"Today, I woke up a loser. But I’m gonna end the night a winner.”
Hound has loved Keely for years, but she's the widow of one of his Chao 4 stars!
"Today, I woke up a loser. But I’m gonna end the night a winner.”
Hound has loved Keely for years, but she's the widow of one of his Chaos brothers and off limits. Over 18 years he was there for her, until an argument between them made him run away and Keely pursues him. Embarking on a physical relationship, there are a lot of issues that are between them...
^^^Okay so not my best synopsis, but I tried. What I can say was I was really surprised I enjoyed this one as much as I did, no offense to Ashley but her newer books can be a hit or a miss for me. But from the beginning I was absorbed into the story and couldn't put my phone down (kindle app). This book reminded me of why I fell in love with Ashley's books to begin with.
If you're on the fence give this book a chance! It's really good!
Expectations. I normally don't go into books with them, but I had read that this book was very angsty and I was so excited to read it. We 3.5-4 stars
Expectations. I normally don't go into books with them, but I had read that this book was very angsty and I was so excited to read it. Well...... it really wasn't all that angsty. Maybe the first 10% or so? After that not so much. And while I still enjoyed this book a lot, I was a bit let down because of the expectations I had going into this book.
This book is about Hector and Sadie. Sadie is the ice queen and daughter of a drug lord and Hector is the agent who brought her father down. Hector and Sadie were almost a thing, and then Hector made a mistake and expected Sadie to come back to him. Sadie finds herself in trouble and that's when Hector comes to the rescue.
This story has a very brutal beginning and while it was a lot, I loved that aspect of it. The rest of the book was sweet but a tad bit too long (as is per Kristen Ashley's style) which I normally don't mind, but in the 60-70% I found myself skimming. A very sweet ending that I think lots of readers will love. Actually I think readers will love the WHOLE book. My angst expectations held me back a bit to a like and not a love.
“He isn't my man." "Girl, it don't matter you don't think he is, he thinks he is. Therefore in Badass Motherfucker Land, that means he is.” 4 stars!
“He isn't my man." "Girl, it don't matter you don't think he is, he thinks he is. Therefore in Badass Motherfucker Land, that means he is.”
This is a book that truly surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. 26% in or so I thought the hero was a bit rapey, but then it got so so good and I ended up loving Luke.
Rock Chick Revenge is about former "fatty" (as she put in her own words) Ava who goes to an old friend Luke with a problem her best friend is having. Right away Luke is more than happy to reunite, in fact he all but abducts Ava into his life.
“I'm not stupid, I know your heart's involved in this and I've never, not once in all the time you've known me, given you the idea that I won't handle it with care.”
My weakness with romance is an insecure heroine and angst. This book had heaps of both so I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved Ava and her journey, how she didn't just give in to Luke and believed everything right away. Their relationship took work and Luke was willing to put in the time.
I also thought this book was funny as hell and almost no one pissed me off which is a miracle cause with this series, normally someone is pissing me off. I got frustrated at some times with how Luke treated Ava, but later he more than made up for it and I ended up loving him. Even if he was a little bit rapey.
I think I'm off to binge what's left of KA's back list. I don't wanna run out but her books are hitting the spot!!!
“Ava, you missed it when it happened so I’ll clue you in. Last night, around the time you fell asleep against me, you became mine.”
“Men are breakable. They just hide the cracks better than we do.”
When Rosalie gets beaten by her boyfriend and his motorcycle club for 4.5 stars
“Men are breakable. They just hide the cracks better than we do.”
When Rosalie gets beaten by her boyfriend and his motorcycle club for being an informant to Chaos, she wants nothing to do with that life ever again. But Snapper, the Chaos man who was partnered to her, isn’t ready to let her go, especially now that her boyfriend is out of the picture. Snapper has always wanted Rosalie, and now is his chance to prove it to her.
“If you care about someone, it’s not about going that extra mile. It’s about giving everything.”
I kind of laughed to myself when I received this arc, because when I think of a novella, I think 100 pages or less. Well, for Kristen Ashley, just under 300 pages IS shorter than her usual novel, but I loved every second of this book.
While I love the Chaos series by Ashley, I have to admit that I didn’t remember who Rosalie or Snapper were….. or even some of the other characters that I may have looked up while reading this novel. But despite not remembering them, I fell in love with this couple. My heart broke for Rosalie and I wanted her to get her happy ending. And Snapper got the chance to go after the girl he always wanted.
This is the kind of motorcycle club books I love, there will never be another series out there like this one.
