The Porter brothers were raised to live and die by Three Rules.One, a Porter always keeps what’s his.Two, a Porter stands his ground.Three … their lives. Now the Porters stayed on their side of the mountain while the Hayes stayed on theirs.
Believing it was easier to coexist as frenemies with Jessie Hayes rather than changing the Porter stubborn ways, Dustin was content with booty calls, raising his son, and growing weed as a side business … until he heard her screams. Now he was going to show a murderer just how much they had underestimated this Porter brother. And he was going to have to break his father’s last rule: Leave no enemy standing … to claim the enemy that held his heart.
WARNING
This work of fiction is intended for mature audiences only. All sexually active characters portrayed in this ebook are eighteen years of age or older. Please do not buy if strong sexual situations, rape, violence, drugs, child abuse, and explicit language offends you.
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Omg !
I have so many words and mixed emotions about Dustins book that i don’t even know where to really start.
To me this had the same emotional turmoil that Shade did. I haven’t cried as much reading a book then i did with shade but this one holy frack balls did i cry like a new born baby. Jamie have us a deeper in site into the Porter family and its history. The cruelty that their father bestowed upon his children was harsh and mean. And stubbornness and pride stood front and center in how he raised Dustin,Tate, Rachel and Greer. But they were also taught to love each other and protect each other no matter the cost.
With Jessie and Dustins history and the family war between Jessie family and Dustin’s all because of their fathers hstred of each other stopped Dustin and Jessies love for each other before it could even get started. Years wasted on hurt feelings and loyalty to their own families nearly didnt see the two coming together however when the unthinkable happens and Jessie is almost lost to Dustin forever Dustin goes in search of Jessie and vows to bring her home safe and sound.
Truely Dustins book is one of the best besides Shade that is in the last rider series, and thats saying something because everyone of those books is amazing and ive given them five star reads . I highly recommend this series and the spin off books to every reader just make sure you have tissues at hand first , your going to need it.
4.25 Stars! It seems I’ve been waiting for Dustin’s book forever, but he was certainly worth the wait. The Porter Brothers live and die by family, and that fact is clearly seen with Dustin’s story.
Summary:
Dustin Porter may seem like the calmest of the three Porter brothers, but he’s no less wild and passionate about his beliefs and family. He’s enjoyed watching his brother’s find happiness with their women, and he wants that for himself. He never had to search for his true love, though. He’s known her since they were kids. Where they once were playmates and had fun causing trouble together, they are now enemies. Their fathers saw to that. The Porters have their side of the mountain, and the Hayes have theirs. The obstacles in their way seem insurmountable. It’s easier to take care of his needs quickly and unemotionally, raise his son, and grow his side hustle than to try to overcome the stubborn ways of both families. Dustin’s attitude changes quickly when Jessie’s life is put in danger. He’s done being underestimated. He’ll show a murderer just who the most lethal and cunning Porter Brother is, while claiming his enemy as his own.
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From the moment we met them, I wanted the Porter brothers to have their own stories. I knew without a doubt it would be an entertaining ride, what with their intense love, loyalty, and in-your-face crazy. Neither Tate nor Greer disappointed, both revealing hidden depths, and Dustin was just as compelling. From previous books, we learned that Dustin was kind, loyal, loved his family, and could handle a rifle just as well as his kin. But Claiming His Enemy showed us his underlying intensity, determination, patience, and sensitivity. In short, he made me swoon. He was an amazing father, and his tenderness towards Jessie was so sweet. In the other books, he wasn’t made out to be as alpha as his brothers, seeming to be the loveable, goofy Porter. While he had a sense of humor and could be playful, he was incredibly smart and just as lethal and cunning as his brothers. Jessie was a sweetheart. We haven’t seen a lot of her before, just glimpses really. She was kind, loving, and just as loyal as the Porters, with a mischievous edge. She was so strong. She endured horrific tragedy and survived. I did feel that the aftereffects of her ordeal were a little downplayed, but that may have been a consequence of her not remembering any of it. I loved Jessie and Dustin together. I loved their forbidden romance; the sneaking to see each other, and that they had memories from infancy to fall back on. For me, it made the romance sweeter. I have conflicting feelings on Jessie saving herself for Dustin for so long while it seemed he had no problem living his life. On one hand, it was sweet and showed her depth of love for him, but on the other, he moved on and I would have liked to see her try to search for happiness elsewhere. Overall, it was all I’ve come to expect from Jamie Begley and the Porters. The storyline was interesting and the romance sweetly sexy, although I wouldn’t have minded more. Some of the dialogue was a little hard to follow a few times and I had to go back a few paragraphs, but it didn’t detract too much from the story. The twist at the end took me by surprise and had tears rolling down my cheeks. It broke my heart, but as I’ve come to expect from JB, she put all the pieces back together even better than before. Supporting cast was awesome. We got to see the other Porters, a bit of The Last Riders, and even a few of the Predators. We only missed the Biker B*tches. I haven’t yet read Stalker, so there were a few references I didn’t completely get, but again, it didn’t affect the story too much. I’m sad to not have any other Porters to read, unless JB gives us a future story for Logan and Darcy (PLEASE DO THIS. I’M BEGGING YOU!). I’d also really like some stories from the Hayes, especially Asher’s and Holt’s.
