Review for Copper by Liily Atlas

Title: Copper

Series: Hell’s Handlers MC

Author: Lilly Atlas

Genre: MC Romance

• Print Length: 301 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publication Date: February 5, 2019
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
• Language: English
• ASIN: B07N8WKVKM
• Reviewed by Angels With Attitude Book Reviews
• Arc copy provided for honest review
• 5 stars

Enormous, muscular, commanding, and hotter than sin, Copper is the only man Shell has ever wanted. Even as a young teen, when it was impossible and taboo to capture the attention of a grown man, she longed for him. For years, Shell clung to the dream of turning eighteen and finally being noticed by the Hell’s Handlers’ rough and gruff president. But the universe had other plans, and she was forced to make a horrible choice. A choice that altered the course of her life forever, sealing her fate and ensuring the dream of being Copper’s ol’ lady would never materialize. 

Sixteen years his junior. Daughter of his MC’s former president. Single mother whose deadbeat sperm donor doesn’t provide an ounce of support. Loved as a younger sister by every man in the club. The list of reasons goes on for Copper to stay away from Shell. Problem is, he’s been hot for her for years. Copper finally gets some relief when she moves out of Tennessee for a few years, but once she’s back, all those reasons to keep his distance grow weaker by the day.

Unable to fight against his own judgement any longer, Copper finally claims Shell for his own. But once again the universe steps in, revealing secrets with the power to destroy them both.

Shell will do anything for Copper, even tear out her own heart and confront the most agonizing parts of her past. But will she be too late to save her dream? Will she be too late to save Copper?

Lilly Atlas is one of my favorite MC authors, and Copper has quickly become one of my favorites. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this story from start to finish. I had high expectations for Copper's story, and I'm pleased to say that the author delivered. 

Copper, with his commanding presence and aura of danger, has always intrigued me. In this book, we see a softer, more vulnerable side of him, hinting at a longing for love and family that he believes is out of reach. Shell, the female lead, is a strong, independent, and loving character who captured my heart. Her sacrifices and unwavering love for Copper added depth to the story and showcased her resilience and strength. The plot is filled with drama, betrayals, and unexpected twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. The chemistry between Shell and Copper is palpable, leading to steamy and intense romance scenes that sizzle off the pages.

The emotional depth of the characters and the gripping storyline make this a must-read for fans of MC romance. I was captivated by the story and eagerly anticipate the next installment in the series. Overall, Copper is a heart-wrenching and captivating read that I highly recommend. Lilly Atlas continues to impress with her storytelling skills, and this book is a standout addition to her collection. It's a book I'll revisit from time to time. #RecommendedRead

2010

If they caught her, there’d be hell to pay

.

Michelle didn’t even want to imagine the level

 Copper’s anger would rise to if he discovered

 her trailing after him and his men in the dar

k woods behind the clubhouse well after midnight.

The fury would be epic.

Biblical.

She’d seen him toss out some rage before, but

 this would top it all.

She may be a fifteen-year-old kid, but she wasn’t

 an idiot. Sneaking out of her home, pedaling her

 bicycle across town to the clubhouse, and lurking

 in the shadows until the men emerged was no

t only dangerous, it was reckless, and probably

 pointless as well.

Dark as it was, she wouldn’t be able to see a

 damn thing when the guys arrived wherever

 they were headed.

Four sets of heavy booted feet tromped through

 the woods making no effort toward stealth

, thankfully. Shell wasn’t exactly mouse-quiet

 herself, and the noise from the determined

 group drowned out her own leaf-crunching steps

.She shivered. January in the base of the Great

 Smoky Mountains was pretty freakin’ cold.

“Fuck, it’s dark out here. Wouldn’t be able to see

 my own damn dick. We almost done with this

 romantic stroll through the woods?” That was

 Maverick’s voice. Easy to distinguish because

 ninety percent of the things out of his mouth

 were laden with snark and sarcasm

.

“We have a fucking flashlight, you big baby. Suck

 it up and keep walking.

”

Zach

.

