This was a well written debut with some interesting characters. I liked Bo as a character, but struggled to connect with Cass. It's difficult to make a gang leader who is involved in terrible crimes likeable, and I didn't get the feeling that Cass struggled with her actions or had any regrets or moral dilemmas. While the two leads had good sexual chemistry, I didn't feel like they spent enough time together for anything more to develop, so their connection was not believable for me. My problem was more with the characters than the author's writing style or her ability to produce chemistry, I think the author is promising and I look forward to reading her next work.

This book was provided by netgalley for a review.

I haven’t previously read many books in the gang crime genre; however, this was a good introduction!

I liked that both characters were in the morally grey area and it wasn’t a scenario where an angel cop inexplicably falls for someone in a gang. It was definitely exciting to see the connection grow, but also the struggle of having an attraction to someone you shouldn’t be with.

It ends in a cliff hangar so I’m assuming there will be a sequel! Otherwise, it would be a poor ending.

This was an excellent debut! I loved the procedural aspect. The heat between the main characters was off the charts!

This was a decent read for me. I probably would have liked it better if Detective Bo Alexander did not have to fall for criminal Cass Halliburton. Technically she didn't do anything wrong, but the idea that she fell for someone who was not a good person. Sure Cass can be seen as a person who wants to change, but she still lives that life. Overall it's okay enough.

This arc was provided by netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.

3.5 stars. I struggled to get into this book for a while, but I came to the conclusion in the end it was me, not the book, so whilst it took me a while to get into it, and therefore review it, I ended up actually quite liking this one, much to my surprise.

Bo Alexander is a detective for the Galveston PD. We first meet her on a stakeout trying to get information about the Voleurs - a well known biker gang, who are up to something on the island - but she can’t work out what.

In the undertakings of her job, she encounters Cass Halliburton, the number two of the Voleurs, essentially her enemy and the person she needs to get the better of in order to make her operation work. The only problem is their attraction to each other.

To be honest, neither character is particularly likeable, yet somehow that seemed to be ok for me. Bo has issues, many of them, mainly related to her past. Cass has them too, from her past and choice of employment. I wouldn’t say I found either character redeemable, but I found them interesting. There was enough intrigue and subterfuge within the narrative to make me want to keep reading once I got past the first quarter of the book.

The ending was a downer for me, but I’m hoping it means there will be another part to the series.

This is a good first time novel for Wilburn and I will definitely be interested in their next book, whether that’s a follow-up to this or not. I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re not into dark characters who screw up a lot.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Multi layered characters that cannot be viewed as good vs bad, right vs wrong.

Drugs are a business - someone is going to sell them - welcome to the family business. Cass Halliburton is a driven, ambitious, motorcycle gang leader and unhappy drug lord. Her father demands unspeakable things and unquestioning loyalty.

Bo Alexander is righteous detective with a rigid standard of right and wrong.

Her path crosses with Cass Halliburton's in a predictable way and that is when the layers of the characters begin peeling back.

The story is tense with sexual attraction and solving the puzzle of how to stop organized crime from expanding in a small city.

Good read. Would like to see more of Bo Alexander.

Nearly a 4*

I really enjoyed 'A far better thing'' It's JD Wilburn's debut novel and it's good! Cass and Bo, are like chalk and cheese, complete opposites! One a cop, one a criminal. Both fall for each other only to complicate their personal lives. The chemistry is slowly built up between the pair from the very start.
For me, I enjoyed the story, it's a simple crime/thriller/ whos-done it kind of book. The plot is simple and easy to follow,. I wasn't overly keen on Cass, she came across as one of them petty adults who always gets what they want... but it made the chemistry between the pair work.

The book ends on a massive cliffhanger.. and I can't wait to read the next part....

Detective Bo Alexander experienced what drugs and alcohol can do to you first hand, and from an early age decided to try and help people keep safe.
Cass Halliburton grew up in the Bandidos, the most ruthless motorcycle outlaw club in the world, and she's in Galveston Island to watch over the national expansion of her 'business'.
Bo is assigned to the task force which is going to take Cass down, but Cass plans on making sure Bo keeps her nose out of her business. The clues aren't adding up and the attraction between the pair is mounting every time they meet, which is when things start to get dangerous between the pair.

When Bo is given information that is far more threatening than people anticipated, someone in the shadows wants payback. Bo and Cass are on opposites sides of the law, both deciding if they should take the risk on love and walk away from everything they know...

I was given a copy for an honest review.

The sizzle between the the main characters was off the chart. Now for the story. Cassidy Halliburton, member of a notorious motorcycle gang with a ruthless step-father. Cass is into one night stands with no strings attached. Detective Bobbi Alexander, is focused on making a difference by keeping her hometown, Galveston Island, drug free. That focus becomes complicated when she encounters Cass. As the story unfolds, I thought about how interesting it is when authors write a "bad guy" character in such a way that it is hard not to like them and want something good to happen to them and for them, aka, Cain Casey in the devil series.

The story did not draw me in as much as the interaction/push and pull between Bo and Cass. Sex or romance? Because the ending left an opening for a follow-up, I am interested enough to check it out.