Maybe 3.5 stars. The story was pretty good but definitely not my favorite. So many characters that I couldn’t keep them all straight. As usual, the author did what she does best, bringing forth a deep sense of love of family and family/friends support in times of need with a deeper thread of the importance of faith
Another emotional addition to the Porter Brothers Trilogy!
This book was a beautiful balance of heartache & happiness. It made me ugly cry, it made me laugh, it pissed me off & it made my heart smile. I simply couldn’t put it down.
The best thing about this book… The love the Porters have for one another. The bond this family shares is arguably the strongest, most unbreakable one in this entire series. That fact has been demonstrated time & time again in the books through actions, words & of course, the spirits.
*****SPOILERS*****
As for our main couple in this book, Dustin & Jessie… they were pretty darn cute together. I love that they had a second chance kind of romance going on & that they were playmates when they were little. Couples who have a history like they did, always know how to touch my heart.
Dustin… Loved his jealous streak, the way he loved Logan & how he protected his family, even while in the midst his own personal struggle. The attempts to win Jessie over with Logan at the mud hole & when camping, turned into some super fun scenes too. And that whole “bring-church-to-the-Porter’s-property” thing… *swoon* My biggest gripe with him… the fact that he didn’t fight harder for Jessie. At the very least, he should’ve tried to make contact with her some time during the last three years, when she moved into town & opened her daycare. I just don’t get why he was still worried about her brothers at that point in time. And all that Sam sh*t? He said that Sam would always be second best to Jessie but after reading some of the little notes he left Jessie in their hidey-hole, it didn’t always come across that way to me. I mean, dude… Don’t profess your love to her AFTER you just said you got someone else pregnant!
Jessie… My heart went out to this woman. What she had to go through was horrific. Throughout it all, she remained tough, down-to-earth & was such a caring person. Loved her relationship with her brothers (Holt braiding her hair was beautiful), the way she was with Logan & how hardworking she was. I really wish she would’ve struck up a friendship with Jo. They’re both mountain women, both have gone through trauma, have similar familial situations & tomboy-ish traits. Scenes with them & Rachel would’ve been golden!
More FAVORITES-
*Greer- Him as a daddy was a-freakin’-dorable. And him in that bridal shop scene… OMG, he was so sweet & funny!
*Ema- Just like her Uncle Greer, this little lady was a SCENE-STEALER! The possessiveness she showed over “Her Dusty” was the cutest thing ever!!
*Cole- His appearance at the end of the book was awesome to see. It was only a taste but it sure left me hungry for more. Really hope he gets his own happily ever after in a future Predators book!
Some WTF?!!-
*Ginny/Genny- Which is it?! She started out as Ginny, so it should stay the same way throughout the series.
*Age inconsistencies- I’ve learned to go with the flow where ages are concerned (because they ALL seem to be drinking from the Fountain of Youth in this series) but I just had to put it out there that there is no way Jessie could only be 18 when she opened the daycare. Pretty sure she’s older than Rachel & that she was older than 11 years old when Logan was born… *shrugs*
*Too many new characters- I love me some new additions to the cast of characters but I almost couldn’t keep them straight. I LOVE the new single dads we met through Jessie’s daycare but there were one too many single ladies introduced for my liking. (I don’t want Gavin with ANY of them, by the way!)
