A review by loverofromance
Affliction by River Savage

4.0

Summary
Holly has a connection to the Knights Rebels, her best friend is practically engaged to their leader. There is one man she has had her eye on Sy. Sy is harsh and a grouch in Holly’s mind and she has a mind to butter him up. But after they share a a couple of steamy nights together, Holly has a surprise, but then she ends up kidnapped, and shot and her life goes down the drain and her mind is in shock and severe grief. She distances herself from everyone for months. Sy has his own past, a past that torments him every night with nightmares. When Holly goes through her own darkness, he knows he is the only one that can bring her back to the light. Its been three months, and little by little he starts to see his Holly again, vibrant and beautiful. But there is a secret that Holly is keeping from Sy, a secret that could destroy the trust and affection they have built with each other…

The Hero
Sylas Dean is a member of the Knights Rebels, his past is murky, and he still suffers from grief and dreams that haunt him. His world is anger and his painful past. He works as a tattoo artist, he is satisfied with his life now, away from any emotional attachments, to be withdrawn and do his duties. I found I loved Sylas, he is very different from our hero in the first book of the series. He is rougher around the edges and in the beginning I wasn’t sure what I thought of him. But after the “Event” you see more in-depth in his character, and his demons, and I fell for him instantly. He is tough and hard, but on the inside is emotionally vulnerable. He has this determination and iron will that I found admirable.

The Heroine
Holly is quite the independent and spirited heroine. She works at a hair salon, she has a connection to the Knights, and she is instantly attracted to Sy and she finds him too brooding and frowns all the time. She is energetic and sees life in a positive way. We see her suffer through a traumatic event, and she withdraws from everyone she loves. We see her inner strength though, and how she deals with pain, I loved seeing her grow in this story, and learn some painful lessons, lessons I feel are necessary if she wants to understand Sy in any real way.

Plot and Story Line
Affliction is the second book in the series, and with each book I read from this author the more I am impressed. If you like Bella Jewel or Joanna Wylde, you need to try this author out. Ever since reading the first book, I have been wanting to try Emma and Sy’s story. This story was so different from what I was expecting, which is good, because I do love a story that brings a bit more than what you expect from it. I enjoyed seeing these two come together, and it doesn’t happen in the average way. Both of the characters suffer from a trauma, and you see how they help each other heal, despite the secrets they both keep from each other. I want to keep this review straight and to the point so I don’t give out too many spoilers, but what I enjoyed most from this story was seeing the emotional development. There is quite a bit of sensual interludes, and boy are they HOT!! So no worries on that score, but you also see that as the plot develops you see the character become more entrenched in the story, and we see Sy and Emma grow emotionally. This is a roller coaster of grief, pain, determination, and finding love exactly when you need it most. For those that haven’t tried this author or the first book, I would highly recommend you try out the first book, “Incandescent” because you get more background on the story and trust me you won’t regret it if you enjoy biker romances.

The Cover
This cover is just so sexy and gorgeous. I love the stance of the hero here, with the slight scruffiness on this face, and all that beautiful art on his body….with the black and white theme, and the purple lettering.

Overall View
Affliction is an emotional biker romance that will have you on edge, a story of overcoming the worst pain and accepting the greatest love, a story of healing and finding hope in the bleakest of moments. TRULY MAGICAL!!