PAN'S SALVATION starts off with a bang and Colt pushes the reader through the story with action and drama galore. The story unfolds without a lot of drawn out and overly sensational drama. The drama is definitely there but it's realistic and a bit gritty which is just what I want in a biker romance.
Pan and Lark meet under stressful and dangerous circumstances, For Lark things go from bad to worse to this is messed up beyond belief. Pan and Lark are both dealing with addiction but from opposite ends of the spectrum. Lark has placed herself in a very bad situation in order to save her sister Robin. Pan on the other hand is battling his need to drown his demons in alcohol. Although Pan has not reached the point of no return, he is teetering on the edge and he's not sure if he even cares which side he lands on.
The first sexual encounter between Pan and Lark is very uncomfortable. Lark's reaction to it was a bit confusing given the circumstances in which she found herself. Out of pure necessity everything between Lark and Pan moves very quickly. This is one of those instances where I wish things could have been developed more between the main characters after they returned home. Lark is full of pain and anxiety. Up until the time she meets Pan, Lark is in as much control of her life as possible, and according to Lark that included the bedroom. However, with Pan her life literally depends on being able to relinquish control to him.
I would have loved to have had more of Lark's background. I would have also liked to have had more of how Pan became somewhat prolific with sexual domination. He has specially crafted furniture, BDSM accouterments, but Pan's ability and proficiency with them seem to come out of nowhere. Yes, he is a dominant man but I didn't get the feel that he was a Dominant until the scene where he gives her a safe word. I would have really enjoyed that part of the story being developed a bit more. There is also the lack of safe sex between two strangers that is a bit of a pet peeve for me. Two people who have known each other for next to no time should under no circumstances have sex without proper protection. This probably will not bother many, but taking someone's word that they are disease free is a no go for me no matter the attraction or connection that is felt between them. These issues did not take away from my enjoyment of the story it just left me wishing that I had gotten a bit more.
I will definitely be exploring many more books written by Shyla Colt. I can't believe that I've been missing out on the goodness for so long!
Happy Reading!
Monica
**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
Lark Rosario spent her entire life bailing her sister, Robin out of trouble. But this time, Robin’s addiction has them both in over their heads. Lark’s working as a drug mule to gain her sister’s freedom from a cartel when she gets caught in a shootout between rival bikers. Captured and given to the biker she injured, she's at the mercy of a man she doesn’t know.
Battling addiction and self-loathing, Dueling Devils member, Hartley “Pan" Sumner can barely care for himself. The last thing he expected to be was a protector. Then he looks into the brown-eyed gaze of a woman struggling to survive and recognizes a kindred spirit, searching for freedom. Desperate for redemption, he takes his little bird under his wing and shows her the beauty of his darkness.
She’s trapped by her situation, and he’s running from his past. Together they may just have a future.
Shyla Colt grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, but has lived a variety of different places thanks to her wanderlust, interesting careers, and marriage to a United States Marine. She’s always loved books and wrote her very first novel at the age of fifteen. She keeps a copy of her first submission letter on her desk for inspiration.
After a lifetime of traveling, she settled down and knew her time had come to write. Diving into her new career like she does everything else, with enthusiasm, research and a lot of prayers, she had her first book published in June of 2011. As a full-time writer, stay at home mother, and wife, there’s never a dull moment in her household.
She weaves her tales in spare moments and the evenings with a cup of coffee or tea at her side and the characters in her head for company. A self-professed rebel with a pen. Her goal is to diversify romance as she continues to genre hop, and offer up strong female characters.
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Great review, Monica. I know what you mean about unprotected sex between strangers. It's a pet peeve of mine too. I once read a book where one of the characters was a prostitute and she would have sex with so many different men with no protection. I kept thinking, in this day and age a street savvy pro wouldn't let anyone touch her without a condom. I just couldn't suspend disbelief because it was just too contemporary an issue in a contemporary book.
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