. It follows the same style as her previous series where each book is about a different couple, except in this series the books are more strongly interconnected since there’s a continuous plotline throughout at least the first two so I’d definitely recommend reading these books in order, starting with this book.
The former Tin Gypsy motorcycle club has everyone in Clifton Forge, Montana convinced they’ve locked their clubhouse doors and ripped off their patches. Everyone but Bryce Ryan. There’s more happening at the club’s garage than muscle car restorations and Harley rebuilds. Her instincts are screaming there’s a story—one she’s going to tell.
As the new owner of the small town’s newspaper, Bryce is hungry for more than birth announcements and obituaries. When a woman is brutally killed and all signs point to the Tin Gypsies, Bryce is determined to expose the club and their leader, Kingston “Dash” Slater, as murderers.
Bryce bests Dash match after match, disappointed her rugged and handsome opponent turns out to be an underwhelming adversary. Secrets are exposed. Truths defeat lies. Bryce is poised to win this battle in a landslide.
Then Dash breaks all the rules and tips the scales.
One kiss, and she’s fighting to save more than just her story. She’s fighting to save her heart from the Gypsy King.
As a fun bonus if you’re a fan of this author’s previous series though, there’s a bit of crossover between this series and the Jamison Valley series because the hero of this book is the brother of the hero from The Clover Chapel (there are some great and really heart-warming cameos from him and I actually have the whole page at 75% highlighted – I thought about sharing a quote here but it was too sweet a scene to spoil so you’ll see it when you read the book), and the heroine was the reporter from The Outpost, so while it’s not necessary to have read those first, it’s a bit of an exciting connection for those of us who have read all the books (which are all top favs of mine too!).
This book was a true mix of both a love story and a mystery with a pretty intense enemies-to-lovers romance at the heart of the story and a suspenseful whodunnit murder mystery that kept throwing the hero and heroine together.
The hero is the ultimately bad boy biker with a mysterious past and the heroine is a journalist determined to figure him out but after a murder in their town implicated his father, they had to work together to solve it while fighting their increasing attraction to each other and of course falling in looooooooove!
Dash rode his black motorcycle along Central Avenue like he owned Clifton Forge, flashing a straight, white smile that was blinding. He was the quintessential bad boy. His sexy smirk, chiseled jaw and day-old stubble made all the ladies swoon.
Every lady except me.
The other women in town could have fun with his amazing body. What I wanted from Dash were his secrets.
Now, I’ll be honest that bikers have always been my least favorite romance trope. I know, I knowwww, everyone loves them. But they’re often a bit “too much” for my taste so I particularly loved Bryce’s reaction to Dash:
“I cringed. If he ever called me his old lady, I’d deny him sex for a month.”
I actually didn’t have time to read this whole book in one sitting like I often do so I had to read half yesterday and half today and I ended up thinking about it all night and day while waiting to have the time to finish reading it!
“Are we going to be okay?”
He pulled me tighter into his arms, holding me safe. “Swear it on my life.”
This book has a gorgeous ending that wraps up this couple’s story with a beautiful epilogue but also intrigues you into the next story leaving you excited for more. The couple featured in the next book (Riven Knight) is very well set up in this book and I’m seriously looking forward to reading the next book because I already love their characters!
I highly recommend this to all fans of enemies-to-lovers romance!
PS: If you’re wondering whether this book can standalone, the answer is: Yes, depending on what’s important to you:
Romance = enemies to lovers
Mystery = murder they’re trying to solve together
Romance = resolved w/ epilogue
Mystery = unresolved, continues in next couple’s book
Rating: 4.5 STARS, Contemporary Adult Romance
*** TIN GYPSY SERIES ***
Series of interconnected semi-standalones, loosely connected to/spinning off of the Jamison Valley series.
*** JAMISON VALLEY SERIES ***
Series of interconnected standalones.