Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Nicole Lemon

Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Nicole Lemon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tourmaline Harris’s life hit pause at fifteen, when her mom went to prison because of Tourmaline’s unintentionally damning testimony. But at eighteen, her home life is stable, and she has a strong relationship with her father, the president of a local biker club known as the Wardens.

Virginia Campbell’s life hit fast-forward at fifteen, when her mom “sold” her into the services of a local lawyer: a man for whom the law is merely a suggestion. When Hazard sets his sights on dismantling the Wardens, he sends in Virginia, who has every intention of selling out the club—and Tourmaline. But the two girls are stronger than the circumstances that brought them together, and their resilience defines their friendship.

This is a beautifully-written book with a setting that has a life of its own. I adore a book with a vivid setting, and DONE DIRT CHEAP didn't disappoint. Set in the mountains of Virginia, the book focuses on the developing friendship between the two main characters (between whom the POV alternates). Tourmaline and Virginia are relateable characters, and I spent the book rooting for their friendship to work out. They each have their own romantic interests which complicate the problems they already face, and even though in one case, I almost thought the romance shouldn't work out, I still found myself hoping it would.

This is not a book to rush through. With its lyrical prose, it's a book to spend time with. The plot is strongly constructed, and I wanted to speed through it. But once I let myself slow down and savor the sentences, I found myself becoming more patient with taking a little extra time to read it. There are dozens and dozens of wonderful lines in this book, so I'll share my favorite:

"When girls stick together in this world, they're harder to pick off."