After reading Tool and the series thus far, I expected Poodle’s book to be lighter- for us to get some good MC humor with our intriguingly frivolous MC character- the orderly one who has a show poodle that he dotes on quite humorously.I mean, an MC main named POODLE, come on, that has to be the sillier and more light hearted story of the batch. By wow, were my expectations ever subverted- Poodle is the most emotionally complex moving of the series, the most unexpected, and the best writing from KL Savage yet.

The first chapter immediately told me this story was going to be very different than what I expected- it was emotional, sweet, heartbreaking, and visceral- a tone that carried through this entire story. We have two characters who’ve experienced horrific trauma, two characters who’ve been the victims of unspeakable violence that has robbed them of their lives, parts of themselves, aspects of their humanity. Like the reader, Poodle’s club knows little of his dark past- and he likes it that way. He camouflaged his pain behind his light hearted, peaceful club persona to escape his past but also hide parts of his present, his secret activities.. But Melissa sees him, because she too has survived unthinkable trauma- she recognizes a kindred suffering. And Poodle has made her feel safe, she’s drawn to him when she never thought she’d consider that again. Both characters already have feelings for each other as this book opens, which means our plot really focuses on how those feelings evolve, and most interestingly how those feelings intersect with their pain and trauma. That element gives this story so much heart, so much emotional impact.

This is really the best character development in the series thus far. That first chapter with Poodle was so emotional, we immediately see a nuanced character with so much heart, so many tightly packed layers of depth. KL brilliantly rattles him by introducing Melissa (they met in a prior book)- and this story picks up where his world is already off kilter. Both characters have such a richly constructed past, and both are well defined in the current- there is a really sweet and unspoken intimacy between them, this shared understanding they have because of their shared pain. And each character is trying to cope while battling the tensions and complexities of the “after.”

MC shenanigans aside (and we’ve got that, too- the club politics and antics alongside some MC danger) this is really a story about healing. And I loved how KL made Poodle just as vulnerable as Melissa- the interesting way she had a big, burly, scary biker needing emotional support and strength from the tiny little survivor. He’s been her rock, her salvation as she’s tried to recover and live, and now she’s his. And to Poodle, that is really bittersweet- as he explores if embracing and loving her means letting go of another.

Per usual, we have that MC drama and a big climatic moment not just for these characters but the club in general- this felt a bit hasty, but I wouldn’t have wanted it to drag out because we had so much good emotional fodder to explore. The twist I saw coming, and it felt a bit convenient, but I also don’t know how my heart would have taken a different outcome. But these characters and their emotional connection, the sweet relationship of this story is the true surprise, the true twist- a real series high.