ARC Review: On Your Knees, Prospect (Kings of Hell MC, #3) by K.A. Merikan

Blurb:

--- There is freedom in blacking boots for the right man. ---

Jake. Kings of Hell MC Prospect. Obedient. Desperate for approval.Vars. Dominant. Stern. Undead.

Jake is itching to become a patched member of the Kings of Hell MC.
For two years he's toiled as the only prospect. So when a new guy swans in and thinks he'll get a patch in no time just because he's got friends in high places, Jake is there to stand in his way.
Only that the guy is older, more experienced, drives a Harley, and has the kind of boots Jake craves to lick.
But he won't.
Because he only fucks patches.

Vars is ready to find a new home in the Kings of Hell MC after a messy relationship led him straight to hell. In comparison, the pretty, blue-eyed prospect could be just the pleasant rebound he needs.
The boy is a brat, but that could be amended with a firm hand and a gag.If only Jake was ready to admit to his submissive needs, Vars would gladly take him under his wing.That is, until he finds out something inhuman resides inside of Jake.
Vars didn’t cheat death only to call out to it again.

But stuck together in one room, keeping each other’s secrets, they might just have to become allies, no matter how unwilling. Because if there is something Vars can’t resist, it’s a boy with pleading eyes.

*

“You are mine now, boy. This room is soundproof. No one will hear you scream.”
“Yes, sir. My body is yours.”

*

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: 

Themes: motorcycle club, alternative lifestyles, demons, monster, tattoos, secrets, crime, self-discovery, gothic, fresh start, submission, stalking, PTSD, May/December, self-acceptance, enemies to lovers, Daddy/boy, body horror

Genre: Dark, paranormal M/M romance Erotic content: Scorching hot, emotional, explicit scenes, BDSM

Length: ~130,000 words (Book 3 in the series)

WARNING: This story contains scenes of violence, offensive language, and morally ambiguous characters.

Jewel's rating:



Are you all ready for some Vars and Jake?! I tell ya, this series just gets weirder and weirder! And it's full of KA Merikan trademark darkness and morally flexible characters. I love it! I would, most definitely, suggest reading this series in order. They don't really stand alone all that well. Each book is about a new couple, but the overall story arc runs from the first book, on through, so you're not going to want to miss what's going on.

Jake, whom we all know and love as the perpetual prospect for the Kings of Hell, really wants his patch. He works tirelessly, doing whatever shore or sexual favor the patched members give him. He's happy to serve, but after more than two years of toiling, he's starting to feel like he'll never be good enough. And if there's anything that Jake needs, it's to feel like he's good enough. Jake is a sweet guy, but he's also very insecure with himself and the things he wants in - and out - of the bedroom. Jake is submissive, through and through, but he hasn't yet come to terms with it or figured out what it really means, so he has it in his head that once he is patched, all these feelings will go away.

I felt bad for Jake, because he needs -- needs -- someone to really appreciate him and be just his. He needs guidance and a firm hand. Jake wants a connection. He wants and needs to be needed. He needs a Dom, but no one in the Kings of Hell is going to give him that. Meanwhile, being a prospect means that Jake has no idea about the demon or the ghosts or whatever other hellish thing might lurk in the house, so Jake, being Jake, gets himself into a situation he has no idea what is or how to get out of.


Vars is being sent to the Kings, from an associate in New York, to be their accountant. No one really knows much about him, but Magpie vouches and the Kings desperately need an accountant, and being as how Magpie is a powerful ally, the Kings accept Vars as a prospect. Vars just wants a fresh start. His ex, who was also his submissive, is a psychopath who didn't know - or care - about the meaning of "boundary". It was a horrible situation for Vars to be in, because he has limits, too, and his ex didn't respect them, at all. To make matters worse, his ex also works for Magpie as an assassin. Bad situation, all around, that. He has no intention, at all, of starting a new relationship or doing more than casual scenes. Until he lays eyes on Jake.

Vars is authority incarnate and sex on legs. He's a bad-ass older guy who checks all of Jake's boxes. But Jake also thinks that being submissive is somehow demeaning. He doesn't get that it's actually a pretty powerful dynamic. Couple that with Jake feeling a bit threatened because this guy - an unknown - comes strolling in and is on the path to get patched with seemingly little effort on his part, and Jake feels all kinds of threatened.

Secrets are piling up, both with the MC, itself, and with many of the individual members. They've found themselves beholden to forces unknown and way out of their control. I'm liking it a lot. The Kings of Hell aren't bad guys. Yeah, they're not exactly law-abiding, but they're not bad people. But they sure are in a bad situation. I love where this series is going. Demon's, ghosts, and a motorcycle club whose members would do anything for each other. They're family and family sticks together.

I loved the D/s element a lot, although there is one BDSM scene late in the book that felt overly long and unfocused. I think I know what the MC's were trying to accomplish, however, for me it didn't make the grade. I got bored when reading that scene and started skimming to the end of it to get back to the story.

Aside from that, though? I really enjoyed this latest installment to the Kings of Hell MC series and would recommend it fans of this duo's deliciously dark brand of story telling.

-----------------

ARC of On Your Knees, Prospect was generously provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.

Get the book:

Happy reading!