Blood & Throttle by Nova Kane
18+ Contains Adult Content
I started November off strong with my first ARC of the month, Blood & Throttle, which follows Sienna ‘Sin’ Vega and Riot Carter. This book is set in the future in a dystopian world, where the streets run red with bloodshed in The Gauntlet, a brutal death race. There are no rules in the gauntlet; you win or you die. Sienna is forced into the gauntlet to pay for a crime she is being framed for. She has a chance of freedom by winning, but Sienna doesn’t submit, and the men in the gauntlet don’t like that. She has a target painted on her back, a busted-up motorbike, and sheer stubbornness to make it to the finish line. Riot Carter is the reigning champ, the legend known as the Reaper. He’s got the fastest bike and is a weapon in his own right. Riot doesn’t care for other racers, but when he sees Sienna, he knows she is different, and he claims her as his. It becomes a full-time job trying to protect her, a job that puts a target on his back too. Blood & Throttle is being released on 12th November and is available for pre-order now.
Because in The Gauntlet, you’re fair game. On or off the track.
⚫️Enemies to lovers ⚫️Tension filled slow burn ⚫️Tell me to stop (she doesn’t) ⚫️Touch her and die ⚫️Forced Proximity ⚫️Possessive MMC ⚫️Only I can hurt you ⚫️Underground death games ⚫️Found Family ⚫️You’re mine say it ⚫️Badass FMC
🔴Murder 🔴Abuse 🔴Explicit sex scenes 🔴Violence 🔴Will update when I find the full list
But damn it all to hell, for someone so unhinged…he’s disgustingly, and unfairly fucking hot
I really enjoyed this read. I always try and sign up for Nova’s ARCs because I haven’t read a book by her that I haven’t enjoyed. This book reminded me very much of the film Death Race with Jason Statham, except with motorbikes and romance. I love that film, so naturally I was hooked from the first page of this book. I always say I don’t like dystopian reads, yet I have read 2 in the last month-ish and I have enjoyed them both immensely, so maybe I do like dystopian lol.
Riot’s built like a brawl – broad chest, veined forearms, tattoos peeking past the edges of his rolled sleeves. He looks like the devil fucked a street fighter and dumped the result on a bike.
Riot has essentially collected a group of strays, and they become a mismatched family, and the banter between them all is funny. It had me chuckling out loud. They are all their own person, but they also walk to the beat of Riot’s drum. Not in a bad way, he leads and protects them, he carries the weight of the crew on his shoulders and would die for any of them. Likewise, they would die for him, and when he brings Sin on board, the same is said for her. They pull her into the fold immediately.
He acts like a machine, but he remembers everything. Every name. Every crew member who didn’t make it. He wears it like armor under the skin
Sin has a big target painted on her back; she is framed for a crime she didn’t commit, and they want her dead. The Gauntlet is just a way to broadcast it and make money through bets. In their eyes, she isn’t going to survive, but one thing I loved about Sienna’s character is that girl never stops swinging. She isn’t about to lie down and accept her death; she is going to fight with everything she has. Even with a big target painted on her back, the crew still don’t question when Riot brings her into the fold; they accept her as one of their own and will help keep her alive. Sin has a mouth on her, and it makes me laugh. She is a brat at times. She doesn’t back down, she tells people what she thinks, and I just love her.
“You gonna bolt that thing on the bike?” he asks.
“Damn Right I am”
He smirks “it’s ugly”
“So are you”
The above quote made me laugh way too much.
Riot Carter is a cocky, broody, anger-fueled MMC. He has painted the streets with plenty of blood and doesn’t have any reservations about killing to protect those he cares about. Riot is quick, tough and a damn good rider. He is the reigning champ, on the fastest bike, and he is someone I would want protecting me. Riot has carved his way to where he is through spilling blood; you would think he wouldn’t care, and that’s the way he comes across to others in the pit, but he does care; he cares deeply about his crew, and they know that.
You want romance, Stray? I’ll survive tomorrow just so I can keep pissing you off for the rest of your life.
I really enjoyed the setting of the book, which was, like I said, dystopian vibes. I enjoyed the found family aspect, the banter and what is arguably one of my favourite tropes, the touch her and die. Nova’s writing, as always, was phenomenal and had me hooked and immersed. I know nothing about motorbikes, but I felt like I did with how Nova writes about it. Such a good read, that will make you laugh, maybe make you cry (I had a lump in my throat), and maybe make you blush, the spice was pretty hot.
Thank you, Nova, for the ARC
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
