Fire Inside by Kristen AshleyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
NetGalley free read
It wasn't as good as Own The Wind , Shy and Tabby's story, but still it was really good. After seven years of hanging around Tyra, Tack and the rest of the Chaos MC, after she was shot in Kansas protecting Elliot, Lanie approaches Hopper "Hop" Kincade for a one-night stand. Although this is her conscious intention, subconsciously she's been watching Hop and chooses him because of the type of man he is.
As for Hop, he immediately tells Lanie that it's not a good idea for them to get together, that things would get complicated. But Lanie's argument is sound, and he goes through with it and things immediately go to, complicated.
Since Motorcycle Man , we've all wondered why someone as smart, beautiful and seemingly together would be with someone like Elliot, short, a geek, dumb enough to get involved with the Russian Mob in order to pay for flowers for a wedding, not strong enough for Lanie, and someone who would us her as a shield when the bulletts go flying. In this book, we realized that Lanie discovered her father's infidelity at the age of eleven and her mother self medicated from the pain with alcohol for the past thirty of the thirty-five years they've been married. Of their two daughters, Lanie is the only one who still talks to them. She's a caretaker, trying to take care of everyone's problems, which is why she stuck with Elliot. But the moment her parents meet Hop and his children, and her father passes judgement on Hop and the Chaos family life, Lanie has had enough and stands up tho their way of life.
Hop isn't able to let Lanie go after that first night and every time she does something to push him away, he's there in her face telling her he would never do to her what Elliot did, or her father. She will never be hurt. Hop is smart enough to know that with Lanie, he has the chance for a real love. A life with someone who will care for only him and bring goodness and an example of a loving relationship to his kids. But they both make mistakes and take things out on each other.
One of the things Hop loves about Lanie is how she lets it all hang out, her "Drama" he calls it. He generally thinks its cute, but sometimes he over reacts and they break up a couple of time. When Lanie realizes she loves him and that he has the power to hurt her more than anyone else because of that love, she lets him walk away. But when Hop hears about the set up from Tack and Tyra's cop friends, he see's RED.
I really understood Laine's choice in Elliot. Though she actually loved him, he was someone she never though would hurt her. He loved her and put her on a pedestal. So when he stupidly gets them involved with the Russian Mob, she stands by him because that's what you do when you love someone. Even to her detriment. After eight years, she still hold the guilt of getting Tyra kidnapped twice and stabbed. Even Tack doesn't hold her responsible, but that doesn't mean Lanie can forgive herself. Hop helps Lanie fight her "Monster" (in other words, her demon). He's there in her face when she panics or when her monster makes her run from what could be good in her life.
Hop has his own issues. He grew up watching his parents, who loved each other, but were so different there was constant fighting, until the day his father walked out. And they are still holding strong with the fighting. When Hop realized that his relationship with Mitzi was just as dysfunctional, he left her. He thought it was better for the kids to be around parents individually who hated each other than parents who hated and constantly fought in front or around them. Once he's with Lanie, he believes that the good she brings to him will show his kids, Molly and Chad, what a good relationship and a good woman could be like.
I loved the push-pull of their relationship and if you read Own The Wind , it happens in tandem with that story and some of the things that happen in the Chaos MC world during Shy and Tabby's timeline happen in Hop and Lanie's timeline, but from a different perspective and you can get a different view from them. Although I was unhappy with Hop for not having Shy's back because he was basically dong the same thing by having a secret relationship with Lanie at the same time, I now understand why Tabby was so special to all of them and they turned on Shy for a moment. Tabby being Tack's daughter was considered off limits by the brothers and Shy having the reputation he had, he was the last person they would have ever wanted her with. I think all they guys looked at Tabby as their daughter, even Hop and that's why they considered kicking shy out. They were all being overprotective dad's. But Lanie explained to Hop how their relationship was similar and how love can change things for people and make them fight for something even if others think it's wrong.
When Lanie finds out about Hop cheating on Mitzi, she freaks and breaks up with him without letting him explain. This is at a time when she's decided she was ready to tell Tyra about their relationship. But instead she hears about how Hop was sleeping with the club groupe. Hop tells Lanie that it's none of Tyra's business, that he a Mitzi had been on a break and something about his relationship and kids, which explains why he had no reason to be loyal to Mitzi, (view spoiler) which proved how good of a man Hopper was. This also sparks one of their biggest break-ups.
Of course the relationship is amazing to read about and Lanie's complete acceptance of Hop and his lifestyle is beautiful to watch. They are so different, but she never cares what others think about him or who he is. Even when she learns what he was to Chaos when he first started with them, it takes her a minute, but she still accepts Hop. Though it does take a few fights and a break-ups for it to be clear to him.
I just love the Chaos MC's and can't wait to find out who's story is next.
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