“I found the one who was perfect for me.”
**I will note, this novella cannot be read as a standalone, it really only makes sense if you’ve read the other books in this series**
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. All/any quotes in this review came from an advance unedited copy and may be subject to change in the final product.
The Hook Up is about good girl Izzy, the girl who doesn’t do anything reckless or have one night stands. That is, until she meets Johnny Gam 4 stars!
The Hook Up is about good girl Izzy, the girl who doesn’t do anything reckless or have one night stands. That is, until she meets Johnny Gamble. Johnny is her first hook up, and an unexpected evening turns into more unexpected nights and days together. Until the love of Johnny’s life comes back to town, and Izzy needs to let go. But, something unexpected might lead to more of the same and Johnny may be back sooner than Izzy thinks……
I really enjoyed this newest book by Kristen Ashley, I never tire of her books. There are some authors that just click with me as a reader, and Ashley has a forever fan in me. This story wasn’t as antsy as I was hoping for, but I am an angst whore that needs heavy doses so I think the rest of you will fare just fine. I don’t like to compare Ashley’s work, but this novel easily could fit into the Colorado Mountain Man series, it just had that feel to it.
Curl up this holiday season with a fuzzy blanket and this cozy story! You won’t regret it!
An ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Kristen Ashley is BACK! This book is just like her old ones, full of magic and 4.75 stars!
“Promise, Cady. Stick with me, no matter what.”
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Kristen Ashley is BACK! This book is just like her old ones, full of magic and romance that digs its way into your heart!
The Time in Between is the story of Cady and Coert, two people who were in love eighteen years before, but lies and bad circumstances came between them and broke them apart. Now, years later, Cady’s husband has died, and he stipulated when he died that Cady had to move to Maine in order to reconnect with two men in her life, her brother, and Coert. Once there she buys a lighthouse and renovates it, biding her time to approach Coert, who is the local sheriff. Except Coert is angry and wants nothing to do with her.
“With him right there, nothing else mattered, nothing else even existed. This was simply where I was supposed to be. No matter what.”
I have to admit, I was a bit nervous going into this one, mostly because some of the newer releases by Kristen Ashley just really weren’t my thing. BUT this is the Magdalene series, and I adored the first two books in this series, so I went in with an open mind. And what I got was a beautiful second chance romance story that by the end, brought that little bit of sappy mist to my eyes.
Second chance romance is sort of my Achilles heel of subgenres, I just love the idea of two people who lost their way get another chance to make things right between them. Cady and Coert have a lot of issues that bled over from their past, and while it was a rocky start when the two of them reunited, it got smoother as time went by. In fact, once they made up their minds, they did the adult thing and didn’t bring the past into their current relationship to haunt them. They moved on, and moved to something special.
My one small criticism and why I cannot give this a full 5 stars, is this book is SO LONG. Like I was reading it for four days! It took me four days to read the first Game of Thrones novel and that thing is enormous!!! I wish it had been a tad bit shorter because sometimes when reading it, it felt like I was tackling a mountain! But don’t let the length avert you from this gem, by the end I had happy tears in my eyes and was declaring my love for this magnificent book.
This story will stay with you a long time, and you will fall in love with Cady and Coert!
“Love you.” “Love you most.”
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
I have a lot of mixed feelings on this one. For the most part, I liked it. But when I sat back and thought about the book, some things were 3.5 stars
I have a lot of mixed feelings on this one. For the most part, I liked it. But when I sat back and thought about the book, some things were off. Vance really came across as very creepy to me in the beginning. This is my 41st book I've read by Ashley so I understand her alpha males, but breaking into someone's house and crawling into bed with them while they sleep after only talking once was WAY too big of a leap for me. He got better the second half of the book, but his actions after that were also way too fast.
What I loved about this book was Jules, she was a kick butt heroine who literally went after drug dealers, pranking them and well.... kicking butt! She had some issues, but it wouldn't be a KA novel if the heroine or hero didn't so it worked very well.
This is a fast and fun read, not my favorite by KA but still enjoyable.
“Babe, watching you these past months has been like watching a flower bloom. Don't disappoint us.”
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That horribly awkward moment w 4 stars!
“Babe, watching you these past months has been like watching a flower bloom. Don't disappoint us.”
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That horribly awkward moment where you identified with a character.... just to find out everyone who read the book hates her aka you.
I get ahead of myself. Rock Chick Rescue is the story of Jet and Eddie. We met them previously in the first book Rock Chick, where we learned Eddie was holding a torch for Indy and she chose Lee. Jet was more brief, but a quiet addition to the characters near the end of the book.
