Book Review- It Ain’t Me, Babe

Title- It Ain’t Me, Babe
Author- Tillie Cole
Pages- 325
Rating- 5 out of 5
Companion/Sequel/Other- First book

I think the first and most important fact to mention is that this story is very raw and dark. It has a lot of mature content and I would highly recommend being 18 or older before reading this book. Another thing to mention is that this will have SPOILERS involved.

When I first went into this book, I honestly had no idea what to expect. What I thought this book would be turned into something 100% completely different.

This story is told in two perspectives- River “Styx” and Salome(or as we call her Mae). This story starts out when these two meet 15 years earlier as kids. From that day it changed everything. The thing that I absolutely adore about this story are the characters. They’re all so different and utterly amazing. I was in love with Styx as soon as he tried to speak. Styx is the President of the Hades Hangmen Motorcycle Club, the youngest president they had at 26. He has a speaking condition which makes it very difficult for him to talk. Instead he just signs, and others translate for those who don’t read ASL. He was only ever able to speak to three people in his life: his dad, best friend(and now VP) Ky, and the mysterious girl with the blue wolf eyes.

Mae(Salome) was raised in a VERY STRICT religious commune her entire life. She never left the commune, and so she never knew what life was like on the outside. She was always told it was the devils work and everything evil is outside. She was kept in this commune her entire life because she was considered a “Cursed” because of her beauty. She had to follow every rule, and if not she would be punished and those punishments were not something you want. Until one day(at 23 years old), after seeing her sister die, she decides to run. She escapes the commune, but not before being badly injured. She ends up outside a biker compound and from there her world changes completely. Now for those wondering why she didn’t try to escape before, like I said she has been raised like this her entire life. She believed this is how the world works.

She stays at the compound, and her and Styx are reunited. When everything FINALLY seems to be good, all hell breaks loose. Mae ends up getting captured and brought back to the commune. Styx will do anything to get her back and thus begins the rescue mission to get back his old lady. Not only his old lady, but her sisters as well.

This story is absolutely beautiful, intense, raw, and heartbreaking all in one. I was invested in this story the entire time and may have stayed up WAY TOO LATE reading this, but I just needed to know what was going to happen. They’re were twists that I didn’t see coming and could honestly say it surprised the hell out of me. This was my first ever read from Tillie Cole, and I can honestly say this book became one of absolute favorites. Not just this book, but the sequel Heart Recaptured as well. My review for that will be up soon!