Review: "The Handler" by D.R. Graham (Noir et Bleu MC #2)

Note: This ARC was provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

James "Cain" Allen saw his house being burned to the ground with his family still inside. He was able to rescue his mother and younger sister but there was no saving his father who had already been murdered before the fire started. Two of the three perpetrators are about to face trial but the third suspect is still on the run and Cain wants to find him. What he'll do once he does, however, is up in the air, especially since he knows the guy is part of the Boomslangs, motorcycle gang considered to be a rival of the one his late father helped found, the Noir et Bleu. So, now, Cain is in LA from Vancouver, keeping an eye out for the one guy whose face he'll never forget, while under the protection of his late father's motorcycle club.

To earn some much needed cash, Cain works as an electrician and finds himself on the set of a music video for famous pop singer Lincoln Todd. He's the one person who doesn't let Lincoln's fame dictate his actions and tells her exactly what he thinks, something Lincoln isn't used to. After initially firing him, she asks him to spend time with her, something Cain thinks is a bad idea. But when he's offered a lot of money to become her handler, he realizes he'd be a fool to turn it down, especially since it'll help his mom and sister. As they spend more and more time together on Lincoln's tour, their feelings for one another move from friendship to more, making Lincoln a prime target for those who want to keep Cain from testifying.

The Handler is the second novel in the Noir et Bleu MC series by D.R. Graham but can be read as a standalone since, other than the motorcycle club, there's no direct connection between this and the first book, One Percenter (which I loved!). This was a story about a young man desperately seeking justice for the murder of his father and the physical damage done to his mother and the emotional upheaval brought upon himself and his sister Huck and how he finds love with someone he never expects. The regular-guy-and-famous-girl-fall-for-one-another was a nice touch and I liked how he thought she was too young for him at sixteen, only to find out she's actually closer to turning eighteen, a mere year younger than him.

I loved the lead characters, Cain and Lincoln, and how they seemed different but well suited for each other. There was more to them than the biker dude and the celeb chick. They were also James and Tessa, two regular people underneath all the layers and labels. While I did have to suspend my disbelief that someone with Lincoln's fame and popularity would be given someone without any prior experience in the entertainment industry or in handling celebrities, the story was creative and refreshing. I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish and I liked the suspense thriller aspect mixed in with the romance. The Handler was a great follow-up to One Percenter and I look forward to the rest of the series! 4.5 stars! ♥

Release Date: 28 April 2015

Date Read: 27 April 2015

Learn more about D.R. Graham here.

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