Review: Sloe Ride by Rhys Ford

Sloe Ride (Sinners #4) by Rhys Ford
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 246pgs

3.5 Pants Off

Blurb: It isn’t easy being a Morgan. Especially when dead bodies start piling up and there’s not a damned thing you can do about it.

Quinn Morgan never quite fit into the family mold. He dreamed of a life with books instead of badges and knowledge instead of law—and a life with Rafe Andrade, his older brothers’ bad boy friend and the man who broke his very young heart.

Rafe Andrade returned home to lick his wounds following his ejection from the band he helped form. A recovering drug addict, Rafe spends his time wallowing in guilt, until he finds himself faced with his original addiction, Quinn Morgan—the reason he fled the city in the first place.

When Rafe hears the Sinners are looking for a bassist, it’s a chance to redeem himself, but as a crazed murderer draws closer to Quinn, Rafe’s willing to sacrifice everything—including himself—to keep his quixotic Morgan safe and sound

Review

~The Slowest of Rides~

I think this might be my least favourite Rhys Ford book ever and that’s saying something since I also kinda really liked it. The books before in the series was just so entertaining, charming, and really fleshed out. Sloe Ride was lacking something and its overall feel was just all over the place. 

Quinn Morgan is the odd child out of the Morgan children, he walks to a tune of his own. As a professor he already went far right of being a  Morgan, an intellectual among his macho badge carrying older brothers and father. He lives in his own little world, and while his family can be very overbearing it doesn’t stop him from living life how he wants to. Life can be anticlimactic for him, until he’s almost run off the road by a crazy driver which causes an accident. Quinn lets it go as road rage incident and thinks nothing more of it until the bodies start to pile up around him. Throw Rafe Andrade in the mix, the man he’s been lusting after since he was a teenager and his quiet life just became a storm. Rafe is someone he’s always wanted, someone is killing those around him and Quinn has had enough of his overprotective family.  

Rafe Andrade has got his own demons. Once a successful musician playing with his very successful band living his dream life, but he couldn’t stay away from the booger sugar and the pills and potions. A fatal accident leaves him questioning all his decisions, and needing to take a look at the man in the mirror. It’s time he gets clean and begin life a new because he’s already lost so much and he doesn’t want to lose himself. No matter the how crazy his life got, the Morgan’s have always been constant. Their friendship and love have kept him going. He’s got his eye on Quinn but it’s a step he can never take because he’s damaged goods and Quinn deserves better.  

What ensues is something I like to call “steroids with a side of crack”. It gets crazy folks and I mean crazy, and that is saying something when it comes to a Ford book. Someone is really out for Quinn, or should I say someone is out for anyone who gets close to Quinn whether it be romantically or friendly. The killer is unhinge and Quinn is just out there living his best life. From the get go it’s quite clear that Quinn has some sort of neurological disorder, it’s without name in the book but you come to an understanding as the reader. Brain being wired differently and all that, he’s a big ole fool. His whole persona is that he’s an intelligent guy, but somehow he forgot the intelligent part and regressed into being a foolish child. He really grinded my gears and I would have accepted his death.  

The romance…I don’t get it, I don’t understand it, and I really don’t care about it. Quinn and Rafe have no real substance and their story is lukewarm hotdog water. I was totally reading for the story, supporting characters, and the bodies dropping like flies. The “who done it” also kept me reading and I can’t say I was surprised by the psycho killer because of course it was that dude (made total sense). 

Overall, my least fave book in the series and my least fave book by the author. The writing and story here was so disjointed and all over the place I couldn’t get a proper feel for it. Quinn and Rafe really let me down as a couple which is quite disappointing because Quinn has been a very interesting character through the series and his magic got lost in his very own book. There’s so many wonderful places this book could have gone but it remained stagnant and I’m feeling the sad feels. Upside, the big amazing Morgan family is present and they carry the book and I ain’t mad it. Rafe and Quinn definitely didn’t have enough time here for them to shine here and…that was the downfall. 

Review: Book #1 Sinners Gin

Review: Book #2 Whiskey and Wry

Review: Book #3 Tequila Mockingbird