Review: Bottom Line by Chelsea Camaron (Devil's Due MC #6)
Note: This ARC was provided by the author via Enticing Journey Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
My expectations for the Devil's Due MC series ender were unbelievably high, but then what would you expect after all the teasing in each of the full-length novels when it came to one Mitchell Gates, aka Trapper? It would be way too easy to peg the guy and say he was someone who loved violence, but he clearly had a story to tell, and finally--FINALLY!--we get that story. There were bits and pieces at the end of each of the books, little clues that made it obvious his tale was just as torturous as those of his nomad brothers and that his tormentor would or already has gotten what was due him. I already had one particular tidbit about Trapper in my head early on, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who had came to that realization. However, I'm not going to say what it was or what absolutely confirmed it in out of respect for Chelsea Camaron's request that no spoilers be mentioned in reviews.
Bottom Line is told in four parts: the first one is a look back on all of the "bonus" times spent with Trapper at the end of the first five novels; the second one is a flashback as to what brought Mitchell Gates's and Avery Collins's lives to intersect as teenagers; the third one is told in the present, picking up soon after the events in Paid in Full; and the fourth is an epilogue for each of the brothers of the Devil's Due MC and those they now share their lives with. I loved that the author chose to do this last book this way. The refresher is perfect for those who don't remember those bonus times with Trapper and sharing Mitchell and Avery's past as a completely separate section was simply better than having flashbacks all throughout interspersed with what is happening to them at present.
As much as I had correctly guessed at one aspect of Mitchell and Avery's story, I must confess that what happens in the present--one particular revelation--threw me for a loop. I'll be honest here: I had to take a timeout before continuing the book. After all this time spent with Trapper, I had certain preconceived notions in my head as to what could happen next when he and Avery would see each other again. So, you can imagine how I must have felt when things didn't exactly turn out the way I had envisioned. Was a disappointed? Maybe a smidgen. Did I get over it? Yes, by the end of the book, I realized that it was Avery who enabled Trapper to embrace those parts of Mitchell that he had kept buried deep down inside him for so long. As a fan of the series, I just wanted him to have the same happy future the rest of the Devil's Due guys did. The bottom line? Bottom Line was not the story I thought Camaron was going to tell, but at the end of the day, the story she did tell was worth the wait. This gets five stars. ♥
Bottom Line is told in four parts: the first one is a look back on all of the "bonus" times spent with Trapper at the end of the first five novels; the second one is a flashback as to what brought Mitchell Gates's and Avery Collins's lives to intersect as teenagers; the third one is told in the present, picking up soon after the events in Paid in Full; and the fourth is an epilogue for each of the brothers of the Devil's Due MC and those they now share their lives with. I loved that the author chose to do this last book this way. The refresher is perfect for those who don't remember those bonus times with Trapper and sharing Mitchell and Avery's past as a completely separate section was simply better than having flashbacks all throughout interspersed with what is happening to them at present.
As much as I had correctly guessed at one aspect of Mitchell and Avery's story, I must confess that what happens in the present--one particular revelation--threw me for a loop. I'll be honest here: I had to take a timeout before continuing the book. After all this time spent with Trapper, I had certain preconceived notions in my head as to what could happen next when he and Avery would see each other again. So, you can imagine how I must have felt when things didn't exactly turn out the way I had envisioned. Was a disappointed? Maybe a smidgen. Did I get over it? Yes, by the end of the book, I realized that it was Avery who enabled Trapper to embrace those parts of Mitchell that he had kept buried deep down inside him for so long. As a fan of the series, I just wanted him to have the same happy future the rest of the Devil's Due guys did. The bottom line? Bottom Line was not the story I thought Camaron was going to tell, but at the end of the day, the story she did tell was worth the wait. This gets five stars. ♥
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Read my reviews for the Devil's Due MC series:
Crossover (prequel novella, co-written with Ryan Michele) - four stars - My Review
In the Red (book one) - four stars - My Review
Below the Line (book two) - 4.5 stars - My Review
Close the Tab (book three) - 4.5 stars - My Review
Day of Reckoning (book four) - 4.5 stars - My Review
Paid in Full (book five) - four stars - My Review
Bottom Line (book six) - five stars - My Review (posted above)
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