WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE (Babylon #1) by VICTORIA L JAMES & L J STOCK

‘I had something else to look forward to besides death and darkness when I woke up each morning……I had a little bit of light in a world, which carried so much darkness.’

This was quite a different MC book the ones we’ve experienced, in fact, at times it didn’t really feel like an MC book, other times, we could feel the MC mood and that synopsis certainly dragged us in!

‘Together, they were unstoppable. Formidable, Brothers in both arms and souls.’

Without Consequence wasn’t particularly gritty. The violence and ‘justice‘ wasn’t vivid and gruesome and a  lot of the sex scenes and violence was fade to black but that in no way lessened the  impact of this story because whilst it didn’t have the graphic detail of some, it had pure emotion in abundance.

‘I meant nothing. I was nothing. I’d been nothing ever since.’

Told in the alternate POV’s of Ayda and Drew, we felt Ayda’s voice was the stronger of the two. In Ayda we found a loyal, hardworking, strong, sassy heroine who didn’t hold back on her thoughts and emotions and she was refreshing. A determined young lady who had forgone so much in her life to ensure her brother, Tate, didn’t go without and we admired her tenacity.

Drew was a very complex man. Our hearts went out to him many a time through this story. However, we would have loved to have known Drew on a deeper level. Sure, we were aware of his strengths and weaknesses and did experience his inner turmoil and the battle he forged within himself but we needed to experience Drew the way Ayda did. We needed to really get to the nitty gritty of Drew’s background and know the Drew Ayda had such strong feelings for and didn’t feel we as though we did. .

Recently released from prison, Drew has to cope with changes within his club and within the brotherhood he would protect to the death. He has to once again find his place within life and the club but who Drew really was had us a bit baffled.

‘I couldn’t help but wonder if she found it as hard to breathe her way through life as much as I did.’

Now, that’s not to say we didn’t experience the emotion of this story because we absolutely did. One love scene alone was one of the most beautiful we’ve read and had us clutching our hearts. The care and tenderness shown by Drew towards Ayda and Tate was breathtaking and if there’s one thing we knew with every beat of our hearts, it was that this man would lay down his life for Ayda.

‘When he came, our bodies seemed to melt together in the exquisite rapture of the moment, and for one blissful breath, I found my happiness in the midst of his chaos.’

We’re very much show us, don’t tell us type readers and at times, we did feel as though we were being told Ayda and Drew’s story as opposed to living it and it is for this reason and the feelings we had in regards to Drew that this wasn’t a 5 star read.

However, there was so much to love about this book and we really did enjoy it. The telling of this story between these two authors was seamless and their writing really did complement one another. There were moments of absolute beauty and heartfelt emotion in Without Consequence. It’s beautifully written and at times touched our hearts.

‘I dropped my forehead to hers and just stayed there for as long as I could, trying to find the words to tell her what was going on in my head right in that very moment. How could I express emotions I had no experience of feeling?’

We’d definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for an MC book with a difference.

**Reviewed from an ARC copy provided by the authors, with thanks **