**Desperate Beginnings is the prequel to the Ravens Ruin MC Series, helping to explain why the club is the way is. It’s not much of a romance, but a segue into the romantic suspense series.**I don’t realize I’m the monster in this story until the rope is already snug around my neck.Every order, every move, every attempt to make things better only dig my grave a little deeper.Until this point in … little deeper.
Until this point in my life, I’d fought, killed, and bled to build my club, to prove to my son what kind of man was needed to lead Ravens Ruin MC.
Who could’ve predicted that he’d be a bigger monster than I ever dreamed?
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This is the prequel to the Ravens Ruin MC, and I had already read the 2nd & 3rd books before this one. This is a dark, intense and a gripping story which is not for the feint-hearted, and I cannot wait to read more from this talented author, whose work I highly recommend for all MC lovers.
A dark, gritty read! Not a “romance” book, but an excellent prequel to Sins of My Father. A must for any Marie James fans!
This was a quick and easy read but a very unusual style to introduce a new series. This book is brutal and yet I was captivated from the very first page. Eric/Lynch is first introduced as a baby on the day his mother is brutally murdered and then we see how he grows up under the violent guidance of his father. In Lynch’s case, the apple does not fall far from the tree but I can’t help but see some goodness in Eric/Lynch and can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest and totally voluntary review.
This book is raw, gritty, intense and crazy but I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. Marie shows us her darker side of storytelling with this prequel. and it was extreme and I was glued to the pages needing to know what happened next. This series is going to burn a whole in our hearts.
A nice short back story look at how Lynch, TJ, and Molly became the people we have come to know and love. Not necessarily important to read before starting the series, but it’s interesting to see how they started out.
Desperate Beginnings
By: Marie James
4.5 Star Review by Kristie K
A chilling and hauntingly masterful journey to the darker side of the MC world, Marie James stuns with the prequel to her Ravens Ruin MC series. A definite division from the honorable, kind, and sexy as hell men she’s known for in her Cerberus MC series and beyond, Desperate Beginnings exposes a different side to Ms. James. The devil on her shoulder whispered softly while she brought the world of Ravens Ruin MC to life, unmasking the depraved and vicious beginnings that bore the men of Ravens Ruin MC.
I’m not gonna lie, the first few chapters shocked me a bit. I’m no shrinking violet, and can totally get on board with violence and depravity in my books, but this felt so very different from the previous books I’ve read from Marie James, I was taken aback. Once the initial shock wore off, though, I was just as embedded and invested in the story as I get with any of her books. Her ability to write a tale this dark and tainted, but still make me love and sympathize with the characters, is mind-blowing. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not condoning anything he did…and I certainly didn’t LIKE Cowboy, but I could see the other side of the coin. It actually reminded me of watching the HBO series The Sopranos back in the day, the men you love to hate, and hate to love. It may not be what most people expect, but it will make you FEEL, it will make you think, and it is one hell of a ride. I’m ready to climb on, hold tight, and lean into the corners with the men of Ravens Ruin MC.
“I know what I bring to the table, so trust me when I say, I am not afraid to eat alone.” – Tony Soprano
Kristie K
Marie has a warning at the beginning of this book that states, “Please keep in mind that these guys are a**holes” and she wasn’t joking. The book gives the back story of how the Ravens Ruin began and grew and I absolutely loved it. The characters are rough around the edges, crude, and a times downright vicious. The story is gritty and intense. There are no second chances with this MC if a mistake is made. It’s a very talented author to take a cast of characters such as these and make you understand their underlying motivations and their hidden pain to the point you begin to feel sorry for them. I can’t wait to dive into the next book.
I love being able to read this one. To see how this series all started out. Just wow. This was intense right from the beginning to the end. But it will definitely have you wanting to read the whole series to see what happens with these characters. Marie does an amazing job introducing you to the characters and kind of what to expect from the series. Just an overall great book.
This “prequel” really gives a lot of insight into the beginning of the Ravens Ruin MC. You really get a solid understanding of why Lynch and TJ are the way they are as adults.
Good book—really not a “must read again” for me but it was a good read. If you want more of how Ravens Ruin came to be…definitely read!