Jet works two jobs to help support her mother who had a stroke less than a year ago. From the moment she laid eyes on Eddie she had a huge crush on him, but she just isn't able to talk to hot guys. When Jet's dad comes back into town bringing trouble into her life, Jet's secrets come out and Eddie and her coworkers and friends step up to help her out.
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“Chiquita, women spend a lot of time sittin’ around bitchin’ that there are no good men out there. I hate to tell you this, but there aren’t a lot of good women either. The difference is, when a man sees one, he knows it. Then, he goes after her and wears her down until she’s his. Then, if he’s any man at all, he won’t let her go.”
So like I said before, I actually really liked Jet. Maybe because I am often very insecure myself, I love when heroines aren't these strong and powerful women because I find "annoying" heroines refreshing and realistic. But that's just me. Hell I even liked Kiera from Thoughtless so judge me if you will.
Anyways, I normally don't enjoy Cinderella stories, but I really enjoyed this one. Mostly because Jet didn't lie down and expect Eddie to do everything for her, she really was self sufficient and worked hard for everything that came her way. Eddie was amazing, he's one of the better KA alpha heroes because he helped out Jet but he also gave her room to help herself.
One criticism..... this book constantly referred to Jet's lady parts as her "doo-da" and I had to put the book down when reading it because I can't even with that name. It was so awful.
This book just like the first also had me literally chuckling and laughing out loud while reading it. I think it's probably the funniest of Ashley's series and I cannot wait to read more as my book friends have said they get better and better as it goes on.
“Everyone's got their hands out waitin' for you to take one. You gotta learn when to take someone's hand before you fall.”
“Your grandmother used to say that you were two souls separated in heaven. She mainly meant you were both trouble and deserved each other 3.5 stars
“Your grandmother used to say that you were two souls separated in heaven. She mainly meant you were both trouble and deserved each other.”
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Rock Chick is the story of Indy and Lee. The two grew up together, always getting into shenanigans amongst Lee's siblings. But after being turned down one too many times by Lee, Indy has spent the last few years avoiding him.
Indy owns a bookstore/coffee shop and her best barista has brought chaos down on Indy's life involving diamonds, bad guys and pot. Indy ends up needing Lee to help her, and Lee decides it's finally time she stopped avoiding him.
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“So, now you’re getting shot at, you’re gonna leave me?” “Girlie, I’m from Texas. We shoot at each other to say good morning.”
I have to say I went into this with low expectations and enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. There are so many mixed reviews out there on this book, and these characters make appearances in other Ashley books so I knew it was worth a read. Many parts I was literally laughing out loud. But I can totally see how this book isn't for everyone.
I loved Indy as a character, such a free spirit and a cool gal. Lee was a little bit too........ alpha for me? To the point of his aggressiveness rubbed me the wrong way. But like I said, there were so many moments when I laughed while reading this book, I really enjoyed it overall and I am glad to see where Kristen Ashley got her start.
“You want to marry me?” “No. I’m gonna marry you.”
Broken Dove, the fourth book in the Fantasyland series, is the story of Apollo and 4 stars
“A dove has great beauty, but is easily broken.”
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Broken Dove, the fourth book in the Fantasyland series, is the story of Apollo and Maddie. Apollo lost his wife Ilsa, and mother of his children when she died from a sudden illness. Grief stricken for years, he discovers there is a parallel universe, our world, where a twin of his wife is still alive. Apollo also learns this other Ilsa has an abusive husband Pol, so he journey's to this world to rescue her and bring her into his.
This new Ilsa is a disappointment to Apollo, she's not the same Ilsa he expected. But Apollo has approaching threats which puts Maddie in danger, but Apollo will do everything he can to keep her safe.
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“It’s my experience that a weakness understood is no weakness. If you know you have it, even if you can’t control it, you can make allowances for it. It is those who ignore or don’t understand their weaknesses who are wasted by them.”
This was actually my second attempt at reading this book, the first time I tried reading it I put it down at 17% with the intention of returning to it later..... and it took a while lol. But with the upcoming release of the fifth book I wanted to be caught up on the series. I enjoyed reading this much more the second attempt, and while it doesn't have the WOW factor the first 3 books had for me, I still really enjoyed this story.
Apollo and Maddie were an interesting couple and had a hard balance for Ashley to pull off but she did. Apollo being in love with Ilsa and then Maddie, you would think there would be a lot of issues but Ashley did a wonderful job of highlighting the differences between the two women and why Apollo fell for them both. He was kind of a dick at the beginning but over time he grew on me and at the end of the book he was amazing.