A decent crime/romance genre with two strong female leads. I did enjoy the set up with the women being on opposite sides of the situation, so to speak, and that they were each so tough in their own right. Some of the writing felt a little forced - mostly in terms of dialogue - and the burn from adversary to lovers could have been a bit more fleshed out.

For a debut novel, this is a pretty good whodunit. When it comes to drugs, Detective Bo Alexander can't take a joke. She's learned from her past and is doing everything she can to keep drugs off Galveston Island, at least as much as possible. The arrival of Cass Halliburton, vice president of the Voleurs, a feared and criminal motorcycle gang catches Bo's attention. It looks like the Voleurs are looking to expand their business here. The Narcotics Division has heard rumors of drug activity through their undercover agents. But when Bo gets a tip about trafficking women, everything changes.

Cass and Bo are like fire and water, on opposite sides of the law, and really, the two have no chance of being more than enemies, do they? But what happens when the lines aren't so clear after all? And the attraction becomes stronger and stronger? Is everything really always black and white between a cop and a criminal? It's exciting to see the two try to get along, even help each other, while the chemistry between them gets hotter every time they see each other. What should they do? What can they do?

What I liked best was the mystery/thriller part. Who plays what role in the whole convoluted case, who should Bo believe, and what should she do with this angry and infuriating woman who follows her into her dreams? From the first meeting there was a lot of sexual tension, at first it was just lust, but when feelings came into play the rules changed and it was exciting to learn how the two main characters dealt with their growing attraction despite having little chance to move their relationship forward.

Bo and Cass are not my favorite couple in the lesbian romance world, but they have a certain appeal to me. I didn't always agree with their actions, especially in regards to casual sex with other women when the power balance wasn't even.

This book ends in a cliffhanger, which hopefully means there will be a continuation of the story. And I hope so too, I really want to know if what I think is true. If not it would suck. Overall, an exciting story, with some bumps, but still very entertaining. An enemies-to-lovers story in a double sense, as being on opposite sides of the law and having conflicting personalities.

My rating 3.5 stars.
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for providing an ARC for an honest review

2.75 Stars. Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. I think it was written well for a debut, and I can see some good potential in Wilburn. I’m a big crime/intrigue fan, so I’m excited to have a new author that writes in this genre. The problem was that this story didn’t fit my personal tastes. Chances are high that this book might work much better for others readers.

I have a problem with not always reading book blurbs, especially when it might be for a mystery, crime, thriller, or intrigue book. I think blurbs can give too much away so I tend to skim them. I’m not sure what happened here but I really read this book blurb wrong. I thought this was more of a detective mystery type book. Instead, I would put this in the crime and intrigue category. I actually love that genre too, but it is not what I thought I was getting. The other problem is I don’t like books about gangs. It’s funny because I love Ali Vali’s Cain series about mobsters, but gangs, which a lot of the time involves human trafficking, is something I just don’t like to read about. When I started to read the early reviews, I realized my error and I was kicking myself for not reading the blurb more carefully. But, I still had high hopes since a lot of people enjoyed this one. Unfortunately, I just never clicked with the book.

I had trouble connecting with the story overall. It took me three days to read this because I kept picking it up and putting it down after reading only 15-20% at a time. There was nothing that was gripping me and forcing me to turn the pages. To be honest, the only reason I did not DNF this book is because it was an ARC. I want to be clear that it was not because of Wilburn’s writing, this was a well written debut, it just was that this story was not for me.

In the end, my biggest issue was with the characters. I just did not care for either one. One is the gang’s second in command, and the other is a detective that is one horny bastard. The two women are attracted to each other, but I didn’t feel like it was an actual romance. There was nothing to get me to like the gang leader and I didn’t find her to have that spark of something that makes a reader like a morally grey character. Just because she wants to sleep with the detective, does not make her redeemable in my eyes. Funny enough, I think I liked the detective even less. She was brash and seemed to say things just for certain shock value. And she had this thing that I can only describe as sexually attacking a prostitute, which she had a history with. I get that they were together in the past, but the roughness or their encounters and the power imbalance or it all, always left me feeling ick.

This story did end on a cliffhanger. When I realized I didn’t even care, that was the final nail in the coffin for me. I will not be reading the sequel, but I would read something else that Wilburn wrote in the future. I think she has potential to be around for a while, but this book was not for me. I would suggest reading the book blurb and reading some other reviews to see if this book might be for you.

This book just wasn't for me. DNF.

If I had to say why, it would be because I didn't like the characters and there was a lot of unrealistic sexual energy/encounters? Weird scenarios/situations. Couldn't get into it.

What a wonder debut novel ! Brilliant story, lovely fleshed out and flawed characters. Story moved at a great pace, totally kept my interest. And hello, some hot scenes, not too graphic, just right. And I can’t say much about the ending, except I loved it and left me with questions- like will there be a sequel ? I’m glad I got to ARC his book, and can’t wait for the next JD book.

