Series: Fast & Fury

Review: Custom Built by Chantal Fernando

Posted on November 30, 2020 by Nadene @ Totally Addicted to Reading in Reviews / 19 Comments

Custom Built by Chantal Fernando is the first book in the Fast and Fury series. It is a spin-off of her Knights of Fury series. Readers familiar with her Knight of Fury series would recognise most of the characters featured in Custom Built.

This installment introduces the reader to Bronte and Crow, two likeable and relatable characters.  The story began with Bronte experiencing major upheavals in her life. She lost her job as a private investigator’s assistant and she’s dealing with major health issues. The only good thing in her life is the relationship she shares with her dad.  She had a breakthrough in her job search when her uncle arranged to get her a job at a motor cycle shop. The only drawback was her jerk of a boss who did not appreciate the way she secured the job.

Crow is a member of Knights of Fury motorcycle club.  His attraction to Bronte took him by surprise and he tried covering it up by acting like a jerk towards her. However, when tragedy struck placing Bronte’s life in danger his protective instincts kicked in and soon these two will find themselves building a relationship that was passionate and sweet.

I had a great time with this book. I am fairly new to the author’s work having only read the last book from her Knights of Fury series. I can see why she is a favourite for readers of this genre.  She pulled me into her story from the start and kept me entertained until the end.  I enjoyed the mix of romance and suspense, which I found to be well balanced. It lacked the darkness and grittiness one would expect from a MC story. It was all around sweet and passionate story.

Bronte and Crow may have been complete opposites in terms of lifestyle but they were both strong willed and determined. An unlikely pair who made the perfect couple.

The secondary characters helped to make the story a fun read amid the unhappiness, danger and secrets that often surrounds Bronte.

Custom Built proved to be a well written story filled with secrets, heat, suspense and danger. I am looking forward to reading more from the author.

Story Evaluation
Plot
4
Characters
4.5
World Building
4
Writing Style
4.5
Pacing
4.5
Cover
4
Enjoyment
4.5
Ending
4.5
Overall: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

 

EXCERPT

Stepping inside the warehouse is like a whole other world. There’s beautifully done graffiti on the walls, and the workspace shows off brand-new, sparkling bikes. The main room leads into a wide spacious garage, and it has a cool, urban vibe. There’s music playing over the speakers, and it doesn’t look like they have spared any expense with the interior design. In the middle, there’s a reception area with a large, expensive-looking wooden desk and a little staircase leading to another level, one with bikes in various states of being rebuilt. It’s a pretty awesome space.
“Hello?” I call out when I see no one around. Apparently they really do need staff. I’m assuming I’m supposed to be meeting Crow, but I have no idea what to expect right now.
A door opens from behind the reception area, and a tall, muscular blond man walks out. He’s very handsome. He’s covered in tattoos and looks good even bowing shirt with a white top underneath. I wonder if this is his usual look.
Even with the shirt, he screams bad boy.
The bright pattern isn’t fooling anybody.
Blue eyes lock on me. “Bronte Pierce?”
“That’s me,” I say, shaking his hand as he offers it. “Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Crow, and I’m in charge here. We have two mechanics coming in and out to help Cam put together the bikes. But it’s a small group since we only do custom pieces.”
So this is who messaged me yesterday.
“So are you Abbie’s partner?” I ask, since Uncle Neville said he owned the place. If he is, she has done very, very well for herself.
He gives me a confused look, then laughs. I don’t want to admit what the sound of his laugh does to me; it’s deep and all consuming. Great, now I’m having weird feelings about my cousin’s partner and I haven’t even met my cousin yet. Way to build a relationship. Oh yeah, and he’s my boss.
Snap out of it, Bronte. You’re here to work, and that’s it.
Once he’s done laughing, he still has a smirk on his face. I’m not going to lie; it kind of annoys me. “No, Temper is Abbie’s partner. Don’t let him hear you ask me that.”
“But you said you’re in charge. I was told Abbie’s partner owns the place.”
His smirk is gone and now he just looks annoyed.
“Yes, Temper technically owns it, but I am in charge here. Is that going to be a problem?”
Shit. Great, first I was attracted to the boss, and now I’m pissing him off. “Nope. Not a problem. Sorry, I just found out about Abbie, so I’m playing catch-up. You’re in charge. Got it.”
And apparently not a topic I will bring up again.
He looks at me skeptically but gives me a brief nod. “We basically need someone to man the reception, answer phones, order parts and stay on top of all the bookkeeping. Sound manageable?”
I decide that honesty is the best policy. “I have done some admin work before, but I don’t know anything about bikes or ordering parts. But I’m a quick learner and I’m sure I can pick it up.” I give him my best I-am-confident look.
I hope he buys it.
It’s the truth, though. I’ve done work more complicated than this, and I’m eager to learn and be the best at whatever job I am doing. I’m someone who takes pride in her work, and I know that I’m going to be an asset to his team.
“Abbie said you were a private investigator?”
“I was an assistant to one, yes.” I nod.
“Huh. I would have guessed a librarian,” he comments, making my eyes widen. I mean, I was only just thinking the same thing based on how I dressed today, but it’s rude of him to mention that, especially after only just meeting me. “I hope you’re able to handle the job, and don’t expect any special treatment just because you’re Abbie’s long-lost cousin.”
My jaw drops. His comment really gets to me, even though I don’t want to let him see that. “I don’t expect any special treatment.”
“That’s good, but not true, because special treatment got you this job in the first place,” he replies casually, as if his words aren’t hitting every damn nerve.
I should have known that this job was going to come with a catch, and it looks like I’ve found it. An annoying, smart-ass boss.

Copyright © 2020 by Chantal Fernando

 

 

[bctt tweet=”In Custom Built Chantal Fernando delivered a romantic, passionate and suspenseful story, which fans of the author will enjoy. #MC #Romance @ChantalFernando ” username=”TtlyAdd2Reading”]

 

 

About Chantal Fernando

Chantal Fernando is the New York Times bestselling author of the Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club series, the Cursed Raven Motorcycle Club series, and the Maybe series, along with several other novels. She lives in Western Australia, where she is working on her next book. Find her online at AuthorChantalFernando.com, and on Twitter and Facebook.

Nadene @ Totally Addicted to Reading

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