Review | Rafe: Inked Brotherhood #5 by Jo Raven

Rafe: Inked Brotherhood #5 by Jo Raven

New Adult Contemporary Romance Published April 13th, 2015
Independently Published with CreateSpace

Author's website  |  Goodreads  |  Buy the Book on Amazon

Synopsis from Amazon US:

His name is Rafaele Vestri, Rafe to his friends.

He’s tall, strong, handsome. Distant. He often comes to the coffee shop where I work, but we don’t talk much. He looks at me, though. Stares at me, his gaze heated, and I can’t help but stare back. I want him, I won’t deny it. I’ve never seen anyone that beautiful, anyone that powerful, in my life.

But he’s growing more withdrawn by the day. Something’s up, and he won’t tell. I know about his past—the murder of his family when he was fifteen. I can imagine how much it must have cost him. So much violence contained in that strong body, waiting to be unleashed. What is he seeking? What is he training so hard for? Why is he looking at me like he’s dying to touch me, but won’t dare?

Even as I try to stop thinking about him, get interested in other boys, I realize I can’t. I’m caught, body and soul, just like that. And I tell myself, Megan, girl… What have you gotten yourself into this time? 

Standalone novel. 

No cliffhanger.
*Warning: this book contains graphic language, sex, and violence. Mature readers only. Not intended for young readers.* 

My Thoughts….

Oh my goodness! Where do I start?! This book drew me in from page one and had me hooked until the very end! Plus, it made me HOT! Ladies, pull our your mini-fans, the heat is about to be turned up! I’ve followed the Inked Brotherhood boys since Asher, and I have to say, Rafe is probably my favorite book out of the five.

Rafe, drummer for Deathmouth and owner of Damage Control (tattoo shop that all the Inked boys belong to), has fallen on hard times. The anniversary of his family’s murder is coming up and he’s basically losing his mind. Ever since he “thought” he saw the man who killed his mother, father, and sister, he’s only focused on getting revenge.  He can’t sleep, can’t eat; he can barely function.  Then we meet Megan. She moved to Madison from Philadelphia to get away from her alcoholic mother and her mother’s string of abusive boyfriends. After her roommate leaves her high and dry with their apartment to take care of, she is left to fend for herself. She knows Rafe through some mutual friends, but can't find the confidence it would take to have a serious conversation with him. She just knows him as the man she can never have. 

Half Sicilian, half German, Rafe is that man we all want a slice of. He’s that “silent but deadly” type of friend we all had growing up. With his shaggy blonde hair, sexy brooding eyes, and a “come at me bro” attitude, Rafe is the perfect eye candy. In the group, he is known as the “fixer”. If Rafe could make things right for someone, he did. However, he won’t let himself find the happiness he so desperately craves. He thinks because he lived through the tragedy that struck his family, he has to live the rest of his life in punishment and shame. Without the pain, he is just an empty shell.  

Megan on the other hand, just wants to feel safe and loved. Running from Philly was the hardest thing she’s ever done and she lives every moment in fear that her mother’s ex-boyfriend will find her and make her pay for what she did. She hates the worthlessness that she feels and thinks that by evading the hot topics, she is in the clear. I admire her though, in a way, because she never stops fighting. Even though she has no control over most of her life, she still pushes onward.

 By getting into an underground fighting league , Rafe is given the access he needs to execute his revenge plan. What he doesn't understand is that by focusing all his energy and anger towards his thirst for revenge, he is pushing everyone who loves him away, especially Megan. Yet, it is their persistent need to "fix" each other that eventually saves them. True love cannot be extinguished by darkness. 

I just can’t get over their love story! After so many hardships, they still come back to each other. The bond Rafe has to the Inked Boys and to Megan astounds me, simply because of the darkness he’s seen and the soul searching he’s done.  The only and I mean ONLY negative thing I have to say about this novel is that it is a bit fast paced for me. The climax seems to be a whirlwind of events and I had to go back and re-read a couple of sections just to keep up. Other than that, I loved it. Seriously, this book is a MUST READ!

Rating: 8/10

P.S. - A little extra from Amazon about this series - 

Five boys brought together by fate. Five young men trying to overcome their troubled pasts. Five tattoos marking them as a brotherhood built on tragedy. Will they find understanding and rise above the pain? 

Five girls tied by friendship. Five young women fighting their own demons. Five lives laced with sorrow. Will they be strong enough to save the men they love and make them happy? 

The series comprises five interconnected, stand-alone novels: Asher, Tyler, Zane, Dylan and Rafe. 

Victoria ♥