Maddie was a great heroine, I felt she was very resilient after everything that happened to her and she was strong. This book was also about her struggle regaining her self worth after her husband Pol had beaten it out of her. Apollo helped her with this a bit, but it was mostly a journey for herself.
Anyways, I think this is Kristen Ashley's BEST series, so if you haven't read it yet now is the time as the fifth book is coming out soon!!
“Remember this kiss,” he ordered on a whisper, his eyes staring into mine. There weren’t many kisses Apollo had given me that I didn’t remember. I didn’t share that. I asked, “Why?” “Because it is special,” he answered. “They’re all special, Lo,” I pointed out and watched his eyes smile even as I felt his lips do the same. “They are, dove,” he agreed. “But this one, the first I will give you knowing you return yours with love, will be the one I most treasure for the rest of my life.”
"You don't think you're perfect but you are, Frannie. Every inch."
Midnight Soul, the final book in the Fantasyland series, is the story of Franka and Noctorno Hawthorne. Noc, the parallel universe (our universe) of the Tor from book 3, has traveled from our modern world into the Fantasyland one. Franka has a dark past, known for being conniving she recently had been guilty of treason in an effort to save her lover. After helping out in the events at the end of book 4, Franka has redeemed herself of her crimes but not of her reputation. Noc sees through her hard facade for the woman she is beneath and the two begin a wonderful friendship.
Franka holds a secret past no one could have ever imagined, and once it comes to light her options have changed. Noc wants Franka to come with him to his world and Franka wishes for a new adventure. It's just a matter of her overcoming her grief and of Noc convincing her to stay...
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Misunderstood heroines are my favorite kind of heroines. Franka is a character who in the past had been introduced as a villain and has been unkind to other characters. I love that we got her side of the story, how she showed others what she wanted them to see and not who she really was. I loved that Noc saw through her act for who she was, even when no one else did. From the beginning he was a great hero, and the best part? He didn't act like a dick in this book. Yippee!!
This book was definitely different from the other books in the series (which I recommend reading in order). It was almost a reversal with Franka discovering what we consider our world instead of being placed in the fantasy world as the previous 4 books are. I really loved the redemption of Franka, but I felt like Noc and Franka lost the focus of the story once that was over. Much of the story was about the other Circe and Dax, and even Valentine. I would have loved this book more if the focus has remained on the main couple and their love story rather than their involvement in the lives of others.
Fantasyland is hands down my favorite series by Kristen Ashley, I've never read anything like it. If you haven't read this series, you need to!!!
"I love you." "Thank fuck."
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review
“You got good, you don’t let it go. It lets you go, you hold on. It slips through your fingers, you pull out all the stops to get it back 3.5 stars
“You got good, you don’t let it go. It lets you go, you hold on. It slips through your fingers, you pull out all the stops to get it back. You got somethin’ worth fighting for, you fight for it. You do not sit on your ass waitin’ for it to come back to you. You show whoever that is they mean something and you go all out on that, and the only way you go down is doin’ that shit swinging.”
Hold On, the final book in The Burg series, is the story of Merry and Cher. Merry is a divorced cop and Cher a former stripper and single mom. Cher has been pining for Merry for years but was waiting for him to get over his ex-wife and notice her. And one day, he did.
3 star reviews are the hardest for me to write. This is probably because I neither hated nor loved the book. Obviously I liked it because I was able to finish reading and don't think of it negatively. It just doesn't have that something special that makes it stand out.
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“Is there an us?” he asked. My breasts brushed his chest as I started breathing heavily. “Goddamn it, Cher, is there an us?” he clipped. “I want there to be.” Fuck! It came out because he was freaking me out. Fuck! “Then there’s an us,” he declared firmly. … “And there bein’ an us, Cher, that means you’re mine. Ethan’s mine. Are you followin’ me?”
The Burg series in general is probably my least favorite Kristen Ashley series. I know this puts me in the minority, but hello, Wildcard here. Only book I truly loved from this series was At Peace and that's because that book is fucking phenomenal.
Anyways, first 50% of this book was great, a 5 star read even. The second half was like trying to walk through wet tar. I had to push myself and it made it less enjoyable hence rounding it out to 3 stars.
My biggest issue with this book? It needed to be a good 100-200 pages shorter.
That's right. Would have been amazing but instead everything felt dragged out and lost its emotional punch. I lost interest in the characters because it became a chore to read about them after having loved them for the previous 300 pages.
