{"id":69318,"date":"2023-03-17T08:00:08","date_gmt":"2023-03-17T12:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=69318"},"modified":"2023-03-22T08:48:17","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T12:48:17","slug":"release-arc-review-the-games-we-play-iron-outlaws-mc-1-by-s-cole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=69318","title":{"rendered":"Release & ARC Review: The Games We Play (Iron Outlaws MC, #2) by S. Cole"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Games We Play by S. Cole is live!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

This is the second book in the Iron Outlaws MC series, and I am so in love with this book! A gritty MC romance with a sensationally swoony and sexy forbidden romance, I loved losing myself in this world with these characters, and I devoured this book in a day, unable to put it down.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Blurb<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Iris:<\/strong>
\nAs a woman born into an Irish crime family, I’m expendable.
\nIt’s why I’ve extricated myself from that life.
\nOnly now, I’m wrapped up in another one when I witness the death of the president of a motorcycle outlaw club.
\nAnd the club’s sergeant at arms has declared himself as my protector… Or stalker.
\nAnd I can’t decide if he terrifies or excites me.<\/p>\n

Spark:<\/strong>
\nToo many people have died on my watch in Kabul and New Jersey.
\nMy conscience can’t carry the weight of one more. Especially a pretty young thing with eyes that pierce my truths.
\nBut her family is our enemy. One of many.
\nAnd she hates the things I pride myself in standing for.
\nUntil she needs me to play her family’s deadly game. A game to ruin us all.<\/p>\n

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Add to Goodreads<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Review<\/strong><\/h4>\n

5 stars!<\/b><\/p>\n

I am so in love with this book! A gritty MC romance with a sensationally swoony and sexy forbidden romance, I loved losing myself in this world with these characters, and I devoured this book in a day, unable to put it down.<\/p>\n

This is book #2 in the Iron Outlaws MC<\/i> series. I was blown away by the first book in this series, The Sins We Hide<\/em><\/a>, and this is a very worthy follow up. You don\u2019t have to have read the first book in the series, though it will certainly help. And be aware that this book contains pretty big spoilers for the first.<\/p>\n

Spark is an ex-Marine and the Sargent at Arms for the Iron Outlaws. In the last book, we saw him meet Iris, who was the only witness to the death of their club President, and when she got caught up in an incident with the club and was injured, Spark went into instant protective mode. Things became complicated when it was revealed Iris is the niece and god-daughter to an Irish crime family, and enemy of the club, so she was quickly whisked out of his life. But Spark\u2019s protective nature and his strange connection to Iris is impossible to ignore, and he appoints himself her protector, following her, helping her out, and checking in to make sure she\u2019s safe. Iris is well aware of her big, badass shadow, and though she should be scared, she\u2019s intrigued and a little turned on by Spark\u2019s continued presence in her life.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a weird dynamic, but Spark is all in. His experiences as a marine have left him dealing with a lot of trauma which he is struggling to deal with, and his protective nature won\u2019t let him walk away from Iris. But more than that, his instant connection with her knocked him on his ass, and he wants more from her. Sex, of course, but more than that, he feels something real<\/i> for her, he finds peace and calm when he\u2019s around her, and though he\u2019s been told by his President to keep his distance, he can\u2019t stay away.<\/p>\n

My gut tells me Iris is important.
\nMy head tells me she\u2019s trouble.
\nAnd my heart\u2026well, in the middle of the night, when I can\u2019t sleep and the tequila hasn\u2019t helped, I wonder if she may be the very glue to put me back together.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Iris has tried so hard to create a good life, distancing herself from her Uncle\u2019s nefarious business, and wanting nothing to do with an MC, but she finds herself more and more drawn to Spark. Not only is he gorgeous and kind-hearted, but he\u2019s sexy as all hell. When he makes it clear that he wants her, she\u2019s torn between her head and her heart (and other body parts), but the man proves to be impossible to resist.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like resisting you is like trying to stand in the path of a hurricane, hoping it changes course.\u201d
\n\u2026 \u201cDone resisting?\u201d I asked the question casually, but I need to know the answer more than anything else.
\n\u201cYes, Spark. I think I am.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

