Under Locke

2.5
I don't know what to say...
From “fleshly valuables” to saying “babe” on every page, the writing leaves much to be desired.
While the premise was interesting, the delivery was just not it and I will excuse Mariana because this was her debut novel. Thankfully her writing has improved because this book was a no for me.

It pains me to rate this book so low because I have loved every other book Mariana Zapata has written. Under Locke just didn't do anything for me. The writing was sort of a mess and the story was hard to follow at times. Iris was beyond annoying and even though she's supposed to be 24, the way she acted and spoke reminded me of a teenager. I've also concluded that maybe motorcycle club books just aren't my thing because I'm not here for big, burly caveman-type dudes who speak in grunts and resort to fighting and violence when things don't go their way.

Esse é meu primeiro livro da Mariana e estou animada para ler os outros, mesmo não tendo gostado muito da história. Seria ótimo como uma leitura para passar o tempo, se fosse 200 páginas menor.
O Slow Burn, pelo que a autora é conhecida, é muito bem feito e sempre acho mais crível e realista os personagens começarem a se gostar aos poucos (embora nesse livro em específico eles até que se gostam bem rápido). Gostei muito de como a autora aprofunda os personagens, a primeira parte do livro foi bem interessante pra mim. Mas a linguagem... Não uso palavrões e sabia que obviamente haveria pelo background dos personagens, mas pra mim empobreceu bastante a prosa da autora. Achei os diálogos bem agressivos e misóginos e não me apeguei aos personagens. Mas, como algumas amigas me garantiram que vou gostar de vários dos livros da MZ vou persistir e partir pro próximo livro dela, Kulti!

⭐ Ponto positivo: o plot é muito bom e amei a coisa toda de “família que a gente escolhe”

❌ Ponto negativo: a linguagem

After becoming unemployed, Iris moves in with her brother and gets a job as a receptionist in Dex's tattoo shop. Being polar opposites, Iris and Dex are off to a rocky start.  That is, until the members of another bike club and the Croatian mafia show up to collect on a debt Iris's dad owes them. With her brother gone to look for him, Iris has to move in with Dex in order to stay safe. What could go wrong when a naive innocent pretty woman moves in with a hot dangerous grumpy man?
This was my third time reading Under Locke, and when reflecting on it, I found Dex to be too much of an asshole, and Iris was a bit too naive for my liking. And some of the humor is that of an 11-year-old boy. But don't get me wrong, I still love the book! I will probably read it again in the not-very-far future, but I think the characters in more recent Mariana Zapata books are more developed and likable.  The story itself is interesting, I like seeing the relationship development in Mariana Zapata's books going slowly from dislike to friendship to love. I think that is what makes me forgive all their personality flaws and root for them!

5.00 for the AB / 3.00 generous stars for the story, and it's all Iris' faultSo how long was this book? The audio says 16hrs. and the ebook say 486 pg. but to me it felt like this went on weeks, months, years, eons??? I dunno. IT. WAS. ETERNAL. I liked [b:Kulti 24044596 Kulti Mariana Zapata https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1419402858s/24044596.jpg 43644221] and [b:The Wall of Winnipeg and Me 29367958 The Wall of Winnipeg and Me Mariana Zapata https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456774327s/29367958.jpg 48358625], they're long and slow-burn, but H and h are people with rich, even if pedestrian, lives. People who, even when their being a**holes, have logical reasons for acting as they do, and the long stretch that it takes for the H/h to get together is logical and makes, the ultimate HEA, well earned & satisfying. In this case I can't say the same and the main reason is Iris Taylor. This girl! Ugh! She was exhausting! And the arc of her story, which only covered 3 months, felt like a lifetime. I think part of the problem might be that this is an earlier book from [a:Mariana Zapata 5760202 Mariana Zapata https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1330380214p2/5760202.jpg]. [b:Lingus 13500758 Lingus Mariana Zapata https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1330240154s/13500758.jpg 19047610] also didn't work for me, and for similar reasons. The male characters, despite being (sanitized versions) of MCs, which are not my preference in books or in RL, are at least logical in their actions and ultimately likable. I can't say the same thing for Iris. That girl tried my patience. On the one hand she was this virginal, but capable, long suffering, good girl. On the other hand she's a bit of a damsel in distress, which I don't mind, but also pretty quick to slut shame other girls, calling them whores, for flirting with her man or having once slept with him, a 30-something, ex-con, tattoo parlor owning, MC member. Shocker, right? I would've thought he had spent his time until he met Iris, saying his prayers. I feel bad disliking Iris, because she has a sadz backstory, however that is not a pass for being judgy and old-time Regency novel clueless. She gets better, but it was trying. Also, besides Dex's mother, Iris was the only likable or good woman on page. How convenient. All, and I mean ALL, of the men orbited around her. Perfect, angelic, good girl Iris. Ultimately [a:Callie Dalton 7438028 Callie Dalton https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1541784504p2/7438028.jpg] got me through this (I weirdly love her voice for men) and [a:Mariana Zapata 5760202 Mariana Zapata https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1330380214p2/5760202.jpg]'s signature humor is still present, but maybe this was a story that could've been novella length. Just a thought.