So excited to get my hands on the next book in this ongoing saga! Remember that since each book builds off of the last one, Jamie Begley books are best read in order. Be sure to check out the recommended reading order on her website, on Amazon or here, on goodreads. 🙂
Side Note: How the f*ck is Kaley still alive?! She was in the church when Beth, Razer & Lily were kidnapped in Shade 2 & stood by when Beth was being whipped. How is she not in jail or at the VERY least been kicked out of Treepoint?!! #ridiculous
Side Note #2: I’m still in a very “F*ck you, Penni!” mood, after the sh*t she pulled in Stalked with Greer. It’ll take more than Shade’s help to get you in my good graces, girl.
Okay, JB is still staying away from STD sex and changing sex partners with this one, thank you VERY much, but it lacks the charm and sweetness of the Standing His Ground: Greer. Greer is still the strongest and funniest presence in this book, stomping and bellowing his way through this one with his beleaguered bride who has learned how to handle him. The spirit of Diana Palmer is strong in books 2 and 3 in this series.
Then there are the hero and heroine. Umm Dustin and Jessie. Zzzzzz. Kind of bland. Childhood friends/sweethearts, bad parenting rips them apart where the H grows up and gets a skanky bee-yotch pregnant in drama in one of The Last Riders books, supposedly sleeps his pain away all the while keeping the heroine sacred in his heart. Barf. Meanwhile, the h channels virginal Sainthood, opens a Preschool, and pines for the hero for all the firsts they should share.
With the skanky bee-yotch dead and raising his plot moppet, the H is really not much of a manwhore, more of a tired single Dad in a small-town full of hungry women.
Begley lost me when she uses the murder of one woman and the rape of the heroine as the catalyst for stupid Dustin to realize that the h has been in his heart as his number one all these decades years. No bueno. The discovery of the murderer/rapist was awkward and out of left field, plus with all the Last Riders hanging around for cameos they really should have hauled the bad guy off for some serious retribution.
The discovery of the murderer is not the end. We have another supernatural subplot that doesn’t work near as well as the one in Standing His Ground: Greer, but is some of the best part of this book. Some poignant and nice moments are the family coming together and solving a huge problem in a uniquely sweet way. Bottom line, the true hero of this book is Ema, Cash and Rachel’s little girl.
Summary of why it didn’t work. One that will trigger rage for readers of The Last Riders series.
1. Boring and bland romance between the H and h.
2. Rape of the virginal victim with no therapy other than yelling at her idiot, hillbilly brothers and snuggling with the hero. Only after she’s told him she can never see him again.
3. Lastly, the sanitization of St. Bliss, all around good friend, loving trophy wife and preschool worker. PRESCHOOL WORKER?
Geez Louise, have I been in one heck of a book slump. I was practically jumping up and down with joy when I finished Claiming the Enemy. I even looked at my husband and said, “I like it. I really like it!” His response was, “Oh, thank God!” I may have been a tad bit whiny about my reading slump.
I had put off reading Claiming the Enemy for a long time. I’ve never been a big fan of Rachel’s brothers. But, of the three, Dustin has always been my favorite. He’s flawed, yes, but he learned from his mistakes. Well, sort of since he’s the one behind this year’s bumper harvest. I digress. Now he’s a father, and he has worked hard to become a great accountant. Unfortunately, he’s still fighting against the prejudices aimed against his family because of their way of life and the family business.
I loved getting to know Jessie and her family. What happened to Jessie was horrifying but raised on that same mountain as Dustin, she was just as tough. It was rough going for a while, but she persevered after she accepts help from her friends and family.
As for her brothers, I freaking loved them. Cut from the same cloth as the Porter’s, I went in thinking I’d hate them. But, despite the seriously ugly Porter/Hayes feud that had been ongoing for decades, they didn’t even blink at doing what was best for their sister. Even if it meant accepting Jessie needed help from Dustin Porter himself.
Dustin and Jessie’s past made their journey believable. I raised my eyebrows at not only the dramatic turn things took for Dustin at the end, along with Jessie’s sweet, romantic and super convenient but hard to swallow discovery. Thankfully, I was so into the emotion and flow of the story; I didn’t let it bother me too much.
Even with the OTT, eyebrow raising dramatics, I could not put Claiming the Enemy down. The writing flowed well, it had lots of emotion, some action, and it was sexy. It’s definitely my favorite Porter Brothers Book, and it is high on the list of favorites from the Last Rider’s World.
Rating: 4 Slump Breaking Stars
I love all of Jamie Begley’s books!