A quick read that sets the background for this series. It’s dark and intense with twists. Looking forward to reading more.
Rough, raw and intense. This book will capture you and bring you straight into the dredge of the Ravens Ruin MC. Their beginning, their middle, and the end of reign of the original MC. Cowboy is ruthless and when you add an abundance of drugs and alcohol, he only becomes worse, bringing his young son in to witness his first killing, beginning the raising of the next monster. But Cowboy, because of major losses in his life, has spiraled down until he makes the ultimate mistake. Now, it’s time for a new monster to take over the reigns, but first there is a job that he must do.
There is no love in this book, no happily ever after. What there is is the birth of a new reign. How that reign will play out will only be found out when reading the next installment. This is your beginning; your history lesson. Read it and get ready for a ride that you will never forget, then get ready to take a new road and see where it leads you and the Ravens Ruin MC.
I highly recommend this prequel to the series.
This is how it all began. I walked in thinking one thing and came out with a whole new outlook. This book is badass, as are the characters. This book is also not for the faint of heart. Not my normal genre, but definitely a great read!
I’m so glad that I have got to read this first before delving into this series because I’m able to get all of this background first. It’s such a great setup for what’s to come. I can’t wait to get started. If the rest is as crazy as this beginning was I’m going to LOVE these books!!
Wow!!! That was one h*** of a beginning to the Ravens Ruin MC series.
It was pretty bada** to see how this MC started and worked it’s way up. Yeah, you might get that in other MC books but the author tells it as the character remembers it. I liked getting to know the OG’s first. Raven’s Ruin MC is not light on the heart. Get ready for some dark, intense moments.
I can’t wait to read what happens next.
I’m glad I read this AFTER Sins of the Father only because I enjoyed not knowing some of these inner workings before I read Lynch’s story. This is NOT your feel good, we are good MC gang guys…not even close. What it IS though is supremely engaging, riveting and yes…steamy hot as heck. I loved hearing Cowboy’s story from his point of view and knowing how his demise actually came about. There wasn’t much that was redeeming about the man but I still couldn’t help kinda liking him.
Now this is what I call a Prequel. It gives you an insight to the Raven’s Ruin MC, their dealings, and the outlaw one percenter bikers themselves. These men are powerful, ruthless and a wrecking force. The club is run by a Prez (Cowboy) that has no moral compass and he raises his kids to be exactly if not more of a force than he ever dreamed possible.
This is not an mc love story, but I highly recommend reading it before you start the series. It will give you knowledge of events that will come to fruition when the next generation runs the Raven’s MC. The generation that start with book 1 “Sins of the Father”. This is Lynch’s, (Cowboy’s oldest son) Story.
2 Thumbs Up and 5 Stars for the prequel that starts us off on what this reader feels will be one amazing ride on the dark side.
Wow, this book is nothing like I expected. TJ has been a jerk through out the series. I didn’t think he could redeem himself. But boy oh boy did he. Kaci has been blamed for the death of her little brother and then some. In complete self destruct mode, TJ is able to help her put her demons to rest while using his to do so. Amazing book. Broken people can find love too.
This is just a quick little prequel that gives us the backstory of how Lynch, TJ, and Molly came to be the people they are. Not really Molly as her brothers tried their best to shelter her from the happenings in the club. But Lynch and TJ, this gives us all the insight as to how f-ed up they are and why they are like that. I don’t feel it’s a must read, but it was insightful, I give this 4 stars.
Totally loved it. It, the beginning to a family’ s story that is so dark and twisted that I was totally captivated by it. I absolutely loved it and so intrigued at the thought of what’s to come in the following series.
This is definitely not what you would call a romance. It’s rough, gritty, and intense. Everything you would expect for an outlaw motorcycle club.
Cowboy is the man who you just love to hate. Monster was the perfect word to describe him. The blatant disregard for human life and the well being of his children made him a character who was never really able to redeem himself.
There is no HEA at the end of this story but it was exactly what was needed to lead up to the rest of the series. It provided us the background that shaped that characters in the upcoming books. Books that I cannot wait to read!