Clenching her teeth in a fruitless effort to stem

 the chattering, Shell stole on after the men she

 considered family. Loved them like family as well

ll

. More than the majority of her flesh and blood

 relatives if she was being honest.

They had to be headed to The Box. Thoughts of

 what that meant sent a different kind of shiver

 racing down her spine. Growing up in the MC

, she’d heard countless rumors about The Box. How

 it was a giant underground torture chamber filled

 with Handlers’ enemies from years back. How the

 walls were coated with blood and faded screams

 echoed through the night. The Honeys loved to

 gossip and guess precisely what went on down

 there, and each tale was more grandiose than

 the last. Half of what the club girls said couldn’t

 be believed. It’s not as though the men actually

 shared any club business with the women who

 were little more than whores

.

The truth was probably a watered-down version

 of the legends, but, regardless, The Box existed

, and probably wasn’t a place anyone wanted to

 find themselves.

After another five minutes of wordless trekking

 through the woods, and the men suddenly came to

 a dead stop

.

Stephanie darted behind the nearest thick

-trunked tree and held as still as possible, not

 even daring to breathe. Too bad her heart was

 pounding so loud someone might hear it a mile

 away.

Had the guys noticed her? Did they suspect the

y had a stowaway? Could the hear the rattling of

 her bones? A combination of fear and chill.

“Bring him out,” Copper said.

Shell would recognize that voice anywhere. That

 Irish brogue belonged to the six-foot-five, tatted

 biker who starred in every teenage fantasy

 she’d ever had. His name was secretly scrawled

 again and again with hearts and lipstick kisses

 in a diary hidden deep under her bed. If anyone

 ever found it, she’d die on the spot, but so far,

 her secret was safe

.

“You sure, brother? Wouldn’t it be easier to get it

 done in The Box?” Rusty asked

.

Shell frowned. Younger by ten years, Rusty was

 Copper’s brother and a huge jerk. There was

 no other word to describe him. Okay, there were

 a few others, but despite their extreme sailor-

enviable mouths, the guys got on her case every

 time she swore. Sick of them always nagging

 about ladies not cussing, she avoided it. Kinda like

 she avoided Rusty at all costs

.

“I want him out here. I want him to feel the air,

 see the stars, realize everything he’s never

 going to have the chance to experience again

. He needs to know what I’m taking away from

 him. I want him to feel one last flicker of hope

 that we’ll let him go, right before I slit his

 fucking throat.”

Shell imagined Copper stroking his beard, deep in

 thought as he plotted someone’s demise.

“You got it,” Zach said. There was some rustling

, then silence that seemed to drag on for hours

 but was probably only minutes. Everything

 appeared darker, longer, more intense when

 outside in the hours following midnight

.

Finally, footsteps sounded again, followed by a grunt

 and a thud. Shell swallowed, took a breath and

 peeked around her tree. Someone had lit a

 lantern, illuminating a small clearing in the woods

. A man knelt on the ground, arms bound behind

 his back with Copper, Maverick, Zach, and Rusty

 circled around him

.

Back to her, she didn’t have a view of Copper’s

 face, but she sure had a clear line of sight to

 the man on the ground.

Reaper, they called him. Because of the number

 of men he’d sent to their graves. Those were

 rumors Shell believed. She’d seen him in action

. Her insides quivered at the memories, and she

 sucked in a silent, trembling breath

.

This was why she’d followed the guys into the

 woods when she should have been home snoozing

 away in preparation for school in the morning.

This was the man who’d killed her father four

 years ago.

Earlier that afternoon, she’d been at the

 clubhouse helping one of the ol’ ladies prepare

 dinner. Tasked with letting the men know their

 meal was ready, she’d wandered toward Copper’s

 office only to hear Reaper’s name being tossed

 around in conjunction with plans to head to The

 Box in the night.

Her mind and body had both frozen until the

 noises from Copper’s office alerted her to the

 men mobilizing. Then, she’d scurried back to the

 door of the kitchen and pretended to emerge

 just as they did, thus not hearing a thing

.

