I spent my childhood at the mercy of destructive adults.
I wore the dysfunction of my childhood as easily as my favorite jean jacket.
No amount of sweetness and smiles could mask the stench of despair.
I carried the self-doubt, the pain, the longing to find a place of my own.
Until roller derby.
For the first time, I was more than the product of my defunct childhood.
I found respect and belonging while on eight wheels.
The derby saved me.
I won’t be the key to Cain Bishop’s unlikely redemption.
I refuse to be his false start.
I may not wear the skates, but the roller derby lives in me.
It pumps heavy in my blood.
My great-grandmother was among the first women on the track.
And every generation of women that came after her followed in her footsteps.
All I ever wanted was to be involved in the sport that shaped my favorite people.
Coaching revealed the good… and the bad.
Getting too close, becoming too invested, it cost me everything.
But now my sentence is up.
With the resurgence of roller derby worldwide comes my only chance for redemption.
The opportunity to shed light on the truth.
And her.
Maisy Flynn’s a fighter, just like the women I admire.
And she thanks every last one of you who picks up one of her stories.
Casey is done talking about herself in the third person now 😂😂😂
*** ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review. ***
A new series about roller derby, with a badass tattooed heroine and a broody and tortured hero? Sign.Me.In!!
Get ready for the slow burn, steamy banter and all feels in between.
Maisy “Mayhem” Flynn and Cain “Priest” Bishop, two wounded souls, one more tortured, lust at first sight, a banter going from hate/lust to super steamy in a minute. A chemistry that no one could ignore. The fire they made, le freaking sigh!
Even with all those things that would have been a winner to me, It took me a few laps before getting into the story. Surprisingly, it contrasted with the emotional parts, fire burning inside the main characters, the first part was kinda slow, almost hesitating and I guess we had to warm up a little before enjoying the ride. And it definitely gets better!
Then the story built up at an accelerating pace and I started to appreciate this story more.
Don’t get me wrong, I was rooting for Maisy and Cain from the beginning and I loved how she kept him on his toes, a freaking hurricane he wasn’t expecting. They challenged each other and were straight to the point. The characters were not trying to be perfect, still struggling with their past, tortured. They were just beautifully flawed characters, linked by their love for roller derby, feeling their passion, their insecurities and pain.
I appreciated how these two hot tempered collided. Cain used to be the one to run away, Maisy has her roots in this town, they were supposed to be temporary. They loved fiercely, passionately with all their hearts. The chemistry off the charts. Their vulnerability and reading the other like no one else. This town with some colorful characters with big hearts won me over.
It was a great first installment full of fire and sass and I can’t wait to read the other stories!