So in the end, I liked this book but it doesn't stand out from the amazing work this author has delivered in the past. Obviously Kristen Ashley is The Queen of romance and I will read anything the woman writes.
“It happens,” he replied. “What happens?” she asked. He dipped closer and held her tighter. “It happens,” he repeated. “For people like us, baby. It happens, eventually. Just as long as we hold on.”
So when I discovered one of my all time favorite books was released in paperback for the first time, I bo Reread #4848548469 on 4/21/18 LOVE THIS BOOK
So when I discovered one of my all time favorite books was released in paperback for the first time, I bought that paperback right away! I meant to skim my favorite parts, but ended up completely rereading the entire book. And it was just as good if not better the second time around.
I am writing this review on a different edition of the book, so I think 2 reviews will show up and for that I am sorry if it bothers anyone. But since Goodreads doesn't have a reread option this was my only choice.
Anyways this is one of those epic romances that completely tears you apart on the inside and then puts you back together again. It's unconventional and yet it's beautiful and quite possibly the best book this author has ever written. If you haven't read it yet, you need to....more
Elvira and Malik's story. Honestly, this whole thing put a big old smile on my face the entire 11 pages. I wish she got her one book but this was an aElvira and Malik's story. Honestly, this whole thing put a big old smile on my face the entire 11 pages. I wish she got her one book but this was an awesome holiday gift from KA.
Just in case you live under a rock, this book is now LIVE!!!!
5 stars!
"Olivia Shade was something of exquisite beauty not allowed to be what sh Just in case you live under a rock, this book is now LIVE!!!!
5 stars!
"Olivia Shade was something of exquisite beauty not allowed to be what she needed to be. Beauty bound. She was not a ghost who could be seen. She was a hostage in a lavish cage."
Five years ago, Nick Sebring saw his girlfriend murdered right in front of him and he could do nothing to save her. Now, he’s back for vengeance on the man who ordered the hit but he needs an in. Olivia Shade is the daughter of a notorious criminal and plays her own part in the family business. Years ago she tried to get out and found out the hard way that for the shades, there is nothing else but the family business. A prisoner of her own life, she indulges herself where she can, and this brings her to an elite and private club where she meets Nick.
The two are aware of each other from the world they live in, but when they meet for the first time their chemistry is explosive. But Olivia, knowing what her family is capable of, keeps Nick at a distance. Nick continues to pick away at her walls but finds other ones popping up along the way. As time goes by both of them begin to have deeper feelings for the other, but a huge amount of obstacles stand in their way, the worst being Nick’s ulterior motives.
“I live in dark. Dawn never comes for me. There will be no new day where I wake up complete. Happy. Loved. There is no other side to make my way to. There is no believe. It just isn’t for me.”
This book completely gutted me. It had everything I look for in a romance novel, not even just a Kristen Ashley one. I love when a heroine is closed off and the man needs to fight for her, it’s one of my favorite romance tropes. Being in the minority and not loving Knight Sebring (I know ladies, put down your pitchforks) I was apprehensive about Nick Sebring as a hero, especially because I didn’t remember him being the best guy when we met him initially. Ashley obliterated these fears because Nick is now one of my favorite Kristen Ashley heroes now. And he doesn’t use the word daddy, thank God.
I loved the plot, it kept me guessing at every turn. There were some twists near the end that I felt I should have seen coming, but honestly didn’t at all. I also don’t normally like mafia/organized crime romance and it totally worked for this story and didn’t hinder my love of the book at all. I also loved how the characters from previous books in this series fit seamlessly into the story and felt like I was saying hello to old friends. Everything with the plot was so intricately done and yet didn’t feel forced, I loved every moment of it.
Hands down my favorite part of the book was Olivia. I felt for her every page I read, and it only grew as the book went on. I understood her choices, and I completely empathized with her situation. My heart bled for her and her suffering, for her impossible situation and her fruitless efforts to escape the life she had been born into. Her constant efforts to shut Nick out and down I was cheering for her and yet at the same time hoping Nick would break through, because I understood both sides of her dilemma. Let him in and possibly get hurt, or let him go and feel that loss.
Kristen Ashley writes a romance that everyone can love and will capture the hearts of her readers, old and new. I felt this story deep in my gut and even now days later I can still feel it; it’s one that will stay with me a long time. I loved it. It made me cry! (In a good way).
“I woke up from my dream to a living dream. Complete, happy…. And loved.”
ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review
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