And now, here she was, about to witness the

 execution of the man who’d murdered her

 father. Most might find it sick. Most might wake

 with nightmares after watching someone die, but

 Shell had already been down that road. She’d

 been with her father that fated night, four

 years ago, when the madman known as Reaper

 shot him in cold blood at a gas station

.

As long as she lived, Shell would never forget the

 horror of that night. It was late on a Saturday

, and her father was driving Shell and her

 mother home from a family barbecue at the

 clubhouse. From the back row of their truck,

 she’d watched her dad walk out of the quiet gas

 station market, coffee in hand. Seconds later

, Reaper appeared from the shadows, shot her

 father from three feet away, then disappeared

 as fast as he’d materialized. She’d had as clear

a view of his face that night as she did right

 then

.

It all happened so fast, it was over before her

 brain processed what her eyes had seen. But

 once it did, her heart broke clear in two, and

 she screamed so loud she couldn’t speak for days

.

Now, finally, more than four years later, justice

 would be served, MC style

.

“You’ve been a hard man to find,” Copper said as

 he stepped closer to his captive.

Reaper snorted. Whoever had taken him prisoner

 roughed him up quite a bit. One black eye, a

 split cheek, ripped shirt, wheezy breathing. Not

 near enough punishment in Shell’s eyes

.

“Been easy to slip under the radar with you idiots

 looking for me,” Reaper slurred like his tongue

 was swollen

.

Copper chuckled. “That may be, but we got your

 ass now. Been waiting on this moment for a long

 time.” As he spoke, he drew a wicked-looking

 blade from a sheath on his belt

.

Shell’s eyes widened, and she soundlessly covered

 her mouth to muffle a gasp. Maybe she hadn’t

 been as prepared as she’d thought to watch

 Copper take a life

.

Yet she couldn’t tear her gaze away

.

The rest of the men stood with spread legs

, folded arms, and flat expressions as they

 watched Copper close the distance to Reaper

. Pressing the blade against the man’s throat, he

 said. “This is for my President, his ol’ lady, and

 Shell. Shell most of all, because an eleven-year-

old girl should never have to live with the image of

 her father being gunned down.”

Reaper laughed making Shell flinch. The sound

 was so maniacal it could have been a movie

 villain’s cackle. And the man dared to do it while

 Copper held a deadly knife to his throat.

Insanity.

“There’s so much you don’t know Prez,” he said

 as though mocking Copper

.

“Details don’t matter. You killed my president, now

 you die.”

Reaper might be a psychotic killer, but he was

 freaking brave. Not once did he cower, beg for

 his life, or break eye-contact with Copper. Just

 as Copper’s arm muscles flexed with the telltale

 sign of impending movement, Reaper said, “Too

 bad I didn’t notice the girl watching me that

 night. Might have taken her with me. She’d

 made a good plaything.”

The growl that came from Copper sent chills

 skittering across all Shell’s nerve endings. He

 didn’t bother speaking, just drew the blade across

 Reaper’s throat in one fluid motion

.

Blood immediately flowed from the slice followed by

 a horrendous gurgling sound. This time, Shell

 couldn’t catch the shocked gasp before it left

 her mouth. The moment it was out, she held her

 breath and prayed no one heard. Copper didn’t

 so much as twitch. Zach watched the life drain

 from Reaper. Mav bounced his leg as though

 impatient to get the process over with.

But Rusty, Rusty met her gaze with cold, sadistic

 stare. Shell swallowed the disgusting taste of bile

 that had risen

.

As he glared at her, Rusty’s mouth curled into a

 smile that could only be described as evil.

The hairs on Shell’s arms stood straight on end

. Something about that smile set her on edge

 because she’d swear it had nothing to do with

 Reaper’s death and everything to do with her

.

Now that she’d been busted, she could only wait

 and see what fate in the form of a sadistic

 biker had in store for her.

  

Lilly Atlas is a contemporary romance author, proud Navy wife, and mother of two spunky girls. By day she works as a physical therapist for a hospital in Virginia. Lilly is an avid romance reader, and expects her Kindle to beg for mercy every time she downloads a new eBook. Thankfully, it hasn’t happened yet, and she can often be found absorbed in a good book.