Chaps

I’ve read a handful of Jove Belle’s works and, though it sounds trite, my favorite is the one I happen to be reading at the moment. I suppose a charge of totally unrealistic, even impossible, could be applied to the premise of Chaps; elements of it challenge even the strongest willing suspension of disbelief. Some writers are capable of making the highly improbable seem real, and, while I’m sure Belle possesses that ability, that’s not what happens here. Instead, she creates a budding relationship between the two principals that is so compelling that we are willing to overlook the unlikelihood of the events as they play out. No mean feat, to be sure. I’m also reminded of the classic Buffy line, “Love makes you do the wacky.”What makes this work, of course, is Belle’s gift at characterization. Eden and Brandi are both strong women, distinct enough that their particular strengths have the potential to support each other. Many of Belle’s protagonists are “bad girls,” in some respect, and Eden’s about as bad as it gets, enforcer for a ruthless LA drug lord. Even in the hard-boiled exposition, though, we sense that there may be something redeemable about her, given the right circumstances. Brandi is a complete contrast, growing up in an Idaho which is as far removed from the chaos of LA’s crime scene as you can imagine. But, as we’ve come to expect, opposites attract, and Chaps is no exception.I like the slow way the relationship develops. Each time Eden and Brandi grow closer, one or the other backs off. The gradual journey toward intimacy (and love) is the impetus which moves the story along. The tension in the relationship is increased by the sense of impending doom in the form of the drug lord who is sure to be searching for Eden.The two main supporting characters are indispensable to the story, and fully developed characters in their own right. Both Jaylynn, Brandi’s mother and Roger, a repair shop owner whom Eden helps with his books, dispense wise advice to Eden and Brandi as the two grow closer in fits and starts. A banker and fellow rancher appear briefly and add more complexity and tension to the plot. While the novel is centered on Eden and Brandi, as it should be, the colorful secondary characters create a welcome variety, as well as occasional comic relief.Belle’s actual writing, the mechanics of her craft, is, as I’ve come to expect, flawless. This complements the smoothly flowing narrative, avoiding the jarring interruptions which come from gaffes in grammar, syntax, etc. If I have one quibble, it’s that the ending is a little too pat. It seems to cry out for more detail about what happened when Eden returned to LA before eventually ending up back in Idaho to stay. To my mind, it would make the happily-ever-after more convincing. It's in no way a deal-breaker, though. Chaps is still a great read.Chaps is very professionally executed, with no distractions. Very well worth your time. Belle makes you fall in love with Eden and Brandi more easily than they do themselves. The main supporting cast, Jaylynn and Roger, provide a necessary sort of grounding for the two. Set aside the idea of verisimilitude for a couple of hours and just enjoy.

Jove is a fabulous writer and this book had skipping on the housework and shopping so that I could find out if the characters were ever going to get together and have the happy ending that they deserved.

I enjoyed reading this book and will certainly buy more from the author

First things first. I would give this book a 4 1/2 star rating. This book held my interest from the start, and kept me enthralled until the end. Eden Metcalf led a life as the right-hand enforcer for the city drug kingpin, Luther Wade. Her life was laid out for her and she wanted for nothing. Nothing that is, except peace. While wielding her strong arm as an enforcer she's put into the position where she can kill one more time, or escape. She chooses escape, takes her Ducati, a whole lot of money, and rides. While taking the back-roads her bike breaks down in Southern Idaho. She's offered help by Brandi Cornwell, a rancher who happens by. Brandi runs her family ranch with her mother, doing all that she can to keep the ranch alive after bad investments made by her late father. She faces tough choices to keep the ranch - none of them good. While Eden waits for bike parts she begins to observe a life that she's never known. Does it matter that she's drawn to Brandi? She can't escape....Luther will find her...and Brandi.I've read this twice. Enjoy it!

Belle does family really well, this book is a lovely example of that. Mother and daughter team working hard to keep their farm from going under, and along comes a sexy fugitive from a drug cartel.Romance and tension combine into a thrilling read.One of Belle's earlier books and still one of my favorites.

Usually after the first or second chapter of a book, I know whether it's one I just can't put down, or one that I will read for the joy of reading. Chaps, for me was one I continued to read for the joy of reading. I enjoyed the characters, but it took a little too long to establish them, and I found myself skipping over sections. I also felt that the romance between the leads should have been explored more; it felt like there were two endings, and the one picked didn't have a good wrapup. If you like action/adventure/crime type stories, then you may like this.

Eden is a killer for a drug lord. She decides to quit and run, but you know he's going to find her. He's positively brutal and she's not much better, except when she's with Brandi, a rancher in Idaho, who helps Eden when her motorcycle breaks down. I had a hard time reconciling Eden's past and believing Brandi could let it go. But Belle makes a good case and I suppose I could see it. The book is too short to get into it in a thorough way. It was very unclear at the end, how Eden managed not to be arrested. We never saw how she got off.

Great read!

Loved this story - loads of tension and heartache and a real explosive ending - won't give any spoilers but hang in there with the tale of Eden and Brandi and Brandi's brilliant mum. Fate has put Eden in a farm in the middle of Idaho where Brandi is desperately trying to protect her family farm from her father's poor decisions in the past - and find a solution that doesn't involve sleeping with the bank manager's wife while he watches - not that her mother Jaylyn is keen on that one! Eden is not a sympathetic character but we do grow to care about her.... Read and enjoy the roller coaster of emotion...

I loved this book. It was exciting, well written with interesting and believable characters. The prose was good, the dialogue was good, it was neither too long nor too short and I read and enjoyed every word.Bad girl from the city meets good girl out in the sticks when her bike breaks down. Attraction immediate. Bad girl becomes the person she should have been had life been different for her in the beginning. Afraid that her past will catch up with her and destroy any future she might have there. Can't say any more or I'll ruin the story.It was good, very good...

Second book I have read by this author I will be wanting more. Well written tale with a bit of everything in it plus a lovely romance, drama plus a hard edged undercurrent to keep you on your toes. Well worth a read whatever genre you are into.