A very fun, entertaining and intense read. Bikers, Sex and Drugs. Without giving too much away, Bad girl meets Cop and overtime their attraction grew. I'm pretty sure there has to be a book 2 after that huge cliff hanger. I mean come On!! A must read. I recommend, 5 stars.


I received an ARC from the publisher old Strokes Books via NetGalley for my honest opinion.

This is a very entertaining crime read with plenty of action, sex and drugs. The story is a big puzzle and although some of it is predictable it is intriguing.

Not sure if I would call a romance between the 2 main characters but there was definitely attraction between them. I usually struggle with very masculine characters with men names and this was no different.

I wasn't expecting the book to finish on a cliffhanger so hopefully book 2 is coming out soon.

ARC received in exchange for a honest review

Good storyline. Did enjoy this book. I am assuming (hopefully) there will be a sequel. Can't leave it there! Still a few knots to be tied up! What happened to ??, and also?? as well as?? Don't want to name names as it will spoil it! Looking forward to a follow up book.

This book is intense. The beginning has Cass and Bo getting into a fight and Cass almost breaking Bo’s nose. Then we move to Cass almost stalking Bo, always in the shadows, listening and watching Bo. There was a lot of tension in the beginning of the story so it’s a slow burn. And at first I didn’t care for Cass but then I got to the first scene with the other Voleur leaders and her stepfather and I felt for her. All in all, this book had it all, fight scenes, suspense, a cliff hanger ending, and romance. I will definitely read the next one

Before entering to evaluate the book, thrillers are not my favorite genre, although with some exceptions I tolerate them well and female characters that without being trans are very masculinized and it is almost as if the character were a man, they do not interest me. And this story has these two things that have not made me really involved in the plot. It's a matter of taste.

In addition, the character Cass is really messed up, since she could both be the queen of the worst badass bikers in the universe and a Disney princess. And Bo, she only lacked to scratch her balls and spit, no offense intended.

And above all, the story is not finished, I suppose because the author will have a continuation on the way.

So my final rating is this story is underaverage, saying this only because I appreciate the effort, but it has not met a minimum of coherence and it's too convoluted.

This is a pretty entertaining debut. It's a crime story more than anything else.

Detective Bo Alexander is adamant to keep drugs off of her Galveston Island, even though this is a sort of pipe dream, she does the best she can. In rolls Cass Halliburton, VP of the largest motorcycle gang in the world, with plans to expand their business. But what business are the expanding that needs direct supervision of the VP? Bo is thrown for many loops and it takes her a while to make all the puzzle pieces fit together. One thing is pretty clear, she is attracted to Cass, distractingly so. But she could never be with a crime lord, she is a cop with a great sense of duty.

There is a lot of sex/ mentions of sex in this book and not all of it sits too well with me. I won't describe it, but I think you will know what I am talking about when you read this book. Bo and Cass both struggle with what they should be doing and want to do, I think the author does a pretty good job there. at first both characters seem flat but as the story continues they develop and get some much-needed depth.
Some things in this book were pretty predictable, but the ending blew me away, very unexpected. I would say the ending is a major cliffhanger and I am certainly expecting a second book. I for one can't wait to see where the story goes. Solid 3.5 star read.

3.5 stars. Wilburn delivers with this debut book a very suspenseful crime story, I enjoyed this a lot! It’s a standoff between the Galveston PD, represented by Detective Bo Alexander, and the Voleurs (the biggest international motorcycle club), represented by their Vice President Cass Halliburton.

Cass’s arrival to the Voleurs chapter on Galveston Island stirs the already precarious situation between the Voleurs and the Galveston PD. If the Vice President is showing up, then something big is about to happen and Bo is determined to find out what it is and stop it. Bo and Cass quickly clash and find each other a force to reckoned with, both professionally and personally.
The book is written in the third person from the POVs of Bo and Cass. Exact details about the dealings of the Voleurs, however, are not given, so this remains a mystery which slowly unravels as Bo’s investigation is progressing. I found myself wanting to continue and figure out what was going on. The investigation was interesting with a good plot, although I picked up on some of the hints quite easily, so some things were a bit predictable, but the ending was spectacular and unexpected.

The romance is the epitome of an enemies-to-lovers romance. They are on both sides of the law and their first meeting was definitely not painless (literally). While there is chemistry from the start, this was mainly sexual tension. Only very slowly do they get to know each other and start caring for each other. However, a relationship with a criminal is a no-go for Bo, which causes a lot of inner conflicts, but I was rooting for them to get together.
I have to mention there was a lot of casual sex. I don’t mind casual sex in books, but both mains seemed to have quite a fixation on sex, which made them feel rather young (I’m not exactly sure about Cass’s age, but Bo is 32). Furthermore, some of the described casual sex scenes made me a bit uncomfortable (due the location or a power imbalance).

I sincerely hope this is the first book of a series as the end screams for a sequel. While some parts appear to be finished, I would still describe this as a cliffhanger. I know I will be reading the sequel! There are some small issues, but all in all it’s a very solid debut. I recommend this to those who enjoy a gritty crime investigation with characters that have some rough edges.