OMG, I was so invested in these two coming together! I could completely understand Iris falling under Spark\u2019s spell, because he\u2019s so freaking gorgeous and sweet, with a darkly wild and sexy edge. He holds nothing back from her, he tells her what he wants and he shows her in so many ways. He\u2019s devoted, protective, smitten and completely committed, and I swooned so hard over him!<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d set fire to the whole fucking world for you, Iris, and protect you from the flames\u201d.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Their relationship may have its challenges, but it feels so organic! It\u2019s natural and easy, honest and functional, and so freaking sexy! Holy hot damn, Spark is filthy man with an even filthier mouth, he loves to dominate, and the sexy times are sizzling! Their physical connection is an important part of their relationship, deepening their connection and giving them the opportunity to open up completely to each other, and there are some really powerful moments between these two.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis, you and me, feels like a fucking comet burning through the sky. Hot, fast, and so fucking beautiful it\u2019s blinding.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But while Spark and Iris are falling for each other, they\u2019re also dealing with the fallout from their decision to be together. Not only the forbidden nature of them being together, but she is battling against her Uncle, who has strong ideas about how she should be helping the family, and the MC is facing a new threat which sucks both Spark and Iris into danger. It\u2019s suspenseful and intense, and there are parts of this book that had me holding my breath in shock and terror, and it\u2019s all so emotional! The way it all happens adds to the depth and mood of the series, and the world that the Iron Outlaws live in, and I was so completely captivated.<\/p>\n

The story moves at a great pace, and there are fantastic moments of playfulness between Spark and Iris, as well as fun lightness with the MC boys, which balance out the dark really well. And though it\u2019s definitely got that MC feel, it\u2019s the love story which is the focus, and the romance owned my heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever thought I\u2019d meet my reason for being, Iris. Yet here you are.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That heartstopping ending brings a fantastic twist, and I am SO excited to see where things go from here. I\u2019m falling so hard for the Iron Outlaw boys, and I\u2019m so excited for Saint\u2019s book up next!<\/p>\n

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.<\/i><\/p>\n

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Iron Outlaws MC<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u00a0\"\" \u00a0\"\" \u00a0\"\" \u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

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The Sins We Hide (#1)<\/strong> (Clutch & Gwen)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

The Games We Play (#2)<\/strong> (Spark & Iris)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

The Lies We Tell (#3)<\/strong> (Saint & Briar)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

The Bonds We Break (#4) <\/strong>(King & Rae)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0\u00a0Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

The Vows We Keep (#5) <\/strong>(Niro & Catalina)
\nReview<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Buy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

The Loves We Lost (#6)<\/strong> (Bates & Viola)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

The Souls We Claim (#7)<\/strong> (Halo & Arianne)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

The Fates We Tame (#8) <\/strong>(Switch & Sophia)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

The Deals We Make (#9)<\/strong> (Vex & Calista)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Meet the Author<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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The tattoo across my right hip says it all really. A Life Less Ordinary. Inked by the amazingly talented Luke Wessman at the Wooster Street Social Club (a.k.a. New York Ink). Why is it important? Well, it sums up my view on life. That we should all aspire to live a life that is less boring, less predictable. Be bold, and do something amazing. I\u2019ve made some crazy choices. I\u2019ve been a car maker, a consultant, and even a senior executive at a large retailer running strategy. Born in England, spent time in the U.S. and Japan, before ending up in Canada where I met my own, personal hero \u2013 all six and a half feet of him. Both of us are scorpios! Yeah, I know! Should have checked the astrological signs earlier, but somehow it works for us. We have two amazing kids, who I either could never part with or could easily be convinced to sell on e-bay.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve wanted to be a writer for a really long time. Check through my office cupboards or my computer and you\u2019ll find half written stories and character descriptions everywhere. Now I\u2019m getting the chance to follow that dream.<\/p>\n

I am represented by\u00a0Beth Phelan\u00a0at\u00a0The Bent Agency, NY.<\/p>\n

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Instagram\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Twitter\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Amazon\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0BookBub\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Newsletter<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  The Games We Play by S. Cole is live! This is the second book in the Iron Outlaws MC series, and I am so in love with this book! A gritty MC romance with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":68866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,47,52,972,51,9,29],"tags":[59,1448,48,1435],"class_list":["post-69318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bikers","category-dark-gritty","category-drama","category-forbidden","category-military","category-romance","category-steamy","tag-arc","tag-iron-outlaws-mc","tag-review","tag-s-cole"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/The-Games-We-Play.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-i22","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=69318"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69318\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/68866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=69318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=69318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=69318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}